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Zambia was what I was looking for in Africa. A red soil dotted with dry thorny trees, acacias and baobabs, where animals roamed freely. Birdsong filled the trees. Women wore their hair in elaborate braids swirling around their heads making them look regal. Taxis came in every make and model of car, their unifying characteristic a secondary aqua blue paint job. Monkeys were everywhere. Baboons hitchhiked on cargo trucks and scampered around in the streets like comedic vagabonds. The gray vervet monkeys with their quizzical eyes and pointed moustaches approached fearlessly stealing food, shoes and other unattended items from inattentive owners.
In the middle of one afternoon, we caught a group of teenage vervet monkeys stealing hotel towels off an unattended golden cart at the hotel. They snatched the fresh white towels with a quizzical excitement, watched them unfold, shook them, then cast the unfolded cloth aside like an old toy and snatched up an new one. They did it with such glory and efficiency that the high piled cart was quickly disrobed and the surrounding area littered with linen. One of the younger monkeys plopped a washcloth on its head, the cloth spread out, one corner jutting out between its eyes. The monkey sat up and looked around, then began adjusting its new adornment. The scene was too much, we shook with now audible laughter which startled the young monkey causing it to run off and scamper up a nearby tree, wash cloth perfectly balanced like a hat all the while.
The days filled with a steady heat—not scorching, but the kind that radiates to every part of your body making it sweat a sweat that instantly evaporates into the dry air. The nights were cold. They brought a chill to the evenings and left a frost on the morning air. From everywhere we went in Livingstone you could hear the roar of Victoria Falls, the world's largest waterfall.
Victoria Falls is known in the local language as Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning the smoke that thunders. When we went in May, at high water, it was just that: a roar of water behind billowing clouds. The falls appeared and disappeared into a thick mist, swirling up out of the canyon and raining down. We were soaked through, despite a full set of rain gear, and constantly shaken by the force and roar of the pounding water cascading 355 feet down to the boiling green river below.
The falls stretch 5,604 feet across and mark the boarder between Zambia and Zimbabwe, both of which have expansive viewing areas for tourists and who offer differing perspectives of the falling sheet of water. Downstream the river proceeds through a series of deeply cut zig-zagging gorges. These cuts in the earth represent previous locations of the great falls as it eroded the earth away through geologic time.
From the air, the mighty Zambezi river stretches like a fat blue snake spotted by green islands, meandering through the a landscape of brush and dry thorny trees. The spray from Victoria Falls can be seen from far upriver and is equally obvious from the air, catching the light and projecting its colors in sequential rainbows.
TRAVEL TIP: If you visit Victoria Falls–especially in the spring–bring rain gear! The mist will drench you.
Also, when there are monkey around, keep an eye on your belongings and do NOT feed them under any circumstance–this encourages pesky behavior which can lead to their death.


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Chinese president meets Romanian prime minister
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta in Beijing, capital of China, July 2, 2013. Ponta is visiting China to attend a conference for local leaders from China and central and east European countries that will be held in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from July 2 to 4. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, pledging to push forward cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.
Ponta is visiting China to attend the local leaders' meeting between China and CEE countries. The meeting is scheduled to be held in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from July 2 to 4.
China and Romania are good friends of mutual support and understanding, Xi said, noting that bilateral friendship is an important precondition and foundation for pragmatic cooperation.
China is ready to work with Romania to expand exchanges and cooperation in all areas, enhance coordination in multilateral affairs and promote bilateral ties to a higher level, he said.
The establishment of the cooperation framework between China and CEE countries has provided a new platform for China's cooperation with CEE nations, including Romania, said Xi.
China is willing to work with 16 CEE countries to enhance the scale and level of cooperation, in order to gain more cooperative results, said the president.
Ponta said Romania and China enjoy a long-term traditional friendship and bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation has promoted the development of the European country.
Romania is willing to be China's best cooperation partner in Europe, he said, adding that he hoped to take the opportunity of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties to advance relations.
Romania will continue to play a positive role in promoting China's cooperation with CEE countries as well as Europe-China relations, said Ponta.
(2013-07-02 Xinhua)

subset: commoncrawl


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Active Minds presents: Nigeria
August 15, 2015
The recent emergence of the Islamist group Boko Haram in the north of Nigeria has exacerbated a north/south split in the country that divides primarily along religious lines (Muslim/Christian). As the most populous nation in Africa and one of the leading oil exporters in the world, Nigeria is a key player in the region. Join Active Minds as we explore the past, present, and future of this important country.
Time: 10:00-noon (10:00 continental breakfast, 10:30 program)
Location: Fairway Villas Clubhouse, 5223 Espana St, Denver, CO 80249… map. From I70, take Pena Blvd, exit east on 56th Ave, go right on Dunkirk Rd, left on 54th Place, right on Espana St.
Cost: Free


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Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Repro MARX "Superman" figure.
6 comments:
Great. :-D it´s true, whenever a baddy shhots at a superhero and the bullets bounce off, they laways use the last absolute, this has to work, desperate measure..throw the gun. :-DReplyDelete
The TV Superman George Reeves just had to stand there. Criminals in hats and suits usually resorted to the gun throw. I think there was an episode where George Reeves "ducked" from a thrown object.Delete
Absolutely priceless! :DReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you Michael. Your painted works are a treat to see.Delete
Super Man!ReplyDelete
some super powers could be useful (or amazing) in real life!
I like.Replies
Spiderman did get the warning about "with great power comes great responsibility"Delete
Superman of course is a Democrat. His real Kryptonian name Kal-el is vaguely Jewish. He's an immigrant who works for the Liberal Media and he puts crooks in jail rather than killing them.
"Truth Justice and the American Way!"


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Nigerian Journalist, Zainab Bala wins 2021 Michael Elliott award
By Benjamin Arida//:
The Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling will be presented to Zainab Bala, a broadcast reporter who revealed pernicious child abuse in Nigeria in 2021.
The winner was chosen by a respected panel of judges from a pool of 130 applicants.
The Almajiri, a compelling documentary created by Zainab Bala, a Nigerian broadcaster with Viewer Television and a host of #TheScoop With Zainab Bala show, focused on children in northern Nigeria who left their homes for Islamic education in the nation's capital, where they were abandoned and humiliated by their religious teachers.
She showed gruesome footage of some children being chained and others being forced to beg for food.
The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) presents the prestigious award in collaboration with ONE and the Elliott family. It was founded in 2016 in memory of Michael Elliott, an accomplished editor and philanthropist whose life was a testament to the power of storytelling to experience and enhance human conditions.
The prize aims to support young African journalists who are working to enhance people's voices and better their lives.
Another winner of Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling in 2021 is Bernadette Vivuya whose entry focused on children working in niobium, cassiterite, and coltan mines in Congo, which produce raw materials used in the production of capacitors for electronic devices. The story, which was published by Equal Times, showed how Congolese children facing crippling poverty were forced into such arduous labor, falling short of the global target of ending child labor.
The work of Egypt's Samar Medhat, whose investigative piece, Egypt's Corpseless Coffins, focused on fraudsters faking their own deaths to defraud insurance firms, was also praised by the judges.
Kenyan journalists Mercy Juma and Dorcas Wangira, as well as Nigerian journalists Abubakar Ibrahim and Kiki Mordi, have previously won the award.
"Mordi's work demonstrates extreme courage, tenacity, investigative ability and the patience needed to tell such a complex story with undeniable evidence," said Wangira, the 2019 Elliott Award winner and a member of this year's jury. "It is Africa's answer to #MeToo."
The work of Egypt's Mahmoud Elwakea, whose Made in Prison multimedia story focused on three generations of jihadists in Egyptian prisons, was also praised by the judges. The judges were blown away by his dedication to unraveling a multilayered narrative and his sparkling visual presentation.
"I am delighted that the generosity of donors, along with fresh support from The Economist, allows the program to benefit two winners for the first time this year, the award's fifth season," said Emma Oxford, Michael Elliott's widow. "Mike would be thrilled by the range and quality of the finalist entries, as were the judges. I am most grateful to my fellow judges and to the staff of ICFJ for their thoughtful review of the entries, and I wish much success to the two talented winners: Zainab Bala and Bernadette Vivuya."
"The award is a fitting tribute to Mike Elliott, and a brilliant reflection of the richness of storytelling talent in Africa," said Daniel Franklin, executive and diplomatic editor of The Economist and a member of this year's jury. "This initiative to support rising journalists goes from strength to strength, and The Economist is delighted to support its expansion.
Bala and Vivuya will earn a cash prize as well as access to a personalized digital platform aimed at helping them advance their careers. They will learn new skills from media mentors and share expertise with journalists from top newsrooms in the United States and the United Kingdom. The Economist will host one of the contest winners for a virtual internship at the company's headquarters in London.
The international panel that chose Bala and Vivuya was headed by Lionel Barber, former editor of the Financial Times and author of The Powerful and the Damned. Among the judges were:
Joyce Barnathan, President, ICFJ
Matthew Bishop, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institution
Kate Critchley, Executive Director, Communications and Content, ONE
Daniel Franklin, Executive and Diplomatic Editor, The Economist
Catherine Gicheru, ICFJ Knight Fellow, Kenya and director of The Africa Women Journalism Project
Abubakar Ibrahim, Features Editor, Daily Trust and 2018 Elliott Award winner
Mercy Juma, BBC Africa correspondent and 2017 Elliott Award winner
Rik Kirkland, Senior Advisor, McKinsey and Company
Emma Oxford, Author, At Least We Lived
Dorcas Wangira, Feature Writer, Citizen Television and 2019 Elliott Award winner.


