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Financing calculator
To finance your order:
Select the 'Financing' payment method at checkout and enter the amount you wish to be financed. You will be forwarded directly to the online application page of our partner, Consors Finanz BNP Paribas. After you have entered your information, the application will be immediately checked directly online. If your application is accepted, you have to confirm your identity (1. over the Internet or 2. in a post office) and sign the contract (1. online via mTAN (SMS), or 2. print out the credit agreement, sign it by hand, and send it in by post). Your order will then be processed and we will deliver the goods to you as quickly as possible.
Instalment Calculator
No credit checks, 0% interest. Pay monthly for your order with your existing credit card.
At checkout, select the 'Interest-free instalments' payment method.
Complete your order
You will be redirected to Splitit to set up your payment plan.
If your bike isn't in stock you will receive a payment link about 14 days before shipping.
The first monthly payment is charged on your credit card when your order is shipped.
Splitit will authorize the full amount on your existing credit card (Visa/Mastercard), but only charge you the first installment up front. Please note debit cards are not valid for the Splitit payment option. Please ensure that your credit limit is sufficient, otherwise your order will not be successful.
After every payment, the hold on your card is reduced until the purchase is fully paid.
The instalments appear on your statement as individual payments. Your order will be processed and delivered as normal upon passing our quality control check.
With Ready-to-ride Delivery, pro mechanics will ship, assemble, and set up your e-bike.
Weight7.50 kg
MaterialCarbon (CF)
Ultimate CF SL Disc 8.0 Di2 With world-class handling, a speed-inspiring weight and top marks in all of the essential performance areas, year after year, bike testers around the world single out the Ultimate as one of the best rides on the scene. Equipped with disc brakes and Ultegra Di2 shifting, this Ultimate will have you itching to get out and ride.
Ultimate CF SL Disc 8.0 Di2 With its proven Sport Pro geometry and race-ready handling, the Ultimate CF SL Disc 8.0 Di2 is sure to put a grin on your face. Powering up ascents with ease before flying back down, the bike comes to life in the mountains thanks to its light weight as well as stable and confidence-inspiring descending abilities.
The highlights of this component set
Components without compromise – the electronic Ultegra Di2 groupset, powerful disc brakes and fast-rolling DT Swiss wheels set the standard in this segment.View all components
All components
Geometry & dimensions
Awards and recognition
Bike classification
Bikes of this category are designed for riding on hard-surface roads where the wheels remain in permanent contact to the ground. These are in general road racing bicycles with racing handlebars or straight handlebars, triathlon or time trial bicycles. The permissible maximum overall weight comprising rider, luggage and bicycle should not exceed 120 kg. Under certain circumstances this permissible maximum weight can be further limited by the component manufacturers' recommendations for use. Proven cyclocross and gravel bikes with racing handlebars and cantilever or disc brakes are a special case in this category. In addition, these bikes are also suitable for gravel paths and off-road trails where a short loss of tyre contact with the ground due to small stairs or steps at a height of 15 to 20 cm can occur.
We're in Control
Our business model gives us the advantage of knowing exactly where our products come from, how they are made and what they are capable of. Canyon products are exclusively available at Canyon.com, so you can trust the quality you are getting.
Subject to technical modification without notice. Errors and omissions excepted.


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Perfect hair is something that people often hope for. However, everyone has a different hair type and different needs, so it's about finding out what works best for your hair. It may seem as though the Royals have the perfect hair and it's always at it's prime. As true as this may be, it's likely that they have a haircare routine that they stick to. There are a few basics when it comes to maintaining your hair that help it grow strong and give it a glow. Here are a few hair care tips that may help you achieve hair as perfect as the royals.
Keep Your Hair Moisturised
If you see hair that seems to be nothing short of perfect, it is likely because it's been well moisturised. This is because hair that is moisturised typically has an added shine. For starters, try using a moisturising shampoo and conditioner so that the chances of brittleness, breakage, dry scalp, and knots can be reduced. As you likely know, excessive sun or heat can dry out your hair, so you have to find ways to effectively protect it. A hair mask which consists of honey or clay and charcoal should also do the trick.
Consider Hair Implants
Many people struggle with hair loss for a number of reasons. In addition, you may want hair that's a lot fuller, and you may have struggled to achieve that despite your efforts. Consider looking at the services that Vera Clinic offer for hair transplants. This should help you achieve hair as full as Kate Middleton's as the thinner spots will be filled in with hair.
Get Serum
One of the things make people feel as though their hair isn't perfect is frizz. Most people want a slick and smooth finish after styling their hair and don't want to go outside and have strands sticking up everywhere. However, a hair care tip is to use a serum instead of a hot hairdryer or straightener, which could be damaging to your hair as it could make it more brittle. If you do decide to add heat, use a heat-protective spray so that your hair retains some moisture.
Take More Vitamin D
Sometimes, all you need to keep your hair healthy and ensure it has an added bounce is take a few vitamins. More specifically, vitamin D is good for your hair especially during the winter. As a result of the lack of sun during the winter, your hair may fall out, especially if you're vitamin D deficient. Other vitamins that are good for your hair are iron, zinc, and vitamin C.
Become Good at Blow Drying
To style your hair in certain ways, you probably want to blow dry your hair. If you must, it's imperative that you become a master at it so that it lasts for a couple of days. You can do so by moving your hair when you're blow drying so that you get more volume. Also, move the brush and dryer right down to the ends of the strands of your hair and take your time.
Perfect hair is something you can achieve or at least come close to. You must, however, try and be consistent so that your hair retains the look that you're aspiring for. Hopefully, the above tips are helpful, and you achieve your hair goals.

subset: commoncrawl


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Freecell Solitaire has been a gamer favorite ever since its inclusion with Windows 95. We've come a long way since, and now you can play it on your android device with specially hand crafted witch card theme to make it even more mystical! Simple, easy to learn and amazingly engrossing, we offer you a chance to play FreeCell solitaire online and off line. Freecell Solitaire is available to you completely free. And with a game so captivating and entertaining, you'll find it hard to stop. The basic goal? Place all the cards in each suit in stacks of ascending order. How can such a simple concept become more popular than using real cards? Play witch FreeCell solitaire for a few minutes, and you'll instantly understand.
Downloads: 74+ (for Android)Report app for spam or abuse!


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Academic journal article The Middle East Journal
Saudi Arabia: A Model in Privatization: Successful Change Management in the Ports of Saudi Arabia
Article excerpt
A Model in Privatization: Successful Change Management in the Ports of Saudi Arabia, by Mohammed A. Bakr. London, UK: The London Center of Arab Studies (LCAS), 2001. xxiii + 120 pages. Appendix to p.128. Index to p. 136. n.p.
Privatization is an important issue that has been tackled by many researchers both in developed and developing countries. A surge of literature on privatization suggests that it promotes economic growth, stimulates productive efficiency, expands the role of the private sector, reduces the size of the government sector, attracts foreign investment, and helps in the development of capital market programs especially in developing countries.
The book under review presents a case study of privatization and economic transformation in Saudi Arabia. The author combines both theoretical analysis and personal experience to describe the privatization of ports in Saudi Arabia. The book consists of nine chapters. Chapter 1 examines the importance of the sea and maritime industry to the Saudi economy. It also provides a description of the structure and capacity of Saudi ports. Chapter 2 discusses the reasons for the privatization of ports in Saudi Arabia, the most important of which is meeting challenges of globalization and keeping pace with the evolving needs of the business community. The chapter also suggests policies for consolidating the gains reaped from such an experience. Chapter 3 presents a descriptive approach to the selection of the Saudi privatization model that "addresses shortcomings of the existing system" (p. 33) and suggests a broad set of complementary policies to prepare for privatization. Chapter 4 reviews the different types of possible partnerships between government and the private sector in the management of the privatized Saudi ports.
The remaining chapters of the book focus on the Saudi ports privatization experience, and the lessons that can be derived from it. Chapter 5 deals with the key elements of the privatization model applied in the case of Saudi Arabian ports, which is "designed to foster a spirit of partnership between the public and private sectors, with each side having clearly defined roles and responsibilities" (p. 61). Under this model, the government retains ownership of the ports and their assets but delegates the management functions to the private sector. …


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Win a night to remember at The BRIT Awards 2018 with Mastercard. The BRITs is the UK's most prestigious music award ceremony, with spectacular live performances from some of the industry's superstars. So, we're excited to announce we're offering 3 lucky customers the chance to win tickets, but not just any tickets… What's up for grabs? 2x tickets to The …Read More »
Tag Archives: prize
WINNERS ANNOUNCED: Celebrate our two millionth Lounge visit by winning your very own #lounging experience
Almost six years after the first Virgin Money Lounge opened its doors in Edinburgh, we are delighted to announce that we celebrated the two millionth visit to our Lounges yesterday. This exciting news comes alongside the announcement that we will be opening our eighth Lounge this year in beautiful Cardiff. Our Lounges are first and foremost a place for our …Read More »
What's your biggest achievement in the last 5 years?
Hasn't time flown! It's been 5 years since Virgin Money and Northern Rock came together and we launched our quest to make banking better. It was this week five years ago that we set out on this quest and today we've published an update on the five promises we made back then. So much has happened in such a short amount of …Read More »
Virgin Money Giving London Marathon Wine Promotion
Earlier on this month Virgin Money Giving launched a competition to give away 600 cases of wine to Virgin Money London Marathon fundraisers who started their fundraising on Virgin Money Giving early. This is because people who start their fundraising early raise more – and that's a fact! With our first 150 cases already sent out, we've been delighted to see winners …Read More »
Virgin Disruptors: Your chance to win a seat
Ever wondered how people who create change do it? Virgin Disruptors brings together Richard Branson and other innovative thinkers and doers in London to talk about how they create change. At this event you'll hear tips and tricks from Richard and other leaders from Google, Atlassian, Blockchain, Red Bull, Virgin plus many more and we have one ticket to give away! All you need to do is …Read More »


