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The Film Class
- Written & Directed by: Uri Rosenwaks
- Produced by: Uri Rosenwaks & Majid Alkamalat
- Sponsored by: The New Foundation for Cinema & TV & Channel 10, Israel
- Language: Arabic, Hebrew, English with English subtitles (also available with Arab subtitles)
About two years ago, Filmmaker Uri Rosenwaks, came to Rahat, a Bedouin town down in Israel's Negev Dessert, to teach a group of Black Bedouin women a class in filmmaking. Rahat is by no means an ordinary place. It is afflicted with pessimism, unemployment, poverty and violence. It is partially populated by the Black Bedouins who were brought to the Negev, and the Middle East at large, as slaves. Kidnapped in Africa by Arab slave traders, they were auctioned-off in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Zanzibar. Until 50 years ago, the Black Bedouins were enslaved by the White ones. When the Director first started working with the group, he had no knowledge of it. The women never mentioned the issue he found increasingly intriguing. Only after about 18 months of working and making short films together, did he work up the nerve to suggest that they will make a film telling the history of the Black Bedouins. Suddenly, a small and modest course in filmmaking became a place in which a great taboo comes into the open. The women still suffering discrimination to this day unveil a story which few have spoken of.
- The Art of Cinema Award – The Israeli Science, Culture and Sports Ministry, 2007
- Special Commendation Mention by SIGNIS – Zanzibar International Film Festival, Africa, 2007
- Special Mention by UNESCO Jury Breaking the Chains – Zanzibar International Film Festival, 2007
- Best One Hour Documentary Award – The Israeli Annual Documentary Awards, 2007
- Cape Town Israeli Documentary Film Festival, South Africa, 2009
- Maine Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2008
- Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2009
- San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2008
- Israeli Showcase, Vienna Film Archive, Austria, 2008
- Film Is Real Festival, The Netherlands, 2008
- 16th Annual Pan African Film Festival, L.A., USA, 2008
- Conference about Anti-Slavery – Arizona State University, USA, 2007
- Boston Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2007
- Cucalorus International Film Festival, USA, 2007
- MESA Conference, 2007
- Hot Springs International Film Festival, USA, 2007
- PSBT Open Frame International Film Festival, India, 2007
- The Other Israel Film Festival, NY, USA, 2007
- International Documentary Film Festival CRONOGRAF, Chisinau, Moldova, 2007
- Zanzibar International Film Festival, Africa, 2007
- Prix Visionica Int'l TV Festival, Poland, 2007
- Toronto Jewish Film Festival, Canada, 2007
- Israel Film Festival in Brussels, Belgium, 2007
- The Hungarian Film Archive, Budapest, 2007
- Maryland University – Middle Eastern Studies Conference, USA, 2007
- Palm Beach Int'l Film Festival, USA, 2007
- Penn University, USA, 2007
- Columbia University, USA, 2007
- Nazareth International Human Rights Film Festival, Israel, 2006
- Vienna Jewish Film Week, Austria, 2006
- The Wolgin Award Competition – The Jerusalem International Film Festival, 2006
- University of New Hampshire
- Stanford University
- Seminar Ha'kibutzim, Israel
- Portland State University
- University of Wisconsin
- University of Florida
- Ezra Film Club, Israel
- BJE Jewish Community Library
- Ohio State University
- University of Notre Dame
- Ben-Gurion University
- Syracuse University – Conference about Slavery, USA, 2008
- Bar-Ilan University
- Conference about Anti-Slavery – Arizona State University, USA, 2007
- MESA Conference, 2007
- Cornell University, USA
- UC Berkeley, USA
- Duke University
- Harvard University
- Yale University
- University of Austin, Texas
- Penn University
- Boston College
- Tel Aviv University
Press and Links
This fascinating film is about the terrible discrimination against blacks by the Bedouin of the Negev, which is unveiled in the framework of a modest class in filmmaking.
Documentary filmmaker Uri Rosenwaks is hired by the NGO, Step Forward, to teach film to a group of black Muslim women in Rahat. He teaches these women how to hold the camera (the woman in the picture is holding a sound boom), how to interview, and eventually, how to deal with sensitive issues. He learns that the black community lives separately, as a distinct minority and he tries to get the women to talk about it in the course. He also tries to get them to talk about their roots about which they know almost nothing. As a result of his prodding, the women interview one of the elders of their community and discover that their ancestors were bought as slaves by Arab Bedouin, that their roots are in Ethiopia and Sudan and that their ancestors were branded like cattle.
for the entire review by Amy Kronish, check:http://israelfilm.blogspot.com/
"On the other side of the African continent, at Stone Town on the island of Zanzibar off Tanzania, Israeli filmmaker Uri Rosenwaks led his filmmaking class – five "Black Bedouin" women from the town of Rahat in the Negev Desert – on a similar pilgrimage in 2005. In southern Israel's Negev Desert, the Rahat Black Bedouins descend from Africans kidnapped by Arab slavers during the same period but taken east.
The mirroring that occurs within each film and between the two films is frequent. In a stroke of cinematic good fortune, Katrina Browne herself carries the same DeWolfe profile that echoes in every family portrait her film puts on-screen, making somberly visible the legacy she experiences so sharply. The DeWolfe family's return to Ghana coincided with a massive gathering that aimed to ritually cleanse the area of its slaving past; during one moment when Browne watches a procession of hereditary tribal leaders, she wonders if her ancestors and theirs "did business." That family business was the largest single slaving enterprise in US history, an elaborate "triangle trade route" involving almost 50 ships, their own bank and distilleries, the Ghanaian and Cuban sites, a Charleston slave auction house and connections in 40 other US cities.
On both African coasts, the holding dungeons that remain are bleak gray stone affairs, squat, dank, thick-walled and half-underground, made for holding hundreds of naked human beings in almost unbelievably tight, dark spaces. And in each place – despite the distance traveled, which has required considerable commitment and overcoming – the visitors must will themselves over the threshold."
For the entire review, look for Nancy Keefe Rhodes's review at criticalwomen.blogspot.com
Keeping it Reel
"With a wide range of gripping stories and insights, Israeli documentary films are thriving...The focus of Israeli documentary can vary widely..yet they have a common denominator: they unflinchingly examine the realities of Israeli society, whether in a political, religious or social realm. .. Uri Rosenwaks,who directed a movie about Black Bedouins and Yael Klopmann whose
film expands on the recent evacuation from Gaza represent a small piece of a rich and growing field.
"In THE FILM CLASS, it is the subjects of the documentary - Black Bedouin women - who are crossing boundaries. Directed by forty-something Rosenwaks, a veteran filmmaker, it relates the experiences of a group of Black Bedouin women in the Negev town of Rahat to whome he gave a course in filmmaking. In 2007, it won Best One Hour Documentary at the Annual Documentary Awards in Israel. More recently, it was given the special UNESCO mneniton at the Zanzibar International Film Festival.
Rosenwak's students do the filming...The truth they uncover - that their ancestors were brought to Palestine from East Africa as slaves by Arab traders during the 19th and 20th centuries and that their community has since endured severe discrimination at the hands of the white Bedouin population - is dramatic and unsettling. It seems that the prejudice had been taken for granted that the women are almost unaware of an alternate reality. Rosenwaks' story is really about education as empowerment."
Sara K. Eisen/Hadassah Magazine, March, 2008
Director Uri Rosenwaks discusses the genesis of the project documented in his film, as well as the cultural challenges faced by Bedouins living in Israel:
for the interview click here
"This compelling documentary follows filmmaker Uri Rosenwaks as he engages in a unique social experiment: teaching filmmaking to a group of black Bedouin women in the Israeli city of Rahat. The women are descendants of Africans brought to the Holy Land by Arab slave traders, yet in today's modern Israel, they are still subject to racist treatment by the white Bedouins who enslaved them up until 50 years ago. The women use their newfound filmmaking skills to address the erasure of their history from Bedouin tradition, as well as the taboo against interracial marriage (they even travel to England to interview a black Bedouin man who was forced to flee when he dared to marry a white woman). The Film Class offers a fascinating look at a barely-acknowledged aspect of Israeli society while quietly questioning basic hypocrisies within a highly subjective interpretation of Koranic laws.
If the film has a flaw, it's that the 53-minute running time doesn't really allow us to get to know the women in-depth (and we never see their reaction to the finished film). Nonetheless, this is a provocative celebration of empowerment through digital cinema, and is recommended for both Israeli and Islamic studies."
Video Librarian, January, 2008
"The Film Class" is a provocative celebration of empowerment through digital
cinema and is recommended for anyone interested in both Israeli and Islamic
studies." For the entire review by Phil Hall, check:
"The Film Class" opens up one of the greatest and most enduring tragedies in human history, one that is, incredibly, hardly known in the West at all: the slave trade of the Muslim and Arab world."
For the entire article by David Channof, check: http://www.forward.com/articles/12119
Denis Fox about The Film Class at the Boston Jewish Film Festival, for the article click here
"Israel," says Rosenwaks, "is turning into a capitalistic jungle," and it's leaving behind some of its struggling citizens. With no previous knowledge of the status of black Bedouin, Rosenwaks took what he absorbed in 18 months and turned it into a 53-minute documentary called "The Film Class," completed in 2006 and now weaving its way through the Jewish film-festival circuit.
For the entire article by Karin M. Smilk/Jewish Exponent, check:
"Centuries after they were brought to Palestine as slaves, a film shows how black Bedouin still face discrimination".
For the entire article by Khadija Bradlow, Sunday Times, February 25, 2007, click here.
"The audience at Esra's latest offering of its Cinema Club on Tuesday December 26 braves the stormy weather to view a most interesting film called "The Film Class", and was warmly treated to its fascinating content". For the entire article by Sara Goundland, please click here
"It wasn't until about a year and eight months had passed that Rosenwaks was able to advance from helping the group create a few conventional documentaries, to making one that really involved the participants in core issues."
For the entire article by Stephen Kramer, click here.
The Film Class was shown at Rahat, the biggest Bedouin City in Israel. Herewith a review in Arabic, following the Screening.
"The film itself is short, just under an hour, perhaps designed to fit into a standard television time slot. I would have liked it longer, because there's so much more to Film Class than just a film class. As some of the reviews explain in more detail, this is really a story of self-discovery by women who finally confront an issue they had avoided their entire lives: how did black people come to be living in the Negev to begin with, and what does that origin have to do with their low status today? With Bedouin at the bottom of the Israeli status ladder and black Bedouin on the very bottom rung, black Bedouin women are as far down as it's possible to get. They have a disarming sense of humor, though, amidst the heartache."
"Positive note: Uri Rosenwaks writes that the Step Forward Foundation that backed his film has received new funding to buy professional television equipment, which 20 Rahat women are now learning to use. The goal is a Rahat community television station. Now that could be interesting."
Dennis Fox's Blog, January, 2007
link 1
link 2
Israeli film maker helps put Bedouin woman behind the camera, for the item click here
James Murray-White, Israel 21c, November, 2006
"A community nearly always overlooked in discussions of race and ethnicity in
Israel, black Beduin, viewers learn, are believed to have arrived in the
Middle East as slaves from east Africa, where they were captured and sold by
Arab merchants until as recently as a century ago."
For the Article by Nathan Burstein, The Jerusalem Post, click here
David B Green, Jerusalem Report review on "The Film Class", October 2006
for the article click here
Manuela Dviri, Vanity Fair review on "The Film Class", October 2006
(in ITALIAN) for the article click here
From the press:
"A fascinating story"
London and Kirshenbaum, Channel 10
"An exciting movie"
Nahum Mohiach, Israeli
"The Film Class taught them how to film and much more than that… It taught them who they were"
Dvorit Sargal, Rating
"They went out searching, and came back with answers that stirred up their world"
Ma'ariv Weekend Issue
"The 11 wondrous women from Rahat will catch you at first sight"
Manuela Dviri, Vanity Fair
"The 11 wondrous women from Rahat will catch you at first sight"
Manuela Dviri, Vanity Fair


