text:
Stuck? Blending in with the crowd? Having a brand identity crisis? Or does your copy ring as hollow as a cheesy pickup line at Happy Hour (and work about as well, too)?
You need a Peggy or a Don.
OK, so I may have been 20-odd years later than Peggy Olson of Mad Men when I got my start as a copywriter at the famed Young & Rubicam ad agency on Madison Avenue, or even when I became a Creative Director like Don Draper…but the demands were and are the same. On Mad Ave you have to have great ideas and the smartest copy for clients, or go home.
After years doing just that all over the world for brands like IBM, Hanes, The American Cancer Society and many more, I brought my Madison Avenue big brand creativity, strategy and problem-solving to entrepreneurs such as high-level coaches and consultants, inventors, startups and creative entrepreneurs of all stripes. When they hire me as a consultant, it's like having their very own Don or Peggy concentrating on how to make their business hit it big with customers.
And being an entrepreneur myself since 2004, with all the ups and downs that entails…well, let's just say I "get" how it is for you, too.
Here are just some of the ways I can help you:
- Decide which of your many creative business ideas has the best shot in the marketplace right now, and what to do about the others
- Name your products (like I've done for companies like Chevrolet, Capital One Bank and Vivendi Games, and for entrepreneurs and coaches too) or even your whole business
- Help you create your products from scratch — with little or no overhead cost!
- Guide you through all the nuts and bolts of online marketing such as social media for business, blogging, how to build a list and more. You've got questions, I've got the answers.
- Develop your copy strategy and marketing plan across all media
- Be there to bounce your ideas off of, and to critique and tweak your marketing materials as they are created.
- Troubleshoot pretty much any problem in your business, marketing-related or not.
- And pretty much anything else you can throw at me. I've sold everything from computers to contact lenses. My commercials convinced people to leave money in their wills to cancer research. My ideas and copy have boosted donations to churches, synagogues and the Urban League, turned plain white underwear into a fashion product line and even sold a DVD of 50-year-old TV sitcom that almost no one remembers. I can certainly help you sell whatever product or service you've got.
Want to talk about any of the above — or something else? Book an intro session below at a fraction of my normal rate — refundable should we decide to work together.
[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=15]


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: Improving Your Alta Vista Search Engine Ranking
Web Hosting
Website Tools
HTML Tutorials
PHP Resources
Improving Your Alta Vista
Search Engine Ranking
By Christopher S L Heng
Alta Vista actually publishes their criteria for ranking sites. I am not sure, though, how much of it reflects the actual practice (sometimes what is desired is not necessarily what is implemented).
Ranking Tips
In any case, the documentation suggests a few things you should have in order to improve your site's ranking there. Here are a few of the important ones:
Your title tag
should hold keywords that meaningfully describe your page. Note that this "title" refers to the one in the HEAD section of your document, not the one displayed in your browser window. Alta Vista's documentation states that this tag has precedence over any META tags your page may have.
The first lines
of your page are important. Again, this is more important than your META tags for Alta Vista. This means that if you want your site ranked higher on Alta Vista, you should put some sort of description of your page at the top of the page instead of the usual graphics (with its cryptic ALT text).
Links to your site
containing the keyword that the visitor is searching for improve your site's ranking. For example, if a visitor is searching for "CGI scripts" and there are many links to your site with those words in the anchor text, your site will be ranked higher.
How About the Ubiquitous META Tag?
You should probably note that for Alta Vista, the keyword META tag has about the same value as the other words on the web page itself. In fact, if the META keyword tag has keywords unrelated to the content of your page, your page will be penalised. The Alta Vista documentation (on the METATAGS page) actually states that your ranking may improve if you use both the title tag and descriptive initial lines in your document *without* any META keyword tag.
You should check out their entire list yourself, since things change from time to time. The criteria can be found at:
Undocumented Ranking Tips
Even if many pages on your site contain words that are relevant to your user's text, you should probably be aware that only one of those pages will be displayed.
However, some people appear to have worked around this (knowingly or unknowingly) by submitting both their www.domainname.com form of their site URL as well as their domainname.com form of their URL. These will then be listed on Alta Vista as two different sites. There is a possibility that some people might even purchase additional domain names pointing to the same web site and submitting those as well. This way, your site will appear a few times in a search.
CAUTION: You should be careful about dominating too many items in a search, because the people running the search engine might decide that you're spamming the index and either ban your site from the engine or penalise it (by dropping its ranking).
Another way around this one URL listing is to have mirror sites. Since each site will have a different URL, they will all be listed. Again, the same caution mentioned above applies. Excessive numbers of identical content dominating many items of the search engine results may result in your site being banned or penalised.
Buggy Indexing Engine
Recently, there have been reports of Alta Vista's indexing engine being buggy in some way. In particular, it lists numerous sites as having "No Title" even though those sites actually have <TITLE> tags on their web pages. If the pages on your site have been indexed by Alta Vista recently (probably after July 2000), you might be one of those affected.
There have been a number of rumours as to what actually causes this: some say that the indexing engine chokes when it encounters <TITLE> tags that have two consecutive spaces in their title. However, from observation, where a number of pages with properly formulated title tags have been affected by the bug, this probably isn't the only cause (if at all). There are only single spaces in all my TITLE tags. I have retitled the affected documents by rewording it and changing its length and have found that to be fairly effective in getting the documents indexed.
Without more information from Alta Vista, it is difficult to say for certain what triggers the bug. My suggestion is, you're one of those affected, to change the length of your titles by adding additional words or rewording it slightly. Who knows? By the time you read this, the bug may have already been fixed, and a simple resubmission of the page to the spider might suffice.
All the best on your website!
Copyright by Christopher S L Heng. All rights reserved.
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text:
Tamil Nadu State Examination Board has made arrangements for the students who require their +2 temporary mark-sheets.
+2 school students & private candidates can now directly download the same from the net at the website: www.dge.tn.nic.in.
Once login in on the above website, 'Provisional Mark Sheet HSC Result 2015'will appear on the screen.
Enter the requested data like registration number and date of birth.
A number will appear on the screen. Type the number exactly repeating it.
Click 'view result'.
A pdf file be downloaded against the candidate's registration number.
The temporary mark-sheet will be on this pdf file.
Students/private candidates can print it directly.
Source : http://www.dge.tn.nic.in/


text:
Again, it seems that the IMF and EU review mission teams are diligently and quietly working away on the ground in Athens whilst all hell is breaking loose everywhere else.
First up, the European Commission seems to be getting exasperated at the lack of meaningful progress by politicians in Greece. "Time is running out" said our Finnish friend, the Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, Olli Rehn. What Olli was hoping for yesterday, was consensus amongst the main Greek political parties to the latest round of austerity measures and privatisation programme. Despite a three-hour (or five-hour, depending on your sources) extraordinary meeting of the heads of the main political parties in Athens yesterday, under the auspices of the Greek president, no consensus was forthcoming; indeed from this perspective, political relations in Greece seem to be fracturing with recriminations getting personal. What the EU wants is consensus to a road map of austerity and privatisation measures, it doesn't want unpopular commitments unravelling a few months down the road as politicians jockey for advantage. Greece had its last elections in 2009 and the next ones are not due until 2013. The ruling PASOK party has 160 seats in a 300-seat parliament and it has additional allies in other parties but still the concern lingers that the €110bn bailout deal which was agreed in May 2010 may founder amidst political manoeuvres. If the EU was looking to early elections to provide a mandate for the bailout, then those hopes were dashed when the incumbent prime minister ruled out early elections after yesterday's marathon meeting.
Next up, the IMF and their acting managing director, John Lipsky repeated the IMF's mantra yesterday that restructuring is not foreseen as long as Greece adheres to the bailout terms. What we all want to know is whether or not the IMF will withhold its €3.3bn contribution to the next €12bn tranche draw-down by Greece from the €110bn bailout in June 2011, and if the IMF is demanding that the EU provide assurances to fund the remainder of Greece's maturing debt in 2011 and possibly 2012. And we're unlikely to get any comment from the IMF on this question before 6th June 2011 when the review mission in Athens is due to conclude its work.
There was a new voice adding shading to the debate yesterday when French president, Nicolas Sarkozy spoke in favour of bondholders sharing in the solution of Greek's present woes. What he was calling for seems akin to the Vienna Initiative in 2009 where bondholders agreed to roll-over maturing debt. He specifically wasn't talking about unilateral burning of bondholders. The national government perspective was backed up by Michael Meister, the CDU (Angela Merkel's lot) finance policy spokesman who said Greece's creditors may accept an extension of bond maturities if the Greek government adopts a more aggressive approach to cutting debt. With 10-year bonds trading at 55c in the euro and signs of growing turmoil in Greece, it's hard to see bondholders being understanding.
The ECB has been silent on Greece in the past 24 hours.
So on Day 4 of GreekWatch what is the likely prognosis for the Greek patient?
(1) Greek politicians impose the austerity and privatization plans agreed with its creditors. This will certainly be attempted in early June in parliament but it seems messy without consensus. And unionists and protesters seem to be chomping on the bit to hit the streets during the hot summer months.
(2) Greek's bondholding creditors agree to roll-over debt that matures in 2011 and possibly 2012. Seems unlikely given the likelihood of Greek default and Greece's slow progress with complying with the bailout agreement
(3) The EU either picks up the entire tab for the next tranche or provides an assurance to fund the roll-over of Greek debt because the IMF won't risk more funding and the immediate consequences of default will disproportionately affectEurope. This is messy because it may require an additional bailout (€60bn according to some estimates on top of the existing €110bn) and will require national parliament approval in Germany, Holland and Finland who all seem increasingly hostile towards Greece.
(4) Greece doesn't get the next tranche at all and defaults which would probably lead to all Greek banks being nationalized and capital controls to prevent euros leaving the country/banking system. Given that Greece still has a primary budget deficit, it would need either immediately close that or else exit the euro.
(5) The IMF and EU provide the next tranche without receiving sufficiently tangible commitments from Greece, because the wider consequences of default outweigh €12bn.


