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|We're building a new home. The developer wants a native planting bed in the back corner of our property. I'm all for the concept, but I'm new to natives and a novice gardener.
Here's the plant list provided by the landscape designer...
I will be responsible for maintaining this bed. My biggest concern is that the plants require little maintenance to look nice. The plants I'm familiar with from the list (black-eyed susans, puple coneflowers, swan conflowers) are sufficiently low maintenance for me, but I don't have any experience with the others.
What do you think? Should I be concerned about any of these plants?
Thank you!
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by joepyeweed 5b IL (My Page) on Tue, Aug 19, 08 at 17:51
|The ninebark is a shrub, commonly used for a border or screen. It could benefit from an occasional pruning, a nice choice.
And the list is common names which can be misleading. Purple willow, salix purpurea, isn't necessarily native. There are plenty of native willows, and perhaps he is planning to use a native one, but without having the latin name, you can't be sure.
The same could be true for the IG... if he had used latin names, I might guess that its an ilex (or holly species) but the latin names that are Ilex g.... are typically not the native hollies, either. But really, I have no idea what IG is...
As you know the coneflowers are nice.
I don't really care for evening primrose, as I think its weedy, but that is personal opinion. I know other people who love it...
As for the milkweed, personally, I'd probably pick asclepias incanarta or asclepias speciosa over a. verticillata. But as far as maintenance, they would all be similar.
I would want to know specifically which cedar and which oak, he is planning to add.
Generally, if you want low maintenance, the list looks pretty good - but it lacks details.
|I am sorry to say I think the list is a little uninspiring. I am not a big fan of black eyed susans. Yes they look great in flower but then the foliage gets very ratty looking and it spreads all over the place. Nor would I choose the willow. The ninebark is an excellent choice. There are cultivars with different color foliage which would give you season long interest. Some other higher quality alternatives I would consider are: Eupatorium 'Gateway', the native grasses praire dropseed (sporobolus heterolepis)and panicum (switch grass)-there are several interesting cultivars, liatris spicata (blazing star or gayfeather) both the white & purple, amosonia(bluestar)-there are several species to choose from, physostegia 'Variegata (variegated obedient plant-not nearly as invasive as the regular variety). If IG does stand for a member of the holly family (ilex) I would research this carefully. Typically prairie plants grow in neutral to slightly alkaline soil whereas ilex are definitely acid lovers. As for trees, look at kentucky coffee (gymnocladus dioica) tree as a possible alternative to oaks. I would also be careful with the native cedar. It is the alternate host for cedar apple rust. Not a good thing if your or your neighbors'landscapes include crabapple trees.
I hope this helps rather than confuses.
|IG could be Ilex glabra - inkberry holly.
Where are you located, by the way (other than zone 5)? Sometimes it helps to know that.
|Thanks for the responses. I'm in Kansas City.
I've been searching the mobot.org site. So far I'm thinking I might substitute amsonia for the milkweed and black gum for the oak. Thanks for the amsonia suggestion, felisa. I saw a fringed variety in a display garden and loved it. I didn't realize it was native.
|To paraphrase what they used to sing on a kid's show, some of these things are not like the others... your designer's plants don't go together well. Some of the suggested selections want a lot of moisture and some want much dryer conditions. Unless it's a large area that goes from a high dry spot to a low moist one, some part of that list is gonna suffer.
Looking at that list, the evening primrose and whorled milkweed like near-xeric (dry) conditions, while the coneflowers, verbena (not sure this is hardy in your area, actually) and rudbeckia like mesic ("normal"), and the ninebark and willow need steady moisture to prosper. Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed), which was suggested above, likes mesic to moist conditions, and err on the moist side for best results. Assuming IG stands for Ilex glabra, it prefers a mesic to moist situation, and in your area would also appreciate shelter from cold northwest winter winds. Cedar is adaptable to everything except wet feet, and there are some cool cultivars available of both J. virginiana (eastern red cedar) and J. scopulorum (rocky mountain cedar). No telling about the oak, as you need to know the species to know what conditions are appropriate. Black gum's a good choice unless the site is quite dry. That's a dioecious species, so if you get a female and there's a boy gum around to pollinate, you'll have a messy berry drop in the summer, if that's a consideration. Amsonia is an awesome genus and very adaptable -- A. hubrichtii is quite beautiful in and out of bloom. Joe Pye Weed wants moisture, as does Panicum. Sporobolis wants dryer. Liatris spicata prefers moisture, but there are plenty of liatris species to choose from that will like whatever you've got.
Many mesic plants are fairly drought hardy when established, so a dry-ish site might not kill them once they've been in the ground a year or two with good culture and no stress. But that just means they survive a drought, not that they look good and sail through untouched. Coneflowers are a good example. They usually survive dry spells, but they often look pretty wretched. It's sort of a judgment call on whether they're appropriate for you, depending on how pretty you want the garden to look like in the bad times.
No offense, but I don't think the designer is very up on his/her natives. I'd say you'd probably lose 30-40% of those original suggested plants over time, depending on whether your situation is dryer or moister. I've found that good way to figure this out, if the site is relatively undeveloped, is to take a look at whatever's growing there now (even weeds), ID it, then look up its preferred habitat relative to moisture availability. That'll help you figure out what will thrive there without irrigation or other artificial life support. Then you can develop a plant list that suits the site.
BTW, I assume "swan" coneflower is 'White Swan', an older white selection of E. purpurea. There are better newer white cultivars now, such as 'Primadonna White', which for me has performed better and is a prettier garden subject to my eye.
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FOLIO: Personalities -- The Blog People Page
Matching Your Digital Magazine Features With Your AudienceRoy Beagley
More and more publishers have a digital version of their magazines and if you are about to embark upon the digital road, there is a great deal to consider before you take the plunge.
Digital magazines can do a lot to boost a publisherãs presence, but there are many issues to keep in mind. The savvy circulation professional knows to look at both the positive and negative possibilities as a matter of course. The savvy circulation professional recognizes,ô ô for instance, that a 70 percent renewal response really equates to 30 percent of the file disappearing. The savvy circulation professional will recognize that you need to evaluate what kind of digital magazine will work for your market.
Digital magazines have one major advantage over print: you can adapt them to individual readersã requirements. Print cannot do this easily, although it has been done for longer than you may think. The Economist, Time, and Newsweek as far back as the seventies used to change the pagination of most issues to reflect readership simply by moving sections of the magazine around.
In deciding what will work for your magazine, you have to look at what you have available. You also have to decide what you want to achieve by producing a digital version. Is it going to support the print product or branch out on its own? Is it going to replace the print product? Does the editorial department have the ability to be proactive in possibly producing ãpersonalã content? What information can you access on your subscribers to make their digital experience worthwhile?
Answers to these questions will dictate the digital path you need to take. Digital magazines arguably have a disadvantage over printãand that is accessibility, ironically enough. You need something to read the magazine on, be it a tablet, phone, laptop or desktop. Some of these options are more portable than others, but the fact is that a print product just needs to be picked up and you are good to go. You need to make readersã experience as memorable as possible otherwise renewal and requalification rates will start to fall and this is something we already know, certainly on controlled circulation as response rates differ vastly between print and digital.
At its simplest your digital magazine can just be a copy or replica of your print publication. Not only is this the simplest solution, it is also probably the cheapestãand the most boring. However, as noted above a digital strategy is a companywide thing, it relies on the abilities of production, editorial, advertising as well as circulation or audience development. You can split a digital edition out by geographic area, and this could be as broad as continent or as narrow as zip or post code. If you have demographics on your subscribers, you could gear your editorial according to those demographics.ô The more demographics or information you have, the more defined your digital magazine can be.
Next week weãll discuss how far you can take your digital initiative and what you need to measure to see whether it is workingãor not.
Renewal Notices and First ImpressionsRoy Beagley
Harlan Hogan said ãyou never get a second chance to make a first impression,ã which is almost as annoying as ãthere is no ãIã in team,ã but even more annoying is both these sayings happen to be true.
Whether you are sending a new offer, a renewal effort, an invoice or an order acknowledgement, your outer envelope speaks volumes about your publication. Therefore, before you decide on outer envelope copy, make sure you understand your audience.
ãYo Dude! Hereãs a mega awesome offer!ã is probably not going to work well if you are offering a new subscription and your audience is CEOs, expectant mothers or students of English literature. Keep in mind the audience you are serving. Sending a letter to chief executives in a plain envelope without any copy whatsoever almost guarantees the letter will be opened, thus proving the adage ãless is moreã is just as annoying as ãthere is no ãIã in teamã as well as Mr. Hoganãs message noted earlier.
Keeping the message on target is important, but urging the recipient to do something is also a good technique. If I get an envelope that states: ãYou need do nothingã, then I do nothing and throw the unopened envelope away. If I get an envelope that says: ãYou need do nothingãÎ but what about 5 extra issues?ã my trash can may not fill up quite so quickly, since now I am intrigued by the offer.
Iãm not sure how many people only send renewal notices by email, but if you do not put at least a couple of renewal efforts in the mail, you are missing an opportunity. I know more and more people are getting and paying their invoices on the Internet but many are still convinced itãs unsafe for personal data. Donãt let ãbeing greenã stop you from mailing some renewal efforts. And be creative. Done correctly, you will see a good response to mail efforts, probably better than your email response.
