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A key to service sector success is creating the most value across the customer experience. What better way to do that than to harness the power…
Operating in the service sector with ERP is about creating efficiency and harmony within the workplace, tracking customer satisfaction, management of repeatable and scalable processes, and creating the most value across the customer experience. Open Source Integrators provides perfectly right-sized, user-friendly platforms with highly reliable and insightful planning and forecasting systems.
With decades of experience automating repeatable tasks in customer service-based environments, Open Source Integrators provides Open ERP within a myriad of businesses within customer service-based environments. You can rely on our scalable ERP expertise that runs the gamut – from independent entrepreneurs with industry-changing ideas, to enterprise-level implementations that require national footprints. Our team works first to understand your service operations, no matter how disparate or concentrated your operational footprint. Whether it's managing human and capital assets or managing staff time and consumables, our teams work around the globe and around the clock to assure best practices and right-sized technology.
With our cross-discipline team of Open ERP integrators in the service industry, we are available to be both proactive and responsive, from simply working out the kinks in your system to troubleshooting an existing system, or building new, best-of-class integrated ERP service capabilities from end to end. We have full discovery teams or single, top-level experts available to consult. With OSI expertise, you can begin the journey to create and maintain a world-class ERP system for your service business by getting the right team involved without further delay. Rest assured, you're in the right place.
The challenge of maximizing staff efficiency while creating the most value for customers becomes simple with the right ERP software capability. Open Source ERP empowers your company and paves the road to profitability. With Open ERP capabilities, your service company will build reliable and predictable stakeholder and customer satisfaction, time after time.
Our highly skilled ERP experts are focused on configuring customer-pleasing systems to minimize costs associated with the service sector. Producing business intelligence such as P&L statements by customer, staff member and offering, maximizing coverage and useful service time, and minimizing operational and overhead costs are just a few of Open Source Integrator's advanced capabilities. A partnership with Open Source Integrators will help you reach peak levels of productivity and growth, and help you reach your full potential as a market leader.
Field Service Management is all about quality delivery, prompt services, and excellent customer support. As customers, we choose companies whose drivers show up at our door on time and bring with them the knowledge and tools or goods to provide us with a great customer experience.
Service and delivery fleets are ever-growing. With growth, come challenges related to efficiency and quality; not all of the over three million fleets in the US provide the same reliable services. Why? Because field service management is not easy.
Field services are complex and highly competitive. Organizations that are not deploying the latest digital technology often fail to competitively manage demand, optimize resources, and meet their service level agreements.
Open Source Integrators (OSI) help field services managers implement a comprehensive solution based on Open ERP, the most successful open source business application platform. Open ERP is used by more than two million users and provides a flexible and cost-effective solution to enable efficiency gains in your operation.
Open ERP is the framework for predictable and reliable implementation of your specific business rules. Disruptions are managed and mitigated in real-time, before they become costly. OSI helps you deploy your business rules and add optimization algorithms to reduce cost, all while increasing safety, customer satisfaction, and SLA compliance.
Field Service Managers are getting frustrated with disparate systems for creation of work orders, parts availability, tracking of job statuses, and optimized scheduling and routing of field resources.
Effective Field Service Management (FSM) solutions are tightly integrated with other business systems such as ERP, CRM, Inventory Management, and AVL Telematics. That's why OSI leverages the most extensive open source platform for integrating business systems within all aspects of the field service management life cycle.
Field Service Management Lifecycle
A key to service sector success is creating the most value across the customer experience. What better way to do that than to harness the power…
Open Source Integrators (OSI) was sought out by a leading manufacturing services company to integrate a USA Odoo accounting module and update an old system. While…
Our team provides you scientifically researched and fact-based solutions needed to improve and maintain your system. We approach each project as the unique endeavor it is, following a proven four-step method for success:
Determine your situation, goals, timeline, cost, and the best way to build a prototype that best fits your needs.
Advance and simplify future phases of work by optimizing the more critical parts of your business systems.
Streamline the experience to encourage optimal choices, while giving the flexibility to react to special cases.
Coach, train, and support your team members as they become accustomed to using the new operating systems.
Educational insights driving profitability, throughput and efficiency
Individually or together, these premier suites of business applications offer open source ERP solutions tailored to your company's unique business needs.


text: Thank you for such a lovely surprise on the weekend which was VIP tickets to the Hobbs fashion show in June. I was especially thankful that you spent the most money on the VIP tickets as all the proceeds to go the Meningitis Trust. I thought it was very kind of you to do that as you know how much that means to me have having had meningitis. You are a very lovely boyfriend xoxo

subset: commoncrawl


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Altura Night Vision Long Sleeve Jersey Women's Raspberry
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Altura Night Vision Long Sleeve Jersey Women's
Altura Night Vision Long Sleeve Jerseys are the long sleeve jersey version of the popular Night Vision jacket, offering lightweight combined with the ultimate night time safety created by the highly reflective trim.
The Altura Night Vision Jersey is a mid layer garment, perfect for providing comfortable insulation and warmth in a multi panel design. Made with soft touch, high wicking thermal fabric, the jersey is brilliant at providing that extra layer of warmth underneath windproof or waterproof outer layers. The jersey also features a full length zip at the front, three rear pockets for storing equipment or race essentials and reflective trim for greater visibility on the road.
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Customer Service
Make your mark on your next travel accessories purchase. With every order, TUMI will make your luggage and accessories stand out from the rest.
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Living in Singapore?
Education and Child Care in Singapore
The Singaporean Education System
Primary education in Singapore lasts for six years and is compulsory for children above the age of six. It focuses on English, the kid's mother tongue (i.e. Chinese, Malay, or Tamil — a subject which can be dropped in the case of foreign children), and mathematics. This prepares children for the national Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).
Before the start of secondary school, students are divided into different curricular groups based on their PSLE performance:
- Special
- Express
- Normal (Academic)
- Normal (Technical)
The group a student is placed in determines how long they go to secondary school: students in the Express group complete their secondary education in four years and obtain their GCE O Levels. On the other hand, students in one of the Normal groups go to school for five years, which gives them an extra year to prepare for their GCE O Levels.
After the age of 15 school is no longer compulsory, however, most students receive education which prepares them for university or the working world. Again, the duration of the student's studies depends on their academic abilities. Depending on students' grades, they either take a two-year junior college path, or a three-year course, both of which lead to the GCE A Level examination. This prepares them for their School Graduation Certificate and entering university. The website of the Ministry of Education offers a School Information Service with ratings and contact details of all state schools in Singapore.