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Hat number 1 (FILM – probably a baseball cap): I'm pleased to be working with award-winning London Director Deva Palmier on a few film projects. We've already collaborated on the script for a short film set in London, and she's also attached to direct a feature film I have in development, and another short I've written. We share a taste for the dark, real and quirky, and actually met on Twitter – ooh how moderne!
Hat number 2 (THEATRE – something with feathers): I also started the Avalon theatre mentorship a few weeks ago. We began with a group session then a 1-to-1 which was a lovely, relaxed way of getting the 6 mentees eased in. Both meetings have left me feeling much less daunted, but it's strange how accustomed I am to writing in screenplay format, and how a little alien, theatre format feels. It's not that it's hugely prescriptive or anything, just outside my comfort zone. But with mentor encouragement and advice I've started my first rewrite. The play is set in the 1950s, and has a small cast of just 3 (maybe 4 at max). It feels exciting to be writing an internal voice as part of the story, something which you don't usually get the chance to do in film. There's a little more time and space to 'play' with words and the rhythm of language which I'm enjoying immensely. I've not yet decided whether the internal voice will be voiced directly or narrated but I'm hoping that decision will become obvious as I get further on. It's an exciting process and feels hugely experimental which is a bit of a buzz. And great to be amongst a group of other writers.
Hat number 3 (post-production – definitely a fez, don't ask me why): My short LOVE CAKE is finally out of the starting blocks and ready to be sent out into the world where I hope it will find an audience. Currently buried in festival schedules and deliverables, and planning a social media strategy – more to come soon for those who are interested. In case you haven't seen the sticky little trailer, here you go. Hopefully coming to somewhere near you in 2013!


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The city of Birmingham in the West Midlands will honour its adopted son, the inventor James Watt, during a series of events and initiatives during 2019 – the 200th anniversary of his death.
Watt moved to the city aged 38. He died in 1819 – aged 83 – at his home "Heathfield" in Handsworth, now part of Birmingham.
Dr Malcolm Dick from the University of Birmingham has talked about plans to mark 2019 and Watt's legacy.
Listen to the audio here.
The main picture shows Matthew Boulton's Soho Manufactory in Birmingham. In 1782 it became the first site with a Watt steam engine. It was also home to the first steam-powered mint. Picture from "The Lives of Boulton and Watt" by Samuel Smiles.


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Mary Jarvis is a single individual who is working on filing her tax return for the previous year. She has assembled the following relevant information:
She received $95,000 in salary.
She received $16,000 of dividend income.
She received $5,200 of interest income on Home Depot bonds.
She received $23,500 from the sale of Disney stock that was purchased 2 years prior to the sale at a cost of $5,300.
She received $14,000 from the sale of Google stock that was purchased 6 months prior to the sale at a cost of $4,000.
Mary receives one exemption ($4,000), and she has allowable itemized deductions of $7,500. These amounts will be deducted from her gross income to determine her taxable income.
Assume that her tax rates are based on Table 3.5. The data has been collected in the Microsoft Excel Online file below. Open the spreadsheet and perform the required analysis to answer the questions below. https://cxp-cdn.cengage.info/protected/prod/assets/9c/6/9c6407fe-8b69-4f63-b412-deda2a5d1d9e.JPG?__gda__=st=1676283145~exp=1676887945~acl=%2fprotected%2fprod%2fassets%2f9c%2f6%2f9c6407fe-8b69-4f63-b412-deda2a5d1d9e.JPG*~hmac=3543ae73b924aee11f85e9d5ba160eef959bdb8f09815e0d4ff1f59b2d098f22 a) What is her marginal tax rate and average tax rate
Mary Jarvis is a single individual who is working on filing her tax return for
Published by
Struggling with a similar assignment? Don't know where to start? Don't have time to work on this? Get a high-quality paper written for you from scratch – PLAGIARISM FREE, guaranteed to get you a good grade. To get started, please click on the Submit Your Instructions at the bottom of the page.
Mary Jarvis is a single individual who is working on filing her tax return for the previous year. She has assembled the following relevant information:
Need Writing Help? Our writing specialists are here 24/7, every day of the year, ready to support you! Instantly chat with an online tutor below or click here to submit your paper instructions to the writing team.
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text:
Auto parts from the USA
Car and motorcycle parts from the USA, Canada and Europe.
We specialize in purchasing of cars in the USA and Canada but we can also help you with finding and delivery of parts for cars and motorcycles from the USA, Canada and Europe.
If you cannot find the part you are looking for, just get in touch with us and we will help you out!
Our commission for this service is 10% of the total price of the purchased parts, but no less than EUR 15.
The auto parts are shipped to Lithuania in containers by ocean freight. The average delivery time is 4 to 8 weeks.
Customs clearance fee: EUR 40 (import duty for auto parts is calculated at the rate of 5%).


text:
In this Section
John Hay, 39, an untried prisoner at HMP Barlinnie has died. Mr Hay was remanded at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 14th February 2017. Police Scotland have been advised and the matter will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal. Next of kin have been informed and a fatal accident inquiry may be held in due course.


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Man, it's a hot one
Like seven inches from the midday sun
Well I hear you whispering in the words, to melt everyone
But you stay so cool
My muñequita
My Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa
You're my reason for reason
The step in my groove
By the late '70's, Carlos was in a struggle with record companies – who wanted hits – and his own desire to play jazz or at least, much less commercial music in general. Rising above industry imperatives, he did a number of nice albums during this period. At the same time he was taking a turn towards spirituality which has continued to this day. His guru Sri Chinmoy – with whom he later parted company – gave him the name Devadip ("The light of the lamp of the Supreme").
Even though he wasn't churning out songs like "Evil Ways," he was still making good, jazzier albums like Borboletta. Here's a nice instrumental called "Aspirations" from that album. It still very much has a Latin flavor. But saxophonist Jules Broussard and bassist Stanley Clarke change the whole sound of the band. Not sure if Carlos even plays on this but I chose it anyway as it gives a nice flavor of where he was headed musically:
Throughout this period, Carlos had critically acclaimed albums such as the Grammy-winning Blues for Salvador and hit songs such as "Winning." But it's fair I think to state that compared to his previous success he was, relatively speaking, out in the wilderness. When the 1985 Live Aid mega-concert came along, Bill Graham had to again step in to "sell" him to organizer Bob Geldof.
It wasn't until the late nineties when producer and record executive Clive Davis suggested to him that he record an album with current pop stars that the result – Supernatural – became a huge smash. Winning nine Grammys including Album of The Year, it returned Carlos to prominence, at least for a while. He continued to do these kind of albums with mixed success. Personally once I heard too many pop singers on his albums, I started to get a little turned off.
But the song "Smooth," written and sung by Matchbox Twenty front man Rob Thomas is just about as good as anything Santana has done:
Another great tune from this album is the sexy, sizzling "Maria, Maria." This one features an R & B duo known as The Product G&B who were associated with Wyclef Jean of the Fugees. (If you play the video, don't be tempted to click that icon that shows up in the middle of the video or you'll be hijacked over to an ad):
Carlos is still putting out albums and touring and as mentioned in the previous post, we saw him just last year in support of an album called Corazon. The place wasn't sold out but he can still pull a pretty good crowd.
The good news is that the original Santana band – or most of them- reformed to record a new album (Santana IV). Can they recreate the magic? Well, here's a cut from the album, due in April 2016.
The song is called "Anywhere You Want To Go." Sounds pretty damn good to me:
I'll definitely stream it when it comes out and hopefully the whole album will be this good. The CD's I buy these days are few and far between and I'm always looking for some good car material.
And Carlos? Like anybody who has survived in the music field as long as he has, it is because he is remarkably adaptable not to mention tremendously talented. I can't play guitar like him but it's a tribute to his artistry that I (and thousands of other guitar players) continuously strive to.
In 1998, both Carlos as an individual and the original Santana band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.


text:
I am an actor, librarian, writer, teacher, singer, guitarist based in Northern Virginia.
I have appeared in numerous recent productions near Philadelphia with Pulley & Buttonhole Theatre Company, The Stagecrafters Theater, Old Academy Players, and Players Club of Swarthmore.
I have also worked in children's theatre as an actor and director with Family Stages.
I have a BA in Theatre and English from Wittenberg University, an MA in English from Kent State, and a PhD in Creative Writing from Binghamton. I taught composition and writing at the college level for over ten years.