Putting an acknowledgement of an order into the mail is not a bad idea. You can use this notice to offer people an opportunity to extend their subscription term (called a renewal at birth), or offer them other products. Hereãs suggested copy: ãThanks for being part of our family and as a valued member, here are some other products we thought you might like to know about.ã
This approach makes you a) look as if you really care (which you do) and b) get more revenue just for being nice.
However, all of this relies on one thing, getting people to open the envelope. Ask yourself what makes you open an envelope. The promise of a benefit? Something free inside? Engagement, such as a short quiz?
Think long and hardãÎand prosper!
Sourcing Controlled Subs From Your WebsiteRoy Beagley
One of the best ways of reaching your market is via your own website. I know this sounds obvious, but it always surprises me the number of controlled magazines that do not have a new subscription offer on their site. In some cases this is because the magazineãs rate base is very healthy, but in this day and age of reduced budgets this is the exception rather than the norm.
I visit many websites during the course of a week, and there is no real happy medium. You either get no subscription offers at all, or so many that every time you go to a site,
any good cheer gained at this time of year is well and truly lost.
If you are making multiple offers via your website, keep them under control otherwise you will scare people off. There is nothing more annoying than navigating to a page, only to get an offer for something you donãt want that is replaced by an offer for something else you donãt want when you close the page on the first offer. The record so far stands at seven offers, and by the time I was able to rid my life of all these offers, I had forgotten why I had gone to the website in the first placeãand have not been back since. Actually, I lied, there is one thing more annoying. Going to the same website and getting the same ãliteratureã every time.
Control your offers including when and how people see them. Any circulation or audience development professional that does not liaise with the IT department on at least a weekly basis is missing opportunities and more importantly probably losing orders. Being able to react to news relating to your business is key, especially if it is ãhotã news. Taking quick advantage of breaking news can be handled with a 250 x 250 ad on the website that circulation or audience development can upload themselves; early birds catching worms comes to mind. You know what I mean!
Make sure your offer can be seen efficiently on mobile devices. Some advertisements I have been exposed to have rendered my mobile phone immobile. I know it sounds obvious, but there is nothing worse than an Englishman with an immobile mobileãSting might even write a song about it. There is only so much any one person can take, so make sure you do not overplay your hand, or else you may well find your prospect is going somewhere else (and despite paywalls, there usually is somewhere else) to get the information you yourself offer.
Managing the Variables of Digital CircRoy Beagley
For good or for ill, digital is here to stay. I have no doubt it is good for many readers, I am not sure how good it is for publishers because there are still too many variables concerning digital circulation. These variables are being worked out, slowly in some cases, but as an industry we have to make sure we understand the results and interpret them correctly, and not as we would like them to be.
Just because the recently released version of the iPad sold in the millions does not mean digital circulation is going to increase as a direct result of the release. Most people I know who purchased the latest iPad did so to replace the iPad they already had. Over the next weeks people will receive some sort of reader for the holidays, but the total in sales will not see a similar increase in digital circulation.
It is important to recognize why digital circulation increases. Many controlled publishers are shifting their three-year old-circulation over from print to digital, not because the reader desires this, but because the publisher does. We have found that re-qualification response rates of digital subscriptions are lower than those on the print file. I believe this is because digital magazines are not as readily accessible as their print cousins. Therefore, you will probably have to send digital subscriptions more efforts to get the same net response as print. There is nothing wrong in this, just remember that you will have to send more efforts and this may affect your promotion budget. What you are saving in printing and mailing costs can be used to send additional efforts, although in reality these savings are almost never passed on.
Do not get hooked on the general belief that digital subscriptions will respond better to electronic methods than more traditional methods; there is no rationale to support this thinking, and until you have tested all formats and gained meaningful resultsãresults supported by facts, not opinionsãtread carefully.
The digital world is upon us, and as promoters, marketers and indeed users, we should embrace the new technology and make it work for us. Digital circulation is a small part of total circulation. It will grow over the next few years, although the growth will slow down, but for all that it would be dangerous to make assumptions based on opinion rather than test results.
Yesterday, on one of the networks, an expert said, ãPeople feel more confident in the market than they did a few years ago.ã On the same show, another expert said, ãPeople are not confident concerning their financial futures.ã Facts based on opinions have no value, but opinions based on facts are worth their weight in a ton of iPads!
Embracing Connectivity in a Digital WorldRoy Beagley
Over the past few years, the word ãdigitalã has gone from merely denoting a replica of a print magazine to just about anything you do electronically. Engaging people through the various means we have available to us takes time, effort and, dare I say it, some money, as well. It also needs another thing that many do not currently haveãa strategy.
Whether you engage people via a Web site, an iPad or smart phone app, through email or via any other platform, you need to have a strategy in place to make sure your customers or prospects engage with you for a long time to comeãwherever they are. Assuming you plan to reach people through more than one platform, youãll need a strategy to integrate all of them.
How frequently you need to engage with people really depends on what youãre trying to achieve. A newsletter, a tweet or an updated RSS feed certainly works on a daily basis. You can update your Facebook page or make an entry on LinkedIn to keep people involved, too. Whatever it is, you just need a plan to reach your entire market.
Newsletters are a good way to engage people and keep them involved, but your strategy must make sure your newsletter carries information people are going to benefit. This is where some spare cash may come in useful. Do not overwhelm people with content. You are more likely to drive them off a cliff rather than toward your product.
Some say sending an email first thing in the morning, so it appears at the top of the recipientãs inbox, is a good thing. Others claim sending email after 10:00 A.M. is better. All this really proves is we donãt always know what works and what doesnãt. I would venture to suggest it depends a great deal on the market with which you are dealing. After all, a night workerãs shift ends when most othersã start and an email at the end of their shift may indeed work very well early in the morning.
If you are going to engage via social media, make sure your strategy details when you plan to do this. You should add content on a regular basis and testing should determine the optimum frequency. You should also add content when the situation demands like with hot news or a special story. Donãt forget that this content should always be worth sharing.
Wherever you post content, keep an eye on it to make sure people donãt abuse your efforts. Check Facebook and other (anti) social media at least once day. When people ask to be removed from lists, remove themãno muss, no fuss. Just say ãthanksã and move on.
More and more, digital is part of our world. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, I have yet to figure out. For now, it is here and we need to embrace itãnot willy-nillyãbut in a well-ordered manner so we can take maximum advantage whilst we may.More...
Cramming for Your November AuditRoy Beagley
If you are working on a publication with a November audit cycle and you still have to get more orders, here are some things you might like to try.
If you need new orders, try calling your existing one-year subscribers to ask them if there is someone else in their organization who would benefit from a subscription. Then, email the prospect and inform them their colleague suggested they might like a subscription and see if you can get them to order from that email. If not, try calling them.
If you are still trying to re-qualify your file, now is the time to send a short-form email. Short forms work well, but remember even though the age of the subscription will be one year, the demographics will not be updated, and this is something you need to make a note of for next year. You can also do a short-form phone call as well, and since you are not asking all the demographic questions, most telemarketing companies will give you a good rate, providing the telemarketing company can make room for the program in its schedule.
If you have fax numbers on your file, and permission to fax, send one out for re-qualifications. Faxes are so old they are new again. While results are not earth shattering, they may be the butt-saver you need. Use a purl in the fax so people can reply online as well as a fax number for responses.
The somewhat anti-social social media may be of use to you. If you have a Facebook page, trying offering a new subscription on your page and if you have a Twitter presence, why not tweet out a new subscription offerãevery order counts. If you have a LinkedIn page, create an offer there too, it can do no harm and while social media may not be the best responder, it is certainly worth a try.
Tips for Optimizing Email MarketingRoy Beagley
Despite best intentions, it seems as though response to email efforts is still difficult to predict. Quite why this is, I am not sure, but the ãusualã rules of marketing just donãt apply to an email effort, be it for new subscriptions, renewals, re-qualifications or other products.
Even the rules that have been established do not apply all the time. I am constantly told not to send an email out on Friday, yet many of the email blasts I send on a Friday get good results. The problem is, what works this Friday may not work next Friday, but there is no obvious reason why. I am told the best time to send an email is at 6:00 am, so the email is in the recipientãs inbox when they start to look through their email. I tried this. It failed the first time, worked the second time, and the third time most of the messages seemed to get delayed since many of the responses came back the following afternoon.
Until the rules are standardized and predictable, you need to be the rule maker. Try a few simple tests to see what works and, just as importantly, doesnãt work for you.
1) Do an a/b split on your email blast and send half in the morning, half in the afternoon and see if one responds better than the other. Do this several times to see if you can determine a pattern.
2) Test html and text versions of the same email. Text may but ugly, but ugliness did not stop Frankensteinãs monster from getting a bride!
3) If the first email does not succeed, send it again. Very often response is better on the resend (and resend of the resend) than on the original deployment.
4) Make sure your html does not have too many images because this can cause spam filters to go into hyper drive.
5) I know spam filters supposedly hate the word ãfree,ã but test it, you may be surprised. ãFreeã does work in some cases.
