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I erred today and I blame no one but myself. It was a moment of madness. I was a bit grumpy and I had a poor night's sleep. I had received too many irksome emails from my English masters who had been annoying me from their far away ivory towers. In London. I was on the train and it had been raining so I had my umbrella.
So I was armed and I was dangerous.
In Singapore in each train carriage there are designated seats for the elderly and for pregnant women and these are very clearly marked. There are amusing little caricatures of an old man and woman with walking sticks and a lady with a swollen belly above each of these seat and there is text in four different languages that also asks train travelers to consider such passengers and to give up these seats.
So the designation is clear for both the literate and the illiterate.
I have on many occasions witnessed young Singaporean women leap to their feet and usher both the elderly and expecting mothers to such seats. Often these seats are occupied by young Singaporean men. I have previously cast such men an inquisitive glance. Sometimes I have given them a withering stare or I have nodded my head towards someone standing. Someone more deserving to be sitting than they. In most cases they too have offered up their seats but they have done so a little more reluctantly.
In recent times I have noticed a cunning ploy that has been adopted by some young Singaporean men. Not all mind you - but a few. They have dived into such seats and then they have immediately feigned sleep. This happened this morning. It happened when I was grumpy and peeved - and when I was armed and dangerous.
After one stop an enormously pregnant but tiny little Indian lady got on the train and almost instinctively I prodded the sleepy Singaporean with my umbrella. Gently mind you - just to rouse him. One bespectacled eye opened and then closed, which forced me to prod again.
Then both eyes opened. They opened in a shallow squint.
I nodded my head to the pregnant lady who was standing directly in front of him and who was next to me. To my great chagrin, he then again closed both his eyes.
The third prod was less gentle.
His eyes then fully opened and he snarled, "What?
That was his first mistake.
I replied that he must stand up. I told him that the poor lady was pregnant and she should sit down. The Singaporean man than called me a "Stupid British'.
Which was his second mistake.
This was a most unwise comment to make to any Australian - under any circumstances. Not the "stupid" comment - just the "British. It was like waving a red rag to an enraged bull.
Without raising my voice I suggested that he stand immediately or I would set him on fire. He, the pregnant lady and all other passengers within earshot looked visibly alarmed and there was a collective gasp. Nevertheless, stand he did.
The prospect of incineration is a powerful motivator.
The Indian lady of course refused then to sit down and I had to force her.
The Singaporean man glared at me for the next 10 minutes. It was a little awkward and a tad uncomfortable. He alighted the train one stop before me and as he exited he smirked at me and he took my photo with his mobile phone.
I'm not sure why but it has been concerning me all day.


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Content Marketing Strategy by The Economist around New Year!
It's that time of the year when we all would like to look back. We all would wait for TV channels to air top 10 world news, top 10 sports news etc. Here is an example of how a publishing brand has provided an interactive experience of looking back on their website with the help… Continue reading »

subset: commoncrawl


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An interview with screenwriter Ian Coburn regarding the Hollywood Scriptwriting Writing Competition.Q: What's the title of the script you entered in this contest, and what's it about?
A: "Amber Alert." Hmm, perhaps a clue to the plot in the title... It's a fast-paced thriller/mystery. I set out to accomplish what they did in "The Fugitive"; that is, tell a great story admist constant action and chase tension. I had a blast writing it! Normally one of the obstacles when writing is "How do I get from this exciting scene to the next one?" Not an issue here, as each scene had to be exciting itself, so there is no "down-time". It's constantly moving while it constantly tells the story and works toward solving the mystery. Every part of the script was exciting to write and I never paused to figure out how to "get from there to here."Q: What made you enter this particular contest? Have you entered any other contests with this script? If so, how did you do?
A: I entered another script, "The Unthinkable", the previous month and got useful feedback, which is what I look for in a contest. They actually sent me the rating sheet they used to score the script, which earned an 8/10. More importantly, it contained notes. It's important to note that all entertainment mediums are subjective, so following one set of notes is probably not too helpful. But when these notes are compared to the notes of friends or other contest notes, etc, a pattern can be seen. In that pattern is where the good and bad can be seen about the script.
So, I decided to enter some other scripts, one a month. Next thing I knew, "Amber Alert" had won. I have not entered it into any other competitions and probably won't.
A: The contest is run very professionally and I just mailed off a romantic comedy, not entered in any other contests, for the notes they provide. They met their deadlines ahead of time and while I have not followed up yet on the award package yet, I am sure it will be fulfilled. (I'm busy contacting agencies with the information on the win currently, trying to catch that all-important break.)Q: Were you given any feedback on your script? If so, did you find the feedback helpful?
A: Oops, I already answered this question. So, I'll just babble on about something else... while camping in Canada last week, I saw a lynx. It was really cool!
Seriously, having written as a stand-up for so long, I had the fortune of learning that creating is a process. Feedback is important to that process but must be weighed by personal choices. Someone may tell you, "Don't do that!" but if that's exactly what you want to do, you probably SHOULD do it. I saw "8mm" years ago when my friend was late for "Analyze This" and it had sold out. I remember critiques saying it was too harsh and showed too much; that it was disturbing. I agree, it was disturbing, I literally had trouble sleeping that night. But I think that's what the director WANTED. He wanted viewers to find it unsettling. So, instead of telling them they went overboard, I say congrats on achieving your goal. Good job.
I haven't received my feedback for this script yet, but it will be useful, I guarantee it.
A: Too early to tell, but as a comedian turned scriptwriter-with-some-good-successes I used to work with says, "In this industry, any heat is good heat." So, I think if I use the results and market it properly, some good things will happen.
I have heard from a few agents, who have given me some good advice. Also, Radmin gets the results, so I'll be contacting them soon to see if they want a copy. (I'm horribly impatient, which is not good in a "hurry up and wait" industry, such as this one and comedy.)
UPDATE: Okay, ten minutes after finishing this interview, Radmin contacted me for a copy of the script. Good news! We'll see what happens, keep your fingers crossed.
A: I started stand-up comedy at age 19, while I was in college. Soon, I was all over the road, touring. (I didn't go to classes much any ways, so I figured I might as well be making money!) I literally mailed in term papers or skipped exams to make gigs. My Junior year, I was hardly ever on campus. I was good and made a good living, thankfully. Sold my own t-shirts, etc, after shows even. (If you can actually have people pay YOU to advertise... well, it doesn't get better than that.)
I had ideas, though, that fit better into screenplays than on stage and couldn't tackle them. I wanted to do some scripts but found the format to be a pain and I knew nothing about it. To complicate things, back then, you had to put in some camera shots, etc. One day another comedian said, "Ah, you know, they have programs that will do that for you." Dah. So I got a small guide from the Writer's Guild and learned the basics. Later, when I got software, I tinkered a little and between it and the guide, I was good to go and finally got my ideas down on paper.
I actually wrote several episodes to my own created sitcom after college on an old wordprocesser, which I never tried to submit to anyone. They're very funny but served even a better purpose by "cutting my teeth".
A: Nope. I actually hit LA as a comedian and found that industry to be ruthless. Nearly every comedian I met that I didn't already know was busy plotting to screw other acts over and lied like the Titanic on the bottom of the sea. Like I said, I was successful, so when I got out there, I had plenty of stage time already setup. A bunch of acts who hung out every night for years w/out much experience were peeved and felt that they're hanging out should give them mic time, not experience. Two things to know about the entertainment industry: One, take every piece of advice, including any I've given, with a grain of salt. There are no real rules, outside of the basics. For example, emcees do 15 minutes, not 45. And scripts must be in the proper format. If you don't follow those rules, you'll never get past the door. But those are the only real rules. Two, build your talent before you market it. Too many times new comedians are concerned with selling t-shirts or getting more mic time, when they have nothing to sell or not enough to say to fill up even five minutes, just as new writers try to push their script or enter it into a contest before they've finished it or query agents before they've edited the script or had friends read it. TAKE YOUR TIME. Hone your craft and be willing to always hone it, no matter how successful you may be fortunate to become. That's where you will learn HOW to write for YOURSELF. (Many times new writers simply mimick advice--"Write five pages a day" "Outline first" "Take a class". Remember, grain of salt. Write and keep writing, finding what's comfortable for YOU.) Remember, I'm not a new writer; I'm a new writer for SCRIPTS. I already have the fortune of knowing how to write for me, I just had to learn how to adapt to scripts. And I constantly have to be willing to adjust. My task is to take my already successful writing skill and show the script industry that it will be successful on screen as well, which is not an easy task, believe me. Plus, I still have a lot to learn... and always will.
What was the ? Oh yeah, if I had to, I would move to LA, but I have a nephew in Chicago I help raise and until recently I was involved in taking care of my father, who unfortunately passed away last month (I guess I didn't do a very good job...) No, he had diabetes and then a heart attack. I learned some important things from him.
A: I always have ideas for stories and thus scripts. My biggest obstacle with writing is to slow down and not get ahead of myself. Finish this story before jumping the gun to the next one. As I write, I'll have ideas that won't fit in the current script but I hang onto for use in another script. Some of them create a concept for an entire another story. I jot them down or make a mental note and continue with my current script. That's not to say I stick to the idea I'm currently writing. Many times writers try to hang onto an idea that just doesn't fit and force it into a "square peg", while a new idea is screaming at them to use it. I use the new idea and it is amazing how quickly the story develops and takes shape on its own. Afterwards, I simply go back and read, plastering any loopholes. I think that's a big part of why I avoid writer's block so often. Once I get in that zone, I fly. I wrote "Amber Alert" in three weeks and the previous script, the romantic comedy I mentioned earlier, in two. (Editing times tend to take another week or two and then friends start getting the scripts.)
My current script, my 5th to date, is a straight comedy with some slapstick humor.


