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In order to deliver its products in fresh and save all its original quality "Rubikom" management decided to set up its own trade shops. Today, it is represented by two supermarkets, six special shops and brand sales vans. Sales vans are mobile shops with special built-in cold storages.
Our shops are not inferior to European ones in terms of meat and milk assortment and of convenience in use. Besides, every day "Rubikom" supermarkets offer the tastiest baked goods piping hot. Fresh and hot buns and bread directly from our bakeries get to the customers' tables immediately for the bakeries are situated in the supermarkets itselves.
Due to the good work of our dealers, that have been keeping partnership relations with us several years, we provide continuously such towns as Ekibastuz, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Semipalatinsk and Karaganda with our products.
Also, our trade office functions fruitfully in Astana where product delivery system runs without interruption.
A high level of our reputation and confidence in products quality of "Rubikom" trade mark makes it easy for us to get into other markets.


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"We are committed to creating a smarter, more secure grid; developing new products and solutions that enhance the customer experience; and leveraging the ingenuity of our employees to reinvent what the next-generation energy company looks like and how we operate."
Companies – especially those engaged in critical infrastructure – must prepare detailed plans for continued operation following a crisis that diminishes their ability to function. Staffing, physical infrastructure and information systems are at risk in such scenarios.
AEP's business continuity program is a partnership between our corporate business continuity team, business units and other support organizations. Together, we build plans to allow for an effective recovery effort in the event of a disaster. The plans are designed to minimize business disruptions by decreasing response times, limiting financial impacts and maintaining customer confidence during a business interruption. We employ many types of planning, including:
This planning process was critical following a series of underground distribution network disruptions in 2014 that exposed risks to the security and availability of our data and IT infrastructure, and raised our awareness of the need to be ready for new risks in the future. We view business continuity in terms of risk, resiliency and response, and we plan accordingly.
In addition to launching a four-year plan to upgrade and enhance AEP's 16 underground distribution networks, we built a new Tier III data center that came online in 2015. Tier III data centers are important because they do not require shutdowns for equipment replacement and maintenance. In April 2016, AEP was recognized by Data Center Dynamics (DCD) as a winner of the 2016 DCD U.S. & Canada Awards for innovation and leadership in the development of the new data center.
Plans are under way for another data center to reinforce our disaster recovery efforts in the unlikely event that a regional disaster would occur, giving us redundancies that are critical when in recovery mode.
Use of this site constitutes acceptance of the AEP Terms and Conditions. © 2019 American Electric Power.

subset: commoncrawl


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Facebook's success as a $100 billion public company hinges on monetizing its measurable, social platform with inventive content, service access and transactions to triple its annual revenues to about $15 billion within five years.
Despite its meteoric growth, Facebook is in the early stages of forging that new growth in an intense market place where a competitor such as Google (with 10-times its revenues and profits) is leveraging its stranglehold on online advertising, search and its own connected ecosystem.
But if generating new revenues from connections depends on an engaged audience, than Facebook already has the edge. Facebook users spent an average 53 minutes every day on the social network site, compared with an average 13 minutes of daily engagement in the US and 20 minutes of daily engagement globally by Internet users in general, according to Michael Pachter, analyst for Wedbush Securities' Private Shares Group.
Facebook can leverage the explosive adoption of connected mobile devices throughout the world with its sticky connections: the 2.7 billion daily "likes" and "comments" that its users share about events, products and services, all of which can be monetized.
Today, Facebook generates only a measly $4.75 annually per each of its 800 million-plus active users—a negligible part of its $4.27 billion in 2011 revenues. Roughly $650 million, or 12% of total revenues, is generated by Zynga and other social games. The lion's share, or $3.8 billion of its total $4.27 billion in 2011 revenue, comes from its nascent advertising business, income from which has been decelerating. Overall, Facebook barely broke even last year with $1.5 billion in operating profit.
Pachter estimates Facebook must generate at least 80 cents per month from 1.35 billion users, while growing ad sales as much as 18% annually, to generate the $13 billion to $16 billion in yearly revenues to justify a $100 billion public valuation. The lofty valuation is not supported by Facebook's current financials or trends, Pachter says.
Within the next five years , Facebook should generate as much as $2 billion in annual revenues from trading Facebook credits (now about $470 million), up to $2 billion in e-commerce income, as much as $6 billion in advertising, and up to $6 billion annually in search and other miscellaneous business, which represents the single biggest growth opportunity.
Simply pursuing a bigger chunk of the $70 billion global advertising market won't cut it. Facebook must invent new forms of sharing and transacting that encourage users to trade their privacy concerns for convenience and relevance. If Facebook can manage its innovation and operations well enough to become the Internet's de facto operating system, it can siphon portions of key revenues from Google, Microsoft and even Amazon--particularly if it aggressively pursues a connected mobile payments strategy.
Facebook will not be alone if you believe the prediction of Yuri Milner, a major Facebook investor and co-founder of mail.u group: Over the next decade, 25 companies each with a $25 billion market cap and 50 companies each with a $10 billion market cap will emerge in the connected consumer Internet space. None of them are on the radar screen today.
Remaining nimble and daring enough to outpace smart upstarts may be Facebook's second biggest challenge. The past decade is littered with smart Internet companies with amazing new value propositions and inflated valuations that crashed and burned. AOL the starkest reminder having created and as quickly destroyed $250 billion in value out of the disastrous merger with Time Warner.
As one of CNBC's "Fast Money" contributors observed, "Facebook, the publicly traded stock, will get a lot of rope to hang itself."
To realize the promise of its $100 billion valuation, Facebook must maintain what Zuckerberg in the S-1 calls "The Hacker Way:" the continuous improvement and iteration of a company as it scales technology, its infrastructure and open platform leveraging the connections it facilitates among everyone in the world. Here are some ideas that should translate into:
--Create reliable, easy forms of measureable ROI and new data metrics—doing for social what Apple's iPhone and iPad did for mobile connectivity. --Devise ways to transform "like," comments and other forms of sharing into hearty revenue streams. Traffic is money in a connected world. --Devise a safe universal identity bank off of which users and consumers can leverage access and transactions of all kinds in all places. Mining while safeguarding personal data would be a breakthrough. --Recreate the user experience for mobile-connected devices and forge the mobile payment process. --Reinvent connected advertising and marketing well beyond the simplistic branded Facebook pages and display ads. Users/consumers become the ad channels while making targeted data points golden. --Shape social gaming as well as virtual goods into a more real-life, real-time, revenue streams. Employers and retailers are experimenting with gamification in new and exciting ways. Leverage Zynga's social gaming hub into something bigger. Social gaming is expected to morph into an $8.6 billion business by 2014, and virtual goods is expected to double to a $15 billion business by 2015, according to the Facebook filing.
--Create a new universal gateway to paid and free streaming video. With users watching only an average 8 minutes daily on YouTube and an average one hour daily on Netflix, it is likely Facebook members will partake in more streaming video on a platform where they can share it with friends.


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In a few weeks we will be introducing a song called, "New Every Morning." This fun, upbeat song by Covenant Worship in Texas reminds us how God's mercies are new every day. Taken from the well known passage in Lamentations, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23), we are reminded of God's never-ending grace, love, mercy and faithfulness.
The last few Sunday's coming up on the Hill early, the Lord painted some stunning sunrises. There's something amazing about a passing storm and the sunrise of a new day. Isn't it ironic that some of the most stunning sunrises come after the darkest storms.
It's true in our lives as well. Many of us can only see the dark, grey skies of adversity and trial and are saddened by the rough storm we're caught in the middle of. But, let me remind you that your best sunrises are still ahead. Tomorrow is a new day and holds the most dazzling and spectacular views, if only you hold on.
Don't allow yourself to be consumed, for His compassions never fail! His mercy and love for you is new every day! That's something to sing about. Enjoy worshiping along in celebrating God's love for you!


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Today you`ll see this decoration in different colours and combinations.
The flowers again are theese waterdecals from Born Pretty Store. Love them!
Here is one closer pic ->
On the other nails I made white french and above it I stamped the lace from Bundle Monster BM-323 stamping plate using purple polish- Flormar Supershine 48.
Finished with Seche Vite top coat.


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Total sales for the company are up by an astonishing 16% to £4.95 billion. The owner of Primark the Associated British Food believes these results are due to an increase in like-for like sales growth of 4% as well as an increase in retail selling space.
ABF chief executive George Weston said: "Primark's trading success and significant expansion delivered another magnificent year."
Profits have risen by 30% to £662 million for the discount clothing retailer. In its full-year results published today, Associated British Foods announced that the performances of both its fashion and grocery sectors were hugely successful as opposed to a not so sweet lower price result in its sugar business. Despite this ABF produced a brilliant profit growth of 6%.
ABF predicted earlier this year that their sugar division profits would be "significantly lower" due to failing sugar prices in Europe and lower sales in China. Subsequently falling EU sugar prices has resulted in a lack of profit growth.
The results statement said: "This excellent result was driven by an increase in retail selling space, like-for-like sales growth of 4%, and superior sales densities in the new stores."
Since there is a strong demand and success for Primark in Europe, the encouraging results have prompted the company to open its first US stores. Currently Primark operates in nine countries.
ABF chairman Charles Sinclair said, "We recently announced that the next new market would be in the north-east of the US, with the first stores expected to open late in 2015 and with up to 10 stores by the end of 2016."
Trading with a conscious – Perhaps the retailer has earned credibility after a continued compensation contribution of around £7.5 million to the families and workers of the dead, following the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh last year. Following many public criticisms over the years of their ethical trading, Primark's 'Our Ethics' page on their website display how much the company is now doing to improve working and employment conditions for all Primark locations.
Chief executive George Weston said: "Looking ahead to the next few years we see excellent prospects for Primark."