It is a good idea to send out a re-qualification effort on controlled books over a three-week period. The first is deployed on Tuesday, the follow up nine days later on Thursday and a final follow up six days later on the Wednesday. Very often, the response on Wednesday is higher than the previous Thursdayãs response. Why? I donãt have a clue, but that is what makes being the rule-maker fun!ô
How You Should Be Using Gift PromosRoy Beagley
A few weeks ago, we reviewed some of the things you can do with gift offers, especially within your own magazine, and it can be very easy to lose sight of what you are trying to achieve.
Offering a gift subscription is not the same as creating a house offer, although many people do fall foul of this. When creating a house offer, be it an off-the-page advertisement, blow in or bind in card, you are trying to sell the magazine to the person reading your promotion; when creating a gift offer, you are selling the idea of giving someone a gift-the offers are not the same.
Copy for a gift promotion should be about the product and why your gift will give pleasure to the recipient, so avoid words like "you" and use "they" instead. A little flattery never hurts either, so copy such as "...they'll thank you for your generous gift all year long" could certainly be in order. And gift acknowledgement cards sent toô recipients are much prized by gift givers, so be sure you mention that you send them to recipients in the donor's name. It you have price savings for multiple gifts, be sure to mention that in your gift ad, as well as how to enter multiple orders by phone.
The gift offer should not be over-designed (actually, nothing should ever be over-designed, but you know what I mean). The important things on a blow in card are the "from" and "to" address boxes, an offer that is clear, concise, easy to understand and an uncluttered form. You do not need covers galore, in most cases you don't need a cover at all-which is just as well, because there is not much room on a card measuring 4.25 x 6 inches.
Because of the information you have to include on the form, avoid using too much reversed-out copy. Stock for blow in and bind cards can soak up ink like crazy and with fonts tending to be smaller size, you can end with a fuzzy mess on your hands. If you are running an advert in your magazine, just about the reverse is true. You can drop out copy because fonts are generally larger and the paper stock usually better.
Bind in cards can be stacked so that you can have at least two cards andô even three gift cards if you wish. Design the bind in so the bottom of your card gets trimmed off. That means there is one less perforation you have to worry about. Your run-of-the-page advertisement, blow in and bind in cards do not all have to have the same design, they can all be different.
Recognize the difference between gift ads and house ads, otherwise you may lose out on a lot of orders and at a time of giving, who wants to do that?More...
Why It's Worth It to Revive Your Wrap and Tip PromosRoy Beagley
There is a great temptation to use all things new in promotions and ignore the oldãthe wise circulation manager and audience developer will not fall into this trap. Not every promotion makes a profit, sometimes things have to be done for what they achieve rather than what they cost.
Insert cards for instance almost never pay for themselves, but they get orders from every issue and are a good source of low-cost subscriptions compared to other types of promotion. If you donãt believe me, ask the folks at TV Guide.
Wraps and tips were once very popular but fell out of favor when we started to push people to order or renew via a website rather than accept an order form sent in via fax or the mail. Some markets (and some people), despite the digital world, still prefer forms you can drop into the mail. If you have not tried a wrap or a tip of late it might be a worthwhile walk on the wild side to see what happens.
Tips and wraps are inexpensive to produce although both will result in an additional cost at your printer. However, the additional cost may be worth it. Tips and wraps can be used for both new subscriptions and renewals or re-qualifications, but with renewals and re-qualifications, you will probably achieve a better cost per order.
Keep the design simple. Remember, if people already subscribe they do not need to be told how wonderful the magazine is, they know that already. They need to be told in the kindest possible way why their life will be less pleasurable if they do not renewãthe more suffering the better!
There is not a great deal of difference in cost between four-color and two-color printing anymore, but on controlled publications two-color will normally suffice. Your magazine printer will have size and trim requirements for tips and wraps so make sure any design is done in consultation with them. Indeed, give the printer the final sign-off.
These days you can include a personalized URL and a QR code but if your tip or wrap has an order or qualification card, it really doesnãt make sense to give people devices to avoid mailing back the order form. You should get a bigger response if you pay the return postage on tip and wrap order forms, but some publishers have dropped their BRM accounts so yours might have to say ãAffix Postage Hereã.
If you are selling or offering a new subscription using a sampling program, in many cases, a tip will work just fine because the prospective subscriber has a copy of the magazine in his hands and can determine its value immediately.ô
Consider a tip as part of your paid renewal series, especially on the last issue the subscriber will receive, and if you grace your subscription file, I do mean the last issue they will actually receive.
Optimizing Your Double Postcard Direct Mail TacticsRoy Beagley
Whether you think direct mail is making a comeback or it never went away, the truth is publishers are returning to direct mail. The good news is that it does not have to be that expensive and a good example of this is the double postcard format.
Double postcards will not work for every publication or occasionãfor instance, new magazine launchesãbut certainly in many cases, especially if your magazine is well-known, a double postcard may be just what you need to get back into the mail. True, you are limited in the amount of copy you can use, but sometimes less really can be more. ô
Consider offering ãRisk-Free Issuesããalways a good seller. Can you give away a gift? If so, why not test a premium offer against a non-premium offer and see what works best for you.
Despite being in the digital age, people still like involvement devices so consider one on the order card. The Spectator magazine once did an offer where the potential subscriber was told in the copy ãremove this sticker to reveal an example of The Spectatorãs sense of humor,ã many people did, liked what they saw and placed that sticker on the order card and sent it back for a subscription.
If you can use the word ãFREEã so much the better. I know spam filters do not like the word ãFREEã, but it is a powerful word and at least in the world of direct mail there are no filters dictating what words we can and cannot use in copy.
A ãreply byã date is also an effective way to move prospects to action, whether this is an actual date or ãnext Tuesdayã or ãwithin the next week.ã A ãreply byã creates urgency and should prompt the recipient to mail the reply card in straight away so they do not miss a great deal.
To increase response, pay the reply postage for the recipient. This increases your costs slightly, but the increase in response should be worth it. You could consider using a personalized URL, although giving the recipient an option may decrease response. The fewer options offered the better. You donãt want prospects putting the promotion aside so they can decide later what to do.
There are certain design restrictions that you need to adhere to for addressing as well as postal regulations, but any good direct mail writer and designer will already be aware of these. If you need information check the Domestic Mail Manual for specifics.
Double postcards are a good form of direct mail for many publishers and if you have never done direct mail before they are an inexpensive place to start.
Telemarketing: A Splendid Circulation SourceRoy Beagley
Talking to your customers is always a good thing, and at the moment telemarketing seems to work very well for many publishersãbut be careful as you can overstay your welcome.
Avoid the temptation to ask your customers everything in one go. This will confuse some, annoy others and may result in an order not being completed. This is true for both paid and controlled publications, but for different reasons. If someone is receiving a magazine free of charge it is reasonable to elicit some information from him or her; this is the reason they are getting the magazine free, after all.
However, if you ask too many questions it may result in a firm but call-ending hang up. Ask the subscriber if you can send a follow up email with some more questions that it would be useful ãfor us to know, so that we can serve you better.ã If they say yes, the telemarketing company can probably send the email out straight away.
If the person you are calling has paid for a subscription, be careful when asking for information. Many subscribers feel paying for a subscription also pays for their privacy. However, people are also very flattered when you seek their advice or opinion, so how you phrase your question can be the difference between getting the information you want and the aforementioned call-ending hang-up. Flattery is almost always a good thing.
When choosing a telemarketing company, take time to review the references you got from them. Talk to people in the industry to see if they have an opinion. The company you choose is going to represent you in a one-to-one conversation with either your subscribers or prospectsãthis will reflect on your company so choose wisely.
There are very few methods of promotion where we have direct interaction with our customers or prospects. Telemarketing is one, and you only get one chance to make a good first impressionãdo not let price be the only factor that dictates your decision. There will always be at least one caller who complains, that is normal. If you are conducting a large program, probably more than one complaint will be received. Calmly call the account manager at the telemarketing company, have them review the call with you and make a decision together on how to resolve any issues.
If you are prospecting for new orders, review the results the telemarketing company sends each day and after a few days of calling, prioritize the calling so that you can get the maximum number of orders for the least amount of moneyãespecially if paying by the hour. Ensure you key each list correctly and that you do measure like for like. Comparing a list that has a 30 percent conversion with 5,000 names called cannot really be compared to a list that has a 10 percent conversion but only 1,000 names called. Many a bad decision has been made on too little information.
For many years, telemarketing was considered the ãbad boyã of circulation. Nobody really wanted it on his or her Publisherãs Statement. Now, just like black coffee, eggs, chocolate and red wineãall in moderation, courseãtelemarketing has a good reputation and can be a splendid source of circulation and revenue for publishers.
Roy Beagley is Director of Publishing Services for Tyson Associates Inc. Roy started his career at The Economist and then The Spectator in London. He moved to the United States in 1992 and since then he has worked with Tyson Associates handling many controlled and consumer publications. He is editor of Circspot.com, a website for circulation and audience development professionals.
To Test or Not to TestãThatãs Never the QuestionRoy Beagley
Whenever you do a promotion, it is always worthwhile building in a testãyou can learn so much from testing and there are so many different things you can try.