If you would like more details on education, check out our extended articles detailing the local Education System as well as the Universities in Singapore.
International Education
International students seeking admission to stage one of primary school or to junior college can approach their local school directly and will be offered a place if there is one available. Admission to all other stages of primary or secondary education is handled centrally by the Ministry of Education.
The Admission Exercise for International Students is held annually in September/October for admissions in January of the following year. It is designed to test the prospective student's ability in English and mathematics. More information can be obtained on the Ministry of Education website. State schools don't charge tuition, but there is usually a nominal admission fee.
Most expats choose to send their children to private international schools, of which there are plenty in Singapore. As of December 2009, Private Education Institutions must be registered with the Council for Private Education. The CPE website has a special section for international students containing advice on choosing a private school and a list of all registered institutions.
You can, however, also find a first overview in our in-depth article on International Schools in Singapore.
Taking Care of Your Child
Preschool and kindergarten education in Singapore is not provided by the state. However, kindergartens need to be registered with the Council for Private Education, just like private schools.
Childcare centers, which offer a program very similar to that of official kindergartens, require a license by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth, and Sports. Some expat organizations might offer their own childcare facilities or have unofficial arrangements among expatriate families who look after each other's children on a rotary basis. Most international schools run integrated kindergartens for their younger pupils.
For further information on childcare in Singapore or even possible activities for kids, take a look at the corresponding articles in the Family, Children, and Education section of our Extended Guide to Singapore.
Need Some Help? Getting a Nanny and Domestic Help
It is not uncommon for expat families to have a live-in nanny or household help. In fact, there are employment agencies specializing in matching expat families with foreign domestic helpers. For a fee, these agencies handle all the paperwork, references, and dealings with the Ministry of Labor.
Please note that as the employer, you are responsible for board and accommodation as well as coverage of medical expenses on top of paying a monthly salary of 200–400 SGD. If you want to save yourself the expenses incurred by an agency, ask other expat families for recommendations of reliable domestic staff.
We do our best to keep this article up to date. However, we cannot guarantee that the information provided is always current or complete.
If there's something you're still not sure about, check out the InterNations Forum.


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Melissa Browne
Research Support Services
Subject Specialist Librarian
Use the tools on this guide to get started with your research in psychology, human development and related fields
PsycINFO is a department of the American Psychological Association (APA). It provides citations to articles in professional journals, conference proceedings, books, reports, dissertations and even important internet sites in psychology and related disciplines, most with abstracts and some citations.
PsycARTICLES is a database of 54 electronic journals published by the American Psychological Association, the APA Educational Publishing Foundation, the Canadian Psychological Association, and Hogrefe & Huber.
PsychiatryOnline is a website that features DSM-5, DSM-5 clinical cases, the DSM-5 handbook of differential diagnosis and The American Journal of Psychiatry as the cornerstones of a collection of psychiatric references, including books, journals, and self-assessment tools. Much more than individual titles, PsychiatryOnline features sophisticated searching and indexing tools that enable users to quickly target all the information needed
NOTE: There are a limited number of simultaneous users >> please LOGOFF when finished. HAPI is an index to journal articles and other sources about measurement tools used in in the health fields, psychosocial sciences, organizational behavior, and library and information science. HAPI includes citations to questionnaires, interview schedules, checklists, index measures, coding schemes/ manuals, rating scales, projective techniques, vignettes/scenarios, tests. It is an excellent source for locating or reviewing health and psychosocial measurement instruments.
PsycTESTS, produced by the American Psychological Association, serves as a repository for a selection of psychometric, learning, and social psychological tests and measures, as well as standardized information about tests.
Web of Science combines traditional bibliographic searching of journal content across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences with broadly interdisciplinary "cited reference" search capabilities.
• Quick Reference Guide: Web of Science Core Collection
• Saving Your Search & Setting Alerts
• Creating Citation Alerts for Current Awareness
The multi-disciplinary database Academic Search Complete (ASC) provides full-text access to more than 5,500 periodicals, including over 4,600 peer-reviewed journals, and indexing and abstracts for an additional 9,500 journals and 10,000 publications, including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc. This scholarly collection offers coverage of information in many areas of academic study including, but not limited to: animal science, anthropology, area studies, astronomy, biology, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, ethnic & multicultural studies, food science & technology, general science, geography, geology, law, materials science, mathematics, mechanical engineering, music, pharmaceutical sciences, physics, psychology, religion & theology, veterinary science, women's studies, zoology and many other fields. The database features PDF content going back as far as 1887, with the majority of full text titles in native (searchable) PDF format.
More than 28 million citations and abstracts for articles published in approximately 8,400 journals in medicine, life sciences, health administration, veterinary medicine, nursing, molecular biology and genetics. PubMed is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine on the NCBI platform.
•PubMed Tutorial & more
•Alerts/Automatic Updating Service (Saving & Managing Searches)
•NLM Searching PubMed with Mesh tri-fold handout [PDF]
•NLM PubMed Basics tri-fold handout [PDF]
The ERIC Database indexes and abstracts education and education related journals, studies and reports, with links to full-text studies and reports from 1993 forward.
Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA) abstracts and indexes the international literature in linguistics and related disciplines in the language sciences. The database covers all aspects of the study of language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. Complete coverage is given to various fields of linguistics including descriptive, historical, comparative, theoretical and geographical linguistics. The database provides abstracts of journal articles and citations to book reviews drawn from over 1,500 serials publications, and also provides abstracts of books, book chapters, and dissertations.
Containing over 235,000 records, Communication Abstracts covers major journals in communication, mass media, and other closely-related fields of study to create a research and reference resource that encompasses the breadth of the communication discipline.
Related: Communication Abstracts
Print edition of Communication Abstracts.
Covers current research focused on social work, human services, and related areas, including social welfare, social policy, and community development. Abstracts and indexes over 1,600 serials; covers journal articles, dissertations, and book reviews
An interdisciplinary database combined from Women Studies Abstracts (1984-present), Women's Studies Database (1972-present), New Books on Women and Feminism (1987-present), Women of Color and Southern Women (1975-present), and several major bibliographies.