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Let's face it, the Auto Show has been dying for a while. Manufacturers who once spent millions on lavish displays and hospitality booths have left even the major market shows for a few years. Some shows altered timing of the event to find better weather and/or less competition (cough, Detroit). Then there was a global
Category: Automotive
Over the last year or so, I've noticed a shift in attitude at some car shows and events, and I like what I see. Doors are opening, literally. Keep Away When I first started going to car shows and even entering my car in them, it was with Corvette clubs in Texas. The cars displayed
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the entire world. Economically, socially, politically, everything is in a state of confusion and, in some cases, fear. The auto manufacturing industry is bleeding hundreds of millions of dollars. People are losing jobs, plants are closed, pending vehicle models are being postponed or canceled outright. On top of that, most
Here's my first-hand experience driving the new Porsche Taycan Turbo Electric Vehicle.
After months of research, internal and external debate, and driving homework, I finally purchased another car.
Its time for all my casual surfing of the used car market to pay off, I've decided to get another car. There are so many cars I'd like to have, but budget and circumstances are always in play, and this time is no different. This will be my 21st vehicle, so as you can tell,
I'm at 35,000 feet, no new podcasts, the wifi isn't working, and I've already read the airline magazine. It's time to go back to an old friend to keep me occupied, the "Dream Garage Game." The Dream Garage Game is something most auto enthusiasts have played by themselves, with friends at work, over drinks at
I first heard of Rivian when I saw their pickup (R1T) and SUV (R1S) at the 2018 LA Auto Show. The stat sheet left me impressed, but skeptical. Electric vehicle companies are known to make pretty outlandish claims (I'm looking at you, Faraday and Lucid). I am wary of a mid-size pickup claiming a 400-mile
Lead photo by GM The Hype The hype over a mid-engine Corvette has been building for decades. With the official debut announced, it is reaching a fever pitch. Chevrolet didn't have a choice regarding this dramatic move with the Corvette. Anyone who's driven a C7 hard, specifically the Z06 or ZR-1, knows the current configuration
If you're a car enthusiast with a modicum of free time on your hands, I bet you have engaged in the wonderful flight of fantasy that is the on-line car configurator. Any manufacturer worth their salt has a method for you, the buyer/dreamer, to build your own dream car. Some are relatively basic (Ford and


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Can you tell me the maximum number of questions a single survey can have? and by the way is there somewhere where that limitation is identified? If so could you send the link to it?
Best regards,
António Martins
Can you tell me the maximum number of questions a single survey can have? and by the way is there somewhere where that limitation is identified? If so could you send the link to it?
Best regards,
António Martins
Hi António,
We don't directly document it in the Survey123 website, but the number of questions is limited by the total number of fields that can be stored in an ArcGIS Online table (or your Data Store's if using Portal for ArcGIS). That limit is 500. Questions above that number can be added by creating a repeat section that has a repeat_count of 1 - this effectively extends the survey across multiple tables.
Hi James,
Is there a max number of repeats supported in Survey123? Additionally, are there any limits to how many of these tables can be exported to CSV, and is here a particular impact to performance for the export?
I wonder is there a way that a question can only stay in memory and not as a stored value. I'm using a question to calculate points or to score and I have about 2,000 questions that all I'm doing is accumulating a point for every question that's been checked. This is for a QC project that checks every field of 60 tables. A point is an error. And the accumulator is used to subtract from the perfect score. I'm only concerned with the points accumulated on the 60 tables.
Hi Renato,
Funny you should ask about that- we have implemented a configuration parameter to mark a question as one to not submit data back to the service in 2.4; expect a beta version soon.
James Tedrick, that's good news.
I did figure out a workaround to the 500 questions limit for my survey. I made the question for each attribute into a select multiple question inside a repeat, then use the count-selected function. So instead of number of attributes per feature; it becomes a feature score. It is unlikely that there would be more 400 features in any given job.
I think this might be what you're looking for.
See How to pass a value to Survey123 but not submit it to the Feature Service regarding setting bind::esri:fieldType to null.


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Expedia (Nasdaq: EXPE) lost much less than analysts expected in the fourth quarter.
After market close Monday, the online travel service reported a fiscal fourth quarter net loss of $13 million, or 30 cents per share, excluding amortization and special charges. First Call's survey of eight analysts predicted a loss of 47 cents per share for the quarter ended June 30.
Shares of Expedia traded at 18 1/2 in afterhours activity on the Island electronic communications network, immediately following the release of fourth quarter results. Expedia stock closed Monday's regular trading at 17 1/8, up 1 1/16 for the session.
Including goodwill writedowns and charges related to stock compensation, Expedia lost $42.4 million, or 98 cents per share.
Fourth quarter revenue for Expedia, which is majority-owned by Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), increased to $70 million, a 164 percent gain year-over-year and 19 percent improvement from the third quarter. Transaction commissions and agency fees generated $21 million. Merchant revenue was $42 million.
For the full fiscal 2000, Expedia lost $56 million before special charges, on revenue of $208 million.
Gross travel bookings in the fourth quarter increased to 124 percent year-over-year to $450 million. About 4.1 percent of people looking for travel fares booked through Expedia during the quarter, compared to 3.8 percent in the third quarter. The company credited its "Build Your Own Trip" service for the higher conversion rate.
Revenue from merchants grew 237 percent year-over-year and 25 percent from the third quarter, though commissions and fees from airline ticket sales generated less than 30 percent of Expedia's overall revenue.>


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Flights to Aspen from Sydney
Find cheap flights
Flights to Aspen from SydneyFlights Sydney - Aspen fly from Sydney to Aspen at the best prices in the market. Flights from Sydney (Sydney- Kingsford Smith) to Aspen (Aspen-Pitkin County) with Destinia. To search for availability and reserve your flight Sydney - Aspen look at the box above and select the departure and return date as desired. You can also buy several airplane tickets Sydney (Sydney- Kingsford Smith airport) - Aspen (Aspen-Pitkin County airport) at the same time, by selecting the adults, children and babies travelling. You can filter the type of flight if you only want direct flights to Sydney - Aspen, multiple destinations or flight stopovers.
InformationSydney and Aspen are 24408 kilometres away from each other, with an estimated flight time of 0:0 h (this may vary depending on the weather or air routes)
Airports near Aspen
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Book your flights now from Aspen (United States) to the most important cities in the world. The box below contains flights from Aspen (United States) to the most important cities.
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Make the Most of MindGenius with these Useful Resources.
For inspiration on how MindGenius can be used and to learn about specific features, check out our handy resource guides below.
We will update this section with more knowledge artticles, videos and general how to's so check back to see what's new.
Read our latest addition to our project resources – the Project Management Guide, based on the PMI's Project Management Body of Knowledge.
Get Started
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See yourself the difference MindGenius will make in your projects...
During your free trial we'll show you how MindGenius will make project management simpler, more complete, ane more enjoyable….


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Intelligence Industry Becoming Privatized and Concentrated
Monopolies aren't just for telecoms and zipper manufacturers. The Nation reveals a much scarier example in its article, "5 Corporations Now Dominate Our Privatized Intelligence Industry." Reporter Tim Shorrock outlines the latest merger that brings us to this point, one between Pentagon & NSA contractor Leidos Holdings and a division of Lockheed Martin called Information Systems and Global Solutions. Shorrock writes:
The sheer size of the new entity makes Leidos one of the most powerful companies in the intelligence-contracting industry, which is worth about $50 billion today. According to a comprehensive study I've just completed on public and private employment in intelligence, Leidos is now the largest of five corporations that together employ nearly 80 percent of the private-sector employees contracted to work for US spy and surveillance agencies.


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55 Fine Liner display module
The display Plexiglas module hosts the open stock for the sixteen 55 Fine Liners. The convenient rack can be put on a shelf, or affixed in the edding comprehensive display rack. 9 ½" (W) x 10 ½" (D) x 12 ½" (H).
California Proposition 65 Warning
Products with a red * next to the UPC code denote products that require the Proposition 65 label. These products can expose you to chemicals including arsenic, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
Showing the single result
Showing the single result


