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Here is a local business success story: Mike and Sara Ervin and Mike's sister, Mary Ervin, began selling chocolate at the Woodstock Farmers Market in 2011.
In November 2011, they opened Ethereal Confections at 203 Main St. in Woodstock. Their chocolate business has grown so rapidly that in July they will move to bigger quarters (3,000 square feet) at 113 S. Benton St. Woodstock residents may recall this building as Harvest Moon Café and O'Leary's Pub.
All the candy is made on the premises, including chocolate bars, truffles and a series of different chocolate bark using organic ingredients. Their products are dairy- and gluten-free. Plans for the new location include a dessert café style with coffees, teas, hot chocolate and a variety of desserts such as French silk and lemon meringue pies. Sara Ervin of Woodstock said the store uses only dark chocolate because it's healthier and contains less sugar.
The new location will allow Ethereal Confections to grow its wholesale business, which sells to grocery stores, wine shops and olive oil stores.
"We have a healthy storefront business and an online store," Sara Ervin said. "The Woodstock community has been supportive, and we're excited to be part of it and help make the Square active."
• • •
Monsignor Aaron Brodeski, pastor at St. Mary's Church, has been assigned by Bishop David Malloy of the Diocese of Rockford to become pastor of Holy Cross Church in Batavia effective Feb. 25. I have known Brodeski to be a kind and generous pastor for the past four years in Woodstock. He will be missed. His homilies stimulated my reflections and thinking about why we really are on this Earth.
"I loved every part of our parish as well as my time working at Marian Central," he said. "I would have been most happy to stay here for many years, too. I believe that for priests our promise of respect and obedience toward our bishop is a wonderful safeguard for following the will of God. So it is my intention to embrace this new assignment with peace and joy."
Malloy has assigned the Rev. Burt Absalon, pastor at St. Bridget Parish in Rockford, to become pastor of St. Mary.
• • •
Family Alliance received $10,000 from the Mental Health Resource League for McHenry County (MHRL). The grant was in response to an application filed by the Family Alliance Center for Adult Care for partial funding of its scholarship program.
Family Alliance is one of 19 agencies and organizations sharing a total of $200,321 raised and allocated during 2012 by the MHRL for services to thousands of McHenry County residents.
• Don Peasley has been editor, columnist and historian in McHenry County since October 1947. He began his association with Shaw Publications in 1950. 815-338-1533.


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my baby boy is 1.5 weeks old. I have to return to work in 2 months and thought it would be best to start getting him used to both the taste of bm and formula as well as get used to the bottles. Am i counteracting the nutrients of the breast milk my baby boy receives by also supplementing with formula? I find that the bm is "thinner" and he needs to feed much more often and that the formula which I provide during the evening keeps him fuller for a longer period.
I feel guilty when i see that other moms are bfing exclusively. Am i doing something wrong?

subset: commoncrawl


text: Embracing the Challenge to Make a Positive Difference Peace & Justice Education The Justice Education Program provides visibility to the social justice efforts put forth at Regis U... Diversity Learn about Diversity at Regis University. Regis College Center for Service Learning Use your gifts and talents to contribute to a more just world. Answering the Question, "How Ought We to Live?" Regis University's Jesuit education provides an opportunity to explore the question "How ought we to live?" through service learning, academic excellence and spiritual development. Your college experience will challenge you to be more, do more and learn more. Through the cultivation of leadership in service to others, you will be engaged in an academic environment that calls you to strive for excellence and seek God in all things. Tradition and Vision Regis was founded by Jesuit priests who were mavericks in their time. Inspired by the particular Jesuit vision of St. Ignatius Loyola, they challenged the status quo and asked hard questions. It is their tradition of constantly developing the whole person, cura personalis, along with their spirituality, global awareness and concern for justice, that provide you with a unique and life-changing college experience. Regis University stands proud alongside 28 universities and colleges nationwide, which exemplify the 500-year-old Jesuit tradition of academic rigor, intellectual exchange and faculty commitment to each student's personal development.


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Tolerance is not a one-way street
Apparently T-shirts are a "human right" now (via The American Conservative):
The owner of "Hands On Originals," a well-known t-shirt company in the region, declined to print the shirts for the city's Gay and Lesbian Services Organization (GLSO) because it would conflict with their Christian convictions.
The privately owned company is now accused of violating Lexington's Fairness Act – which protects people and organizations from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
An attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund who is representing the T-shirt company says:
"No business owner should be forced to violate his conscience simply because someone demands it," he said. "The Constitution absolutely supports the rights of business owners to decline a request to support a message that conflicts with their deeply held convictions."
But the city says:
"Hands On Originals" will be "required by law to participate in the investigation."
"We have subpoena power and have the backing of the law," he said. "We are a law enforcement agency and people have to comply."
Should the company be found guilty of discriminating against the homosexuals Sexton said they could be subjected to fines.
Yes, friends, a city has a "human rights commission" which is considered a "law enforcement agency" that can force compliance with a law that would do precisely what the ADF lawyer claims it shouldn't have the power to do.
You'd think there'd be a solution that could be reached well before this is escalated to the use of government coercion, doesn't it? That is if all the GLSO wanted to do was buy T-shirts.
And, a solution was offered:
GLSO wanted "Hands On Original" to print shirts for the city's fifth annual Lexington Pride Festival. The store offered to find another company that would honor its price – but that wasn't good enough for the GLSO.
"Our feeling on that is, separate but equal wasn't okay during the civil rights movement and it's not okay now," Aaron Baker told the television station. Baker is board president of GLSO.
That's right, it is agenda time. This isn't about T-shirts at all. It's about forcing their one-way version of tolerance on someone. The irony is that GLSO appears to have absolutely no tolerance for the principles of the owners of the T-shirt company.
Which set me to wondering. Here's a hypothetical for you. What if the owner of the T-shirt company was gay? And what if Westboro Baptist Church placed an order for 10 dozen T-shirts which said "God hates faggots" on them? What if the T-shirt shop owner refused the order because of his principles?
Same reaction?
I'd guess no. In fact, I'd guess precisely the opposite reaction.
The T-shirt company owner wrote an op-ed for the paper explaining his point of view:
"I decided to pass on the opportunity because, as a Christian owner, I cannot in good conscience endorse groups or events that run counter to my convictions," Adamson wrote in the op-ed.
Adamson, who has been in business for more than 20 years, wrote that he "does not expect, or even ask, people to agree with my view."
"All I ask for people is to respect my right as an owner to not produce a product that is contrary to my principles," he wrote.
Adamson called on people to stand up for the rights of small business owners not "to be forced into producing a product with a message that conflicts with their beliefs and consciences."
The reaction was anything but tolerant or understanding of a differing view:
"Hands On Originals" has faced a barrage of attacks since the accusations were made public. More than 2,000 people have joined a boycott movement on Facebook. Another group is trying to buy the company's mortgage so they can be evicted.
The Fayette County public school system placed a temporary hold on buying t-shirts from the company until the issue is resolved. The University of Kentucky is also reviewing its future business with the t-shirt maker.
Even Lexington's openly gay mayor has condemned the privately-owned t-shirt company, telling the Lexington Herald-Leader "People don't have patience for this sort of attitude today."
"I'm against discrimination, period," Gray said in a statement released to television station WKYT. "It's bad for business and bad for the city. I support the Human Rights Commission in a full and thorough investigation."
Real tolerance is apparently unacceptable. The hypocrisy of GLSO is palpable. And trying to use the coercive power of government is disgusting.
Tolerance isn't a one-sided principle. If one wants people to tolerate their beliefs and lifestyle, it is incumbent upon them to do the same for others. If they actually believe in true tolerance, that is.
What is clear here is GLSO doesn't.
More disgusting, at least to me, is the inclusion of this ridiculous city level "human rights commission" as a law enforcement agency and it's obvious intent to force "compliance" against the conscience and principles of the owner.
There was a problem (GLSO wanted T-shirts, T-shirt company refused due to conscience), an offered solution (T-shirt company offers to find another producer at same price) which was reasonable and a rejection of that solution because the group has an political agenda and wishes to force the company to violate its principles and conscience. And which side does government take?
The side that wants to use its coercive power to force that violation.
Let freedom ring.
HT: papajj
Twitter: @McQandO


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by GEORGE GALE
QUESTION about: Jamaican Hair Patterns - Is This A Part Of The Culture
I have 12-year-old grandson living with us from 12 hours old, his mom, our daughter, met Jamaican a Leighton Gardener.
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KITV 4 has long demonstrated its commitment to the people of the State of Hawaii in our island home through our local programming.
The station also takes part in helping island residents by participating in the Aloha United Way and other community projects.
The station strives to showcase the spirit and values of our unique multi-cultural communities.
With that goal in mind, KITV 4 is dedicated to educate and inform our viewers about key island issues.
By doing so, KITV 4 joins the community to celebrate the "Beautiful Mosaic" that is Hawaii.