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From tabletop to video...
Fans at Wales Comic Con get ready to achieve some high scores in the Gaming Zone!
Competitors of all ages can join our live tournaments, console free-play and old school arcade merriment. Those who deem themselves to be worthy will also got the chance to face off against fellow players in Super Smash Bros live.
Video games not your flavour? Worry not as we will also be hosting the best in tabletop action including the latest in TCG and miniature model warfare across the weekend!
The Gaming Arena itself can be found within the main hall at the event - Please check the map for guidance or if in doubt look out for our huge video wall!
Anyone who wants to sign up for a tournament at the event can do so with our staff directly situated at the Gaming Arena over the course of the event. Slots will be limited and served on a first come, first served basis so please head there early if you don't want to miss out on the chance to join in with the fun.
As well as our official tournaments we will be hosting casual fun gaming sessions on the main stage as well as featured setups including retro video games and arcade cabinets, a virtual reality zone, displays and sponsored gaming themed vendors selling exclusive items to the event.
NO! We celebrate all forms of gaming here at the event and alongside our video games we will be hosting tabletop goodness over the entire weekend. There will be dedicated areas for tabletop gaming including anyone interested in TCG elements as well as prize giveaways from our various sponsors. Expert panels will also feature at the event from industry pioneers covering both worlds of tabletop and video gaming.


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Bukola Jesse is a big babe in London. She works with NHS. She also does a bit of catering by the side. She is a Vlogger, Brand influencer, and relationship expert.
Some call her Bukola Genesis. Is it because that's her church? Oh yes, she explains." I added the Genesis myself because Prophet Israel Oladele Ogundipe of Genesis Global Church is my mentor and spiritual father."
But beyond all these, we must add that Bukola is stylish. So stylish in her dressing and Fashionable she is that many call her Yeye Mesho. How did she get that alias? She smiles. "To God be the Glory there is nothing I wear that does not fit me. I love to dress well. I wear what fits me. And whenever I go to a function, my dressing always makes a statement.
"I usually go for any outfit that makes me stand out and suits me well.


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Following in the footsteps of LinkedIn, Facebook appears to ready to launch a mentorship service. Mark Zuckerberg is quoted in the Techcrunch article Facebook is testing a feature for mentorships between users | TechCrunch by Ingrid Lunden:
"Facebook has been focused on helping you connect with people you already know," he wrote. "We've built AI systems to recommend 'People You May Know'. But it might be just as important to also connect you with people you should know — mentors and people outside your circle who care about you and can provide a new source of support and inspiration.
My guess is that both Facebook and LinkedIn see their automated mentorship service as a way to enhance their career services. LinkedIn is the go-to social network for people looking to network with others in their field both to look for jobs and for career development. Career mentoring differs markedly from mentoring of startups, as it is much more narrowly focused. This effort by Facebook is probably an effort to compete with LinkedIn rather than encroaching on the mentorship services of academic institutions like MIT or accelerators like Y-Combinator.
As I scan the Net for mentions of mentoring entrepreneurs I have yet to come across any results from LinkedIn or any other career focused social network. Facebook built its company on the backs of users' existing social relationships, the people they already know. Now it appears Facebook will try to connect people who don't know each other, based on mutual interests. Obviously Facebook has a lot of experience connecting people – that's the heart of their social network – but now it is attempting to use AI to be a matchmaker between mentors and mentees, a much deeper and much different relationship than "Facebook friends."
Whether LinkedIn or Facebook attempt to automate the mentoring of entrepreneurs remains to be seen. Obviously career mentoring is a much larger market than startup mentoring and better ties in with Facebook's core competencies.
Just the same I will be very interested in seeing just how these experiments work out as to date no one has attempting to scale mentoring. And I'm not sure it is possible without a very strong intermediary with deep experience in building startups, be that TechStars or the MIT Venture Mentoring service. Obviously the old saw stick to your knitting no longer applies to tech companies, not only do they not only not stick to their knitting, they are busy attempting to learn tailoring and dressmaking as well!
While I'm a firm believer that automation can improve on most manual methods, mentoring requires both deep expertise and experience as well as trust. Given the issues these days with Facebook enabling third parties to access its users personal information I see trust going down, not up, for Facebook. Yet I would not underestimate Facebook's ability to develop a completely new kind of social graph: Workplace, an enterprise communications service for teams and larger organizations.
As Ingrid Lunden writes:
But mentoring has a key difference: some of the new discover people features raise questions of just how much we want to connect with those on Facebook who we don't actually know or consider friends already. To some the service can even feel a little stalkerish.
Mentoring relationships, on the other hand, are more mutually complicit and separate to any expectation of friendship — despite the direct connections and private chats you will have with each other.
Obviously Tinder and other dating services have proven users' willingness to connect with perfect strangers, based on what they see as compatible profiles. However, mentoring is a skill – just because someone has the same interests and experience as you does not make them a good mentor. It's not that simple. However, I will be monitoring both LinkedIn and Facebook's efforts,d as while I'm dubious about automating the mentoring process I am interested in virtual mentoring, which no one has yet to perfect to best of my knowledge.