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Hot Issues
Welcome to the latest current affairs that impact communications consumers.
Sign up for ACCAN's weekly newsletter to have these news items sent to your email address each week.
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Notice of ACCAN Annual General Meeting
- Details
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the ACCAN will be held via virtual meeting, on Thursday 24th September 2020 from 4.00pm.
Date: Thursday 24th September 2020
Time: 4:00pm (AEST)
Venue: Virtual Meeting via Zoom – Please register from here by 22nd September 2020.
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The future is accessible
- Details
At ACCAN, issues relating to accessibility have always been at the forefront of our policy and consumer education efforts. After celebrating our 10th birthday and reflecting upon the positive changes that we had successfully advocated for, we started contemplating what accessibility improvements ACCAN would like to see in the communications sector in 2020 and beyond. We considered the existing communications issues affecting people with disability and wondered what issues may arise in the future.
From this, ACCAN started developing an Ideal Accessible Communications Roadmap in consultation with the disability sector. Towards the end of 2019 and the start of 2020, we sought feedback from a range of organisations supporting people with disability. We asked about the top three communications issues that were currently affecting people with disability, the top three communications issues that contributors thought would affect people with disability in the future, and suggestions for possible solutions to address these existing and anticipated communications issues. Through email conversations, phone calls and group brainstorming sessions, we received responses from 35 organisations, including Disabled Peoples Organisations, advocacy groups and disability service providers, as well as nine individuals with disability who offered their own personal insights of their lived experience.
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Call for nominations for the ACCAN Board
- Details
ACCAN is seeking nominations for Directors to fill three (3) vacancies on its Board.
In accordance with the ACCAN Constitution, the 2020-2021 ACCAN Board will consist of nine (9) members1. Six (6) positions are continuing Directors from the 2019-2020 Board. Three (3) Directors are retiring from the Board but may be eligible for re-election as stated in the ACCAN Constitution.
In accordance with the ACCAN Constitution Board members are elected for a three year term.
In order to ensure an appropriate balance, the Board is particularly seeking candidates with legal and regulatory expertise; and/or experience in financial management and governance in a not for profit organisation; and/or an understanding of the issues affecting young consumers; and/or small businesses.
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2020 ACCAN Grants projects announced
- Details
Following a competitive application process, ACCAN is pleased to announce the successful Grants for 2020.
This year's projects will explore a range of issues relevant to communications consumers, including how to protect children's privacy when using apps, regional and rural consumers' understanding of smart technologies, and the accessibility of video on demand services, among others.
The ACCAN Grants Program funds projects which undertake research on telecommunications issues, represent consumers or create educational tools which empower consumers to derive the greatest benefit from telecommunications products and services.
Research and outcomes achieved by Grants projects inform ACCAN's work and contribute to the broader evidence base for consumers, regulators and service providers in the telecommunications market.
The successful projects are listed below. For more information on the projects, visit the current Grants page.
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A Message From ACCAN on Sue Salthouse
- Details
ACCAN board and staff are deeply saddened by the passing of Sue Salthouse.
Sue was a dedicated advocate for people with disability and made huge contributions to improving the accessibility of telecommunications for people with disability in Australia.
Prior to becoming a member of the inaugural ACCAN Board, Sue was on the Telecommunications Consumer Representation Working Group which developed the proposal for the creation of ACCAN. Sue served as Chairperson following ACCAN's first AGM in 2009 and stayed on as a member of the board until 2012. Sue also offered support to ACCAN's Standing Advisory Committee on Disability Issues, as Chair of the Committee from 2009-2010. In recognition of her pivotal and enduring commitment to communications consumers, Sue was awarded ACCAN Life Membership in 2019.
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Interview with Dr Gabrielle O'Kane, CEO of the National Rural Health Alliance
- Details
As the peak body for rural and remote health in Australia, the National Rural Health Alliance has been a vocal supporter of telehealth and the many benefits that it can bring, especially for those outside of metropolitan areas.
In the wake of COVID-19, we spoke to Dr Gabrielle O'Kane, CEO of the National Rural Health Alliance to hear about how people in regional, rural and remote Australia were adapting to telehealth and what the future may hold for this technology-driven approach to healthcare.
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ACCAN Comments on COVIDSafe App
- Details
ACCAN responded to the draft Bill1 regarding the COVIDSafe app in collaboration with 17 organisations flagging concerns of consumer groups across the fields of health, technology, privacy, human rights, digital inclusion, communications and community interests.
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Disability Information Hotline
- Details
Where do I go for help?
Disability Information Helpline
The Australian Government has launched a new Disability Information Helpline for people with disability, their families, carers, support workers and services who need help because of coronavirus (COVID-19).
If you have a COVID-19 related question and do not know where to start, you can contact the Helpline from Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm (AEST) and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 7pm (AEST) in the following ways:
- Phone (free call): 1800 643 787
- If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment, you can also call the National Relay Service on 133 677.
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Changes to Customer Service Arrangements
- Details
Call centres for Telstra, Vodafone, Optus, ALDI Mobile, and some other telcos have been impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. This means that there is likely to be extended wait times if you contact their customer support teams via phone or instant chat.
TPG has closed their call centre support so you will need to contact them through the online chat support.
Belong have also closed their call centre and are working at a reduced capacity. They have advised it may take over 48 hours to respond to requests for support. More information about supports available is available on their blog.
Dodo are encouraging customers to continue using self-help features however they do have calls operating again, with reduced operating hours. More information is available on Dodo's website.
Telcos have asked customers to use self-service channels (such as the My Optus app, the Telstra 24x7 app, or MyVodafone) to trouble-shoot their issues where possible.
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News [blogs] - Election 2019
Find resouces on political party policies, election issues and more.


text: topshot 10 Posted November 16, 2011 I'm not aware of any backpacking filter or common chemicals that will neutralize ag chemicals or heavy metals. Research your sources in advance. If you can't, I'd carry it all or cache it. Charcoal will help with smell/taste. I'd use Aqua Mira and then gravity filter with an Aqua Mira Frontier Pro most likely, but if you're not wanting to wait at all (no chemicals) you'll need a filter with pore size small enough to get bacteria (~ 0.1-.2 micron) and hand pump it. The Frontier Pro is 3 micron. Viruses aren't much concern in the US. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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The 3rd Annual Oyster Roast and Customer Meeting was held on April 14th, 2012. There were some great points discussed at the meeting followed by fellowship and oysters.
Annual Summer Picnic Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 4pm
2013 Spring Commissioning Service
3rd Annual Oyster Roast pictures
Our New Website is Live!
Schedule of events 2012
Copyright © 2010 - 2020 Stepps Harbor View Marina - All Rights Reserved. Designed and maintained by ALL-IN Enterprises, LLC.
Contact the webmaster: email@example.com
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Research Output per year
Personal profile
Dr Samantha May is a lecturer in the department of Politics and International Relations. She completed her AHRC funded doctorate at the University of Aberdeen in 2011 on Islamist ideologies and practices.
Dr May was awarded the Student Choice 'Most Inspirational Lecturer' of the Year Award for 2016 and 'Best Lecturer' award in 2014. She was also nominated for the College of Arts and Social Sciences teaching exellence award for 2015 and 2014.
Teaching Responsibilities:
Course Coordinator: Political Islam: Ideologies and Practices.
Team Lecturer for: Global Politics: Equality and Inequality
Taught Masters:
Course Coordinator: Religion, Conflict and Security.
Team Lecturer for: International Political Economy: Theory and Themes
Research Interests:
Broadly, my research interests lay within the relationship between politics and religion with a particular focus upon Political Islam and Islamist movements.
Currently I am researching the political and economic role of zakat and Islamic charity within the U.K and the consequences and challenges posed by recent changes within U.K charity law. Previous research was primarily concerned with Political Islam within the Middle East, in particular Hamas and Hizbullah. The focus of my research is the memory and legacy of Imperial non-Western political polities as an alternative to the Westphalian nation-state and the challenges they pose to current dominating ideas of territory, identity and economic practice.
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics where Samantha May is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Research Output
Islamic Charitable Giving in the UK: A 'Radical' Economic Alternative?May, S., 11 Sep 2019, In : New Political Economy. 13 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
"The Best of Deeds": The Practice of Zakat in the UKMay, S., 2019, In : Journal of Church and State. 61, 2, p. 200-221 22 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
The Rise of the "Resistance Axis": Hezbollah and the Legacy of the Taif AccordsMay, S., 2019, In : Nationalism and Ethnic Politics. 25, 1, p. 115-132 18 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Remembering the Umma in the Confines of the Nation StateMay, S. J. & Sheikh, F., Sep 2015, Religion in Diaspora: Cultures of Citizenship. Garnett, J. & Hausner, S. L. (eds.). UK: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 80-99 19 p.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
Sharia and the Making of the Modern Egyptian: Islamic Law and Custom in the Courts of Ottoman CairoMay, S., Sep 2015, In : Politics Religion and Ideology. 15, 3, p. 474-476 2 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Book/Film/Article review
Press / Media
Are we really seeing the rise of a 'new jihad'?
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Articles in 'The Conversation'


