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For my first presidential biography, I wasn't too sure what to expect. I've read multiple biographies and non-fiction before, so I'm not new to reading this genre of books. However, as the first presidential biography, "His Excellency" by Joseph J. Ellis exceeded much more than my mediocre expectations. He increased my appetite for knowledge of the subject and all that relates. Let me explain.
school, (mainly in elementary for me)? What makes them special? Why are they special, why are things the way they are and how were they achieved? I want to know a little more about the country I love and respect. What's a better way then reading biographies about those that founded and lead this country to what it is today? Also, I'm not here to remember dates and cram all the info I learned for an end-of-book exam. It's just for fun and for my curiosity."
So back to "His Excellency". George Washington. What do you think of when you hear or read his name?Who is he? When was the last time you thought about that? It's true that "Washington" is a common name amongst the United States, from street names to state names, and we see Washington on our dollar bills and quarters. How does human brains process knowledge when they hear a word? For me, I start thinking words that associates the word I hear. Washington is a state, the capitol and our first president. Mr. Ellis tells us that the childhood story about the cherry tree and Washington's famous line "I will not lie" is a myth, but a good myth it is. It gives us, (when we're kids) the image of an honest man. Even as an adult, words that came to my mind to describe our first president is that he's a humble and honest man. Boy, was I right, but prior to that, Mr. Ellis intrigued me, as a reader with a further glimpse of how he became that man, and much more.
"His Excellency" gave us a true biography, with background and chronological settings, as well as further interpretations of George Washington's thoughts and reasoning. Sample writings were included to support findings. George Washington was a young man with many events in his life that one may say is unfortunate, but proves to have benefited him in more ways than one. His 'luck' in life, one may say he's fated or destined for more, and eventually the undeniable leader of our new country. Washington was an arrogant and ambitious man, which at first I find ironic. Would you associate such a character with humility and honesty? Possibly in this age, not, but it was necessary and a great combination for centuries before, as demonstrated in the life of Washington. Respect flowed through my heart and mind when he did not let the arrogance and ambition get in the way of the importance of the new republic, the United States of America (even though it was not the official name yet), by stepping down as commander. He understood what it meant to forsake for the greater good. That took humility.
Nearly halfway through the book, it was no longer what Mr. Ellis wrote, but who George Washington was. I was engulfed in the life of Washington and what his belief for a representative government meant. It was a start of how the United States came to be, and what it represented. He was a man, not perfect, but a hero in every American sense. His grand exits from the end of the American Revolution, to the presidency and final exit on earth highlighted why he deserves honor and recognition for years to come. I don't want to give away too much, even though many may already know. I respect him, for his service, his quiet strength, his belief in our country, his dying wishes (as evident in his will) and for not being perfect. Mr. Joseph Ellis captured all that and allowed me to see why George Washington, our first president as a nation is referred as "His Excellency."
Did you know that it was unanimous in selection and votes for George Washington to be the first president of the United States? And did you know that Washington lost more battles than won? Now, how and what makes him special? You'll have to read "His Excellency" to find out.
Side note: I look forward to reading all those that were characters in Washington's life, including Martha, Jefferson, Hamilton, Adams....etc, all that are part of my presidential project. And I would highly recommend and look forward to Joseph J. Ellis' other books.


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Strengthen Your Culture With This Simple Workplace Perk
As a startup, my company (and my team) has had its ups and downs in more ways than I can count. From the basement to the urban chic office, from college interns to young professionals, we've all grown – myself included. As we've been on this road together for the past few years, our culture has evolved as well. This has been one turbulent journey.
The Red Branch Media culture is unique, it's intense – and it's the heart of the company.
Possibly one of the best things I have done to grow my team is institute a weekly "Eatin' Meetin'." It started as a reward for a great week, but I quickly found out it had benefits outside of the chance to share a good cabernet.
Learn From Weekly Successes and Failures
Sometimes we have great weeks, and sometimes we have horrible ones, but we always take the chance to learn from our own (and our coworkers') mistakes. I'm in the business of learning, and as a leader, I'm constantly learning from other thought leaders in the field and even from my own team.
The Eatin' Meetin' is our chance to talk about what we've accomplished throughout the week. It's where I get to say "Great job" or "Do it this way next time," and it's where my employees congratulate one another on jobs well done. In doing so, they not only get better insights into the work of other departments, but they also learn about thought-provoking methods they wouldn't have otherwise tried – not to mention the fact that I get insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each Brancher (a nickname for the team members here at Red Branch Media). As KT Bernhagen, cofounder and vice president of Percoa, Inc., writes: "Just be patient. As you learn how your team works best, and as they learn your expectations, things will get easier."
The Ladders suggests leaders keep meetings to 30 minutes or fewer, and we adhere to that rule – mostly. After we've spent the first 30 minutes or so covering the best and worst of the past five days, we chat. If there is one thing I have learned from my (chatterbox) team, it's that employees need this outlet. On Monday, we hit the ground running and typically don't stop until 3:30 P.M. on Friday afternoon. Eatin' Meetin' has become our time to unwind and bond with teammates.
Walk the Line
Even during Eatin' Meetin', I have to remember that I am my team's leader – I am not their friend, nor am I their mother. It's an important time to bond with my employees and for them to bond with each other, but there are boundaries I can't cross as a leader.
Michael Holland explains: "Truly effective, wise leaders have learned that the tough decisions and conversations are best handled from an objective vantage point. A leader who is biased in decision-making or in disciplinary action over concern for how he will be perceived will make weak decisions. Weak decisions breed low respect from employees."
Our weekly Eatin' Meetin' walks that line successfully. It has taken a couple of years to find that balance, but after trial and error, I've finally found the mixture of leader and friend that fits the Red Branch Media culture. They might get wine, cheese, and crackers on Friday afternoons, but at the end of the workweek, my team still respects me as a leader.
This weekly get-together is ingrained in our culture. It's a chance for us to learn from each other, for me to give some leadership insights, and for my employees to connect with each other on a professional (and personal) level.
However, with every small team, it's important to walk the very fine line between leader or mentor and friend. Through the Eatin' Meetin', my team has grown to respect me, my knowledge, and my decisions. They trust me as a leader.
What have you done to create a culture that's distinctively yours?
A version of this article originally appeared on Forbes.

subset: commoncrawl


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**Just a heads up, dear reader. I curse kind of a lot. I try not to do it around the kids or company or my mom or anyone I want to impress. Still, there's nothing better than a well-placed swear word. This post is full of them! Being the Lady that I am, I wanted to let you know they were coming in case cursing isn't as lovely to you as it can be to me.**
My Sweet Fuck,
Let me start by saying that I love you. No, I fucking love you. I can't imagine my life without you! You've been there for me in good times and in bad. You've supported me. You've encouraged me. You've been my constant in a life filled with highs and lows. I would be nothing without you.
Let's go back to when we first met. College. Sophomore year. I'd never cursed before then. Hard to believe, I know. I was young! Naïve! I thought I could live without a love like ours because it was forbidden. Cursing wasn't allowed in my family, and my innocent mind thought that no matter where my parents were, they would find out.
Then, The Man entered my life.
After hanging out (are young people still using that phrase?) one afternoon, he told me I couldn't leave until I said a curse word, shocked that I had spent so many years without them. He chose you for my initiation, and I am so glad he did. Ever the good girl, I was late for class and to get him out of my way, I yelled out a resounding and triumphant, "FUCK!" The flood gates opened. I called to you, and you answered. There was no turning back.
The curses poured out like water from a faucet forever after that moment. Shit. Ass. Bitch. And you, my darling Fuck. You were and always have been my favorite. You start off so slow and sweet and then rev up to a hard, dramatic finish! FffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuCK! Excellent. And so versatile! The perfect pairing no matter the mood.
Passed the exam you spent weeks preparing for? Fuck yeah!
Dropped the coffee you just paid for on your shoes? FUCK no!
Doing a dance of joy because the kids are all in bed and there's wine in the house?
(set to the tune of happy birthday) I am so fucking awesome! I am so fucking awesome! I am sooooooooooooo fucking awesome! I am so fucking awesome!
Can't get anything right and then your mother-in-law walks in? Fuck, fuck, fuckity-fuck!
Oh, I tried to ease up on our connection, replace you, and even banish you all together. It never lasted. I would always come back to your fucking embrace. I know I have a love of language and a degree in English. I should be smarter than this! I should rise above you. But, well, I just can't quit you. No other word is as fitting as you are! You always suit the occasion. The little black dress of dirty language. Oh yes, you naughty, little Fuck. I called you dirty. You're only four letters long, but we both know that, in your case, size absolutely does not matter. You can get it done. Big time!
And now, because the children are always watching and listening (except when I want them to watch and listen), my precious babes are starting their relationship with you as well. I tried to hide our love! Keep it our secret. But your pull is so strong, that I slip even when I know better. The girl and the boy have already uttered your sweets sounds in my direction, and I have no doubt the baby will not be far behind. This beginning is an important step for my little ones. The start of one of the most (if not THE most) important relationships they will ever have. I'm so proud to witness it. Brings a tear to my terrible parent eye.
I come to you today not as a parent, though. Or a wife. Or a writer. And clearly not as a Lady. I come to you as your truest fan, in a form I know you would deeply appreciate, a love letter. Because that's what you are to me: four lovely letters joined in harmonious satisfaction no matter when, where, or why you are presented. You've never let me down, dear Fuck, and I am so fucking grateful.
The Lady


