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In many ways, the big winners on the web have already been decided. The future will be a battle between powerful giants such Amazon, Facebook and Google.
There remain smaller niches for consumer web services and, of course, there is the chance that someone could come up with a revolutionary product that will destroy the business of one of the incumbents. But the big players are rich enough that they snap up or quickly copy any new ideas that might challenge their dominance.
So the smart technology money is looking to fund companies in less mature online markets.
Enter ChemistDirect and its chief executive Stuart Rowe. They attracted £6.7m last week in funding from Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström's venture capital firm, Atomico, the merchant bank Lepe Partners and DMG Media, owner of the recruitment website Jobsite.
According to Rowe, ChemistDirect will use the cash to take a larger slice of the UK's £35bn health and beauty market, which he says is exactly the sort of underdeveloped sector in which an innovative online company can still make a big impact.
The problematic reputation of online pharmacies, combined with somewhat indifferent digital efforts from high street brands, has left a gap for an upstart, he believes.
For Rowe, who joined ChemistDirect in March last year, it is a relief to identify a new opportunity. For six years he was chief executive of Play.com and before that head of e-commerce at HMV. Both companies laboured in the shadow of Amazon and eventually failed. Play.com laid off 200 staff in January after the Government closed a VAT concession that allowed it to compete on price from Jersey. The company now serves as a marketplace for other suppliers. HMV's new owners face a profound challenge to find a place in the world for the high street brand.
"If you look at the consumer web or entertainment online it is heading towards saturation," says Rowe. "Health and beauty is not. We feel there is a really big opportunity.
"[After Play.com] I wanted to go somewhere [that] wasn't directly competing with Amazon. There aren't that many left, but this is one of them and long may it continue."
ChemistDirect was founded in 2007 by a former management consultant, Mitesh Soma, with his wife Krishna, a pharmacist. It has grown to become one of Europe's biggest online pharmacies, with 100 distribution and customer service staff in Birmingham, and development now based in London's digital hub in Shoreditch.
Direct Healthcare, the holding company, turned over £12.3m in 2011 with a pre-tax loss of £930,000.
According to Rowe, revenue growth since has been strong and will be 90pc this year. But his remit now he has cash on board is to lift ChemistDirect to a new level with a complete overhaul of its website and a host of new services for the growing number of mobile online shoppers.
"Part of the mandate from the investors is that we will re-engineer the whole website. It's fair to say at the moment it is quite basic," he says. "We're going to change all that and we're looking to do it in October.
"I think people have been put off before by thinking web development is more complicated than it really is. Now we've got our distribution infrastructure in Birmingham and our development in London with enormous growth potential if we get it right."
Technology is moving to the centre of ChemistDirect's strategy at a time when consumers, conditioned by their smartphones, expect simpler experiences on the web.
Rowe is cagey about what the new ChemistDirect website will offer online shoppers, protesting that "my competitors will be all over it", but as well as a new look it will include more advice, more video and smarter ways for customers to manage their accounts across the main website and on mobile devices.
The company also aims to take advantage of the NHS's new electronic prescriptions service to make it easier for patients to get their medicines, as well as more efficient for ChemistDirect.
The company is fully licensed and relies on pharmacists and doctors to trade.
As well as new bells and whistles, building a trusted brand is a central part of Rowe's plans for the investment. He acknowledges many people are wary of online pharmacies and associate them with impotence and weight loss scams, or even horror stories of people damaged by unregulated medicines from overseas.
"We see the technology as an opportunity to build the quality of our customer service and trust," he says. "People know what they are going to get online from the likes of John Lewis and that is where we want to be."
He believes there is already a strong foundation to build on: two thirds of customers are repeat customers and ChemistDirect scores 9.2 out of 10 on TrustPilot, an independent consumer reviews service that acts like TripAdvisor for e-commerce websites.
"In the time we've been working with Stuart and his team, we've been really impressed with their absolute focus on the consumer," says Mattias Ljungman, a partner at Atomico, which contributed the most of the three investors.
"It's a strong team, with some exciting new talent in key areas of the business."
Despite his previous experience of coming up against the Amazon juggernaut, Rowe is bullish about ChemistDirect's chances against the closest thing to an equivalent in the UK health and beauty market, Boots.
"It is a phenomenal company but I think even they would admit there is easily room for a strong number two," he says.
The Festival of Business will provide business owners with free expert advice on dealing with banks, venture capital firms and alternative finance options such as bonds and peer-to-peer networks. Secure your free place at Telegraph.co.uk/FestivalofBusiness


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Abena Abri-Form briefs - Original Style with Plastic Outer Cover
Abena Abri-Form briefs are perhaps the finest adult diapers in the world. They are made in Denmark on state-of-the-art machinery, using only the highest quality raw materials. They are chlorine free, perfume free, allergen free, and have absorbency and leak protection in a league beyond most other brands.
These are the original plastic-backed version. All feature soft standing leak guards elasticated leg gathers and four refastenable tapes for a comfortable fit. The key feature of AbriForm briefs is their incredible absorbency. Just one X-Plus brief offers up to four times the absorbency of a typical store-brand product.
We also carry the soft, breathable "Premium AirPlus" line of AbriForm briefs. They are featured on their own page here.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Georgia Veterinary Technical Schools:
The individual who loves animals and may find it rewarding to work with them daily might be interested in being a veterinary technician or technologist. Veterinary technicians usually hold two-year or associate degrees in veterinary medical technology or a similar field. Veterinary technologists care for animals or assist veterinarians in the medical care of animals.
Those who earn these degrees and live in Georgia have several options for work. Holders of this degree qualifies the graduate to work in veterinarian's offices, zoos, colleges where animal research is conducted, and tourist attractions featuring animals exhibits. There are also opportunities to work with state, local and federal agencies that provide services such as animal control and agricultural services related to animals.
The courses taken by a candidate for a two-year veterinary degree cover the following subject matter: animal diseases, animal nutrition, anatomy and physiology, parasitology, radiology, pharmacology, and procedures for working with animals. Veterinary degree students at this level also take courses in office management since this will be one of their primary duties.
Career Opportunities & Compensation in Georgia
Students in two-year programs get plenty of opportunities to interact with animals prior to entering the workforce because in addition to studying about animals they serve as the animals' primary caretakers. Those working in the veterinary medicine field can expect to be assigned some of the following duties: restrain animals and prepare them for examination, obtain specimens for laboratory testing, assisting with surgeries, taking radiographs, performing dental care such as teeth cleaning, and talking with pet owners regarding proper care and medication administration.
Veterinary technicians may be certified or registered in the states where they work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),in 2010 the median annual pay for a veterinary technician was $29,710 per year. Those with more experience and located in areas where the need is greater will earn more. This is a field that is expected to grow faster than some others, so job opportunities will be available for those who are interested in this field.
Featured Veterinary Assisting School:
Online Georgia Technical Schools and Colleges
Additional Georgia Technical Schools and Colleges
When getting a Georgia veterinary technician license, you can be sure you are preparing for a great career as a Georgia veterinary tech. Make sure you have completed your coursework at a Georgia vet tech college to ensure you are able to qualify for a Georgia veterinary technician license. Technical Schools Guide is here to help you start your career as a Georgia vet tech starting with the proper veterinary tech training. The vet tech colleges above are 2-year vet tech colleges, 4-year vet tech colleges, and veterinary technical colleges. These vet tech colleges will ensure that you start your new career as a Georgia veterinary technician off right! Technical Schools Guide wishes you luck in your Veterinary technician school search!
Learn more about Georgia vet tech license requirements.
-The Technical Schools Guide staff. To contact us, click here.
Call a Career Advisor now:
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Call 1.877.637.2927


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What had all the makings of a verbal prize fight last week between Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican, and Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman David Betras fizzled like the wick on a dud firecracker.
Betras was surprisingly calm, holding his temper in check publicly (although he had to be fuming privately) when notice of his rejection to become a member of the Mahoning County Board of Elections was made in a biting letter Monday from the state's top election official to the chairman.
Husted wrote Betras was ''not competent'' to serve on the board, citing the chairman's involvement in ''wrongful conduct'' as treasurer of an office transition account for ex-Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann.
Betras, never a target of the investigation that led to charges against Dann, bit his tongue, saying he was upset Husted penned such a stinging letter and made the decision without so much as a courtesy call for an explanation.
The most inflammatory statement Betras said to this writer was that he hoped the decision wasn't politically motivated, a far cry from what other Democrats said when news of Husted's decision spread.
Betras was frustrated when fellow Democrat, state Rep. Bob Hagan, known to never mince words, came out swinging a day later at the secretary of state in a letter he says was accidentally released to the media.
In his letter, Hagan expressed his shock that Husted linked Betras' service as transition account treasurer and his fitness to be an elections board member. He wrote of previous questions surrounding Husted as a state legislator living in the right district and dealings with special interest groups.
Betras responded by saying he wished his friend refrained from escalating the situation.
And it appears Hagan didn't.
The office viewed it as Hagan simply coming to the defense of his friend and on Friday, Betras and Husted had a face-to-face conversation, called by the secretary ''informative and constructive.''
It was an opportunity to clear the air. As a result, Betras withdrew his name from consideration and in exchange, Husted rescinded the letter denying the chairman's appointment.
There remains a Monday deadline for the party's executive committee to make another recommendation.
Betras was wise not to challenge Husted's decision, instead opting to file another name for the secretary of state's approval, which keeps the ability to choose a replacement for Michael Morley, who stepped down in September, in the hands of the local party members.
Trumbull County Democratic Party's executive committee did not submit another name when Husted in March rejected county commissioner and party chairman Dan Polivka's bid to temporarily sit on the county elections board and Husted wound up making the appointment.
On Friday, executive committee members picked George Beelen, a retired Youngstown State University history professor and former trustee in Austintown, as the recommendation to Husted.