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Blanche BousquetNovember 25,2012
Blanche Bousquet
Blanche Bousquet
BERLIN Blanche Dickenson Bousquet, 91, of Cedar Drive, and formerly of Montpelier, died Nov. 23, 2012, at Berlin Health & ReHab Center.
Blanche was born in Roxbury, on April 3, 1921, the daughter of George Oliver Dickenson and Lillian Belle (Meacham) Dickenson. She attended Roxbury Schools and graduated from Northfield High School in 1940.
She married Charles William Bousquet on May 30, 1942, in Northfield. They lived in Montpelier for many years and have two sons, Richard and Stephen.
Blanche worked for many years for M.H. Fishmans Store in Montpelier, and Grants, Zayres and Ames stores in Berlin. Blanche also worked for 20 years for Central Vermont Medical Center and retired in 1985 from the hospital. She spent time with her husband while he was in the service and worked with him at the Daylight Bakery, which they bought in 1946 until it closed.
Blanche loved company and belonged to the Garden Dome Campers Association. She was also a volunteer for the Vermont Historical Society.
She is survived by her husband, Charles of Berlin; two sons, Richard Bousquet of Williamstown; Stephen Bousquet and his wife, Kathryn of Morrisville; grandchildren, Crystal Bousquet and her companion, Dan Mack of Barre; Charles Bousquet of Barre, Tamara and Michelle Bousquet of Williamstown; Joseph Bousquet of Chicago, Ill.; Jeffrey Bousquet and his wife, Danielle of Worcester; Elizabeth Bousquet of Presque Isle, ME; Alexander Bousquet of Manchester, N.H.; three great-grandchildren, Jacob, Geneva and Braydan Bousquet.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, Nov. 26, 2012, at 1 p.m. at Guare & Sons Funeral Home. Calling hours will begin at 11 a.m. until the hour of the service. Burial will take place at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Randolph.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be sent to Vermont History Center, 60 Washington St., Barre, VT. 05641.
Online condolences may be sent at www.guareandsons.com.MORE IN ObituariesPaul N. Sourdiff
BURLINGTON Paul Nelson Sourdiff, 92, passed away on Dec. Full StoryBrian Vachon
Brian Vachon, 75, of Middlesex, died after a short illness on December 9 at... Full StoryDylan Baker
Dylan Baker, 18, passed away peacefully in the early morning of December 7... Full Story
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House backs tougher rules for teen drivers
Iowa teenagers who want a driver's license before turning 18 would have to wait a little longer under a measure passed Wednesday by the state House.
Representatives on Wednesday voted 87 to 9 in favor of the bill, which requires that minors have their learners permit for a year instead of the current six months. The measure now goes to Gov. Terry Branstad for his signature.
The bill also would limit minor drivers to carrying one unrelated minor for the first six months after they get a license unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or driving instructor.
Osage Rep. Josh Byrnes, who sponsored the bill, says it's important teens have practiced driving in all seasons before getting a standard license.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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North Central College's Jan Fitzsimmons, executive director of urban education laboratory, and five education students were selected to present at the statewide Illinois Science Education Conference Oct. 27-29 in Tinley Park, Ill.
Student presenters included Bryan Taylor '13, chemistry major with a minor in secondary education; Michael Swanson '12, physical education major with a minor in secondary education; Sarah Hall '12, double major in elementary education and Spanish; Erica Pang '12, elementary education major with a minor in Spanish; and Anna Laky '12, chemistry major with minors in secondary education and psychology.
Their presentation, titled "Learning to Teach Math and Science," emphasized the importance of rigorous structured experience in preparing to teach science and mathematics.
These pre-service teachers shared a DVD of their experience and presented a six-week summer internship in which they used inquiry and problem solving to entice students, ages 6 to 18, in North Central College's Junior/Senior Scholars program to learn math and science. Included in the presentation were best lesson plans and new-found insights for teaching math and science.
The young educators discussed thematic learning, implementation of a science fair and math Olympics, and the importance of student learning and building competence and confidence in themselves and their students. Finally, the group highlighted the importance of trial and error in learning both science and math and in learning to teach.
North Central's Junior/Senior Scholars summer camp is a college readiness program that partners with high-need elementary and secondary schools in Aurora and Chicago.
A key objective of Junior/Senior Scholars, says Fitzsimmons, is "our students test out theories of teaching and learning at the camp, creating concepts and gaining a sense of what works to help them build their own theories to meet needs. I hear feedback from principals where our student interns now teach and they see our graduates as some of their best teachers."


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playing within the 'spirit' of RL
Posted 13 February 2013 - 05:55 AM
Posted 13 February 2013 - 08:48 AM
Posted 13 February 2013 - 09:40 AM
Whenever have you Caine and YOU Philh been proper Swinton fans, you come on this site pontificating about increasing attendences and yet never go to matches. Lets get down to the nitty gritty shall we.How many times have we produced decent young talent only to see the vultures step in and whisk them away Andy Coley, Martin Gleeson to name a couple. You go on about local talent and also not playing to the rules. Well how about Alex Hirst then. Local lad signs acontract at the start of the season, Has a good game for Scotland, spotted by a super league team.and taken off us without getting a penny for him. How on earth can we hope to build a stable team when super league can take who ever they fancy. There is no local talent in the area. The only team is Folly Lane and any up and coming players are snaffled again by super league mainly Salford but also Wigan [harrison hanson]. We also can't compete with the likes of Fax and Fev etc for the better players and guess why? because our fan base isn't big enough due to armchair fans not going, remind you of anyone? If the truth is known if you took John Kidds support away we would probably be able to pay the ball boy. No its not an ideal situation but it's the only way we have a chance of competing at the cuurent level. And just to let you know the facts about local talent The great Swinton team of the sixties,Champions in 1963 /64 and 1964/65 was made up of 80% Wiganers.
Excellent comments throughout - and to remind the doubters we loved those lads when they pulled on the Swinton shirt and won us trophies
Posted 13 February 2013 - 01:06 PM
Posted 13 February 2013 - 03:14 PM
"no-one knows what it's like to be the bad man.........behind blue eyes"
Posted 13 February 2013 - 07:32 PM
Nothing usual about having a few pie eaters wearing the Lions' colours back then. Don't forget Wigan was a far more rugby league driven town back then than perhaps today. Central Park had huge crowds all the time, 15,000 - 20,000?
And being a fairly big town in RL terms meant that any local players couldn't all play for their hometown club, hence the main reason they ventured to other Lancashire clubs close by in smaller towns.
Lions Wiganers from that era who easily spring to mind are Albert Blan, John Speed, Peter Norburn, John Stopford, George Parkinson (?) Ken Gowers was 'Wigan born' but was always considered a Rochdalian as his dad Walter played for Hornets in the '20s. Probably quite a few more - would have to delve through old match programmes etc.
A good idea, ask Steve Wild about that even though it's before his time. He's the 'history man', he'll have the 'knowledge'
Locals who turned out for the Lions back then were Peter Smethurst, Graham Williams, Reg Williams Dave Robinson, Brian Robinson, Terry Cramont, Barry Simpson, Derek Whitehead, Peter Kenny, John Carey, Vic Lawton, Brian Critchley (?), Mal Cummings. Apologies if I've missed out your dad/uncle/brother/cousin or whatever.
Posted 13 February 2013 - 10:26 PM
Posted 13 February 2013 - 11:08 PM
I think you will find Keith, Critchley was a wiganer as was Daz Davis , Ken Halliwell, Harold Bate, Derick Clarke, some of the locals you named were only reserves or came late sixties early seventies.
I think Derek Clarke was a Widnesian. Yes I thought Ken Halliwell was a Wiganer too.
Posted 14 February 2013 - 07:20 AM
Edited by Christophe, 14 February 2013 - 07:22 AM.
Posted 14 February 2013 - 10:21 AM
My uncle Derek Whitehead was in Championship winning A team in 62/63 season. Born and bred at 727 Bolton Road Pendlebury.opposite Boardmans newsagents next to Zebra crossing. Played on wing in first team later in 60s before moving to Oldham then on to Wire and GB. Ex Folly of course.
Your Uncle Derek had easily the best side step I ever saw. He was two years above me at 'Crommy' and was in the same year as Graham Williams.
Posted 14 February 2013 - 10:45 AM
Posted 14 February 2013 - 11:29 AM
Your Uncle Derek had easily the best side step I ever saw. He was two years above me at 'Crommy' and was in the same year as Graham Williams.
Thanks Blue Monkey.. It's his birthday today and I appreciate yr comments
Posted 14 February 2013 - 05:50 PM
Posted 15 February 2013 - 06:32 PM
Posted 15 February 2013 - 07:01 PM
Terry Cramont, .
Just noticed my error, should be Terry CRAMANT, not Cramont
Posted 15 February 2013 - 07:22 PM
Posted 16 February 2013 - 06:34 AM