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Adam Cohen
Adam Cohen is the deputy director of operations for PPPL, overseeing functions ranging from engineering and project management to finance and communications. He joined the Laboratory in 2009 after enjoying a rich and varied career that included being in the nuclear submarine service in the U.S. Navy, working as chief operations officer at Argonne National Laboratory, and serving as senior science adviser at the U.S. Department of Energy. He earned his PhD in materials science from Northwestern University.

subset: commoncrawl


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Al sh'loshah d'varim haolam omed: Al haTorah, v'al ha-avodah, v'al g'milut chasadim. The world depends on three things: on Torah, on worship and on loving deeds. - Pirkei Avot 1:2
This year each issue of Vshinantam will focus on adolescents and applications for our Jewish educational and youth settings. In this first issue, we will look at middle school students (young adolescents ages 11-14 or tweens), their unique set of concerns and behaviors and ways in which we can reach and teach them more effectively.
Working with middle schoolers is like mud-wrestling with a pig. You will both get muddy but only the pig will enjoy it. (Coming of Age, p.11)
In order to best reach and teach our students, we need to consider both who they are and where they are in their development. It can be difficult to recognize the developmental stage of middle school students because they are often grouped together with either elementary or high school students. Yet, middle school students have their own particular set of challenges and needs. They also have a distinct set of characteristics that makes working with this age group so rewarding and fun. By understanding the development of 11-14 year olds, we can create opportunities for learning that are specifically suited to their stage of development.
Intellectual/Psychological Development:
Physical Development:
Social/Emotional Development:
Moral, Religious, and Character Development:
In this section, we apply the developmental information above to our learning environments.
Anyone who works with students in sixth-eighth grade can see the rapid physical changes taking place in their bodies. Teachers can accommodate students changing physical needs which will help to keep students engaged as well as keep distractions and disruptions to a minimum.
Social/Emotional :
Much of the information gathered for this issue was taken from some of the following resources.
Brighton, Kenneth. Coming of Age: The Education & Development of Young Adolescents. Westerville OH: National Middle School Association, 2007
Educational Leadership: The Adolescent Learner: Vol. 62 No.7, April 2005
Elias, Maurice J. et. al. Promoting Social and Emotional Learning: Guidelines for Educators. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1997
For further reading, see the resources below.
Mee, Cynthia. 2,000 Voices: Young Adolescents Perceptions & Curriculum Implications. Westerville OH: National Middle School Association, 1997
Perlstein, Linda. Not Much Just Chillin: The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers. New
York: Ballantine Books, 2003.
Van Hoose, John, Strahan, David, and LEsperance, Mark. Promoting Harmony: Young Adolescent Development and School Practices. Westerville, OH. National Middle School Association, 2001
http://casel.org CASEL is a collaborative that works to advance the science and practice of social and emotional learning (SEL).
http://www.nmsa.org The National Middle School Association (NMSA) has been a voice for those committed to the educational and developmental needs of young adolescents. NMSA is the only national education association dedicated exclusively to those in the middle level grades. NMSA has both online resources as well as a bookstore.
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Hyper 3D Pinball
Hyper 3D Pinball Cheats & Codes
Check out our 1 cheat for Hyper 3D Pinball.
1 CheatsSubmit a Cheat.
Submitted by:IGN_Cheats
Cheat Mode
To activate cheat mode, press Esc and type "kermit", then press Enter. The following codes may now be entered at any time:
Code Effect kickback Unknown extraball Grants you another ball pickupball Allows you to move the ball with the mouse aloadofballs Unknown joshuajein Disables tilt and gives you 99 balls
You must be Logged in to submit a cheat.
Game Details
Published by: Virgin Interactive
Developed by: NMS Software
Genre: Pinball
Release Date:
United States: December 31, 1995
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Archive for March, 2011
The SOE Layoffs – The start of a needed rethink?
by RJO on Mar.31, 2011, under Everquest 2, Industry Musings, mmo
Kotaku is reporting that Sony Online Entertainment has laid off 1/3 of its work force. While SOE has not confirmed this yet the rumblings I am hearing is that this is credible. Before I go any further (and start talking about why I think this is a good thing) I want to say I really feel for my friends at SOE and those who have made some of my favorite games. When I was Managing Editor at Stratics I was fortunate to have a very close relationship with members of the community, development and management teams at SOE and I've never seen a more dedicated group.
SOE has not put out a big AAA MMORPG-genre title in a few years now (I know I know DCU – but I argue that is an IP title that lives on its own – disagree if you will) so it is easy for those who have come to the genre in the post-WoW era to scoff and question just what it is these guys have done lately. In 2008 SOE was given a Technical Emmy Award for advancing "the art form of the MMORPG" and I couldn't think of a company more deserving. This is a company that spent almost as much on R&D as other studios spend on their whole game. These guys helped found this genre (we wouldn't have World of Warcraft today if there was no Everquest, that is just fact) and for years they've done huge things to move it forward.
But in recent years, since around the time (2008) SOE was moved under the SCEI branch of Sony, SOE has become a company that is a little lost and a little bloated. Since moving from Sony Pictures to SCEI they have gone from a company that makes AAA pay to play MMOs to a company that makes primarily F2P games, builds strategy card games, and ports games to the PSN on the PS3. It feels like it has come to the point where SOE is a mish-mash studio dedicated to supporting SCEI. I would challenge anyone in SOE's management to tell me just what the identity of the company is today.
I hope these layoffs are the start of a new day at SOE, the start of getting back to their core competency of putting out AAA MMOs, even if it likely is with a new business model (free to play or hybrid models). SOE has been a great contributor to the genre and I hope they can get back to that. There is of course a real risk that this goes another way. MMOs are expensive products to produce, and Sony has likely seen some quick profits from having SOE porting games or build smaller games for the PSN.
I really hope, for the sake of the health of the AAA MMO marketplace that SOE lives to fight another day. I truly believe that SW:TOR with its large production budget is going to move the AAA standard forward in a big way. In the future it is going to take companies with deep pockets like Sony to take a risk to create AAA titles. I'd hate to live in a world where Bioware/EA & Blizzard/Activision are the only ones able (and willing) to compete at that standard. As players, we all lose out in a world without SOE.
In practical terms, here's my speculation about what this could mean for projects at SOE:
- Vanguard is in deep trouble (dead)
- Pirates of the Burning Sea is either dead or going to maintenance mode (I'd bet dead)
- Everquest 2 will see a shake up – SmokeJumper's time as producer has been turbulent and I'm not sure he'll be around after this. Further pushes to Free to Play could result, but I'm not sure it's worth SOE's effort to do that push (they'll likely do it anyway…)
- You'll never hear about The Agency again – unless someone gets Smed to admit it is dead in public
- Everquest Next will survive. I wouldn't be so sure you'll see Planetside Next in this life
- SWG is at best now on life support and won't long outlive the release of SW:TOR. The Kotaku article suggests half of the Austin studio was laid off. While Austin is responsible for two things: DC Universe and SWG. I'd be willing to bet the farm where most of those lay offs came from (S W and G)
I hope SOE emerges a better company from this rethink.
What Publishers and Venture Capitalists Should Learn From Rift
by RJO on Mar.26, 2011, under Industry Musings, mmo, Rift, SW:TOR, World of Warcraft
Rift has been a surprise hit for many hundreds of thousands of players. I know in my guild it went from a game we knew nothing about in December to a full guild chapter with over 80 active members now in March. Rift's success has caused some confusion for those who have only tried the first 10 to 20 levels. A common confused question that gets asked is this: "This game is so much like the competition, why would anyone play this over X". While I disagree that Rift is a "WoW clone" (excuse the expression) it does iterate well on the previous gold standards mostly defined by Blizzard over the last 5 or so years and it certainly is one of the game's greatest strengths (just how well it pulls it off).
More than anything I believe the success of Rift has to do with the time and place we are with the genre right now and how Trion (the makers of Rift) set themselves a high standard to deliver against the expectations of the current time and place. It is no secret that 2010 was an abysmal year for new MMO releases and it was on this backdrop of low expectations that Rift launched. Trion delivered a polished and feature complete package and they are going to reap the profits because of it.
So what lessons should the people who fund games learn from Rift?
1) The AAA standard is all consumers will accept. Players in the MMO genre are tired of games that are half finished, buggy and have large content gaps. Trion decided on their feature set, set a target for bugs and refused to release until they hit that AAA standard. If you want your game to implode in 3 months just try and release a game missing a mid game or end game.
2) For a subscription MMO, consumers will accept you launching a AAA platform. Rift very much is a platform. The dynamic content in the game (Rifts, invasions, ancient wardstone quests, etc) that we have seen so far is "only the beginning". Trion put out a platform that they will build on and used their marketing channels to very clearly define where they will take the platform from where it is at release. The old adage that an MMO is never done is true, but it is important that your players can envision the way forward based on the potential of your platform. In a subscription MMO the player is making an investment in your platform.
3) There is a desperate appetite for a AAA PvP game. Of Rift's 100+ servers half are dedicated to PVP. But it isn't in the server count and the population volumes (and the PvP servers are some of the busiest and most active) that you can find the opportunity here. If you spend any amount of time on the official Rift forums you very quickly begin to find this under tone: There is a HUGE PvP community that is just dying to find a home. The dynamic content and zone capture mechanics in Rift are wetting the appetite but I don't think it will last long. There is literally a 110 post thread on the forums begging Trion for more RvR like mechanics. Seriously. If you are a publisher or have the money to fund a AAA studio project you should be doing everything in your power to release the spiritual successor to Dark Age of Camelot (and no, Warhammer Online was not that).
4) You need to be feature complete. One of the things I heard time and time again from guildies as started to pick up and play Rift was that "I looked for feature X and to my surprise it was there and worked awesome". Almost universally everything you'd expect to be in an MMO was present in Rift's beta. From straight forward things like keybinding and tool bar setup to more advanced things lik full UI setup, twitter integration and other social features Rift had it all from the go. I think we can agree that there are now standard features that fans expect. You cannot launch without these.
5) The subscription model is still alive and well. You can compete in a space occupied by Blizzard and World of Warcraft. Plain and simple. I am of the belief (although there have been no official numbers) that Rift has sold in the neighbourhood of 750,000 to 1,000,000 boxes. I also believe that first three month retention will be good (we'll see beyond that). The fact is Trion set out to make an iterative game and has and will make some good money doing it. There is still Blue Ocean here.
6) World of Warcraft's days are numbered. I know I've talked about this before and people have been declaring DOOOOOOM for WoW for a long time now. And honestly that's not what I'm saying here. WoW will still be here and profitable for a long time. But I think the sheer volume of people who lept at Rift directly from Cataclysm and the negative backlash in the WoW Blog community after the launch of Rift is a noticeable and should be a warning sign for Blizzard. Again to be clear: WoW is not going anywhere. But I think we have seen the beginning of the end of WoW as the undisputed heavy weight champion of the world. (Even Blizzard is starting to talk about Diablo 3 and Titan as a potential WoW killer).
I think Rift heralds the fact that we've now entered a new post-WoW era in the MMO genre. This era will be defined by high budget and high quality titles (SW:TOR with its insane production values will only serve to advance this point even more). Releasing crap will not be forgiven and we'll see games that don't live up to the standard shutter at record breaking speeds.