text:
For over 30 years, Bob Jones RV has helped families enjoy the RV experience. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff has years of combined experience and will help you get the work done and get you on the road fast.
Bob Jones- The foundation of the company has been in business for thirty-eight years and continues to push the company towards high quality service. His motto is "Do it right the first time or don't do it at all".
Betty Jones – "Mom" known to most is our accountant and guide. Mom affectionately keeps us very grounded.
Chris Jones – President, Service Manager of Bob Jones RV has twenty years of positive experience in complete RV repairs. With his extensive knowledge and devotion to customer he will continue to up keep his father's vision for the future. E-Mail Chris
Diana Guzman – Office manager, warranty administration, is very knowledgeable in all factory warranty, extended warranty service, and service writer. Diana's great attitude and strong skills make her a wonderful asset to our company. E-Mail Diana
Carlton Sims – Parts manager adds a new facet to the business with his fresh ideas and outstanding customer service. Carlton's goal is to find parts for his customer's as fast as possible with the lowest price. E-Mail Carlton
John Cook – Shop foreman is a certified field technician. John's expertise in custom paint & body repair, fiberglass moldings, carpentry, custom cabinet design, AC diagnostic & repair are just a few of his qualifications. He and his professional team take pride in all the work that they do. Quality and courtesy are their top priority.
Elmer Cameron – Assistant shop foreman is a certified RV technician in the following areas which include Airstream body repair, replacement, A/C, electrical, mechanical, wood works, flooring and etc. Let our engine and chassis technician take a look to see if there are any needs for repairs.
Israel Rodriguez – Flooring specialist is inclusive with twenty years frame and carpentry experience. His specialty is carpet, tile or vinyl.
Paul Barron – Shop maintenance maintains shop beautification inside as well as outside.
For over 30 years, Bob Jones RV has helped families enjoy the RV experience. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff has years of combined experience and will help you get the work done and get you on the road fast.


text:
Vents and Air Duct Cleaning 101 | TMG Companies
There are many benefits to cleaning your air ducts and vents regularly. Less dirt in your air ducts and on your ac vent covers can decrease wear and tear on your AC components helping to increase the longevity of your system, and cleaner air ducts means cleaner air in the home, which is great news for allergy sufferers. We recommend calling the Pros at TMG Companies to make sure your air ducts are thoroughly cleaned for improved indoor air quality, here are some useful tips in case you want to try cleaning them yourself.
What You'll Need.
- A Vacuum Cleaner - Your regular vacuum cleaner should be adequate however, it's important to have a long hose and plenty of attachments to reach all of the nooks and crannies. In order to get the best results you can head to your local home improvement store and rent a heavy-duty vacuum.
- A Screwdriver - Most air duct vents or tightened using screws. Having a standard screwdriver handy will allow easy access to your air conditioning vents and ducts.
- Scrub Brush - When it's time to use some elbow grease to D dust your AC vents you are going to want to have a good long handled brush with stiff bristles to help.
- Broom & Cleaning Cloths - Finally, to keep all of the dust, spiderwebs, and other debris from spreading around your house having good normal everyday cleanup tools handy is essential.
Step 1
Safety first. Make sure to turn off the power to your heating and air-conditioning system.
Step 2
Unscrew your AC vents and give them a thorough brushing to get rid of dirt and dust. If your AC vents are particularly dirty don't be afraid to give them a wash with warm water and soap.
Step 3
Grab your long scrub brush and clean along the air duct walls loosening dirt and dust. Reach as far as you can go don't forget having a long stem brush helps get too hard to reach places.
Step 4
Use the vacuum along the vent walls and in all nooks and crannies that you can reach. Remember, a heavy-duty vacuum is better at sucking up the dust and dirt then your regular home vacuum would be.
Step 5
Use a damp cloth to clean along the vent walls where you can reach to really get a thorough clean. If you can, attach a damp cloth to a longer handle so you can reach more places.
Step 6
It's cleanup time. Make sure to use your vacuum and a broom and whatever household cleaning items you have to clean up any air and dust that might have come out of the vent and onto your floor or your carpet. Return the vent covers to the proper place and voilà we're done.
Experience You Can Trust, Service You Can Count On!
TMG Companies
Don't worry if you happen to have the need for our carpet cleaning services and are searching for carpet cleaning near me choose TMG Companies. We are a full service residential cleaning company and commercial cleaning company , equipped to keep your home or business in top shape for years to come. Our hundreds of happy clients can testify to the quality of our work, the efficiency of our professionals, and the beautiful clean that they experience. If you're ready to see how a professional can upgrade your home or commercial building and keep your space sparkling, contact TMG Companies today and schedule a professional cleaning for your home or office or fill out the form on this page and we'll contact you!
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text:
Mycoplasma bovis
In response to the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak in New Zealand, we have created a protocol designed to minimise the risk of unintentional transfer of the disease as a result of Council activities carried out by Council staff and contractors.
The protocol is relevant when staff and contractors are operating or moving:
- Between sites, waterways, water races, land drainage schemes or river catchments; or
- From one water body to another.
Please note: The Council's protocol relates to Council activities only. For general information on Mycoplasma bovis and how to prevent the spread of the disease, visit the Ministry for Primary Industries webpage.
View the Council Protocol for Controlling the Risk of Mycoplasma Bovis Contamination [PDF, 627 KB].


text:
2012 - Year for mHealth?
Providing healthcare monitoring over that infrastructure changes the rules of the game.Read More
by Bridget Moorman | Remote Monitoring, Strategy & Planning | 4 |
Providing healthcare monitoring over that infrastructure changes the rules of the game.Read More
by John Zaleski | Connectivity, Strategy & Planning | 28 |
I believe it is key to recognize that providing access to information seamlessly ultimately enhances business cases.Read More
Gulp. This makes the initial R&D costs seem like a bargain.Read More
by Tim Gee | Company Profiles | 0 |
Great news in Healthcare IT News: LiveData has been awarded a $70,000 Small Business Innovation grant in order to develop a plug-and-play feature to implement standards for OR workflow and medical device interoperability. The...Read More
by Tim Gee | Patient Safety | 0 |
Self proclaimed the, "oldest guy with a computer science degree," John Rushby with SRI International started the second day with a presentation on Accidental Systems. Using aviation as a model, Rushby discussed interactive...Read More
by Tim Gee | Housekeeping | 0 |
Robert North, PhD, chief scientist of Human Centered Strategies, and participant in the AAMI committee that is updating the human interaction standards, highlights the impact of user interface design on medical device safety. In...Read More
by Tim Gee | Patient Safety, Standards & Regulatory | 0 |
After the break, Julian Goldman provided a brief update on the MD PnP program. First, Goldman presented ways integrated systems can support safety, using examples from non-healthcare applications. The classic example from...Read More
I really couldn't fit the actual title of this event into the title field of my blog software, so I had to wing it. The actual name is: The Improving Patient Safety through Medical Device Interoperability and High Confidence...Read More
by Tim Gee | Real Time Location Systems | 2 |
First up today, the Clinical Engineering Symposium: Medical Device Integration Projects. A panel of rock stars will present case studies on medical device connectivity. Steve Grimes kicked things off to a full house - SRO,...Read More


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Massage/Bodywork Treatments
La Moon Thai Signature
60 mins $85 / 90 mins $120 / 120 mins $175
Using a combination of strokes (oil and dry), acupressure techniques of energy flow, and includes Swedish or Deep Tissue, stretching, and Hot Stones to reduce fatigue and release tight muscles while improving blood circulation, relaxing the muscles and creating an overall feeling of well-being.
Traditional Thai Bodywork (Cloth-on)
60 mins $95 / 90 mins $135 / 120 mins $195
An amazing synthesis of many techniques leaning pressure, reflexology, energy line work, stretching and yoga. To achieve all of these effects, we use palms, thumbs, feet, elbows, forearms, and knees, to accomplish a more exceptional massage than any other modality. This system creates a powerful release of stress and tension an increase in vitality and well–being.
*comfortable clothes are provided or you can bring your stretchy clothes.
Hot Stone Massage
60 mins $95 / 90 mins $135 / 120 mins $195
Energy exchange between the warm smooth stones and the tension in your body to restore harmony and balance. The positive energy flows, and promotes a sense of balance.
Prenatal Massage (16 weeks& up)*
60 mins $95 / 90 mins $135 / 120 mins $195
Foot Reflexology
30 mins $55 / 45 mins $70
Through the application of pressure, reflexology promotes relaxation of tension and improvement of circulation.
Neck, Head & Shoulders Rejuvenation
30 mins $55 / 45 mins $70
Lift your stress, pain, tightness away with our target head, neck, shoulders treatment.
packages for couples available
- A session consists of massage/bodywork, time for you to dress and undress and time to communicate with the therapist to make your massage/bodywork sessions truly customized.
- Prices are subject to change without notice.
* We regret that we won't be able to perform prenatal massage on clients under 16 weeks of pregnancy due to the risk of miscarriage associated with the first trimester of pregnancy


