text:
President Barack Obama and various religious groups stated their strong support for bringing fleeing Syrian refugees into the United States in the fall of 2015. In their effort to convince other Americans of the justice of bringing in those fleeing wars in the Middle East, they drew an analogy to the Holocaust and the ship the MS St. Louis which was turned away from Cuba, the United States and Canada and sent back to Europe, where the Jewish passengers perished in concentration camps.
For their part, various Republicans stated their opposition to admitting so many refugees at this time due to security concerns. They dismissed the analogy to the Holocaust for multiple reasons including the principal facts that in the past there was no terrorism going on in the United States, and the Jews in Europe were ordinary civilians not bearing any arms or involved in any fights.
Syrian refugees arrive on the Greek island of Kos
August 2015 (photo: Yannis Behrakis/Reuters)
There is room for an honest conversation and approach. Here, I lay out my family's path to America and lessons that could be applied to refugees today.
Coming Alone
My paternal great-grandfather came to the USA from Russia in 1904. He fled the various pogroms that were going on in Russia over many years, including the significant Kishinev Pogrom in 1903. He set out for America alone via Great Britain. Once he established himself in New York City, he sent for his wife and two children to join him in their new home nine months later.
Many other Jews were leaving Russia during those years for the United States. The USA was also admitting many Irish, British, Scandinavians, Italians, Hungarians, Germans and Austrians at the same time. Each group spoke a different language and they all needed to adopt to the common language and culture of America.
And they did.
Fleeing en Masse
My maternal grandmother fled Austria with her immediate family after Kristallnacht in December 1938. They were part of an enormous wave of Jews fleeing Europe in those months before the start of World War II.
The whole family fled at one time. Before coming to the US, they were sent to Cuba where they were vetted and processed. My grandmother and her two children were allowed to travel to New York three months after their arrival, however, her husband was not permitted to join them right away. My grandfather waited in Cuba for over a year while the US vetted his background, and protected the jobs and security of Americans by slowly introducing thousands of men.
He waited in Cuba with hundreds of other men in the same predicament.
Lessons for Today
When my paternal great-grandfather came to America in 1904, he was part of a wave of immigrants coming to the US for a variety of reasons from a variety of countries. Over five decades (1880-1930), the US more than doubled its population (from 50 million to 123 million), while the percent of foreign-born people in the country grew to a high of 15 percent.
The situation today is different:
- Many foreign-born Americans today. Today, the United States is already at a 15% foreign-born population, the highest level in 200 years. Will such a huge and growing percentage hurt the US economy as they migrate into the workforce? Consider that 100 years ago the country was expanding and there were many jobs for manual labor; today the job market requires more skills and technical expertise.
- Concentration of New Immigrants' Culture. The immigrants that are coming today do not speak dozens of different languages (Hungarian; Russian; Italian; Swedish; English; German; etc.), but predominantly, just one: Spanish. Such a large concentration has hurt Spanish integration into American society where many communities remain Spanish-speaking only or bilingual, at best. The US instituted affirmative action programs uniquely for these Spanish-speakers, while no other immigrant group is afforded such assistance. Will a large concentration of new Arabic speakers create another permanent sub-group in the US?
- Current Battlefield. The United States has been targeted by various radical Islamic groups. When the MS St. Louis was turned away in 1939, America was not attacked and not at war. The battlefield is now here. Therefore, it is more time-sensitive and important to sort those fleeing harm in the Middle East, from those that intend to harm the United States.
The US should indeed consider the history of Jews fleeing Europe before WWII, but appreciate the differences when it is now considering the admittance of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.
The current refugees are using the methodology of my paternal great-grandfather and sending men before the rest of the families. According to the UNHCR, 62% of current immigrants in the Mediterranean area are men. They are fleeing into Turkey and then quickly spreading throughout Europe. That is a bad and potentially dangerous situation and the US should pivot to a more logical approach:
- Processing: When refugees come en masse, it is important to have a place to process the people. Displaced Person camps are not a new phenomenon. The various Islamic countries which are allies with the US such as Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states should not only permanently settle many of their fellow Arabs and Muslims, but should establish DP camps so there is time for other countries to appropriately vet those fleeing harm, while keeping the refugees out of harm's way.
- Woman and children first. While not all men are terrorists, the vast majority of terrorists are men. As in the 1930s, women and children should be admitted first while extra vetting is done on the men. Canada has taken such approach. In addition to giving time for more extensive background checks, it allows the country to more gradually introduce a large number of adult men into society.
Most men are not terrorists and most Muslims are not terrorists. But the majority of people attacking the US and its allies are Muslim men. Proper time and attention is needed to protect people.
Jews from Europe in the 1930s went through a long process of coming to America. The lesson of WWII is not simply to not turn back refugees to the place where they are fleeing like America did with the MS St. Louis. It is also to use a system to effectively admit refugees.
All governments must take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of its citizens as it welcomes new immigrants. It is shameful that there is finger-pointing and name-calling from both Democratic and Republican parties as the country attempts to welcome those fleeing war and prosecute those seeking war.
We should incorporate the best suggestions of both parties to help the refugees while placing priority on protecting Americans.
Related First.One.Through articles
The Explosion of Immigrants in the United States
Help Refugees: Shut the UNRWA, Fund the UNHCR
Subscribe YouTube channel: FirstOneThrough
Join Facebook group: FirstOne Through Israel Analysis


text:
With Devajeet Kaur and Yogasailingtrip.
On 1st July 2019 we set sail from Milna to the famous Golden Horn Beach. This beautiful white pebbled beach surrounds Mediterranean pine groves.
This is one of the most beautiful and popular beaches in Croatia, with crystal clear waters.
Here we can do lots of fun activities, snorkel 🐟🐙 sunbath 👙 swim 🏊 walk on the beach 🏖.
We'll enjoy a relaxed Kundalini Yoga session at sundown before tucking into some yummy vegetarian cuisine on board our luxury Catamaran.
If your interested in joining us email firstname.lastname@example.com for more information or to secure your place.
#kundaliniyoga #expedition #croatia #raiseyourvibration #yogasailingretreat #yogasailingtrip #meditation #adventureofalifetime #yoga #sailing #kundaliniyogaNewcastle

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Once Upon A Dream Pants in Black by Fate + Becker.
This slinky fit tie front pant is cut with a relaxed fit. The warm colour of sangria makes an eye catching statement, you can pair this with any blouse for your night out or just a simple tee for your everyday activities.
FATE + BECKER is an Australian women's fashion brand that transform the latest trends into accessible and timeless products, it represents style and quality since 2004, it is owned an managed in Melbourne by SASS Clothing Pty Ltd. Effortless style, authenticity and sophisticated living are the heart of the brand's philosophy. These positive values shine through at every level from laid back tailoring to the made to last quality. Capturing market trends and newness in colour, quality fabrics and shapes FATE + BECKER creates comfortable, functional and versatile garments that are an investment for the modern woman's wardrobe.
Wash separately in a cool and gentle machine wash.
Standard Australian Sizing
Free Express Shipping* / Next Day Delivery / Most Major Cities.
*Free for all orders over $100 ($10 for orders under $100).
See Shipping & Returns


text:
SearchPNG.com is a platform where we are providing stickers for all categories and we have verities of images. All the images are available in PNG transparent form. It's a one shop stop for all kind of images. It is completely free and we have unlimited of images you can download. It is the easiest way to design and to make your presentation beautiful and attractive with required images which we are providing.
All the images are are available with high resolutions pixels. Easy to access and all the information can be stored by logging in with your email. If you wants to get updates for new PNG images do share the page with your friends. PNG Images will be updated according to the searches and web crawls. You can easily search any Image through search bar and if we are missing on any category or any sticker we are open for the suggestion.


text:
Between an unusual video strategy by Adobe, Instagram's quizzes and Shopify's upgrades, it's been a thought-provoking week.
Monthly Archives:: April 2019
Advertising Today: How the Landscape has Changed With the New "Family TV Time"
By Maria Harrison, President, Bullseye Strategy We all can remember a time when our families sat down to sing the "Dallas" theme song or watch pretend politicians debate during an episode of "The West Wing." Whether you enjoyed the daily news cycle or reserved your ritual for Thursday night's "Must-See TV," it was a predictable… Read more »
Bullseye Buzz: Coachella Influencer Stunt | Yoast's Whoah Moment
By Mark Eting Bullseye Strategy Special Correspondent It's been one of those weeks where celebrity-designed shoes are air-dropped into Coachella goers' phones, thought leaders are officially the cool kids of social media, and a WordPress plug-in has upgraded its game so significantly that SEO nerds like ourselves everywhere are conga-lining around our offices. Welcome to… Read more »
Bullseye Buzz: What You Don't Know WILL Hurt You
By Mark Eting Bullseye Strategy Special Correspondent You know what they say about the word "assume": don't. This is especially true if you're responsible for your company's bottom line. At risk: local businesses who think simply having a website with up-to-date contact info is enough for them to be found online, marketers shying away from… Read more »
5 Ways to Slay a B2B Social Media Strategy | Bullseye Strategy
By Jorie Mark, Senior Director of Content Fashionista influencers and toilet paper Twitter humor have their place in social media, but business-to-business (B2B) marketing is entitled to its piece of the social media pie, too. In fact, interacting with decision makers through social media content is one of the most effective ways to acquire qualified… Read more »
Bullseye Buzz: GenZ Rolls Eyes at Celebrities | Coachella Debuts Amazon Pop-Up
By Mark Eting Bullseye Strategy Special Correspondent This week in digital marketing news, the parents, aunts, and uncles of Generation Z shoppers at our agency hugged each other with relief, exclaiming, "It's not just us??" when we learned that this age group rolls its eyes not only at authorities but at celebrities, too. A new… Read more »
Bullseye Buzz: What's a "Video View"? Plus Other Burning Questions
Digital marketing news round-up: video views, social media storytelling and Google ads conversion attribution


