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Social Entrepreneurship Corps
May 26th, 2013 - No Comments
Social Entrepreneur Corps is a social enterprise that leads innovative and dynamic international internship programs in Guatemala, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, and the Dominican Republic/Haiti. Social Entrepreneur Corps participants work with their sister organization Community Enterprise Solutions in the field supporting the creation, development, growth and impact of social innovations focused on intelligently and sustainably alleviating poverty.
Benefits of the program:
Social Entrepreneur Corps participants create sustainable impact in the field while gaining the perspectives, skills and knowledge to become the social entrepreneurs of the future. Through participation in innovative rural development work within a challenging cultural, language learning and grassroots environment, Social Entrepreneur Corps ensures that participants will gain insights into the opportunities, inherent risks and limitations involved in third world development. They will also have ample opportunities to significantly increase language proficiency. Students observe, learn and live in a diversity of cultural settings by living with a local family.
Through classes, case studies, discussions, analysis, living with the local population, as well as through visits and active participation with local NGOs and social entrepreneurs, interns will make a profound community impact while gaining an in-depth knowledge of rural economic development.
Student testimonials:
Types of assignments:
Interns work side-by-side with a team of international development and social entrepreneurship professionals to directly and measurably contribute to sustainable community social impact. The field work is always designed using community based desired outcomes as the starting point. Interns work with our MicroConsignment Model (http://socialentrepreneurcorps.com/microconsignment.html), provide grassroots consulting services (http://socialentrepreneurcorps.com/grassrootsconsulting.html), participate in community education initiatives (http://socialentrepreneurcorps.com/communityeducation.html) and more. In general, participants engage in six categories of field activities. These are needs analysis, feasibility analysis, project launch, support, expansion and evaluation.
Travel opportunities:
Interns travel to a number of field sites during the program. Sites vary from program to program but in-country travel is a significant part of all internships.
Program cost:
The four-week summer programs cost $2,450 and the eight-week programs cost $3,950 (these prices do not include airfare). For complete cost information, visit http://socialentrepreneurcorps.com/summary.html.
Application process:
Please visit http://socialentrepreneurcorps.com/applynow.html, read the instructions and click on the link to complete the online application.
Birthright Israel Excel Program
April 1st, 2013 - No Comments
Birthright Excel is a 10- week summer fellowship program in Israel for American Jewish college students pursuing careers in business, technology, biotech, marketing, and social media. Each fellow (20-40 per summer) will complete an internship with a multi-national Israeli company. Past assignments have included Ernst & Young, Trigger Foresight, Petango, Sequoia, CheckPoint and DSP Group.
Benefits of the Program
1. Network – Students get an Israeli mentor and a US mentor as a permanent part of the fellowship.
2. Work experience
3. Explore all of Israel
4. Leadership – The program includes an annual conference and leadership development activities.
5. Exposure – The fellowship includes various conferences, speakers, and seminars.
Business Assignments
Most assignments relate to business analytics, finance or consulting strategy.
Program Cost
The program is free, including flight, room and board, commuter costs, lunch at work, travel throughout Israel and programming events.
Student Testimonial
"I am wiser, more well rounded, better connected, and more prepared for my future for being a participant. I would not be where I am today personally, nor professionally without the experience I had with Birthright Excel."- Ben Birnbaum, Smeal College of Business Student
Application Process
Student should apply online at http://www.birthrightisrael.com/sites/excel/Pages/Default.aspx. There will be a series of interviews and then students will have their choice of several internship assignments to determine the one that best meets their interests and career goals.
International Internships with the Foundation for Sustainable Development
February 22nd, 2013 - No Comments
Program Details
Our International Internship Program offers 9-52 week placements at any FSD site with one of our 300 community partners. It's an intense, immersive program for students and young professionals looking to gain international development experience and training. FSD works with community-based organizations in Argentina, Bolivia, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, and Uganda in areas of microfinance, health, youth development, education, gender equity, human rights, and environmental sustainability. Our Site Team staff are there every step of the way for technical, safety & security, and cross-cultural support.
Why FSD?
Unlike programs that offer 'volunteerism' or 'volunteer vacation', our International Internships are for people sincerely interested in sustainable development and global community development initiatives. Participants learn and practice project design and management, community assessments, grant proposal writing, monitoring and evaluation, and other key skills that accelerate academic and career development. In 2012, FSD earned the title of Top-Rated Nonprofit by GreatNonprofits and was named the "gold standard of global engagement programs" by The Huffington Post. FSD alumni have gone on to win Rhodes, Fulbrights and other merit-based scholarships, study at prestigious graduate schools, work for prominent international development organizations like UNICEF, PSI, DPK, and the World Bank, and even start their own international organizations.
What is included in the program?
– Airport pickup upon arrival
– Week-long orientation
– Family home stay with all meals provided
– Language trainings
– Ongoing community development trainings
– Cultural activities and reflection sessions
– Seed Grant and access to additional funding for projects
– Technical support for hands-on project development working with a community-based organization
– Midterm retreat and final debriefing session
– Medical evacuation and limited health insurance
– 24/7 safety and security support
– On-going in-country support from FSD site team and U.S. staff
– Access to FSD's Alumni Connect Program
Student Testimonial
FSD Intern Alumni James Sarria participated in two trips with FSD as a UC Berkeley undergraduate in 2007 (one to Argentina and one to Nicaragua). He now serves as the Stanford Site Director of the Summer Math and Science Honors (SMASH) Academy, a 3-year 5-week summer math and science enrichment program that is free of cost for high-achieving, first generation high school students of color. Working with over 100 students throughout the SF Bay Area requires James to keep a global perspective in mind, and he credits FSD with helping him foster a cross-cultural understanding as well as a passion for service and volunteerism at a young age: "What FSD creates is an opportunity for passionate, ideal and young scholars to experience what can't be replicated in a classroom. FSD supported my desire to connect with people that are just like me, but just happen to live in another part of the world. FSD does all that, from a local perspective, using local people, while hosting the world in some of the most critical places to understand the importance to be a global citizen."
Program Costs
The FSD program fee covers all in-country costs and is 100% tax deductible for U.S. residents. Program costs average $4898 for 9 weeks and vary between program site and session length.
Application Process
To apply for FSD's programs, you submit the following: 1) the Application (found online); 2) Your CV/Professional Resume (in Spanish for Latin America Programs); 3) The $50 Application Fee. FSD San Francisco Staff will send all qualified applications to our International Site Teams, with each application going to the Site Team that corresponds to the applicant's region of interest. After receiving a tentative host organization assignment, the Site Team will conduct an interview and placement will be finalized.
To learn more about the internship process and apply, please visit http://www.fsdinternational.org/programs/internship.
Exela Ventures
February 20th, 2013 - No Comments
Exela Ventures is an entrepreneurship program that organizes and leads student expeditions to Guatemala. Students will engage in marketing, business plan writing, public speaking, research, fundraising, writing, financial analysis, and web design. Students will travel through rural, urban, and suburban areas, jungles, volcanoes, forests, and deserts in Guatemala.
Program Benefits and Support
Interns gain valuable experience and have the opportunity to interact with leading entrepreneurs and activists. Exela Ventures has travel and housing accommodations for students. Furthermore, Exela has developed a highly effective and engaging pre-arrival, orientation, and post trip set of activities, reflections, discussions, and workshops.
Program Costs
The intern is responsible for raising funds to cover airfare (roughly $600). There is also a $300/week ground fee.