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Yay for the Giants – Now It's Our Turn
Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants on winning the World Series! And thank you for beating the Texas Rangers! The better, and more likeable team, truly won. I didn't watch much of this World Series, since FOX was being all obnoxious. But I did watch the last game. Their on-field celebration after that final strikeout of Nelson Cruz brought a smile to my face…and just a slight tear to my eye. But I shouldn't mope about the Yankees – this was the Giants's year to shine.
I have to say, I don't mind the Giants. In fact I kind of like them. They were indeed the underdogs, and they showed everybody how good they really were. They were the best this year. One player whom I REALLY adore is the Giants's rookie catcher, Buster Posey. That dude is adorable. When the Giants let Bengie Molina go, (to the RANGERS…how ironic) they must have known how special Posey was.
Yep, Buster Posey sure is something else…but I think my Yanks have their own Buster Posey. And his name is Jesus Montero.
Jesus Montero…tore it up in triple A Scranton-Wilkes Barre this year with a .289 avg, 21 HR and 75 RBI after what was a slow start. He's been the Yankees's most prized prospect for a little while now. He'll turn 21 later this month.
I wonder if he has a place on this team next season…
Jorge Posada is clearly slowing down – in 2010 he posted his worst numbers. But clearly, the Yankee fans don't want to see him go just yet.
Francisco Cervelli, the love of my life, put together a nice season, but he was incredibly streaky. I hate to say it, but I'm not stupid, so I'll admit it: Cervelli is not an everyday catcher.
But neither is Jorge Posada.
What are the Yankees to do?
I say, BRING UP THE KID, ALREADY!!! The Yankees have claimed that they wanted to get "younger." Doesn't a hot 21-year old Venezuelan catcher make sense?
The young catcher worked for the Giants, it'll probably work for the Yankees, too.
But at one point this past season, Jesus Montero almost wasn't a Yankee. He was part of the package that would have been traded for Cliff Lee. But instead, the Seattle Mariners screwed the Yankees over, and sent Lee to the Texas Rangers for the player they were dying for: Justin Smoak. Justin Smoak, or Jesus Montero? Hm….Jeez that's a tough one.
Whatever. Their loss.
Yankee fans were stunned when they heard that Cliff Lee was not going to be on their team in 2010. I was stunned, but pleasantly surprised. I didn't want to have to give up the phenom, Jesus Montero, for Lee. Sure, I knew he would hurt the Yankees in the postseason, but it was a risk that I was willing to take.
But now that the Giants have officially beaten the Texas Rangers in the World Series, baseball is over….and you know what that means…
Oh yeah. Now it's our turn to shine. I believe that the Yankees will sign Cliff Lee this offseason. That will make everything better. 2010 may have been a slight disappointment for Yankee fans because they didn't win, but maybe that's okay. Maybe it's a sign of better things to come. Maybe not getting Cliff Lee this year was the best thing that could have happened for the Yankees. I mean, let's say the Yankees had Cliff Lee and say that they made it to the World Series to play against the Giants. The Giants OWNED Cliff Lee this year! So even if we had Cliff Lee this year, there was no guarantee that we would have won.
And hopefully, in 2011, the Yankees will have Cliff Lee AND Jesus Montero! It'll be the best of both worlds!
Wouldn't that be something? Hey Giants: Enjoy being the World Champs. You guys had an amazing season, and I think you've earned a lot of respect from fans throughout the nation. Congratulations.
But don't get your hearts set on repeating.
In 2011, it's NEW YORK'S turn to shine.
8 Comments
The Giants were indeed a great team this year, worthy to be called champions. Buster Posey is the Rookie of the Year in the N.L. hands down. I also loved that Renteria won the MVP–he was an excellent choice.
And thus, once again the season is over.😦 But hey, baseball will be back before we know it! And the Yankees will once again be strong next year. I couldn't agree with you more on Posada–after next year, he's probably gone, which is bittersweet. I'm right there with ya on Montero, too; good kid, hope he can shine in the spring and make the team.
But it was a good season, Virginia! 2011 we reclaim the crown (I hope, anyway! lol)
You're conceding that Cervelli isn't an everyday catcher? Wow. That must have been hard for you, knowing how you love him! It would be great if Montero showed up at spring training and blew everybody away. I'd like to see him in the Bronx next year. Cliff Lee too, of course.
You just love catchers ha? Jesus Monteros is cute so is that other guy, what is his name? just kidding ;=)
Hot Stove season! and then soon we will be saying "Pitchers and Catchers reporting!"
You do know that the Phillies may sign Lee, plus his wife likes Philadelphia and not New York …. LOL
I've heard good things about Montero. The only bad thing I've heard in regards to Montero is… well, Posada.
Yup, I'd go with the hottie…lol I will be curious to see where Lee lands…should be an interesting off-season!
We really have a tough catching situation…in a few years, both Montero and Austin Romine could be stars, and we have them both!
already puruing Lee. If that happens i'm ready to give you guys the trophy. but it had to be nice to see a new team win right? hahaha


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Wisconsin's youth turkey hunt is just a few days away.
The two-day hunt gets under way Saturday. The hunt allows mentors to take children as young as 10 out hunting even if they haven't completed hunter education Mentors must stay within an arm's reach, however.
Children between the ages of 12 and 15 who have completed hunter education may hunt during the youth hunt as long as they're with an adult.
Each child must have a valid spring turkey harvest permit, license and stamp.


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|The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
Sogyal Rinpoche's acclaimed spiritual classic is widely regarded as one of the most complete and authoritative presentations of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings ever written.
"What is it I hope for from this book? To inspire a quiet revolution in the whole way we look at death and care for the dying and the whole way we look at life, and care for the living."


text:
Shoulder arthritis is a common problem for rheumatoid arthritis patients: pain and difficulty moving their arms can grow so severe that daily tasks and sleep become difficult. If medication and physical therapy aren't enough, shoulder replacement surgery is a common next step. Despite surgical challenges with some rheumatoid arthritis patients, the procedure improves range of motion and reduces pain in nearly all cases, especially for those with intact rotator cuffs, a Mayo Clinic study shows. The findings are published in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery.
"I think it's quite encouraging," says senior author John Sperling, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "What we've learned from this study is that if people do develop significant pain in their shoulder due to arthritis associated with rheumatoid arthritis, shoulder arthroplasty really is a predictable and reliable operation to help them improve their function and relieve pain."
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues, causing joint problems and sometimes affecting other organs. Many patients eventually develop shoulder arthritis; sometimes, bones start wearing away and rotator cuffs tear, making shoulder replacement surgery more complicated.
Source: http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/shoulder-replacement-eases-pain-improves-motion-in-rheumatoid-arthritis-patients-mayo-study-finds


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Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about Civil Liberties and Public Policy.
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Stripe Banded Halter Swim Top
Style: 570067148
Out of Stock
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- Removable soft foam cups.
- Stretch halter tie and back tie.
*Top and bottom sold separately.
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Report of the U.S. Delegate to the 32nd Session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling
The Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) held its 32nd Session from March 7-11, 2011 in Budapest, Hungary. The 32nd Session was attended by 141 delegates and observers representing 46 Member Countries, one Member Organization (EU), and 9 international organizations. The United States was represented by the Delegate, Dr. Gregory Diachenko and Dr. Gregory Noonan, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Mr. Larry Freese, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, USDA; and Ms. Marie Maratos, U.S. Codex Office, USDA.
The United States fully participated on all agenda items and was successful in achieving its objectives during this Session. The Committee, recognizing that substantial progress had been made on the Draft Revised Guidelines on Measurement Uncertainty, agreed to advance the Revised Guidelines, as amended during the session, for final adoption at Step 8 by the 34th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).
Below is a summary of the discussion at this meeting. The full report of the 32nd CCMAS session can be found in ALINORM REP 11/MAS. It will be posted on the Codex Website at www.codexalimentarius.net.
Draft Revised Guidelines on Measurement Uncertainty
The Guidelines on Measurement Uncertainty (CAC/GL 54-2004) were revised by CCMAS by adding an Annex that was intended to provide simple explanatory notes to clarify the significance and implications of measurement uncertainty. The Draft Revised Guidelines had been adopted at Step 5 by the 33rd Session of the Commission and circulated for comments at Step 6. The Committee went line by line through the document and made many editorial and a few technical changes. CCMAS agreed to insert a new paragraph to reflect that in many cases sampling uncertainty is as large as or larger than analytical measurement uncertainty, but these guidelines only relate to analytical measurement uncertainty. Text was also amended to reflect that some sources of uncertainty are partly covered by validation studies and another source of uncertainty from "imprecision in estimating method or laboratory bias" was added to the list. Following the rewriting, the Committee agreed to advance the Proposed Draft Guidelines, as amended during the session, for adoption at Step 8 by the 2011 session of the CAC.
Proposed New Work on Principles for the Use of Sampling and Testing in International Food Trade
At the last session, the Committee had discontinued consideration of uncertainty of sampling as a separate item and had agreed to develop a discussion paper on procedures for conformity assessment, resolution of disputes, and related issues through an electronic working group led by Brazil with the assistance of New Zealand. During the discussion of this paper, several delegations stressed the need to avoid duplication of work with other committees, especially the Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) and generally to ensure consistency between Codex texts addressing questions related to conformity assessment and resolution of disputes. The Committee agreed that new work should concentrate on the issues that were clearly the mandate of CCMAS and that items of work should be clearly prioritized in order to address the various issues in a timely manner.
After the general discussion, the CCMAS established an in-session working group chaired by the delegations of Brazil and New Zealand, to prepare a project document. It was also agreed that the proposed principles would not provide detailed guidance to governments, but would provide a framework for the development of guidance on the choice of an appropriate sampling and testing procedure taking into account sampling variability, considerations on measurement uncertainty; consideration of preventive measures in exporting countries to ensure exported foods meet requirements, and reducing the probability of a subsequent dispute occurring through pre-market procedures. CCMAS agreed that an electronic working group chaired by New Zealand, with the assistance of the Netherlands and the United States, would develop Proposed Draft Principles for the Use of Sampling and Testing in International Food Trade for circulation at Step 3 and consideration by the next CCMAS session, if approved as new work by the Commission.
Endorsement of Methods of Analysis for Provisions in Codex Standards
A report of the ad hoc Working Group on endorsement of methods was presented by the Chair, Dr. Roger Wood (United Kingdom). The Committee endorsed several methods of analysis in Codex Standards at different steps of the Procedure as proposed by the ad hoc Working Group with only a few minor amendments and comments.
Proposed New Work on Provisions for Proprietary Methods in Codex Standards to be Included in the Codex Procedural Manual
The Delegation of the United Kingdom introduced a discussion paper, which proposed that the Committee consider including in the Codex Procedural Manual criteria for the selection of proprietary methods. Some delegations, while noting that a proprietary method was often easier to use, were of the opinion that several potential problems resulted from the endorsement of proprietary methods in Codex such as availability to end-users, potential risk to stop developing new methods of analysis, a "black box method" in which key information would not be disclosed, and significant financial advantages for some manufacturers, which would distort competition.
Several delegations thought that CCMAS should define a procedure for endorsing proprietary methods that might include criteria to assess the need for the method, information requirements about the method such as performance characteristics, validation status, and cross reaction, and that these could be included in the Procedural Manual. CCMAS agreed to initiate new work on the development of provisions for proprietary methods to be included in the Procedural Manual and agreed that an electronic working group led by the United Kingdom and Germany would define the term "proprietary method" and prepare a draft version of the criteria that would be circulated to Members and Observers and discussed at the next meeting.
Time and Date of Next Meeting
The 33rd Session of CCMAS is scheduled to be held March 5-9, 2012, in Hungary.


