text: An analysis of Marketing Strategy at Royal Caribbean Cruises Introduction The cruise line industry is a part of the entire vacation industry. Like the travel industry, the demand of the cruise line industry was affected by the seasonal variability and economic condition. Thus the demand of cruise line industry is very elastic. Royal Caribbean Cruises are the world's second largest cruise vacation company. They have approximately 40 ships in services, providing around 79000 berths around the world. (Royal Caribbean Cruises, 2008) There is no doubt Royal Caribbean Cruises provide the excellent services to the customers and design the amazing holiday package for the customers. However, the economic crisis happen from 2008 has a bad impact on the cruise line industry. The Royal Caribbean Cruises were also affected by the financial crisis because the industry was determined by the customer's demand. Therefore, it is important to analyze the current Royal Caribbean Cruise market strategy under the economic downturn. By defining the current strategies adopted by the Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCC), it will give out the suggestion about the alternative strategic actions in order to increase profitability and create long term sustainability in the time of global recession. Literature Review: Keegan (1989) summarized that the strategic concept of marketing has shifted from the customer or the products to the firm's external environment. To succeed, marketers must know the customer in a context which includes the competition, government policy and regulation, and the broader economic, social, and political macro forces that shape the evolution of markets. Kotler (1991) defined that marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others. Jain (1999) suggested that marketing represents the boundary between the marketplace and the company, and knowledge of current and emerging happenings in the marketplace is extremely important in any strategic planning exercises. Williams (2006) pointed out that the marketing of tourism and hospitality products has become very complex and the majority of the marketing efforts are focusing not on the customers, but on the destination or outlet, with strategies related to the product offered, commonly using conventional images as a way to attract consumer preferences. Jain (1999) defined that market strategy deals with essentially with three forces known as the customer, the competition, and the corporation. A good marketing strategy should be characterized by a clear market definition, a good match between corporate strength and the needs of the market, and superior performance, relative to the competition, in the key success factors of the business. According to Weaver (2008), RCC has refashioned itself as a large-scale cruise line that offers customers activity-intensive and exciting holidays. Economic Downturn's impact on the industry and RCC Cruise industry is featured with its exceptional value proposition, low market penetration levels, wide appeal, high customer satisfaction rates and favorable supply-demand imbalance. Kworthnik (2006) termed that a cruise was an expensive, formal, and relatively lengthy vacation- seven to fourteen days on average. He also stated that cruising was dominated by brands that served the "contemporary" segments, a clear label used by cruise marketer to describe the mass market. These cruise lines featured ever-larger ships that accommodated 2000 to 3400 guests who paid fares ranging from $150 to $300 per person per day. The cruise industry was relative a young industry emerged at 1980s. The North America is the main market in the cruise industry, following by Europe, and Asia market. In this context, the cruise industry is still at growth stage with ever growing capacity, because the larger ships were on board. As this industry was included in the tourism industry, it is highly dependent on customer demand. While, the supply capacity is fixed due to the ship's fixed capacity. The financial crisis happened in 2008 has a strike on the cruise industry as well. Gibson et al (2011) suggested that capacity is growing since more ships, corresponding to more additional berths, will be launched until 2012. Due to a time lag, the impacts of financial crisis will manifest in a decline of additional capacity after 2012. The financial crisis has led to a number of new ship order cancellations. Lloyds (2011) found that recovery in the cruise market appears to be following the path of the wider economy, with steady but cautious growth. But it is robust enough to give cruise lines sufficient confidence to have started ordering new ships, even through the pace of deliveries of new capacity in future is likely to be slower than in recent years. According to RCC's annual report (2010), RCC's current strategy is to attract an array of vacationing consumers by providing a wide range of itineraries and cruises lengths with multiple innovative options for onboard dinning, entertainment and other onboard activities. Turconi (2008) pointed out that RCC management constantly updated and upgraded the company berth capacity to accelerate earnings growth and exploit efficiencies made possible by increased volume and a younger, more efficient fleet. Lloyds (2011) concluded that RCC reported a net profit of $547.5 million, a significant improvement on the $162.4 million a year earlier. This improvement was partly due to a large fleet capacity, including the full year effect of its 5400 passenger capacity Oasis of the Seas delivered in late 2009. The last year delivery of Allure of the seas will give a further boost this year. RCC expects a further improvement in financial performance with more bookings and higher prices. Therefore, RCC current marketing strategy is designed to emphasize its high quality and excellent-value cruise vacations. RCC uses social media and internet, and traditional media channels targeting adults and families who have interested in exploring new destination and seeking new experience. (RCC annual report, 2010) Although the financial crisis has resulted in the decrease in demand, the time lag effect proved that the cruise industry was not influenced by the financial crisis seriously. On the one hand, RCC put great emphasis on the retaining the existing customers by providing the excellent quality services and different destinations. On the other hand, RCC also made effort to expand its capacity to attract the new customers. The above mentioned the Oasis of the sea and Allure of the sea offered the new customer multiple choices through a wide array of itineraries, accommodations, and dining options. Moreover, RCC placed a strong focus on the product innovation by introducing new concepts on the new ships and continuously improvement to the existing fleet in a cost effective manner even during the financial crisis time. (RCC annual report, 2010) The innovation of products reflected the RCC's continuous effort on the capacity expanding and product innovation. Especially, the Oasis of the Seas introduced the neighborhood concepts which offer the customer unique experience in the RCC. These innovation and concepts make customer feel very different from the traditional tourism experience, which is luxury feeling, neighborhood feeling, and satisfaction feeling. The customer will think the price they paid is deserved the quality services and good experience. Once the customer is satisfied with these services and innovation products, it will in turn retain the customer to choose RCC once again. In this context, current marketing strategy of RCC is reinforcing the brand awareness and expanding into new markets and itineraries. RCC has its most famous brand Royal Caribbean International (CCI), which is targeted as the international cruise brand. The continuous new ships reflected RCC would like to capture the new market or the new customers. The cruise industry has the high potential different from the traditional tourism was just sightseeing. Instead, the quality services, good accommodation, and innovation vacation products attracted the existing customers experience over and over. The new itineraries offered the existing customer the opportunity to the different destination where they never have been to. This in turn helps the RCC to expand the new market as well. To sum up in this section, the economic downturn did have some negative impact on the cruise industry such as the demand decreasing, and ships order cancellation. The time lag effect will be expected in 2012. However, RCC's still had the revenue increase compared with 2009. This is because its marketing strategy was very effective. Firstly, the quality services and various destinations attracted the existing customers continuing choosing RCC as their first cruise tourism operator. Secondly, the new ships expanded the RCC's capacity. This in turn increases the company's revenue by satisfying the customer's demand in cruise industry. Thirdly, the product innovation such as the neighborhood concepts in the theme they providing not only attracted the existing customers, but also draw the new customer's attention. Fourthly, the new itineraries help the RCC to penetrate the different market besides the traditional North America market, such as the Europe and Asia market. All these efforts reinforce the RCC's brand awareness and increase its revenue even in the financial crisis time. Before going to the next section, a SWOT analysis is helpful to identify strength and weakness of their marketing strategy, and is also useful to suggest the alternative actions in order to increase the profitability and create long term sustainability during the global recession. Strength Weakness Quality Services Excellent-value Cruise Vacation Large capacity Various destinations around the world High maintenance cost Higher prices compared with the competitor such as Carnival Cruise Usually long term vacation duration Relative short cruise season Insufficient promotion of destination goods and services onboard visiting cruise ships Opportunities Treats Besides the US main market, Europe and Asia become ever important Bigger capacity means bigger business opportunity Search for the new destinations Development of fly-cruise packages Decline in the new ships ordering Increasing cost of fuel Strong competition Economic recession Environmental impacts Public opinion favoring eco tourism Table 1: SWOT Analysis of RCC Suggestions of alternative strategic actions: As above mentioned, the RCC put great emphasis on the RCI brand building by promoting explorer concepts, which is focusing on active and adventurous dimensions of the experience. (Kwortnik, 2006) Once people recalled RCI, they regarded RCI is a quality brand of cruise industry with quality services and luxury feelings. However, RCC still faced the fierce competition in the cruise industry and the pressure from the economic recession. To achieve the sustainable development in the long term, RCC has to make some improvements such as cost saving, brand management, promotion to maximize the profit. There is no doubt the cruise industry is a high potential industry because currently the revenue mainly from the existing customers who have experienced the cruise tourism. The industry is featured with high satisfaction of customer. This means if it can enroll more new customers, the industry will make more profit, so is the cruise company. However, it is hard for the new customer understand how amazing a cruise trip is. If the promotion of RCC could address this point, it will earn more new customers. Dickenson and Vladimir (2008) also found that the industry may lose the focus on the new customers and secondary new customers who are induced to try the product. The brochure as the direct advertising tool passes the useful message to the new customers. The author noticed that the brochure provided by RCC at RCC UK website is all-in-one type and specific region. Mancini (2010) suggested that other type brochure such as specific ship brochure, seasonal brochure, and target brochure is also powerful sales tools. For RCC, it could create the brochure of Oasis of the Seas or Allure of the Seas to introduce the different character of its ships. It is easy for the customers to pick up the specific ship type they want or it is easy for them to make the comparison among the different types of ships within RCC. In addition, the all in one brochure targeted the families by emphasizing on the family fun on the cruise. Therefore, RCC could launch the target brochure which targets the young working people. Young working people has the stable income and the enthusiasm. They are willing to explore the new destination and experience the new adventure. In other words, their buying power is very strong to RCC. If the brochure targets specifically the young working people, it may attract more potential new customers enrolling the cruise trip. Furthermore, the cruise industry is also influenced by the seasonal factors. The seasonal offer brochure may attract the families, whose children have the summer or winter holidays. Through the different brochure, it could target the different customers, and different geographical market. This in turn will help the RCC to earn the new customers and make the new profit. As the cruise industry is featured by the high customer retention, thus it is meaningful to explore the new customers by launching the new customized brochures. Once the new customers successfully experienced the cruise trip, they will loyal to RCC for the next trip. The SWOT analysis suggested that besides the American market, European and Asia market has become more and more important. Currently, European market becomes the emerging market for RCC. However, the Asia market could not be neglected because the buying power of Asia market has grown dramatically in the international market. Lloyd's (2011) reported that RCC has already entered into the Chinese market, which is the most prospective market in Asia. But the competitor Costa dominated the Chinese market in recent years. As Shanghai has set up the infrastructure to support the cruise industry, RCC could design more favorable cruise package to attract the Chinese customers. For example, it could deploy the relative medium size ships offering three to four nights cruises from China's main ports. This ship is mainly served at Chinese domestic market along the coastline. Moreover, RCC could create the customized food that favors the Chinese customer's needs. In China, the young working people and families are the key target customers for RCC, who can afford the cruise trip. If RCC want to expand their Chinese market, it has to offer more customized services compared with its competitor Costa. Besides currently quality services and good accommodations, RCC could employ some local employee who can speak Chinese. This in turn will offer better services to the Chinese customers. In addition, despite the economic downturn happened worldwide, China still stood out for its strong economic growth power. This means the Asia market especially the Chinese market has the great potential if RCC could catch the market and attract the Chinese customers. If so, RCC will make huge profit in this emerging market. It will also help RCC to increase the market share in the Chinese market or the Asia market. A business if wants to achieve the long-term sustainability, it cannot leave without good corporate social responsibility (CSR) practice. CSR's central is stakeholders. Stakeholder theory underlines that organization survival and success hinges on the organization's ability to generate sufficient wealth, value, or satisfaction for its primary stakeholders. (Clarkson, 1988) Awareness of CSR policies and practices has a positive influence on consumers' evaluations of product attributes. (Brown and Dacin, 1997) Especially, the cruise industry is a part of tourism industry, the good CSR practice is very important for RCC in the long-run. The cruise industry is dependent on the environmental resource, which directly is the sea resource. The ever growing fuel costs call for less fuel consumption and air emissions. Chon and Maier (2010) suggested that the advanced technologies could be used in the cruise industry to decrease the negative impacts on the environment. Although RCC made great effort on environmental protection such as strict rules, sophisticated systems of waste disposal, and professional staff, it still has the space to implements its CSR practices. For example, RCC could order the ships with sophisticated systems to decrease the water waste or hazardous waste, and with the emerging saving device to reduce the fuel consumption. Such ships not only could protect the environment, but also could protect the customers on the ships. Once the customers recognize the effort that RCC made at CSR aspects, they will perceive RCC is a company caring about the customers, and environment. This in turn will help the RCC to retain and attract the new customers who prefers the eco tourism. Moreover, the ships ordered by RCC with high standard of environmental awareness will help the company save the waste disposal cost in the long-run. This in turn will increase the profit by attracting the customers with environmental sense and decreasing the waste disposal cost by the advanced technology on the ships. Conclusion: The cruise industry is a relative young industry with rapid growth in the capacity. Meanwhile, this industry was featured with the high customer loyalty once they experienced the cruise trip. However, the economic downturn has a negative impact on the cruise industry. Many new ship bookings have been cancelled due to the financial crisis. But there is a time lag between the financial crisis and the cruise industry. Therefore, the cruise industry still makes the profit even in the recession time. This report analyzed the RCC in the cruise industry, which is the second leader in this industry. The existing brand strategy was quite successfully in RCC by which it created the RCI brand featured with quality services and luxury feeling. Moreover, RCI introduced the explorer concepts to attract the customers who would like to take the adventures during the whole trip. However, RCC still has the space to improve itself and make more profit. The author used the SWOT analysis to develop the strategic suggestions about RCC's future operation. The North American is current main market to RCC. The European and Asia market has the great potential. If RCC could make more effort on the expanding European and Asia market, it will gain more new customers and make great potential profit other than the North America market. The expanding European and Asia market also means that RCC will earn the greater market share compared with its main competitor Carnival Cruises. The current marketing communication is mainly through the social media and internet. The brochure as the direct advertising tool reflected that RCC still needs to enrich the brochure types. It suggested that RCC could launch the targeted brochure or specific ship brochure or seasonal brochure to draw the different customer's attention. Through these brochures, the customers will easily find the holiday products and compare the products. The long term sustainability suggested that RCC has to implement and improve its current CSR strategy by considering the related stakeholders. This will in turn help RCC retain and attract the customers with environmental sense. Reference: Brown, T. J. & Dacin, P.A. (1997). The Company and the Product: Corporate Associations and Consumer Product Responses. Journal of Marketing. Vol.61(1). pp. 68-84 Chon, K.S. & Maier, T.A. (2010). Welcome to Hospitality: An Introduction. 3rd ed. Mason: South-Western Cengage. pp.361 Clarkson, M.B. (1988). Corporate Social Performance in Canada. In Preston, L.E. ed, Research in Corporate Social Performance and Policy. Greenwich: JAI Press. pp. 241-265 Dickenson, B. & Vladimir, A. (2008) Selling the Sea: An Inside Look at the Cruise Industry. 2nd ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. pp.141 Gibson, P. et al. (2011). Cruise Sector Challenges: Making Progress in an Uncertain World. Heidelberg: Gabler Verlag. pp.51 Jain, S.C. (1999). Marketing Planning & Strategy. 6th ed. London: South-Western College Publishing. pp.23 Keegan, W.J. (1989). Global Marketing Management. 4th ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Kotler, P. (1991). Marketing Management. 7th ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Kwortnik, J. R. J. (2006). Carnival Cruise Lines: Burnishing the Brand. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. Vol.47. pp.286-300 Lloyds. List Group. (2011). Cruise industry on slow speed. Lloyd's Shipping Economist. Mancini, M. (2010). The CLIA Guide to the Cruise Industry. Mason: South-Western Cengage. pp.156 Royal Caribbean Cruises. (2010). Annual Report. Thomson Returns. Weaver, A. (2008). Managing Brands within the Cruise Industry. In Tourism Management: Analysis, Behavior and Strategy. Woodside & Martin. Oxfordshire: CAB International. pp. 269-284 Williams, A. (2006). Tourism and Hospitality Marketing: Fantasy, Feeling and Fun. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. Vol.18(6). pp. 482-495 Turconi, S. (2008). The Quest for Profitable Growth in the Modern Cruise Industry. Norderstedt Germany: GRIN. pp.22 原文链接:marketing strategy转载请注明出处:优易论文


