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Obit: Brian Behan
McALPINE'S FUSILIERS
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Subject: Obit: Brian Behan
From: weerover
Date: 09 Nov 02 - 05:53 AM
Brian Behan, brother of the late Brendan and Dominic and a writer in his own right, has died at the age of 75. I'll leave it for someone with more knowledge than I have to post a more detaile obituary.
Subject: RE: Obit: Brian Behan
From: Big Tim
Date: 09 Nov 02 - 07:03 AM
I don't know much about him either but I enjoyed his books and his interviews in the "Irish Post". I also enjoyed his, tongue in cheek, I think, ideas of what he would do if he ever became Prime Minister: pay the parents of children who didn't vandalise things, and make daily sea bathing compulsory for all citizens! (He swam in the[North] sea every day himself).
The consensus seems to be that he was the least talented of the writers in his family but it was a very talented family.
Subject: RE: Obit: Brian Behan
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 09 Nov 02 - 08:10 AM
He certainly had at leat a few plays produced professionally, the last I think being "Hallelujah I'm a Bum" about a gay affair between a prime minister and his minister for family values. He was active in the CPGB until the USSR crackdown on Hungary, and then joined the Trots. In the fifties he was jailed at least once for trade union activities.
I should think that those daily swims were more probably in the English Channel, as he lived in Brighton.
Subject: RE: Obit: Brian Behan
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 09 Nov 02 - 08:28 AM
Here's The Guardian's obit. I'll paste it in full in case the link disappears.
Brian Behan
Writer and self-publicist who revelled in his family's rebellious reputation
Martin Green
Tuesday November 5, 2002
The Guardian
Courageous, contentious and exhilarating, the writer and playwright Brian Behan, who has died aged 75 following a heart attack, never missed the opportunity to remind the world who and where he was; this could include plunging naked into the sea in Brighton to the consternation of elderly ladies, and thus, on one occasion, triggering the mobilisation of a rescue helicopter.
In 1984, he published Mother Of All The Behans, "an autobiography of Kathleen Behan as told to Brian Behan", a delightful memoir of that most extraordinary family. This was turned into an award-winning one-woman show.
His enthusiasm for self-proclamation also led to a series of dramatisations in which he played various parts himself. There was The Begrudgers, set in postwar Dublin, about the literary rivalry between Brendan Behan, Brian O'Nolan and Patrick Kavanagh; Brother Of All The Behans; and Barking Sheep.
His also wrote two novels, neither of which attracted as much attention as his personal escapades - Time To Go (1979), and Kathleen (1988), inspired by his mother. Two years later, his play, Boots For The Fearless, was performed at the Tricycle theatre in London. His satirical play, Hallelujah I'm a Bum (1995), depicting a Conservative prime minister having a homosexual relationship with his minister for the family, aroused an appropriate level of media attention.
Brian was born four years after his most famous brother, the playwright Brendan, and two years before the slightly less famous Dominic, into a family of staunch Irish republicans. There was also a sister, Carmel, and two step-brothers. During the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, Brian's mother had acted as a courier for James Connolly and Padraig Pearse. She lost her first husband in the 1918 influenza epidemic, and married Brian's father, Stephen, in 1922.
The family fortunes were in a state of flux; following a removal to a crowded open-hall tenement in Russell Street, north Dublin, the children slept six to a bed. In 1937, Brian, who recalled that he took up "the cause of anarcho-syndicalism at an early age", was sent to Artane industrial school, run by the Christian Brothers, after an incident of petty thieving. He said the Brothers scarred him for life. He then had a stint with the Irish Army construction corps.
In 1950, he went to London with three shillings and four pence (17p) in his pocket; England was, he wrote in his 1964 autobiography, With Breast Expanded, the land of "big money and small shovels". He became a hod carrier. An active trade unionist, his campaigning, while working on the Festival of Britain building site, earned him a brief spell in prison in 1951 - as did his later efforts, in 1958, on the nearby Shell Centre site.
He joined the British Communist party, and became an executive member - though even on a party tour, during which, he said, he met Stalin and Mao Zedong, he was unimpressed by Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union and China. He was slightly disconcerted by the amount of work women appeared to be doing while the menfolk were attending meetings, and was deeply depressed by Russia, which he thought very Victorian - and non-revolutionary.
In 1956, Brian left the Communist party following the suppression of the Hungarian uprising, and moved on to the Socialist Labour League, a Trotskyist group then being set up by an authoritarian fellow Irishman, Gerry Healy. Behan was seen as a significant recruit - he became the group's secretary - but it was not to last. Like many others, he was expelled for "deviation ism". Healy, he observed, was "bald, with the little sore eyes of a new-born pig".
I first met Brian in 1964, when I was working for MacGibbon & Kee, the publishers of his memoirs. This came about because the chief editor, Timothy O'Keeffe, had previously been the publisher of Brendan Behan's Borstal Boy. Brian and I became great friends, and I was a frequent visitor when he moved to a houseboat in Shoreham, with his hospitable first wife, Celia.
Brian had suffered some minor arm injury, which put an end to his career in the construction industry. With his skill as a bricklayer removed, I suggested he might become a mature student at Sussex University - and he did. From 1969, he read history and English, before taking a teaching course, which, in time and turn, led to a lectureship in media studies at the London College of Printing, from 1973 until 1990.
During those years, Brian once brought his mother - who died in 1984 - to my local pub, the Hope, in Tottenham Street, central London. There, she enchanted a large group of admirers with part of her huge repertoire of songs, many of which had been passed on to Brendan and Dominic.
The publicity instinct never deserted Brian. As recently as last year, following a brisk television exchange with Germaine Greer, he announced that he was setting up an anti-marriage society.
Brian and Celia had three daughters. By his second wife, the artist Sally Hill, who died two years ago, he had a son and daughter.
· Brian Behan, writer, born November 10 1926; died November 2 2002
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Republicans and Democrats have worked hard since the last election to create a narrative.
And now, both sides are entering the time of the "message."
President Obama and Mitt Romney are jockeying for position in what is expected to be a very tight general election.
Democrats face an uphill battle to reclaim control of the House. Republicans are wary of the unexpected, mindful that a major misstep could put their majority into peril. The Senate is completely on the table as all eyes focus on competitive contests in Montana, Missouri, Virginia, Massachusetts and Nevada, to name a few.
This is why everyone in Washington is hyper focused on "message." The "message" is the package of ideas both sides market to voters in hopes of capturing their support.
And message is predicated on "narrative."
A case study in this was Friday's anemic jobs report.
The economy is the touchstone of Mr. Obama's presidency. Fair or not, this albatross was slung around the president's neck in September, 2008 when the U.S. economy hurtled toward a near-complete meltdown. That prompted Congress to pass TARP (the Troubled Asset Relief Program) and drove President Obama to push the much-maligned stimulus package in early 2009.
Positive economic news has been sparse but not unheard of. The unemployment rate has dropped. The housing market has stabilized. The Dow was up since last November until the past few weeks. But on Friday, economists were expecting a better jobs figure. They anticipated a number that showed the economy added about 150,000 to 170,000 jobs. That would prompt the unemployment rate to perhaps dip by a tenth of a percentage point or remain steady at 8.1 percent. Instead, employers only tacked on an additional 69,000 jobs. And the unemployment rate rose for the first time in nearly a year to 8.2. percent.
The GOP narrative dictates that Mr. Obama owns this economy. So that's why Republicans were sure to propound that message on Friday morning.
"Please Mr. President, let's stop pushing policies that don't work and join us on pro-growth policies to get more Americans back to work," implored House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA). He later characterized the May unemployment figure as "pathetic."
In other words, the "message" is that the president's methods failed. That helps tee up this line from House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH): "The American people don't have to accept the president's new normal of fewer jobs and higher prices."
The message here is clear: President Obama's "failures" have lowered the bar for the country and voters don't have to stand for it. Vote Republican.
"Elections have consequences," said Boehner when asked about the GOP's vote-courting efforts. "We would have the economy in a much better place than it is today."
Now here's something interesting. Just moments before, Boehner lambasted President Obama about a trip to Minnesota.
"Instead of another campaign speech, he might want to engage with Republicans and Democrats on issues affecting the economy."
Boehner has long advanced the narrative that Mr. Obama is the "campaigner in chief" and all of his maneuvers are calculated around his re-election effort. Yet in a subtle way, Boehner is "campaigning," too. His statement was crystal clear that voters "don't have to accept the president's new normal." Boehner's remark might not be a campaign swing through the upper midwest. But it is a campaign "message" meshing with the GOP "narrative."
In the same press conference, Boehner also took aim at the Senate. For nearly a year, the House Republican leadership has criticized the Democratically-controlled Senate for failing to address a lengthy slate of bills which the GOP believes would boost the economy.
"There are 30 bills sitting in the Senate! Why don't they pick up those bills and pass them instead of playing politics?" Boehner thundered.
The GOP believes those bills are sound legislative approaches designed to fuel the economy. But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was having none of it.
"The Republican will say they sent 30 bills over to the Senate. They sent 30 pieces of message over to the Senate," Pelosi said. "We don't need 30 message bills. We need one good bill. One good bill. And that's the transportation bill."
You see, Democrats have their message too. Both houses of Congress are struggling to approve a final version of a massive transportation bill. Both sides believe the package would spur job growth. The Senate approved its version with overwhelming bipartisan support. The House struggled to move a piece of legislation at all. And the challenge now is to blend those two bills together into a unified product.
Democrats like Pelosi know this will be a challenge for Republicans. Funding for key transportation programs expires in less than a month. And Democrats have a message predicated on a narrative. The narrative is that House Republicans are "extreme" and "can't govern." Pelosi and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) now have a new, best friend: conservative Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK). Inhofe helped broker the Senate's version of the transportation bill with liberal Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA).
"You'd almost have to be a contortionist in order to show the expanse of opinion between Senator Boxer and Senator Inhofe," said Pelosi. "And yet they again have come together in a bipartisan way on a bill to create two million jobs."
Pelosi's message is that Inhofe and Boxer crafted a bill that garnered 89 Senate votes. The GOP wrestled for months to find a majority to approve a shell of a bill so House and Senate negotiators could begin writing a final version.
Democrats are "messaging" that Jim Inhofe might be conservative. But he's a diligent, thoughtful legislator. He was able to forge a bill which flew through the Senate. The Democrats' narrative has long been that the House GOP is extreme. They are aligned with the tea party. And if the transpiration bill implodes - it will be because House Republicans aren't serious legislators like Inhofe. The Democrats' message is clear: Republicans can't govern. Vote for us. Do you want another Congress driven by the tea party?
Both parties have now hit the throttle on their respective "message machines." It was no surprise that House Republicans brought a bill to the floor this week to outlaw abortions based on sex selection. So far this year, there haven't been many pieces of legislation which deal with abortion. The GOP considered the package as a "suspension" bill." That means the House limits debate and allows no amendments. In exchange for the expedited process, the bill requires a two-thirds vote for passage.
A two-thirds vote is hard to get. The bill secured 246 yeas, well above the simple majority to pass most measures. But based on the 414 members who voted, the two-thirds threshold for passage was 276.
Still, there was a clear message. There was a key abortion vote in the House. Pro-life advocates applaud that. But it didn't pass and certainly wouldn't have gone anywhere in the Senate. As Republican leaders have said repeatedly, they believe their best hand is sticking to the economy. While most Republicans oppose abortion, they didn't want to muddle their "message" with a drawn-out debate over one of the most-divisive issues in America. It could have created more problems if the GOP didn't hold the vote. So the vote is now in the public sphere. People watched to see how lawmakers voted. And the message returns to the economy.
The GOP's "message" may have experienced a slight hiccup at a House Budget Committee hearing Friday morning.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) appeared to discuss tax policy. Bush told the panel that he would endorse a plan to have "$10 in spending cuts for $1 of revenue enhancement."
The idea of "revenue enhancement" or "taxes" goes against the GOP orthodoxy, regardless of the size of the cuts. All Republican presidential candidates rejected the 10:1 ratio concept at a debate last summer.
"This will prove I'm not running for anything," said Bush.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, also asked Bush his view on the ultra-controversial TARP package approved in the fall of 2008.
"I've never been asked," replied Bush, "I think that was probably the right thing to do."
The TARP plan was assembled by the administration of Bush's brother, President George W. Bush, in the waning days of his presidency. It remains wildly unpopular, particularly with conservatives affiliated with the tea party. But despite Bush's view, this probably won't knock the GOP too far off message since, as he says, he's "not running for anything."
Staying on message can be challenging. But one never knows what might come up. Such was the case when Boehner was asked about the efforts of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to curb the size of oversized sodas.
"Look, I like Michael Bloomberg," responded Boehner. "But are you kidding me? Don't we have bigger issues than the size of a soft drink someone buys?"
This was a particularly deft move by Boehner. He's a conservative who abhors government intrusion - particularly at a micro level, such as personal buying habits. So with this remark, Boehner simultaneously demonstrated his repulsion with Bloomberg's efforts yet stays on message. The Ohio Republican asserts that there are "bigger issues" like the economy and jobs to tackle and doesn't get siphoned into the larger debate.
A bit later, NBC's Frank Thorp buttonholed Pelosi to get her take on Bloomberg's cola crusade.
"Obesity is a problem. It's something to think about. 'Soda for thought,'" quipped Pelosi.
But she stopped there.
"I'm not getting involved in New York's regulations," added the California Democrat.
After all, taking a "big gulp" would have driven Pelosi off script. And that can't happen in the time of the message.
- Cristina Marcos contributed to this report.