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Cruise lines and other travel-related businesses such as hotels and rental car companies often put holds on customers' credit and debit cards to ensure they get paid, but those holds can create account problems.
It happened to Dan Burns and his wife Michele. The couple saved and budgeted so they could spend their anniversary in high-style on the high seas aboard a Carnival Cruise. For a week, the North Texas pair enjoyed breathtaking sunsets from their private balcony outside their cabin. They visited Jamaica, Cozumel and the Cayman Islands.
"We had an absolutely fantastic time," Dan Burns said.
They paid in full for the cruise ahead of time except for their activities, excursions, souvenirs and some food and beverages. For that, they relied on Carnival's Sail and Sign account. It's Carnival's company-issued card for onboard purchases that is linked to a customer's credit or debit card.
Burns said he budgeted for these onboard expenses too and opted to pay his Sail and Sign account with his debit card instead of his credit card.
"I was not going to spend over a certain amount. And I didn't want to use a credit card because I did not want to have to pay for all this later," he said.
He said he had about $2,000 in his checking account. That should have been plenty to cover his more than $1,300 tab for onboard expenses. But soon after he returned home, he received a notification on his mobile phone that his account was overdrawn.
"I had no access to any money at all out of my checking account," he said.
Burns didn't realize the cruise company had placed holds on his account as he made purchases. The holds totaled more than $1,500. His account did not have enough to cover the holds and the original $1,300 bill. Essentially, the holds and the bill combined triggered an overdraft of his account.
"I couldn't buy groceries. I couldn't get gasoline," Burns said.
Gas stations, hotels, rental car companies and cruise ships are just a few types of businesses that place holds on credit and debit cards to make sure they get paid.
Carnival does disclose this policy on its website.
"If you presented a debit/check cashing card, the hold will restrict the available cash in your checking account," the website reads.
But Burns, a retired police officer, said he thought he did his homework. He said he even asked several Carnival agents about the hold policy, including one agent on board.
"She said, 'No, no, just whatever; at the end of the cruise, you'll get a bill,' which we did. And whatever is on your bill is what you owe them," he said. "I said, 'OK.' I felt, you know, everything was fine then."
The NBC 5 Investigates Consumer Unit reached out to Carnival. In a statement, the company pointed to bank policy:
When a guest reaches a certain threshold on their Sail & Sign card, Carnival's system automatically sends an electronic request to the bank with the amount generated to date and requests a confirmation that the funds are available in the guest's account. Once the bank confirms the funds are available they will hold the amount from the account, and as the guest continues to incur charges the process is repeated.
At the end of the cruise, Carnival will submit one cumulative charge to the bank. Since the holds are in individual increments and the charge is a lump sum, the bank does not use the funds it is holding to pay Carnival. The bank will see this as a new charge and process the payment and keep the holds pending. This may or may not put the guest in overdraft, depending on their total bank balance.
The bank will continue to hold the funds for a pre-determined time, based on the agreement signed by the customer and their bank at the time of opening an account. A vendor can ask the bank to release the funds. However, since the hold time is at the discretion of the bank they also have the right to decline a company's request to release the funds on hold at which point the guest should contact their bank directly.
Burns said he called Carnival, but a few of phone calls with the same agent eventually ran aground.
"They were willing to book my cruise and take my payment and all that, but they were not willing to answer any questions or work with me on this," Burns said.
He said his bank ultimately freed his funds, giving him access to his money until the holds were permanently lifted five days later.
"I'd much rather travel to always be put on credit," said Todd Mark, vice president of education at the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Dallas. "It's a lot easier to dispute when you've got the credit card issuer on your side as opposed to it's your bank account, it's been opened up, and it has been taken hostage."
One cruise line even tells customers not to use debit cards for onboard purchases.
Plus, consumers can still have a budget with a credit card if they pay the bill on time and in full, Mark said. However, if opting for a debit card, allowing for a cushion -- a large one, in the case of travel -- may be best practice.
The Federal Trade Commission advises consumers to know their cards' hold policies. Ask the debit card issuer if holds are permitted, for how long and from what type of merchants. It's also a good idea to ask about overdraft policies.
Consider paying a hotel, rental car, cruise or other bills -- which may have a hold -- with the same credit or debit card you used at the beginning of the transaction. If you pay with a different card or method, let the merchant or clerk know that the payment method has changed and ask them to remove the hold on the other card promptly.
Also, if considering a new credit or debit card, shop around and ask issuers about their hold policies. Finally, realize a hold -- even on a credit card -- can affect your credit limit on that particular card. A hold can take two weeks or longer to be removed, depending on a bank's policy.
Burns said he'll use a credit card the next time he goes on a cruise.