text:
Topic : Term paper outline examples.
Author : Ursula Huber.
Published : Fri, Apr 12 2019 :5 AM.
Format : jpg/jpeg.
What usually obtains is that most students get the topic for their intended term papers ahead of time and wait till the last minute before research can be started. This is when complete reliance on sample papers comes in. The student should know that the purpose behind writing term paper samples is to lure you into buying what they have prepared. A prudent student does not have to pay for a sample paper. Take note that although it is provided for free, you may end up paying for it if you are idle. One thing about this paper is that not every aspect of the paper will be open to the students. Just like in books advertised online, only certain portions of the paper will be exposed. For example, the introduction and the conclusion will be given to you. You will have a short feel of the term paper and this will serve as an inducement for you to purchase the whole term paper.
Beginning the term paper is a very challenging pursuit to almost every student. It may take more than your ordinary class thinking to compose a term paper. You must be able to move your thoughts out of the confines of your curriculum to something outside or not related to the curriculum. Remember that a lot of students will have to benefit from your term paper. You should further know that in such an edification paper, your brilliance may not count. What may be tested is your ability to break down complex issues for easy assimilation by other students. Therefore, your organizational skills will be needed.
When writing the introduction of your term paper, your first consideration should be based on your readers. You should of course know that the first reader is the writer. Therefore, as you write any part of the introduction, you should take out yourself as the writer and read over what you have written. You should be detached and objective in your own writing. If you think you are not, you should get someone else to do the appraisal for you. In your introduction, you should always think of what the readers know about what you intend to write about. What is it that they should be told; how should you make this known to them; is there a probability that they will be aggressive towards your manner of approach; will this introduction be able to hook their attention right to the end of the whole paper? Term paper with an introduction should be specifically revised for object and purpose. Dwelling only on the introduction is not an easy task. Along the lines, you may sway from the introductory materials and bring in what ought to be found only in the body or in the conclusion. Your main concern should be to make certain that your materials are only introductory and that your readers have been adequately considered.
Linguistic term paper sample abstract amples free download pdf samples introduction how to write with
Term paper samples college cover page how to write an essay sample free download pdf ne template apa
Term paper outline template apa ample format amples examples free mla order an english essay
Topics for term paper writing the ultimate list f great research samples pdf microeconomics utline template apa
Term paper amples dissertation using qualitative research methods e2 80 94 examples of format ample free
Term paper samples pdf linguistic sample outline apa format proposal doc pin by
Term paper outline mla format linguistics examples english samples free pdf
How to write grad school entrance essay term paper writing service samples sample free download pdf proposal abstract
Term paper samples introduction sample pdf proposal outline template format how
Term paper samples psychology help papers written english linguistics examples writing outline format free
Term paper english format samples pdf introduction sample outline proposal template
A lot of academic papers will call for an introduction. What you ought to know is that a paper with a very good introduction will be taken as one of the best terms papers in that curriculum. Whether you are writing an essay or a term paper, you should become conscious of the fact that most teachers and even readers will generally look at the introduction to determine the type of material that is found in the body of your paper. Therefore, your introduction should be clear and precise. It should be written in an unambiguous language. The introduction has a dual purpose. The first aim of every introduction will be to herald to the readers that something serious which has to be dealt with properly in the body of the term paper. Secondly, the introduction will serve as an attention grabber to the readers. This is what will hold their attention and urge them to wanting to read from page to page. Through the introduction your readers should be eager to know what is to come in the body of your term paper.


text:
11 months ago, Nick Saban turned to his backup quarterback to lead a remarkable comeback with everything on the line and captured a national title in the process. Against the same team, in the same venue, with an SEC championship on the line, the Alabama head coach had to do so once again on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
Jalen Hurts entered off the bench and sparked an incredible storybook comeback against the Bulldogs in the process to capture a 35-28 victory and return the Crimson Tide to the top of the SEC once again.
Even the legions of script writers in Hollywood who have moved to the Peach State wouldn't have been able to spin this tale and get it into production.
Hurts, who was 26-2 as a starter for the team but was benched at halftime of last year's national title game, entered in the fourth quarter to replace an injured Tua Tagovailoa. This year's starter was fairly ineffective most of the game (10/25, 164 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) after being hobbled on an early sack and the Heisman Trophy favorite was carried off the field late after his ankle was rolled up on by one of his offensive linemen.
That was just the opening that the junior from Texas needed, entering to huge applause from the Alabama faithful at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Hurts finished the game with 82 yards through the air and had the game-tying touchdown on a scramble to Jerry Jeudy. Then, to cap things off as only he could, Hurts ran it in across the goal line for the exclamation point of the comeback with the game-winner from 15 yards out.
There will be plenty of questioning from Athens to Atlanta (and beyond) over the play calling for the Dawgs down the stretch after they built a 28-14 lead in the third quarter. That included an inexplicable fake punt at midfield in the final few minutes — that went nowhere — and the abandoning of the run in favor of downfield passes that just weren't there like they were in the first half.
Quarterback Jake Fromm was not to blame all things considered as he was pinpoint with his passing most of the game and finished with 301 yards and three touchdowns. It wasn't enough though as he suffered yet another heart-break at the hands of UGA's SEC West rivals.
Tailback D'Andre Swift also played well with 75 yards and a touchdown while Elijah Holyfield added another 60 hard-fought yards between the tackles.
The loss will likely knock the Bulldogs out of the College Football Playoff race with No. 5 Oklahoma winning the Big 12 title earlier on Saturday. Even so, a Sugar Bowl berth isn't a terrible consolation prize but the psyche of fans in red and black might need a few years to recover from what Alabama did to them in two games spanning 2018.
The Tide, meanwhile, will not only hoist their eighth SEC championship under Saban, but will all but assuredly move on as the No. 1 seed in the Playoff come Sunday afternoon. That means a berth in the Orange Bowl if the No. 4 seed is Oklahoma or the Cotton Bowl if it's Ohio State or even Notre Dame. Also something to keep track of is what kind of effect the performance will have on Tagovailoa's Heisman chances and whether he will be healthy come semifinal time too.
That will be a conversation for the coming weeks though as Alabama will celebrate yet another title in Atlanta thanks to their second incredible rally of the year over the Dawgs.


text:
(This review is from a now defunct website I previously published, but I found myself thinking about this book recently, and thought I'd resurrect the review in order to let older readers in on this gem.)
Deliberately crafted and deliciously written, A Certain Slant of Light, by Laura Whitcomb offers a of sensual exploration and emotional complexity that stands out for its literary quality and grace, although who it's intended audience is may confuse you. The story follows Helen, a spirit, or being of light, of uncertain age who spends 130 years tying herelf to the living. By doing so she is able to continue her tenuos hold on her memories and life as one of the quick. When she encounters James, another being of light who has managed to take over the body of a living boy, she is overjoyed to find someone with whom she can communicate, and begins a relationship that quickly changes her "life." When she is seduced into inhabiting the empty shell of a human girl, the love affair that follows seems mostly about reveling in her new found body and the exploration of the senses. The two formerly light spirits commandeer the bodies of teenagers whose lives seem destined to end sooner rather than later, but the two spirits seem determined to "live" again. When James abruptly discovers the reason for his long banishment from heaven. Helen is left to struggle to uncover her own reason for exile.
Although the lives of the people whose bodies they take over seem almost too complex and dreary to believe, Whitcomb does manage to tie their tragedies into the plot by forcing the body "snatchers" to live within the complex parameters of their hosts, and in this way the story literally allows both the characters, and the reader, to live within another's skin
Although Helen finally comes to terms with the reason for her own private hell, though stunningly painted, feels too laden with adult knowing (she has lived for over 130 years, after all) for it to have any real impact on a young reader. Although I did enjoy a cathartic cry at the grand reveal at the end, it is not likely to be read by many of the in tended audience with the same emotional impact. However, the graphic sex scenes and genuine voices of the characters will certainly keep them reading.
The stark contrast between the beautiful prose and the modern day language of the spirit's two young hosts, if nothing else, casts an uncomplimentary spotlight on the crassness of modern culture.
Recommend this to your older, more literary-minded readers and they will thank you.
Violence – V
Questionable Behavior – ?? (expect discussions of rebelliousness, parental neglect, drugs and suicide.)


text:
Eastern Ghouta is under a barrage of fire against civilians
Syria - Remarks to the press by Mr. François Delattre, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations - Security Council - 22 February 2018
We are going to see how the first meeting goes, our determination is very strong to get the resolution adopted. The sooner the better, because the situation in Syria and in Eastern Ghouta simply can't wait. So, there is a sense of urgency that is truly maximum as we speak and that's why France is totally determined and committed.
Q: Sur la possibilité d'une adoption de cette résolution ? Un veto russe ?
Nous pensons que nous avons un bon texte, qui est solide, I think we have a good text that is solid, that contains the tool box we need to move ahead and to help stop the tragedy in Syria and Eastern Ghouta - the alternative being that this tragedy not only continues but also increases and enlarges.
Q: Foreign Minister Lavrov has made remarks this morning about possible amendments to the resolution adding more terrorists groups to the list that would not be subject to the truce. Do you think any of that could be acceptable?
Again we will meet, we will look at the proposals that our colleagues might have. But the sense of urgency is maximum as we speak, and Eastern Ghouta is under a barrage of fire against civilians.