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2012 Honoree
Major General Melvin L. Burch is Assistant Adjutant General for Installations and Homeland Defense, West Virginia National Guard. He is responsible for making recommendations on the proper employment of forces, planning and coordinating operations or accomplishing such operational missions related to Homeland Defense as may be assigned by the Adjutant General. He has the authority necessary to accomplish missions and tasks assigned by The Adjutant General.
General Burch provides engineering planning, ensures execution of all engineering operations, coordinates all aspects of engineering to include matters pertaining to installations, facilities, and the environment in support of military operations. General Burch maintains engineer staff communications with National Guard Bureau, Army and Air National Guard, and other local, state and federal agencies. He develops joint engineering and environmental plans, doctrine, policies, procedures, and reporting instructions in coordination with the West Virginia Joint Force Headquarters Staff.
General Burch was commissioned in 1971 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at The Ohio State University. He has commanded at every level to include an Engineer Brigade. From 2007 thru 2008 he served in Iraq as the Commander, 111th Engineer Brigade.
General Burch's other significant assignments include: Assistant Adjutant General-Army, West Virginia Army National Guard; Commander, 111th Engineer BDE; Director, Facilities and Engineering, JFHQ-WV; Chief of Staff, West Virginia State Area Command; Commander, 111th Engineer Group; Post Mobilization Officer, West Virginia State Area Command; Deputy Director, Facilities and Engineering, West Virginia State Area Command; Commander, 1092nd Engineer Combat Battalion; Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff Personnel, West Virginia State Area Command; Military Personnel Officer, West Virginia State Area Command; S-1, 111th Engineer Group; S-3, 111th Engineer Group; Operations Officer, 111th Engineer Group; Utility Engineer, 111th Engineer Group; Chemical Officer, 111th Engineer Group; Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1092nd Engineer Combat Battalion; Reconnaissance Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1092nd Engineer Combat Battalion; Assistant Operations Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1092nd Engineer Combat Battalion; Executive Officer, Company C 1092nd Engineer Combat Battalion; Platoon Leader, Company C 1092nd Engineer Combat Battalion.
General Burch holds a Bachelor of Science, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation from The Ohio State University. He is a graduate of the US Army War College.
General Burch and his wife Abbie live in Tornado, WV. They have three children, Jeffrey, Nathan, and Trinity.
General Burch's awards and decorations include a Bronze Star Medal, six Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, nine Army Reserve Component Achievement Medals, 3 National Defense Service Medals, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon with numeral 5, West Virginia Legion of Merit, West Virginia Achievement Ribbon, three West Virginia Emergency Service Ribbons, eight West Virginia State Service Ribbons, six West Virginia Service Ribbons, West Virginia National Guard Minuteman Ribbon, five West Virginia Distinguished Unit Awards.


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Created using this Craftsy indie pattern
ww Awesome ANY-Size Bowl Hotpads! »
by www.wildwimin.com
Other projects made as part of this pattern:
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|Whimsical, Mod, Traditional, Funky, Casual, Classic, Cute
What are you most proud of? Translating a small bowl pattern to a simple way to fit any sized bowl! Now I can dress up my table and turn all serving bowls into part of the theme - and hot bowls can be passed easily!


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Beyonce and Jay-Z are reportedly planning a 20-date stadium tour and UTEP plans on making a pitch to bring them here to play at Sun Bowl stadium.
Jorge Vazquez, director of Special Events at UTEP which operates the Sun Bowl, said what happened with One Direction could happen again with Beyonce and Jay-Z.
One Direction was planning a 21-stop stadium tour and UTEP was able to get the band to book a concert at the Sun Bowl in September by showing there is a demand for the show in El Paso.
Vazquez said given the number of stadium shows being planned by Beyonce and Jaz-Z that UTEP's Sun Bowl could be in the perfect spot again - this time thanks to One Direction.
"Will I be approaching the promoter? Absolutely," Vazquez told ABC-7. "There aren't too many stadium tours out there - especially of this magnitude."
The tour has not officially been announced but there have been published reports in the New York Post and Billboard, among many others, saying the joint tour is in the works.
The Los Angeles Times, citing a source close to the tour's production, is reporting that the tour will launch June 13 in Atlanta and end on Aug. 6 in San Francisco.
The superstar couple is known to make surprise appearances at each other's concerts but this would be their first tour together.
Beyonce wrapped up her Mrs. Carter World Tour on March 27 in Portugal.
Jay-Z announced Wednesday morning that his "Made In America" festival will return for a third year this year on Labor Day weekend. It will happen in Philadelphia and Los Angeles at the same time.


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It's been a very good year for Will Smith. Not only is his Hancock a runaway box-office hit, but he also banked an impressive $80 million – making him Hollywood's top money earner last year, according to a new ranking from Forbes.
Cameron Diaz is no victim of the current economic pinch, either. Making $50 million last year, the Shrek and What Happens in Vegas star was Tinsel Town's top-earning female, reports the business publication.
Among others in the financial stratosphere: No. 2-ranked Johnny Depp, with a $72 million paycheck, and, tied for third place, Eddie Murphy and Mike Myers, with $55 million each – even though Myers's recent The Love Guru tanked.
Leonardo DiCaprio, with $55 million, rounded out the top five.
And while Atonement leading lady Keira Knightley earned $32 million, and Jennifer Aniston pulled in $27 million, Forbes notes that, once the gold dust settles, men make twice as much as women in Hollywood.
In terms of media personalities, Oprah Winfrey still owns the bank. Her earnings last year were a staggering $275 million.
As for other TV stars, Charlie Sheen was the top-earning male ($20 million), while Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl – who's also been stepping into big-screen roles – deposited $13 million, making her the top-ranking female.
Hefty paychecks and shopping sprees. Here's a look at who made what in Hollywood – and where it went on the cover of PEOPLE
Will Smith, Cameron Diaz Named Top Hollywood Moneymakers
Gareth Cattermole/Getty; Gaye Gerard/WireImage