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RI Beauty Insider: Tomboy Style and the Simple Life
Saturday, May 17, 2014
The clothes
Think Katherine Hepburn, the quintessential tomboy. Study her look from her early days and you'll see your perfect starting point: wide leg trousers, masculine jackets thrown over evening gowns, and sneakers. Your hat's a fedora – not a softer Breton. Steal a big comfy sweater from the man in your life and wear it over your sun dress for that walk on the beach. Roll up the cuffs of your jeans and take the ties out of your tennis shoes. But add a dose of:
The look won't work unless you add that touch of girl. How about pearls with those he-man overalls? A peek of lace dangling below your standard –issue Army jacket or a silk flower on the edge of that boyfriend sweater says "I'm playing with you". The juxtaposition can be utterly charming.
Tomboys have easy hair: choppy cuts he can run his fingers through. Will you dare to color it with a streak? If smooth and long is your style, catch it with a rhinestone clip. Again, the contrast between boy and girl creates an attractive tension in your style.
Crisp white t-shirt, jeans and sneakers with sexy red lipstick sets a style tone just right for Saturday errands. It also says you know what you're doing. Keep your skin radiant with an illuminating moisturizer. If it's got SPF, all the better for the outdoor activities tomboys like. An easy hand with makeup except for dark winged liner looks simple and gorgeous on an innocently freckled face. For tomboys of a certain age, moist pink hues make you look youthful and hip but without the mutton part.
Finishing touch
Real tomboys still know the power of perfume. Choose green or sparkling vetiver scents that are sexy and cool and reminiscent of the woods and vale. Too floral or powdery won't do.
Remember, the bravura to pull off a true tomboy look is in the attitude. Don't mistake it for sloppiness – it's actually a finely honed look that takes forethought and guts. Sure, it's not country club twinsets but that doesn't mean it's not adorable and chic. And sexy.
Donna Macdonald is a freelance writer who enjoys covering topics of interest to women, especially fragrance, style, beauty. She has also written marketing material for a women's book that hit the New York Times Bestseller list and netted her an up close and personal discussion on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Donna currently writes her own personal blog, alovelyinconsequence.blogspot.com where she also writes about issues close to a woman's heart. Donna believes that when a woman finds beauty in the world, she will find beauty in herself.
Related Slideshow: Shopping on the Cheap
Second Time Around
Second Time Around, a premier consignment company located on Thayer Street, offers the hottest labels for resale. Selling men's and women's clothing and accessories, this vintage shop has so much to offer, including a high-end section where you can find top-brands for less and in great condition. Customers can even consign some of their own clothes through appointment or drop off to make some extra cash.
Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday 11am-7pm. 294 Thayer Street. 401-455-2050.
Foreign Affair Warehouse
A one-stop vintage shop, Foreign Affair has you covered from 50s cocktail dresses to 80s frocks. Carrying clothes from the Victorian era and one-of-a-kind vintage items, you never know what you are going to find.
Monday-Saturday 11am-8pm, Sunday 12pm-6pm. 140 Brook St. 401-274-1484.
Photo: Steve Snodgrass/Flickr
Salvation Army
Who doesn't want to help their community while shopping? Well, through the Salvation Army you can do just that; by supporting them you support their efforts, from disaster relief to family tracing, worldwide. Search through their various items and find your hidden treasure, you won't be disappointed.
Monday-Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 9am-6pm. 201 Pitman Street, Providence. 401-421-5270.
Photo: zieak/Flickr
A thrift store that allows you to help others while you shop, Savers offers clothing, shoes and accessories for great prices. Thousands of items are donated daily so you will never have the same shopping experience twice. The best part: your purchase will help Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Ocean State.
Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm, Sunday 10am-7pm. 201 Branch Ave, Providence. 401-273-1085.
A store that offers clothes, accessories, and shoes in one convenient place, Marshalls is the perfect place to shop, especially for Bryant students. Marshalls offers many different brands, so you can get those designer items without paying designer prices.
Monday-Saturday 9:30am-9:30pm, Sunday 10am-8pm. 622 George Washington Highway #303. 401-334-3262.
TJ Maxx
Nothing makes a shopper happier than great deals. TJ Maxx is the perfect place to build your wardrobe with designer pieces for less so you don't feel guilty buying that BEBE purse. Feeling lazy? You can even shop online.
Monday-Saturday 9am-9:30pm, Sunday 9am-8pm. 199 O'Connell Highway at the Newport Mall. 401-841-5910.
Photo: crazytales562/Flickr
The Big Top Flea Market
Hopefully you have plenty of time to shop, because you can spend hours at The Big Top Flea Market searching through their 50,000 sq. ft. of bargains. With over 200 vendors, you can find everything from cheap clothes, accessories, perfumes, hats, gloves and purses. Also check out their shoe warehouse which offers women's heels, sandals, and boots as well as men shoes on the cheap. The prices are great, but you can try to get them down even further with some bargaining. Admission is free on Saturdays and .50 cents on Sundays.
Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm. 120 Manton Ave, Providence. 401-274-0060.
Photo: dno1967b/Flickr
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Move over, San Francisco. Minneapolis is number one, at least in the eyes of a writer for The Advocate magazine, who has proclaimed that the Mini-Apple is now the gayest city in America.
Using what he calls a completely unscientific - but still strangely accurate - statistical equation, Advocate writer Mike Albo has delivered a list of where gay people are creating a sense of community.
Albo used a handful of criteria as a measuring stick, comparing major cities by the number of registered gay.com profiles, openly gay elected officials, number of gay and lesbian bars, and lastly, the number and frequency of Tegan and Sarah performances (that one feels tongue-in-cheek).
In describing why he handed the scepter to Minneapolis, Albo writes:
Over the past decade, Minneapolis has become the gay magnet city of the Midwest. It makes sense: People here are no-nonsense, practical, and don't deal well with hypocrites. This is where the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America took a historic leap forward and voted to accept gay and lesbian pastors, including the Reverend Mary Albing, the denomination's first openly lesbian pastor. And Minnesota senator Al Franken introduced the Student Non-Discrimination Act to protect LGBT youth from school bullies. But that's not all. Minneapolis also has the very hot Mayhem rugby team (MayhemRFC.com) and a thriving bear community with events like Bob's Bear Bash, every Wednesday night at the Saloon.
Albo's top 15 gayest cities in America lines up like this:
(Copyright 2011 by KARE/The Advocate. All Rights Reserved.)


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More than 800 dead and injured pelicans were found in the months following the BP oil disaster in the Gulf, and it's likely many more pelicans were never found.
Biologists remain concerned about the long-term impacts of the dispersed and submerged oil on the bird's food chain and nesting grounds. Scientists who study pelicans are also concerned about an additional threat to the bird--habitat loss.
BP and the other oil companies responsible for the disaster will pay significant fines to the federal government for their recklessness, but it will take legislation from Congress to ensure these fines are used to help restore Brown Pelicans and many more Gulf wildlife.
Take Action! Help protect the Gulf's brown pelicans. Urge Congress to pass legislation to help restore the Gulf today.
Please make passage of the RESTORE Act a priority.


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Saturday, June 28, 2008
CrockPot Edamame Dip Recipe
Day 180.
I've gotten a few requests for more Little Dipper recipes. Boy, that little guy is adorable. Or is it a girl? I go back and forth. Maybe it's unisex.
Anyhow, most of the dip recipes can be easily adapted to the Little Dipper. I'd recommend the garlic dip, the sundried tomato, and the hot and spicy artichoke. Or, test out this edamame dip---it's reminiscent of hummus. Sort of. But not really.
well, kind of.
The Ingredients.
--1 cup shelled edamame, slightly thawed
--2 chopped garlic cloves
--1 T mayonnaise
--1/2 t cumin
--the juice from 2 limes
The Directions.
If your edamame is frost-bitten like mine was, thaw for about 45 seconds in the microwave. Chop or food process the edamame and garlic into tiny chunks. I used my pampered chef chopper-thingy.
Add to the Little Dipper. Add the mayo, cumin, and lime juice. Stir well.
Cover and cook (there isn't a temerature setting on the Little Dipper) for 30-45 minutes, or until heated through.
Serve with pita chips, pita bread, tortilla chips, or corn tortilla triangles.
The Verdict.
This was a very nice snack, it would have been even better if the chips weren't stale. The girls and I gobbled it up, although it was a bit spicy for them. My garlic cloves were enormous.
I have FOUR bags of frozen edamame, and am glad to have a way to use them in a way we all enjoy. Four bags. How did that happen?
8 comments:
- Caroline said...
That's what happens when you have children, you forget things like the number of soybeans you have on hand in order to remember things like 'Keep the children alive'.
Enjoying the blog, my crock pot overfloweth now.
- June 28, 2008 at 6:30 AM
- Laurel said...
That's funny, I posted an edamame recipe today, too. Hey, I love the stuff and haven't ever found it already shelled. Do you recall where those four bags came from?
- June 28, 2008 at 3:35 PM
- brazen's crafts said...
what on earth is edamame? i've heard of it but no clue what it acatully is!
- June 28, 2008 at 3:48 PM
- kelly gibson said...
wow, i'd never think to make dip from edamame! it looks yummy!
- June 28, 2008 at 5:26 PM
- Wendy said...
I've never heard of Edamame either?!! Is it a type of Bean?
( I'm from England, we don't have them here!) I love your Blog!!!!! ..xx...
- June 30, 2008 at 5:12 AM
edamame is a soy bean...they are delicious and good for you!
- February 16, 2010 at 4:44 AM
Steph, I''m so glad you have the little flashback section on this blog. I think i found you shortly after your originally posted this and since i didn't have a Little Dipper (or even a 2 qt cp) then, i didn't pay to much attention to this recipe.
Anyway, yesterday I discovered some (freezer-burned)edamme in the freezer, and I have all the rest of the ingredients, so this is up next.
- June 28, 2010 at 2:27 PM
You've inspired me ~ I think I will try to use edamame in "quacamole" ~ I love all the ingredients EXCEPT avocados (don't like the smooshy texture) ... maybe edamame will be a close substitute!!
- February 2, 2011 at 1:22 PM
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comment! I will try my hardest to answer questions as they come up, but if your question gets buried, you may try me on twitter or facebook.
Happy Slow Cooking!


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Sizzix On the Edge Die - Twigs
Item # 657183
Regular Price: $15.99
True to their name, these oh-so-edgy dies cut eye-popping edges for cards, mini books, scrapbook pages and more. On each die are one or two unique edges that can be cut on nearly any project up to 5 1/2" wide, from nearly any material, including cardstock, felt, fabric, foam, magnet, leather and craft aluminum.
Category: Shape-Cutting Dies
Themes: Flowers, Plants & Trees, Seasons & Weather
Click on any of the "compatible" machine images below to see what is needed to get started.
This On the Edge Die showcases the bold and edgy style of Tim Holtz®, and one distinct edge is available on this die. Each On the Edge Die measures 2 3/4" x 6" x 5/8" and is compatible with the BIGkick, Big Shot and Vagabond machines (with the use of a pair of On the Edge Cutting Pads). All items sold separately.