If you have not found a particular reference in online databases, before manually entering the reference, you might want to see if Google Scholar has the citation. If so, keep in mind that the bibliographic data may be quite minimal or incomplete. You can "Import" Google Scholar references into EndNote but Google only allows importing of one record at a time.
Search for your topic in Google Scholar, click under the item you want on the link "Cite" and then choose "Import into EndNote". Below is a box that you can check off to "Remember my bibliography manager and show import links on search result pages." NOTE: Google does not send coding for the reference type (book chapter, conference etc.) so the record automatically goes to the "journal article" reference format. Scan carefully each imported record in case a reference type change is needed.
Annual 'handbook' with introductory and summary articles to the latest thinking on important and emerging issues in psychology. Includes substantial bibliographies.
PsyArXiv is a free preprint service for the psychological sciences, maintained by The Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science to facilitate the rapid dissemination of psychological research. It includes working papers, unpublished work, and articles under review (preprints).
JSTOR provides Full-Text access to back files of hundreds important scholarly journals in nearly 50 disciplines spanning the arts, humanities, social sciences and the sciences. Current issues are now included for selected titles. Holdings vary by journal. JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization established with the assistance of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Search interface to the fulltext of journals published by Sage, and subscribed to by the University Library, UC Davis. Contains over 400 titles. Particularly strong in the social sciences, (including cultural studies and management) material sciences, and health sciences. Database can be subdivided by subject "collection". Coverage varies by title.
Advanced search interface for nearly 1000 online journals published with the Routledge, Taylor & Francis, and Psychology Press imprints. Browse list of titles available. Disciplinary scope and coverage vary.
Full-text searchable database collection for Wiley eBooks and journals in the sciences, technology, medicine and social sciences. PLEASE NOTE: This collection does *not* include ALL books published by Wiley but selected titles. In particular, the publisher has chosen *not* to include textbooks in this package. Access for eBooks begins primarily with 2011. Those items available are marked with an unlocked lock icon.NEW books are added monthly.
Web database for scientific research that contains abstracts, tables of contents, and full text of articles in the sciences, technology, medicine and social sciences published by Elsevier.
Alan E. Kazdin
Call #: Shields Library Humanities/Social Sciences Reference BF31 .E52 2000 Lib Use Only
Publication Info: 2000
Published by the American Psychological Association, and Oxford University Press.
Irving B. Weiner; W. Edward Craighead
Call #: Shields Library Humanities/Social Sciences Reference BF31 .E52 2010 Lib Use Only
Publication Info: 2010
Authoritative coverage of the major area of psychology from selected experts. Contains substantial bibliogrpahies.
The scholarly study of children and young people is a relatively new multidisciplinary effort that spans multiple epistemologies and methodologies, making it challenging for students and scholars to stay informed. From psychology to labor rights, from ethics to education, Childhood Studies is one of the most active fields in academia today. It encompasses the meanings that adults place on children's innocence or competence, and interrogates the notion of childhood as a social category.
Oxford Bibliographies in Psychology is a ready, reliable resource for scholars and researchers, practitioners, teachers, and students to access classic, contemporary, and cutting edge scholarship in psychology, much of which is now available in online venues. Oxford Bibliographies in Psychology is a quick, comprehensive, and efficient source for exploring or staying current with the growing science of psychology.
Full-Text collection of neuroscience reference sources, and MIT Press books and journals in the brain and cognitive sciences.
Harold Pashler (Editor)
Call #: Shields Library Humanities/Social Sciences Reference BF441 .E53 2013 Lib Use Only
Publication Info: 2013
Published by SAGE this encyclopedia contains articles on psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience, as well as those on the topic of the Mind in the fields of philosophy, economics, anthropology, linguistics, computer science, molecular biology, education, and literature.
Ronald L. Jackson (Editor)
Call #: Shields Library Humanities/Social Sciences Reference BD236 .E42 2010 Lib Use Only
Publication Info: 2010
The two volumes of this encyclopedia seek to explore myriad ways in which we define ourselves in our daily lives. Comprising 300 entries, the Encyclopedia of Identityoffers readers an opportunity to understand identity as a socially constructed phenomenon.
Published by SAGE
Roy F. Baumeister (Editor); Kathleen D. Vohs (Editor)
Call #: Shields Library Humanities/Social Sciences Reference HM1007 .E53 2007 Lib Use Only
Publication Info: 2007
The Encyclopedia of Social Psychology includes more than 600 entries chosen by a diverse team of experts to comprise an exhaustive list of the most important concepts. A SAGE publication
George F. Koob (Editor-In-Chief); Michel Le Moal (Editor-In-Chief); Richard F. Thompson (Editor-In-Chief); Michel Le Moal (Editor-In-Chief)
Call #: ebook
Publication Info: 2010
Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience covers the foundation knowledge in the field as well as important research in all areas of Behavioral Neuroscience.
an EBook from Academic Press
William A. Darity
Call #: Shields Library Humanities/Social Sciences Reference H40.A2 I5 2008 Lib Use Only
Publication Info: 2007
Latest edition of a classic reference source. It is comprehensive and substantial in its coverage. On the same shelf, the library maintains both the 1968 and the 1930 editions for comparative purposes.
J.D Wright (Editor-In-Chief)
Call #: ebook
Publication Info: 2015
This Encyclopedia maps the social and behavioral sciences on a grand scale. In 26 volumes, 4,000 articles, it includes 90,000 bibliographic references as well as comprehensive name and subject indexes.


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1 $ Wiser Consumer Education, Inc.
Personal Financial Management Instruction
(aka Debtor Education)
Pre-Discharge Disclosure
1 $ Wiser's Personal Financial Management course, (aka Debtor Education), meets the Federal requirement for 2 hours of financial education before debts can be discharged. This course is sometimes referred to as the Pre-Discharge course.
When you register for this course, you will be required to provide a case number which has been assigned by the court when your Petition for Bankruptcy is filed. This case number, (YY-xxxxx), must be entered on your certificate of completion before the certificate can be issued. If you do not have a case number which has been issued by the court AFTER your case has been filed, (i.e. YY-xxxxx), you are taking the wrong course.
Instruction Over the Telephone
1 $ Wiser does not provide Debtor Education - Pre-Discharge Personal Financial Management Instruction over the telephone.
1 $ Wiser will make every effort to refer clients requiring instruction over the telepone to a Provider on the UST's list of approved providers who provides personal financial management instruction over the telephone.