subset: commoncrawl


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The third book in a bestselling junior fiction series inspired by true stories from the Wilson Sisters' childhoods. Vicki's biggest challenge yet . . . to transform a dangerous pony!
In the third Showtym Adventure, Vicki takes on a dangerously bad-tempered Arabian. Will she be able to uncover his potential?
When Vicki hears about a difficult Arabian that no one wants, she will stop at nothing to save him. Years of misunderstanding have left Casper wayward and mistrustful, but Vicki senses a gentle soul beneath the pony's rough exterior.
Vicki must learn the importance of patience and compromise to have any chance of winning over the high-strung gelding. Will Casper ever trust humans again? And will Vicki be able to uncover the potential she sees in the spirited Arabian?
This story of self-discovery and second chances, in which Vicki, Kelly and Amanda Wilson first help a misunderstood pony to trust again, is inspired by the Wilson Sisters' early years.
"Another wonderful story from Kelly Wilson. This time we meet Casper, a very spirited horse that no one wants because they can't do anything with him. However, Vicki, the eldest of the Wilson sisters, is determined to buy him and with help from her younger sisters Kelly and Amanda she eventually raises enough money to do so. However, now she must work hard to gain his trust. Every child who loves horses will enjoy this book."
Linda Hall, Hamilton News
"Following hard on the hooves of the first two best-selling books in this series, Kelly Wilson's latest book, Casper, the Spirited Arabian, sees young heroine, Vicki, facing her biggest challenge yet. Can she turn a dangerous (yet misunderstood) pony into a showjumping star? Inspired by true stories from the Wilson Sisters (of Keeping up with the Kaimanawas fame), these inspiring books are sure to be loved by children who are passionate about horses."
"I just got Casper, The Spirited Arabian . . . I loved it sooo much! Couldn't put it down. I loved the How-Tos, it's going to really going to help me if we ride bareback at pony club. Probably my favourite Showtym Adventures book so far."
Elise (12 years)
"I love all your books, they are very inspiring. I love how, no matter what, Vicki doesn't give up. It shows that dreams can come true with passion and hard work."
Hannah (11 years)
"I cannot put your books down and I have to take every single book to school. I love all the horse books 100 times better than ice cream. Horses rule the world!"
Olivia (6 years)
"I loved this book so much. I can't wait until I get the next Showtym Adventures book! It was the best book I have ever read."
Bella (9 years)
"I love your new book! I love all the ideas you wrote about to use in the cross-country course. I could read your books all day every day."


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Dress Code
During class and school hours, students are required to wear approved pants, skirts, or shorts with an approved polo shirt with both having the school logo. These can be purchased through Lands End.
100% guaranteed for the toughest of kids.
Do you have a hole in the pants or polo's?
Have spots you can not remove? Exchange it for a new item.
Call Customer Service for further directions: 1.800.963.4816
Lands' End donates 16% of your purchase directly to CAES.


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Viacom filed suit seeking a cool billion in damages from Google/YouTube for intentional copyright infringement. Sure, that'd be enough cash to help boost Viacom's earnings, but if they were really that worried about anyone "illegally" viewing or copying their programs, perhaps they never should have aired them in the first place. No way is this going to court. More .
State of the Media or How Journalism 'Lost its Guts'
The Project for Excellence in Journalism's 'State of the Media 2007' report is out, and folks, its laced with negativity. The media in general certainly hasn't seemed to benefit from any kind of potential reawakening since last year's report.
Most revelatory (albeit vague) in the executive summary (PDF) of the 160,000 word report, is this analysis:
With fundamentals shifting, we sense the news business entering a new phase heading into 2007—a phase of more limited ambition. Rather than try to manage decline, many news organizations have taken the next step of starting to redefine their appeal and their purpose based on diminished capacity. Increasingly outlets are looking for "brand†or "franchise†areas of coverage to build audience around.
I'm confused by the parallel drawn between "limited ambition" and "diminished capacity."
What is the root cause of this so-called era of "limited ambition?" Is it this renewed focus on local, or "hyperlocal" news as Howard Owens (to his utter dismay) read it? Or is it intimidation and competition with TV's talking heads that's led to print journalists losing their jobs as newspapers get thinner — as the LA Times' James Rainey wrote?
If I'm looking at an Internet start-up after the 2000 bubble burst, say a Yahoo! (which lost a huge chunk of it's market valuation at the time), I'd reconsider the business strategy and reshape it's goals for success. After all, by 2000 a techie, Web-centric future was evident, in spite of the disabling adjustment Wall Street made to once ridiculously overvalued stocks.
Similarly, it's apparent today that news content, the media-hungry audience and its sponsors are moving online. Is it impossible for the old media to adjust their expectations for the sake of journalism and maybe, I dunno, accept 15% profit one year, knowing that investment in online and interactive endeavors may eventually reap profits of 20% and more in the long run?
As Dan Rather offered in his keynote address at the South by Southwest Interactive Conference, perhaps journalism has "in some ways lost its guts" in recent years and is in need of "a spine transplant."
I received similarly motivating and emphatic advice a couple weeks back, when Tom Brokaw visited USC Annenberg to commemorate the career of Ed Guthman, who will retire this year at age 88. I asked Brokaw, "what can young journalists do to rebuild the public's trust in the media?" He answered simply, "stay true to the journalism you believe in and make the news fun again." As short of an answer as it may seem, I took it as genuine. Perhaps there will come a tipping point when more people have fun with and enjoy journalism about "news" than those starving for the latest scoop on the Paris Hilton DUI?
More on State of the Media 2007 at Editor's Weblog, Lost Remote, and Poynter.
Wilco Streams Again
Never averse to leaking their music (we all remember the WB/Reprise debacle of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) Wilco is streaming (via Flash player), the upcoming Sky Blue Sky in its entirety until 7PT.
Better than last time they did this, you're in total control and can listen to whatever songs you want, however many times using the QT-embedded Flash Player.
I'm still digging this record — this is a bit of consolation today as I'm being bombarded by the typical I can't believe I'm not at SXSW feelings that are normally associated with not being in Austin when the conference takes place while being unable to keep the killer reviews and feedback from hitting the inbox. Anyway, here's another gem from Sky Blue Sky.
Continue reading "Wilco Streams Again"
Known Unknowns of the Week
I've written a couple brief posts of note at LAist for those of you looking here for something fresh.
My colleagues in USC's Free Culture group were given a takedown notice yesterday regarding signs they placed in the university's so-called "Free Speech Zone" Story and photos are here.
Also, Fox News is lame and so is Scooter Libby.
Finally, I was hipped to a brilliant collection of Dr. Seuss stories as sung by a spot-on Bob Dylan impersonator.