While $60.00 can sound like quite a lot of money, expressed as 60 cents per 100 issues can somehow seems far cheaper. How do I know this? I recently got this offer from The Economist and I subscribed straight away. In fact, my eyes were so focused on the ã60 centsã when I got to the check out page and saw the amount of $60.00, I had a moment of panicãbut I subscribed all the same.
If you cannot test a price, test a termã$60.00 for one year or $35.00 for six months. A test of this type will tell you lots about your readers and if the test fails, well, actually no test fails, you just learn and move on to the next test.
ãPay in Advanceã as opposed to ãBill Me Laterã is a good test to try. If your magazine is not well known, ãBill Meã is often the stronger offer. I will always try out a ãBill Meã offer to review a publication but will think twice about having to pay some money up frontãeven with a money-back guarantee.
Remember, you can only really test one thing at one time. If you test price and term together as outlined above, and the test wins against your control, you will not know what made it winãprice or term. So, test price or test term, not both together.
Testing used to be far more expensive than it is now, mainly due to the invention of email. By sending out emails on a regular basis, you can test yourself silly if you want and learn a great deal. However, what works in one medium may not work for another. If you test a ã50% Off The Cover Priceã offer in an email and it wins, then for email this would become your new control. But, donãt then turn to direct mail, phone or fax with the same offer and expect the same resultãit probably wonãt happen. What you need to do is take what you learned from one medium and then test it in another medium and see what happens.
You can test design and copy as well, but remember just because you do not like the creative does not mean it should not be tested. We used to mail out a really bad re-qualification effort for a client that was a lurid pink matched with a green (the effort, not the client). It was so bright it used to make us all feel ill just looking at it. Have you ever seen a black and white cover of a magazine that is shaded pink? The trouble was it got the best response ever. Every yearãyear in, year outãwe tested something against this stripy pink and green abomination, but the abomination always won. We even had a rival company come in and look at all the efforts we sent, and the first thing they said was, ãThis has to go, it is awfulããand they were right, but it got the most orders and at the end of the day, that is what it is all about.
So build in some tests, you will learn a lot and it does not have to be expensive. Remember that when a test wins, it becomes the new controlãand then you start testing against that. Who said life is a circle?
Roy Beagley is Director of Publishing Services for Tyson Associates Inc. Roy started his career at The Economist and then The Spectator in London. He moved to the United States in 1992 and since then he has worked with Tyson Associates handling many controlled and comsumer publications. He is editor of Circspot.com, a website for circulation and audience development professionals.

subset: commoncrawl


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Office Q&A: Built-in Excel features that eliminate the need for complex expressions
Susan Harkins explains how to use Text To Columns instead of parsing functions and an easy way to average unique values in Excel.
Office Q&A: Modifying built-in Word styles and using a little-known Excel function
In her monthly Microsoft Office Q&A column, Susan Harkins offers some tips for working with Word styles and Excel's conditional formatting.
Track your competition: Five apps for gathering business intelligence
The ability to stay current with industry developments and analyze competitor performance enables you to make the right business and technology decisions. Here are five apps that w...
Office for iPad proves that Office 365 is the best value
Office 365 was already the better value, but Office for iPad is the cherry on top that clearly sets it apart from buying the traditional Microsoft Office desktop suite.
Office Q&A: How to unhide columns and use Office 365 on Mac
Not every problem is large in scope. Susan Harkins finds simple solutions for three readers. Find out how to unhide columns and rows, use Office 365 on the Mac, and perform page nu...
Five utilities for scanning documents to PDF
Brien Posey highlights five utilities for scanning paper documents to PDF.
Get hopTo on your iPad to access documents in the cloud
Will Kelly takes a look at hopTo, a new virtual workspace for the iPad with a beautiful user interface.
10+ dos and don'ts for using Office templates
If your attempts to use Office templates usually leave you feeling stumped and frustrated, read these expert tips to gain a better grasp on how to use them.
Best practices for developing an Appcelerator Titanium iOS app
When developing a Titanium mobile app for iOS, learn these best practices so you don't waste time being frustrated with performance and behavior issues.
Pro tip: Three ways to hide zero values in an Excel sheet
Although zero values are valid, you might need to hide them. Here are three methods for hiding zero values in an Excel sheet.


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Welcome! Ready for some fun craft ideas for adults? Nothing relaxes me more and gets my mood in a happy place like making crafts! There is something so special about handmade crafts ideas for your friends and family.
This page is full of many different ideas to help you decorate for the holidays as well as, for your home. Just click on the links to see the tutorials for these fun projects.
Learn how to make paper flowers from brown paper!
Make a really neat photo craft idea for the bride-to-be! Have the bride's engagement photo printed into a large engineered print, mount onto tempered hardboard, and frame with scalloped trim!
Print out your desired size of the state you want to use for this project. Stain or paint your board. Tape your paper state cut out to the board, and using 1" nail hammer in the outline of the state. Keep your nails close together.
Nail a heart shape in the middle of your state. Then begin with twine or desired string choice and loop from outside nail to inside nail. Easy and fun!
Want to make a unique Valentine decoration using an old board, vintage knobs, metal letters, and ribbon?
This napkin ring craft idea doesn't have to be for Valentine's day only.
Make an Easter wreath with little eggs, flowers, and adorable carrots.
Create a special Easter table with personalized place cards.
Make a pumpkin topiary for your front porch.
Nothing says "welcome" like a beautiful fall wreath on your front door!
This is my all time favorite Halloween craft idea! From an old dollhouse to a scary haunted house you can use as a table centerpiece.
Christmas tree skirt made from burlap and felt.
Make a special door decoration for the holidays.
Learn how to make the cool faux rust paper mache letters!
Take a regular photo, change it into a watercolor painting with Photoshop. Then apply photo to canvas using Mod Podge!
Return from Craft Ideas For Adults to Decorating Ideas Made Easy Homepage
Hello! My name is Jennifer Davenport. I am so glad you have stopped by. This website is full of ideas to help you "make a house a home". Here is a little about me...
JD Designs is my interior design business, located in Murfreesboro, TN.
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We Like Linkin Park, and We Will Not Apologize
By Ashley Zimmerman
Better Than Ezra "Know a Lot of Fans by Name"
By Dana Krangel
T-Pain Says, "I May Get Into Some Gypsy Shit" Next
By John Hood
Review & Photos: Sara Bareilles at Hard Rock Live
By Ashley Zimmerman
Psych-Metal Outfit Orbweaver Releases Vinyl EP
By David Von Bader
Photos: John Legend in Boca Raton
By Sayre Berman
Five Things Weird Al Critiques in Mandatory Fun
By Steve Brennan
By Ashley Zimmerman
Bloc Party, Silent Alarm Remixed (Vice): A track-for-track reinterpretation of British post-mod(ern) art-punk quartet Bloc Party's debut, Silent Alarm Remixed is the logical extension of the past couple of years' traipses through post-punk and lap-pop's rhythmic legacies. Additionally, the CD features the talents of 14 remixers, including M83, Ladytron, and Four Tet, and half of the tracks are compellingly flooded in sputtering harmonics. The other tracks temper yelping with dry kicks and heavily ridden snare skitters (the indie-party cadence du jour), marking a trend of dance-punk albums that are as good for boutiques as booty shaking.
M.I.A., Arular (XL): The unflagging hype directed toward M.I.A.'s debut bodes well for the crushworthy Sri Lankan-by-way-of-London. So was the wait worth it? Well, for anyone curious enough, there was no wait; M.I.A.'s mangled dancehall hooks found themselves widely distributed on mixes such as Diplo's 2004 Piracy Funds Terrorism well before the Honda ads diluted as much as they disseminated the globalist rebel revelry. For all those relying on traditional channels, Arular's electro mélange ended up being highly useful as a multiculti primer during a year in which baile funk, reggaetón, and Baltimore Club entered the mass audience's lexicon.
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text:
matt g.
- Guitars:
- 3 esp ltd ec 1000 guitars
- Music:
- #metallica
- Gear (Amps, Pedals, etc):
- fender mustang ii
- Favorite Guitar/Bass Player:
- james hetfiled
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Matt, This post is great and all, but I dare you to email ESP your SN to see if they will help you verify if you have a fake or not. They will not even tell me where I can get obscure replacement parts that they manufacture......MORE »


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July 22, 2013
This undated photo provided by the Cuyahoga County Sheriff Department show Michael Madison. Authorities responding to a report of a foul odor from a home discovered a body and arrested a registered sex offender, Madison, who sent police and volunteers through a poor Ohio neighborhood in a search for more victims, officials said Sunday, July 21, 2013. Madison is expected to be formally charged Monday. (AP Photo/Cuyahoga County Sheriff Department)
Stories this photo appears in:
Charges expected in grisly Ohio bodies discovery
Monday, July 22nd, 2013 4:43 a.m.
Charges were expected to be filed against a registered sex offender who was arrested following the discovery of three bodies in trash bags in a poor Ohio neighborhood riddled with abandoned houses.
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My Profile
Member since Jan 2011
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Reviewed Roasted Lima Beans
Jan 29, 2011 in Food Network Community Toolbox on FoodNetwork.com
"I read the reviews and they were very helpfull. For mine I added more salt and also montreal steak seasoning! They turned out great! My children 3 and 1 years old loved them as well. Thank You."