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Here at Museum of Brisbane we tell the story of our city. Whether it's enabling artists to roam the Museum floor to discuss exhibitions with our patrons; designing or presenting a schools program, or creating a commission that reflects the history of Brisbane, artists and designers are at the centre of all that we do. Through our Artist-in-Residence, education and exhibition programs, we provide ongoing opportunities for local artists to share their work, insights and approaches with our visitors.
As we grow and reach out to new and exciting audiences, we need your support. We hope to create more opportunities for artists to interpret your stories and tell their own; to continue to be a hub for creativity, learning and immersive experiences and to showcase Brisbane in a national and international context.
We would be honoured if you would support the Museum by following the link below. Contributions of all sizes play an important role. Donations of more than $2 are tax deductible.
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'The only person in the orchestra who doesn't make a sound is the conductor," says Bill Granda. In his view leaders and managers should act like conductors, leading from the background and allowing their employees to take ownership, not only of a particular project, but of their jobs, and, collectively, of the company itself.
That feeling of ownership can mean the difference between the success and failure of a company, says Granda, a consultant with Paradigm Associates, a 20-year-old consulting company headquartered in Cranford. Granda specializes in helping organizations to grow new markets or new products. He speaks at the MC Business Partnership on Friday, October 14, at 7:30 a.m. at the Somerset Hill Hotel in Warren. For reservations, call 732-613-4790.
"How Come No One Ever Washes a Rental Car?" is the title of Granda's speech. The answer to that question is obvious, he says: "Because they don't own it." However, creating "ownership" among employees can be a tricky task for a leader. But it's worth the effort, because employees who do not "own" their jobs generally don't perform at anything like their potential.
While the principal of ownership is true in every part of a company, it may be most obvious in sales, says Granda. "If salespeople are not in tune with what the customer wants, they are not in tune with the customer's buying process. They come on too strong; they talk too much. They've just shot themselves in the foot."
One of two things will happen. Either the sale is lost, "the best scenario," says Granda. Or the buyer makes the purchase out of guilt and later feels buyer's remorse. "Then you have complaints about the product or the customer returns it. Either way, you have one unhappy customer."
On the other hand, if the sales force works to understand its customers, sales will increase, often dramatically. Granda mentioned a "private education organization" he recently worked with. "In an organization like this the teachers are the best salespeople, but it was initially thought that the teachers might not want to 'sell' because larger enrollment would mean increased classroom size."
However, when the teachers were approached and the issues explained to them, "they took great pride in growing the program," says Granda. "Everyone bought in, and enrollment quickly increased."
Leadership starts at the top. That is the first rule that managers need to understand when attempting to bring a sense of ownership to employees. "That sense must initially come from a company's leaders and managers," says Granda. If the leader micro-manages all the details of a business his employees will feel that they have no stake in the outcome.
Expect people to be leaders. A good manager should allow his workers to be risk-takers, says Granda. If you allow people to take a risk, you allow them to solve problems on their own, helping them to develop their own leadership skills. In order to do that, however, the manager must allow employees to fail.
"I don't mean the failure of the entire company here. I mean the employee needs to be allowed the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them," says Granda. "No risk, no responsibility."
He uses his experience as a Boy Scout leader as an example. "If a boy comes to me and asks me to solve a problem, I tell him to take it back to the patrol and solve it himself. If you show people you expect them to solve problems, they will."
Get rid of inner circles. Many companies or departments have one "in-group or clique who is in the know and the rest of the people who wish they did know, but don't," says Granda. The "outer circle" feels disenfranchised. "How can you stay enthusiastic about your job if you feel that you are second rate, that other people have more value than you have?" he asks. Having inner and outer circles causes rumors and strife among employees.
Pass the problems down, not up. Many managers make a habit of passing problems up and solutions down, says Granda. A better strategy is to invert that theory and pass the problems down and the solutions up.
How to do that? When an employee comes to a manger with a problem, instead of handing out a solution, Granda recommends that the manager asks for possible solutions from the employee. "Ask 'what do you think we should do?'" This strategy shows that the manager respects the employee's opinions and expects him to think and come back with good ideas.
Make it easier for everyone else to do their jobs. A manager should help his employees do their jobs, not do the work themselves, says Granda. Like the conductor of an orchestra, a manager "gives direction and makes it possible for others to perform."
Give positive feedback. Granda's final recommendation for creating ownership and leadership is to praise successes, even if they are small. "Often the feedback managers give is negative. If a person does something right, they aren't praised because the manager says, 'That's how it is supposed to be done.'" Family businesses, one of Granda's specialties, seem to be particularly prone to this problem. Granda is head of Paradigm's Family Business Practice area and more than 40 percent of his clients are family businesses.
If the only feedback the manager gives is negative, the employee begins to think that he or she can do nothing right. An employee does need to be told if there is a problem or a mistake has been made, but the way in which it is pointed out is important. Present the facts in an unemotional way. "Don't zing the person," says Granda.
Granda's work with Paradigm has given him a bi-coastal lifestyle. He spends part of his time in New Jersey and part in Nevada, where he also has a number of clients. He came to Paradigm in 1991 after working in advertising in New York City.
His education, a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in finance and accounting, give him perspective on both "the hard side and the soft side" of business, he says. While many managers look at the hard side – the finances and the product – as the driving force in a company's success, Granda sees it differently.
"The soft side is what drives the hard side," he says. It's the people, the management, and the system that really make a company successful – or not.
Help Katrina's Victims Find Work: Gerry Crispin
'Life is about taking risks," says Gerry Crispin. Right now he wants New Jersey employers to take a risk. Hurricane Katrina has left thousands of people not only homeless, but also without jobs. Crispin wants to see New Jersey employers help some of those people get back to work.
Crispin and his partner, Mark Mehler, are human resource professionals who have spent over 25 years "in just about every facet of the employment industry, in career planning and placement, contract recruiting, executive search, recruitment advertising, and human resource management." They are well-known for "CareerXroads," the reference guide to job and resume websites that they publish every year.
Crispin speaks at the Career Networking Group at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Princeton on Saturday, October 15, at 8:30 a.m. on "Utilizing the Internet to Enlarge Your Network." A regular volunteer at the job search group (www.stpaulsprinceton.org), he is prepared to share the latest information on the best job search websites, and how to get the most out of them. There is a good chance that he will also talk about his quest to help Katrina's victims find good new jobs, a crusade that is now occupying a good deal of his time, energy, and thoughts.
"As I watched the news about Hurricane Katrina it seemed to me that most of the stories were about a small segment of the population. But there were people in a lot of small cities and town like Birmingham and Vicksburg who had lost their jobs and needed new ones. I felt compelled to go and see if I could help," says Crispin.
When he first conceived the idea of traveling to the Gulf Coast to help find jobs for people, he had a fantasy of "50 recruiters fanning out through the area, tracking down employers, and advocating for jobs for people." While that first idea proved a little too complex to accomplish in a short period of time, Crispin did manage, with the support of www.Hotjobs.com, a reconnaissance trip to the area to see how he could help.
He and a friend, David Jackson, began a 2,300-mile trek across the Gulf Coast in St. Louis. The tour included Dallas, Texas, Vicksburg, Mississippi, Birmingham, Alabama, and Memphis, Tennessee, to name just a few of their stops. They drove a Winnebago, and as they approached each community Crispin would contact the mayor or other officials and tell them about his services. "I would call and leave a message saying, 'I'm about 35 miles from your town hurtling down the highway in a Winnebago and I'm interested in helping people in your community find jobs.'"
While almost everyone called him back, "if only because of that image of a hurtling Winnebago," Crispin ran into other roadblocks during his journey. While all of the city officials he spoke with were certainly interested in seeing their citizens employed, most were not interested in helping people to leave their community.
Crispin doesn't think that is a realistic attitude for many Gulf Coast communities. "I'm not talking about the towns that have been flattened where there are no houses and no jobs at all," he says. What many people don't really grasp is the sheer numbers of refugees who have flooded into small cities throughout the South. "Communities like Jackson, Mississippi, have had their populations increased by 30,000 people or more," he says. Most communities cannot realistically increase their services and offer housing and jobs to that many additional people.
Another problem Crispin found was that the people themselves "are still traumatized by the event and just aren't ready to move on." Many of them are "still glued to the television watching it happen." They have not faced the fact that their lives have irrevocably changed.
"I want to see that Katrina's victims get a fair shake at the jobs that are out there," he says. New Jersey only has a few hundred Hurricane Katrina refugees so far, but he believes that will change over the next year as more and more people face the fact that they will have to relocate to find a new job. He wants New Jersey employers to actively seek to hire Katrina's victims, and he offers some advice on doing so.
Website Listings. Employers who would like to hire someone from the Gulf Coast area can post their jobs on several websites, such as www.Hotjobs.com, www.Monster.com, and www.CareerBuilder.com. Each of the affected states – Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama – also have website where job listings can be posted.
Phone listings. Setting up a phone number where jobseekers can be interviewed, rather than expecting them to arrive in person, is important, he says.
Relocation help. If a candidate accepts a job offer, Crispin suggests the employer be ready to help in several ways. "They may need assistance in getting here and they may have family issues that need to be dealt with," he says. In addition, they and their families will need help in getting acclimated to a new community.
"I learned that people do rise to the occasion, but they still need additional assistance," says Crispin. Whether the jobseeker is in the Gulf Coast or in New Jersey, "the issue," he says, "is about jobs – people who had a job and lost it, and who now need a new job."
I'm Worth How Much? Robert Small
She was ecstatic. A lone cleaning woman, she had hastily formed a company, gathered a few friends, and won a maintenance contract from a large restaurant chain. It would bring nearly $600,000 in immediate annual revenue. She then visited CPA Robert Small – and her entrepreneurial ecstasy turned to despair. Small explained that by allowing the restaurant chain to dictate terms, her costs were going to be 10 percent higher than her fee.
Pricing is probably the most critical issue in all business. As an increasing number of businesses open in the service sector, the question of what to charge becomes even trickier. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula to compute how to get the top penny customers are willing to pay. But Small gives insight into many of the factors to consider in his free talk, "The Price is Right for Profit," on Tuesday, October 18 at 3 p.m. at Thomas Edison College. Small's seminar is one of many taking place during Trenton Small Business Week, which runs from Monday October 17 through Thursday, October 20. Visit www.smallbizweek.com to register.
As a CPA, Small has been helping area businesses face pricing and many other fiscal realities for almost 30 years. Born and raised in Mercerville, Small graduated from Rider University in l976 with a B.A. in accounting. He went on to earn a master's degree in finance from Drexel University. For many years he teamed up with Paul Ressler in the Hamilton accounting firmof Ressler & Small. As of August 1, Small has stepped across the river in an entrepreneurial move, forming Small & Associates in Newtown, Pennsylvania (215-504-5722).
"Pricing is really all a matter of work," says Small, "And the truth is, most people don't want to roll up their sleeves and do it."
Every business and every product entails so many dynamics, and the more of these an owner can factor in, the more accurate is the picture of the true product cost.
Cost versus expenses. Blunder number one: plunge into negotiations first; then afterward figure out the full financial extent of what it takes to deliver the product. Small has witnessed this mistake in clients ranging from the enthusiastic cleaning woman to Fortune 100 companies.
A worker is paid at $15 an hour, the company charges the client $25 for his services. A $10 profit? Not when you factor in the wage tax, workers compensation, and other benefits. Since this individual probably will not be working naked with his bare hands, the company must provide supplies, perhaps clothes or cleaning services. Whether it's an office or merely a locker, what is his share of the rent?
"Most company owners do pretty well in figuring direct costs," says Small, "but they tend to neglect additional expenses that raise total cost." Direct cost consists of the obvious factors. Elusive expenses frequently include supplies purchased and used for many other jobs, office space, and items for which the company is held responsible in its job contract.
In the case of the cleaning woman, her maintenance contract included keeping the rest rooms filled with toilet paper and hand towels. It is an easy matter, Small explains, to make these expenses reimbursable by the client during the negotiations phase.
Sea of consultancy. What can I charge for my brain? What is the worth of all my years of collected wisdom? As rivers of fresh consultants flow into very competitive workplaces, these are the questions being asked by new consultants. According to Small, lots of these new businesspeople are not getting the right answers. Both consultants and their prospective clients do the math. There are 2,000 working hours in an eight-hour-a-day year. Thus the $160-an-hour consultant can pocket a cool $320,000 annually.
Wow! Small wonder that clients try to bid them down and that consultants are willing to drop down to get the job. Even at $80, I'm still pulling down $160,000 a year, right?
Wrong, says Small. Count on 20 percent of those 2,000 hours being used in administrative work and study. Another 20 percent is going to be spent chasing down new contracts. From these remaining 1,200 profitable hours logistical costs must be subtracted. Prospective and even established clients seldom seek solutions in your living room. Consultants travel. They also make frequent presentations. Office space, technology, and supplies must be maintained. Skills and new information must constantly be upgraded – at no small cost.
Only a fraction of these expenses may be written off on taxes. And speaking of taxes, wait until the new consultant faces his first Social Security tab. For while employees pay only half of their Social Security tax – with their bosses shouldering the rest – independent contractors pay the whole thing.
Considering all these expenses, the consultant who tries to compete by putting in low-ball bids may not only be ruining his image, he may be bankrupting his business.
The competition. If all the competition charges within a certain price range, probably there is a reason – though not always. Small suggests that before establishing a product's price, take a look at not only what competitors charge, but what they provide, and what costs they incur. Figure a hypothetical cost, then balance it against the marketplace. Rent and location differences can make a big difference. Double the rent for a prime location, with only 50 percent more potential foot traffic, and prices must be set higher.
Packaging, method of delivery, and other elements also boost expenses. Advertising is one element that boosts costs substantially, but that may be substantially less effective in the current Internet price comparison climate. Potential customers may be drawn to your service after seeing a well-produced ad, but then may log on to their computers to see if a competitor is offering it for less.
The clientele. If the first pricing question is what does it truly cost, the second must be what can and will the customer pay? "Biopharma is a booming, cash heavy industry, and the consultancy kill zone for biopharma stretches from King of Prussia to New York City," says Small. Within this area marketing consultants are raking in fees unobtainable anywhere else.
Examine the industry you will be serving. While small non-profits have little in the way of spare funds, larger ones may be as ready to spend as major for-profit industries. Small also suggests that a company look at its market niche, and research the structure of the businesses it might be serving. "Sole proprietorships view every dime as coming out of their own pockets," says Small. But partnerships, full partnerships, and corporations increasingly have funds for new suppliers.
Discounting. One of the great advantages of dealing business-to-business is the ability to set individual prices. Those selling to consumers may juggle a bit, but usually within a more restricted framework. The key here, says Small, is to understand why you are discounting.
When supplying a startup business, suppliers and consultants can often discount prices in hopes of getting a piece of the action. In such a case, it is necessary to tell the entrepreneur of your temporary generosity. Let him know that you want to support him and grow with his firm. This will allow you to raise prices later.
Conversely, discounts given to help ease the move into a new area had best be done without explanation. The company that has serviced manufacturing clients for several years, and now wants to take on communications clients, would can do well to enter with a low, attractive price in this new arena. "But for heavens sake," laughs Small, "don't tell them that you are discounting because you know nothing about this new field."
Finally, pricing is an art, involving bits of market tweaking, psychology, and luck. In l982 coffee in America ranged from 50 cents to $1 a cup. When Howard Schultz took over Starbucks in l982, every potential backer blanched at the idea of actually charging $2 – and even more! – for coffee. They insisted the public would never pay those prices.
Schultz, who had studied coffee bars in Italy, merely replied that if they made the atmosphere right, people would fork over the money happily. Truly, in this case, Schultz's price was right.
Wands and Wizardry: Michael Miller
Technology for technology's sake is fun. It is impressive. But technology for profit is a whole different thing. Selecting tools for business efficiency from the boggling array of gizmos available may not always be a matter of going with what's newer, faster, and has the most added on whistles. In some cases you just need a top quality, dependable hoe. In others, you want a hoe that upgrades to a tractor.
To help small company owners analyze their needs and discover what's on the latest gizmo list, the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce's technology council sponsors a workshop, "The Best Technology of the Year for the Well-Equipped Business Person" on Tuesday, October 18, at 10 a.m. at Thomas Edison College. This event is part of Trenton Small Business Week, which runs from Monday, through Thursday, October 17 through 20. To register visit www.smallbizweek.com.
The Best Technology of the Year seminar features a number of presenters, including Michael Miller, co-founder of Set Now Solutions in Ewing; Robert Gross of Mercerville-based Claremont Telcom; and Michael Serino, director of the Wireless Zone in Hamilton.
Remember when the ancient slogan "Test Drive A Mac" was part of an ad campaign aimed at bringing computers into privates homes? The year was l985, and that was when Miller, a West Windsor native, graduated from Ithaca College. He took his B.A. in television and radio, with a minor in advertising and communications and headed over to South Brunswick's Scanticon. At this conference center (now the Doral Forrestal) Miller became part of the audio visual production team, creating videos, PowerPoint presentations, and photo displays.
In l996 his wife, Sarah Miller, launched a small media firm called Set Now Solutions. He joined her in 1999 and the pair expanded the firm to include establishing marketing plans. Today Set Now Solutions also provides business extranets and an online business greeting card company.
"The big technology planning caveat," says Miller, "is that every company's needs are wholly individual." The fact that a competitor has one does should not spark a buying frenzy. Each business has its own budget and its own separate path toward efficiency. These are Miller's guidelines for selecting devices, software, and links.
Need versus new. "It's a hackneyed phrase," says Miller, "but what you really should be seeking with each piece of technology is return on investment. Is this new purchase making your business more efficient? How?" Determining this takes a little work flow analysis. The trap here is to just think of individual tasks: a copier to copy, a printer to print. Instead, take a broader vision of the entire business process. Then trot off to market.
When examining specific items, Miller advises buyers to compare capability, computability with not only your, but also your clients' and your suppliers' systems, and its ability to adapt to new software. Then apply the deal breaker: is this an item that will help the company grow? Speed may prove less of a consideration than cost. Buying user-friendly may be more important than buying current.
A cheap fix. E-lives are short. The next time you have few friends over, ask how many have the same computing device that they used five years ago. Whatever technology you employ today will be supplanted by something faster and snazzier before the seasons change again.
"This is not all bad news," says Miller. Many of the slower, less capable machines will still be fine for many of your business' activities. Save the few newest devices for those functions demanding maximum speed and the ability to handle the newest software. Then take those of a previous generation and use them for word processing, back-up, and accounting.
As the price of technology comes down, a cheap technology band-aid may be your most cost-effective bet. Plug in a bargain printer while you search for an entire interconnected printing system. Accept the rapid pace of obsolescence. Don't try to buy your way ahead of it, or bemoan the frequent replacement of tools.
In your hand. Within palm-held wonders, capabilities grow exponentially greater as punch keys grow ever tinier. E-mail, web browsing, book and movie viewing, real time video taping and transmitting, and total business networking are just a few of the options you can pack onto that little hand held box that once only made phone calls.
While the choices are endless, Miller warns that the carriers are few and very confining. "Every carrier has its own, highly restricted line of cellular devices," he points out. "You've got to choose from their offerings." says Miller. Further, while cell phone connections have improved, web and E-mail operate on different frequencies and not all carriers have the electronic backbone to support it.
Sprint is making a good showing in the New York-Philadelphia area, but only there. Verizon, which offers great phone service in the U.S., and T-mobile, which does a fine job in Europe, don't do as well in each other's territory, and palm pilot users report a rough go in many cases. What carrier works in your area must still be the prime selection factor.
For the general businessperson, Miller suggests that a cellular system that includes phone, web browsing, and E-mail should offer a solid solution. Instant cellular messaging is optional for many people, but the field sales rep requires all this plus a notifying calendar. Ideally, he should also have a VPN – virtual private network – that affords him full access to all aspects of the company, including inventory and order processing.
Combined functions. Amalgamation – uniting every conceivable function into that one compact gadget – is now, and long has been, one of technology's strongest trends. Miller's advice on combined function units is to go for quality and don't go overboard. His own firm recently purchased a $500 combination laser printer and copy machine. Though more expensive than many other combos, it provides these two services at a fraction of the cost, with a swift payback from ink savings alone. On the other hand, he advises that businesspeople be skeptical about the printer, scanner, copier combo "insanely priced" at $100, and be equally skeptical about any jack-of-all trades tool that perform six functions in one.
Automating links. Do you keep the old copier or change over to individual desktop systems? If people are waiting to copy, scan, fax, communicate memos, or pick up print, efficiency is gutted. Staff time is the most valuable and most squandered resource in most businesses. On the other hand, frequently these fixes require no more than a new software tweak.
As a final piece of advice, Miller suggests businesses think beyond themselves, and consider their clients' needs. Having systems that fit customers, track responses, and conduct surveys are neither difficult nor expensive. Says Miller: "A little study time can net you a great profit."
Franchise Choices: Denis Marcoux
Recent studies indicate that self-employment is on the rise, says Denis Marcoux, a Fanwood-based consultant with the Entrepreneur's Source, a Southbury, Connecticut, business ownership consulting firm. Drivers include demographics and economic factors. For the first time in 10 years, self-employment rates are on the rise across the country, according to a recent study sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The report indicates minorities, women, and baby boomers are swelling the ranks of the self-employed, and that their ventures tend to involve technology.
Baby boomers are looking for more security as large corporations continue to downsize and buy out senior staff members. Recent data shows that the number of self-employed people over the age of 50 has jumped 23 percent since 1990 to 5.6 million workers. Women now make up 32 percent of the country's 12.2 million business owners, up from 25 percent in 1983. Hispanics, African-Americans, and Asians also made strong gains in self-employment in the past two years.
Among the choices would-be entrepreneurs confront is whether or not to purchase a franchise. Marcoux talks about franchising as a business option in a free seminar he is giving on Tuesday, October 18, at 7 p.m. at the Princeton Courtyard Marriott. He says that the event is geared toward those who are in transition, who want out of a job, or who want out of the corporate world, and who are considering self-employment as an option.
Register at www.ESourceVision.com/Events-Seminars.htm or by phone at at 877-278-8921.
Smart Women Finish Rich: Ed Kucharski
Imagine reaching retirement age and not being able to live the lifestyle to which you've become accustomed because you've run out of money. Imagine being forced to move out of your home, or being forced to depend on others to support you because you miscalculated what you would need to live out your golden years. It's these kind of personal planning and finance nightmares that Ed Kucharski is trying to prevent from happening, especially to women who may have spent most of their lives depending on husbands or significant others to take care of their financial needs.
"I've seen 60-year-old women turn to the just-out-of-college 22-year-old in one of my seminars and say, 'gee, I wish I were in your shoes and had a lifetime to plan for this stuff,'" says Kucharski. "I've also got a lot of people in the baby boomer range, with 45-60 being the sweet spot. They're in the position of trying to secure a comfortable retirement for themselves at the same time they might be trying to plan their children's education. They're in that squeeze generation, right in the middle, and it's going to get tougher unless they plan."
Kucharski, a certified financial planner and owner of Kucharski Financial Services in Flemington, has been teaching a seminar called "Smart Women Finish Rich" at Mercer County Community College for the last several years and once again is offering it on Wednesday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m. Cost: $30. Call 609-586-9446.
The biggest disappointment, Kucharski says, is when reality falls short of expectations, something that happens all too frequently. "Rates of return are often too low over time because of inflation. No one likes to take risk, so people don't make investments that are perceived to be risky. But by leaving their money in safe environments, the risk is that they'll fall short of their goals. They need a diversified way to have the potential for higher returns without losing principal."
Kucharski says that people often overlook relatively painless savings strategies. For example, there's something called the latte factor, based on that very popular coffee drink that sells for more than the average cup o' joe. "So your day starts with a cup of coffee, maybe a double nonfat latte and the question is how much do you spend for that latte without really even thinking about it? Add a Danish to that and you go on through the day spending money in ways you don't even realize," he says. "If you think about how you're spending money you'll be able to find money to start investing for your future. For anyone who says I don't have any money to start investing, the latte factor changes that outlook."
Once there is some money to invest, it's important to make sure that the funds are diversified. One way to achieve diversification is through the basket approach to investing – short-term, intermediate and long term. Then there are ownership assets like real estate, art, or investment quality coins.
Kucharski was born in New Brunswick. His dad was a machinist for Ethicon and his mother was a homemaker. He attended the University of West Chester in Pennsylvania and studied criminal justice. He wanted to work for the FBI doing the kind of forensics work showcased on programs like CSI.
He graduated in 1979 straight into a recession and an FBI hiring freeze. "I had a neighbor who said while you're waiting for the FBI to start hiring again, come work for the insurance industry. I liked people, so I decided to give it a try," Kucharski recalls. So he went to work for Prudential Insurance.
Kucharski discovered the niche market of financial planning for women through Van Kampen, the mutual fund company. A financial advisor in California named David Bach had written a book called "Smart Women Finish Rich" and had developed a series of seminars around it. The book was geared to women, especially widows, divorcees, and single women who wanted to take charge of their personal finances. Kucharski saw an opportunity to serve the needs of this potentially huge market, so he asked Van Kampen if he could use the seminar program as the basis for his own outreach and education program.
Kucharski lives in Readington, with his wife Eileen, who manages a branch office for First Metropolitan Mortgage in Flemington. They have two children, ages 17 and 13.
In his work with women who are trying to secure their futures, he urges that they not be afraid to take control of their finances. In doing so, he says, they should aim to protect principal, while at the same time investing so that it will grow enough to cover retirement needs. "The differences among those vehicles and how they can affect the wealth you accumulate over a lifetime is quite eye-opening."