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13 Ideas to Inspire Creativity
Ever have a deadline and have no clue how you're going to meet it? That painful moment that seems to last ten years where your brain refuses to engage in thought and you're left idea-less. I was there just minutes ago when I realized it was my turn to post and I had no topic … Continue reading 13 Ideas to Inspire Creativity
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Desperate for content and ratings, Mediaworks has announced the return of Dancing with the Stars in late 2016.
As New Zealand's pool of celebrities has run dry, Media Works has confirmed the theme will be "Well Known Infamous Kiwis".
"It's going to be the Kiwis New Zealanders love to hate", announced David Chalmers to an empty press conference, "If you've assaulted someone, been racist, or just generally fucked up recently, we want to hear from you".
Mediaworks has so far confirmed five positions have been filled by the following awful people:
Losi Filipo – recently arrested for assault but and was discharged without conviction. Mutually agreed with Wellington Rugby to be released from his contract in order to pursue a dancing career.
Mr. X – entertainer who sexually assaulted a female in 2013 but has been granted permanent name suppression. Will be blurred out for the entirety of the show, and all judges will be blindfolded for his dances.
Julia Sloane – ignorant, overt racist, currently on Real Housewives of Auckland.
Nikolas Delegat – son of rich-lister Jim Delegat, and drunken Otago uni student, Delegat has promised to bring a lot of wine to the after parties.
Ryan Lochte – in an attempt for some international presence, Mediaworks have approached Ryan Lochte. Lochte denies the approach, and says if it did happen, it was at gun point and could not really be called an approach.


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QUESTION FROM: Benjamin Wood What is the Best way to find principle work in NY. I am on NYcastings,Actors Access,casting networks and registered with central casting. I am in the industry 3 years as an actor 12 years as a former WWE pro wrestler. I do not have an agent for most of my principle […]Continue reading
Ask Me! – Nudity?
Anonymous asked Just booked a short film requiring nudity..what to do with hair "down there?" Thank you! One of the more bizarre questions I've been asked, for sure. I'd find out exactly what kind of nudity is required of you, make sure you have a contract (and someone to go over said contract with you […]Continue reading
The NYC Actor Podcast: Actor, improviser and filmmaker Yang Miller talks about booking commercials/films, and his Big Black Car Yang Miller pops in and talks about his unorthodox career as an actor. We chat about booking commercials and films, networking and how to get comfortable with your type. Available for download now at iTunesContinue reading
Hold Yer Horses
Don't celebrate until the check's in your hand and the spot's runnin'! I don't know if you've seen this season's Mad Men, but they illustrate this point brilliantly with the Patio commercial story-line. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AgTnQok3RU I cannot tell you the amount of jobs I have been hired or on-hold for that have fallen through. Just last week I […]Continue reading
Signing a SAG Ultra Low Budget Contract
After all the auditions, the call-backs, the "holds", the stomach-churning excitement/nerves that lead up to booking a job comes the business of signing the contract. As with almost any other job in the world contracts have to be signed to ensure that all parties are on-board and will show up to see the project through […]Continue reading


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MUMBAI, May 24: The country's largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), Friday said it is organising a nationwide customer meet on May 28 to understand their grievances and enhance services.
Under the initiative, the lender is looking to engage with over 1 lakh customers at over 500 locations through 17 of its local head offices (LHOs).
"The purpose is to nurture customers' trust in the bank by engaging with them at the ground level. We look forward to our customer participating in this mega customer meet and help us in meeting their expectations through an enhanced experience at our branches," the bank's managing director (retail and digital) P K Gupta said in a statement.
The meeting would be attended by senior officials of the bank.
During the meeting, customers can interact with bank staff to discuss their concerns and share feedback and suggestions on products and services.
SBI will also educate customers about the use of alternative banking channels and Yono SBI, an omni-channel digital banking and lifestyle platform, the statement said. (PTI)


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Bad breath is the result of odor causing bacteria in the mouth. When the oral hygiene is extremely bad, like for instance going to bed without brushing teeth, bacteria gets accumulated, which in turn, releases sulphur compounds that causes bad breath.
The other probable reasons for bad breath could be dental decay, gum diseases, throat infections, constipation, or stomach disorders like gastritis.
A few simple home remedies for fighting bad breath are mentioned here:
¢ First and foremost one should develop the habit of brushing teeth after every meal.
¢ Munching a couple of mint leaves helps in freshening breath instantly.
¢ A solution of baking soda dissolved in warm water can be used for gargling. This also helps in cleaning the tongue.


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[VISIT MY E-BOOK SHOP—24×7, AT THIS LINK–https://www.amazon.in/s?marketplaceID=A21TJRUUN4KGV&me=AFBCMC1T5UFA8&merchant=AFBCMC1T5UFA8&redirect=true%5D
It is a matter of worry for all of us in India. There is an understanding currently between America and Taliban in Pakistan. What it really means that America is handing over power to Taliban with a purpose to leave Pakistan. This is selfishness on the part of America, they want to be big power without taking any responsibility. They created Taliban to secure their own interest in Afghanistan, supplied them arms, and trained to kill and create violence, used Taliban in all possible manner. By the process they disturbed our Asian sub-continent from the bottom….. now, as they no longer able to manage– actually they bitten more than they could chew, now they want to leave Afghanistan, virtually admitting defeat. This is a nightmare for all of us, and, it is a good news for Pakistan, Taliban and the separatists in Kashmir. All these means terrorism, and more terrorism for all of India. Western people do not care unless they are affected; before 9/11, they did not know the pains of India from terrorism.
Recently, when a meeting between Taliban and America was going on in Dubai, on the arrangement of leaving Afghanistan to Taliban, Taliban blew off a whole company of soldiers in Afghanistan. If this is state of affairs, when America has not yet left Afghanistan, imagine what would be the position when America has wholly left Afghanistan !!!!. There will be devastation all around. ISI and Pakistan will rejuvenate, Kashmiri separatists will be doubly encouraged. And what will follow to the safety and security of we Indians ???. There of course, are some Indians who are sympathetic to Talibans, they don't know what it will lead to. Those are ignorant people. Their sympathy for Taliban and Pakistan, may or may not realize, but in the process there will be complete anarchy in India. India in that feared situations may turn into like devasted Syria, where there are refugees, refuges and refugees, violence, no food, no water, no medicine. I shirk from within. I may die before that, but what will happen to the fate of our descendants.
As such, Taliban should not be allowed to be active in Afghanistan. Our prime Minister, has successfully done foreign diplomacy, won over all Muslim countries in the middle east, convinced them that Muslims in India are really safe and secure, in fact, they are better in India than their coreligionist in many Muslim countries. This has blunted the ploy of some opportunist Indian Muslims to garner support from outside , to their false claim that they , as a religious group, are oppressed and discriminated within India. ……India was invited as a special guest in the organisation of Muslim countries recently, which Pakistan has left in rage. Modi's diplomacy with Muslim countries worked well so far; using the same acumen, Modi may tie down Americans in Afghanistan to make ourselves secure for all time to come.. Also very very important is that all of us at ground level should see that no minority in India is discriminated by misguided elements.


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Monkey Chatter
My Database Is Broken and I Blame The App Store
My database, the thing that has stood by me over the last ten to fifteen years is no longer viable.
Innovation As A Feeling
What is Innovation? This is a question we are asked all the time at Malauzai.
The Digital Banking Platform Built On A Platform?
The digital banking platform has become the dominant topic in our space.
Why Can't I Easily Manage My Kids' Accounts Online?
SmartKid Control teaches teens responsible spending via Malauzai's Family Manager.