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Haanduk, Rajat Kamal 2017 award winner Assamese Movie nominated for UK film Festival
Jaicheng Jai Dohutia's national award winning Assamese movie Haanduk হান্দুক ( Eng. The Hidden Corner ) created another milestone by getting nominated to be screened at Chichester International Film Festival, London, UK, 2017 .
The story is based on true incidents, the suffering and pain faced by the villagers during the peak years of insurgency in Assam in 1990's.
Cast:- Bandoi Chettia, Nivedita Baruah, Jitu Kumar Moran, Bishal Anurag, Ratneswar Moran
Haanduk begged many awards across the globe including Rajat Kamal for Best Feature Film in Moran (64th National Film Awards, 2017). Haanduk is also officially selected for "Rapid Lion 2017", The South African International Film Festival.
Haanduk won Best Screenplay Award at The Alaska International Film Awards 2017 (www.alaskafilmawards.com)
For complete information click here- Haanduk
2,268 total views, 2 views today

subset: commoncrawl


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I am trying to use bedtools to find intersections between H3K4me1 peaks and my regions of interest. Though I can see overlap on IGV, intersect returns 0 without any error messages.
Here is command I'm using and screenshot from IGV:
bedtools intersect -a gene.ROI -b wgEncodeBroadHistoneHuvecH3k4me1StdPk.broadPeak -u | wc -l
IGV screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/JYUzp
Is there something I'm missing?
Thank you, Kerry
do file use the same chromosome notation ? are the files sorted ? are both files BED files ?
Yes, same chromosome notation. Files are not sorted - I've done this analysis before and didn't sort them. Do you think sorting would overcome this? The ROI file is just a document, created using nano in terminal. The other is a broad peak file.
The ROI file is just a document, created using nano in terminal.
Check columns are tab separated and there are no funny, non-printable characters. If you do something like:
cat -vet gene.ROI | head
You should see columns separated by
^I, e.g.:
I only used chromosome coordinates but don't see any extraneous characters
cat -vet gene.ROI | head
It looks like the dollar sign at the end of each line might be causing trouble. You can use this command to remove the last character from each line:
sed 's/.$//' gene.ROI > geneROI.nolast
That is because of options (
-vet) used for
cat command.
-e equivalent to -vE
-E, --show-ends
display $ at end of each line
-t equivalent to -vT
-T, --show-tabs
display TAB characters as ^I
-v, --show-nonprinting
use ^ and M- notation, except for LFD and TAB
Your IGV screenshot seems to show the entire genome. It may be that once you zoom in into one of the ROI genes there is actually no intersection.
Here's zoomed in screenshot of the first ROI. There should be 4 intersections. https://imgur.com/a/lsiEQ


