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If Toucan Sam heard what Malt-O-Meal is up to, it would throw him for a loop. It would make the Honey Nut Cheerios bee buzzing mad.
The Minneapolis-based company has quietly notched impressive gains in the otherwise lumbering cold cereal market by mastering the knockoff. Its Tootie Fruities bear a striking resemblance to Froot Loops. As for its Honey Nut Scooters -- where have we seen that classic oat ring before?
Malt-O-Meal, recently rechristened MOM Brands, has built a lucrative cold cereal niche by delivering more product for the money than similar cereals made by industry titans General Mills and Kellogg.
"Once people try us, we have a very loyal group of consumers," said Chris Neugent, MOM Brands' chief executive.
It's a growing group. Between 2001 and 2011, Malt-O-Meal's annual sales climbed from $300 million to about $750 million. In 2009, it opened a cereal factory in North Carolina, a $275 million project. And over the past decade, it has spent $100 million boosting production capacity and efficiency at a big cereal plant in Northfield.
Not bad for a firm associated for decades with just one product, the hot wheat concoction known as Malt-O-Meal.
The 93-year-old company, owned by descendants of its founder, still makes its namesake product. But hot cereal comprises only about 10 percent of total sales, and most of that comes from Better Oats, a fast-growing instant oatmeal line.
Several newer brands like Better Oats and Mom's Best Naturals -- cold cereals made with natural ingredients -- led the company in February to change its corporate name from Malt-O-Meal to MOM Brands.
The rebranding also reflects a change in the company's strategy. A decade ago, half of its sales came from private-label cereal, products carrying the brands of supermarket chains. Today, that's down to 20 percent.
The core business is Malt-O-Meal branded cold cereal -- Tootie Fruities, Marshmallow Mateys and the like -- that took off in the 1980s.
Mature industry
Cold cereal is a huge business, generating about $9 billion in U.S. sales in 2011, according to Mintel International. But it's a mature, slow-growing business. And Golden Valley-based General Mills and Michigan-based Kellogg together capture more than 60 percent of the market.
Malt-O-Meal has been gaining ground, though, particularly on the No. 3 and 4 players, Post and PepsiCo's Quaker division.
Its share of the U.S. cold cereal business as measured in pounds jumped from 3.1 percent in 2001 to 9.6 percent last year, fourth among major cereal makers and just a bit behind Post, according to Nielsen Co. data provided by MOM Brands.
Consumers usually pay about 20 to 25 percent less for a pound of Malt-O-Meal branded cereal than they do for a pound of its rivals' products, Neugent said.
Neugent, Malt-O-Meal's CEO since 2008, makes no excuses for the knockoff approach. "We're not the first ones to come in and have similar products."
The strategy doesn't always sit well with its competitors, though. "We're not on their Christmas card list, I will say that," Neugent said.
It's not surprising the cereal colossi get irked. "You can make the argument that Malt-O-Meal is free-riding off the advertising" of General Mills and Kellogg, said Akshay Rao, a marketing professor at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.
A minuscule ad budget
While heavy advertising greases cereal sales for the heavyweights -- Toucan Sam has been an animated celebrity since the 1960s -- Malt-O-Meal's ad budget can be measured in spoonfuls, not bowls. Minimal marketing expenses are critical to maintaining its lower prices.
Kellogg's and General Mills spend up to 8 percent of their total cereal sales on advertising, said Rick Shea, owner of Shea Marketing, a Chanhassen-based consultancy.
Malt-O-Meal spends less than 1 percent, said Shea, who was the company's chief marketing officer from 2004 through to 2006. Minuscule would be the best word to describe Malt-O-Meal's ad spending the past two years as measured by advertising tracker Kantar Media.
"I would love to advertise our products, but if I did, I'd have to raise our prices," said Neugent, who is no stranger to heavy-duty food marketing. Before arriving at Malt-O-Meal in 2001, the Texas native worked at PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division and was for a time its Doritos brand manager.
At MOM Brands, Neugent runs "a very lean organization," Shea said. "Its strength is on the manufacturing side, not the sales and marketing side."
MOM Brands' product quality is on par with its competitors', Shea said. And its cereal factories are highly efficient.
The company's manufacturing prowess is on display in Northfield, home to the largest of its three cold cereal plants and about 800 of its 1,100 Minnesota employees. Malt-O-Meal is Northfield's largest employer along with St. Olaf College. Its main plant runs 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Workers at the plant are not all that easy to spot, though, given the pervasive automation. On a normal shift, four employees oversee the production line for Frosted Mini Spooners, Malt-O-Meal's biggest seller and a product akin to Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats.
The air smells toasty, earthy and a bit sweet, as computerized machines -- including a football field-sized oven -- each day transform 120,000 pounds of winter wheat into enough Mini Spooners to fill about 120,000 bags and boxes.
On the packaging line, one robot stuffs freshly filled bags of Mini Spooners into boxes for shipping; another corrals multiple boxes into pallet-sized units.
The bulk of Malt-O-Meal's cold cereal is packaged in bags, not boxes, because it's less expensive that way. Bags weigh about 75 percent less than boxes. And boxes, since they contain more wasted space than bags, "don't pack out as well'" -- i.e. they require more room in trucks, Neugent said.
The Northfield cold cereal plant is known as the Campbell Mill, named after John Campbell, the Owatonna grain miller who created Malt-O-Meal and ran the firm for decades. Neugent is only the company's fourth chief executive, the second outside of the founder's family.
Campbell staked out Northfield as his production base in the 1920s. The city's historic Ames Mill -- built in 1869 -- still churns out classic Malt-O-Meal, though the cereal makes up only a couple of percentage points of MOM Brands' sales.
"Hot wheat is not growing," Neugent said. Hot oats are, though, prompting the company in 2010 to launch Better Oats, a premium oatmeal at a value price -- no knockoffs here. Better Oats has carved out a 4 percent share, in dollar sales, of the Quaker-dominated hot instant cereal market.
To market Better Oats, Malt-O-Meal took to social media, a typically pennywise move.
It scooped up PepsiCo's "Choice of a New Generation" slogan -- big in the 1980s -- after the soft drink giant let its trademark lapse. MOM Brands adapted "Choice of a New Generation" to Better Oats, hiring the crowdsourcing ad agency Poptent for a Web video.
Poptent got about 100 submissions from its network of video producers, and MOM Brands paid the winner $7,500. The video, featuring a guy dancing in his kitchen and singing an ode to Better Oats, was posted on YouTube and Better Oats' Facebook page and its own dedicated website.
There was no big multimedia ad splash, as is common with new cereals. "We do everything differently," Neugent said. "Frankly we have to. We're the little guy in the category."
Mike Hughlett • 612-673-7003


text:
Today marks 25 years since the worst nuclear accident in history. On April 26, 1986, a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine exploded, killing at least 30 people and sending hundreds of others to the hospital. Soviet authorities evacuated 200,000 people from the area, and set up an exclusion zone the size of Switzerland around the crippled plant. Millions of people were exposed to radiation, and thousands developed thyroid cancer. Despite that, the United Nations says there has been no major public health impact in the decades since the accident. But radiation experts say the true health costs of the disaster are still unknown.
Anecdotal evidence suggests beavers, deer, hawks, eagles and other wildlife have returned to the Chernobyl exclusion zone in abundance since people fled the area in 1986. But one radiation ecologist says that picture is misleading. Biology Professor Tim Mousseau of the University of South Carolina says biodiversity in the area around Chernobyl has dropped dramatically since the meltdown. Last year, he and his colleagues published a census of wildlife in the exclusion zone. He talked with BackStory about his findings.
Let's hope it does not happen again...... But wait, it has happened again.
For a completely different perspective on Chornobyl, I refer you to elenafilatova.com. Take a look.
With best regards,
"Millions of people were exposed to radiation, and thousands developed thyroid cancer. Despite that, the United Nations says..."
What CNN fails to mention here is that almost no one dies of thyroid cancer...
"About 4000 cases of thyroid cancer, mainly in children and adolescents at the time of the accident, have resulted from the accident's contamination and at least nine children died of thyroid cancer; however the survival rate among such cancer victims, judging from experience in Belarus, has been almost 99%."
Chernobyl: the true scale of the accident

subset: commoncrawl


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|Telecom & Offshore Contractors - Below you will find a global directory of individual contractors with specific qualifications to help support the development, installation and maintenance of submarine cable systems.
Telecom & Offshore Contractor Directory
Contractor/Consultant: Ignacio Ospino
About: Consultancy services for the submarine cable industry. SVP NSW (Retired). Well connected in the Caribbean & Latin America markets. Fluent in English, Spanish, German and some Portuguese. Strengths are submarine network design & engineering, contracts & acquisition, implementation supervision. Turn-key support of system purchaser.
Office Phone: +1 561-495-6756
Mobile Phone: +1 561-716-7334
e-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Company: Mercator Consulting LLC
About: Mercator Consulting LLC is a service-based company committed to providing innovative, geospatial data & engineering solutions. Key services include: Geospatial Systems Architecture, GIS / Engineering Software Needs Analysis, Large & Small Scale Map Production & Production Management, Remote / On-Site / Offshore Route Engineering, Spatial Data Analysis & Processing, Offshore Representation Services, Marine Survey Support (Technical, Operations & Project Management), GIS Support (Technical, Operations & Project Management).
Contact: Paul Grant
Office Phone: +1 973-727-0596
e-Mail: email@example.com
Website: www.mercatorconsultingllc.com
Company: Seateam Limited
Headquarters: United Kingdom
About: Seateam Limited was formed in June 2006 by the founder of Oceantecs Limited, with a background in engineering and more than 25 years experience working in the offshore industries.This invaluable knowledge and experience places Seateam in the right place when it comes to selecting the right equipment and the right personnel for your project.
Website: http://www.seateam.co.uk/
SubmarineCableSystems.com / Copyright 2012 - 2019