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Stack Overflow's Annual Developer Survey
In this article, one of our Zone Leaders examines results from the 2017 Developer Survey by Stack Overflow and some of the results may surprise you.
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for the seventh year in a row, stack overflow hosted their annual survey in january. the 2017 survey yielded the largest number of respondents, providing feedback from 64,000 developers located from all around the globe.
the entire results are quite insightful and i wanted to highlight a few sections of the results which i found interesting. i certainly recommend reviewing the entire results when time allows.
origin of study
nearly 43,000 respondents provided their educational background. those results concluded that 75% of the developers had a computer-related concentration for their secondary education. this means that 1/4 of developers have some other primary area of study - noting natural science, non-computer related engineering or math as the most popular. these results should be a positive indicator for those interested in an application development career, yet have a degree in another concentration. in my personal experience, those who have become developers, and obtained a business-related degree, have typically fared well with being able to understand non-engineering aspects of the needs reported by customers.
top 5 most popular programming languages
the five most popular programming languages are as noted below:
javascript (62.5%)
sql (51.2%)
java (39.7%)
c# (34.1%)
python (32.0%)
in this case, respondents were allowed to give multiple answers. none of these results came as a surprise to me - given the power and popularity of javascript (and the array of javascript-based frameworks). as one of the oldest languages, sql continues to provide value as a manner to query relational databases. java and c# are proven object-oriented languages with a strong user-base around the world. python has a huge user-base, clean syntax, vast expansion library, and has google as a corporate sponsor - which certainly helps their position.
top 3 frameworks, libraries, and other technologies
in the frameworks, libraries, and other technologies category, node.js was ranked the most popular - obtaining 47.1% of the votes. angularjs (44.3%) and the .net core (33.4%) framework ranked second and third, respectively.
i was surprised .net ranked higher than react (19.5%), but this might be due to the high popularity of .net in the european regions. it could also be due to the fact that the survey was held just as react began to gain some momentum among developers. this will be an area to watch during the 2018 survey.
most loved, wanted, and dreaded languages
i found the most loved, wanted, and dreaded languages category very interesting. after all, programmers tend to be opinionated, especially in regards to the languages that they support - which might have some design flaws or challenges.
top 3 loved
developers love the rust language more than any other - garnering 73.1% of the votes, where multiple choices were allowed. smalltalk (67.0%) and typescript (64.1%) rounded out the top three. rust is a repeat winner in this category because it contains features developers seek the most: speed, efficiency, and memory safe systems programming. while smalltalk has struggled to gain adoption (due to initially high license costs and competition with java and c++), there has been a surge in popularity the last few years - mostly influenced by pharo. typescript is a popular superset of javascript providing benefits such as static typing, classes, and interfaces, with the ability to identify errors during the develop process.
top 3 wanted
developers want python (20.6%), perhaps more javascript (18.6%) and go (13.5%). i believe this is a direct relationship to why python is ranked in the top five most popular programming languages category (noted above). the same is true for javascript, where developers continue to seek ways to utilize javascript more in their daily tasks. go, bringing in only 4.3% of the vote, most likely made this list because it is a preferred language for tooling solutions, compiles with little (if any) dependencies, and the fact that docker and google utilize go quite a bit.
top 3 dreaded
merely mentioning visual basic 6 (88.3%), vba (80.4%) and coffeescript (79.2%) causes a majority of developers to cringe. i was really shocked to see visual basic 6 make this list - since it has been quite some time since i have worked with the microsoft offering. in fact, years ago i had to remove vb6 from my linkedin skills section to make way for more current skills. i am sure the same legacy-based frustrations exist with vba - which i always considered a subset of visual basic. from what i have heard on coffeescript, at times it can be difficult to understand exactly what the code will actually do - especially when leaving out optional parenthesis, curly brackets, and commas. i would certainly dread working in any of these languages.
stack overflow's conclusions
the team at stack overflow indicated in the overview of their results, that each year provides a new insight into the mind of the developer. for the 2017 survey, the following items were noted:
most believe developers have been programming their entire career. however, only 11.3% received their first programming job after learning how to program and 36.9% learned to program one to four years before getting their first programming job.
my take - it is never too late to follow your passion to program.
a mere 13.1% of respondents are actively seeking a new job, but 75.2% are interested in hearing about new opportunities.
my take - those 75% are always keeping their options open - because of an industry that thrives on constant change.
when asking about job benefits, 53.3% preferred remote work options - with 63.9% working remotely at least one day a month and 11.1% working remote almost all the time.
my take - organizations need to realize that developers prefer to work in isolation/remotely and are likely more productive in these instances.
the majority felt they were underpaid - especially those in government and non-profit positions.
my take - this may be a reason why 75.2% are interested in hearing about new job opportunities.
i only recently discovered stack overflow's annual survey. having a survey focused on application developers, motivated to be open and honest - with 64,000 participants around the planet - is simply amazing. i am planning to provide a similar summary after the 2018 survey is completed.
how do your thoughts line up with these survey results?
have a really great day!
Opinions expressed by DZone contributors are their own.


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Paul Uppal MP: In Jerusalem, I hear air raid sirens go off - evidence of the escalating struggle between Israel and Hamas
Paul Uppal is MP for Wolverhampton South-West. Follow Paul on Twitter.
To say that this week has been eventful would be a serious understatement. Its events culminated yesterday when rocket sirens went off in Jerusalem where I was staying with a Conservative Friends of Israel delegation. It was an experience I will never forget.
On Tuesday we visited the Golan Heights. The news at the time was that errant fire from the Syrian civil war had landed in Israel; the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. But while we were standing in the mountainous north, Hamas rockets were raining down on the million people who inhabit the desert south.
The escalation began earlier this month following the detonation of a tunnel on the Israeli side of the border which targeted Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers. An anti-tank missile also destroyed an IDF jeep travelling on the Israeli side of the border fence, injuring four soldiers. More than 120 rockets were fired on Israel between this incident and Wednesday, when phones began to ring during our meetings with Israeli officials.
Something was clearly going on.
While we toured Israel's security barrier in Jerusalem on Thursday, information trickled through about the escalation in tactics from both Hamas and the IDF. This led to a dramatic moment when our evening meeting in Tel Aviv was cancelled and our bus turned around. Warning sirens were sounding in Tel Aviv. Its massive population was in the line of fire of rocket attacks for the first time since 1991.
As the rockets continued to fall on Israeli towns and cities, including Tel Aviv and the outskirts of Jerusalem, it dawned on me how strategically vulnerable Israel remains. Terrorist groups like Hamas do immense physical and psychological damage and conversely, Israel, with its large and technologically advanced army has been unable to put a stop to the continued assault.
Israel's military responses in Gaza have been targeted and precise. Hundreds of military installations have been destroyed and civilian casualties have been astoundingly low, considering Hamas is known to hide its terrorist infrastructure deep within civilian areas. The loss of civilian lives is a tragedy, and for the families of those who perished there can be no consolation. The conflict is devastating for ordinary Gazans who just want to live normal, peaceful lives, but it is Hamas who are accountable for this.
The Foreign Secretary's statement on Thursday made this point clearly when he stated that "Hamas bears the principle responsibility." Israel has a sovereign duty to protect its citizens from this sort of prolonged attack. Already, three Israelis have been killed by a missile strike, including one pregnant woman. With hundreds of rockets being fired upon Israel each day, it cannot be long before Hamas's kill count rises.
Israelis are stoic about the circumstances under which they live, but only at a painful stretch of the imagination can Brits understand what this is like. The last time we faced such a threat was over half a century ago.
When running to find the nearest shelter, or just having to duck for cover in the middle of the street becomes part of your daily existence, it inevitably has an effect on your mentality. For the population of Israel, dealing with the terrorist threats surrounding the country is a matter of survival.
For Palestinians, the status quo ante is unacceptable. The emergence of a viable and sovereign state of Palestine that exists peacefully beside the Jewish state of Israel must be the goal. My time spent speaking to Israelis and Palestinians this week has illustrated to me just how difficult this will be to achieve.
Israel's land for peace policy has been historically successful. Peace with Egypt and Jordan, although frosty, has thus far been lasting. But experience with Gaza has left a lasting scar on Israel's strategic thinking. For Israel, any peace with the Palestinians will involve giving up tangibles - often in the form of land, for intangibles – the promise of peace. This is a risk that would bear a high price in the event of failure.
I have always been interested in the Middle East. I have read much but never visited the region. My contributions to this debate will now be based on real experiences with Israelis and Palestinians. Visiting the region has enabled me to broaden my comprehension and understand one of the most complicated and protracted conflicts the world has ever seen. The Conservative Friends of Israel are to be credited with such an excellent, informative and balanced visit.


