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EDC-VC's Business Retention program renewed
CAMARILLO, Calif. –The Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County will continue providing business retention and layoff aversion services to businesses in crisis through the Workforce Investment Board of Ventura County. The WIB and Ventura County Board of Supervisors recently renewed the contract, which EDC-VC has operated since 2002, for the period July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. Initial funding for the program is $91,000, with an option to expand funding to support additional business training services.
"The program has made a significant impact on the region's economy by saving jobs and companies, and by providing employee training to make them and their employers more competitive in the marketplace," said EDC-VC vice chair Supervisor Kathy Long. "By renewing the contract for this fiscal year, WIB and the Board of Supervisors are validating EDC-VC's commitment to provide needed services for the business community."
EDC-VC works with businesses at-risk of decline, to help stabilize them and to keep their workers employed. The focus with this funding is on firms with 10 or more workers at risk of lay-off in order to secure greater impact per firm served. EDC-VC continues to serve firms of all sizes for whatever their needs may be, using other revenue sources.
SBDC advisors connect at-risk workers to specific skills training that will improve businesses' competitive position and retain worker's jobs. For the 2011-12 contract, the goal was to train 50 workers; through May, EDC-VC helped coordinate and secure training for 51. Another goal was to retain 63 jobs; through May, the number was 144.
New for the 2012-13 contract, EDC-VC will provide support to the WIB and Job & Career Centers to develop and implement an incumbent worker training policy and program. The objective is to facilitate the local workforce system's support and participation in more employer-based training, whether through Workforce Investment Act funds or other funding sources, such as the California Employment Training Panel.
EDC-VC is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as a business-to-government liaison to assist businesses in Ventura County by offering programs that enhance the economic vitality of the region. For more information about the Small Business Development Center, loan programs, manufacturing outreach and international trade programs or other services available to small businesses through EDC-VC, contact Stenslie at 805-384-1800 ext. 21 or email@example.com. Or visit www.edc-vc.com.
WIB provides workforce development in Ventura County by integrating employment, training, education, and business services for job seekers, workers and employers.
Subscribe to the Ventura County Star
Need Help? Call us at 1-877-710-6182.
Monday-Friday: 6am-3pm / Saturday: 6:30am-10:30am / Sunday: 7am-11am


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About Us
Health Estates Investment Group (HEIG)
Health Estates
Health Estates provides the policy lead within the DHSSPS for estate matters in the health and social care sector and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. Health Estates, along with the Investment Directorate forms the Health Estates Investment Group, and is the single body in Northern Ireland with recognised expertise in all aspects of the Health and Social Care and Public Safety estate.
Strategic Objectives
The strategic objectives of Health Estates are as follows:
- to provide advice and support to the Minister and to departmental colleagues in relation to all professional and technical aspects of estate and estate development.
- to act as a Centre of Specialist Expertise (COSE) in providing the lead on policy development, implementation and monitoring in relation to all professional and technical aspects of estate and estate development.
- to optimise the achievement of capital receipts from all surplus Departmental (retained), HSC and NIFRS estate through a proactively managed strategic disposal programme.
- to ensure that all capital development and estate functions are undertaken to comply with best-practice guidance on Sustainability and to meet Departmental responsibilities associated with the Northern Ireland Sustainable Development Strategy and the Climate Change Act
- to undertake the role of the regional Centre of Procurement Expertise (COPE) as the accredited delivery body with responsibility for ensuring the development, dissemination and implementation of best practice methodologies in the procurement of all major capital developments within HSC.
- to undertake performance management of the HSC in relation to the overall management of the estate including compliance with policy directives relating to the design, specification, procurement and operation of health and social care facilities.
The key functions of Health Estates are:
Centre of Procurement Expertise (COPE)
In May 2002 the Northern Ireland Executive approved a new public procurement policy for the public sector in Northern Ireland. Under this policy Health Estates was formally accredited as a 'Centre of Procurement Expertise' (COPE) acting on behalf of the Department for capital development projects undertaken within HSC and NIFRS. The COPE status was re-accredited after an indepth assessment of all NICS COPEs in September 2005 and July 2009.
Centre of Specialist Expertise
Health Estates acts as a centre of specialist expertise for Health and Social Care and takes the lead on policy development and subsequent performance management of the HSC in relation to compliance with policy directives in the following areas:
- Health Facility Planning
- Sustainability
- Design Quality and Standards
- Telecommunications
- Decontamination (technical policy)
- Decontamination (testing services)
- Fire safety standards for all health and social care building types
- Engineering standards for all health and social care building types
- Infrastructure resilience
- Estate Management - strategic disposal programme of surplus land
- Site Inspection Services
- Equipment management
- Clinical engineering
- The Northern Ireland Adverse Incident Centre
- Professional development of specialist estate staff within the HSC.

subset: commoncrawl


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LeTourneau University announces professional speaker and humorist Jeanne Robertson will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 25, in the S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Ave., in Longview. Ticket prices range from $15 to $35, plus applicable fees, based on seating. Tickets may be purchased at www.BelcherCenter.com or by phone at …
Tag Archive: liberal arts
Mar 14 2014
Humorist Jeanne Robertson to to perform at LETU
Permanent link to this article: http://www.easttexasreview.com/humorist-jeanne-robertson-to-to-perform-at-letu/
Permanent link to this article: http://www.easttexasreview.com/the-allens-awarded/
May 07 2012
LETU to launch new math concentration
LeTourneau University plans to expand its mathematics department beginning Fall 2012 with several new concentrations. One of the new concentrations is Financial Mathematics. This new concentration blends a solid mathematics degree with business courses to equip students for jobs in state and federal government, brokerage firms, banking, pharmaceutical firms, and international finance. Another new concentration …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.easttexasreview.com/letu-to-launch-new-math-concentration/


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Videos > Simony Diamond > Simony Diamond masturbating her twat with a black toy until she cums
Babelicious The sexiest babes with the hottest and tightest bods you are every likely to see! Round pert tits and hot peachy asses just waiting for you to log in a look at...come on, what are you waiting for?
Featured Pornstars:
- Simony Diamond


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Park Inn by Radisson
Berlin Alexanderplatz
The best price online
The guaranteed best price!
For all bookings made through our website www.parkinn-berlin.com you can be sure that it guarantees the best rate for your stay.
How Does it Work
Book on http://www.parkinn-berlin.com your stay. If you find a lower published price within 24 hours, send your claim to email@example.com. We will check your note and ensure that the price meets the conditions. If the check is successful, we will either change an existing reservation or create a new booking, if not already confirmed at the lower price and an additional discount equal to 10%. We promise no long and complicated forms, only the confidence that it is the best prices on http://www.parkinn-berlin.com.
1. The reservation must be made through http://www.parkinn-berlin.com/default-en.html.
2. The price on any other public website must be for the same date and same room type, length of stay and number of guests, and lower than the price on http://www.parkinn-berlin.com/default-en.html.
3. Not applicable for:
Contracted prices or group rates
- Opaque prices on an auction site, where the customer until the arrival of the confirmation does not know to which hotel it is. Examples of such sites are (among others) Priceline and Hotwire.com
Sites that offer services or reseller Web sites, where the room rate in the arrangement with other components such as air travel or rental car is offered
Prices for hotel packages that provide additional amenities such as meals, parking, etc.
Discount prices for certain target groups such as the elderly or public servants
Rates for longer stays of more than 30 days
4. The comparison price on another site must be made within 24 hours of booking or at the time of the reservation have been found. Every night, the assessment of the benchmark price is individually considered.
5. The price discount of 10% refers to the lower price, on the other site found and examined. The lower price must be booked.
6. The warranty does not include taxes, service charges, the host costs, costs for food and beverages, resort fees and any other incidental charges during your stay.