text:
Call Today (510) 250-3333
Printer Repair OaklandCertified printer repair technicians for the following brands:
many more..
Request Service Quote Now! *By signing up you will receive our promotions and money savings coupons
and may unsubscribe at anytime. Simply uncheck the box to decline offer.
We proudly accept:
Printer Repairs OaklandPrinter repairs Oakland, CA that can cover all your printer repair needs at affordable rates. Give us a try and see why so many businesses have used the MIDCOM Service Group for all their printers of thermal label and barcode printers, line printers, dot-matrix printers, HP DesignJet plotters and laser printers. We come onsite or offer depot repair at our National Depot Center that offers "Flat-Rate No-Risk" repair.
Printer Maintenance OaklandPrinter maintenance Oakland California for your printers and will save you money compared to what the OEM charges. If you use an OEM for your printers their service is a side business to what they actually do and only fix their printers. Here at MIDCOM we fix many brands including Zebra, Intermec, Tally, Datamax, Printronix, SATO, Genicom, Printek, HP, AMT Datasouth, IBM, TEC, Lexmark, OkiData, Texas Instruments, and many more. Why have many service providers for all your printer repair needs - MIDCOM can be there to fix all your printers with one call.
Fix Printer OaklandFix printer Oakland, CA and throughout the great state of California. We have been in the area since 1982 and have actual printer repair technicians ready to fix your printers including these surrounding cities like Berkeley, Albany, Richmond, El Cirrito, Kensington, Moraga, Alameda, San Leandro, Castro Valley, Hayward, Danville, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, San Pablo, Tata Hills, San Rafael, El Sobrante, Concord, and many more. Give us a call today and we will respond quickly.
Printer Maintenance Contract OaklandPrinter maintenace contract Oakland California that will save you money on your printer repair throughout the year. Get your printers covered by MIDCOM and have the confidence that your printers won't be down for long. We've made the service request process streamlined so that you can keep you business operational when printer service in needed. Talk to one of our knowledgable service managers that are standing by to assist you with all your printer maintenance needs.
Printer Service OaklandPrinter service Oakland, CA that is above the rest for all the zip codes in the area like 94601, 94602, 94603, 94605, 94606, 94607, 94608, 94609, 94610, 94611, 94612, 94615, 94616, 94617, 94618, 94619, and 94621. Call today and let our friendly printer repair technicians take care of your service repair needs today.
Business Thermal Printer Brands We Service (Label, Barcode, Card & Mobile) - AMT Datasouth, Datamax, Genicom, IBM, Intermec, Printronix, Sato, TEC, Zebra
Business Line Printer Brands We Service - Data Technology, Dataproducts, Decision Data, Epson, Hitachi, IBM, Printronix, Tally, TallyGenicom
We Also Service HP DesignJet Plotters
Business Dot Matrix Printer Brands We Service - AMT Datasouth, Epson, Genicom, HP, IBM, Lexmark, OkiData, Printek, Tally, TallyGenicom, Texas Instruments
Business Laser Printer Brands We Service - Genicom, HP, IBM, Lexmark, Okidata, Printronix, Tally, and TallyGenicom
Here are some of the surrounding cities we service:
94501 Alameda, CA Alameda 510
94502 Alameda, CA Alameda 510
94505 Discovery Bay, CA Contra Costa 510
94525 Crockett, CA Contra Costa 510
94530 El Cerrito, CA Contra Costa 510
94536 Fremont, CA Alameda 510
94537 Fremont, CA Alameda 510
94538 Fremont, CA Alameda 510
94539 Fremont, CA Alameda 510
94540 Hayward, CA Alameda 510
94541 Hayward, CA Alameda 510
94542 Hayward, CA Alameda 510
94543 Hayward, CA Alameda 510
94544 Hayward, CA Alameda 510
94545 Hayward, CA Alameda 510
94546 Castro Valley, CA Alameda 510
94547 Hercules, CA Contra Costa 510
94548 Knightsen, CA Contra Costa 510
94552 Castro Valley, CA Alameda 510
94555 Fremont, CA Alameda 510
94557 Hayward, CA Alameda 510
94560 Newark, CA Alameda 510
94564 Pinole, CA Contra Costa 510
94569 Port Costa, CA Contra Costa 510
94572 Rodeo, CA Contra Costa 510
94577 San Leandro, CA Alameda 510
94578 San Leandro, CA Alameda 510
94579 San Leandro, CA Alameda 510
94580 San Lorenzo, CA Alameda 510
94587 Union City, CA Alameda 510
94601 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94602 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94603 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94604 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94605 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94606 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94607 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94608 Emeryville, CA Alameda 510
94609 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94610 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94611 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94612 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94613 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94614 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94615 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94617 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94618 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94619 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94620 Piedmont, CA Alameda 510
94621 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94622 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94623 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94624 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94649 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94659 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94660 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94661 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94662 Emeryville, CA Alameda 510
94666 Oakland, CA Alameda 510
94701 Berkeley, CA Alameda 510
94702 Berkeley, CA Alameda 510
94703 Berkeley, CA Alameda 510
94704 Berkeley, CA Alameda 510
94705 Berkeley, CA Alameda 510
94706 Albany, CA Alameda 510
94707 Berkeley, CA Alameda 510
94708 Berkeley, CA Alameda 510
94709 Berkeley, CA Alameda 510
94710 Berkeley, CA Alameda 510
94712 Berkeley, CA Alameda 510
94720 Berkeley, CA Alameda 510
94801 Richmond, CA Contra Costa 510
94802 Richmond, CA Contra Costa 510
94803 El Sobrante, CA Contra Costa 510
94804 Richmond, CA Contra Costa 510
94805 Richmond, CA Contra Costa 510
94806 San Pablo, CA Contra Costa 510
94807 Richmond, CA Contra Costa 510
94808 Richmond, CA Contra Costa 510
94820 El Sobrante, CA Contra Costa 510
94850 Richmond, CA Contra Costa 510
Or call (510) 250-3333 for a fast service quote now!
Look What Our Customers Are Saying About Us.
"I was getting tired of trying to find someone to fix our Zebra printer in the Oakland area when I came across your website. The service was completed by a knowledgable technician that came to my business fast. Thanks MIDCOM for saving me so much time and effort!"
"You guys rock! The technician you sent to our business got us up and running fast. Thanks!"
Our Pledge to You.
Follow Us:
General Manager


text:
One morning last week I woke up unusually early & inspired. The night before I'd been reading a really good book about productivity & what stops us from creating something. That book is Steven Pressfield's book The War Of Art. I recommend it to anyone who is doing something creative yet hits a wall, or is easily distracted.
Anyway, I thrashed out the first ideas, and then refined the song over the past couple days to make it more summery. There is an EP or album ahead of sorts.
Lyrically its a stream of conciousness song mashed somewhere between distractions /fantasising / wandering instead of working and also being in awe of the fate of ending up with the one you love.
If you're on the mailing list you probably recieved the MP3 before anyone else. If not, you can stream below or purchase here. If you're part of the Spotify gang – it should be up in a couple days!


text:
These nicknames and misheard names are brilliantly surreal – our 23 favourites
Just a wonderful collection of nicknames and misheard names which began after the marvellous Moose Allain tweeted this.
"Is your dad in?"
"Dad! The tree menders are here"
— Moose Allain Ꙭ (@MooseAllain) April 9, 2016
The resulting nicknames were just too good not to share, so here are our favourite 23.
@MooseAllain Mum gave Dad's name over the phone to travel agent.Said 'R' for Robert when giving his initial. Name on tckt was Arthur Roberts
— DangerJS (@DangerJS84) April 9, 2016
My sister asked a colleague what he'd written in arabic on his folder. "Knowledge is power". She thought it was his name and called him Nol.
— Moose Allain Ꙭ (@MooseAllain) April 9, 2016
@MooseAllain Met a guy at Uni called Campbell Baxter, instantly nicknamed 2 Soups.
— Daryl (@ScalyTugBoat) April 9, 2016
@MooseAllain I don't know if it's true but I want it to be. Supposedly Ewan McGregor's brother, RAF pilot, has the callsign "Obe Two".
— @thegoodbuck (CSE woodwork. Ungraded) (@ThegoodBuck) April 9, 2016
@MooseAllain When I started working at hmv there was a guy there called Stevie Videos to differentiate him from the other two Steves.
— Davesteèlir (verb: to record a pop song in French) (@davadsteel) April 9, 2016
@MooseAllain my mum once thought Katherine (with a 'K') was called Katherine Witherkay
— Matty (@MattSinn71) April 9, 2016
@MooseAllain I'm still friendly with Jim Fresher who I met at university.
— Steve Day (@TheRealSteveDay) April 9, 2016
@4DC5 @MooseAllain I have a friend called 'matching pram Nicola'. Kids are 12 now..
— Maggie Simpson (@MaggieSimpson49) April 9, 2016
@MooseAllain Reminds me of Mum answering door with "Hello, come on through" to friend. Little bro called her "comeonthrough" rest of day 🙂
— Vic Leeson (@VicksieLeeds) April 9, 2016
@MooseAllain Friend's friend called Pete we didn't meet for ages, joked he was imaginary friend. Known him 18 years as Imaginary Pete
— Louise Amantani (@comradelouise) April 9, 2016
@thejameskendall @MooseAllain a mate knew three guys called Dave and they were Big Dave, Fat Dave and Big Fat Dave
— Chris Jones (@ChrisJones28) April 9, 2016
@MooseAllain For 20 yrs my parents have referred to a set of neighbours as "The Pratts" as they're pratts. No idea what their real name is.
— The Smith (@_Vespillo) April 9, 2016
@MooseAllain I was in a band with 2 Daves. One of them did a citizen's arrest on a robber; after that, we had Dave- and Brave Dave.
— Kirkdale Bookshop (@KirkdaleBooks) April 9, 2016


text:
Samsung s10+
Phone new Samsung s10+
I use a couple of months, it's all fine, what they write about a bad camera in the dark or something, it's hasty conclusions, it still comes updates, they all put into action all the features of this camera, buying a new phone you should not expect that it will immediately work on maximalki. Already there was a mode "night" that takes night shots like a God, etc and many more all appear, and in August the whole Android operating system will be released.
Samsung s10+ Cool!
- Premium Samsung Exynos 9820 chipset with 8 cores. - 6.1-inch screen, Infinity-O with a resolution of 3040 x 1440 pixels. - The front panel is protected by Corning Gorilla glass 6. Under it also hides a built-in display panel ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. There is also a function of unlocking the face, which works almost as quickly as the fingerprint scanner. - Main camera 12+12+16 MP. - Front 10 MP, 4K video. - In the box there is a quick charge adapter Adaptive Fast Charge, USB Type-C cabl...
Page 1 of 2.


text:
truffle risotto with baby bellas
I have an undeniable weakness for risotto... if it's on the menu, I tend to order it. Then I get a stomach ache and complain about my inability to resist the creamy concoction. Last night I created my own grain/dairy free version so I could satisfy my taste buds without the torture.
This may be my new favorite side dish. It's a little involved to make every night, but I would if I had the time because I'm one of those people who would eat the same meal every day.
1 head of cauliflower
8 oz. portabello mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons Kerrygold butter (or ghee)
1/4 cup coconut milk (full fat)
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon truffle oil
salt & pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400. Cut the cauliflower into florets, and steam for about 10 minutes (until fork tender). Place the mushrooms and butter in a baking dish, and bake for 10 minutes (stir after 3 minutes when the butter has melted). In a large mixing bowl, add the coconut milk to the cauliflower and use a hand mixer to "rice" the cauliflower (this also can be done in a food processor - mine tends to make it too much like couscous). Heat 1 cup of chicken stock in a large skillet, then add the riced cauliflower. Cook on medium low until the liquid cooks off (about 3-5 minutes), then add the mushrooms and truffle oil. Cook another 5 minutes.
Labels: eat
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text: Available Aug. 27-Sept. 1 only, the butter chicken samosa pastries are filled with chicken in a tomato curry sauce and served with a side of green chutney. Sweet summer vegetable samosas with corn, peas and onions are also available. These can be found at Hot Indian at the Taste of Midtown Global Market at the International Bazaar. Courtesy Minnesota State Fair