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You Can Watch Thousands Of Snakes Hang Out Together
Awesome 😍or terrifying 😱?
For most of the year, the Narcisse Snake Dens in Manitoba, Canada, are quiet. There's no commotion and nothing of note to see — until spring arrives. For a few weeks in April and May, red-sided garter snakes emerge from their winter dens to mate, and all anyone can see during that time are lots and lots of snakes.
Tens of thousands of snakes, to be exact.
To a lot of people, this may sound like a nightmare — but there's something so captivating and intriguing about having so many snakes essentially taking over the entire area, covering every inch of the ground. Even if you're not at all a fan of snakes, you still might find yourself wanting to know more about this incredible event.
The Narcisse Snake Dens consist of four active dens, and have viewing platforms built along each one so people can marvel at the incredible amount of snakes all gathered up together. There are so many that they completely cover the floors of the dens, and at first they look more like vegetation than live animals — until you realize that the vegetation is actually moving. The area is perfectly set up for the needs of the red-sided garter snakes, and so there they've stayed for years and years, and every year they emerge again to amaze everyone from miles around.
There are a good deal more male snakes than female snakes living in and around the dens, and once they all emerge, there are usually around 100 males surrounding each female. Depending on the weather, the exact date they come out each year varies, and due to a chilly April, this year they appeared closer to the end of May. After spring, the snakes take a break for the summer and then return to the dens in the fall, where they're visible until the weather becomes too cold and wet and they retreat underground again until spring.
People come from all over the place during the spring and fall to check out the thousands of snakes gathered together, and even those who are terrified of snakes can't help but be amazed by it all.
The area has become quite the attraction, with gigantic signs …
… and realistic-looking statues all over the place …
… but of course, the main event is seeing the snakes.
The officials of Manitoba of course urge everyone to be respectful of the snakes in and around the dens, as it's their home first and foremost and their safety is a top priority. Everyone else is just a visitor, all gathering together to watch thousands of snakes and be reminded of just how cool our world really is.


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870 W. 16th StNewport Beach, CA, US 92663
Act, Sing, Dance and explore the world of Broadway in this fun musical theater camp! Campers will build valuable musical theater performance skills, craft props, play theater games and create fun characters all while working together to perform a mini Musical on the last day!
To view the instructor's website, please visit www.TakeTheStageProductions.com
Recreation & Senior Services Department
100 Civic Center Drive - Bay E
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Tel. p. 949.644.3151 f. 949.644.3155


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Plan Session Devotion: Lord, Help Me Pour Your Love
Each Friday I invite you to pray a personal prayer of devotion and surrender in all the ways. Will you pray? Will you speak this prayer to your Father? I pray as you do, He joins His heart to yours.
Lord, You give to me what I need and save me from what I don't, and I forget to thank You. You pour out blessings in ways that get my attention and I remember to thank you, but forget why You give. You give so I can also. Your love I take for granted. I walk in my own little world keeping it all for myself, and I forget You love so I can also.
Your love truly overwhelms me. The closer I get to You, the more I know Your love. The more I know Your love, the more I realize it was not meant to be kept all to myself. The closer I get to Your heart the more I hear it beating — every beat resounding for the lost, the oppressed, the broken, the hungry, and the captive.
Then You draw me to lean in closer to hear, and I pretend I don't hear. I'm afraid—not of Your love. I'm afraid of the pain of Your love for the world so much in need of You. I'm afraid of a call I'm unwilling to answer. I know the closer to Your heart I get, the more I realize it is me you are calling to the lost, the oppressed, the broken, the hungry, and the captive.
Help me not be afraid of Your call. Help me not hoard Your love. You died for me. Surely, I could live for You. Help me to, in Jesus sweet and powerful Name.
This devotion is one of many that are part of our Plan Session. To find all the Plan Session Devotions, please click here. We have the free Plan Session Study available in our library you may access by signing up below for our updates. Additionally, here are a few correlating verses that you can study and go little deeper with: Isaiah 58:6-12, Luke 4:17-19. And, as always, we would love to hear from you.


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Koala Baby Green Solid Plush Changing Pad Cover
$12.98 $17.99
Koala Baby Green Solid Plush Changing Pad Cover. Make routine changing a happy time for baby with this stylish Babies R Us Plush Changing Pad Cover. It's machine washable, making it easy to clean up accidents; and the elastic bottom ensures a snug fit on virtually any changing pad for your little one's ultimate comfort. The Koala Baby Green Solid Plush Changing Pad Cover Features: Includes a plush changing pad cover designed in solid green Elastic for a snug fit Accommodates most changing pads up to 18 inches x 36 inches Attached safety straps Machine washable for easy cleaning Imported Perfect for parents that are seeking value while retaining brand name quality, Babies'R'Us offers a complete line of the baby care, baby bath and baby accessories that families are looking for. The Babies'R'Us exclusive house brand gives you the advantage of saving money while making sure that your newborn baby or infant receives the care and attention that they deserve. Baby > Category > Bedding & Room Decor > Nursery Bedding > Changing Pads & Covers. Home & Garden > Linens & Bedding > Bedding > Duvet Covers.
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See more in Bedding Sets
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5890 S. Westnedge Avenue
Babies R Us
5890 S. Westnedge Avenue
Portage, MI 49024


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Re: Want to start a shopping cart for a home based business?amspcs Dec 3, 2008 3:03 PM (in response to bigchallenge)X-Cart or X-Cart Lite. http://www.merchantservices-help.com/shoppingcart.html
You'll also need an internet merchant account and a secure gateway provider in addition to your shopping cart.
Pay particular attention to compatability between the three separate elements. Do _no_t be tempted by any integrated packages containing all three together, that's a trap.
Re: Want to start a shopping cart for a home based business?Bizchik Dec 3, 2008 7:30 PM (in response to amspcs)Have you tried just adding paypal? Paypal premier, with just your name, does not require a ssn or ein, and its free. If you need a full "virtual register", you will have to go for the business account. I believe they charge 3% of the sales.
Hope that helps!
Re: Want to start a shopping cart for a home based business?SOHOguru Dec 6, 2008 9:58 PM (in response to bigchallenge)I've developed with Zen Cart for a long time. It is a free software, but you'll need to find out what your server platform is (Unix, Windows?). Zen Cart is PHP based.
Do you have FTP access and control of your website? Webmasters can configure carts for you, but they'll also have access to all of your merchant account information. Be sure to have confidentiality contracts and once the site is built, change your passwords.
If you have basic HTML knowledge, you'd be able to set up Zen Cart yourself. I've been in ecommerce almost 12 years and Zen is the best I've worked with out of the box.
It has a great user interface so you can quickly add products and assign any attributes (sizes of t-shirts, colors, styles, etc.) that can be assigned globally.
It also handles banners, advertisements, specials, featured products, sale products, coupons, gift certificates and you can insert Google adsense code if you want to. And a lot more, there's just too much to mention.
You'll need a merchant account. I've used several. Bank of America has one, but I've also used Authorize.net and Transaction Pro. I won't mention the first one I started out with in 1997. They charged me over $3000 for a 3.5 floppy disk. No kidding. Of course, that was when stuff was really new and we were all baby fish is a large pond.
If you want to see an example - look at http://www.crafttoys.com/shop
Re: Want to start a shopping cart for a home based business?wealthpro Dec 7, 2008 9:16 PM (in response to bigchallenge)I used x-cart for one site and ecommerce for the other. They both were installed on my server. They worked good, but I had to hire people everytime that I wanted to do an upgrade or add a module. I have good knowledge of html, but there was too much of a learning curve for me to get confident at making changes to the cart scripts (not html).
I finally switched to a hosted shopping cart and I absolutely love it. The one that I'm using is called 3dcart. I must admit that I had the company design a template for me, but I have been able to make many changes without a problem. It also has lots of bells and whistles.
If you want to see me cart, go to: http://www.crazymillions.com
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I have had a website for 3 years, t-shirts and transfers. Not having much luck. Would like to add a shopping cart and do my own website this time. I have been paying a web designer up to now. Need good ideas on where to start on getting a good reliable software or whatever?
Thanks if you can help.
Thanks if you can help.


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Ruffle Front Crepe Shift Dress
Ruffle Front Crepe Shift Dress
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Style Notes
Roses are red (well, kinda), violets are blue and this dress was made for you. It features an all-over rose jacquard design, v-neck front, v-back, seamed bodice, fishtail ruffle hem and comes in a maxi length.
Our Style Editor Mark Heyes says "There's a vintage Oscars vibe to this gown that I just adore. Plus, the vibrant colour works with every skin tone."
Details & Care98% Polyester, 2% Elastane. Machine Wash at 30 Degrees
Delivery info
Delivery option Delivery times Delivery cost UK Standard Delivery Up to 5 working days, delivery Monday - Saturday £3.99 per order UK Next Day Delivery Order before 10pm Sunday to Friday or before 8pm on Saturdays £4.99 per order Hermes Next Day Parcel Collection Arriving in shops between 12pm and 5pm if ordered before 11pm Sunday to Friday or before 9.30pm Saturday £4.99 per order Inpost Next Day Locker Collection Collection next day if ordered before 11pm, Sunday to Friday or before 9.30pm Saturday £4.99 per order
Click here for further information.
Returns info
Coast UK returns are free and easy!
We hope you are satisfied with all of your purchases but if you ever need to return an item, you can do so within 60 days from the date your parcel arrived.
Please note, we cannot offer refunds on pierced jewellery or on swimwear if the hygiene seal is not in place or has been broken.
Great news! We now offer a FREE Collect+ returns service via over 5,500 local stores nationwide.
Click here to view our full Returns Policy.