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Howard Arnold WALTER, author of "Soul Surgery"
Brother Lawrence
Frank Buchman
SE Michigan AA
...in my opinion, the key principle which makes A.A. work where other plans have proved inadequate is the way of life it proposes based upon the belief of the individual in a Power greater than himself and the faith that this Power is all sufficient to destroy the obsession which possessed him and was destroying him mentally and physically."
Dr. Silkworth
The people who clutter up the addictive scene and make it seem like a big deal are the addicts (all of us at one stage of the game) who do not really want to recover and who are still horsing around with the situation and mainly playing games. When you reach the point of wanting to recover and become willing to do what recovered addicts tell you to do, the battle is more than half won."
All Addicts Anonymous
"I get hundreds of emails, phone messages, and letters from people in A.A. who have run up against anti-God, anti-Bible, anti-Christian cross-talk in their meetings. And it intimidates most of them. It produces silence on their part. Hardly a tribute to our primary purpose of message-carrying.
...God seems to have been scratched from A.A. at every turn, and wherever possible. ...The complexion of A.A. is changing; perhaps it is. But that's not going to make A.A. any more peaceful or harmonious and probably no less hateful than angry trouble-makers are making present-day A.A. It's almost as if there were a license today to attack religion rather than to propose that you find God and find Him now!
...A.A. today is not about God or finding God or establishing a relationship with God. It's not about 'Divine Help.' It's gaining a reputation for being about self-help, believing anything you want, not believing anything at all, and carrying any message you like, but making certain you go to meetings and abstain from drinking!"
Dick B.
"The beatitudes teach us that happiness cannot be found in our circumstances unless it is within ourselves. It is the inner life that is the home of happiness where abide humility, godly sorrow for sin, meekness, a desire for righteousness, peace, courage to face persecution and misunderstanding.
The quest for eternal life brings happiness, but the quest for happiness alone misses eternal life. This explains why there are so many disappointed people about us, why this has been called "the age of the great sadness," when multitudes seek happiness in ways that can never reach the goal.
The entrance to the realm of happiness is by a 'narrow gate,' where Jesus still stands to meet us with the old challenge, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand...."
from 'The Upper Room'
Rev. Sam Shoemaker
"The Oxford Group was designed as a Life Changing programand we in A.A. have for our own uses and affiliation, modified their program, chiefly by designing our twelve step program in a manner that the alcoholic who feels he needs and wants a change from what they are experiencing, can comfortably accept and apply the program and thereby change their life. To do so, requires certain attitudes, willingness, and acts on our parts.
We have simplified the program, in the feeling that any alcoholic with an alcohol problem, can live a life free of the obsession to drink. Our program of the twelve steps is really accepted in four distinct phases, as follows: 1) Need (admission); 2) Surrender (submission); 3) Restitution; 4) Construction and Maintenance."
Clarence Snyder, in 1976
"Our human impulse is to give advice, to point out the steps that other person ought to take, to rearrange their life ourselves. Actually the only thing we can rightly do is to help them listen, not to us, but to God. Somewhere at the base of their life God is speaking to them, convicting them about the past, and insistently pointing the new way. It is tremendously important that they should discover this themselves. If they listen to us instead of God, they will depend on us instead of Him. That is fatal. We must do no more at this stage than to help them listen for the deepest voices in their own souls, until they know that God is speaking and make their first response in trust and obedience to Him alone."
Cecil Rose, "When Man Listens"
"The A.A. who 'slips' has not accepted the A.A. program in its entirety. He has a reservation, or reservations. He's tried to make a compromise. Frequently, of course, he will say he doesn't know why he reverted to a drink. He means that sincerely and, as a matter of fact, he may not be aware of any reason. But if his thoughts can be probed deeply enough a reason can usually be found in the form of a reservation.
"The preventive, therefore, is acceptance of the A.A. program and A.A. principles without any reservations. This brings us to what I call the moral issue and to what I have always believed from the first to be the essence of A.A.
...in my opinion, the key principle which makes A.A. work where other plans have proved inadequate is the way of life it proposes based upon the belief of the individual in a Power greater than himself and the faith that this Power is all sufficient to destroy the obsession which possessed him and was destroying him mentally and physically."
Link to AA.org page
Seven pioneers, along with a couple of hundred close associates, did the major work in formulating these principles for effective rescue work in the modern world (from AAA organization).
These wild and woolly early AAs, these psychologically illiterate, off scouring and rubbish of the world, these newly sobered up drunks, set out to become totally committed men and women of God. The authors of the Big Book knew that their God centered, psychologically heretical, radical recovery plan was liable to jar many of the newcomers they were trying to reach with their message. Therefore, they made two moves to sugarcoat the pill.
Following his visit to Akron in February 1938, Frank Amos, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s agent, summarized the original Akron A.A. "Program" in seven points. This is published on page 131 of the A.A. General Service Conference-approved book, DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers:
LINK HERE for more at StepStudy.org
In August of 1941, Tom met Bill W. at an AA meeting in Greenwich, CT. Tom had last drink in October and his last drug 10/10/1946. He also stopped a 3-pack a day cigarette habit, and later, over-eating. In 1951 to 1957, Tom helped to edit the 12&12 book, the 2nd edition of the Big Book, and AA comes of Age.
In the late 1950s, Tom started a group called the 'Nut Club' 12 steps for anybody. This was the first group attempt to do what AAA later became. Tom's book "First Questions on the Life of the Spirit" was published in 1959, and in 1979, it was re-titled "Invitation to a Great Experiment."
He moved to Hankins, New York in 1961 and soon started East Ridge. They didn't turn anyone away which meant recovery possibilities for anxiety addicts, depression addicts, food addicts, sex addicts, etc. In 1982/1983 they started using the name All Addicts Anonymous.
SURRENDER seems to be a firm and indispensable prerequisite to any real spiritual progress. ...if you want to get to God, you've got to surrender.
Surrender is a giving up of the egotistical, self-centered notion, that I, just as I am, can direct and run my own life effectively and well. It is preceded by a keen appreciation that without conscious cooperation with the Higher Power I do not properly know how to eat, to sleep, to work I do not know how to love or pray or rejoice in life. (Thomas Powers, Invitation to a Great Experiment, AAA)
from an article by by Sam Shoemaker link to Dick B.'s webpage
There was no "Oxford Group" prior to 1919. There was no "Oxford Group" prior to the time the press gave a tiny group of travelers in Africa the Oxford "group" name in 1928. And basically, there was no "Oxford Group" in America, at least, after 1938 when the idea and name "Moral Re-Armament" were embraced by Oxford Group founder Dr. Frank N.D. Buchman, just prior to the beginning of World War II. ...Perhaps the one remnant is an occasional reference to one or all of the "Four Absolutes" or "Four Standards" honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love. These "standards" were framed in the late 1800s by Dr. Robert E. Speer in his book The Principles of Jesus, and embraced and expanded by Frank Buchman's major mentor, Dr. Henry Wright, in the early 1900s in his book The Will of God and a Man's Life Work.
...Very few people (other than a few of its early critics) had a complete understanding of the principles and practices of the Oxford Group of the 1920s and early 1930s; and even fewer saw the major importance of the Oxford Group in terms of its obvious influence and impact on A.A. and the Twelve Steps. Even worse, undocumented, erroneous remarks about the Oxford Group, coupled with Bill Wilson's repeated criticisms of the Oxford Group, tended completely to overshadow not only the rich treasure of Oxford Group writings, but also to detour researchers and historians from the path to other, equally if not more, important sources of A.A. cures. Cures and a program that drew heavily on the Creator, the Bible, Quiet Time, the teachings of Rev. Sam Shoemaker, the journal of early A.A. kept and taught by Dr. Bob's wife Anne Smith in the 1930s, and the large amount of non-Oxford Group Christian literature studied and used by pioneer AAs.
...Dozens of Oxford Group principles, practices, expressions, and idioms found their way directly into Alcoholics Anonymous. Yet very few A.A. reporters either within the fellowship or outside of it seemed willing to acknowledge these facts, to investigate them, or to utilize them in understanding A.A.'s Twelve Steps, Big Book, Slogans, Literature, Manuals, and Fellowship practices.
...Some illustrations of vitally important Oxford Group ideas that were utilized by A.A. pioneers were gradually obscured by the Oxford Group as it exists today, and ultimately treated by current A.A. literature as if they never existed in the program:
(1) Yahweh, the Creator.
(2) Jesus Christ.
(3) The Bible.
(5) The Five C's Confidence, Confession, Conviction, Conversion, and Continuance.
(6) Soul Surgery the process of eliminating sin.
(7) Sin anything that blocks you from God or another.
(8) The Four Absolutes Honesty, Purity, Unselfishness, and Love.
(9) Surrender the full and complete giving of your life to the Creator for His direction.
(10) Obedience of the Creator's will as the organ of spiritual knowledge.
(11) Loyalty.
(12) Teamwork.
(13) The varieties of prayer intercessory, forgiveness, guidance, healing, thanksgiving.
(14) Self-examination in terms of the Four Absolutes.
(15) Fellowship.
(16) Witnessing.
(17) Spiritual Experience.
(18) The message that God has done for you what you could not do for yourself.
(19) The Spiritual Principles of living as identified in the Ten Commandments, the two Great Commandments, 1 Corinthians 13, the Book of James, and the sermon on the mount.
(20) God has a plan, and man's chief duty is to fit his life into God's plan.
LINK HERE to Dick B's full article and sources
1. BILL WILSON was the principal author of Alcoholics Anonymous (the Big Book) and later wrote Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. These are the two central books in A.A. thought. Everything else in the program hinges upon reading these two works over and over again, because those who do so find them an ever-fresh source of new insights.
3. RALPH PFAU wrote the Golden Books under the pen name of Father John Doe, to preserve his anonymity. The twelfth step says "(a) Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried (b) to carry this message to alcoholics, and (c) to practice these principles in all our affairs." The Golden Books tell us how to do the last part, that is, how to bring the principles of the program to bear on our daily lives in the world, how to make decisions in the real world, and how to keep our minds and spirits on an even keel amidst the storms and stresses of everyday life.
4. ED WEBSTER wrote The Little Red Book, which had a chapter explaining how to work each of the twelve steps. Dr. Bob thought it was the best description of how to work the steps that had ever been written. He sent copies of it all over the U.S. and Canada with his recommendation. Until Dr. Bob's death in 1950, he insisted that the New York A.A. office make copies of this book available for sale through their office.
5. THE TABLEMATE was an early A.A. set of beginners lessons entitled "Alcoholics Anonymous: An Interpretation of the Twelve Steps," put out in the form of a little pamphlet. It was (and still is) the most successful set of A.A. beginners lessons ever devised. It breaks the twelve steps down into four groups, which are studied over a period of four weeks:
Discussion No. 1. The Admission. Step No. 1.
Discussion No. 2. The Spiritual Phase. Steps 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 11.
Discussion No. 3. The Inventory and Restitution. Steps No. 4, 8, 9 and 10.
Discussion No. 4. The Active Work. Step No. 12.
This little pamphlet was printed and published by A.A. groups all over the United States, where it became known under a variety of local names: The Tablemate, the Table Leader's Guide, the Detroit pamphlet, the Washington D.C. pamphlet, the Seattle pamphlet, and so on. The basic text always remained the same. The only local variants came in the little poems and readings which were sometimes printed inside the front and back covers, or between the pages of the four sections.
Detroit A.A. History Page
A.A. oldtimers who knew that period say that everyone acknowledged that it was the A.A. group in Detroit which originally wrote the lessons and used them, probably in mimeographed form. They began giving beginners lessons in Detroit in June 1943. The first printed version was produced by the A.A. group in Washington D.C., which sent a copy to Detroit. Hindsfoot Foundation