The US Trustee's list of approved providers can be found at http://list-approved-providers-personal-financial-management-instructional-courses-debtor-education.
1 $ Wiser does not provide bilingual Debtor Education. 1 $ Wiser will make every effort to refer clients requiring bilingual instruction to a Provider on the UST's list of approved providers who provides personal financial management instruction in the language requested by the debtor student.
The US Trustee's list of approved providers can be found at http://list-approved-providers-personal-financial-management-instructional-courses-debtor-education.
The fee for 1 $ Wiser Debtor Education is $39.99. Payment may be made by debit card, credit card, or electronic check from this site during registration. Once the online course has been started, the registration fee is non-refundable. A fee of $3.00 will be charged for certificates of completion sent via U.S. Mail. A fee of $35.00 will be charged for certificates of completion sent via Overnight Delivery.
Due to requirements set by the Department of Justice - Executive Office of the United States Trustee, 1 $ Wiser does allow joint debtors to take Debtor Education together. To ensure we remain in full compliance with the rules under which we must operate, each individual must actively participate in completing the course with a score of 70% or better.
Ability to Pay
1 $ Wiser Debtor Education is offered to clients without regard to a client's ability to pay provided the client's attorney requests reduced fee or pro bono counseling. Clients applying for bankruptcy protection pro se (without an attorney) based upon total household income below 150% of the Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines or for any other reason must request reduced fee or pro bono instruction in writing. This request must be accompanied by the following documents:
- Name and email address of individual requesting reduced fee or fee wiaver
- Names, ages, and relationship to client/debtor of each members of the family or household
- Last 2 pay stubs for each adults (18 +) in the family or household or proof of public assistance
- Most current bank statement for each adults (18+) in the family or household
- Prior year's Federal Tax Return if item #2 is not available
Alternately, if the client has received a waiver of court filing fees for in forma pauperis debtors, a copy of the fee waiver from the court may be submitted and will justify pro bono counseling.
Send written request which includes your email address and supporting documents via E-Mail to email@example.com or fax to 1-940-687-9077.
All requests will be reviewed within 72 business hours of receipt.
Additional policy details may be obtained from 1 $ Wiser at 1-800-496-2440.
Instructor Qualifications
All 1 $ Wiser instructors have received in-depth training in 1 $ Wiser's program. They receive continuing education at least twice a year to keep current on changes in consumer financial issues in areas such as healthcare, credit cards, mortgages, etc. They are skilled at helping you understand the materials presented and help you apply the new skills in your life. Each instructor has the heart of a teacher and experience in accounting, financial planning, credit counseling, or personal financial management.
Course Schedule, Times, and Locations
1 $ Wiser provides Debtor Education only via the Internet with follow up live instruction via telephone or email. This online program may be taken at any time. Clients may log on and off any time, 24/7. The client may resume from any session if the course was not completed in one sitting.
Trained instructors will respond to all course communications within 24 hours. Within 3 business days of completion of the online consumer education with a test score of 70% or better, a Certificate of Completion will be emailed.
Impact on Credit Reports
No information gathered or the results of the Debtor Education course will be disclosed to any Credit Reporting Agency.
Attorney Access and Disclosure of Client Information
If you register and/or log in using an attorney's designated code, that attorney may have full access to the information you enter.This includes, but is not limited to all identification verification information entered, progress in the Debtor Education Course, test results, and copies of Certificates of Completion.
Client information may be disclosed to the United States Trustee in connection with the United States Trustee's oversight of 1 $ Wiser Consume Education, Inc., during investigation of complains, during on-site visits, or during quality of service reviews.
Consideration for Referrals
Neither 1 $ Wiser Consumer Education, Inc. nor any of its employees, agents, or partners, receives fees or other consideration for the referral of an individual to 1 $ Wiser's Debtor Education. Neither 1 $ Wiser Consumer Education, Inc. nor any of its employees, agents, or partners, pays any fees or other consideration for the referral of an individual to 1 $ Wiser's Debtor Education.
Certificate of Completion
Within three (3) business days of completion of the Debtor Education post test with a score of 70% or better, a Certificate of Completion will be issued via email to each client who registered and completed the course. 1 $ Wiser Consumer Education, Inc. files Debtor Education Certificates of Completion directly with the courts on behalf of debtor students.
Annual Review
The United States Trustee's Office has performed an annual review of 1 $ Wiser's Debtor Education, a personal financial management instructional course and no other services offered by 1 $ Wiser Consumer Education, Inc.
I have read and accept the terms specified in this Disclosure Notice


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Pipits & Wagtails (Motacillidae)
Members of this family are small, slimline, mostly ground-dwelling birds with long tails which are frequently wagged. Pipits are predominately brown and buff with variable amounts of streaking, and closely resemble the more robust larks. Wagtails are mostly larger, with longer tails and bolder marks. All species have long legs and are good walkers. Being largely insectivorous most species are, to a greater or lesser extent, migratory.
There are 54 species worldwide, mostly in the Old World. Eight species breed in Europe and several others are irregular migrants or vagrants.
Species seen but not photographed:


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Thank you for supporting indie publishing!
Yearning for adventure and beauty, longing for moment of peace, hoping for a breath of fresh air.
Announcing our 2020 Photography calendars, with stunning photos telling of these incredible precious and fragile places we call the wilderness of the West.
Few places in the world are as beautiful as Olympic National Park. Year round, the upper left corner of the contiguous United States inspires wanderlust and leaves visitors in awe with true wilderness beauty and the spring months are no exception. As the temperatures warm up and the delight hours grow longer, the snowpack in the rugged mountains begins to melt, helping transform the regions waterfalls, rivers and creeks into beautiful torrents of water. Roads reopen after months of being closed and the animals start to wander around with their new offspring. Whales migrate offshore, hikers return to once snow-covered trails and all seems right with the world. Spring in Olympic is an experience your soul deserves and a perfect way to kick start your year of adventures in the great outdoors.
Spring is finally upon us, ending what many will remember as the wettest, snowiest and wildest winter on record. Numerous lowland snow events, landslides, toppled trees and buckets of rain seemed to be a daily occurrence for the winter of 2016-17, dampening not just the ground, but also the mood of hikers, climbers and those hoping to reconnect with the wilderness around the region. For the past three months, the Pacific Northwest has been inundated with precipitation and short on sunlight, making for a well-deserved end to the darkest season of the year. While the Pacific Northwest did receive a fantastic snowpack, the majority of outdoor recreation enthusiasts are ready for the return of basking in the warmth from that rarely seen giant orangish-yellow globe. Finally, spring has sprung and we are ready to get outdoors and explore the gloriousness of this stunning season.