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Casting is looking for italian looking males and females to portray ages late 20s to early 50s. you will need a bookable car. no red white or black. if this is you please submit… CONTINUE READING IN THE EMBED BELOW.
If the embed is gone then you waited too long. Central Casting shared this background casting notice at 3:43 pm pt on Monday, November 13, 2017 for Los Angeles area actors.
Want fast 24/7 background casting notices filtered to match your union status, gender, and portrayable ethnicities in your email inbox? Try Extras Alerts Pro


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At the end of September 2011 I left Ireland and embarked on a trip around the world without flying. 851 days later, I've passed through 21 countries to find myself in Busan, South Korea. Here's what it took to get here:
- 2 cruise ships
- 2 motorcycles
- 11 ferries
- 20 tuk-tuks
- 30 taxis
- 35 buses
- 63 trains
Next up…
That monster is the Hanjin Chicago, a cargo ship which will take me across the mighty Pacific Ocean, from South Korea to Peru, leaving Busan on January 29th and arriving in Lima some 26 days later.
I've received a lot of questions about this leg of the journey. Here are my answers to the most common…
How much is this costing you?
It's not cheap. My 26-day stay aboard the ship, with all meals included, cost me $3,540/€2,605. Factor in all the associated banking fees, travel insurance, plus a doctor visit to verify I'm in good health (there's no doctor aboard the ship), and the final cost is more like $4,200/€3,080.
The good news is that I won't have to spend a penny on board for 26 days, and I'll have all my meals cooked for me. Plus, you know, ocean views and all that.
Why is it so expensive?
Best I can figure, it's because the freighter companies don't care. They're carrying multimillion dollar cargoes, and they only have room for 3-6 passengers on each ship. It's not exactly big business for them, so they probably charge a high price to make it worth their while.
Was this your only option for crossing the Pacific?
No. My ideal was to hitch rides on sailboats, but that would have taken 2-3 months to get all the way across, which was more time than I wanted to spend at sea. (If I was willing to spend that long, something like this would have been epic.)
There were numerous other cargo ship options, but this trip aboard the Hanjin Chicago suited me best.
How do you go about booking something like this?
You google around for "cargo ship cruises" and see what's on offer. They're not hard to find. Here are five sites with listings for cargo ships that take passengers:
- Maris Freighter Cruise and Travel Club
- Freighter Expeditions
- Cargo Ship Voyages
- The Cruise People
- Sea Travel Ltd.
I booked my trip via Sea Travel Ltd. Getting everything organized requires a lot of emails back and forth and you have to send them a bunch of documentation, but it's all fairly straightforward.
Will you be sleeping in a shipping container?
Apparently not. I've booked a single cabin aboard the Hanjin Chicago, with a private bathroom and shower. If the pics here are to be believed, it will be quite cozy. I've also learned that I'll be the only passenger on board, so I might be able to blag an upgrade to a double cabin 😉
What is there to do aboard the ship?
Well there's no Internet access, so I won't be able to get my usual work done. There is a fitness room aboard, but I'm not expecting anything fancy, maybe just a few dumbbells and a ping-pong table. There's also supposed to be a sauna and a "seawater swimming pool," but again, I'm not expecting much. They're not exactly catering for holidaymakers here.
I'll keep myself busy though. Mainly I'll be doing a lot of writing, brushing up on my Spanish, and reading many a fine book.
Will you be interacting with the crew?
The common language on board is English, so I should be able to chat with the European captain and officers, and the Indian and Filipino crew. I'll be sharing meals with them every day, and I'm allowed on the bridge pretty much whenever so I'll probably hang around there from time to time and ask which buttons I can push.
Also, it seems I'll be something of a novelty as I've been told most people who travel aboard cargo ships are between 60 and 79 years old. My contact at Sea Travel Ltd. says young pups like myself are usually in too much of a hurry to consider spending 26 days at sea.
What cargo is the ship carrying?
No idea, but I'm hoping for zoo animals. Life of Ni.
Will you be stopping off at many ports along the way?
The first 18 days are at sea, as we go right across the Pacific to Manzanillo in Mexico. We have one more stop in Mexico after that and then we hit Callao/Lima in Peru and I disembark.
I'm not 100% sure if I'll be allowed off the ship in Mexico. Apparently I have to speak with the port authorities and figure it out with them. I don't believe we'll be stopped for very long though, maybe 12 hours at the most, and we might arrive at night.
Here's a map of the route:
If you feel so inclined, you can keep track of the ship's position here.
Will you be writing about your experience?
Yes, I'll happily tell you all about it, but since I won't have Internet access at sea you'll have to wait until I arrive in Peru at the end of February. Make sure you're signed up to my Travel Ninjas mailing list below so you won't miss the update.
Now, please excuse me while I go make final preparations for the trip. I need to find a volleyball and some ice skates to bring along with me. You know, just in case.
Oh, and your questions and comments are very welcome below. Just keep in mind that I'll be offline for four weeks soon after this post goes live, so moderation and replies will have to wait.


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Drew Millward Originals Available
Drew Millward just put a number of original ink drawings up for sale. Most of them are A3 in size (around 11″ x 17″), and all are priced at only $125 each. Drew's drawings are great in person, add one to your collection. See them all in the Gigposters.com Classifieds.
One Response to "Drew Millward Originals Available"
I just picked up the first one, thanks for the heads up, looks awesome!


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Bekir Arpag was on the faculty of the RIT School of Printing Management and Sciences from 1953 to 1987, where he taught courses on lithographic platemaking technologies using film-based processes.
The Bekir Arpag Teaching Collection spans the 1970s through the mid-1990s, and contains audiovisual materials used by Arpag in his courses at the School of Printing Management and Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology. It holds 432 color transparencies in 35 mm format, most of which were used in Arpag's presentations on lithographic printing platemaking machinery and techniques. Two slide series have printed transcripts or captions for lectures on the Opti-Copy IMPOSER, and Rachwal Industries. Also present are two audio cassettes with titles Introduction to Litho: Stripping Flats & Burning Plates and GSI AUTOPREP 5000, and one untitled cassette. Included in the collection are 73 slides of the Rochester Institute of Technology campus and teaching facilities at the School of Printing Management and Sciences.
View this collection's record in the RIT Libraries Catalog.


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O&B Guestcast vol. 5 – Boy King
Who's in the clouds tonight?
Live Review & Photos: Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin, and The Feeling of Love at the Casbah, March 5, 2012
Ty Rex attacked San Diego last Sunday
Video: Ty Segall – "Where Your Head Goes"
The California psych rocker plans a Casbah gig
The Owl and Bear Podcast vol. 163
I don't know what "all right" even means
Live Photos: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks with Ty Segall at the Belly Up, October 20, 2011
The former Pavement frontman turns his 'Mirror' on San Diego
Poetic Memory: The KABBs (List)
The San Diego garage rockers share their influences, play the Casbah Thursday


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If you own an Apple device you will know that Facetime is a great way of chatting via your phone or tablet.
However, it does have its limitations, for example, its inability to make a video call with more than one person at a time – a restrictive feature for anyone in need of a group chat.
These restrictions may well have you researching the technology market for an alternative.
There are a variety of options available, one great example if you are looking to make a call from your tablet or laptop is Google Hangout; a useful service offered by Google Plus which allows video calls between up to ten people at one time.
Simply create a Google account, sign in, and then click 'create new hangout,' at this point you can select the option to begin a video call.
Alternatively, if you prefer to use your phone for video calls, try downloading Oovoo, a free application from the App Store that allows you to video call with up to twelve friends, as well as send texts, pictures and video messages.
With so many options, you can benefit from great opportunities to stay in touch with friends and co-workers, even at long-distances.
• If you have a question for JSPC, email it to {mailto: firstname.lastname@example.com| email@example.comfirstname.lastname@example.com}, and if you require further advice, support, or a computer repair, call JSPC Computer Services on 01903 767122, visit www.jspc.co.uk, or visit them at 2 Seadown Parade, Bowness Avenue, Sompting.
Don't miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.
Here are four ways you can be sure you'll be amongst the first to know what's going on.
1) Make our website your homepage
2) Like our Facebook page
3) Follow us on Twitter
4) Register with us by clicking on 'sign in' (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.
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Be part of it.


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Happy Friday everyone!
Though the weather in New York is anything but pleasant at the moment, this weekend is swarming with fitness events happening in the city. You can read all about them in my blog post for the FiTMAPPED Blog here.
I, myself, am planning on attending the Buns n' Biscuits event, which combines bootcamp and brunch (who can say no to brunch?) and the Wanderlust Yoga in the City event, which features outdoor yoga classes taught by local instructors, live music, and post-savasana dance parties, taking yoga to another dimension.
What fitness events stand out to you? What do you do to keep fit on the weekends? Comment below and let me know!