text:
Dawn of the Dragons Ascension is a New Game , Free Turn Based Role-Playing on Android .
The Great Dragon War has returned to the land of Tor'gyyl in this epic Turn Based RPG game. It's up to you to stand up to the Dragon Armies and embark on an adventurous journey to change the course of history. Dawn of the Dragons Ascension takes the Turn based RPG games genre to the next level. Strategic turn based combat, player-based Guilds, a rich narrative and a wide range of quests, activities & locations to explore. Do you have what it takes to fight the Dragon Army in this turn based RPG game .
TURN BASED RPG WITH ENDLESS FREEDOM - In Dawn of the Dragons: Ascension, you call the shots. The Great Dragon War is filled with quests for you to complete and level up on your own or by joining up with fellow Adventurers. Take part in a bountiful list of online Turn based RPG games activities - including Guild Missions, Raids & PvP battles! Be ready to face the Dragon armies of the Draconic overlords in the Great Dragon War .
TACTICAL TURN BASED RPG COMBAT - Defeat the Dragon Armies in epic turn based RPG combat by utilizing the best strategic attacks, acquiring powerful Allies, and upgrading your arsenal of weaponry, spells & abilities. Be prepared to battle vile creatures in turn based RPG combat throughout a wide range of environments, including desolate dungeons and enchanted forests .
THE GREAT DRAGON ARMIES ARE HERE - Delve into the war torn world of Tor'gyyl caused by the Great Dragon War and explore a rich medieval RPG universe with over nine years of lovingly crafted characters and narratives from the original Turn based RPG game - Dawn of the Dragons - telling the story of the original Dragon War. Forge alliances and build your strength as you take the fight to the destructive dragon armies and their draconic masters in the epic RPG game .
EXPLORE & COMPLETE QUESTS - The great Dragon Armies has ravaged the country. Decide your own path through the land of Tor'gyyl in this original Turn based RPG game and explore & quest as you see fit. Reap the rewards of progressing by unlocking new loot, skill points & treasury as you fight your way through the Dragon armies in a tactical turn based rpg .
ASSEMBLE YOUR OWN GUILD - In Dawn of the Dragons: Ascension you can create or join your very own Guild and take part in an endless number of Missions, Raids & various activities for exclusive rewards & loot. Team up with your friends or meet new like-minded Adventurers through your travels in this epic medieval Turn based RPG and fight the Dragon Armies together .
SUMMON POWERFUL ALLIES - Progress through the game and unlock the ability to summon fierce & helpful Allies, who will assist you in turn based RPG Combat on your quest to triumph in the Great Dragon War .
|< Prev
|Next >


text: INDUBITABLE ISSUES Indubitable Issues March 18, 2015 the1whoknocks Leave a comment LOOKING FOR BOOKS TO BUY THIS WEEK? LOOK NO FURTHER. HERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT WILL NOT DISAPPOINT. Reed has deja vu… Chrononauts #1 .again it read to time in back traveled I much so it enjoyed and it read I Continue reading Indubitable Issues →


text:
Hello! Great to see you here!
I'm Natalie and I hope to be your wedding photographer.
I started photographing weddings after I myself got married and had fallen in love with wedding photographs, the story, the emotion, the cherished memories, the people: the nearest and dearest who where chosen to share and witness that day with the couple. I realized, way-back-when that I wanted to do that for others, to give them the experience and the memories that I have now. I look back at my wedding photos and relive that day, see the people laughing and smiling, remember the reactions, the ceremony, how I felt on the day, remember my family and friends (some of who are no longer here with us, which makes me cherish those photos even more) who traveled far and long to support us.
I have been photographing weddings for over 10 years now and have loved every minute of it. I love meeting new wonderful clients and documenting the precious memories of the biggest day of their life. I love the joy of the wedding day, the emotion, the excitement. Through my photographs I hope to give you the opportunity to relive your day every time you look at them and remember exactly how you felt on that moment when you said, I do to the love of your live, your soul mate. With me you will get a quirky humour, someone who jumps between English and Swedish, sometimes saying funny things that make you giggle and forget the camera in front of you, allowing you to relax and smile genuinely. I strive to deliver photographs that connect with you, show the emotion of the day, which tell a story in full colour of your perfect day. Welcome to Weddings by Natalie.
I love
- spending time with my family, watching my boys having fun with the simple things, like a puddle of water.
- traveling and seeing new places, learning the history of that land and seeing its beauty.
- simple things.
- vanilla instead of chocolate. Single instead of many.
- being in the mountains, however dislike getting there. (the hike is horrible)
- documenting the beauty of life, from the scenery of far and distant lands to the backyard. From the every day experiences of life to the special occasions.
My journey to get to where I am at is a long story of winding roads running through three continents South Africa, Canada and Sweden, engineering degrees and road building, love, marriage and children, triathlons to rock climbing, masters degrees and cookbooks. My story is a complicated one, with twists and turns, remind me to tell you some of it as we adventure along together.
I want to be your wedding photographer. I am super excited to hear from you, so let's chat and let's get your wedding date on my calendar before someone else books me and snags your wedding date!
Looking forward to hearing from you!


text:
Just a reminder here. Did you know that today, January 6, is celebrated as Little Christmas? This is when the Three Wise Men brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Infant Jesus. They followed the star and presented the gifts to Jesus lying in the manger in Bethlehem. What a marvelous story. Just thought you might like to know about this.
By the way, we went to Cologne, Germany one time and in the huge Cathedral there, I noticed three gold boxes on the Altar. I asked someone what they were and was told they were the Three Wise Men's remains. I was also told that at that time in history, it was important to have the remains of someone important in each new Cathedral in order to attract people to that Cathedral. Couldn't check out the story as no one was around to ask. The story can probably be checked out on the Internet now. If you ever get a chance to go there, by all means, visit the Cathedral. Absolutely, positively beautiful. Worth a trip.


text:
Epic Games just announced Gears Pop!, a brand new mobile entry in the franchise launching on Android next year. We wish we knew more about it, but that's literally all we know.
It's a collaboration between Funko Pop! – you know, those ghastly collectible figurines – and Epic Games', well, epic third person shooter franchise.
We don't know much more about Gears Pop! than the name
We'll take a wild stab and assume that this will be a third person shooter, featuring a cover system. We can also assume that there will be a strong collectible element.
But really, it could be anything. Hero collector RPG, match three, bubble shooter – who can really say for sure. We'll keep you posted as we learn more.


text:
Batt on a Hot Tin Roof
Queensland Cabaret Festival
Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre
Friday June 20 2014
Reviewed by Xanthe Coward
Infinite Joy
We're seeing a massive resurgence in cabaret at the moment. We're craving stories, and a more personal approach to the telling of them. We want the intimacy we thought we'd get from social media. I know. Why did we ever even think for a moment that Facebook could be, in any way, intimate? Batt on a Hot Tin Roof takes the cabaret genre to a whole new intimate level. You know, we didn't get to see this show in 2011 (Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne got it), so it was with great anticipation that I took Mum to the one-night-only performance on Friday night as part of Queensland Cabaret Festival.
Bryan Batt may be best known for his closet Mad Men character, Sal Romano, but in a previous life he enjoyed considerable success on Broadway (even securing a caricature on the wall at Sardi's!), and now it's this show that will put him on the cabaret map. Maybe it already has, although – I hate to admit it – Brisbane has come to it late. Or, it has come to Brisbane late. But better late than never!
I knew Sal from Mad Men, but I haven't had a chance to keep watching the series; it's on a shelf with Revenge, Smash, Sex and the City, Alias, Boardwalk Empire, Spartacus, True Blood and Game of Thrones. What? I like my DVDs.
This guy (Batt not Sal) is almost up there with Mandy Patinkin and look, coming from my mother, who has not only seen Patinkin perform twice but has also met him at QPAC and had a fangirl photo with him, this is high praise indeed!
Bryan Batt says of his show that it's a mixed bag of nuts, developed as a benefit after Hurricane Katrina hit his hometown New Orleans in August 2005. He's been performing it ever since so naturally, we can expect it to be polished. What we don't expect is just how slick and savvy and funny this guy is in real life on stage, and also, how fresh and new this show appears to be. Batt is effervescent and lavishes the Brisbane audience with well rehearsed hilarious stories of growing up with his high society Southern Belle mother and a tall, dark and handsome manly man father, more difficult to connect with until later in life. The latter is a picture painted beautifully delicately, later, in What You'd Call A Dream (Diamonds). From the first to the last, it all comes across just as naturally as if we were standing outside Bar Alto by the river with drinks and cigarettes.
"Should we drink before or after the meeting? Or both…"
Not only does Batt regale us with stories from his own life experience, he cleverly, sensitively references the Queensland floods, empathising with anyone who has ever seen 9ft of water in their home. It's Amazing the Things That Float written by his talented mate, the award winning Pete Mills, brings home the point. It seems Batt is driven by genuine kindness and gratitude rather than a need to jump on the cabaret bandwagon; it's the essence of this show, this sharing of his personal take on the world. He's actually the ideal cabaret creature.
Also, he gives us a few top cabaret tips. That's right. The third song in a cabaret show is always a ballad, a love song, but this one is a little different! From COPS (was the musical ever even finished?), Sensitive Song seals the deal for those with any doubts – this guy is GOOD! We recover from total hilarity quickly, with a change of mood in a microsecond because following that bit of evil genius by Lawrence O'Keefe & Nell Benjamin is the most intense, gorgeous version ever of Cole Porter's Night and Day. I decide that Batt is actually a mood change master, someone from whom so many cabaret artists can learn so much, when next comes an amusing anecdote about leaping from the back seat of the car to the front and politely asking Mother for a hairbrush-for-a-microphone to sing along to Downtown. And we don't hear them all out lout but there are those occupying the tables up front who are quite clearly singing along at the top of their voices, if only in their heads and hearts.
The next little run of songs challenges – you can feel it in the air as we're faced with the actual historical evidence behind the success of Mad Men – with Burt Bacharach's Wives and Lovers (and This Guy's in Love With You). This is a beautiful arrangement to highlight one of the most disturbing songs ever written, which we heard (just in case we'd missed the point!), at the end of Mad Men Season One. Oh, you don't think? Think again. And again, Batt effortlessly makes the message clear.
Hey, little girl,
Comb your hair, fix your make-up.
Soon he will open the door.
Don't think because
There's a ring on your finger,
You needn't try any more
For wives should always be lovers, too.
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you.
I'm warning you.
Day after day,
There are girls at the office,
And men will always be men.
Don't send him off
With your hair still in curlers.
You may not see him again.
For wives should always be lovers, too.
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you.
He's almost here.
Hey, little girl
Better wear something pretty,
something you'd wear to go to the city.
And dim all the lights,
Pour the wine, start the music.
Time to get ready for love.
Dim all the lights,
Pour the wine,start the music.
Time to get ready for love.
Time to get ready,time to get ready for love.
Time to get ready,time to get ready for love.
Horrifying. And incidentally, really gratifying to watch this version of the song and see the resemblance to Jack Jones that our good friend Grant Smith sports. In suavity only, not in archaic attitude, let's be clear about THAT.
The one that gets me though is Unusual Way, from the Maury Yeston musical NINE (one of my favourites, not staged often enough!). Originally, one of Guido's many lovers, Claudia, sings Unusual Way, and despite hearing male voices sing it before, the effect of Batt's heart wrenching rendition is immediate, in fact to hear him sing these words you would think they'd been written for him.
Another surprise, but not really, is the very sweet, very moving I'm Becoming My Mother.
"You mean a person can act one way and be thinking the exact opposite?! That's ridiculous."
To get back to upbeat, we hear the tale of Batt's first Broadway experience, seeing Gilda Radner sing Let's Talk Dirty to the Animals with his mother, and very proper grandmother… O.M.G. In case we didn't yet have tears of laughter rolling down our cheeks, Batt performs Way Ahead of My Time (The Caveman Song), another little bit of pure gold from composer/lyricist Pete Mills. COME TO OZ, PETE MILLS! During the final segment of the show we understand Batt's love for New Orleans (Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans) and NYC (a double time New York State of Mind). And then, Batt on a Hot Tin Roof doesn't end with Jerry Herman's I Am What I Am from La Cage Aux Folles but with the affirmation after the affirmation – William Finn's Infinite Joy (Elegies), which Batt dedicates to a much-loved teacher and delivers with greater quiet strength and better measured passion and conviction than anybody on YouTube. And you KNOW I love Betty.
Batt on a Hot Tin Roof is not just a mixed bag of nuts; it's a bit more special than that. For me it's a treasure trove of glistening fairy wishing stones, like the ones Poppy puts out on the volcanic rock by our pool beneath a full moon. Each musical number is an absolute gem and the patter in between each is smooth and secret and friendly and confident, just the way cabaret chat should be.
If you're yet to discover the magic of Bryan Batt's cabaret persona, look out for his next live appearance – there is nothing online that does this performance justice. If only the show we enjoyed on Friday evening had been filmed and added to the YouTube universe, you'd see precisely what I mean, and my pitch to bring Batt back would be almost complete.