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Competitive analysis of the Nigerian telecoms industry
|✅ Paper Type: Free Essay
|✅ Subject: Business
|✅ Wordcount: 2719 words
|✅ Published: 25th Apr 2017
I shall discuss the Nigerian Telecoms industry with particular reference to mobile telephony and data transmission via handhelds. My emphasis would be on the period post liberalization of the industry from the monopoly of the state owned carrier , Nitel. I focus on the structure, the key players in it and the competitive forces at play in the industry, leading to a discussion on how best a new entrant can come into this industry and a summary of recommendations.
If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help!Essay Writing Service
Structure of the Market
Since the mid 80s, M-Tel, a subsidiary of Nitel – the national carrier has enjoyed a monopoly of the Nigeria Mobile telephony industry, providing just 40,000 connected lines to subscribers nationwide (Doyle & McShane, 2001, p. 10). The establishment of the sector's independent regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in 1999 (Corporate Nigeria, 2010, p. 152)and the award in January 2001, via an auction, of three GSM spectrum licenses to MTN, CIL ( aka GLO) and Econet Wireless Nigeria Ltd liberalized the market. Today the market is made of primarily the five GSM companies, GLO, M-Tel, MTN, Airtel ( formerly Zain), Etisalat and 4 key CDMA companies, Visafone, Starcomms, Multilinks and Zoom. Last week, Visafone announced the takeover of Multilinks and have commenced their post-merger integration exercise. There are indications that further consolidation especially within the fringe CDMA companies is imminent. Fig 1 below highlights the relative market share within the key players.
PESTLE Analysis of the Market;
Nigeria is in the middle of an election that has attracted so much interest (Mordi & Versi, 2011, p. 24) initial signs indicate the process will be fairest in the history of the country (Asante, 2011)and could lead to emergence of a more stable, progressive democracy (Obayiuwana, 2011). An active and free media continues to challenge the politicians to higher standards of governance.
The local currency the naira has held steady against the dollar at N150 to USD 1, curbing inflationary tendencies (Corporate Nigeria, 2010, p. 34). However, inflation continue to be in double digits. GDP is estimated at $357.2 billion PPP , no. 32 in the Global table of PPP. Listed on Goldman Sachs' 'Next Eleven' world economies in 21st Century, Nigeria is a country with huge growth potentials. (Corporate Nigeria, 2010). Debt relieve through the Paris Club significantly increases the countries ability to invest in much needed infrastructure e.g power, roads, education and health (BMI, Q1-2011, p. 9)
At 923,000 sq km of land, 250 ethnic groups, 521 languages, approximately 150million people (Corporate Nigeria, 2010, p. 12), Nigeria is huge and diversed and this diversity comes with its challenges with ethnic violence and sectional unrest. The country is also struggling with a poor reputation with corruption and internet fraud. The country has taken steps towards laundering her image with the set up of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which has arraigned 18 fraud syndicates, shut down 800 fraudulent websites, and over 5000 emails working in collaboration with Microsoft. (Corporate Nigeria, 2010) .
With over 80% of the population below 40 years and 40% below 15 years, Nigeria is a young market. However, official unemployment rate is quoted as 19.7% , arguably, the real unemployment figures are much higher.
Technology; With the arrival in Nigeria of MainOne, and Glo 1, two submarine fiber-optic high bandwidth cables linking Nigeria to Europe, complimenting the already existent SAT-1, data transmission becomes more affordable and easily accessible (BMI, Q1-2011, p. 23). The recent issue of four WiMAX licenses by NCC and existing 2.5G, 3G, CDMA2000, GPRS and UMTS technologies, wireless access will grow dramatically in the next 2-3 years. (Hosn, 2011)
Legal and Regulatory
The main law governing the Nigerian telecoms industry is the Nigerian Communications Act of July 2003 amending the Act of 1992 (Hosn, 2011, p. 7), this act ended the monopoly enjoyed by Nitel, created the regulatory body National Communications Commission ( NCC) and enabled the entry of more players into the market, leading to increased competition and a downward pressure on prices for mobile telephony services (Hosn, 2011, p. 17)
Respect for Intellectual property (IP) rights is low and Legal protection is weak (BMI, Q1-2011, p. 10)
Porter 5 Forces Model Analysis :
The barriers to entry into this market are medium, with the key consideration being the liscense fees to be paid and potential investment in buildout of the network , depending on the model the entrant adopts, The Buyer Power is high, as intense competition and the choices now available to the customers lowers prices. The Regulator's very aggressive drive to drive these prices even lower gives the customer more power. There are very few substitutes to mobile telephony in Nigeria, as the fixed lines are few and not widely adopted. Supplier power is as potential buyers of their goods is few and most of the telcos already have their prefered suppliers and its hard to unseat an incumbent.
Competitive Intensity:
The SIM Registration regulation passed by Nigerian perliament and the number portability planned for later in the years will significantly increase competition and increase churn, as it eases customers flight to quality service without the inconvinience of lossing your number (BMI, Q1-2011, p. 61)
The table above highlights the fact that the Telecoms market in Nigeria is quite concentrated with HH Index of 2904.90 and a Concentration Ration of the top four player (CR4 )exceeding 90% which suggest that industry is susceptible to collusion and price fixing. In reality, this is not the case as the competition is intense and in fact there is an ongoing tarrif war in the Nigeria Telecoms market (Adebayo, 2011, p. 36) (Daniels, 2011, p. 64) however this predominately in the voice services (Ammar, 2011, p. 38).
This competitive intensity has resulted in significant drop in cost of services and a corresponding drop in Average Revenue Per User ( ARPU), a key indicator of market profitability even as the customer base has grown dramatically as indicated in Figure 4. below.
However, the downward trend of ARPU matches the upwards trend of growth in subscriber base for both voice and data services as shown in Figure 5 below. Although the penetration fo the voice service is very high, data service penetration is still in its infancy and growing much faster than voice services as evidenced by the growth of 3G phone and internet subscriptions.
This trend is collaborated by Figure 5 in the trending up of data ARPS. Figure 6 also highlights the trending up of churn, which is likely to continue with the implementation of number portability planned for 2012 by the regulator. Number portability will significantly increase both 'incidental churn' e.g. due financial contingencies, location or life style changes and 'deliberate churn' e.g due pricing, poor customer service or network problems (Jahanzeb & Jabeen, 2007, p. 122).
Strengths and Weaknesses typically characterize internal situations of a business, but I shall discuss them from an industry structure perspective here.
The mobile telecoms industry has continued to grow even with the introduction of compulsory SIM registration. By liberalizing the licensing scheme, NCC has made it easy for new fixed-wireless operators to enter the market even as it continues to keenly invest to achieve widespread connectivity in
rural areas.
An active and fairly free media is playing a key role in the transition to democracy, contributing to the ongoing peaceful election which has also been adjudged as the freest and fairest so far in the history of the country. With the country virtually debt free having benefited from the Paris Club debt relief initiative, there is real hope that with the right leadership, the countries infrastructure challenges will be addressed.
A large, young population means a huge telecoms market and an abundant supply of cheap (albeit unskilled) labour,
Poor state of infrastructure in the country increases the cost of building out networks and achieving optimum spread with resultant poor network quality and negative impact on customer growth and service usage, thus rural communities are poorly served.
Price wars from intense competition have put downward pressure on ARPU rates.
Country image is negative and corruption levels are high as Nigeria is placed at 134th out of 180 countries worldwide. Respect for Intellectual property rights is also low. Couple with this is the recent physical security risk to foreign workers in some regions of the country.
With no heavy debt servicing costs, Nigeria has the capacity to invest heavily in crucial infrastructure which will significantly lower the cost of doing business and eventually lower the cost of goods produced in country.
A free and fair election and dividends from the ongoing efforts to tackle fraud and corruption will gradually improve the attractiveness of the Nigerian market and attract foreign investments even as the major operators continue to invest in developing the quality and reach of their network infrastructures, thus addressing service quality problems.
The landing of several new submarine cables will make international bandwidth much cheaper enabling lower priced broadband services. New WiMAX licences and other technologies will make it easier to access the rural communities and unlock that market.
Despite stepped up investment, the broadband penetration level is low. Mobile Telephony penetration at 50% still leaves significant growth potentials available to new entrants. The launch of mobile number portability will ease the ability of customers to change their service provider.
The introduction of compulsory mobile SIM registration for new customers in October 2010 will slow the growth experienced today in the sector.
Probable removal of tax breaks for cellular operators will remove the incentives enjoyed by 'early-movers'.
Competition and regulatory measures are bringing down prices even as institutional invest continue to invest in the Nigerian market (e.g. South-Africa's MTN, India's Bharti Airtel and Etisalat of the UAE.)
High levels of unemployment of a very young population presents a high risk of civil unrest which could be triggers by the current tension in the country as a result of the political wrangling and electioneering going on even as industrial action remains commonplace, and can disrupt normal business activity.
Recommendations to potential new entrants
Take a long term view
Entrant into the Nigerian telecoms market at this time is a 'late-mover' and would be exposed to a more informed and stronger regulator, tough competition from the 'early-movers' and other 'late-movers', and a high cost of entry into the market (Ramamurti, 2000, p. 168) and as such should be cautious and not tempted to be too optimistic by the huge returns the early-movers made in Nigeria.
Seek Alliances and Coopetition Opportunities.
An entry strategy that seeks to create 'asset-light-virtual-operators' (Turner, 2009, p. 449) by reducing significant investment in "passive infrastructure" e.g. towers, air-conditioning, generators and instead focuses on sharing these infrastructure with 'competition' and shifts differentiation to quality of service and reach has been proven by Bharti Airtel (Prahalad & Mashelkar, 2010, p. 136)to be quite a unique business model for developing economies, enabling cheaper cost of services and thus greater reach.
Intensity of competition in the voice services will significantly reduce ARPU, however, the ongoing conversations around infrastructure sharing, the new licenses for the WiMAX technologies , the landing of MainOne and Glo1 submarine cables (BMI, Q1-2011, p. 49) all point to data, mobile broadband and value-added services being the next frontier of high growth in this market.
MTN and Western Union have joined forces to introduce international remittances services to 21 countries in Africa excluding Nigeria (African Business, 2010, p. 6). The importance of this service in developing Africa is emphasized by Prof. Ophelia Mascarenhas et al quoted in (African Business, 2011, p. 6)as saying "mobile phone firms should take a more serious approach to mobile banking services…there is great potential for banking the unbanked…it is of no use to the poor if the remittance of cash cannot be made because the services is still not available in both the urban and rural areas" . The Central Bank of Nigeria is also churning out several policies and regulations to steer Nigerian banks towards inclusion of the unbanked population through electronic payment system. (Chima, 2011)
Differentiate and Price Creatively
Mobile applications with potential for social economic growth e.g. social networking applications, mobile banking, m-healthcare, m-education, m-policing, can help operators diversify their product base, generate extra revenue, attract new subscribers and lower churn rates (Kechiche, 2010). NCC's wire Nigeria (WiN) and State Accelerated Broadband Initiative (SABI) when completed will high bandwith broadband network throughout Nigeria, accelerating growth and ease of deployment of these mobile applications (Corporate Nigeria, 2010, p. 39).
Value added services via mobile phones, e.g traffic policing in india (The Economist, 2009, p. 73)remain a huge opportunity in Nigeria (Nkanga, 2011)
Prices will not fall as quickly with additional entry if customers value the differences enough to pay more to the firm that more closely serves their particular needs (Greenstein & Mazzeo, 2006, p. 327)
Make Pricing flexible and Price according to zones in Nigeria and ability to pay, offering combination of services and better matching prices and goods to the needs of the customers (Greenstein & Mazzeo, 2006, p. 328). Look for opportunity to partner with equipment manufacturers to offer after sale services on user-end equipments, provide 'packages solutions' that is viewed as a value added service and differentiates you from competition (Lal & Strachan, 2007, p. 23) and possibly rental of infrastructure for transmission.
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Competing on price alone is not sustainable, there is often scope for differentiation based on quality of service, brand and support services and the inevitable 'flight to quality' creates opportunity for premium pricing (Turner, 2009, p. 442). These are all benefits that come directly from a concentrated focus and deep understanding of a target market and response to their needs.
Focus and Innovate
Technology is one of the major determinants of change in the telecoms industry, along with the 'iterative liberalization' in emerging markets that fuels aggressive competition, there is a need for key players in the industry to continual review their strategy for market and customer relevance (Lal & Strachan, 2007, p. 22). This strategic adaptation is crucial in an emerging market characterized by environmental discontinuities, rapid changes and unpredictability. (Eunni, Post, & Berger, 2005, p. 88) (Ramamurti, 2000)
'Late movers' may quickly use newly available advanced technologies to their advantage (Kam, 2006, p. 502), not having the burden of sunk cost in built up network infrastructure, however the pace of changes in technologies in the telecom industry emphasizes the fact that these sort of advantages are short term and that enduring advantage would truly come from differentiation on quality of service.
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By Melaine Nsaikila, MA.,
[dropcap type="circle" color="#FFFFFF" background="#8C212A"]O[/dropcap]f the many topics likely to cause turmoil within a Cameroonian social gathering – the creation of Camair-Co and the quality of its services is the most sickening. Cameroonians are conversant with an aviation history replete with mismanagement scandals dating back to the 1970s and the first state-owned airlines. Inept management and subsequent unsuccessful privatization of the erstwhile carrier, Cameroon Airlines, negates any positive expectation for its current replacement, Camair-Co. Current public opinion in Cameroon and the Central African sub-regions suggests that Cameroon Airlines Corporation is little more than a cosmetic improvement of the so-called defunct Cameroon Airlines. Camair-Co is yet to prove Cameroonians wrong.
Without a doubt, Cameroon is the economic powerhouse of the Central Africa sub-region. It is logical that, in a competitive and ever-growing aviation market, Camair-Co should own a greater market share and provide topnotch services to its clientele. However, the company has fallen far below expectations there by calling for a huge change in strategy. Created in 2006 by presidential decree Camair-Co went operational on March 28th 2011, with a fleet of three aircraft and enormous enthusiasm. Now, with five years of operations serving four destinations (N'djamena, Libreville, Brazzaville and Kinshasa) in Central Africa, three (Cotonou, Ikeja and Abidjan) in West Africa and one (Paris) in Europe, this lone state-owned airline company can boast only a fleet of five airplanes. It has been unable to break-even and the quality of its services is subject to a multiplicity of negative reviews from its clientele – the majority of whom are in the Central Africa sub-region.
The vision and hope for a more reliable carrier is gradually transmuting into an illusion. Scheduled flights are subject to frequent delays and cancellations (without prior notification to the passengers) due to technical issues reported the Centre for Aviation's 2012 report. What greater deterrent for potential passengers than the fact that Cameroonian authorities use alternative carriers for both regional and international travel? Even more revealing is the disappointing and insignificant increase from 124,200 to 125,316 in the annual number of passengers transported internationally by the airlines between 2013 and 2014 despite an 8.8% increase in seat availability. Further, a 7.7% drop in the client-based domestic travel calls to question the quality of Camair-Co services not only in Cameroon but within the region as a whole. According to airlinesratings.com, Camair-Co performs badly with a safety rating of 3/7 and beating the global average only in 4 out of 8 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) parameters for airline safety and effective implementation (EI). With a pass in licensing, operations, airworthiness and air navigation services, the ICAO parameters indicate that the lackluster service performance of the airline is due to below-average effort in aerodrome maintenance, accident investigation and more importantly legislation and organization. In fact, one would have thought that contracts with aviation-industry powerhouses such as Servair and Lufthansa, the legislation and organization of the service would be efficient and high quality.
Melaine Nsaikila is an Economic Policy Analyst at the Nkafu Policy Institute, a leading Cameroonian think-tank at the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation. He can be reached at [email protected]