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Home What is PMC? Gallery New Pieces What is Energetic Jewelry? Calendar Contact Link
Contact Information
To purchase a similar piece from the website or to commision your own custom idea simply fill out the form below or call Becky at 419-261-3790. Thank You
2009 All artwork, creative ideas, and photos are intellectual property and creation of beckettstudio. 419.261.3790


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Sony KIX Channel Availability In India to Watch 2015 Copa America Live
Sony KIX Channel Availability In Cable Networks and DTH Services
Sony KIX is a latest sports channel from Multi Screen Media. Its launched during the Indian Premier League 2015 and available on all the leading cable networks. sony six is launched on 8th april 2015 With the opening match of ipl season 2015. We have published here that sony kix is the official broadcaster of copa america 2015 in india. If you want to watch 2015 copa america matches you need Sony KIX channel. If sony kix is not available in your cable and dth service you can ask to the provider.
Sony KIX is already available in all the leading Indian Cable and DTH Networks. Sony KIX is available in Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV, Videocon D2H and Reliance Digital TV. If you are using any of these dth service can check it. Sony KIX may not available in the basic packages. You need to subscribe Sony KIX to watch 2015 Copa America Live. To subscribe and Ensure The Sony KIX Channel Availability you can call the customer care service. Subscribe to Sony KIX for enjoying the Live Coverage of Copa America 2015 in Your Television.
Live Streaming of Copa America 2015 – You don't search for Sony KIX Live, Install the App Liv Sports and They are streaming copa matches live. Liv Sports is the official app from multi media screen and you can install it on your android phone. We have published the complete schedule of 2015 Copa America here, you can check it. Time of Telecast of 2015 Copa America matches can be check from the schedule. Subscribe Sony KIX Channel and Enjoy the Live Coverage of 2015 Copa America Live on your TV Screen.


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Online Shopping at Gearbest for the best cell phones, electronic gadgets, toys, sporting goods, home products and apparel for geeks at unbeatable great prices.
GearBest is more than just a shopping site, it's designed for gadget lovers by gadget lovers. We have a passion for all kinds of cool and fun gadgets, including smart phones, smart watches, car electronics, RC Quadcopters, LED flashlights, consumer electronics, etc.
GearBest not only offers a large selection of the latest gadgets, but also aims to keep our price the lowest worldwide.
Gearbest's mission
At GearBest, our company vision is simple: to become the premier online electronics seller by providing an unparalleled selection of the very best gadgets, an unbeatable shopping experience, prompt shipping and exceptional customer service that exceeds expectations.
For us, the customer is always king. Our total commitment to customers empowers us to work closely together with every customer. When you buy from us, the sale is not complete when we ship your order, it is complete when you are totally satisfied.


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them in an office with their attorney or
real estate broker present.
Even so, each new generation is more
comfortable embracing complex financial
decisions online. Many younger consumers embrace mobile banking and online
stock trading, for instance. As the younger
generation buys first homes, there will
be a natural extension from searching for
homes online to filling out Web-based
applications and signing disclosures and
supporting documents electronically.
By Scott K. Stucky
Chief operating officer
Docu Tech Corp.
becoming a mainstream best practice.
For many originators, the concept of
moving to 100 percent digital mortgage
documents might seem overwhelming.
The good news is that digital loan-document processes can be implemented
in stages, with each new stage adding
more efficiency and cost effectiveness.
Many loan officers conceive of the paperless process as simply converting
existing hardcopy documents into
digital copies, but with a true digital
mortgage, the documents never exist
in paper form, and the borrower signs
everything electronically.
Paperless origination can offer a range
of benefits. In particular:
• integrity: Changes made to electronic
documents are applied instantly to all
areas of the closing documents and
disclosures. This eliminates redundant
data entry and reduces data errors,
which is especially important in light
of today's regulatory environment.
• Time: Paperless mortgages can enable loan officers to eliminate much
of the time-consuming effort involved in handling, processing and
verifying paper documents.
• Security: Electronic files can be
encrypted for secure transmission
and to prevent unauthorized access
to the data. An electronic "seal"
also can limit when, and by whom,
changes are made to the loan file.
When making the commitment to
electronic documents, the first step for
many lenders and loan officers is to embrace e-disclosures and e-signatures.
These documents are easier to convince
borrowers to sign digitally. Also, they
facilitate the importing of data into
your LOS program, which assists with
meeting regulatory demands.
Loan officers sometimes encounter borrowers who are wary of signing loan
documents electronically. Many borrowers want to hold hardcopies and sign
Paperless mortgages are hardly new, but many mortgage banks and brokerages remain reluctant
to accept them. Skeptics have cited a
number of barriers to adopting digital
loan documents, from borrower comfort
to the perceived complications inherent
in certain documents requiring a physical
signature. With regards to the latter,
however, this past year's acceptance of
digital signatures on IRS 4506-T income-verification forms means that another
barrier has been removed, opening the
door for brokers and lenders to take the
final steps toward adopting paperless
The benefits of digital mortgages are
numerous: less paper, reduced costs,
faster closing times, enhanced digital
tracking and more accurate reporting
for compliance are just the beginning.
In the past few years, innovations like
electronic file vaults, e-signature support and Web-based loan-origination
systems (LOS), have brought the
paperless mortgage process closer to
It's also a good idea to speak with any
accountants, lawyers and real estate
agents you've worked with, as they
might know of nonbankable clients
seeking commercial loans.
Some of the borrowers looking to
obtain small multifamily financing
will be turned away for reasons other
than low property-value amounts.
Some you choose to work with will
be turned away for less-than-perfect
credit. They will most likely have a good
reason; for example, they were hit particularly hard by the recession, there
By emily landgraf
Marketing specialist
APEX Mortgage Corp.
Grow Your Business by Turning "No" Into "Yes"
A small multifamily loan usually is
defined as any loan less than $5 Million.
At many banks, the minimum multi-family loan amount is $1 million, as
anything less is generally not considered profitable. Competition tends to be
minimal for mortgage professionals who
focus on multifamily borrowers seeking
$500,000 or less.
Enter the small multifamily lender.
These lenders often service nonbankable
borrowers, and much of their business
comes from residential brokers. These
are the lenders you'll work with should
you decide small multifamily mortgages
are a product you'd like to offer.
When you work with the lenders in thisniche, you'll usually make between 2. 5points and 3. 5 points. Some small mul-tifamily lenders will protect a broker upto 5 points. This can result in lucrativeprofits for you. For example, if you havea borrower who needs a $350,000 loanand you receive 3. 5 points, that's $12,250in your pocket after close, and it won'tmean much extra work for you. Anotherbenefit of small multifamily loans isthat they can often close in as little astwo to three weeks, so you receive themoney quickly.
Once you enter the small multifamily
mortgage market, you'll work with
borrowers who need financing to pay
off debt, expand their businesses or
purchase commercial real estate, but
are unable to qualify for Small Business
Administration (SBA) or bank loans
because the amount required is too low.
Finding clients
When prospecting for small multi-family deals, start by considering your
past customers. Some of the clients you
secured residential financing for also
may own multifamily investment property. Another good source for leads is
contacting local banks about customers
whom they've turned down. Banks
usually look to recommend alternative financing to nonbankable clients
to salvage the business relationships.
As a residential mortgage bro- ker, chances are you're always looking for ways to increase
your revenue. If this is the case, you're
in luck. There's an underserved market with plenty of pent-up demand that
any residential broker can navigate
with the right know-how: small multi-family mortgages.
You may ask, "I understand multi-family mortgages, but why is it worth
my time to focus on small-balance
loans?" The reason is because as the
loan amounts for multifamily properties decrease, the competition among
brokers also decreases, which means
there are plenty of opportunities and
money to be made within this niche.
Adding this product to the servicesyou offer is a great way to boost yourrevenue that doesn't require a lot ofextra effort on your part. Before youcan start working with borrowers whoneed loans for small multifamily prop-erties, however, you need to get toknow the market.emily landgraf is a marketing specialist forAPEX Mortgage Corp. APEX is a noncon-forming national lender that specializes insmall commercial mortgages ($25,000–$500,000). APEX understands the issuesfaced by the self-employed and generallycloses a deal within three weeks from appli-cation. Reach Landgraf at (800) 262-2739,ext. 211, or email@example.com. Learnmore about APEX at apexmtg.com.continued on page 88 »
Scott K. Stucky is chief operating officer at
Docu Tech Corp. Since 1991, Docu Tech has
provided compliance services and documentation technology for the mortgage industry.
Docu Tech's soft ware interfaces with leading
loan-origination systems and enables
mortgage professionals to generate documents
locally. Docu Tech manages and secures all
information needed for a loan, guaranteeing
accuracy, security and compliance.
Reach Stucky at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Learn more about Docu Tech online at
docutechcorp.com or on Twitter at @Docu Tech.
continued on page 88 »
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Our organic apple raisin granola is fresh granola mixed with raisins and apple pieces. Great as an energy boosting snack, or as a topping on yogurt and ice cream.
Our crunchy organic freeze-dried apples are a delicious natural snack. Made from Granny Smith apples, they have a slightly sweet and tart flavor.
An all natural spread made with whole apples and spices. Our spiced apple butter with no sugar added is delicious on bagels or sandwiches and when used in pastry fillings or even soups.
These cinnamon apple wedges are one of the best things since apple pie and that's because they taste just like the apple pie Grandma made! We aren't kidding either.
Enjoy tart lemon flavor with a mellow apple sweetness with our Dried Diced Apples, Lemon Infused. Infused with lemon juice.
My, my our Paleo Apple Pie Cereal is grain-free genius! We love it with a little nutmilk and our Georgia Pecans!
Savor that "green apple" flavor the natural way with Natural Dried Tart Apples.
Spread the flavors of fall all year round with our apple cinnamon jelly. Made with natural ingredients from a vintage country recipe.
All natural apple fruit leathers make a nutritious and healthy snack. They're perfect for packing in school lunches or enjoying as an afternoon treat at work.
Enjoy juice-sweetened flavor that's bright and surprising with our Diced Dried Apples, Pomegranate Infused.
Now we carry Musselman's original apple sauce in convenient, on-the-go pouches! These apple sauce packs make it easier than ever to enjoy your favorite apple treat anywhere you like.
Enjoy Musselman's apple sauce with a strawberry twist. These strawberry apple sauce packs have a twist-off cap for on-the-go snacking without the mess. For people who enjoy a sweet strawberry flavor!
Musselman's natural apple sauce is a delicious, easy way to add a serving of fruit to your day. Made from fresh, 100% American-grown apples, it's a great snack for kids and grown ups alike.