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Program Description: The most affordable and convenient way to begin skiing or snowboarding. Package includes three days of lessons, lift tickets and rentals. Your Learn to Ski in 3 passport is your ticket to learning the great sports of skiing and snowboarding in three all-inclusive days. Makes a great gift! Lessons are 2-hour group lessons that you can take morning or afternoon any day of the season (please arrive at least 45 minutes prior to your lesson starting). For more details, please read the Frequently Asked Questions.
Price: $99
Dates: Available to schedule on any of the days we are open
Ability Levels: first timers
Ages: all ages (must be 7 or older to snowboard)
Optional: Use any 3 days of the season / ski or snowboard / lessons at 10am or 1pm
Upgrades: Upon completion of the three lessons, the following offers apply:
- $199 season pass
- $99 three-hour private lesson
- $99 season rental


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Steamboat "Katahdin" and Greenville High School Alumni
Click on the image to zoom. Click and drag your mouse over the image to move it left or right. Use the small navigation window to select the area you wish to zoom on.
In the 1930s and the 1940s the Greenville High School Alumni Association enjoyed cruises on the Steamship Katahdin. Often times they traveled to the Kineo Hotel for the annual alumni banquet. Entertainment on board included a band, much to the enjoyment of the residents along Moosehead Lake. In 1937, boat transportation from Greenville Village, a banquet, and dancing were offered at a rate of $1.50 per person.


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I made him do what?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
- 12 Replies
Dh wasnt feeling very good last night.
ok no problem
well he was up at 5am with diarrhea and messed his pants in his sleeps -__-
so me and him were on the couch talking and i threw a sheet at him. he goes
"stop before i hurt you. lol"
i said "yea ok buddy" lol
so he pinched me
well i pinched him back and we started to wrestle.
well after 10 minutes he sits up and goes
"oh shit man"
i asked him what was wrong (laughing of course)
he said "you made me shit my pants by tickling me!!!!!!!!!!!"


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I am a medical student in Egypt. Is it permissible for me to join the military academy to become a doctor in the army, knowing that in the Egyptian army it is compulsory to shave off the beard?
Praise be to Allah.
Shaving off the beard is haraam, because of the saheeh hadeeths that clearly enjoin letting it grow. See the answer to question no. 1189.
Based on that, it is not permissible to work in a place in which you will be instructed to commit this sin.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: I am in the army and I always shave my beard, against my will. Is that haraam or not?
He replied: It is not permissible to shave off the beard, because the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined leaving it alone and letting it grow, in saheeh hadeeths. And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said that by letting it grow, one is differing from the Magians and mushrikeen, and he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had a thick beard. Obeying the Messenger is obligatory for us, and following his example in his attitudes and actions is one of the best of deeds, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad SAW) you have a good example"
[al-Ahzaab 33:21]
"And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)"
[al-Hashr 59:7]
"And let those who oppose the Messengers (Muhammad SAW) commandment (i.e. his Sunnah legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements, etc.) (among the sects) beware, lest some Fitnah (disbelief, trials, afflictions, earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant, etc.) befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them"
[an-Noor 24:63].
Imitating the kuffaar is one of the gravest of evil actions and one of the causes of being gathered with them on the Day of Resurrection, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." If you are in a job where you are required to shave off your beard, then do not obey them in that regard, because the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience towards the Creator." If they force you to shave it off, then leave that job which is making you do something that angers Allah. Many other means of earning a living are available, praise be to Allah, and whoever gives up a thing for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate him with something better than it.
May Allah help you and make things easy for you, and may He make us and you steadfast in adhering to His religion.
End quote from Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 8/376.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 12/20: Question: Please tell me the ruling on one who works in the army (of a Muslim country) and this is his source of income, but the military rules require him to shave his beard, and we have to go to extremes in honouring one another, and when we meet we have to salute one another in a way that is not as Allah and His Messenger commanded us to do, and to honour the country's flag, and to refer for judgement amongst us to a law that is not the law of Allah (i.e., military law). If I fight to defend the country, that is not under the banner of "La ilaaha ill-Allah Muhammad rasool-Allah", and Allah wills that I should be killed, what is the ruling according to the Qur'an and Sunnah? Is it possible for me to fight with an intention other than that of the army in whose ranks I am fighting? If I do the above to ward off some harm that may befall me (if I do not do it), am I sinning thereby? Is it possible for a Muslim to work in the army with the intention of learning fighting skills that he cannot learn in any other way under current circumstances?
Please advise me about obeying my parents in this matter, if our points of view differ, and my parents do not want to refer to the Qur'an or Sunnah, but to the customs of society and what people are agreed on, and they think that religion is no more than prayer and fasting and so on, and anything other than that is extremism. May Allah enable you to do that which pleases Him, and guide you and protect you.
Firstly: It is haraam to shave the beard, and it is obligatory to let it grow.
Secondly: it is not permissible to salute the flag.
Thirdly: it is obligatory to rule in accordance with Islamic sharee'ah and to refer to it for judgement. It is not permissible for a Muslim to salutes his colleagues or superiors in the manner of non-Muslims, because of the reports which indicate that it is haraam to imitate them, and because that is showing excessive respect towards them.
Fourthly: The one who fights to make the word of Allah supreme and to defend the Muslims and to protect Muslim land against the enemy, then this is for the sake of Allah, and if he is killed he will be a martyr, because what matters is intentions. And you can form an intention that is different from the intention of the army, such as if you intend to make the word of Allah supreme by means of your jihad, even if others have a different intention, such as fighting for their country.
Fifthly: obeying your parents is obligatory so long as it does not involve disobedience towards Allah, for there is no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience towards the Creator. End quote.
And Allah knows best.


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SolarCity is starting to build its Buffalo workforce. The solar energy systems installer, which is building a Buffalo factory that ultimately is expected to employ 1,460 people once it's running at full capacity in 2017, has hired its first three local employees as it builds the system to hire a local workforce.
You are here
SEIA is the solar energy industry's go-to source for the latest coverage on solar power, including U.S. and international policy, research and polls, business and financing trends, and more. Our staff strives to support the media covering solar energy issues and guide our members on effective media outreach with clear statements, background materials, news and multimedia resources.
SEIA is committed to informing policymakers, the media, and the American public about the benefits of solar energy for today's communities, our economy, and our country.
Learn more from our statements and industry news below.
SEIA Applauds Efforts by DOE to Expand Solar Deployment
As part of its ongoing efforts to make solar cost competitive with other forms of electricity, the Department of Energy's (DOE) SunShot Initiative announced today that it will provide $32 million in new funding opportunities to help spur additional solar development nationwide.
SEIA Solar Newsletter | May 26, 2015
Every week, The SEIA Solar Update includes top news stories covering the solar industry, major upcoming events, policy updates, and much more. This newsletter is open to SEIA Members and to the general public.
Pro-Solar Constitutional Amendment in Florida Gaining Momentum
Calling it a "huge momentum boost," the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) today praised two Florida newspapers, The Gainesville Sun and Ocala Star-Banner, for their editorial support of a pro-solar, statewide ballot initiative organized by Floridians for Solar Choice.
Sunrun And Westfield Corporation Launch Interactive Home Solar Shopping Experience
Sunrun announced a partnership with the Westfield Corporation to bring interactive stations to malls in New York and California. Beginning this week, Westfield malls will unveil stations that educate consumers on the ease and cost savings of making the switch to solar, and provide customized home proposals in minutes.
Massachusetts Legislature Urged to Pass Solar Energy Legislation
With two days left in the legislative session, National Grid, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the Solar Energy Business Association of New England (SEBANE), the New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC), the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) and Environment Massachusetts are asking the House Ways and Means Committee to quickly release consensus language on House Bill 4185, a landmark compromise that provides a stable and cost-effective policy solution to support solar energy in Massachusetts. Last week, this broad coalition of stakeholders agreed upon language that
Solar Energy Poised to Help States Meet Air QualityTargets
Taking part in a national "listening tour" conducted by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) today urged states to turn to solar energy to help meet new carbon pollution targets.
Questions Raised About APS Move Into Rooftop Solar
In a move condemned by many solar companies in Arizona, the state's largest utility, APS, has announced that it will begin installing rooftop solar on customers' homes. After learning of the news, Ken Johnson, vice president of communications for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), issued the following statement:
SEIA Calls for Changes to BLM Permitting Process
In testimony on Capitol Hill, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) today supported reforms of the permitting process for energy production on federal lands.
New Report Examines 'Lessons Learned' from Germany's Solar Efforts
Calling it "a lesson to be learned from, not an experience to be avoided," the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) today released a comprehensive study taking an in-depth look at Germany's solar support programs and how the United States can benefit in the long term from the experiences of the world's leading solar producer.
SunPower to Partner with Apple on Solar Projects in China
SunPower Corporation announced that it plans to partner with Apple to build two solar power projects totaling 40 megawatts (MW) in ABA Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefectures, Sichuan Province of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). When complete, the two projects will be co-owned by Sichuan Shengtian New Energy Development Co., Ltd., SunPower's project development joint venture, and Apple.
SoCore Energy Turns On Its Biggest Solar Installation
Arkansas utility pushes for state's biggest solar array
An Arkansas public utility is poised to offer its customers a choice of sun alongside its standard nuclear and hydro-powered fare, fattening the state's super-slim solar industry.
Entergy Arkansas Inc., a subsidiary of Entergy Corp., yesterday announced a 20-year power purchase agreement with solar developer NextEra Energy Resources, which will supply the company's solar generation if a proposed 81-megawatt solar facility gets the green light from the state's Public Service Commission.
NRG Sees Path to More California Solar Rooftops Starting on Lawn
NRG Energy, the largest U.S. independent power producer, wants to sell more rooftop solar systems by helping homeowners take better care of their lawns in drought-stricken California.
SEIA Solar Newsletter | April 14, 2015
Every week, The SEIA Solar Update includes top news stories covering the solar industry, major upcoming events, policy updates, and much more. This newsletter is open to SEIA Members and to the general public.