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Margvelashvili discusses Georgia's accession to NATO with US senators
Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili stressed the role of Georgia as the strategic partner of the United States in the Caucasus following his meeting with an official delegation led by senator John McCain in Tbilisi.
Kvirikashvili met McCain as well as senators Amy Klobuchar and Lindsey Graham at the Administration of the Government of Georgia within the ongoing visit of the US Senate politicians to Tbilisi.
The occasion included discussion on matters of relations between the two countries, with with Georgia's PM noting Georgia's commitment to the US-Georgia partnership.
"We will continue to do everything we can to support the total independence and freedom, and territorial integrity of the country of Georgia," senator McCain said while commenting to local media.
During the meeting issues concerning enhanced strategic partnership, economic cooperation as well as situation in the region and near the occupation line were touched upon. Georgian president thanked the senators for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia and noted that Georgia expected greater support and cooperation with the Untied States," Sputnik reports.
The delegation arrived in Georgia on January 1.
Vestnik Kavkaza
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The BC Interior Forestry Museum launched its Winter Speaker Series on Oct. 22 with a presentation by Dr. Nancy J. Turner, ethnobotanist, distinguished professor and Hakai Professor in ethnoecology, in the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria.
With a focus on traditional knowledge systems, land and resource management systems of Indigenous Peoples of Western Canada, Turner has worked with First Nations elders and cultural specialists for more than 40 years; helping to record, retain and restore their traditional knowledge of plants and environments, including indigenous foods, materials and medicines.
Her new, two-volume book, Ancient Pathways, Ancestral Knowledge: Ethnobotany and Ecological Wisdom of Indigenous Peoples of North America, is the consolidation of her years of research, and an attempt to answer four key questions: "How did the people ever learn all that they know? How did they share that knowledge across time, generations and space? How did they adapt that knowledge for different places, times and conditions? Finally, how can that knowledge be preserved, maintained, brought forward and kept for the future?"
Turner's love of plants and genuine desire to respect and learn led her to form bonds of trust, creating friendships with many elders including Neskonlith elder, the late Dr. Mary Thomas.
As a child in Salmon Arm, Thomas spent many hours with her grandparents, learning about her Secwepemc culture; travelling to different areas in the mountains, digging root vegetables, picking berries and basket materials. Thomas even shared memories of coming to "Mount Revelstoke by horseback, with her family, to gather food… They collected mountain potatoes – a staple in the winter diet, avalanche lilies and spring beauty down in the valley bottom. When those were finished, her people would move up to the plateaus where they hunted, picked huckleberries and gathered more avalanche lilies and spring beauties."
Many root vegetables would have been harvested in the Revelstoke area, as well as cow parsnip, the inner bark of trees, black lichens and medicines.
Turner's research has contributed to a growing understanding that plant and animal use involved complex management traditions.
Through ecological and social practices, indigenous peoples have intentionally influenced the quality and quantities of the foods and materials being produced in nature.
Plants and environments are manipulated through large-scale and long-term activities, such as the use of berms or terracing to create and extend habitat for root and clam gardens; and by the very detailed actions of pruning individual shrubs to stimulate new growth. Indigenous Peoples are found to be longtime cultivators, applying a range of traditional practices and leaving minimal impact.
Turner suspects areas around Revelstoke would have been strategically burned, creating prime hunting and berry-picking grounds.
Social management strategies to share knowledge are deeply rooted in tradition, embedded in narratives and ceremonies; reinforcing the respect and responsibility of ensuring resources are kept in good condition.
Turner has compiled a comprehensive look at the traditions of indigenous peoples and sees the potential for the application of these strategies in a modern context. She sees how humans can have a positive influence on biodiversity and the productivity of their ecosystems by becoming caretakers.
The Winter Speaker Series is brought to you by the BC Interior Forestry Museum. Visit their website at bcforestrymuseum.ca, or their Facebook page for information on future events.