SOUL SURGERY: In my judgment, the first "real" Oxford Group book was Soul-Surgery, published in 1919. It was intended to be the collaborative work of H.A. Walter, of Buchman's mentor Henry B. Wright, and of Frank Buchman himself. It set forth a life-changing programthe so-called Five C'sthat Frank Buchman called "God's art" for cutting out sin and "opening the way" to a relationship with God. In Confidence, Confess it, become Convicted of it. Get rid of it by Conversionan experience of God. And Continue the changed life. All of these ideas directly influenced Bill Wilson's Twelve Steps.
Rev. Sam Shoemaker's Writings: Often ignored are the powerful, articulate, and simple early writings of Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr., There are many, and they are covered in my various bibliographies. They are virtually reviewed in my title New Light on Alcoholism. They include Realizing Religion, Religion That Works, Confident Faith, How to Find God, If I Be Lifted Up, The Conversion of the Church, National Awakening, The Church Can Save the World, and A First Century Christian Fellowship. Those who focus too much on the "Oxford Group" tend to ignore the immense personal influence that Shoemaker had as a member of the Oxford Group, as a personal friend of Bill Wilson, and as one that Bill called a "Co-founder" of A.A. and actually asked (at first) to write the Twelve Steps themselvessteps in which Dr. Bob played no part at all as to the writing stage.
The Life-changing books Anne Smith and Dr. Bob recommended: Begbie's Twice-Born Men and Life-Changers; Foot's Life Began Yesterday; Shoemaker's Twice-Born Ministers; and Russell's For Sinners Only. There were others of less popularity: Kitchen's I Was a Pagan; Charles Clapp's The Big Bender; and Amelia Reynold's New Lives for Old.
"Doctrinal" Descriptions of Various Principles: Almond's Foundations for Faith; Sherwood Day's The Principles of the Group; Julian Thornton-Duesbury's Sharing; Philip Marshall Brown's The Venture of Belief; the anonymous What is the Oxford Group; Harris's The Breeze of the Spirit; Weatherhead's Discipleship; Benson's The Eight Points of the Oxford Group; Leon's The Philosophy of Courage; Phillimore's Just for Today; and Winslow's Why I Believe in the Oxford Group.
The Bible study, Prayer, and Guidance literature: Carruthers's How to Find Reality in Your Morning Devotions; Chambers's My Utmost for His Highest; Fosdick's The Meaning of Prayer; Holm's The Runner's Bible; Jones's Victorious Living; Forde's The Guidance of God; H. Rose's The Quiet Time; Cecil Rose's When Man Listens; Sangster's God Does Guide Us; Streeter's The God Who Speaks; The Upper Room; Hadden's Christ's Program for World-Reconstruction: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount; Harris's An Outline of the Life of Christ; Hicks's How to Read the Bible; Viney's How Do I Begin?; and Winslow's Vital Touch with God and When I Awake; Tileston's Daily Strength for Daily Needs
Biographical: Austin's Frank Buchman as I Knew Him; Buchman's Remaking the World; Howard's Frank Buchman's Secret and That Man Frank Buchman; Hunter's World Changing through Life-changing; Lean's On the Tail of a Comet; Spoerri's Dynamic out of Silence; Thornhill's The Significance of the Life of Frank Buchman.
Recent accounts by oldtimers: Belden's Beyond the Satellites: Is God SpeakingAre we Listening; Blake's Way to Go; Harriman's Matched Pair; Lean's Cast out your Nets; Martin's Always a Little Further; Mowat's Modern Prophetic Voices; and Twitchell's Frank Buchman: Twentieth Century Catalyst
from Dick B's blog LINK HERE
Here are the guidelines which were part of Dr. Bob's Christian Endeavor training as a youngster. Even more can be found in materials by The Rev Dr. F. B. Meyer. And Founder Dr. Francis Clark wrote:
"Undoubtedly the effort that has done most to impress the deepest things of the Spirit of God upon the Christian Endeavor movement is the so-called 'Quiet Hour.' . . . . Because there may be some who read these pages who may not understand the inner meaning of the Quiet Hour, or what the old writers understand by 'practising the presence of God,' the writer. . . tries to tell his young friends just how the Quiet Hour may be spent. 'Our Bible is open, perhaps to the familiar passage which reveals the wondrous truth that man dwells in God, and God in man, as John records it. Seek to realize this stupendous fact, for all Scripture is a lie if it is not a fact. Say to yourself over and over again: 'God is here. God is here. God is within me. I am His child. God is my Father'." (Clark, Christian Endeavor, supra, pp. 525-526).
"So it was proposed that those who wished should band themselves together in a purely voluntary organization called 'the Comrades of the Quiet Hour.' The name was chosen rather than the similar name of 'The Morning Watch' in order to give the utmost freedom as to the time which should be devoted to meditation and personal communion with God, though the morning was strongly recommended. Those who became "comrades" agreed to spend fifteen minutes a day not merely in Bible-reading and petition, but in genuine personal communion with the Unseen. . . . Quiet Hour literature began to abound; 'Quiet Hours' led by some of the most eminent Christians in the land began to be held in connection with the conventions both State and national. Now more than 40,000 have been definitely enrolled. . ." (Clark, Christian Endeavor, supra, p. 357).
In his last, very brief, and much quoted address to AAs, Dr. Bob made the following pointseemingly out of a discerning memory of his youthful work in Christian Endeavor:
• "Our Twelve Steps, when simmered down to the last, resolve themselves into the words 'love' and 'service.' We understand what love is, and we understand what service is. So let's bear those two things in mind" (DR. BOB, supra, p. 338).
The last paragraph of A.A.'s own biographical sketch on Dr. Bob said:
• "Dr. Bob firmly believed that 'love and service' are the cornerstones of Alcoholics Anonymous" (The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous: Biographical Sketches. Their Last Major Talks). NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1972, 1975, p. 9).
On the New York scene, not a single person got sober in Bill Wilson's home between 1934 and 1939. Bill was not able to help anyone get sober in his first six months of sobriety before coming to Akron. And very very few established any sobriety on the East Coast immediately thereafter. Bill and Lois both humbly stated these facts many times. Bill readily pointed to the much greater success rate in Akron and to the spiritual emphasis there (which necessarily meant Bible, prayer, Quiet Time, and religious literature-as Frank Amos had reported). Finally, Bill made it clear that he felt it was the lack of spiritual emphasis that accounted for the difference.
Dr. Bob Smith sponsored Clarence Snyder. Clarence met Dr. Bob in Akron City Hospital February 11, 1938, the date Clarence celebrated as his sobriety date for the next forty-six years. Clarence was among the first 40 members of AA and his story is included in the first three versions of 'the Big Book' as AA #11, "The Home Brewmeister". He was part of the counseling team that wrote the Big Book.
Clarence, the "HOME BREWMEISTER" passed along the specific Bible, Oxford Group, and devotional ideas that enabled early AAs to succeed so well. Moreover, Clarence, like Dr. Bob, felt there was no need to stay sick. People could recover; and alcoholics who took the Steps, trusted God, and abided by the Four Absolutes (Honesty, Purity, Unselfishness and Love) did recover and stayed recovered. Bob took people through the six steps in an afternoon. Clarence took thousands through the Twelve Steps in two days.
The first gathering of what was known as an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting was held on May 11, 1939, at the home of Abby G. in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Nell Wing, Bill Wilson's secretary from 1947 until his death in 1971 and A.A.'s first archivist said that Clarence was rightly the first person to use the initials A.A. in reference to Alcoholics Anonymous.
Other early innovations credited to Clarence are: • forming the first Central Committee in A.A., • developing A.A.'s first newsletter, the Bulletin to All Groups that in 1942 became the Cleveland Central Bulletin, • initiated the practice of rotation of officers both at meetings and with the Central Committee, • wrote A.A.'s first pamphlet on sponsorship in 1944, and, • helped organize a convention celebrating A.A.'s 10th anniversary in Cleveland. Over 3000 AA's attended representing over 25 states and Canada. This was A.A.'s first unofficial international convention. link at CameToBelieve.org
In many areas of the United States and Canada, the newcomer could not attend "regular" meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous until he or she had completed all 12 Steps in the Beginners' Meetings. It is said that meetings were discontinued in the late 1950s as the result of the publication of the book, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions by Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc. In some areas, the "Twelve & Twelve" replaced both the "Big Book" and the The Little Red Book, and "Step Studies" replaced the Beginners' Meetings. ...the laborious and detailed three-column inventory, described in page 65 of the "Big Book," replaced the informal and straightforward assets and liabilities checklist. What had originally been conceived as a very simple program taking a few hours to complete, evolved into a complex and, for many newcomers, an insurmountable barrier to recovery.
link here to B to B website
...there are still people within the A.A. community who are unfamiliar with this (back to basics) "original" meeting format or the role James H. has played in bringing this highly successful "design for living" back to the fellowship. James is the last living link to the spiritual roots of the Alcoholics Anonymous program that produced a 75% recovery rate from alcoholism.
...Just like Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob Smith, and the other "Big Book" authors, James H. found God and sobriety in the Oxford Group. And, just like Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob Smith, and the other "Big Book" authors, James had his spiritual awakening as the direct result of taking the Oxford Group Four Steps of Surrender, Sharing, Restitution and Guidance. link to Wally P's info on James H.
Long after A.A. was founded, Lois Wilson wrote that it had been founded in 1934 when drunks were coming to the Wilson home in Brooklyn. Others wanted to date it when Ebby Thacher first carried the message to Bill Wilson. T. Henry Williams often said that A.A. started right on the carpet of his Palisades home in Akron when Dr. Bob, Henrietta Seiberling, and the others in the Oxford Group knelt and prayed for Dr. Bob's recovery. Still others like to date it as of the publishing of the Big Book in the Spring of 1939. Clarence Snyder claimed he was the founder, and that the first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous was held in Cleveland on May 11, 1939. One would-be expert has now asserted that the 'original' program occurred some time after that in the 1940s. And, Bill Wilson made the statement that the first A.A. group began when A.A. Number Three was cured of alcoholism, was visited by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob in the hospital, and walked from there a 'free man' never to drink again. That happened very shortly after Dr. Bob himself got sober.
Personally, I'm convinced that A.A. began. I am convinced it began at Dr. Bob's Home in Akron. I am convinced that Bob and Bill agreed that it began when Dr. Bob took his last drink. I'm convinced that fairly soon after AA began, Bill and Bob agreed that the founding date was June 10, 1935. And thereafter, Bill Wilson attended and actually spoke at "Founders Day" each year in Akron where the "founding of A.A." on June 10, 1935 is celebrated.
Definition of an Alcoholic Anonymous: An Alcoholic Anonymous is an alcoholic who through application of and adherence to rules laid down by the organization, has completely foresworn the use of any and all alcoholic beverages. The moment he wittingly drinks so much as a drop of beer, wine, spirits, or any other alcoholic drink he automatically loses all status as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.
A.A. is not interested in sobering up drunks who are not sincere in their desire to remain completely sober for all time. A.A. is not interested in alcoholics who want to sober up merely to go on another bender, sober up because of fear for their jobs, their wives, their social standing, or to clear up some trouble either real or imaginary. In other words, if a person is genuinely sincere in his desire for continued sobriety for his own good, is convinced in his heart that alcohol holds him in its power, and is willing to admit that he is an alcoholic, members of Alcoholics Anonymous will do all in their power, spend days of their time to guide him to a new, a happy, and a contented way of life.
It is utterly essential for the newcomer to say to himself sincerely and without any reservation, "I am doing this for myself and myself alone." Experience has proved in hundreds of cases that unless an alcoholic is sobering up for a purely personal and selfish motive, he will not remain sober for any great length of time. He may remain sober for a few weeks or a few months, but the moment the motivating element, usually fear of some sort, disappears, so disappears sobriety.
TO THE NEWCOMER: It is your life. It is your choice. If you are not completely convinced to your own satisfaction that you are an alcoholic, that your life has become unmanageable; if you are not ready to part with alcohol forever, it would be better for all concerned if you discontinue reading this and give up the idea of becoming a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.
For if you are not convinced, it is not only wasting your own time, but the time of scores of men and women who are genuinely interested in helping you.
link to Silkworth.net/AAHistory for more of "A Manual for Alcoholics Anonymous - The 1940 Akron Manual"
© A Daily Reprieve Center: Recovery Information 2008-2013