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Fire and First Response Committee
Fire and First Response Committee Bylaw
To develop and recommend to Council a three (3) year action plan addressing fire prevention and first response requirements within the Summer Village and considered in context of all other Committee's action plans and budget. The Action Plan shall be based on the Summer Village of Ghost Lake Sustainability Plan.
Action Plan(s):
Committee Activities
Initial Assist Activities:
March 17 2018 Committee Minutes
January 28 2017 Committee Minutes
March 4 2017 Committee Minutes
Committee Membership:
|Council Rep:
|Warren Wilson
|Bill Bawtinhimer
|Debby Brotzell
|Bob Miller


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Teachers, schools and districts engaging in PEAK Teaching for Excellence™ , Advanced Teaching for Excellence™ and Leading for Excellence™ summer institutes, coaching, workshops and training sessions have measured progress toward goals and impact on students through numerous methods. It is important to gather evidence that is multifaceted that validates from different perspectives. Included in this document is evidence provided by teachers, schools, and districts showing the positive impacts of their efforts.
Each district, school, administrator and teacher collected data and evidence of success using different methods and processes that worked for them. Contained in this document are their submissions to PEAK of their progress, success and implementation using the principles, tools and strategies acquired.


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Insightful Thoughts On Bush's Inauguration
From Individual [Cutting Edge] Subscriber
January 22, 2005
The words spoken were all about Freedom, Democracy, and the worth of every individual on the planet. His solemn oath of office was mentioned favorably, which would indicate that he would uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.
But for the past four years under George Bush, we have seen the rise of Global government, such as NAFTA, which destroyed Constitutional provisions for the Congress to regulate trade with foreign nations, so that trade with Mexico and Canada is now handled by a group of foreigners. Now, coming soon, is the FTAA which will be a union of 34 former countries in North and South America, into some new form of government which will be very similar to The European Union. The reason for it will be given as "Free Trade", but this will render the United States and the other 33 former countries impotent to freely govern themselves, destroying also our sovereignty under the flag of our constitutional Republic.Ultimately, these localized "Unions" will be melded into their one total Global Union, including the Soviet Union.
As to the word Freedom which was repeated many times in the speech, his promotion of the two Patriot Acts which legalize the creation of a police state worthy of the most notorious dictator, hardly fits his words. Nor does his demand for mental or psychiatric testing of everyone from school children up, fit the term Liberty.
Reinforcing our concern about
these things is the fact that several extremely powerful but secretive
organizations whose goal is for World Government, are seated at the highest
levels of our present government , whether Republican or Democrat, and in all
the high places in the Media, Military, Education , Banking, and Business. The
most dangerous of these is the CFR, or Council on Foreign Relations, which has
been quietly operating against the best interests of the USA as a Constitutional
Republic for 84 years, since 1921
When the ordinary American finally catches on to what they plan for him, his family, and his country, they are not going to be happy. It is easy to see how their scheme for mental testing everybody will come in handy then, along with the Police State. Just declare all opposition to be insane, and then legally put them away, as has been done in all police states. As an added benefit to all this will be the reduction of the Earths population, a long-time goal of the UN, which was created starting in 1941 by a committee from this same CFR, with Alger Hiss as its first Moderator in 1945.
So how do we, who thought we were good Americans, and who have just experienced this glorious day of patriotic celebration and spiritual fervor, reconcile these two opposite scenarios in our minds? If we do not try to make two plus two equal four, we will continue to live in a dream world, putting aside unpleasant reality, as most do. Nobody likes real nightmares that remain when we are awake, or unresolvable problems.
All the Pomp and Circumstance of the inauguration days, with flags flying, endless marching bands, uniformed police and military, promotes the dream that all is well, and our country is secure. That is why, I believe, that the Media keep the people uninformed about the very real danger from treason in high places, while keeping us glued to the tubes with trivia, sports, and sex, and the "terror" to come upon us from without, so that we willingly submit to our loss of rights and freedom.
But like the Tsunami, the final end of our Liberty will come instantly, with a stroke of a pen, without a shot being fired. And the average Joe will not care a whit, until it is too late, except to complain; "why didnt somebody tell me!"
I am thankful for the Internet that has been able to partially by-pass the totally controlled media, and make available vital information to a limited number of persons. Given enough time, the tide might be turned. But such time is precious, and is very short, before Congress authorizes the final sellout or a "National Emergency" is declared by the President, and it is all over
Will you be able to pass the proposed mental tests? We dont know the questions, yet, or who the questioners will be. But I can guess that the top man will be a CFR agent, possibly Henry Kissinger, all-time bad news for America!
I doubt if I would pass their test, since I see the above as reality. But I see it in the light of the Word of God, the holy Bible, and take comfort and assurance that God is Faithful and is able to care for His Own! May we be among his "Overcomers", no matter what.


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When it comes to Big Data applications, a triumvirate of open source technologies has emerged as the most dominant platforms being used. The first is obviously Hadoop, followed closely by Apache Spark in-memory computing clusters and Apache Kafka, a real-time messaging platform.
After already adding support for Hadoop, Syncsort is now extending the reach of its extract, transform and load (ETL) software out to Apache Spark and Kafka.
Tendü Yoğurtçu, general manager of Syncsort's Big Data business, says that while Hadoop is still the most widely deployed of the three open source platforms, interest in Apache Spark is rising sharply. The reason for this, says Yoğurtçu, is that rather than running Big Data analytics applications in batch mode, many organizations want to be able to run those applications in real time using an in-memory platform that makes it possible for them to blend data from multiple sources.
In fact, to help facilitate that transition, Syncsort has contributed a connector it created for integrating Spark with mainframe systems, where many of those data warehouses run, to the open source community.
Obviously, IT organizations are not going to replace data warehouse platforms that often contain terabytes, sometimes even petabytes, of data overnight. But in the months and years ahead, a lot of data will be bi-directionally moving between those legacy data warehouse systems and clusters running instances of Hadoop and Spark.
IT Solutions Builder TOP IT RESOURCES TO MOVE YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD
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Here's a rising literary star from Tupelo! Meet Patricia Neely-Dorsey. Her first book, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life In Poems, is already brightening up the Magnolia State with many positive reviews. Her uplifting poems promise to bloom in the rest of the South as well. Here is an excerpt she provided for SELTI:
If you want a glimpse of Southern life,
Come close and walk with me;
I'll tell you all the simple things,
That you are sure to see.
You'll see mockingbirds and bumblebees,
Magnolia blossoms and dogwood trees,
Caterpillars on the step,
Wooden porches cleanly swept;
Watermelons on the vine,
Strong majestic Georgia pines;
Rocking chairs and front yard swings,
Junebugs flying on a string;
Turnip greens and hot cornbread,
Coleslaw and barbecue;
Fried okra, fried corn, fried green tomatoes,
Fried pies and pickles too.
There's ice cold tea that's syrupy sweet,
And cool, green grass beneath your feet;
Catfish nipping in the lake,
And fresh young boys on the make.
You'll see all these things
And much, much more,
In a way of life that I adore.
Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
poems from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems
To watch Patricia read this poem, please visit:
Note: when visiting the above link, scroll down to find the video!
Check out Patricia's web site at the link below. Also, if you're in the mood for a fun getaway, check out everything that Tupelo has to offer at the city's tourism web site. You'll find all the right information on where to stay, what to do, and where to eat. After reading the poem above, I'm ready to "step into" the work and try out some of Tupelo's finest southern cuisine!
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems
Order an autographed copy at this local MS store:
Tupleo Convention and Visitors Bureau
Mississippi Division of Tourism
Visiting Mississippi/The Official Website of Mississippi
Learn more about Tupelo!
The small town where I am from,
Gets its name from the Tupelo Gum.
No matter where in the world
That I might roam
This is the place that I call home.
Though I've been northeast for my education,
I've stayed fiercely southern in dedication.
In Memphis, I lived for many years,
By my own election,
And even still, there was that Tupelo connection.
At Elvis' Graceland fans come to mourn
But it's Tupelo, Mississippi, where he was born.
Tupelo is known as an All-American city,
If you've never enjoyed it, that's quite a pity.
It's so warm, so hospitable and so neat,
Everything about it to me is so sweet.
I love the trees, the flowers and the birds,
I can't really describe all its beauty in words.
Though many places in my life
Have played a significant part
It's Tupelo, Mississippi, y'all
That still has all my heart
Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
poems from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A life in Poems
Makes a great gift idea, especially in a gift basket!
Reader comments on Mississippi Magnolia:
"Your poem (Southern Life) made me want to move to Mississippi."
Tracie Loveless-Hill
Waterloo, Iowa
"Sweet tea, caterpillars and fresh boys on the make . . . where's my airline ticket?"
Mentor, Ohio
Top Tupelo Tourist Attractions in FY 2009
From Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Article- Nov 5, 2009
Source :Tupelo CVB
Tombigbee State Park, Natchez Trace Visitors Center, Elvis Presley Birthplace, National Fish Hatchery, Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo, Health Works! Kids Museum, Tupelo Automobile Museum, GumTree Museum of Art, Oren Dunn City Museum, Tupelo Veterans Museum, Elvis Presley Lake and Campground , Brice's Crossroads National Battlefield.
Also, check out some of Mississippi's best independent bookstores--where literary tourism opportunities abound!
My official review of Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life in Poems
I had high expectations for this book, and they were all surpassed. I lost count of how many times I laughed. I felt so good inside, the kind of joy one feels as a six year-old who is still delighted with the simple things in life. When people get to their mid-thirties and older, they haven't felt that joy in so many years. They have forgotten. Her book brings them back to that special time. That is the real magic here.
This book is sure to be recognized for preserving through literature a quickly disappearing way of life and culture in the country. This is a diverse collection that covers everything from love in marriage to the festival atmosphere of hog killings. The country scenes are very authentic. She moves with incredible ease from the deeper inward joys of life to the many social and light pleasures of the outdoors.
Most writers have thoughts and images in their heads. They try to translate those pure thoughts into the right words and rhythms. They agonize and obsess over how to do this. She writes purely what's in her heart with no hesitation. This book offers a series of unedited glimpses into her soul. Without a doubt, her soul is beautiful and inspiring.
Her literary style is unique in the ability to use simple, positive expressions that even non-poetry readers can quickly connect with. Her written thoughts are not bound by any strict rhyme schemes or poetic rules; nor should they be. There is a natural rhythm here, one that she might say "springs from the Mississippi ground." The style is as natural, sweet, and perfect as a magnolia in full bloom. Who would try to improve upon such an experience?
This book makes a perfect gift. Reflections is a quick, fun, and endearing read.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
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Abdominal Ultrasound Systems
Select an ultrasound machine for abdominal imaging below to see the detailed system specifications and transducer probe types available.
|Mindray M8 Elite
|GE Logiq e
|Edan AX7
|SonoScape X5
|Whale P5
|Mindray M7
|Chison SonoBook
|Chison Ebit 60
|SonoScape E1
|Mindray Z6
|EDAN U50 Prime
|Abdominal or transabdominal echography is commonly performed with portable ultrasound. Ultrasound is an ideal clinical tool for determining the source of abdominal pain. Abdominal ultrasound scans encompass anatomy of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, pancreas, spleen, kidneys and blood vessels of the abdomen.
Portable ultrasound systems offer an inexpensive, safe, non-invasive and a practical first look investigation for diagnoses. From an entry-level black and white portable to a high-end premium portable, the transducer of choice is a curved linear array, also known as a convex array transducer.
OB/GYN Ultrasound CPT Codes
Please contact UDS and let our staff to recommend the right portable unit for your clinical setting.