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|High Country Residents Protest for Tax Reform
|Written by Adam Hicks
|Wednesday, 15 April 2009 13:44
Despite chilly temperatures and rainy conditions, around 200 protesters gathered in the Hardee's parking lot beside the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone for the town's first Tax Day Tea Party to protest for tax reform.
Several protesters were carrying signs or wearing shirts expressing contempt about the federal government's bail out bills.
A popular idea with several of the protesters was the FairTax. Part of the idea of the FairTax plan would be to replace all federal income and payroll with a national retail sales tax.
Boone's tea party was one of several across the nation and 40 across the state.
The nonpartisan rally began at 4:00 Wednesday afternoon and lasted about two hours.
|Share This Article:


text: Seattle-based multi-instrumentalist Jason Holstrom is a member of the United State of Electronica, a producer, remixer, and solo artist. Holstrom played with bands such as the College Idea and the Lincolns in the late '90s, and projects such as Wonderful and Dolour in the early 2000s. He moved into production and mixing in 2003 with Ryan T. Rockers, Esquire's Monkey vs. Robot; his other credits include Aqueduct's I Sold Gold. As a member of U.S.E., he remixed Of Montreal's "Requiem for O.M.M.2" in 2006. Holstrom's debut album of island pop The Thieves of Kailua, was inspired by a trip to Hawaii and his skills on the ukulele; written, performed, and recorded entirely by Holstrom, it took three years to complete and was released in 2007 by Mill Pond. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi


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"Les Champignons de Paname"
"The Mushrooms of Paris"
by Blue Turtles
A Film from the Paris 2005 48HFP.
Screened at Action Christine
on October 14, 2005 at midnight and October 15. 2005 at 8pm.
Best Film, Best Acting (Methodacting Prize), Best Special Effects, Audience Award Group D.
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text:
Disappearing tasks
Asked on Dec 19, 2012 - 05:35 UTC
I just started using Todoist. When switching between projects, sometimes when I come back to one project in particular, tasks I have previously entered disappear. The label, due date, and recurring icon still appear, but the actual text of the task is blank. I can send you a screen shot if it helps. It has happened on multiple tasks within that same project, requiring that I re-enter the task.
All responses
Replied on Dec 19, 2012 - 12:55 UTC
Hello Adam,
Please log out, clear your browser's cache and offline app data, reload the browser and log back in.
If this won't help, try to disable all plugins you use in your browser and see if it solves the issue. If not, you can send a screenshot to firstname.lastname@example.com
Best regards,


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EA and Mythic Entertainment Announce That Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Has Gone Gold Award-Winning Fantasy MMORPG Marches Toward Sept. 18th Launch FAIRFAX, Va.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—GET READY FOR THE WORLDWIDE WAAAGH! Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) and Mythic Entertainment today announced that the highly-anticipated MMORPG, Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™ (WAR), has gone gold and will open its servers on September 18, 2008 at an MSRP of $49.99 in North America. "We've done our best to create the next great MMORPG experience, but it's the fans that will bring our world to life," said Mark Jacobs, vice president at EA and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. "The Day of Reckoning approaches and it's going to be glorious! It's time to go to WAR." Based on the popular tabletop game from Games Workshop, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is an epic fantasy MMORPG featuring innovative Realm vs. Realm™ game play that pits the forces of Order and Destruction against one another on the battlefield to determine the fate of nations. Awarded "Best Online Game" at the recent Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, "Best PC Game" of E3 by G4's X-Play and "Best MMO" of E3 by IGN, WAR has been well-received by critics and by the gaming community as an accessible and engaging MMO title. Tens of thousands of players have already joined the battle in the closed beta, and soon the time will be at hand for players the world over to pledge their allegiance to the armies of WAR. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is scheduled to launch simultaneously in North America, Europe, and Oceania on September 18, 2008. Available for PC, WAR is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB. For more information, visit http://www.warhammeronline.com/.
Swagvault Warhammer Online Beta Access Key Give-Away Event Great news for fans of Warhammer Online: SwagVault.com is giving away Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning Beta Access Keys. The event will be held from now till September 5, 2008 It's very easy to join! Players only need to send an E-mail to Guildsales[at]swagvault.com, and 50 winners by randomly draw amongst all applications. In addition, during this event, customers whose Order ID contains the number sequences 8907 (Electronic Arts has announced that the open beta date is September 7, 2008), SwagVault will E-mail one Age of Reckoning Beta Access key code to him/her upon receiving his/her application. Therefore, please provide the Order ID in your E-mail. Winners will be announced on Sep. 5, and Age of Reckoning Beta Access Key Codes will be sent via E-mail instantly. Please visit http://www.swagvault.com/news.php?news_id=352 for more details. Grasp the great opportunity to experience the venturesome and exciting journey in Warhammer game now!


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A great logo for a non-profit that delivers movies, CDs, and other related materials to the elderly. I like way the logo takes the concept put forth in the name and runs with it, the use of a consistent illustrative style giving the company a strong brand.Posted in Branding → Logo
A great example of a redesigned logo that uses typography to convey strength and solidity. I really like the dark orange colour, it really works on the neutral background.Posted in Branding → Logo
A great personal branding exercise that's been inspired by the industrial branding of the past. I really like the typeface and the way the orange works on the white background.Posted in Branding → Logo
An interesting branding exercise that gives several possible example of a 'drop' design. I particularly like the consistent ideas that come through and the coherence of the three designs.Posted in Branding → Logo
A simply great logo that sticks in your mind from the first time you see it. The use of the first letter of the brand as the mark always works well to aid recognition. I particularly like the symmetry and the use of orange for the mark.Posted in Branding → Logo
A bold yet minimal mark that uses a single colour to make a statement. The 'letter in a circle' concept isn't new, but it's used effectively here. The cutout effect created by having the letter in the same colour as the background gives this logo a strong imprint.Posted in Branding → Logo
A simple gorgeous example of an abstract logo mark. I love the chosen colour palette and the beautiful use of fading to emphasise the curvature of the mark. I particularly enjoy the vaguely confusing logic of the knot-like logo.Posted in Branding → Logo
A strong logo that derives its uniqueness from the use of typography. The fascinating way in which the first and last letters imitate each other is simply great. The subtle textures and simple use of colour adds good depth to the overall design.Posted in Branding → Logo
A nicely minimalist logo that perfectly portrays a lighthouse. I absolutely love the simplicity of the concept and the interesting selection of colours.Posted in Branding → Logo
A strong and striking shark logo designed for shark week. I love the interesting selection of bright orange for a background colour, it really makes an impact. The illustrative style of the shark, and its human stance, is simply great.Posted in Branding → Logo
A simply gorgeous business card design that perfectly exemplifies the brand. I love the use of orange, it's just so striking! The handwritten type is enticing and wholly unique.Posted in Branding → Business Cards
A brilliant logo that makes a strong impact on first viewing. I really like the unique typeface and the spacing of the letters. The logo itself is great and uses colour well to aid memorability.Posted in Branding → Logo
A beautiful logo design that makes an immediate impact. I love the use of geometric shapes and the sense of perspective and relief within the arrow design itself. The shades of colour chosen work really well together, the orange in particular marking this logo out.Posted in Branding → Logo
A fantastically clear logo that makes great use of perspective to make an impact. I really like the way the three colours work together and the choice to have the 'the' in a circle. The typeface here is utterly readable, something that can be very important when designing a functional and effective logo.Posted in Branding → Logo
A wonderfully vibrant logo that's based on a strong logotype. The 'Z' is perhaps a little difficult to read but the overall effect is great. I particularly like the choice of orange, it's striking!Posted in Branding → Logo
Two strikingly different colours, but consistent styling makes these cards work really well. The whole concept just seems to "work" for me, and I love that they're presented on a wooden textured background.Posted in Branding → Business Cards


