text:
One of NZ's earliest world champion athletes has a
close entirely tenuous relationship to Wellington Scottish – his name was Scott.
Born in 1860, Joseph Scott was actually Irish. He came to Dunedin via Australia in 1861 or 1862. By the age of 13, he had taken up the sport of competitive pedestrianism. Pedestrianism is probably best described as ultra marathons for race walkers. And in the late 1800s it was massively popular – with its close links to gambling it drew huge crowds who would watch the pedestrians walk through the night for dozens, or hundreds, of miles.
Former Scottish club member David Colquhoun, writing a history of athletics for Te Ara, notes:
"There were widely publicised matchups between the best performers, with large amounts gambled on the outcome. A particular interest was in endurance walking, on tiny circuits in smoke-filled halls, with competitors trying to outlast each other over very long distances."
Jane Thompson, writing for Te Ara, records Scott's first race walking appearance in 1874, as a tiny teenager:
"Although he was disqualified for breaking into a run, the performance of the 'plucky little fellow' – apparently just three feet six inches tall and out-walking tall men – was astonishing. He was presented to the governor, Sir James Fergusson, who is reputed to have said, 'Bravo, little man.…Some day you'll be champion of the world!'"
Helen Gilmore reports that Scott's walking career blossomed after that:
"In 1879 he became New Zealand champion after walking 106 miles (170km) in 24hr against eight other competitors at the Garrison Hall in Dunedin. In 1885 he defeated the visiting British champion, Arthur Hancock, at the Garrison Hall, and broke the world record by eight minutes in a solo walk of 100 miles in 17 hours, 59 minutes. In 1886 he was declared champion of Australia."
In 1887 the Christchurch Star reports on the preparations for his match against local Cantabrian, Captain Cotton.
"Yesterday men were engaged in laying the sawdust track on which the competitors will walk. It is constructed on the same principle as that on which Captain Cotton walked last year, but is, of course, proportionately wider. Some gentlemen have offered the use of a punkah for the purpose of reducing the temperature of the room for the competitors, which, as a large attendance is expected, will be appreciated by them."
As it turns out the match was postponed. Cotton eventually won 119 miles to Scott's 117 miles – but Cotton had started with a 10-mile handicap, so Scott had actually caught up 8 of those miles.
Two months later, the rematch was controversial:
"The 24 hours' walking match between Captain Cotton, of Christchurch, and Joe Scott, which was to have started tonight, collapsed. A large number of persons were present at the hour of starting when Scott's trainer made an announcement that Captain Cotton's trainer had informed him that if Cotton was not allowed to win he would be ill when the time of starting arrived. A doctor's certificate was read to those present. It stated that Captain Cotton was suffering from a severe indisposition, and it would be injudicious for him to walk any distance. Scott walked for an hour, and those present left grumbling. The doctor's certificate is genuine enough, but the statement of the trainer seems inexplicable," noted the Evening Post.
However, the story that Cotton's trainer requested Cotton only walk if he was allowed to win — although widely reported — appears to be apocryphal.
Cotton and Scott actually raced several days later on 31 Aug 1887. Although Cotton was not yet fully recovered he nevertheless managed to walk 109 miles. When Cotton gave up the race (because he was passed), he "mount[ed] the platform (and) said he would continue if the spectators wished, but he was beaten. He had walked through the match, though utterly unfit, because he had determined not to leave Dunedin without giving satisfaction. Any thing crooked about the match had not been by him. He thanked them for the cordial sympathy shown him during the walk, and said that if he had been in Christchurch he could not have been treated more kindly."
Moreover, it was Joe Scott who came up with the concept of a 10 mile handicap challenge, and Captain Cotton only accepted on the condition that at least 75% of the winnings went to the athlete. Cotton furthermore promised any of his winnings to charity. Captain Cotton seems like he was a righteous fellow!
By 1888 Scott was a superstar. The Otago Daily Times reported he and his trainer Alf Austin came into the newspaper office to announce his racing schedule. The story reports various debates between Scott and other racers and trainers of the day over the quantum and division of prize money. It reads like the modern-day machinations of boxing promoters. Eventually, Scott agreed to seven matches:
- Saturday, January 21,—Joe Scott v. Arthur Hancock-to walk 12 hours, for £100.
- Friday and Saturday, February 3 and 4.—Joe Scott v. Jack Hibberd-to walk 21 hours (12 hours per diem), for £100.
- Saturday, February 11,—Joe Scott v. Arthur Hancock—to walk 50 miles, for £100.
- Monday, February 20 and the following days.—Joe Scott v. Billy Howes—to walk for six days (12 hours per diem), for £100.
- Saturday, March 3,—Joe Scott v. Jack Hibberd,—to walk 12 hours. for £100.
- Saturday, March 17. – Joe Scott v. Owen Hancock,—to walk 24 hours, for £100.
For reference, £100 in 1888 is worth about £13,000 in 2021 or NZ$26,000.
The Christchurch Star recorded the results of some of those matches:
"Scott has won two important matches (a twelve and a twenty-four hour walk against Arthur Hancock and John Hibberd, both crack performers, and admitted to be thoroughly 'fit' and well. The first proved a hollow affair, for Scott merely waited on his opponent till he fairly broke him down at forty-three miles and a half. Hancock then retired, and Scott, going steadily along, covered sixty-four miles in the given time."
From there it was time to take on the world championship in London.
The Thames Advertiser gives a detailed analysis of one of his warm-up matches against the highly regarded Hancock, noting "Hancock stood as much chance as a packhorse would against a thoroughbred". Scott was pulled off the circuit for three laps after the venue owner took offence to him wearing a singlet, but he still won comfortably.
From there it was on to the World Championship:
"The six days' walking match between Scott, of New Zealand, and Hibberd and Franks, of England, in which the competitors had to walk 12 hours a day was concluded last night. Scott won the match, covering 364 miles, which is the best performance on record. Hibberd walked 337 miles, and Franks 319." reported the Evening Post
He won ₤100 and the R. Lewis Champion Belt, which he paraded around Dunedin upon his hero's return.
However the following year Scott's luck seemed to turn. He was charged with fraud after a pedestrian tournament in Adelaide.
In 1890 he was charged with assault after threatening to shoot a barmaid.
After that, his name seems to slip from the records of the time. Gilmore records that he and his family spent much of his last years in poverty:
"In 1889 he was declared bankrupt. A boot-maker by trade, Joe eventually became ill with a throat infection, thought to have been caused by his habit of holding boot studs in his mouth while working, and developed cancer. He died on 9 February 1908, leaving his family 'in poor circumstances', and unable to provide a headstone for his grave."
Images supplied with kind permission of www.kingofthepeds.com
- Joseph Bulbulia, comment and amendment to the original article on Facebook (accessed 14 July 2021)
- David Colquhoun, 'Athletics – Beginnings', Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/athletics/page-2 (accessed 8 July 2021)
- Helen Gilmore, Joe Scott – World Champion Athlete, Historic Cemeteries Conservation Trust of New Zealand, https://www.cemeteries.org.nz/stories/scottjoe21109.pdf (accessed 9 July 2021)
- Jane Thomson. 'Scott, Joseph', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1993, updated January 2012. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2s8/scott-joseph (accessed 8 July 2021)
- Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/


text: |These are the memory cards I use with my digital camera and digital recorders. I have 8MB and 4MB SmartMedia cards, which I will use with my RCA digital recorder (if I could ever get it working). I use 128 MB, 64MB, 16MB and 8MB Compact Flash cards with my HP 315 digital camera, which gives me about 546 photos in medium quality. You can never have enough memory!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
1,000 ADF personnel deployed to help coronavirus response in Victoria
A 1,000-strong Australian Defence Force (ADF) contingent will be sent to Victoria to help with the state's coronavirus response, Health Minister Greg Hunt says.
Key points:
- The Federal Government will send 1,000 Defence personnel to Victoria to assist with the coronavirus response
- The military will assist with testing, enforcing isolation and manning checkpoints
- Millions of face masks will also be sent to Victoria from the national medical stockpile
The deployed ADF members will assist with border checkpoints, testing and enforcing isolation.
The additional support builds on the 350 ADF members already assisting efforts to fight the virus in the state.
"Those final roles will be determined in conjunction with the Victorian Government but they'll help meet the state's needs," Mr Hunt said.
"How they deploy them is a matter for them, but as I've indicated it does include checkpoints, isolation, testing, and potentially follow-up with regards to cases that have been identified."
Earlier today, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the details of how the ADF members would assist were still being worked out.
"We're in constant discussions whether it be Commonwealth public servants, ADF staff, anybody that can assist us regardless of what uniform they wear," he said.
Mr Andrews said Victoria had a number of request for assistance that were slowly being worked through.
"That does take time, you can't stand these things up in a matter of hours," he said.
Mr Hunt also announced 5 million facemasks would be released from the national medical stockpile, 4 million of which would go to the aged and home care sector, with the rest going to primary healthcare providers.
He said the release of masks would ensure the demand for personal protective equipment in the state would be met.
"We know that our aged care homes are an area of risk," he said.
The Acting Commander of Defence's COVID-19 taskforce, Major General Paul Kenny, said the offer was made by the Federal Government over the weekend.
He said the final details of what the personnel would do was still being worked out.
"We expect that over the next few days, we'll get better clarity from the Victorian authorities," he said.
"Our teams are working very closely to work out what options are available and then we'll take a few days for our personnel to deploy down to Victoria."Loading...
Hundreds of personnel already on the ground
In late June, the Federal Government initially offered similar ADF support to Victoria, however it only accepted a few hundred personnel.
Around the country hundreds of troops have been deployed to assist states and territories in responding to coronavirus.
In various states they have been used to bolster hotel quarantine operations, assist with contact tracing and checkpoint management.
Hundreds of personnel have already been deployed to Victoria.
At a busy checkpoint on the Princes Freeway, the main road connecting Melbourne and Geelong, Brigadier Matt Burr said soldiers helped police by checking licences, counting vehicles and managing traffic flows.
He said more than 100 members were assisting police at checkpoints, while 200 ADF medical staff would help the Department of Health and Human Services.
Despite lengthy delays for drivers, he said the response from the public was largely understanding and "very positive".