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Like any working class dimwit, I have stuff inside my head, that some people might find usefull or interesting. When I started this blog a couple years ago, I wondered how I would fill the posts with decent, non repeating content. I was surprised that 24 years of plastic fabrication in Florida, has provided enough projects to bring me this far.
I studied Agrilculture, and beekeeping in Gainsville, Florida. That career never took hold, because it offered only minimum wage. My dad showed me cabinet machinery use. I was then lucky enough to land a forman job at "Lion in Frost Inc.", one of the premier acrylic furniture companies at the time. When being hired I was told the company would ride the wave of popularity of that type of clear high end plastic furniture. And they wanted to train someone with wood experience, but not acrylic, so they didn't have any bad habits. In the United Kingdom they call it vintage perspex furniture. They spent a lot of time perfecting a small but slick "line" of design protected furniture. I remember a trade show where one competitor was complaining about the "cease and desist order".
While working as shop forman for Lion in Frost, a customer asked me to do side jobs. He had a good business of clear lamps I did the edge polishing for
Mostly bulk edge finishing, similar to the "man against plastic" stuff I still do now.
Even with machines, it's labor, no way around it. Later he was the one who showed me the beauty of transparent colored rod canes, that is the bulk of my internet sales. When I started http://clearcanes.com a couple years ago, many large internet cane companies, basically told me I would have to be a drop shipper for them, and would never make it work as an online business. My dad told me the internet is bull.
You know how that works, someone tells you can't do something, wrong motive or not, you are inspired to make it happen. I am very proud of the only non labor thing I have done in 30 years. The SEO and product development of my clearcanes site. My Ebay cane sales are almost equal to clearcanes, so they compliment each other. If potential customers are apprehensive, they can go to my ebay feedback.
Florida Plastics Projects
information - projects - anecdotes
( 2 comments — Leave a comment )
Way to go
Plastic seems to have become the new wood now. You have plastic furniture that looks liek anything but plastic.
Re: Way to go
"Plastic seems to have become the new wood"
I like that phrase.
I like that phrase.


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- Performed by Qualified Professionals
- High-end Work
- Maintenance Agreements
- Amazing Daily Deals
Have your venture finished for a reasonable rate
Whenever you need Siding Companies services, you will need to spend less money in the process. Although Siding Company Guys helps save cash with materials and hours, we continue to give the finest quality. Our mission will be to provide the most effective Siding Companies solutions without emptying your wallet.
Have the project completed in a sensible period of time
Siding Company Guys will never be vague with regards to when we'll arrive or when the project can be finished. We estimate the stretch of time and cost, and keep you informed whenever corrections happen. Hours are dollars, and through making an effort to carry out your project promptly, we will be saving you money. We stay away from the frequent blunders of other businesses to save you both money and time by simply not misusing it. Other than saving time, our excellent quality labor saves money on supplies.
We will be there for you! Get started on scheduling your Siding Companies job by getting in touch with our company at 800-786-5870 now!


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Sustainable Springfield Inc. (SSI) is an environmental grass roots organization that promotes responsible planning efforts by our local governments and encourages the Springfield area citizen and business community to live and operate more sustainably. We are an information sharing network and closely ally our organization with other environmental groups in Springfield to promote their activities as well as our own.
Proposal on Protecting Springfield's Urban Tree Canopy: Urban Tree Canopy Program In order to prevent a net loss of trees in Springfield and to protect mature trees, Springfield's Urban Tree Canopy could be assessed annually by the city utilizing i-tree software and a city boundary map of Springfield. All trees removed by the city or… Continue Reading


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I am a changing, multiform life of immense prodigious size.
~St. Augustine
I love the dark hours of my being
In which my senses drop into the deep.
I have found in them, as in old letters,
my private life that is already lived through,
and become wide and powerful now, like
legends. Then I know that there is room
Man walks through forests of physical things that
are also spiritual things,
that watch him affectionately.
~Charles Baudelaire.
Delusion happens when we see all that is
from the viewpoint of the things in nature.
~Dogen Zenji
I saw light gleaming in the unseen.
I gazed at it continually,
until the time came when
I had wholly become that light.
~Abu'life-Hosain al-Nuri


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I just finished a fun round of virtual hop, skip, jump – from my blog to Modcloth to A beautiful mess to Bloglovin to Twitter to Modcloth's blog ending at Sally Jane Vintage, where I could not take my eyes off Orla Kiely's Spring 2011 collection. Look at these dresses!!!
I wish I could just take them right off my screen and stick them in my closet, especially the cream and the orange one. Would take the shoes also – even though they look suspiciously like sitting shoes. Bit high for me to be standing around in them, let alone walking. Holly in Heels, have you seen those already, I wonder? Next candidate of shoe crush of the month maybe??? …
Would also make a great wedding or bridesmaid dress.
Shoes: Christian Louboutin, Ring: Schmuck.de, Clutch: Alexander McQueen


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DeGross Design & Innovation are a London based studio that has a strong emphasis on the principles of economic, social and ecological aspects of design. They have particularly focused on efficiency. In other words, products designed are made using the absolute maximum utilization of materials and minimizing waste. Their body of work revolves very much around the 'cradle to cradle' concept.
What can be really appreciated and recognized in DeGross's work is their work ethos. They have an ability to communicate and follow a clear making process. For instance their ecological project "Utrem Lux", a new up cycled lighting product range, which has been a great success at Designersblock London 2012, demonstrates their ability to carefully communicate the whole story of the product, from the discarded glass bottles behind their studio to wood offcuts which were gifted to them by their next door neighbors.
More info on DeGross here.


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For its safety consciousness Construction safety award was given to Fab-Rank Nig Ltd in 2000 by Chevron Nig. Ltd. Consequently, Fab-Rank Nig. Ltd was awarded the 1st Position in safety among contractors working in SPDC-West by Shell Petroleum Development Company Ltd in 2001.
Furthermore, in recognition of its consistence, tireless contribution to peace and Community Development, Warri South Local Govt. Council Area presented a Certificate of Award to Fab-Rank Nig Ltd in 2003
Furthermore, in 2007, Chevron Nig. Ltd Awarded Fab-Rank Nig. Ltd. "Construction Contract Recognition Certificate" for it active participation in monthly construction contractors safety meeting.
© 2013 Furies Theme


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James Murdoch quits as News Int boss
Feb. 29 - James Murdoch, the younger son of Rupert, will relinquish his position as executive chairman of News International. Ciara Sutton reports.
It's been a turbulent time for the Murdoch empire, and now James Murdoch has quit his role as News International's executive Chairman. The son of Rupert was once the undisputed heir to News Corp's top job. But he will now be just News Corp's deputy chief operating officer. James has been under intense pressure since the phone-hacking scandal erupted at the UK newspaper group. Thousands of pounds was reportedly paid to investigators by News International journalists to probe into the lives of murder victims and celebrities. The scandal led the company to close its News of the World Sunday tabloid in July. Last week it launched a new Sun on Sunday to replace it with the Murdochs declaring a bright future for the company. But the continuing Leveson inquiry into the ethical practice of the British press continues to cast a shadow over News International. A report by the culture and media select committee is also due soon. James Murdoch faced the board twice last year. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEWS CORPORATION EUROPEAN CHIEF EXECUTIVE, JAMES MURDOCH, SAYING "These actions do not live up to the standards that our company aspires to everywhere around the world and it is our determination to both put things right, make sure these things don't happen again and to be the company that I know we have always aspired to be, Chief Executive of News International Tom Mockridge will continue in his post and report to News Corp President Chase Carey. Rupert Murdoch says his son will continue to have an key role in the company. News Corp shares rose nearly two percent after the announcement. Ciara Sutton, Reuters


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Cullen Hotel
With its chunky neon-green balconies and bright red entryway, it's clear this hotel is part of the Art Series Hotel Group, with properties across Australia that pay homage to different artists. The Cullen is inspired by and filled with the bold art of Adam Cullen.
What we loved Shopping some of the city's best stores on Chapel Street, like Rosenberg's (shoes) and Tarlo & Graham (vintage decor).
If you only have one night Don't miss the Szechuan wontons, bursting with fresh chilies and scallions, at HuTong, the hotel's dumpling house.
Bonus You'll get a good night's sleep in the Aussie-made bed by A.H. Beard – no wonder the specially developed line is purchasable.