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Question The Answers ~ The Importance of Critical Thinking
It strikes me that this is an era of pressing choices – personal and collective. Simplistic, lazy, rote thinking cannot address the complexities we face.
We're caught up in old, polarized, dualistic thinking that is not only an impediment to our growth – but regressive and potentially dangerous.
How do we make complex decisions in the face of such pressure?
What tools do we need to create mindsets that can address the intricacies of problems we face that were unimaginable a generation ago?
Important questions that challenge existing models of leadership, corporate and government actions like climate change, global health crises and deepening income equality are being raised with greater urgency.
Without critical thinking – the ability to challenge our own thought processes, beliefs, values and actions – we cannot move forward to course correct and create new paths forward.
I hope you will find this post from the archives helpful in thinking through some of these questions.
"Heresy is another word for freedom of thought." Graham Greene
I often hear people say, "We need more critical thinking in the world, we should be teaching it in schools." I don't disagree with those ideas. But I wonder if we understand how much change real critical thinking would bring – to our schools, to the workplace, to our cultures and to our personal lives.
I'm not an expert in the progress of pedagogy, but I suspect that the teaching of critical thinking isn't at the top of most school lists in this "Age of Austerity" (at least for most). We don't really understand critical thinking enough to know how much we struggle and suffer from a lack of it.
Most corporations and institutions say they need innovation, creativity, sustainability and trust to compete in the 21st century. They understand that the new worker is a knowledge worker and that continuous learning is the jewel in the crown of assets to get there. But I don't think they really mean they want critical thinkers.
Critical thinkers ask questions. They must "live in the questions" as the poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote. To the critical mind, questions lead to more questions. Critical thinkers not only challenge the status quo, they shake it up. They turn the status quo on its head and always ask, "Is there another way?" That's not comfortable to those who have an "immunity" to change.
That's why it's tough for most institutions and organizations to really embrace the full meaning and possibility of unleashing critical thinking within their cultures. While we're in the grip of a powerful cultural meme that says that governments stifle progress and growth and businesses free it – neither are true.
Critical thinkers pose a threat to norms, to the safe and the orthodox. Critical thinkers toss the moneylenders out of the temple. Their very essence is to challenge atrophied practices and outdated assumptions.
For critical thinking to thrive, it must operate in an atmosphere of trust. Power politics, organizational and personal, shut down free thinking and the honest exchange of ideas – and are the enemy of critical thought.
The Essence of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is essentially the ability to think about thinking.
Most people don't think about their thinking, and it's not a skill many of us have acquired. In a results-driven culture, thinking about thinking feels passive. But developing the skills of a critical thinker is anything but passive. In its purest form, it requires the present and active involvement and engagement of the thinker in every experience.
In defining critical thinking many people get negatively hooked by the word – critical. The critical in the context of critical thinking doesn't mean disapproval or judgment. In fact, the skilled critical thinker needs to be able to think with great clarity and neutrality.
The critical thinker is not without opinion, but is able to view experience from multiple perspectives.
Sharpening the Skills of Critical Thinking
The classic core elements of critical thinking include: observation, interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation, explanation, and meta-cognition. How we understand and define these tools is important to the development of critical thinking.
- Observation – I think of this as the constant development and refinement of our ability to not only be self-aware but to cultivate the neutral (non-judgmental) "witnessing" of our own experience of self and others. This is the core skill we use to build critical thought.
- Challenging Beliefs and Norms – Norms form around comfort. While comfort may feel good, it can also be a refuge from change. Unexamined beliefs form major blind spots to critical thinking. We cannot discern the evidence we need to substantiate certain claims and assertions, if non-factual beliefs dominate our thinking.
- Ask Deep and Engaging Questions – Questions are surely the crux of critical thinking, but learning to ask deeper and more engaging questions is the key. Most of us have been conditioned by rote learning and memorization and our questioning skills have been weakened in the process. We also want to cut to the chase to get things done – this being the enemy of the thoughtful exploration of questioning and thinking together.
- Brain Integration – One major cultural assumption that limits critical thinking is the idea that emotions are the enemy of reason. Rationality (the thinking we associate with the neo-cortical functions of our brain) is nearly always considered the Supreme ruler of critical thinking. Truth is we need a greater ability to integrate and balance both our so-called thinking brain and our feeling brain to maximize understanding and heighten experience. Familiarity with information from our feeling brain invites intuitive and sensual experience into the equation.
- Collaborative Thinking – Critical thinking is social thinking. Practices in all areas of culture, but especially in the workplace, continue to foster authoritarian, left-brain, hierarchical thinking processes. Collaborative thinking requires exceptional listening abilities and the willingness to let go of control in over-asserting our own positions.
- Information and Learning – The critical thinker understands that learning is a continuous process and is actively seeking and open to new ideas and experiences. The critical thinker seeks out information not as a means to an end but to understand more about other people, their experiences and the larger world. Effective critical thinking requires us to understand the biases that keep our thinking narrow and limited.
- Becoming Literate in the Emotions that Support Critical Thought – All emotions are of value to the critical thinker, but some are particularly important to engage, promote and sustain critical thought. Courage, confidence, enthusiasm, excitement, fascination, passion, optimism, satisfaction, wonder, appreciation, empathy, compassion, acceptance, calm and curiosity – the great driver of critical thought.
- MetaCognition – A very spiffy term to describe the critical thinker's automatic awareness of their own knowledge and their ability to understand and control their own cognitive process. So – learning more about how we learn serves the critical thinker in their continuous path of growth.
Our need for critical thinking is greater today than ever before. We need to find a way to step outside of isolated and polarized thinking. We must learn to question the assumptions, information and behaviors that have led us to where we are now.
Most of us would agree that tepid reforms won't change our workplaces or our culture. Critical thinkers challenge the safe, the comfortable and the inevitable. They are always going for ideas that have greater impact and depth. They make connections between things that appear on the surface as unrelated. They seek out possibilities even when problems seem insurmountable.
If we want to truly unleash the power of critical thinking, we'll have to overcome the barriers of fear and passivity; entrenched and informal power arrangements; bias and conformity and the willingness to tolerate uncertainty.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment, subscribe, share, like and tweet this article. It's appreciated.
Louise Altman, Partner, Intentional Communication Consultants
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Photo: The Thinker Mats Eriksson
Companion Articles: Getting Past Our Blind Spots; The Only Teacher is Self-Awareness
Gurmeet permalinkOctober 30, 2014 7:35 am
Hi Louise,
Two quick points:
1. How do one define critical. Critical is based on what?
2. You say "question the answers", how about "question the question"?
Isn't it that, "before you seek an answer, learn to question your question"
October 30, 2014 5:32 pm
Hello Gurmeet,
By critical I am using the terms classically used to describe "Critical thinking…the awakening of the intellect to the study of itself."
I say Question the Answers because as I responded to Samantha, I believe the formation of our thinking comes in the form of thoughts, beliefs that are provided to us as "truths" or answers to our natural, open, inquisitive minds as children. We should, of course, also learn to question the questions – the assumptions that form the basis of the beliefs we are taught.
Thanks for the comment – and the questions.
October 30, 2014 12:17 pm
Excellent post Louise, as usual! : )
I can't remember if I already shared this post with you or not, so please forgive me if it's a repeat. One of my earlier posts I wrote for Tweet Connection is called The Courage to Think. Compared to what you have outlined above, it's very basic in nature and only skims the surface of what you have so eloquently elaborated on here.
Definitely same wavelength though.
Thanks so much for sharing.
October 30, 2014 5:28 pm
Thanks for that Samantha. It's actually one of the pieces I didn't include – critical thinking takes courage. When we challenge the status quo in our thinking (and that takes many forms)
we often stand alone – which goes against our natural human tendency to want to belong. I called this piece Question the Answers because I believe that first step in breaking out of herd
thinking is to as you say question what we are blindly taught.
For me, this kind of thinking is in desperately short supply these days.
Thanks as always!