Student testimonials
"It was an exciting adventure with a lot packed into 3 weeks; having read the students' journals it is evident that much was learned in terms of language but especially in terms of sensitivity to the Guatemalan people and their culture, their struggles and challenges, and their indomitable spirit. Thank you to Exela Ventures for providing us this fascinating and unique study abroad opportunity. "Patricia E. Webster, Ed.D. Professor of Spanish, Brenau University
"Our 2nd year International Development MBA students were given the unique opportunity to travel to Guatemala during the spring of 2011 to participate in one of Exela Ventures hands on education programs. That spring upon graduation, our students were asked to complete a survey to identify the most meaningful learning experience throughout their entire 2 year MBA experience. I was not surprised when the expedition to Guatemala was rated #1 by our students." Dr. Gregory Chase, Professor of Business at Brenau University
"When I travel internationally with students, I want to focus on teaching and learning. With Exela Ventures, I could do just that. Demetri and his team took care of all the details – from selecting great service learning partners to making sure we were all well fed and cared for. Exela Ventures is clearly invested in making these trips a success for everyone involved – students, service-learning partners, professors, and all of the amazing people we met with in Guatemala."- Prof. Patricia Shine, Associate Professor of Human Services, Lyndon State College
"I just want to express my appreciation and gratitude for all you did for our group. The organization, the activities, the personal attention and the caring for all was superb!" ~Joye Fuller, MBA Expedition 2011 with Brenau
Application process
Students are asked to submit a cover letter and resume for initial review. After this there will be a telephone interview.
To learn more please visit http://exelaventures.com.
CRCC Asia Internship Program
October 30th, 2012 - No Comments
CRCC Asia Internship Program
What is the Program?
Our internship program gives students the opportunity to obtain a one, two, or three month long internship placement in either Beijing or Shanghai, China. We work with over 400 companies in China in a variety of sectors including business, finance, law, engineering, marketing, health care, green tech, tourism, NGOs, non-profits and more.
What is included in the program?
- Pre‐Departure & Visas
- Travel Cards
- Arrival & Orientation
- Accommodation
- 24 hour Concierge
- Social & Cultural Activities
- Business & Networking Events
- Survival Chinese Lessons
- Support Network
- Alumni Network
- CRCC Asia Certificate
Program Benefits
By joining our program, students gain hands on experience working in their industry while living in one of China's most exhilarating cities. Interns return from the program with numerous transferable skills and knowledge of Chinese language, culture, history, and business practices.
We work with some of the top companies in China, which allows students to work in high paced environments on a variety of task based projects while building their resume and making long lasting business relationships.
Interns are provided with an international social experience and have the opportunity to meet people from China during their work experience as well as other interns from all over the world.
Support for Students
CRCC Asia interns are provided with 24/7 support from our team overseas. We have over 30 trained staff members who are available to assist interns with their transition and introduce them to life in China. Our program coordinators monitor the progress of the interns and help resolve any issues that may arise.
Upon arrival in China, all interns receive airport pickup and shuttle service to their apartment. The next day is an introduction day where they learn all about Chinese culture, how to get around in China, things to do and see, and what to look out for. Following introduction day is our welcome banquet where interns get the opportunity to socialize, eat a delicious meal, and get excited for their internship!
The program coordinators in Beijing and Shanghai also spend a great deal of time organizing social and cultural activities such as a karaoke night, dumpling making event, acrobat shows, walking tours, and charity weekends. CRCC Asia also arranges a variety of business and networking events.
Accommodations are included as part of the program and are centrally located in both cities, only minutes away from entertainment, food, and shopping. Interns have their own private room in a flat shared with two other interns. All accommodations have a kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Detailed information about the accommodations in each city can be found here. Pictures are in our photo gallery.
What kinds of assignments can a student expect?
Neal Fanton, August 2011 intern
"I was placed at an energy based company, which is an English based company with a branch in Beijing. I was given the project of conducting research into how to make China's buildings more energy efficient. I found my project enjoyable and incredibly insightful. I had two meetings every week with my supervisor, where we would discuss my research and I could ask for help and discuss any concerns. I was also lucky enough to be able to attend business meetings with other companies, where I was able to ask questions about my project and find out more about this industry in China."
Travel opportunities
CRCC Asia offers an opportunity for interns to participate in the Dragon Trip, which is a fantastic way to explore China's historical sites and rich cultural heritage. Options include taking a weekend trip to Hangzhou, where you will try new cuisine, experience a diverse nightlife and partake in a variety of outdoor activities such as boating on Westlake and hiking through a bamboo forest in Moganshan.
The full 18- day Dragon Trip adventure can be done before or after the internship and includes travel to the best sites in China. Highlights are a motorcycle tour of Yangshuo's countryside, spotting wild pandas in the QinLing Mountains of Sichuan, seeing the ancient Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an and camping overnight on the Great Wall of China
Application process
Applying to the program is simple. Visit www.crccasia.com/apply, complete the application form and attach your resume. Shortly thereafter, you will be contacted by one of our offices to arrange a short interview to talk about your internship placement. If we think we can match you with one of our partner companies, we will give you an offer into the program.
Student Testimonial
Ethan Rubin, July 2012 Intern (Yeshiva University)
"CRCC Asia not only enhanced my business skills but also helped round me as a more adept and cultural individual. Spending my days in the office was a pleasure, as I was surrounded by professionals that welcomed me with open hands. The work was interesting and the environment as warm and friendly as could be. I couldn't have enjoyed my leisure time more, hanging with other interns from across the globe. We kicked back together at night and went sight seeing to the most magnificent places during the day. CRCC Asia will, without a doubt, be an experience you will never forget."
Please visit the website below for more information on the program:
Student Experience- Mankessim, Ghana- Global Business Brigades: Part II
October 15th, 2012 - No Comments
Ariel Prochowski, Sophomore, Business Administration
July 29, 2012
Earlier in the second week of my program all the Global Brigades interns from all disciplines (microfinance, medical, and water) were fortunate enough to meet Allen Gula and Orion Haas, the cofounders of Global Brigades Ghana. They gave us a lecture on missions and visions. The point of this was to get each intern to think about what sort of impact we would like to have not only in Ghana, but also in the future in each of our respected fields of study. The three questions we were asked to answer were the following: To do what? For or with whom? To achieve what or why?
In order to help facilitate this process of getting intact with ourselves, we had a discussion about two of the most important things we have heard a community member say, two most memorable things we have seen so far (two happy things, and two things that made us sad), and one impact that we hope to have as individuals. Two of the most important things I have heard are the following: "Things will get better" and "Use your limited resources, and be as efficient as possible when assisting others." The first statement was made by the President of the Community Development Fund in Ekumfi Abuakwa, and his optimism was referring to the state of the Fund. The next statement was made by Allen Gula, both the cofounder of GB Ghana and a chief in one of the local communities, in his speech about microfinance. The two most positive memorable things I have seen are older siblings taking care of their younger siblings, and smiling children. The negative things I cannot shake from my mind are the loads of people competitively trying to sell their products on the streets and highways, and the quality of "drinking water" in the communities. My impact is to improve the quality of life for the community members by working with their finances.
After this exercise, we were asked to write our temporary missions and visions for our long-term lives. My mission reads as follows: To comprehend, challenge, and improve the American economy by cooperating with confident individuals tending to encourage individual endeavor, resourcefulness, and aggressive effort along lines making for the development of a superior thriving society; to promote and raise a healthy and loving family with moral values and ambition.
We were next asked to define success in one word, to jot down a few things we would like to have in an ideal world, and to write how we anticipate our emotions to be after the internship is over. I defined success as improvement, and wrote the following: family, living by the beach, financial comfort, friends, travel, pets, and garden. Fifteen days from now, I will have made a difference in the world-not a big one, but a little one. Working with one underprivileged community out of the thousands will show me just how lucky I am to live in the U.S. and will teach me not to take certain simple aspects of life for granted. Some of these include clean drinking water, well-functioning banks & abundant businesses, and the availability of medical professionals. Our impact in Ghana will be felt. The Community Fund will be on the path to superior development, clean and sustainable drinking water projects will be implemented, and community members will know how to live a healthier lifestyle.