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IMSc admits students for a Ph.D. degree; these students may be chosen with or without a Masters degree, such students being selected for the Ph.D or Integrated Ph.D. programmes respectively. Students of both streams do basic coursework during the first few semesters after which they must successfully clear a qualifying examination in order to be eligible to register for the doctoral part of the programme.
A rough breakup of the programmes is as follows:
Ph. D
- Semester I : 4 core courses.
- Semester II: 2 core courses + 1 elective.
- Semesters III and IV: Coursework as prescribed by guide/mentor.
Integrated Ph. D:
- Semester I : 4 core courses.
- Semester II: 2 core courses + 1 elective.
- Semesters III and IV : 4 courses and M.Sc. thesis (may be split between the semesters as desired).
- First Year Courses: The syllabi of first year courses
Grades and minimum requirements
Grades are assigned to students based on their performance in each course. The grades are:
A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=fail
In order to stay in the doctoral programme, a student must have no F grade in any course, and must maintain a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2 at the end of the first year.
If a student has a CGPA below 2 at the end of the first term, (s)he will be warned/cautioned. If a student has a CGPA below 2 at the end of the second semester, (s)he will be advised that (s)he cannot continue in the doctoral programme and must consider the option of switching to an M. Phil. degree programme or to just an M.Sc. degree programme according as (s)he is in the Ph.D. programme or the Integrated Ph.D. programme.
For the purposes of the above considerations, there will be no question of a student taking a re-exam in a test, or dropping some elective courses where (s)he may have a poor grade. However, a student may drop an elective course before the end of the third week of coursework.
Coursework Interview and Tentative guide/mentor
At the end of the first year, each student must pass an oral exam that will test the material covered in the first year courses. Once the student passes this exam, (s)he must, with the help of the faculty, convince a faculty member (in his/her subject) to agree to be a tentative guide. This tentative guide should initially advise the student on an appropriate study programme in the second year, consistent with the student's strengths and taste. This study programme should then be approved by the monitoring committee of the student before the start of the second year's coursework. The monitoring committee should identify a suitable faculty member, who may not (but would typically) be the tentative guide/mentor, to guide the student's M.Sc. thesis (in case of students of the integrated Ph.D. programme.)
Qualifying examinations
In order to be eligible to register for a Ph.D., each student must pass a qualifying examination conducted by her/his monitoring committee. This exam will typically assess how well the student has undergone the study programme suggested by the tentative guide, as well as gauge the general level of the student's preparedness for undertaking a doctoral programme.
The qualifying exam for a student of the integrated Ph.D. programme will be held concurrently with the exams of the final - IVth - semester of the M.Sc. part of the programme; it will be an extension of her/his M.Sc. thesis viva-voce examination.
Students of the Ph.D. programme would typically take the qualifying exam at the end of the third semester. If a student passes the qualifying exam, the report of the monitoring committee of this exam will name the future thesis guide of the student. (Likewise, the report on a successful performance in the qualifying exam by a student of the Integrated Ph.D. programme will also name the future thesis guide of the student.)
If a student of the Integrated Ph.D. programme does not pass the qualifying exam, but has maintained minimum grade requirements in the coursework and M.Sc. thesis, (s)he will be asked to leave with the M.Sc. degree.
Switching to M. Phil. programme
A student may be recommended for a lower degree such as M. Phil (cf. item 2.4 of PGD4 of the ordinances of HBNI) in two possible situations:
- if a student had not failed in any of the courses, but did not maintain minimum CGPA requirements (for the doctoral programme) at the end of the first year of study; or,
- if a student had not been able to successfully pass the qualifying exams by the end of Semester IV of the programme.
If a student falls into the first case above, her/his tentative guide will direct her/his M.Phil. Thesis in the following year; also see the section on minimum grade requirements above.
If a student of the Ph. D. programme does not pass the qualifying exam at the end of the third semester, (s)he should be started off on preparing an M. Phil. thesis under a guide identified by her/his monitoring committee.
Along with the M. Phil. thesis viva, (s)he must face another qualifying exam at the end of the fourth semester, which will assess the M.Phil. thesis as well as overall performance.
If the student fails the qualifying exam, (s)he may still be recommended for the lower degree M. Phil provided the M. Phil. thesis is of adequate quality. If, however, the student passes the qualifying exam, the preparation of M.Phil. thesis will be treated as useful experience, and (s)he will be asssigned a doctoral guide and permitted to register for a Ph.D. in HBNI. This option will not be available for students who fail to maintain an adequate CGPA in the first year.
Monitoring and Doctoral Committees
Each student will be assigned a monitoring committee of faculty members as soon as (s)he enters the programme, which shall monitor his/her progress. The membership of the monitoring committee will change as the student evolves through the system. (A possible model will consist of the course coordinator as convenor, and have one teacher from each of the two semesters of the first year, while the tentative guide together with teachers of second year courses for a student will constitute her/his monitoring committee in the second year.)
Once the student has successfully cleared the qualifying exams and a doctoral guide has been identified, a Doctoral Committee will be constituted, which will monitor the subsequent progress of the student.


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| Lee Hannah, Adjunct Faculty, Senior Research Fellow, Conservation International
Lee Hannah is Senior Fellow in Climate Change Biology at Conservation International's (CI) Center for Applied Biodiversity Science. Tracking with his interest in the role of climate change in conservation planning and methods of corridor design, he heads CI's efforts to develop conservation responses to climate change. He works collaboratively with the Bren School and UC Santa Barbara to model climate impacts on species in California, and with the National Botanical Institute in Cape Town, South Africa to model biotic change resulting from global warming in biodiversity hot spots in that region. He has written on the global extent of wilderness and the role of communities in the management of protected areas.
Contact Information:
Office: Bren Hall 3410
Phone: 805-893-7067
Climate Change Biology (Textbook by Lee Hannah)
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management


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"I've developed four Web sites, and in the past making a change was arduous. Everyone would have moaned and groaned because it would be a pain. With WYMSY, all it takes is a few clicks." CS
Nov 2011: Automated (effortless) site map to improve search results
Sept 2011: iPhone and iPad visible photo manager-no Flash needed.
March 2011: Photo gallery feature now available. Sample
Feb 2011: More SEO features added
Jan 2010: View e-commerce orders on your iPhone
June 2009 Metropolis Creative designs award-winning site on WYMSY Read more
Intuitive Technology
for Web Design & Content Management
User Name:


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I just HAD to share these awesome little creatures my friend, Alicia, aka digitalgurlie just made for her sewing room.
They're super easy to make. Just head to your local consignment/junk shop and pick up some ceramics for a few bucks as well as spray paints in your choice of colors from Home Depot.