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The 2012 Emmy Nominations were announced this morning and, at the risk of repeating myself, "Bleh!"
I know that I've kind of set myself up as the awards-crazy member of the TSL team and that's a title that I wear proudly. Usually, I love writing up posts about the Oscars and the Emmys and whatever other silly awards might be handed out during any particular week.
But seriously, this year's Emmy Awards are just making me go, "Bleh," with boredom.
For the boring list of official nominees, click here.
For the far more interesting list of my personal nominees, click here!
Here's ten random thoughts that went through my head as I looked over the list of nominees:
1) The best comedy on TV, Community, was totally and completely snubbed with the exception of one writing nomination.
2) The Walking Dead was also snubbed. To be honest, I feel that the Walking Dead's 2nd season was a bit too uneven to justify it winning but, at the very least, it deserved a nomination.
3) 3o Rock, which hasn't been interesting for a while, received all sorts of nominations.
4) My three favorite guilty pleasures — Pan Am, The Client List, and Ringer — were completely ignored. I'm not surprised by that but seriously, I was still hoping that the Emmy nominations would be at least a little bit fun.
5) The tyranny of Betty White continues as she was nominated for Outstanding Reality Series Host.
6) I was excited by a few of the nominations: Girls and Veep for Best Comedy Series, Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire for best drama series, Claire Danes for best actress in a drama series, Uma Thurman for best guest actress in a drama, and Idris Elba for best actor in a miniseries. Degrassi picked up a nomination as well. Yay!
7) The two most overrated shows on TV, the Colbert Report and The Daily Show, were both nominated for like the 100th time.
8) Both the Office and Dexter were thoroughly snubbed, as they should have been. In the past, I've loved both of those shows but this season, they both seemed to take viewer loyalty for granted.
9) Apparently, networks can now pass off their failed shows as being miniseries. That's the only possible way to explain Ashley Judd picking up a nomination for best actress in a miniseries.
10) With the exception of a nomination for Project Runway, the Lifetime Network was pretty much ignored. When you ignore Lifetime, you pretty much leave me no choice but to ignore you.


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At last, offense! The ball journeyed to the end zone more than three occasions. Thank you, Jeff Horton. I know he called for a pass on the first play of the game to shame me. Nice try. I continue to call for more than 18 passing attempts from Christian Chapman. I want to see 200+ yards from Mr. Chapman. I'm greedy.
Speaking of greedy, the Aztec defense is phenomenal. San Jose is team #2 without a touchdown against the Red and Black. Three consecutive games result in a total of 13 points by UNLV, Fresno State and San Jose State. Impressive. Nine tackles for loss including five sacks against the Spartans (whose offense was rather spartan. Get it?). 209 yards allowed (San Jose rushed for less than 70 yards). Incredible.
Also incredible in these days of players running rampant with bad judgment and at times engaging in criminal behavior (yeah, I'm talking about you, Baylor University), Rocky means what he says and says what he means as he suspended PRIOR to the San Jose game, Derrick Babiash, Billy Vaughn, Jr. and Fred Melifonwu. Rare air for a division one coach of any sport. Hats off to Kalan Montgomery for taking Babiash's spot without notice.
I applaud San Jose State's defense for "holding" Donnel Pumphrey to 135 yards. I'm not mocking the Spartans. Truly, they did a fine job of containing Donnel, as much as Donnel can be contained. The flip side is Rashaad Penny averaged 11.7 yards per carry. Can't stop everybody.
Finally, I was pleased to see second, third and fourth level guys on the field with nine minutes remaining. Valuable experience for Jeff Clay, Myles Cheatum, Troy Cassidy, Trenton Thompson, Kyahva Tezino, Kevin Walcott, Sam Tai, Chad Woolsey, Ryan Agnew, Ryan Simmons, Daishawn Dixon and Julian Rochelin.


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Posts Tagged 'neural activity'
The neurons that shaped civilization
Neuroscientist Vilayanur Ramachandran outlines the fascinating functions of mirror neurons. Only recently discovered, these neurons allow us to learn complex social behaviors, some of which formed the foundations of human civilization as we know it.February 14th, 2011 | Science of the Mind | Read More
Inside the Battle to Define Mental Illness
Every so often Al Frances says something that seems to surprise even him. Just now, for instance, in the predawn darkness of his comfortable, rambling home in Carmel, California, he has broken off his exercise routine to declare that "there is no definition of a mental disorder. It's bullshit. I...January 31st, 2011 | Science of the Mind | Read More
The AI Revolution Is On
Diapers.com warehouses are a bit of a jumble. Boxes of pacifiers sit above crates of onesies, which rest next to cartons of baby food. In a seeming abdication of logic, similar items are placed across the room from one another. A person trying to figure out how the products were shelved could well conclude...January 31st, 2011 | Science & Technology | Read More
Drugs That Shape Men's Minds
Aldous Huxley's acclaimed essay about man's inclination towards intoxication and the potential for good and evil that drugs represent In the course of history many more people have died for their drink and their dope than have died for their religion or their country. The craving for ethyl...August 4th, 2010 | Drug Policy | Read More
Wiping Minds
It is quite common, in these neurocentric days, to find statements from those who eagerly anticipate the final abolition of minds, with no thought to the consequences. One recent example was from archaeologist Peter Watson in the New Scientist, (quoted in Beauregard & O'Leary, 2007); "The...August 3rd, 2010 | Science of the Mind | Read More
Cooking, Fire and Human Evolution
Did Learning to Cook Push Our Ancestors Toward Modernity? // Intriguing evidence shows that cooking may have been the spark that set human evolution blazing toward higher intelligence and civilization. It has long been a fascinating puzzle to scientists: Why did our apelike ancestors come...July 26th, 2010 | Evolution | Read More
Why can't we stop Believing?
Michael Shermer says the human tendency to believe strange things — from alien abductions to dowsing rods — boils down to two of the brain's most basic, hard-wired survival skills. He explains what they are, and how they get us into trouble. As founder and publisher of Skeptic Magazine,...July 6th, 2010 | Science of the Mind | Read More
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND COCAINE By Mike Jay – http://mikejay.net/ Cocaine was the great pharmaceutical success story of the last decades of the nineteenth century. In a few short years, it went from a minor item in specialist catalogues to a major seller in a huge range of preparations in high-street...July 1st, 2010 | Arts | Read More
Vegetarian Brains
Vegetarians are more intelligent, says study Posted by Tino Verducci from The Future is Vegan Frequently dismissed as cranks, their fussy eating habits tend to make them unpopular with dinner party hosts and guests alike. But now it seems they may have the last laugh, with research showing vegetarians...June 30th, 2010 | Health & Happiness | Read More
DMT and the Pineal: Fact or Fiction?
A well-known factoid bandied about by psychedelic drug geeks is the idea that DMT, or some other psychoactive tryptamine, is produced by the pineal gland. When did this idea originate? And is it actually true? By John Hanna for Erowid.org During his talk "Psychoactive Drugs Throughout Human History"...June 8th, 2010 | Altered States | Read More


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About Us
The Weiss Group is a family owned accounting company located in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. The firm prides itself on quality, education, and experience. Our goal is to provide you or your business with personalized and timely services in the areas of professional accounting, auditing, tax planning, business advisory, and estate planning.
The Weiss Group staff has knowledge and experience that far surpasses the competition. Our staff has the ability to provide a different perspective for our customers and consistently focus on being proactive accountants. We keep an open mind when it comes to each of our client's personal and business circumstances. We do not simply provide the requested services; we take the extra time to review your business operations and structure to ensure that you will be implementing the most beneficial tax planning strategies.
The quality and reputation of our work has proven to be the key to our success. To assure such high standards, The Weiss Group has enrolled in Pennsylvania's Peer Review program. The peer review program involves an outside CPA firm periodically reviewing our internal quality control system to insure compliance with professional standards. The peer review program is a voluntary program administered by the AICPA national peer review committee.