text:
This cycling excursion allows us to visit the northern part of the lagoon, home to abundant wildfowl including the fascinating pink flamingo.
Light dominates everything, constantly changing as it reflects off the immense stretches of water, its many colors and hues affected by the barene (salt marshes and sandbars of the Venetian lagoon).
We will leave on our bikes from Ca' Savio, on the beach, and then reach the lagoon.
We will visit the small town of Treporti, the woods of Mesole, and the tiny town of Lio Piccolo.
Here we will stop for a lunch break in a typical restaurant, where we can enjoy the local lagoon specialties.
In the afternoon we will head towards Punta Sabbioni. We will set out from the lagoon for the seashore, where it is possible to take a refreshing swim, in warm seasons. We will head back to our destination, bathed in the light of the sunset and delighted by our wonderful day spent together.
Route information
Length 35 km (21 mi) level ground, suitable for everyone
Departure/arrival : Ca Savio in front of the City Hall
Route conditions : cycling and walking paths, minor local roads with low traffic
Fee per person : 58 €
Fee for children: 15 € for children ages 0-4, 30 € for children ages 4-14
It includes:
- bike rental and related assistance
- VENICEBIKE guide
- lunch in a typical restaurant (service, entrée, side dish, water, one glass of wine, coffee)
- medical insurance
- bottle of water
It does not include:
- all that has not been specified
Minimum participants required: 8 adults
Meeting point at 9:00 am in front of the City Hall of Ca' Savio; arrival expected at 5 p.m.


text:
PHOP Games 1.5
- When: 11/15/17
- QIC: Dawg Pound
- The PAX: Dark Helmet, Deacon, Bounty, Bill Nye, Van Damme, Lockpick, Chuckie, Padeye, Hot Sauce, Herbie, Schrute, Kashmir
Thirteen and possibly hearty, probably crazy souls convened to the "one and a halfth" version of the PHOP Games. Several were unaware of the 0500 start, but that was not a problem.
Warm ups included some "hippy stuff" as we did Hillbilly Walkers and Imperial Walkers, and then it was down to business.
For the uninitiated the PHOP Games are a celebration of unity, love, and pain. Mostly pain.
The format is 2 minutes AMRAP on the following exercises.
- LBCs
- Burpees
- Hammer Swings
- Tire Flips
- Bear Crawl
- Cinder block presses
- Cinder block shrugs
- Cinder block swing
Without further adieu is the score sheet.
Spoiler: When you take almost 4 months off you tend to finish poorly in the PHOP Games.
I cannot figure out why it isn't hyperlinked, but you can copy and paste it to your brwoser.
We will see you for PHOP Games 2.0 in May.


text: 1985: Rate the #3's of the 1980's Apr 24, 2018 14:25:01 GMT 1 Andy likes this Quote Select PostDeselect PostLink to PostMemberGive GiftBack to Top Post by Smurfie on Apr 24, 2018 14:25:01 GMT 1 The number 3's from 1985Please rate the following out of 10. If you don't know a song, please look it up on Youtube before voting.I'll tot the scores up at the end to see which is Havens favourite #3 of 1985. I'll probably leave it open for a few months, to make sure we get everyone's votes.n.b. Where the single is listed as a double A side, I have gone for the "lead" of the two.Ashford And Simpson - Solid Madonna -Like A Virgin Commodores - Nightshift Madonna - Material Girl Sarah Brightman And Paul Miles-Kingston - Pie Jesu Bronski Beat And Marc Almond - I Feel Love (Medley) Jimmy Nail - Love Don't Live Here Anymore Tina Turner - We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) Baltimora - Tarzan Boy Colonel Abrams - Trapped Red Box - Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo) Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill Stevie Wonder - Part-Time Lover Elton John - Nikita UB40 - Don't Break My Heart Dee C Lee - See The Day Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? {1985}


text:
Thurston County Market Conditions with Don Manzer: January 2019
We've got another detailed account of the Thurston County Market Conditions from Don Manzer in his newsletter for the month of January 2019. If you would like real estate advice or help, then give Don a call. He continues to be ready to help any of the readership, or their friends, with their real estate needs.
Here we go off to another year. Perhaps it will be as interesting as the past one. We ended the year with the median price of the inventory up 6.6% at $389,000. It was off the peak earlier in the year of $399,900. It was a seller's market all year long. We started the year with 1.0 months of inventory and ended it at 1.2 months of inventory. Balanced markets fall within the 4 to 6 months range, so the market is clearly far from balanced.
Our inventory is now only 551 homes for sale, up 11% from a year ago. It is always seasonally low at this time. Average days on market is 90 days, down from 104 days a year ago. At this time of year the inventory has a higher percentage of the more difficult to sell properties in it so the days on market tends to go up. The number of pending deals is only 389, off 15% from a year ago. The last time the number of pendings was that low was January of 2011. Short sales and bank owned are no longer a significant portion of the market. The discrepancy by price range continues to exist. There are 0.9 months of inventory for homes priced below $450k, and 2.7 months for homes price above that. Obviously, it is a seller's market still in both cases.
Clearly, it is still a good time to be a seller in this market. For buyers, interest rates have fallen again. They are now averaging 4.55% for a 30 year fixed. There continues to much optimism in the marketplace.
The Last 12 Months at a Glance
Contact Don Manzer
There continues to much optimism in the marketplace. Let's have a great January."