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Heart and Sole Luncheon
11:30 a.m. today. Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, 24 Public Square. $125 ($75 tax deductible). Sponsorships available. Includes luncheon, honoring Shoes and Clothes for Kids chairman emeritus Allan Krulak. Benefits Shoes and Clothes for Kids. Go to sc4k.org/heart or call 216-881-7463, ext. 4.
Shoreway to Heaven Benefit
5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday. 78th Street Studios, 1300 W. 78th St., Cleveland. $50. Sponsorships available. Includes heavy appetizers, beer, wine, soft drinks, desserts and music. Benefits Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization. Go to dscdo.org or call 216-961-4242, ext. 265.
Breakfast With Mayim Bialik
8-9:30 a.m. Friday. Mandel JCC, 26001 South Woodland Road, Beachwood. $50 ($30 tax deductible). Sponsorships available. Includes kosher breakfast, talk and question-and-answer session with actress Mayim Bialik. Must register. Benefits Cleveland Hillel Foundation. Go to breakfastwithmayimbialik.eventbrite.com or call 216-231-0040.
Taste of Excellence Wine Tasting
6-9 p.m. Friday. Springvale Ballroom, 5871 Canterbury Road, North Olmsted. $40. Sponsorships available. Includes wine and craft-beer tastings, heavy appetizers, dessert, raffle, silent auction and art show. Benefits student scholarships and the high school academic boosters. Go to northolmstedschools.org or call 440-779-3513.
WVIZ World Series of Wine Grand Tastings
7:30-10:30 p.m. Friday, 1-4 p.m. and 7:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3. Terrace Club at Progressive Field, 2401 Ontario St., Cleveland. $75. Sponsorships available. Includes sampling of more than 450 wines and hors d'oeuvres. Benefits WVIZ-PBS. Go to wviz.org/wine or call 216-916-6154.
Miracles Happen: A Casual Evening of Celebration
6:30 p.m. Friday. Shaker Heights Country Club. $125 ($65 tax deductible). Features gourmet food stations by Zack Bruell and Matt Gambatese, silent auction, music by the Mike Petrone Band. Benefits advanced breast-cancer research at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center. Go to uhgiving.org/miracleshappengala.
Cleveland Orchestra Gala Concert and Dinner
7 p.m. Saturday. Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. $500. ($75-$140 concert only). Sponsorships available. Includes cocktails, dinner, concert and valet parking. Featuring world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Carlos Miguel Prieto conducts. Benefits Cleveland Orchestra's educational services. Go to clevelandorchestra.com or call 216-231-7547.
Thea Bowman Center Benefit Dinner
6-10 p.m. Saturday. St. Noel's Banquet Center, 35200 Chardon Road, Willoughby Hills. $50. Includes cash bar, dinner, auction, raffle and award to honoree Dick Breitenstein of St. Rita Parish. Bishop Robert Gries is keynote speaker. Benefits Thea Bowman Center. Call 330-425-2424.
An Evening With Scott Hamilton and Friends
7:30 p.m. Saturday. Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, 24 Public Square, Cleveland. $300 ($150 tax deductible). Sponsorships available. Includes cocktails, dinner and dancing. Benefits the Scott Hamilton CARES at Cleveland Clinic. Call 216-445-0099.
Women Who Run
7:30 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. health expo opens, 9 a.m. race. Saturday. The Galleria at Erieview, Cleveland. $20 (advance), $25 (day-of). Women's-only 4-mile run and 1-mile walk. Benefits Margeau's Free to Be project supporting empowerment for women and girls. Go to hermescleveland.com, free2bproject.org or call 216-623-9933.
Pasta Dinner Night
5-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8. $6 for dinner. All of the pasta-dinner ticket sales benefit Our Lady of Grace Food Pantry. The event is part of the Hinckley Arts and Crafts Fall Show and Sale Friday-Saturday, Nov. 9-10. Call 330-278-3633.
Annual Microbrew Extravaganza
6:30-11:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9. Massimo da Milano, 1400 West 25th St., Cleveland. $60 advance, $70 at door. Includes samplings of beers, ales, lagers and stouts from local breweries, all-you-can-eat buffet and live music. Benefits the Free Clinic. Go to freeclinic.org or call 216-707-3405.
75th Anniversary Champagne Preview Benefit
6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9. Cleveland Skating Club, 2500 Kemper Road, Shaker Heights. $75 ($30 tax deductible). Champagne and hors d'oeuvres, music, valet parking, cash bar. Includes admission to 117th Dunham Tavern Museum Antiques Show on Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 10-11. Benefits the museum. Email email@example.com or call 216-431-1060.
Chagrin Yoga's 3rd Anniversary Party
7-10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10. Chagrin Yoga, 524 E. Washington St., Chagrin Falls. $30. Sponsorships available. Includes food, drinks, kirtan, music and guest Wade Imre Morissette. Benefits Tiger Prep, which prepares special-needs and at-risk kids for adulthood. Go to chagrinyoga.com or call 440-247-4884.
Y-Haven Steps & Stages Benefit
6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10. Cleveland Public Theatre, 6415 Detroit Ave., Cleveland. $75 ($55 tax deductible). Sponsorships available. Includes grazing stations, soft drinks, silent auction and an original play. Benefits Y-Haven, a program of the YMCA of Greater Cleveland. Go to yhaven.org or call 216-431-2018.
Murder Mystery Dinner Fundraiser
6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10. Berkshire Hills Country Club, 9760 Mayfield Road, Chesterland. $45; $80, couple. Sponsorships available. Includes dinner and performance by seasoned actors, Chinese and silent auction, pick-a-prize and 50/50 raffle. RSVP by Friday. Benefits Geauga Lyric Theater Guild. Email email@example.com or call 440-285-7701.
5th Annual Mayor's Ball
5:30 p.m. VIP party, 7 p.m. charity ball. Saturday, Nov. 10. Beck Center for the Arts, 17801 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. VIP $150 ($115 tax deductible), ball $75 ($50 tax deductible), $100 at the door. Raffle tickets $10 each or six for $50. Sponsorships available. Includes hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, raffle, key-to-the-city presentation and live music. Proceeds benefit Beck Center. Silent-auction proceeds benefit Lakewood Charitable Assistance Corporation. Go to beckcenter.org or call 216-521-2540.
Fascinating Rhythm
4 p.m. concert featuring Spencer Myer, 6 p.m. cocktails and dinner. Sunday, Nov. 11. Crystal Ballroom of Tudor Arms Hotel, 10660 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland. $125-$175 (cocktails and dinner); $25-$35 concert only. Benefits Cleveland International Piano Competition. Go to clevelandpiano.org or call 216-707-5397.
Christmas Gospel Gala
4 p.m. VIP reception, 5 p.m. event. Sunday, Nov. 11. Sammy's in the Flats, 1400 West 10th St., Cleveland. $60. Sponsorships available. Includes food stations, silent auctions, and gospel, lounge and holiday music by the John Boston Trio. Benefits Building Hope in the City. RSVP by Friday. Go to buildinghopeinthecity.org or call 216-281-4673.
Starlight Guardian Humanitarian Award Luncheon
Noon. Tuesday, Nov. 13. Executive Caterers at Landerhaven, 6111 Landerhaven Drive, Mayfield Heights. $100 ($75 tax deductible). Sponsorships available. Includes luncheon and awards ceremony honoring John Lanigan and Tom Cutter. WTAM AM/1100's Bill Wills, master of ceremonies. Benefits Our Lady of the Wayside. Go to wayside.org or call 440-934-6054.
Christmas Sale
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 and Friday, Nov. 16, and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17. Second Mile Shop, 398 W. Bagley Road, Suite No. 7, Berea. The 26th annual sale of holiday items includes ornaments, wreaths, candles, vintage collectibles and more. WOIO Channel 19's Lydia Esparra will sign copies of "Heaven is All Around You." Proceeds benefit outreach programs and services of Church Street Ministries. Call 440-826-4531.
Raise the Roof Gala
5-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15. O'Neil House, 1290 Exchange St., Akron. $50. ($25 tax deductible). Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres. Sponsorships available. Benefits Rebuilding Together Greater Cuyahoga Valley. RSVP by Friday, Nov. 9. Call 330-773-4100.
Compassion From Fashion Event
5-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17. Beachwood Place, 26300 Cedar Road, Beachwood. $25 online only. Includes food, drinks, runway fashion show and retailer discounts. Ticket holders will receive a $10 Beachwood Place gift card. Benefits UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital and the Gathering Place. Go to compassionfromfashion.com or call 216-464-9460.
2012 Holiday Tree Festival
Saturday, Nov. 17-Sunday, Nov. 25. Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 2-6 p.m. Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving), 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays. John S. Knight Center, 77 E. Mill St., Akron. Free admission. Includes more than 400 decorated trees, decorations, wreaths and displays. Display items for sale. Benefits Akron Children's Hospital. Go to akronchildrens.org or call 330-543-8424.
Still Rockin' & Rollin' after 60 Years
6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4. Holiday Inn Express Hotel Mentor La Malfa Conference Center, 5785 Heisley Road, Mentor. $40. Sponsorships available. Includes dinner, dessert, presentation, dancing and entertainment. Benefits New Avenues to Independence. Go to newavenues.net or call 216-481-1909.