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Hola amigos and amigas,
Prepare your self for the shortest smile ever. But I have been pretty swamped with things and still am, but wanted to get a quick Smile out to let you know I am alive and kicking (actually more like "alive and clicking" given how much time I have been glued to my Vaio screen recently).
It has been the normal relaxed life in Madrid – the occasional tapa, occasional vino or cerveza (or 2) and enjoying the Spring weather despite the occasional downpour that seems to never happen if I have umbrella in hand.
Work-life has been pretty hectic. Serious marketing to fill a few holes looming, co-launching a new product with my colleagues at Atlantic in the UK and, as you must all be aware, unless you have been without internet connection for three weeks, the launch of The Genesis Strategy Genie. "Strategy – at your command" (to be read slowly with a deep, echo-ey voice!). OK, just in case you missed it, go to the Genie web-page at Genesis Genie and he even has his own Facebook page at Genesis Genie Facebook – go along and "like" him!
In seriousness, if you you have a friend or colleague with a small or medium sized business who may be grappling with a strategic issue or needing to craft or review their strategy -pass the link on. You would be doing them (and me!!!) a favour.
Other than socialising and working, I have also been doing Forrest Gum impersonations and been in training for the Madrid marathon on Sunday. Its been great to get back to a good level of fitness and have enjoyed some great runs. One notable one was a 32km run with (the G) Vivi, having hired a bicycle, cycling alongside until we stopped in the Caso del Campo for lunch (mainly liquid) and took the Metro (tube) home. The next day, Vivi who is not accustomed to sitting on a small bicycle seat for 3 hours could hardly walk never mind sit down. To her extreme annoyance, I showed no signs of tiredness (which is not the same as I had no tiredness!).
Anyway, here we are with 48 hours to go. Good weather prediction (6º to 20º and sunny). As fit as I'm going to be. Today I picked up my chip, free T-shirt and bag of running goodies alongside a host of other healthy, chatty, slightly-wired runners – which left me with the great sense of pre-race nerves (even after 53 marathons), adrenalin beginning to flow and sense of positive expectation and excitement. The marathon is the frst "Rock n Roll marathon (US events company) which means every 10 km or so there is a rock n roll band belting out loud music, cheerleaders, etc – its going to be great. So – wish me luck and think of me at 09h00 on Sunday as we all set off down Paseo de Castellana – or at about 15h00 as I sit in the Plaza Santa Ana for Vivi and my traditional post-run lunch (plus friends) guzzling cañas by the dozen – solely rehydrating you understand.
A quick note to say though, that I am humbled (yep – even me!) by my friend Elise de Beer (and hubby) who are doing the Iron man on the same day – so they add a 3,8 km swim and 180 km cycle race to their 42,2km run. Well done guys, I am truly proud of you already!
Football? Lets talk about this next Friday. Real Madrid & Barca in La Liga tomorrow – the winner probably wins the Spanish league. Next week both teams in the second part of their semi-finals Champions – to possible tee up a Real Madrid – Barca final. Lets see what happens. I would be confident if it were not for that damn Messi …..
Well I promised a short Smile, so that's it for now. The real smiles below.
Have an awesome weekend and a relaxed week.
Abrazos a todos.
You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off of your face.
"Out of the silver heat mirage he ran. The sky burned, and under him the paving was a black mirror reflecting sun-fire. Sweat sprayed his skin with each foot strike so that he ran in a hot mist of his own creation. With each slap on the softened asphalt, his soles absorbed heat that rose through his arches and ankles and the stems of his shins. It was a carnival of pain, but he loved each stride because running distilled him to his essence and the heat hastened this distillation."
– James Tabor, from "The Runner," a short story
British film director Sir Ridley Scott launched a global film making contest for aspiring directors. It's titled "Tell It Your Way". There were over 600 entries …
The film could be no longer than three minutes, contain only 6 lines of narrative & be a compelling story. The winner was "Porcelain Unicorn" from American director Keegan Wilcox.
It's a story of the lifetimes of two people who are totally opposite, yet very much the same – all told in less than 3 minutes. Quite amazing what you can do in 3 minutes of film!
You'll see why it won.
Very punny!
I changed my iPod's name to Titanic. It's syncing now.
When chemists die, they barium.
Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
I know a guy who's addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop any time.
How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.
I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.
This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I'd never met herbivore.
I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can't put it down.
I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.
They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a Typo.
PMS jokes aren't funny; period!
Why were the Indians here first? They had reservations.
I didn't like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.
Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn't control her pupils?
When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.
Broken pencils are pointless.
I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.
What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.
England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.
I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx.
All the toilets in New York's police stations have mysteriously vanished. Now the police have nothing to go on.
I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.
Haunted French pancakes give me the crêpes.
Velcro — what a rip off!
A cartoonist was found dead in his home. Details are sketchy.
Venison for dinner again? Oh dear!
The earthquake in Washington obviously was the government's fault.
One for my 2 nephews (Wes & Charles)
Lying in bed the 72 year old man was seriously ill. Knowing that death would come soon the man called his lawyer.
"I was thinking how you told me I could get a law degree if I had enough money to buy one. How much does it cost again?"
"It's $65,000," replied the lawyer. "But you are dying! Why would you want to have a law degree now?"
"That is none of your concern", replied the dying man. "I want you to get me that law certification!"
Within the week, the sick man had received his law degree. Of course his lawyer quickly came to his side, to make sure the bill would be paid in full.
Within moments the old man began having trouble breathing and was gasping for air. It was clear he would not live much longer.
The lawyer was going nuts not knowing why this man would want a law degree and pay so much for it when he knew the end was near.
"please, please can't you tell me why you wanted this law degree so desperately before you died?"
Barely able to speak and on his last dying breath, the old man said,
"One less lawyer…"
A professor was giving a big test one day to his students. He handed out all of the tests and went back to his desk to wait.
Once the test was over, the students all handed the tests back in. The professor noticed that one of the students had attached a $100 bill to his test with a note saying "A dollar per point."
The next class the professor handed the tests back out. This student got back his test and $56 change.


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black, broken nails; and the sabre cut across one cheek, a dirty, livid white. I remember him looking round the cove and whistling to himself as he did so, and then breaking out in that old sea-song that he sang so often afterwards:—
"Fifteen men on the dead man's chest—
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!"
in the high, old tottering voice that seemed to have been tuned and broken at the capstan bars. Then he rapped on the door with a bit of stick like a handspike that he carried, and when my father appeared, called roughly for a glass of rum. This, when it was brought to him, he drank slowly, like a connoisseur, lingering on the taste, and still looking about him at the cliffs and up at our signboard.
"This is a handy cove," says he, at length; "and a pleasant sittyated grog-shop. Much company, mate?"
My father told him no, very little company, the more was the pity.
"Well, then," said he, "this is the berth for me. Here you, matey," he cried to the man who trundled the barrow; "bring up alongside and help up my chest. I'll stay here a bit," he continued. "I'm a plain man; rum and bacon and eggs is what I want, and that head up there for to watch ships off. What you mought call me? You mought call me captain. Oh, I see what you're at—there;" and he threw down three or four gold pieces on the threshold. "You can


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Food & Beverage
Food & Beverage focuses on all aspects of Hong Kong & Macau food regulation, regulatory process and enforcement, food business licensing, food importation, codes of practice, food standards, etc, (may or may not be regulatory), food scares/crisis.
Current issues include nutrition labeling of infant and special dietary foods, organic food labelling and label of the source of vegetables, etc.
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Age of Driver: The minimum age of the driver is 25 years old. The maximum age for all drivers is 72 years old.
Minimum days of rental...3 days.
Driver's License: The driver(s) must be a holder(s) of a driver's license for at least a year.
Additional Drivers: First and second additional driver are free of charge.
Personal Belongings: The company is not responsible in any way for the personal belongings of the renter or passengers.
Out of hours office (09.00 – 21.00): Available on request with 22,40 euro (tax included) extra per way from 23.00 to 9:00
Gasoline: We use only unleaded gasoline, which is the responsibility of the renter. No refunds are given for excess fuel left in the vehicle.
Children's Seats: Provided free of charge. It is the customer's responsibility to properly attach child seats.
GPS: Provided with an additional charge of € 7 + vat per day.
Baggage (luggage) placement is customer's responsibility. Our company cannot be held liable for damage to luggage/baggage or if the luggage/baggage don't fit in the car.
Taxes & VAT 24%: Included in the rental price.
Traffic Violations - Fines: All fines from illegal parking and violations of the traffic code that may occur during the rental period, are the renters' responsibility and will be charged to their credit card.
It is required that the renter is a credit card holder in order to proceed to the car rental.
- In order to guarantee your reservation a deposit of 25% is required at time of booking.
- Balance to be paid on your arrival
- After payment of deposit (Bank transfers / remittances , Paypal and e-commerce) there is no refund in case of cancelation.
Car Rental includes:
- Unlimited mileage
- Free map of Kefalonia
- Full breakdown coverage
- All local taxes
The rates also include the following coverage:
- Death, partial or total disability of third parties and of the passengers of the car up to € 1.000.000
- Material damage of third parties, up to € 1.000.000
Collision Damage Waiver:insurance with Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) for ….. euro per day. Insurance that carries an excess of €700. (price through booking system)
Full Collision Damage Waiver: Full insurance with Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) for ….. euro per day.(price through booking system)
- Personal Accident Insurance for the driver and passengers
- Third party Liability for death, injury and material damages
- Theft and Fire Waiver
CDW rates also include the following coverage:
- Death, partial or total disability of third parties and of the passengers of the car up to € 1.000.000
- Material damage of third parties, up to € 1.000.000
Exceptions to CDW insurance: Under the influence of alcohol. Loss/damage of keys handles and locks. Car underside, doorsill, tyres wheels, windscreens, windows, mirrors, lights glass or plastic parts, gas gap clutch, off road driving, flat (dead) battery. Any damage to the interior of the car, (sun visors, extreme dirtiness, salt-water damage). The company in any case is not obligated to replace a flat tyre. Car insurance covers only Kefalonia and Ithaca.
With the reservation, the renter states that read and accept the above terms.
The company reserves the right to amend the rates or terms and conditions at any time.