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Oilers Endure February
Since the space between your Edmonton Oilers and also the Traditional western Meeting playoff reduce collection is constantly on the reduce in size, you will find those people who are beginning to be worried about exactly what the actual instant long term may maintain for his or her favorite handbags membership. There isn't any query Todd McLellan's team is a type of inconsistency because the NHL All-Star split however the 30 days associated with Feb had been regarding success and also to their own credit score, this particular group has been doing that.
Actually, in spite of dropping a set of one-goal video games towards the Nashville Potential predators as well as Wa Capitals during the period of the final 3 times, Edmonton is really a earn from shutting away the actual 30 days having a. 500 report. Along with 9 of the 12 video games on the highway and also the feared category broad five-day split arriving simply 4 times following the yearly All-Star Online game hiatus, Feb experienced possible catastrophe created throughout this.
Fortunately on their behalf, Pekka Rinne Jersey that isn't exactly how points possess performed away and also the Oilers tend to be going to end up being compensated for his or her determination. Edmonton's present six-game journey can come in order to near upon Tuesday's night once they undertake the recharged Street. Louis Blues aspect. In the future, this particular team may have eighteen video games remaining on the routine as well as precisely 5 of these is going to be performed beyond Rogers Location in support of 2 within the 30 days associated with 03.
Off-shore Competition Warming up
In no way is actually which in order to recommend the actual Oilers only will luxury cruise to the playoffs like a best 3 seedling within the Off-shore Department, because both Anaheim Other poultry as well as Calgary Fire possess performed comparable agendas. Around this second, Edmonton has performed thirty-five of the 41 street video games as the additional 2 sit down from thirty four. The likelihood of anybody getting the actual San Jose Sharks appears remote control however the competition with regard to 2nd as well as 3rd has converted into the three-team competition.
Using the Fire presently actively playing a number of their finest handbags from the period, James Neal Jersey they've climbed in order to inside 4 factors from the Other poultry as well as Oilers. Quite simply, be ready for the dogfight through right here upon away. Web hosting the first-round sequence is actually some thing this particular team sooo want to perform however the objective proceeding to the 12 months hasn't changed…get towards the playoffs. A fast consider the rankings informs all of us Edmonton is actually 10 factors free from the actual ninth-placed La Nobleman as well as within excellent form.
In this way, almost anything went based on strategy this year. These people required complete benefit of the pillow-soft routine within Oct (7-2-1) as well as bounced back again from the tough The fall of (5-8-2) along with strong showings within each Dec (7-2-5) as well as The month of january (9-4-1). It doesn't matter how points perform away within Street. Louis, the very first 5 several weeks associated with 2016-17 couldn't possess eliminated far better. Calle Jarnkrok Jersey From the group perspective, the actual single black-eye may be their own overall performance whenever short-handed.
Oilers Have experienced Small Fail
That which was as soon as the top-three fee destroy 15 video games to the period, many thanks within big component towards the perform of 1 Camera Talbot, has become the actual twentieth rated device as well as shedding from a good worrying price. Following viewing the actual Potential predators flashlight the actual Oilers with regard to 3 power-play guns within yesterday's 5-4 reduction, 1 would need to believe this particular will be the ideal period with regard to trainer McLellan to return towards the sketching panel. Beyond which, presently there isn't a lot in order to grumble regarding.
They've damaged the actual top-ten within energy perform effectiveness (21. 2%) as well as objectives towards typical (2. Ryan Ellis Jersey 57). In spite of deficiencies in constant rating through the selection, Edmonton is actually banging about the doorway to do exactly the same whenever involves objectives for each online game (2. 81). And in addition, the actual Oilers have experienced their own objective differential proceed through -42 within 2015-16 in order to +15 via 63 video games. The actual amounts as well as outcomes talk with regard to on their own as well as ultimately that's everything issues.
Using the most difficult a part of their own routine right now within the back look at reflection, the actual Edmonton Oilers manage their own future through right here upon away. The way the the following month . 5 originates is actually as much as all of them however that could haven't already been possible without having surveying the final a month. Craig Smith Jersey It might not really will always be fairly to view however at this time it's regarding development, understanding how to endure and also to battle a later date.


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In the wide world of comics there's always a need for talented people — and not just for creating the comics. The books you read every day are supported by an immense infrastructure of editors, publishers, designers, distributors and retailers that make American comics what it is today. And despite the frail economy, the comics industry is looking for employees.
We've compiled a list of all the openings in the comics industry for non-creative office positions and put it all into one place. It's a good resource if you're looking to work in comics, and also for armchair speculators seeing what companies are looking to do by seeing what positions they're hiring for. If you don't see something you like here, keep in mind that many companies hire interns. Check with each company's website for details and the application process. We accumulated these by looking on publisher websites and job boards — if you know of a job not listed here, let us know!
Marvel Entertainment
- Contracts & Credits Administrator/Paralegal (Manhattan Beach, CA)
- Mid-Level Marketing Partnerships Positon (Manhattan Beach, CA)
- Desktop Analyst (Manhattan Beach, CA)
- Linux & SAN System Administrator (Manhattan Beach, CA)
- Network System Administrator (Manhattan Beach, CA)
- Web Application Developer (New York City, NY)
- Senior Web Application Developer (New York City, NY)
- Semi-Senior Accountant (New York City, NY)
DC Entertainment
- Librarian (New York City, NY)
- Production Designer (Burbank, CA)
- Content Editor (Burbank, CA)
- Executive Assistant II (Burbank, CA)
Note: DC's job site doesn't allow direct links. Go to http://www.timewarner.com/ and do a search for Careers, then DC Comics
- Junior Designer (Seattle, WA)
Viz Media
- Animation Licensing Coordinator (San Francisco, CA)
- Project Manager (contract position - no benefits) (San Francisco, CA)
- Product Designer (Boulder, CO)
- Super Marketer (San Francisco, CA)


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Deja Vue - Bavaria Cruiser 46
Re-commissioned following a lengthy refit in 2016, Deja Vue is ideal for families with children or for larger groups wishing to cruise further afield. A very capable and comfortable cruising yacht, she is easily handled under power and is an absolute joy to sail.
She is perfectly suited for exploring the West Coast of Scotland, which has been her playground during the summer of 2016 with her owners' family of 2 adults and 3 children - all under the age of 10 years.
She has had great feedback from her 2016 and 2017 charterers!
Note: Deja Vue is a sister ship to Calico Moon, our other Bavaria 46 Cruiser. With two of these beautiful yachts, we can now offer the option to charter them as a pair, which is ideal for larger and/or corporate charter parties.
The Bavaria 46 Cruiser's well-designed layout lends itself to convivial evenings in the saloon or in the large cockpit if the weather permits. Below decks life is centred around the large dining table, where a chart of the 'West Coast' allows adventures to be planned and stories swapped. For children, or for others, who require alternative entertainment there is an unobtrusive TV screen where DVD's or satellite TV can be viewed, and a full music system.
Deja Vue has a well-equipped & spacious galley with 2 fridges, a filtered and purified cold water supply, gas cooker and ample storage space adjacent to the saloon for both liquid and solid stores.
Accommodation wise, she has four generously sized sleeping cabins - 2 large double cabins aft, an even larger double cabin forward and a decently-sized twin bunk cabin to port. Four of these berths convert to sea-going bunks should the need arise, and for occasional use the starboard saloon seat coverts to a sea-going single berth. Webasto ducted warm air heating means she is cosy any time of the year at the flick of a switch. All this is complimented by two generously sized heads/shower compartments and a good sized chart table.
Deja Vue carries all required navigational aids, plus more. There are, twin chart plotters and DSC VHF radio controls, at both helm and chart table, wind or heading activated autopilot, radar and AIS - both with target tracking.
Above decks, she has full teak decking, electric windlass with deck controls, bow thruster, furling headsail and furling mainsail, with all sail controls led aft to her large secure cockpit. She also boasts powered genoa winches, although in certain cases these are best disabled. Her cockpit is well protected with a generously sized sprayhood and includes cockpit jackstays to enhance safety aboard. Her 55HP engine drives her hull easily through the water via the feathering propeller, which helps enhance her sailing performance.
Recent charterer feedback:
We all had a fantastic weekend, the weather could not have been better, good winds, fairly flat sea state, blue sky and plenty of sun. Who would have believed it was nearly November! All in all, a great weekend on very comfortable well found boat which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Melvyn Lowe - October 2018
"Thanks for the charter - Deja Vue is a fantastic boat. We had her up at 9 knots in all sorts of weather -a fantastic few days. We'll be in touch again" Alan Brooke, September 2017.
"Deja Vue is a splendid boat: she handles well and her accommodation is very comfortable." Colin Hinton and friends, June 2017.
"Hi Wilson, hope you have had a great trip back.... I just wanted to say thank you again for making this great trip possible at rather short notice: We thoroughly enjoyed sailing Deja Vue from Largs to Dunstaffnage, she is a great boat in perfect condition – and more than that, she is really well equipped in terms of details like jackstays, sufficient lines and fenders, an efficient set of electronics, a well-marked anchor-chain etc…. – Likewise, the service has been great, we felt very welcome, and the handover was professional and smooth. We hope to return soon for another charter!" Holger Emmel and friends enjoyed their week's cruise on Deja Vue in April 2017.
"Deja Vue is a great home from home, and comfortably sleeps 8 in her four cabins. She sails well in a reasonable wind, and we often achieved 8.5 knots with ease, compared to 7 under motor. The bowthruster is a helpful assistant - in the Scottish Islands Peaks Race you have to pick up your runners from the dinghy without using the engine, and the bowthruster kept her head-to-wind for me. In our week, we visited Rathlin Island the first evening, then Loch Tarbet on Jura, through the Corryvrekan to Oban, then Salen on Mull, Craighouse on Jura, Rathlin once again, Arran, Troon, and back to Largs. We plan to use her again." Patrick Erdal and team chartered her in May 2017.
"...what I will remind from DEJA VUE is that it is a great fast going yacht to sail, with everything working perfectly!" Our French client Eric van Kalmthout and his young family returned to charter Deja Vue in July 2016, having chartered one of our smaller yachts the previous year.
"Déjà Vue sailed particularly well, especially to windward. The facilities on board were presented in high order, the stove worked particularly well and we found the galley equipment catered for the eight of us on board comprehensively. Impressive yacht and would look to charter her again next year subject to availability / crew numbers …etc." Rico Cornwell and friends are also repeat Sailaway customers, who thoroughly enjoyed their week on Deja Vue in August 2016.
|Boat Specifications:
Length: 14.2m
Beam: 4.35m
Draught: 1.9m
Engine: Volvo 55hp
Mainsail reefing: Selden in-mast furling
Genoa reefing: Selden roller reefing
Autopilot: Yes
Radar: Yes
Bowthruster: Yes
Cockpit chartplotter: Yes
Windlass: Yes, electric
Sleeping cabins: Four
Overnight berths: Nine
Suggested ideal overnight: Eight
Heads/showers: Two
Fridge: Yes, plus coolbox
Central heating: Yes
Year of build: 2006