text:
Agriculture: The science of farming is called agriculture. Farming including cultivation of plants and rearing of animals for food and other beneficial items (like wool, cotton, beverages, etc.) is called agriculture. Agriculture is the main occupation of the majority of people in India. Due to this, most of the people in India live in rural areas.
Crop: When plants of the same kind are grown and cultivated at one place on a large scale commercially, they are called a crop.
India is a vast country where diverse practices of farming are seen in different parts. But crops in India can be divided into two main types, which are as follows:
Kharif: Kharif crops are grown in the rainy season, i.e. during monsoon. Kharif crops are usually sown in June and harvested in September. Kharif crops need high temperature and plenty of rainfall to grow properly. Paddy, maize, soya bean, groundnut and cotton are the examples of Kharif crop. Paddy is the main Kharif crop in India.
Rabi: Rabi crops are grown in the winter season. Rabi crops are sown in October and harvested in March. Rabi crops need mild temperature and moderate water to grow properly. Wheat, gram, mustard, pea and linseed are the examples of Rabi crop. Wheat is the main Rabi crop in India.
Various tasks; which a farmer needs to do during the cultivation of crops are collectively called agricultural practices. Activities which are part of agricultural practices are as follows:
Preparation of Soil
The first step of cultivation is the preparation of the soil. This is done by loosening and turning the soil. A plough is used for this purpose. If the soil becomes too hard then farmer may resort to watering the soil before ploughing.
Traditionally, animal-drawn ploughs have been used by farmers. Nowadays, tractor-drawn ploughs are used for this purpose. A tractor helps in saving time and labour.
The soil may contain many big lumps even after ploughing. The lumps are broken with the help of a hoe. Sometimes the farmer may add manure before ploughing; in order to properly mix the manure with soil.
The seeds are sown in the field after ploughing. A farmer needs to separate damaged seeds from good seeds. The seeds should be sown at proper gaps and at the proper depth. The proper gap between seeds and proper depth in the soil ensures adequate sunlight, moisture, air and nutrients to the growing plants. Seeds can be shown by any of the following methods:
Broadcasting: This is a traditional method of sowing seeds. In this method, seeds are sprayed on the field manually, i.e. by hand. Broadcasting is only effective on plots of small size.
Traditional Seed Drill: A seed drill is composed of a funnel which has a long and pointed neck. The seed drill is attached to the plough-shaft. When the seeds are kept in the funnel they drop gradually through the neck; when the field is being ploughed. The pointed end of the neck of seed drill pierces the soil and thus seeds go deep into the soil. Seed drill helps in saving time when the farmer needs to sow a farm of large size.
Modern Seed Drill: The design of modern seed drill has evolved from the traditional seed drill. It contains many hollow and pointed tubes which are fitted on a huge frame of iron. All the tubes are connected to a huge container at the top. Seeds are kept in the container so that seeds can drop through the hollow tubes. Tractor-driven seed drills help in sowing seeds on large farms in less time.
We know that plants take nutrients from the soil and thus exhaust the soil's most of the nutrients with the passage of time. Manures and fertilizers need to be added to soil to replenish the plant nutrients.
Manure is prepared by decomposition of plant and animal waste. Farm waste is dumped in the field and is left to decompose. Sometimes, the farm waste may be covered with a layer of soil to hasten the process of decomposition. Sometimes, the help of earthworm is also taken to hasten the process. Farmers also make compost pits to prepare manure.
Fertilizers are chemicals which contain a specific plant nutrient. Fertilizers are made in factories and a pack of fertilizer may contain any one nutrient or a mixture of more than one nutrient. Urea, ammonium sulphate, superphosphate, potash and NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) are the examples of fertilizers.
Plants need plenty of water to grow. Farmers need to supply water to crops at regular intervals. This practice is called irrigation. Different types of crop require different amount and frequency of irrigation. Kharif crops need more water than Rabi crops.
Sources of Irrigation: Wells, tube-wells, ponds, lakes, rivers, canals, etc.
Traditional Methods of Irrigation: In traditional method, human or animal labour is used.
Manual pumps are now being replaced by motor-driven pumps. Such motors are powered either by electricity or by a diesel engine.
Modern Methods of Irrigation:
Sprinkler System: The sprinkler system is composed of a series of pipelines. Vertical sprinklers are fitted at suitable gaps on the pipes. The water is pushed through the pipes with the help of a pump. The nozzle of the sprinkler keeps on rotating. It results in a jet of water being sprinkled on plants. Sprinkler system is ideal for irrigation on uneven land.
Drip Irrigation: In this system, pipes are laid near the base and along the queue of plants. The pipes have small holes at frequent gaps. The holes facilitate gradual dripping of water on the base of plants. This method is ideal for areas which are suffering from the shortage of water.
Weeds: Any unwanted plant which grows along with crops is called weed. While some weeds are poisonous, many are not harmful. However, weeds compete with plants for various resources; like sunlight, air, water and nutrients. Weeds hamper the normal growth of plants. Hence, removal of weeds is necessary for a good harvest.
Weeding: Removal of weeds is called weeding. Weeding is usually done manually or by using a trowel. Weeds are also removed during ploughing. Weedicides are the chemicals which destroy weeds. 2, 4 – D is an example of weedicide. Weedicides are sprayed before flowering and seeding in the weeds. A farmer needs to take precautions to prevent any harm from weedicide. The farmer needs to wear protective clothes and masks while spraying a weedicide.
Harvesting involves cutting the mature crop. Traditionally, harvesting is done manually by using sickles. Combine harvesters are used on large farms. A combine harvester does harvesting and threshing at one go.
Threshing: Separation of grains from the harvested crop is called threshing. Threshing is done by threshing machine or by cattle.
Winnowing: Separation of grains and chaff is called winnowing. Winnowing is done manually or by machines.
Proper storage of harvested crop is necessary to prevent the damage from moisture and pests. Grains are generally dried in the sun before being stored. Silos of different sizes are used for storing grains. Fruits and vegetables and other perishable items are stored in cold storage. Pesticides are also used while storing grains.
Nitrogen plays a vital role in the survival of all living organisms. It is one of the primary nutrients and component of biomolecules such as chlorophyll, DNA, and proteins. Nitrogen is the most abundant element present in the atmosphere. Even though it is widely available, it acts as a scarce resource. Only when used in ammonia, it can be used by primary producers such as plants.
The simple diagram of the nitrogen cycle is as shown below.
Nitrogen gas (N2) exists in both organic and inorganic forms. Therefore it undergoes various types of transformation in order to maintain a balance in the ecosystem. The important transformations that nitrogen supports are nitrogen fixation, assimilation, ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification process. The conversion of this gas into its oxidation states plays an important role in maintaining the ecological balance.
The processes involved in a complete nitrogen cycle are:
Atmospheric nitrogen is converted into the usable form by lightning strikes or symbiotic bacteria which are known as Diazotrophs. These bacteria consist of a nitrogenase enzyme which has the capability to combine gaseous nitrogen with hydrogen to form ammonia.
When plants or animal die organic nitrogen is again released back into the soil. Bacteria or fungi present in the soil convert them back into ammonium. This process is also called as mineralization.
Primary producers take in this gas from the soil with the help of their roots in the form of amino acids, nitrite ions, nitrate ions or ammonium ions. This way it enters the food cycle when the consumers eat the plants.
In this process, the ammonia is converted into nitrate by the presence of bacteria in the soil. Ammonia is oxidized to form nitrites by bacteria such as Nitrosomonas species. Nitrates are converted into nitrates by Nitrobacter. This conversion is very important as ammonia gas is toxic to plants.
In order to complete the nitrogen cycle, the nitrites are reduced back to inert nitrogen gas in this process. This is done by bacterial species such as Clostridium and Pseudomonas in the absence of oxygen.


text: Rogue Wave's recent Noise Pop show at Bottom of the Hill was certainly a scene to see and be seen at — and the band's first hometown gig in support of the new Permalight on Friday deserves to feel equally celebratory. It isn't every day that a local act makes it to the top of a Fillmore bill, and Rogue Wave's bright 'n' shiny new tunes seem perfectly suited to help the Oakland outfit make the most of this triumphant headlining gig. If it's been a while since you've seen Zach Rogue and Co., you might not recognize all the faces onstage, and there's a chance that you'll be taken aback by Permalight's more exuberant tunes. But Rogue Wave still knows how to make the most of an indie-rock melody.


text:
1950s Rockabilly Wedding Dress with Petticoat ... Bridesmaids, VLV, Car Show, Wedding, Date Night, Cocktail Party
This listing is for both the Dress and Petticoat This listing is for both the Full Circle Dress and Petticoat. Petticoat Only: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StaysiLee?section_id=15789860&ref=shopsection_leftnav_6 Dress Only: https://www.etsy.com/listing/208139683/pink-full-circle-vintage-inspired?ref=related-4 Dress is available in 37 Colors (Picture 4) Petticoat is available in 15 Colors (Picture 5) Please include in the "Message to Seller" at checkout the following info: ~Dress...
Source : https://www.etsy.com/listing/103911154/1950s-rocka
Is the content belong to you OR do you know where to find this ?
Connectez-vous pour laisser un commentaire


text:
*This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn a small commission if you purchase something by clicking my link, at no cost to you. Thank you!
After receiving my 12th Fix I've decided I need to schedule a vacation to a cozy ski lodge. Once again Kate hit it out of the park. I requested a vest because I've really been wanting to rock a vest. Not only did she find me a fabulous vest, she also referenced how to achieve the looks I've pinned to my Pinterest board with the pieces she sent. Read on to see my comfy, cozy Stitch Fix Review.
What Is Stitch Fix
In case you're not familiar, Stitch Fix is a personal styling service. You fill out a style profile with your style preferences, sizes and how you like things to fit. Choose how often you'd like to receive a "fix" (monthly, every other month, quarterly, or whenever you choose). When you schedule a fix your stylist will choose 5 items (tops, bottoms, dresses, accessories, etc.) to ship to your home. Try them on at your convenience. Keep what you like and send the other items back in the pre-paid envelope. Your $20 styling fee goes toward whatever items you keep. For all the details check out my What Is Stitch Fix post.
To learn how to get the most out of the styling service download my guide on getting your best fix. You can access the How To Get Your Best Fix Guide in my free resource library. Get the password for the free library by subscribing at the bottom of this post.
Stitch Fix Review
Papermoon Amalie Split Neck Binding Hem Knit Top $54
Mavi Addyson Tulip Hem Skinny Jean $98
When I first saw the Papermoon top I thought to myself, I need to tell Kate I don't like ribbed shirts because they lay funny on me. I tried it on anyway and fell in love with how comfortable it is. It's a vertical rib so it doesn't do the weird thing that horizontally ribbed shirts do on me (create layers of fabric rolls). I've noticed in the last couple of fixes I've received that I don't want to take the clothes off once I put them on. I usually end up wearing them wherever I go that day. This outfit was no exception.
Now the jeans took some getting used to. They were really tight around the calves but when I walked in to show my hubby his reaction made them an instant keeper! The more I wore them the more they molded to my body and became very comfy. Did I mention they're petite.
It's so nice to receive items that actually fit and I don't have to have them taken up!
Market & Spruce Wilco Solid Quilted Vest $68
So when I first saw the vest I thought, I really don't like quilted items. I would have never picked it out in a store but I tried it on and fell in love. It is so cozy and added a layer of fun to my already cozy outfit.
Alice Blue Boulder Button Down Blouse $58
I really like this top. It looks great with jeans.
Especially with the Market & Spruce vest. I just need reservations at a ski lodge.
It can also be dressed up with black leggings, making it extra comfy.
Street Level Harlan Removable Pocket Reversible Tote $64
The 5th piece I received is this reversible tote. I really like the removable pocket but I already have a tote in this same color. I probably would have sent it back but with the 25% discount for purchasing all 5 items it was cheaper to keep it. I'm thinking it might be a great future giveaway.
*Sorry ladies, I finally used this tote and loved it! It is the perfect travel tote. I took it on a family trip with me and loved the front pocket that keeps important things like plane tickets handy. It also has plenty of room for the iPad, legos, snacks, my phone and everything else we stuffed it with. Definitely glad I kept it!
Speaking of giveaways, be sure to check out the blog tomorrow for a HUGE announcement. I am so excited and can't wait to share it with you.
If you've been wanting to try out a new look but need a little help pulling it together I would highly recommend giving Stitch Fix a try. Use my link to try it out today and get a $25 credit.
I'm excited to be linking up with other bloggers again through Crazy Together's Stitch Fix Link-Up! Click on the pic below to see more Stitch Fix Reviews from other bloggers.