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Couple deny arson chargeMay 21,2013Couple deny arson charge
A Fair Haven couple charged with torching their car dealership denied a pair of arson charges brought against them.
Edward David, 50, and his wife Tammy, 46, pleaded innocent Monday in Rutland criminal court to felony charges of second-degree arson.
They were released on minimal court-ordered conditions after the hearing.
The pair allegedly lit a fire that destroyed their dealership on the evening of March 17.
A Vermont State Police investigation into the fire revealed that the couple left the building minutes before the fire started and that they are more than $1.1 million in debt including delinquent property taxes in the amount of $7,000 owed in Castleton and $21,000 in delinquent taxes owed in Fair Haven.MORE IN This Just InMONTPELIER Vermont hunting, fishing and trapping licenses for 2017 will be available Dec. Full StoryWHITE RIVER JUNCTION A Vermont National Guard member has denied a charge of sexually... Full StoryRutland City is getting $20,000 to tweak its zoning laws. Full Story
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There's something so magical about our radiant rose bouquet. Maybe it's the mix of bright colors—classic red and pretty shades of pink for that extra pop! Or maybe it's because just one look at these beautiful blooms is all it'll take to leave your special someone spellbound!
Add to their gift:


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Tower of Druaga
The Mansion of Eternal Spring
Episode 19 | TV-14
Jil's group finds an isolated mansion in a lush field where they encounter many of their dead loved ones! These fallen friends could prove to be illusions - but the foes that launch a surprise attack are very real.
Official Site: www.funimation.com/shows/tower-of-druagaHide Details


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Deals close on flooded homesMarch 28,2013Officials say three Vermont families whose homes were destroyed by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene have had their properties bought by a Federal Emergency Management Agency hazard mitigation program.
Gov. Peter Shumlin said two of the properties are in Bethel and one is in Bolton.
The program buys properties in flood-prone areas, giving homeowners the pre-flood value of the homes. The homes are then torn down so they wont be prone to damage from future floods.
Shumlin said the buyouts enable homeowners to get a fresh start.
FEMA has allocated $13 million for the program. Officials say 92 homes have received final approval for the buyout, most from Irene flooding, but also from flooding earlier in 2011.MORE IN This Just InMONTPELIER A new report from a commission that studied the cost, availability and quality of... Full StoryVermont fish hatchery changes focus, looks inland
BETHEL, Vt. Full StoryHONOLULU (AP) A group of Hawaii musicians and a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant provided... Full Story
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Watching ChinaMay 09,2013
Washington has accused the Chinese of embracing the most advanced electronic technology as their weapon of choice in order to gain the upper hand in the critical economic rivalry between two of the worlds most powerful nations.
But, significantly, the White House made it clear that it believes the rivalry is about much more than economic strategies. There clearly are fears that the Chinese also are anticipating, if not actually planning to initiate, a military clash with the United States.
Citing a report issued Monday by the Pentagon, the Obama administration accused Chinas military of electronically attacking the American governments computer systems as well as those of American defense contractors. The White House suggested that the Chinese may be attempting to map this countrys military capabilities so that they could be exploited during a crisis.
Previously, the White House had never directly accused the Chinese government or its military of waging cyberwarfare against the United States, but there were clear signs that the administration strongly suspected the Beijing regime of embracing a systematic strategy designed to aid in the theft of intellectual property and to thus gain strategic advantage.
In 2012, numerous computer systems around the world, including those owned by the U.S. government, continued to be targeted for intrusions, some of which appear to be attributable directly to the Chinese government and military, the Pentagon report, nearly 100 pages long, noted.
It said that while Chinas primary goal is to pilfer industrial technology, many of the electronic intrusions also appeared to be designed to gain insights into the thinking of American policy makers. It warned that the same techniques could easily be used for building a picture of U.S. network defense networks, logistics, and related military capabilities that could be exploited during a crisis.
Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for Beijings foreign ministry, dismissed the Pentagon report as groundless and accused the American military of repeatedly making irresponsible comments about Chinas normal and justified defense buildup and hyped up the so-called China military threat and said such behavior is not beneficial to U.S.-China mutual trust and cooperation.
Chinas defense buildup, she continued, is geared towards protecting its national independence and sovereignty.
As for the accusations of hacking, Hua said: We firmly oppose any groundless criticism and hype, because groundless hype and criticism will only harm bilateral efforts at co-operation and dialogue.
For its part, the Pentagon report insists China has risen into the top ranks of offensive (and expensive) cybertechnologies by investing in electronic warfare capabilities in an effort to blind American satellites and other space assets. China, it said, also hopes to use electronic and traditional weapons systems to gradually shove the American military back to nearly 2,000 miles from Chinas coast.
The report notes that Chinas first aircraft carrier is the first of several the country will deploy over the next 15 years. It is already set to operate in the East and South China Seas, the report continued, where China is entangled in bitter territorial disputes with several neighbors, including Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
So, while the president who also has a full agenda of domestic issues may be preoccupied with the worsening crisis in Syria as well as related issues in the Middle East and the on-again, off-again North Korean problems, he cant afford to take his eyes of the potentially volatile problems posed by China.
World peace, so desirable, appears to be an eternally elusive goal. The United States must never relax its constant vigilence ... and preparation.MORE IN EditorialsProtesters converged on a bank in Montpelier early this week to show their solidarity with the... Full StoryPhil Scott will take office next month after winning with a margin of 51.11 percent to 43. Full StoryIdeologues and partisans work from the outcome backward. Full Story
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Introduction to Judaism Class to be offered at Temple Sholom in Broomall
This class is for you if you are:
• A Jewish person wanting to learn the basics
• A non-Jewish person interested in or considering conversion
• A non-Jewish person part of a Jewish family/partnered with a Jewish person and wanting to deepen his/her understanding of Judaism
This 12 week class will cover:
• The meaning and rituals of Shabbat and other holidays
• Life cycle events such as birth, bris, marriage, conversion and death
• Jewish ethics and prayer
The class will be taught by Rabbi Beth Janus. Classes will be held Monday evenings 7:00-8:30 pm at Temple Sholom in Broomall from September 30, 2013 -December 16, 2013.
Introduction to Judaism Cost: $180 for member of Temple Sholom / $250 for non-synagogue members. Students will be asked to purchase 3 books for the class.
To ensure that we have enough students, please register by September 16.
For more information call 610-356-5165 or e-mail [email protected] [3]


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Just saw the Latest Leaders list and…
…my blog has dropped off the fan blogs leaders list for the first time since I'd first created this blog. Guess that means that I will have to find ways to get back onto the list, although trying to do it for an entire month might be a bit of a problem. "Crack fingers." Let's see what I can come up with, shall we? :)
2 Comments
Maybe you can give me some ideas. After initially making the list twice (though near the bottom), I can't seem to get back on it. I'm stymied.
Rants, Raves, and Random Thoughts
When I do, I'll let you know, although I am sure that part of the reason I'd dropped was that I wasn't posting during the middle of last month. Now, if I can only find time to do the 'special' posts that I use to do, as I really done want to get back to them.