text:
from Hemp: Lifeline to the Future, by Chris Conrad, 1994, pp. 192-193, part of Chapter 16, "A World of Cannabis Cultures." Creative Xpressions Publications, Los Angeles, ISBN 0-9639754-1-2, $12.95 from FS Book Company, Sacramento, 1-800-635-8883 credit cards, 916-771-4203 customer service.
American High Society
The extent of cannabis smoking during the Colonial era is still subject to debate. President George Washington wrote a letter that contained an oblique reference to what may have been hashish. "The artificial preparation of hemp, from Silesia, is really a curiosity." 38 Washington made specific written references to Indian hemp, or cannabis indica, and hoped to "have disseminated the seed to others. " 39 His August 7, 1765 diary entry, "began to separate the male from the female (hemp) plants," describes a harvesting technique favored to enhance the potency of smoking cannabis, among other reasons. 40 Hemp farmer Thomas Jefferson and paper maker Ben Franklin were ambassadors to France during the initial surge of the hashish vogue. Their celebrity status and progressive revolutionary image afforded them ample opportunities to try new experiences. Jefferson smuggled Chinese hemp seeds to America and is credited with the phrase in the Declaration of Independence, "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Did the Founding Fathers of the United States of America smoke cannabis? Some researchers think so. Dr. Burke, president of the American Historical Reference Society and a consultant for the Smithsonian Institute, counted seven early presidents as cannabis smokers: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor and Franklin Pierce. 41 "Early letters from our founding fathers refer to the pleasures of hemp smoking," said Burke. Pierce, Taylor and Jackson, all military men, smoked it with their troops. Cannabis was twice as popular among American soldiers in the Mexican War as in Vietnam: Pierce wrote to his family that it was "about the only good thing" about that war.
Central and Western African natives were farming and harvesting cannabis sativa in North America as slaves. If they did smoke on the plantations, that would be kept secret. 42 By the time of the Louisiana purchase in 1803, New Orleans had a mixed Spanish, French, Creole, Cajun, Mexican and Black population. The city teemed with adventurers and sailors, wise to the ways of cannabis. It was mixed with tobacco or smoked alone, used to season food 43, to treat insomnia and impotence, and so on.
Cannabis was mentioned as a medicinal agent in a formal American medical text as early as 1843. 44
38 A region now shared by Germany & Poland. Letter to Dr. James Anderson, May 26, 1794. in Writings of George Washington. Washington DC. vol. 33. p. 384.
39 Ibid. vol. 35. p. 72
40 Such as creating more space for females to flower for seed production, or to take advantage of the male fiber before it overmatures in the field.
41 Burke asserted that Washington & Jefferson were said to exchange smoking blends as personal gifts. Washington reportedly preferred a pipe full of "the leaves of hemp" to alcohol, & wrote in his diaries that he enjoyed the fragrance of hemp flowers. Madison once remarked that hemp gave him insight to create a new & democratic nation. Monroe, creator of the Monroe Doctrine, began smoking it as Ambassador to France & continued to the age of 73. Burke. "Pot & Presidents." in Green Egg. CA. June 21, 1975
42 "That might explain some cultural differences." Aldrich, Michael, Ph.D. 'On use of marijuana by slaves in colonial times.' in Best of High Times. vol. 10. 1991. p. 61
43 Hakluyt, Divers voyages touching the discoverie of America. London 1582
44 Pereira, J. Elements of Materia Medica & Therapeutics. Lea & Blanchard. Philadelphia PA. 1843


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Home > I'm being hard on myself > Cross purposes, I speak at
Cross purposes, I speak at
September 17, 2009 Leave a comment Go to comments
Look at my thoughts on ambition, then read my clarification, then tell me I've not got a problem with internal consistency.
Does anybody know what I mean? Do I?
Are you allowed ambitions as long as they don't involve Banking, Finance or Government?
What if your Banking Ambition is to destroy all Banking?
Mind you, that's unoriginal to say the least. Judging by the results, an awful lot of people in the world of money had that very ambition, and by gods didn't they nearly manage it? Bloody good show! Better luck next time!
Categories: I'm being hard on myself rhetorical