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A New Mexico woman is facing charges after authorities say she tried to send marijuana inside a Valentine's Day card to a Roosevelt County inmate.
The Portales News-Tribune reports that 30-year-old Jassica Rodriguez was arrested last week and charged with furnishing drugs or liquor to a prisoner.
According to an affidavit, the one gram of marijuana was found inside of a Valentine's Day card.
Jail officials say the drug was discovered during a routine mail check and staff could smell the marijuana prior to opening the envelope.
The Portales resident was released on a $5,000 bond.
No attorney was listed for Rodriguez.


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Are you tired of anti-persperant residue
When you're working out and sweating, don't you hate anti-persperant residue on your pits? It's annoying and looks terrible, and you can be sure anyone you're dating hates it as well. Now we have new Right Guard Extreme to change the game so your clothes won't be caked with that residue ever again!
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You've got to brush up on your game to get the girl! Find your hookups with this online dating guide.
Check out this slideshow of hot babes and cool cars.
Posted in: Video


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GAINSEVILLE, Fla. -- The Florida Department of Citrus expects a banner year for orange juice supplies and prices, and the agency says retailers who don't allot ample facings to frozen concentrate orange juice could miss out on a windfall. Bob Behr, economic and market research director for the FDC here, said a study conducted for his department indicated retailers were giving too much space to other frozen juices and drinks, and not enough to frozen orange juice. That must change, he said, ...
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"It's so funny," she told PEOPLE at the time. "George Clooney came up to me, and he was like, 'You're so great. You should win.' And I said, 'You watch Dancing with the Stars?' "
Now, five years later, the leggy blonde, who is also a former WWE star, is the subject of romance rumors swirling around the recently single, seasoned bachelor.
Clooney, 50, who announced his split from Italian TV host Elisabetta Canalis in June, has been clocking in time with Keibler, 31, a source tells PEOPLE.
Tabloids first buzzed about a possible new lady love in the Oscar winner's life when reports surfaced that the two enjoyed each other's company at Clooney's Lake Como villa in early July.
"I'm in heaven," Keibler Tweeted July 8. The gushing continued: "I am the luckiest girl in the world," she added the next day.
But follow-up Tweets suggested the reported Italian getaway wasn't so one-on-one. "Our whole villa, 19 of us, are on a day trip," she Tweeted July 13. She added, "You can't believe anything you read and only half of what you see!"
A source tells PEOPLE that the two "have run into each other this summer." But another source adds that they have only been "spending time together" over the last few weeks and are having "fun" – not dating. "It's not just a friendship at this point," the source says.
Clooney has been promoting his upcoming political drama, The Ides of March, and otherwise staying off the radar.
'Guy's Dream'Dating or not, does the former wrestler have what it takes to pin down the ultimate bachelor, known for his motorcycle collection and jet-set lifestyle?
"She's incredibly gorgeous and sweet, but she can talk sports and hold her own at the bar," says a Keibler pal, describing her as "a guy's dream."
With reporting by MONICA RIZZO


text: For 2013 spring/summer, Carhartt WIP has teamed up with mountaineering equipment producers SALEWA to produce a classic dome tent in all-over woodland camo. Featuring a unique two-pole design to allow more head room and a large rainproof entrance – providing shelter and additional ventilation – the 100% polyester tent is wind- and weatherproof with storage space at the door and overhead. Displaying attributes from both trustworthy staples, the Dome Tent is both functional and eye-catching, well, depending on where you set up.


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Remember the good old days when radios where made out of wood? No. Ah well didn't think so, way before your time no doubt, but not mine!
Maybe it will only be me then that thinks there is something vaguely nostalgic about the EverGreen MP3 player that is made out of wood and looks like an acorn? Sure, at 1GB of flash memory and MP3, WMA and OCG compatible it isn't exactly earth shattering, but it would make a nice key fob if nothing else and I kinda like it! It will be available in Japan soon, and something tells me it will sell pretty well.
Via [Gizmodo]


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Boise State University (BSU)
Cox, Taylor
Economics Department
Taylor Cox Teaches the Following Courses
3 Courses
ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics
No classes this semester
Average grades given in the course:
Grade History for ECON 202
Based on 1100+ grade records
|6 Recommended
ECON 201 Principles of Macroeconomics
No classes this semester
Average grades given in the course:
Grade History for ECON 201
Based on 640+ grade records
|1 Recommended
ECON 303 Intermediate Microeconomics
No classes this semester
Average grades given in the course:
Grade History for ECON 303
Based on 80+ grade records
|0 Recommended
We did not find any courses that Taylor Cox has taught or is planning on teaching in the last year. Click here to view all the courses this professor has taught in the past.
Taylor Cox's Recommendations
ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics
He's a great guy. Very humorous, loves chocolate and runs 100 mile marathons! He is really nice easy going and laid back. Due dates aren't super strict he usually pushes them back. Grading is very lenient. Quizzes are easy he gives you exactly what you need to know and you never get any surprises. Tests are mostly about the vocab and applying it to real life situations. In my class he used all the homework assignments as extra credit on the test. So you turn in the assignments and then the same questions are on the test as extra credit which is very very helpful! He doesn't take attendance but going always helps. I felt there was a lot of times i didn't need to be there.
ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics
Dr. Cox is a great teacher. He is fair and extremely helpful with any questions. I took him for both Maco and Micro. Tests are fairly easy, weekly quizes, and homework can be done with 3 other students, which made it easier to split up the work.
ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics
Cox is a great Prof. More importantly he is a great teacher. Vocab is a key in his class, make flash cards and continue to study them they will show up on every exam. Reading the book word for word won't help you in this class, but if you attend every class period you will do well. I would take any other class he offered.
ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics
Homework was really helpful and interesting. The teacher did a great job in knowing what is important to the student. He can sound confused, but it's not from lack of knowledge so much as not knowing precisly how he wants to say it. Take his class. Really fun. Gracious about exams,Quizes,and Homework. Always ready to answer questions even on his own time.
ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics
Excellent teachers. ALWAYS helpful, if you have a question, call him. There is no reason you should not get a good grade in this class. His test are a little hard, but with the normal studying you should do fine. Quizzes are a cake walk, just know the terminology and you can breeze through them.
ECON 201 Principles of Macroeconomics
I enjoyed this class so much. You really get to know economics and the professor at the same time. It was so nice to get to know him on a personal level.
ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics
Awesome teacher. Study what he tells you to and you will do great!
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on February 25, 2013 - 4:26 PM
, updated February 25, 2013 at 4:27 PM
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald G. Clabeaux Sr. of Gowanda celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a family dinner in their home. Mr. Clabeaux and Eleanor M. Cummings were married May 10, 1952, in Trinity United Church of Christ, Gowanda. He is retired from the equipment management department for New York State Department of Transportation in Hamburg; she is retired from Gowanda Psychiatric Center. They have two children, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.