text:
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel strikes back and wins the Belgian GP to narrow the deficit in the championship to Mercedes Lewis Hamilton, who finishes in 2nd, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen in 3rd.
Grid Formation
1.Hamilton 2.Vettel 3.Ocon 4.Perez 5.Grosjean 6.Raikkonen 7.Verstappen 8.Ricciardo 9.Magnussen 10.Gasly 11.Hartley 12.Leclerc 13.Ericsson 14.Alonso 15.Sirotkin 16.Stroll 17.Bottas* 18.Hulkenberg* 19.Sainz* 20.Vandoorne*
Bottas*, Hulkenberg*, Sainz* and Vandoorne* have all taken various engine penalties. Bottas and Hulkenberg announced earlier this week with Sainz and Vandoorne announcing that they were taking these penalties earlier this morning.
The lights go out and it's a good start by Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel as both go side-by-side at turn 1. Behind, Fernando Alonso gets airborne as the Spaniard gets hit from Nico Hulkenberg. Alonso hits Charles Leclerc and goes over the top of the Sauber. Alonso is out. Along the Camel Straight, Hamilton and Vettel go side-by-side as both the Force India's of Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez get in on the action as well. They are four abreast but Vettel takes the lead as the Safety Car is out. Hulkenberg and Leclerc are also out.
Kimi Raikkonen has pitted as the Finn had sustained a puncture on the right-rear tyre. Daniel Ricciardo pits and has a broken rear wing. Red Bull have pulled the Australian into the pits and are trying to fix the rear wing. Raikkonen is now on the Medium tyre along with Stoffel Vandoorne who also pitted. A replay on board with Valterri Bottas shows that the Finn hit Sergey Sirotkin and broke a bit of his front wing. Ricciardo is back out on track albeit a few laps down. Lap 4, the Safety Car comes in and racing resumes on lap 5.
Sebastian Vettel holds the lead of the race as himself and Lewis Hamilton start to pull away from the two Force India's behind. Max Verstappen is now 5th with Valterri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen in 14th and 15th. Lap 7, Verstappen overtakes Esteban Ocon down the inside of turn 4 for 4th place, Lap 8, Raikkonen pits and Ferrari tweak his front wing and falls back to 16th. Lap 9, Bottas overtakes Carlos Sainz for 12th place into turn 4. Raikkonen returns to the pits and retires from the race. Lap 10, Verstappen overtakes Sergio Perez fro 3rd into turn 4.
Lap 12, Valterri Bottas overtakes Sergey Sirotkin for 10th place down the inside of turn 4. Lap 17, Bottas now overtakes the Sauber of Marcus Ericsson for 9th place before turn 4. Lap 19, the gap between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton has stabilised to around 3.4 seconds. Who will be the first to blink? Bottas has now overtaken Pierre Gasly for 8th. The target position for Bottas today is to finish 4th. Lap 22, Hamilton pits from 2nd. The Mercedes driver goes onto the Soft tyre and rejoins in 3rd. Vettel reacts. The Ferrari driver pits. He goes onto the Soft tyre and rejoins in the lead ahead of Max Verstappen and Hamilton. Hamilton overtakes Verstappen for 2nd down into turn 4. Verstappen is still yet to pit.
Lap 24, Romain Grosjean pits for Haas. The Frenchman goes onto the Soft tyre as Lance Stroll pits as well for Williams. Lap 25, Esteban Ocon pits. The Frenchman goes onto the Soft tyre and rejoins in 8th. Lap 26, Sergio Perez pits. The Mexican goes onto the Soft tyre and rejoins in 5th. Pierre Gasly also pits. The Toro Rosso driver goes onto the Soft tyre an rejoins in 11th. Lap 27, Max Verstappen pits from 3rd. The Dutchman rejoins on the Soft tyre and remains in 3rd. Lap 30, Valterri Bottas pits from 4th. The Finn goes onto the Soft tyre and rejoins in 6th.
Lap 31, after running around a lap down after the Safety Car restart, Daniel Ricciardo becomes the 5th retirement of the race. Lap 33, Valterri Bottas overtakes Esteban Ocon for 5th place. Sebastian Vettel's lead has grown to 5.3 seconds over Lewis Hamilton. Lap 40, Bottas has caught up to the back of Sergio Perez and the Finn overtakes the Mexican for 4th place. Lap 41, Vettel's gap has now grown to 8.5 seconds as Hamilton has seemed to have backed off.
Lap 44, Sebastian Vettel crosses the line to win the Belgian GP ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Hamilton's championship lead has been cut to 17 points after Vettel's win today. Needless to say, a very important win for Vettel and Ferrari. Next stop: Monza!
Race Result
- Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 44 Laps (52nd Career win & Fans Driver of the Day)
- Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, +11.061s
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull, +31.372s
- Valterri Bottas, Mercedes, +63.605s (DHL Fastest Lap Award)
- Sergio Perez, Racing Point Force India, +71.023s
- Esteban Ocon, Racing Point Force India, +79.520s
- Romain Grosjean, Haas, +85.953s
- Kevin Magnussen, Haas, +87.639s
- Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso, +105.892s
- Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, + 1 Lap
- Sergey Sirotkin, Williams. + 1 Lap
- Lance Stroll, Williams, + 1 Lap
- Carlos Sainz Jr, Renault, + 1 Lap
- Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso, + 1 Lap
- Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, + 1 Lap
- Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, DNF
- Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, DNF
- Charles Leclerc, Sauber, DNF
- Fernando Alonso, McLaren, DNF
- Nico Hulkenberg, Renault, DNF


text:
The last few weeks have been quite busy for Home Point Financial.
First, the lender completed its $211 million acquisition of Stonegate Mortgage Corp. In the wake of that acquisition, Home Point shuffled its executive team, adding several former Stonegate execs.
And earlier this week, Home Point announced that it is planning to grow its third-party origination channel by expanding the division's geographic reach and planning to increase the number of third-party originators the channel will serve.
But those aren't the only changes for Home Point, as Huron Valley Financial announced this week that it acquired Home Point's reverse mortgage division.
Huron Valley Financial currently operates its own reverse mortgage division, 1st Nations Reverse Mortgage, and the company said that the acquisition of Home Point's reverse mortgage operation will help grow its reverse mortgage division into a "top-tier firm."
According to the company, Huron Valley Financial started 1st Nations Reverse Mortgage in late 2016 and plans to grow it significantly.
"The Home Point team provides 1st Nations Reverse with a turn-key platform, including sales and operations, to quickly position 1st Nations among the top lenders in the country," the company said in a release.
The company said that through this acquisition, 1st Nations Reverse hopes to be licensed in 35 states by the end of 2017, and plans to fund more than $150 million in reverse mortgages annually.
According to a release from Huron Valley, Joshua Shein, who led Home Point's reverse mortgage division, will be joining 1st Nations Reverse, along with members of his team.
"This deal is evidence of our commitment to serving the reverse mortgage product and industry at a national level. Through this acquisition, 1st Nations Reverse will be able to continue to play a positive role in advocating reverse mortgages as a responsible financial tool for seniors and their families," Eric Bradley, president and CEO of Huron Valley Financial, said.
"I was thrilled to meet the many members of the Home Point Financial Reverse team who share the attributes we value as a company, including their commitment to anticipate and address the needs of current and future customers," Bradley continued. "We look forward to having Josh join our executive team; his extensive industry expertise and business acumen will be essential as we continue to solidify our position as a top-tier player in the reverse mortgage industry."
According to Huron Valley, Shein's team will be "seamlessly integrated" into 1st Nations' operations.
"I look forward to being part of the 1st Nations Reverse team. Eric, Mike and the entire leadership team have established a culture and company based upon shared values," Shein said.
"I am excited to significantly expand both our retail and wholesale channels," Shein continued. "With more than six trillion dollars in senior home equity, there is tremendous market opportunity for us to quickly become a top 10 nationwide lender, working with consumers to remain in their homes while supporting their retirement goals."
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.


text:
CBGB, the legendary New York City club that launched the American punk rock scene, is being threatened with closure over unpaid rent and alleged safety concerns, according to Reuters. A homeless charity that owns the building which houses CBGB claims that club owner Hilly Kristal owes $76,000 in back rent. If Kristal does not pay, the club will be shut down when its lease runs out this August.
Kristal, who founded the venue in 1973 and says the building owners "don't want me back," has also clashed with his landlord over renovations and building safety certificates in recent years.
The downtown building, at the corner of Bowery and Bleecker, is owned by a non-profit organization called the Bowery Residents' Committee, which wants to double the club's rent. The organization's executive director, Muzzy Rosenblatt, told the New York Times, "I am not going to subsidize CBGB at the expense of homeless people."
Although CBGB stands for "Country, Bluegrass and Blues," the club became synonymous with the explosion of punk rock in the Seventies, as bands like the Ramones, Blondie, Television and the Talking Heads launched their careers there.
CBGB's RIP? Music News You Can Use
Doesn't fit in any other category!
- Sponsored Links
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1


text: Remember this post on Sam Harris and Jonathan Haidt, which links to some other posts on Haidt. And the IPS Sam Harris video thread on Haidt's work. Now check out this video interview with Haidt and Mooney. While both agree that we all tend to find evidence to support our programmed beliefs, Mooney points out that liberals are much more likely to eventually change those responses based on new evidence and science. And that conservatives are far less likely, even when the science is overwhelming. In fact, that will only strengthen their disbelief. See the video for more.


text:
Facial Plastics
Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Procedures
- Ear Pinning (Otoplasty)
- Rhinoplasty
- Scar Revision
- Botox (see below)
- Restylane/Perlane (see below)
Restylane® is an injectable, non-surgical treatment, referred to as a cosmetic filler, used by people for such things as lip augmentation, wrinkle reduction, facial contouring and modification of the areas under the eyes and nose. Restylane® is a natural cosmetic filler used to restore fullness to moderate facial wrinkles and folds. Restylane® is stabilized non-animal-based hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance that already exists in the human body. The effects last until the injected gel is nearly gone, which can be 6 to 9 months.
More Information About Restylane »
Botox Cosmetic®
Botox Cosmetic® is a nonsurgical way to smooth moderate frown lines, crows feet and other wrinkles of the face and neeck. The way it works is by relaxing or paralyzing facial muscles in order to give you a more smooth appearance. Results are noticeable within a few days.