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Galilee Diary #340, June 3, 2007
Marc J. Rosenstein
Praised are You, O Lord our God, who brings forth bread from the earth. -Blessing before eating bread
Galilee Diary #340, June 3, 2007
Marc J. Rosenstein
Praised are You, O Lord our God, who brings forth bread from the earth. -Blessing before eating bread
Recently we took our staff on an in-service day to Ramat Hanadiv, near Zichron Yaakov. Ramat Hanadiv, literally, benefactors highland, is a memorial to the the well-known benefactor, Baron Edmond James de Rothschild. Rothschild played a major role in purchasing land and in helping the early Zionist settlements with funding, agricultural training, and industrial development. The Carmel Winery, in Zichron Yaakov and Rishon Letzion, is one of his better-known projects. When he died in 1934, funds from his estate set up a magnificent memorial garden on a plot of land he had purchased, near Zichron Yaakov. The gardens at Ramat Hanadiv remain one of Israels beauty spots. Less well-known was the decision of the estate to set aside over 1,000 acres as a privately owned nature preserve open freely to the public. The preserve operates an ecological research station, and extensive educational programs. We had heard about the place and its programs, and decided we should get a first-hand look, as well as have an outing on a beautiful spring day. The tour was most interesting, and we got a number of ideas for programs we could do there with groups interested in Judaism and ecology.
Among the sights was a plot planted with the primitive Emmer wheat that is known as mother of all wheat. In the early 20th century, one of the settlers at Zichron Yaakov was Aaron Aaronsohn, a Zionist activist who set up the Nili spy ring that sought to help the British defeat the Turks in the First World War. This was a risky business, and indeed, the Turks broke up the ring; Aaronsohns sister Sarah committed suicide in captivity. When not involved in intrigue, Aaronsohn was a biologist, and is credited with discovering a rare strain of wild wheat in Israel that is believed to be the most primitive form of the species. This discovery was valuable for the process of genetic improvement of cultivated wheat through cross breeding a process that continues today. At Ramat Hanadiv, school children tended, harvested, and ground the wheat and made pita from the flour.
Every child in Israel knows the story of Aaronsohn and his wheat and baking pita over a fire is a standard activity on school and youth group outings. Bread is the symbol of all food, and indeed is often used as a synonym for food in various languages. The blessing for bread covers any other foods eaten at a meal, so it is our equivalent of a general grace before eating. Israel imports the vast majority of its wheat and other grains. The importing is the monopoly of a family-run business which owns the huge Dagon grain elevators that dominate the Haifa skyline. Following from the belief that bread is the basic food, it is subsidized: the two simplest forms, white bread and black bread, are sold at artificially low prices. For years, these two staples dominated the market both are firm loaves with a hard shiny crust, traditionally delivered and displayed unwrapped, unsliced, piled in a plastic crate. White bread is much firmer than the American variety; more like Italian or French bread in consistency. Black bread is not black, but a mild rye with no seeds. And of course there was always pita and simple, not-sweet, mass-produced Challah on Friday.
As the country has become more civilized, globalized, whatever, the bread department has grown, and, for a price, you can get anything you want, from sourdough bread with sun dried tomatoes to Russian pumpernickel to an attempt at a bagel. Lately, more and more stores have put in in-store bakeries, many using dough purchased from Pillsbury.
There was something authentic, elemental about the old days when bread was bread, heavy and shiny, and really delicious when fresh. But nostalgia aside, one really cant complain about the variety of delicious breads now available. Why, sometimes we fast for a week just so we can afford to buy an excellent, hard-crusted, chewy loaf from the thriving sourdough bakery in Karmiel. Mother of all bread.
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Living Off Campus
Living on campus is a vital part of the college experience and aids the student's adjustment to college. Therefore, all first-time, first-year students at Rhodes must live on campus for their first two full academic years. Rising sophomores requesting to be released from the residency requirement should contact the Residence Life Office for more information on the release process.
Living on campus provides the ease of access to all campus amenities. Additionally, you save on the cost of traveling (gas expenses; the wear and tear on your car; etc.) to and from campus. Off-campus living provides "real world" experience for soon-to-be graduates. Sharing apartments or houses is a popular way to cut costs.
Students moving off campus face the responsibility to find an apartment/house, sign a lease, furnish the residence and arrange for the utility and added amenity bills.Below are a few things to keep in mind:
- All students are held to the standards of the Honor Code and the Social Regulations Code of Rhodes College. Many students believe that when they move off campus, their actions do not fall under the jurisdiction of the college. While the college does not monitor off-campus behavior, it does retain the right to address alleged behavior that negatively impacts the college or another member of the campus community.
- Make sure your student is familiar with the rights and duties of tenants when he or she signs a lease. Also advise your aspiring tenant to get an inventory/damage checklist and fill it out accurately, immediately upon moving in. Landlords are required by Tennessee law to sign this checklist.
- Before move-in, arrange to have utility services connected.
- To avoid disputes or misunderstandings with the landlord, get everything in writing.
- Purchase renters′ insurance to cover valuables.
If you have any questions, contact the Residence Life Office Phone: (901) 843-3241.


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Vivienne Westwood Anglomania takes a typically cool approach to the classic cardigan. Woven with bright bursts of neon-orange, yellow and pink, this bold design will enliven any outfit. Wear this heavyweight style as a chic alternative to a jacket.
Neon-orange, yellow and pink heavyweight polyester-blendRibbed trims Asymmetric button fastenings through front 78% polyester, 22% nylonHand wash
Product code: 337395 - Need help? Contact us


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Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Friday night: A slight chance of showers between 9pm and midnight. Cloudy, then gradual clearing toward daybreak, with a low around 40.
EVENT of the DAY: Improvius Maximus
Some of the best improv teams, from all corners of the land, gather to compete for Emperor Nero's pleasure and yours in acclaimed comedy group Face Off Unlimited's newest show. Click here for more info or to submit an event of your own
Couple offers Ohio home rent-free to Superstorm Sandy victims
A warm-hearted Midwestern couple is offering free rent on an empty four-bedroom house — the only catch is that the tenants must have lost just about everything in Superstorm Sandy. Lauri Weinfeld, 56, and her husband Irwin Weinfeld, 69, are donating their rental house, in Perry Township, Ohio, to storm victims for four months free. Tenants will be responsible for their own utilities. Read more: Daily News
City Harvest salvages food from eateries to deliver to local storm victims
Members of the food rescue group City Harvest picked up meals donated from local restaurants and kitchens and delivered them throughout areas of Queens, Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan that were greatly affected by Hurricane Sandy ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday Wednesday. Read more: NY1
Driver killed after crash on Queens highway
A motorist was killed this morning after crashing on a Queens highway, police said. The 53-year-old victim was driving his 2011 Honda Accord eastbound on the Grand Central Parkway, near the Jackie Robinson Parkway interchange in Forest Hills, when he lost control and slammed into a median at around 3:20 a.m., police added. Read more: NY Post
Internal emails offer details on Osama Bin Laden's burial
After his dramatic death at the hands of the Navy's elite SEAL Team Six, Osama bin Laden's last rites were kept so covert his corpse was referred to as "the package" and no sailors watched the burial at sea. Read more: Daily News
City outreach efforts abound this Thanksgiving
With so many New Yorkers still struggling to recover from Sandy, the city and other volunteer groups are trying to give them something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office said more than 26,000 Thanksgiving meals were expected to be handed out Thursday. Read more: NY1
Cops investigating whether Holy Cross HS coach had inappropriate contact with students he 'watched shower'
The NYPD is investigating whether the hoops coach at Holy Cross HS in Queens had any inappropriate contact with the students he's accused of watching take showers, law-enforcement sources told The Post yesterday. Read more: NY Post
Burglary is crime du jour post-Sandy, stats show
Some of the most cold-hearted locals saw a storm-torn Rockaway peninsula as the location for the perfect heist. Police are waging an offensive against brazen looters and dishonest tow-truck drivers in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, NYPD officials said. Read more: Daily News
Mother & son busted with illegal cigarettes & $132,000 in cash
A Queens mother and her son were arrested with 677 cartons of illegal Asian cigarettes and $132,000 in cash, authorities announced today. Ying-Jian Lin, 48, and Xiao Lin, 23, face up to four years in prison for peddling the shady smokes, which are untaxed and don't carry the required surgeon general warnings, according to a Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. Read more: NY Post