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Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said the prospect of the Super League that featured only the top clubs in Europe would likely hurt domestic leagues. The Bayern boss said he was happy to not oversee its creation.Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge thinks that a European Super League is bound to become a reality in the future. The Bavarian chairman made the remark in an interview this week with German football magazine 11 Freunde.
"I suspect that this league will come one day. But don't ask me when," Rummenigge said.
Read more: UEFA considering an overhaul of the Champions League system
But in taking part in its creation, the Bayern CEO said no thanks."I am glad that the formation no longer falls under my responsibility as (former) head of the ECA (European Clubs Association)," he emphasized.
The European Super League idea is centered on narrowing the current Champions League to only the top 16 teams. The proposal has only been discussed, but so far there are no concrete plans to implement it.
But the proposal has sparked a debate over the future of European football. In particular, declining viewership of the current Champions League has driven some to support the move. At the same time, the Super League's main victims would be smaller teams and domestic federations.
Rummenigge touched on that point. "My gut feeling tells me that such a project would damage the domestic leagues," Rummenigge said, "because they would all become second-rate overnight," he added.
Read more: Christian Seifert: European Super League could help German Bundesliga
"But many clubs are following their own economic interests," the Bayern chairman noted, hinting that big clubs could be behind it for monetary reasons.
He is not the only coach to publicly say the Super League represents the future of football. In May, outgoing Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said it was "inevitable" that a Super League would be established and that it would pose a challenge to domestic leagues.
For the Frenchman said a huge overhaul of football was in order in the near future and imagined that Super League games would be played over the weekend, with domestic league fixtures being relegated to midweek matchdays.
jcg/mds (AFP, dpa)


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Content Count10
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Everything posted by FlashCrack
Update 13/07/2017: Have been working a bit less on the project due to things needed to be done in life, but I have done some work, at least enough to show you guys that I am still alive and kicking. Either way, by the end of the month I hope I will be able to release a playable version (no promises), I still have to figure out how to set up the spawn points and actually make it playable, so you know, might take some time. Anyways here is the new completed part of the map:
Update 08/07/2017: Progress is a tiny bit slower then usual but I am paying more attention to detail now that the map became twice the size then it originally was, however here's a screenshot of the fully completed tiles so far. Many more are in the process of editing and should be up soon.
Yeah, replicating does tend to make things slightly more complicated, in the wilderness I have all the artistic liberties I need to fix the roads, and these roads are usually broken in ArmA as well so it's easy for me to create a jagged broken look with the light and dark pothole textures and just make things look realistic and clean. Unfortunately the problem does tend to be in the towns, it's hard to make it look smooth, especially if the house is meant to lay on the road at an awkward angle, but I am doing my best, and a little bit of light in my troubles is that most buildings and roads in Chernogorsk and other cities, when looking at the map will be easy to make, as they are usually perfectly going straight in most cases.
Yeah I won't create a 1:1 for the sake of copying the map, considering DayZDB already splits the map into 100x100, 500x500, 1000x1000 meters, 500x500 seems like a good middle-ground and it's already marked out on the map, which makes my job about a 1000 times easier then measuring 300x300 meters constantly and especially trying to find where I left of after I sleep or something. My only fear is the buildings and the city however, as I am starting the map from the top-left corner, since it seems like every time I resize the world it expands to the bottom and left, and the map there is just mainly forests and empty roads filled with nothing, so judging the scale is pretty hard. And of course I do have a tiny problem of I can't fully copy all the Chernarus buildings since I only have American walls and textures to use. And Project Zomboid does hate curvy roads so. As you can see below, kind of an ugly scene to look at, so yeah if you or anyone else has any advice on this little problem that'd be great. But either way thanks for the tips!
Update 07/07/2017 The map's size will be increased by two, meaning that the map will end up being 30x30 cells most likely (Unless I run into problems). The majority of the already made 3x3 area is already recreated into a 6x6. I am currently taking 500x500m cells out of the DayZ map and making them into 300x300m in the Project Zomboid map itself. Expect some pictures and perhaps a more detailed update soon.
I know the cells in the game itself are 300m2, however I used the measurement of a cell being 1km by 1km when copying the map, do you reckon the map itself won't fit? Because I'd much rather resize them immediately rather then later. Same as above, what is your opinion on the map, will it fit or should I immediately resize it? And to both of you thank you for your input, however after working on it for a little bit right now I think a resize might be necessary in order to fit in all the buildings and such. But I'd like to hear from the rest as I don't have that much experience... yet.
[W.I.P.] Project South Zagoria - Chernarus
FlashCrack posted a topic in WIPProject South Zagoria - Chernarus Hello everyone and welcome to my first mapping project on Project Zomboid. I will be attempting to replicate the current Chernarus+ map into Project Zomboid for you to enjoy. Now, I am currently working with the basic tiles and items without anything custom added, and it may be a while this way since I don't have much knowledge into creating custom tiles, furniture, etc. So, I will try to get as close as I can to the actual DayZ/ArmA map. Keep in mind that there will be differences and issues and bugs and so forth, but that is why I hope I can make a releasable edition soon for all of you to at least test if you are willing to. Features: A 1 : 1,6 Scale of the map - Due to allowing easier replicating of the map (Or you can see it as 1 Chernarus meter = 1,6 Project Zomboid meters) New Custom Replicas of Chernarus Buildings A 9000x9000px Map A 30x30 cell map (Possible enlargement might be done) This is the PRE-Apocalypse version/Day 1 Version (So no crashed plane in the hotel in Chernogorsk and broken buildings) Current Status: Currently Completed Map Pictures of Areas in the Map (More to Come Later as most of it is Forests): Further Comments: I am basing the map on 500mx500m cubes taken out of the dayzdb map online and slowly re-doing them in photoshop to use them in WorldEd. Here is the link to anyone wishing to scale the map or compare it to my creation: http://dayzdb.com/map/chernarusplus#4.020.014 Contact and Contribute: If you wish to contribute or help out, whether that is improving or making tiles, making custom buildings based on the Chernarus/DayZ ones, even custom textures if you can, as well as any suggestions, tips or anything I am willing to accept it. You can help out either by posting in the comments or contacting me via PM and I can get you involved in this current one-man team job and of course you will get credit for your work (No money, is Eastern European, never people was rich here, very sorry, I run this on stolen Soviet PC). Either way I will accept comments of any kind, hope you guys like it! Updates: 07/07/2017: 08/07/2017: 13/07/2017:
Thank you sir you are a savior, I have no clue how I missed that. It is solved!
Yeah I've already done that, I've made that mistake at first and when I did it, it only fixed the Tiles in the TileZed, however WorldEd is still having issues. Here as you can see it's set to the Tiles folder and not the 2x:
Tile Problems in WorldEd
FlashCrack posted a topic in HelpSo, after countless hours of changing settings and figuring out how and why this is happening I got nothing other then the fact I messed up TileZed but fixed it and ruined two beautiful maps I've made. Basically I am using TileZed and WorldEd as well as the tiles from here. Basically, all the tiles are clear as day in TileZed as seen in the picture here: And yes it is supposed to be this empty. However whenever I try to zoom in or edit one of the cells in WorldEd to add my custom buildings and such I have this: As you can see I have a little bit of an issue. I've been trying to figure out how to get the tiles to work in WorldEd for hours but I have lots of studying to do so I was hoping one of you kind people knows the solution for this and is willing to share. Either way, tell me if you need more information and of what, I'll be happy to do my best to contribute in resolving this problem if it's necessary. And thank you for anyone who might be able to fix this.


text:
Split Payments (part one)
A letter to all entrepreneurs with the following interests/aspirations: Web 2.0, payment systems, saving money, executing quickly and being successful.
Dear entrepreneurs,
Please take two minutes out of your caffeine-fueled workdays to consider the following facts:
Fact: Building a payment system that's similar to PayPal from scratch—even if on a much smaller scale and with only a handful of features—is a bad idea. You'll get schooled by Nigerian fraudsters before you have a chance to build your risk models, lose all your money, and be forced to avoid returning phone calls from your investors. Do not attempt this.
Fact: There are a ton of opportunities, untapped business models, and extremely interesting mash-up components lurking within the PayPal feature set. If you're serious about creating a payment application, executing on ideas quickly, and you realize that it's usually a cash-drain to reinvent the wheel, then consider using PayPal for your backend and continue reading.
Fact: PayPal web services are largely utilized by developers who are working on storefronts and traditional, retail ecommerce projects. There is so much more potential than retail ecommerce sitting within those api's. Write the functionality of each api down on a note card along with some of the other amazing api functionality that can be found these days (think Amazon, Google maps, etc., etc.), and mix them up all over your kitchen table. Draw 3-5 cards at random and attempt to create a product idea from these combined functionalities. Some ideas will be horrible—others won't.
Fact: Mash it up. Consider a payment experience that could be better designed, feel safer, be faster, easier or just more fun. Solve your payment processing problems with PayPal, and season lightly with a blend of complimentary 3rd party api seasonings.
Fact: It won't take long before you come up with a great new business idea. You've talked to your partner who has agreed to code it, and he's fired up because not only is his work going to be pretty easy—he doesn't have to learn to create risk models. You will begin to calculate pricing, taking into consideration PayPal's fees and the cost of passing funds between your PayPal account and the PayPal accounts of others. You will figure out how much you'll need to charge your customers in order to cover all your PayPal fees and still carve out a nice margin for your new business.
Fact: The price you will need to charge to make a buck on your new idea will be way too high! After scratching your head, you will go back to the calculator and come up with the identical numbers. After looking at the PayPal fees more closely, you will start to feel like PayPal is double taxing you. Are they?
Let's explore a likely scenario and attempt to answer that question:
- A payment is received by your new web application, and subsequently your company's PayPal account (PayPal charges 2.9% plus $0.30 *)
- You immediately transfer what is left, minus your fees, to a customer account (PayPal charges 2.9% plus $0.30 *)
You can already see we're up to almost six basis points and some change before you even seen a margin. That's going to be a tough price point to sell, I think.
You're probably frustrated and ready to give up on creating the next great thing by now, right? Well, don't be. There is some light at the end of the tunnel. Read part two where we cover the concept of split payments, how it ties into all this, as well as a valuable hack that can be used to solve some of these problems.
*Note: These pricing scenarious were constucted using PayPal's most expensive price tier. See PayPal's fees page for an accurate estimation of what your fees would be.