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Last week, I went on a rant during my "Darling Nelly Gray" entry about the dearth of unissued Armstrong being released on CD. While it is true that some prime Armstrong material isn't being issued on CD or is nearly impossible to find, I really should have taken the time to applaud Storyville for the wonderful job they've done with the four volume Louis Armstrong In Scandinavia series. After a bit of a delay due to a change in ownership, Storyville finally released the fourth and final volume. Even better is the new four-disc box set of the entire series, retailing for only $40. Because August 4 would have been Armstrong's 106th birthday, why not put aside the Hot Fives and Hot Sevens and "What a Wonderful World" and dig into this set? The great price of $40 should do it, but if it doesn't, here's 40 more reasons:
1. The soundtrack to the 1933 Danish film appearance – I've seen this footage hundreds of times but listening to it in such clear sound is a revelation (listen to the drummer's cymbals on "Dinah").
2. Speaking of those tracks, "I Cover the Waterfront" must be one of the greatest jazz vocals of all time
3. History, folks! Three live tracks from a Stockholm concert in 1933, constituting probably the first live concert recordings ever.
4. Of those live rarities, I love "Chinatown." Armstrong takes the same path he took on the studio recording, but he takes a little more time, making that climb to the climax a tension-filled ride (one that'll end with you shaking your head as Pops blows progressively higher and higher with each passing stop)
5. A wonderful solo on "On the Sunny Side of the Street" from the live 1933 concert, one year BEFORE he recorded it in the studio. There's subtle changes but the solo is just about the same as the later record, further proof that Armstrong worked out his solos even as a young man…and if they're this good, why the hell not?
6. A live, 1949 version of the always fun "Twelfth Street Rag," a tune Armstrong hadn't taken serious since his 1927 deconstruction of it with the Hot Seven. Yes, there's some clowning but Pops's horn is scorching (listen to the opening phrase!)
7. The almost complete Stockholm concert from 1952, featuring a rare appearance by a short-lived All Star, Bob McCracken
8. "Indiana" in 1952 – most people scoff at this, saying Armstrong played the same solo every time…well, listen to this one! Armstrong had been playing it for almost two years at this point and it's almost completely different from that one that would indeed gel into something of a set solo around 1956.
9. Armstrong the Quoter – He pioneered this and was later criticized for it (though boppers like Bird and Dex were lauded for it). I have about a dozen versions of Armstrong doing "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans," but only on this one does he quote, "That's My Home." Fitting, eh?
10. Trummy Young joined the band only a month earlier and he stirs up a JATP atmosphere on "Coquette." Armstrong's hot as hell on this one, too.
11. Louis and Velma bomb! I LOVE Velma and she does a great job but it is funny to here some of her and Armstrong's vaudeville patter bomb on the foreign audience. Armstrong mentions a former wife from Maine. "Bangor?" Velma asks. "I didn't even…." Armstrong responds, breaking into mumbles and laughs. The audience is silent but it's a good-natured gag. Besides….
12. Even if you don't care for Velma, listen to the Armstrong horn on "Lover come Back" and "Can Anyone Explain," the latter a rare live reading of a song Armstrong originally recorded with Ella Fitzgerald.
13. Moving on to Volume 2 which opens with a very hot "New Orleans Function." Jack Teagarden is my favorite trombonist of all time but I like Trummy better in the All Stars. Just listen to the spark he lights in the rideout chorus of this one (Cozy Cole, too, give Pops his favorite backbeat).
14. Perhaps the highlight of the four volumes: a sumptuous ballad reading of "Pennies From Heaven" that matches and maybe even tops the more celebrated version from the 1947 Town Hall concert. It's a pity Pops didn't play this one more often.
15. "Muskrat Ramble." That's all that has to be said. Whenever Armstrong called this one it meant that he was feeling in particularly fine shape (dedicating it to "all the musicians in the house") and he always turned in a sparkling performance of it during the All Stars period.
16. Trummy inherited Teagarden's feature on "Basin Street Blues" and he would continue to feature it until The Glenn Miller Story was released, at which point it became Armstrong's property again. Nevertheless, this version is notable for Trummy's solo where he quotes Armstrong's entire, classic 1933 solo from the original Victor recording. Young always said he used to copy Armstrong trumpet solos off records and during this concert, he demonstrated that they still stuck with him.
17. An absolutely terrific version of "On the Sunny Side of the Street," done as a slow ballad. Marty Napoleon's comping pleases Pops, there's a nifty double-time bridge in the vocal and a heroic trumpet solo where Armstrong repetition of two notes at the end causes chills. One month later, the All Stars played it in Italy as an uptempo jump number. The point? Don't take the All Stars for granted as they could always approach a number differently on a performance-to-performance basis.
18. 11 numbers featuring the classic Armstrong-Trummy Young-Edmond Hall front line in all their glory. Hall had just joined the band at the end of September (just in time for "Mack the Knife") and this concert comes from early October. It's amazing how well he fit in, the best clarinetist in the history of the All Stars.
19. Armstrong loved "The Gypsy" and played it constantly from 1954 to 1956. This 1955 version is one of the best as the concluding solo features some different ideas (including a perfect downward phrase that unfurls in slow motion to its logical conclusion).
20. "Pretty Little Missy" from 1955 is a romping performance. Based off of a figure Billy Kyle used to play on "Perdido" (both tunes share the same chord changes), Armstrong and Kyle wrote this contrafact that Armstrong would continue to perform on-and-off until the very end. In fact, the last trumpet solo he would ever take in a studio was a 1969 version of "Pretty Little Missy."
21. "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" always cooked but this one especially burns thanks to the presence of Edmond Hall and the drumming of Barrett Deems. Deems is a little overmiked but it's not a problem as it allows the listener to really feel the power of a drummer Armstrong obviously loved having in his band (even if the critics scoffed).
22. Other highlights of the 1955 show: a tremendously exciting "Saints Go Marching In" and a burning "St. Louis Blues." This piece had been the property of All Stars pianists since 1948 but Armstrong reclaimed it after recording it for the 1954 album of W.C. Handy tunes. On the record, Armstrong played it around 132 beats a minute but in Sweden, it jumped up to about 160, creating a pretty thrilling atmosphere (especially with Deems getting heated during the rideout choruses). However, even Armstrong must have realized this performance was a little to fast as it was back to the old medium-rocking groove at a Barcelona performance just two months later. Still, this Sweden one has to go down as one of the most exciting versions of "St. Louis Blues" Armstrong ever recorded!
23. "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" disappeared for a while around 1954 and really wouldn't permanently come back until the early-60s, so it's nice to get this 1955 souvenir from it by the Hall and Young edition.
24. Okay, moving onto 1959. The reliable Mort Herbert is now on bass and Danny Barcelona, almost completely unknown at the time, was onboard to provide the kind of drumming Pops craved (he would last for 13 years). Peanuts Hucko is now on clarinet and listening to these performances makes me really miss Edmond Hall, especially in the ensembles, where Hucko sounds bored some of the time. However, 1959 was a prime year for Armstrong and the Scandinvia series captures some of his best blowing. Such as….
25. "I Get Ideas" is wonderful. It, too, disappeared from the All Stars book throughout the mid-fifties, returning during a late 1957 tour of Buenos Aires, where Armstrong announced it by its original tango name, "Adios Muchachos." Armstrong's the whole show here, with the lovely vocal and explosive trumpet interlude. I wish he played it more often but at least we have this version to enjoy.
26. Armstrong didn't always call the medley of "Tenderly" and "You'll Never Walk Alone," but when he did, audiences listened. He plays nothing but lead melody on these two songs and it's enough to bring tears to your eyes.
27. "Old Man River" is a real treat and more proof that Armstrong didn't even rest when featuring his sidemen. This was a feature for Mort Herbert's bass but right in the middle of the performance, up to the mic steps Pops to give a lesson in how to sing and swing the venerable showtune at an uptempo clip. And for good measure, he even goes up high to play the melody on the trumpet later on. No, no, no, Pops never coasted.
28. In that same vein is Hucko's Goodman-esque feature on "After You've Gone" where Armstrong completely overshadows the clarinetist, even during the encore choruses, where he quotes the old Hot Five "Lonesome Blues" and glisses up to a high Bb he holds long into Hucko's next chorus. Smoking!
29. Like "Muskrat Ramble," "Ole Miss" was the other tune Armstrong would dedicate to all the musicians in the house. It's interesting to compare it to the version 1952 (volume 1 of the Scandinavia series) as Armstrong no longer soloed on it in 1959. However, his lead was strong as hell and during a rare encore of this piece, he bends a gliss that lasts about five seconds, a pretty impressive feat for any trumpet player, never mind one that was pushing 60 at this period in his life.
30. The fourth volume opens up with the third version of "Basin Street Blues" heard in this series and it's completely different. In 1952, it stayed in a slow groove. In 1955, it began medium-up and turned into a fast romp. And now, in 1959, it starts off in the old, slow-groove and ends up medium-up. Confused? Don't be, just take it as further proof that even if a song stayed in Armstrong's live repertoire for years, it didn't mean he always approached it the same way.
31. "TIGER RAG"!!!! I could write a master's thesis on this performance alone. I have well over 20 Armstrong versions of "Tiger Rag" in my collection but none tops this one. It's as if he woke up in January 1959 and thought it was 1932 again. Usually, the band would play it, complete it and maybe Pops would call one more encore. Not this time—he calls FOUR! And each time, he improvises something fresh and exciting, shooting out ridiculously high notes with abandon. It's a jaw-dropping performance and if you don't feel like buying this box set (which means your brain isn't functioning properly), at least buy this 9 ½ minute version of "Tiger Rag" for 99 cents on Itunes.
32. Armstrong always liked to oblige requests and does so in volume four with a medley of "Black and Blue" and "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans." It's a great medley but most interesting is how Armstrong changed the lyrics in "Black and Blue" from "I'm white/ inside" to "I'm right/ inside." He was singing "I'm white" in 1956 but (and this is just a hunch), the Little Rock incident occurred in 1957 and soon after, Armstrong began singing about being "right" instead of "white" inside. Do you see a connection? I think it's very possible.
33. Another great opening "Ko Ko Mo" solo. Many people fluff this one off as just one of Velma's silly features but Armstrong almost always improvised in his opening trumpet solo (done over a vamp). In this one he quotes "When You and I Were Young, Maggie," among others.
34. Speaking of Velma, volume four has Armstrong and Velma singing "Struttin' With Some Barbecue," obviously running through what they were doing in the Denmark film, Kaerlighedens Melodi (the soundtrack was recorded the day after this concert). It's a short performance but it's fun.
35. Volume four concludes with a handful of tracks from July 1967. Armstrong was just getting back on his feet after a long battle with pneumonia and though the All Stars sound as fine as ever (with Tyree Glenn, Danny Barcelona, Marty Napoleon, Buddy Catlett and brand new member, Joe Muranyi), Pops sounds weakened. On "Back O'Town Blues" he can't hit the high notes he once hit as part of his set solo, a solo he was still wailing less than two years earlier. Still, he manages to play a real down home, bluesy solo, even without the high notes, maintaining his dignity to the end.
36. This 1967 concert also has an extended version of "Cabaret." On this European tour, Armstrong decided to jump the tune a bit and stretch out. This Copenhagen concert was from July 25 and other versions of "Cabaret" exist from Armstrong's two days at Juan-Les-Pins, France on July 26 and 27. It's interesting to hear all three back to back as Armstrong plays less and less with each day but what he plays sounds stronger each time. He was sadly beginning to confront his own limitations as this was the same sad tour when his once virile set solos on "Indiana" and "Muskrat Ramble" were scrapped in favor of just playing the opening and closing ensembles. The range might have decreased and the chops might have diminished but damn, that tone still shines through.
37. On this European tour, Armstrong also began singing "You'll Never Walk Alone," introducing it as "a message for ya." Marty Napoleon's introduction is basically a quick reading of the melody of "Tenderly," a nod back to the wonderful medley of the 50s, heard so well on volume three. Well, maybe he couldn't sustain "You'll Never Walk Alone" with the trumpet anymore but he still had his voice and his vocal manages to imbue the piece with the same emotion and feeling of his horn. Some people cringe at the song because of its Jerry Lewis connotations, but Armstrong really sang the shit out of it. His 1967 studio record of it should be much better known, especially seeing how "What a Wonderful World" has become so omnipresent these days (and don't forget, Armstrong would begin dedicating "You'll Never Walk Alone" to all the Vietnam soldiers and their families…Iraq anyone?)
38. To get away from the music for a minute, reason number 38 has to call attention to the wonderful liner notes written by international Armstrong scholar Gosta Hagglof, the man behind the essential Swedish Ambassador series that reissued Armstrong's Decca big band recordings properly (still waiting for such treatment in America).
39. And while I'm on the notes, the pictures in all four volumes are priceless. Itunes is a beautiful thing but you won't get the wonderful images unless you order the actual CDs.
40. And finally, reason 40 for spending $40 and ordering the Louis Armstrong In Scandinavia box set from Storyville Records – IT'S LOUIS ARMSTRONG MUSIC! And really, what more do you need to know than that? But on top of that, it's rare Armstrong music and it provides an amazingly comprehensive look at Armstrong's career, particularly the All Stars period. There are few doubles and which ones there are exist in different interpretations (including the aforementioned "Sunny Side of the Street" from 1933 and 1952, different "Indianas" and "Basin Street Blues" from 1952, 55 and 59). There's a bunch of versions of "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" but I'm not complaining! But for those who complain about the limits of the All Stars repertoire, look at what's NOT here: "Jeepers Creepers," "C'est Si Bon," "La Vie En Rose," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "Someday You'll Be Sorry," "West End Blue," "Rockin' Chair," "When You're Smiling," "Lazy River," "Blueberry Hill," "Hello, Dolly" and so many others. If you think you know everything about the All Stars period, check this set out. And if you just plain love Louis Armstrong and want some fresh material, look no further.
So kudos to Mona Granger and Anders Stefansen for keeping up the legacy of Storyville founder Karl Emil Knudsen with a release that surely would have made him proud. And if anyone else needs 40 more reasons to purchase this set, just drop me a line at firstname.lastname@example.com or leave me a comment here and I'm sure I can come up with a couple of hundred more. Happy Birthday, Pops!
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Celebrate Armstrong's Birthday with the Louis Armstrong In Scandinavia Box Set!!!
Posted by Ricky Riccardi at 8/04/2007 07:01:00 PM
1 comment:
Hi....I'm 14 years old, and I love Louis Armstrong...I even named my trumpet after one of his songs...(Cabbie, short for Cabaret)I was just wondering if anybody knew how to play the trumpet solo in that song...I've been trying to figure it out by ear, but can't seem to get it all right...if anybody knows how, please PLEASE PLEASE post it on this website....I would be SO HAPPY!
- July 14, 2008 at 9:50 PM
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Hi everyone!
There isn't a story for you today, I'm sorry to say!
But I have big news. Very BIG news...
I've gone viral!!!!!
You can now find me on Google! Isn't that exciting! E said to me that I've been viral for about a week now. Why didn't she tell me?
Oh, I'm so woofly happy!
I was just checking where all of my views have been coming from, and I really have gone worldwide!
I've had...
417 views in the UK!
59 views in the USA!
19 views in Germany!
18 views in Malaysia!
8 views in Canada!
4 views in Australia!
3 views in Denmark!
1 view in Jersey!
Woah... And they just keep on coming... Here is my dazed face because I've had so many views.
Actually I think I look sleepy.
Here's a happy face instead! Woof!
I send lots of woofs to everyone in the UK, USA, Germany, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Jersey, who have visited my blog!
You know my friend Elvis? He has a prezi slideshow like me. If you would like to see it, comment and ask me!
Thanks for visiting my blog!
Please comment and subscribe and do the poll!
Pippa :) wuf wuf
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
I've gone viral!
2 comments:
Congratulations! We're always finding views from other countries, where we don't know any dogs. Feels good, doesn't it?ReplyDelete
XXXOOO Daisy, bella & Roxy
Hi Pippa,ReplyDelete
My name is Oskar & I have a blog that I'd love for you to check out, www.PetBlogsUnited.com. It's a great place for pet bloggers to find each other and be featured. If you're interested you can e-mail me at PBU at comcast dot net.
Nubbin wiggles,
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Acorn Systems Computers
Top: Computers: Systems: Acorn
See Also:
- Top/Computers/Programming/Disassemblers/ARM
- Top/Computers/Hardware/Components/Processors/ARM
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- Top/Computers/Systems/RISC OS
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- ARM Assembler Programming - Guide to programming in assembler, along with information systems about what systems one needs to get started, examples, systems and opinions.
MySQL - Cache Direct