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Program Description
Apply Now for Summer 2017
/&utm_source=Keystone&utm_campaign=Keystone&utm_medium=KeystoneListing This Office Management Course will provide learners with a fantastic insight into learning key skills to work in an office as well as successfully manage an office. Covering aspects of effective communication skills, interacting with customers and clients, creating administrative strategies and more. Whether you are in a position already working in an office and want to progress into a management role, or are wanting to work in this field and need the confidence to start, or simply want to gain new skills, this course is perfect.
Course Highlights
- Price: Only £19.00 Was £199.99
- Course Type: Online Course
- Duration: 60 hours, recommended hours
- Syllabus: 9-course modules
- Tutor Support: Full tutor support included
- Exams: Yes, exam fees are included.
- Start learning: you can start your online learning 24/7 and study towards your goals.
Fine Print
- Qualification: Level 3 CPD Award
- Certificate: PDF Certificate included with course, optional Hard Copies £9.99.
- Access: Unlimited 24/7 access for 12 months, option to extend if needed.
- Compatibility: Desktop, Mac, Laptop, Tablets, Smartphone and Smart Devices
With over 60 hours of learning split across 9 easily accessible modules, the course has been designed to provide learners with an enjoyable and informative learning experience. The Office Management Course is studied online, meaning you can study in your own time, at your own pace, on your own schedule. Study whenever it suits you best, day or night. You'll have access to the course 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 12 months.
What's more, the course is CPD accredited, therefore upon successful completion of the course learners will be awarded the certificate of completion, ensuring that the course will be recognised by employers and institutions.
Course Syllabus
The Office Management Course is split into the following modules:
The Office Manager
- Introduction
- The office manager
- The office manager's responsibilities
- Essential office management skills
- Office manager academic qualifications
- Office manager salaries and work conditions
- Office management career prospects
Personality and Confidence Development
- Introduction
- Understanding personality and the factors that shape personality
- Personality development and its importance
- Essential office manager personality traits
- Projecting confidence
- How to handle the office manager's job
Receiving and Interacting with Customers
- Introduction
- First impressions say everything about you
- Leadership as a creative, rather than reactive, thought
- A company's first impressions
- Projecting professionalism
- What causes customers to leave?
- Professional customer service
- Do not say 'I don't know' or 'no'
Building Effective Communication Skills
- Introduction
- Effective communication
- Interpersonal communication
- Effective organisational communication
- Causes of ineffective interpersonal communication
- How to improve your communication skills
The Reception Area and Teamwork
- Introduction
- Things to consider in the reception zone
- Duties of the receptionist or front office personnel
- The receptionist's skills and qualifications
- The receptionist's career prospects
- Front office technology
- Reception as a changing profession
- A future without receptionists
- Executive reception work
- Working as a team
Designing and Implementing Administrative Systems in an Organisation
- Introduction
- Understanding Administrative Systems
- Administrative Management
- Administrative Systems of the past
- Developing administrative strategies
- Strategic business administration
- The process is important
- Developing and implementing records management policies
- Outsourcing a company's administrative system
- The administration system as the pillar of an organisation
- Steps for implementing a newly developed system
- Implementing a new/improved administrative system
Expenditure Recording and Budget Management
- Introduction
- The benefits of recording expenses
- How to maintain expense records
- The two methods of keeping records
- Recording expenses
- Creating a budget for the business
- Defining a budget
- How and when to create a budget
- Budget tabulation
- How to use the budget
Maintaining an Organised Office and Supplies
- Introduction
- The layout of an office
- Office layout objectives
- Why the office layout is important
- Office layout principles
- Factors to consider when designing the layout of an office
- Advantages of a well-designed office layout
- Common office layouts
- Merits and demerits of private and open offices
- Who decides the office layout
- How to create a perfect layout
- Maintaining the office
- Why it is important to maintain the office and office equipment
Preparing, Managing and Controlling Meetings
- Introduction
- The four categories of meetings
- The importance of having a chairperson
- Preparing for the meeting
- The meeting
- Get feedback to know how the meeting went
- Hiring staff for a small-sized business
- How to choose interviewers
- An effective induction process
Final test
The Level 3 Award Office Management Course has been independently accredited and certified by The CPD Certification Service.
On successful completion of this course learners will be awarded:
- Level 3 CPD Award in Office Management
The certificate will show your grade classification awarded and provide proof of your achievements for you to take to any prospective employers or part of your portfolio of evidence.
The certificate will be produced in PDF format, optional hard copies of the certificate will be available for an additional fee of £9.99.
Entry Requirements
There are no entry requirements or pre-prerequisite for our Office Management course.
To assess the learners' ability and knowledge to effectively understand the topics contained within the Office Management Course, the course features a number of end of module interactive quiz questions.
Additionally, at the end of the course, learners will also take an online multiple choice assessment test. This online multiple choice test is marked automatically so you will receive an instant grade and know whether you have passed the course.
Tutor Support
When you are studying a course it is always useful to know that you have the help and support of tutors that want you to succeed in your studies.
As part of the Office Management Course, you will receive access to our dedicated tutor support service. The academic tutors will be able to provide you with unlimited online email support to help answer any questions that you may have whilst you are studying the course.
Course Format
This course is delivered online through eLearning. Learners of the course will receive instant access to our interactive student learning portal, which offers 24/7 access to the Office Management Course.
Course Duration
The online Office Management Course requires 60 hours to complete the course in full. This is only a guide to the learning hours required and it depends on how quickly an individual can absorb the information. The learning is online so it can be spread out over multiple sessions or done in one session.
Learners will have access to this course for up to 12 months from the date of joining. There is no time limit to complete the course during this period.
About the School
Here at Oplex Careers we provide a wide range of high quality training courses that help people all over the world to gain new skills, qualifications or simply update their knowledge.


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High School Library Website
High School Library website link
Library Tools
- Audiobooks and EBooks
- Noodle Tools
- Novel List Plus
- MLA Format
- Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery
- TeachingBooks.net
- Soundzabound
Catalogs/Search Engines
- Find a Book in IPAC
- HFM BOCES Union Catalog
- NYS Inter-library Loan
- Google Scholar
- Social Studies Search Engine
- iSeek Education
- Science Search Engine
Senior Thesis Help
United States Sources
- Old Fulton New York Postcards– Local archived newspapers from New York State. Great for obituaries, wedding announcements, etc.
- New York Historic Newspapers– Provides free online access to a wide range of newspapers chosen to reflect New York's history. You can search by county.
- Access Genealogy– researchers in every state walk through the oldest cemeteries and transcribe names along with birth dates, date of death and family members.
- AfriGeneas – education and resources for those researching African-American roots. Start under the Records tab, then search marriage, death, surname and slave data databases.
- Chronicling America – The Library of Congress' portal to digitized newspaper pages (1836-1922) from 25 states and Washington, DC, and an index to all known newspapers published in the United States and where to find them today.
- Cyndi's List – a list of links to genealogy sites on the web.
- GeneaBios – A list of biographies created by genealogy researchers who've conducted thorough investigations of their subjects.
- Genealogy Today – Unique records such as ration books and business cards along with death and census
- Heritage Quest – click to search US censuses, Freedman's Bank records (for African-American ancestors), Revolutionary War materials, local and family history books, articles and more.
- Home Advisor – A great article and a list of resources to start you on your genealogical journey.
- Family Search– Mormon Church genealogical research site.
- Family Tree Searcher – offers a reference interview and will create a research plan for you.
- Fold3 – If your ancestor served in the military, you can locate their records here. See Mrs. Jones for a username and password.
- Library and Archives of Canada – Canadian census records with searchable 1871, 1881 and 1891 enumerations, plus others.
- Newspaper Archive – Access more than 120 million newspaper pages dating to 1607.
- The Olive Tree– A great source of genealogy links, ship passenger lists and a great research guide for beginners.
- Rootsweb– Ancestry research with collaborative message boards.
- U.S. National Archives – US record archives and genealogical research advice
- Vodien: Getting Started with Genealogy on the Web – a great page submitted to the Vodien web host offering step by step instructions for genealogy research on the internet.
Immigration Sites
- Castle Garden–A database of information on 11 million immigrants from 1820-1892.
- Ellis Island – If your ancestor passed through Ellis Island, you can locate their records here!
- One Step Webpages by Stephen P. Morse –Beginners looking for passenger and immigration information won't want to pass up this site.
Global Sources
- Interment – Cemetery records from around the world.
- World Cat– A global catalog of library catalogs
- World Gen Web – Worldwide wide volunteers have gathered genealogical information.
- U.K. National Archives – United Kingdom records archived all the way back a thousand years.


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This livebook focuses on tractable optimization problems, that is, problems that can be reliably and efficiently solved on a computer. Specifically we study convex optimization, with emphasis on problems involving convex quadratic constraints and objectives.
We follow the philosophy that has guided the development of linear algebra. While nearly every practical engineering problem is non-linear, the impact of linear algebra algorithms on engineering has been immense so far, and continues to be. The reason is that there is a strong interplay, in engineering modeling, between what we'd like to do (model systems as accurately as possible) and what we can do (analyze or design simple models). Thus, while non-linear, complex models may be attractive, when concerned with practical analysis or design problems, engineers often rely on simpler (linear) models to perform computations, or find approximate solutions.
Linear algebra has provided a nice trade-off between computer tractability and model accuracy. We view convex optimization as an extension of linear algebra, as it holds the promise of providing as reliable and efficient solutions, with much wider application range.
Our goal is to help develop a sense of what convex optimization is, and how it can be used in practical contexts. We would like to empower students to use new convex optimization software such as CVX, which allow to quickly prototype convex optimization models.
We review some theory, including weak duality, which allows to use convex optimization to develop approximations to hard, non-convex problems.
Optimization models by nature try to fit the solution to the available data. In general, the solution might exhibit an extreme sensitivity to changes in the problem data. This appears to make any attempt at optimization a dangerous proposition. One of main messages of this course is that there exist remedies to this sensitivity issue, from simple to sophisticated, which allow to compute very robust solutions at moderate drop in performance.
This course does not provide details on algorithms, although we briefly discuss important classes of algorithms along our way. Students are encouraged to use the wonderful modeling software CVX to get used to convex optimization.