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My grandparents:
Joseph Stuckel: 1870 - 1942 Michelina (nee Reger) Stuckel: 1832 - 1932 may also be Michaelena or Michaelina) They are buried in a cemetery in Lake Lenore, SK
Their children:
John (wife's name: Joan), Ann (late husband: Edward Stroeder), Joseph, Frank, Andrew, Matthias (late wife's name: Katy), Mae (married late James Morley), Agnes (deceased, married Fred Wall...also deceased)
I am also seeking information on my great grandparents: Gregor Stuckel: 1826 - 1910 Katherine Stuckel: 1832 - 1910 no information available
If you have any information, please email firstname.lastname@example.com or contact me through this site. Thank you.
Hi there,
Try this site for your questions. I only came across the site 2 day's ago and joined up. Very helpful people with abudance of knowledge.
Good Luck
I am looking for my great great great Grandfather whose name is William Smith origin is unknown but had the following children Frederick Smith Born Abt 1861 Adelaide , South Australia, Australia, married Maggie Jane Hume from Ireland who was approx 25 years old Frederick died 28 Nov 1927 Maggie died 29 June 1941 in Adelaide, South Australia, If anyone could please help me I would most appreciative as I have no leads, and would love to find the link .
If you can help please contact me on the above email address.
Frederick & Maggie had the following children,
Florence Hume Smith B.10 Aug 1886 D. 9 Mar 1887
Herbert William Smith B.10 Oct 1886 Rose Park, Adelaide South Aust. married Loveday Myrtle Pascoe B. 1890 , Yongala South Australia
Frederick Walter Smith B. 18 Nov 1887, Norwood, South Australia,
Alfred Ernest Smith B.18 Nov 1889 Norwood South Aust.
Lottie Ellen Smith B 16 Sep 1891 Yongala South Australia
Clarence Leslie Smith B29 Aug 1893 Yongala, South Aust.
Errol Victor Smith (my Grandfather) B10 May 1895 Yongala, South Australia, D.26 Dec 1950 Adelaide South Aust. Married Sophie Newman B28 Jan1898 Adelaide, Sth Aust.
I am desperate to find Family members if you could help.
Leo Smith
Is this a way to sort the meassges into date sequence? (e.g., by date?)
Thank you.
update (FOUND IT!).
I was going to check the Mass Vital records for any death entries. About when was he born and where? The family on the 1900 census did they use the surname Mello or Silva? It appears there is quite a large population of da Silvas and da Mellos from the Azores.


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This week's likely top stories: Dilma Rousseff confirms she will run for re-election; workers go on strike in Puerto Rico; Argentina says it will negotiate with hedge funds; Chilean bus drivers fear soccer violence; Claudia Paz y Paz will receive an award.
Rousseff's candidacy is official: Brazil's ruling Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers Party—PT) confirmed on Saturday that Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will be the party's candidate for the country's October presidential elections. Despite declining popularity, protests surrounding the World Cup and Olympics, and meager economic growth rates, Rousseff still leads the field of presidential candidates in the polls. However, the Partido Trabalhista Brasileiro (Brazilian Labor Party—PTB) announced this weekend that it will support Rousseff's competitor, Aécio Neves from the Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira (Brazilian Social Democracy Party—PSDB), and end its alliance with the PT. Rousseff will campaign alongside current Vice President Michel Temer, who will also run for re-election on the ballot with Rousseff.
Workers strike in Puerto Rico: Medical services employees began a 24-hour strike Sunday in front of the Centro Médico de Río Piedras to protest measures by the government to confront the island's fiscal crisis. The workers join other sectors across Puerto Rico, including metropolitan transit workers and bank employees, in opposing the Ley 66 de Sostenibilidad, which the Puerto Rican Senate passed on June 16 to declare a fiscal state of emergency. The law intends to stabilize the Puerto Rican economy within three years, but it will also freeze bonuses and benefits for public employees. Last Thursday, an assembly of public workers agreed to hold a general strike sometime this week.
Argentine government denounces court ruling: Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week to let a $1.3 billion ruling against Argentina stand, the Argentine government published full-page advertisements in major U.S. newspapers this weekend, arguing that "paying the vulture funds is a path leading to default." However, Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner said on Friday that she was willing to negotiate with the hedge funds. Argentine Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich said that Argentina will make a formal proposal on Monday to U.S. Federal Judge Thomas Griesa to pay back "100 percent of bondholders."
Chilean transit workers fear soccer riots: Chilean transit workers said they will suspend bus services in anticipation of riots and violence from soccer fans after Chile takes on the Netherlands in the World Cup today. After Chile's victory over Spain last Wednesday, bus drivers were attacked and buses were taken over by out-of-control fans. Meanwhile, Chilean security forces have put a special traffic plan in place in the capital to avoid major congestion and keep order. So far, Chile's transportation minister, Andrés Gómez-Lobo, has reported that bus services have been operating as scheduled.
Claudia Paz y Paz receives human rights prize: The Washington Office on Latin America announced today that it has awarded former Guatemalan Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz a Human Rights Award for her work combatting organized crime and corruption. Paz y Paz presided over the trial of former Guatemalan President Efraín Ríos Montt and convicted him of genocide and crimes against humanity before the verdict was overturned on a technicality. Paz y Paz' tenure was cut short last month, and she was replaced by former Supreme Court judge Thelma Esperanza Aldana Hernández, who took office on May 17 and has close ties to Ríos Montt's party.
Puerto Rican Governor Alejandro García Padilla plans to present Puerto Rico's balanced budget plan a year early in response to the Switzerland-based financial services company UBS AG's credit downgrade forecast.
"Given the myriad obstacles facing Puerto Rico, we believe that at least one rating agency will [downgrade Puerto Rico's general-obligation bonds] within the next 30 days," analysts Thomas McLoughlin and Kristin Stephens wrote in a report released last week.
The downgrade to junk status would limit demand for the commonwealth's debt, as it would be below investment grade.
Meanwhile, the balanced budget plan, which the governor had pledged for 2016, will go into effect for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. The current administration has pledged to change pensions and raise taxes to help close the budget gaps. Details of the changes have not been released.
The announcement is expected to generate negative backlash from Puerto Ricans, who have seen the cost of commodities soar while nearly half the population lives under the poverty line. The passage of pension cuts in January led to a two-day teacher's strike and a lawsuit filed by the Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (Teacher's Association of Puerto Rico) in Puerto Rico's Supreme Court.
Governor García Padilla is expected to introduce the detailed budget in the coming weeks.
All eyes were on Detroit earlier this month as Federal Judge Steven Rhodes ruled that the city could discharge public pensions, along with other debt, as it restructures under Chapter 9 bankruptcy.
While other cities look at the ruling as a viable—though unfortunate—solution for their financial woes, there is one especially troubled economy that will not be able to take advantage of the ruling, or file for bankruptcy at all: Puerto Rico.
Last Wednesday, Moody's Investors Service announced that it may downgrade Puerto Rico's general-obligation debt to "junk" (noninvestment) status. All three credit rating agencies currently have the island at just above junk status, but with "weakening liquidity, increasing reliance on external short-term debt, and constrained market access, within the context of a weakened and now sluggish economy," a downgrade seems increasingly likely.
Puerto Rico's high debt is exacerbated by its pension obligations—25 percent of all workers were employed by the Puerto Rican government before former Governor Luis Fortuño cut more than 40,000 jobs during his tenure—as well as budget deficits that predate the Great Recession and the prolonged deterioration of the island's economy.
Now entering its eighth straight year of recession, Puerto Rico has found it difficult to recover as U.S. federal funding has dried up, energy prices have skyrocketed and tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans have fled the island looking for better opportunities on the mainland. Although Detroit's debt pales in comparison to Puerto Rico's—as of 2013, the island's debt is nearly four times larger than Detroit's –as a commonwealth, Puerto Rico is ineligible for bankruptcy.
As the U.S. government's shutdown stretches into its second week, local economies everywhere are suffering—but perhaps none as acutely as Puerto Rico.
The Island of Enchantment, which is home to nearly four million people, is slogging through its seventh straight year of recession with an economy that has already contracted 5.4 percent since August 2012. And the shutdown is making it difficult for the U.S. territory to overcome the economic difficulties that have plagued it for the better part of the decade.
Though Puerto Rico's average per capita income is half that of Mississippi's— the poorest state in the union—consumer prices on the island are sky high. On average, electricity costs on the island are double those on the mainland, and the cost of importing 85 percent of Puerto Rico's food is often passed onto the consumers.
The result: nearly half the population lives under the poverty line, and Puerto Ricans are abandoning the island at a record pace due to high costs, a wobbly economy and high unemployment. The government shutdown that began on October 1 will only exacerbate Puerto Rico's already fragile economy.
The island is burdened by $69 billion in public debt and relies on federal funding for 39.6 percent of the money it spends, compared to the average of 26.2 percent for U.S. states. While less than $6.6 billion of the funding the island receives from the federal government is considered discretionary, the unintended side effects of the shutdown will ripple through various industries and could bring the unstable economy to a grinding halt.