text:
The North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center is collecting stories about North Carolinians who lived during the Civil War and Reconstruction era. If you have a story to share about your ancestor, please submit it on the NCCWRCHC web page at http://nccivilwarcenter.org/share-a-story or mail it to 824 Branson St., Fayetteville, NC 28305.
'How I Discovered My Ancestor Freed Slaves in North Carolina'
Link to The Independent (UK): https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/ancestry-dna-family-history-tree-discovery-how-slaves-north-carolina-a8288476.html
Local history class creates history of its own
By Amelia Harper Staff Writer, Rocky Mount Telegram The advanced placement U.S. history class at Nash Central High School is making history — quite literally. Fourteen students who were enrolled in Coach Renny Taylor's junior level AP history class last year spent a few weeks at the end of the year creating a video documentary … Continue reading Local history class creates history of its own
Charles City records taken by Union soldiers during Civil War are now returned
Photo by JAMES H. WALLACE, Richmond Times-Dispatch This is an exciting development out of Richmond, Virginia! Approximately 300 pages of colonial Virginia wills have been returned to Virginia. The pages were apparently carried off as a war prize by a Union soldier. The recovered pages, torn from a Charles City will book when the … Continue reading Charles City records taken by Union soldiers during Civil War are now returned
Arnold House restoration set to begin
Community comes together to save their history! From The News Leader, Staunton, VA: WAYNESBORO — After years of waiting to see if the red brick house on New Hope Road would be knocked down or restored, Waynesboro City Council voted in May not to demolish the house and to hand it over to Mark Holmes for restoration. … Continue reading Arnold House restoration set to begin
Civil War buttons stolen from Brunswick historic site
By Christina Haley on July 12, 2016 Three Civil War artifacts were stolen from the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site during a break-in at the site early Sunday morning. The break-in was reported at the historic site located at 8884 St. Phillips Road, in Winnabow, at 2:17 a.m., according an incident report from the Brunswick County … Continue reading Civil War buttons stolen from Brunswick historic site
Romantic story of shipwrecked Confederate spy is true, mostly
It's one of the more glamorous stories of the Cape Fear coast: The glamorous Confederate spy is riding a blockade runner back into Wilmington. Her ship runs aground and she drowns in the Atlantic -- weighed down by treasure sewn in the linings of her gown. That legend is almost true -- sort of, … Continue reading Romantic story of shipwrecked Confederate spy is true, mostly
Decoding the Civil War
In a move to gain new insights into the U.S. Civil War, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens announced today the public launch of an innovative crowdsourcing project to transcribe and decipher a collection of nearly 16,000 Civil War telegrams between Abraham Lincoln, his Cabinet, and officers of the Union Army. Roughly one-third … Continue reading Decoding the Civil War


text:
Review of a video
The video of Russell Brand and Jordan Peterson | The Mikhaila Peterson Podcast
When Jordan Peterson was spoken about in certain circles to be unable to verge on to the new world. I do not think they understood, there is nothing new about what they are discovering.
Russell Brand, is known as a boy. In the past he was a comedian whom would do anything.
He was jovial and indiscriminate, he would do anything to grab your attention even "stroke a furry wall".
Over a period of time a boy becomes a man.
Irrespective of what we try to conjure up as belief structures of a man.
A man is primarily the provider of children.
When I watched this video I realised, becoming an adult has been disregarded on so many levels.
Like I wrote in What could young people do?2021, I really do not think people have a purpose other than to mature, understand, and reflect on behaviour.
Reflect on how things are going, where food comes from, biology itself. There is no other ideology, necessary than that which reflects life.
We, as a vessel, need to help people understand — the meaning of vessel as a person — not as a literal thing.
They need to be on a conscious level of understanding. So the world, connects on a higher level.
The world was not ready for the truth because it would only see the word — vessel as a boat — when if you read through the dictionary properly it means:
a person who has a particular quality or who is used for a particular purpose:
As a young and spirited politician, he seems a worthy vessel for the nation's hopes.Cambridge dictionary.
You cannot begin to imagine, that the illerate have been led down a path by media. They painted a man, whom wanted the world to grown up.
Grow with him, also — have the ability to understand truthfully — this is not our purpose. We become something else when we feel unfulfilled or unable to use our abilities.
If we feel unfulfilled: we hate.
Jordan Peterson was hated by — the unfulfilled — the unrefined, and the immature.
They were not ready for the truth and they do not want to tell a bunch of children the truth either.
We do not understand, the other beliefs other than, Christianity in the western world. So, people wanting some other structure, becomes dysfunctional and this is a part of the transcendence of an individual.
If you hate, the ideology that is around you. Perhaps you should try and balance it in your everyday life, to get along with more people.


text:
Category: Events
Livestream: What next for Yes Edinburgh West? Oct 2014
On 10 October 2014, in the aftermath of the NO vote in the referendum, we assembled upstairs at the Clermiston Inn to take stock of what we do next. The session was led by a panel comprising Kate Higgins (Yes Edinburgh West / Women for Independence), Ivan McKee (Business for Scotland), Andy Myles (former-LibDem chief-executive) and Derek Durkin (Trade Unionists for Independence), chaired by Ian Grant.
The event was livestreamed and archived by Independence Live.


text:
LETTER: War on Christmas? Hard to find it
This new term "war on Christmas" in the article about Starbucks is laughable.The Christmas holiday hijacks the whole month of December. Every commercial has Christmas ingrained in it, Every catalog and magazine is filled with Christmas ideas.
Some radio stations play nothing but Christmas music. Every street has Christmas decorations. There are Christmas postage stamps. All the stores have Christmas decorations.
This is because most of the population is Christian. So I ask, where is there a "war on Christmas?"
Linda Diamond Friedland


text:
Planescape 4E - On Alignment
29 August 2011
So last post, I introduced a framework to help me with my thoughts moving forward.
Disclaimer #1: I realized after beginning to dig through the material that there is more here than I expected. This may require a spiral development of ideas, which is fine by me. I may revisit topics, and the pace may be a bit meandering. Hopefully, you'll enjoy the journey with me.
Disclaimer #2: I'm not sure how long of a series this will be. It will probably be an ongoing one that may or may not end. I'll have to see.
Now to the topic for this post: alignment.
I said the following last time:
The first major problem is definitely the new alignment system. The Planescape cosmology depends very heavily on the older 9-alignment system. This is actually not a large problem as I see it. I'm unaware of any crunch (the mechanics or rules) that require certain alignments. Gone are the days of alignment languages, detect alignment, and the like.
I've had a small amount of time to think about this, but there's an elephant lurking behind this issue.
The Elephant in the Room
In Planescape, belief determines reality. The planes are formed and continue to exist because of belief. Law vs Chaos, Good vs Evil, Neutral in-between. These aren't just abstract concepts, they are part and parcel of how (and why) things are. I need more time to think of all the ramifications here, but I think dropping in the older alignment system doesn't do justice to the original source material. We need a better way, and I'm not sure what direction that should take right now.
The 4E concept of the eons-long battle of gods vs primordials doesn't fit here without some modifications, either. The world-axis cosmology (the 4E conception of the planes) pits the gods of the Astral Sea against the primordials of the Elemental Chaos. I think we need more variation: evil gods, evil primordials, good gods, good primordials (?). We also need to bring law vs chaos back into the mix, and add neutral to balance it all out.
A Possible Solution
Can we simply add keywords? Can they do all the heavy lifting? My gut says no, but we can definitely get some mileage out of it. What if we had the following keywords: Good, Evil, Neutral, Law, and Chaos? What if we said that a character's alignment added these particular keywords to every power they cast?
I hear some of you crying foul at this. "Healing is innately good, isn't it? Shouldn't all powers with the Healing keyword be Good as well?" That's one approach, but I think my approach allows for more flexibility.
I certainly don't think I've pinned down all of the issues with this, but hopefully this can serve as a jumping-off point for discussion. What do you think? Throw something against the wall, and we'll discuss whether it sticks.
the Ubbergeek said:
Now, is the problem more like redoing the original Planescape?
Maybe you would be better at the end to remake a 2,0 Planescape, kinda like Dark Sun got.
Keep what work, take the opportunity to change problemnatic things, take good ideas from 4th ed…
Settings are not holy things that should not be changed, sorry if I hurt peoples. Reboots and rebuilts are ok.
TriskalJM said:
That's kind of what I'm going for here, Ubbergeek. Try and retain the flavor and feel of the original Planescape material by expressing it in 4th edition. Check out a few of the other posts to see what I mean.
All I can remember from the original Dark Sun material was that psionics were everywhere. I remember the Armblade being one of the coolest things I'd ever seen. I agree that they did a great job with the 4e Dark Sun material.
chad said:
IMHO, you shouldn't feel beholden to any of the default mythology, including the PH gods, history, cosmology, or alignment. Eberron, the Forgotten Realms, and Dark Sun all changed these things to fit the setting - as did the original Planescape.
Using the nine-fold alignment system in 4e is really, really easy. Arguably the best thing that 4e did with alignment was to get rid of the alignment `spells' (detect evil, blasphemy, etc). Arguably the worst thing that 4e did was to remove 4 of the alignments. Using the nine-fold alignments in 4e is just a matter of keeping the best and removing the worst. If you really miss something from the alignment spells, put it back in when/where it seems appropriate (a level-0 class ability is not that place. :-)
I don't personally see what adding keywords to everything gets you, unless you want to invent new rules items to go with them. To be clear, I strongly suggest that you only invent alignment-based rules items in response to a need, not simply to maintain parity with the 90's.
Likewise with the planes: the great wheel is a fine cosmology for 4e. Really, the only question you want to consider is `Move, remove, or leave the Feywild?'. Once you've decided that, treat your 2e Planescape Planes of Law/Chaos/Conflict/Inner/Outer/etc books/box sets like the veins of pure RPG gold that they are, and mine them for everything you like.
The gods are probably the easiest, because Planescape is so stuffed full of pantheons anyway. If your designer muscles don't twitch at the idea of inventing new gods, then either use the 2e deities or the 4e deities, and be done - the Powers are always changing anyway, and if someone wants to figure out what happened to God X, you've got a plot waiting to be run. :)
Good Luck!
chad said:
One more thing: healing is not innately good, and quite a few of the healer's arts (both real-world and fantasy archetypes) involve explicit destruction, damage, and pain. I've seen a few games where healing was explicitly necromantic in nature.
At it's heart, Planescape is about dealing with Law versus Chaos, rather than (or perhaps in addition to) Good versus Evil. Neutrality is not indecision.
TriskalJM said:
chad, thanks for the good comments. Yeah, I've progressed in my thinking a bit, so I agree that adding the keywords probably isn't necessary. I'm planning on getting into the planes after I finish the races (which will be this week), so your comment about the Feywild will come rushing to meet me soon.
Simon T. Vesper said:
My take on the order and organization of the planes is this: what if there's more than one truth? According to one culture, the 'verse is structured around a "world tree" concept. According to one race, the world was born from the dreams of a sleeping god. According to one religion, there is one river that runs through every plane of existence, but passage along that river is one-way only. If there can be many different explanations, maybe there can be more than one truth.
This might play out as follows: many greybeards refer to the planes as the Great Wheel. They talk about how Gehenna borders the Gray Wastes, which borders Carceri, and how the river Styx runs through the lower planes. Lately, though, a few of the younger sages have started talking about the planes as islands amidst a vast sea. They liken Pandemonium to a lone mountain, filled with tunnels, that floats through the expanse of the Elemental Chaos. Both of these views are correct, which means there are many paths between Gehenna and the Gray Wastes, and Styx is a well known path that many can travel. (Of course, that means it's also watched by various factions and powers.) Since Pandemonium is in the Elemental Chaos, that means there are paths, portals and borders that allow travel to other Chaos planes, like Limbo, Carceri or the Beastlands.
In other words, if belief is a real, physical force in the Planescape setting, then the belief in a cosmology other than the Great Wheel would automatically reshape the planes. I envision a setting where the planes are cast about in a seemingly random assortment, rather like a child's toybox tossed on the floor. There are rules for getting from one place to another, which are based on the various beliefs that people hold about the 'verse. This way, you wouldn't have to give up any of the flavor of 4th Edition; you could add to it by bringing in those beliefs you like.
TriskalJM said:
An interesting thought, and one I'll have to consider. Although belief shapes reality, there is an unspoken understanding that there are limits to this. Rules that supersede it: the Rule-of-Three for example. My default way of thinking is to allow the other viewpoints, but design with one "correct" viewpoint in mind. That would be the Great Wheel cosmology for me.