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Please use the buttons below to see more information on London Irish and matches between Wasps and Irish over the years.
When I was approached to do the match day reports, I was told to be accurate and truthful and on today's performance the only thing I can say is poor.
London Irish deserved their 31-17 win today as they played the conditions and turned us in to our own worst enemy. Barry Everitt and Kenny exchanged penalties early on but Everitt converted a beautiful drop goal after 12 minutes to take the score to 6-3. They then capitalised on our basic errors after Mark Lock lost the ball after making great ground. This then lead to a London Irish lineout on the 22m line, where they won the ball off the top, attacked through their only weapon Brendan Venter down the middle and regained possession for Mike Worsley to barrel over the line. This was converted by Everitt to take the score to 10-3.
Kenny again saved face with some accurate goal kicking, which I am told by him 'is due to his new kicking coach and more relaxed style.' After half an hours explanation I wish I never asked! After some more ill discipline from both sides the score was 13-9 after 13minutes of play.
The game was always going to be difficult due to the weather conditions being appalling. This obviously caused handling errors but we should have realised that in this weather never give the 50/50 pass or kick. I think that Martyn Wood was slightly unlucky when his opposite number charged his box kick down, as I felt he was offside. The referee Spreadbury did not agree and gave the try, which took the score to 18-9 after 31 minutes. Things could have got a lot worst after a Michael Horak break nearly lead to another try but Josh Lewsey was on hand to make a superb cover tackle which dislodged the ball and the half-time whistle went. The half-time score was 21-9 and I felt positive that things could be turned around as anything could happen in this weather.
We started very positively after the break. The forwards provided some great ball retention and continuity but this was wasted time after time, by today's sub-standard handling at crucial times. Some days we are devastating, today they were lacking something in most departments.
Irish were in trouble on their line, with only 14 men on the pitch due to a sin bin offence. This I felt was a definite changing point for the game as we were camped on the line for a considerable period but after another split ball in contact Irish hoofed the ball down the pitch which should have been dealt with by ever reliable Shane Roiser. Unfortunately he took his eye off the ball, they hacked on again and Justin Bishop scored the try.
Things needed to change so Nigel brought on sevens expert Michael Friday who provided a cheeky grubber kick for Kenny to dive on for the try. This was the last score of the game and a disappointing end to the afternoon.
The positives to come out of this game are not of great number but praise must be given to Kenny Logan who put in a solid performance, so hopefully he will regain his test spot soon.
By Peter Scrivener
(Chairman of Wasps Press Office)


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Finley Hospital in Dubuque has purchased a new property.
Our Coverage partners at the Dubuque Telegraph Herald report that Finley paid $2.2 million for the Siegret Casper Colonial Funeral Home property located on Grandview Avenue.
Officials plan to demolish the building so Finley Grandview Outpatient Rehab Services can make room for an addition.


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While looking over statistics, I noticed Tony Galbreath had played exactly five seasons with the Saints, so I decided to run a comparison between he and Reggie Bush.
While the similiarities are striking to say the least, it should be pointed out that Galbreath managed to play in what amounts to an entire season more than Bush within those first five years, due to his relative lack of injuries. Galbreath also split carries throughout his time in New Orleans with a first round Pro Bowl talent, Chuck Muncie. Despite this, both players (have) scored exactly 33 regular season touchdowns as a Saint. Galbreath edges out Bush by one "extracurricular" point, however: two FGs and one PAT, to three 2 pt conversions.
All of which begs the question: If Reggie Bush has played his last game as a Saint, does he belong in the Saints Hall of Fame? Discuss.
Bush 1st round (2nd overall)
Galbreath 2nd round (32nd overall)
Height and weight:
Bush 6'0" 203 lbs
Galbreath 6'0" 228 lbs
Bush USC
Galbreath Missouri
Games played:
Bush 60
Galbreath 75
Games started:
Bush 41
Galbreath 47
Rushing attempts per game:
Bush 8.73
Galbreath 10.13
Rushing yards per game:
Bush 34.83
Galbreath 38.20
Rushing touchdowns per game:
Bush 0.28
Galbreath 0.36
Rushing yards per attempt:
Bush 3.99
Galbreath 3.77
Receptions per game:
Bush 4.90
Galbreath 3.79
Receiving yards per game:
Bush 35.70
Galbreath 29.61
Receiving yards per reception:
Bush 7.29
Galbreath 7.82
Receiving touchdowns per game:
Bush 0.20
Galbreath 0.08
Offensive touches per game:
Bush 13.63
Galbreath 13.92
Yards from scrimmage per game:
Bush 70.53
Galbreath 67.81
Combined punt and kickoff returns per game:
Bush 1.55
Galbreath 0.37
Combined punt and kickoff return yards per game:
Bush 12.53
Galbreath 6.57
Combined punt and kickoff return yards per attempt:
Bush 8.09
Galbreath 17.61
All-purpose touches per game:
Bush 15.18
Galbreath 14.29
All-purpose yards per game:
Bush 83.07
Galbreath 74.39
All-purpose yards per touch:
Bush 5.47
Galbreath 5.20
Points scored per game:
Bush 3.40
Galbreath 2.73
Points scored per touch:
Bush 0.22
Galbreath 0.19


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Greenwood - An 18-year-old Indianapolis man died in a two-car accident on the Marion-Johnson County line.
Police say Alec Curtis was driving westbound on W. County Line Road near US 135 when he may have attempted to overtake another westbound vehicle. Police say as he began to pass, he lost control and struck an eastbound vehicle.
Curtis was pronounced dead at the scene. Police believe he was not wearing shoes and may have been driving from the gym when the crash occurred.
The driver of the other car, 53-year-old Mark Seaman of Greenwood, was transported to Methodist Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition with a possibly broken arm and leg.
Police do not believe Curtis was wearing a seatbelt and do not think alcohol was a factor in the crash.
County Line Road was closed in both directions around the scene of the accident.


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Lost may be coming to an end, but ABC is moving forward and will head into the fall season with a powerful stable of big stars and six ambitious new drama series.
NBC's approach was to flood us with crime dramas, but ABC has selected six very different series that I believe will appeal to a much larger audience. One of the most intriguing shows of the bunch is No Ordinary Family, which I believe Heroes fans will enjoy -- and with Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz on board, they can't go wrong!
Canceled/Ending Series: Defying Gravity, Eastwick, FlashForward, Happy Town, Lost, The Deep End, The Forgotten, Ugly Betty
New Dramas Coming to ABC
Body of Proof
Dr. Megan Hunt was one of the country's leading neurosurgeons, but a horrible car accident forever changes the course of her life when she can no longer perform surgery. She takes her medical skills to the medical examiner's office, where she solves those tough cases but has "developed a reputation for graying the lines of where her job ends and where the police department's begins." In addition to her work troubles, her family life is in complete disarray. Can Megan finally balance her work life and family life before she losses it all?
Cast: Dana Delany as Dr. Megan Hunt, Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphy, Geoffrey Arend as Dr. Elliot Gross, John Carroll Lynch as Detective Bud Morris, Windell Middlebrooks as Dr. Curtis Brumfield, Nic Bishop as Peter Dunlap, and Sonja Sohn as Detective Samantha Baker.
Detroit 1-8-7
Michael Imperioli returns to television in this gritty crime drama set in Detroit. The series puts the viewer in the front seat of the action as camera crews film the Homicide Unit as part of a documentary about fighting crime on the dangerous streets of Detroit. Crews not only get a firsthand look into how the unit rolls in the city with the highest murder rate, but how the job affects the personal lives of the diverse group of detectives on the job.
Cast: Michael Imperioli as Detective Louis Fitch, Jon Michael Hill as Detective Damon Washington, James McDaniel as Sergeant Jesse Longford, Aisha Hinds as Lieutenant Maureen Mason, Natalie Martinez as Detective Ariana Sanchez, D.J. Cotrona as Detective John Stone, and Shaun Majumder as Detective Aman Mahajan.
My Generation
A lot can happen in 10 years and the class of 2000 from Greenbelt High School in Austin, TX are no exception to the rule. When they were seniors in high school, a documentary crew followed a group high schoolers during their senior year and have returned 10 years later to catch up with the class of 2000 to see if they have followed through on their hopes and dreams. What they'll find is that no matter how hard you plan for the future, even the best-laid plans don't always turn out the way they're supposed to in the end -- but it doesn't necessarily mean it's too late to change your destiny.
Cast: Michael Stahl David as Steven, Kelli Garner as Dawn, Jaime King as Jacqueline, Keir O'Donnell as Kenneth, Sebastian Sozzi as Falcon, Mechad Brooks as Rolly, Anne Son as Caroline, Daniella Alonso as Brenda and Julian Morris as Anders.
No Ordinary Family
The Powell's are in an emotional rut, and in an effort to revive his family Jim Powell takes his family on vacation, but their plane crashes into the Amazon River. They soon realize that their ordinary lives have changed for the better when they discover they have extraordinary abilities. Each family member now possesses superpowers, and they must figure out how best to utilize their abilities while trying to keep the appearance of being normal.
Cast: Michael Chiklis as Jim Powell, Julie Benz as Stephanie Powell, Romany Malco as George St. Cloud, Tate Donovan as Mitch McCutcheon, Autumn Reeser as Katie Andrews, Christina Chang as Yvonne Cho, Kay Panabaker as Daphne Powell, and Jimmy Bennett as JJ Powell.
Off the Map
Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy) brings her creative genius to ABC with another medical drama that is sure to touch our hearts. The series takes place in "la ciudad de las estrellas" (the city of stars), a tiny town in the South American jungle with a very understaffed clinic in great need of talented doctors. Five doctors, all of whom are running away from some sort of emotional issue back home, arrive at the clinic and soon realize their new path is much different from anything they've ever dealt with as they battle the elements in this challenging environment. As they deal with all of their personal issues, each of these doctors will finally understand why they became doctors in the first place.
Cast: Martin Henderson as Ben Keeton, Caroline Dhavernas as Lily Brenner, Enrique Murciano as Manny Diaz, Mamie Gummer as Mina Minard, Jason George as Otis Cole, Valerie Cruz as Zita (Zee) and Jose Julian as Charlie.
The Whole Truth
This unique legal drama offers viewers an inside look into what goes into building a case for both the prosecution and the defense. The attorneys fighting on each side will make an equally strong case, which will keep viewers guessing until the very end of the episode, which side will win the case when the jury reads their verdict.
Cast: Rob Morrow as Jimmy Brogan, Joely Richardson as Kathryn Peale, Eamonn Walker as Sr. ADA Terrence "Edge" Edgecomb, Sean Wing as Chad Griffin, Anthony Ruivivar as Alejo Salazar and Christine Adams as Lena Boudreaux.
**ABC Fall Programming Schedule At a Glace**
(new shows in bold)
8:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00 Desperate Housewives
10:00 Brothers & Sisters
8:00 Dancing with the Stars (two-hours)
10:00 Castle
8:00 No ordinary Family
9:00 Dancing with the Stars the Results Show
10:00 Detroit 1-8-7
8:00 The Middle
8:30 Better Together
9:00 Modern Family
9:30 Cougar Town
10:00 The Whole Truth
8:00 My Generation
9:00 Grey's Anatomy
10:00 Private Practice
8:00 Secret Millionaire
9:00 Body of Proof
10:00 20/20
**Shows renewed, but not listed will appear in the midseason schedule not yet released**