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Sophie. A cloth doll by Jan Horrox
Sophie has just got back from her holiday in Paxos. She is now ready to find a new home. She is made with bead joints and some lovely Kaffe Fassett print and batik cotton. Sophie sports sun glasses, dupion silk shorts and a beach bag and a hand dyed blanket for beach sitting. Lastly a lovely crocheted waistcoat made from fine cotton thread. Blonde spiky hair is needle felted from mohair locks.
She will come with a letter of authenticity and safely boxed.
Mailed by special delivery next day post in the UK.
International post tracked and signed for. Price advised after purchase.


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Beverly Hills, CA (PRWEB) January 5, 2007 -
Infinity Sun is taking Beverly Hills by storm with the world's first and only anti-aging sunless tanning technology. Infinity Sun was co-founded by Veronique Munro, one of the sunless tanning industry's most prominent pioneers and celebrity spray tanners.
Infinity Sun is the first all-natural sunless tanning technology, made with anti-aging anti-oxidants and pure botanicals that not only offer the client the most natural looking customized spray tan, but also hydrate the skin, enhancing natural skin tones and producing a luminescent glow that lasts up to two weeks.
Infinity Sun has joined forces with José Eber, world renowned hair stylist to the stars to offer both the famous and general public the most luxurious experience in sunless tanning available. Infinity Sun is enjoyed by celebrity notables such as Jessica Alba and Paris Hilton among others.
Infinity Sun is applied with a proprietary spray system, operated by a sunless tanning professional. The entire process takes approximately three minutes, leaving the skin with a stunning and natural golden brown glow.
Infinity Sun also offers a line of products to maximize the results and extend the life of the tan. Products include a non-abrasive exfoliator, which removes dead skin cells and a prep lotion, which evens the porosity of the skin, enabling the solution to more evenly penetrate the skin. Also available is an extender with shimmer, which extends the tan for an additional two to three days, leaving the skin looking dewy and radiant.
Infinity Sun delights the skin and senses with vanilla-scented aromatherapy in an alcohol-free sunless tanning aerosol. Created with 7 essential oils and vitamin A and E, Infinity Sun aerosol helps to maintain color on areas that are more prone to fading (face, hands and feet) between spray sessions.
Whether you enjoy star-gazing or would like to try Hollywood's latest and greatest advances in sunless tanning, Rodeo Drive is where you can now find this truly luxuriating treatment.
Experience Infinity Sun at José Eber in Beverly Hills (224 North Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA.) Phone: 310. 278-7646
For more information on Infinity Sun, visit http://www.infinitysun.com


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|File size
|581.14 Kb.
|Date added
|Free (Registration required)
|Data Loggers
|File format
CO2 Meters, CO2 Sensors, CO2 Monitors, Data …co2meter.com/
CO2 meters, CO2 sensors, CO2 monitors and data loggers for business, research, industry, and home. Prices online. We ship daily. (877) 678-4259 Toll Free.
Software & Documentation Downloads | …la.co2meter.com/pages/downloads
Logging SoftwareGasLab® GasLab® configurationis & data est nobis in generatione altera determinate ordinatam ad omnem software CO2supplevimus meter sensorem development kits ...
Software & Documentation Downloads | …zh-tw.co2meter.com/%E7%B6%B2%E9%A0%81/%E4%B8%8B%E8%BC%89
GasLab®配置和數據記錄軟件. GasLab®是我們專為所有人設計的下一代軟件 CO2儀表提供傳感器開發套件和數據記錄產品。 GasLab® 18.104.22.168 Now Supporting: TX (ATEX) Sensor; GasBox - easily connect and communicate with UART/RS485/I2C with sensors and pre-wired harnesses; SAN-11 - data log downloads and configuration
CO2 Storage Safety Alarm - GasLab.comgaslab.com/products/co2-storage-safety-alarm
The RAD-0102-6 CO2 Storage Safety Alarm protects customers and employees around bulk carbon dioxide systems. CO2 alarms are used in beverage dispensing areas in venues, bars, restaurants or anywhere compressed CO2 is stored.
Gaslab (free) download Windows versionen.freedownloadmanager.org/Windows-PC/Gaslab-FREE.html
Gaslab 184.108.40.206 is free to download from our software library. Our antivirus analysis shows that this download is clean. This free tool was originally developed by CO2 Meter. Gaslab lies within System Utilities, more precisely Device Assistants.
Personal 5% CO2 Safety Monitor | CO2Meter.comco2meter.com/products/personal-co2-monitor
Personal 5% CO2 Safety Monitor: The SAN-10 Personal 5% CO2 Safety Monitor is designed for employees who work in enclosed areas where carbon dioxide buildup may cause personal harm. It is designed to alert people in an area that contains an excessive amount of carbon dioxide gas
Software & Documentation Downloads | …ja.co2meter.com/pages/downloads
GasLab®設定とデータロギングSoftwareGasLab®は、すべてのユーザー向けに特別に設計された次世代の ... SAN-11 - data log downloads and configuration; ... WINEを使用して実行することができます CO2Meter.comは、多くのMacまたはLinuxベースのコンピュータで ...
CO2Meter - GasLab.comgaslab.com/collections/co2meter
Contact. GasLab.com 131 Business Center Drive Ste A3 Ormond Beach, FL 32174 (386) 872-7668 Hours: M-F 9am-5pm EST
GasLab Plus Carbon Monoxide Gas Detector - …gaslab.com/products/carbon-monoxide-handheld-gas-detector
GasLab Plus Carbon Monoxide Gas Detector GasLab Plus Carbon Monoxide Detector - $299.00 USD BAT. 18650 EBL 3.7V Li-ion Rechargeable Batteries - $20.00 USD Regular price $299.00 USD Quantity
User Manual
GasLab® Update - Coming Soon! Includes New …co2meter.com/blogs/news/gaslab-update-includes-new-products-sensors-and-key-features
Our free GasLab® Software makes it easy to configure, view, or log data from any of the gas sensing sensors or sensor development kits we sell.. The most recent update will be released next week and adds support for new products and sensors, as well as providing updated functionality for all our products.
Software & Documentation Downloads | …co2meter.com/pages/downloads
To install GasLab® send us an email using the link below, and we'll immediately send you back a link to download the latest version. Download the program to a folder on your hard drive, then double click on it to finish the install. If you have version 184.108.40.206 or older of Gaslab…
Software Downloads - GasLab.comgaslab.com/pages/software-downloads
To install GasLab® send us an email using the link below, and we'll immediately send you back a link to download the latest version. Download the program to a folder on your hard drive, then double click on it to finish the install. If you have version 188.8.131.52 or older of Gaslab…
New GasLab® Software Update Replaces DAS | …co2meter.com/blogs/news/15054517-new-gaslab-reg-software-update-replaces-das
CO2Meter has released a new version of GasLab®, our software designed for all CO2meter-supplied sensors, development kits and manufactured products.GasLab® replaces our Data Acquisition Software (DAS). This latest version of GasLab® is the result of thousands of hours of …
CO2Meter Personal 5% CO2 Safety Monitor - …gaslab.com/products/san-personal-co2-monitor-data-logger
SAN-11 - Personal 5% CO2 Safety Monitor + Data Logger has built-in memory to log CO2 levels that can be downloaded as comma-delimited .csv files and graphed using our GasLab Software. Specifications CO2 Measurement Range: 0-5% Vol


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As an entrepreneur, you need the best of the best when it comes to your business, no matter what that is. The best products, the best quality, the best service, the best website, the best performance and the best reviews. Nobody has time for mediocrity, and we won't stand for it either.
Here are some of our favorite resources which we recommend to you:


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The Gower
The wild sea of grass where
the turbulent tide breaks in.
By some inner radar
the sheep find higher ground.
The feral ponies herd
in family groups bonding in the blustery
wind-swept, tousled heather.
Such is the deep peace of wild places.
We offer our brokenness where
green life enables weak things to grow.
These are not straight paths where
the veined sea pulses around nesting places.
The startled Kite takes flight in
the wild, dishevelled places of the mind.
The boney spine, a highway of life
force, tingles the eager nerves at its brim.
We laugh, we cry, we feel the dark places.
What current runs between us opening
the heart's depth and the fathoms within us?
Hill forts, bones and stones store memories.
We've crossed this remote, rough ground.
Exposed we arrive in the sheltered urbane.
Calmer now and gentle under its tutelage.
Such is the ability to rise and overcome.
Frances Roberts-Reilly was born on the Welsh border and grew up in England. She's of mixed-heritage Welsh Gypsy-English, a descendant of Abram Wood, the notable family of musicians and storytellers.
She began writing seriously in 1972, whilst working at BBC television in London, England. After making award-winning documentaries, she earned an Honours degree in English Literature at the University of Toronto.
Frances is a full-time writer, living in Canada. Her writing has been published widely in literary journals and anthologies, both online and in print. She is a featured poet in the upcoming Stone on Stone: Anthology of Romani Women Writers.