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This was the first fire truck bought by the town of Mocksville, NC. restored by Keith's Restoration and Rod shop.
Current Projects
Keith's Restoration and Rod Shop » Home » Projects » Parts » Contact Us
3095 US HWY 64 East, Mocksville, NC 27028 » 336-998-5106
Monday-Thursdays 7:30AM-5:00PM
Fridays 7:30AM-12PM
Website Hosting and Website Design by McBryde Website Design
For technical issues e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com


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Recent Posts
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A big day today for the ATP Team as we launch our first in-house website project, http://www.shareagift.com. Shareagift is a website that enables groups of people to come together to pool their money and buy really great gifts for their … Continue reading
An exciting week for us this week at ATP as we finally got Jose's beautiful branding designs up on the office front door, and did our very first ATP filmshoot. With the upcoming launch of Shareagift.com we needed to create … Continue reading
With ATP about to launch our first in-house project and the inclusion of our first 3rd party investment in the portfolio, we've been doing some work over the last couple of weeks on the ATP logo and branding. Our gifted … Continue reading
So we've all been scurrying about in secret over the last 6 months working on ATP's first in-house project, which we're now proud to announce as the world's first fully dedicated group gifting website, Shareagift.com (www.shareagift.com). Shareagift provides a unique … Continue reading
One of our first tasks was to build the ATP website – to present the company and our pioneering business model. The challenge: to communicate ATP's unique role as both venture capital fund and business incubator; offering valuable support and … Continue reading
So we actually started our blog back in September, though a couple of recent technical decisions have meant we've migrated to this new address… So now here we are in May and it seems as though we've come a million … Continue reading


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Editors' note: This article is a supplement for the 2016 Church & Clergy Tax Guide produced by Church Law & Tax. When updates occur before printing the guide near the end of the calendar year, we include such updates in the guide itself. When they come just before 2016 (as they did this year), we publish them on the website for free. Below are the updates meant to supplement the numerous changes already reflected in the 2016 Church & Clergy Tax Guide.
Effect on churches and church staff
In the closing days of 2015, Congress passed a massive spending bill (the "Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016") to fund the federal government through the end of fiscal year 2016, and a tax bill (the "Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015," or "PATH Act") that, among other things, extended several expiring tax provisions. The two bills amount to some 2,500 pages of text. This article addresses those provisions in each Act that pertain to taxes, and have direct relevance to churches and church staff.
Key point. The congressional Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that the tax provisions will cost $622 billion over the next ten years.
Permanent Provisions
The PATH Act makes over 20 tax relief provisions permanent, including the following:
1. Child tax credit
An individual may claim a tax credit of $1,000 for each qualifying child under the age of 17. The aggregate amount of child credits that may be claimed is phased out for individuals with income over certain threshold amounts. Specifically, the child tax credit amount is reduced by $50 for each $1,000 (or fraction thereof) of modified adjusted gross income over $75,000 for single individuals or heads of households, $110,000 for married individuals filing joint returns, and $55,000 for married individuals filing separate returns. Modified AGI includes certain otherwise excludable income.
To the extent the child tax credit exceeds the taxpayer's tax liability, the taxpayer is eligible for a refundable credit (the "additional child tax credit") equal to 15 percent of earned income in excess of a threshold dollar amount. This threshold dollar amount is indexed for inflation. Congress previously set the threshold at $3,000 for taxable years 2009 to 2017.
The PATH Act makes permanent the earned income threshold of $3,000.
2. American opportunity tax credit
The American Opportunity Tax Credit is available for up to $2,500 of the cost of tuition and related expenses paid during the taxable year. Under this tax credit, taxpayers receive a tax credit based on 100 percent of the first $2,000 of tuition and related expenses (including course materials) paid during the taxable year and 25 percent of the next $2,000 of tuition and related expenses paid during the taxable year. Forty percent of the credit is refundable. This tax credit is subject to a phaseout for taxpayers with adjusted gross income in excess of $80,000 ($160,000 for married couples filing jointly).
If you found this article helpful, subscribe to ChurchLawAndTax.com for access to more articles like this one.


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What's the difference between a real estate agent and a real estate broker?
A real estate broker and a real estate agent are medium who intercede and facilitate the purchase and sale of real estate in the form of land, construction, shopping center, market, factory, etc. The real estate sector is considered as a good investment tool. It is also considered a safe haven for investors until the recent past.
Real Estate Agent
A real estate agent is a person or a corporation that sells real estate in the sector in the name or representation of an owner or a builder. They are intelligent professionals who are hired for the commercialization of properties, providing experience and market knowledge, and their trends. It is essential to get the services of skilled, qualified and experienced professionals to execute a real estate operation successfully.
Companies, today, have the tendency to grow more and more. The real estate business is no exception to this fact. Large corporations began to join this business everywhere by eliminating small and individual builders. Nowadays, there have been in the sector, investment companies and large real estate companies subsidiaries of banking entities, which are defining the market, monopolizing most of the operations.
The big corporation has many divisions in their company. They themselves buy the land (or own the bank), develop and build residential and commercial complexes, with the precise financing of the bank. Also they are in charge to commercialize the sufficient portfolio of properties from embargos. In general, they need large numbers of people to manage and execute these processes.
It is an essential factor to get the services of skilled, qualified and experienced professionals. Large corporations have to do many things in order to run their business. They have to negotiate with land owners and enter into a contract with them. They have to get approval from government authorities. They have to manage finances and employees. They must comply with the rules and regulations of the authorities. It is, therefore, difficult for them to manage sales, and do it well as well. Subcontracting this task of commercial property sale is a trend of today's business. Therefore, these entities recruit real estate agents in Jackson TN who deal with sales and marketing instead. Advertising is an important aspect of sales and marketing, so it remains the image of large financial corporation or investment company.
The real estate agent also deal with advertising. Often, these agents organize the finances of the promotions. Sometimes even, they go in a percentage of profit in the sale of real estate wholesale. They usually do so on the basis of the contract. They sell the properties themselves on behalf of the parent company.
They get commission on the sale if they are doing it on behalf of the company without having to invest money. And they make a profit if they participate in the investments by selling with profit.
Real Estate Broker
Usually confused as the same concept. Real estate broker is used from ancient times. In addition, real estate agent is an individual who is medium between buyers and sellers in exchange for a set fee. But nuances that differentiate them, basically, the real estate broker, does not need office especially, and will intercede in favor of the buyer / seller to changed of a commission provided to the operation. The real estate broker, usually, has an office and can provide complementary services in operations that require experience and more specific actions, apart from medium.
The real estate broker have been carrying out their functions as independent agents for a long time. (The concept of real estate agent is relatively new). Property brokers do not work on behalf of real estate promotions.


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Toots Theilemans' well-known waltz recreated as a burning samba. More Information »
Compositions and Arrangements
These charts are available exclusively in the "Charts On Disk" format. Charts on disk cost significantly less than printed charts. When you order a chart on disk, the score and parts come to you as PDF files on a CD. You print them, which is why you save over 30%. If a player loses a part, just slip the CD in your computer and reprint it. No more having to pay to replace lost parts. Need multiple copies of a score for contest? Put the CD in the computer and print away! As long as you use the CD only for the group/program it was purchased for, there is NO violation of copyright. This is the most practical way to purchase music available and the prices make it possible for you to stretch your budget dollars further.
To read detailed descriptions of each chart and, in many cases, hear recorded examples, just click on the title or the "more information" link.
Prelude To A Kiss – FREE ARRANGEMENTCompositions and Arrangements
One of Duke's most well known ballads redone as a samba. More Information »
Yesterdays – FREE ARRANGEMENTCompositions and Arrangements
My favorite Jerome Kern tune done in a ballad setting featuring tenor sax. More Information »
PrayerCompositions and Arrangements
A floating straight 8th Metheny-esque selection featuring flugel, tenor and drums. More Information »
IroquoisCompositions and Arrangements
"Cherokee" meets "Cute" More Information »
Riding The E-TrainCompositions and Arrangements
A medium up tune on minor mode A-Train changes. More Information »
SchizoCompositions and Arrangements
A tune of many "personalities" featuring alto, guitar and drums. More Information »
Blues For GeorgeCompositions and Arrangements
"Gershwin-esque" themes on this blues with a bridge. More Information »
Eldon, John, and the BoysCompositions and Arrangements
The Shuffle ShackCompositions and Arrangements
Junior high level blues shuffle. More Information »


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Last weekend I got round to it and today I had the chance to pick up the upholstery tacks to finish it. It's base is a cork board, so it can be used with thumb tacks, or you can just slide your bits and bobs under the ribbons (which are twill tape in this instance).
Both my boys have versions of these in their rooms and they are fab for keeping hold of all that kiddy paper that just cannot be thrown away, but is ruined in seconds if left within reach. I'll take this to the craft fair and see if any commissions come out of it.


text: Our Farms Hover over a state to see the local farms. Minnesota Ames Farm Alemar Cheese Featherstone Farm Hoch Orchard Homestead Apiaries Hugh Orchards Larry Schultz Lorentz Meats Native Harvest Organic Valley Co-op Pastures A Plenty Poplar Hill Farm Shephard's Way SnoPac Thousand Hills Cattle Uproot Farm Valley View Farms Wisconsin Anderson Maple Syrup Harmony Farms LTD Farms Mt. Sterling North Hendren Riverbend farm Rochdale Farms Westby Farms Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Co-op Iowa Rock Spring Farm - Iowa North Dakota No farms currently. South Dakota No farms currently.