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Talbot Hotel Carlow
1, 2 or 3 Nights B&B, delicious Two Course Meal for 2, Late Checkout, access to Leisure Facilities & more at the Talbot Hotel Carlow
86% of 7 customer(s) recommended
Offer includes:
- Stay in a Double or Twin room
- Full Irish Breakfast each morning
- Delicious Two-Course Meal for 2 in Corries Bar & Bistro
- 1 pm Late check-out
- Complimentary use 20m Pool & Gym
- Free Wireless Internet available throughout the hotel
Located on the edge of Carlow town on the Portlaoise Road the Talbot Hotel Carlow is only a 2km (15 minutes) walk from Carlow Town Centre via the lovely picturesque Carlow Town Park. With easy access to the motorway, the Talbot Hotel Carlow is only an hour from Dublin and 90km from the ferry and airports of Rosslare, Dublin and Waterford, making it the perfect gateway to Ireland's Ancient East.
- Each of the 84 exceptionally spacious hotel bedrooms including 2 luxury suites and a selection of well-appointed interconnecting family rooms are individually designed to create an atmosphere of relaxed comfort. Guests can enjoy all of the facilities expected in a 4-star hotel in addition to the complimentary WIFI internet connection, tea & coffee making facilities and hairdryer in all bedrooms and free secure car parking on-site.
- The Talbot Hotel Carlow is home to the vibrant Corries Bar & Bistro and fourth-floor Liberty Tree Restaurant, both of which are loved by locals and hotel guests alike. The hotel offers extensive conference & banqueting facilities and is a favourite local venue for weddings, civil ceremonies and other special family occasions.
- Talbot Fitness Carlow in The Talbot Hotel Carlow also boasts some of the finest leisure facilities which feature a 20m swimming pool with a separate kids pool section, an extensive gym with high specification fitness equipment, an on-site hair & beauty salon.
- The DOME Family Entertainment Centre is situated next door to the Talbot Hotel Carlow and is fun for all ages with a Bowling Alley, Laser Zone, Games Arcade and huge CONGO QUEST soft play-zone.
- The famous Talbot Tigers Kids Club runs during holidays and midterms and ensures that even our youngest guests are entertained while adults can relax and unwind without being disturbed.
- The local area is packed with leisure amenities and historic sites so visitors can enjoy a range of activities including golf, angling, shopping and sightseeing.
COVID-19 Refund Policy
In response to ongoing travel uncertainty, should your stay be cancelled or postponed by the hotel due to COVID-19 restrictions, we want to assure you that you can book with confidence knowing that we are offering a full cash refund up to the day before your stay.
Terms & Conditions:
- Full cash refund applies to new vouchers purchased on or after the 8th June 2020 only
- Vouchers purchased before the 8th June will qualify for 100% refund in credit only
- If you personally become unwell with COVID-19, you can either rearrange the date of your stay with the hotel directly or apply for our normal credit refund
- Bookings online via bookings.empathymarketing.com
- Valid to the 12th Feb 2021
- Offer valid Sun - Fri
- 2 Course Meal in Corries Bar & Bistro on one night of your stay
- Availability as per booking calendar
- Based on 2 Adults Sharing
- Subject to availability & allocation
- Once a booking has been confirmed, your voucher will be deemed USED/REDEEMED and is strictly non-refundable
- Other rules may apply
Change Of Mind?
- Cash refund within 14 days for unredeemed/unused vouchers unless stated otherwise in the offer terms and conditions.
- Redeem this voucher towards another offer on site.
Talbot Hotel CarlowPortlaoise Road, Carlow, Ireland
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Our Promise
- Cash refund within 14 days for unredeemed/unused vouchers unless stated otherwise in the offer terms and conditions
- 80% points credit for unredeemed/unused expired vouchers unless stated otherwise in the offer terms and conditions - claim within 6 months of expiry - use to save from 5% to 15% on future offer purchases
- We only work with the best sellers
- Although your contract is with the seller, we are on your side, with the highest standards of customer care.
- We're Irish and committed to Irish jobs