During the second week, we had also begun thinking about what we would like our major projects to encompass for the duration of this internship. Since I am a microfinance intern and have a keen interest in Finance & Economics, I considered working on the improvement of the Community Development Fund in Ekumfi Abuakwa.
Serkan Saka- Red River Foods, Inc
October 1st, 2012 - No Comments
Red River Foods, Inc.: Part II, Malatya, Turkey
Serkan Saka, Senior, Marketing Major
My second week was very exciting and full of wonderful learning experiences. On behalf of a negotiation that took place in the heart of Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, Ali and I were set out for a meeting with a few clients from an importer of dried fruits located from Spain by the name of King Regal Incorporated.
On that Monday we welcomed the two purchasers of the company around noon at the Istanbul Airport and decided to have lunch at a local downtown café. I attended the lunch for observation purposes to see how a negotiation took place (I wasn't allowed to directly negotiate with the two gentlemen.) At a first glance the two gentlemen, whose names were Adan and Felipe, seemed very aggressive, but as we all were soon acquainted they were extremely friendly and might I add comical. During lunch we feasted on some kebab and a colorful salad while talking about anything besides business- sports, fashion, and culture.
The discussion grew much more formal as we got to reach our negotiation settlements. It was very interesting to see how the negotiation tactics took place- from talking about which products the buyer was interested in to exactly which shipping ports the buyer wanted. After several hours of observing the negotiations, I realized that no contract had actually been signed and wondered if a sale actually took place. I soon found out that most of the actual contracting happens behind the scenes and not in person. I thought that this was a bit strange and unusual from the type of business we are used to in the United States.
After the business negotiations took place, which lasted four or five hours, Adan and Felipe had set out to fly back to Valencia, Spain. It was surprising to see how little time they actually spent in Istanbul. However, my mentor Ali and I had two more nights in Istanbul to relax and sightsee. On that Tuesday we spent the day sightseeing and doing a lot of walking. Wednesday morning we had our flight back to Malatya.
This was a great trip and learning opportunity.
DHL International Supply Chain Internship – Jonathan Jacobs
September 26th, 2012 - No Comments
Jonathan Jacobs
DHL International Supply Chain Internship
Hong Kong, Yantian, Shanghai, Ningbo, Ho Chi Minh
Summer 2012
Studying logistics in Asia is an experience that I will never forget. By being at the origin point, working for a top rated 3PL and witnessing the operations, I was able to learn how top retailers manage their logistics network.
My internship was based out of Hong Kong where my day to day operations were project based. I worked with the DHL Service Delivery team to generate vendor compliance solutions for our customers. As a team we worked with the top retailers of the world to analyze their Standard Operating Procedures in comparison with their vendor's ability to comply with due dates to determine the best practice.
Bonded Warehouse – Shenzhen, China
53 Foot Container – Changjiang, China
In addition to my day to day job with Service Delivery in Hong Kong. I traveled with business development to meet and negotiate terms with clients. The meetings took place in the office, on the golf course, and at dinners. At these meetings business development negotiated DHL's ability to bring retailers supply chains into foreign countries, terms and conditions for Value Added Services, and sell the synergies DHL can create for perspective clients. I learned that there are two parts to Business Development of equal importance. The first part takes place inside the office and consists of learning everything about the client so you are able to determine their needs prior to even meeting them. This part also requires the team to prepare for the arrival of clients in terms of making sure their trip to Asia is smooth. Doing the little things such as providing clients with transportation, welcome gifts, and setting up activities can go a long way when clients are uncertain if they will choose DHL or a competitor. The second part is the entertaining of clients to create personal relationships with them. This job can be the more difficult of the two, as it requires members of the Business Development team to be away from their families after work hours and on weekends to create time to network with clients. This is done through networking at bars, dinners at restaurants, and golfing at golf courses throughout China. The biggest learning point I took away from spending time with the team was that the customer always comes first. As long as customers are satisfied and new clients choose DHL, the Business Delivery team is successful and the limits for them to find this success have no boundaries.
CMIT Port – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
YICT Port – Yantian, China
Working for DHL at the product origin point in Asia created an incredible environment for me to learn about the side of supply chain many Americans never get to witness. I visited Bonded Warehouse Yards, Nonbonded Warehouses, Air Freight Operations, Ocean Freight Operations, Ports, Manufacturing Facilities, and Retail Negotiations. In addition to the incredible supply chain learning experience, I also was immersed in numerous cultures that were very diverse.
My primary residence of Hong Kong is truly the melting pot of the world. It is a place full of American and European culture in the heart of Asia. The city reminded me of New York in terms of the skyscrapers, nightlife and opportunity. The buildings are all very upscale on the main island and cater to business, the night life is worldly as you meet people from all countries, and the fields of Finance and Supply Chain Management thrive for all community members.
A major difference between Hong Kong and New York was the cleanliness and efficiency of the subway system. As a city that is much smaller than New York, the city's underground tunnel system is able to cover a much more comprehensive amount of area. This is critical for commuters to escape the intense heat and humidity by creating an air conditioned environment accessible to nearly everywhere in the city.
The people of Hong Kong are very generous and proud of their city. When traveling through their city, they push you to try all of the diverse types of food (Chinese, German, Italian, Australian, American, Korean etc.). They also create a fantastic work environment and are extremely team oriented, there is no such phrase as "This is not my job" in the work place with a native from Hong Kong. The city environment is incredible, it is impossible to walk down the road without having someone trying to sell you a suit, jewelry, or meal (needless to say negotiation skills become critical).
Hong Kong Island
Beautiful Asian Architecture
Student Experience-KPMG, Manila, Philippines Part 2
September 14th, 2012 - No Comments
Elizabeth Romilo Dingcong,
Junior Accounting Major
What is your perception of the business culture in Manila?
Although I have not had experience in a U.S. firm, I expect that the business cultures differ significantly. Typical office hours are 8:30AM to 6PM Monday-Friday. Generally, Filipinos are naturally "laid-back" individuals. This characteristic greatly reflects in the work place. One of things I was most surprised about is how the staff often asks personal questions that may be considered "inappropriate" in the States. By now, I'm very used to being asked if I have a boyfriend or if I'm attracted to anyone in the building. At first, I felt the questions inappropriate, but over time I learned that these are very common, fair questions that aren't meant to embarrass or unease me. I am currently the only American intern, so naturally the staff is very curious about me.
An obvious obstacle I have to overcome every day is the language barrier. Having a Filipino background, I understand Tagalog well enough to get by. I do not, however, consider myself fluent. Also, my American accent sometimes makes it hard for the staff to understand and relate to me. I found this the most difficult part of my whole experience. The staff gladly speaks English to me, but when speaking, I have to make sure I am very clear and concise; using words and phrases that aren't obscure in order to be properly understood.
As I said before, the office is very laid-back and friendly. People are always offering food to you (its best to take it even if you're not hungry.) In Filipino culture, elders are always shown the highest level of respect. In the office, you address your superiors as Miss or Sir, followed by their first name. Partners of KPMG are addressed by their initials. For example Sir Jose P. Javier is addressed as JPJ. This is to show their high position in the partnership.
What skills have you obtained on this international internship?
My assignments are mainly administrative work on Excel. Prior to this internship, I considered my knowledge of Excel mediocre. As of now, I am very comfortable with the program. I learn new Excel skills every day and I consider it one of the greatest skills I have taken from KPMG.
I am in charge of the attendance of the associate auditors and also their time and expense reports. Because these directly effect their pay, it is important for the associates to communicate with me. This gives me a chance to practice my Tagalog skills. Even though they are fluent in English, they express themselves much better in Tagalog. I have actually come to prefer that they speak Tagalog to me because it makes them more comfortable. After a few weeks, I found myself comfortable speaking basic Tagalog.