With Puerto Rico's unemployment rate at a staggering 13.9 percent—the highest in the country—the federal shutdown means the continued loss of what little employment is available on the island. Federal employees, already suffering with furloughs due to sequestration, number about 10,000 on the island; about half of those are considered non-essential and affected by the shutdown. The longer Congress fails to pass a resolution, the more likely it is to increase the unemployment rate in Puerto Rico where workforce participation is just 40 percent and there are fewer than 900,000 jobs.
But the shutdown also threatens to affect the other main source of income on the island: tourism.
In 2011 alone, tourism contributed over $6 million to the GDP and supported 59,500 jobs across sectors. The lost revenue from the closure of some of the island's main tourist attractions, including Fort San Felipe del Morro and Fort San Cristobal in Old San Juan, as well as El Yunque National Park— the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System —will also have a negative impact on local businesses that depend on tourism.
The negative consequences go further still. Besides decreasing the revenue from the island's most popular industry, the shutdown affects more than just vacationers and tourist destinations. Perhaps the most dangerous consequence of the shutdown will be the reduced resources to combat violent drug crime.
With a per capita murder rate six times that of the U.S. mainland, more than 70 percent of homicides in Puerto Rico were related to the drug trade in 2012. Up until recently, the federal government paid little attention to what was happening on the island. By 2012, Puerto Rico had received just $260 million to combat drug-related crime—compared to the $1.6 billion that the U.S. initially pledged to Mexico as part of the Mérida initiative.
This all changed with Operation Caribbean Resilience, which began in July 2012—one year after murders in Puerto Rico surged to a record 1,117 per year. While the drug trade began to thrive on the island in the 1980s, it saw a dramatic spike in drug violence 2009, when tighter security at the U.S.-Mexico border closed off traditional drug trafficking routes.
While the federal government has sent 30 additional Homeland Security investigation agents to Puerto Rico and the Coast Guard has increased patrols of the Caribbean smuggling routes, the shutdown affects federal agencies on the island that are already chronically understaffed. Even the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico halted new judicial activities as of October 1.
With more than 43,000 pounds of narcotics seized in 2012 alone, it is clear that the U.S. can't afford to neglect nearly 4 million citizens affected by the drug war due to partisan politics.
On the day of the shutdown, the FBI announced that it had dismantled a powerful drug organization in Puerto Rico that had generated over $100 million in revenue since 2005. I applaud that success and the new U.S. interest in the Caribbean—and recognize that federal agencies such as the FBI and Coast Guard are not currently affected by the shutdown.
Yet with chronically understaffed federal offices—even when the government is functioning at its full capacity—the shutdown seems poised to stifle the progress that has been made to reduce crime on the island.
Nearly 2 million Puerto Ricans went to the polls yesterday, and while they could not participate in the U.S. presidential election, residents of the U.S. territory opted for statehood in a non-binding referendum. Voters on the island also elected the pro-Commonwealth candidate Alejandro García Padilla as the new governor of the island.
The first question on the two-part referendum asked voters if they wanted to change their political status with the United States. Nearly 54 percent (992,374) chose not to continue their 114-year-old relationship with the United States, while 46 percent (786,749) favored the status quo of the island remaining a territory. The second question was geared toward those who favored a change in status and asked voters to choose between three options—U.S. statehood, independence or "sovereign free association." Sixty-one percent opted for statehood.
Under the current status of Free Associated State (Estado Libre Asociado—ELA) residents of Puerto Rico do not have the right to vote in presidential elections and only have one non-voting representative in Congress. However, Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917. The status of Free Associated State grants a certain degree of autonomy to the island, but restricts its residents from becoming involved in topics such as security, trade and diplomatic relations, among others.
But the future of Puerto Rico also depends on who governs the island. While Governor Luis Fortuño supports Puerto Rico's incorporation as the 51st state, Governor-elect Alejandro García Padilla advocates maintaining the status quo. García Padilla of the Popular Democratic Party (Partido Popular Democrático—PPD) was elected with 48 percent (870,005 votes) support, while Fortuño of the New Progressive Party (Partido Nuevo Progresista) received 47 percent (855,325) of the votes.
Top stories this week are likely to include: the United States heads to the polls; Puerto Rico decides on status; Michel Martelly requests emergency aid; and Rafael Correa gets re-nominated for president.
Elections in the United States: On Tuesday, voters across the United States will go to the polls to vote for the next president as well as all congressional representatives and select governors and senators. A poll of polls from Real Clear Politics has President Barack Obama maintaining a razor-thin edge—0.5 percentage points—over Governor Mitt Romney. The difference-maker could be the turnout of Latinos, a demographic that supports Obama by 52 percentage points over his Republican challenger according to a poll released last week by Latino Decisions. AQ Senior Editor Jason Marczak observes: "The question is the degree to which Latino political preferences will translate into votes, especially in battleground states. Beyond Election Day, Latino turnout tomorrow will shape the extent to which their concerns will factor into policymaking in the next four years."
Puerto Rico's Referendum: Voters in Puerto Rico will decide on Tuesday about the future of the island's status. Currently it is a semi-autonomous "unincorporated territory" of the United States that—since it is not a state—plays no role in the U.S. presidential general election. Puerto Ricans will decide whether they want the island to gain more autonomy as a "sovereign free association," or whether Puerto Rico should become a U.S. state or independent altogether. Tuesday's vote will be the fourth time in 45 years that Puerto Ricans have formally weighed in at the ballot box on the status of the island. A poll last month found that a slim majority—51 percent—want to keep the island's current status intact, according to AS/COA Online. "This is probably the most complicated ballot used for a referendum on Puerto Rico's status and will likely split the vote for those opposing the commonwealth's status quo," observes AQ Editor-in-Chief Christopher Sabatini.
Haiti Rebuilds After Superstorm Sandy: Sandy, which took on many forms including tropical storm, hurricane and post-tropical storm, left much damage in its wake—including in Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and the United States. But a country that appears to have suffered the most long-term damage is Haiti. According to the Associated Press, 70 percent of crops in the south of the country were destroyed and livestock killed—significantly damaging the agricultural industry. President Michel Martelly is appealing to the international community for emergency aid as his country adds the superstorm damage to the loss inflicted by a devastating earthquake outside of Port-au-Prince in 2010. Will Martelly's request be granted this week?
Correa to be Nominated at Party Convention: Ahead of Ecuador's presidential election in February, the Alianza País incumbent party will hold its convention on Saturday and re-nominate President Rafael Correa to represent the party on the ballot. Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño affirmed this past Wednesday that Correa, first elected in December 2006, will run for another full term. If he wins, the populist leader will remain in power into 2017. Early polls show Correa with a huge advantage over potential challengers, bringing in 56 percent of votes versus Guillermo Lasso, an ex-banker of the opposition who garners 23 percent.
Campaigning in Puerto Rico yesterday, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said residents of the U.S. territory would have to make English their official language if they want to pursue statehood. A referendum on whether to pursue statehood or remain a commonwealth of the U.S. is scheduled for November; the island currently recognizes both English and Spanish as official languages.
In an interview with El Vocero newspaper, Santorum said he supported Puerto Ricans' right to determine the island's political status, but insisted that English be the primary language. "Like any other state," he said, "there has to be compliance with this and any other federal law. And that is that English has to be the principal language." However, no clause in the U.S. Constitution designates an official language or mandates that a territory adopt English as its principal language to acquire statehood.
Santorum traveled to Puerto Rico on Wednesday, hoping to capitalize on the momentum following his wins in the Alabama and Mississippi primaries on Tuesday. Puerto's Rico's Republican primary election is scheduled for Sunday, March 18. Though Puerto Ricans cannot participate in the general election in November, they do control 20 delegates to the Republican National Convention. A candidate must accumulate 1,144 delegate votes to win; the latest Associated Press tally showed Mitt Romney with 495, Santorum with 252 and Newt Gingrich with 131.
Santorum met briefly with Governor Luis Fortuño, who has endorsed Romney, before holding a townhall meeting. His insistence on adopting English as the primary language may not sit well with Puerto Rican Republicans, many of whom contend that issues of language and culture should be decided at the state level.
Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño announced yesterday that he is submitting a bill to the island's Legislative Assembly that—if approved—would call for a referendum next year to decide the island's political status. Fortuño's decision to move forward with a two-part referendum comes in response to President Barack Obama saying in mid-June that Puerto Rico would remain a commonwealth until the majority of islanders voted otherwise. "When the people of Puerto Rico make a clear decision, my administration will stand by you."
In a 20-minute televised address, Governor Fortuño emphasized: "We must enable our citizens to resolve the most important and transcendental issue in Puerto Rico's history, the island's political status." He added: "The island's status is an issue that affects every aspect of our daily lives, including employment opportunities, health services, public safety, our children's education, and our very rights as citizens."
The bill—which Fortuño will file today—includes two phases. On August 12, 2012, Puerto Ricans would vote on whether they want to change the status of the island. If the majority of voters approve some type of change, Puerto Ricans would then decide on Election Day (November 6, 2012) among three non-territorial status alternatives: statehood, independence or sovereign free association. A free sovereign association would be an improved version of the current commonwealth status; similar to the territories of the United States of Palau or Marshall Islands.