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The Reader-Movie Review 03/11/2011Posted by Films to consider in Based on a novel, Drama, Emotional Drama, Movies.
The Reader (British) 2008
Among other wins and nominations:
Winner, Best Actress or Supporting Actress (Winslet), Academy Awards; also BAFTA; Chicago Film Critics Association Award; European Film Awards; Golden Globes; Screen Actors Guild and several more
Nominated, Best Film; Best Director Best Cinematography; Best Screenplay
Nominated, Critics Choice Award (Best Young Actor-Kross), Broadcast Film Critics Association Award
Directed by Stephen Daldry
Adapted from the novel Der Vorleser by Bernhard Schlink
Starring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, and Bruno Ganz
As a teenager in Germany after World War II, Michael Berg (Kross) has a brief love affair with Hanna, an older woman (Winslet). She leaves town suddenly with no explanation. A few years later, when Michael is studying to become a lawyer, he attends a trial and discovers that Hanna is one of the defendants. She is found guilty and put in prison.
Hanna continues to have an effect on Michael's emotional life because he is unable to be truly honest with anyone about the relationship he had with her. Eventually, Michael (with Ralph Fiennes in the adult role) learns something else about Hanna that allows him (and the viewer) some measure of understanding (if not sympathy).
The story has several difficult aspects, not least of which is the age difference between Hanna and Michael. Somehow Kate Winslet still manages to keep Hanna from being totally despicable. She won many accolades for her performance (see above). David Kross also deserves mention as the passionate young Michael, who gets caught up in the relationship, not realizing the consequences it will have.
123 min. Rated R. Sexual content and nudity; adult themes.
No comments yet — be the first.


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Don Blanton of Springfield, a painter, sculptor and teacher, left, will be the speaker Friday at the Greater Holyoke Council for Human Understanding's breakfast in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. King is shown at right on Aug. 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. at his "I have a dream" speech. King was killed by an assassin in 1968.
HOLYOKE -- Artist Don Blanton will speak at the 2016 Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast held by the Greater Holyoke Council for Human Understanding Friday at 8 a.m. at Hamel's Creative Catering & Summit View, 555 Northampton St.
The breakfast honors King, "the social rights activist and minister who was a leader of the Civil Rights movement. His non-violent campaign work on behalf of all of mankind brought awareness of the dignity and rights of all human beings. With so much of his work remaining to be done, as recent events have shown, this is a particularly propitious time for us to come together and talk about what we can do to make his dream a reality," said the website of the Greater Holyoke Council for Human Understanding.
King, 39, a clergyman and civil rights leader, was assassinated April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. He would have been 87 Friday.
The breakfast costs $15 at the door and includes a buffet and music from the Holyoke High School madrigal choir, group treasurer Gina S. Nelson said in an email.
Blanton, of Springfield, is a painter and sculptor and also works with children. He has taught a drug-abuse-prevention program for teen-agers in Chicopee, mentored young people in art at Duggan Middle School and Western New England University, both in Springfield.
Born in Indiana, Blanton came from a family of 11 children. He served in the U.S. Air Force in Vietnam in the early 1960s. He then moved to Western Massachusetts to work at Westover Air Base in Chicopee, and several members of his family joined him in Springfield.
During riots and looting in Springfield in the turbulent 1960s, Don and Paul Blanton, his older brother, used art to try to calm crowds.
For information about the Friday breakfast email Ina Stockton at firstname.lastname@example.com or Colleen Cameron at email@example.com
The role of the Greater Holyoke Council for Human Understanding is to improve the quality of human development in the greater Holyoke community, its website said. The group also holds an annual Holocaust commemoration and awards student scholarships.


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Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so very glad to be with you all this evening in order to recognize the remarkable contribution made by Combat Stress over the past one hundred years.
When I was asked to become Patron of this Charity over sixteen years ago, I was immensely proud to follow in the footsteps of my beloved Grandmother – although I doubt very much whether I will manage to match her sixty years of Patronage! Like my Grandmother, however, I recognize just how important a service Combat Stress provides for our Veteran community.
Thousands of Servicemen returned from the First World War suffering from a condition which was then termed 'Shell Shock' – but what we now know as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The founders of Combat Stress – then known as the Ex-Servicemen's Welfare Society - took the initiative in May 1919, believing that rehabilitation programmes could help Veterans to address their mental health issues.
However, I am sure that even they did not anticipate that the Charity they created would still be needed a century later, nor that the world would be plunged into conflict so soon after the 'War to end all Wars'.
In more recent conflicts, Combat Stress has provided support and advice to Service personnel who were deeply affected by the Falkland Islands Conflict of 1982; the harrowing images of the Welsh Guards in R.F.A. SIR GALAHAD, and the devastation wrought on H.M.S. SHEFFIELD are but two examples of how conflict changes lives forever. And it was the aftermath of that conflict in the South Atlantic – and the fact that not only one of my oldest friends from my time in the Royal Navy, the late Surgeon Captain Rick Jolly, had been in charge of the Field Hospital in the Falklands Islands, that I had also become Patron of The South Atlantic Medal Association – which then drew my attention to the full extent of the problem.
For many who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, the effects have been just as profound. Seventeen per cent of those in a combat role reported symptoms of P.T.S.D. – which is an extraordinarily high proportion, even compared with former campaigns.
So, Ladies and Gentlemen, this evening is not so much about recognizing the achievements of the past, as highlighting the challenges of the future. Indeed, the demands on Combat Stress continue to grow: the number of veterans seeking help has doubled over the last ten years.
Paradoxically, much of this is positive: the awful stigma our society may have previously attached to mental health issues has, thankfully, given way to a more positive and caring attitude, and Veterans are more confident in coming forward to seek help. The Armed Forces have made a concerted effort in this regard and so, I am proud to say, have both my sons.
Nevertheless, the challenge we face is greater than ever before and, as a Nation, we have a collective duty to support these Veterans and facilitate their recovery – just as we have done in the past.
Right now, Combat Stress has more demand for its services than it can meet, and that is why we are here today. The mission of Combat Stress is to be there for every veteran who seeks their help, so that they can get the right care, at the right time, and in the right place.
It gives me great pleasure, therefore, to launch the 'At Ease' Appeal. Through this Appeal, we shall be able to introduce new services and innovative treatments that will be accessible to more Veterans than ever before.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it simply remains for me to thank you all very much indeed for coming here this evening, and to say that I sincerely hope that you will join us in our mission positively to change the lives of those Veterans who have given so much, but who so badly need our help.


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Can numbers carry social meaning?
Nikolas Coupland's research suggests that they do. He used the Yahoo search engine to trawl through the worldwide web for numbers between one and one hundred, looking first for words (such as ninety-nine) and then for digits (such as 99). In both cases, there was a regular pattern of declining frequency of use with increasing size of numbers. Both twenty and 20 were more frequent than ninety or 90 – or even thirty or 30. Perhaps this is partly because it is easier to remember and understand small numbers, but cultural norms are also relevant. Coupland points out that we have developed ways of keeping numbers small by, for example, saying 10 minutes rather than 600 seconds, 10 pounds rather than 1000 pence, and even 4 billion rather than 4000 million. If we decide to use the larger forms, it is to make a rhetorical point.
Unexpectedly, the pattern of decreasing frequency with increasing size of the number turned out to be regular even within smaller sets of ten: 21 was more frequent than 22, 22 more frequent than 23, and so on, and this pattern was repeated within the 30s, the 40s, the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. What broke the pattern were the multiples of 10 (so, 30 was more frequent than 29) and, though to a lesser extent, the in-between numbers ending in 5. Other, more subtle, breaks in the pattern came from multiples of 6, numbers ending in 9, and 'twin numbers' like 44 or 99.
These patterns again reflect social and cultural factors. Whether or not the decimal number system originates in human biology (the number of our fingers or toes), there is now a naturalness about round numbers ending in 0 that makes them attractive when we don't need to be precise. Numbers ending in 5 share something of the same quality. Multiples of six may also be culturally natural to us, featuring in boxes of eggs, bottles of wine or bags of bread rolls, but they have also been institutionalized as part of the measurement of angles in geometry, of longitude and latitude in navigation, and of the structuring of time into minutes and seconds.
The popularity of 99 on the web must be partly on commercial grounds, with prices such as 5.99 seeming more affordable than a price of 6.00. However this is not the only explanation. Coupland found that in the majority of cases 99 or Ninety-nine was used as a brand name. For example, a Ninety-nine card game was advertised, as was a Ninety-nine Bar and Kitchen and a book called Old Ninety-Nine's Cave. Numbers such as 99 and 44, then, seem to have an aesthetic appeal. Even apparently neutral numbers are used more often than might be expected as brand names – seventeen, for instance, is a frequent brand name, though there seems no obvious reason why this should be more appealing than sixteen, say, or eighteen.
The study of numbers, then, raises interesting questions for students of language as well as for students of mathematics. Coupland's study shows that it is well worth exploring the wider senses in which numbers do and do not 'count'.
Coupland, Nikolas 2011. How frequent are numbers? Language and Communication 31: 27-37.
doi: 10.1016/j.langcom.2010.09.001
This summary was written by Jenny Cheshire