As the snow melts (we hope), the waterways around Olympic National Park become swollen with runoff, turning even the most mundane waterfall into a majestic cascades of cool, clean water. Waterfalls like Murhut Falls, Sol Duc Falls, Beaver Falls, Mineral Creek Falls, Merriman Falls and numerous other water falls around the peninsula will be incredible. You wont want to miss this. If you want to know the best waterfalls around, check out an article focusing on my 10 favorite easy access falls that I wrote a few years ago, or check out the 22 waterfalls listed on Olympic Peninsula Waterfall trail.
In March, April and the early parts of the month of May, the Washington Coast becomes a highway for 20,000+ Gray Whales migrating back to the cool waters of Alaska, with babies in tow. Swimming just 1/2 mile or less from the crashing waves on the rugged beaches of the Pacific Coast, the gray whales partake in not just an amazing migration, but also a chance for the millions who live with a few hours drive of the ocean to see these massive sea dwelling mammals. Stretching the entire length of the Washington Coast, the Whale Trail offers viewpoints, information and even activities during the peak whale watching season. Read more info on this incredible whale migration here.
Olympic National Park is America's 7th most-visited National Park, but the majority of visitors come during the months of July through September. During the spring months, most trails are relatively empty, though they might be a little but muddy. Spring allows a chance for hikers and backpackers to go see the melting ice in the high alpine lakes, watch avalanches tumble down the mountains near the Enchanted Valley and explore regions that were nearly impossible to reach during the snowy, winter months. Many accessible mountains will also become hike-able once the snow starts to melt, giving everyone a chance to stand on top of the majestic peaks of the Olympic Mountains. I suggest checking out Colonel Bob Peak above Lake Quinault. You'll still need rain gear and a sense of adventure, as well as being ready to climb over the downfall from the winter storms, but hiking on the mostly empty trails in spring will give you adventures to temporarily quench your wanderlust. Need a hike? How about 52?
One of the best parts of spring is the extra hour we add during daylight savings time. Instead of having to rush off the trails by 5PM, we can now stay out until after 7PM without a headlamp, giving us over 12 hours of light to wander the majestic paths around Olympic. The longer days mean we can push further into the backcountry, even on day hikes, while still giving us time to catch a pristine sunset over a river, lake or the rugged, wilderness coast. For those hoping to catch a stunning sunset, I have an article on my old site that gives 10 awesome sunset locations in the Olympics. This isn't a total list, but it will definitely help those new to the region in experiencing a sunset that might just change your life.
Spring in Olympic means an increase in wildlife sightings, as the elk, deer, mountain goats, marmots and bears all start to get back into their warm weather behaviors. Around early April, bears will become active in the backcountry, while mountain goats, elk and deer start to have their adorably cute babies. The marmots, who live in the higher elevations, will become active in late spring once the snow has melted, breaking the silence of the wilderness with their piercing whistles. Birds will be chirping in the old growth trees while the forest floor will become a freeway for the banana slugs and beetles. Later in the spring, the first of the wildflowers will start to appear, adding a fragment aroma to nearly every trail. The higher elevations will see avalanche lilies and beargrass, transforming the already gorgeous Olympic alpine into a wonderland of beautiful flora.
If all goes as planned, more and more roads will be opening up in Olympic National Park. Now that the major snow events have passed, access to areas long designated as foot traffic only ill be car accessible, helping you and your hiking friends push further into the incredible wilderness of Olympic National Park. The road to Hurricane Ridge is rumored to open daily on March 27th, while the Sol Duc road is scheduled to finally reopen on March 24th. Later in the spring/summer, once the snow melts, the roads to Deer Park and Obstruction Ridge will open. Who knows, we might even see the Elwha's Whiskey Bend Road reopen! For more road and trail conditions, check out the Olympic National Park website, or subscribe to our Adventure Dispatch, which returns this spring! The Adventure Dispatch is a weekly recording covering the week's upcoming weather, road and trail conditions, and even highlights a hike of the week.


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Kelly's Cash
Kelly's Cash is a free rewards program that we offer to all our customers that is easy to enjoy. Once a customer joins, all their purchases are entered into our rewards database to accumulate points. For each dollar spent, a point is earned. For every 250 points accumulated, the customer receives a $10 Kelly's Cash Reward. This $10 can be used on anything in our store. It's a fun and enjoyable way for Kelly's Family Pharmacy to give back to our customers who patronize our store.
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Thanks for curating this great list. I am liking this community 🙂
{post} Valentine's Link-Up, Sharing The Love
~~Words We've Been Talking About {in the blogsphere}~~
1. This kind of brave make us want to face our own fears and tell them to buck up. "We'll call this a hit-and-run confession…{to read the rest go here} " ~~Seth Haines at Shawn Smucker's
2. Because there are vices and there ain't no shame in cursing them– Deidra's "Damn Vices".
3. This post here is truth all up in your business, so much so that it just might set you free over here at "The Narrow Gate" by Amber Haine's.
4. Conversation starters are good places for beginnings. And even though this conversation has been going on for over a decade now, Donald Miller's post keeps us on our toes. If we imagine the Spirit going with His people where 2 or 3 are gathered, this will stretch and challenge our traditional upbringing. But we are listening.
5. "If God Is Real, Then What?" by Jennifer Lee had us whooping and hollering a big, ol' "Yes!".
6. One of our own contributors, Duane Scott, talked about Heaven which got us to thinking. In his post this week of "What Heaven Will Be Like", we get a taste of something that makes us ache all the more for it.
~~Video's That Move and Shake Us~~
7. Glennon Doyle is "telling the story with her whole heart" {quote by Brene Brown} in this video about her troubles with addiction and being in a mental hospital.
8. An oldie but goodie from Rich Mullins
9. Marlon lives in Houston, known as a visual anthropologist and human adventurer who brings words to life, goes around the world with an interest in awakening communities. So of course, his vision fits right in with us.
~~New Places We've Been Watching~~
10. I know this one was for the girls, but dang it, there were some guys linking arms here too at the IF:Gathering in Austin. Guys, you do not know how much it means for us to see you supporting Jesus in us. But if you missed it and have Twitter, you can read the conversations here. #ifgathering
11. Another girl-y place but it's about telling brave stories at BraveGirl Community and well, who doesn't like brave stories and community?