text:
Citizens of Humanity
Emerson Slim Fit Boyfriend | Long Weekend
Write a review
$132 $220
Acquired from him, tailored to you. You'll find yourself reaching for this signature boyfriend jean weekend after weekend. The slimmest of our relaxed fits, the Emerson features a low-rise and flattering ankle-length inseam. Easily dressed up or down, these look great with a feminine heel or causal sneaker.
- 98% Cotton, 2% Polyurethane
- Machine Wash Cold
- Made in USA
Model is 5'8" and wearing a size 26. Runs true to size, we recommend taking your usual size.
Model's Measurements:
- 26" waist
- 34" hips
- 34" bust


text:
We're living through a crisis that calls everything into question. What's important? What's true? Who can we trust? In such a time people quite understandably first turn… Read more "Time for brands to step up?"
Tag: business
What's next for 'high-touch' brands?
I've recently started a new gig at Bobbi Brown and in only a couple of months I've learnt a ton about the elevated world of 'high-touch' brands;… Read more "What's next for 'high-touch' brands?"
Living Out Loud
When a product idea conveys the core brand message it is all the more powerful. Live your truth, loud and proud.
More important than clothes
This week I was lucky enough to attend the Fragrance Foundation Awards in New York. Heralded the 'oscars' of the Fragrance world. It was a star-studded affair,… Read more "More important than clothes"
The Evolution of Man
Masculinity, and what it means to 'be a man' is undergoing a revolution in today's world, and brands, including my new fragrance launch, play an important role… Read more "The Evolution of Man"
A logo is worth a thousand words…
…and a brand has to have a clear reason, driven by its purpose, for changing it. As a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition,… Read more "A logo is worth a thousand words…"
Boys will be boys
Boys will be boys A saying that seems simple and is often casually used by men and women but has grown to be associated with an acceptance… Read more "Boys will be boys"
One man and his army
Throughout December, i watched with curiosity and with respect the phenomenon of an influencer launching their own product on the market. Their journey drew me in as… Read more "One man and his army"
Keeping it real
This week Victoria's Secret held its annual fashion show festoon with big name celebrities, pop performances and lots of press coverage. A glitzy moment for a brand… Read more "Keeping it real"
A matter of influence
As brands strive to be as relevant as possible to their audience, one thing that all yearn for is authenticity in the associations and spokespersons they attach… Read more "A matter of influence"


text:
What is the most basic instruction for the Christian? To be a Christian is to have been justified in Christ through His substitutionary atonement. What does it mean to live like a Christian?
After confessing that Jesus is both the Christ and the Son of the living God, Peter opposed the work his Messiah must do according to the Law and Prophets. Jesus takes the opportunity to teach His disciples what it means to follow Him at the most basic level.
Matthew 16:24-28
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
How we live (v. 24-26)
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
After Peter opposed Him and He called Peter His adversary, Jesus addresses all of His disciples. If any of them really wanted to go after Jesus, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus. Let's think about the components of this admonition together.
If anyone wishes to go after Jesus; What does Jesus mean, "If anyone wishes to come after Me…"? We keep in mind the most recent part of the story. Jesus showed His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised on the third day (v. 21). When Matthew records Jesus's admonition, here, about His disciples going after Him, Matthew is building upon the teaching of Jesus's death and resurrection. At the end of this passage, in verse 28, Jesus will mention His coming in His own kingdom. The destination in view is the kingdom of Heaven—the resurrection from the dead. Different parties within Judaism disagreed about the resurrection from the dead. Jesus teaches that there is a resurrection. That resurrection is His resurrection. The coming of the kingdom of Heaven coincides with His resurrection. We will see this in more detail when we get to verse 28. Jesus is revealing how His disciples live and go after Him into His kingdom.
Notice, also, the if… then… nature of Jesus's statement. There is first the desire to go after Jesus. If anyone really has the desire to go after Jesus, then that person must produce the basic fruit, or works, of a disciple. Jesus, here, is consistent with His own root produces fruit anthropology (Cf. 7:17-18). This is not a works-righteousness. The desire, what we believe is gained in regeneration, comes first. God is binding those on earth who have been being bound in heaven (v. 19). After the desire to go after Christ into His kingdom is realized, that's conversion, we are compelled because of our new regenerated state to bear the fruit of discipleship. We must bear this fruit because we have a new heart that compels us.
He must deny himself; What does it mean that those who wish to enter Jesus's kingdom will deny themselves? Jesus is admonishing His disciples after Peter opposed what is written in the Law and Prophets concerning the Messiah's work. Peter had preconception about the way things should be. His preconceptions, whether they came from tradition, popular teaching, or his own preferences, caused him to disregard what was written in God's word even though Jesus was showing him plainly. Jesus told Peter that Peter was thinking about human interests rather than God's (v. 23). In the context of the conversation in this discourse, Jesus is teaching that if anyone wants to go after Him into His kingdom, they must deny their own interests, human interests, and be concerned about the things God is concerned about. If we are in Christ, we are compelled to so be concerned.
He must take up his cross; Peter forbade Jesus from going to Jerusalem to die even though it was necessary according to Scripture. The Roman cross is the most prominent instrument of death for those who are executed in the First Century AD. What Jesus's response after calling Peter His adversary? He indicates that not only must He go and die, but if anyone wishes to go with Him into His kingdom, that person must go die as well. We will elaborate about what that means in a moment. The desire to enter Jesus's kingdom compels the disciple to die with Christ.
He must follow Jesus; It sounds common sensical for Jesus to teach that in order to go after Him, one must follow Him. Sometimes we need to hear common sense. Peter forbade that Jesus should obey the Scriptures and fulfill the Law and Prophets. He was trying to lead Jesus. Jesus reminds all His disciples; That's not how this relationship works. Jesus tells His disciples how things are and must be. They don't reveal anything to Him. He is the shepherd, and they are the sheep. No matter how friendly Jesus is, Jesus's lordship does not change. We don't counsel Him according to our own human interests. He leads us according to God's interests. If we desire to go after Him into His kingdom, we are compelled to follow the way He says things must be. How can we follow if we do not know His instruction? His instruction is the Old Testament; He showed His disciples from the Law and Prophets the way things must be (v. 21). He has also preauthenticated the New Testament as His instruction; He is building His church upon the testimony of the apostles (v. 18-19). Earlier in Matthew's Gospel, Matthew recorded Jesus's basic desire concerning His people:
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (11:28-30).
Jesus's basic desire concerning His people is that they take the yoke of His teaching upon them, learn from Him. It is not that we do a bunch of stuff, burden ourselves with religiosity, or make sure everyone around us is meeting a certain set of expectations. Those are human interests and actually keep us and others from going after Jesus into His kingdom. Jesus wants our attention. He wants our hearts, minds, and strength. He wants the Father's interests.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Now we can return to the notion of death to self. In the context of Jesus's teaching, what does it mean for someone to lose his or her life for Jesus's sake? Jesus, as recorded by Matthew, is dealing specifically with our human interests. If we lose our lives, forsake our human interests for the sake of Jesus's interests, we will find them. There is life in Jesus's instruction. When we follow our own ways, preferences, and interests, life is death—it's hell, a self-perpetuating hell on earth. All you have to do is look around to see where our seeking after human interests and entitlement has gotten us. What could we possibly gain that is worthwhile if we lose our souls? What could we possibly earn in this life that we could exchange for our souls? Denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following Jesus has everlasting worth. Any pursuit on this earth will end. Jesus desires we choose Him over every other pursuit—over ministry, worldly labor and wealth, status, position, comfort, preference, power, or worldly education—every other pursuit. Yet, there are many people who claim to be Christians who place Jesus and His church (the kingdom He is building for Himself; v. 18), as any priority other than their first. Jesus is Lord, not us. His kingdom is first, not ours. He calls us to give up ours and seek His. There we find life.
Why we live (v. 27-28)
"For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
Why does Jesus call people to give up their own interests, their own kingdoms, and seek after His alone? Since He is king, He will come in the glory of His Father and with His angels. As the just judge, He will repay every person according to his or her deeds. Jesus will judge us according to whether we lived by our own interests or by His. If we prioritize anything or anyone, including ourselves and our own kingdoms, before Him and His kingdom, His wrath will be revealed against us. Our fruit has revealed our root.
When will Jesus judge people? When will His kingdom be realized? Jesus teaches that some of His twelve disciples would not die until the see Him coming in His kingdom. When the disciples ask Him about the signs of His coming and when it will all happen in Chapter 24, verse 3, we know that Jesus has already revealed to them it would be within some of their lifetimes. The end of the age will come and the kingdom of Heaven will be established on the earth within their lifetimes. Jesus will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will repay every person according to his or her deeds within the lifetimes of some of his twelve disciples. Matthew will expound more on this starting in Matthew 24. For now, we know that Jesus's coming in His kingdom is immanent to the apostles. Jesus's judgment is immanent to the apostles. May we seek first His kingdom and righteousness rather than our own. May we be concerned about His interests rather than our own human interests.
…whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. – Jesus.
Make a one-time, tax deductible, donation
Make a monthly donation
Make a yearly donation
Choose an amount
Or enter a custom amount
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly