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As Congress and the American people protest the travesty Bush created in
When I say "gunboat diplomacy," I mean that literally. Bush recently sent US warships and Patriot missile batteries to the Persian Gulf and moved US attack aircraft to
On Tuesday, the administration stepped up its inflammatory rhetoric.
Investigators were stumped at how the attackers, who wore American-style uniforms, secured forged US identity cards and American-style M-4 rifles, and used stun grenades like those used only by US forces. They are also confounded at the way the attackers' convoy of S.U.V.'s gave the impression that it was American and slipped through Iraqi checkpoints. Wednesday's article in the Times cites a theory that "a Western mercenary group" may have been involved. In the past the
The plan to attack
One of the military proposals calls for the use of bunker-buster tactical nuclear weapons against underground nuclear sites in
A former defense official who still advises the Bush administration informed Hersh the military planning was grounded in the belief that "a sustained bombing campaign in
Congress has the responsibility to prevent Bush from attacking
Offensive military action against
Congress should immediately pass a binding resolution reaffirming the
Marjorie Cohn is a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, president of the National Lawyers Guild, and


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My "So-Called" Cuban Cigars
Has this ever happened to you? You're on vacation or traveling for business outside the United States. You see a cigar store and you decide to walk in. Sometimes, the store will even have a sign outside or in the window advertising Cuban cigars with an oversized Cuban COHIBA cigar band. You browse around and see that they have a decent supply of Cuban cigars: COHIBAS, Romeo y Julietas, Partagas's, etc. The prices aren't too bad, or maybe you haggled a little with the shopkeeper and he agreed to sell them to you at the negotiated price. You light one up and it tastes pretty good. You fly home, get through U.S. Customs without a hassle, and you can't wait to tell your cigar-smoking friends that you got your hands on some genuine Havanas. But did you?
My reason for touching on this subject is that within the last several months, I've heard from two readers who were certain they had lucked into some wonderful Cuban cigars, only to learn from Yours Truly that they were not the real deal.
The first victim, Bob, wrote: "My daughter just returned from the Dominican Republic and brought me a box of Romeo & Julietas Churchills. The box was cello sealed, the 2 seals from Dominican Republic were on underneath the cello. I opened the box to find a very strange R & J label which says HABANA on them all. (Pictures attached.) What is this, Cuban cigars being exported illegally? Or just knock offs? I have smoked one and it is great, no complaints there. Just curious."
I wrote back: They may be swapping out the boxes and filling them with Habanos, as you suggest. However, the bands on your cigars do not match the band in my Cyclopedia of Havana Cigars. Those have a thinner brown band with the two black rule lines above and below, but the Cuban version says "ROMEO Y JULIETA" (all caps) in a small font, and the word "CHURCHILL" below in a bold, all-caps font, with the word "HABANA" to the right in small type in all caps. So, there is a chance they could be knock-offs. If they were Dominicans, they wouldn't go through the trouble of printing Habana on the label. If they smoke well, taste great and you got them as a gift, then perhaps it doesn't matter whether or not they're real Cuban cigars.
However, the detective in me had to be sure. So I wrote to my source at Altadis U.S.A., the company that produces both Dominican and Cuban Romeo y Julieta cigars. I included Bob's message and pix, and here's what she wrote back:
"They are probably knock-offs. I can't imagine why anyone would put real Cuban cigars in a Dominican marked box. The packaging nor the cigars appear to be from our Dominican Factory, TDG, which is the manufacturer for all RyJ cigars legal in the US."
My assumption was, the clerk told her she was buying the Cuban version, and they put them in a Dominican-made box to get the Cuban cigars through US Customs. Since his daughter believed she was buying the genuine article, no harm no foul, but she probably overpaid for them. The good thing was that at least Bob liked the way they tasted, and he took it all in good spirit.
Then, just last month, I got an email from Cliff, who wrote that he had run across "a full box of Cuban Cohibas," and even went so far as to send me two of them. One was an Espléndido and the other was an Ediciôn Limitada 2010. I figured I'd save the latter and lit up the Espléndido. It tasted fine to me; very smooth, mild, earthy, and I thought "Pretty good." However, my colleague Hayward, scrutinized the bands and wasn't satisfied that the cigars were authentic. So, I went to our "Master Tobacconist," Jeff Brown (now manager of Leaf Cigar Bar & Restaurant), since in a former job he had spent a lot of time in Argentina and Cuba. After that Jeff traveled extensively between The Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua sampling and buying cigars for Famous Smoke Shop. I handed him the cigar and let him have a few puffs.
"They're Dominicans," said Jeff.
"You're sure?"
"Oh yeah."
I hated to do it, but I just had to write back to Cliff. "Please don't shoot the messenger, but I (actually We),
believe that these Cohibas are counterfeits. The bands are wrong. I'm smoking the Churchill now and it tastes very good, but according to our master tobacconist, it's not a Cuban, but more likely a Dominican. Now I am glad you sent these, but I just hope you didn't overpay for them."
Like Bob, Cliff took the message in stride, and now all's well in Mudville.
If you're ever in a store that sells "genuine" Cuban cigars, it's in your best interest to have the clerk open the box before completing the sale, especially when buying cigars in the Caribbean and Mexico. You'll have much better luck in Canada, and European countries like Germany, Switzerland, and the U.K. Though you may pay more, it's more prudent to buy Cuban cigars from a genuine tobacconist or the duty-free shops at the airport.
In the long run, it's safer to stay with websites and stores like Famous Smoke Shop that sell "legal" cigars at discount prices than to risk your money on what could possibly be something phony. Plus, I'm pretty confident that the embargo will be lifted in the not-too-distant future.
Finally, here are some useful links Hayward found that will help you identify authentic Cohibas and other Havana-made cigars.
I had a discussion with a Canadian friend recently whom I consider to be very knowledgeable on Cuban cigars. I've always heard to "look at the band" when trying to tell a real Cuban from a counterfeit however he informed me this wasn't a very reliable way to tell. He cautioned that quality control in Cuba is not what it is in other parts of the world. On several occasions he has purchased cigars directly from the Partagas factory and upon examining the bands has found color variations, off-center printing, splotches, blank spots, etc. I've even seen it personally in a few boxes of PSD4′s I've had.
I agree whole-hardheartedly about shopping at reputable sources, I've heard many times that there are more counterfeits available than the genuine article. Beware the glass-top Cohibas.
One more note, you're friend's 2010 EL Cohiba would be very easily identified as a fake… there wasn't an EL Cohiba made in 2010.
I plan to go to Grand Cayman next year, and noted that they have a La Casa Del Habano on the island. From what I have read, LCDH is the official cigar lounge/shop authorized by Habanos, SA. In your opinion, wouldn't this be the safest place while oversees of getting authentic Cubans? I believe at last count, there are over 90 of these shops worldwide. My point is, if you can get to an LCDH while traveling, why risk a regular shop in some country that you would have to worry about authenticity?
Hey Rick. Good point. If what you say is true, then LCDH would be one of the more reliable places to shop for Cuban cigars when out of the U.S.
I'm going to be staying at the Excellence All Inclusive Resort next week in the Dominican Republic. They say they have a cigar shop with Cubans and all other brands. Do you think I wold be safe with their cigars or should i still be worried about getting fakes.
Hey Chris: If it's a luxury class hotel, I would presume any Havanas they're selling are legit. As I noted above, you may want to have the clerk open the box. If they have singles for sale, try one of those first and let your gut be your guide.
"If it's a luxury class hotel, I would presume any Havanas they're selling are legit."
I stayed at a five-star luxury resort in Mexico last summer. I brought my own smokes and picked up some CCs at the duty free upon arrival. While at the hotel, some guy had a table set-up every night in the lobby selling really bad counterfeit Cubans. I would say LCDH and Duty-Free shops are your only safe bet.
Hey Andy. I guess anything's possible. I was speaking specifically about the hotel store, where you'd probably pay as much for them as you would in the duty-free anyway. My parents once took a trip to Mexico and my Dad told me about a cigar roller in the lobby of their hotel every night. He was going to buy me one, too. Must be local guys whom they allow to make a few extra bucks. I suppose Duty-Free is the way to go for travelers.
Well I'm here at my resort in excellence Punta Cana. Well…the guy let me try one first and it was good. He was trying to sell me a Montecristo Edmondo for $18.00. It tasted really good but I was skeptic. Then I looked at the wrappers, the logo was almost off the wrapper. Then I went to the Cohibas. The Wrappers were different colors, there were not enough rows of white dots, and the box's were all scratched up. I think I'm going to hold off and smoke My Father's that I brought with me.
Hey Chris: Well blow me down! I guess you can't trust anyone these days. Looks like your best bet outside of Havana are the Davidoff stores in Europe, the better British tobacconists, and Canada. And so it goes… ;-)) Besides, those My Father's blow the doors off of the Cubans you spied.
Thanks for all the amazing cigar information!!!
Gary: I did some research and it seems you can purchase some authentic Cuban cigars in Canada. Do you know of anyone that has purchased from [there] and are their Cuban cigars "real"?
They will ship to the states but will have to take the "bands off" I have smoked some Cubans from Mexico that were authentic and a good Cuban will give you a "buzz."
Any comments would be much appreciated!
Yes, a friend of mine travels to Canada often. He is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada). He and I have smoked several Cubans together and they are definitely the genuine article, but again, you have to be careful. He only buys singles anyway.
Re "good Cuban cigars" giving you a buzz. Well, I think you could say that about practically any full-bodied cigar, especially many from Nicaragua, but country really isn't the issue; it's the blend.
Hi all, I think that not only casas del habanos but also certified "specialists in habanos" are trustworthy too. In Germany, I know that these Habanos Specialists need to prove perfect storage conditions and are only allowed to buy their cigars from the official distributor. So I trust these kind of dealers.
Thank you Kayleigh, I hope you can find something else on the site that peaks your interest as well!
I have lived and worked in The Dom. Rep. for over fifteen years. I am 65 years old, and have been smoking cigars since I was 12.(I KNOW!)
Not only are the "Cubanos" you buy here fake, many of the high-end Dominican brands are as well. Every month or so, there is another story about "Fake Cigars" being confiscated by the Dominican government and burned. These cigars are destined to be sold on the international markets,predominately the USA and Canada.
The ONLY way to know for sure that you are smoking the genuine article, Cubano,or Dominicano, is to go to the factory and smoke there! Sad, but true.
Don't tell anybody here in the DR, but I much prefer to smoke cigars from "Central America!"
Had genuines in Barcelona over the summer (Fonseca, Romeo, Montecristo and Partagas…nothing like their American market counterparts). Got me thinking and I have 2 questions. One regards the embargo. The purpose is to deny support to Cuba but there has to be some kind of international trade agreement to use those names, right? Also – a friend (not close) gave me two 'Cuban Cohibas' he got on vacation. Upon inspection and sampling I am convinced they are counterfeit. He did a nice thing but do I tell him he got ripped off?
1) Yes. Altadis USA and General Cigar have licenses to market the Dominican, Honduran, etc., versions of many Cuban labels. If the embargo ends, they will most likely distribute the Cuban cigars.
2) Nah. Especially if you're not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt. Next time you see him, if he asks you about them, just say they were fine. But I would let him know that the next time he buys so-called "Cubans" to make sure they're genuine, due to all the fakes out there. If he says, "Why, were the one's I gave you fake?" just tell him you don't know. You just felt it was in his best interest to be aware of such things.
"What's In A "NAME"? A rich friend of mine bought me five different $30. cigars at a reputable cigar store in New Hampshire,"Big Names" all. We each enjoyed a "smoke" in the store lounge before we left for home. I smoked a Padron, which was great! But at $30 I can't/won't smoke them. I order a lot of Samplers on line. I usually pay between $2 and $3 each. The cigars,if bought as "singles," retail at 4 to 8 dollars each. Most are really good smoking cigars. A few, I order again when they go on sale. Once in a while there is a "Turkey" that goes on my "NEVER BUY" list. I, like all of us, am influenced by "Name" and "Price" paid for a cigar. The bigger the "name", the higher the price, the "BETTER" the cigar,"Right"?
I don't think so.
Blind Tasting" is the only way to rate a cigar. I like a dry Port with a cigar once in a while,usually from Portugal. I don't know which brands were considered the "Best." That gave me an advantage when I went searching for a Port I enjoy. Turns out,just like with cigars,the most expensive,is not always the one you enjoy the most! Again,just like with cigars, sampling is always the best part of the search. I smoke several cigars a day. I enjoy each and everyone of them, especially when I encounter a great cigar for two dollars a stick!
- "Papigordo"
Hey all:
I wrote in this thread back in October of 2011 about my future trip to Grand Cayman. I just got back the other day. Went straight to the LCDH when I got there. It was incredible. All authentic (I checked the codes on the boxes, and used the web to compare bands and holograms, etc.) Smoked Cohiba Behike 52, Cohiba Robusto, Partagas Serie D, No 4, Trinidad Robusto T, Bolivar Belicosos Finos. What a treat! Trinidad was my favorite, although they are eliminating the Robusto T in 2012. Try LCDH. No issues.
If you need to know if it is an authentic Cuban Habanos its really simple. Based on a sealed box.
All quality Cubans come from the factory with a green "Republica De Cuba" seal on the bottom left side of the cigar box and has a hologram at the top of the seal which is hard to counterfeit, plus a serial number at the bottom of the seal at the bar code. At the top right hand corner of the cigar box is another seal which is written these words "Habanos – denomination de origen protegida"
If you go to the Habanos website you can authenticate your box of cigars by entering the serial number into their system which will tell you where in Cuba your cigars originate from and authenticity. If your box does not have these seals and if the box is open its a case of "buyer beware". There is no mistaking an authentic "Totalmente a mano" Cuban cigar and anyone who trys to tell you Cuban cigars are overrated is not a cigar aficionado but merely a smoker of tobacco. I do smoke Cubans and have been to Cuban cigar factories not to mention my humidor is stocked with these babies at all times. My favorite cigars are from Nicaragua and feel they do not get the notoriety that they should. Seriously though, if Americans had free access to Cuban cigars, Miami cigar manufacturers would be in for a severe ass kicking.
Dear Everyone,
How funny it is to read how you Americans view the Cuban Cigar. If I was Caribbean, I would maybe do the same. In Europe it's safe to buy from a B&M. All of the cigars are "safe," in that, the Cubans are real, not like in the Islands. But that will not stop you from thinking otherwise. You all have a knack for being what you are.
Guy Buscema in Calvisson, FRANCE
Hello all, I'm new to smoking cigars and I to just came back from Grand Cayman and Jamaica. I visited the LCDH and was a great experience, also at Grand Cayman I went to what they said was a Cuban cigar shop and I cannot remember the name of the place, but it was all Cuban cigars and the lady was super friendly. As in purchasing more, I've been trying to find international places to buy from, but what I'm afraid of are the counterfeits. Any suggestions?
Hi Andre,
Either way, you take your chances. There are some online sites that do sell legit Havanas, but I've never used them. You might want to try one of the better forums and post your question there. I'm sure there are at least a few guys who've purchased from some of these vendors. Good luck.
Thank you for responding Gary, I appreciate it! Great original Article here by the way!