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About Andy's Video
It all started as a hobby! Working most of my life in the very
competitive vehicle recovery industry, I had to learn how to market
myself and as I had always been keen on photography, I started to take
pictures of my work. By the mid eighties this had turned into videoing
things and you can see many of those videos (some now with a historic
interest) listed on this websites Home Page (link above).
When I sold my companies and took early retirement, I continued to video events, mostly at Brooklands Museum (again you can see these from the Home Page). During those years the videos became a lot more professional and I built up both knowledge and specialist equipment. I also invested in some sophisticated correction and editing software.
It was not too long before people started asking me to video a Wedding, or if I would make promotional videos about their companies. So in 2014 I decided to start offering my expertise and equipment to those that want a good job at a price that won't cripple them (savings on VAT straight away).
Andy's video can offer you all forms of both moving and still production, including Aerial and Underwater. Subjects can be simple family events like parties and weddings, through to promoting your company's services. We work in areas as diverse as creating a model's portfolios, to the time lapse recording of changes to a building project.
Post production is also very much a specialty. At our Fareham Studio I have full tape editing facilities along with the latest computer software, to enhance, or repair those images you want to last forever. Once fully compiled, your finished product can be integrated on to your website (yes we can even make one of those for you if you don't already have one), or just recorded to a DVD.


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Having watched The Andrew Marr Show this morning, a pervading liet-motif from the three mainstream political parties all said, with varying degrees of confidence, that they are listening to what the local election results are telling them about people's attitudes to the political elite and to the continued rise of UKIP. In essence, they saying 'we've got it!'. The reality is very different. The mainstream political parties say, as they always do when faced with anything that challenges their hegemony, we're listening and will take your concerns into account…no you haven't! The local government elections on Thursday and the probable outcome of the European election demonstrates clearly that UKIP is taking votes from all the political parties. Labour may have gained the most council seats—no surprise for the opposition mid-term—but their results do not presage well for the General Election next year.
No opposition has won a General Election when they did not have a majority in local government and Labour do not. Their leader is hardly elector-friendly, his policies on, for instance, the cost of living crisis, are unravelling and although some polls give the party a lead over the Conservatives, at this stage of the electoral cycle it should be doing considerably better. The Lib-Dems suffered most in the elections and although it is unlikely that Nick Clegg will be removed as leader, his poll ratings are appallingly low and his credibility as party leader is shot—he may have acted in the public interest in joining the coalition but this will, I suspect, have a debilitating effect in the elections next year. The Conservatives also lost council seats but not enough to give Labour the majority in local government that it needs but the fissures in the party—evident since the 1980s—over Europe are damaging—the electorate generally punishes divided parties. So where does that leave UKIP? Well in a first-past-the post system, nowhere at all. More councillors but no council and, though it looks like it will focus on 20 seats in 2015, it's improbable that it will make the breakthrough into parliamentary politics. This may explain the double-talk from the three main parties—yes we're listening and will take your concerns into account…but no we're not going to change our political directions.
Is it any surprise that there is a disconnect between the public and politicians? Miliband is still saying Labour can—please note not will—win the General Election in 2015; Clegg, I won't quit despite defeats; and Cameron, well actually saying very little leaving all the flak to his ministers and supporters. Yesterday's Times had an article by Matthew Parris in which he says that people don't really care about the EU as an electoral issue and that in 2015 people will vote over largely domestic issues. He may be right—past experience suggests that it is domestic issues not foreign or European affairs that determine how people vote—but in today's circumstances, he just might be wrong. UKIP's popularity lies in being 'none of the above' and although its focus has long been on immigration and membership of the EU, these are now real issues for many people beyond the Westminster 'bubble'. There may be some UKIP supporters who want to stop all immigration, but most don't. What they want is for Britain to have greater control over who can come to this country and, because we have no control over labour movement from the EU, that tends to be the focus of their thinking. If we leave the EU we can again control immigration—whether this is true or not matters less than how the issue is perceived.


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For the third time in a row, I was in a heat of the BBC Radio New Comedian Award, and for the third time in a row I was knocked out. I was on first in the first heat of the competition – the same spot I was in back in 2013. I call it "Old Faily".
The important thing is that Michael Stranney won and Sophie Willan was the runner up (and they are lovely and very funny). The heat will be on the BBC website until some time in the future when it isn't. Either because they take it down, or because the BBC is chopped up and sold as kindling:


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Sunday, July 10, 2011
Reason I'm Leaving #8: Endless Criticism and the Quest for "Perfection"
But yeah, that's how I feel. It's not that I can't handle criticism. I'm just damned tired of the never-ending cycle of reviews and criticism in academia, and of the quest for a level of perfection in one's work that is impossible to obtain. I'm tired of the expectation that academics have to treat every piece of criticism from any source with reverence. And I'm tired of the mythical notion that any work one produces will ever (or could ever) be perfect to all readers.
Even though I can't come up with a catchy title for it, I'm saying it: I'm tired of the work cycle of academic research - its criticism and its unrealistic expectations.
I've spent a little bit of time this week on the last paper I was working on before I decided to leave academia. It's a paper that was somewhat recently rejected from a journal (I wrote about it here) ... and even though I'm leaving, I really do want to get it revised and sent to a different journal. I think it's a good and important paper, and since I won't be chasing an academic job, I don't care if it winds up in a less prestigious journal - it's just the kind of piece I'd like to have out there as my academic swan song. So, I'm working on it.
While revising it, I looked back at the peer reviews I got from the journal that rejected it. I found some of the comments to be helpful, and some not as helpful. I addressed the criticisms I agreed with and ignored the ones I thought were, frankly, bullsh*t criticisms coming from people who didn't really understand what I was trying to do with the paper. I emailed it to a couple of my academic colleagues for feedback last night - I'm going to deal with whatever criticisms they raise that I think have merit, and will probably ignore about half of them as irrelevant, and will send it off. And we'll see what happens.
Perhaps it will get published, or perhaps these new reviewers will come back with another set of critiques, which might be completely different from (or even contradict) the previous reviews I've gotten. That wouldn't be unusual. Given that I'm leaving academia, I'm not that stressed out about it.
But a few years ago, as a good little grad student? I would have been obsessed with making sure I'd addressed every single criticism from every reviewer and colleague; trying in vain to address every single one of the often conflicting or irrelevant criticisms in a manuscript that was already running a little long. Because the norm in academic work is to assume three things: (1) every criticism of your work is legitimate, (2) everyone knows enough about your subfield and specific research project to intelligently criticize it, and (3) that it's possible to get your work to a point where it is utterly perfect and beyond criticism.
A few days ago, I ran into a fellow graduate student who is earlier in the program than I am/was. I asked how s/he was doing, and s/he started talking about how frustrated s/he was with the reviews on a paper that s/he had been working on for more than three years. S/he told me (paraphrasing): "My advisor gave me a whole set of reviews, but then Professor X saw it and thought I should cite this other body of work, so I spent all this time reading that work and adding it into the lit review. But then Professor Y told me I should take it out as irrelevant! So I sent it out for review, and the peer reviewers told me that I hadn't cited enough articles by Professor Q (who is a bigwig in our subfield but doesn't do work directly related to my colleague's research), and that they wanted me to change my methods. But my advisor thinks that the methods I use are far superior so I should just do supplemental analyses rather than changing it. So I have so much work to do to address all of the reviews!!"
I call bullcrap on the whole thing. Not on research, or journals, or even on peer review. But on the way the whole system works together to create an endless cycle of criticism, revision, and conflicting advice, which students feel like they have to follow in some endless and futile quest for the "perfect journal article" that will please everyone.
It's a cycle that leads to frustration, stress over how long it takes to "finish" a given project, lowered self-esteem from the unending criticism, and ultimately disappointment ... because your work will never - never! - be so good that no one, anywhere, has anything critical to say about it.
And that's okay, for two reasons: (1) if you never stop giving your papers to other people and asking them for "comments," no one will ever give it back to you without any. If you ask for criticism, the reader is going to feel like they have to offer some critique. Think about it - how often have you handed back someone else's paper without a single comment on it? I'm betting ... never. So just relax and quit thinking that every single criticism means that your paper is worthless.
And (2)? Guess what?? Nothing you, or anyone else, will ever produce in your work or personal life is absolutely perfect with no room for improvement, in someone's opinion. And that's okay.
But as for me? This is one of the reasons I'm going to leave the academic world. I want a job where everyone does the best they can, and (in theory) everyone produces the best work they are capable of, with the understanding that nothing is perfect but that producing work and completing tasks in a timely fashion is worthwhile. I'm done spending months and years trying to write a paper that addresses every potential criticism and that will please everyone. Such a thing is impossible, and it was driving me crazy to be part of that system. Academia makes the perfect the enemy of the good. And I need a job where "good" work that gets completed - yes, completed! - in a timely fashion is good enough.
2 comments:
Congrats on deciding what you want to do and going for it. AND for deciding that you are going to publish that paper because it is important and needs to be out there.ReplyDelete
That said, I am saddened that you have not been advised better and that you and other graduate students get the impression that you are expected to address every single piece of criticism and create a perfect piece of work that meets the needs of all potential readers. I have no doubt that there are tenured and tenure-track people who believe that but I suspect those are the ones who are most stressed and struggling.
The key to the transition from student to academic is developing the ability to make your own decisions and to use criticism to improve your scholarship. That means taking what helps and ignoring what misses the point. The only thing you really need to do with criticism that misses the point is ask yourself whether your point could be clearer or whether this person wants to see what he wants to see regardless.
This post is evidence that you've made that transition. And that transition in how you deal with criticism will serve you well wherever you end up. I wish you well in the search for meaningful work. You clearly have a lot to offer.
I have just found this post by doing a Google search with the keywords "criticism of academia," for very much the same reasons explained on your blog. Unfortunately, this is but my first semester in my PhD program and am discovering EXACTLY what you have described is the issue. In my lifetime, I have met many an idiot with a PhD, and now I know why. Also, the frustration goes beyond the criticism and unrealistic expectations to the fact that I find that such a model does little, if anything, to solve real-world problems. I'm in a program that has some critical global issues to contend with, and in my naive mind I thought I would somehow use what I can get out of the program (presumably "knowledge") to actually help solve or mitigate some of the problems. I now realize that academia is not interested in such things. And although this is my perspective, I stand by it using no reference to any academic "elite."ReplyDelete


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My name is Jennifer, and I live in New Jersey with my boyfriend, Mike, and our Senegal parrot, Loki. You can find out more about me on the About Me page. This blog is a work in progress, and there will be changes as I tinker with it.
About the header image: This is a photo I took in Delaware at Brandywine Creek Park this year. I noticed this single little flower hidden under a rock, and I couldn't resist snapping a picture. It reminds me that beauty is often hidden beneath a hard exterior.
I hope to come up with an idea for another website, which will be creative but hopefully also lucrative. I'm not looking for get-rich-quick schemes or pyramid schemes, but if anyone out there thinks they know something I might enjoy based on my interests (again, see the About Me page), drop me an email.