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CoreLogic has recently released its findings from an analysis of 100 of the country's top real estate markets to determine which areas are either "undervalued", "at value" or "overvalued". By comparing how income growth aligns with rising home prices, this report looks to determine if price growth can be sustained in the long run.
So what did they find? 40% of the metropolitan areas studied were considered overvalued using their model. This includes Las Vegas, Denver, LA, Miami, Washington DC, New York, Jersey City and Houston.
Boston, Chicago and San Francisco (can you believe it?) are considered to be at value.
With the struggle to find buildable land to boost inventory to meet demand, it is not a shock the Seattle Metro falls in the overvalued category. Spokane and Tri-cities are both considered at value, while Yakima is a winner for buyers as the only undervalued area north of Chico, CA and west of Casper, WY. (On a side note, it's also home to James Beard award-winning tamales, so there's that).
Does this mean we're all doomed? No, probably not. Let's not forget how strong our economy is right now when looking at key indicators like job growth and in-migration. While price growth will likely stabilize as more inventory comes on the market, this isn't looking like 2007 all over again.
Fill out the form on CoreLogic's website to view the free report.


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Black ice reminds me of winter roads in Colorado. I live rural and often have had a hefty commute to work. Black ice is why I prefer to be off those roads by sundown. And, it has caused me to fall on my face walking the dogs a few times, too.
Today, though, Black Ice brings positive emotion. I love this new addition to my garden! First bloom today. It looks like black velvet to me. And, it spilled pollen down it's front peddle. This is another Ned Roberts creation that is in my new Southwestern garden. Black Ice may not remind everyone of the Southwest. It does me. I live here.
Other blooms are Early Bird Cardinal (That yard flag in the background has a red cardinal on it and next shot, I will untangle it for the photo. Those colors are very close!)
And, huge old Ruby Spider!
Lastly, poor frail Electric Lizard's last bud (for now). I am cutting off its fans to see if it will thicken up. I am hopeful for a couple more blooms this year.
I have a bunch of buds that look nearly ready to bust. Wild Horses, Mesa Verde and Saratoga Springtime look the closest. It looks like more Black Ice is on the weather report for tomorrow (or soon), too. I can't wait. It's better than an Easter Egg hunt every morning!


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By Kenzel Jones / September 28th, 2012
As reported earlier, there will be a PS3 version of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. Now, Falcom has released a few screens of the HD port from the original PSP version. Below are a few images showcasing the differences between the PS3 and PSP versions.
Both versions of the game will also be able to share game data, allowing for game saves to be transferred. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky for PS3 will be released on December 13, 2012.
Source: 4Gamer
FalcomHDHD EditionPS3PSPThe Legend of HeroesThe Legend of Heroes: Trails in the SkyTrails in the SkyXSEED Games
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I've been getting lots of emails asking me about what life in Thyolo is like, so I think it's time I filled you all in. I am currently living in a village called Nchima which is just outside the Boma. All district capitals are called Bomas in Malawi. I have currently been living with Mr. Nzengo, his wife, and their three daughters. They have a nice house, complete with electricity, a tv, their own private water tap, and a latrine. I have my own room and I am quite comfortable here. I was expecting that I would not have electricity when I was in Malawi, but I am close to the Boma and a lot of the houses here are hooked up to electricity. I've been keeping up with the news; my family is Catholic so we've been watching a lot of the Pope's visit to the UK.
There are banana trees and mango trees everywhere here! Thyolo is known for its bananas; mango season hasn't quite started yet, but I'm very excited for it. You can always see chickens and goats roaming the roads everywhere here as well; my family has 7 chickens that are always kicking around in the backyard, I feel bad for them though because I know one of these days they are going to end up on my plate (one already has).
I love exploring the marketplace here in Thyolo. It lines the main road through the Boma and it has everything you could ever need! On the left side of the road there are stalls upon stalls selling fruits and vegetables, and on the right side of the road there's many shops selling soaps and toilet paper (very important to always carry this around with you because otherwise you won't have any). After that there's a couple stalls selling bike parts and then you get to the clothing section.
You have to leave the road and continue into the market if you are looking for clothes. If you're wondering what happens to the clothes you donate, it's pretty likely it ends up being sold on the side of the road in a developing country. There are piles upon piles of used western clothing being sold here! People here mostly just wear western clothing, except women usually wear a chitenge (an African cloth wrap) over their skirt as well. My favourite part of the market is where they sell all of the African fabrics. They are so beautiful; I could just walk by them for hours. I've bought two chitenge's so far and I'm hoping to get an outfit made soon.
For the second part of this blog I'm going to fill you in on what a typical day usually looks like for me. I wake up at 6:00 every morning and watch my family bustle around the house getting ready for school. I usually take my bucket bath around 6:30 and then get ready for work. It took me awhile to figure out how to wash my hair with just a bucket of water! I started with the "dunk my head in and hope for the best approach", but I've got it to pat now using just my facecloth. At 7, Mr. Nzengo leaves on his motorbike to bring his wife to work (she's a primary school teacher) and I have a bit of time to myself. When he returns, Mr. Nzengo and I have a breakfast of hot chocolate, eggs, and peanut butter bread. After that I head off to work for the day.
Any number of things can happen at work. Sometimes I go to the field with a co-worker, sometimes I spend time teaching people computer skills, and sometimes I'm meeting with people, just planning my approach or getting to know my co-workers. I've only had 6 or 7 days of work so far, but I think things are going to pick up this week. I go home for my nsima lunch at 12; people usually take a 2 hour lunch, so sometimes I head back to the market for a bit or to the internet café.
Work finishes for the day at 5, I head home, have my second bucket bath, spend some time with my family, have rice for supper and usually go to bed around 9. Weekends are pretty relaxing, this weekend I headed out to the town of Limbe and bought myself a bike! I really like it and it's definitely handy. Now I can get around faster and hopefully explore more of Thyolo. This weekend coming up I'm heading back to Lilongwe for my first APS team meeting. The African Programs Staff are long term volunteers in Malawi, since there are only two JF's here during the fall we get to tag along on the APS meetings.
A few things now to clue up this blog; I haven't checked in with you in a while on my physical, emotional and mental state. Physically I am still healthy! I had a bit of a rough go at the beginning of last week, but I am feeling well now; still no sign of Malaria! The sun really takes it out of me though and I'm always exhausted at the end of the week. Emotionally I think I'm starting to come down from the honeymoon stage on the culture shock curve and am starting to miss home a little, but I'm still charging forward now. Mentally I'm a bit frustrated with the speed at which things happen at work. It's been challenging for me to get used to the slow pace of life at work.
In other news, I posted a few pictures to facebook, I find facebook uploads them quicker then wordpress does, so I think I may continue to post pictures on facebook when I have the chance. Anyways, thanks for all the support, prayers, and emails; keep them coming. Also, I love getting questions, so keep them coming as well. I'm working on a more thought provoking post on my work, so I like getting questions.
Much love,