Governor Fortuño and Puerto Rico's representative in the U.S. Congress, Pedro Pierluisi, have already sought to change the island's political status with the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009. It passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by a strong majority but did not succeed in the Senate.
President Barack Obama arrived in Puerto Rico today, marking the first time in 50 years that a current U.S. president has visited the island. The five-hour trip kicked off with a brief speech in San Juan where the president supported a referendum for Puerto Rico residents to decide their political status—the options being statehood, independence or remaining a commonwealth. He will deliver a longer address during a visit with Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuño at the governor's mansion where he is expected to discuss the $7 billion stimulus package granted to Puerto Rico and its effect on the island's 16 percent unemployment rate.
According to the Cecilia Muñoz, White House director of intergovernmental affairs, the visit demonstrates that the Obama administration has prioritized Puerto Rico's economic and political affairs. Shortly after taking office, Obama expanded a presidential task force on Puerto Rico's political status created by former President Clinton in 2000 and chaired by Ms. Muñoz.
Following trips to North Carolina and Florida where jobs and the economy were the topics of interest, today's trip to Puerto Rico is also a sign that the President is gearing up for the 2012 campaign. Though Puerto Ricans who live on the island cannot vote in the presidential election, frequent migration and strong ties between Puerto Rico and U.S. cities like New York and Florida give the president an audience that extends far beyond the residents of San Juan. 4.5 million Puerto Ricans live in the mainland United States.
Today's visit is a chance for the president to address the booming Latino electorate on the mainland. He will no doubt remind his audience that he has appointed more Latinos to his presidential cabinet than any other president in American history, along with Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor.
From Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.
PDVSA Hit with U.S. Sanctions over Iran Ties
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro said Tuesday he could not guarantee the supply of oil to the United States after the Obama administration sanctioned Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA over its dealings with Iran's energy sector. Venezuela exports one million barrels of oil per day to the United States, which amounts to 10 percent of U.S. imports. The Chávez administration threatened to cut exports in the past, but did not do so.
Colombia's Senate Passes Victims Law
The Victims Law, which would provide a system of state reparations and means to recover illegally usurped land to victims of the country's civil conflict, passed Colombia's Senate. The House and Senate versions must now be reconciled. La Silla Vacía outlines the main points that require clarification before the Colombian Congress decides to approve the legislation.
LatAm, Asia Still Leading the Way on Global Econ Recovery
The UN's mid-year update to the World Economic Situation and Prospects Report found that Asia and Latin America continue to aid a global economy on the mend. "The strong recovery continues to be led by the large emerging economies in Asia and Latin America, particularly China, India, and Brazil," according to the report. However, the survey also warns of potential bumps in the road for these growth economies: "[C]oncerns include persistently rising inflation and emerging domestic asset price bubbles, fuelled by large capital inflows and related upward pressure on their exchange rates."
Latinos Like Mobile
In February, the Pew Hispanic Center released a report finding that Latinos were less likely than non-Hispanic whites to use the internet, have a home broadband connection, or own a cell phone. A new study by the Hispanic Institute, however, found that English-speaking Hispanics have "emerged as the most avid users of wireless services," and that they are more likely than non-Hispanics to own a cell phone, send text messages, and use a greater variety of mobile features.
June 1: This AQ-Efecto Naím segment looks at sustainable cities in the hemisphere.


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main index
In the year 2049, the human population of Earth embarks on a migratory voyage to try to colonize other planets. They leave mechanical orbots to clean up the mess they made on Earth through littering and pollution. Raster, a high-level orbot who watches Earth through a planetwide computer network, is accidentally attached to a working nuclear missile by a lesser orbot and goes insane, becoming an evil dictator named Warhead. He declares himself ruler of Earth, and begins preparing to execute any humans who dare return to their planet.Enter Vectorman, a humble orbot in charge of cleaning up toxic sludge by discharging it into the sun. As he lands on Earth after his last trip, he finds chaos and confusion. Because all the other Orbots are controlled by Warhead (Vectorman having not been affected because he was away), Vectorman takes it upon himself to destroy the errant orbot and restore peace to Earth.There's a sequel, Vectorman 2. While on a garbage run, Vectorman's ship is shot down by a mysterious missile. Evacuating his barge, he finds himself on the outskirts of a seemingly abandoned research facility overrun by a horde of mutant insects with unpleasant designs on the planet. Vectorman must find the intelligence controlling them to save the earth again.The games were very well received by critics and players alike not only for its amazing faux-3D graphics and cool techno-ish soundtrack but for highly enjoyable game that wasn't too hard to play.A 3rd game for the PS2 was planned but was cancelled immediately because Vectorman's new look resembling Master Chief.
This video game contains examples of:


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In combat, men measure up. Or don't. There are no second chances.
In this vivid account of the U.S. Army's legendary 10th Mountain Division's heroic stand in the mountains of Afghanistan, Captain Sean Parnell shares an action-packed and highly emotional true story of triumph, tragedy, and the extraordinary bonds forged in battle.
At twenty-four years of age, U.S. Army Ranger Sean Parnell was named commander of a forty-man elite infantry platoon—a unit that came to… (more)
Publisher: William Morrow (February 28, 2012)
Collection: William Morrow
Format: EPUB
Page count: 384 pages
File size: 2.6 MB
Protection: DRM
Language: English


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WICD - Search Results
3 DeKalb Officers On Leave After Fatal Shooting
DEKALB, Ill. (AP) -- DeKalb police say three officers are on paid administrative leave after a Malta man was shot and killed.
28-year-old Cameron D. Lupton died Tuesday after being shot in the neck.
Police say Lupton was shot when officers found him attacking his father and step-mother at home in DeKalb.
The two were taken to Kishwaukee Hospital with multiple stab wounds.
Authorities haven't said what prompted the attack.
DeKalb police Chief Gene Lower says it appears officers correctly used force. But Illinois State Police will conduct an investigation into the shooting.


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LOCAL 12 - Search Results
Execution of Serial Killer Brings Peace to Local Family
CINCINNATI (Deb Dixon) -- The families of 13-year-old Donte Evans and 14-year-old Darrel Lane went to bed last night believed Joseph Paul Franklin's execution had been stopped.
When they woke up he was dead.
Overnight, the US Supreme Court overturned a federal judge's ruling. The execution was for the 1977 murder of a man at a synagogue outside Saint Louis, one of 22 murders he admitted to in a cross country spree to start a race war.
Wednesday morning the brother of Donte Evans wept at the Reading Road site where his brother and cousin were killed by sniper fire 33 years ago. Joseph Paul Franklin shot the two young boys from the trestle.
Lavon used to sit on the trestle and imagine his brother's fear as the shots rang out. The boys were walking to a convenience store to buy potato chips.
The trestle was always a dark place for Lavon but not Wednesday. To him Franklin's execution is justice for the boys too.
Justice does matter even though it took 33 years when you have kids murdered because of the color of their skin. Different kind of animal he was an animal.
Franklin killed the boys while waiting for an interracial couple to leave a nearby motel. He waited for hours, finally two black kids walked by and Franklin shot them instead.
Franklin admitted to the murders and was convicted in 1998 even though he was on death row in Missouri. The state said he'd be executed any day.
Deters asked the boys' mothers what they wanted to do.
They didn't hesitate for a second; they wanted a trial closure, to see the person who killed their little boys closure.
Thats the word Dontes mother used when Local 12s Deb Dixon told her about the execution. She didn't want to go on camera, but shared her thoughts.
Its closure for two innocent lives.
Video HERE


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Brothers In Arms: Road To Hill 30 Cheats for Playstation 2Home / Playstation 2 /
This page contains Cheats for Brothers In Arms: Road To Hill 30 organized by sections for Playstation 2. Brothers In Arms: Road To Hill 30 is a Action Shooter First-Person game, made by Gearbox Software, released on Mar 15, 2005 and published by Ubisoft. If you can't find a hint or secret in our list, then please check this page periodically for the latest updates.
- Developer:
Brothers In Arms: Road To Hill 30 Playstation 2 CheatsGearbox Software
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Genre: Action Shooter First-Person
- Release Date: Mar 15, 2005
- ESRB: Mature
Enter BAKERSDOZEN as a profile name....From: lurtz90
Play and complete the game on Authentic Mode to unlock the super squad cheat....From: koku
Simply beat the game once on Easy. Then go to chapter select and play the very last level on a different difficulty level this will award you with that cheat....From: hellfireburns
Clear Easy difficulty to unlock the "Old Movie" cheat. This basically allows the game to be played in black and white....From: Dafreakzo
Clear the game on normal difficulty to unlock infinite ammo. This cheat needs to be "reactivated" at the start of each level, if the player is killed, or he retries....From: Bacgfhsg
Clear the game on the hardest difficulty. This mode has no checkpoints, saves, icons nor reticules....From: solstice
Beat the game under the easy difficulty setting....From: gagasiluska
Beat the game under the normal difficulty setting....From: jamiro24
If your character is killed three consecutive times, you will be given a chance to heal any injuries to your squad. To quickly get to this point, intentionally throw grenades at your own feet....From: dre2k62k7
To do this easier, successfully complete the game on under the easy difficulty setting. Under the same profile, replay the intermission sequences under the normal difficulty setting, beginning with the "Brothers In Arms" scene then move to complete "Rendezvous With Destiny" to ge...From: ycinwnz
Successfully complete the game under the difficult difficulty setting. Under the same profile, replay the intermission sequences under the authentic difficulty setting, beginning with the "Brothers In Arms" scene then move to complete "Rendezvous With Destiny" to get the first tw...From: Hotfire24xl
Stuck on this game? Set a specific, clearly defined question and let others answer your question or view answers to previously asked questions. If you think you are an Brothers In Arms: Road To Hill 30 expert then please try to help others with their questions.