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yes - no - maybe - maybe yes - maybe no - maybe maybe - wait - can't decide - what to do first? - was that wrong? - was that right?
August 24, 2005
Ever been so overwhelmed that it paralyzed you? How did figure out what to do first? How did you get it all done?
Cirrcumstances rendered me unable to decide, focus, prioritize and accomplish for a number of years. The cause was found and I am clearer and eager to get on and rejoin life. But ye gods! The physical mess in my home is horrific and the number of things I've left undone over these years is humongous.
Imagine that you've been away from your life while a tornado was ripping through it -- through your job and house and relationships -- and that, while you'd periodically returned and started cleanups, you'd then disappeared each time just as you were making headway and by the time you returned again, the tornadoes had gotten worse and nobody trusted your commitment. So now you are back to stay but don't know where to begin to clear it all up, maintain it and make a living at the same time.
That sounds farfetched, but believe me, it's real and no, I don't really want to go into details just now except to say always trust your gut when you tell doctors you need to be tested for something physical that they tell you is all in your head -- and keep searching till you find the doctor who'll do the test.
Anyhow, I just want to get on with life but being able to suddenly see how messed up everything is is almost worse than not being able to see it before.
Here's the deal: my home is cluttered beyond belief; our house is falling apart; my family has lost faith in my ability to run things smoothly; I've put on 50 pounds although I'd never been overweight before; my business is gone although those who knew me remember my abilities and people who know me only recently are impressed by my credentials; I prefer to go back to that business, but some of my materials are still buried under the clutter and remarketing myself will take time, as will doing a refresher of the things I know; but our finances are by now strained to breaking my husband apart. A part time job would help while I reestablish my business but, as I've found out during the last three weeks, applying for jobs is a horrible and time consuming endeavor, and the teenage kids are all running wild and needing money for school.
If I left anything out you can add it yourself: every area of my life is now in shambles and I would love to get it right again in a step-by-step way, but every area is screaming for attention immediately and I feel hopeless and overwhelmed.
My thought is that organizing and getting rid of the clutter in my house will help me find stuff we need and will return a sense of peace and haven to our home, but when I concentrate on that, I'm asked why I'm not making an income. When I spend the day jobhunting -- and believe me, almost anything will do but I've not jobhunted in years and I'm floored by the slow pace of snagging an interview and by hearing that they're scheduling second interviews in a week or two. Hello? Second interviews? We're talking simple waitress job here.
Meanwhile, everyone needs rides and money and things and did I mention that my spouse is away during the week so there's nobody here to do it all but me?
And you have no idea how much time and strength are just eaten up by the simple act of throwing stuff into garbage bags and lugging it to the garbage when you're 50 lbs. overweight. I actually bought $1300 of personal trainer time at a 24-hour gym 2 years ago but my doctors won't say yes yet to me going back to reclaim it ( your expired gym contract can be overturned for medical reasons with a doctor's signature, FYI). I am focused enough to be able to tell helper's to pitch this, cart that and to work like a fiend WITH that help, but I can't afford it yet and my family is just not there for me to provide real assistance. I think they will be as they see me maintaining focus for now, but it's just been too long that they've seen and believed it.
Anyhow, Sorry for the rant. Therapy's out of the question -- first because the cause of all this was found to be a medical deficiency and not a mental health problem and second because the best therapy for me right now will be getting a semblance of order back. Besides, I LOL! don't have time -- I just want to get my life and my credibility back together without losing my husband and neglecting my kids.
Stuff like household help and a personal assistant ARE a viable option for me once I start back to work, and there are a number of items in this clutter that are new and valuable and I can barter them for help with the house, once I find them and clean up enough to let someone over. But those would all be steps 3 and 4 or something; I need decision and priority making help now.
Anyone tackled a life tornado before and want to give me suggestions? While we're at it, if you did, did you also find that a thousand emergencies cropped up while you were doing so, or is that just me. I don't think so, I think I'm just finding it difficult to set in flexibility for handling extraneous while trying to handle untenable.
I know this anonymous thing isn't set up to let me post again, so I want to say now that I hope I didn't include too much and that I sure would appreciate anything anyone wrote, and I won't forget you later when my dust has cleared and I get the opportunity to help you out. That's a promise I now can keep.
Many thanks.
posted by
Human Relations
(25 answers total)
10 users marked this as a favorite
Start in one room (one place) and just pick up as much as you can for 15 minutes. Do this instead of thinking about it. After 15 minutes look at the progress you have made. Now, just get moving. Don't worry about getting it all done. Cleaning is a continual process, so is everything else. Stay in the moment and stop thinking.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
Make a list of all the things you want to do.
Sort the list by urgency. Apply time labels, as in Week, Month, Year, 3 Years, 7 Years, 10+
The stuff to do this week. If you can do it, do it.
If you can't break it down into steps. Continue breaking it down into steps until you find a step you can do. Do that step.
All you can do any day, every day, is what you can do.
If you should call someone, and you can't. Today you pick up the phone, and practice "hello". Physically do it. Don't think about it, do it. Tomorrow, you dial 1 number, and hang up.
The mind is a tricky place. It will fool you into thinking that you can't handle life, and that some tasks are impossible.
You can win this war by forcing the brain to accept that crossing the room and picking up the phone isn't "too hard".
YOU have to remember, apart from your brain, that little steps get you somewhere, sooner or later.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
First of all, let me just say congratulations on what you've already accomplished -- persevering to get your medical problem assessed and confirmed, regaining your desire to get control of your life, and reaching out for help. That's a big part of the battle already won, though I realize it can be hard to see that when you're feeling so overwhelmed.
I'd strongly advise you take a few minutes to look at the
FlyLady site
. It's hokey as all hell, but honest to God, there's some amazing advice in there that covers it all: the practical, the emotional, even a bit of the spiritual. The site creator's approach is all about baby steps, and being able to love yourself along the way. I've found that site helpful for years because I too have gotten completely overwhelmed by life (and felt the consequences in my health, my energy level, my home environment, etc). It gives you a literal starting point and then step-by-step advice to conquer your problems and get back on your feet.
I'd also suggest trying to find another source of support. Sometimes someone "on the outside," so to speak, can see things a little more objectively and can help you devise a plan of attack. At the very least, they can give you hugs (literal or figurative) or a kick in the pants (ditto) when you need it.
I'd be happy to discuss further -- feel free to email me, address in profile.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
You may think you don't have time for books, but there are a couple of good resources to recommend:
Getting Things Done
(much discussed here on AskMe) and
Organizing from the Inside Out
. They will help you put things back together.
When it comes to clutter in the house, however, can't you draft your family to pitch in and help? Enroll those teenagers to carry the trash bags out to the garbage. Clearing clutter goes a lot faster when you have help.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
There were some good suggestions in
this thread
. I also second the
posted by
on August 24, 2005
What your describing is acute, pervasive anxiety. Just doing things one step at a time is impossible. As I have been paralysed for the past few months myself, which has recurred many times in my life, and I hate to sound so absolute, but the only
solution is finding a fantastic, rigorous psychiatrist. Not a generic therapist, not a psychologist, but a doctor, someone very good who can guide you through this.
This can be solved, many people have this problem. Email me if you would like a recommendation for one in NYC.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
No, actually, that just happened to me. I was paralyzed by some debt I was under. It took an extended olive branch from my parents and a loan from them to make me wake up again. Now my apartment's clean and I'm getting my life back on track.
I think we all go through these phases. Part of the great thing about having other people you're really close to is having people who will point out to you when you've slipped off track.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
Oh and by the way, before I'm dismissed, I did read your entire question, where you say that therapy is out of the question, but I do stand by my answer. You talk of getting things "right," being "overwhelmed," that you "don't have time" even though nothing is getting done but getting worse, and I'm not talking about "mental illness," or finding out the cause, but fixing your situation permanently. I know this obsessive thinking. You asked what people did in your situation, and this is my experience.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
Perhaps you need to be more assertive with your husband and kids about your need for some time and space to get your stuff back together. You need to separate what they want you to do from what you actually need to do, and do the things you need to do first.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
Good for you for making this effort. I haven't been quite there, but I have experienced a short period of (mental) paralysis.
Once you get the ball rolling, things will start happening. From what I can tell, your first two priorities are: 1. Finding part-time work, and 2. Getting your house in order. You
do both of these things at once. Essentially, what you need to do is split your working hours so that you spend half on the job hunt, half on the house. Make sure that you don't work much more than a 8 hours a day, as exhausting yourself is the surest way to sabotage your progress.
I'd highly recommend signing up with a few temp agencies. You'll have to put some time into constructing your resume and interviewing with the agencies, but once they accept you, they do the legwork. This will leave you time for conducting your own hunt at a more leisurely pace, and for getting your home in order.