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What Is Lupus?
Immune system includes organs and processes that play a significant role in attacking toxins and fighting infections by developing antibodies. When this system gets abnormally active, it attacks the healthy tissue since it is no longer able to distinguish between 'good' and 'bad' tissue which eventually leads to inflammation. This disease is known as lupus which usually affects joints, brain, kidneys, lungs, blood cells and heart. According to theories, some people have the tendency of developing lupus since birth. Lupus is triggered through infections, sunlight and certain drugs in such people.
What Are The Symptoms Of Lupus?
Since lupus occurring in one victim is never precisely similar to the other victim, the symptoms that evolve could differ. Depending on the lupus, symptoms could be long lasting or may end soon, could be severe or lenient and could develop promptly or gradually. In most cases, however, victims have a moderate disease distinguished by flares i.e. symptoms may initially be severe but then improve or get eradicated forever. The common symptoms include:
- Dry eyes.
- Chest pain.
- Fatigue.
- Fever.
- Skin photosensitivity.
- Joint pain and swelling.
- Memory loss and headache.
- A butterfly-shaped rash on the cheeks and bridge on the nose is the most common symptom.
Therefore, the rash could indicate lupus. However, it is highly recommended to see a doctor when any combination of the mentioned symptoms shows up.
What Causes Lupus?
Lupus is generally caused either due to genital or environmental factors. Despite the fact that the cause of lupus is unknown in most cases, researchers believe that people with inherited lupus tend to suffer from the disease because of the following factors:
- Exposure to sunlight might activate lupus.
- Consumption of certain blood pressure and/or anti-seizure medications and antibiotics.
- Presence of an infection.
What Are The Risk Factors Of Lupus?
A few characteristics of a person may increase the risk of having lupus including:
- An age of between 15 years to 40 years.
- African-Americans, Asians and Hispanic people.
- Gender; it is more common in women.
What Are The Complications That May Arise To A Lupus Victim?
Depending on which part of the body is affected, the following complications may arise:
- Kidney damage.
- Brain damage leading to headaches, hallucination and dizziness.
- Lung damage leading to breathing problems.
- Heart attacks.
- Miscarriage in pregnant women.
- Death of bone tissue.
- Cancer.
How Is Lupus Diagnosed?
Since lupus can affect many parts of human body, diagnosing it is not an easy task. However, doctors use more than one test to diagnose lupus:
- Urinalysis.
- Antinuclear antibody or ANA test.
- Blood counting.
- Chest X-ray.
- Biopsy.
- Assessing liver and kidney.
- Echocardiogram.
With a combination of these tests, lupus can be diagnosed.
How Is Lupus Treated?
Although the treatment of lupus depends on the part affected and symptoms evolved, the following medications are popularly known for controlling lupus:
- Corticosteroids to eliminate the inflammation.
- Immunosuppressant to suppress the immune system.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs for the treatment of pain, fever and swelling.
- Antimalarial drugs to treat malaria.
Use of fish oil and vitamin D could also be beneficial. Avoiding cigarettes, reducing exposure to sun and eating healthy could help improve the symptoms.
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By : Natural Health News


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As a pastor I have been puzzling over exactly how one ministers in the Bible Belt. It is a confusing place. Christianity is seen with a positive regard, but there is something off about it. As far as my Christian experience goes I have always been in the south. I became a Christian in Georgia and I live in Mississippi. I also lived in Orlando, Florida, another evangelical hub. I have not lived in other parts of the country as a believer. One thing you find in Mississippi is a lot of people who identify as Christians and will even tell you which church they are currently on the rolls at. The problem is they have not attended in twenty years. When I get the chance to sit down with other pastors I like to talk with them about how we minister to people who already think they are saved. I saw The Unsaved Christian earlier this year and picked up a copy. On the shelf it sat until another pastor recently asked if I wanted to borrow his copy. So I sat down and read it.
The chapters are:
- Help Them Get Lost: The Case for Reaching Cultural Christians
- Religion Without Salvation: Characteristics of Cultural Christianity
- Civic Religion: Generic Faith That Demands and Asks Nothing of Its Followers
- Bridging the Gap: Challenging Cultural Christian Beliefs
- Overcoming Obstacles: Barriers to Reaching Cultural Christians
- False Assurance: Once Saved, Always Saved
- The Country Club Church: How Lax Church membership Fosters Cultural Christianity
- Christmas and Easter: Moving Beyond Cultural Observance to the Life-Changing Implications
- Making Decisions vs. Making Disciples: Why Raised Hands and Sinners Prayers Don't Guarantee Salvation.
- God Shed His Grace on Thee: Partisans, Politics, and Prosperity
- The Moral Theist: Reaching the Good Person Who Believes in God
- Hail Mary, Notre Dame Wins: Reaching Generational; Catholics
- The Watered-Down Word: Reaching Mainline Protestants
- Faith, Family, and Football: Ministering tot he Bible Belt
- The Harvest is Plentiful: Challenging Cultural Christianity with Courage and Love
This is a quick read (short chapters!) so I will stick primarily to the helpful takeaways. I will give the main thrust of the book, what I like and what I disagree with.
The first five chapters sketch out the issue of cultural Christianity. Dean does a great job putting together a lot things we have probably heard or thought about. One important point that Dean brings out is that Cultural Christianity is not just a thing in the South. It is everywhere. It is everywhere people passively adopt Christianity as their religion without any actual effect upon the life. Fittingly, chapters 6-14 get into specific ways to reach different types of nominal Christians.
The first five chapters are worth the price of the book. I didn't find the strategies all that helpful. There is wisdom there and I will likely check those chapters for some inspiration in the future. My main takeaway was that the primary way of reaching cultural Christians is to go out and do it. The reason Dean can write a book like this is because he has had so many conversations with cultural Christians. While we may lament cultural Christianity Dean presses us to see it as an opportunity for outreach! I love that optimism and it challenges me to reach out to cultural Christians in my vicinity.
One disagreement I have with the author stems from a reformed Baptist and Presbyterian divide on the church. Dean spends some time talking about the importance of pursuing "regenerate church membership." For those unfamiliar with term, regeneration is the "making alive" ministry of the Holy Spirit. And while I appreciate the desire to have genuinely converted members of the church I disagree that this is a goal we should pursue. Here is why: Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit. There is no way for me to know whether my church members are regenerate or not. All I have to work from is what they say and what they do. In the Presbyterian church we require a "credible profession" of faith. That means someone professes their belief in the gospel and they live in a way that supports that profession. This may seem like splitting hairs, but it has practical implications of our theology.
Bottom Line
While it has its flaws, The Unsaved Christian is a book that will help us see the opportunity that exists all around us for gospel ministry. If you have been confounded by cultural Christianity, if you feel pessimism setting in about our ability to reach cultural or nominal Christians, then this book will help restore your hope and fan the flame for reaching the lost even if they are already on a church roll…somewhere.
What do you think? Where do you see cultural Christianity at work today? Are there ways you have found helpful in communicating gospel truth? You can contact me here. Thanks for reading!


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On Thursday night, Russell Westbrook put up his 34th triple-double of the season; A season that has seen has seen the top 3 MVP candidates –Westbrook, James Harden and LeBron James — go triple-double crazy. As impressive as it to see these NBA All-Star and former lottery picks rack up triple-doubles on a nightly basis, I'm actually more impressed by what Nuggets' 2nd round pick Nikola Jokic has been doing over the past two months.
In a win against the Clippers on Thursday night, the 22-year old center put up 17 points, 14 boards and 11 assists for his 5th triple-double in his last 20 games! How impressive is that stat? The last center to rack up five triple-doubles in a season was David Robinson during his MVP contending one in 1993/94. And The Admiral is the only center in the past 30 years to reach five triple-doubles in a season, meaning The Joker just did something Shaq, Hakeem, Patrick Ewing, Dwight Howard, Dikembe Mutombo, Moses Malone, Vlade Divac, etc, etc, have not. During that 20-game stretch, Jokic also had three games with 7+ assists and if you look at the 17 games before that stretch, he had four instances when he was within two assists or rebounds of a triple-double.
Again, I'm not taking away anything from the MVP candidates making history this season but they are experienced vets with the ball in their hands for the majority of the game; Nokic is a 6'10 center with just 1 year under his belt. And if all of this wasn't impressive enough, Nokic has only played more than 30 minutes once this month and the Nuggets are on their first four-game win streak of the season.
He's also a pretty funny guy who doesn't think Mason Plumlee is a "good teammate."