text:
Oil Jumps After Saudi Oil Minister Presses OPEC+ for Better Compliance With Production Cuts
Saudi energy minister warns speculators not to bet against the OPEC+ alliance.
Saudi Aramco Announces Two New Fields, One Is Unconventional
The national oil company's remote northern region has delivered a pair of greenfields that await further drilling before a reserves estimate can be made.
Saudi Arabia/Kuwait Neutral Zone Resumes Production
The joint oil field had been offline since 2015, due to an operational dispute.
Offshore Enters Uncharted Waters
For the offshore sector, the collapse in oil demand and prices came just as the market was beginning to look up. Now many companies are focused on survival. This article discusses how various market segments, regions, and companies are faring in "the new reality."
Oil Prices Look Worse This Week, Time for Companies To Cut Deeper
US shale operators are cutting deeper, with some eliminating drilling and completions activity altogether.
Historic Oil Glut May Linger for Years
Oil prices got bad fast, so when will they get better? Don't bet on a quick recovery.
Saudi Aramco Set To Make $110-Billion Investment in Tight Gas
The first of three major unconventional developments in Saudi Arabia has been given the green light. The project will underpin the country's goal to become a top gas exporter by 2030.
Saudi Oil Basins Rich and Complex
Saudi Arabia offers a seemingly bottomless supply of oil and an equally deep array of exploration challenges as well.
Saudi Aramco IPO is a Go, Expected to Be Largest in History
The world's most profitable company will be listed on a domestic exchange next month. The final valuation of the company is yet to be determined.
Aramco Plan to Restart Damaged Oil Facilities "Optimistic"
Rystad estimates almost 2 million B/D will remain shut in on average during September and October, with full restoration to pre-attack levels not coming until closer to year end.
Supply Shock: Reactions to the Attack on Saudi Oil Facilities
Oil prices rose on the news that Saudi Arabian production was disrupted by aerial attacks. The massive outage might may boost US exports to new highs.
Aramco Advances 550,000-B/D Expansion of Marjan, Berri Fields
The world's largest oil producer has awarded $18 billion in engineering, procurement, and construction contracts as part of its Marjan and Berri expansion projects.
US Leads World in Oil Reserves
Ranking places US ahead of Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Schlumberger to Sell its Middle East Drilling Business to Saudi Arabia's TAQA
The deal will bolster Arabian Drilling Company's fleet to 67 rigs across the Middle East and North Africa.
Ghawar vs. Permian Basin: Is There Even a Comparison?
While some try to put the two enormous oil producers toe-to-toe, the best thing to do might be to understand why they are different.
Three Big Numbers Shaping the Global Crude Picture
Take a quick look at some of the data points shaping upstream headlines and the movement of oil supplies around the world.
Saudi Arabia Pushes for $80 Oil But US Producers See Lower Prices
Saudi Arabia is trying to push oil prices back up but US producers remain wary and uncertain.
Phased Pilot Approach Reduces Uncertainty in Carbonate Steamflood Development
The First Eocene is a multibillion-barrel heavy-oil carbonate reservoir in the Wafra field, located in the Partitioned Zone between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. After more than 60 years of primary production, expected recovery is low and provides a good target for enhanced-oil-recovery processes.
US Now Top Global Oil Producer But its Limits Are Showing
The US has "likely surpassed" Russia as the world's largest oil producer, according to a US Energy Information Administration report.
Aramco, NOV To Form Saudi Onshore Drilling Joint Venture
Saudi Aramco's aim to localize oilfield services in the kingdom is taking another step forward with an onshore drilling partnership with National Oilwell Varco.
Don't Kill the Chickens, Build Community Consensus
We hear the term "social license" a lot. We have created a new term that people can hide behind and debate endlessly. I believe that we need to take it to the broader level and rethink how we do our work and achieve "community consensus."
Integrated Cemented Inflow-Control-Device System Design
This paper discusses the first deployment of an ICD system combined with an OBC system for a workover operation in a mature producer well in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In-Situ Fluid-Composition Analyses Improve Reservoir Management
This study focuses on recent experience in Saudi Arabia with crude-oil compositional analyses during pumpout with a wireline formation tester (WFT).
First CO2-Enhanced-Oil-Recovery Demonstration Project in Saudi Arabia
An operator has designed a demonstration project for carbon dioxide (CO2) enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and has implemented it in one of its fields.
Going Deep: Is Deepwater Experiencing a Resurgence?
Saudi Arabia, the Permian Basin, and global deepwater areas have vastly different futures predicted. Is it time for a deepwater renaissance?
First-Time OTC Attendee Gulf Steel Works Reflects Corporate, National Diversification Efforts
A Saudi Arabian steel-fabrication company participates in OTC 2017 for the first time, reflecting a new emphasis on increased investment in Middle Eastern oil and gas infrastructure.
Saudi Aramco Moving Forward on Unconventionals
With the world's fifth-largest estimated shale gas reserves, there is great potential for Saudi Arabia to replicate North America's unconventional growth.
Technology-Driven Approach To Develop Shale Gas in Saudi Arabia
Shale-gas resources were explored in Saudi Arabia by adopting a "technology-driven" approach against the US-based approach that might be termed the "factory" or "statistical" approach.
Proppant Fracture for Unconventional Carbonate Source Rock in Saudi Arabia
This paper will discuss the hydraulic-fracturing-stimulation design, execution, and evaluation for the first successful proppant-fracturing treatment in an unconventional carbonate source rock in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia's Manifa Offshore Field Development: The Role of Technology
The purpose of this paper is to examine coiled-tubing (CT) -stimulation and -logging technologies used in the timely project execution of one of Saudi Arabia's largest field developments to enhance matrix-stimulation success in a cost-effective manner.
RoboNodes: Autonomous Seismic Receivers
Saudi Aramco is on a mission to increase the amount of seismic data that it collects by fourfold, while reducing costs and acquisition time by half of what it spends today.
Why Global Shale Development Drags
This is the teaser.
Case Study: Foaming During Startup of Karan Nonassociated Gas
This paper describes Saudi Aramco's efforts to eliminate early foaming incidents during the commissioning stage of the Karan nonassociated (NA) sour-gas field.
Don't miss out on the latest technology delivered to your email weekly. Sign up for the JPT newsletter. If you are not logged in, you will receive a confirmation email that you will need to click on to confirm you want to receive the newsletter.
15 September 2020
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text:
SoftClever Limited Newspaper Website Wednesday, 10th July, 2019 272 Views
24/7/365 friendly Call and Email support any time. Send us your email at email@example.com
SoftClever Limited is a premium Web Development agency and Software Development company with Creative & Technical edge. The company has its Head-Office in Bangladesh, USA, Singapore and has several professionals working from around the world.
Copyright © 2018 - 2020. SoftClever Limited. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Newport Montessori School will conduct its Fall Parent Teacher Conferences between the 3rd of November. Conferences are vital in effective communication and they provide an opportunity for teachers and parents to evaluate and understand the academic, emotional and social progress of the students. If the scheduled times are inconvenient, please contact the school office to arrange for a date and time that is convenient to you. Additionally, we would appreciate being notified if you are unable to attend your conference.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Categories: Events


text:
As one of the elder statesmen of the Verizon IndyCar Series, four-time Champ Car Series champion Sebastien Bourdais is not afraid to speak his mind.
During the red flag that lasted 1 hour, 56 minutes, stopping the race to repair the fence after Robert Wickens' vicious crash in turn 2 at Pocono Raceway, Bourdais was not satisfied with the repair and was hesitant about getting back into his race car to complete the ABC Supply 500.
But being the professional that he is, Bourdais flipped down his visor, put his personal thoughts aside and raced his way to a fourth-place finish on the 2.5-mile oval.
Autoweek was among a group of reporters that caught up with the 39-year-old Bourdais following the race to capture his candid opinions on video.