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Hi! I am new to this forum, this is a great resource of information!
I'm looking to buy a sling- I'm tall 5'11" and want to be able to carry my little guy around. Any suggestions?
Also, I'm finding that my "Boppy" pillow isn't tall enough for my long torso when I'm b/f, has anyone else had this problem? I'd love any suggestions- I've been sitting with my legs under my body to make the pillow high enough and my knees are starting to hurt!
Thank you


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Peace Corps Response
To add or modify Response Staging go to the Timeline page and add or change the entry under the country.
{{#ask:[[Response_staging_date::>2016-12-11]] |mainlabel=- |?Country_name_is = Country |?Response_staging_date = Staging | sort= response_staging_date | order = ascending | limit = 100 }}
{{#ask:[[Response_staging_date::<2016-12-11]] |mainlabel=- |?Country_name_is = Country |?Response_staging_date = Country | sort= response_staging_date | order = ascending | limit = 100 }}
Put your Peace Corps experience to work.
Peace Corps Response (PCR) provides opportunities for returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) to undertake short-term, high-impact assignments in various posts around the world. Its inception as Crisis Corps in 1996 modeled the National Peace Corps Association's successful Emergency Response Network (ERN) of RPCVs willing to respond to crises when needed. First brought about in response to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, Peace Corps Response has fielded over 1000 Volunteers in more than 40 countries. Today, qualified RPCVs can put their professional skills and academic training to work as Peace Corps Response Volunteers; gaining additional international experience while imparting technical expertise critical to partner organizations and the communities they serve.
PCR Volunteers are able to make valued contributions because they come equipped with the language, technical and cross-cultural skills needed to create an immediate impact. PCR works in seven broad program areas: agriculture and environment, community and youth development, business/NGO development and information technology, disaster preparedness and response, education and teacher training, health and HIV/AIDS, and the Global Health Service Partnership.
In order to be eligible, applicants must have completed at least 12 months of Peace Corps Service (not including training). Interested RPCVs can submit an application to the location or assignment of their choice at any time. In addition, RPCVs can add a resume to the PCR database through the Peace Corps Response website. As requests for Volunteers are received from posts, the PCR database is searched based on the qualifications necessary to perform the assignment. Candidates are interviewed and reference checks are conducted. Only selected candidates are invited to begin the medical and legal clearance process which can take up to 45 days.
Peace Corps Response Volunteers generally depart for service 8-10 weeks after the position has been opened.
Learn more about Peace Corps Response or submit an application at http://www.peacecorps.gov/response/.
External Links
Peace Corps Response Official US Peace Corps Website


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If you want to see such a process in action, visit – not a hospital, but a public library – the Joe Barnhart Bee County Library, for instance.
Its next book sale is in mid-August, and Director Cynthia Blatherwick already is at work deciding which books will lose their place on the shelves and be consigned to the sale counter.
It's a complex task known by the acronym CREW: continuous review, evaluation and weeding.
"As our shelf space becomes a premium, we start weeding.
"Before a book is pitched, it must fail in at least one of six rigid criteria. And sometimes by a Blatherwick hunch.
"It's exhausting," she admits. "Some books sit on my desk for days while I try to decide."
"Continuous" is the salient word. The library contains 40,000 titles — which equates to a little more than one book for each person in the county — way too many to start culling just before a sale.
"We almost have too many books," she says, noting that bookshelves that extend to the vanishing point can overwhelm a patron. "They can't take in that much."
In a way, a book under consideration has to prove itself innocent in the court of MUSTIE. Another acronym.
M – IS THE book misleading?
"An example might be a book on gardening," Blatherwick says. "It might say the way to control insects is to spray the plants with DDT." Clearly, the contents are misleading and could be dangerous."
Other book subjects that might fall in the misleading category include chemistry, health, food and general science – topics which new research quickly can make obsolete.
"Yes, sometimes we judge a book by its cover," Blatherwick says, though hating the cliché. "Sometimes people spill food or chemicals on then pages. Or they get them wet, or readers have dog-eared some pages. We try our best to repair them, but sometimes the damage is just too great."
She says the library tries its best to replace the book if it is to remain in the inventory.
S – HAS THE book been superseded?
A perfect example, she says, is the travel book "New York on $5 a Day." Another example: computer manuals that can become outdated with the next software revision.
"If we don't cull these, pretty soon everything's obsolete before you can say 'snapdragon.'"
T – IS THE book trivial?
Such a classification, Blatherwick says, is more subjective.
"Fifty Shades of Grey" is popular now, she says, but I predict its popularity soon will wane, more of a fad."
I – IS THE book irrelevant?
"One of the main reasons is language," she explains. "We don't have any books here written in French, because few of our patrons speak it."
E – CAN THE same book be obtained elsewhere?
"Texas has a fantastic inter-library loan system," she says. "If we don't have the book you want, you can be pretty sure we can get it from some other library in the state."
She is quick to stress that the institution she directs is a lending library.
"We don't keep large classic collections. We don't have a complete set of the works of Dickens, for instance, because there isn't the demand. It's not my job to decide what people should be reading."
Any book that fails the MUSTIE test is stored with other volumes in numerous places in the library, out of public view, until the sale.
"Fiction is harder than non-fiction to decide," Blatherwick says, admitting that, previously, she took home two volumes of an author's collection before it was sold. "I like the writer. She's one of my favorites."
Then, there is that hunch.
"Some books are just offensive. They're discarded."
Other books that never make it to the sale include encyclopedias – one of the more obvious victims of Internet research.
"We send them to recycling."
Last year, the library spent one-fourth of its annual budget on new and replacement books.
Slowly demanding more attention are electronic, or ebooks.
The library offers 8,500 titles, along with audio books.
"But, I don't think we will ever see printed books disappear. There's something intimate about just holding a book."
A case in point is a volume in her office that would never pass the test.
It is old and ugly – although its beauty is in the eye of the proverbial beholder. It's trivial, irrelevant and available elsewhere.
It's an English-Greek dictionary, resting on its side high on a bookshelf, granted a reprieve because of its new task – as a riser.
Bill Clough is a reporter at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 122, or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Was the Daily Twist a Slam Dunk for Oreo?
Image from: Oreo / Oreo.com For a brand that has been around for 100 years, Oreo has shaken up their marketing strategy by launching a new social campaign. The Daily Twist campaign introduced a new Oreo advertisement each day over the course of 100 days to celebrate the last 100 years of dunking. These advertisements focused on current events, pop culture trends and major news stories. In addition to the


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With this article we continue our reviews of the relatively new class of network devices called ADSL routers. Today, it is the WL-600g model from ASUS. We have already tested routers from ASUS on our site and we'll take the earlier tested WL-500g Premium as a point of reference for today's performance analysis. Why? The fact is many users are asking the question if they should buy a WL-600g or pay some more and buy a WL-500g Premium plus an inexpensive ADSL modem. This is a well-grounded question.
The two routers are indeed very similar, except that the WL-600g offers an ADSL modem as a WAN interface. Both are devices of the All-in-one Home Gateway type. It means that besides being a router with an integrated Ethernet switch each of them offers a Wi-Fi access point (802.11.b/g) and extra features (namely, two USB 2.0 ports) on board. The WL-500g Premium has already earned a reputation of a router with extensive hardware resources, flexible settings (especially with alternative firmware), and high performance.
We'll check out the WL-600g in this review and try to answer the question above.
So, let's get started.
Specification and Accessories
Wireless standard
IEEE 802.11b/g
Encoding standard
External dipole antenna
Signal modulation
DFDM with BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, DBPSK
Operating frequency
2.4 - 2.5 GHz
Nominal data transfer rate
-802.11g: 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54Mbps
Transmit power
-802.11g: 14~16dBm (at normal temp. range)
-74 ~ -75dBm@54Mbps
Operating channels
11 for North America, 14 for Japan,
1 RJ-11 ADSL 2/2+ port
Supported types of
4 RJ-45 (10/100 BaseT) Fast Ethernet
Other interfaces
2 USB 2.0 ports
External 12V power supply
215 x 160 x 42 mm
Additional features
EZ Setup
The box with WL600g contains:
- WL600g router with an antenna
- Quick Start Guide
- CD with utilities and user manual
- Category 5 Ethernet cable
- Phone cable
- Splitter (even two splitters were included with our sample of the router)
- External 12V/1.25A power adapter
A problem occurred with that power adapter during our tests. It burned out, actually. After a couple of days of operation, we found the router showing no signs of life. It turned out that its power adapter had failed. One chip in the adapter's regulation circuit was completely burned out. We suppose it is a factory defect because there were an ADSL modem and another router plugged into the same power-line filter and they hadn't even hung up. So, there was no voltage surge or something.