text: On the use of Aramaic expressions in the Greek NT, note that the expressions appear in two types: (1) Aramaic expressions on the lips of Jesus in the Gospels, and (2) what are likely liturgical expressions (the "maranatha" of 1 Cor. 16:22, and the "Abba" of Rom 8:15; Gal. 4:6). That is, the citing of Aramaic expressions functions as part of either repeating important words of the "Master" where the intent is to preserve actual sounds/wording, as part of a reverence for "venerable" tradition (or at least to present such an orientation), or, such expressions function as part of a use/appropriation of sacred liturgical terms, where the intention seems to be to manifest some continuity with the "mother tradition" of Jewish Christianity in the Pauline churches. We could also lump in here Paul's occasional use of Peter's Aramaic name "Cephas" as a related item, which allows Paul to show his familiarity with Peter. "You may know him as Peter, but among Jews such as myself he is Cephas" sort of thing. Larry Hurtado, Religion, Univ. of Manitoba


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At the beginning of 2008 Birmingham Archaeology began a HLF/ IfA Bursary placement in Post Excavation Management which aimed to provide a hands-on training programme in the mechanics of analysing and publishing the results of archaeological investigation. To aid the training programme, post excavation management was split up into the range of tasks a manager may undertake or require during the analysis, publication and eventual deposition of an archaeological archive. The process of splitting up the role itself highlights the complexity of the process, and perhaps also explains why the role of Post Excavation Manager within commercial units is becoming increasingly common. Despite management tools such as MAP2 and MoRPHE, and the apparent development of specialists in Post Excavation Management, the process itself is still fraught with problems and continues to be seen as main source of escalating budgets and over-running end dates.
The PX management bursary placement afforded the opportunity to look at the day-to-day running of post excavation across different organisations, and the idea for the conference session was born out of this exploration into the process. Rather than perpetuating the blame culture which has seemingly developed, the session aimed to provide an opportunity for the views of all archaeologists (specialists, project managers and consultants) to be aired together. Our hope was to get past individual cases in order to reveal those causal and contributing factors inherent to the way things are done and which may, with due care and attention, be avoidable.
The call for papers was well received and the session soon included papers covering training, standards, management techniques and approaches to publication, alongside project specific examples providing a spotlight on the areas outlined above. The discussion that followed the session picked up on most of the points raised throughout the day, and it is probably fair to say that everyone attending felt the day had been interesting and stimulating, if inconclusive.
The session confirmed that problems in post excavation run deep, and cannot be solved by the introduction of process alone. The prevailing impression was that, from every corner of the post excavation experience, there are some common contributing issues which add to the problems in post excavation. A resounding conclusion of the session was that across the profession and within projects, there is a demonstrable need for more open and honest communication during the post excavation process. Added to that, from specialists, managers, planning archaeologists and ultimately through to clients, there is a professional desire for consistency so that all involved in the project are aware of what is expected and what can be achieved at different stages of reporting (e.g. evaluations, post excavation assessment).
Another conclusion of the session was that there is a real demand for training, in terms of both new recruits into the profession and in updating the skills of those already practising. Perhaps more fundamental was the suggestion that one of the major inhibiting factors to successful post excavation was the existence of artificial boundaries within something that is a very organic and human experience. The concept of post excavation management itself could be causal to its problematic success rate: has our vision of the archaeological process becoming too fragmented to make it work?
This blog has been set up to allow further discussion of the problems and issues of post-excavation and to share ideas of ways forward. Please sign up and let us know your thoughts!
Amanda Forster and Rebecca Beardmore
University of Birmingham


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The Flats at 374 in Saint Louis offers a variety of floor plans and amenities that meet a wide range of tastes and needs. This 151,000 sq.ft. building consists of two levels of apartments and two levels of parking directly beneath the apartments.
Amenities include fully furnished rooms, fitness center, multiple laundry rooms, study rooms, theater room, cyber cafe, resident lounge, technology zone, storage areas, outdoor courtyard, and underground parking. The Flats are within walking distance to St. Louis University.
If you'd like to be contacted by one of our industry experts — please contact us to fill out our quick and easy form, and be sure to add any important project-specific information in the message. We'll be in touch shortly.


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One of the most important rights attorneys guard in their legal practice is that of the attorney-client privilege. This is intended to protect the client regarding anything said in consultation either before, during, or after a trial or legal action, and implies that all matters are to be kept 100% confidential. The same privacy offered by phone or office visits should also be assured with electronic communications. Demonstrating your interest in maintaining confidentiality across all channels builds trust between yourself and your clients, and can pay you back many times in repeat business and referrals over the years.
1) A lawyer must keep anything regarding a case confidential and must not reveal any part of the information the client told them in relation to a particular case or legal situation without informed consent.
2) The only exception to part 1 is if the attorney feels there is imminent danger to a person which would cause bodily harm or death to the client or others
3) to prevent crime or fraud against property or persons which would likely result in the financial harm of the client or others
4) In order to secure legal advice regarding the keeping of this ruling.
5) To establish a claim regarding a case the attorney was involved in, when it becomes necessary
6) When complying with a legal court order
7) To avoid or address issues regarding a conflict of interest with a client
Attorneys must keep these exceptions in mind and use them only with careful consideration, and adhere to the Confidentiality Rule with few exceptions. Clients trust you with their inner most secrets and you are pledged to guard this information carefully as though it were your own, except in those rare cases when you are forced to comply with legal requirements of the court or in order to protect yourself or someone else from harm.
Increasing concern exists regarding this rule due to the fact that many legal businesses and attorneys are now online as well as having an office in the "real world." This increases the level of anxiety on the part of both clients and attorneys, due to the recent and ongoing hacking and security breaches which have been in the national media regarding reputable businesses whose security has been compromised, in spite of their best attempts to thwart it.
Lawyers want to make their services available online to clients via the internet, as this allows them more access to help from an attorney and allows them to contact an attorney faster than using traditional methods. The internet also allows for a new potential revenue stream in online consultations.
The problem with this is that, while it gives clients more access to lawyer confidentiality-based help and communications when they need it via the internet, it increases liabilities regarding the client-attorney privilege (Rule ABA 1.6). Therefore, many attorney sites have resorted to allowing only generic information, such as the client's contact information, legal questions of a general nature unrelated to a client's potential legal situation, or other non-revealing facts about a potential case. This is sound practice in that it prevents unestablished attorney-client relationships from developing before an agreement has been made, thus helping to avoid malpractice situations. Once a client-attorney relationship has been established, however, there needs to be a centralized and secure manner of sending and keeping track of electronic communications in a manner that's easy-to-use for the client..
What is needed is a secure messaging solution which guarantees that no one can read their message to their attorney, which increases trust in the attorney. Increasing trust means repeat business for your law firm. You need a system which guarantees the reliability of a secure website or portal, which the client knows will never be compromised by third parties who accidentally get their hands on sensitive information regarding a legal case or problem.
WORDSECURE works by providing a secure encrypted web page which is developed just for attorneys and clients to log into to exchange information, messages, and attachments without the fear of confidentiality issues or security. You do not have to download any special software, or install or configure anything. You simply need an account and a password setup ahead of time to communicate and it works with any web browser and platform!
This is great news for attorneys everywhere and WordSecure allows you to talk to clients in a private environment without the fear of disruptions, security issues, or insecure connections. The technology behind WordSecure provides a sound option for the exchange of information and a way to discuss problems on an "as needs" basis, in an emergency, or even from a mobile device, rather than always having to set up an appointment in the real world and wait until the day of the appointment to meet to discuss the issue with your client.
This whole system is designed to make things not only secure but more efficient, as the process of information gathering, research, and consultation can happen within a much shorter window due to the increased level of communication between the attorney and client and the immediacy of the internet.
All you do to get this secure web portal is to sign up for a WordSecure Monthly Subscription, then accept the End User License Agreement. You will have a secure password to log in each time you need to access the portal. Once you're in, you can just email clients and let them know about the new service you have which guarantees confidentiality, and you're in business. Once you're ready to use the service, you just send them a notification through the secure website, and your client will receive a notification that they have received a secure message. Then they can access it through their email using a password.
These tips may keep you compliant when you think to employ them, but wouldn't it be better to have a system at-the-ready, whenever your clients or you need to send something securely? Consider the number of times people get careless -- perhaps there is a paralegal who works in your office, and they accidentally send the wrong information through email that is confidential and it is compromised by a virus or other technology mishap or security issue. What if your "cloud system" or drive where you keep legal files is hacked into, as so many have been over the past few months. What if your laptop with all your confidential emails gets stolen? What then?
To borrow from the medical professional code of conduct, the best solution is prevention. By putting a system in place which focuses on protecting the confidentiality of sensitive information, you will prevent anything like the above scenario from happening in the first place. Let's face it: People are human. They make mistakes. Someone could send a file somewhere. Someone could accidentally forget to zip a file to encrypt it when sending. The best thing you can do to protect your clients and yourself form such issues is to put a secure messaging system in place now.
WordSecure helps you do this by creating a web portal which operates behind the actual website, which gives you and your clients ultimate security and privacy.
Get started now on this trusted system of communication for attorneys and clients, click here to sign up, get a 15 day free trial and a 25% discount when you subscribe.
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Seattle Mariners
Mariners notebook: Hernandez picked as top AL pitcher by league execs
Whether it's a harbinger of the Cy Young Award won't be known until Nov. 12, but Seattle Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez was picked Wednesday as the American League's top pitcher by league executives.
The Sporting News polled 22 AL general managers and assistant general managers in determining an all-star team — one player at each position, one starting pitcher and one relief pitcher.
Hernandez was the only Mariners' player selected.
The poll of execs picked Houston's Jose Altuve over Robinson Cano at second base, Texas' Adrian Beltre over Kyle Seager at third base and New York's Dellin Betances over Fernando Rodney as top reliever.
Cano started at second base in the All-Star Game; Seager was an All-Star reserve; and Rodney was an All-Star who led the league in saves.
The rest of the AL team:
Catcher Salvy Perez (Kansas City), first baseman Jose Abreu (Chicago), shortstop Erick Aybar (Los Angeles), outfielders Mike Trout (Los Angeles), Michael Brantley (Cleveland) and Jose Bautista (Toronto), and designated hitter Victor Martinez (Detroit).
Hernandez is viewed as a strong candidate to win the Cy Young Award after going 15-6 with a 2.14 ERA. Other top contenders include Cleveland's Corey Kluber (18-9, 2.44) and Chicago's Chris Sale (12-4, 2.17).
The Cy Young Award is determined by a vote of 30 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America — two members from the chapter in each league city.
Votes were cast prior to the start of postseason play.
The Sporting News also polled 11 National League execs in choosing an all-star team for that league. The winners:
Catcher Jonathan Lucroy (Milwaukee), first baseman Anthony Rizzo (Chicago), second baseman Dee Gordon (Los Angeles), shortstop Jhonny Peralta (St. Louis), third baseman Anthony Rendon (Washington).
Outfielders Giancarlo Stanton (Miami), Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh) and Justin Upton (Atlanta); starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles) and relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (Atlanta).
The finalists for the Gold Glove defensive awards will be announced Thursday by Rawlings Sporting Goods, which has sponsored the awards since 1957.
There will be three finalists for each defensive position in each league. The winners will be announced Nov. 4. The winners are determined by a vote of the managers and coaches in each league.
The Mariners haven't had a Gold Glove recipient since outfielders Ichiro Suzuki and Franklin Gutierrez in 2010, although second baseman Cano won in 2010 and 2012 while playing for the New York Yankees.