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Forum and Costume Controls
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Black Series X-Wing Helmet Thoughts
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Kal Argos ()
Joined: 18 Sep 2018
Posts: 23
Location: Massachusetts
Medals: None
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 11:19 pm
Post subject:
Jerrick Sunrunner wrote:
I think the concern was that it would be too small to wear, the Poe's black series helmet is snug on most folk.
If you look at the helmets that RS props offer cast from a found part they look alot smaller than my DFX.
Oh, okay just overall fit for most costumers here may be small.. okay.
Yeah my DHPFX fits way better than the efx luke one... if memory serves DHPFX used the large size APH helmet. Visually the BS looks closer to my DHPFX one... the efx dwarfs them both. Efx says they used the real helmets to get measurements but its definitely bigger than my DHPFX one.... all still great helmets.
Red 5 standing by...
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sabino (Ann Collins)
Ra Kura Base CO
Joined: 26 Apr 2016
Posts: 114
Location: Clermont, Fl
Medals: None
Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2019 1:05 am
Post subject:
I am no expert nor have I painted one myself but I have had a member recently approved here in Ra Kura with a black series that she modded and repainted as her own. It turned out great. So I purchased a deal on Amazon recently that was a buy 2 and get one free. Even if it doesn't get me approval at least they will be cool display pieces.
To choose the path of least resistance is to limit your possibilities of achieving greatness.
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aimeekitty (Aimee Steinberger)
Active Legion Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2012
Posts: 75
Location: north los angeles, ca
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Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:28 am
Post subject:
Any more word on these? Is Lukes small? Is it approvable?
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A New Hopeful ()
Active Legion Member
Joined: 17 Apr 2018
Posts: 448
Location: Mostly between my bucket and my boots.
Medals: None
Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:51 am
Post subject:
I cant say if its approvable.
But I just picked one up and it looks the same size as my DH-P/FX, just slightly shorter from front to back. I dont know which is more correct. Its actually wider at the base.
The mohawk is shorter, making it, I believe, MORE accurate to the onscreen helmets than DarthHairs otherwise stellar creations.
If youre looking to approve a Red 5 out of the box, it may or may not need some modding. Need a closer look at position of paint and decals, etc.
Mic wire is all metal instead of coated with grey plastic as in the original Racal Amplivox Minilite headsets that were used (also in the Falcon). But you could simply fold it away and hide it. Mics were only worn in craft anyway (because they were part of the headsets). No reason why you should need a mic in order to be approved.
Front button for electronics is barely visible but this could be a sticking point.
Im all about that base. Bout that base. Yo Rebels.
Costumes: Luke Skywalker
Lars Homestead/Tatooine | Death Star Escape | X-Wing Pilot | Snowspeeder/X-Wing | Bespin Fatigues
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Pablo_Robo ()
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Joined: 29 Oct 2014
Posts: 1
Location: Birmingham, UK
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 12:58 pm
Post subject: Black Series X-Wing Helmet Thoughts
I think the helmet is great - but can see the point about front button and the mic.
But apart from the above - can it be worn/cleared out-of-the-box?
I would not want to repaint it.
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Blue Banshee Leader (Alex Buirch)
Active Legion Member
Joined: 05 Jul 2008
Posts: 4517
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Medals: None
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:42 am
Post subject: Re: Black Series X-Wing Helmet Thoughts
Pablo_Robo wrote:
I think the helmet is great - but can see the point about front button and the mic.
But apart from the above - can it be worn/cleared out-of-the-box?
I would not want to repaint it.
Until there's an official word you could always submit your costume without a helmet, and then just wear it when you troop. Helmets aren't required, after all, so that would be okay.
B-wing Pilot
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Temmin "Snap" Wexley
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SageLeader ()
Active Legion Member
Joined: 26 Apr 2019
Posts: 4
Medals: None
Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:40 pm
Post subject:
I'm in the process of getting approved right now and I submitted the Black Series Luke helmet. This is what my judge said:
The square push button switch on your helmet needs to be covered over so that it doesn't look like a switch. This is similar to the modifications we ask all Black Series Resistance pilots to make. With the resistance pilot helmet I removed the switch completely and then filled the cavity with Milliput (https://www.milliput.com/yellow_grey.html). Once it had hardened I sanded it and finished it with a fine grit before spraying. One thing I forgot to mention is the mic stalk should be covered in grey vinyl.
I will likely just submit without helmet and then try to work on this. I might try to 3D print something to fill in the button hole because I don't want to have to spray paint if I don't need to. To be honest the button is not noticeable at all from a distance but I get that it does need to be as screen accurate as possible.
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Adam Mac ()
Active Legion Member
Joined: 27 May 2015
Posts: 44
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Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:14 am
Post subject:
In regards to the mike, could it be covered with grey shrink wrap?
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A New Hopeful ()
Active Legion Member
Joined: 17 Apr 2018
Posts: 448
Location: Mostly between my bucket and my boots.
Medals: None
Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:25 am
Post subject:
Even a thin layer of air dry clay could work to cover the mic wire,
so long as the result is smooth.
The good thing is it retains a small amount of flexibility after.
You can either use grey or blend black and white to get the desired colour.
Or use plain white clay and paint it up after drying.
Im all about that base. Bout that base. Yo Rebels.
Costumes: Luke Skywalker
Lars Homestead/Tatooine | Death Star Escape | X-Wing Pilot | Snowspeeder/X-Wing | Bespin Fatigues
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CGN1971 (Chad)
Active Legion Member
Joined: 11 Feb 2012
Posts: 42
Medals: None
Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:46 pm
Post subject:
I think I'll go ahead and get one, the mic and button should be a easy fix and even if we had to have a taller mohawk there is a good base to easily modify it.
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Jerrick Sunrunner (Mark Mulcaster)
Elstree Base CO
Joined: 14 Aug 2007
Posts: 1216
Location: London, Egland
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 5:17 pm
Post subject:
You could try the 1.6mm heat shrink:
Jerrick Sunrunner:
Elstree Base Commanding Officer -
1138th Krayt Squadron Leader
OT X-Wing Pilot Judge
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aimeekitty (Aimee Steinberger)
Active Legion Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2012
Posts: 75
Location: north los angeles, ca
Medals: None
Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:24 pm
Post subject:
Thanks! Sounds like its pretty much approvable with some small modifications!
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Corellian_Creator (DJ Burgess)
Joined: 17 Jan 2020
Posts: 16
Location: Salem, Massachusetts
Medals: None
Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:35 am
Post subject:
I'd say that the Hasbro B.S. X-Wing helmet is a pretty good size. It's not too snug on my head, and both taking it off and on is pretty easy/little to no discomfort.
I'm in the process of repainting my second one (as Gold Leader), I'll attach some pics of my Red Leader below (as I know this is an "X-Wing" thread
), my helmet is currently shown on
as I worked with Cristofer Adrian on his vinyl decals.
I'm open for commissions - either for complete custom designs, or for canon/legends pilot repaints. Thanks everyone! MTFBWY.
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Blue Banshee Leader (Alex Buirch)
Active Legion Member
Joined: 05 Jul 2008
Posts: 4517
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Medals: None
Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2020 8:48 am
Post subject:
You did a great job on that helmet, Corellian_Creator. Most impressive! What did you use to cover the metal microphone arm?
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Temmin "Snap" Wexley
-Former RLSC XO - Former RLSC Costume Judge - RL Pilot Costume Mentor
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A New Hopeful ()
Active Legion Member
Joined: 17 Apr 2018
Posts: 448
Location: Mostly between my bucket and my boots.
Medals: None
Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:02 am
Post subject:
Yeah, its beautiful!
Im all about that base. Bout that base. Yo Rebels.
Costumes: Luke Skywalker
Lars Homestead/Tatooine | Death Star Escape | X-Wing Pilot | Snowspeeder/X-Wing | Bespin Fatigues
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-- KJO Standards Development
-- KJO New Standard Proposals
-- KJO New Standards In Progress
-- KJO Standard Revision Proposals
-- KJO Standard Revisions In Progress
-- KJO Standards Archive
Rebel Alliance Infantry Detachment
-- Rebel Alliance Infantry Detachment
-- A New Hope
-- Empire Strikes Back
-- Return of the Jedi
-- The Force Awakens
-- Rogue One
-- Weapons of RAID
-- RAID Standards Development
-- RAID New Standard Proposals
-- RAID New Standards In Progress
-- RAID Standard Revision Proposals
-- RAID Standard Revisions In Progress
Clones of the Republic
-- COR Command Center
-- Clone Service Record
-- Movie clones
-- Animated clones
-- Expanded Universe
-- COR Standards Development
-- COR New Standard Proposals
-- COR New Standards In Progress
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-- COR Standard Revisions In Progress
-- Royalty & Senatorial Tutorials
-- Rebel Legion Galactic Senate
-- Junior Senator Program
-- Leia
-- Padme
-- Handmaidens
-- Senate Guards
-- Other Dignitaries
-- RLGS Archive
-- RLGS Standards Development
-- RLGS New Standard Proposals
-- RLGS New Standards In Progress
-- RLGS Standard Revision Proposals
-- RLGS Standard Revisions In Progress
Rebel Commanders
-- Rebel Command Archive
-- Rebel Command Tutorials
-- Galactic Strategic Command
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-- Prequel Trilogy
-- Original Trilogy
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-- EU/Legends
-- RL GSC Standards Development
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-- Animated Series
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-- Han Solo and Other Smugglers
-- Chewbacca and Other Wookiees
-- Jyn Erso and Other Rogues
-- Fringe Weaponry and Props
-- Docking Bay 94
-- Fringe Archive
-- DB94 Standards Development
-- DB94 New Standard Proposals
-- DB94 New Standards In Progress
-- DB94 Standard Revision Proposals
-- DB94 Standard Revisions In Progress
Rebel Supporters
-- Rebel Supporters Tutorials
-- The Wretched Hive
-- The Wretched Hive Archive
-- United Citizens of the Galactic Republic
-- United Citizens of the Galactic Republic Archive
-- Tibanna Miners Union Local 1980
-- Rebel Supporters Archive
-- Tuskens and Jawas
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-- Classic Star Wars costumes, ep 1-6
-- Legends (EU)costumes
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-- Rogue Detachment