text:
09 11 22
The Rogue has moved!
The Rogue Studios has moved from its digs on Niagara Street to a new space a couple of blocks away at Adelaide and Strachan.
Okay, so this isn't new news. It just hasn't been written about here. The move actually took place in May of 2004!!!
This does deserve a bit of a tale. First of all, why would the studio move from the expansive space atop 215 Niagara Street? There were two reasons. Primarily, the large square footage was no longer just expansive, it had become positively expensive. It required plenty of bookings in both rooms to keep the studio viable for our favourite independent recording artists. The Rogue's clients really couldn't afford that kind of rent or those utility bills and we certainly didn't want to change our clientele! Almost as critically, the building had sold and the new owners preferred to renovate and increase the rents and we didn't care to convince them otherwise.
Additionally, James Paul was a relatively new father and didn't want to work the number of hours it would take to keep the studio at that address. In fact, James was dreaming of taking some time off. He had arranged a space where he could store The Rogue's vast collection of gear, instruments, trinkets and various ephemera. A place in which a compact editing and mixing space could abide. The hope was to move out of the Niagara Street space and to work part-time for a year or so. Most of the frivolous items in the collection had already been moved but the big stuff and the essential recording equipment still remained. The crew was booked, the truck rented and we were all set to go on the May two-four week-end. At least, that was the plan...
Late Thursday afternoon before the big week-end, James received a call from the owner of the new unit. He had changed his mind. He would allow The Rogue to store its equipment for a couple of months, but it was a temporary arrangement and all would need to be moved again in a short while. Anyone familiar with the sheer mass of The Rogue would know that this was not an attractive proposition. Moving it all once was really more than enough!
So James went for a walk.
A very fortuitous walk it was. In his stroll to cool off his mood, he happened by a space on a laneway a couple of blocks away. He had looked at this space the year before when it had first become available. He had deemed it too much of a mess and he couldn't see it as a home for The Rogue. However, peering through the window and seeing how it had been cleaned up and re-arranged, James thought he perceived some possibilities. He made a mental note of the phone number on the 'for lease' sign and went to the UFO diner for the Thursday special of spaghetti and meatballs (still a fine Thursday tradition!).
Returning to The Rogue in the early evening, James dialled the number and caught the real estate agent just before the agent closed up for the day. A meeting was booked and early Friday morning found James inspecting the premises and walking through the potential recording space taking shape in his mind. It could work. He made an offer with a rather extreme condition: he wanted the keys that day so the studio could move in on the week-end. "Impossible," said the agent, "can't be done on the Friday before a long week-end."
"Perhaps, but that's the offer."
Two hours later, James, the agent and the new landlord hammered out the details. The deposit was paid and the keys exchanged.
A brief aside about the space in question: the rear of 52 Stafford, now dubbed 849 Adelaide West, has a very musical history. Originally constructed as an early Toronto automotive garage, it had been a studio for the past twenty years. In the mid to late eighties and the early nineties, it had served as the first home of Reaction Studios. Then, shortly after Reaction moved to the east end, it was inhabited by Presence Sound until the end of 2002. These walls have listened in on many great Toronto sessions and records.
Meanwhile, at the Niagara Street Rogue, the final session was still in full swing! Stew Crookes was recording tracks with Swaha. James would have liked to collapse into a relieved heap but the staggering amount of preparations remaining could not be ignored. He set to work completing the packing of the Brünel suite and the office. The kitchen and Artemis would have to wait until the session finished that evening. Here, we must admit, the rest of that Friday has vanished from the haze of memory.
With a lot of help, The Rogue somehow managed to move over the next three days. Our amazing crew, guided by piano moving genius Steve Syret, carried two large mixing consoles, seven large tape decks, three acoustic pianos (two uprights and a grand), three large electric pianos, five large organs and the mass of other gear, instruments and vintage furniture down the stairs and into the truck. Then we drove the two and a half blocks and shoe-horned it all into the new location. Remarkably, the only injuries accrued were a dead fridge and a broken CD player. A true testament that The Rogue has some great friends!
We must thank some of those involved. Besides the afore mentioned Steve Syret and his brother (introduced to us as "his mother's son") we are eternally grateful to, in no particular order: Karyn Ellis, Stew Crookes, David Baxter, Jameson Elliott, Fletch, Brendan Bane, Mike Paternik, David Oxley, Ryan Haines, Jessica Dzupina-Ward, Bo Cairo and Wade Butland. (Please, if your name is missing from this list, let us know!)
Next came the intense process of re-assembling The Rogue in its new, much smaller home. Jameson, Stew and James set to work picking which pieces could remain and which had to go. Several storage spaces filled up. New wiring harnesses were soldered. Steve Ketchen of The Kensington Hillbillys came on board to take charge of wiring the AC in the new space. Within a couple of weeks, sessions lurched forward and The Rogue was about to return to regular work...
Then we bought a new console, but that's news for another story...
849 Adelaide after Presence moved out.
More photos are coming.


text:
Xpan, Two Month Later Review
It's not every day that one turns 30 and because if you want something done right, you should do it yourself, I've decided to gift myself with an Hasselblad Xpan with a 45mm lens !!!
I've been playing around with it for two months now and wanted to share some thoughts about this camera.
The first impression with the titanium body was that it feels really solid and durable but it comes with a price: weight. It's not a camera that you'll slide in your pocket or hang around your neck all day.
There is a bit of learning curve when shooting for the first time with this camera. It takes a bit of practice to tame the panoramic frame and if you aren't familiar with range-finder cameras yet, it will take time to get used to seeing so much information inside and outside your frame but it you are used to range finders like the Leica M series, you'll feel like home in no time!
In terms of composition, same rules apply except for the rule of third: you can't really apply it horizontally. Here the frame height is so short compare to its width that it doesn't have the same impact than it would on a 24×36 image.
You also have to be extra careful with the edges of the frame because you often see, too late, distracting elements on the borders. The images contain a lot of information so it's important to remove any unnecessary elements to avoid distraction. I also think (but yet to be confirmed) that the frame inside the rangefinder captures more that you see. I've had a couple of pictures showing elements that I thought were outside my frame so I'll have to look into this further to determine how to frame properly.
My main struggle with this camera is to make sure that everything is leveled. 50% of my images are tilted and you can notice instantly if an image is not leveled correctly on such a wide frame. I'm used to have a shutter release button on my Leica M6 but you can't use one here as there is not thread on the button so I'm suspecting that it has something to do with how I press the shutter.
Overall my experience has been very positive with this Xpan and I'm already starting to see everything in panoramic. I've always had a taste for wide angle/panoramic images but what I love about this camera is that there is almost no distortion on the edges so everything looks more realistic than a picture shot at 16mm for instance.
For now, I only have the 45mm lens but I'm planning to add the 90mm to the shelf too. The 30mm will have to wait for my 40th birthday I guess!
Hi, I'm Vincent Moschetti! I love shooting film and talking about it 📸
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
The Cherry Creek Arts Festival here in Denver Colorado is one of my favorite festivals.
I enjoy connecting with the artists. This year I was lucky enough to connect with maja and you can see more of her work here maja , http://majadesigns.com
My stepdaughter Alex was visiting for the week and we are trying to reconnect. This festival was something we did together as a family when she was much younger. We went on July 4 to check it out and she also loved this artist.
I went back on July 5 and picked out two sets of earrings. And this is what we did:
We each keep one hearing from each set and wear them together. Then we can think of each other when we are wearing them! Since she lives in Arizona this "brings us together across the miles".