I am asked to look for computation mistakes in financial statements for the associate auditors. Even though it is mainly basic verification of addition, any kind of exposure to financial statements is very important as an accounting major. I now know the flow of financial statements and how to properly read them.
Culture & Social Skills
One of the most important things I have learned is to remain open-minded. I feel this is the only way to fully experience my time abroad. I took the opportunity to put myself out there and make a true effort to make friends. Through this, I have learned so much about myself and my culture, and I when I leave here, I will take away many friends. The social skills I have developed here is a skill that I truly value the most.
What have you learned that will help you reach your career goals?
The skills I have listed above are all considered valuable in the business world. The opportunity to experience an International Internship with a Big 4 Accounting firm will greatly enhance my resume and has provided me with interesting topics and stories that I can discuss with recruiters during the employment process.
Having experience in a firm is very marketable to employers. I understand how the partnership operates. Also, I hope that the fact that I've worked abroad will open many doors to me. I am very interested in traveling and working with multinational companies and feel comfortable experience foreign culture. Although my internship is still ongoing, I am working hard to obtain a job offer from KPMG. If I am successful, the Philippines would be an amazing option for me. In terms of the far future, I plan to keep in touch with the friends I have made here. Most of them are CPA professionals. I feel that having a close network abroad gives me an edge that a company would greatly value.
What advice do you have for students seeking an international internship?
BE OPEN-MINDED. If there's any advice I can give someone interested in interning abroad, it's just that. My particular internship is not paid. I do get reimbursed for travel fees and meals. Although it sounds unappealing to intern at KPMG for free, think of it as an investment in your career. You may be given tasks and assignments that have nothing to do with your field of study, see it as an opportunity to gain a new skill.
ASK QUESTIONS. If there is a language barrier, make sure you understand and are understood properly. Don't be afraid to ask someone to repeat themselves. English is the common language among business, so you are actually doing them a favor by forcing them to speak and practice their English. In return, they are doing you a favor by familiarizing you with their language. Be willing to acquire a new language. This is by no means an easy task, but learning basic words and phrases will really be helpful.
DON'T BE OVER SENSITIVE. When you experience a new culture in the business world, you may find yourself being stared at a lot. Know that most people are polite. People are naturally curious of foreigners. It is important to not take mind to comments that you might find offensive. Most of the time, they're not trying to offend you.
MAXIMIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. For the time you are there, adopt the culture and what it values as your own. Even if you find that its not your cup of tea, respect the fact that you have a very special opportunity and take every chance you have to learn something.
DO IT. If you have any chance to intern abroad, I suggest you go for it. It's an intern experience that will likely be one of a kind.
Student Experience- Mankessim, Ghana- Global Business Brigades
August 6th, 2012 - No Comments
Ariel Prochowski, Sophomore, Business Administration
After spending one week in the city of Mankessim, Ghana for my Global Brigades Microfinance Internship, I have to say that I am nothing but stunned. I have been educating myself not only culturally, but also professionally due to the supportive staff here in Africa.
As soon as I arrived, I was taken to a nearby rural community named Ekotsi, where I went "church-hopping," a term used for interns that spend 15 minutes in one church with a particular religion, until they move on to the next one. I was fortunate enough to be taken to three different churches, where I experienced a variety of cultures that involved singing, dancing, and of course, praying. The people here seem to be content with every aspect of life, no matter how underprivileged they are.
The next day was spent learning the native language of Mfanste [Fante]. This was a remarkable experience where I got to learn yet another language, one that surely makes me stand out from other students, especially since the language is not very popular outside of the Central region of Ghana. I have learned everything from the alphabet to the vowels to greetings, and of course simple, yet crucial everyday phrases like 'Wofre mi Kwesi!' (My name is Kwesi). In Ghana, one is referred to by the day of the week on which he/she is born. Since I was born on a Sunday, my name is Kwesi!
Professionally, I have done business consulting work in two communities so far. I have spent entire days with families, where I would partake in their everyday activities, while consulting about their finances. So far, I have worked with the chief of a community, who is also a part-time farmer, with a carpenter, and with an elderly couple who are also farmers. Most of the families I spoke with had expansion plans for their businesses and wanted to send their children off to college in the future. However, they are all having financial issues! Unfortunately many of them believe that they need loans to stay afloat financially, and I am here to show them that a savings culture is essentially what they need, instead.
As a Global Brigades microfinance intern, I have a variety of assignments I need to complete. I have to setup a banking system with loans, foster a culture of savings, develop the Community Development Fund so that it includes savings, shares, and loans, and work on the Shareholder model.
The main issue I have found within the communities is that there is a credit culture instead of a savings culture. Much of what is purchased within the communities is bought with credit. Consequently, some people repay their money, while others do not. This leaves people in debt cycles where instead of building savings, they are paying off their debt! Everybody wants a loan, but they do not even know what they need it for. They do not realize that they can actually just save up the money instead. For example, after consulting with a community member, she told me that she wanted to take out a loan of 100 Ghana Cedis (approximately $50). To her, this seemed like a significant amount of money, but I explained to her that if she saved 1 Cedi every day for a little bit over three months, she would have that 100 Cedis! She would have no interest to worry about, and the Community Fund would not have to worry about getting back its money. After I explained this philosophy to her, I saw her eyes lighten up and I knew it was her lightbulb moment. She completely agreed with what I told her, and she promised she would do exactly as told. Four days later, I checked up on her, and instead of having saved only four Cedis, she already has eight! This is a remarkable feeling.


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Since May 25, the Steamboat Pilot & Today and the Craig Daily Press have worked to bring women's issues to their front pages. The goal was to gather and examine statistics, but also to explore the stories of the women living right here in Northwest Colorado -- the faces behind the statistics.
By identifying the issues that specifically affect our communities, we hoped to help organizations to "choose their battles."
Armed with information, they would be able to focus on solutions.
On Wednesday night, a group of women gathered at the Steamboat Pilot & Today office to discuss the series of articles, codify a path for the future and brainstorm solutions.
They began by evaluating the need to discuss women's issues.
Why is this important?
Domestic violence, sexual assault and women living in poverty are all issues in Routt County, the women agreed, and the journey to equality is not yet over.
Marianna Raftopoulos gave her personal testimony.
Raftopoulos was the first woman to be elected in Moffat County.
"That was in 1996," she said. "It took that long. As my term has gone on, I've realized how important it is to have that female awareness in office. It was something I didn't notice until I was on the commission."
Since her term began, Raftopoulos has made a concerted effort to appoint women to committees and boards, she said.
"It's important to include women because they represent a different walk of life. Until I was there, that was not represented," she said. Still, there are no women on the Craig City Council.
In government, women tend to focus on health and social service issues.
"Those issues come up, and I see the guys get a glazed-over look," she said.
Visiting Nurse Association Executive Director Sue Birch said that since having women in office in recent years, she has had a better response to funding needs for child care and domestic violence programs.
Psychotherapist Nancy Young said women's issues tend to be trivialized when women are not in government.
In her mind, the most important issues still at the forefront of the struggle for equality are the wage gap, the cost of teenage pregnancy, domestic violence and the need to get women involved in politics.
"Getting women into politics is at the forefront of affecting change," Young said.
Raftopoulos knows that more women need to be elected, but she admitted it is not easy to bring about such change.
"Rural counties tend to be more male-dominated, but I don't know how to break that boundary," she said. "The Women's Foundation of Colorado should focus on getting more women involved in politics. Because of term limits, I will be leaving office in 2004. Who will take my place?"
Running for elected office is difficult for many reasons and can be intimidating because "women are held to a higher standard than men," Raftopoulos said. "Many women don't want to step forward because they don't want to get shot at. Sometimes you feel like there is no support out there."
Is it getting better?