For the house, I would
, as recommended above. I love
Getting Things Done
, but when I needed a kick in the rear to get my household together, Flylady enabled me to jump right in. Just be prepared to ignore the corniness. Once you feel that you have some measure of control, you can research other systems that might fit you better.
I am all about establishing your own business (or finding a job you love), but I would put that, and the weight gain issue, aside for now. Make a promise to yourself that you will revisit those 1 month, or 3, or 6 months from now. The house and work issues are the basics, and from there you can build. As you start to move and declutter and clean and even cook some healthy meals, you'll start feeling healthier and maybe even take off some of the weight. As you get your resume together, do a few low-pressure interviews, and start to interact with coworkers again, your confidence and ability to rebuild your business will be refreshed.
And I agree, too, with
. One way to do it: I know that finances are tight, but since the kids need money anyway, offer to pay them $15 or $20 an hour to help with chores.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
Oh, and one more thing. When I was going through my crisis, I broke down my barriers and started telling my mom about my problems. (I'm close with her, but I tend to keep things inside in tough situations.) She's a psychoanalyst, and it was
a relief to talk to her in that capacity (not just as my mother). It really helped. So, you may want to consider therapy at some juncture, although not until you're ready, of course.
Good luck, and feel free to e-mail me if you'd like.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
Flylady, flylady, flylady!
posted by
on August 24, 2005
A wise friend of mine maintains the mantra, "Don't try to eat the whole elephant." Maybe just start with a tail, or an ear. Or, if that's too overwhelming still, just start with a couple elephant cells.
Since you can distinguish your tasks from each other, you're already in a good position to get started.
If you want to clean your house, don't just dive right in. Go out to Staples or Office Max or something and get yourself a bunch of different filing/organizing products. Do this before hand so you've got a system handy when you start to clean up. If you're not ready, you'll start cleaning and stall out once you realize you can't do anything with the piles you've made. Get some garbage bags, too. And don't be afraid to use them.
If you've got clutter, take it one surface at a time. Just one table, one counter, one shelf. Have folders ready for home office paperwork, business bills, family bills, whatever categories you might have, and a trashbag for any garbage (that's envelopes, cards that people have sent, business cards you'll never use, scraps of paper with irrelevant notes, you know...)
Your first surface is where you get to test your system. Maybe you need more folders. Maybe you can consolidate some of them. But at any rate, you'll find that you've reclaimed a working surface in your house and that you've developed a system of cleaning/purging/organizing that you can apply to the rest of your home.
Once you've found that your home is the way you want it, you'll likely feel as though you can take on part time or full time work without the feeling that you're abandoning another important task in the meanwhile. I'd recommend taking care of your home first, just for the blissful sanity that will result from walking into your house after a long day at work to find it clean and organized, just the way you left it. It'll remind you (if you get overwhelmed at work) that you're capable and organized.
Don't eat the whole elephant. At this point, doing too many things at once might start to conflict and result in more overwhelmment and less productivity.
I've found that when it comes to making big decisions and taking on large life tasks, the first step is the hardest. You've got to desperately want to change and, if you want it badly enough, you can change absolutely anything about yourself. You can motivate, educate, and inspire yourself. You can even change aspects of your personality that you might have though were hardwired.
People do intense personal things every day, like quitting drugs and alcohol (I'm one of them). You too can take that difficult first step and put your life back in order.
posted by
on August 24, 2005 [
1 favorite
Measure success by the overall direction you're moving, don't measure it by your current state. It took a long time to mess it up, it'll take a long time to clean it up. But as long as you're cleaning faster than messing, it *will* be clean. Eventually.
I think it's probably possible to do cleaning and jobhunting and losing weight, as long as you're willing to define progress as progress, not immediate results.
Besides, the processes of losing weight and organizing are just that--processes--and the key to success in these areas is permanent lifestyle change. Looks like you're doing that.
Losing weight doesn't have to take long at all--take in a healthy amount and type of calories that's less than you're burning. Get a bit more exercise. But it hardly takes hours out of every day.
Organizing you can spend as much time on as you can handle, but it can certainly be done on your off hours. It'll take as much or as little time as you want, as long as you're not adding to the problem (sounds like that's not a problem. Good for you, one less problem!)
posted by
on August 24, 2005
Oh, and since I seem to always link there, Steve Pavlina has a good article called
Getting Organized
that may help.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
I want to congratulate you as well for working so hard to get a diagnosis. That struck a personal chord with me, as someone close to me didn't do this, and it turned out to be a fatal mistake. It's hard to stand up for yourself when no one believes you, but you should be proud of yourself just for that accomplishment.
Your question reminded me of a something one of my staff used to say to me; We were always so busy, and in running down what we needed to get done on a particular day I had a habit of saying "Now, where should I start?" and his answer was always the same: "Start at the beginning." Now it's sort of my mantra when trying to tackle big tasks.
My first thought was that you should sit down with your husband and let him know that you can see now what a mess things are, and let him know that you will need his help. Let him know that you are not superwoman, you can't clean the house and find a job and shuttle the kids and cook and etc etc all at once. Ask him to help you establish priorities. This involves him in your recovery, and removes the impulse to blame.
I should add that I would make sure he is very educated on your medical condition, on how it progressed and why it affected you to the point that the rest of your life was ignored.
Then you and your husband can sit down with the kids and involve them in the recovery process too. Sorry, but I cringed at the above comment that you should offer the kids an hourly wage to help out with the house. You've been ill - and recovery is a family effort. If one of your kids was seriously ill you wouldn't expect them to pay you to come over and help out, and you deserve the same respect and consideration.
I second the comments that temp agencies would be a good place to start for work. You can take a job that doesn't require too much of you, it's a good way to transition back into the work force, and it takes away the pressure of trying to find a meaningful job while trying to get everything else accomplished. In my experience you can do one or the other, but to try to do both at the same time is just exhausting.
You can start by just setting one goal a day; "I will sign up with one temp agency"; "I will clean out one closet"; "I will stop and take a walk for 10 minutes if I start feeling too overwhelmed", etc. Getting one thing done a day will give you an addictive feeling of accomplishment, and as you recover you'll work for that feeling more and more.
I really wish you good luck!
posted by
on August 24, 2005
I relate to your description of how hard it is to lug those big bags to the trash. I'm not overweight but I can be a clumsy weakling, and I can have a hard time doing big jobs like that all on my own. But they still need doing, so here's my approach:
Clean one room at a time, using the hallway outside the room's door as a temporary holding area. Put trash and heavy stuff just outside the door, but to whichever side where you won't be stepping over it all the time. Stuff that belongs in other rooms, put to the other side of the door. This way, you get the room clean without getting tired schlepping back and forth to the garage. And, when your kids or your husband comes home, they can pitch in with simple, quick assistance like, "Just help me carry this desk/these boxes down to the garage/curb." I find helpers are much more willing to help when you're asking for some easily defined specific tasks like carrying X from A to B, than if you ask them to help you clean a room (sounds nebulous, could take all day).
posted by
on August 24, 2005
I've been asked to emphasize to everyone that anonymous has addressed the anxiety issue, and also, is aware of Flylady and doesn't have time for books.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
Like someone else said, make lists.
Make one list with the big, longer-term stuff, like "get the house in order." Then break those down into smaller items--small enough that you can accomplish them in the course of a day.
When you get started in the morning, make a list of things you are going to tackle that day. And enjoy the feeling you get from crossing them off your list.
You've got kids? Put them to work. What do they expect, a free ride? If they are physically capable of washing dishes or pushing a vacuum cleaner, they should be doing it.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
(Sigh). That's the
with paraphrasing. It's hard to tell if the tone is the original poster's, or that of the paraphraser ... No threadjack, just my observation that the demeanor conveyed is so different from the post and that no one offered advice after the paraphrase, also that scazza's earlier post seemed a lot like layman medical diagnosis to me, so I've no idea what anonymous might have replied privately, or how.
So, I'm going to err on the side of positivity and give my cheery two cents.
Been there, got the t-shirt. I second the thought that there is time for reading and planning later; this sounds like a crisis situation to me and that needs crisis actions.
Flylady - yes, but pick and choose. Do the fling boogie thing and make sure you
get dressed and pretty
. (Not objectifying here, we just all do better when we feel better cause we feel we look better. Plus, it makes it easier to say yes to a decision when you feel you can march out the door without taking more time. Finally, people are more inclined to help you out if you look nice. Looking nice means you, too, care about your outcome.
Books - nah, not for now. Work with what you've got, first.
House - yes on haven thing. Quick, what would be the first thing each family member would notice if they walked in the door right now?
Go fix each of those things up immediately.
Don't go perfectionist, just a) make a clean surface of it; b) toss it if it's garbage; c) stow it if it's out of place; and then d) dust, mop, vac or wipe it with something that smells good.
Next - What are their biggest complaints?
Dinner? Throw something simple in right now. Laundry? Start a load or toss bagged into car. Piles? Just stow it for now. You get the idea ... make their first impressions pleasant.