text:
MIUCB #39 – Anything Goes + Open Technique
Judy over at the ModSquad Challenge Blog has a challenge entitled Silhouette time with a silhouette required to be the focal point of the card. I went through some of my GKD stamp sets and came up the with this flower silhouette from the Hello Sunshine StampTV kit and the sentiment is from another GKD stamp set Garden Silhouette. My sponged background was created using SSS Coral Reef, GKD's Dusty Rose and Wild Lilac inks. This is a CASE of Cathy Zielske's blog post from yesterday. I added some GKD Vanilla Ice Sequins, embossed the focal panel using my Bonnie embossing template and layered onto some Dusty Rose cardstock.
This card, I believe will also be acceptable for the Mix It Up Challenge Blog (MIUCB#39) Anything Goes + Open Technique option. My technique is ink sponging and masking. That template I created comes in handy for masking off sections. I may make some different shapes.
Enjoying a break today from a second walk so decided to use my time wisely and create some cards.


text:
We've been going through something in our personal lives lately so healthy food has definitely taken a back seat. I attempted to make a salad last night for dinner, but if you follow me on Instagram you know how well that turned out (or didn't). I ended up hitting Chick-fil-A later for a strawberry milkshake….
Month: January 2020
An Affair with Oven-Barbecued Chicken
Today is Cary Grant's birthday. I clearly recall one of the first (and most impressionable) films I ever saw him in was "An Affair to Remember." It was a stunning remake with him starring alongside the lovely Deborah Kerr. Every time I watch it, I know exactly what happens… yet, I fall in love every….
Return from the Break
Welcome back to the Roaring Twenties, my friends!! I bet you all thought I had abandoned you/this blog. I didn't. First it was that I was busier than anticipated after vacation and then I was dealing with some health challenges and then I was working on some personal projects which I may share here in…


text:
Startup Weekend Barbados – Where Innovation Begins
Startup Weekend Barbados is a 3-day event comprised of workshops, mentoring, startup business support and a software hackathon, where individuals and teams of entrepreneurs, innovators and software developers will be coached through the creation of a new business enterprise and respond to the needs of local and regional businesses by developing a software solution that solves a problem identified by the participating business enterprises.
October 28th – 30th, 2016
Friday 08:00 am until Sunday 17:00 pm
Venue: 3Ws Pavilion, University of West Indies, Cave Hill, St. Michael, Barbados
The focus of this event will be the encouragement of innovation and entrepreneurship using ICT leading to the establishment of new business enterprises and creation and testing of software applications with demonstrable commercial appeal.
The Hackathon will seek to address national challenges by solving problems across a range of industry sectors including:
- Business Process Enhancement
- Healthcare
- Cultural Industries
- Consumerism
- Automotive Innovation


text:
Last Updated: October 1, 2021
Yoga Alliance™ developed the below guidelines for all of its Registered Yoga Schools (RYSs).
*Beginning in February 2022, all RYS 200 Lead Trainers must hold the E-RYT 500 credential.
**This reflects those current RYS 200 programs that have not yet up-leveled to the new RYS 200 credential, represented above.
***Please note: All members will be required to up-level to forthcoming enhanced standards by December 31, 2023. You will hear from us in 2022 with next steps.
Visit our Help Center.
Stay up-to-date on the latest from Yoga Alliance, subscribe to our newsletters.


text:
Earth Changes
Record storm soaks Northeast; Nearly 8 inches of rain fall on NYC's Central Park
Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:16 UTC
Nine deaths were blamed on the huge storm.
Washouts, flooding, mudslides and fallen trees blocked roads. As waves pounded the coast, boats sank at their piers in Maine.
Suburbs north of New York City were among the hardest hit. Mamaroneck resident Nicholas Staropoli said a truck near his home "actually floated up on the riverbank."
Rain was still falling Monday morning in the New York area and New England after it began early Sunday along the East Coast from Florida to New England. By afternoon, it was light and intermittent.
Mamaroneck police and firefighters spent the night rescuing residents from 60 to 70 homes, said Town Administrator Stephen Altieri. More than two dozen National Guard members used trucks and Humvees to help evacuate low-lying sections of the town.
"There was debris flowing down the river like you wouldn't believe - refrigerators, I mean, you name it, it was going down the river," homeowner John Vitro said of the Mamaroneck River.
The rain totaled 8.21 inches in suburban White Plains from early Sunday to Monday morning, with 7.81 inches in New York City's Central Park, the
National Weather Service said. The previous Central Park record for April 15 was just 1.8 inches, set in 1906. Eliot, Maine, got nearly 7 inches.
Snow fell in inland areas, including 17 inches in Vermont. Wind gusts to more than 80 mph toppled trees on highways in Maine.
New York had activated 3,200 Guard members to help with evacuations and New Hampshire sent 200 to hard-hit towns. The Connecticut National Guard supplied amphibious vehicles to the hard-hit southwestern part of the state.
More than 780,000 homes and businesses had lost power from Maine to North Carolina, where some 235,000 customers were blacked out. Public Service Company of New Hampshire said some of its customers could be without power for several days because roads were washed out.
"We have incredible amounts of damage," said Steve Costello, a spokesman for Central Vermont Public Service, describing power lines brought down by high wind. "I've never seen anything like it."
Pounding waves completely covered the beach at Hampton Beach, N.H.
"We went to look, but the wind was so strong that you couldn't walk. ... The wind just turned you back," said Linda Pepin of Bristol, Conn., who owns a condominium less than 50 feet from the Hampton Beach shore.
More than 1,400 New Jersey residents were evacuated because of flooding.
Elsewhere, however, hundreds of evacuees were allowed to return home Monday at Hamlin, W.Va., after officials determined that an unstable earthen dam was no long in danger of bursting.
Crews had pumped thousands of gallons of water from the lake formed by the privately built dam and lowered the lake by 6 feet, said Lincoln County Emergency Services Director Allen Holder.
Fierce wind toppled trees onto a northern New Hampshire highway as Bob Eastman was driving through on Monday morning. "It was a wonder it didn't blow you off the road," he said.
Coastal residents were urged to evacuate in parts of Maine, and a nursing home in Portland was evacuated as a precaution, state officials said. In southeastern New Hampshire, parts of downtown Newmarket were evacuated because of flooding.
Flights were delayed Monday at Boston and the New York area's three major airports, where airlines canceled some 600 flights Sunday as wind gusted to 48 mph, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Amtrak's Downeaster suspended service in Maine because tracks were washed out in Berwick. Flooding delayed or canceled Amtrak service between Boston and Washington.
At Union City, N.J., a large section of a 4-foot-thick, 50-foot-high stone wall collapsed onto a busy road during the night, and rescue workers used heavy machinery and dogs Monday to see if any cars had been buried. "There could be, and that's the assumption we have to operate under," said David Curtis, deputy chief of North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue.
One person died in a car stalled in deep water in an underpass in New Jersey, one person was killed by a tornado in South Carolina, and two died in car accidents - one in upstate New York and one in Connecticut. The same storm was blamed for five deaths earlier in Texas and Kansas.
Associated Press writers By Clarke Canfield in Portland, Maine, Tom Breen in Hamlin, W.Va., David Porter in Union City, N.J., Wayne Parry in Trenton, N.J., and Katharine Webster in Hampton, N.H., also contributed to this report.


text:
Plot: The eyes of the world are on Atlanta, as the summer games have started and crowds of people flood the area, from sports enthusiasts to political officials to maniacal terrorists. A band of villains has placed explosives in numerous locations, taken the women's swim team hostage, and plans to make the most of the President's presence at the games. Meanwhile, janitor Jack (Linden Ashby) is haunted by his past as an Olympic medalist, his failing marriage, and his current lot in life. But when the terrorists take control, Jack learns that his estranged wife has been taken and despite the odds, he plans to make a stand.
Entertainment Value: A low rent action movie inspired by Die Hard, Blast might not be original, between Die Hard and the Atlanta Olympic scheme, but it is a fun and often off the wall experience. The narrative is typical action cheese, with an early focus on how impenetrable the event's security network is, only to have the terrorists face no resistance whatsoever. The movie is essentially Die Hard at the Olympics, but it has a great 90s vibe, over the top performances, and some odd moments that help it rise above the usual 90s action crowd. The pace is fine, despite an overall lack of action, though I do think it runs longer than it needs to. Blast has action scenes of course, but isn't a balls to the wall, kinetic action picture, more of a thriller with action driven set pieces from time to time. The lack of resources is evident whenever the action kicks in, so those scenes aren't grand spectacles, but I loved the cheap, b movie vibes involved. I also love the explosion that hits toward the finale, which is hands down one of the worst, but most hilarious explosions in cinema's rich history. Blast is derivative and beyond cheap, but also a fun ride that embraces the b movie elements. Albert Pyun just knows how to make so much entertainment out of so little cash.
Linden Ashby has the lead role as our action hero and he really dials up the tough guy vibes, turning in a super fun performance. He has solid charisma and screen presence, which helps Blast a lot, as he can handle the minor dramatic requirements and is terrific in the more action driven sequences. The movie's fight scenes are hilarious and one of the true highlights, as they feel rushed and unprepared, as if the actors are just improvising as they go. This leads to some awkward, stilted fights that are just immense fun to watch, as they're so off balance and unnatural. I think Ashby is a great lead here, but we all know a good action hero needs a good villain, so Andrew Divoff steps into that role with a hunger for the script. He devours every line he is given here, with a strange accent and a dialed up, over the top villain performance that adds a lot of fun and b movie thrills to Blast. The cast has a lot of other familiar faces as well in smaller roles, including Rutger Hauer, Tim Thomerson, Shannon Elizabeth, Kimberly Warren, and Yuji Okumoto. So for fans of 90s cheese, this is a damn good ensemble of talent brought together in Blast.
The Disc: As part of the MVD Marquee Collection, Blast looks fantastic in HD and the movie has never looked this good on home video. I was impressed by the fine detail, with individual pores visible and the smallest textures brought to life, while the print is super clean in most scenes. I hoped for a great presentation and this disc delivers, just an excellent visual treatment. No extras.
Use this Amazon link to purchase Blast (or anything else) and help support my site!