The women cited wage disparity as something that no one wanted to talk about, but a subject that needs to be addressed. The Women's Foundation of Colorado is dealing with the issue in two ways: First, the organization is encouraging girls to enter higher paying professions, such as technology and science. Second, the group wants society to place greater value on the "nurturing" professions that women usually choose.
"The fact is that there is a glass ceiling, and it's hard to demand better pay," Women's Foundation trustee Linda Hamlet said. "I heard from several women while these articles were being written that they didn't want to come forward to talk about it. They didn't want to be controversial and they didn't want to put themselves in a bad position (professionally)."
To Women to Girls project coordinator Jennifer Fritz, that sounded like a self-esteem problem, and low self-esteem is intertwined with all women's issues, she said.
"It seems to me that there comes a time in women's lives when the focus shifts from competence to what they look like. The focus shifts away from 'what am I good at?' to looks and competition with other girls for boys," Young said. "This impacts development in such a way that it takes them until their late 20s to wake up again. It's like girls go into this altered state and by the time they come out of it, they have lost themselves, their voice and their power."
Watch the grocery store checkout counter, she said. The magazine articles are all about looks, weight and how to get, keep and please men.
She pointed to the way women are treated when they do achieve positions of power. Elizabeth Dole and Hillary Clinton are attacked for their looks as a way to trivialize what they are saying, she said.
The women believed that many things have improved for their gender over the years, but an increasing pressure to look good was inhibiting women, especially young girls.
"There is an incredible pressure on the young," Young said. "Fifteen years ago, when a woman said that she did something sinful, she was probably referring to sex. Now, she probably means that she had a piece of chocolate cake."
There is a dramatic shift in how women feel about themselves, she said. "Being fat is about the worse thing you can be."
The second biggest crime is getting old.
"Women have a very different experience in growing old than men," Young said. "Women become invisible in our culture when they age."
Finding time to be perfect
Women have made progress, but at a price.
Raftopoulos has three children, a husband and a position as a county commissioner. She described her day to the women in the room:
She wakes up at 5 a.m. in order to pay bills and get her children ready for school. She spends the day attending meetings and returns home in time to do a load of laundry and make dinner. After dinner, she usually has another meeting in the evening.
"We all do that," she said. "I wouldn't want to give up any of it. I want to be a mother and a wife, but I want this, too."
Women think of parenting in different ways than men, Young said.
"Men are given permission to go about their lives, but the woman is the caretaker," she said. But the blame can be put on the women as well as the men for clinging to that idea.
"Women have to let go. They need to stop over-functioning so that a place can open up for men to step up to the table. Sometimes, we cut out the invitation to the man to participate as a partner in the family. Women set themselves up."
After spotting the issues, the women ended their discussion by searching for solutions. If pressure to be beautiful shifts a girl's focus to her exterior and limits her potential later in life, girls should be encouraged to "grow from the inside out," Hamlet said.
"Girls need to be encouraged to think a little deeper about life and girls need to be taught at an early age to think critically about the messages they are receiving from the media and society," she said.
Monitoring the messages is also the responsibility of the parent, Birch said. Mothers and fathers need to pay attention and nurture their daughters' self-esteem.
Once girls have self-confidence, they have a critical tool to help them deal with the other challenges that will face them in life. They will negotiate for higher wages.
They will think about their educational choices and think critically about what they choose to do with their careers.
They also will have the confidence to control their reproductive life.
"Planned pregnancies are key in a woman's success," Birch said.
"An unplanned pregnancy is the single most derailing moment in a woman's financial life," Hamlet said.
Lastly, women cannot be embarrassed to fight for themselves.
"When we talk about women's issues, they throw the word 'feminist' back at us as a way to trivialize. Don't be co-opted by that word," Young said.
Raftopoulos agreed.
"Just because I talk about women's issues, doesn't mean that I hate men," she said. "We're not here to take over the community. We are here to participate."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sporting KC & MLS Reach Agreement To Loan Striker Kei Kamara To EPL's Norwich City
Written By: dunny|
Jan 30, 2013
Sporting KC and MLS have agreed to loan our guy Kei Kamara to Norwich City in the English Premier League.
"I'm really excited about the opportunity to play for Norwich City in the Premier League and live my dream", Kamara told me. " Thank you to everyone at Sporting KC, MLS, Norwich City, and Shaun Higgins, my agent, for making this happen. Sporting KC is still my team and my home is here, but I'm thrilled to have this opportunity!"
PROficient Agency CEO & President Shaun Higgins :: "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and Kei is grateful for it. Kei knows that this would not have happened without Peter Vermes. Peter saw something in Kei a few years ago and transformed his career. Robb Heinemann and MLS also played a huge part in this, and we thank them for their efforts in this process."
We brought you pictures of Kamara's training period with Stoke City this past December and will provide more from Norwich City in the next couple of days.
More from my site
About Author
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text:
|"Steichen, Thomas" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
|st: RE: pksumm and clearance
|Tue, 1 Oct 2002 10:15:17 -0400
Fabrizio writes: > > Hello, > I'm using pksumm command, but in this command don't exist clearance > measure. > Can you help me ? Fabrizio, -ke-, the elimination rate constant is reported and is a "clearance measure." Will this suffice? Tom
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text:
This was my competition piece for the Sweet Times in the Rockies show. The theme was take flight and the first thing that came to mind was Amelia.
Tags: cake crazy competition sculpted cake face human world earth plane amelia earhart
Avalon Cakes School of Sugar Art | Learn the ART of Cake | https://avaloncakesschool.com/cd


text:
XML::SAX is a SAX parser access API for Perl. It includes classes and APIs required for implementing SAX drivers, along with a factory class for returning any SAX parser installed on the user's system....GRANTM/XML-SAX-0.99 - 04 Sep 2011 22:30:56 GMT - Search in distribution
- XML::SAX::Intro - An Introduction to SAX Parsing with Perl
- XML::SAX::PurePerl - Pure Perl XML Parser with SAX2 interface
- XML::SAX::ParserFactory - Obtain a SAX parser
- 16 more results from XML-SAX »
......PERIGRIN/XML-SAX-Writer-0.56 - 13 Nov 2014 18:52:06 GMT - Search in distribution
- XML::SAX::Writer - SAX2 XML Writer
This module is for testing XML::SAX handlers....SEMANTICO/Test-XML-0.08 - 02 Jul 2009 06:12:12 GMT - Search in distribution
- Test::XML - Compare XML in perl tests
This module has a very simple task - to be a base class for PerlSAX drivers and filters. It's default behaviour is to pass the input directly to the output unchanged. It can be useful to use this module as a base class so you don't have to, for examp...GRANTM/XML-SAX-Base-1.09 - 03 Apr 2017 09:00:25 GMT - Search in distribution
- XML::SAX::Exception - Exception classes for XML::SAX
- XML::SAX::Base - Base class SAX Drivers and Filters
XML::SAX::Tap is a SAX machine that passes each event it receives on to a brach handler and then on down to it's main handler. This allows debugging output, logging output, validators, and other processors (and machines, of course) to be placed in a ...PERIGRIN/XML-SAX-Machines-0.46 - 19 Aug 2013 16:16:14 GMT - Search in distribution
- XML::SAX::Machine - Manage a collection of SAX processors
- XML::SAX::Pipeline - Manage a linear pipeline of SAX processors
- XML::SAX::ByRecord - Record oriented processing of (data) documents
- 9 more results from XML-SAX-Machines »
This is an implementation of a SAX2 driver sitting on top of Expat (XML::Parser) which Ken MacLeod posted to perl-xml and which I have updated. It is still incomplete, though most of the basic SAX2 events should be available. The SAX2 spec is current...BJOERN/XML-SAX-Expat-0.51 - 21 Jan 2014 01:50:43 GMT - Search in distribution
XML::LibXML provides an interface to libxml2 direct SAX interface. Through this interface it is possible to generate SAX events directly while parsing a document. While using the SAX parser XML::LibXML will not create a DOM Document tree. Such an int...SHLOMIF/XML-LibXML-2.0129 - 14 Mar 2017 13:37:23 GMT - Search in distribution
- XML::LibXML::SAX::Builder - Building DOM trees from SAX events.