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Chart of Accounts Structure Functions & Features
The chart of accounts is a list of ledger account names and account numbers, creating consistency in terminology and eliminates redundant accounts. A chart of accounts structure should include fields for account and ledger descriptions, to prevent shadow accounts from being created. Data tree tools allow users to see the structure of the fields and summaries, to help with reporting requirements, foster change, etc.. Chart of Accounts Structure Functions & Features are an important module of the comprehensive ERP RFP Template for Discrete Manufacturing.
The ERP RFP template with Chart of Accounts Structure Functions & Features for ERP is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx) featuring a total of 3761 decision criteria. The ERP RFP template allows you to quickly and easily prepare the business, functional, and technical requirements sections of the solicitation package you'll send to ERP software vendors. It ensures for:
- complete response from each ERP software vendor
- deep and accurate evaluation of submitted ERP proposals
- impartial side-by-side comparison of ERP solutions evaluated
- rational and documented selection of the best matching ERP system


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Thank you for deciding to buy...
"The Songwriting Genius Within You"
So if I'm not happy with the ebook, I can simply delete it from my computer and email you for a full refund. No questions asked.
I appreciate that the right kind of knowledge and education can be invaluable, and this ebook may save me years of trial and error. So I understand this one time investment of only $87 for a ebook that I can refer back to years from now is a great investment.
How to order: I simply click on the link below, which takes me to the account setup page. After I fill in the details and submit, this will take me to the safe and secure processing page. My investment will be processed by PayPal®. PayPal account is not required. If I just want to use my credit card (or e-checking), I just need to click on "continue" (see example above). Once successfully processed, I will immediately be taken to the download page.
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In accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities may contact the State Bar of California for the following issues:
If you have a problem with a State Bar building or facility, contact the State Bar ADA Coordinator Justice Israel at 415-310-8388 or 415-538-2559.
If you need help or reasonable accommodation in connection with filing a misconduct complaint against an attorney licensed by the State Bar or a nonattorney for the unauthorized practice of law, call the State Bar at 800-843-9053.
If you are an applicant for the California Bar Examination or the First-Year Law Students' Examination and need information about testing accommodations, please read the Testing Accommodations information or contact the Office of Admissions at firstname.lastname@example.com.
If you have a problem reading or accessing information or materials on the State Bar website, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
For all other requests or questions, contact the State Bar with your specific concern at:
The State Bar of California
ATTN: ADA coordinator
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People with disabilities must file a written request for accommodations for all proceedings scheduled in State Bar Court. If you have questions in connection with a State Bar Court matter due to a disability, please contact the court administrators listed below.
State Bar Court, San Francisco
Emina Abrams at 415-538-2015 or email@example.com
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Michelle Cramton at 213-765-1461 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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How excellent this message is. Thanks for sharing
Sent from my BlackBerry® by Boost Mobile
Throughout the year I refer back to the Gospel according to Luke. This time I saw something I wanted to share. When we hear, "you were considered for this," it usually refers to Job's trial and is meant to encourage believers to persevere. God's abiding presence is the theme of the message.
Today I want to submit the opposite as well — that you were considered for your call (as well as your challenge). Here's where Luke's account helps me.
…And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. Luke 5:10b
We tend to speak generally in terms of being made fishers of men. But all the apostles were not fishermen. That call was specific to James, John and Simon Peter. Jesus spoke the language of their natural work to show them how He'd use them in the kingdom. They might apply fishing principles for catching fish to "catching" men. It dawned on me while reading this again that my call to action was targeted for the assignment. I suggest, so was yours.
And it came to pass in those days , that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles… Luke 6:12-13
Prior to selecting the 12 disciples, Jesus spent the night in prayer. Did He spend the entire night praying about which disciples to choose? We don't know; the Bible doesn't say. What we do know is that Jesus was calling disciples. He didn't just call the 12. We know this because the above verse states that of the disciples He called to Him — out of a larger number — 12 men were chosen.
The point: You and I were divinely selected for our area of Kingdom service. Jesus didn't pin the tail on the donkey. He didn't randomly choose you to advance the Kingdom agenda through music, writing, preaching, funding, missions, etc.
Think about the day you knew what He wanted you to do, your reason for living, and how He made it plain to you (it's unlikely he used fish).
I want us all to take courage and KEEP DOING THE ASSIGNMENT. Don't doubt if you're called…not now. Don't second-guess your impact and reach. And my goodness, don't offer any excuses! Just continue in obedience and keep your hands and heart clean.
Be encouraged to know that GOD CONSIDERED YOU for the task in hand. He decided you were a great fit to get the job done. He considered you to DO, not just to GO THROUGH. There's no glory in the suffering alone. Now get to doing, Precious, and bear some fruit!
Selah and love to all.
How excellent this message is. Thanks for sharing
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Educator - Advocate - Writer
"In the darkness of night, I wait expectantly for understanding and knowledge for your people."
Rooted Grounded Fixed and Founded in the Love of God


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Hello Friends:
One of the best ways to nurture a romantic relationship, we can all agree, is with a beautiful love song.
So, I've just created an exciting new contest for Valentine's Day.
The purpose of the contest is to find the love song you love the most!
Since thousands of love songs have been written over the past few decades, I've decided to make it easy for you to participate in this contest.
I've selected just ten songs.
How did I select the ten songs?
Of the video clips I have so far posted on The Alive with Clive TV Channel on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/high5clive of musicians singing songs on Alive with Clive, I noticed that about ten are love songs.
So I have listed these ten songs on the same web page where you vote for your favorite musician who has been on Alive with Clive to be in The Alive with Clive Top 20.
All you have to do is the following:
- Enter your full name and email address at http://alivewithclive.tv/awctop20.html.
- Click on the left-hand rectangle to cast your vote on the web page you see after you click on Submit.
- Scroll down to the section where the ten love songs are listed on the next web page you see.
- Vote for the love song you love the most.
- While you are on that page, take a moment also to scroll up the page to vote for your favorite musician or band. Since the musicians are listed in a different section higher up on the page, both your vote for the love song you love the most and your vote for your favorite musician or band will be registered at the same time.
- An incidental feature of this contest is that lower down on the same web page for voting you will also be able to vote for one of two music videos featuring love songs that have been created by two of the musicians who are in The Alive with Clive Top 20:
· Heartstrings by Irena Hart (formerly Irena Makarchuk); and
· Freakshow by Jerry Cherry
As a reminder, everyone who votes gains instantaneous FREE access to more than ten of the most life-enriching bonuses available on the internet today, and everyone (including musicians whose songs are featured in the contest) who votes between now and February 13 will be entered in a drawing to win prizes.
At the moment, these are the two prizes that will be awarded (and in the next few days more prizes are likely to be added to the list):
· Romance by Choice – Finding Love At Last, a $299 course on romance with eleven CDs created by Bill Scalzitti, THE Coach for Romance, in collaboration with his wife Jeana Scalzitti, Ph.D., described at http://www.romancebychoice.com and http://www.coachforromance.com.
· Keys To The Kingdom, a book by Alison A. Armstrong, creator of Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women, described at http://www.understandmen.com.
Love's Muse, the brand new CD from Justin Biaggi and The Hopeless Romantics.
The winner will be announced in an email I send out on the eve of Valentine's Day, by no later than 11.59 p.m., New York time, on Friday, February 13, 2009.
The musician whose song ends up being the love song you love the most won't win any physical prize for having the winning song, but will win the following prizes that are far more valuable:
- Bragging Rights!
The right to tell his or her fans and the world that his or her song is the Alive with Clive Valentine's Day Love Song For 2009! because it won the contest to find the love song performed on Alive with Clive that music lovers love the most!
- Publicity!
The winner will be featured in a Press Release I issue to announce the winner and in The Alive with Clive TV Show MagEzine.
I'd love to be able to say, too, that the winner will have the opportunity to perform the winning love song on national TV, but I cannot make that promise. I will nevertheless be doing whatever I can to make that happen, and if any of you reading this blog post can help me to make that happen, please let me know.
To enable you to easily find and watch the ten love songs for which video clips are available on The Alive with Clive TV Channel on YouTube, I have included them below in the order in which each musician is currently ranked in The Alive with Clive Top 20:
- Kiss Me Sweetly by Anthony Melillo from his CD, Just Gettin' Started
- Fall Apart by Joe Venice
- Sometime After Midnight by Cassandra Kubinski
- Without Love by Joe Travers from his CD, Harbor
- I Think Of You by Joséphine Ancelle from her CD, Unfinished Life
- Turned Around by Jerry Cherry from his CD, Life Is Sweeter
- Spend My Life by Markeisha Ensley from her CD, Ready
- One by Diana Page from her CD, Love Will Find A Way
- Canvas by Madi Diaz from her CD, Skin And Bone
- Fallin' by Carla Lynne Hall
And here are the links to see the music videos for Heartstrings by Irena Hart and Freakshow by Jerry Cherry:
· Heartstrings, by Irena Hart
· Freakshow, by Jerry Cherry from his CD, Life Is Sweeter
If you don't see a song of your favorite musician, he or she will be featured in some way in an upcoming post on this blog.
So, enjoy the songs and vote for your favorites. You can vote every day but no more than once a day.
Also, please take a moment to Digg this blog post so lots more people can be aware of this contest and the musicians who have been interviewed on Alive with Clive.
To Digg this blog post, click on the Share button below and follow the directions after that to Digg it!
Thank you.
Best regards.
(914) 274-8280
The world wants to experience the genius within you NOW!
The TV Show That Inspires You To Multiply Your Magnificence!
The exciting new way to do business so that everybody wins!
The Alive with Clive TV Channel on YouTube
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New research suggests its 7 a day not 5 a day.. Now the way I see it, if you can get 5 a day in, you are doing well.. Especially if it's mostly veg. So here's a few ideas on how to up the quotient in your diet as well as a yummy recipe…and if you get it to 7 then fair play.
Bake it…try kale strips, washed and dried carefully, then baked at 170C until crispy (about 10 minutes in my oven). Sprinkle with salt and flavoured olive oils for an extra flavour boost.
Roast it... Cauliflower and kids don't always go together but tossed in oil, seasoned and roasted until golden brown and I get no refusals.
Soup it… Any veg and stock makes a delicious soup, toss in some lentils and you have a quick and easy meal.
Juice it..we have a greenstar juicer and everything goes into it to make a daily juice…the taste of spinach might be a test too far for most but just about everything gets juiced in our house. Toss in a lemon or a lime and it will make most things zing..
Freeze it…we freeze all our extra berries, banana slices, and toss them into our juices to turn them into smoothies,especially popular with our 4 year old…a scoop of protein makes it a great meal on the run.
Side it… on the side that is, I eat a plate of salad greens with my main meal most days, a simple extra virgin olive oil dressing gives me some extra good fats and if I'm in the mood I make a lovely dressing like this one.
Coconut& Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Coconut
Serves 4
1 small tin coconut milk 160ml)
800ml veg stock
1 small butternut squash peeled and chopped coarsely
1 red onion sliced
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cuimin
2 tbsp large coconut flakes – toasted until golden
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 tbsp chopped coriander
Heat the oil and gently fry the red onion until softening about 5 minutes
Add the spices and cook gently until they start to release their aromas
Tip in the squash and stir to coat. Season and sweat gently for about 5 minutes
Mix the coconut milk into the stock and pour into the veg mix.
Bring up to the boil, turn down low and simmer until the squash is cooked.
Blend until really smooth and tip back into the pot again to final season.
Serve ladled into a bowl with a tbsp of toasted coconut and chopped coriander on top.
Really delicious- its the red onion that in my opinion adds a delicious flavour superior to white onions.