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Life Insurance and Estate Gifting
by Peter Katt
The current estate and gift tax situation presents a significant planning opportunity for making gifts prior to December 2012.
The estate and gift exemption credit for 2012 is $5.12 million per taxpayer, up from $5 million last year. The current law also provides for "portability." Portability allows a surviving spouse to preserve a deceased spouse's unused estate tax exemption by filing a federal estate tax return. Couples both dying prior to the end of 2012 can pass $10.24 million to heirs free of transfer taxes, with a tax rate of 35% on the excess. Under the integrated estate and gift tax system, individuals can gift up to $5.12 million over their lifetime without the payment of gift taxes. This means a couple can gift $10.24 million over their lifetime without tax.
But before popping the champagne corks, you need to understand that the current law expires on December 31, 2012, and if the exemption is lowered, you won't be able to transfer this amount tax free. What you do get is the earnings on the gift, so making as large a gift as possible now is usually the best strategy.
Let me explain several important estate and tax issues related to life insurance by using some examples.
Policy Alternatives
Tim and Maureen (both 50 and in great health) have the resources to immediately gift $5 million to an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT). Because of the nature of their assets, they decide using cash is the best choice. Of course the cash needs to be invested. They decide on life insurance because the death benefits are income tax–free. Although there are many life insurance options, Tim and Maureen focus on two. One is a no-lapse universal life policy with guaranteed premiums and death benefits. The guaranteed death benefits for a $5 million single-premium policy range from $31 million to $50 million, depending on the company. The company offering $50 million is well known and has strong financial strength ratings. Obviously this is a simple decision if the no-lapse universal life approach is desired: Take the policy with a $50 million guaranteed death benefit. With no-lapse universal life there will be low to zero cash values versus other options. Those that prefer no-lapse universal life argue that the cash value is irrelevant. Others are not comfortable without cash values for liquidity. Joint life expectancy for Tim and Maureen is 42 years. At this duration, the yield on the $5 million investment with guaranteed death benefits of $50 million is 5.6%, which, as noted, is income tax–free and equates to a pretax equivalent yield of 9.3%.
Of various alternatives, Tim and Maureen also wish to consider investing the $5 million into a low-expense participating whole life policy with minimum initial death benefits. Using this design, the low-expense whole life policy has death benefits and cash values, based on the current 6% dividend rate, as illustrated in Table 1. The death benefits and cash values are compared with the no-lapse universal life values.
The participating whole life policy has an illustrated yield at joint life expectancy of 5.5%. This death benefit is illustrated to continue increasing beyond life expectancy.
It may seem that it is a close call between the no-lapse universal life and participating whole life, but when possible inflation is considered, I believe participating whole life is a hands-down winner. The no-lapse universal life's death benefit is unchanged in the presence of inflation, but participating whole life's death benefits will be higher because inflation will cause the dividends to go up. For example, if the actual average dividend rate over 42 years is 7.5% the death benefits would be close to $82 million, not $47.52 million, at life expectancy. At 7.5%, this is a yield of some 6.9% at life expectancy. In addition the participating whole life policy has robust cash values versus low to zero values for the no-lapse universal life policy.
|Low-Expense Whole Life
|No-Lapse Universal Life
Death Benefits
Cash Values
Death Benefits
|Cash Values
|Universal life death benefits are guaranteed. Whole life cash values and death benefits depend on future dividends.
Make the Gift Now
As you will see, making as much of a gift as possible now is to your advantage. Let's consider several scenarios for Tim and Maureen. Tim and Maureen's net estate is $12 million. They gift $5 million with no gift tax paid and purchase the participating whole life survivorship policy. Let's assume they did no other estate planning and there is little inflation. Below are estate and gift tax calculations that have been simplified for clearer understanding.
Estate and Gift Tax Credit Unchanged
At the second death (in 42 years at joint life expectancy, or age 92), Tim and Maureen's net estate is $66,328,678 ($7 million value in 2012 after the $5 million gift and assuming 5.5% annual growth). The gift is added back and makes the gross taxable estate $71,328,678. Then the $10.24 million tax credit is applied, making the taxable estate $61,088,678. At a 35% estate tax rate, the estate tax is $21,381,037. Therefore, the net estate of $66,328,678 is reduced by the tax of $21,381,037 for an aftertax estate of $44,947,641. When the life insurance asset ($47,519,717 at age 92) is added, the total inheritance is $92,467,358 in 42 years.
Let's compare this with not having made a gift in 2012. The estate value would be $113,706,306 ($12 million estate value in 2011 at 5.5%) at life expectancy. After applying the $10.24 million estate tax credit equivalent, the taxable estate is $103,466,306. The estate tax is $36,213,207, leaving a net estate of $77,493,099 to the heirs.
The net estate with the $5 million 2012 gift is $92,467,358. This is $14,974,259 more than if the gift had not been made. The entire amount of the difference is due to the growth on the $5 million gift, not the gift itself, because it gets brought back into the estate in the estate tax calculation.
Estate and Gift Tax Credit Changed
Let's say that the estate and gift tax credit is changed to $1 million equivalent per taxpayer next year. This would give Tim and Maureen an estate tax credit equivalent at death of $2 million. With all the other figures remaining the same, Tim and Maureen are even further ahead by making the $5 million gift this year even though the estate tax is higher under the reduced credit ($24,265,037 versus $21,381,037). In this latter situation the advantage again is $14,974,259. And again this is due solely to the earnings on the gift made in 2012 outside the estate in the irrevocable life insurance trust.
Waiting 10 Years Before Gifting
If the estate and gift tax credit remains unchanged but the $5 million gift is delayed 10 years, the net disadvantage is some $6 million because of the power of compounding. (Gifting earlier provides more time for the amount to grow outside of the estate.) This is why the gifting should be done as soon as it becomes practical. This apparently is counterintuitive, because throughout my career I have found that the first instinct of almost all clients, and I believe a majority of attorneys, is to save the gift tax credits for just the right time and/or the perfect asset. Generally, this isn't good planning.
Citizens with the wealth to comfortably make gifts should do it as soon as possible and at the highest level that is financially feasible, up to the $10.24 million lifetime credit. The reason this works is because it is the earnings on the gift outside the estate that enhances total inheritance to family, even if the estate and gift tax credits are reduced in 2013.
Be Careful With Non-Cash Gifts
An interesting issue is what kind of assets should be gifted. The four most common categories are closely held business stock, marketable securities, real estate and cash.
A problem with the first three occurs if the gifted asset declines in value from the time of the gift to death, since the gifted amount is brought back into the estate at death at the value of the original gift. If a $5 million piece of real estate had been gifted that is worth $3 million at death, $5 million is brought back into the estate for estate tax tabulation. I have observed several clients who had gifted hard assets only to see their value tumble in the past several years.
The bottom line is that it can be risky to gift assets other than cash.
anoyn. from SC posted over 4 years ago:
Interesting article. I wish I had that issue! What is the best method to gift some funds now that the kids can access?
David from MD posted over 4 years ago:
Mr. Katt,
in an unrelated question, I was interested in your thoughts on the Bank On Yourself/Nelson Nash-Infinite Banking Concept as an exclusive retirement program.
I am a devout devotee to this idea and, if used early and properly, the power and flexibility it can provide. After ten years in the FS business and a militant opponent to anything government sponsored or stock market based, I find this to be a credible direction for retirement savings and lifetime financing.
Your expert thoughts would be appreciated.
Dave Wilson
Charles from TX posted over 4 years ago:
I would like to know how Peter's article applies if you have a "LIVING TRUST" (ie. BY-PASS TRUST, DISCLAIMER TRUST). CHARLIE S
Leonard from CT posted over 4 years ago:
People who can benefit from this article probably have their professional paid advisors and are not likely to be AAII members.


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Product Description
This tiny snowman ornament is made from dyed and natural corn-shucks by Shuckery and Woods Pretties in Weber City, Virginia. Four generations of women now create a myriad of items from natural materials such as the husks from corn cobs and seeds from different fruits and vegetables.
Snowman is approximately 3" high.
Artist statement included.


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Home List of Titles Nanoparticle plasmon-assisted two-photon polymerization induced by incoherent excitation source
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/193395
- Title
- Nanoparticle plasmon-assisted two-photon polymerization induced by incoherent excitation source
- Author(s)
- Ueno, Kosei; Juodkazis, Saulius; Shibuya, Toshiyuki; Yokota, Yukie; Mizeikis, Vygantas; Sasaki, Keiji; Misawa, Hiroaki
- Abstract
- We demonstrate the possibility to achieve optical triggering of photochemical reactions via two-photon absorption using incoherent light sources. This is accomplished by the use of arrays of gold nanoparticles, specially tailored with high precision to obtain high near-field intensity enhancement.
- Publication type
- Journal article
- Source
- Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 130, no. 22 (Jun 2008), pp. 6928-6929
- Publication year
- 2008
- FOR Code(s)
- 03 Chemical Sciences; 06 Biological Sciences; 09 Engineering
- Keyword(s)
- Excitation; Gold nanoblocks; Incoherent sources; Nanoparticles; Photochemistry; Plasmons; Polymerization
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society
- 0002-7863
- Publisher URL
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2008 American Chemical Society.
- Peer reviewed


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Rebooting America's Papa John's Appreciation Day Has Arrived
It's time to show appreciation for America's job creators and investors. : Justen Charters, Founder of Rebooting America, has declared today as Papa John's Appreciation Day to combat the left-wing hate hurled at the pizza chain for their proposed changes to services in the wake of Barack Obama's re-election, and the looming imposition of Obamacare. : This included increasing costs on pizza and cutting employee hours, which is the byproduct of the president's health care overhaul. : It's about to turn us into a nation of part-time workers.
Nevertheless, in a written statement, Charters said that:
this is about standing up for a business owner who told investors and the American people that Obamacare will hurt profits. This is about turning the attempted boycott by the left on it's head and supporting free markets and free speech. Boycotts only hurt employees, they don't help them.: The narrative from the left in the elections tried to pushed the theme that conservatives do not care for the poor. We can debunk that, if you simply visit our event page and see that we are asking those who are in the financial position to do so to give a pizza to a homeless person or somebody who is down on their luck.: And before I forget, This is not just about Papa Johns. Papa Johns is an easy enthusiasm creator because everyone loves pizza. Other companies like Olive Garden and Red Lobster have also come under attack for taking the same stand as John Schnatter.
Stand up for economic freedom, and make your night Papa John's.
Originally posted on The Young Cons.
Also see...
Even though my father, brother, uncles and grandfather were in the military, I seldom handled guns growing up. That's because unlike many of the other people in my family, I've...Read More
Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa is a conservative blogger based in Virginia. Besides contributing to Right Wing News, Vespa writes for RedState, PJ Media, Independent Journal Review, and his personal blog Noodle Pundit. He's also the 2013 recipient of American for Prosperity Foundation's Andrew Breitbart Award For Excellence In Online Activism and Investigative Reporting
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Juniper Hollow
this wiki
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|Not to be confused with Juniper Hill
- "San Fierro's residential district, famous for its steep streets, characteristics housing, and annoying liberals telling the world how to live."
- — GTA San Andreas Website.
Juniper Hollow is a district of San Fierro, San Andreas in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It is located just south of the Gant Bridge and Battery Point, and just north of Paradiso and Juniper Hill. Calton Heights, the city's most affluent district, lies just to the southeast, while to the northeast is Esplanade North. To the west/southwest is yet another affluent district, Palisades.
Juniper Hollow is modeled after San Francisco's Cow Hollow, a hot-spot for single yuppies, and one of the city's more pretentious neighborhoods. Fittingly, residents of Juniper Hollow are young, very affluent and walk with an air of superiority. Traffic can be somewhat heavy in the area due to the main roadway leading to the Gant Bridge running through its heart, but the natural beauty of the area and the views of the Gant Bridge are enough to compensate.
Stationary vehicles
- Romero (only after dating Katie Zhan to 50%)
- Stratum
- Flowers - At the fuel station
- One Snapshot
- Two Unique Stunt Jumps
|Neighborhoods, districts and areas in San Fierro, San Andreas
|Avispa Country Club • Battery Point • Calton Heights • Chinatown • City Hall • Doherty • Downtown • Easter Basin • Easter Bay International Airport • Esplanade East • Esplanade North • Financial • Foster Valley • Garcia • Hashbury • Juniper Hill • Juniper Hollow • King's • Missionary Hill • Ocean Flats • Palisades • Paradiso • Queens • Santa Flora