Can you drive a tractor on brother and arms road to hill 3...
Posted on: 08-12-2012
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Welcome to my World!
Aka… @VillageGirlBlog
I am Shannon. My interests include crafting of all sorts, backyard chickens, gardening, preserving my harvest by canning and freezing. I am a Foodie. Fresh, local ingredients are what I strive to cook with/for my family. Blogging and photographing now comes with the Foodie territory. I am a busy sports mom. You know, the one who wears the team colors and shouts "Go Team!!" at every opportunity…Yup that's me. I attend all the practices and games. I sit in the rain, snow and extreme heat. I carry "trunk blankets" in the trunk of my car. You never know when you may need one, either at baseball or football season. Those fold up chairs in a bag? I am a connoisseur of the camping/sport chair.
I am a sucker for animals. Really, I love them all. It probably comes down to the fact that I believe they all need me. They do, don't they? I should really face the fact that I like to be needed.
What else screams Shannon? Reading! Reading and writing but I love reading. I put away at least 3 to 4 books a week. I do not watch much tv or any movies really for that matter. I'm a book girl. I like them all.
I am a self-proclaimed country girl and nerd all at the same time, this is who I am. I preserve food and talk to my chickens. I wear a lot of sports hoodies. I read… a lot, and I am not hip to the game when it comes to tv shows and movies but I am hip to heirloom veggies, backyard chickens, raising boys and loving life.
Well this is me in a nut shell. I hope you stick around and check out life in my little village. There will be food, photos, crazy chicken stories, motherhood tales and more.
Homemade Kahlua {Gifts From the Kitchen #SundaySupper}
If you are like me, the Holidays are a time of family and tradition. Thanksgiving kicks off the season and now we are in a mad dash to find the best gifts, bake the best cookies and treats, all to make the Holidays special for the people we love. (more…)
My Latest Adventures
It is hard to believe that I have not posted on my own blog since August 17th. Shame on me. I love writing, it is one of the ways that I get to express myself creatively and share with my friends, family and followers all that I have been up to. It is therapeutic to write. (more…)
On the Go Guacamole for a Back to School #SundaySupper
Two weeks… that is all we really have left of Summer Vacation. Two short little weeks. . . I can hear the panic in my kids voices as they count down the days. My boys are a mix of excitement. No one likes the early mornings or the homework, but they like most of their classes, love playing sports and generally all the social aspects of school. Our Cat is probably the most excited though, she likes all the bags. (more…)
Dry Hopped Pale Ale… A Michigan Beer Review
Michigan is a great state to live in. Sure, we have some Murder Capitals, but that is not the be all, end all of Michigan. There are cities, suburbs, rural areas. There are miles and miles of coast line, inland lakes, rivers, waterfalls, streams… Michigan has a lot to offer. (more…)
Barley Salad
This year, I have been trying to stay away from highly processed foods. This has asked me to get creative with ingredients. Stepping out of my comfort zone of rice or even quinoa, and try new things. Grains, Carbs, they can get a bad reputation in my opinion, but I like my grains and so I need to be more adventurous when I use them. My new grain of choice… Barley. It is not just for the condensed beef soups that you may have grown up with. Barley is awesome. (more…)
Summer Thoughts
Summer Vacation… just those two little words can bring out so many emotions. Hot days, cool nights, a long stretch of freedom. No alarm clocks, no deadlines. Summer Vacation is the stuff of childhood dreams and as an adult who works in education, I am one of the lucky few to get to enjoy it. (more…)
Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Sweet White Blend Marinade #SundaySupper with @GalloFamily
Outdoor dining is one of my favorite parts of summer! I love the laid back atmosphere, plus everything tastes better on a grill. Smokey flavors, friends, family, all paired with laughter and a glass of wine sounds like a perfect evening in my book. (more…)
Grilled Salad with Skirt Steak #ChooseDreams #WeekdaySupper
Once the heat of July really hits, you will find me grilling most of our meals. Grilling brings an endless array of great ways to makeover meals. Salad and Steak… total classic, we have all had it. Now, Grilled Salad, that is something new. Let me tell you, the colors and flavors that grilling your classic salad ingredients brings out is amazing! You have to give it a try.
Lemon Thyme Ice Pops #SundaySupper
It is a Holiday weekend. Lots of fun to be had. The heat of July and August are sure to be on the way… right? We actually spent the 4th bundled into sweatshirts to watch the fireworks. It was chilly down by the lake, but it was beautiful. There is just something magical in a small town festival. Parades, picnics, swimming in a lake and of course fireworks. (more…)
Beef Stroganoff… #ChooseDreams Healthy Eating #SundaySupper
Bad day? Rain on your parade? No party invite in the mail? Sometimes, we just need a big bowl of ice cream or mashed potatoes to comfort us, make us feel better. Certain dishes remind us of home when we are far away or they can soothe away the common cold. Food has the power to remind us of better times, perhaps bring a smile to your face, and warm your soul while it warms your belly. Emotional eating may not always be best for a healthier lifestyle though. This week, #SundaySupper is teaming with American Family Insurance and their campaign to #ChooseDreams. We are bringing you healthy versions of classic comfort foods, family favorites with a healthy twist. (more…)


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pH and Temperature Measurement and Control Tips
Here is an opportunity to learn how to improve pH and temperature control systems and support ISA as well. Registrants for these web seminars receive a free copy of the respective book and free follow-up answers to questions that can be shared with ISA Mentor Program participants.
How can we provide Mechanical and Process Engineering Regulatory Control Guidance Tips (Part 5)?
In part 5 we finish with a list of my foremost best practices. These practices build on the essential concepts given in Part 3. These practices offer simple fixes in the automation system design. Major improvements in the mechanical design are also introduced.
What is the Best Transmitter Damping or Signal Filter Setting?
A transmitter damping setting or signal filter setting that is too slow can not only degrade performance but also cause trips. Less understood is that a large filter setting can mislead operations into thinking the filter has helped rather than hurt the process.


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SRAM XX1 GXP Crankset - 168 Q-Factor $419.00
Simple and efficient.
SRAM's objective for XX1 was simple -- improve a seemingly stagnant mountain bike component market. As a whole, XX1 works as an efficient machine -- each piece engineered for precision and seamless execution. However, the standout piece of the puzzle has been proven to be the XX1 GXP Crankset with 168mm Q-Factor. Essentially, it sets itself apart with a revolutionary design and a Zen-like simplicity.
Carbon fiber arms have been mated to a redesigned aluminum spider for a lightweight crank arm that doesn't require a finessing of parts in order to make an optimal single-ring setup. The X-SYNC chainring is designed for maximum chain control, with each tooth being CNC-machined in order to support the chain's inner- and outer-links. This machining process provides a variable thickness from tooth-to-tooth, so the chain and chainring essentially lock together as you pedal. However, the locking of the two doesn't inhibit pedal efficiency, and it eliminates the commonplace ailments associated with running a single-ring up front. Additionally, this system provides you with a liberation from chain guides. SRAM even went as far as to say that you have a better chance of dropping your chain with a front derailleur than you do with the XX1 crank and chain combo.
The new chainring's 76 bolt circle diameter sets it apart from others in the SRAM catalog. This diameter emanated from a functionality standpoint, not as an afterthought of the new, universal spider shape. Its design makes it simple to remove the chainring for either maintenance or ratio changes. Gone are the days of finagling the chainring off of the spider -- just unscrew the bolts, move the chainring off, and you'll have the replacement on in minutes. Even better, SRAM has created six different chainring sizes that are compatible with the XX1 spider. Now, you're able to dial-in your range to match the trail, either beforehand or on-the-fly.
And though the XX1 crankset is designed to work optimally in tandem with the XX1 group, you're able to use the crank and a 10-speed chain in order to enjoy the benefits of running a single-speed or one-by-10 setup.
The SRAM XX1 GXP Crankset with 168mm Q-Factor is available in the color Black and with either a 170 and 175mm crankarm length. Additionally, each length is available with your choice of a 30, 32, 34, 36 or 38 tooth chainring. Many frames are limited to a 32t middle ring. If you're unsure, please check the manufacturer's recommended chainring spec to avoid compatibility issues.
Tech Specs
Reviews & Community
What do you think of the
SRAM XX1 GXP Crankset - 168 Q-Factor
? Share a...
Stan M
Mounted with MRP Chainguide
Nicholas J.
Does this crankset include a chainring and...
Does this crankset include a chainring and bottom bracket?
Nate Margolis
Hey Nick,
It does come with a chain ring but you need to get the BB separately