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In this case, a "Carnival" is a weblog post that brings attention to some of the week's most interesting and informative blogger-written articles within the broad spectrum of personal finance. It is a showcase of weblog posts, submitted by their authors or by casual readers for consideration.
Some of the topics considered for inclusion are budgeting, saving money, earning money, managing debt, living below your means, and any other topic somewhat related to personal finance.


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The Audi A6 ranks high among critics in the luxury car class, and it's no secret why. Three engines are available for the A6, suiting whatever you're looking for.
Tags: Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II
10 Most Powerful Sedans
The BMW M6 has a tasteful yet aggressive design and great performance. Under the hood the M6 is powered by a 560 horsepower 4.4 liter twin-turbo V-8 coupled to a seven-speed automatic.


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Watch Okja Full Movie
Okja online movie in quality HD for Free at 123movies.
A tender lady named Mija dangers the whole lot to stop an impressive, multi-national corporate from kidnapping her absolute best pal – an enormous animal named Okja.
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Actors: Ahn Seo-hyun, Byun Hee-bong, Daniel Henshall, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lily Collins, Paul Dano, Shirley Henderson, Steven Yeun, Tilda Swinton, Yoon Je-moon
Country: South Korea, USA
Duration: 122
Quality: HD
Release: 2017
IMDb: 7.4
Keywords:123movies Ahn Seo-hyun Byun Hee-bong Daniel Henshall Jake Gyllenhaal Lily Collins Okja full movie Paul Dano Shirley Henderson Steven Yeun Tilda Swinton watch movies Free Watch Okja Yoon Je-moon


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Choreography has undergone a radical evolution over the past 150 years and produced many influential and famous choreographers. Katherine Dunham, an American icon and revolutionary choreographer, is noted for her accomplishments over 97 years in dance, writing, directing, social activism and even archeology. Dunham, while on tour in the West Indies during the 1930s, became inspired by her surroundings and created a mesh of transforming classical dance to modern while incorporating local styles. Merce Cunningham was soloing under the Martha Graham Dance Company banner by the time he was 20, later opening his own studio in 1953 and eventually incorporating the use of computer technology into his choreography. Bob Fosse and Paul Taylor both took the dance world by storm by exuding sexuality in their performances, pushing classical styles to the next level. Rennie Harris brought hip hop and street dance to the main stage, an endeavor that changed the creative and storytelling aspect of dance forever.
These performers' legacies continue to influence new generations of choreographers. How will the dance styles of today stack up against moves in the future, and which trends will fall behind? What makes choreography truly unforgettable? Can anyone learn to dance? As Martha Graham once said, "Dance is the hidden language of the soul."


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Bucks In The News
Stories about The Bucks and our members that have appeared in the press and online.
Several Bucks receive recognition at SI Chamber of Commerce Building Awards
Bucks members received recognition at the SI Chamber of Commerce Building Awards: Jerry Amerosi, John Tardy, Glen Cutrona, and Cheryl Adolph.
Bucks & The City...City agencies visit us at our weekly meeting this month.
The Mayor's office organized representatives from a variety of city agencies to visit our club this month to hear our concerns. Other local networking groups joined us at this meeting.
Bucks member, Claudette Duff, expands her reach to seniors. Helping displaced Hurricane Sandy seniors.
Bucks member, Claudette Duff of Integrity Senior Services, is helping displaced Hurricane Sandy seniors by providing them comfort and a home.
Bucks sponsor Night of Networking 7. Set for Oct.20th.
Bucks are once again sponsoring the Night of Networking event at the Hilton on Oct. 20th. We hope to see you there.
Bucks Roll Out marketing campaign at SI Ferry
Our club rolled out its marketing campaign on the SI Ferry and in the terminal to educate the public on our membership and what we offer.
SI Museum hosts Grand Opening. Many media outlets cover the event.
Many press articles were generated from the opening of the SI Museum at its new location on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center.
Read the New York Times article here.
Read the Industry Magazine article here.
Read the www.silive.com article here.
Everything Entertainment highlighted in Crain's NY article on Papal Visit
Scott Weisberg of Everything Entertainment provided over a quarter of a mile of tenting for the Papal visit in New York City. The company was cited in a Crain's NY article.


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Minnesota won't have a showdown over medical marijuana this year.
Heather Azzi of Minnesotans for Compassionate Care, a pro-marijuana policy group, said Wednesday, March 13, that bills to permit marijuana for medical reasons will be introduced in the next week or two.
But Azzi, the group's political director, said the legislation won't move through Legislature this year.
"We just had a lot of background work to do before we got started," she said.
Supporters hope to latch onto efforts to relax marijuana laws in other states. Voters in Washington state and Colorado approved ballot measures last fall making it legal to possess small amounts of marijuana. It was a step beyond laws in 18 states that give people with certain conditions clearance to use marijuana after getting a physician's approval.
Medical marijuana proposals are circulating in at least a dozen states. Last week, Maryland's health secretary expressed support for legislation there, arguing the federal government has not brought charges against any state employees in other states who may have been involved with distributing medical marijuana.
Minnesota lawmakers approved a medical marijuana bill in 2009, but it ran into a veto by then-Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Current Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton told The Associated Press in December that he wasn't interested in decriminalizing marijuana for medical or recreational use. "I don't think we need another drug operating in our society," he said then.
There are no indications Minnesota's law enforcement community is willing to budge from its opposition. Dennis Flaherty, executive director of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, said supporters have yet to seek his group's input on the new proposal but he said any plan similar to the 2009 bill would be a nonstarter.
"It would be a regulatory and enforcement nightmare," Flaherty said.
Azzi said the new bill will include added precautions, including a provision for safety centers to check for marijuana impurities.
"There has to be a way for us to mitigate their concerns," she said. "We will be meeting with them between now and January to do just that."


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Tower Heist
Movies are such an inconsistent thing. Some are great, some not so much. Some end up surprising you while the quality of others can be deduced simply by watching trailers. Then there are those that are forgotten as soon as you walk out of the theater. Director Brett Ratner's new film, Tower Heist, is definitely a member of the latter breed. It's not a particularly bad film, but it's certainly nothing worthy of praise. It moves, it makes sounds, the credits roll and it's gone.
The plot follows the employees of a high-rise building, where its tenants expect 24 hour assistance, 7 days a week. There's Josh (Ben Stiller), the building manager, Charlie (Casey Affleck), Josh's brother-in-law, Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick), a newly bankrupt Wall Street businessman, Enrique (Michael Peña), a new employee whose only previous work experience is at Burger King, and Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe), a cleaning maid. All of them have given their hard earned money to their boss, Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), and trusted him to invest it wisely for them. However, they quickly realize they've been the victims of a Ponzi scheme and have lost their money, putting them all in dire financial situations. Deciding to take matters into their own hands, they partner with Slide (Eddie Murphy), a man with expertise in thievery, to steal Shaw's fortune.
In what is essentially Rush Hour meets Ocean's Eleven, Tower Heist is nothing more than a mild pleasantry, which, in this cinematic day and age, is both above average and not enough. It has a few good jokes and it attempts to tap into the economic woes many Americans are feeling today, though it's not so much a smart deliberation on the 2008 collapse as it is an economic revenge fantasy, but at least it's relatable. What this movie does so well is flip the real world on its head and bring to justice those who have gained from the suffering of others. It creates an ugly man, seemingly gentle on the surface, but a monster underneath, and puts him in his place. And it does it all with a smile. It doesn't make any assessment on the current situation; it only uses it as a tool for over-the-top shenanigans.
And over-the-top does it get. This thing gets so crazy, it could be argued it's more of an economic revenge fantasy than last week's similarly themed sci-fi fantasy, In Time. The ending sequence is so ludicrous it's hard to take seriously, but that's precisely the point. If In Time dissected the current financial situation with political statements and an allegorical narrative, Tower Heist is pure fluff. It's for those who aren't aware of the specifics of how we got to where we are, but know they should be angry at someone. A thinking person's movie this isn't, but that's not to say the silly approach to such a serious issue isn't welcome all the same.
Despite its intention to be simple fun, the heist depicted in the back half of the film is only moderately interesting. It's not carried out with precision like in other heist movies, but rather in the way one can only assume the script was written: without a plan and in haste. It's pulled through, however, thanks to its talented and diversified cast. It's fun watching Eddie Murphy finally let loose again after hiding behind so many fat suits and subduing himself with wretched family comedies. In this movie, as mediocre as it is, he reminds us why we loved him so much all those years ago. The rest of the cast is good as well, though Ben Stiller's on-again, off-again New York accent is distracting to the point of amateurism. Why an actor who has been around for so long fell into such an obvious trap is beyond me, but he nevertheless does what he can. The problem is there just isn't much for him (or anyone else) to do that doesn't involve outlandish situations and helpful narrative coincidences. Tower Heist is diverting fun while it lasts, but it's not funny enough, smart enough or exciting enough to be anything more.
Tower Heist receives 3/5


text: Ellicott City, MD, October 24, 2016 – American Health Network has won the Site Patient Enrollment Innovation Achievement (SPRIA) Award. This award recognizes a research site that has developed and implemented an innovative patient recruitment program. The award was given after the finalists presented their plans at the Global Site Solutions Summit and the judging panel determined the winner.