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No matter the size of your team, clients or projects, account management is one of the most important investments an agency can make. Sure, it's up to accounting to keep your finances in check; it's up to creative to keep the ideas flowing; and it's up to sales and business development to drive new business. However, it's the responsibility of account managers to ensure clients are kept happy and their goals are being met. In other words, account managers guarantee that business runs smoothly and your agency stays afloat.
To provide the best creative services, you must lay down a solid foundation. And a huge portion of this depends on the ability of account managers to build intelligent, accountable, creative teams. To learn how to build the best creative teams—those who not only produce stellar work, but also support client goals—refer to our tips.
Let the Strengths of Individuals Shine
As the old agency stereotype goes, creatives and account managers are like old, married couples. While relationships can be rocky at times, they are ultimately defined by cohesion and dependence. That's why it's important to spend time building rapport with each member of your creative team and working hard to find a balance that yields mutual success.
This depends on your ability to be perceptive of their strengths and shortcomings. Understanding team members on an individual level enables account managers to cater to their specific needs. Setting realistic expectations not only encourages accountability, but it also helps you understand your resource allocation, which ultimately helps guide a project to success.
Implement and Encourage Trust
Respect is the foundation of any good relationship. And the root of respect is trust. Just as clients seek agencies they can trust, your creative team benefits from account managers who work hard to foster an environment of open and honest interpersonal communication. Creatives seek people who not only understand the value of great ideas, but who also appreciate great work and considers it as their own.
As your team's fearless leader, you must demonstrate you have your team's back. Furthermore, it's critical to build upon this foundation and work together to create new opportunities. When creatives know they have your support, they will move forward with confidence.
Lead with Enthusiasm
As any agency veteran can attest to, the life of a creative is full of ups and downs. Projects are rushed, ideas are stretched thin, and budgets are constantly in jeopardy. Plus, it can be downright difficult to produce consistently creative concepts, day in and day out. That's why account managers need to lead with enthusiasm.
Work hard to create an environment in which problem-solving is natural. Remove roadblocks and set high, yet realistic, expectations. Believe a project can be successful, and encourage the perspective that every project is a chance for your creatives to succeed. Not only is it up to account managers to expect greatness, but it's up to you to provide exactly what is needed.
Creating an environment founded on passion and enthusiasm leads to an agency driven by similar concepts. Collaborating with and hiring passionate, enthusiastic creatives who aren't afraid to take risks is the core of successful agencies.
Understanding and Insight
At the end of the day, account managers are managers of expectations. They are the keepers of the project's budget, scope, and schedule. And they must know exactly what is happening: when, where, why, and how much it will cost.
To truly support client goals, however, account managers must strike a balance between challenging assumptions and meeting expectations. Seventy-six percent of agency executives say their clients are afraid to take risks, and they say they are twice as likely as their clients to feel the best creative can move their businesses (48 percent versus 26 percent).
Knowing what's right for a client is important, but it's equally important to always ask "why?" While the end goal of any project is meant to satisfy the needs of your client, sometimes some calculated pushback generates even better results. It's up to you to reassure your creative team that taking risks can benefit a project. And it's also up to you to present the strategic advantage to your clients.
The best account managers are smart and savvy, know when to capitalize on an opportunity—even if that means going against the grain—and approach projects from a standpoint that supports both their client's goals and their creative team's needs.
Streamlining Communication
It's never been easier to access information and communicate. Thanks to mobile tools, automated software, and messaging services, it's entirely possible for employees to stay in touch across the world. However, that doesn't mean your creative team is communicating effectively.
Between juggling schedules, meetings, and changing client expectations, it can be tough for creatives to remain in the loop at all times. The best account managers work extra diligently to build creative teams who communicate efficiently.
While email and phone will still be a vital part of any agency's communication strategy, it's recommended to implement a centralized, internal messaging tool. The ability to communicate in real-time boosts productivity and provides a forum for your team to feel comfortable with each other. And with thousands of options out there, you can easily streamline your agency's communication efforts.
Utilize Automated Software
Modern technology ensures each detail of your strategic plan is crystal clear to your creative team. These days, agency-specific management tools are designed to increase the productivity and accountability of your entire creative team. Software enables your team to access tasks, schedules, and to-do items—anytime, anywhere. Furthermore, they enable file and document sharing so team members are kept up-to-date on project versions.
From a client perspective, robust agency management software enables account managers to create, edit, view, and print project briefs and reports while still providing the ability to create custom templates. Not only does this customization streamline internal processes, but it also sets your creative team up for success and ensures that clients stay happy.
The best software even incorporates advanced features, such as finance and accounting, resource and traffic management, and sales integrations, to keep your entire agency accounted for. These all-in-one solutions facilitate the ability of your creative team to meet clients' expectations and goals.
Business & Finance Articles on Business 2 Community


text: Aware of the high number of kilometers that we travel every week to attend meetings and carry out construction reviews MCROBIE joined a car-sharing plan a few years ago. Membership in the plan allows a number of employees to walk, bike or take public transit to our downtown office location and to borrow a car as needed for daily business trips in Ottawa and out of the city. Employees report great satisfaction with these arrangements since they do not feel the need to own a second family car to use for work purposes. In addition, we love having access to the 100% electric Nissan Leaf vehicle available at the World Exchange Plaza and use it often.


text: Dambuster aficionados know full well that the scheduled remake of the 1955 film is in the (we hope safe) hands of Mr Peter Jackson, with the multi-talented Mr Stephen Fry providing the words. (Can he improve on the beautifully understated script of R C Sherriff?) But football fans know that there is another Peter Jackson closely associated with events in the so-called Bomber County. This is the bearded one's namesake, the manager of Lincoln City FC, the mighty Imps, who have just finished a middling season by coming 15th in League Two (what in the old days we used to call the Fourth Division). And, it turns out, this Mr Jackson has recently returned to his post after a skirmish with throat cancer. We wish him well and hope the fans greet him with a blast of their favourite tune (you know – the Eric Coates one) on the first game of next season.


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Lessons from The Godfather for Ed Miliband: Offer the SNP nothing.Leave a comment
April 13, 2015 by Paul Goldsmith
Like the the 'many' fellow political obsessives in England, I spent Tuesday evening glued to my IPad as I watched the Scottish leaders' debate live. The leaders of the four main parties in Scotland – SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy, Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson, and Willie Rennie, the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats faced off on BBC Scotland. It was a fascinating exchange (again, probably only for political obsessives, but fascinating nonetheless), because the leaders, none of whom will actually have the deliver the policies they are talking about, we're talking openly about who would partner whom in a hung Parliament, something the Westminster leaders had declined to talk about in last week's mass debate.
As I saw Nicola Sturgeon on the back foot for the first time in this campaign (she admitted openly that a second referendum may be in the SNP manifesto for the Scottish Assembky elections in 2016, drawing jeers from the audience), I realised that we may not have to worry about the influence of the SNP on the Westninster government after the election as much as I had been. As long as Ed Miliband is strong enough, it may be that he will realise that he has something quite powerful to offer Nicola Sturgeon in exchange for the support of the SNP MPs in key votes at Westminster: Nothing.
I meant it. Nothing.
I was reading recently of a scene in Godfather 2 when the eponymous Mafia boss Michael Corleone turns up at a meeting with a Pat Geary, a Las Vegas politician who is in a position to decide whether or not Corleone gets himself a gaming licence. This is important for Corleone as it is the start of him and his family becoming a legitimate business operation. Geary thinks that he has the upper hand in this negotiation, as he can demand massive bribes in return for granting the licence. Corleone, however, has other ideas. "My final offer is this: Nothing". We then see in the film Corleone organising Geary being put in a position so compromising that he ends up. Paying for the gaming licence himself as well as granting it. The point is that Corleone arrived at that meeting knowing that he could put Geary in a position where he has no choice put to cooperate.
Ed Miliband could be in the same position after May. Unlike a good negotiator, Nickla Sturgeon has completely revealed her hand. She has been as clear as can be about her position, which is that under no circumstances will she support a Conservative government after May 7th. This includes working together with other parties to vote down a Queens's Soeech or a budget and voting against them in a vote of confidence. That's all well and good. It means that the SNP could use their up to 50 seats to wield real influence on the Labour government. Sturgeon says that the SNP could "keep a Labour government honest", could force them to "end austerity" and to end Trident, or force them to grant Scotland full fiscal autonomy. Or so they think.
Because Ed Miliband, were he strong enough, could respond to SNP demands for him to change course with "and what if I don't?" If the SNP vote against a Labour budget or a Labour Queen's speech they bring in. Conservative government, because, as Nicola Sturgeon has helpfully pointed out, under the Fixed Term Parliament Act, if the Queen's speech (representing the new Government's legislative programme) is voted down, the opposition (ie the Conservatives) get two weeks to form an alternative government. So, by voting against Labour, the SNP will bring in a Conservative Government, which they have committed to not do.
So, given Sturgeon and the SNP have precisely nothing to play with in negotiations with Labour. Given they don't actually have a walkway position, Ed Miliband, should he be able to form a government, should feel confident to say "My final offer is this: Nothing".
I certainly feel a lot better knowing that.