~~Books We've Been Talking About~~
12. This one will make you dreamy over being creative. "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron
13. Of course one of our favorite peeps talking about art helping us see that life, lived fully, is the best kind of art in "A Million Little Ways" by Emily P. Freeman.
14. Barbara Brown Taylor continues her journey of faith outside the regular walls of buildings in "An Altar In the World: A Geography of Faith". Perhaps we can drop the fear and just listen to others about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?
15. One that never grows old for the tired and weary faith traveler is Brennan Manning's "The Ragamuffin Gospel".
5 Comments on "{post} Valentine's Link-Up, Sharing The Love"
Thanks for joining us, if you're here, you are our community. 🙂
… mmm … much to savor and ponder here …


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Diamond Grinding
This is a process whereby the floor is grinded down with a heavy rotary machine which has diamond pads attached to it.
Our strong working relationship with many of Los Angeles' best general contractors, designers, architects and our dedication to our customers and our craft, places Stone Restoration Los Angeles at the top of many residential and commercial projects.
This is a process whereby the floor is grinded down with a heavy rotary machine which has diamond pads attached to it.
Protect and seal by applying a surface treatment to retard staining and corrosion.
Honing is the process of smoothing the stone with the use of abrasives. Polishing is defined as placing a high reflective finish on the surface of the stone.
Crystallization is a process in which a steel wool pad is used in combination with a weighted floor machine and acid solution to bring a polish to stone floors.
Any repairs necessary from chips and scratches to marks and rings to cracks.
Lippage removal can eliminate some of your worst scratches and floor stains.
Crack repair applications include injecting epoxy under pressure into the cracks to permanently 'weld' them back together to restore the monolithic strength of the substrate.
Pressure washing is done with a high pressured mechanical sprayer to remove mold, grime, dust, mud, and dirt.
Polished concrete is concrete that has been treated with a chemical densifier and ground with progressively finer grinding tools.
Gind a layer of concrete to reveal a fresh face of concrete beneath the dirt.
Restore any concrete floor to shine like never before.
Repair cracks and inconsistancies for a smooth finish.
Restore any brick or tile pavement.
Sand a layer of pavement to reveal a layer free of dirt.
Reseal to protect and shine. Make your pavement look like never before.
Vinyl is a "resilient" flooring, meaning it's soft texture has a little "give" when you walk on it, making it a good working floor you can stand on for hours.
Stone Restoration Los Angeles has been solving residential and business needs for over 25 years! We are a third generation business, operating since 1948. We were founded in 1979, and entered the Los Angeles market in 1988. Stone Restoration Los Angeles has exploded during the past 5 years as our reputation for quality workmanship and competitive prices has reached new heights. We are licensed, bonded and insured professionals. Our strong working relationship with many of Los Angeles' best general contractors, designers, architects and dedication to our customers and our craft, places Stone Restoration Los Angeles at the top for many residential and commercial projects. Read More


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Monday through Friday
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March 2009 | Volume 66 | Number 6
Literacy 2.0
James Angelo, Kay Conners and Tara Helkowski
When Auburn Middle School teachers freed students to use digital tools, both communication and critical thinking took off.
Wesley stretches across the hallway floor. His well-worn hoodie expresses his loyalty to the Steelers, and his posture conveys complete absorption. He is immersed in his own world of writing, synthesizing, and creating. Earbuds in place, multiple windows open on his laptop, he responds to a classmate's blog post. Toggling to a streaming video, he cuts and pastes this just-right piece of media into his work. "Perfect," he chuckles to himself.
The student's history teacher approaches. She peers over his shoulder at the screen to make sure this learner is where he is supposed to be online—and not where he's forbidden to be because it might distract from the research he's chosen to pursue. She smiles: "Time to save your work now. The bell's about to ring."
Scenes like this are typical of some—although not all—classes at Auburn Middle School in Fauquier County, Virginia. Students interact with knowledge and information not through textbooks and worksheets, but with a laptop and the online world. In that interaction, they are enthusiastically exploring and creating knowledge. But it wasn't always this way at Auburn.
Five years ago, Auburn's administrators, and many teachers, would have looked at this scene and questioned the teacher's classroom management skills. We at Auburn thought we knew what "good teaching" looked like. It was almost formulaic. The teacher would begin class with something to "hook" the kids, provide direct instruction that included discussion or guided practice, then assign kids to work independently or in groups, and finally close the lesson by asking pointed questions.
Teachers who were comfortable with technology might use a PowerPoint presentation or import graphics, photographs, or streaming videos to share with students during direct instruction. But having students sprawled on the floor, viewing videos and sending online communications through individual laptops wouldn't have fit the formula, and many would have doubted how much learning was taking place. Now we hope to routinely see this kind of classroom scene. Now we get it.
If educators want to motivate students, we must present them with tasks that arouse their curiosity and are challenging yet manageable (Marzano, 2003). When we ask ourselves what adolescent students find meaningful, what piques their interest, and how they spend their time, there is no denying that digital technology is a central answer to each of these questions. But how can we use technology to support student learning? In an age when text-messaging shortcuts (LOL, OMG) and emoticons are replacing sentences, many educators fear technology is diminishing literacy.
In fact, new technologies may spur students to read and write in their free time. But a disconnect exists between students' perceptions of literacy activities in school and at home. The College Board's National Commission on Writing and PEW Internet's 2008 research study found that, although 93 percent of students report writing for pleasure outside of school (including blogging, texting, e-mailing, and old-fashioned personal journal writing), 60 percent don't think of these communications as writing (Arefeh, Lenhart, Macgill, & Smith, 2008).
The digital literacy activities our students crave—if done with guidance—might strengthen their writing and enhance new skills they will need for life success. In a recent survey, 99 percent of respondents said that teaching 21st-century skills (defined as collaborative problem solving, critical thinking, self-direction, effective communicating, and facility with computers and technology) is important to the United States' future economic success (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007). And 80 percent said that students need to learn different kinds of skills now than they did just 20 years ago. The new century will also require higher-order literacy skills, including synthesizing information from a variety of sources and analyzing it for accuracy and relevance.