- XML::LibXML::SAX::Generator - Generate SAX events from a LibXML tree
- lib/XML/LibXML/SAX/Builder.pm
- 7 more results from XML-LibXML »
"XML::SAX::Simple" is a very simple version of XML::Simple but for SAX.It can be used as a complete drop-in replacement for XML::Simple. See the documentation for XML::Simple for details....MANWAR/XML-SAX-Simple-0.08 - 28 Nov 2016 11:20:02 GMT - Search in distribution
This module is a set of classes to allow easy construction of XML documents, in particular in association with an XML::SAX pipeline. The default is to output the XML to stdout, although this is easily changed....SEMANTICO/XML-SAX-Builder-0.02 - 24 Apr 2003 13:04:07 GMT - Search in distribution
XML::Parser::Expat has a variation, called XML::Parser::ExpatNB which is rather stupidly named, IMHO. It's a useful module, though, and in case you got here from there looking for an XML::SAX based wrapper for it, then one exists, but is not named XM...NUFFIN/XML-SAX-ExpatNB-0.01 - 08 Jan 2005 23:49:10 GMT - Search in distribution
XML::SAX::ExpatXS is a direct XS extension to Expat XML parser. It implements Perl SAX 2.1 interface. See http://perl-xml.sourceforge.net/perl-sax/ for Perl SAX API description. Any deviations from the Perl SAX 2.1 specification are considered as bug...PCIMPRICH/XML-SAX-ExpatXS-1.33 - 26 Oct 2012 07:55:01 GMT - Search in distribution
- XML::SAX::ExpatXS::Encoding - Encoding support for XML::SAX::ExpatXS
PCIMPRICH/XML-Directory-1.00 - 26 Jan 2005 16:02:46 GMT - Search in distribution
- XML::Directory - returns a content of directory as XML.
This class allows you to generate SAX2 events using GDOME. Note that this is not a stream based parser, instead it parses documents into a DOM and traverses the DOM tree. The reason being that libxml2's stream based parsing is extremely primitive, an...TJMATHER/XML-GDOME-0.86 - 30 Mar 2004 22:17:58 GMT - Search in distribution
- XML::GDOME::SAX::Builder - build a GDOME tree from SAX events
- XML::GDOME::SAX::Generator - Generate SAX events from a LibXML tree
- XML::GDOME - Interface to Level 2 DOM gdome2 library
This module uses the 'Bare XML' parser from XML::Bare to generate Perl SAX calls. The parser itself is minimalistic and is a simle state engine written in ~500 lines of C. Supported XML The XML parser used in the module can parse standard XML cleanly...CODECHILD/XML-Bare-SAX-Parser-0.01 - 03 Jul 2008 13:12:08 GMT - Search in distribution
XML::SAX::SimpleDispatcher dispatches subroutine calls based on a XPath like path. This can be handy tweaking children nodes data while parsing data by SAX parser....SEKIMURA/XML-SAX-SimpleDispatcher-0.02 - 10 Mar 2009 04:12:59 GMT - Search in distribution
Most XML parsers give a callback interface within an encapsulated loop. That is, you call $p->parse_whatever($whatever); And eventually, when $whatever is depleted by the parser, "$p->parse" will return. Sometimes you don't want the parser to control...NUFFIN/XML-SAX-Expat-Incremental-0.05 - 18 Sep 2007 04:58:16 GMT - Search in distribution
XML::LibXML::SAX::ChunkParser uses XML::LibXML's parse_chunk (as opposed to parse_xml_chunk/parse_balanced_chunk), which XML::LibXML::SAX uses. Its purpose is to simply keep parsing possibly incomplete XML fragments, for example, from a socket....DMAKI/XML-LibXML-SAX-ChunkParser-0.00008 - 18 Apr 2014 04:53:21 GMT - Search in distribution
Parse large XML files or streams without being loaded into memory and print to the standard output only the fragments that match to the filtering rules specified by the two parameters: record and find_data....DANNEC/ETR-XML-SAX-FilterHandler-0.02 - 03 Jul 2015 12:43:11 GMT - Search in distribution
This module builds on XML::LibXML::SAX::Builder to build DOM fragments from SAX events. Instead of (or in addition to) creating a complete DOM tree, it splits up the document into chunks based on the depth they are in the tree....MARTIJN/XML-SAX-IncrementalBuilder-LibXML-0.02 - 29 Jul 2008 13:15:56 GMT - Search in distribution
This class is used by IOC::Config::XML to construct the IOC::Registry object hierarchy from the given XML document. There are no user serviceable parts in this module really. But if you want to add handling for any type of custom IOC::Container or IO...STEVAN/IOC-0.29 - 27 Apr 2007 00:57:28 GMT - Search in distribution
- IOC - A lightweight IOC (Inversion of Control) framework
- IOC::Config::XML - An XML Config reader for IOC


text:
An Anniversary of Verse: 80 Years of the North Carolina Poetry Society
|Arts & Entertainment
|City Lights Bookstore
|3 East Jackson Street, Sylva, NC 28779
|City Lights Bookstore
|Dec 01, 2012
Visit City Lights Bookstore on Saturday, December 1st at 5 p.m. for an evening of poetry followed by a reception. This reading is part of a series of readings celebrating the 80th anniversary of the North Carolina Poetry Society. Former North Carolina Poet Laureate Kathryn Byer of Cullowhee will help host the event and share some poems from her forthcoming book, Descent. The other featured poets will be Joseph Mills, Kathryn Kirkpatrick, and Julie Suk. Eric and Norma Hendrix will provide music after the reading.
Joseph Mills is a faculty member of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and has written four collections of poetry including Sending Christmas Cards to Huck and Hamlet. He also co-authored A Guide to North Carolina Wineries.
Kathryn Kirkpatrick is a writer and literary scholar and has written five collections of poetry including Unaccountable Weather. She is also the editor of a collection of essays on Irish women writers titled, Border Crossings: Irish Women Writers and National Identities. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains and teaches at Appalachian State University.
Julie Suk is an award-winning poet with four collections including The Dark Takes Aim. She has also co-edited Bear Crossings: An Anthology of North American Poets. She lives in Charlotte, NC.
This reading is sponsored by the North Carolina Poetry Society. In addition to the reading at City Lights Bookstore there will be six other concurrent readings in Boone, Charlotte, Durham, Fountain, Salter Path and Winston Salem. For more information please contact City Lights Bookstore at 828-586-9499.


text:
El Paso, Checkers Price HY Deals
November 1, 2012
Checkers and El Paso issued a combined $635 million in high yield bonds.
El Paso Corp. priced $475 million in 4.7% senior notes due 2042. Such long-term bonds are rare on the high yield market, but El Paso is a split-rated company, with some of its entities and securities holding investment-grade ratings. The Houston-based oil and natural gas company sold the bonds through its El Paso Pipeline Partners subsidiary. It plans to use the proceeds to repay its $470 million in outstanding revolver debt and for general corporate purposes. Bank of America Merrill Lynch, RBC, RBS, DNB Markets and Scotiabank were the bookrunners. Moody's Investors Service rated the bonds Ba1 and Standard & Poor's rated them BBB- Parent company El Paso Corp. is within the speculative-grade ratings of both agencies, with a Ba2 rating from Moody's and a BB rating from S&P. This past April, the company issued $2 billion in 9.375% senior notes due 2020 and $750 million in 6.875% senior secured notes due 2019 to help finance its $21.1 billion merger with Kinder Morgan. As of Sept. 30, El Paso Pipeline had $4.3 billion in long-term debt, according to a regulatory filing.