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"Angela Ironwright is a sixteen-year-old girl that I am very familiar with. Insecure? Check. Self-conscious about her appearance? Check. A hopeless romantic with no romantic experience? Fantasizes about boys in her private journal? Check and check."
Fiona J.R. Titchenell is our Summer 2018 author partner. In her YA novel Out of the Pocket, Fiona explores and ultimately breaks down the harmful myths so prevalent in young adult romances. We would be hard pressed to fit Out of the Pocket neatly into any genre, but for all the paranormal happenings in the novel, it is absolutely a true telling of a young woman coming into her own.
Read our spoiler-free review of Out of the Pocket here.
Then, download your copy of the F-BOM special edition of the novel before it disappears on October 1st!
Listen to Fiona read the first chapter of Out of the Pocket here:
Novel Summary:
For over a century, the town of Green Beach has frightened its children with the tragic legend of Joshua Thorne. He's the reason it not only locks its doors at night but nails its windows shut. Steeped in romance and revenge, his is the kind of story Angela Ironwright lives for.
When the specter of Joshua appears to her, insisting she's the only one who can help him piece together the fragments of his own murder, she follows him without a second thought into a place he calls the Pocket, a beautiful hidden world of jumbled memory and imagination. But the Pocket holds more than magic and mystery. Before long, its other reclusive inhabitants begin to call out to Angela, warning her not to trust Joshua and begging for her help to escape his dark power.
Angela's sure there must be some misunderstanding, and she's determined to set it straight. Otherwise, finding justice will mean betraying the only boy who's ever liked her.
Smart and genre-savvy, Out of the Pocket is a dark, honest, subversive take on the modern paranormal love story.
Fiona's Bio
Fiona J.R. Titchenell is an author of Young Adult, Sci-Fi, and Horror fiction. She graduated with a B.A in English from California State University, Los Angeles, in 2009 at the age of twenty, is represented by Fran Black of Literary Counsel, and currently lives in San Gabriel, California with her husband and fellow author, Matt Carter, and their pet king snake, Mica.
She has also published under the name F.J.R. Titchenell, and on the rare occasions when she can be pried away from her keyboard, her kindle, and the pages of her latest favorite book, Fi can usually be found over-analyzing the inner workings of various TV Sci-Fi universes or testing out some intriguing new recipe, usually chocolate-related.
See what she's up to by liking her on Facebook, following her on Twitter, Pinterest, or Tumblr, becoming a fan on Goodreads, or (best of all) becoming a patron on Patreon, to gain access to exclusive content!


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Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Highland Angel
Chapter Analysis of Highland Angel
Click on a plot link to find similar books!
Plot & ThemesTime/era of story - Ancient scotland Marriage/Married - Yes Marriage subplot: - seduction of someone else's wife Action/suspense subplot? - Yes Action: - chased by authorities/family
Main Male CharacterProfession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King Age/status: - 20's-30's
Main Female Character- 20's-30's Profession/status: - homemaker
SettingEurope - Yes European country: - England/UK
Writing StyleAccounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment What % of story is romance related? - 70% Focus of story - equally on him and her How much dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Books with storylines, themes & endings like Highland Angel
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|Reckless by Hannah Howell
|The Wedding Escape by Karyn Monk
|Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford
|Highland Hearts by Hannah Howell


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When people commit to principles, they often consider one transgression ruinous to the whole agenda. Eating a sausage by drunken accident can end years of vegetarianism.
As a child I thought this crazy. Couldn't vegetarians just eat meat when it was cheap under their rationale? Scrumptious leftovers at our restaurant, otherwise to be thrown away, couldn't tempt vegetarian kids I knew. It would break their vegetarianism. Break it? Why did the integrity of the whole string of meals matter? Any given sausage was such a tiny effect.
I eventually found two explanations. First, it's easier to thwart temptation if you stake the whole deal on every choice. This is similar to betting a thousand dollars that you won't eat chocolate this month. Second, commitment without gaps makes you seem a nicer, more reliable person to deal with. Viewers can't necessarily judge the worthiness of each transgression, so they suspect the selectively committed of hypocrisy. Plus everyone can better rely on and trust a person who honors his commitments with less regard to consequence.
There's another good reason though, which is related to the first. For almost any commitment there are constantly other people saying things like 'What?! You want me to cook a separate meal because you have some fuzzy notion that there will be slightly less carbon emitted somewhere if you don't eat this steak?' Maintaining an ideal requires constantly negotiating with other parties who must suffer for it. Placing a lot of value on unmarred principles gives you a big advantage in these negotiations.
In negotiating generally, it is often useful to arrange visible costs to yourself for relinquishing too much ground. This is to persuade the other party that if they insist on the agreement being in that region, you will truly not be able to make a deal. So they are forced to agree to a position more favorable to you. This is the idea behind arranging for your parents to viciously punish you for smoking with your friends if you don't want to smoke much. Similarly, attaching a visible large cost – the symbolic sacrifice of your principles – to relieving a friend of cooking tofu persuades your friend that you just can't eat with them unless they concede. So that whole conversation is avoided, determined in your favor from the outset.
I used to be a vegetarian, and it was much less embarrassing to ask for vegetarian food then than was afterward when I merely wanted to eat vegetarian most of the time. Not only does absolute commitment get you a better deal, but it allows you to commit to such a position without disrespectfully insisting on sacrificing the other's interests for a small benefit.
Prompted by The Strategy of Conflict by Thomas Schelling.


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There I was, driving down the highway near Tupelo, Mississippi when I saw the sign that said "Elvis Presley Birthplace" and I just had to go take a look.
Chico wondered if we could go in.
Elvis's childhood church was moved here.
There's a circular walk of life with important and interesting dates and facts about Elvis's life.
The nice ladies at the desk said that people from all over the world save for years to be able to come see the birthplace of their idol. And we just stumbled upon it. What a pair of lucky ducks we are. I wonder if Chico understands how cool he is to have been here.


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The following people (in alphabetical order) are the volunteers who keep Stamporama working.
Hillsborough, North Carolina USA
Director At Large
Discussion Board Moderator
Al was an off and on collector for US until 1985 when he got more serious. In 2003, he expanded his interest to some Asian countries after travelling the far east on business. After a snowstorm in 2016, Al went all in to collecting and expanded his interest to mostly British Empire with declining interest in the US due to cost of older material. He is a quantity (lots of common) vs rarity (more expensive) type collection and now is a 50 year member of APS. The Internet and Steiner pages made the biggest difference.
Saint Paul, Minnesota USA
Director At Large
Antonio's collecting interests are US stamps and postal history, Panama stamps and postal history and Worldwide covers.
Bayside, NY USA
Director At Large
Ombudsman Team Lead
Dan is interested in all United states stamps, but particularly the early 19th century.
New York, NY USA
Stamporama President
David's primary interests are in US postal history and military postal history. He also collects the postal history of Cleveland and postcard souvenir folders (you know, those 20 postcards of Yellowstone or Niagara Falls in a little folder). He collects Christmas seals and related (Boy's Town, Wildlife Conservation) material and is the editor of Seal News, the journal of the Christmas Seal and Charity Stamp Society.
Den Oever, Netherlands
Director At Large
Jan-Simon has been collecting stamps since childhood, but it wasn't until the advent of the World Wide Web that he found new interest in his collection, when it turned out that there were sites where you could get in touch with collectors all over the world, to trade stamps with or for some smalltalk. Sites like Stamporama. The collection has really grown since then and after completing the obvious countries like Canada, Western Europe etc. except for the really expensive and the most recent ones, the focus is now on countries many people seem to disdain, like Chile, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Nepal and most recently Egypt. These countries are so much more interesting than those that everybody collects, but then again… there is no disputing about taste.
Besides stamps Jan-Simon spends a lot of time on other pastimes, most importantly a study and reenactment of the early Middle Ages, which takes him back some 1000 years at many weekends in summer. He also likes music a lot, tries to go to concerts whenever he can and writes for a music magazine.
Guelph, ON, Canada
Director At Large
Editor of the Rambler
An Academic in the fields of History, Religion, Law and Languages; a published author with a passion for Stamp Collecting. Her philatelic interests include: Russian Empire, USSR, Occupations and Territories; all Eras of German Postal Issues, including Occupations and Colonies; Canada, including Provinces and Revenues; Belgian Railway Issues; Queen Victoria Issues, British Royalty and Pre-1900 Worldwide Issues. She finds old Philatelic Journals and Books to be fascinating and spends her "free time" (limited though it may be) in reading and translating these Journals and Books. She is a strong advocate for teaching others about Service Dogs, Canine Addison's Disease and Breast Cancer Awareness.
Round Rock, Texas USA
Director At Large
Discussion Board Moderator
Michael began collecting stamps in 1962, and is also an avid model railroader. He started as a world wide collector, and has never changed how he collects. He has been a member of the American Philatelic Society for over 30 years, and is a life member of the Texas Philatelic Association. He is a long-time member of the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association, and the National Model Railroad Association. Michael is also a published author having written two books, several articles and many other documents.
Centreville, Virginia USA
Articles Editor
Ralph's collecting interests include China, US Precancels, and General World Wide.
Greenville, Michigan USA
Director At Large
Randy has been a stamp collector since he was around 10, but ignored it later for cars and girls! His interest in stamps was greatly renewed with the advent of the internet. Among other stamp collecting areas, he is passionate about revenue stamps of all kinds - federal, state and local. He is also interested in Michigan postal history and is trying to complete a collection of postmarks from every Michigan town. Other than stamps, Randy collect Detroit Tigers baseball cards and commemorative baseballs. He has quite an extensive baseball library!
Hastings, MN USA (originally from Sydney, Australia)
Stamporama Webmaster and Treasurer
Tim's primary collecting interest started out being Australia, but has expanded to include many of the British Commonwealth countries including New Zealand, Falkland Islands, Guernsey, Jersey, Cape of Good Hope and Southern Rhodesia. Tim is also very interested in collecting Minnesota cancelations and postal history in general. Similar to Randy, Tim is endeavoring to collect cancels from all the Minnesota Post Offices.
Tim is a complete and utter geek (just ask his wife), and loves to tinker with computers and supporting the Stamporama web site. Tim is also Stamporama's APS representative.
In recent years Tim has added Nscale model trains to his many hobby interests.