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Wednesday, April 13, 2011
13 comments:
good wreckage!!!! we is sorry that your mommy is sad about her furriend moving away. {{HUGS}} from all of usReplyDelete
Sorry about your friend, that stinks.ReplyDelete
I think if you ask the bunnies about the cardboard box issue, they would say its a building!
Well, I can see the logic in this: the bunnehs figured that you would be too distracted cleaning up after them to get too upset about your friend leaving (which completely sucks, btw--it's always so hard to say goodbye to close friends).ReplyDelete
Any chance you could bring Biff and Sogna in to school to prove your argumant? They could help you get an A to make amends for trashing the place. :)
Congrats on the internship too!
Well poo! Your friend is moving away. But...Austraila!!!!!!!!!! How darn fabulous is that!!! OMG!!! I would ...oops, I know how hard it is to say goodbye to a friend. Sucks!ReplyDelete
As for the party animal...yep, she and Harrington know how to live it up for sure!
As for your school and internship...again, you are so darn smart and I'm thrilled for you! How great is that! You are amazing sweets!
xx, shell
Can't wait to hear the reports from Summer.ReplyDelete
Good luck in the argument.
Bunns did a number first rate!
Well the folks from Australia who had Puddy the cat on Its A Byootiful Life blog moved to Canada, so your friend might just come back soon.
It's so hard to decide what to address, isn't it required that in order to classified as a residence in New York City in addition to the human inhabitant there must be at least 3 cockroaches? dunno, it's just something my mom told me.ReplyDelete
Sorry abuot Shannon, it's always hard to say goodbye to a friend...ReplyDelete
That's a lot of bunstruction!
It's too bad your friend is leaving, but with all the technology we have you can stay connected.ReplyDelete
I'd be saving my pennies for my trip to Australia if I had a friend down under.
I've had dissipation too! but after a while the molecules start to reassemble ...ReplyDelete
love the welcome home greeting - nothing like a fur ball to take you back to earth eh?
and I hope you win your argument - do they bunny castles into account for accommodation? not sure about the home schooling part though?!
Perhaps Sogna was just channeling your feelings? Maybe you should repeat what she did, and see if you feel better?ReplyDelete
The cardboard box is hard. A parent would certainly get in a lot of trouble if they tried to make their kids live in one. But if an adult chooses to live there? I do know that a cardboard box doesn't make a good watercraft for very long.
Congratulations on the internship. I bet you will see a lot of weird stuff.
Digging in the litter box is a big no-no! ha ha. Mario used to go through phases where he'd love to dig in his litter box and it drove me nutty. I used to put a second litter box out without any hay but with lots of paper to shred and that seemed to help.ReplyDelete
I'm sorry for your mom. It is hard when a good friend moves away. However, your distraction is an excellent one!ReplyDelete
I wanted to share that I just posted our Final Adventure on Freckles and Deb. Hope you'll stop by and leave a comment.
Heh Lisa...that really sucks that your friend is leaving...I often feel that way to...that everyone dissipates and I am always left standing alone. Maybe it'll be the perfect excuse to get our to australis though. I hope you feel better soon...I know it's not the same but you've got your pals in blogland XO.ReplyDelete
Wow, now that's a mess, ha ha....good job guys...that size of mess must have meant oodles of bunny fun:D
Lisa congrats on the internship, I know your weren't sure...I am sure it wil be great and a stepping stone to something great. XO.