text:
Woodstock 50: With three weeks to go, starting from scratch
With their proposed festival set to begin in three weeks, Woodstock 50 organizers are essentially starting from scratch.
Headliner Jay-Z and John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame have dropped out of the golden anniversary celebration. Dead & Company will also not perform at the festival, a person familiar with the band's decision told the Associated Press late Friday.
Billboard reported that Woodstock 50 has released all of its acts from their contracts.
And festival organizers are scrambling to book performers as they work to secure a new venue in Maryland – Merriweather Post Pavilion – after failing to secure two sites in New York.
On top of all this, Woodstock 50 still needs a permit from Howard County, Maryland, and possibly an additional permit. Tickets have yet to go on sale. And Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said Friday afternoon that the festival's long-scheduled dates - Aug. 16-18 - are now "tentative."
The operator of Merriweather Post Pavilion said the ball is in Woodstock 50's court.
"Woodstock 50 approached Merriweather about hosting their event here in Columbia, Md.," said Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P. and owner of the 9:30 Club and The Anthem in Washington D.C. and operator of Merriweather Post Pavilion. "The Woodstock folks are working on securing the artists now. If the bands come, we'll produce the show. We're looking forward to getting an update as soon as Woodstock 50 has one."
A Woodstock 50 representative had no comment. Ball told the Journal he has confidence the festival - the subject of ongoing discussions - will be held at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
"I am confident that if they go through the process we will be able to ensure that permits can be had," he said.
The obstacles that Woodstock 50 organizers continue to face with just weeks left until show time underscore the twists and turns that have come to define this event since it was announced in January.
Following that announcement, Fogerty and rapper Common took part in a March event at which Ulster County resident and Woodstock 50 co-promoter Michael Lang announced a musical lineup of more than 75 artists.
At that event, Lang, the co-producer and co-founder of the 1969 festival, said ticket sales would begin April 22. They didn't, amid a holdup securing a mass gathering permit from the state Department of Health to hold the event at Watkins Glen International raceway in Schuyler County.
Similar problems haunted Woodstock 50 when it attempted to move the event to Vernon Downs racino in Oneida County. Town of Vernon officials on Monday rejected Woodstock 50 plans for the fourth time.
And then word came that the Woodstock 50 team was working to secure Merriweather, a venue with a capacity of less than 20,000 for an event that was originally slated to hold 150,000 before reducing its size to half of that.
Questions regarding capacity and security have played pivotal roles as the drama and controversy surrounding Woodstock 50 continued to escalate over recent months.
Earlier in July, production partner Virgin Produced released a statement abandoning the festival, joining a list of partners that have exited the project. Former finance partner Dentsu Aegis withdrew April 29 and production partner Superfly left a few days later.
On May 17, Woodstock 50 announced that it had secured new financing through the Oppenheimer & Co. brokerage and investment bank.
All of this builds upon the famous festival's legacy, which began with the groundbreaking Woodstock Music and Art Fair, held Aug. 15-18, 1969 in Bethel, Sullivan County. That gathering is considered by many to be the crowning achievement of the 196Os counterculture.
A 25th anniversary Woodstock festival was held in Saugerties in 1994. And Woodstock '99 was held in Rome, Oneida County, in 1999.
John W. Barry: firstname.lastname@example.com, 845-437-4822, Twitter: @JohnBarryPoJo


text: For my 1078th music review, I am proud to present Noctorum's fourth album The Afterlife released in November 2018 on the Schoolkids Records label. Noctorum is a collaboration between guitarist/singer-songwriter Marty Willson-Piper and producer Dare Mason and their first album in seven years. This ten track album features great vocals and instrumental backup with such tracks as The Moon Drips, High Tide Low Tide, Show, A Girl With No Love, Head On and much more. I was very impressed with the performance on this album as well as how it was written and recorded. I am looking forward to hearing their earlier releases to see the growth from their first album to this one. The album is available on CD and gatefold vinyl from Pledgemusic and other outlets.


text:
16 Dec
Blue Moon Hemp – DEA Ruling - Further Legal Clarification December 16, 2016 Today, many of you have forwarded us stories that are sweeping our industry regarding the DEA reclassifying CBD as a Schedule I Drug. To...
At Swiss Relief we value our customers and our team.
We appreciate each and every one of you which is why we have made the difficult decision to furlough our team due to the spread of Covid-19.
We are not only a company, but a family which puts the safety and well-being of our team and their families first.
We are currently accepting online orders and shipping on a limited basis. Please allow extra shipping and delivery time during this furlough and until further notice.
We appreciate your patience during this time and thank you for being our customer.
From our family to yours, stay safe, stay healthy and we look forward to returning to business as usual very soon.
Regards, BMH Ventures.


text:
The mansion is among the most popular gaming corporations in Asia. It has been ruling the gaming scene since the beginning of the 2000s. The company has launched a variety of websites to advertise its products. We will examine Mansion88 (M88) on this page.
About Mansion88
Mansion has added websites online following the dot-com bubble. M88 was founded in 2006 and is now one of the most well-known gambling websites in the world. M88's name is visible on a variety of jerseys of sports teams in Asia as well as Europe. The most appealing thing about M88 is they are an enormous brand. So, your money will be safe.
It is licensed and regulated by the "Cagayan Economic Zone Authority". So, you don't have to be concerned about any legal issues. You can enjoy playing on this website with no worries. This site is most well-known in Asian markets and only. It isn't licensed by any other nation. Therefore, they must perform a lot of research prior to entering into new markets.
Covered Market
M88 is extremely well-known within its Asian market. They also attract players from all over the world. M88 also has brands such as Mansion.com that offer services for other countries. There is however no reason for M88 to market to those living outside of Asia.
The site is not available in certain regions. M88 is primarily focused exclusively on its Asian market. They can therefore offer the most lucrative deals to Asian players.
- Offers a wide range of slots, casino games as well as video poker by Microgaming along with Betsoft.
- New players can take advantage of 100% cash-back that can be as high as EUR200 for their first deposit.
- Live Casino offers gamblers the opportunity to be a part of live roulette, blackjack, and Baccarat.
- VIP Club, with a loyalty ladder and increasing rewards for players who are regular.
- English, Chinese, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia, Vietnamese and Japanese languages are supported.
- Not available in some countries
Casino Games
M88 Casino and Live casino are filled with the latest games by Opus Gaming, Playtech, Microgaming, Quickfire, Pragmatic Play, Play n Go, and AE Casino.
There are slots to choose from, that include Age of the Gods, DC progressive jackpots, Fire Blaze Jackpot games, tables games, as well as live dealer blackjack Baccarat and roulette tables that are all accessible in the lobby.
With live betting, video pokers, table games as well as slot-based games there are many games available on M88's online casino. While slot games comprise the majority of the games available on M88, a variety of games are offered to players. In terms of slots among the available games include Diamond Empire, 5 Lions, Great Rhino, Legend of Loki, The Champions among others.
Sports Betting
A significant portion of the M88 community put bets on sporting events. This is due to two primary reasons: first, a lot of gamblers don't connect betting on sports with traditional casino games, and secondly, this sportsbook is a great one. With over 350 bookmakers in charge of the odds with thousands of new betting lines added each day, and a variety of suspicious activities protections in place the Sportsbook is an absolute benefit for every true sports avid fan. Individual sports, team sporting events, sports including international and local events as well as obscure pre-season contests If the winner isn't identified, you can place a bet on it with M88.
Live Casino
Another category of casino games available on the M88 casino online site is table games. It is exciting to know that around 24 table games are available to patrons.
From roulette, blackjack, or poker to blackjack, gamblers are able to play a variety of table games. The table games are Dragon Tiger, Three Card Poker, Traditional Roulette, European Roulette Gold, Classic Blackjack Gold, Multi-Hand Blackjack, Caribbean Hold'em, Caribbean Stud, War, Baccarat Gold among others.
M88 Live Casino dealer games are the most recent additions to the software. This is why the variety of live dealer games is very limited. On the site, there are four Live dealer games for casinos that are accessible which include Baccarat, Roulette, Dragon Tiger, and Sic Bo. With time, the site will expand to include additional games. Also, M88 Online casino offers live-action poker tournaments. Players can participate in three poker tournaments each day. While the tournaments can be challenging but they are a great method to win a lot.
Promotions and Bonuses
Since this betting and casino is divided into a number of areas, so too are the bonuses and promotions. If you prefer to play Slots solely and you're a regular player, then you'll need the regular deposit-matching bonus, as well as the no-cost Slots as these rollover conditions (the amount you have to bet before you can withdraw the bonus), were specifically designed for players who play the Slots player. However, unless they're providing a bonus specifically for the game of table, casino games with a lower house edge don't usually meet rollover requirements and nearly never to the entire amount. If you're only playing those games, avoid the bonus completely.
In fact, the Sportsbook bonus and special promotions can be well worth it, even if you don't typically wager on the sports. The rolling over requirements are incredibly low and the cashback option is quite appealing. There is nothing like losing a bet and then subsequently getting some of the losses back.
In the end, be sure to read through the conditions and terms – particularly what kind of bonus is applicable to the games you're hoping to play, or the bets you're hoping to place. In this regard, there are some of the best bonuses for increasing bankrolls available on M88.
VIP Program
Bonuses and promotions that are exclusive are among the top benefits of being a VIP at M88. If it's a deposit reward cashback, promotions, giveaways, or access to exclusive tournaments VIP players get more and enjoy more favorable terms. M88, as with all the top online gambling sites offers loyalty rewards.
The higher you climb on the ladder of loyalty more you earn, the better the rewards. For instance, their highest level is Diamond and the lowest is Bronze. If they offer the Keno Cashback promotion exclusive to VIP players, for example, they will offer Diamond level cashback is 1percent, while the Bronze level is 0.85 percent. The more you participate in their games, the more your loyalty level and games such as Keno and Slots discussed above can will help you rise quicker.
Deposit and Withdrawal
A reputable online casino should offer a safe and secure way of depositing and withdrawing funds for its customers. That's exactly what M88 casino has accomplished as well as more. M88 online casino recognizes that players require ways to pay for their casino accounts quickly.
Additionally, players shouldn't face problems obtaining or taking their winnings. This is why the online casino hasn't just provided a reliable payment system, but also a variety of choices.
Account-holders can fund the accounts of their choice and then withdraw profits through Skrill, Fast Pay, Vpay, Help2Pay, Eezie Pay, Quick Transfer, WeChat, Online Pay, Alipay, Local Malaysian Banks, and many more. Therefore, it is easy to select a reliable payment service for your needs.
Customer Support
Support staff at M88 is available all hours of the day through live chat or phone and, when we tested both options there was less than a few minutes of waiting duration, which is excellent. We were very impressed with the manner in which the customer support staff responded to our inquiries They were friendly with professionalism, something that isn't something you can expect from a betting or casino platform support. We are confident to say that M88's staff will be more than accommodating to answer any question or issue you may have.
M88 also adheres to an industry-wide effort called Responsible Gaming that we consider to be a great feature. The purpose of placing bets on the internet is first and foremost to have fun but if it becomes an issue then the fun stops. With the help of players and services like self-exclusion on request, they can reduce the risk of gambling addiction and ensure that everyone in the community is provided with the most secure experience possible and has the most enjoyable time.