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42 U.S. Code § 295 - General provisions
prev | next
(a) In general
The Secretary may award grants or contracts to eligible entities to increase the number of individuals in the public health workforce, to enhance the quality of such workforce, and to enhance the ability of the workforce to meet national, State, and local health care needs.
(b) Eligibility
To be eligible to receive a grant or contract under subsection (a) of this section an entity shall—
(1) be—
(A) a health professions school, including an accredited school or program of public health, health administration, preventive medicine, or dental public health or a school providing health management programs;
(c) Preference
In awarding grants or contracts under this section the Secretary may grant a preference to entities—
(1) serving individuals who are from disadvantaged backgrounds (including underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities); and
(d) Activities
Amounts provided under a grant or contract awarded under this section may be used for—
(5) to meet the costs of projects—
(A) to plan and develop new residency training programs and to maintain or improve existing residency training programs in preventive medicine and dental public health, that have available full-time faculty members with training and experience in the fields of preventive medicine and dental public health; and
(6) the retraining of existing public health workers as well as for increasing the supply of new practitioners to address priority public health, preventive medicine, public health dentistry, and health administration needs;
(e) Traineeships
(1) In general
With respect to amounts used under this section for the training of health professionals, such training programs shall be designed to—
(B) increase the relevance of public health academic preparation to public health practice in the future;
(C) provide education or training for students from traditional on-campus programs in practice-based sites; or
(2) Severe shortage disciplines
Amounts provided under grants or contracts under this section may be used for the operation of programs designed to award traineeships to students in accredited schools of public health who enter educational programs in fields where there is a severe shortage of public health professionals, including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, toxicology, public health nursing, nutrition, preventive medicine, maternal and child health, and behavioral and mental health professions.
Source(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 765, as added Pub. L. 105–392, title I, § 105,Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3553; amended Pub. L. 111–148, title V, § 5206(a),Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 611.)
Prior Provisions
A prior section 295, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 781, as added Pub. L. 102–408, title I, § 102,Oct. 13, 1992, 106 Stat. 2055; amended Pub. L. 105–12, § 12(b),Apr. 30, 1997, 111 Stat. 29, authorized grants and contracts for research on certain health professions issues, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 105–392, title I, § 106(a)(1),Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3557.
Another prior section 295, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 761, as added Dec. 25, 1970, Pub. L. 91–696, § 101, 84 Stat. 2080–1; amended Oct. 17, 1979, Pub. L. 96–88, title III, § 301(a)(1), title V, § 507,93 Stat. 677, 692, provided Congressional declaration of purpose for former part D of this subchapter, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–129, title II, § 220(c),Oct. 22, 1985, 99 Stat. 544.
Another prior section 295, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 761, as added Oct. 31, 1963, Pub. L. 88–164, title I, § 101, 77 Stat. 282, related to authorization of appropriations respecting grants for construction of mental retardation facilities, prior to the general amendment of former part D of this subchapter by section 101 ofPub. L. 91–696.
A prior section 765 of act July 1, 1944, was classified to section 294c of this title prior to the general amendment of part D of this subchapter by Pub. L. 105–392.
Another prior section 765 of act July 1, 1944, was classified to section 295d of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–129.
Another prior section 765 of act July 1, 1944, was classified to section 295d of this title prior to the general amendment of part D of this subchapter by Pub. L. 91–696.
2010—Subsec. (d)(8), (9). Pub. L. 111–148added par. (8) and redesignated former par. (8) as (9).
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Andrew Edwards | December 12, 2013 | Comments
Don't rely on first impressions when it comes to ad impressions. Columnist Andrew Edwards explains how to dig deeper with analytics to uncover greater value in your PPC campaigns.
Recently, a customer suffered a costly setback in a CPM campaign -- and I suspect they're not the only ones with the problem. In fact, I think there's ample evidence to suggest the CPM and PPC world is rife with opacity and strange artifacts.
Here's what happened: the advertiser runs a professional services firm and wanted their ads to appear at certain sites where they believed customers might be found. That sounds simple enough. They contacted a relatively small ad network that claimed to specialize. The CPM program (which charges per impression, not per click-through) ran for several months and cost nearly twenty thousand dollars. It was canceled due to non-performance.
Why did this happen?
Analytics Review
A review of the firm's Google Analytics revealed the traffic sources from the campaign and the amount of impressions from each venue. It turned out that over twenty per cent of the impressions delivered came from a site owned by the ad network itself. This seemed an anomaly. Upon further investigation, the site proved to be a page full of videos for a variety of brands. It had no other content besides the videos and there seemed little reason for anyone to actually visit the site. So where did all the impressions come from?
It's really anyone's guess. But one might conclude this URL was used simply to generate impressions with no actual visitors or at least, no visitors relevant to the campaign. When the facts were presented to the network, they credited the customer for all the impressions from that site.
Score a win for analytics!
But what if you're running multiple campaigns and don't have time to run down each and every bad batch of impressions? How would you know where your impressions were coming from, whether they were actually visible, and whether the site was of any real quality relative to your goals?
comScore, the well known media measurement firm, may have some answers. While they recently came out with a product called Validated Media Essentials (vME) designed to help media sellers increase advertising inventory and revenue, they also have a product called Validated Campaign Essentials (vCE) that is designed to help buyers fight opacity in networked advertising.
Here are some of the things it can do:
The net result of these kinds of insights is that the buyer can increase campaign effectiveness and, just as importantly, they play an important role in decreasing wasted impressions (and dollars).
In the newest version of vCE, you can gain access to important data based on an accounting of impressions delivered across a variety of dimensions, such as ads delivered in-view, in the right geography, in a brand safe environment and absent of non-human traffic. It also evaluates the degree to which validated impressions reached the campaign target audience.
Why does this matter?
Geographic data is key because ad networks use a wide variety of sites to deliver impressions. But if you have an interest in generating traffic within a specific region, your ad network won't necessarily target geography, or at least not with sufficient accuracy. Tools like vCE 2.0 will help you understand where the traffic is coming from. This is accomplished by comScore because they rely in part on a panel of known users. By extrapolating data from these users (there are over a million in the US), they can give you a good idea of what the geographic profile looks like for your impressions.
Viewability is also a key metric, yet your typical analytics tool will not provide any insight into this. The term refers to whether or not your ad, even if served, actually showed up in the screen seen by the user. Think of it this way: many pages are longer than a single screen, and often you have to scroll to see the entire page. What if your ad was served, but was too far down the page? And what if the user left the page without ever seeing it? vCE lets you know whether or not the ad was actually capable of being seen, or if it was instead hidden "below the fold" (to use an old newspaper phrase) and never actually viewed by a person. You should not have to pay for ads never capable of being seen.
Brand Safety
Brand safety is often overlooked, but it's the equivalent of insisting that your billboard for milk does not appear on top of a slaughterhouse. How can you know that the sites where your ad is seen don't in fact make your ad reflect poorly on your company? What is the quality of that site? Does it have lots of negative comments in its forums? Is it badly formatted, possessed only of thin, irrelevant content? Does it seem to present an unsavory image for your brand? Make sure your ads are appearing only in places that make you seem both relevant and elegant.
Non-human Traffic
Non-human traffic is also a major problem, as pointed out in my example above. There's no single reason why a particular ad network might generate impressions to non-human traffic, and we're not here to determine whether this is ever done on purpose to inflate impressions. But it's not an insignificant number of impressions in many cases. And without a way to track it down, you'll pay for ads that somehow got served, but in a manner not associated with human activity. Unfortunately, bots today do not buy things. Perhaps one day they shall (as we enter the Age of Drones) but right now they are not very good prospects. There is no reason to pay for these impressions.
Piercing the Veil
Many buyers believe, mistakenly, that CPM campaigns are a set-it-and-forget it proposition, and that they are getting a clean deal from their ad network. But there are too many variables involved, and ad networks sometimes prefer opacity to accountability.
You may not need a specialized tool like vCE -- as indicated above, you can certainly learn much just from reviewing your standard analytics with care. But vCE and tools like it go beyond what analytics alone can provide. Especially if you're managing high-volume campaigns, it would be a mistake to rely simply on reporting from the ad network. Self-reporting is too one-sided. You need a way to arbitrate your buy. Using third party tools to measure ad buys is just as important as using third party analytics to understand traffic patterns.
Don't rely on first impressions when it comes to ad impressions. Dig deeper and you'll uncover more value.
Pro Rank Tracker is a cutting-edge ranking tracking tool for keeping you up-to-date with all the latest changes in the rankings of your websites and videos.
Andrew V. Edwards is a digital marketing executive with 20 years of experience serving large organizations, and has been an operating executive and digital marketing consultant since the 1980s. Currently he is a partner at Efectyv Digital, a digital analytics consulting firm. Andrew combines extensive technical knowledge with a broad strategic understanding of digital marketing and especially digital measurement, plus hands-on creative in the form of writing and design.
In 2004 Edwards co-founded the Digital Analytics Association and is currently a director emeritus. He has designed analytics training curricula for business teams and has led seminars on digital marketing subjects.
Besides writing a regular column about analytics for ClickZ, Andrew wrote the groundbreaking "Dawn of Convergence Analytics" report, which was featured at the SES show in New York (2013).
His book Digital Is Destroying Everything, published by Rowman & Littlefield, will be released on June 15, 2015.
October 21-22, 2015
November 17-19, 2015
November 25-26, 2015
April 11-13, 2016
Spring 2016
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Traditionally desktops have shown to convert better than mobile devices however, 2015 might be a tipping point for mobile conversions! Download this report to find why mobile users are more important then ever.
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October 13, 2015
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November 12, 2015


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Welcome to Smogon! Check out the Smogon Info Hub for everything you need to know about starting out in the community. Don't forget to introduce yourself in the Introduction Thread, too!
Welcome to Smogon Forums! Please take a minute to read the rules.
Completed 5v5 brawl between two users with long/confusing names! Ragnarokalex vs Athenodoros!!
Discussion in 'ASB' started by Elevator Music, Dec 10, 2011.
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(NBC NEWS) -- The countdown is on.
An estimated one-million people are expected to pack into New York's Times Square tonight to ring in 2014.
The New Year's Eve ball adorned with more than 2,600 Waterford crystals and 32,000 lights was tested Monday ahead of tonight's big celebration, and revelers from around the world have already begun descending on Times Square.
Police are ready and security is tight.
With temperatures in the mid-20s, this year will be the coldest New Year's Eve in years, but even chilly weather won't keep millions away from the experience of a lifetime.


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NEW! InspectTech's Software Demo Website is currently now available!
BridgeInspect™ Collector is a software solution which streamlines the inspection process and generates complete, formatted reports with a click of a button. The Collector software can be utilized in the field or back at the office, and has been repeatedly proven to save time, money and reduce errors. In the field the software runs on laptops/tablets, while a powerful internet version allows access from any location. The software allows for enhanced reporting, editing, submitting and QA/QC.
BridgeInspect™ Manager
is a powerful management tool which consolidates all of your bridge information into a single location. This effective solution significantly aids in the inspection and approval process, while making available all information with a click of a button. BridgeInspect Manager includes a geographical information system, maintenance/work order module, scheduling module, cost estimates, full searching, executive dashboard and custom summary report generation. All of these features provide managers with the proper tools to manage their assets to the highest degree.
Be sure to view BridgeInspect, which provides more information and specifications about the BridgeInspect suite. Full Demos and information is available upon request.
InspectTech.com 2013 © All Rights Reserved.


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GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM)- Family and friends of a missing Grand Rapids woman are boosting efforts to find her.
Maxine Green is the sister of legendary singer Al Green. She has been missing since late August.
Family and friends Monday are holding a fundraiser for reward moneyto help uncover the truth.
The 62-year-old woman was last seen at her apartment, Shephard's of Independence, on Morgan Street in Grand Rapids.
Later, security cameras at a Wyoming grocery store caught another woman using Green's stolen Bridge card. She even had the pin number.
That woman was arrested, but did not help turn any leads to help find Green.
WZZM 13 News istold the Reverend Al Green has not involved himself in the situation. However,other family members are devastated and desperate to find Maxine.
"I'm just asking the public, you know, for any help to bring her home. There's people out there who love her and miss her," Pam Green, Maxine's niece.
The "Soul Food Monday Fundraiser" will take place from11 a.m. until7 p.m. on February 10. It is being held at Ellenora's BBQ Kitchen located at 547 Eastern Avenue. The family is selling dinners for $7 each to raise money.
Police do not have any viable leads in this case right now.
As time goes on the Green family is starting to fear Maxine is dead, but they will not rest until they know what happened to her.


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Found 17 results.
Posts Tagged 'Charles Forsman'
Dec 25
…It's…Coming…Closer…By srbissette on December 25th, 2013
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It's Coming…By srbissette on December 23rd, 2013
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Vermont's Haunts Are Here!By srbissette on July 26th, 2013
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November New Works, Novelties in the SpiderBaby Store!By srbissette on November 2nd, 2012
Posted In: News
Wampum Physics, "Alphabet of Zombies," & Much More! Proud Poppa Bissette Announces First CD from Son Daniel Bissette & His Pal Alex Hiam Now On Sale! Alex Hiam, at left; Daniel Bissette, at right; Wampum Physics cover photograph ©2011 Ezra Distler. _____ We've got a lot of great new creative work just placed into the [...]