Fast food restaurant operator Checkers Drive In Restaurant sold $160 million (upsized from $150 million) in 11%senior secured notes due 2018. Jefferies was the lead bookrunner. The Tampa, Fla.-based company started in Mobile, Ala. in 1986 and merged with Kentucky-based Rally's fast food restaurant company in 1999. The combined company has more than 800 restaurants in the United States. The company was bought by private equity firm Wellspring Capital Management for $188 million in 2006. Wellspring reportedly put the company up for sale this past August. It is still listed as a portfolio company on Wellspring's web site.


text:
From Exalted - Unofficial Wiki
Illuminating Wrath of the Sun\\ Artifact ••••\\ Orichalcum Great Axe\\ w/o MM: Spd +0, Acc +4, Dmg +9L, Def +1\\ w/ MM: Spd +1, Acc +5, Dmg +9L, Def +2\\ Requires: Strength 2; Commitment: 10
Forged in the first age to strike down the enemies of creation, Illuminating Wrath of the Sun is an enormous Axe, the blade crafted of Orichalcum and carved with runes of justice and valor. The haft of this mighty blade was fashioned from the heartwood of a great black tree found in the southeast growing near one of Great Garda's everburing flames and banded with White Jade.
- 10m, Add perm essence to damage for a scene
- 10m, Agg damage to Demons, Undead, Abyssal Exalted And Fair Folk for a scene
- 10m, Do raw damage (Str+9) in unsoakable agg to one target within 10 yards as per the Zenith caste anima power (the two effects can be stacked, 15m total to activate both.)
- Glow on Command, Clear Vision out to 30yards
My First Level 5 Artifact, I used the ArtifactCreationErrata to design it - Malikai\\ Converted to match These Rules
- Stripped 2 powers
- 10m, Compell truth from anyone who is touching the axe with thier skin (target need not be willing)
- +4 to socialize to Discern Lies
- Malikai
Creation Errata or not, I actually see this as vastly underpowered. It's combat values are barely sneeze-worthy compared to a Grand Daiklave, and all the powers are just reminiscent of charms already in the book. If this axe was designed for someone out to hunt creation's enemies, wouldn't he/she already have all those abilities? Why would a first age smith make an artifacts with redundant powers if the price was reduced combat utility? At artifact 5, I expect this thing to cleave through soulsteel doors and cause demons to wet themselves at a hundred paces. -- DODurden


text:
Countdown continues with Walton County's 187th birthday
Story and photos by DOTTY NIST
Perfect Florida Panhandle weather for late December set the stage for the annual celebration of the founding of Walton County.
Guests again flocked to the Eastern Lake home of Lane and Brenda Rees on Jan. 29, gathering on their lakefront deck for a sunset toast in honor of the occasion. Refreshments were served inside.
Walton County historian Brenda Rees started the annual tradition in 2004 as a countdown to the 200th anniversary of the county's founding, which will take place in 2024.
One of the state's oldest counties, Walton County was the eighth county to be created in the state. It was named for George Walton Jr., secretary of the Territory of West Florida from 1821 to 1826 and later acting governor for the state of Florida. Walton was the son of George Walton Sr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The junior George Walton's daughter was Octavia Walton LeVert. Brenda Rees describes her as "the most famous belle that you've never heard of." While not well known today, LeVert was renowned as a socialite and writer during the mid-19th century, and was a close friend of prominent politicians and literary figures of the day. She was honored by Edgar Allan Poe with a poem entitled "Octavia."
In conjunction with the sunset toast at these celebrations, another part of the annual tradition is the recitation of this famous poem:
"When wit, and wine and friends have met
And laughter crowns the festive hour
In vain I struggle to forget
Still does my heart confess thy power
And fondly turn to thee.
But Octavia do not strive to rob
My heart, of all that soothes its pain
The mournful hope that every throb
Will make it break for thee!"
Begining in 2009, one male and one female guest at the Rees' countdown party have been chosen as honorary George Walton Jr., and Octavia Walton LeVert for the year. The practice was continued this year, with guests having the opportunity to purchase a chance in a drawing by making a $5 donation to the Coastal Branch Library. Guests participating in the drawing received a copy of the Santa Rosa Beach 100th birthday celebration booklet for which Brenda Rees volunteered her time and knowledge to help create. Santa Rosa Beach's centennial was celebrated in September 2010.
Winners of this year's drawing were Maxine Sharp as honorary Octavia Walton LeVert and Al Cook as honorary George Walton Jr.


text:
And now we shift our weary gaze to faraway Willits, where an unpleasant mob of progressives, envirotards, hippies and other lower forms of humanity are all whooping and shouting, hoping to stop the Highway 101 bypass from being built.
It's always something with these people, and it's always annoying.
They don't want the bypass because Caltrans is building it. These people hate CalTrans because it's a big corporation or factory or something. Whatever. If CalTrans wants to do something to make the world a better place, the fools on the hills outside Willits are automatically opposed.
If a little kid fell down a well in Willits and the only way to fetch her to safety was by using CalTrans, the liberals would march and chant and set up a human blockade around the well. Then they'd hold a big fundraiser. Pretty soon the kid would die and the lefties would swagger around and brag about how they told truth to power. Always annoying, like I said.
They say they're against the 101 bypass for highly principled reasons. This is what they always say.
They tell us they want to save lovely downtown Willits, although if they really wanted to beautify the town all the hippies would move to Oregon. Nothing could improve Willits more.
Others say they oppose the bypass for environmental reasons, in order to save trees or endangered grubs or something. This is valid at least in part because 101 construction will no doubt displace the Dwarf White Commune-Dwellers currently nesting in hills east of Willits. But can't we just take up a collection and pay this fragile tribe to move to Humboldt?
Some complain the project will add a measly two lanes to the highway, thus doubling its capacity. To these people, a 100 percent increase in traffic lanes adds up to nothing? Would the anti-bypass crowd be happier if the plan was for eight lanes?
And a few grumble that the soil around Willits is unstable and that CalTrans won't be able to build on it. Oh sure.
Try thinking of another California highway project that was abandoned because conditions presented a problem for CalTrans. I've done the research. I've studied the data. Over the course of a century there hasn't been a single instance of CalTrans giving up due to difficult dirt. The Willits bypass won't be the first. These guys build roads for a living and if the local whiners will just get out of the way they'll build this one too.
And then there are those who are against the 101 bypass because the local economy will suffer. The protesters say that when tens of thousands of cars and trucks currently motoring through Willits are able to circumvent the town, the shopkeepers will be deprived of potential customers. What a joke. As if any of the lefty mob have ever cared the least bit for merchants or businesses or the working class.
Of course the bypass will reduce traffic through Willits. That's what a bypass is supposed to do. The notion it will cause the local economy to collapse is simply another dishonest argument, and proving it wrong is simple: Just draw on your own experiences.
When 101 bypassed downtown Novato in the early 80s did that city shrivel up and die?
And whatever happened to little old Cloverdale? It used to be a great town to spend two, three, maybe four hours driving through during peak summer weekends. Remember those RVs and logging trucks and pickups pulling boats, all backed up in bumper-to-bumper gridlock?
Yeah, bring back the good old days before the 101 bypass when thousands of cars burning oceans of gasoline sat for hours inching down Cloverdale Boulevard. Tell me again about how eliminating all those miles of backed up traffic harmed the environment.
Then there's Geyserville. Nothing to it anymore except tumbleweeds and empty stores with "Vacant For Rent" signs on the plywood covering the broken windows (plus a few new high-end restaurants and wine joints cluttering up the downtown).
Today the only vehicles that stop in places like Novato and Cloverdale and Geyserville (and Healdsburg, Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Ukiah) are the ones driven by people with a reason to stop, like for a gas station or a meal or a motel. What's wrong with that?