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Last week, we looked at some loblolly and slash pines concerning the outer bark pealing. This stand is almost 20 years old and random trees appear to have this damage. The damage is only to the outside bark on not to the cambium layer (white later). We were confused about the damage since the bark was hard to pull off. UGA Extension Forester Dr. David Moorhead says he has seen this from time to time and it is from animal activity. This damage does look similar to a fungus in hardwoods called Smooth Patch which works on the outside bark. Concerning this stand, either birds but also fox squirrels have caused this damage. There may be other animals involved too. Most of the time they are looking under the bark for insects.
Are beetles a concern?
We were concerned about beetles being attracted to the damaged trees. The resin that is leaking from the wounds can attract beetles. Ips beetles are a concern since they carry the blue stain fungus. However, Dr. Moorhead says that although Ips beetles are notorious for attacking injured trees, they can also disturb healthy trees. Sometimes the resin crystalizes quickly and it's not a problem. Ips beetles can enter high on the tree, so preventative sprays are difficult. The good news is that Ips beetles hit a few trees and leave the sight. They do not damage a stand like Southern Pine Beetle. We usually do more damage to a stand cutting down trees from Ips beetles than leaving them alone. Also, by the time we notice an Ips attack, the beetles are already gone.
Black turpentine beetles do not carry the blue stain fungus. Unlike Ips beetles, they enter the tree from the bottom. Spraying preventative for these beetles is effective. A pyrethroid insecticide, like Onyx, can be sprayed, but must be used every few weeks, because it has less residual.


text: I've just finished a 10 week local women's group hosted by a beautiful and intelligent Asian woman who was funded for her various projects. It was mainly free-flowing with each of us sharing aspects of our week which often led into deeper discussions. It was very enjoyable learning more about each other and we may be getting involved in future projects!


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Fun piece, from Science Daily: Robot Learns to Smile and Frown:
ScienceDaily (July 11, 2009) — A hyper-realistic Einstein robot at the University of California, San Diego has learned to smile and make facial expressions through a process of self-guided learning. The UC San Diego researchers used machine learning to "empower" their robot to learn to make realistic facial expressions.
"As far as we know, no other research group has used machine learning to teach a robot to make realistic facial expressions," said Tingfan Wu, the computer science Ph.D. student from the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering who presented this advance on June 6 at the IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning.
Read the entire article at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090708181206.htm


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Overall, the franchise is a blast, but it certainly has it's moments of frustration. In this video, I discuss the three most frustrating moments in the franchise.
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Categories: Youtube channel vids


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A break from the daily hectic routine is much required for most people. For people who are on the search for a pocket friendly holiday vacation, we are presenting the breathtaking paradise of Ibiza which is tucked away in the islands of Mediterranean sea. What makes this holiday destination very popular among the vacationers is the vibrant nightlife, clubbing and summer season parties. You can rest assured of a fun filled thrilling holiday as there is no shortage of cheap hotels in Ibiza.
Hotel Gran Sol Ibiza
This is without a doubt one of the most popular accommodations of this island because it is located very near to the famous sunset strip right in the center of the San Antonio town. The hotel rooms are well maintained and present all of the modern amenities like internet connection, refrigerator, ironing boards and things like that. The breakfast spread is wonderful with extensive selection of delicious food for everyone. Over the weekend break, parties are hosted within the area bringing you right in the center of the festivities. The food as well as drinks at the poolside bar are reasonably priced, but if you would like to try a few of the local dishes and cuisines, you can check out the various eateries, which are situated in close proximity to the hotel area. The pool side restaurant and bar serves a few tasty food delicacies at an inexpensive price. The hotel additionally features a sun-terrace swimming pool, garden and a large lounge. There are several small eateries situated in the vicinity of the hotel where you can try out the local food delicacies. When considering affordable accommodations around Ibiza, Gran Sol is pretty popular among tourists.
Marconfort El Greco Hotel
A lot of improvement has been carried out in this hotel complex in the recent years. The hotel staff work really hard to make sure that the clients enjoy a comfortable stay. This is one among the best cheap hotels in Ibiza Town not only for youngsters but also for families. There is a mini disco and kids club in the hotel for the amusement of kids. Games as well as dance parties are hosted 4-5 times a day. The pool and the water park with slides is another preferred place where the kids love to hang out. All of the modern amenities which you may be looking for for example Wi-Fi connection and air conditioning are presented in this accommodation. They also serve delectable dishes, which the whole family could enjoy.
Riviera Hotel San Antonio Bay
Just 100m from the fabulous Punta Xinxo beach front you can find this budget friendly accommodation, Hotel Riviera.. The Cala Conta Beach is at walk-able range from this hotel. This is one amongst the best cheap hotels of Ibiza. It overlooks the Mediterranean Coastline in the San Antonio Bay area. Rooms are clean, air-conditioned and also have a private terrace with a fantastic view of the sea. Guests are treated with two adult bathing pools and a third one for the young children with plenty of sun beds. A buffet style restaurant is featured in the accommodation where you can savor some wonderful international food delicacies. You will have no problem with traveling around the town because the bus stop is located very close to the hotel complex.
The accommodations which we have mentioned above are without doubt some of the best review of low cost hotels in Ibiza. To benefit from great savings on your hotel accommodations, do make it a point to plan your vacation in advance. Ibiza is a fantastic beach holiday destination because it offers everything that you seek out to make your holiday vacation exciting and memorable. No matter whether you seek out an exhilarating nightlife or a calm laid back relaxed atmosphere, Ibiza is undoubtedly the best holiday getaway for you.
Its always fruitful to look accommodation prior to your scheduled tour. You can visit Spain-Rentals.Net to book accommodation at the best rates.


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Today I had an interesting conversation with a friend about cutting. The fact the matter is most people obsess about their knife, or knives and even professional chefs have their favorite tools. In my view the spoon is almost as important as a knife, but the knife is something we can't do without when it comes to cooking.
I attach the picture below to show the technique which I developed to extract small micro particles of onion without having to exasperate the onion on the chopping board by chopping in a see-saw motion. You can easily dissect any raw material by using pattern chopping, a technique I use in the kitchen when I need micro particles for a stock, salad or even for salad dressing.
Home chefs and amateurs usually buy a knife because it looks good, but the reason to buy a knife depends on the task at hand. If you have ever seen Japanese working to create tsuma you can easily understand how important knife technique is to a Japanese sushi chef: https://mesubim.com/2014/03/31/amazing-tsuma-part-i-video/
Categories: Facts


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Matthew 5:32
But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless
the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Matthew 5:34
But I say to you, do not swear at all.
Revelation 21:8
But as for cowards, the unfaithful, the depraved,
murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers,
and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning
pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death.