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Set Piece and Large Prop Reproduction
The Outer Rim
The Outer Rim
Rebel Bases N. America
Alderaan Base
-- Alderaan Archive
-- Bondar Temple
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-- Chianar Delegation
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-- Valiant Command Post
Alpha Base
-- Alpha Archive
-- Alpha Squadron
-- Temple of the Rains
-- Ysalamiri Clan
-- Eadu Delegation
Apollo Base
-- Unity Temple
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Bantha Canyon Base
-- Krayt Temple
-- Battling Bantha Squadron
-- Zozobra Clan
-- Encantada Delegation
Bespin Base
-- Bespin Archive
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Blue Ridge Base
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Canadian Base
-- Aurora Squadron
-- Aces
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-- Quebec Region
Central Base
-- Central Archive
-- Northern Sector Events (MN, ND, SD)
-- Southern Sector Events (IA, NE)
-- Gamma Squad
-- Screaming Tauntaun Squadron
-- Temple of the Crystal Spire
Corellian Base
-- Corellian Archive
-- Corellian Base Events
-- Corellian Base-Mission Reports
-- Bloodstripe Squadron
-- Centerpoint Temple
-- Fire Team: Solo Squad
Coruscant Base
-- Coruscant Temple
-- Sabacc Aces Squadron
-- The Usual Suspects Clan
Dagobah Base
-- Louisiana Upcoming Events
-- Mississippi Upcoming Events
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-- Hawkbat Battalion
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Dantooine Base
-- Dantooine Base Events
-- Dantooine Jedi Enclave
-- 35th SOC Squad
-- Marauder Squadron
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Echo Base
-- Echo Base Events
-- ECG Invites
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-- Blumfruit Temple
-- Fire Team Echo
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-- Shifting Sands Clan
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Endor Base
-- Endor Archive
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-- Freedom Base Events
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Ghost Base
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Mountain Base
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Nar Shaddaa Base
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-- Wild Cards
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-- Smuggler's Moon Independent Union
-- Rogue Moon
Outrider Base
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Puerto Rico Base
-- Puerto Rico Base Archive
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Ra Kura Base
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-- Sawgrass Clan
-- Stormfront Temple
-- Zillo Defenders
-- Red Sun Delegation
-- Rogues Reef Hangar Bay
Rogue Base
-- Events
-- Events Archive
-- Firewind Squadron
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-- Socorrian Delegation
-- Sentinel Squad
Sunrider Base
-- Sunrider Archive
-- Outlander Station
Takodana Base
-- Takodana Base Events
-- Jedha: Temple of the Whills
-- Varactyl Dragonmount Squad
Terrapin Base
-- Terrapin Archive
-- Klaw Clan
-- Corvidae Temple
-- 29th Trooper Division
-- Chesapeake Squadron
-- Golden Song Delegation
Tijuana Outpost
Tranquility Base
-- Tranquility Archive
-- 22nd Attack Squadron
Devaron Base
-- Wroshyr Temple
-- Devil Squadron
-- Temple of Eedit
-- Twin Horn Clan
-- Delegation of Assarda
-- 174th Strike Squad
-- Hangar Bay I95
Kessel Base
-- Rishi Maze Runners
-- Kessel Archive
-- Star Temple
-- Spice Runner Squadron
-- Fire Team 28
-- Starblossom Delegation
-- Coaxium Clan
Kukulcan Outpost
-- Kukulcan Outpost Events
-- Templo de la orden del Jaguar
Falcon Base
-- Falcon Base Social Events
Amancane Base
-- West Virginia Events
-- Montani Brigade
-- Astrolabe Temple
-- New River Delegation
-- Tu-Endie-We Clan
-- Flatwoods Squadron
Spectre Base
Ilum Base
-- Sun Dog Squadron
Rebel Bases Europe
Alpine Base Austria
-- Events, Veranstaltungen, Termine
-- Archiv
Anatolia Outpost
Phoenix Base
-- Phoenix Base Archive
-- Adega Squad
-- Fighting Falcons Squadron
-- Lowlands Temple
Dune Sea Base
-- Kyber Temple
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Eagle Base
-- Eagle Base Archive
-- Aldera Squad
-- Ossus Temple
Elstree Base
-- Elstree Base Archive
-- 1138th Krayt Squadron
-- Shadow Unit 77
-- Elstree Special Ops Squad
-- Britannia Temple
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-- Diamond Delegation
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-- Home One Command Post
-- Pinewood Hangar Bay
French Base
-- French Archive
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-- Frater Squad
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German Base Yavin
-- Öffentliches Forum
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-- German Archive
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Italian Base
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Lion Base
-- Angels Squadron
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Spanish Base
-- Spanish Archive
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-- Delegacion del Reino de Shu-Torun
Nordic Base - Wampa's Cave
-- Nordic Archive
-- Nordic Hoth Trench Troopers, Lucky #7 Squad
-- Polar Clan
-- Taiga Squad
Sputnik Base
Hungarian Outpost
Monaco Outpost
Ireland Base
-- Ahch-To Jedi Temple
-- Clurichaun Clan
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Helvetica Base
-- Helvetica Base members only
Lothal Base
-- Lothal Base Members Only
-- Jhothal Junkyard Clan
-- Crazy Cat Squadron
Lusitanian Outpost
Jakku Oupost
-- The Prime Jedi Temple
Causeway Base
Rebel Bases C. America
Costa Rica Base
Rebel Bases S. America
Chilean Outpost
-- Chilean Archive
-- Templo Tahiel
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Polis Massa Base
-- Polis Massa Archive
-- Eellayin Temple
Cruz del Sur Base
-- Cruz del Sur Base Events
-- Cuntur Squadron
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-- Escuadron Iaik
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Peru Base
-- Templo Kallpa
Autana Outpost
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-- Events
Antares Outpost
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Rebel Bases Asia/Pacific
Hawaii Outpost
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Hong Kong Base
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Japan Base
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Taiwan Outpost
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Cathar Base
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Bagong Pag-Asa Base
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Utapau Base
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Malaysia Outpost
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Hoth Base
-- Hoth Costume Builds & Props
-- Hoth Lounge (off topic forum)
-- Temple of the Ice Spires
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Ryloth Base
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Tatooine Base
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Tython Base
-- Tython Archive
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Wraith Base
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Posts for: January, 2018
Magician Michel Grandinetti can levitate a 500-pound motorcycle, melt into a 7-foot-tall wall of solid steel, and make borrowed rings vanish and reappear baked inside bread. Yet the master illusionist admits to being in awe of the magic that dentists perform when it comes to transforming smiles. In fact, he told an interviewer that it's "way more important magic than walking through a steel wall because you're affecting people's health… people's confidence, and you're really allowing people to… feel good about themselves."
Michael speaks from experience. As a teenager, his own smile was enhanced through orthodontic treatment. Considering the career path he chose for himself — performing for multitudes both live and on TV — he calls wearing an orthodontic device (braces) to align his crooked teeth "life-changing." He relies on his welcoming, slightly mischievous smile to welcome audiences and make the initial human connection.
A beautiful smile is definitely an asset regardless of whether you're performing for thousands, passing another individual on a sidewalk or even, research suggests, interviewing for a job. Like Michael, however, some of us need a little help creating ours. If something about your teeth or gums is making you self-conscious and preventing you from smiling as broadly as you could be, we have plenty of solutions up our sleeve. Some of the most popular include:
- Tooth Whitening. Professional whitening in the dental office achieves faster results than doing it yourself at home, but either approach can noticeably brighten your smile.
- Bonding. A tooth-colored composite resin can be bonded to a tooth to replace missing tooth structure, such a chip.
- Veneers. This is a hard, thin shell of tooth-colored material bonded to the front surface of a tooth to change its color, shape, size and/or length; mask dental imperfections like stains, cracks, or chips, and compensating for excessive gum tissue.
- Crowns. Sometimes too much of a tooth is lost due to decay or trauma to support a veneer. Instead, capping it with a natural-looking porcelain crown can achieve the same types of improvements. A crown covers the entire tooth replacing more of its natural structure than a veneer does.
If you would like more information about ways in which you can transform your smile, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about the techniques mentioned above by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles "Teeth Whitening," "Repairing Chipped Teeth," and "Porcelain Crowns & Veneers."
Wearing braces takes time, but if all goes well the changes to your smile will be well worth it. In the meantime, though, you'll have to contend with one particular difficulty—keeping your teeth clean of disease-causing, bacterial plaque.
Don't worry, though—while keeping dental disease at bay with braces can be challenging, it is doable. Here are 4 tips for minimizing your chances of tooth decay or periodontal (gum) disease during orthodontic treatment.
Eat less sugar. Like any living organism, bacteria must eat—and they're especially amenable to sugar. The more they have access to this favorite food source, the more they multiply—and the greater your risk of tooth decay or gum disease. Eating fewer sugary foods and snacks and more dental-friendly ones helps restrict bacteria populations in your mouth.
Brush thoroughly. Brushing with braces can be difficult, especially in areas blocked by orthodontic hardware. You need to be sure you brush all tooth and gum surfaces around your braces, including above and below the wire running through the brackets. A soft multi-tufted microline bristle brush is a good choice for getting into these hard to reach places. Brushing around braces takes more time, but it's essential for effective plaque removal.
Use flossing tools. Flossing is important for removing plaque from between teeth—but, unfortunately, it might be even more difficult to perform with braces than brushing. If using string floss proves too daunting consider using a floss threader or a similar device that might be easier to maneuver. You can also use a water irrigator, a hand-held device that sprays water under pressure to loosen and flush away between-teeth plaque.
Keep up regular dental visits. While you're seeing your orthodontist regularly for adjustments, you should also see your general dentist at least every six months or more. Besides dental cleaning, your dentist also monitors for signs of disease and can prescribe preventive measures like antibacterial mouth rinses. Of course, if you see abnormalities, like white spots on your teeth or red, puffy or bleeding gums, contact your dentist as soon as possible. The sooner a problem can be addressed the less impact it may have on your orthodontic treatment and overall oral health.
If you would like more information on caring for teeth and gums while wearing braces, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article "Caring for Teeth During Orthodontic Treatment."