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Still can't write, however. It's at the point where I don't think I'm ready to try a ficathon, simply because I'm paranoid of letting down my recipient. Am trying to put together a fanmix though. It's kind of risky, in terms of various genres it throws together, so I hope I can get it to flow right.
Have received a job offer from IBM for a summer internship, which kicks major ass. I am quite excited.
Upgraded my Ubuntu install to Dapper Drake. I am liking it quite a bit. Lots of nerdy goodness. There were some bumps along the way, but I think they've all been straightened out. I am liking the new version of Times New Roman (I think?). The old one was butt-ugly and annoying to look at.
So, how have you guys been?


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During Iran-Iraq war Noor Aldin who is a carpenter is missing. He is captured by Iraqi army. After 8 years he returns home, but finds out that in his absence his wife is married to another man.
Noradin who was a carpenter, is lost during the Iran-Iraq war. He returns home after eight years not knowing that his wife…


text: What's hot? What's now? The Designer theme delivers the elusive and unspoken flair of the talented and creative. The concepts, ideas and styles on show in the Designer portfolio are taken straight from the fashion and design catwalks and capitals of the world. Scroll through some of our popular homes in a Designer style.


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|Karl Quint
|Quint Healthcare
|Job title
I am a healthcare advisor, medical doctor and cancer researcher.
I founded Quint Healthcare, a consultancy for innovative healthcare and life science companies. Apart from bridging the gap between these companies and the professional medical community, I advise consultancies and investors on medical/scientific topics.
My research projects involve gastrointestinal and brain tumors and I have clinical experience in internal medicine and pathology. I led the Translational Research Lab at the Institute for Surgical Research (University of Marburg, Germany). Enthusiastic about healthcare innovation, I strive to see solutions to problems before they become obvious and love to connect seemingly unrelated areas of medicine and technology for truly innovative ideas.
When I'm not thinking about how to improve patients' and my fellow physicians' lives, I follow my passion for the visual arts and photography. I run my own businesses, "Skyfotos" and "Copter Stock Media", two companies for aerial imagery, which were born out of my passion for photography.
Nuremberg Area
Phone +491636860440
Email firstname.lastname@example.com
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Job Information
Pfizer Senior Territory Manager (Institutional Sales) in Elmhurst, Illinois
Role Summary and Responsibilities
The Senior Territory Manager, Institutional Sales is responsible for managing business relationships, formulary access and product promotion within assigned accounts. These accounts include, but are not limited to, Academic Medical Centers and Community Hospitals. The IAS is charged with sales efforts and relationship development with physician targets, key KOLs, pharmacists and administrative leads within aligned institutions and surrounding hospital service areas. They should possess in-depth expertise in, or demonstrated ability to learn current promotional therapeutic areas, demonstrate strong selling skills, broad knowledge of payer dynamics, competitors and associated disease states. The IAS is also responsible for all business management within their territory and cross-functional account management within Pfizer.
Targeting and Sales:
Focus on top institution- and community-based physician targets and KOL's
Focus on development and advocacy of physicians in medical training (residents, fellows) for long term brand/corporate loyalty
Speaker and Marketing initiative management at the territory level
Drive sales in assigned accounts and with assigned targets
Maintain strong relationships throughout physician groups, pharmacy and administrative leads within institutions
Cultivate relationships with KOL's; build lasting relationships with top priority doctors
Use latest technology and marketing content to address needs of targeted physicians
Analyze and use available reports and information to understand impact of past customer interactions and make information-based decisions
Work closely with internal cross-functional teams as required
Collaborate with external partner initiatives such as commercial payor's
Gain access to physicians and Institution's in difficult situations
Assess needs of target physicians and Institutions. When needs are identified then address those with a responsive approach, targeted skills, and appropriate resources
Assess accounts and bring relevant cross functional skills/teams for solutions and business growth
Basic Qualifications
BA/BS Degree from an accredited institution
Ability to travel domestically and stay overnight as necessary
Valid US driver's license and a driving record in compliance with company standards
Live within 50 miles of territory
Substantial experience working with key thought leaders or high influence customers in large group practices, hospitals, or managed care organizations
A demonstrated track record of success and accomplishment with previous pharmaceutical sales experience.
18 months previous pharmaceutical sales experience preferred
Exceptional aptitude for learning and ability to communicate technical and scientific product and disease management information to a wide range of customers
Demonstrated high degree of business acumen
Proficiency using sales data/call reporting software/applications and able to adapt to Pfizer's long-range technology model in bringing Pfizer information to market.
Functional/Technical Skills can include:
Assess account needs and bring relevant cross-functional skills
Promote broad portfolio of products; Strong knowledge of disease states, therapeutic areas, and products
Deep knowledge of applicable institutions/ organizations
Drive sales in assigned accounts
Develop strategic account selling and management skills
Maintain relationships throughout institutions
Gain access in difficult situations
Cultivate relationships with KOLs; build lasting relationships with top priority doctors
Assess needs of target physicians; Address needs with responsive approach, targeted skills, and appropriate resources
Deep knowledge of target physicians
Develop superior selling, technical and relationship building skills
Execute priorities of Manager
Additional Position Details
Last Day to Apply: October 29, 2020
Eligible for Relocation Assistance: No
Eligible for Employee Referral Bonus: Yes
Sunshine Act
Pfizer reports payments and other transfers of value to health care providers as required by federal and state transparency laws and implementing regulations. These laws and regulations require Pfizer to provide government agencies with information such as a health care provider's name, address and the type of payments or other value received, generally for public disclosure. Subject to further legal review and statutory or regulatory clarification, which Pfizer intends to pursue, reimbursement of recruiting expenses for licensed physicians may constitute a reportable transfer of value under the federal transparency law commonly known as the Sunshine Act. Therefore, if you are a licensed physician who incurs recruiting expenses as a result of interviewing with Pfizer that we pay or reimburse, your name, address and the amount of payments made currently will be reported to the government. If you have questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact your Talent Acquisition representative.
EEO & Employment Eligibility
Pfizer is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status. Pfizer also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Pfizer is an E-Verify employer.
- Pfizer Jobs