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Experience Morocco
7 days £449
Bustling bazaars, Sahara stargazing and colourful Kasbahs are just some of the highlights you'll experience on this 7 day Moroccan adventure
Explore the atmospheric backstreets and be drawn in by the cosmopolitan vibes of Morocco on a 7 day trip through the gateway of Africa. Experiencing Moroccan life with a group and an expert guide, you'll get to trek mountain ranges, lose yourself inside epic medinas and wander through the Sahara on camel-back.
Highlights include
Who does this trip?
- This trip is perfect for adventure seekers who only have limited amount of annual holiday
- This action-packed itinerary suits travellers who want to see as much as possible in a short space of time, whilst having the flexibility to add in optional activities and tailor their experience along the way.
- People looking for a small group atmosphere.
- Most customers who book this trip are aged 25-35, although there may be like-minded travellers in your group aged between 18 to 39.
- You will get to experience the great outdoors with some light hiking but you don't need to have a high level of fitness to participate.
Day 1: Arrive in Morocco
Land in the iconic city of Marrakech and meet your group for a welcome meeting, before heading out for an unforgettable night on the town.
Day 2: Todra Gorge
Wake up refreshed and head to the charming town of Tinghir to visit the magnificent palm-grove and the famous Todra Gorge.
Day 3: Merzouga
Hop on a camel and plunge yourself into the dunes of the Sahara desert. Spend the evening around a campfire, followed by traditional Moroccan cuisine under the stars.
Day 4: Ait Benhaddou
Go back in time and glimpse the red mudbrick kasbah of Ait Benhaddou. See history before your eyes as it resembles its days in the 11th century.
Day 5: Atlas Mountains
Strap your bags to a mule and hike to a mountain hideaway. Take in spectacular views of Mount Toubkal from a mountain gite before a delicious evening meal.
Day 6: Marrakech
Journey on through to the "Red City", Marrakech. Gaze in wonder at the ancient ruins and see the hustle and bustle of this incredible city.
Day 7: Marrakech
Navigate Marrakech and make memories on your final day before jumping back on a flight home from the airport. A perfect way to end your travels.
- 6 nights of accommodation are included on this trip
- 5 nights are in shared hotel rooms
- 1 night is in a multi-share mountain gite
- 6 breakfasts and 2 dinners are included
To get a flight quote click the button or call our fantastic flights team on 01892 277037.
You should land at Marrakech Menara Airport at any time before the evening on Day 1. You will then need to make your own way from the airport to your starting accommodation in the city by taxi or bus. The trip ends in Marrakech on Day 7 and you can depart at any time.
Covid safety
As a response to the outbreak of Covid-19, many of our local partners and suppliers are putting in place new measures and policies regarding health and safety in response to the outbreak. These new measures will change and evolve over time, and the policies and procedures will vary depending on each trip. Some of the changes you may experience are:
- Updated safety & hygiene procedures
- Arrival safety meetings
- Smaller group sizes
- Knowledgeable & Trained Staff
- Access to 24/7 emergency support
- Different transport & accommodation
It's important you also take steps to make travelling safer. You should abide by local laws and restrictions, and follow the guidance of the local team. You should also bring and use your own face coverings/masks and hand sanitiser, social distance where needed, wash your hands frequently, and cover your face when sneezing or coughing.
Dates & Prices
Online booking is unavailable for this trip
If you'd like to discuss availability or would like us to help you find a similar trip please contact us...


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precious jewels made in Paris
Ruby Queen yellow gold and blue tourmaline ring
750/1000 yellow gold, 2,50cts green tourmaline 0,108cts ruby.
* custom size: if you know the size, indicate it in the comment field of the command. Otherwise, we will contact you to determine the accurate size of your ring.
Reference : 2277


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No products
This Business is Up For Sale, if Interested please email us at email@example.com
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- TOTAL Equine was developed from science and experience and first produced in 2000. The nutrient levels are based on what has been learned by scientific research over the last 40 years. The physical form of extrusion and the specific ingredients are what horses, mules and donkeys need to maximize health, attitude and performance.
- The base of Total Equine® is alfalfa hay, which gives it the odor and flavor equines love. The palatability is excellent. The fiber level supplies 70 – 80% of the equines needs for a safe ration. When fed at 4.00 lb. per 1,000 lb. body weight, Total Equine© provides the nutrients required by mature equines when fed with adequate quality roughage.
- FIBER Alfalfa hay is the main source of fiber in Total Equine®. It is formulated to provide the minimum fiber required by a horse in order to maintain normal gut motility and health. Due to the combination of nutrients and the extrusion process the roughage fed is more digestible. Many customers have reported 25 – 30% reductions in hay consumption when feeding Total Equine™ LNSC.
- PROTEIN The protein in Total Equine® is derived from alfalfa, rice bran, and natural oil meal. It also contains the added amino acids methionine and lysine, which insures an adequate balance of the essential amino acids required by the horse. MAJOR MINERALS Minerals are the main building blocks for bones as well as being important for all chemical reactions in the body. Contains the major minerals calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium and sodium in the correct levels and ratios for maximum growth, activity and health.
- ENERGY Extruded beet pulp and alfalfa grain are the major sources of energy in Total Equine®. The low NSC level due to the absence of any starch from grain allows it to be fed to horses that are IR or have Cushing's Syndrome. Due to the combination of nutrients and the processing and highly digestible fiber in the alfalfa hay makes the entire ration highly digestible. This reduces the amount of waste produced by the horse.
- TRACE MINERALS Trace minerals are the catalysts for most chemical reactions in the body and some are important for antioxidant activities. Total Equine® contains levels and ratios of all trace minerals with known requirements and are added at levels above those levels. This insures the horse will not be deficient in any trace mineral even under severe stress or hard work.
- VITAMINS All chemical reactions in the body that produce growth, reproduction, work and even maintenance require a catalyst or several catalysts. This is the main function of B-Vitamins. Total Equine® contains all of the B-Vitamins for which requirements have been established and they are all formulated at levels to insure higher than minimum requirement levels.
Bio-availability of trace minerals is very important in how well an animal can digest and use the minerals in question. Total Equine® is formulated to contain 50% of the Copper, Manganese and Zinc in the form of chelates. This insures maximum digestibility and availability to the horse.
B-Vitamins also function as antioxidants to reduce the rate of cell destruction by pollutants in the environment as well as metabolic byproducts from the ration.
PROCESSING Total Equine® is steam extruded. This process insures maximum digestibility compared to raw, unprocessed or steam pelleted starch. The extruded starch is digested in the small intestine whereas most of raw or pelleted starch is digested in the ceacum and/or large intestine by fermentation. This reduces the possibility of compaction or gas colic, which can be caused by feeding raw or poorly processed starch. Improving the digestibility not only improves starch digestion, but also improves digestion of the fiber and improves bioavailability of minerals and micronutrients. SPECIALTY COMBINATIONS
Total Equine® contains Tasco® which is a specific species of seaweed by the name of Ascophyllum nodosum. A. nodosum contains high levels of Fucoidan and Fucose sugar. Fucoidan is a sulfated, short-chain polysaccharide that is known to stop growth of E. coli in the large intestine. It also controls other pathogenic bacteria that inhabit the large intestine.
Total Equine® is formulated with a specific combination of Methionine, Lysine, Biotin, Copper, Zinc and Iodine to provide maximum hair and hoof growth and horse health.


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This article is by Megan Meagher, director of Red Peak Youth, a branding and design agency that connects brands with the Millennial mindset.
Last month's dense report on data brokers issued by the Federal Trade Commission reveals practices that should give all of us, as consumers, pause. But for Millennials in particular the need to reflect on our behavior is urgent. Our widespread embrace of Facebook,
In a study that my company, Red Peak Youth, commissioned last year with researchers at DB5 of 1,000 people, 73 percent of 18-24 year olds and 80 percent of 25-34 year olds said that they are "concerned about online privacy." Yet according to the Simmons National Consumer Study released in February, only 26 percent of 18 to 35 year olds "often read" privacy policies on websites.
According to the Senate Commerce Committee's late 2013 report, at least 250,000 websites explicitly state in their privacy policies that they may use or share a consumer's information for marketing purposes. What's the harm of an ad targeted toward me or to my fellow Millennials? Or of a deal popping up online based on a past purchase?
You decide. Consider the following facts, published in the FTC and Senate Commerce Committee reports, that reveal how data brokers or marketers use personal information:
- Consumers who visited Orbitz.com from a Mac were for a time shown more expensive travel options than those who visited from a PC
- Using its "pregnancy prediction model,"
Targetsent baby clothes coupons to a teenage girl, which alerted her father that she was pregnant before she could tell him herself (a true story, written about in Charles Duhigg's best seller, "The Power of Habit")
- Data broker
Equifaxsold the names of 170,000 people who were late on their mortgage payments to Direct Lending Source, which then turned around and resold those names to an unnamed third party
- In 2007, data broker InfoUSA pegged some consumers as "Oldies But Goodies, those who are gullible and want to believe their luck can change" and sold their names to people who targeted them with fraudulent sales pitches. Other InfoUSA categories: "Rural and Barely Making It," "Ethnic Second City Strugglers," and "American Royalty"
Millennials care about online privacy – but only to an extent that's convenient. We want to know how our information is used, but it's not easy to read a multi-page privacy policy. We don't want our credit card information compromised, but it is inconvenient to stop buying online. By refusing to change our behavior, Millennials are supplying data brokers with thousands of data points, which companies use to create a profile on us. As seen with the facts above, these profiles can be detrimental to our options as consumers.
Data brokers essentially collect and sell data about consumers. That data can come voluntarily, from surveys, sweepstakes and questionnaires, or it is derived from publicly available information, such as a social media profile or government records or census data. It can also be sourced from a company that has information on you, such as a retailer with whom you've signed up for a rewards card, which then sells your name, address and purchase history. Currently, the data broker industry is not required to name the brands they sell to or buy information from.
Millennials are in denial or are uneducated about online privacy and the capabilities of data brokers. For most, the emotional satisfaction provided from sharing personal details online outweighs the potential negative ramifications. Simmons reveals that most (88 percent) 18 to 34 year olds use social media; 34 percent visit social networks three or more times a day. Yet less than half (42 percent) of that group feels like they have a fair amount of control over the personal information that can be found about them online.
For brands, the clock is ticking. As pressure for Congress to take action mounts and more information on data brokers' operations is revealed, Millennials' attitudes are likely to change. Our experience with Millennials shows that causes are adopted fast and forcefully. Once a political cause appears and starts spreading over Facebook newsfeeds there is no stopping it. An issue can turn from ignored to urgent overnight. We believe it is only a matter of time before marketers are held accountable for any unpalatable practices they undertake involving the use of personal data.
The good news: a small window of opportunity is still open for marketers to take a proactive stance against the improper use of customer data. Being the first in an industry to acknowledge unsafe, unethical and just-plain-annoying practices is a tried-and-true way to win loyalty. JetBlue, for example, established its consumer-centric reputation early on with the introduction in 2007 of a Customer Bill of Rights. Rivals didn't follow suit until 2011, when the Department of Transportation made all airlines follow its federally mandated passenger rights requirements. Similarly, brands in every industry should start to think about how they can create transparent and simple privacy policies to tout rather than hide behind.
We are at a unique turning point where the waters of online privacy are only just beginning to be navigated by the government, by companies and by consumers. For Millennials, a generation that lives its life online, the issue of consumer privacy and data use won't go away. Brands that take a stand now and join the conversation proactively will set the stage for a lifelong relationship with their customers built on trust and respect.