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This weekend I spent a little time out at Sandy Beach, which is located in Douglas, AK. The beach is only about six miles from our house (this is very close considering we live about four miles out into North Douglas). When I am feeling lazy but still need to get Specks out on a good, energy burning walk we venture to the beach and hike a few of the trails as we meander along the shore. Enjoy these awesome pictures. They were a joy to take as Specks and I wandered around in the woods.
|Ready and anxious for a walk!
|View entering Sandy Beach.
|Abandoned buildings on the trail.
|Graffiti-outside of the building.
|Graffiti and makeshift beds.
|Graffiti and an old heating unit.
|Abandoned mine.
|View through the trees.
|The sun beginning to go down over the mountains.


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TRIUM Capstone Projects
The Capstone Project sits at the heart of TRIUM. It is an opportunity to apply your program learning to your current business environment, a start-up or a social cause.
The Capstone Project brings your coursework to life in a potentially life-changing way. As part of a team you will choose a project category and develop a business idea from inception to launch, leveraging the resources of our program and faculty, your classmates and alumni connections.
The Capstone Project offers you the intellectual space, resources and mandate to strike out in a new and innovative direction: the opportunity to take your vision, expertise and experience, and make something new, by identifying a niche and creating a business to fill it. And, whether your interest in our program is to further your career in a major corporation, or give you the confidence to set out on your own, your participation in the project will enable you to do so in ways you may never have considered before.
Capstone will either bring the INTRApreneur out of you even more or will unearth the ENTREpreneur in you. One is not better than the other. They are just different dynamics and life choices. In TRIUM, fact is most of us are working for big companies, and will in the end most likely continue to do so – but in a different way than ever before. TRIUM will have changed you."
The Capstone Journey
Module 1: Kick Off
Formal introduction by Capstone Project Directors to allow students to start thinking of ideas and forming teams.
Module 2: Idea Generation
Students pitch ideas to the class to start the Darwinian idea marketplace. Teams and base ideas are near final by the end of the module.
Module 3: Teams Go!
Final Capstone prospectus is approved by the Capstone Project Directors.
Module 4: First Progress Report
First informal presentation of project ideas in a closed door environment with the Capstone Project Directors and TRIUM Academics.
Module 5: Live Test Run
Formal live presentation summarising the project is made to classmates.
Module 6: Final Presentation
Teams submit their final report and make their formal presentation to the Capstone Board.
Capstone Project Case studies
Lost in Moscow? Call MediaCab to the Rescue
In September 2012, Term Project MediaCab went live on the streets of Moscow. Launched by TRIUM alumni, including Konstantin Sidorov, 20 taxis recreated the comfort, lifestyle, safety and efficiency that Konstantin had experienced the year before in New York when he got into a taxi to make his way to a TRIUM class. This was no easy feat given the market, or perilous race course for better words, of the current taxi regime in the Russian capital. The combination of a lot of hard work, lobbying, detailed research, a diverse team of professionals, innovative creativity, and good timing all ensured the momentum needed to keep the project's wheels rolling.
Living the Dream – Swaady Martin-Leke
TRIUM Alumna Swaady Martin-Leke was recently named one of Forbes Magazine 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa in 2012. Swaady was also recently featured on CNN Africa highlighting the great opportunities for luxury goods in the African marketplace.
At some point during her many years with General Electric Co., where she was most recently GE Transportation's Regional Director for the US $300 million Sub-Saharan subsidiary, Swaady Martin-Leke, Class of 2012, developed a dream. "I wanted to do something very different, something that promotes our African resources, culture, and identity," she recalls. "It was my dream to capture true African luxury, change the world's perception of Africa, and produce a luxury brand that is truly African in origin, nature, and tradition." Swaady's dream of breaking out and doing something new motivated her to apply to TRIUM.
A Sustainable and Profitable Business Opportunity
"Is it possible for small businesses to do great things on small budgets?" According to TRIUM 2010 graduates and current business partners, Ameet Sardesai and Arend de Jong, not only is this possible, but it can also be profitable too! Launched in 2012, they created RenewThink Inc., a strategy advisory firm aimed at accelerating the development of sustainable strategies in businesses and (semi-) public organizations.
Ever since their meeting at LSE in 2008, Ameet and Arend have been talking about their passion for business with real societal impact. At TRIUM's Ten Year Alumni Anniversary event in 2011, they sat down and started discussions around what has now become RenewThink.
Academy for Social Entrepreneurs
Empowering Women One Job at a Time
Dr. Kalpana Sankar, TRIUM Alumna 2012, has a lot to smile about. Her Indian based NGO Hand in Hand is celebrating its 10th year of empowering women and serving the community, creating over 1.3 million jobs for women in the process. In its short lifespan, the achievements and impact of Hand in Hand have been impressive – this is no doubt due to the leadership, passion and determination of its tireless CEO.
Dr. Sankar undertook her TRIUM studies during a crucial time for Hand in Hand India. With ambitious targets to expand to over 15 countries, Hand in Hand needed to reevaluate its business model, branding, and redefine its mission. TRIUM's unique coursework, focusing on an incubator project, became the perfect testing ground to explore the NGO's new expansion plan. This case study became the basis of her Capstone project, Academy for Social Entrepreneurs.
Bringing Traditional and Organic Foods Closer to Home
Growing up in Canada as a young man, Iranian born Cyrus Razzaghi missed eating his grandmother's traditional Persian cuisine and the Italian cuisine he got to love as a teenager in Italy- the natural spices and healthy nuts, and the fresh pasta and dizzying variety of cheese were hard to come by, unless you shopped in expensive specialty stores. What if, he thought, these delicious healthy and traditional foods could become available at corner stores and even directly to consumers at the click of a button? His journey to bridge the gap and make organic, healthy and ethnic/specialty products more accessible and affordable inevitably became the focus of his TRIUM Capstone Project, SabioQ.
As a serial entrepreneur with past experience in e-Commerce, Cyrus contemplated how to launch this concept. At TRIUM, he not only met his future co-founders, but their talents and combined expertise, and passion for good eating, provided the ingredients for success.


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Ericksonian Hypnosis Cards-Salad: do what you love
Ericksonian Hypnosis Cards-Salad: do what you love "Ericksonian Hypnosis Cards" are for putting people into trance, and guiding them to access the resources that will help them make certain changes. These are great whether you're doing formal hypnosis, public speaking, or just want to tell more engaging stories. They are based on the work of Milton Erickson, and also include techniques for wiring in the infamous NLP Milton Model, the world's most powerful hypnotic communication tool there is! List Price: $ 29.95 Price: $…. Click Here to Read More


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Strength in action (especially through stealth), and personal power. Decisiveness, the attitude of "act now, think later." Extremely in touch with basic instincts. Smooth in action and capable, with an edge of danger. Dreaming of this animal can represent:
For more clues, pay attention to what the animal was doing or any particular characteristic that stood out.


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Croydon Council has confirmed work on Croydon's answer to Bluewater shopping centre will not begin until late 2009.
The original works timetable for Park Place set a start date for spring this year, with completion expected in 2012.
The council said it was not expected to receive a new planning application from developer Minerva until October or November this year.
It is understood a new plan is being drafted in a last ditch attempt to lure John Lewis to Croydon. It follows a turbulent time for Minerva and the Park Place scheme.
It recently parted company with another firm it called in to lure the department store in and there have been a series of setbacks for the £500m plan.
At last week's full council meeting Councillor Chris Wright said: "Work is currently under way to redesign the scheme to take into account the requirements of the preferred anchor store for the scheme.
"Minerva is currently negotiating with the preferred store, with the expectation of signing within the next few months.
"It would be premature for me to suggest a completion date for this scheme now, although I can say I think it unlikely demolition work will start prior to the end of 2009."


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More in Garden / Backyard
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The bigger the better when it comes to a down payment. Whether you have good credit or bad credit, you can get a better interest rate if you put more down. There are a lot of car dealers that will let you drive off the lot with nothing down, but that's not a great choice.
You'll pay a higher rate of interest for that privilege and you'll of course pay longer because you will have financed more money overall. If those are things that you can live with then that's fine, but why not save yourself some money in the long run by putting money down when buying your car? If you don't have any money saved up that you can use for a down payment you might not really be able to afford the car that you want anyway, so that's something to consider.
Even dealers that require you to put money down often let you get away with only putting around five or ten percent down. If you can, though, put down twenty percent or more. Not only will it lower your rate of interest and your payment each month, but it will also lower your total amount paid, and paying something off sooner will help you raise your credit score.
That's a great thing to be able to do in today's world where the economy is so problematic. By putting a larger amount down you may also be able to get a shorter loan term and still afford your payment, which is a huge plus overall.