Now those people's short term demands are out of the way
and you can do more during the next cycle, time to focus on job hunt and then on the demands you'd pick if no one was there but you -- in that order.
Depending on ease for you at this point, pick a cycle unit ... maybe a 24 hour day, maybe a 12 hour or 4 hour unit. One cycle should include giving at least a bit of attention to EACH area that is
for attention. Listen to and then divide those areas ... family, short term job, long term work, house, friends, whatever.
As long as all areas are feeling non-neglected, the screaming should stop and you should be able to maintain without feeling overwhelmed if you keep the cycles and include yourself (bubble bath?) in them.
to me, is what is really happening here. A man with assassins around him is not paranoid, though he shares the same reactive traits.
So you, with all that's gone on, sound sane to me and just experiencing the anxiety that would come with waking up and finding your world "tornadoed".
Add and subtract what time, priorities you need to your cycles, starting with 15 minutes each and extending as the smaller ones get maintained.
Btw, speaking of smaller ones, i don't really have advice yet about your kids. I think you're right when you say it will get better as they see you doing more and keeping commitments, house and job. I imagine it was rough on them if this has gone on for years as you say. Rough on hubby, too; but looks like they all hung in there, so you must be worth it, hmm?
Feel free to email or post again. I'm pulling for you.
I second the temp work idea for short term job.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
Too busy for books? Then let me summarise a couple of important parts of Organizing from the Inside Out.
The author provides a basic algorithm for all tidying, applicable everwhere. The acronym is SPACE.
Sort. It does not matter how you sort, as long as it's meaningful and memorable to you.
Purge. Now things are sorted, you should be able to identify duplicates, spares, and rubbish. Throw them away, sell them, move them to long-term storage, but get rid of them.
Assign. With your reduced set of sorted things, decide where they will live, and put them there.
Containerise. Where you can, put things in boxes, files, cupboards, drawers, whatever, according to the sorting system you chose in the first step. By following your sorting system you'll be able to find them later.
Equalise. The few minutes you spend every day afterwards repeating the above steps in miniature.
The "kindergarten" approach to laying out space.
Notice that a kindergarten classroom is divided into functional areas - the painting zone, the toy zone, the reading zone, etc - according to activity. Each zone has what's needed for that activity in it, and nothing else. That means that whatever you're doing, the right stuff is already there, and most importantly, when you're finished, it's easy to put away.
So in our case, when we tackle a room, or even a smaller space, we should think about the activities that take place in that space. Then we should identify zones for those activities that make sense. If necessary, we can rearrange furniture, bring in appropriate storage units, whatever. Once we have made that plan, THEN we start the SPACE process.
This implies that before we even start organising, we sit down with pencil and paper and draw a plan. (Personally I also like this because then you have a more concrete vision of how you want things to be. Good goal setting technique).
Some other random points from the book.
- don't get trapped into maintaining a standard of neatness for other people. The sole criterion for a successful organisational scheme is that it is efficient for you and your way of thinking.
- it is possible, even probable, that you cannot organise because you have too much stuff. In other words, it is impossible to get organised, cause you're trying to store too much in too little space. In that case, you can either move or get rid of some stuff. That is all.
And this not from the book, but from me: baby steps. Pick something small and manageable, that you can spend a couple of hours on. Once you have your little oasis of order, it will take only a few minutes a day to keep clean. Then just work on extending the borders of the orderly zone. Whenever things look overwhelming, look at the orderly zone, admire your effort, take a few more slices of elephant.
Also, you may find that merely the increased activity level of organisation has a surprising effect on your weight.
Good luck.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
PS: my personal strategy for the impossibly large task. If there is no obvious starting point or logical order to the problem, if what you are doing is dealing with a huge random pile of shit, then it doesn't matter where you start. So pick somewhere that will give you most pleasure to have sorted, and start there. BUT: keep at that area, so you can see results. If you have house covered in shit, and you spend 10 minutes here, and 5 minutes there, neither you nor anyone else will see any difference. If you devote your effort to the one place, it will be visible. I think this principle is the basis of Fly Lady's insistence that you keep your sink clean. Myself, I couldn't give a shit about dishes in the sink, but it is true that you need your own personal clean sink, whatever that is.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
Flylady is on the Internet, and you don't have to buy the book at all. Don't need it.
Her first step is to shine the sink. Not necessarily wash the dishes in it, simply get everything out and shine the sink. Do this every night before bed. Once the dishes are caught up, a small dishpan under the sink catches the occasional dirty plate and keeps the sink clear (this one hint was worth its weight in gold to me.) She recommends doing jobs in 15 minute increments, using a timer. She also has fun ways to declutter, one step at a time.
Please please at least go check out her website. As many of you know I am bipolar and get overwhelmed easily, and this site I was able to apply to my whole life, not just housekeeping. Whether or not you want to do her routines, there are helpful hints in there that work.
posted by
on August 24, 2005
I hate it when people leave stuff in the sink. I don't care how much crap is on the side, just keep the bloody sink clear!
Now, my personal approach to cleaning starts, as i_a_j_s suggested: with sorting. I get rid of all the old crap, all the junk mail, advert stuff, envelopes, etc. If I'm cleaning a desk, rubbish gets chucked on the floor, while I'm going through sorting, I start to make piles (that make sense to me), for example, stuff that lives on the desk, stuff that goes in the drawers behind me, stuff that needs to be filed (bank statements, phone bills, etc, go in the office filing cabinet) once that's done, all the rubbish on the floor gets gathered up and put in the office bin, then while I take the office bin out I look for other rubbish I can put in there on the way to the outside bin. I always look for other rubbish when I'm heading out to the bin, if I'm emptying the bag we keep in the bedroom, or the kitchen bin, or whatever, on the way out I fill it up with any other crap that's lying around, if I go past the fridge, I open the fridge and bin anything old or gross, if I go past the living room, I get rid of any crap on the floors, etc.
This means that while I'm tidying one specific thing to a high shine, other stuff gets a bit of a declutter at the same time - so, later, when it comes time to actually clean that thing the job is already half done.
Also, whenever I clean the dishes, I clean the kitchen, while wiping up the side, I spray some cleaner on the top of the stove, on the kicthen table, etc, and wipe them down as well - it takes like 3 seconds, and it's all done. So now, while the actual job I did was just as simple as washing whatever dishes couldn't fit into the dishwasher, the end result is a kitchen that is polished to a high shine.
Something my partner tried to teach me, and which is a great idea, but which just didn't catch on, is to look around the room whenever you're leaving it - is there something in here that should be taken to wherever you're going? If you're going from the bedroom to the kitchen, are there any coffee cups or water glasses beside the bed? Take them out now, you can even pretend you're not really tidying, you're just going to the fridge. (I actually do this one, but I don't do the 'notice there's a magazine on the floor that needs to go to the rack in the lounge' thing or whatever, just the glasses & cups.)
posted by
The Monkey
on August 24, 2005 [
1 favorite
Another vote here for Flylady's motivation. Anything can be done 15 minutes at a time. Set your kitchen timer and clean out the junk drawer, or whatever. Try not to view the ENTIRE PICTURE of the disatrous tornado; view a little corner of it. :)
Get your kids to help out (if they are old enough). The responsibility for keeping the house clean is not just yours, especially if you have kids. Assign them chores, if you haven't done so already.
Don't worry about finding a job right away. Concentrate on the household chaos first. Once you feel that is mostly under control (and you find those materials you need), then start looking for a job.
You mention you can't pay a helper and that your family is unsupportive. Try to ask a family member to help you anyway, or one of your children to help you pitch and toss stuff. Play a game with the kids. My daughter, who's 5, loves to play "Clean Sweep." That's when she and I pick up all of her scattered toys and put them away.
There are tons of people who suffer from clutter and chaos. You are not alone. Good luck!
posted by
on August 25, 2005
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Daily Dispatches From The Global Scene
Leave it to Miuccia Prada to do things differently, in parties as in fashion. Rather than occupy the latest hot boîte of the moment, the designer chose the once-opulent, decadent Le Carmen. Built in 1875, this rococo landmark was the Le Baron of its day—an after-show haunt for dancers from the Moulin Rouge and the men they favored (today, in homage, a golden cage is mounted near the entry and a daybed sits in the corner of one salon). It's also where Bizet is said to have composed his last opera. Ordinarily Le Carmen doesn't pack in the crowds; it's more of a discreet watering hole just a block south of Pigalle. "I love this place; it's beautiful and out of time," said Olivier Theyskens, who has been known to drop in when he's in town. Last night, though, he was ready to get back home to New York. "Our show was only three weeks ago but already we're on to winter, and I'm excited about all our great projects coming up," he said. One of those is in Paris: A Theory boutique will open on the Left Bank next month.
Although buoyant and crowded, the spirit of this last hurrah was laid-back. The hostess slipped in quietly around midnight, a handful of starry guests in tow, including Michelle Dockery, Rashida Jones, and Dianna Agron. Dockery reeled off some favorite looks from the show—"the red coat with black lapels, the red two-piece, all of the coats actually, and the cats…," the feline-printed items that were one of the sensations of the collection—before sighing and admitting, "I loved it all."
Not bad for a party that only took shape last week. "It's been a while since we threw a party," said a spokeswoman. "We just wanted to do something cool and different for friends and family."
Daily Dispatches From The Global Scene