And now Willits can do the same. Let's let our Willipino friends be free from the stupefying congestion and pollution that afflicts the entire town. Let's cut out the dead-end, slo-mo traffic strangulation on its city streets.
Let Willits grow up and be what it wants to be without the distractions and annoyances of a million gray faced drivers rolling through the middle of town every night and day.
And don't forget the benefits to you and me: We'll never ever again have to drive through the dismal place called Willits.
Talk about annoying, the media treats some Willits tree squatter like she's Rosa Parks. If a local narcissist wants to be a celebrity let her do karaoke singing at the bowling alley, says Tom Hine, who lives in Ukiah and writes under the TWK byline.


text:
Westpoint Shopping Centre, Blacktown 2148
Tel: (02) 8857 4800
~~Browse, shop and be inspired by our range
HS Home is an exciting store concept by Harris Scarfe, where you can browse and shop our best selection of Homewares and Manchester. HS Home is committed to creating an easy and enjoyable shopping experience, where you will find your favourite national and exclusive brands at prices you will love.
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Not to mention our list of exclusive and "As Seen on TV" brands such as; Smith+Nobel, Elysian, Soren, Simply Vera by Vera Wang, Flavorstone, Bluestone, NutriBullet, Stonedine, Shark Vacuums, Ninja.
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HS Home – you'll love it!
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text:
One person delighted to be out there was David Ellis from Penfold Audi Sport, who won Division Two, International Rule, Club (IRC).
'Really happy to get a start. It held for the first three or four legs, then it went soft and so we all struggled for the last two. Wow there were some big holes out there and conditions probably favoured the frontrunners.'
Behind Penfold Audi Sport in IRC were INSX and then Absolut. Dark Energy won the Australian Measurement System (AMS) and really flew around, savouring the light conditions with their massive spinnaker. Penfold Audi Sport were behind them and Where's Wal?, took third.
In the Performance Handicap System (PHS) stakes, Matrix had a great day up with the leaders. Dark Energy got second and Where's Wal? was third.
Results for Division Three were also a case for the usual suspects, which certainly reflect how well they sail. Intrusion won IRC, with Footloose and Mood Indigo in behind them. Nouannie took AMS over Footloose and Intrusion, with Y Knot taking PHS from Nouannie and Merak.
David Leroy, the Principal Race Officer, was out on the Western Course, running the racing for Divisions Zero and One. 'Well that was a little bit tricky. Patience was certainly a virtue you needed today. Division One got the best of the day, but we still managed two races for Division Zero and any day a race gets done, is a good one! That new TP52, Calm 2, was decidedly quick in the light and 38 Degrees South also had a cracker of a day. We set a four-leg race of 1.6nm and Divisions Zero's second race was set at 1.7nm, but quickly cut down to 1.2nm as it lightened off. We set it at 110 degrees for race one and Div1 got that for first lap and then 130 degrees. We got Div0 off for their second race at 140. All in all, a pleasant day on the water, but for sure a little more breeze would have been good.'
Rowan Simpson, Sydney 38 Class stalwart, usually sails with the Doyen of Victorian yachting, Lou Abrahams. Today he was on John Chatham's 38 Degrees South. 'I think it was a good day for the class and all of the Sydney 38s sailed well to be in the top ten. The guys on board 38 Degrees South were fired up, as we had spent an hour before racing to tune the rig for the conditions. As a result, we had good speed, which gave us clear air and the ability go where we wanted, pick the shifts and use them to our advantage. The result was a really good race', said Rowan.
John Chatham added, 'Pretty happy about winning IRC, AMS and PHS on the one day. Fantastic sailing conditions and we had such close competition, especially with Audacious, who were all over us. We had to work hard in the fickle conditions and learned a bit from Rowan, too. Thanks to the race organisers for a wonderful day and apologies to Bombora, whom we had to duck very quickly at one point.'
As mentioned, 38 Degrees South had a clean sweep of Division One. Ikon also had a sweep, taking second in all three categories and being the best placed Beneteau on the day, also won the Sundance Marine prize of a bottle of premium French liquor. And just to keep the theme going, Audacious picked up a trio of third places.
Division Zero had hoped to get three races in for the day, but settled on two. Accolades were reasonably evenly spread, with Scarlet Runner, Calm, Calm 2, Goldfinger and XLR8 all seeing certain parts of the podium on the day. Jason Van Der Slot of the Calm Sailing Team said, 'Had a good day and great to get the first real race in. Learned a lot from the day, especially that Calm 2 likes to be completely flat and is so different to the other boats. There is not so much of an Achilles heel with this latest generation of TP52 and being a little too sticky in the very light conditions. Have to also say that it is also wonderful to see the John 'Willow' Williams and Graeme 'GA' Ainley combination back out fighting on Calm. We're all happy and enjoying the evolution. Great stuff!'


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Charlee, that turned out beautiful!!! You did a great job of correcting what someone else messed up!
Glenn, Jan and her husband will be in my prayers too. Please keep us informed about them.
Welcome to the Quilting Board!
Charlee, that turned out beautiful!!! You did a great job of correcting what someone else messed up!
Glenn, Jan and her husband will be in my prayers too. Please keep us informed about them.
Hope all goes well with Jan and her DH. Will keep them in our thoughts. Glenn please keep us up to date how they are doing.
Charlee the cabinet is quite an improvement to the before picture. You did a nice job.
Quilting with a friend keeps me in stitches.
Good idea for GW auctions Joe. At least I know your bidding code and you know mine. It's like watching your neighbor over the back fence. LOL
Sweet Caroline
This is what our DS gave me over the weekend. It is a Singer Merritt and I don't think the lady ever used it. It came with all the attachments, manual, and 30 flat cams. I know you can treadle with this machine and the manual shows you how to set it up. Also this is one of the machines that has to always have a cam in it when sewing. There is even a rebate check that she never cashed. Still had the sample cloth under the needle where the factory test the machine. I tried the machine out and it sews just like a new one.
Quilting with a friend keeps me in stitches.
Charlee; Fabulous job on that cabinet. Looks so much prettier than the before pic.
Trish; Nice score on the Merritt.
I meant to behave......but there were too many other options
Lovely job on that cabinet Charlee. It is one of my favorites for electric machines.
Been testing every kind of fabric that I have on the Viking, haven't found anything that it won't sew. Think I got a real work horse. Stitches are nice and even, very happy. Charlee that cabinet looks great.
Blocks sent boom water http://www.quiltingboard.com/members...44-albums.html
Blocks received http://www.quiltingboard.com/members...44-albums.html
Batik blocks swap http://www.quiltingboard.com/members...44-albums.html


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Kevin Love collected 27 points and 17 rebounds for his 37th consecutive double-double Monday as the Minnesota Timberwolves won for just the third time on the road this season with a 104-92 victory over the New Orleans Hornets.
Michael Beasley added 14 points, Jonny Flynn had 13 and reserves Anthony Tolliver and Nikola Pekovic 12 apiece for the Timberwolves, who made 11-of-26 3-pointers and snapped a three-game overall skid.
Minnesota won on the road for the first time since Dec. 26 at Cleveland and improved to just 3-23 away from home.
Minnesota used a 37-point second quarter to take control, cruising into the break with a 60-46 lead. Tolliver drained four of the Timberwolves' seven 3-pointers in the frame while Love added nine points and Sebastian Telfair hit a pair from beyond the arc.
The Wolves stretched it to 65-46 when Corey Brewer hit a 3-pointer early in the third period but cooled off quickly, going nearly five minutes without a basket while the Hornets cut it to 69-62 with just under five minutes left.
Instead of folding, Minnesota regrouped behind Love, who scored nine points over the final 4:07 to rebuild the advantage to 82-70 entering the final period. New Orleans never threatened thereafter.
Chris Paul recorded 17 points and 13 assists for the Hornets, who have dropped three straight.