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Duran Duran - Thank You lyricsrate me
If the sun refused to shine, I would still be lovin' you. When mountains crumble to the sea, There will still be you and me. Kind woman, I give you my all, Kind woman, nothing more. Little drops of rain whisper of the pain, Tears of loves lost in the days gone by. My love is strong With you there is no wrong, Together we shall go until we die. My, my, my, Inspiration is what you are to me, Inspiration, look see. And so today, my world it smiles, Your hand in mine, we walk the miles, Thanks to you it will be done, For you to me are the only one. Happiness, no more be sad, Happiness....I'm glad.


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So, I blazed through the last book club pick, and I really enjoyed it. It was the kind of book that I will have to use as a reference, however. Lots of great meditations and exercises to help you neutralize fear, stay in the moment and face your fears head on. I'm glad I made my way through it.
For the first My52WOW Book Club Pick for 2014, however, I am headed into some…dense territory. The new book is called Kabbalah for the Layman, by Rav Berg. After two days of my daily read, I must say this may be an intense one. It's a large book, and so far, a bit heavy. But, Kabbalah is one worship practice that I was not able to experience in My First 52 Weeks, so I am interested to see what I missed.
Do any of you have experience with Kabbalah? I'd love to hear about it!


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Watch Kelli O'Hara and MasterVoices' Artistic Director Ted Sperling perform selections from Babes In Toyland, talk about the show with reporter Josh Barone, and answer viewer questions, live on Facebook with The New York Times . The video has over 130K views from all over the world!
Live Performance with Kelli O'Hara
Watch Broadway star Kelli O'Hara performa a couple songs from MasterVoices' upcoming concert staging of "Babes in Toyland" at Carnegie Hall. Comment with your questions, and NYT reporter Josh Barone will ask some.
Posted by The New York Times on Tuesday, April 4, 2017


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Finger Foods For Guys
Page 2 of 2Ingredients (Olive Dip):
1 pound fresh black olives, without pits (I like Kalamata)
3 anchovy filets, drained and dried
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsps Dijon mustard
8 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
5 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
4 tbsps parsley, chopped
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2/3 lemon, juiced
2 tsps red wine vinegar
2 tbsps cognac or brandy
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (spend more on a quality bottle)
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse or grind. Once the ingredients break down, set the processor on puree. You want a smooth but slightly coarse consistency. When you achieve that balance, taste it and add seasonings according to your taste. Because olives are salty to begin with, I recommend omitting salt altogether. Some good black pepper would be great to finish it off though. Put the dip in a bowl and serve it with the sweet potato chips. You can also eat it with pasta, crusty bread or chicken if you want to keep some aside for another day.
Total preparation time: 15 minutes
Smoked Salmon Bites
When you put a twist on foods that people love, you come out on top more than if you try to experiment and impress them with something unfamiliar. The next recipe is an ideal example of this principle. Not many people can refuse a good piece of smoked salmon. Here's a nice break from the norm and a new way to appreciate it.
¾ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ sour cream, at room temperature
3 tbsps capers
Juice of 2 lemons
A copious amount of fresh dill (about 2 or 3 bunches)
Freshly ground black pepper
8 slices fresh black bread (pumpernickel is the type you want)
16 ounces smoked salmon (have more just in case)
One note about the salmon. Make sure, above all else, that the quality is above par. You want bright orange to pink flesh and no ice particles. Get it as fresh as possible, whether Pacific (my preference) or Atlantic.
To start, chop the dill nice and fine. Drain the capers and pat dry. Blend the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, capers, dill, and pepper (go with your taste here) in a food processor. When smooth, remove and spread the mixture over the bread slices. Cover the mixture with a layer or two of salmon. Use a long sharp knife to trim the edges and slice into small squares (or any other shape for that matter).
always use your fingersThey say necessity is the mother of invention and easy finger foods like these prove that when in need, you can whip up some cool eats with stuff around the house. So maybe you have to venture out to get some fresh herbs and such, but the point is that with some imagination, and a fridge and pantry that have most basics (or at least what I consider basic), you can do a lot.
Bon appétit.


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Mountain Safety Rules
- Plan to be off mountain tops by noon during summer months to avoid lightning. Always watch for signs of an incoming storm, and be willing to turn back if necessary.
- Be aware that the temperature drops four degrees for every 1000 feet of elevation gain. Be prepared with proper clothing, and watch yourself and your companions for signs of hypothermia such as uncontrollable shivering, loss of coordination, confusion, and slowed speech.
- Don't hike or climb alone! Although cell phones can be good to have in an emergency, don't rely on them; you may not get a signal when you most need one.
- Always wear a helmet in areas with rockfall hazard, and belay any climb with a risk of injury.
- The only cure for altitude sickness is to descend. Don't wait for it to become serious.
- Always carry a map and compass and know how to use them. A GPS can be useful, but is no substitute for planning and preparation. Pay attention to planning your return route, and if you become seriously lost, stay where you are and bivouac.
- Always carry the "10 Essentials" of backcountry travel (see below). Carry a whistle too; it will travel much further than the sound of your voice.
- For winter travel, take an avalanche class. Follow basic rules for avalanche safety, such as crossing slopes one at a time; always carrying a beacon, shovel and probe (and knowing how to use them); and watching for signs of unstable snow such as whumping and cracking, collapsing layers, and recent avalanche activity.
- Teach your kids what to do if they get lost in the woods; stay put and blow a whistle. See "Hug a Tree" program below for details.
Download our backcountry safety brochure.
Download our 10 Essentials in English.
Download our 10 Essentials in Spanish.
Download our "dashboard card". This is a card you can leave in your car with details of your planned route and expected departure. If you are reported missing, the card will give us information to help us know where to look for you.
Download Hug a Tree, and learn what to teach your kids about getting lost in the woods.
Backcountry safety presentations
SCRG participates in many backcountry safety presentations and public education events throughout the year, including skier safety events at the local ski resorts, school or scout group outings and classes, and summer safety fairs. We are available to speak at events on the following topics:
- Basic wilderness first aid
- Avalanche awareness
- Hiking safety
- Outdoor survival
- Mountain rescue and what we do
To request a presentation, email us at email@example.com with details of your event.