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Women's basketball eyeballing program-best season
By Dalton Ray —
Bulldozing through their competition, No. 4 women's basketball (32-2) heads into the NCAA tournament with momentum like never before. The Cardinals (32-2) swept the ACC conference titles, winning both the regular season and conference tournament — both for the first time in program history.
Making program history has been a common theme for this team. Louisville is a lock to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, the program's first. Their program-best 20-game win streak to start the season turned heads across the nation.
For coach Jeff Walz, this team might mean he makes another appearance in the national title game. He has led U of L to two runner-up finishes, first in 2009 and again in 2013.
Junior Asia Durr and senior Myisha Hines-Allen spearhead the Cardinals as two of the best players in the nation.
Durr earned ACC Player of the Year honors while averaging 18.9 points per game. She scored over 20 points in 14 games with a season-high 47 in November. The junior is racing up the all-time numbers in career points and made 3-pointers for U of L.
Hines-Allen, ACC tournament MVP, averaged nearly 14 points and 10 rebounds this season. Her physical and athletic play often draws the attention of two or more defenders.
The top-to-bottom ability of the team is what sets them apart from years past.
Redshirt junior Arica Carter has established herself as a high-IQ player that makes opponents pay with her consistent shooting (44 percent from the field, 40 from three). She also has a career-high with 138 assists.
Sophomore Jazmine Jones may be the biggest difference maker for U of L. Her athletic ability elevates her play, often leading to steal and fastbreak opportunities. Jones has also added the ability to knock down a pull-up jumper, making her more difficult to guard.
Junior Sam Fuehring has said multiple times this season her confidence is back and it's apparent. Averaging nearly 10 points a game and 5.0 rebounds, Fuehring cleans up the mistakes around the basket for the Cardinals.
Three of the starting five play to the hands of Hines-Allen and Durr, but have the ability to make several key plays themselves. Add a bench that can go to nine deep and it obvious why this team is so dangerous.
Louisville's best-ever start hasn't come against an easy schedule. The Cardinals have rolled through eight ranked opponents and dominated one of the nation's toughest leagues.
Riding a seven-game winning streak, Louisville heads into the NCAA tournament as a likely host for the opening rounds.
Reaching the Sweet 16 has been a regular occurrence for Walz, as the Cardinals have made four of the last five, but U of L hasn't advanced to the Elite Eight since 2014.
Already building on the best regular season ever, the Cardinals have a chance to make their deepest postseason run since their national runner-up performance in 2013.
With all the turmoil the fan base has endured, the community has gravitated around Walz and company as they steer through their postseason campaign.
You can follow Dalton Ray on Twitter @dray5477.
Photo by Taris Smith / The Louisville Cardinal


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Online grooming is a dangerous form of undue influence. It is likely that someone you know is being groomed. Online grooming hijacks a person's loyalty and separates them from their usual support systems. It happens for many reasons: Internet cults divide people from their families; health gurus sell useless or harmful potions; sex traffickers groom youngsters; pedophiles search out victims; and tricksters groom would-be entrepreneurs into pyramid and Ponzi schemes destined to empty wallets and wreck lives; terrorist groups recruit idealistic people of all ages to perform suicide missions. Online grooming is not unique to teens.
But, while we are all vulnerable, we are at our most vulnerable to predators during profound changes in our life – and a teenager's life is all profound changes. Much of a young adult's social interaction will happen on the Internet, where the opportunities – and the people offering those opportunities – will be virtually endless. Many opportunities will be good, and most of the people honest. However, a predator will not look any different – at first – from any other new friend, and a dangerous group will do its best to seem like it's the safest place you could possibly be.
So how can you tell when a friend is in the clutches of an online predator? There are some tell-tale signs. Remember, just one or two of these don't necessarily mean that your friend is in trouble, but enough of these red flags occurring together might well be a sign that something isn't right.
1. You're worried.
You feel that something is not quite right, but you can't put your finger on it. This is completely valid: we're bombarded by sensory input from all directions, and most of it slips in below our conscious notice – including dozens of warning signals. If those subconsciously perceived warnings didn't manifest as a gut reaction of danger, our species would have died out long ago. So, explore that hunch that your friend's gaming buddy is creepy, or that your sister's Bible Study group is becoming a bit too intense – then look deeper to find out why you feel that way.
2. There's no time for anything else.
One of the chief hallmarks of any abusive group or relationship is the way they drain away your time; former cult members agree that they were often simply too busy to think about anything else. An exploitative Bible-based group may keep its members rushing to "perfect" themselves before Armageddon; multilevel marketing groups push their agents to use every moment to sell, sell, sell; a sexual predator will use emotional blackmail and the pretense of jealousy to keep a victim from spending time with anyone else. The concert or party that you and your friend have looked forward to for months is no longer important; the only thing that matters now is this new person or group.
3. They become a "parrot."
When 14-year-old Breck Bednar was being groomed by the man who would eventually lure him to his death, he often frustrated his mother by refusing to do as she asked, using his Internet mentor Lewis Daynes – his murderer – as the reason for his disobedience. "Lewis says…" became the standard opening to many of his sentences. We normally quote people who make us think, but ideally, more than one person should be offering us answers. When your friend begins quoting an Internet guru (and nobody else) with every other statement, this is clear cause for alarm.
4. They've become someone else.
Young adulthood is a time to try on many different roles and adopt all sorts of new ideas. However, if a teenager, in trying on a new identity, and completely breaks with their old "self," this is cause for concern. Any healthy philosophy, religion, or romance allows for a weaving together of the past and the present; the mentor, lover, or religious leader who demands your complete detachment from everything and everyone in your "previous" life is never going to be a good influence.
5. They show symptoms of psychological abuse.
This can be a tricky area: any or all of these signs can occur just because your friend is a teenager, let alone a teenager in trouble. Just as with this list in general, while one or two of these signs can be safely dismissed, more could mean your friend is in trouble, if they:
- display extreme changes in eating and sleeping habits
- have rapid changes in weight or appearance
- become uncharacteristically violent, fearful, or negative
- lose interest in activities they once enjoyed
- suddenly have expensive items like cellphones or high-ticket clothing
- suddenly display an uncomfortable amount of knowledge about sex, weapons, or drugs
- become passionate about a certain religious, political, or philosophical viewpoint and dismissive of all other views
The most important words in this list are "extreme" and "sudden" – we all change over time, but abrupt, excessive shifts in personality and behavior are usually the best warning that something is wrong.
6. The person or organization seems "fishy" to you.
A groomer will drive a wedge between the victim and their caregiver, so sometimes a parent will be the last to know what is really going on. As a friend, however, you can see details a parent will not. Is this new person controlling? Do they make grandiose claims and promises? Do they constantly criticize your friend's family, their former beliefs, your school, or your teachers? Do they give your friend expensive gifts, or buy them things teens can't buy for themselves, such as drugs, alcohol, or adult-rated video games? Do they demand secrecy from your friend? If your friend sneaks around to take part in a new relationship or organization, this is a giant red flag; in normal circumstances, no honest person or group needs to hide from public scrutiny.
So What Can You Do?
As a young adult, there's no better time to learn about confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance. Just as your parents' disapproval of your new boyfriend or girlfriend only strengthens your commitment, telling your friend that you think they're in danger simply won't work. You want to maintain the connection, and we all tend to avoid people who constantly criticize us. Be friendly and listen: being argumentative and judgmental will not help.
You might not be able to tell your friend anything, but you can keep asking open-ended, curious questions, keep encouraging them to engage in activities that have nothing to do with the new group or relationship, and, above all, you can be there for them, as a friend. It is also a good idea to remind them of good times with family and friends before the new relationship began.
You can find a more definitive list of do's and don't's here, but simply letting someone know that you care, no matter what, speaks volumes: when things go wrong, your friend will turn to you for the help they finally know they need.
What do you think about this article? Do you agree? Do you have a story about online grooming that you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you!


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s she viewed the documentary in a screening area at the annual Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Colorado, Ali Bottari '21, felt an emotional connection forming that she knows only great films can draw.
"The intimacy the director was able to achieve with his characters during their interviews was incredible," said Bottari, a film, television and media arts major. "The hardest parts of their lives were shaping the narrative."
The film, "Minding the Gap," directed by Bing Liu, followed three close friends and die-hard skateboarders as they attempt to escape volatile family lives, the economic downturn in their Rust Belt hometown and other circumstances. It was one of many on display for Bottari and her classmates at Mountainfilm, a four-day documentary film festival that showcased work on environmental, cultural, political and social justice issues.
Each year, Mountainfilm draws world-class auteurs and independent filmmakers, as well as famous athletes and artists of many mediums for screenings, interactive talks, community events and other presentations.


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Neverwhere, by Neil GaimanRead about another entry on the list.
Arguably the most successful TV novelization of all time, Neil Gaiman's first novel doesn't directly feature the subways and subway tunnels of the London Underground, but their influence is felt all the same, from the way the people and places of London Below take their names and inspiration from real-world stations such as Blackfriars and Angel Station in Islington, to such memorable settings as the Earl's Court, a tricked-out tube train owned by a mad, one-eyed noble that houses part of his estate. It's a beautiful, vibrant, strange world, with just enough connections to our own to seem like something glimpsed out of the corner of your eye, but weird enough to unnerve. As fantastical as Neverwhere is, with a bizarre world with its own rules, customs, and mythology, what truly makes it fantastic are the characters.
Neverwhere is among Brad Abraham's five top books about magic, Nicole Hill's eight fantastical destinations she'd like to visit, and Monique Alice's top seven books for readers who love Haruki Murakami.
--Marshal Zeringue