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Dylan's Ghost- Songs of a Lifetime- Track 6- Journey
Journey by Robert Garcia- Copyright 2015
This May will mark three years since I underwent major cancer surgery; a 7-hour operation that resulted in the removal of more than half my stomach, about 10% of my liver and my gall bladder. Five months earlier I had suffered a perforated ulcer, a dangerous situation in which I was within an hour or two of going into full-fledged septic shock, which would have been fatal. The ulcer saved my life because it was a follow-up endoscopy a few months later that found the cancer that would later be removed.
All's well that ends well and I have been cancer-free ever since. The smaller stomach has allowed me to maintain my girlish figure. The liver regenerates, so no loss at all really. With no offense to God's design, the gall bladder, whose main function seems to be processing fatty foods, I have not missed for a single moment.
After a combined 15 weeks of recovery from the two operations- I returned to work and got back into the swing of life, and I wrote the song, Journey. My Producer, Jeff Severson, says he thinks it's the first time anyone has ever rhymed the words "journey" and "gurney." One would hope it doesn't happen too often.
The inspiration for the song actually came after the first operation when a friend of mine drove me home from the hospital and it felt in some strange way like I'd just been let out of prison. I'd been in there for a very long 7 days and I was just grateful to be alive. As the beginning of the song notes, the leaves were starting to change- Fall had arrived. The colors were beautiful. The cold nip in the air was refreshing. Like the tune says- "so much better than being dead." And that's the story I try to impart in Journey– the appreciation for a second chance at life.
Half way through the project, I decided to drop the song from the album. Musically, Jeff and I were not really connecting on it. It also seemed like a totally self-absorbed story. Lots of people go through stuff like this- what makes me so special and why should anyone give a crap what I have to say on the subject? But Jeff convinced me to put the tune back in. He pointed out that several hundred people had supported me and went along through my little health odyssey with me, following the thing on my blog and on Facebook; they might be interested in my take on all this.
I decided to make the song brief and to produce it as basically as humanly possible. No separate vocal and guitar tracks. No other instrumentation of any kind. I asked Jeff to just set me up like I was playing at a café or something. A mic on my voice, a mic on the acoustic guitar- and we'd record what amounts to a live performance.
So we did the first take. The song ended, and the last drop of sound from the harmonic that closed the tune faded into silence. Jeff turned and said, "That's it."
One take. First take. Bam.
I swear I could play Journey a hundred times over and it will never sound as spot-on as the version we recorded that day. It would be the very last thing we recorded for the album.
By Robert Garcia
Somewhere along a tree-lined road
I lost a heavy load
The leaves were turning orange and yellow and red
I was thinking to myself
This so much better than being dead
It's been a journey
It's been a long, long trail
I was lying on a gurney
Just an hour or two from heaven or hell
You learn to take things a day at a time
Sometimes an hour at a time
Sometimes, well, there's no time at all
Sometimes, time flies- next thing you know it's the fall
It's been a Journey
It's been a long, long trail
But it's really kind of lucky
To have yourself another chance to prevail
I ain't ready to say goodbye now
I ain't ready to say farewell
Taking off into the deep, blue sky
Climbing back onto the carousel
It's been a Journey
It's been a long, long trail
And it occurs to me
It's time to unfurl that sail
And so it goes
And here we go
Wherever the wind will blow
Robert Garcia- Copyright 2015
Dylan's Ghost- Songs of a Lifetime is available for digital download at I-Tunes, CD Baby, and Amazon Music. Purists who would like a hard copy of the CD can contact me directly at firstname.lastname@example.com and we'll make arrangements to ship it out to you.
Hi Ho Hi Ho- It's Off to Work We Go
It's been an interesting journey to say the least but I am officially back at work at NPR today. So far so good. My colleagues have been so very kind and welcoming. I did not wilt in the heat. I did not get hit by cars in the street. My Dr. Seuss imitation will not be beat.
It's been 7 weeks since the big cancer surgery. It feels like it's my very first day at school. I went through the checklist before I left the apartment in the morning. Metro card- check. Reading glasses without which I would be blind- check. Cash- check. Sharpened #2 pencils- not necessary but you know what I mean.
My son, Charlie came up from Nashville and visited me over the weekend. "So how do you feel about going back to work, Dad?" The appropriate, manly, puritan work-ethic response would be, "Can't wait!" The reality is that it's another transition in a series of them.
First, a day before surgery you prepare yourself as best you can for uncertainty and what will be a long period of recovery. Psychologically, it's like you get in the fetal position, let them do what they need to do and then just deal with it. I got through my 7 days of indignity at the hospital. The nurses and docs were all great, but it is just not possible to lie in bed with a tube attached to your nose that goes into your stomach or wear flimsy little hospital gowns and maintain any sense of decorum.
Then there's the transition home and recovery. It's a tricky business. You need to rest and sleep. You also need to walk and stay active. Too much rest and you just turn into a tub of Jell-O and your aches and pains get worse not better. Too much activity, and you get ashen-faced and literally hope you didn't just bust a stitch.
A big transition, frankly, is when they take those stitches out. It's hard to feel normal when you look down and see 36 metal staples holding your stomach together. After those puppies are gone, you start feeling a little less like Frankenstein.
And what did you do with all that time off, Robert? Well, I'd like to say I did research into the mating habits of Bonobo monkees or wrote a paper that helped to further define Einstein's theory of general relativity. But, no. I read some great books. I watched three entire seasons of the Walking Dead (because who doesn't enjoy eviscerating zombies) and two seasons of the Sopranos (which explains why I was overly distraught about the demise of James Gandolfini last week). I walked just about every day. Took in a couple of Nats games because, really, what an honor to be able to watch the worst offense in baseball in the past 30 years. And I completed a 5K walk in memory of my late colleague, Brenda Box, and in the process, raised a little money to fight pancreatic cancer.
And mostly, I attempted to accustom myself to the new rebuilt me. I call it Garcia 3.0. They took out a whole lot of my stomach so eating is a different kind of thing now. I can pretty much consume whatever I want, just smaller quantities, more often. I'm sometimes on the edge of nausea but it never lasts long. It happens if I don't eat enough, eat too much and this is really interesting- when people get repetitive and annoying, particularly people on cable TV.
Next week, I start taking these chemotherapy pills. Hugely better than having to get infusions. The strategy as I understand it from my doctor, is to take 2 pills in the morning, 2 pills at night, Monday through Friday and do the best you can. You get weekends off to recover. On Fridays, they tell me, I'll be beat and worn to a nub. But this particular regimen rarely results in either nausea or hair loss. Should I be the rare exception and lose my hair however, I'm telling you right now- I'm getting an earring.
So you take as much of this as you can for a minimum of four months, preferably six. Japanese doctors have their stomach cancer patients take the pills for a year. And when completed, presto! Cancer stays gone and 5-year survivability rates increase from 50 to 70%.
Next transition- getting home from work!
Notes from Recovery-ville
I don't mean to turn this blog into a personal medical site, but God apparently did, so….
We're just past the halfway point of the short side of the theoretical recovery period after most of my stomach, a piece of my liver and my gall bladder all sacrificed themselves in an effort to annihilate a 5cm tumor that turned up in my stomach 14 years after receiving unnecessary radiation in that vicinity following a bout with testicular cancer.
OK, with the background out of the way, what's it like to recover from major gastro-intestinal surgery? Meh. Some days are better than others. Some days are high energy, some days are low energy. What is a constant is sleep. This is the magic potion of healing. I can drop a 2-hour nap in a New York minute (I know- that sentence must be a gross metaphorical violation of some sort). The trick is getting 10-12 hours of sleep a day but not turn into a piece of the living room furniture. You have to get out. You have to walk. You have to get in the sun. You have to breathe the air. Sometimes easier said then done.
A few days ago, I made my first distant foray from home besides the hospital to take in a Nationals game that reliever, Drew Storen tried to ruin for me but it's not really his fault- he didn't know I was sick. The point is that when I mentioned my outing on Facebook, a friend noted "great you should be feeling so well to get out and about." In fact, without going into any detail, I will tell you categorically that was the single worst day of my recovery that I have had. And that is precisely why I pushed on and decided it was imperative to get out and get TO the ballgame. And it worked. The field, the wind, the night air, the best game ever invented in the history of mankind- all conspired to make me feel vibrant and alive. It did wonders. Thanks to Drew, I got to leave after the bottom of the 8th and beat a lot of the subway crowd so even the Metro experience was pleasant.
This is about pushing the limits of your physical and mental boundaries.
One of the things I've done mentally, is divorce myself from the news within reason. I am in the news business so it goes against instinct. But I'm sorry, there is just too much conflict, violence, blood, natural disaster, evil, ego, banality, superficiality, celebrity-worship and general bullshit out there for it to possibly be healthy in any way to consume in large quantities at this time. I'll catch up later.
One of the larger adjustments is in the area of nutrition, appetite, food. After leading a life, like most others I think, in which meals are defined by their taste, all bets are off now. Foods that I used to secretly crave (and which are advertised more than any other) like cheeseburgers, french fries, fried chicken, have lost their appeal. Food just tastes different. With a smaller stomach, I also eat much smaller amounts. And my appetite is all over the place. Sometime I have one, sometimes I don't.
The trick now (and this is too funny for words) is keeping my weight up. After years of trying to watch my weight, I am currently losing about 4 pounds a week. Add it to the weight loss that occurred after surgery and a week of hospitalization and we're talking nearly 30 pounds. Eventually this has to stop but right now, it feels great to be lighter.
In a couple of weeks I begin a discussion with my doctors about chemotherapy. They seem to be all gung-ho about the poisonous little cocktails they want to give me to prevent any return of cancer. They are going to have to convince me with science, research and logic. The white coats and air of authority will not be enough. Don't get me wrong. I love my doctors. They have saved my life. I just don't want a repeat of 14 years ago when the prevailing medical orthodoxy was to radiate the crap out of people. It's one of my own doctors who tells me he is now constantly running into patients with tumors who received radiation 15 and 20 years ago. A debate for another day. For now, a few more weeks for healing from the sharp, steely knives.
They say God works in mysterious ways. I do believe the dude has tried to kill me several times in order to make me stronger and healthier. Eventually, this time, I think it's going to take.
Recession's Over- Feel Better Now?
They're called the National Bureau of Economic Research and somewhere along the line they got anointed the official declarers of when the American economy has entered into and exited recessions. You'll be happy to know they are reporting the recession ended in June of last year.
Particularly sensitive to their suspicions the larger American public would issue one concerted and unified sarcastic laugh at their technical analysis, the NBER has taken pains to point out that recovery has been very slow. They add unemployment, currently at 9.7%, is always a lagging indicator.
And I will take pains to point out, that generally, the NBER is a lagging analytical organization. They usually make their declarations about a year after the fact. These academic economists are now concerned we're headed for a double-dip recession, which considering how long they lag, we could be in it right now.
So what does all this mean for the 25+ million Americans who are out of work? This figure includes the additional 8% or so who have given up looking for work, don't get counted in jobless statistics but are still unemployed. It means nothing. Much like the "official" jobless figures mean nothing by understating the real number of people out of work. That very month the recession "officially" ended, June of 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 550,000 Americans lost their jobs.
See, the NBER doesn't really look at the jobless figures to determine the end of the recession. They base their analysis on the GDP, the Gross Domestic Product. This is the sum of all economic activity within the nation's borders. There are three basic formulas for calculating GDP and one of them, for example, looks like this:
GDP= C+ Inv+ G+ (eX-i)
"C" stands for private consumption (what we spend on stuff). "Inv" stands for gross investments (what we spend not expecting an immediate return, like a company buying new machines to make widgets cheaper). "G" stands for government spending. "(eX-i)" is exports minus imports, a way of ferreting out what we made within our borders and what arrived here from outside our borders.
So there you go. In June of 2009, the formula said we got into positive territory and the economy stopped contracting.
With all due respect to economic analysts and the academic community that makes its livelihood debating these theoretical points, here's another formula:
GDP we've explained. RJN is Real Jobless Numbers from which we subtract the OJF, the monthly Official Jobless Figures. NBER is the 8 academic economists whose work made headlines today. BS is a universally acknowledged acronym that means exactly what you think it does.
The Economic "Recovery"
You can feel the "irrational exuberance" in the air. That was the famous phrase Alan Greenspan used as the internet bubble was about to burst at the dawn of the millennium.
Wall Street is feeling kind of giddy at the moment as it appears an economic recovery is underway. But have we really done anything to stop the "boom and bust" practices that very nearly took down the whole house of cards last year? No, not really. Billionaire George Soros is the latest to remind us.
Talking at a meeting this week sponsored by The Economist at London's Haberdasher's Hall, Soros said this- and mark his words:
Unless we learn the lessons, that markets are inherently unstable and that stability needs to be the objective of public policy, we are facing a yet larger bubble. We have added to the leverage by replacing private credit with sovereign credit and increasing national debt by a significant amount.
That doesn't mean there isn't a nifty little recovery ahead of us, one that offers the promise of a little profit-taking over the short-term. But some time this decade, I, for one, will try to find the appropriate time to liquidate my 401K and get the hell out of the stock market and put my pennies in something safe- say, cash under my mattress.
Another warning sign; many of the same geniuses who couldn't see the freight train coming even though they were fully bathed in the oncoming headlights two years ago, are saying everything's just fine now.
Here's CNBC's Jim Kramer according to The Street.com; the same fellow who said Bear-Stearns was "not in trouble" less than a week before the March, 2008 collapse that took out the company, and almost the entire American economy, down with it:
"The turn in the economy is happening," Jim Cramer told the viewers of his "Mad Money" TV show Tuesday.
"It's right here, right in front of you," he continued, and while it may not be visible to everyone, the time to profit from it is now.
Cramer said he understands why investors don't feel like things are getting better. People are still worried about their jobs and the value of their homes, he said. People are still seeing lots of local unemployment, and are fretting over the need for tax increases to balance both state and local budgets.
Yet Cramer warned that while things might not seem better to your individual economy, the stock market is looking ahead. He said the markets are never late, they're always early. He said if investors wait to make their move, they'll miss the move.
Jim "Mad Money" Kramer may actually be right about the short-term. That's what Wall Street's all about; all short-term and no foresight. All I'm saying is enjoy the coming bubble, be smart, and get rich if you can. Just don't pretend it's going to last forever. Next time the bubble bursts, there won't be a sovereign government in the world that will be able to stop the misery.