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The Utility of the Union in Respect to Revenue – (Hamilton)
(read the full text of Federalist 12)
Federalist 12 explains how the Federal Government will obtain revenue necessary to fulfill its obligations to secure/protect our unified principles by practicing that compact.
Government – both the institution and the practical application of government – is not to be separate from the compact, but to be the enacting, the embodiment ( tangible or visible form of an idea) of the compact.
"The prosperity of commerce is now perceived and acknowledged by all enlightened statesmen to be the most useful as well as the most productive source of national wealth, and has accordingly become a primary object of their political cares." [Federalist 12 – Hamilton]
Previously, it was believed that physical raw materials such as precious metals were the equivalent of national wealth and it was by boosting exports and limiting imports that established national wealth. In this theory, the wealth of raw materials came from not actually using them. For instance a forest of uncut trees was viewed as national wealth or a gold mine that was not mined.
Smith's proven theory established that it was the actual stream of goods and services – the jobs created by putting the forest or mine into production to produce products to sell/trade – that determined national wealth rather than the physical raw materials.
We now refer to this understanding of commerce as Gross Domestic Product.
- GDP : the total value of goods produced and services provided by a country during one year, equal to the gross domestic product plus the net income from foreign investments.
The American compact comprised of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution is founded upon commerce itself, the by-product of man's yearning to provide from himself, which is the Creator endowed right of all men to pursue happiness, which creates both private and national wealth.
It is the responsibility of our government to protect both compacts – the establishing of the principles uniting us and then the practical means to ensure and protect them.
"The assiduous merchant, the laborious husbandman, the active mechanic, and the industrious manufacturer, — all orders of men, look forward with eager expectation and growing alacrity to this pleasing reward of their toils. The often-agitated question between agriculture and commerce has, from indubitable experience, received a decision which has silenced the rivalship that once subsisted between them, and has proved, to the satisfaction of their friends, that their interests are intimately blended and interwoven." [Federalist 12 – Hamilton]
In thinking rightly about how commerce occurs – agriculture and commercial business are united rather than competing ideologies creating "the most powerful instrument in increasing the quantity of money in a state." [Federalist #12 – Hamilton] Therefore, pitting the agrarian against the industrialist was not in the best interest of the government that needed the revenue to meet its obligation of citizen safety and ownership. The purpose of government was not to hamper, favor, or seize ownership, but to protect ownership.
"The often-agitated question between agriculture and commerce has, from indubitable experience, received a decision which has silenced the rivalship that once subsisted between them, and has proved, to the satisfaction of their friends, that their interests are intimately blended and interwoven." [Federalist 12 – Hamilton]
Rather than seeking to control commerce in order to obtain revenue, the purpose of American government is to encourage and protect our liberty to pursue the commerce of self-interest so that collecting revenue to operate government is never a hardship upon the citizen.
"It is astonishing that so simple a truth should ever have had an adversary; and it is one, among a multitude of proofs, how apt a spirit of ill-informed jealousy, or of too great abstraction and refinement, is to lead men astray from the plainest truths of reason and conviction." [Federalist 12 – Hamilton]
"The ability of a country to pay taxes must always be proportioned, in a great degree, to the quantity of money in circulation, and to the celerity with which it circulates. Commerce, contributing to both these objects, must of necessity render the payment of taxes easier, and facilitate the requisite supplies to the treasury." [Federalist 12 – Hamilton]
Hamilton uses this example to explain the error of pre-Smith understanding of national wealth:
"The hereditary dominions of the Emperor of Germany contain a great extent of fertile, cultivated, and populous territory, a large proportion of which is situated in mild and luxuriant climates. In some parts of this territory are to be found the best gold and silver mines in Europe. And yet, from the want of the fostering influence of commerce, that monarch can boast but slender revenues. He has several times been compelled to owe obligations to the pecuniary succors of other nations for the preservation of his essential interests, and is unable, upon the strength of his own resources, to sustain a long or continued war. [Federalist 12 – Hamilton]
By understanding and applying the equalizing responsibility of human nature, our government's revenue is assured as long as it adheres to the compacts of unifying principles stated in the Declaration of Independence and then protecting the safety of citizens in regards to our endowed rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. However, as our elected officials and justices have drifted from adherence to acknowledging the reality of man living in a Creator Designed System with an understood human nature, so too has our nation drifted from appreciating the unifying principles set forth in the Declaration and our government from its duty to ensure and protect those principles.
As I wrote in the post – Blackstone's Natural Law Not OK According to Vice-President Biden:
"By removing the equalizing responsibility of human nature, the floodgates of man's desire to blame and hold others responsible for his life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness are opened wide for exploitation." [Coppock]
This shift from our founding philosophy and purpose of government has not only put our nation's revenue collection in jeopardy but in opposition to our original compact for purpose of government.
So, as we continue in Federalist #12, we must appreciate that our various federal, state, and local governments have embraced methods to collect revenue is the antithesis of original intent by taxing or applying fees on the means (physical materials) by which citizens pursue happiness.
"It is evident from the state of the country, from the habits of the people, from the experience we have had on the point itself, that it is impracticable to raise any very considerable sums by direct taxation. Tax laws have in vain been multiplied; new methods to enforce the collection have in vain been tried; the public expectation has been uniformly disappointed, and the treasuries of the States have remained empty. The popular system of administration inherent in the nature of popular government, coinciding with the real scarcity of money incident to a languid and mutilated state of trade, has hitherto defeated every experiment for extensive collections, and has at length taught the different legislatures the folly of attempting them." [Federalist 12 – Hamilton]
"The genius of the people will ill brook the inquisitive and peremptory spirit of excise laws. The pockets of the farmers, on the other hand, will reluctantly yield but scanty supplies, in the unwelcome shape of impositions on their houses and lands; and personal property is too precarious and invisible a fund to be laid hold of in any other way than by the inperceptible agency of taxes on consumption." [Federalist 12 – Hamilton]
"The arbitrary and vexatious powers with which the patrols are necessarily armed, would be intolerable in a free country." [Federalist 12 – Hamilton]
The Appreciation of Human Nature
Man is capable of great accomplishments in the pursuit of personal advancement.
- In Washington's letter to Benjamin Harrison in discussing the means to improve communication between the territory west of the Allegheny Mountains and the eastern states such as digging a canal- "A people however, who are possessed of the spirit of commerce, who see, and who will pursue their advantage, may achieve almost anything."
For every law meant to control the behavior of man, men simply look for a way around it. Or as Hamilton describes:
"This is a prodigious security against a direct contraband with foreign countries; but a circuitous contraband to one State, through the medium of another, would be both easy and safe. The difference between a direct importation from abroad, and an indirect importation through the channel of a neighboring State, in small parcels, according to time and opportunity, with the additional facilities of inland communication, must be palpable to every man of discernment." [Federalist 12 – Hamilton]
However, as hard as it is to enforce laws, a nation must have revenue therefore, if the state's method of collecting revenue is so noxious as to make commerce entirely about escaping the law, rather than productive commerce the entire nation will collapse in debt.
"A nation cannot long exist without revenues. Destitute of this essential support, it must resign its independence, and sink into the degraded condition of a province. This is an extremity to which no government will of choice accede. Revenue, therefore, must be had at all events. In this country, if the principal part be not drawn from commerce, it must fall with oppressive weight upon land." [Federalist 12 – Hamilton]
If productive commerce is not supported, then government revenue will then be derived from taxing land or under produced raw materials. For instance taxing the physical forest rather than the commerce of a forest in production. This is the most counter-productive method of raising revenue.
"… the wants of the government can never obtain an adequate supply, unless all the sources of revenue are open to its demands, the finances of the community, under such embarrassments, cannot be put into a situation consistent with its respectability or its security. Thus we shall not even have the consolations of a full treasury, to atone for the oppression of that valuable class of the citizens who are employed in the cultivation of the soil. But public and private distress will keep pace with each other in gloomy concert; and unite in deploring the infatuation of those counsels which led to disunion." [Federalist 12 – Hamilton]
In studying these Federalist articles, we refresh ourselves in those unifying principles that established this unique nation. In knowing those principles and then applying them, we find the means to get our nation back on course. The compact of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution remains intact, we only must live and vote accordingly.


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Exposure to the natural world has always been a way of life for Consie Powell. During her childhood in California, Consie snooped tidepools edging the Pacific Ocean, found desert tortoises and horned lizards in nearby canyons, and camped with her family along dry Baja riverbeds. Animals and the out-of-doors were her constant companions.
In college in Minnesota, she discovered how much she loved cold weather and snow, and began her enduring fascination with the critters and habitats of the North.
After graduating with a B.A. in Fine Arts, Consie pursued a Master's degree in Elementary Education. Her graduate work steered Consie not towards teaching, as she had expected, but into the creation of art and stories for young people.
Marriage to her biologist husband added constant opportunities to be involved with scientific research firsthand and to continue a rich life centered on the natural world.
Consie has written and illustrated A Bold Carnivore: An Alphabet of Predators, Old Dog Cora and the Christmas Tree, Amazing Apples, Leave Only Ripples: A Canoe Country Sketchbook, The First Day of Winter, Alphabetically Bodacious Canines, and Peregrine's Sky.
She has illustrated Who Lives in the Snow? by Jennifer Berry Jones, Baby Bear Isn't Hungry by Michael Elsohn Ross, A Day in the Salt Marsh by Kevin Kurtz, and Wolf Song and Old Woman Winter by Mary Bevis.
Consie illustrates, designs, edits and occasionally writes the "North Carolina WILD Notebook," a monthly young readers' feature in /Wildlife in North Carolina magazine. She has created illustrations for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, the North Carolina Zoo, and numerous scientific publications.
Consie lives outside Ely, Minnesota with her husband Roger and their Newfoundland dogs. Over the years, their house has been home to various critters, including snakes, toads, lizards, mice, guinea pigs, weasels and an animal-loving daughter, now grown and on her own.
See more of Consie's art and books at www.consiepowell.com


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Each of our ground level, attached cottages, designed for adults, has it's own particular charm, attractive island decor, antique oak furnishings, central air conditioning, and paddle fans cooling each room. There are four different sizes of cottages: two bedroom, deluxe one bedroom, one bedroom and studio. You can use the links here or the links in the sign at the top left to see photos of each cottage.
All rooms have ceramic tile floors, cable TV, DVD, individually controlled central air conditioning and heat, queen beds, bathroom with shower stall, porches and private front and back entrances.
All suites are comfortably furnished and include living room, bedroom, kitchen and bath. Our heated pool lies in a garden setting with barbecue facilities.
Old Town Sanibel's unique island atmosphere includes close access to the beach on San Carlos Bay which is just steps from Seahorse Cottages down quiet Buttonwood Lane. The Gulf beach is also easy to reach at the other end of the lane.
The peaceful setting and attention to detail makes Seahorse Cottages an ideal romantic destination. We even offer gift certificates to surprise a special person with a trip to paradise.
Seahorse Cottages includes everything for your vacation:
- An Intimate Tranquil Accommodation Designed for Adults.
- Complimentary Bicycles, Sand Chairs & Beach Towels
- Complimentary high speed wireless internet access – just bring your wireless-ready laptop and you will be online in your cottage.
- Hammock
- Secluded Small Heated Pool
- Laundry facilities
- Outdoor gas and charcoal barbecue grills
- Shell Cleaning Table
View each of our cottages:


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Adele gives birth to baby boy: Reports
Adele has reportedly given birth to a baby boy.
Although the singer hasn't yet officially announced the news yet, family sources told People that the British singer nd her boyfriend, Simon Konecki, welcomed their baby on Friday.
An insider told the U.K.'s Daily Mail that Adele is "ecstatic."
Adele, 24, announced her pregnancy on her blog in June: "I'm delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together. I wanted you to hear the news direct from me, obviously we're over the moon and very excited but please respect our privacy at this precious time."
It's the first child for Adele; Konecki has a five-year-old daughter with his ex-wife Clary Fisher.
Adele and Konecki have been dating since January. In August, the "Rolling in the Deep" singer took to Twitter to blast engagement and marriage reports. "I'm not married...Zzzzzzz," she wrote.
Since then, there's been a lot off buzz surrounding her James Bond theme, "Skyfall." The song surfaced earlier this month.