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BMW gives X6 Sports Activity Coupé a refresh
BMW launched its X6 in 2008 dubbing it "the world's first ever Sports Activity Coupé." The SAC moniker was adopted because the vehicle combined the high ground clearance and all-wheel drive attributes of an SUV, with the body styling of a coupé. Despite mixed reviews regarding its styling upon launch, BMW says the vehicle has since racked up sales of over 150,000. Now the German automaker has announced it is giving the X6 a facelift - although you'll have to look pretty closely to pick the changes.
The refreshed X6 sees a redesigned front end, with the standard fog lights now set in matt finish surrounds in the upper area of the outer air inlets, and newly designed bars that are angled in the lower section to make the new-look grille stand out. BMW says the new X6 will also be the first vehicle in its segment to offer the option of adaptive LED headlamps instead of the standard bi-xenon units. The use of LEDs also extends to the rear if the vehicle where the tail lights are now two LED-fed light banks.
The engines on offer are the V8 xDrive50i delivering 300 kW/407 bhp, and the xDrive35i in-line 6-cylinder petrol engine with 225 kW/306 bhp. Meanwhile the inline 6-cylinder diesel engines available for the X6 are the xDrive40d delivering 225 kW/306 bhp, and the xDrive30d with 180 kW/245 bhp. Based on the EU test cycle, the xDrive40d and xDrive30d boast fuel economy figures of 7.5 liters per 100 kilometers (31.3 mpg US) and 7.4 lp100km (31.7 mpg US) respectively. All are coupled to a standard 8-speed sports transmission.
Other changes include new paint finishes - two non-metallic and eight metallic colors - new leather trim color options, optional three-seater rear bench, and 19-inch light alloy wheels as standard, with 20-inch versions available as an option.
Another option available for the X6 in Germany is an M Sport Edition package. This includes 20-inch M light alloy wheels, electrically adjustable sports seats with memory function, stainless steel pedals, M driver footrest and adaptive LED headlamps. The package also adds an additional 11 kW and 30 lb-ft of torque to the X6 xDrive35i, and 30 kW and 30 lb-ft of torque to the X6 xDrive50i.
The adaptive LED headlamps will also be standard in a new X6 M, which packs a V8 engine delivering 408 kW/555 bhp paired to a 6-speed M Sport automatic transmission.
BMW will have the new 2013 X6 in showrooms before mid-2012. Pricing is yet to be announced.


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Aerospace and Defense
Company Overview of Aerospace Industries Association
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SkiNASTC: North American Ski Training Center | Partners
North American Ski Training Center, (NASTC) is a performance ski school offering multi-day, full immersion ski improvement clinics for intermediate to expert skiers, taught by members of the PSIA National Demonstration Team and AMGA ski guides. NASTC also offers rock climbing instruction and guiding in the Tahoe-Truckee area. Rock climbing lessons are led by fun and friendly AMGA certified guides on Donner Summit. NASTC is dedicated to providing its skiers and climbers the best experience and adventures at world class destinations across the globe.
advanced skiing, adventure travel, ski tips, NASTC, adventure skiing, ski clinics, ski courses, skiing gear, ski gear, all conditions all terrain skiing, All Conditions Skiing, alpine ski, AMGA Mt. Guides Assn, Avalanche Safety, backcountry ski, Backcountry Skiing, downhill ski, Dryland Training, Extreme Skiing, France skiing, Instructor Training, Chris Fellows, international ski adventures, International Skiing, Lake Tahoe skiing, Mt. Shasta, Off Piste Skiing, off-piste skiing, out of bounds skiing, Portillo, Powder Skiing, Ski Camps, ski classes, ski improvement, ski instruction, Ski Mountaineering, Ski Touring, Ski Training, ski training, ski trips, ski vacations, ski, skiing, Tahoe skiing, ski equipment, skiing equipment, Whistler, Verbier, Switzerland, St. Anton, Austria, PSIA, Demonstration Team, Blackcomb, Canada skiing, Chamonix skiing, Chile skiing, Chile,32


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The Heysen Trail
Google Map
View Google map showing the Heysen Trail with accommodation options, re-routes, Fire Ban Districts and Tourism Regions.
The Heysen Trail
South Australia's 1,200km Heysen Trail extends from Cape Jervis, on the Fleurieu Peninsula, to Parachilna Gorge, in the Flinders Ranges, traversing coastal areas, native bushland, rugged gorges, pine forests, vineyards, rich farmland and historic towns.
It caters for both the serious backpacker hiking the entire trail and for walkers doing day walks along shorter sections.
MapsMap sheets and guidebooks published by the Department of Environment, Water & Natural Resources. From September 2014, the existing two guidebooks (the Southern Guide from Cape Jervis to Spalding and the Northern Guide from Spalding to Parachilna Gorge) will be superseded by eight map sheets. Buy online now from $15 with postage from $2.15.
GPS FilesDownload the GPX or KML waypoint data files to load onto your GPS unit for use as a navigational aid when walking the Heysen Trail.
When to HikeThe Heysen Trail is generally open between April and November. During the summer Fire Danger Season, much of the trail is closed.
Re-RoutesDue to maintenance or access issues it is occassionally necessary to re-align sections of the Heysen Trail.
Huts & CampingScattered along the Heysen Trail are numerous campsites, huts, shelters, caravan parks, hotels and bed & breakfasts. View accommodation options.
Service DirectoryList of services along the Heysen Trail: supermarkets, general stores, medical services, internet access, payphones and post offices.
The Friends
The Friends of the Heysen Trail
The not-for-profit organisation the Friends of the Heysen Trail maintains the Heysen Trail in partnership with the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.
A regular walking program occurs year-wide, with different grades of walks catering for beginners to experienced walkers.
Upcoming Walks
Lavender Federation Trail Webb Gap to Manoora
(End-to-End Lavender Trail)
Mt Barker
(Trail Starter)
From Laratinga Wetlands on Mount Barker Creek our ultimate destination is the Mount Barker summit. On a clear day views can be seen over the Lower Lak...
Cleland to Montacute Heights
(End-to-End 10)
This spectacular section of the trail passes through the native bushland of cleland, Horsnell Gully and Morialta Conservation Parks and along roadside...
Wandallah to Newikie Creek to Dares Hill Summit Road
(End-to-End 8)
THIS WALK WAS CANCELLED IN JUNE DUE TO BAD ROAD CONDITIONS. SATURDAY 8 OCTOBER 2016 This remote section of the Heysen Trail gives walkers their fi...
View full walk programme
Walk ProgrammeView more details about the walk programme
Adelaide Hills flood damage closes some walking trails.
Recent heavy rains and flood damage in the Adelaide Hills have closed several roads and popular walking trails including the Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty track.
Posted in South Australia
Park Closure – The Telowie Gorge Conservation Park and Napperby Block (Mount Remarkable National Park) 23 Sept 2016 to 29 Sept 2016
Park closure - Telowie Gorge Conservation Park and Napperby Block (Mount Remarkable National Park) will be closed from 23 Sept to 29 Sept 2016
Posted in Trail Status (Open/Close)
Vale Honorary Member Jim Crinion
The Friends of the Heysen Trail report the death of Honorary Member Jim Crinion.
Posted in General
Heysen Trail closure in Mt Brown & Dutchmans Stern Conservation Parks from Thursday 1st to Friday 9th September.
Mt Brown & Dutchmans Stern Conservation Parks closed to walkers, 1-9 September 2016 due to feral animal controls
Posted in Trail Status (Open/Close)
Walkers be warned – Bees!
From August to October, walkers in South Australia need to be careful of dangers posed by bees. You may find bee hives around canola and other flowers. Avoid walking close to the hives. View our tips for hiking near bees.
Posted in Hiking the Trail, South Australia
Trailwalker Magazine
The quarterly magazine published by the Friends of the Heysen Trail. Download the latest Trailwalker issue.
End-to-End WalksEnd-to-end walks are for those wishing to complete the entire Heysen Trail. As the schedule and trail logistics are done by the Friends they are easy for walkers to participate in.
Suite 212, 2nd Floor Epworth Building
33 Pirie Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Phone (08) 8212 6299
Open Mon-Fri 10.30am - 2.30pm
View shop/office map


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In the wild
As people start getting their devices it's been fantastic so see the reactions and tests people have been doing with them. Above Glenn Langton made a cool video showing... Read more
New Device Specific Discussion Group
Hi Everyone!
Now that the Safecast/Kickstarter/Medcom Onyx is shipping and with the release of the new bGeigie Nano kit, we thought it would be useful to create a community specifically... Read more
Hi Backers! This is just a short update to let you know that we're hoping to begin shipping in the next week or so. We're into the final snap together... Read more
That's all folks!
Thanks for checking this project out, we're completely blown away by the surge of support we received for it. This is the last public update we'll be making here (most... Read more
Another update
Well not so much of an update as an !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here's Robin in Tokyo reacting to breaking the $100K ceiling...
1 freaking MILLI sievert
Hey Folks!
Just got an email from Pieter Franken with an important piece of information we may have forgotten to mention:
"did we tell them that the SxK Geiger goes... Read more
3 hours left!
Hey everyone!
It's been quiet here the last 24 hours or so because we've been speechless. Every milestone we've hoped we might come close to has been blown past without... Read more
New Map Live!!
Hi Folks!
This update has been months in the making. Our visualization rock stars Samuel Luescher & Anthony DeVincenzi at the MIT Media Lab are primarily to thank for this,... Read more
Nearing 150 preorders!
This is really exciting. I've mentioned before, a few times actually, how we had no idea what the response to this would be and just kind of dove in, so... Read more
A bit about baselining...
I promised an update yesterday but things didn't come together as I'd hoped so fingers crossed for an awesome update later this week. In the meantime I wanted to talk... Read more
1000% overfunded, not even at the halfway point
Just a quick update that is largely exclamation points because we hit $40,000 in less than 1 week, and still have more than a week to go (by a few... Read more
500%!! And new reward levels! Exciting!
Sorry updates have been slow today, I've been speechless watching the support pour in. We really can't thank everyone enough, we had no idea if anyone would go for this... Read more
300% in 24 hours!
Wow, 100% in 6 hours is cool but 300% in 24 hours is OMG WOW COOL!! We really weren't expecting that so it's very very exciting.
I've added a few... Read more
Funded in 6 hours!!
WOW! That was quick!! THANK YOU!
To be fair we put a pretty low starting point for this campaign because we really wanted it to happen. Since the device is... Read more