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We all fear to take decision. Don't we? We hesitate. We procrastinate. And later in a rush, we take the hasty one.
We at The DualCube have witnessed the power of decision when we talk with our e-learning clients. It's one such sector where every decision counts. The learning management software, the method of course, the infrastructure of website- the clients need to think about all.
Facing the pressure, they often overlook the basic deciding factor. Without deciding the "Approach of learning", they aimlessly run after the website platform and marketing strategy. In result, they have to be satisfied with less number of visitors.
Now, the question is "What's the best learning approach for e-learning?" From our experience, we can say- "Learner-based approach is best for a successful e-learning website." What makes us to claim so? Below are the reasons…
What is Learner-Centered approach of education? No jargon from us for you. Student-centered education is based around the learners or students, unlike the traditioanl learning where the teachers determine and control the lesson intake.
1. Students Control their Lesson:- Here, learners are kept in the middle of their courses. They enjoy the ultimate supremacy and consume content as per their will. A learner-based e-learning website is not a teacher or instructor but a facilitator providing the learners all self-teaching and self-learning choices. They can introduce themselves with new lesson, acquire the important knowledge, develop their skills, track and analyze their success or setbacks.
2. Students are Independent Learners:- Here is a question for you- Given you a chance, which business class will you select? One that pressurize you with loads of course content or that provides a comfortable environment for free learning? Modern educators give high scores to free learning. When students are the master of their own learning, they become independent learners. Independent learners can imply their thoughts and skill beyond a set of syllabus. They are the caretaker of their lesson intake. Benefits are plenty-
- Increased motivation and confidence;
- Greater student awareness of their limitations and their ability to manage them
- Free from any obstacle they foster social inclusion by countering alienation
3. Students develop Problem Solving Skills and logical power:- Hey, let's remember your old startup days. You were naive then without any practical idea and definite plan of business in a fierce market. Days passed and you stumbled upon, failed and climbed up to survive and take your pie of success. How did you do that? Did you have any guidebook or an angel? BIG No. You did it all by alone. Walking on that tough entrepreneurship road, you learned your lesson, honed your skill, applied them and today you are looking for bigger picture. Think your e-learning course does that same. A learner based e-learning website will draw participants to real life puzzles. Their strategy and logical capabilities will be put under the scanner. Practical and useful knowledge consumption will be the ultimate goal of a learner-based roadmap. Asked upon they will get the assistance and motivation in the middle of the course. However, that will be completely different from the traditional guidebook which hardly takes the students beyond classroom and a set of syllabus. 4. Students Retain their Knowledge:- Grabbing knowledge is just the first step. Learners are more interested in retaining learned information. Learner-based e-learning websites ensure that. How does it possible?
- Learners are active participants here multiplying the scope of course retention.
- Learner-based program is designed in small bites making it easy to retain the course material.
- Interactive learner-based e-learning encourages to use and retain their newly learned information.
5. Students receive better Learning Experience:- We all have passed the schools and colleges and most of us are not so impressed by the experience. But, there was one teacher who always ignited our passion for learning. He was different in all aspects pushing us to new horizon with his interesting tactics of teaching. Learner-based e-learning is that one exclusive teacher among hordes of ordinary and streotype online learning school. What's the differences-
- It is constructive
- It encourages the students to take their step and solve problem all by their own
- It is not one-way and adds multiple perspectives to learning process
- Learners develop creative and analytical skill for better learning experience
Massive popularity of the virtual classroom has revolutionized the education sector. In it's evolving phase, the online education sector is on the process to identify effective strategy to survive and lead the market. Learner-based e-learning is a real breakthrough here. Giving the batton of education to students or learners with required assistance, the learner-based e-learning has played a decisive role. What's your decision? Image Source- Pixaby