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CH-UH District and CFO Earn Awards for Excellence in Financial Reporting
September 14, 2012
Cleveland Heights, OH
Scott Gainer, Chief Financial Officer for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District, received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government of Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).
Gainer earned the award for the district's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the 2011 fiscal year. This year marked the 11th consecutive time Gainer received the award.
The GFOA considers the Certificate of Achievement its highest award for governmental accounting and financial reporting. It recognizes thorough and detailed presentation of a district's financial condition, activities, and balances for the fiscal year.
"We are pleased to have earned this award again," Gainer said. "It demonstrates our commitment to transparency and high-quality financial reporting. We take our fiduciary responsibility for taxpayer dollars very seriously and view this additional financial reporting as a way to keep our community informed."
An accomplished professional, the State of Ohio
named Gainer the Outstanding Treasurer/CFO
of the Year for 2010.


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- This webinar is now available On-Demand.
- Please complete the registration.
Date & Time
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Business leaders grappling with tough financial decisions need good tools to navigate during uncertain times, when forces beyond control buffet the business from all sides. Focusing on scenario planning for financial leaders—including CFOs, VPs of finance, treasurers, and other stakeholders—Paul A. Laudicina, author of "Beating the Global Odds," provides guidelines for cutting through the clutter and making sound business decisions in an ever-changing global business climate. He'll offer some real-world tips for managing in uncertain times:
- Why inaction because of uncertainty leads to missed opportunities
- Examples from great current-day innovators
- How and when to deploy scenario planning
Paul A. Laudicina is Chairman Emeritus of A.T. Kearney and Chairman of A.T. Kearney's Global Business Policy Council. Paul was Partner and Chairman of the Board of A.T. Kearney from 2006 to 2012. He took on this role after the firm regained its independence through a management buyout, and guided A.T. Kearney through an extraordinary turnaround. The firm recorded consistent double-digit growth and its global footprint expanded by 30 percent to include offices in nearly 40 countries. Previously, he was Managing Director of A.T. Kearney's Global Business Policy Council, a forum of CEOs and thought leaders focused on assessing global strategic opportunities and risk management. In addition to his more than 30 years of private-sector experience, he has also served in the public sector, as legislative director to then U.S. Senator, Joseph Biden. He is the author of a number of articles and books on global strategic issues, including Beating the Global Odds (2012) and World Out of Balance (2005), and was named to Consulting magazine's annual ranking of the Top 25 Most Influential Consultants in 2005 and again in 2007.
Win a copy of Beating the Global Odds or a Kindle Fire HD
All live attendees will be entered in two special giveaways*. Five live webcast attendees will win a copy of Paul Laudicina's book, "Beating the Global Odds" and one live attendee will win a Kindle Fire HD with "Beating the Global Odds" pre-loaded.
*No purchase necessary. Webinar registration and live attendance required. This giveaway is void where prohibited by law. The winner will be chosen at random by a member of the Business Finance editorial staff. Taxes if applicable are the responsibility of the winner. 3G and wi-fi service costs are the responsibility of the winner. Business Finance is not liable for anything relating to this giveaway. Amazon.com and Kindle Fire are not affiliated with this giveaway.Click here for complete rules
Paul A. Laudicina
Moderated By:
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text:
Oregon State's once-bursting quarterback stable has been reduced to three inhabitants, as rising senior Peter Lalich has been relieved of his scholarship following that whole DUI-of-the-Sea incident. SBN's Building the Dam has the details:
Riley said that Lalich, once the starting QB at Virginia, was looking at a three game suspension (anyway) for the alcohol related offense, and "it would have been very difficult for him, with that suspension, to continue to compete at quarterback. ... so he will not be on our team this year, and he will not be on scholarship.''
Lalich was not expected to start, and apparently Coach Riley considers him to be of little enough threat to grant him complete freedom of movement:
"He may stay here and continue his education and finish school,'' Riley said. "He's been given a blanket release, so he could play anywhere within NCAA rules. Hi's gathering information about other schools.''
We'd suggest somewhere in Utah, if clean livin' is what he has in mind. This is Lalich's second drankin' dismissal from a I-A team. He began his career at UVA but was kicked off by Al Groh following two alcohol-related arrests.
The lesson here being, of course, "don't get caught drunk boating." Or to take second chances seriously. Whatever.