So how do we make the connection between the writing and critical thinking students are doing outside of school, mostly online, and the work teachers are trying to persuade them to do in school? That's where Wesley's work, described in the opening paragraph, comes in. When we give students freedom to discover meaning through digital presentations, podcasts, and online discussions centered on course content—formats they respond to—we help them improve literacy and thinking skills.
Consider an interdisciplinary unit that Auburn students engage in that connects reading Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl in English class with studying the Holocaust in World Geography class. Each student creates a digital presentation that reflects that student's understanding of the Holocaust, incorporating music and quotes from Frank's diary or other accounts of Holocaust survivors. First, students extensively research World Wars I and II, which helps them understand world conditions at that time and how the world reacted to Germany. Following up with research specific to the Holocaust enables students to synthesize what they learn about the worldwide climate with what they learn from reading primary sources about Nazi Germany and concentration camps.
Teachers involved with this unit guide students in how to evaluate online sources and conduct Web-savvy research. Students look at multiple sources to determine sources' credibility and to consider how each piece of information will enrich their audience's understanding. Their research may involve viewing video clips, but rather than passively watching something the teacher thinks is important, students actively seek out and evaluate videos. Appropriate citation is expected, so students carefully record where they found information and credit their sources.
Once they have completed their research, students choose quotes and music to match their intended tone and write a storyboard showing what each screen in their digital presentation will include. Each student records his or her voice reading chosen excerpts, matches each reading with appropriate photographs and music, and finally edits the piece.
This assignment motivates students particularly because, on completing it, they present their digital creations to their classmates and often a visiting administrator or resource specialist rather than just their teacher. Presentations are posted on the school's Web site for parents to view. Beyond just showing a PowerPoint, students engage their audiences by making connections between their research (which reflects the facts) and the supporting quotes and media they've selected (which reflects their learning). These presentations are more than just a collage; they reflect each student's thesis supported by carefully chosen writing and media. The knowledge these students gain by researching their topic and sharing what they discover with classmates is far deeper than what they would learn through traditional teaching and assessments.
This digital presentation project enables students to practice two of the four cognitive skills that Mel Levine (2007) considers essential for successful adulthood:
Another literacy 2.0 activity that promotes thinking and writing skills is podcasting. On the surface, a podcast has nothing to do with writing or critical thinking; it's simply a recording of someone reading a script. But the process of crafting that script draws on sophisticated skills. In making a podcast for a geography class at Auburn, for example, each student selects a location or event relevant to the country the class is studying, conducts research, and writes a script.
Converting their research notes into a polished script poses a challenge. Students have told teachers that the greatest challenge comes from not being able to use visual images to communicate. When they are pushed to make words do the work, students often find—on listening to the first versions of their podcasts—that they haven't translated the pictures they had in their minds into words. Their dissatisfaction pushes them to edit their scripts repeatedly.
In some classrooms, teachers assign students to respond to posts (thought-provoking messages or questions to the class) that the teacher, and occasionally a student, writes on Blackboard, a class online discussion board. Responding to posts has expanded class discussions for both teacher and students. Communication has shifted from a teacher monologue to a dialogue because students are more motivated to contribute to an online class discussion. No matter how hard educators practice wait time, differentiated questioning, and debate tactics to generate discussion in a classroom, some students don't participate. Online posts, however, enable students to think through an issue and craft responses at their own pace. Even our most introverted students step up and speak if given the opportunity to write a post.
Homework completion rates can be a struggle at Auburn as at any middle school, but students don't shirk online exchanges; for instance, all students complete 100 percent of required responses to teacher posts in Kay Conners's World Geography classes. Kay communicates clear expectations for the writing connected to student posts. Students must write formally (without "instant messaging" shortcuts), stay on topic, and agree and disagree with opinions without attacking a person.
Students take these assignments seriously and show high levels of insight. Some include hyperlinks in their posts that support their positions. In nearly three years of using online discussion boards at Auburn, there has never been an incident of inappropriate use.
Teachers at Auburn who have welcomed digital literacy activities into their classrooms have moved from being traditional instructors to facilitators, and they have received great support from the school's instructional technology resource teacher and library media specialist. These staff members work behind the scenes, collaborate with willing teachers, advocate for increased student use of technology, and identify online resources and software that integrate technological applications into instruction well.
For most teachers, getting to the kind of scenario described in the beginning of this article takes hard work—planning, rethinking previously taught lessons, and making time to collaborate with the technology or media resource specialist. It takes willingness to relinquish control and allow students to take charge of their own learning. But it's worth the work. Once kids are given the chance to take charge, they become motivated by their own creativity and pride in their work.
In those Auburn classrooms in which students learn through digital exploration, the culture has changed. Enthusiastic "anywhere learning" has become the norm and collaboration routine. Social barriers crumble as kids who wouldn't consider interacting in the cafeteria work together to offer advice on the usefulness of a video clip. But skilled teachers setting up good learning conditions are still at the heart of all this.
A teacher using technology to support student learning is like a composer creating a symphony. The composer uses every element of the music—the notes, the instruments, the silence—intentionally. A conductor doesn't include a viola just because he or she likes it, but because it fits.
We must view digital applications in the same way. Any technology in itself is not a teaching strategy; it is a vehicle that can enable students to sharpen writing, editing, and research skills and work at their own pace. When teachers use such vehicles well, they shift from merely bringing knowledge to students to empowering students to make knowledge their own.
Arefeh, S., Lenhart, A., Macgill, A., & Smith, A. (2008). Writing, technology, and teens. Washington, DC: Pew Internet an American Life Project. Available:
Levine, M. (2007). The essential cognitive backpack. Educational Leadership, 64(7), 16–22.
Marzano, R. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2007). Beyond the three Rs: Voter attitudes toward 21st century skills. Tuscon, AZ: Author. Available:
James Angelo (firstname.lastname@example.com) is the former principal of Auburn Middle School in Warrenton, Virginia, and is now Director of Middle and Secondary Instruction with Frederick County Schools in Winchester, Virginia. Kay Conners (email@example.com) is Head of the Social Studies Department and
Tara Helkowski (firstname.lastname@example.com) is an instructional technology resource teacher at Auburn Middle School.