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Adventures in Everyday Entertaining
Onion Marmalade is a great way to use up a lot of sweet onions while they are in season! Despite the name, onion marmalade is not anything like the citrus varieties. It is a lovely companion to pork, sausage, and hamburgers. It also is fantastic on some toasted bread points or crackers along with some bleu cheese or aged cheddar.
This recipe makes (2) 4 oz jars and can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Onion Marmalade — modified from Cooking Light Magazine
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion to the pan and cook 20 minutes, or until tender. (Stir occasionally)
Stir in sugar and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add vinegar, dry mustard, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook 6 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
Discard the bay leaf and pack into small 4 oz canning jars. ( or one 8 oz jar)


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bend wyatt one crop
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
My next masterpiece...
17 comments:
Wyatt! You are a true master!!ReplyDelete
Wowee!!! You are a true artist Wyatt! Nothing is too challenging for you!ReplyDelete
Definitely! You nailed it. And who said you had to have thumbs..hah!ReplyDelete
XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy
Just pawfect, Wyatt - you fot it for sure.ReplyDelete
Woos - Phantom, Ciara, and Lightning
- AnonymousFebruary 12, 2014 at 7:38 PM
Well it looks pretty close to us, Wyatt you are so talented!ReplyDelete
The Mad Scots
that is amazing - a snow sculpture of a rock - so realistic :) :) :)ReplyDelete
Great job!! What talent!ReplyDelete
Pawsome job! Most of my snow art involves turning things yellow . . .ReplyDelete
Totally nailed it Wyatt. Move over Michaelangelo...ReplyDelete
BOL nailed it you did Wyatt. Have a tremendous Thursday.ReplyDelete
Best wishes Molly
You are a snow sculpture extrordinAire, Wyatt! Isn't snow the bestest!ReplyDelete
Love ya lots♥
Mitch and Molly
You certainly did, Wyatt! Great Job!ReplyDelete
You DID... you TRULY did NAIL it!!! BravoReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 13, 2014 at 6:46 AM
I love it, it looks like one of this tasty chicken nuggets. It's a masterpiece,Apaws! Apaws!ReplyDelete
TOTALLY nailed it! Wow, what an artist!ReplyDelete
Oh Dawg! You totally Nailed it Wyatt!!!ReplyDelete


text: The club welcomed lots of new and young participants at Platania on Saturday 21 January. The sky was cloudy, but clear, and helped us enjoy the views to the snow covered slopes of Troodos. Compliments to Christine, Teresa and Koula for the photos. Join us on 29 Jan. at Aradipou https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/larnaca-rizoelia-park-walk-sunday-29-jan/


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This has circulated through email and was forwarded so many times that the author is "unknown" except for his first name. Thank you Nick!
When you hear someone say, "our country is at war," what is really meant is that our military is at war. Why haven't we, the civilians, paid a special war tax, bought war bonds, or been required to volunteer in some organization that assists our troops?
THE ANSWER: We are a Welfare Nation! Someone else will earn it for us!
I have often said that since the draft was eliminated, we have an entire generation of adults that seem to take so much of what this country was built on for granted. So many of those people are the liberals that today are standing for everything and anything that comes along.
God Bless America and the percentage who actually have served their Country in the military. Something to think about! Received from a friend and I think very well done:
I remember the day I found out I got into West Point. My mom actually showed up in the hallway of my high school and waited for me to get out of class. She was bawling her eyes out and apologizing that she had opened up my admission letter.
She wasn't crying because it had been her dream for me to go there. She was crying because she knew how hard I'd worked to get in, how much I wanted to attend, and how much I wanted to be an infantry officer. I was going to get that opportunity.
That same day two of my teachers took me aside and essentially told me the following: Nick, you're a smart guy. You don't have to join the military. You should go to college, instead. I could easily write a tome defending West Point and the military as
I did that day, explaining that USMA is an elite institution, that is separate in that it is actually statistically much harder to enlist in the military than it is to get admitted to college. That serving the nation is a challenge that all able-bodied men should at least consider for a host of reasons, but I won't.
What I will say is, that when a 16 year-old kid is being told that attending West Point is going to be bad for his future then there is a dangerous disconnect in America, and entirely too many Americans have no idea what kind of burdens our military is bearing.
In World War II, 11.2% of the nation served in four years.
In Vietnam, 4.3% served in 12 years.
Since 2001, only 0.45% of our population has served in the Global War on Terror.
These are unbelievable statistics.
Over time, fewer and fewer people have shouldered more and more of the burden and it is only getting worse.
Our troops were sent to war in Iraq by a Congress consisting of 10% veterans with only one person having a child in the military.
Taxes did not increase to pay for the war.
War bonds were not sold.
Gas was not regulated.
In fact, the average citizen was asked to sacrifice nothing, and has sacrificed nothing unless they have chosen to out of the goodness of their hearts.
The only people who have sacrificed are the veterans and their families. The volunteers. The people who swore an oath to defend this nation.
You stand there, deployment after deployment and fight on.
You've lost relationships, spent years of your lives in extreme conditions, years apart from kids you'll never get back, and beaten your body in a way that even professional athletes don't understand. Then you come home to a nation that doesn't understand.
They don't understand suffering.
They don't understand sacrifice.
They don't understand why we fight for them.
They don't understand that bad people exist.
They look at you like you're a machine – as if something is wrong with you.
You are the misguided one – not them.
When you get out, you sit in the college classrooms with political science teachers who discount your opinions on Iraq and Afghanistan because YOU WERE THERE and can't understand the macro issues they gathered from books, because of your bias.
You watch TV shows where every vet has a violent strain of PTSD.
Your Congress is debating your benefits, your retirement, and your pay, all the while asking you to do more. But, the amazing thing about you is that you all know this.
You know your country will never pay back what you've given up.
You know that the populace at large will never truly understand or
appreciate what you have done for them.
You know that in some circles, you will be thought of as less than
normal for having worn the uniform.
But, you do it anyway.
You do what the greatest men and women of this country have done since 1775
Just that decision alone makes you part of an elite group.
"Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few."
–Winston Churchill
Thank you to those who have and continue to serve our Nation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response.
If you want to learn more about the Vietnam War and its Warriors, then subscribe to this blog and get notified by email or your feed reader every time a new story, picture, video or changes occur on this website – the button is located at the top right of this page.
I've also created a poll to help identify my website audience – before leaving, can you please click HERE and choose the one item best describing you. Thank you in advance!