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Dismiss NoticeLike to discuss POLITICS? Come join us at PUNNDITS.com!If you like discussing politics and other related topics then your new home (hopefully) for doing just that can be found on Punndits.com! Come join us and help us grow Punndits into a wonderful and safe place to discuss politics with everyone.
The Biggest Pro Bowl Snub of All Time?
Discussion in 'Fan Zone' started by percyhoward, Jan 26, 2013.
Page 1 of 5
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Cholesterol Check-up
By Health Day
From 2011 to 2012, 12.9% of people 20 and older had high total cholesterol that's about the same number as the last survey.
A higher percentage of women than men had high cholesterol 14.4 percent compared to 11.1 percent.
A highlighted change for this report is the percentage of adults with low HDL cholesterol...the good kind. 17% of adults had low HDL cholesterol... that's down 20-percent since 2009 to 2010.
All adults are encouraged to have their cholesterol tested at least once every five years. I'm doctor Cindy Haines for Healthdaytv. With the news doctors are reading. Health news that matters to you.
Most Popular
Saturday, December 3, 2016, Watertown, NY


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Hello everyone. This is the first time I have ever been to this site. I am in desperate need of information. I have a 1 1/2 year old (Christian) and a 5 month old (Julian). Christian was never breast fed, he didnt seem to take to it and I ended up getting post partum depression and was put on meds for 3 months... But Julian is breast fed exclusively. Things were going great till here recently. He has learned to sleep through the night all on his own. He goes to bed around 9:30 p.m. and wakes up between 5:30 and 7:00 a.m. ready to eat. I dont know how he learned to do this but he did. And he doesnt sleep during the day, he doesnt like to, at all. So obviously he eats more frequently because he isnt sleeping. I have noticed that my milk supply isnt as great as it used to be. Now, I think its because he sleeps through the night and doesnt sleep during the day so he isnt giving it time to replenish. But I have been stressed here a lot lately and I have heard that stress decreases the supply too... It is very discouraging. I am drinking so much water I want to throw up in order to try and increase it and he nurses all the time it feels like. What do I do??? He gets so fussy because hes hungry and I am tapped out in the milk department. Has anyone else ever had this problem before?? What did you do? My mom keeps telling me to supplement with formula, but I dont know what is the best thing. Not to mention he hates formula and does not like the bottle at all, or a sippy cup... I love breastfeeding and would rather not stop if at all possible but I dont know how to make enough milk... I am in desperate need of answers!! Please help if you can.
Also, when did any of you start giving baby food and rice cereal and juice? Things are so different now between my first and second child. My first was eating bb food at 4 months... But I have heard not to give it to breastfed infants until later... what is best?


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In Damascus, all roads lead to hardship
December 4, 2013 —
Finding the wherewithal to maintain, repair and rebuild its 116 miles of paved and unpaved roads is nothing new to Damascus Township. It's been a challenge for as long as the roads have been there. But in the wake of hurricanes Irene and Sandy, a recession that now looks suspiciously like a lifestyle, and unparalleled fiscal constraints in Washington, Harrisburg and Wayne County, road upkeep seems to be an impossible dream.
So dire is the situation that Damascus Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey Dexter, who could not attend the November 18 meeting of the board, sent a three-page memo to Charles Grady and Joe Canfield, who co-chaired the meeting in his absence. The memo detailed Draft Amendment #2 to the 2014 proposed budget: a plan for establishing a dedicated tax-supported fund, Improvement Fund for Roadways and Bridges Improvement, to address the current road upkeep shortfall. As laid out in the memo, "the town currently spends $638,000 on roadway maintenance. Only $243,000 comes from the Liquid Fuels Allocation (Pennsylvania tax surcharges on gasoline, ethanol and diesel). In the years that we are able to pay for paving, it cuts into routine maintenance projects and services. The township has been unable to fund adequate care for its paved roadways for many years. The existing paved roadways continue to deteriorate, the costs for repaving is escalating. The longer we wait, the worst just get worse, and the costs climb upward. It will take 10 years just to repave the existing paved roadways."
The draft amendment went on to describe the difficulty of establishing the fund under existing taxation laws. It concluded with Dexter's recommendation that the township make no decisions on the dedicated fund at the November meeting, pending action by the Pennsylvania House on possible transportation funding increases. "If approved, as passed by the senate, the township could realize a $100,000 increase in liquid fuels allocations. If the increase in the threshold of 'prevailing wage' is approved, it would greatly increase the township's purchasing power. However, it could take upwards of two years before the township would receive the increase. The tax increase could allow the township to pave this summer, if the fund were created." The board voted unanimously to table the amendment vote until next month's board meeting at 7 p.m. on December 16.
Webmaster Ed Lagarenne announced that 12 years of free server usage for the township, courtesy of a Canadian Web provider, has come to an end. Small donations ($5-$20) are being sought from businesses to meet the costs of the township's website server.