text:
The beginning of Chapter 19 detailed the tale of how the illness came. Then came the healing ceremony with the txiv neeb and Lia. Within the ceremony, a couple of pigs was to be sacrificed. The txiv neeb was definitely not what I thought he'd look like with his panda t shirt, and blue t-shirt, and watching Winnie the Pooh. However, the ceremony was really interesting and they had to spend $225 which is unfortunate but I'm sure incredibly worth it. It's also interesting how many adjustments some immigrants must make to adapt their traditions to fit into American culture. The description of the after effect of the ceremony was really important as well. "I saw that I had underestimated him." I feel like Americans tend to have an issue with underestimating other cultures, which where the problem begins.
The rest of the description of the ceremony was really beautifully moving but still a wee bit dissatisfying. With the overview, we learned about the fates of the rest of the characters. Unfortunately, Lia still remained in a vegetative state. However, Nao Kao, unfortunately, passed away. Additionally, all the doctors at the hospital had left. Actually, I had used a copy of the book from the library for this semester and it didn't include a afterword so I immediately had to find a copy with the foreword in it. I can't imagine folks being satisfied with that ending the way that it stood.
Overall, I think that this was a fantastic foundational text for the course. Looking at race and health, this novel hits on racial identity, immigration, and even cultural competency. This novel was incredibly frustrating at times because it's as if I wished I could talk to both the Lee's and the health professionals. However, still looking at the text as a whole, I still put the most blame on the hospital and healthcare professionals. I feel like their systemic dismissal of the Lees really failed Lia. I also think in general that it's just so important for the stories of the marginalized to get told in the right way. These stories, that truly center the marginalized, help combat stereotypes about said groups and catalyze conversations across cultures.


text:
The demonstrator who was shot and killed during the Charlotte riots/protests has been identified as Justin Carr.
Who killed Justin Carr? Police say they have arrested a 21-year-old civilian, Raquan Borum, in his death. Borum is a felon with pending weapons and past drug arrests.
The circumstances of Carr's death had been murky, as eyewitness accounts diverged dramatically, with some eyewitnesses believing that an officer was responsible and others disputing that and saying the shooting could have stemmed from gang rivalries. (Warning: This post contains graphic photos and video).
Carr, 26, was wounded in the head around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday night as he stood in an unruly crowd outside the Omni Hotel in a night of violence that also saw four more police officers wounded, although not fatally. At least 16 police officers and seven civilians were wounded in the first night of rioting.
Although the city initially said on Twitter that Carr was shot and killed by another civilian, not a police officer, some who were at the scene – including a minister – fervently dispute that. Police Chief Kerr Putney said on September 22 that police were investigating the allegations that an officer shot Carr.
Eyewitness accounts differ, with some saying an officer shot Carr (perhaps with a rubber bullet), although one man wrote that he saw a civilian shoot Carr, and the bullet whizzed past him.
"We're here to seek the truth," said Chief Putney. "So, we're investigating that to find the truth, the absolute truth, as best the evidence can show us."
Now he says that police believe they have identified Borum as the person who allegedly shot Carr by studying business surveillance video.
Here's what you need to know:
1. In Heartwrenching Facebook Posts, Carr's Mother Called for Peaceful Protests but Borum Has Past Criminal Arrests for Weapons & Drugs
Carr's mother posted several emotional posts on Facebook after her son was shot. "My baby was shot in the head for no apparent reason!" she wrote, adding, "Please if your gonna protest do it peacefully!"
However, within the same protest crowd was Rayquan Borum, police say, a felon with pending firearms offenses from another county who'd served time in prison for larceny. "Borum served about three months in prison for larceny and breaking and entering charges from Mecklenburg County, and was released in 2012…He also faces at least two pending weapons charges in Cabarrus County," wrote the Charlotte Observer newspaper.
According to Fox News, Carr "was shot as police in riot gear massed to bar protesters from storming an upscale downtown hotel."
Jail records show Borum was accused in 2015 of resisting a public officer, possessing a stolen firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, possessing a firearm by a felon, possessing marijuana paraphernalia, and possessing marijuana. The disposition of those cases is not clear from the records, however.
In another post, she wrote, "I really appreciate the love & support from my Family & friends! Im overwhelmed by so many checking on is! I'm not able to respond to everyone so don't think I don't appreciate You! Please continue to keep my Family in Prayer especially my other Son's & my Mom! Will keep you posted! Trying to hold it together aint easy! But I know I'm not alone! Love yall!"
Several hours before Carr was shot, his mother wrote on another protester's Facebook page, "Make sure it doesn't turn violent! We also need to come together as a community and stop killing and hating on each other! They see us killing each other so they think it's ok for them to do it too! There's a difference between protesting and acting a damn fool! Do your thing Tre and start this great movement!"
Carr's cousin wrote on Facebook: "Will be greatly miss and always will be in our hearts mind and soul love ya cuz and will never be forgotten."
2. Eyewitnesses Disagreed About Whether a Civilian or Officer Shot Carr but One Man Claims He Has Video of Police Firing Into the Crowd
Video (above) captured the chaotic scene outside the Omni where Carr was shot, including the immediate attempts to tend to him after he was wounded.
Chief Putney said officers apprehended the suspect by using video footage, among other techniques.
However, there are conflicting accounts from civilians at the scene about who shot Carr.
"I saw the man go down on the pavement," said Minister Steve Knight of Mission Gathering Christian Church in Charlotte, in a statement posted on Twitter. "It was an ambush. The victim was shot while he stood between two ministers, and we believe he was shot by police."
One man posted on Facebook that he has video showing police firing into the crowd shortly before Carr fell. That man, Todd Zimmer, wrote:
I was there when CMPD shot a protester in the head tonight. I am convinced that police shot this person with a rubber bullet or a tear gas canister. I stood over the injured person while folks tried to revive them, tried to keep folks back. I have captured video of police firing into the crowd seconds before the person fell. I didn't want to post about this, but my city is lying about what happened tonight. Let the record show.
Zimmer posted a picture of the bloody pavement with his account. You can read it here:
Zimmer has not released the video publicly, however.
Another eyewitness, a defense attorney named Kahran Meyer, told the blog Photographyisnotacrime.com: "It wasn't a gunshot. It was much louder. It wasn't a civilian injury." You can read her account here.
Another man also wrote on social media that police shot Carr:
However, Ryan James, an eyewitness writing for The Daily Beast, wrote for that publication, "Around 8:30 p.m., a civilian fired a pistol indiscriminately into a crowd of dozens outside the hotel, turned and ran, leaving a man laying on the ground in a pool of blood on the sidewalk. There was a loud pop, then panic and confusion. Standing about 10 yards away, I looked down the barrel of a pistol."
At another point in the article, James wrote, "The shooter, a black male, was standing at the intersection of East Trade and South College streets with the weapon still aimed. He turned and ran."
James wrote that the bullet whizzed past him.
A homeless Army veteran named Jerome who was standing a few feet away told Esquire the shooting may have stemmed from rival gang members being nearby each other, adding: "There was a lot of pushing and shoving. Then someone raised up with a gun. Pow!" Esquire wrote of a group of street preachers and ministers, "They dismissed rumors that police fired the bullet that landed in the still-unnamed man's head."
Esquire quoted street preacher Sam Bethea as saying, "They blew off the top of his head. And that's when I started saying my prayers." A news reporter performed CPR, the magazine said.
3. Dramatic Photos Showed Carr Being Tended to at the Scene & Pastors Reconsecrated the Ground
Photographs showed Carr being carried from the scene and captured him lying bloodied on the ground. People on Twitter questioned how police could not know who shot Carr with so many eyewitnesses at hand.
Pastors held a group prayer outside the Omni on Thursday, reconsecrating the ground where Carr died.
Rev. Robin Tanner was one of the ministers at the scene when Carr was shot, although she did not see who shot him. She called the scene "chaos" and said, according to qCityMetro: "They marched us down into the Omni… And then we saw people began to be struck with the clubs, we saw people falling and hitting the floor. We heard a shot. People began to run."
4. The City of Charlotte Initially Said a Civilian Shot Carr & Now Say That's Still True
The city of Charlotte tweeted shortly after Carr was shot that a "civilian" had wounded him. The chief said that a suspect was arrested on Friday morning, according to ABC.
The city said on Twitter that Carr was in critical condition and on life support after the shooting, which occurred on Wednesday evening. However, he died Thursday, September 22. You can watch the police chief speak about Carr's death on Thursday here:
Chief Putney said, "The shooting that took place, there's a lot of information about who did that shooting. We're reviewing video, and we're assessing our people who were there as well because an allegation was made that one of our officers might have been involved."
5. Carr Studied at a Community College
The Facebook page of Carr, who goes by the nickname Jroc, says he is in a relationship and studied at Central Piedmont Community College.
He's also had run-ins with the law in the past.