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Nekfeu Pixels (feat. Crystal Kay)
Nekfeu comes With a new song "Pixels (feat. Crystal Kay)" which is from his recently released album, "Les étoiles vagabondes". The album consists of 24 songs, and this one right here happens to be one of the hit jams present on the album
Nekfeu is a french rapper actor and producer with extreme creativity, he is out again with a brand-new stuff, and it's the "Les étoiles vagabondes" album, this rapper started his successful career with the group S-Crew and back then this group was just made up of 6 people which are Nekfeu, Framal, Mekra, 2Zer Washington and DJ Elite.
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19th Century Embroidered Folding Screen
Hunting Dogs Scenesview more by this dealer
W-238 H-182.5 (cm)
Item Reference:
60492-382-5Tip! This item's Ref-Code breaks down thus...
Item Ref Code: 60492-382-5
Item No. 60492 - Dealer No. 382 - Building No. 5
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A good, original 19th Century embroidered folding screen with hunting dogs.
Single sided and in unrestored condition.
Single sided and in unrestored condition.
- Item Reference
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- Height: 182.5 cm
- Width: 238 cm
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Great interview with Mark Ratterman about Home Appraisals and what agents can do to prepare buyers and sellers if there are issues.
Mark Ratterman, MAI, SRA
Real Estate Appraiser
Indiana Real Estate Appraiser
Podcast Takeaways
- Communication can go along to resolving issues without having to file a complaint.
- All appraisers must be licensed or certified.
- Lenders look at the comparables. Age and distance make a difference.
What Real Estate Agents need to know about Home Appraisals Podcast Transcript
Adam Small: Hello and welcome to the Real Estate Marketing Minute, I'm your host Adam Small. And with us today is Miss Kimberly Small.
Kimberly Small: Hi. How are you?
Adam Small: Doing well, thank you very much. And we have in the studio a special guest, Mr. Mark Ratterman. Hi Mark.
Mark Ratterman: Hi.
Adam Small: How are you doing today, sir?
Mark Ratterman: I'm doing just fine.
Adam Small: Great. So Mark is a certified appraiser here in Indiana as well as the Indianapolis representative on the Appraiser's and Licensing board. Today we're going to be talking all about appraisals today. Before we get started Mark why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into doing what you're doing now, and a little bit about that.
Mark Ratterman: Well, it goes back quite a few years. Back in 1978, I decided that real estate seemed interesting. After getting a broker's license I tried for about a year and a half to sell houses and found that I was not very good at it. So being a little bit more analytical and less personable I guess, I ended up moving into the appraisal business, which is again well suited to my personality. I started out when appraisers were only required to have broker's licenses at that point. And since I had one I was already licensed to do that. I worked in the residential area for about 15, 20 years, and then started doing commercial work as well. And that's what I do today as probably half of my business is residential and half of it is commercial.
Mark Ratterman: I spent about 15 years writing text books and teaching classes. And I can say I've taught classes in about 30 different states, and about seven or eight different foreign countries. My text books have been translated into three or four different languages. So I'm fairly well versed in appraisal techniques, and I currently sit on the Appraisal Institute's body of knowledge committee, which is the committee that works on text books and decides what kind of policy's, and what procedures should be used for the Appraisal Institute, which is similar to what the National Association of Realtors is. I'm on the board of directors of the Indianapolis Board of Realtors. The Board of Realtors has a seat specified for appraisers. So there's always one appraiser on the board of directors to make sure that any decision made at that level is well suited for, and complements the appraisal industry, but it's also to prevent appraisal issues from causing harm to the real estate business.
Mark Ratterman: So as the Indianapolis representative of the licensing board, my job there is to administer over issuing new licenses, as well as, unfortunately in some cases, having to sit in judgment of other appraisers who have had complaints filed against them. In our state, like the real estate commission, complaints against appraisers are prosecuted by the Attorney General's office, and the decision maker is usually an administrative law judge, which is normally one of the Real Estate Appraisal board members. Or in our case, all of them.
Adam Small: No, it's not a not light thing to have that complaint against you, then.
Mark Ratterman: No, it's actually an excellent question. Most of the time, if a broker has a complaint filed against them, the public just doesn't really know, because the public doesn't usually research their complaints against real estate brokers. But in the appraisal business, and residential, every lender checks the status of every appraiser on every job. And so, consequently, if there's a complaint filed against them, it can impact their business significantly.
Adam Small: So that's a big thing you want to be real careful with that.
Mark Ratterman: Yes. And where as anybody can file a complaint, we do have a screening process to make sure that frivolous complaints are not prosecuted against appraisers.
Adam Small: Right. Well that's good to hear, because sometimes people just get angry about things, right?
Mark Ratterman: Well, yes, and most of our complaints are residential oriented and a large portion of them are home owners that are upset with the appraisals, and-
Adam Small: Because it doesn't match what they want to sell for.
Mark Ratterman: Well, that or don't forget refinances.
Adam Small: Right.
Mark Ratterman: Refinances are another issue, because depending on what they interest rate climate is, maybe half of the business is refinances.
Adam Small: Right.
Mark Ratterman: And so, if you can't get the mortgage you need to pay off the other one, or to get credit card debt coverage, or whatever, it can cause people to be very irritated with their appraisers.
Adam Small: Right. So kind of jumped ahead a little bit there, I was actually going to ask you, what are the minimum requirements to be an appraiser? You said when you first started, all you had to do was be a broker, and that was it. But now apparantly, there's an entire licensing board and everything.
Mark Ratterman: Well, you may remember back to what was called the savings and loan crisis back in the late 80s, and at that time, the federal government passed a law called the Financial Institutions Reform and Recovery Enforcement Act, FIRREA, we call it.
Adam Small: That's a mouthful, that's for sure.
Mark Ratterman: It is. And it's still enforced today, and the Dodd Frank bill, which was passed in 2010, I think, also modified that law, and that is a law that essentially required appraisers to be licensed or certified.
Adam Small: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Mark Ratterman: And if they're doing work for federally related transactions, which is a very well defined term, so essentially, an appraiser that is doing work for banks, savings and loans and credit unions above a certain level must be a licensed or certified appraisers. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA and VA then also adopted the same criteria saying that we will only use licensed and certified appraisers. So that's kind of where we're at today.
Adam Small: So that really drove it.
Mark Ratterman: Yeah, if you were an appraiser and you wanted to continue to do appraisals for a living, you had to become licensed or certified.
Adam Small: Right, right. So what are some of the common limitations that an appraiser should consider, must consider, when doing an appraisal?
Mark Ratterman: As far as the lenders themselves have created a whole lot of rules, and of course, FHA and VA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have their guidelines and rules as well. And so, the most difficult part for a lot of appraisers is knowing what rules to follow, and to make sure that they do. And so, when a residential appraiser completes a report, many of them go to an intermediary called an appraisal management company. Appraisal management company then reviews them for compliance with the rules that they have been given by their client. And so, in the case of FHA and VA, they're looking for does the appraisal comply? Fannie and Freddie, it's something slightly different. So complying with the rules is a big deal and it causes appraisers to have to modify and edit their appraisals one, two, three times, in many cases, because in some line or rule tells them that they got to do something they didn't do.
Adam Small: So when you say they have to edit it, do you mean necessarily changing the value of it? Or change the wording, or to be more compliant?
Mark Ratterman: Many times, it's change the comparables.
Adam Small: Okay.
Mark Ratterman: So they may say, well this particular letter won't accept any appraisal if the comparables are all older than a year. Or this particular lender wants to see a discussion of this, or-
Adam Small: So it's not necessarily changing the appraised value, I guess.
Mark Ratterman: No. I would say that a few times it might be, but most of the time it's not a value question, it's some … the reviewer appraiser that works for the appraisal management company or the underwriter might have said, "Look, there's an airport nearby. Did the appraiser comment on air traffic noise?"
Adam Small: Right.
Mark Ratterman: And that's the kind of thing that … or the subject backs up to a busy street, did they talk about that?
Adam Small: Okay.
Mark Ratterman: So they're looking to make sure that things that should be considered were considered.
Adam Small: Understand.
Kimberly Small: So let's talk about some of the common questions that agents have when it comes to appraisals. You talked about comparables. Is an agent able to submit to an appraiser a list of comparables? And if not, how are those comparables determined and how many are generally used in order to do an appraisal?
Mark Ratterman: The answer to that question is pretty easy. Yes, the brokers are allowed, and I personally recommend, that they do prepare a list of comparables that they'd like the appraiser to consider. The appraiser can not say … let me rephrase. The broker can not say they have to use those, they can only say please consider these. The appraiser can then go, "Okay, let's look at what the broker gave me and I'll look at what I researched to come up with a list of fair comparables would be."
Mark Ratterman: One of the funny things that we find to be true, and very few people disagree with me on this, is that if I run the BLC computer to find comparables, and I get a long list of them, two hours later, I'd run the same thing, and I get different answers. And it's not that the computer's wrong, it's somehow, some way, things are just slightly different and you get different answers. And for that reason, that's why I say it's a good idea for the brokers to submit some comparables because they may found something that the appraiser didn't because we do everything on computers now.
Mark Ratterman: And so I also recommend that the appraisers as well as the brokers look at Realist, and the reason for that is … Realist is a thing that's on our BLC system. And it allows brokers and appraisers to find comparables in some cases that are not actually published as closed sales. And the way this happens is that the broker sells the property, places it as pending, closes the deal, gets their check, closes the file, sticks it in the file folder, and never changes it.
Mark Ratterman: Exactly. Never changes it from pending to closed, it expires, and it's gone.
Adam Small: right.
Mark Ratterman: It's not a closed sale, published, and nobody knows it closed, but actually it did, and there's one place you can find that. And that's in Realist. Because Realist doesn't use the BLC data, it uses public record data, so the sales disclosure information now is published on a map. They put it on a map in Realist. So you can actually find comparables that no one else will find.
Adam Small: Right.
Kimberly Small: So you mentioned BLC. Is that specific to Indianapolis? That's the MLS number, correct?
Mark Ratterman: Yes. Yes.
Kimberly Small: And then, the Realist, is that specific to Indianapolis as well?
Mark Ratterman: It's actually statewide now. I think it's … I don't know how many different boards use it, but I think several boards in Indiana use it, so it's actually a good tool. Different states have different criteria, different ways of reporting sales. For example, I think Texas is a non-reporting state. So everything in Texas either comes through the MLS or you don't get it. In the case of Indianapolis, where we are, we are a reporting state, so sale prices are actually reported to public record.
Kimberly Small: Okay. So in a hot market with low inventory, there's a lot of properties that get multiple bids and sometimes the appraisal's not going to reflect that. What can an agent do if they have multiple bids and the appraisal's not coming in that align with that?
Mark Ratterman: Well, sometimes the appraisers are able to find comparables that show how hot this market is and they are a reflection of that. In many cases, if there's a spike in the market, yesterday's comparable sales are not going to be representative of today's sale prices by definition. If there's a spike and it jumps up ten percent, you know, in a month, it's very difficult to find comparables that support that. Which is not to say that it doesn't happen, just that it's much more difficult to find them. And so, an appraiser can do two things. A broker can do two things. They can prepare their client for, in this super hot market, we may not be able to get the appraisal may not come in this high. Which is going to be a problem. And the second thing that they can do is that make sure that the appraiser has all of the comparables that could possibly be used. And so they would be able to at least get to as close to the price as they can.
Mark Ratterman: And so, but remember one thing. The appraiser's clients are the lenders. And since the job of the appraiser is to protect the client's interest, then essentially the client may not want them to stretch, may not want them to be exaggerating it. They won't. They do not want that. So that's usually the problem. So that's why sometimes the appraisals just don't make the price, because they can't. There's just no data to support that.
Kimberly Small: So, and you've mentioned, it's the lender that is choosing the appraisal, does an agent have any input in that?
Mark Ratterman: No. They're not supposed to have any input on that. And that's something that the Dodd Frank bill required. And it actually goes back even further than that. That the lenders are supposed to choose their own appraisers. They are not even allowed to bring in appraisers and say, "Here, use this one." And they're not supposed to be part of the selection process. And so, lenders can order second appraisers if they're not happy with the first one, but they don't want to usually do that, because it costs a lot of money to do that.