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Product Organization Assessment
Product Team Workshop
Advisory Services
Product Vision Jumpstart
Partner: Chris Jones
SVPG believes it is the job of the product organization to ensure a consistent stream of innovative products and services that customers love, and that deliver on the business strategy.
Further, we believe that most companies have very outdated notions of product management and product marketing, and indeed relatively few companies in the technology industry have demonstrated the ability to do little more than simply continue to carry forward existing products and services making very minor improvements over time.
Moreover, we believe that Internet services are dramatically different than other types of products and services, and that the old techniques for "product management" and "product marketing" that derived from consumer packaged good companies, and that is taught in typical MBA programs, are inadequate for today's Internet-based companies.
We argue that good training and development of your staff is essential, but we also argue that the right training is a function of the needs of your product organization, how the roles and responsibilities are defined, the capabilities of the people that staff these positions, your product development process (Agile/Scrum, Conventional/Waterfall, common variations), your company culture, the markets you compete in, and the specific types of products and services you are delivering.
Until we know the specific situation at your company, we don't know the precise areas we may be able to help in (the Product Organization Assessment is designed to learn exactly that), but in many Internet software organizations, we hear the following types of concerns:
- Frustration with the lack of innovation and significant progress in improving the company's products and services
- The perception that many of the software releases may be technically sound, but they don't actually make a difference, and the feeling that entire releases are often wasted or at least fail to meet their objectives
- Frustration around how long it takes to get software releases out
- Frustration among customers that feel like problems have existed for far too long and the company is not able to respond
- Frustration from the members of the product team where they are unclear as to who is responsible for what, how decisions get made, and how to work together
If you believe these types of issues exist at your company, then SVPG has an unmatched record of assisting technology companies in making significant improvements to their product organization.
The purpose of all of the services described below is to help to measurably raise the performance of your product organization. We have three types of services: Assessment, Theory and Techniques, and Practice. Each of these services is personally provided by SVPG Partner Marty Cagan.
This typically begins with a product organization assessment where we spend 1-2 days with members from across the product organization. See Product Organization Assessment below for details.
Theory and Techniques
Based on the assessment findings, we assemble a custom-tailored training workshop intended to provide the members of the organization with the skills and techniques necessary to perform the role successfully. See "How To Create Products Customers Love: A Workshop For Product Teams" below for details.
To help with the change management and to ensure that the improvements are effective and lasting, we optionally check in either monthly or quarterly for the next several months, addressing issues that arise, coaching key players in the organization, and reviewing critical projects. See Product Advisory Services below for details on these services. If you have a major strategic initiative that you would like help in applying these practices, we offer a Product Strategy Jumpstart designed for this.
We measure success by making a lasting and positive impact on your organization. Our SVPG Manifesto describes the nature of the relationship we strive towards creating with each clients we work with, and we take every sentence in the Manifesto very seriously.
Product Organization Assessment
We strongly recommend beginning with a Product Organization Assessment. This is typically a one or two-day series of in-person interviews (depending on the size of your organization) with key people from your product organization, including but not limited to:
- Executive(s) responsible for the product organization
- Leaders of product management, including key product managers
- Leaders of product marketing, including key product marketing managers
- Leaders of user experience design, including key interaction designers
- Leaders of software development/engineering, including key engineers/architects
- Leader of the QA organization
- Leader of the project management organization (PMO)
- Any other people that you consider thought leaders or those with a perspective that you want us to hear
These interviews allow us to tailor the work we do to address the very specific needs of your company.
The output from this assessment is a written set of observations and recommendations. These observations provide management with a benchmark of your current organization against industry best practices, and the recommendations highlight the critical areas that need to be addressed.
Note that while this assessment involves discussions with engineers and QA, this is not an assessment of the Technology organization. It is simply that you learn a great deal about how the organization is working from discussions with those that work downstream of the product organization.
For more information, contact the Silicon Valley Product Group.
Product Team Workshop
Product Team Workshop - How To Create Products Customers Love
Workshop Objective
To share industry best practices in terms of roles, tools and techniques for those people responsible for defining the products that your company will create.
This is a 2-day, customized workshop for your product team designed around your particular products and services, culture, product development process, roles and responsibilities. This is an intense, interactive workshop designed to provide immediately applicable skills and methods to your product managers and to those they must work closely with to define products.
The workshop is designed for product teams - product managers, user experience designers, architects/lead engineers, project managers, product marketing, and members of your management team. Products today are not defined by product managers - they are the result of collaboration between product, design and engineering, and the objective of the workshop is to get the full product team working together effectively.
Workshop Structure
The workshop is designed around 100 essential lessons in creating successful products. Each lesson is a discussion about an issue, tool or technique that is proven to make a difference. Many of the lessons will surprise you. All are full of relevant and timely examples to illustrate the points. Exercises throughout let you try out the skills and techniques. Your team will leave the workshop with proven techniques that they can immediately apply in their jobs.
Workshop Topics
With the caveat that the specific topics in every custom workshop are different (and are a result of the Product Organizational Assessment) what follows are the typical major topics:
Top Product Mistakes: And How To Avoid Them
There are some product mistakes that are so common that they account for many of the failed products out there. During this section we discuss these mistakes, with relevant examples of each, and most importantly we discuss how to avoid making them in the future.
Product Organization Overview: Roles and Responsibilities
Everything starts with the people on the team, and the roles and responsibilities. We clearly define the key roles and discuss who is responsible for what. We discuss all of the key roles of a modern Internet product team.
Product Planning: Deciding Which Opportunities to Pursue
One of the key responsibilities of the product organization is deciding which of the many possible opportunities to pursue. This includes tools and techniques for evaluating the opportunities, as well as learning how to properly use the tools of product strategy, product principles and product roadmaps.
Product Discovery: Discovering Successful Products
The heart of the product manager's job is to discover products that are valuable, usable and feasible, and most importantly, have real evidence that you have discovered such a product before engineering begins building.
Product Execution: Working with Product Development
Once product management and design have defined the product, you must work closely with the product development organization to build and test the product. In this section we describe this relationship and how product management can support the product development process.
Product Launch: Working with Product Marketing
Once the product is build and tested, the product manager must work with product marketing to launch the product and ensure the product is being used effectively and meeting its objectives. In this section we describe this relationship and how product management can support product marketing and the launch process.
Summary: The Top 10 Key Practices
We conclude with a summary of our view of the ten most critical practices for this particular organization, and a discussion and plan for implementing change in the organization.
Common Questions:
What makes this workshop special?
What makes this workshop different is that it is lead by someone that has actually done the job and built the teams at some of the leading Internet companies in the world, including Netscape, AOL, and eBay. Compare the actual work experience of our partners with anyone else. We are proven, professional product organization leaders with a passion for building great products and developing great product leaders; we are not hired trainers. If you're trying to come up with a product that changes the world, you'll need to think differently. This workshop will show you how.
Who else has taken this workshop?
We urge you to take a look at our clients and read what they have to say about their experience with this workshop. They are among the most successful technology product and Internet companies in the world, and they take product as seriously as we do.
Materials and Logistics
Every attendee receives a copy of the book "Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love" and a printed binder containing a copy of the custom-tailored presentation materials, actual samples of all of the deliverables discussed in the workshop, and several actual case studies.
Workshop delivery is provided at your site, or the location of you choice. We deliver our services world-wide, including Europe, Latin America and India.
For more information, contact the Silicon Valley Product Group.
Back to the Top
Advisory Services
Once you have had an organizational assessment and we have helped you with a plan for transforming your product organization, you have the option of utilizing our assistance in ensuring a successful change management process. Having access to someone with experience with these challenges can provide the support necessary to your product management leaders so that they can succeed.
We typically meet with your team monthly or quarterly, for 1-2 days each time, reviewing progress, coaching individuals, and reviewing the actual deliverables the team creates to ensure the techniques are being using effectively.
We provide these services on a month to month basis. As soon as you decide that you are over the hump you either reduce the frequency of these checkpoints or conclude the services.
Some companies decide to make this form of assistance an ongoing arrangement, and a Board of Advisors is an option for these companies. See the article "The Board of Advisors" for a description of what this typically looks like and when it is useful.
For more information, contact the Silicon Valley Product Group.
Back to the Top
Product Vision Jumpstart
The product vision analyzes the market opportunity and the technology and describes a vision of what the product can be. The product roadmap describes the sequence of product releases to make the product strategy a reality. We can work with you to create these key deliverables.
If you have a new initiative that's critically important and you want to make sure you're using the best techniques possible, applying them effectively, and the work can proceed as fast as possible, the Product Strategy Jumpstart is designed for this.
There are two main purposes to a Project Jumpstart: 1) to condense the time required to get from early concept to solid strategy with a good and actionable product plan; and 2) to get the full project team on the same page. Depending on the team and how well they work together, team-building may be an explicit third objective.
This workshop involves taking the product team off-site for usually two days, to significantly accelerate the process of coming up with:
- clear understanding of the business strategy
- the specific measures of success
- competitive landscape discussion
- product strategy
- product principles
- product roadmap
- the personas for your target customers/users
- key prioritized product concepts
- guidance for the design of the first product's user experience
- organizational implications
In addition to dramatically speeding the process of getting a product to this stage, the other main benefit is the team-building value of getting the product team together for these intense sessions.
Usually this is conducted off-site both to ensure the intense, uninterrupted time required to make real progress, and also to facilitate the team building aspects
It is critical to get all the key players of the product team together for this effort. Attendees typically include:
- Leadership Team
- Product Manager(s)
- Interaction Designer(s)
- Lead Engineer/Architect(s)
- Project Manager
- Product Marketing
For more information, contact the Silicon Valley Product Group.
Back to the Top


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Billy Jackson@mozart active 3 years, 11 months ago
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The Economics Working Group brings together a range of expertise and views to explore the causes of the economic problems which manifest themselves in austerity and inequality. Topics for discussion at the twice […]
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A must for the perfect ski escape (aside from a serious need for speed)? The right gear, both on and off the slopes. Using our Take to the Slopes Boutiques as a guide, pick a destination, pack your bags accordingly, and then let the adrenaline take over.
Our three Take to the Slopes Boutiques open Wednesday, November 7, at 3PM ET.
By Sarah Stanley, Staff Writer
Not a Member and like The (Style) Guide? You'll love Rue La La. Join now.


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A home in New Orleans being restored by the St. Bernard Project.
Image: Energy Department Image | Photo by Quentin Kruger, Contractor
Secretary Steven Chu arrives at a home in New Orleans to join veterans in reconstruction work.
Louisiana Congressman Joseph Cao and Zachary Rosenburg, CEO for The Saint Bernard Project, greet Secretary Chu at a home in the early stages of the reconstruction process.
Secretary Chu mudding walls in the back bedroom.
Secretary Chu greets Army veteran James MacQueen, construction manager for The Saint Bernard Project.
Secretary Chu is pleasantly surprised as he turns around to find several active duty volunteers have joined him.
Secretary Chu exercising patient care with the ceiling.
Devin Hampton, US Department of Energy, scrapes troughs under the hot New Orleans sun.
Secretary Chu poses with reservists, veterans, and volunteers from Mission Serve and The St. Bernard Project.
1000 Independence Ave. SWWashington DC 20585202-586-5000


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"We had our best start this year, but we had a hard time maintaining the intensity. Now, we have to work on being consistent for the entire match," said head coach Lawrence Lollar.
"We have nine matches left, and we need to finish strong."
The Cougars played right with the Palominos over the first set before a few late mistakes cost them. Laredo captured the first set 25-17 to take a 1-0 lead in the best of five match.
Set two was all Laredo as the Cougars could not get things back on track after their loss in set two. The Palominos rode off with an easy 25-7 victory for the 2-0 lead.
Set three had the Cougars playing a little better, but they trailed 12-8 midway through the set, and the Laredo women outscored the Cougars 13-3 the rest of the way to capture the final set 25-11.
Kathy Acosta and Shanise Wilson led the CBC offense with four kills each. Mykayla Villarreal followed with three kills over the three sets. Regan Gonzalez set up 13 points for assists. Ronnie Garcia, Wilson and Villarreal each contributed a block for the Cougars. Garcia finished with seven digs on defense, and Lauren Gutierrez came up with six digs. Garcia served the lone Cougar ace in the match.
The loss keeps the Cougars winless in region at 0-5, and they stand 2-15 on the year.
"We play Tyler College and Panola College this weekend on the road and then we are home next Tuesday against Victoria College. We will have our pink-out match (in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month) on Oct. 18," Lollar said.