text:
On non-urban… agglomeration
Ukrainian wikipedia defines the notion of agglomeration as follows: "Urban agglomeration (from Latin agglomeratio – accession) is the form of settlement, territorial accumulation of settlements (mostly cities), which are objectively united into a single (complex multi-component dynamic) system by the intense, functional, including economic, labour and social, cultural, household, recreational and other ties, as well as by environmental interests."
This definition concerns mainly an urban agglomeration. Urban agglomeration is also meant by the authors of the draft law "On Urban Agglomerations", besides, search engines actually lead to the urban agglomerations following "agglomeration" requests.
There is, in fact, nothing surprising, since the proportion of urban population is growing rapidly in the world, and large cities are gradually surrounded by networks of smaller cities targeted at the city (or several large cities), and such a network of large and smaller cities becomes the largest GDP producer, the largest sales markets and develops in the most dynamic way.
But there exist not only urban agglomerations. And they are in Ukraine as well, yet few people know much about them...
All villages, that have almost grew together territorially, arose and evolved due to two most important reasons – the terrain that facilitates the economy, and the trade route (path/way) between the two ancient trade centres and resettlement centres – Chernivtsi and Khotyn.
Now, the new road H03, which was laid a little south from this network of villages, has led to a certain limitation of their opportunities for local trade, and hence for small local commercial business. However, the old road T2603 passes through these villages, and flows into the highway H03.
Consequently, within the new transport conditions and new approaches to communication, it is possible to renew the active inclusion of the villages of this agglomeration into streams carried out along the highway H03.
However, the solution to a number of issues common to the villages of this agglomeration, in particular, the maintenance of the road that passes through villages, is impossible without various forms of cooperation of hromadas, both amalgamated and non-amalgamated ones, which over centuries formed such a dense and interconnected settlement network that can be called a "rural agglomeration".
The full version is available in Ukrainian – please click HERE
agglomeration Civil Society Institute
Область:Чернівецька область
Інститут громадянського суспільства
Share the news:


text:
Man charged with robbing Irondequoit bank
A Rochester man is facing felony charges following a Tuesday morning bank robbery in Irondequoit.
John Smith, 45, was charged with third-degree robbery, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor, and is accused of stealing cash from Citizens Bank, 2255 E. Ridge Road, Irondequoit, said Irondequoit Police Sgt. Mark Bean.
Smith is accused of entering the bank about 9:50 a.m. and handing a bank teller a note demanding cash, Bean said.
Smith was located in Rochester and apprehended, Bean said. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in Irondequoit Town Court and was remanded to the Monroe County Jail without bail.
Rochester police and the state Department of Community Supervision assisted with the investigation, officers said.


text:
For over 10 years, I have had the privilege of working as a consultant for some of the best companies in Nigeria. In that time, I have become fascinated with those companies, large and small, that are able not only to achieve success, but sustain that success over time and in such a way that they truly stand out as market leaders.
There are lessons to be learned from these companies: lessons that can be immediately applied to your business, whether you are in a large company or are a one-man operation. Failure to follow these principles usually leads to the commoditization of your business.
Until you deliver a product or service that is difficult to replace, you will continue to be seen as a commodity, and you will be forced to compete on price.
I have enumerated the principles that will help you create the compelling customer experience required to win in today's marketplace.
They do the hard things
Becoming a market leader begins with a conscious decision to take your business to the next level of performance or close the doors and do something else. The most surprising lesson of all is that you can achieve extraordinary success by simply doing what other people are not willing to do.
They define the value they seek to provide
To lead effectively, a winning company must define itself, not in terms of its product or services, but in terms of the value that is provided to their customers. These companies have a powerful drive to serve a larger and more significant purpose than just making money.
They Innovate
Consistent Market leaders are always willing to let go of what used to work. They are proactive about innovation and maintain a keen sense of competition. They recognize that past success is a seductive, almost irresistible force and constantly encourage their employees to look for the next great idea.
They build strong brands
Market leaders build, protect and communicate strong brands. Your brand is who you are, what you promise, and your ability and willingness to keep that promise. Your brand is what your current and potential customers think of your business.
They build lifelong customer loyalty
Market leaders get closer to the customer than anyone. They are dedicated to winning and keeping loyal customers for life. They consistently strive to know more about their target customer and they work on emotionally connecting with the customer better than anyone else.
They consistently achieve customer expectations
Market leaders consistently strive to understand and achieve customer expectations. They understand that customers constantly compare you to other service providers. Market leaders understand that consistency of performance can be the most powerful differentiator of all.
You too can be a Market leader!!!
In this article, we have outlined some of the oldest, most basic business principles. It is now up to you to make them the foundation for a successful company.
Upscale Business Resources provides business advisory services and productivity solutions to help you improve your profits and reduce costs. We address strategic business challenges from organising for long-term growth to improving business performance and maximizing revenue, organizational design, growth model development, productivity improvement and Human Resource Solutions.
Contact us: +2348036258312,+2348188474167 or Email: firstname.lastname@example.com;


text:
Our Premium Services
We also offer Premium Services that enable us to continuously provide FREE Job Posting Services.
We help organizations fill their strategic manpower needs with our reliable Search and Recruitment Services and hiring process.
Our adaptive and flexible approach to the hiring process for various organizations with different needs is evident in hundreds of headcount requirements we have filled up as well as the high retention rates.
We provide Payroll Services in accordance with Philippine laws, rules and regulations
Our vast experience in various industries enable us to provide payroll and other human resource services
A strategic legal presence in the Philippines enables foreign employers to enjoy numerous business benefits.
Thankfully, JobsPH.nets assists startup or established companies in foreign countries achieve their legal presence in the Philippines!
Further our Strategic Partnership with TPV Offshoring and BPO Inc. enables your remote staff to have a home in the Philippines!
Employee Training and Development, and Team Building
We conduct regular trainings from time to time. click here to know more. We also conduct in house trainings, seminars and team buildings
Premium Job Posting Services
Are you happy with the Free Job Posting Services? or you just want this platform to survive its operations? consider upgrading for the Premium Job Posting Service! Click here for more details.
Why Premium Job Posting Services?


text:
The price of the least-expensive room in residence halls will increase by $900 next year as a result of an overall percentage increase in housing costs and the decision to collapse pricing into fewer rate categories.
GW's Board of Trustees approved a 1.7 percent overall increase in the amount of revenue GW should bring in from room and board costs at its Feb. 10 meeting. Rates for housing were subsequently released by the Community Living and Learning Center late last month and will range from $7,600 to $11,100. Last year, prices ranged from $6,700 to $10,750.
GW Executive Vice President and Treasurer Lou Katz said last week that the University administration makes a recommendation for housing prices each year to the Board of Trustees. He said that one of the reasons the board approves moderate increases in housing each year is because of high demand.
"It's supply and demand," Katz said. "For the most part, our housing is almost 100 percent filled."
Katz also said the administration's housing prices are based on market housing prices.
"What we try to do is look at what's happening in the overall housing stock in the area," Katz said. "We look at the marketplace. We look at changes in our housing. We look at the demand."
University Campus Housing Director Seth Weinshel said last week that housing rate increases are common each year. While he said that the board approves an overall percentage increase in the total amount of revenue GW can bring in from campus housing, final building and specific rooms are each treated uniquely when determining costs.
"There were increases in many buildings but there were a couple of buildings where there was actually a decrease," Weinshel said.
CLLC decided to condense the current 129 different room prices into eight fixed prices depending on rooms' locations and sizes, Weinshel said.
The eight prices incorporate all possible rooms next year, starting at $7,600 for doubles and triples in Schenley Hall; quads, fives and sixes in Thurston Hall; and doubles, triples and quads in The West End. Housing costs increased in $500 intervals up to $11,100 for singles with kitchens in 1959 E Street, Francis Scott Key, The Aston and International House.
Weinshel said that while the pricing change was a response to the board's decision to increase housing costs by 1.7 percent, it will also help students understand housing pricing better.
"Last year we had 129 rates and we thought that tended to be confusing for students because we had some rates where in one building the rate was lower than another building when the rooms were comparable," Weinshel said.
GW has housing rates comparable to those of other market basket urban schools'. Boston University's Web site reports that for the current academic year, residence hall housing ranges from $6,450 to $11,350. New York University's room rates are $5,930 to $17,700 for 2006-2007.
However, some GW students said the housing rate increase is excessive, especially with other added costs, including tuition, which make GW the second-most expensive college in the country.
"For how much we pay to attend here, I think the price increase is ridiculous," sophomore Neema Desai said. "I don't see how they can justify it."
Although some students did express displeasure with the rate increase, most said that they plan to continue living in the University's residence halls anyway.
"I don't plan to live off campus because I do want to get that college dorm experience," freshman Marisel Trespalacios said. "I get to live 'off campus' for the rest of my life."
-Katie Rooney contributed to this report.
This article appeared in the March 9, 2006 issue of the Hatchet.


text:
According to Pavel Dvorak, the head of the Czech Telecom Office (CTU), between 400,000-600,000 people, equivalent to 5-7% of the population, will no longer be able to receive analogue TV signals by the end of the year. Although limited DTT services are already available in Prague, Brno and Ostrava, the transition to digital, undertaken on a region by-region basis, is getting under way in earnest in Domazlice and environs near the German border. What is more, by December up to 42% of Czechs will be able to watch DTT services. In other developments, the Czech MSO Karneval has aligned its Internet offer with that of UPC's. This follows a similar move last month for telephony services as the the two companies integrate following Liberty Global's acquisition of Karneval, which received final approval from the Czech antitrust office (UOHS) in January. Karneval and UPC have a combined total of around 200,000 Internet subscribers.(CD)
About Chris Dziadul
Chris is our Central & East Europe Editor. You can talk to Chris on Twitter @chrisdziadul or by email at email@example.com