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The public's attention at next week's primary election is probably going to be focused on two races that usually are not in the spotlight because the competition for each party's nomination for governor is virtually non-existent. Incumbent Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has only token opposition for the Democratic nomination, and Republican Bill Maloney both have a little known token opponent and are expected to win their party primary nominations with ease.
It's possible that the stiffest competition could be in the five-way race for the Democratic nomination for commissioner of agriculture. A close second could be the battle for two 12-year seats on the five-member Supreme Court of Appeals.
Commissioner Gus Douglass is retiring after nearly a half century in that role - interrupted only by a four-year absence when he ran unsuccessfully for governor in the 1988 primary election. And one of the five contenders for the Democratic nomination to succeed him in the $90,000-a-year salary position is a woman so if females who vote cast their ballots for Sally Shepherd of Kanawha County, she could well defeat the four other candidates.
Douglass has endorsed Steve Miller, who has worked in the department for 30 years including the last three as assistant commissioner. In doing so, he snubbed another current staff member - former legislator Bob Tabb - who has worked as a deputy commissioner for Douglass since 2009. Jim Messineo, who recently retired from the agency, is also a candidate for the Democratic nomination next week, along with longtime state legislator Walt Helmick.
The only Republican candidate is Monongalia County resident Kent Leonhardt, of Fairview, so he is assured of his party's nomination. Carl Waggoner, of White Sulphur Springs, is a write-in candidate who lists no party affiliation.
The competition for the two Democratic nominations for the Supreme Court has prompted the most campaign commercials on television, with incumbent Justice Robin Davis and challenger Letitia "Tish" Chafin the most prominent. Also in that primary race are J. D. Beane, of Parkersburg, and Jim Rowe, of Lewisburg, both former legislators who are now circuit judges, as well as Lewis Palmer, of Pocatalico, and H. John Rogers, of New Martinsville.
The only two Republican candidates on the ballot - Allen Loughry, of Charleston, and John Yoder, of Harpers Ferry - are both assured of being nominated as the GOP candidates in the November general election.
The other four incumbent state executive officers seeking another four-year term this year - Attorney General Darrell V. McGraw Jr., Auditor Glen B. Gainer III, Treasurer John Perdue and Secretary of State Natalie Tennant - have no Democratic opposition in the primary, but all will face a GOP opponent in the November general election.
So interest in the election results next Tuesday night will be centered on the Democratic competition for the party's choice for commissioner of agriculture and the two selections for the Supreme Court of Appeals. And it could be a sweep for the ladies.
There may be some reluctance on the part of organized labor to applaud Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's executive order last week that calls for mandatory drug testing of anyone who wants to enroll in job training that is financed by the taxpayers. This comes on the heels of his successful push to get a bill passed at the recent legislative session to require random screening of potential coal mine employees who fill safety-sensitive job openings.
Kenny Perdue, president of the West Virginia AFL-CIO, suggested it could be an excuse to hire out-of-state workers. He said he doesn't believe the abuse of drugs is as widespread as some people suggest. But the growing problems of substance abuse in this state are obvious.
The executive order will require testing for 10 types of drugs and follows the lead of the state of Indiana, which became the first state to require drug testing of people seeking job training last year. West Virginia apparently is the second state in the nation to take this step.
It will be up to WorkForce West Virginia to work out the details of this new program and determine the date it takes effect. This agency also will be responsible for covering the costs of each test that will be administered by an outside contractor. Based on previous statistics, this will affect some 2,200 people annually and should give prospective employers some assurances that potential newly trained employees are indeed drug-free.
It became apparent last week that the anticipated reopening of the Century Aluminum plant in Jackson County and the possible 450 to 650 new jobs it would provide is still not a certainty, despite the 2012 efforts by the West Virginia Legislature to provide major tax relief to the company. Lawmakers passed a bill to provide $20 million of tax credits for each of the next 10 years.
But now it's up to the West Virginia Public Service Commission to approve the agreement between Century and American Electric Power because that's where the actual tax credits will be realized. Company officials say they are still optimistic, but it will still be months before it is a "done deal" - probably close to the end of 2012.


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Location, Location, Location, Aqarmap.com is All About Location
Searching for an apartment, house or an office for rent/buy always have been a stressful matter and concern many people weather for work or study or even for tourism.
The problem is doubled especially if the researcher of the property is not a native or a citizen of the country he is looking to rent/buy in, never to mention that the searching process requires a lot of time and effort by contacting the owner's of the property and setting date's to meet and visit the real estate site to review it.
Seeking the real estate offices adds more to the hardship, on the sellers side the global financial crisis caused a decline in real estate sales, which caused real state companies to start searching for more effective advertisement means and methods other than the traditional ones.
Aqarmap, a new Arab Startups came to work in solving these problems, by offering practical and excellent solutions and services for both sellers and buyers by focusing on the most important factor in this vital sector and that is the location (address) of the state itself.
Aqarmap does so by providing the owner with the ability to pin-point his real state location (address) over satellite maps. This will help users how to search for a real state in the Arab world, where customers will be able to search for properties to buy or rent using easy and quick interactive maps.
What also distinguishes Aqarmap website from other similar sites is how easy the process goes, all you need to do is choose the type of property you want to buy or rent and the site will show you the location of all properties available that matches your search over a map on the same page, without the need to go over a lot of pages. At the map you can see the property and a small picture with its price of in a form of a bubble. And by clicking on the picture in the bubble you can get detailed information about the property.
There is also other feature's that are nice such as a currency converter to know the price of the property without changing the page, review images and videos of the real estate it self and you can also communicate with the landlord or add your comments.
Currently all the above services are free for now, As for monitizing the site , estate sellers can pay to advertiser in order to get priority over others on the maps.
What's worth mentioning is that Aqarmap won several awards, ranked among the best innovative technology companies in the Arab world and the company's systems have been developed to work in any language in order to expand to other developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America.
Amad Almasodi from Yeman who founded several startups before is Aqarmap founder.
Share and Enjoy
Tags: Aqar, Maps


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An unlicensed home inspector caused major damage to one of my clients recently.
I am the sellers' agent in this situation. The buyers had been referred to this home inspector by friends of theirs who had recently used him.
As a sellers' agent, I am normally not present at a home inspection. However, in this case, I had to open the house for the home inspection. That gave me a chance to speak with the home inspector while the buyer and I were waiting for the buyers' agent to arrive.
The home inspector made several comments which caused the buyer and I to exchange looks. We couldn't tell if the home inspector was "pulling our legs" with his stories of flying around the country doing inspections, and having apartments in at least two major cities. He said it was true.
While I was still in the house, I heard the home inspector make a comment about the fact that there was a filter missing from the A/C system. I knew the sellers had just had an HVAC inspection as I was present during the inspection and had a copy of the report. I saw the HVAC technician put the filter in and I said so. The home inspector immediately said that the HVAC tech did not know what he was doing. At that point, I decided it was time for me to leave.
The buyers' agent was supposed to receive the home inspection report the next day. Five days later was when he actually received it. He sent it to me the next day with the follow up from the buyers. When I saw the report, it just reinforced my feeling that something was not right with the home inspector. First, his license number was not on the report. Second, the report was only 4 1/2 pages long, unformatted, with no diagrams or any explanations typical of home inspection reports that I had seen before. Third, there were broad generalizations without any clear identification of specific locations or items.
I should add, this is a house that had been gutted to the studs about 11 years ago and had undergone a multi-year renovation and expansion with permits pulled for all the work.
At this point, I decided to call a member of the Board of Directors of the local chapter of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors. When I explained what I was thinking about the home inspector, the person suggested I check the home inspector's license.
I checked the website for the Massachusetts State Division of Professional Licensure (DPL) and was shocked to find out that this home inspector's license had been suspended. I didn't want to say anything that could impact someone's livelihood without more information, so I spoke with the person who maintains the state's website. I was told that the website was always kept current. I asked the person to check the actual records and veryify the information. She looked up the record and told me that the home inspector's license had been suspended a year ago and had not been reinstated.
I was then put in touch with the investigator for this licensing board. The investigator confirmed that the home inspector's license had been suspended and that he had not done what he was supposed to do to be reinstated. I was told that there had been about 9 complaints and two previous reprimands before the license was suspended. The suspension had to do with incompetence and poor work practices among other things.
This occured the day before we were supposed to sign the Purchase & Sales Agreement. When I told the buyers' agent about the home inspector, the buyers' (who had already sold their home) ended up walking away from the transaction. The Sellers, who had an accepted offer on a new home that they wanted to purchase, had to walk away from that transaction.
Can you imagine that all of this occured because the home inspector decided to violate state law and continue working. This unlicensed home inspector caused major damage to two sets of sellers and a buyer.
I strongly recommend that buyers hire a home inspector after they have an accepted offer. Check to make sure that any contractor is licensed before you use their services, or allow them to act on a property that you represent or recommend them. I know I will from now on! In Massachusetts, you can CHECK A PROFESSIONAL LICENSE for 21 different types of businesses.