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Join me for 12 Days of Cheese
Starting December 8th, I will be posting unusual and tasty cheeses that will be awesome for holiday platters or your own DYI Cheese Advent Calendar!
If you want more inspiration, check out the 29 unusual fine cheeses featured in my e-book, How to Say Cheese. In addition to more platter ideas, there are tips on which rinds are toxic and how to tell if your cheese is fresh or ready for the bin.
Check back often to for ideas on your next flavour discovery and which retailers from around the globe will be joining me. Better yet, sign up for my cheese club newsletter to find out first hand what cheese counters in your area carry these unusual and tasty selections. Some retailers may have holiday discounts on the featured cheeses.


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� A Worthington woman reported that someone in France gained access to her credit-card information and used it to charge more than $13,000 worth of items.
� A Worthington woman reported that someone in France gained access to her credit-card information and used it to charge more than $13,000 worth of items.
� On Sept. 4, a woman in the 300 block of Kenbrook Drive ordered two pairs of shoes from China. Instead of shoes, she received a page of �happy� bear stickers.
� On Nov. 10 in the 6600 block of Hayhurst, someone used the homeowner�s credit card to charge $1,000 worth of items.
� On Nov. 17, someone used a credit card of a homeowner in the 700 block of Evening Street to charge items online.
� On Nov. 21 between 12:20 and 1:10 p.m., an iPod was stolen from a book bag in a locker at Thomas Worthington High School.
� On Nov. 17 or 18, someone stole drugs from the drug locker at the Laurels of Worthington, 6830 N. High St.
� On Nov. 25 at 4:30 p.m. in the 500 block of Lakeview Plaza Boulevard, an officer saw a marijuana pipe in the center console of a parked vehicle. When the owner exited the building, he handed over a small amount of marijuana.
� On Nov. 26 between midnight and noon in the 500 block of Loveman Avenue, a laptop was stolen from a vehicle.
� Between Nov. 18 and 20 in the 400 block of Colonial, someone scratched words in the paint of a parked vehicle.
� On Nov. 18 between 8:15 a.m. and 3:05 p.m. at Thomas Worthington High School, a vehicle was broken into and a GPS stolen.
� On Nov. 17 between 4:30 and 5 p .m. in the 500 block of Hartford Street, someone stole a leaf blower and a weed trimmer from a driveway while the homeowner was mowing grass.


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July 2015 A Regulatory & Legislative Advisory for Compliance Professionals
Inside . . .
Consumer News
2 Tighter Loan Rules
for Servicemembers
4 ABA Wins All Four
Mobile Alert
Exemptions from FCC
5 ABA Disparate
Impact Analysis
5 Trades Question
Basis for Campus
Banking Proposal
Bank Secrecy Act
6 Stolen ID Tax Fraud
in South Florida
7 Update on Iran
Cybersecurity are
Growing regulatory compliance burdens have led nearly half of banks to reduce their
offerings of financial products and services, according to ABA's biannual Survey of
Bank Chief Compliance Officers released on July 21. A combined 46.3 percent said
their banks had cut offerings for loan accounts, deposit accounts, both, or for other
services – up slightly from 2011 and 2013 and up substantially from the 21.9 percent
who reported exiting a product line or channel due to regulatory burdens in 2009.
Meanwhile, nearly 46 percent of chief compliance officers said their banks had either
decided not to launch a product, open a new channel, or hold off on entering a new
market or had held off while determining the regulatory effect.
For example, the Ability-to-Repay Rule has led 34 percent of banks to turn down
otherwise creditworthy mortgage borrowers, according to the survey. An additional 20
percent said they were not sure. The rule's impact was felt most by banks with
between $1 billion and $10 billion in assets, of which 42.5 percent said the rule had
limited credit. About one-third of banks are exclusively making Qualified Mortgage
In addition to managing an institution's compliance function, many compliance officers
also serve as responsibility officers for functions such as Bank Secrecy Act,
Community Reinvestment Act, and privacy.
The survey covered trends in compliance outsourcing and third-party systems. Nearly
half of banks have outsourced at least one compliance obligation; of these, 76.9
percent outsourced the compliance audit function, 46.3 percent outsourced fair lending
reviews and 22.3 percent outsourced UDAP/UDAAP reviews. Large numbers of
bankers reported using third-party software or systems to handle Bank Secrecy Act,
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and foreign sanctions requirements.
Over 75 percent of respondents perform an enterprise-wide risk assessment. These
are typically performed at least annually, and are either performed separately or
integrated with product, service, or activity risk assessments. Most risk assessments
continue to be performed using common desktop applications or manually.
A little over half of banks have one to five compliance FTEs. At banks with under $100
million in assets, two-thirds have one FTE or fewer. Just over 55 percent say
compliance budgets have risen since 2013, mostly due to hiring more staff and
handling a growing regulatory burden. Especially at smaller banks, compliance chiefs
are also likely to serve as CRA officers, BSA officers and chief privacy officers.
ABA conducted its 2015 Survey of Bank Chief Compliance Officers from February to
Click to subscribe to this magazine


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I had to create a birthday card for our friends' son, who turned 4 this weekend. I thought MFT's Flopsey was PERFECT for a little boy's card. I just love him and always have a great time coloring him up with my Copic Markers.
I decided to paper piece the cake and add Dazzling Diamonds to the cake frosting. I stamped the candles directly onto the card, colored them up with my At You Spica glitter pens and positioned my cut-out Flopsey so the candles lined up with the cake. :-) I used the Simply Scallops Die-namics die to border the bottom of the card. So fun!! It's such a BLAST making these easel cards --- THANKS Splitcoast stampers for the awesome tutorial on YouTube!
Be sure to check back later tonight... I have 2 more MFT projects to share with you for Teaser day #4!


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It seems like these morphsuits are taking over the world - I get that they're supposed to be fun, but I think they're creepy as Hell. If I'm at a party and see someone jumping around in one of these, I'm going to the other side of the room... just sayin'.
I mean, look at this thing - it looks like something you would wear to some weird-o fetish party!
One more thing; why are they called "Morph Suits" anyway? Doesn't "Morph" mean to change into something else?
Well kiddies, if you're wearing one of these in public, you have morphed into a creepy JACKASS!


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Ultra lightweight but packed with plenty of protection, Optimum's Atomik Rugby Head Guard has been IRB Approved.
Featuring a closed cell foam design for maximum cranial comfort that brings vital protection to your head, the head guard remains flexible as well as durable to sit comfortably on all head shapes and sizes.
With plenty of air vent sections to help you keep your head and remain cool, the perfect fit is achieved through the elastic lace drawstring positioned on the back of the head guard and the adjustable velcro chin strap.
Standard Delivery Service - £4.99
Delivery takes 3-5 working days and will be shipped via Hermes. This is a flat charge for an unlimited number of items.
UK Express Delivery - £6.99
(£8.99 for highlands/islands) Order and receive your order the next working day.
Express pre-noon - £11.95
UK mainland only
Collect+ - £5.99
Have your items delivered to a Collect+ store near you.
To see postage options for your destination please choose your shipping country at the top of the page.
If for any reason you are not satisfied with your purchase from Barrington Sports, you may return the product(s) to us within 28 days of the purchase date for a refund or exchange.
Free exchanges (UK only) - We will then re-send the replacement item(s) back to you on standard delivery service at no extra cost.
Collect+ Returns - With over 7,000 stores nationwide Collect+ is the simple and easy way to return your parcel.Find out more about returning products