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What is a coffee box?
Our coffee box is a monthly coffee delivery containing between 1 and 6 bags of 250g of freshly roasted whole bean coffee. Each coffee is carefully selected by The Coffeevine before being roasted to order and shipped to Amsterdam where we pack our coffee boxes.
Do you only offer subscriptions?
No, we don't. You have the choice between our monthly coffee subscription, a no-strings-attached one-off box and our gift boxes. In addition, we also offer custom subscriptions for collectives, coffee shops and other businesses who are looking to source larger amounts of coffee. Send us an email via our contact form to find out more.
On occasion, we also offer limited edition boxes that are sold separately from our regular monthly selection. This includes our recurring GEMS edition, coffee pairing specials and more.
What kind of coffees do you include in your coffee boxes?
We only select the highest quality single-origin coffees from the most exciting roasters. Our roasters are the best in their field and take great pride in their craft. Some buy their coffees directly from the farmers, while others work with renowned green coffee importers who do that extra bit of legwork for them. We don't offer decaf, robusta coffees or blends at this time.
How do you select your coffees?
We have a tasting panel consisting of professional baristas, roasters and competition judges who join us once a month to blind-taste and rate the large number of coffee samples that we receive. At the end of each cupping session, we pick the best tasting coffees to go into our next box. That way, every roaster gets a fair chance at getting featured and our coffees are chosen purely based on craft, quality and taste.
Are the coffees pre-ground?
No. We expressedly do not offer pre-ground coffees in our coffee boxes to ensure that the coffees maintain their maximum freshness and to keep unnecessary waste at a minimum. In addition, our roasters put a great deal of love and thought into their packaging and we celebrate their brands just as much as their coffees, which is another reason why we don't want to tamper with their bags or repack their coffees into other bags. We do also sell high quality handheld grinders in our shop in case you want to give it a whirl.
How do the subscriptions work?
Our subscriptions are all billed at monthly recurring intervals and we offer a wide range of payment methods including credit card, direct debit and Paypal. There is a 3-month minimum duration period. You can keep the boxes coming for as long as you like and you can sometimes suspend your deliveries if you need to take a short break. Our boxes are always shipped on and around the 20th of every month.
How much does a subscription cost?
We offer different price points for different coffee boxes depending on the number of bags included, the type of box and the duration of the delivery. You can find a complete overview in our shop. Our prices do not include shipping. Shipping costs are added at checkout depending on the location of the buyer and the weight of the shipment.
We work with Postnl and UPS for all of our shipping needs.
Collectives and B2B customers get discounts based on the number of bags ordered and shipping is done via UPS. Please contact our sales team via the contact form to find out more.
How easy is it to cancel my subscription?
Very easy. You can cancel anytime after an initial period of three months. If you just want to try our our service first without committing, please select our one-off box.
What shipping options do you offer?
All of our orders are shipped via the Dutch postal service Postnl with carbon-neutral tracked delivery as well as UPS.
We offer global shipping to 55 countries, including most of Europe, North America and some countries in South America, Asia and in the Middle East.
If you live in any other country that is not available as a destination at this moment, please send us a message via the contact form to see what we can do for you.
When do you ship?
For our monthly coffee boxes, we work with a preorder system and ship only once a month, on the 20th (+/- 1 or 2 days) of the month. We do this to make sure our three amazing roasters only have to freshly roast and ship their coffees to us once.
If this isn't entirely clear, this example should help:
To subscribe in time for our April coffee box you must place your order between the 16th of March and the 15th of April. All orders received within that timeframe ship a few days later, on the 20th of April.
If your order was received on the 16th of April or after, it will count towards our next box, i.e. the May box and so on.
This can also mean that you might get billed twice before your first box arrives. If you have any concerns about your charges, please contact us. We're always happy to help.
Once a shipment has left our HQ, we will send out separate confirmation and tracking emails. Please make sure you keep an eye on your 'promotions' folder as our emails often land there.
My box didn't arrive! What now?
Our boxes arrive at their destinations in 99% of shipments without any issues. If your box has not been delivered to you within a reasonable time frame, please enter your tracking code on your local postal service's website first as this will provide you with more information about the possible location of your package should it have been delivered to a local pick up point, for example.
While we strive to deliver our boxes as quickly as possible, we do not give any guarantees for delivery within a certain time frame. The delivery depends on many factors including the speed at which boxes are forwarded to their destinations, how quickly they are processsed by local customs or how fast they can be delivered once they have arrived in the destination city.
It happens every now and again that a box is returned to us for different reasons. If you are a subscriber and your box was returned because you were on holiday or because you didn't pick it up in time, we can send the contents back free of charge inside your next box.
If you provided an incorrect address, you didn't claim your box or you bought a one-off box we can only resend it for an incidental shipping fee.
We do not provide refunds for any boxes that are still in transit and we reserve the right to assess each case one by one based on whether the box has been declared lost or arrived damaged. Should this be the case, you can contact us and we'll find a solution for you.
Shipments via UPS do are always handled separately.
Ok great! I received my box but I really don't like the coffees. What now?
That's a pity. We take the greatest care to select only the finest and most delicious coffees but of course, coffee is a very subjective product, not unlike wine, chocolate or cheese. If you really don't like one of our coffees, why not give it to one of your friends? Sharing is caring!
(For hygiene reasons we absolutely cannot accept returns of opened coffee bags and we don't offer refunds on opened boxes.)
I'm really not very experienced with the whole coffee-making process. How can I learn to get the most out of my beans?
We regularly post handy brew guides to our blog with recipes of our own and recipes from the three brilliant roasters that we work with.
I love the coffee box. Can I also give this as a gift?
Absolutely! You can just select the gift coffee box option on our coffee box page and really help make someone's day. Our gift boxes are prepaid for 3, 6 or 12 months and you can add a greeting card to make it more personal and tell your loved one, friend or colleague that it was you who sent it.
Or just keep it a secret and see if the lucky one can work it out for him/herself?
I loved one or more coffees from my box. Where can I get more?
That's great to hear! The best way to order more coffee is to contact the roaster directly or to purchase more coffee from his / her webshop. This way you can support them directly and give them some love. Our customers and subscribers also get access to exclusive discount codes from our roasters so they can buy more coffee from them. Nice perk, right?


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Thanks for checking out our Ultimate Cane Corso Owners Guide.
Getting a new Cane Corso puppy is an exciting time for the whole family, but it is a time that should be taken very seriously. I have condensed all of my experience, skills and knowledge into this easy to follow, step by step course that leads you through the entire first year of owning your dog to ensure you have the perfect canine companion. By following this course you will become a calm, consistent canine leader that is able to raise perfect canine companions, and by getting it right the first time round you will save yourself a fortune and the heart ache involved in correcting problem behaviours in the future.
I truly look forward to meeting you and helping you on this incredible journey.
Get started now!
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.


text: I spent my last weekend in NC with the family in Asheville. Nothing beats the Carolina mountains, this beautiful fall weather, and good company! Since I promised my lovely sister these photos before my westward trek, I'm squeezing in this post right before I pack away my desktop. Isn't my nephew SO CUTE?! See you in Vegas!


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Careers Education at Aston Manor Academy is a coherent programme of activities that inform and inspire our students, preparing them for work and helping them to understand where different education and training choices could take them in the future. (DfE Careers guidance and inspiration in schools. March 2015 page 4). This is delivered throughout KS3, KS4 and KS3 and is specific to each child and year group.
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) is a major contributing factor towards the successful transition into the world of work. This is supported by parents, teachers, businesses, professionals and advisory agencies and includes information provided by the DfEs statutory guidance. Aston Manor Academy is also guided by the eight benchmarks for delivering good career guidance, as identified in the Gatsby 'Good Career Guidance' report. The aims and objectives are that students feel confident and well informed about their choices and can engage proactively in decisions about the pathways they will take now and in the future. Aston Manor Academy set high standards for each student, by raising aspirations and increasing motivation through inclusion and equality of opportunities. By encouraging participation with the local community, businesses and further education Aston Manor Academy aim to meet the needs of all students.
Aston Manor Academy's Careers Team are dedicated to ensuring students between year 7 to 13 receive independent and impartial careers guidance, developing an embedded culture of high expectations and potential attainment.
The Headteacher, Subject teachers and Governors together with all members of the school are committed to ensuring career education is part of the curriculum and every day learning within the school.
All students, parents and teachers have direct access to the National Careers Service www.nationalcareersservice.org
Throughout each stage, students experience a host of coherent and progressive programmes, each inspiring and enabling the students to think ambitiously about future careers options. It is Aston Manor Academy's objective to ensure all students are:
All Different All Equal All Achieving
Key Stage 3
Year 7
Students receive a succession of career lessons delivered through the PSHE programme. Each student is issued with a careers card (Clear Career Choices).
Students and parents are given access to the U-explore Start website to explore at home and at school.
Students can start to build an online personal profile, identifying: self-awareness, strengths and interests. Every student is encouraged to use the D28b ICT suite at least three times per term where a careers co-ordinator is available to give support and guidance.
All students also receive inspirational lessons, assemblies and alumni covering career pathways and decision making topics. Visits to Colleges, Universities and various companies, along with visits from professional speakers, plus a host of meaningful and interactive employability workshops.
Year 8 & 9
Throughout year eight students continue to build their individual personal profile through continual interactions, PSHE lessons, visits and workshops, identifying new skills and interests.
At this stage each student, together with their parents and guardians choose their GCSE options. Students are given lots of information via assemblies, option evening and during curriculum time to understand how GCSE subjects relate to careers paths and employment.
Students are encouraged to visit various current career and labour market centred websites including:
Students at Aston Manor Academy are also given access to a well-stocked resource library where a careers co-ordinator is available to give support and guidance. From year 8 onwards students are given one to one advice and support from the Careers Adviser, which is tailored to meet the needs of each student and is committed to the school's mission statement and ethos.
All of year nine are briefed about the career, labour market and post 16 expectations.
Key Stage 4
Year 10 and 11 students encounter another important stage of transition. Students are working hard towards GCSE exams, revision classes and assessments. All year 10 students have the opportunity to visit the Skills Show where students can engage with employers and higher educational facilitators. Year 11 students receive an interview with the Career Adviser and are encouraged to develop their own Action Plan.
Throughout September each year 10 students are interviewed by a career's co-ordinator. These interviews are conducted to gain students career aspiration data and giving them and parents information and support for the coming year. Appendix 2.
At this stage, students can also expect weekly briefings relating to future careers, CV writing, Mock Interviews and Work Experience.
A variety of workshops and assemblies are held aimed at building self-esteem, confidence and aspirations for the future including CV writing and Interview techniques in preparation for mock interviews and post 16.
Mock interviews are facilitated by inspiring professionals and friends of the school and are held each year on Moving Forward Day in June
A structured work experience programme takes place within the first two weeks of July for both year 10 and 12 students. All year 10 students engage in a two-week placement, and year 12, a one week programme. Students are encouraged to find their own placements following their own destination plan within a working environment.
Information for Parents, Teacher & Businesses
To help you with your child's career decision, here are some links to Resources, Labour Market Information, Future careers options and choices.
Here are some useful documents for Students, Parents & Carers and Businesses:
Labour Market Information Guide for Teachers, Young People and Parents/Carers
Start Login Information Letter to Parents
Aston Manor Academy working with Businesses Booklet
Work Experience Guidance Booklet
Aston Manor Academy – Provider Access Policy
Explore careers | National Careers Service
Labour Market Information – Birmingham Education Partnership
Careers resources | Blueprint for all
Create Your Future – Build Skills And Careers Confidence – Youth Employment UK
LMI Guide – MY WAY Into The World Of Work
If you have any queries in regards to our Careers framework, please contact our Careers Co-ordinators:
Sally-Ann Hunton
Careers Lead
Ms L Ajibade
Careers & Work Experience Co-ordinator
Ms E Hughes
Careers Co-ordinator KS4/KS5
By email: email@example.com
By Telephone: 0121 359 8108