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Good leaders have always been expected to be able to solve new problems, capitalize on new opportunities and navigate through the ever-changing landscape of business. Leadership is a complex process by which the leader influences others to perform and achieve. The leadership attributes – belief, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills – are all traits, which can be learned. This course provides the basis for understanding what leadership is and what leaders do to be successful, also this course details the key skills required by anyone required to lead a team or those required to work within one. The main subject areas which will be addressed in detail are team building, team management, the individual's roles within the team, communication and problem solving methods and techniques .
ObjectivesUpon the completion of this course, the participant will be able to:
Target Audience:All managers, supervisors, team leaders.
Course StructureThis course will use interactive training methods including a combination of lecturing; groupdiscussion/exercises
Program Contents:Leadership – Role, Skills and Styles
Leadership and Communication
Leadership and Problem-Solving
Leadership and Management
Leadership and Coaching
Characteristics of a Team


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Travel Time – TPI Inc | About us
Travel Time – TPI Inc is a full service travel agency specializing in helping families and couples create vacation memories with those they love. We are dedicated to superior customer service and offer stress free family vacation planning. We can help anyone plan a dream vacation but we specialize in planning and booking travel for destination weddings, honeymooners and families. Groups of all shapes and sizes are traveling these days; we can help you find a trip that custom fits your needs. We have experienced the joys of such vacations and learned a few lessons along the way, so we understand the extra considerations required for group travel.
At Travel Time – TPI Inc there is a commitment to service excellence through ongoing education and training. We have achieved an array of certifications to better assist travellers in planning their well-earned journeys. Our team includes consultants who have earned recognition as Certified Travel Counsellors, Certified Destination Wedding and Honeymoon Specialists through the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada, Travel Agent University Destination Wedding Specialists, Luxury Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists, exclusive Sandals Chairman's Royal Club Members, Certified Sandals and Beaches Specialists, Certified Sandals WeddingMoon Specialists, Elite Cruise Counsellors, and Certified Destination Specialists for countless locations globally.
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President's critics find a new issue to tee off on: Trump's golf game
I don't play golf, but this column is a chip shot.
While I'm a tennis and basketball guy, I get that it's something of an addiction, especially for businessmen, and particularly for presidents.
But I don't really want to hear that President Trump is spending too much time playing golf. I didn't want to hear that President Obama spent too much time playing golf. I didn't want to hear that President Bush spent too much time playing golf.
This is all cheap criticism by partisans on the other side. Presidents are working all the time. It's important that they be able to relax. Now sometimes business is conducted on the links, but even if they're just playing 18 holes with their buddies, cut them some slack.
Perhaps Trump's game is drawing more attention because it's tied in with his Mar-a-Lago retreats and because he plays at courses that he owns. Or perhaps it's just because he's Trump. The Washington Post, after all, once investigated whether he cheats at golf.
"Of the 31 days he has been in office," the New York Times reported yesterday, "President Trump has spent six of them on a golf course. That amounts to one-fifth of his tenure, including three of his five weekends, as commander in chief." But can anyone seriously argue that the man isn't working hard, given the breakneck pace of his first month?
The piece is not overly critical, and notes that one of the president's outings was with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Ah, but there is the secrecy issue: "The White House goes to considerable lengths to keep Mr. Trump's golf game away from scrutiny." The press pool has to cool its heels in a parking lot or in a clubhouse room whose windows and doors are taped with black plastic.
And there was this incident, which surely calls for a special prosecutor: The White House press office had said Trump played "a couple of holes" last weekend in Florida, but it turns out he played the full 18 with Rory McIlroy. Apparently he decided to keep on golfing with one of the world's top players.
Now there is one point on which Trump is vulnerable, as the Times notes, and a Politico story makes it the lead sentence:
"Donald Trump regularly assailed President Barack Obama for playing golf, then spent the first weekends of his own presidency doing just that."
In October 2014, for instance, Trump tweeted: "Can you believe that, with all the problems and difficulties facing the U.S., President Obama spent the day playing golf. Worse than Carter."
He should get dinged for that. Trump also said last August that as president he wouldn't have time for golf. Perhaps it's another case of a new president adjusting to the realities of the office.
Obama played 333 rounds of golf as president, according to CBS's Mark Knoller, and I don't recall his supporters being concerned about that. Trump has a long way to go to match that record.
Dwight Eisenhower was seen as obsessed with what was viewed as a rich man's game, so much so that JFK shielded his golf outings during the 1960 campaign. Bush famously denounced a terror attack to a group of reporters in 2002, then abruptly said "Now watch this drive"—and whacked the ball. The following year Bush gave up golf, out of solidarity with the families of soldiers who were dying in Iraq, he said.
Carping about presidential golf is just like carping about the cost of presidential vacations—a meaningless exercise that is essentially partisan. I'm sure Trump's critics can find more important matters to club him over the head with.


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Kansas football coach Charlie Weis talks to reporters following the Jayhawks' spring game on April 28, 2012.
Highlights from the Kansas football spring game on April 28, 2012.
This corporate sports world in which we live feeds us so many football coaches skilled in the art of dancing around questions as if they're land mines.
With about a dozen friends and family members enjoying the weather and tossing the football around him, Kansas University quarterback Dayne Crist wolfed down a plate of tailgate food about an hour after Saturday's spring game at Memorial Stadium.
Kansas running back Tony Pierson and defensive end Michael Reynolds were voted offensive and defensive MVPs in the Blue team's 45-0 victory over the White at the KU football spring game on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in front of an estimated 15,000 fans.
Pierson had seven carries for 141 yards, while Reynolds was credited with five tackles, including three sacks.
KU quarterback Dayne Crist completed 11 of 19 for 156 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Jake Heaps completed 7-of-10 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.
Converted running back Marquis Jackson posted 10 carries for 76 yards and three touchdowns.
Kale Pick was the leading receiver, catching four passes for 82 yards. Daymond Patterson added five catches for 64 yards.
Receiver D.J. Beshears scored twice, once on a 28-yard reverse and once on a 6-yard touchdown reception.