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Comerica Bank Women's Business Symposium
This large-scale, thought leadership event will be hosted by Julia Wellborn, Comerica Bank's Executive Director of Wealth Management, and supported by the Texas Women's Initiative. Hundreds of female professionals and business owners will gather to "Learn, Connect & Grow."
The symposium opens with lunch and the introduction of the Comerica Bank Power Panel. Then, headlining keynote, Geena Davis, Academy Award and Golden Globe winner and Founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, will provide a special presentation on "See Jane: Gender Equality and Why It Matters to All of Us". The event concludes with an open networking reception, providing an opportunity for guests to mix, mingle and exchange business cards and contact information in support of helping each other further their career and personal growth.
Panelists include Nina Vaca, Pinnacle Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Jennifer Sampson, CEO and President, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas; Judge Barbara Lynn, Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas; Deborah Gibbins, Mary Kay Chief Financial Officer.
A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the ChidCareGroup.


text: Today I'm participating in the Megaconference VIII as part of my Wide Area Networking class at Illinois State University. It's been fairly interesting so far - we've had presentations from India, Sweden, China, Finland, Canada and the US so far. Right at the moment, we're having a presentation from the elementary school in Katy, TX, with 1st, 3rd and 5th graders participating.


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LA PAZ (Reuters) - Bolivia's caretaker government on Thursday enacted a law that mandates a delayed presidential election will be held on Oct. 18 as scheduled, despite opposition calls for it to be moved earlier.
The law would impose criminal penalties on any effort to change the date.
Tensions are brewing as the South American nation heads for a re-run of an October 2019 disputed vote that sparked protests and prompted former leader Evo Morales to resign.
Bolivia's electoral tribunal in July pushed the election to Oct. 18 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but supporters of Morales are demanding the vote be held on Sept. 6. The dispute has prompted protests and roadblocks.
The new law was swiftly rejected by the powerful Bolivian Workers' Center (COB), an umbrella group representing various industries. Top COB leader Juan Carlos Huarachi said the law had "never been agreed with the people."
The United Nations and the European Union, in a joint statement, expressed support for the October date.
The election's main contenders are Morales' Movement for Socialism (MAS) party and a fragmented conservative opposition, including interim President Jeanine Anez, who took over in a power vacuum last year promising swift new election.
(Reporting by Reuters TV and Daniel Ramos; writing by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)


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ImmunoCAP tests, designed to run on Phadia Laboratory Systems, give reliable results that support primary care physicians as well as specialists in providing optimal patient management.
How do they work?
The allergen component on the solid phase reacts with the specific IgE in the patient serum sample.
After washing away non-specific IgE, enzyme-labelled antibodies against IgE are added to form a complex.
After incubation, unbound enzyme-labelled anti-IgE is washed away and the bound complex is then incubated with a developing agent.
The higher the fluorescence, the more specific IgE is present in the sample.


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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Officer Keegan Hughes is not only crossing the finish line, but also the baseball mound after running, walking and cycling across the state of Missouri.
The Blue Springs police officer did it all to raise money and bring awareness to fallen first responders.
"This is something special," Officer Hughes said. "Every day I have had bad points, it s tough, it has been hard."
Every step is important. They may be difficult, but each one has a purpose.
"We want everyone to remember these families," Hughes said.
Hughes made the trek to remember the steps his fellow first responders will never take again.
Each day walking for someone lost on duty.
Grant Jansen with the St. Charles Police Department, Blake Synder with the St. Louis County Police Department, Molly Bowden with the Columbia Police Department, James Bava with the Missouri Highway Patrol, Bruce Brit with the Columbia Fire Department, Gary Michael and Christopher Morton with the Clinton Police Department, Terry Foster with the Independence Police Department, Harold Hollingsworth with the Fort Osage Fire Protection District, and Larry Leggio and John Mesh with the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department each had a day of travel that Officer Hughes carried a flag for them.
"It would have been easy just to hang my head but I made a promise to these families and to this community that we were going to do this," Officer Hughes said.
Nine days, 260 miles, and over half a million steps. FOX4 walked a few with him on March 30.
"We knew it was going to be life changing but this exceeded our expectations," Hughes said.
His final steps, however, are for Independence Officer Tom Wagstaff who is bound to a wheelchair, and cannot take them himself.
"It will be emotional, seeing Tom Wagstaff throw out that first pitch. That's closure for a lot of people," Hughes said.
Just over one year ago, Wagstaff was shot in the head during a burglary call.
This day is a milestone on the mound for Officer Wagstaff, as he throws out the first pitch at Kauffman stadium for the Royals.
"I'm very humbled and grateful to be able to do this," Wagstaff said.
Officer Hughes closes out his walk across the state by handing off the ball to his longtime friend
"It signifies how far he's come, and the miracles that happen, and his willpower to get stronger and better every day," Officer Hughes said.
"He's like a brother to me. It will be amazing. It will be amazing. I wouldn't want anyone else to pass me the ball," Officer Wagstaff said.
When Officer Wagstaff found out he was throwing the first pitch, his physical therapist incorporated it to his exercise to prepare for the big day.
Officer Hughes ran across the state for the non-profit Answering the Call that helps families of first responders in their time of need.
If you would like to know more or find out how you can help, visit their Facebook page here.


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The natural light shining from behind.
When I started this art project, I decided to use yellow, a colour tone that I normally do not use so often. The scenery I chose was where the natural light shines from behind because here I could easily include the yellow colour. Usually I sketch on the canvas with a pencil before I start to paint but this time I started painting with my brush directly without having any lines to follow. Sometimes it helps, not think too much about what you are going to paint, just go ahead with it and see where it takes you. I started with the sky in different yellow tones, from tones of lemon to dark ochre.
The magic of nature.
Next step was the pine trees, the trunks needed to be quiet dark to create a clear contrast to the yellowish sky. The big stone rocks from pre-history I partly covered in snow. The snow in this light from behind change from dark blue to purple tones, with pink spots where the light enters between the branches. The yellow colour I used again in the brightest spots where the light reflects on the snow. My aim was to recreate at mystic feeling and capture the magic of nature on my canvas. I wanted to create a mysterious mood, where the spectator starts wondering what could be hiding behind the rocks, like being in a fairy tale. Do you get that feeling? I hope so. You can find the painting in the gallery, in the category "Lapland, Winter".


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After the fun and craziness of the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, which brings Europe's nations together (congratulations to Sweden by the way), LEXSHA is now doing the same for European entrepreneurs.
LEXSHA Goes Live
This month has seen the roll out of the new entrepreneur's networking platform, LEXSHA, bringing small business owners together from France, Sweden, Portugal, The Netherlands, Greece, Lithuania and the UK. LEXSHA is an innovative, online portal connecting businesses who want to learn, explore and share practical ideas and experiences with likeminded businesses.
As the UK partner, Exponential Training is coordinating a team of sixteen National Facilitators who in turn are working with 80+ businesses throughout Europe.
What is a LEXSHA?
LEXSHA is a European funded project designed to help small businesses to learn and share ideas and expertise with each other. LEXSHA is also the term used to describe a short, practical piece of knowledge or experience that an entrepreneur shares with other entrepreneurs. A LEXSHA can be prepared in any digital format such as a podcast or audio file, a short video, an e-book, a Word or PDF document, a checklist or even a mini case study.
What is unique about LEXSHA is the content has not been produced by training schools or universities, but by entrepreneurs. This means that it is relevant, sensitive to the needs of smaller businesses and to the point. One UK business, Dreams of Chocolate, owned by partners Matt Andrews and Chris Ordish, is preparing a LEXSHA about organising an event. Among other things, Dreams of Chocolate supplies huge chocolate fountains for weddings and therefore making sure everything runs smoothly calls for meticulous planning. Chris's LEXSHA will share his approach to planning – look out for the Dreams of Chocolate LEXSHA later this month.
Getting Involved
If you or your organisation has knowledge or expertise you think other business owners would benefit like-minded entrepreneurs, why not consider becoming a LEXSHA member. If you are interested and would like to find out more information please feel free to contact us.
Become a LEXSHA Member
Becoming a member could not be simpler. The free online registration process just involves registering on the platform at http://lexsha.virtual-campus.eu. Once registered as a member you can access as many LEXSHAs as you want at no cost. You can also learn how to prepare digital content showcasing your knowledge, experience and expertise that can be uploaded and shared with other LEXSHA members.


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Unleash the power of the cloud, right at your edge. The latest HPE Edgeline Systems capabilities
20 June, 2018
At HPE Discover, my team and I made very impactful product announcements: the launch of HPE Edgeline Edge-to-Cloud Solutions and the HPE Edgeline Extended Edge Storage. Let me explain what these announcements mean to manufacturers, refineries, energy providers, telcos, and others who are making their edges more productive.


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Studies conducted by the Royal Free and University College Medical School show what many holistic healers have known for centuries, aromatherapy, combined with massage offers more healing benefits than either practice alone. Aromatherapy massage is becoming commonplace among massage therapists who will more and more often opt for essential oils in massage rather than the non essential oil.
Better nervous system support, improved ability to relax, and a greater release of tension and stress are seen in aromatherapy massage over conventional massage. These recent studies have proven there are specific, measurable benefits; a decrease in nausea and pain and a greater sense of well being and longer lasting effects of massage are among those benefits recorded.
Types of Essential Oils Used in Aromatherapy Massage
Essential oils used in aromatherapy massage are obtained by the distillation process extracting them for plants, flowers, herbs and woods. These are the oils that are part of the plants' biological make up as well as giving them their individual scent. It has taken centuries of basic trial and error to determine which oils are best for treating which mood or pain but those centuries of research are benefiting people today.
For instance, a mixture of black pepper, rosemary, lavender, marjoram and fir is used in aromatherapy massage for aches and pains, and tendonitis can be massaged with a compound of rosemary, lavender and peppermint. Sunburn relief can be obtained by using lavender, chamomile, eucalyptus and peppermint.
While many benefit from the use of oils in simply inhaling the fragrances, in aromatherapy massage it is believed that massaging them into the skin allows the benefits to be realized quicker. Basic massage therapy has been around a long time for relaxation and stimulation; however it's been found that by incorporating essential oils into a massage enhance the benefits.
The oils are absorbed rapidly into the skin and an aromatherapy massage combines the benefits of therapeutic massage with the healing aspects and scents of the oils. For example, therapy involving breathing in the aroma of black pepper, thyme, carrot seed, sage and lemon will help with poor circulation, but a massage using these same essential oils will not only increase the benefit of circulation enhancement, but will also provide relaxation through the aromatherapy massage.
For sleeplessness during pregnancy it's recommended a light aromatherapy massage with Roman chamomile and lavender. For infants with stomachaches, try a mixture of dill and geranium.
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