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|Workers are seen at Mexico's Manzanillo LNG terminal. (KGC)
Since its establishment in 1983 under the South Korean government, KGC has been operating a total of 72 11.4 million-kilometer-long storage facilities around the world. It has built and is operating over 4,790-kilometer-long supply piping networks globally.
Currently, KGC operates 24 overseas project in 13 different countries in the categories of natural gas exploration, natural gas development and production, LNG liquefaction business, construction and operation of public gas piping, operation of overseas LNG terminals and more.
As of the end of 2017, KGC has also imported 33 million tons of LNG domestically from 16 countries.
With the operation of four LNG terminals in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, Tongyeong and Samcheok, KGC has been actively passing on its 30 years of expertise and know-how globally.
As the first case of overseas LNG base investment and technology export, KGC in 2015 built Mexico's Manzanillo LNG terminal by exporting its technique of building LNG terminals. Through the project, Mexico secured 10 percent of its total gas supply from the nearby LNG power plant to produce electricity.


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the "voice" of the promotional products industry.
Leading a team during various situations – good times, challenging periods, times of great change – takes a variety of approaches.
Apr 24, 2014 – by Counselor
Salt Lake City, UT-based IC Group announced this week that it has acquired Brea, CA, distributor firm White Rhino Promotional Solutions.
Financial Terms Of Deal Not Released »
Apr 24, 2014 – by Dave Vagnoni
It's a number that economists cringe at, but business owners should find opportunity in – 15%.
Unemployment Rate For Ages 19-31 Needs To Drop »
Phase 2 of China's 115th session of the Canton Fair, held in Guangzhou, opened yesterday and offered a showcase for the latest gift and premium products.
Many Will Be Sold Into North American Ad Specialty Industry »
A federal appeals court ruled last week that a manufacturer whose product was linked to the death of an infant can be named publicly and ordered the firm to make details of the case public.
Serves As Reminder To Industry About Importance Of Product Safety »
The New York City Council recently proposed a bill that would impose a 10-cent fee on all plastic and paper grocery bags.
"They Cost New York City A Lot Of Money" »
Top 40 supplier Prime Line (asi/79530) has acquired the product line of fellow supplier Points of Light (asi/78825).
Financial Terms Not Released »
Apr 22, 2014 – by Counselor
Police in Bangladesh plan to press murder charges against Sohel Rana – the owner of a nine-story factory that collapsed last April, killing more than 1,100 garment industry workers.
Worst Industrial Disaster In Nation's History »
An index of key data released by The Conference Board shows the U.S. economy expanded in March.
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IN A CLASSROOM in Pewsey Vale School, Wiltshire, a group of Year 9 and 10 pupils are watching a PowerPoint presentation by Floyd Woodrow, former SAS Major, businessman and leadership coach.
But rather than seeing the break from usual lessons as an excuse to switch off or mess around, every one of them is listening raptly.
In front of each are hand-drawn maps showing their individual goals and ambitions, with targets, strategies and values highlighted… and each bears in its top right hand corner a compass symbol, with a star above the North cardinal.
These children are what Floyd calls "navigators", and they are at the forefront of a bold new course aimed at helping schoolchildren by employing the same techniques Floyd has used to great effect with business leaders and sports coaches.
"What I'm doing is giving children a reason to be at school," he says.
"I'm helping them see the benefits of it but I'm also giving them a better understanding of who they are as people, what their strengths are and how to better understand others too. I'm getting them to think about their personal aspirations, but also their responsibilities to the wider community."
The course is called Compass For Life, and has been developed by Floyd along with educational professionals including Pewsey Vale Assistant Headteacher Chantal Dean.
It is centred around the idea of every pupil determining what their "super north star", or ultimate goal, is and then visualising the means, values and methods they might need to realise that ambition.
It can be as grand as becoming prime minister or as simple as being the best friend they can be. Either way, the principle is the same.
Allied to the north star are the three other points of the compass: East representing "ethos", or their values, behaviour and code of conduct; South symbolising "strategy", or the plan they should follow to get there; and West for "Warrior", for their strength of character and determination to do their best.
"The point about Compass For Life is it allows you to develop that incredibly basic core question: why are you at school?" explains Floyd.
Using the Compass For Life technique he admitted that his ambition was to be a Formula 1 driver and after realising that in order to do so he would need a grounding in maths and science, as well as developing leadership qualities, strength of character and coolness under pressure, the boy experienced a dramatic change in behaviour.
The formerly disruptive pupil became keen, motivated and a valuable member of the school community.
"You get this wonderful moment when a kid looks at you and says, yes, I could do this, I could become that," says Floyd.
"Once they have visualised it all on a map you can point to it and say, great, this is where you want to be, how are you going to get there? What actions are you taking? And straight away you'll see kids change their attitude."
The system is the culmination of 10 years development by Floyd and his team but it could also be said to be the result of his whole adult life's work.
After joining the Parachute Regiment aged 18 he became one of the youngest members of the SAS ever at 22, where he was awarded the UK's second-highest award for gallantry, the Distinguished Conduct Medal, for his work in Iraq, and an MBE for his work in Afghanistan.
By the time he left the military in 2008 after 27 years service he had risen to the rank of Major and led the UK's counter-terrorist wing.
During his time in the military he also studied law and psychology and wrote his first book Learning To Learn.
After the SAS he went into business, before applying the techniques he had learned in the SAS to coaching businesses and sports teams, including the Wales and Scotland rugby union teams, the English Cricket Board and the Great Britain Paralympics team.
"I've always been fascinated by leadership," he explains.
"You are surrounded by leaders in the SAS, everyone's a leader. What I wanted to do after I left the service was try to really condense down what that actually means. What does leadership look like in business? Or in sport? What makes different leadership styles work?"
And then one day he had a revelation. "I realised what I had was a compass," he says.
"And the minute I saw that I knew the key to really boiling all this knowledge down into the simplest form was to use the four compass cardinals: what's your super north star? What's the strategy for getting there? What are your ethos and values? How do you unlock your warrior?
They have now developed a series of textbooks, teacher packs and online resources and hope to expand the course into part of the national curriculum.
It is still early days at Pewsey Vale but their plan is that as children progress through the school and the course, they in turn become mentors, or "navigators" to the younger pupils, until lessons in leadership, focus and team cohesion become as natural a part of the day as maths, English and science.
"It is great from the school's point of view because it hits all the Ofsted requirements in terms of the social, moral and spiritual aspects of education, including the new directive to deliver on something called Fundamental British Values," explains Chantal.
"So there is that curriculum aspect to it as well. It's something a school can weave through that underpins everything else.
"It is about schools putting the children at the centre of everything, helping them find out where they want to go and what they want to be. We have had children dragging their parents in to show them what they have been doing."
Both Floyd and Chantal are keen to point out the wider social values supporting the course: it is not simply about the children realising their own ambitions, but helping them grow into valuable members of society at large.
At another workshop three of the Year 9 "navigators" lead a group of 11-year-old pupils through a discussion on forgiveness, encouraging them to question their own attitudes and presenting a series of scenarios in which they might or might not forgive.
The workshop starts with simple situations such as bullying and ends with the children considering the case of Fusilier Lee Rigby, murdered by Islamic extremists in 2013.
"We are addressing ideas like tolerance and how we identify with other people," explains Chantal.
"It is getting students from a young age to start to think about things that are really quite challenging and building those fundamental values that are going to be so important for the society of the future."
Floyd is now in discussions with the Department for Education about rolling the scheme out nationwide, and confesses that, even with his SAS record and successes coaching businesses and sports teams, it is working with children that has become what he calls his "legacy".
"This is hugely important to me," he says.
"I have seen kids transformed in how they view the world, how they understand what is important to them. If you can get these core values, that social awareness, that wisdom into these kids, how can you not change society?