text:
This list of self-publishing FAQs will be added to periodically. Have a question not answered below? Contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com. We're dedicated to helping self-publishers make the best decisions possible.
Do I really need permission for that quote or picture?
Why does my formatted e-book look different from my formatted print book?
How do I get my books on Barnes & Noble (or Kobo, or iTunes or …)?
Should I do Amazon only or distribute my book more widely?
What is Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)?
What is the difference between Amazon KDP Print (formerly CreateSpace) and IngramSpark?
How do I get my book into physical bookstores?
Do I really need permission for that quote or picture?
The short answer is, "It depends, but generally, yes."
If you are planning on using anyone's words, images, photos, etc. other than your own, please check with an intellectual property attorney before publishing your book. Song lyrics are particularly problematical. For a more in-depth discussion of copyright law, please see this National Law Review blog post.
To protect your own work, consider registering your copyright.
Why does my formatted e-book look different from my formatted print book?
For people who are used to and understand print books, the e-book world can be confusing. Print books look the same whether they are in an independent bookstore or a chain. Print books look the same no matter who is reading them. Authors can determine the size, the font, and a thousand other details for their print book and it's all the same.
Not so e-books. The author has little or no control over how an e-book looks.
It will definitely NOT look like the print book. There is little point in doing a fancy layout, although distributors, like Draft2Digital, are beginning to add features to their software that will allow you to do a drop capital at the start of a chapter or pretty flourishes between sections.
There are several factors that influence how an ebook looks in a reader's hands. The reader has control over many of them.
- The software used to convert the document from a word-processing document (usually Microsoft Word) into an electronic format used by e-books (.mobi or .epub). Amazon's software is different from Draft2Digital which is different from iBooks, etc. They create different spacing, different breaks, and have different fonts available.
- A reader can access their book on everything from a phone to a desktop.
- A reader can change the size of the font.
- A reader can change the font.
Basically, e-book readers are more interested in story than presentation.
At Concierge Self-Publishing, we create our e-book input documents (the formatted Word document) as simply as possible. This assures a clean transition through the software and ease of manipulation for the user.
Our formatted e-book will rarely, if ever, look like the print book.
What is Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)?
KDP (kdp.amazon.com) is the self-publishing platform for Amazon e-books. (While they also do print books through that medium, we do not recommend that method at this time.)
In order to publish through KDP, you need to set up an account, including entering payment and tax information, before you can publish.
Once your manuscript and cover are formatted in the required way, you upload them to this platform. You will also need to enter metadata (title, series, description, keywords, categories, price, etc.) and make certain selections about KDP-linked programs, such as Kindle Unlimited (KU).
KDP then formats the book for its various kindle versions and publishes it to your selected Amazon country platforms.
How do I get my books on Barnes & Noble (or Kobo, or iTunes or …)?
Putting your e-book on Amazon KDP only gets your book on Amazon.com and its various country iterations (UK, Canada, etc.). In order to distribute your book more widely, you will also need to put your book up on the other online shopping sites one of two ways.
- You can publish your book at each book's site individually. For example, you can get an account on Kobo (www.kobo.com/publishers) and follow their instructions to upload it there.
- You can use one of the two sites that will distribute your book widely to most of the other platforms. (Google Play is the current exception.) We find Draft2Digital (www.draft2digital.com) the easiest to use, but Smashwords (www.smashwords.com) will also perform the same service.
Each has their pros and cons, so review their features before making your final decision.
Should I do Amazon-only publishing or distribute my book more widely?
There is a constant debate among self-publishers about whether pursuing an Amazon-only strategy or distributing more widely is a better financial strategy. Part of this is driven by Amazon as they continually fiddle with their algorithm of paying authors for "pages read." If an author goes exclusively with Amazon through the KDP Select program, their books are placed in Kindle Unlimited, a subscription service. The author is paid a percentage of pages read. How much depends on Amazon's current algorithm.
The other concern about an Amazon-only strategy is the unequal footing of the largest online retailer vs. everyone else. Currently, Jeff Bezos is the richest man in modern history.
What is the difference between Amazon KDP Print (formerly CreateSpace) and IngramSpark?
Both Amazon KDP Print and IngramSpark are print on demand publishers. The each publish to multiple platforms. They differ in how they approach print-on-demand publishing and their fees. IngramSpark requires an up-front fee to "publish" a book as well as a percentage of royalties. Many physical bookstores order their books from IngramSpark. We have found the IngramSpark process much less intuitive and more labor intensive than Amazon KDP Print, which is why we prefer the latter platform.
One other caution with IngramSpark is that they will charge for any changes you wish to make to your book, for example, a typo or an update as you uncover new research. Amazon KDP Print does not.
However, there are a limitations to Amazon KDP Print, as well as a few glitches our clients have discovered as the transition between CreateSpace and Amazon KDP Print occurs.
One is the limitation of the types of books Amazon KDP Print will create. For example, they do not create hardbacks.
The second is some issues with payment. Apparently Amazon outsourced the royalties to a third party and there has been some delay in payment as of this writing (January 2019). However, we believe Amazon will straighten this out.
We are waiting for the new system to gel to see how everything Amazon shakes out. Then we will update this FAQ page.
How do I get my book into physical bookstores?
Physical bookstores want a discount off the price of a book of about 50 percent. So if your book is listed at $12, they want to buy it for $6. Many independent bookstores will allow you to hand sell your book to them. In that case, you get a stack from your printer or print-on-demand (POD) publisher at cost, then resell them to the independent bookstores. They will resell them at a signing or shelve them for resale, depending on the manager of the bookstore and its policies. (We'll get to chain stores, like Barnes & Noble, in a minute.)
Alternatively, bookstores can by books from book catalogs such as the Ingram catalog and Baker and Tayler (B&T). When publishing with CreateSpace, you can check the box that allows CreateSpace to (eventually) get your book in these catalogs. However, after everyone in the chain takes their discounts, the physical bookstore is only able to get a discount of about 25 percent, which isn't acceptable. To avoid this limited discount, publishers need to publish directly with LightningSource or IngramSpark. (This article has an excellent, detailed layout of exactly how this all works: http://www.newselfpublishing.com/CreateSpaceEDC.html.)
The final fly in the ointment is the issue of returns. It should come as no surprise that bookstores don't sell all the books they order. They have limited shelf space. So what happens when boxes of new releases come in? They send the old, unsold books back to the place they got them for a reimbursement. They want what they paid for the book, no matter how bad a condition it is in.
They can only do that if the printer says the book is "returnable." CreateSpace doesn't take returns. Ingramspark and LightningSource will allow you to mark a book "returnable." If the returns happen, the refund to the bookstore, as well as shipping and handling costs, will be charged to you. (Here is an explanation of how IngramSpark handles returns: https://help.ingramspark.com/hc/en-us/articles/209072526-How-Returns-Work)
Bottom line? Listing a book with IngramSpark or LightningSource and marking it as returnable will give you a better chance (not a guarantee) of getting into chain bookstores and some independents. However, if your books don't sell, you take the financial hit of the return. Only you can decide if the risk is worth the opportunity.


text:
'Ladock Cricket Club' by Ladock Cricket Club
|<< Previous Photo
For this Flower Festival Ladock Cricket Club wanted to pay tribute and honour all those brave cricketers from Ladock who served in the First World war. Many of the players went on active service; sadly, it has not been possible to identify all the men by name.
Cricket was suspended during the war but resumed when peacetime came.
|<< Previous Photo


text:
As we travel across the organised city of Seoul, we find ourselves in the midst of urban spaces that have been done up with lots of style and plenty of practical appeal. But this home by IDEEAA, a group of architects in the South Korean capital, was initially in a very drab and boring state. Fortunately, when the architects were approached about the renovation, they saw immense potential in the dark and dingy abode. They transformed it with a pristine white makeover to make it more sophisticated, airy, spacious and welcoming. Currently, a chirpy young professional enjoys the smart aesthetics of this compact residence with her feline friend. So let us go on a before & after tour that will leave you inspired!
The main area of the home is this hall with the kitchen on one side. The space was dull and lacking a stylish punch. With beige cabinets that were chipping at the corners and white walls that seemed defeated against the test of time and style, nothing seemed to match. Plus, the hardwood floor seemed to pick up on the dull ambience to make things seem even more dingy.
Now, with the designer's magical touch, we encounter a true wow moment in terms of style! The splash of creamy white paint has done a wonderful job of coating the earlier clinical white incarnation. The kitchen now enjoys a touch of glossy white even as the loft space above has been opened up to create a den and bedroom area. A lighter wooden finish for the floors also creates a soft and classy aesthetic.
It was dispiriting to see the loft-like space above the false ceiling remain unused previously. Well, not anymore! This stylish den was created in the space that suddenly appeared when the false ceiling that dwarfed the kitchen was removed. All the designers did after that was to add a slim railing in wood with some white planks for support, and you have a space where you can sit and watch the proceedings below. It is also perfect for reading, writing or working on a laptop with the task light that has been affixed to the wall.
This grim-looking space seemed to be sulking due to the lack of designer intervention. The bone-white walls reflected the dark sheet of tint that draped the flimsy sliding doors. The same brown wooden flooring from the hall stood at odds with the rest of the colours, or lack thereof.
Light-grain wooden flooring was extended to the spacious living room, which was designed out of the depressing-looking space we just saw. Sleek and minimalist furniture pieces in light wood dot the area, complementing the plush rug too. A slim and long shelf is topped by a wall-mounted TV, and it holds books, knick-knacks and more. A small stepladder adds to the fun element of this youngish space, along with the dark grey cushioned seats on the rug. A large potted plant does well enough to bring nature inside, while the large sliding glass doors now allow plenty of sunlight to flood the room.
This small home now has an open feel with a shift in colours and levels. The apartment also shows us how simple structural tweaks and little changes in decor accents can directly impact the entire design scheme.
If you are looking for more inspiration, check out another impressive story here: From blank canvas to masterpiece! An arty home is born.


text:
Ricky Phillips Class of 1972
Ricky Phillips, Dora High School Class of 1972 is beginning a new and exciting phase of his life. He's launching his own business. Ricky has worked for CAPSCO Industries in Sumiton for 30 years and he went to school at night at Bevill State and UAB to earn his State Journeyman and Master Plumber and Gas Fitter's Cards. He said "I've been doing plumbing and gas projects for many years, but never thought I could let go of the day job to go it on my own, but now just seemed like the right time."
Ricky was the shop foreman in his previous employment and was responsible for preparing pipe for sprinkling systems for projects all over the south. But now the real work starts he jokes.
His "real job" was raising three children with his wife of 40+ years Debra (Best) Phillips.
James and Haven Phillips have already graduated from Dora High and Samantha, the baby started to Dora this week. She is on the dance team and the volleyball team. "Keeping that bunch in line is a handful," he says with a grin.
Ricky who has lived in Empire most of his adult life, has dreamed of owning his own business for many years. Even in high school, he spent holidays and summers helping has dad Sharky Phillips, do plumbing jobs in the area. His favorite part of high school was the vocational education because it was hands on.
What's in the future for Ricky? "Well, I've got to get enough work to stay off of welfare," he jokes. I'm in the process of putting together a new website for R&H Plumbing so that people can find me on the web. "I'm also getting ready for a new grand daughter that is due early next year," he says. James and Andrea Morrow Phillips had their first son Stone Xavier in 2003as of 2019 they have 5 children - Breeze, Daisy, Joy, and Zuzu. Ricky and Debra's second son Haven was married to Alesha Williams and have two sons Anthny and Adin.
He says he would love to hear from his old friends from Dora High. He currently has a temporary email address of email@example.com.