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As you know by now, last weekend we took a little trip to Los Gatos. It's a cute town surrounded by lots of natural beauty, and we enjoyed that, but really? We went to eat at Manresa. It is not vegan, but like most fine dining restaurants, they will be happy to accommodate you and I've wanted to go to this high-end joint for a few years now. Chef David Kinch is known to do remarkable things with vegetables, all of which are grown exclusively for him at the biodynamic Love Apple Farm. When your food is harvested in the morning and served in the evening, well, it's just better. But, in the hands of the crew at Manresa, what you get is not just good veggies, but food as art that comes at you in 14 different plates (15 if you include the bread!) over the course of about 4 and half hours. I promise to keep the writing to a minimum, but you still better get comfy in that chair because there's a lot to look at!
The first four courses (served with a champagne, if you're doing the wine pairing, which we did) are called "Snacks from Garden."
First up: A warm stone serving up 2 red pepper gelee squares. If you've never had a gelee like this, imagine the very essence of a red pepper (or whatever flavor they happen to be) cooked down into a soft bite size soft candy. It is surprisingly intense and I get a smile on my face every time I have one.
Next we had an herb granita (like shave ice, but better) in a carrot foam. Bright flavor and texture galore. Light and airy foam meets cold and crunchy ice. Such fun!
The fun continued with this strawberry gazpacho shot. This had such a nice combination of sweet and savory - not to mention a luxurious mouthfeel that leaves you wanting more.
Our last 'snack' was a lemon granita with lavender and mint. Perfect end-of-summer palate cleanser.
With the first of the non-snack courses, you get your first class of wine, as well as bread service. The vegan breads that evening included the whole grain (on the bottom), the black olive (on top) and an amazing sourdough (not pictured, sadly). Bread at Manresa = some of the best ever.
First savory course was this cucumber salad. It had tons of herbs and what appeared to be way too much pepper, but it was all so nicely balanced. A lovely mouth awakening for sure.
Our second savory course was one of my favorites. This dish of gorgeous carrots, edible flowers and herb oil gets a little hint of sweetness from those tiny berries. I would eat a lot more carrots if I could make them taste like this!
Up next was Manresa's famous "Into the Garden". Picturesque and delicious, I adored it. The name is quite appropriate as it contains the best of what the garden has to offer, and all the ingredients work in concert to create one heck of a salad.
In the fourth savory course, I was introduced to a vegetable I'd never met before: Celtuce. How I managed to go my whole life without eating this hearty green is a mystery, but paired with paper thin radishes (look, you can see through them!), silky potatoes, and truffle shavings, it really shined. I need to get my hands on some of this unique veggie and try working it into some dishes at home. Thanks for the tip, Manresa. Just for the record, we've been getting a half - 3/4 full glass of wine with each dish. It was around course 4 or 5 (gee, I wonder why I can't remember?!) that we were switched from white to red. Wine pairings are crazy awesome!
Savory course number 5 was a mushroom fest. "Hello, umami," said my happy mouth. :)
One of my other favorites of the night, savory course 6 was a bean dish with garlic oil. These were beans elevated to another level. Smooth, creamy, and wondrous, especially with the garlic oil and herbs. This dish just sang.
Our last savory course of the evening revisited the mushroom theme, but this time the little beauties were paired with fresh basil and pine nut "pudding". If it hadn't been for the fact that I was reaching capacity, I could have eaten a lot more of this dish. As it was, though, I was ready for some sweetness.
With dessert came a full glass of port. A full glass this time because it is to last you through two desserts and a post dessert 'snack'. Number one was this stunning strawberry ice. It was refreshing and just screamed STRAWBERRY. In a good way of course. I could have licked the bowl.
Real dessert (because, for me, "real" dessert involves chocolate) was this simply amazing dish you see above. First of all, I love the use of space on this plate. Definitely one of my favorite platings of the evening. But then the taste! Oh my god. The heavenly chocolate sorbet did a tongue tango with the coconut tapioca - so enjoyable to eat. The two slices of perfectly caramelized banana added just the right amount of warmth to the dish. Way to end on a high note! But wait, there's more....
Just when we thought the check was on its way, we got this dish. Confused at first, because it looked like we were starting all over again with the red pepper gelee, we then found out that this was instead a strawberry version. Flavor intensity and luscious texture was exactly the same, only this time sweet not savory.
All in all, I loved this meal. I even loved the freakin' coffee I got at the end (above). Superb coffee to cap off a superb meal! What I did not love was the price tag. Don't get me wrong, I knew it would cost an arm and a leg to eat here. However, most fine dining restaurants charge a lesser price for the vegetarian tasting menu than the regular tasting menu. * Not here. So, while it was amazing and I loved it, I don't think I could justify the cost again. Not when Fleur de Lys, right here in SF, will create you something just as fantastic for about half the price.
Phew, well I'm exhausted just remembering that meal. I hope you all got to eat well over Labor Day two, even if that meant good veggie burgers on the grill! Up next, I return to an old San Francisco fave and visit some new places too... so stay tuned!
*One notable exception would be The French Laundry, which is also more expensive than Manresa. However, the experience of eating there is unparalleled, which is why it is known as the best restaurant in the country, if not the world. Go if you can.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
2 comments:
Definitely outdid Austin-but then meal wasn't too expensive at all as I recall. The meal looked lovely!
- September 10, 2010 at 9:42 PM
- Sky said...
The Austin meal was still expensive, but about half the price as Manresa. It WAS lovely though. :)
- September 11, 2010 at 7:35 AM
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UK: JLR cuts to the Chase for US finance
Jaguar Land Rover has selected Chase as its exclusive auto finance provider in the US, offering a full range of financial services to vehicle buyers and dealers.
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Stacking Bracelets 101
Deciding how to stack and layer your bracelets can, at times, be overwhelming. There are so many bracelets, bangles, cuffs available…the options are unlimited! Here are some ways to help make the decision easier and make you more confident when rocking your bangle sets!
To decide on the style of your personal bracelet stack, think of your own style and personality first. Are you the classy, elegant type of girl or do you prefer cool and laidback outfits? Do you love natural colors or are you more into sparkling and girly stuff? Or are you a combination of the above? Asking yourself these questions is a great way of becoming aware of your own personality and style. Remember: you are unique and your personal bracelet stack should match YOU!
To narrow down the options for the combination of your choice let's take a closer look at the style of your soon-to-be-bracelet stack. An important question you'll want to ask yourself here is: do I want my bracelet stack to match and compliment my wardrobe or do I want it to really stand out and be the eye-catching part of it? This will give you a rough idea of what your bracelet stack will look like.
Once you have an idea of the stack's style in mind, it is important to make your decision on a color scheme. We have two main options here: the first one is to choose a specific color and/or metal and stick with it. This option is perfect if you either have a bold color as your all time favorite (like pink or purple) or if you prefer to dress in a specific color theme.
The second option is to mix and match different colors or metals to create your personal bracelet combination. In line with your personal style and the stack's style you decided on, you can either combine colors of the same color family here or go all bold and crazy by combining different colors with lots of contrast.
Visit alefbet.com to see more great choices.


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How I Earned $10,000 in 2 Months Selling Toys on Amazon
Today, we're going to look at a different Amazon program: Fulfillment by Amazon, often called FBA. In November and December 2014, I earned more than $10,000 reselling items on FBA, usually making a 10 to 20 percent profit on each item.
Selling through FBA is a great way to put some extra cash in my pocket, and it's one more way for you to earn extra money as well.
How Fulfillment by Amazon Works
You probably already know that many items on Amazon are sold through third-party sellers. This is why you sometimes order a product from Amazon but it doesn't arrive in Amazon's traditional brown packaging; the third-party seller has handled the fulfillment and shipping part of the sale.
Fulfillment by Amazon lets third-party sellers like me turn the fulfillment and shipping part over to Amazon. We send our items to Amazon, and the company stores our items until they sell. When someone buys one of our items, Amazon ships it to them. Here's a short video that Amazon created to explain the FBA program.
How I Made Money With FBA
I started getting into the toy resale business as a way to earn extra money in college, and in 2012 I used that knowledge to resell toys on FBA. I focus exclusively on toys, and I only sell them during the holiday season, when the most people are looking for these items.
My toy reselling strategy is to search online for retailers selling toys at huge discounts, buy the toys and sell them at a profit. This is called retail arbitrage.
%VIRTUAL-pullquote-I search online for retailers selling toys at huge discounts, buy the toys and sell them at a profit.%Sometimes I get lucky and find a big discount on a popular toy. These toys generally resell very quickly, especially if they're becoming scarce in regular stores. In my experience, it's been pretty easy to resell nearly all of my stock with FBA; the majority of my items have sold within a week of listing them, and some have sold within hours.
If you want to resell toys with FBA, start shopping for those big toy discounts. Keep in mind that Amazon FBA accepts both new and used items, which is great if you can find a mint-condition Teddy Ruxpin or another one of those valuable '80s or '90s toys. Otherwise, look for popular or perennial toys that are likely to be hot sellers.
However, one thing to be aware of is that Amazon offers a 100 percent guarantee on products. If something is damaged in shipping or the user simply doesn't like it, you're responsible for the return. I haven't had too many returns, but you should be aware of the possibility of getting a few before jumping into selling through FBA.
Also, toys aren't the only item you can resell through FBA -- I just happen to know a lot about them, but you can definitely pick a different type of item. Some FBA products require approval before you can sell them, so check Amazon FBA's Categories and Products Requiring Approval to see if your product is on that list.
Make Extra Money While Buying Your Inventory
Here's a way to take this even further: How are you going to buy the items you plan to sell on FBA? Why not use rewards cards and gift cards that earn money for you?
Before I buy items to sell on FBA, I figure out which gift cards I need to buy those items. If I was going to buy toys from Toys 'R' Us, for example, I'd want to buy those toys with a Toys 'R' Us gift card.
I'd use a rewards credit card to buy the Toys 'R' Us gift card from a discount gift card site like Gift Card Rescue or Gift Card Zen. Then, when I made the purchase using the gift card, I'd use my Ebates account to get even more rewards. I'd also search coupon sites like RetailMeNot to save on the Toys 'R' Us purchase and make that discounted gift card go even further.
To recap: I earn rewards on my credit card, I earn rewards through Ebates, I increase the value of my gift card by buying it at a discount and combining it with online coupons, and then, after I make my purchase, I sell the purchased items through FBA at a profit. When you explain it like that, it sounds easy enough, doesn't it?
Don't forget that your rewards card is a credit card, though; if you don't pay it back in full every month, you are likely to get hit with interest that cancels out all of your hard-earned rewards.
Other Amazon FBA Strategies
I'm not the only person who has found success with Fulfillment by Amazon. Jessica Larrew at The Selling Family explains her own family's success story and provides a lot of resources for new FBA sellers. If you're interested in learning more about selling through FBA, take some time to explore her site.
Here's a sample of her strategy for creating effective Amazon Product Descriptions: "Instead of just being long, titles should be clear and enticing. This doesn't take more characters. ... it takes talent and skill to think like your customers. Sometimes attracting customers can simply be done with a couple of words. In addition to the things Amazon suggests you include (a brand name, a model number, color, etc.) choose a few handpicked adjectives to differentiate your product such as premium, elegant, 100% natural, etc."
Take a look at her advice, as well as other Amazon FBA blogs like Full-Time FBA, Online Selling Experiment and more. The more you learn about the FBA process, the better prepared you'll be when you start using FBA to earn extra money yourself. Then get ready to start shopping and selling.
Have you ever tried selling items on Amazon? Have you used Fulfillment by Amazon? Do you have advice for other FBA sellers?


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welcome back to three on thursday, a post of my weekly (and all time) top three favorites.
1. y'all gonna make me lose my mind coffee mug. not a new thing by any means, but it never stops being funny. i like all things matching so i have a white set of mugs from crate and barrel and nothing else sneaks into my collection, except this one. and it's my favorite. oh and the no diggity one, for pitch perfect fans. i don't own that one yet, but it's adorable.
2. jordana fabuliner. it's a really black eyeliner with a felt tip. now, even though i prefer brush tip over felt tip, it still lasts a long time, it's easy to apply, and at my walgreens, it's only $2. how can you beat that? and of course it's cruelty free.