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What's more inspiring and patriotic than a gorgeous, feminine hottie sporting a big, veiny, throbbing treat between her legs? Kinky director Joey Silvera's 'American She-Male X 5' pledges allegiance to this cultural phenomenon - six stunning specimens of fully functional transsexual temptation enjoy intimate, nasty sex with boys, girls and each other! First, tall, leggy she-male therapist Jacqueline Woods and Venus Lux, a glamorous Asian transsexual, share mutual cocksucking and backdoor penetration until both insatiable chicks-with-dicks have blown their creamy loads. Slender, tattooed tranny Ryder Monroe strips to reveal tiny tits and a plump, juicy ass and strokes her meat for the camera. Muscular Latin stud Robert supplies an intense anal reaming until Ryder spurts cum on her thigh - then opens wide for his Robert's semen! Hailey Holiday, a young, blonde biological girl, can hardly wait for her interracial date with busty, well-hung black she-male Chanel Couture. Hailey pumps the big, chocolate shaft with both hands and takes a fucking courtesy of Chanel's massive erection. Soft, petite Latina Leah Cortez fulfills a sexual crush on her pale, buxom she-male girlfriend Tiffany Starr. Lastly, all-natural female Katie St. Ives and her boyfriend have a wild threesome with tattooed, exotic she-male TS Foxxy. Ms. Foxxy takes a large cock deep in her ass as Katie slurps her prick... and consumes a tasty wad of she-cum. Please rise and salute these national treasures. Oh say, does that stiff, throbbing she-meat yet wave? 'American She-Male X 5' lets transsexual freedom ring!


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Hermosa Beach Kiwanis members, volunteers and others gathered Wednesday to commemorate the Christmas trees the club are selling from their tree lot at Pacific Coast Highway and Pier Avenue.
With club President Jeff Maxwell standing atop a folding chair at a communal table where those present would dine to kick off the season, Maxwell led the group in "God Bless America."
Reverend Mike Olsen of St. Cross Episcopal began the ceremony by asking the participants to "turn to where you find your peace..." and then continued with his blessing.
Rev. Olsen likened the evergreen branches of the trees to God's eternal love and noted that as "Kiwanians we're supposed to do something" to help those in need. All of the proceeds from sales at the Christmas Tree Lot go back into the community supporting charities such as PS I Love You, Sunshine Kids, Children's Miracle Network, American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Project Touch, Easter Seals Disabled Program, Red Cross Blood Drive, Hermosa Beach School District, Beach Cities Toy Drive, Hermosa Beach Parks and Recreation Programs, special needs populations, emergency disaster relief, pediatric trauma, numerous school projects, and scholarships for kids, according to a press release from the club.
Items available on the lot include Noble and Douglas Fir trees, fragrant Rosemary trees, living trees, and colorful wreaths, garlands and door swags. The lot is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
"Better come early, last year we sold out way ahead of schedule," said Maxwell.
The lot is managed by Paul Amarillas and his wife Yvonne, who led the festivities Wednesday during the blessing and luncheon.
The lot receives fresh shipments directly from the growers throughout the season and all trees can be fireproofed and delivered directly to your door. Master and Visa cards are accepted, and purchases are tax-deductible. Call 310-466-0960 for more information.
- Previously: Kiwanis Trees to be Blessed


text:
I've realized that I haven't shared as many pictures lately because I feel like I need a witty, fun, captivating, awesome story to go with each post. Let's just be honest…. THAT'S TOO MUCH PRESSURE!
So, I've decided to stop worrying so much about writing something to go with each post and just share pictures. It's what you've come here for anyways right?!
Now for a cute family from Arizona with the fantastic evening sun I've missed since moving to Texas.
something else you may enjoy:
tags: ah-maz-ing sunlight, baby girlies


text:
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