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"I struggle with speaking!"
"I lack of practice."
" I can't actually speak this language despite I've been learning it for a while."
If you identify with any of these statements, you're in the right place to sort your problem out!
Far too many language learners procrastinate on speaking as they feel they are not ready, not good enough or too scared to just give it a go from day 1. Or they simply have no idea how to create the opportunities to speak the language they are learning.
As they don't live in the country where this language is spoken, they feel that they are doomed and won't ever be able to speak that language fluently.
So not true. And I'm the living evidence of this!
I managed to become fluent in Spanish not by moving to Spain, but by making friends with Spanish people in my town and by start speaking to them in Spanish only!
That's one way of how I did it and today I'm going to share 8 ways!
1.Go to places nearby where there are speakers of that language
Think. Are there any places in your city or town where there are speakers of that language ? Could you go there at least once a week and start joining in events or visiting coffee shops, libraries or any other public place where you can approach people living there? Make a list of places and start going to those places to get to know people. Be brave. I know you can do it.
Are you racking your brains and you can't think of any place where this language is spoken near you? Then move on to the next strategy which is…
2. Take a speaking challenge
Record a video or an audio yourself and post it on social media to get feedback. My friend and expert language teacher, Jonathan Huggins from Huggins International, hosts every month the 30 days Speaking Challenge. Once you join you'll get a prompt every day to practise your speaking skills. You'll also get to meet other like minded language learners, get feedback and also have some fun learning. The new challenge is starting on the 1st of June, and you can join right here completely free.
3. Set yourself a mission (+ reward)
This is a way to push yourself not only to use the language but also to improve your use of it. For example, you could set yourself a mission to have at least three conversations in the language you're learning over a week. Or you could set yourself the mission of using new vocabulary items (some that you've just learned) in an upcoming conversation in order to consolidate them in your brain.
I use missions in my Italian for Travellers course to motivate my learners to use their newly gained language skills right away. Missions really works – especially if there is a reward attached to them!
4. Get a script
Create a conversation script that will get you through your first conversations. It's ok to have one, and it's ok to look at it if you need to. I used to have conversation scripts on my phone too when I first started learning English; in my ebook, "How to Speak the Language you love", I have a worksheet that shows you how to create your first script. You can download the ebook right here completely free. Pinky promise.
5. Know your S.O.S. phrases
I call S.O.S. phrases those phrases or sentences that allow you to ask for help in the language you're learning every time you don't understand, don't know a word or get stuck in a conversation. I'm talking about sentences like "non ho capito" (I didn't understand), "parla piú lentamente" (speak more slowly!) and the like.
These phrases are so helpful that I teach them in my Italian for Travellers course and we use it during role plays. I have also created sets of flashcards featuring some of these S.O.S. phrases in Italian, Spanish and French. You can grab them right here for free. These S.O.S phrases used at the right time are a real life saver and help you get through your first conversations without being too much worried about not knowing a word or not understanding what the other person has said (because you know what to say, if it happens).
6. Use the 5 seconds rule
I'm borrowing this tip from Mel Robbins as every time I've used her 5 seconds rule I have done stuff that brought me out of my comfort zone and got results!
The 5 second rule can help you every time you are about to do something uncomfortable (like starting a conversation in the language you're learning!) and your brain will try to trick you into not doing it as it sees it as a "danger".
When you're about to initiate our conversation and start feeling a pit in your stomach or getting sweaty armpits, here's what you need to do: acknowledge that your brain is trying to protect you from experiencing discomfort; tell yourself there's no actual danger and you're about to embark on a learning experience; start counting down 5…4…3…2…1… and speak up!
The counting down will calm your brain down and you'll take action!
7. Join a conversation club in your local area or online.
Meetup.com or Facebook have loads of groups with learners that are learning you same language. Run a search and see how many you can find. Join them and find someone you can meet up with, either face to face, online on Google hangout or on Skype to have a proper conversation with. By the way, speaking of Google Hangout,I'm having a free Italian class this coming Sunday where you can get to speak some Italian. Want in? You can book your free place right here!
8.Create your own conversation club
If everything fails and you can't find a ready made group or place to practise the language you're learning, be the initiator!
Start your own conversation club and find out where other people that learns your language hang out, either in your local area or online. Think about libraries, universities, blogs, forums, Facebook groups…you have so much around you.
In this article right here I speak about how you need to think outside the box in order find the perfect language exchange partner for you. There is also a worksheet that can help you generate ideas about where you can find him or her or them! Use it!
Your objective is to start speaking the language you're learning as soon as possible, if you want to become fluent in it fast. I talk by experience. So promise me, after having read this article you'll implement one of the strategies above!
Over to you now…
DO you have any strategy that has helped you speak the language you're learning from day 1 regardless of the fact you don't live in the country where it's spoken? Tell me in the comments below.
And if you've found this article helpful, don't forget to share with all of your friends. It would mean the world for me!


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Miss Florida International, who has local ties, will promote the Blue Zones Project
The Blue Zones Project has an ambassador — Miss International 2017 — who has ties to Southwest Florida.
Kelsey Craft, 26, who graduated last week from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Myers with a master's degree in medical science, was named Miss International in early August at the Annual Miss International Pageant in Charlestown, West Virginia.
Her platform for the next year will include spreading the word about the Blue Zones Project to a national and international audience. She learned about the Blue Zones healthy lifestyle initiative in 2016 when she was Miss Southwest Florida International and fulfilling her emergency medicine rotation at the NCH Healthcare System in 2016 to become a physician assistant.
She attended the ribbon cutting for the new pediatric emergency room at NCH North Naples Hospital, where there was a table promoting the project. NCH is the local sponsor for Southwest Florida's campaign to become a Blue Zones community.
"Having the honor of being Miss International 2017 affords me the opportunity to be a voice to a wide audience," she said in an email from Dallas, her schedule already packed with events in her new role. She's up for the task after also serving as Miss Florida International.
"I will use this title along with my education as a physician assistant and training as a Blue Zones Project ambassador to spread the importance of living a life based around the Blue Zones Project principles," she said. "International Pageants is very supportive of finding opportunities for me to speak to schools, worksites, and various community organizations across the country."
The Blue Zones is a wellness and longevity initiative underway in the region where businesses, government agencies, restaurants, grocery stores, churches, residential communities and other groups incorporate healthier options in daily practices so its audience base can make better choices
The philosophy is that over time, healthier choices will become the easier choice, and each incremental step can improve health and wellbeing. Offering fresh fruit and bottled water instead of soft drinks and candy bars in employee breakrooms is one example.
Southwest Florida is one of 37 communities nationwide that is either working toward recognition as a Blue Zones community or has achieved it by widespread adoption of the underlying principles.
The Blue Zones Project was introduced to the region in 2015 based on the world travels of Dan Buettner, who identified communities worldwide where people share lifestyle traits and live to 100 or older. He wrote a New York Times bestseller about the nine principles of longevity.
The "Power Nine" include moving naturally by being physically active, eating a plant-slant diet, knowing your purpose in life, taking time to relax, having a healthy social network and putting loved ones first. A popular activity is to form walking groups, or walking moais, to use Blue Zones terminology.
"I have always lived an active life but by no means did I grow up living the Blue Zones way of life," said Craft, who grew up in Longview, Washington. "Fortunately, I grew up in Washington state and our family activities were based on being outside — hiking the mountains, going on bike rides, and walking around our town lake. However, it was not until adulthood that I really started valuing the importance of a plant-based diet, taking personal time to downshift, and keeping good relationships with supportive family and friends."
Craft moved to Fort Myers in 2015 for graduate school. That's when she found taking part in a service-based pageant would help her connect to the community to give back, which led to her title as Miss Southwest Florida International and volunteered at local health fairs.
Dr. Allen Weiss, president and chief executive officer of NCH, doesn't recall if he ever met Craft during her rotation at the hospital but said her involvement will be good to spread the word about the initiative.
"She'll be a good role model," he said.
The Miss International Pageant system is based in Roanoke, Virginia, and its mission is to showcase accomplishments of women aged 19 to 30. At the Miss International competition Aug. 5, Craft was one of nearly 50 contestants from around the world. There are four categories of competition, including the interview, fitness wear, fun fashion and evening gown.
Some of her favorite Power 9 principles are moving naturally, downshifting, and having purpose in life, Craft said.
"Moving naturally resonates with me because I love being active," she said. "I find it important to educate people that they don't need to be a member of a gym to get moving."
She loves the aspect of downshifting because she finds it challenging, to put aside life stresses and obligations to take time to pause.
"The Blue Zones Project really brought to my attention that I never take time to downshift and this inspired me to sign up for yoga for the first time," she said. "I feel that trying new things can keep us young and healthy as well. My absolute favorite of the Power 9 is purpose. I attended a purpose workshop a few months ago and enjoyed every minute. I believe that helping people find their reason for waking up in the morning can have monumental effects on the well-being of entire communities."
Craft divides her time between Fort Myers and Dunedin. Outside of her community involvement, she is learning how to play the harmonica and plans to visit all 50 states by the time she is 30.


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Video: The Five Biggest 'Agent Carter' Easter Eggs
ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D returns Tuesday night and with it, a storyline that will echo throughout the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show that ended the week prior, Agent Carter, did the opposite: it detailed stories from the past of the MCU. We saw what happened after the end of Captain America: The First Avenger as Cap's comrade Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) went to work as a spy and helped save the world. Along the way she worked with Tony Stark's father Howard, his butler Jarvis, and more.
But don't let us simply tell you. This is the Internet. Watch a high energy YouTube video showing you the five best Agent Carter Easter Eggs that link the show to the MCU.
Thanks to Mr Sunday Movies (via Comic Book Movie) for the video.
Video: Agent Carter Easter Eggs
So what did he miss? Do you agree with his picks?