Mark Ratterman: But no, the brokers can't … they're not allowed to say, "Don't use X, Y, Z appraiser because I don't like him." And so, I'm sure it happens, but they're not supposed to.
Kimberly Small: Okay. Are there certain property types that are more likely to have an appraisal problem?
Mark Ratterman: In most cases, when they have an appraisal problem, it's because the data is too good, not too bad. And what I mean by that is when the comparables are really bad, we have to make all kinds of adjustments to compensate for the differences. It's when you've got a four bedroom, two story house in a suburb and you've got nine comparables of pretty much the same house, there's no latitude.
Adam Small: You really can't argue.
Mark Ratterman: There's no adjustment, so they're selling for X dollars, and that's all there is to it. But if you've got a log house on 27 acres in a rural area with a swimming pool in the backyard and a barn-
Adam Small: It's much more subjective.
Mark Ratterman: It becomes more subjective, and therefore, it becomes less of an appraisal problem, because there's so much more subjectivity to it. And so, that's the problem. So the more likely where you have appraisal problems is when the data's just too good.
Kimberly Small: Okay. So what are some upgrades that generally don't show added value when it comes to appraisals? I know I've heard pools and finished basements sometimes don't come back as added value on an actual appraisal?
Mark Ratterman: That's an excellent question. And I will say to you that up until a year ago, maybe a year and a half ago, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had a criteria that essentially said that if you make excessively large adjustments that those adjustments must be explained and supported. And lenders read that to mean that they wanted the appraisers not to make the large adjustments. Well, the difficulty with that is, like here in Indiana, is if you've got a 2,000 square foot basement that's 2,000 square foot finished, and it costs, let's say, $25 to build it and $25 to finish the interior, that's $100,000 asset. $100,000. So if it's a $500,000 house, you're making $100,000 adjustment if the comparable doesn't have a basement, well lenders would hate that, and they would say, "Don't do that." So appraisers would, many cases, under estimate the value of the basements because of the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac criteria.
Mark Ratterman: A year and a half ago, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac published a letter saying, "We realize you're doing this, and stop it, and we're no longer require you to explain large adjustments like that." So the years of not adjusting much for basements, hopefully, are over, because quite honestly, if you have a 2,000 square foot ranch house with a 2,000 square foot basement, the realtors all say it's the same value. You should be considering it the same value. Well, we have some very strict rules that say that if any part of a floored area is below grade, we have to consider it basement. But that doesn't mean we have to consider it to be low cost space. So what I always tell people, I say is if you say to me that the above grade's worth $75 dollars finished, why wouldn't the lower level be $45, $50, $60 dollars a square foot.
Adam Small: Right.
Mark Ratterman: And so, hopefully that's the issue. As far as pools and things like that, those depend a lot on two things. One, climate. I don't think a pool is worth as much in Minnesota as it is in Florida. Just because you don't get to use it as much. And also the markets that it sits in. And the reason I say that is because if you have a $200,000 house and a first time home buyer is the most likely buyer, do they have extra cash and extra borrowing power available to them to buy recreational devices … things like a pool. The answer is probably not. They're getting 90% loans and they're getting trouble with their down payments. But if you've got a $2.5 million dollar house, how much excess cash do those people have to pay for pools, and the answer is quite a bit. Pools and tennis courts and extra recreational things, that they will pay for. So I always tell appraisers you have to know what your market is and your most likely buyer, and then you can decide whether that pool in the backyard is worth $30,000, $40,000, whatever it costs, or whether it's worth nothing.
Mark Ratterman: Because in some cases, there's just nobody to buy it because of the market setting that they're in.
Adam Small: You know, we talked a little bit about the value coming back and broker involvement and all that. What if the broker's not happy with the appraisal that comes back? Can they argue that? Can they dispute it, push back, try to get it raised?
Mark Ratterman: The Dodd Frank bill, this is federal law now, specifically talks about not badgering an appraiser, not trying to coerce an appraiser, but then it follows up by saying, this is not saying that an appraiser shouldn't … there shouldn't be some kind of an appeal process. And that's why almost all lenders will say the same thing is the broker's not allowed to call the appraiser and badger them, or even submit comps to them after the fact, after the appraisal's done. But they will accept any comparables that the agent feels, or the home owner feels are better comparables. Then they just run them through the lender. Because then the lender becomes kind of the buffer.
Adam Small: So they give it to the lender and then the lender passes back to the appraiser and then appraiser says, yeah or no or whatever.
Mark Ratterman: Exactly. Correct, and that's why I … a lot of times what happens is they send in comparables that the broker thinks is going to help their case, and a lot of times it doesn't, it hurts their case. Because once you put them on the grid, and you look at it and you say, yeah, it sold for more, but it's also got a 2,000 square foot finished basement that we don't have in the subject.
Adam Small: Right. Or a massively upgraded something or other, right?
Mark Ratterman: Yeah. So sometimes it doesn't help, sometimes it does. And I always look at that point, if the broker says, "Oh gosh, look, they didn't see the comparable down the street that just got published," because sometimes, quite honestly, the comparables sales also are late getting into the books.
Adam Small: Right.
Mark Ratterman: No books anymore. Into the MLS system.
Adam Small: There you go. No more books, it's all computerized these days, right?
Mark Ratterman: Yeah.
Adam Small: So if in the end for one reason or another, the broker or the home owner is upset or, I say home, but that could be any property owner, right?
Mark Ratterman: Yeah.
Adam Small: If they're upset and they want to file a complaint, is there a process to do that and what are some of the legitimate complaints versus the frivolous complaints that you mentioned earlier?
Mark Ratterman: The process varies from state to state as far as how the complaints are filed. In some cases, the complaints are public immediately, and anybody can know about them. In my state here in Indiana, the complaints are confidential until they become published. And so once they've gone through the screening process, the appraisal complaints can then be processed and are public. But ours are confidential until then. But that may not be true in every state. A matter of fact, a lot of states vary.
Adam Small: Okay. So the process is going to vary from state to state, and generally speaking, where would you go to find out what that process is? You said the Attorney General generally-
Mark Ratterman: Yeah, in our state it's the Attorney General, it might be like in Kentucky, I think that you file the complaint with the Real Estate Appraisers Board. And in Illinois, I think it is the Office of Financial Services or something like Financial Banking Services or something to that effect.
Adam Small: Right.
Mark Ratterman: Ohio, it's Department of Commerce or something like that. It varies from state to state, but they all have a process. They're required to have a process.
Adam Small: Okay. Well that's good. So what are some of the … let's start off with the frivolous claims that you've heard and then some of those that are legitimate without giving any specific names of course?
Mark Ratterman: Right, of course. And not that I could remember them anyway, but the most common complaint is that the value's not high enough, and the appraiser's incompetent because he didn't get to the price that I sold it for, or I had five offers and how could it not appraise out, and those kinds of things.
Adam Small: So those are kind of frivolous then?
Mark Ratterman: Well, if the appraiser used the best comparables that are possible and they didn't do anything irregular as far as adjustments, then yeah, they have to be considered frivolous complaints because our process is not such that we can just say anything we want. We've got to provide support for inclusion, and so if the appraiser's done all they can, then yeah, it has to be … we don't want to process a complaint against an appraiser because they did the best they could, and it just didn't get to the price and that made somebody mad so they filed a complaint.
Adam Small: Right. Okay. So you've been working with agents for a long time now. You know, a lot of times, I hear it myself, just working with agents, they grumble about appraisals and inspections and stuff like that. So how can they prepare themselves and their clients for the process of the appraisal? Where can they find out about the rules and how they can make sure they're educated and even let their customer know, their seller, know this is what's going to happen, this is how this works.
Mark Ratterman: Well, as far as the agents learning, they probably should do what they can to take some CE classes that includes focus on appraisals.
Adam Small: Focus on appraisals.
Mark Ratterman: Yeah, and how these work, and they can even take the appraisal classes, but they're fairly expensive, so they probably … I don't think they'd want to. But as far as educating their owners in that regard, I think that the best thing they can do is just tell them that the bank, or the lender or the mortgage company, has hired somebody to come in and make sure that the value is in line with other market sales in the area, and that's an appraisal. By law, an appraiser is a disinterested third party. For example, they can't be involved in the sale, and-
Adam Small: They can't have any interest in it at all.
Mark Ratterman: They can not care what-
Adam Small: Nothing financial, or anything like that.
Mark Ratterman: Every appraiser that does residential work that's using our standard form signs something that says, "I swear, I'm a disinterested, unbiased person and so I can't have any interest in the deal."
Adam Small: So you can't do one for your friend down the road or anything like that?
Mark Ratterman: Well, that's a very gray line. And the reason I say that is because if you're in Smallburg, Indiana, you know everybody in town, and so if you don't do one thing-
Adam Small: It gets a little more difficult there.
Mark Ratterman: Yeah, it's more difficult to not do appraisals for friends because everybody's your friend.
Adam Small: Right.
Mark Ratterman: Because you know everybody. But if you're in a big city, urban area, yeah, you'd want to avoid things that-
Adam Small: Give the appearance of it, right?
Mark Ratterman: Appearance of a conflict, or that you feel that you have a conflict. And so, because, again, the clients are relying on a disinterested third party to do these.
Adam Small: Right. And the client is actually the lender to reinforce that it's not the seller of the home, right?
Mark Ratterman: Right.
Adam Small: So the client's the one relying on that. So is there anything that an agent can do when they're writing an offer, anything that they should avoid, anything that will help them along the way when they're writing their offers?
Mark Ratterman: Yeah, that's an excellent question, and I'm glad you brought it up. Avoid things on offers that don't change the real estate but do increase the price. Now what I mean by that is, real estate is legally … a legal term that defines what you're selling. And that means permanently affixed to the earth. So you've got a building, and you put a light fixture in it, and it becomes real estate. But if you sell a house and you include a pontoon boat, the seller's saying, "You ought to be paying $5,000 dollars or $10,000, $20,000 whatever a pontoon boat costs, and saying, "Okay. So if you want my pontoon boat, the price isn't going to be $500,000, it's going to be $510,000. Well, guess what? The price just went up, but the real estate didn't change because the pontoon is not real estate.
Adam Small: Right. And that's going to effect the appraisal, right.
Mark Ratterman: Yeah. And so the other more common thing is to get the seller to pay closing costs for the buyer because when you say to the seller, the buyer wants you to pay $10,000 dollars in closing costs on their behalf, the seller then says, "Well, fine, instead of $500,000, the price is $510,000. So you've just raised the price, but you didn't change the real estate.
Adam Small: Okay. Interesting.
Mark Ratterman: And so you're asking for appraisal problems, because there's personal property in the deal, or a financing concessions in the deal. And so, because the appraiser's probably only appraising the real estate. And the reason I say probably is because there are some property types where personal property is included. Say in hotels, you can't sell a hotel without furniture.
Adam Small: Right.
Mark Ratterman: So what happens is, there is personal property in hotel appraisals all the time, and lenders can loan on, they just don't want to loan on much.
Adam Small: Right, right. I understand. So before we wrap up, Kim, do you have any other questions?
Kimberly Small: I don't think so. This has been very educational.
Adam Small: Yeah. Very good. How about you, Mark? Do you have anything else you'd like to add before we wrap up?
Mark Ratterman: No, I really appreciate this opportunity to talk about this, these things, because of communications between appraisers and brokers is sometimes not very friendly, but we try to make as much as we can, and most of us have to work in the community for a long time.
Adam Small: Right. So it's generally a good idea to have good relationships, right?
Mark Ratterman: It is, and I always say, just don't … if you're not happy with an appraiser, just wait a day before you do anything.
Adam Small: Then you might be.
Mark Ratterman: Well, you may be, or you may say, "Well, I guess it isn't so bad." And so, don't fire off letters and file complaints the day that you're mad because it's likely-
Adam Small: Well, I think that's a golden rule in general. Don't do anything when you're mad, right?
Mark Ratterman: I have a three minute delay on my emails when they go out just to prevent me from sending out something I wish I hadn't.
Adam Small: That's a man speaking from experience there. Well thank you so much for joining us, Mark. It was very informational and educational, we do appreciate it. This has been the Real Estate Marketing Minute. Thanks so much for listening. If you like what you're hearing, don't forget to like and or subscribe. Have a great day.