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I am glad to finally get the nerve to put this site up. For many people this may be easy, but for me it's definitely a leap of faith!
This is a place of laughter, learning and peace.
This site will provide hope and encouragement for women going through breast cancer (from the lump to the bump) and body image changes.
There's been enough tears, crying and sadness and there may be more, however, let's get on with life!
Dr. Harriette


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Late last week, NASA announced that its future heavy-lift cargo rocket—designed to haul lunar landers and exploration hardware to Earth orbit and beyond—will not be powered by the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), NASA's workhorse rocket motor. The agency had originally planned to use five SSMEs to propel the core stage of the Cargo Launch Vehicle (CaLV), hoping to save substantially on development costs with an engine that has powered the shuttle for 25 years (through 114 shuttle missions, only one SSME has suffered an in-flight failure). NASA says the change will save money over the life of the the CaLV because newer RS-68 engines—first flown in 2002 and now used on the Boeing Delta IV expendable booster—have lower costs compared to the shuttle's proven SSME when you project the cost over twenty or more years of cargo launches. The logic behind the change seems sound, but it further undercuts one of NASA's key arguments for its particular approach to the Vision for Space Exploration: That using the space shuttle's boosters, main engines, and external tank will reduce the cost of getting back to the Moon.
Riding the SSME
Although it was plagued by development problems in the 1970s, the SSME has amassed more than a million seconds (more than eleven days) of reliable run time during the shuttle's three-decade-long career. I've ridden twelve SSMEs to orbit on four shuttle flights, and they are smooth-running marvels of engineering. Fully reusable and burning highly efficient liquid hydrogen as fuel, each SSME is as finely tuned as a Swiss watch. But that complexity and efficiency means that building an SSME—even for just one throwaway use—is more labor-intensive than turning out an RS-68, which was designed for low cost and streamlined manufacturing. The RS-68, which also burns liquid hydrogen and oxygen, doesn't yet have the track record of the SSME, but it has proven reliable in three Delta IV launches. For an expendable, non-astronaut-carrying Cargo Launch Vehicle, NASA's engineers evidently decided that the SSME's high efficiency and reliability were not worth the extra premium.
More From Popular Mechanics
Behind the switch
Shuttle heritage in the new programs has been slowly decreasing. The agency announced in March that it was dropping plans to use the SSME to power the upper stage of its Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), designed to carry future astronauts to orbit. Instead, NASA argued that the Apollo-era J-2X engine would be cheaper to build and re-qualify for that second-stage role. That substitution and weight growth in the new Crew Exploration Vehicle forced NASA to add an extra solid-fuel segment to the CLV's shuttle-derived boosters, requiring additional testing (and expense). The new decision to drop the SSME from the cargo vehicle means that it will now play no part in the next generation of American human spaceflight. By 2010, the SSME will retire with the shuttle orbiter.
The downside of the RS-68 decision is that the Cargo Launch Vehicle's core fuel tanks must grow from a planned width of 27.5 feet to 33 feet (as wide as the old Saturn V's first stage). That's because the RS-68, although more powerful than the SSME (650,000 lbs. of thrust vs. 420,000) is a heavier, less efficient engine, requiring more fuel to lift the same amount of payload to orbit. The larger stage diameter will prevent NASA from using its existing external tank production line at Michoud, LA for the new rocket; instead it will have to invest in new production tooling at the same site. Those "shuttle heritage" savings are dwindling fast.
Is the Vision in trouble?
The latest engine swap, along with other design changes and the evaporation of much shuttle heritage from the major return-to-the-Moon systems, worries those who doubt NASA has a firm handle on "the Vision thing." The engine change reinforces suggestions that the NASA team that produced ESAS, the mid-2005 Exploration Systems Architecture Study, based some of its design choices on wobbly assumptions.
Perhaps. But critics have had more time to second-guess the architecture than the ESAS team did to come up with the initial exploration concepts. Cost estimates inevitably get refined as planning goes from broad concepts to detailed specifications. The RS-68 decision shows that NASA, refreshingly, is not sticking with shuttle heritage when it doesn't make economic sense. Engines are a lot more expensive than fuel tanks, so choosing a cheaper engine should pay for the extra metal-bending on the tank production line. And although I trusted the SSME with my life (and nervously hoped through four launches that each trio would hold together through eight-and-a-half minutes of run time), sentimentality can't hold a candle to hard economics. NASA won't have the luxury of wasting a penny on these new systems if it really wants to blast astronauts loose from Earth orbit once again.
If Administrator Mike Griffin is responsible for this hard-eyed approach top NASA's future, he is to be commended. But the constant tinkering with launchers and the cost and schedule difficulties still to be grappled with in getting the new Crew Exploration Vehicle off the ground will only exacerbate Congressional suspicions that NASA, faced with painful budget choices, is trying to low-ball the costs for its exploration plans. The agency tried the same tactic 15 years ago with the Space Station, and suffered a huge loss in credibility with the administration, Congress and the public. NASA knows it must not squander the Vision opportunity, but can it avoid a repetition of its past missteps? If America hopes to fly astronauts again once the shuttle retires, the answer must be yes. —Tom Jones
Tom Jones is a planetary scientist and a veteran astronaut of four Space Shuttle missions and the author of the new book Sky Walking: An Astronaut's Memoir.
Space Station DIY: Astronaut (and PM contributor) Tom Jones helps to assemble the ISS. NASA/JSC
The RS-68 engine from the Delta IV rocket during testing. Boeing
With NASA's latest announcement, the Space Shuttle Main Engines will shut down - permanently - when the Orbiters retire. Boeing
An artist's conception of the Cargo Launch Vehicle. NASA


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DJI, a company best known for producing the world's most popular drones, has announced a new super compact camera capable of recording in 4K and with an integrated image stabilizer base. At a price of $650 it is impossible to say that it is economic, but reading its specifications we can realize that worth every penny.
To be more specific, the Osmo comes with a camera of 12 megapixels, 1/2.3″ sensor, a lens with a field of 94° view and with the ability to record to 4K without any problems.
"With Osmo, we have created a camera specifically designed to capture moving images smoothly and regardless of the recording conditions," said founder and CEO of DJI, Frank Wang.
In addition to providing professional video stabilization (that they use in the movies), the base also has an integrated microphone and buttons which allow you quick access to the recording, pause, recording angles, "smart" functions and other configurations as the panorama mode that allows you to create 360-degree images.
The Osmo will have lots of accessories
Another great advantage of this DJI Osmo is that this camera to be interchangeable, provided it is one of the Zenmuse models of DJI. Among other compatible accessories, is an extension for your smartphone, a tripod, a basis for bicycles, an extension that allows you to place two accessories at a time and a universal base that allows you to connect an external microphone or a flashlight for a recording with even more professional results.
In fact, this device is so modular that DJI promised that you can compare the main base separately if you are of those who already have a Zenmuse camera.


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Mintel Report: "Global Food and Drink Trends 2017"
Mintel, a market intelligence agency, produced a report on the anticipated global food industry trends for 2017. This forecast has very real implications for the packaging industry, as the packaging of products will be designed to meet the demands of these trends. Here are the article's key points:
1) In Tradition We Trust
Consumers want traditional ingredients and products with which they are familiar, presented in modern and convenient packaging that tells the product's story. These familiar products will be desired by people at all income levels. Product developers can take advantage of this likely global industry trend in 2017 by creating more fusion products and ingredients to modernize the traditional.
2) Power to the Plants
Vegetables will appear in more products as people's desire to eat better grows. Plants will appear not only as ingredients, but also in the product's name and/or description. This will align with the trend of a growing number of people selecting vegetarian or vegan products occasionally, but not as a complete lifestyle change. Plants will also be marketed to consumers as ingredients in packaged foods and for use in meals prepared at home. Many people want vegetables incorporated into the foods they eat as opposed to eaten on their own.
3) Waste Not
In the US, a goal has been set to cut the amount of food wasted in half by the year 2030 (currently, it is 133 million lbs). This will be done via the reduction or donation of food that is damaged or past the sell-by date. People are concerned with wasting food and will not participate in sales if they don't think they will be able to use the food in time.
Another way food waste will be reduced is in the repurposing of it for the creation of new products and other alternative uses, such as energy. Grocery stores in the US will monitor the sale of blemished produce. They will also modify their supply chains to increase the freshness of produce. Imperfect produce will be promoted as still useable with the appeal of convenience; one way this will occur is through home delivery service of imperfect produce deemed not attractive enough for retail display. Packaging will need to increase the life of the food and be available in smaller quantities to reduce waste as well.
4) Time is of the Essence
Portable products that are easy to eat, as well as "slow" food, not "fast" food, will be desired by increasingly busy consumers. Manufacturers will need to clearly display the product's preparation time on packaging, as consumers will continue to find such information extremely valuable. People want to save time in the kitchen so that they can spend more time simply sitting down and enjoying their meal with family.
5) The Night Shift
People desire comforting products in the evening to help them unwind before bed and get the most out of their sleeping hours. The introduction of more midnight snack/after-dinner food and drink options as components of nighttime rituals may become more prevalent.
6) Balancing the Scales: Health for Everyone
This predicted global industry trend for 2017 involves the accessibility of healthy food options to low-income consumers, who are susceptible to obesity and diabetes. Low-income consumers desire to eat better but need affordable ways to do so. The offering of food and drink options that are made with ingredients previously wasted is one way for low-income consumers to have better access to healthy ingredients.
From health trends to the importance of time-saving products, these forecasted global industry trends of 2017 will shape the packaging industry. As consumers' needs change, it is always important to keep our ears to the ground and eyes open in order to anticipate the changes and fads in order to stay ahead of the packaging curve.
Source: Zegler, J. of Mintel Ltd. (2016). Global food and drink trends 2017. Retrieved from http://www.mintel.com/north-american-consumer-trends


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