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While applying for an internship, I was asked to give access to my Linkedin Profile to sign up. Following that, they parsed all my information based on what they needed. That made me think about the extent of information someone can access based on social login. Several questions came to my mind. These include:
- How aware are we about information shared online?
- How easy is it for someone to get access to your information?
- What is the extent of access to user profiles through social media APIs?
- How often do you use one user profile to login/sign up for another?
- How can we physically represent social media existence?
While researching data representation, I realized that it all looked circular.
That reminded me of a dream catcher. The way a dream catcher filters our dreams, Big Data also filters structured and unstructured data available.
A dream catcher is a Native American concept and one of their most conspicuous symbols today. Carl Jung considers its an archetypal symbol and believes that through its contemplation, one can contemplate one's self.
Big data is large volumes of high velocity, complex and variable data that requires advanced technologies and techniques to enable the capture, storage, distribution, management and analysis of information. One part of big data is social media analytics. It is the analysis of structured and unstructured data from social media. It is a small part of a lot of data.
Data representation is a convention for arrangement of things in the physical world in such a way as to enable information to be encoded and later decoded by suitable automatic systems. There are 2 types:
- Analog representation – based on analogy
- Digital representation – symbolic – finite symbols used
Thus, my research question is 'Can physical representation of social media existence make users realize the negatives of social login?'. The concept statement is 'I am creating a Internet of Things installation for social media users to realize the ease with which anyone can access their personal information and online activities in the context of the convenience of social login.'
For the same, I aim at using seven of the most popular social media sites:
- Google+
- Youtube
The idea is to take input from the user and light up a dream catcher based on the amount of information received. The digital representation in binary is symbolized by LEDs.
I started with working on the Facebook and Twitter APIs. The Twitter API works. However, the constraint with the functioning is that unless the username is inputted, it finds all the people with that particular name and lists them. While twitter still manages to give some information, the remaining APIs have moved from oAuth 1.0 to oAuth 2.0 which does not allow pulling of any information without authorized access by the user. As part of installation, it is not ideal, feasible or appropriate to ask a viewer to grant access six times. They would get annoyed and walk away.
The APIs are a bigger challenge than I anticipated.
- Individual authorizations for every media are time-consuming and would push viewers away
- The shift of APIs to oAuth 2.0 makes it difficult to pull data without user authorization
- A new access token needs to be created to access every user account and they only last a few minutes
- The amount and difficulty of coding required would not allow me to complete the project by the due date
Keeping these challenges in mind, I am looking at changing my idea and pursuing a new one.
To work on a new idea, I have had to move on from most of my domains. However, I still want to work with Internet of Things. Although I am not making a physical installation, I want to combine the idea of a physical device controlled by an app, which is the essence of IoT. Thinking about all the IoT possibilities, I did not want to work with home applications as that is a widely tapped market. Doing some more research, I realized that one of the least targeted markets is an IoT lock for a bag pack.
IoT locks exist for homes but not for bag packs. There are other ways of locking bags like:
- Cable lock
- Exomesh
- Pad lock
All these are external locks. They are limiting in multiple ways like pad locks can be used only with zippers, cable locks are long and exomesh fit only a certain style of bags. Mainly, they give away the fact that the bag contains something valuable. But what if there was a lock that was not visible to the eye? A lock that was internal and could be used on any bag? No new bag brand but a new bag lock. Thus, I want to create an Internet of Things lock for people to use with any kind of bag, which allows them control over the lock using a phone application in a way that can be used in their daily lives and not give away the contents of the bag.
Research Question
'How can Internet of Things be used to create a better bag lock than the existing options?'
While researching further, I realized that my focus is not to replace the existing options. Instead I want to focus on adding to the options. Thus, I changed my research question.
'Would an invisible lock, created using Internet of Things, be a viable option to secure backpacks?'
Concept Statement
'I am creating an IoT lock for bag users to secure their backpacks and handbags easily and discreetly using a phone app in the context of public places.'
The focus of the project is on keywords:
- discreet
- easy
- public places
Based off the concept statement, the concept is to create a physical device that can is invisible externally. Thus, there is a lock. But the lock functions on the inside of the bag. That is how the lock is 'invisible'. It is discreet by not being visible to people. In other words, its 'keeping honest people honest or rather dishonest people less dishonest', as quoted by Morry Galonoy.
- Physical security and access control
Physical security is security measures that are designed to deny unauthorized access to facilities, equipment and resources, and to protect personnel and property from damage or harm. Within physical security, the emphasis is on 'alarm systems and sensors' as the lock is to avoid theft without raising a finger at someone in a public space.
Implemented physical security means controlling access to personnel and property. The only way to access the control is by providing the right key, in this case, using the app with the right 4-digit code. The lock is the barrier to access but the alarm in the lock lets you know that the control is working.
- Internet of Things
Internet of Things refers to the networked interconnection of everyday objects, which are often equipped with ubiquitous intelligence. Such interconnection transforms the objects into smart objects that can understand and react to the environment. Similarly, BagLock is taking the concept of simple electromgnets and making them smart by allowing controllability of the magnets in the hands of the user to proctect their bag contents.
- Product design
Product design presents an in-depth study of the structured design processes and methods. It is a set of activities that involves more than engineering. It is fraught with risks and opportunities, and it requires effective judgement over technology, the market and the time. As BagLock is a new option for an existing market segment, it requires to be designed and presented in a manner that highlights its need and people accept it over other existing options.
- Human centered design
Human centered design is based on physical and psychological needs of the human user, enabling the user to function at the highest level possible. The design has to enhance human abilities, overcome human limitations and foster human acceptance. BagLock highlights the need for discretion and easy use of locks in public places like crowded trains and subways or semi-private areas like cafes and libraries.
Process Update
Design and User Testing
To make this concept a reality, I started with branding the project first. Giving it an identity makes it feel more real than just a concept. Since the idea is to lock a bag, I have named it 'BagLock'.
Then I went on to identifying the colors generally used to depict security. Based off the color psychology for consumers in the below image, I initially decided to use green as the lock is to protect belongings considered 'wealth' metaphorically. However, while identifying the project domains, I changed the color scheme to blue. One of the domains is 'Physical Security and Access Control' and so Blue seems to be a more appropriate choice; with the color inducing 'sensation of trust and security'.
The initial concept of the logo was a monogram in shades of green. But the first idea did not represent the idea as desired. I tried changing the structure of the monogram and added a zipper to give the feeling of a lock. But then realized that when the logo is minimized in size, the zipper looks like a blob. Then I moved on to making it look more like a lock and created the letter 'B' using lock handles inspired from Google cliparts of locks. But the green shades did not go with theme. And then I changed the color scheme to shades of blue to play on the 'trust and security' psychology of the color.
The logo I am using for the project is
The research for the product was divided into 3 parts.
- Part 1 – Survey questionnaire
- Part 2 – User test paper prototype of the app
- Part 3 – User test digital wireframes of the app
The survey questionnaire[1] contains questions regarding the users' demographic information, current interest in physical security for backpacks and potential interest in a product like 'BagLock'. The form was created in 'Google Forms' and distributed over social media to receive feedback on the possibility of acceptance for the said product. Five responses were recorded and used to derive a conclusion. The questionnaire did not focus on the app. It aimed at the researching people's need and desire for such a product.
The second research phase was user testing the paper prototype of the app. The proposed layouts for the app were sketched on paper and cut out, as they would actually appear on the phone. The participants were identified from my friends and family based on the predefined user behaviors. They were not given any specific tasks but were asked to think aloud as they navigated through it. The app contains a limited number of pages, mainly four, so the focus was to see the learnability of the app if they were to actually use it. As the participants clicked or swiped on paper, the page would manually be swapped for the next one. Their interactions, mainly hand movements and gestures and vocal thoughts, were recorded to analyze and improve on existing designs. Responses of six participants were recorded for the next iteration.
The third phase included creation of digital wireframes[3]. Based on suggestions and user responses in the second phase, the digital wireframes were created in Adobe Illustrator as a guideline for the specifications of the actual app. The wireframes were shown to a single participant. The main purpose of the wireframes was to be used as a base for developing the app rather than redesigning the interaction.
The final user test will be conducted as the fourth phase[4]. This phase will occur after the app and physical product have been developed for functionality. The application will be developed as website that interacts with the lock over Wi-Fi using a Raspberry Pi. Based on an instructions sheet, participants will be asked to install the lock in their bag and run the app on their phones. This will provide an opportunity to make the final tweaks for the product to be ready.
Attachment A includes the questionnaire used
Number of participants: 5
Location: Online, through social media using Google Forms
Age group:
|Number of Participants
|18 to 24
|24 to 30
|30 to 35
|Above 35
Current use of locks:
|Lock to secure backpacks
|Number of Participants
Potential use of externally invisible lock:
|Lock to secure backpacks
|Number of Participants
Use an app to control a backpack lock:
|Use an app
|Number of Participants
Attachment B includes the paper prototype:
Number of participants: 6
- D12, Parsons School of Design
Age of Participants:
|Number of Participants
|18 to 24
|24 to 30
|30 to 35
|Above 35
Successful interactions:
|Enter code and press submit
|Swipe the zipper up to lock
|Swipe the zipper down to unlock
|Swipe to pull menu down
|Swipe to push menu back
|Click on settings in menu
|Tap on options in settings for dropdowns
|Adjust volume in settings using range
Attachment C includes the wireframes:
Number of participants: 1
- D12, Parsons School of Design
- Showed the wireframes to get feedback on layout
Based on the three user tests done, the following recommendations and suggestions were received:
Phase 2: Recommendations
- An alternative for the pass code could be found to access the app. This would reduce the time taken to lock or unlock
- The zipper is fun as all 6 participants enjoyed swiping it to lock or unlock
- 3 out 6 participants expected a prompt to tell them what the zipper does
- 4 out 6 participants expected a feedback once the zipper was pulled to the top of the screen
- The options available in the 'Settings' were sufficient, as they would not change much besides the volume or tone of alert and probably the passcode.
Phase 3: Recommendation
- The words used as prompt could be more playful and less direct, although the play on words should not be too indirect.
- 3 out 5 people were willing to try out a product like BagLock if it did exist
- The participants appreciated the zipper interaction
- Immediate learnability of the app was high as all 6 participants new how the interactions worked, although limited prompts would ease the process
- 4 out 6 participants tapped the menu button to drop it down instead of sliding it to pull it down.
Attachment D includes screenshots of the actual app and sketches of the physical lock prototype:
There are two parts to the project. The app and the physical lock. For the purpose of prototyping for the project, the app is developed in HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. Coding it as a website makes it easier to connect it to the physical object using a NodeJS server.
The technology fot the physical lock includes:
- raspberry pi
- electromagnet
- transistor tip120
- 9v battery
The first attempt was using a raspberry pi. But due to wrong wiring, the pi was spoilt.
The second attempt was using an Arduino and corrected the wiring and the circuit worked. The magnetism could be controlled using a digital signal from the Arduino to the electromagnet.
After one successful attempt, I replaced the Arduino with the RFduino to try using Bluetooth to control the magnet. However, for the RFduino BLE module to work with the web app, I do not have adequate technology. The other limitation is that the BLE module works only with certain pre-coded apps and devices. Thus, I am using the raspberry pi and Wi-Fi to control the magnet.
Final Presentation
Final Project Paper
Final Research Report for Major Studio 2 – project 'BagLock'


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So today was filled with lots of madness, and awesomeness. I had a lot of fun at prom! My girl K & me did a whole lot of fast dancing which made it that much more fun! However not everything was how I pictured it when I was growing up as a little girl. I thought I would go to prom with a guy I'm pretty in love with, however I went with JUST a friend & if you ever go to a dance with a friend don't expect him to ask you to dance, or for him to shave, or even talk to you. goodness goodnes goodness. Even though it wasn't my dream prom, my girls made it so fun (love y'all), and H got prom queen, so I was totally happy for her! Overall it was a blast, and I loved seeing everyone dress up!
Love B