Copyright © 2009 by Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
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BRING IT! Performance Art Series with Eric Parren
Come explore E. coli bacteria, the humble organisms with whom we share a symbiotic relationship! Gut Feeling investigates the boundaries of microcinematography and live cinema performance by using imagery from an advanced optical microscope and by employing building blocks of the promising field of synthetic biology as the content of an audiovisual adventure. Experience a rare, immersive view of microorganisms through time-lapse microscopy footage of genetically modified E. coli bacteria, at more than a hundred thousand times their original size. This project was made possible with the support of the California NanoSystems Institute and the University of California Institute for Research in the Arts.


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I have been alluding to a big project that I have been involved in for a few weeks and today I am ready to make the announcement of my new partnership Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield. I am happy to announce that I get to blog with a team called Real Health for the next year where I will get to share my personal health story for the next year alongside 5 other awesome bloggers!!!
The Real Health Team: Me, Phyllis, R.J., Rosemary, Harold and Kath.
I am hoping that this partnership will help me to be able to motivate and inspire many more people to be healthier. My story begins with my road to the NYC Marathon but will continue beyond the marathon focusing on balancing health, fitness, motherhood, work and life in general. Finding time to be healthy can be a challenge but I want to spend the year mastering the fine art of balance and I hope you will all join me on this journey.
I am so excited to be a part of Real Health and cannot wait to see where the next year brings us all!!! Check out our introductory video:
My posts are scheduled to go live every Friday on the Real Health website and I hope you will join me on this journey!! While you are there be sure to check out the posts from the rest of my team too!


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Craig Ludtke thought he'd work in his family's grain elevator business forever. Little did he know that he'd actually create a new family business that is the exclusive commodities trader and risk management provider for the nation's largest ethanol producer.
It's second nature for Craig Ludtke to incorporate the values that are commonly associated with small yet successful family-owned businesses — values like honesty, integrity and old-fashioned common sense — into his work as President of Albert Lea, Minn.-based POET Risk Management. After all, Ludtke started his career working for his father's grain elevator business, and a few decades later employs his own two kids, Marcus and Mollee, at POET Risk Management.
"It's been fun having my kids work for me," Ludtke says. "When I first started out I thought the family grain elevator business was what I would always do, and I didn't have any vision that my kids would want to be in that."
But a different career path was in store for Ludtke. He ran the family business — Clarks Grove Elevator Company — for 15 years before leasing the elevator to Peavey/ConAgra and spending a decade working for Peavey, where he managed the company's inland grain elevators in Minnesota and Iowa and oversaw its Midwest rail trading office, rail positions and rail trading activities. Then, 11 years ago, Ludtke formed his own company and became the exclusive commodities trader and risk management provider for POET. Soon after Ludtke ventured out on his own, first Marcus and then Mollee came on board with him — additions that surprised and pleased him.
"The fun part is that I get to see them every day," Ludtke says. "The biggest challenge is to keep work separate from the personal side."
Son Marcus, now the Head Trader at the seven-employee POET Risk Management, says his dad is a great role model who has established a stellar reputation and track record in a complex field.
"People trust him, is what it comes down to. He has a high sense of integrity," Marcus says.
POET Risk Management is responsible for forecasting future prices of corn and other commodities, and trading those commodities to maximize and protect the best margins possible for the POET ethanol plants, a difficult task during a recent period of unprecedented volatility in the corn and other commodities markets.
"I knew my dad would teach me more in a year than I would've learned in 20 years at a big company," says Marcus, noting that his dad graduated from college with a teaching degree. "He's so patient, and he'll stop what he's doing to make every day a teaching moment even when he's busy."
It makes no difference whether Ludtke is teaching a new employee or a top POET executive the ins-and-outs of the complex realm of commodities trading.
Jeff Lautt, POET's Executive Vice President of Corporate Operations, remembers sitting in on Ludtke's annual risk management seminar during his first year with the company.
"It only took me two hours into the program to realize that risk management is a lot more complicated than I had realized," Lautt says with a chuckle. "I gained a whole new respect for it in just a couple of hours… I remember thinking 'this guy is brilliant; he has a phenomenal amount of knowledge.'"
Brad Nelson, a corn and soybean farmer who has known Ludtke for 35 years and is on the board of POET Glenville, near Albert Lea, Minn., also respects his longtime friend and colleague's "very sharp" business sense.
"Craig has done a lot of forecasting over the years of where the business might be headed and what the margins might be. And a few months later, it's pretty much what he says… That's what makes him good. He's got a good head on his shoulders and thinks things through. He doesn't shoot from the hip. He knows what the facts and numbers are," Nelson says. In addition, "he's as honest as the day is long, and he works really hard at what he does."
As POET has grown from a very small business to the largest ethanol producer in the nation in the last 11 years, Ludtke "has never really skipped a beat," Lautt notes. Ludtke himself takes special pride in POET Risk Management's adaptability to this staggering growth.
"POET is 30 times bigger today than when I started with [POET CEO] Jeff [Broin]. Being able to keep pace with skill, size and knowledge base, and being able to change and evolve our business to fit Jeff's ever more complex business model is probably our biggest accomplishment," Ludtke says.
To put the company's growth in perspective, POET had three ethanol plants at the time Ludtke was hired, and had only consumed 18 million bushels of corn annually, Ludtke estimates. Eleven years later, the company has 26 ethanol plants and consumes over 500 million bushels each year.
The high volume of commodities Ludtke trades, not to mention the volatility in the corn markets, doesn't phase Ludtke one iota.
"In trading commodities, it's like you've got a batting average. You're going to be wrong sometimes and you're going to be right sometimes. What you have to do is have a high batting average," Ludtke says. "You have to be fluid, able to change and always looking for the next opportunity. That's how you create a winning percentage. As long as you use the philosophy that every change in the market creates opportunity, then you'll approach our business correctly."
POET executives concur that Ludtke's batting average is exceptional.
"Since Craig has come to POET, we have regularly out-performed the competition in the area of risk management. His batting average is very high," says POET Chief Executive Officer Jeff Broin. "Craig has an innate ability to analyze risk portfolios and to create risk management solutions for those situations. His decades of experience in both managing grain elevators and trading large volumes of grain on the Chicago Board of Trade are extremely valuable to POET and our investors," Broin says.
In addition to excelling in his job with POET Risk Management, Ludtke is a "valuable" member of POET's Board of Directors, Broin says.
"He's an all-around great guy to be around. He's always positive, and always willing to tackle any situation that's ahead of him with a great attitude and a smile."
No doubt his nearest and dearest colleagues — his family — would agree.


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This spiritual novel by Moritsch (The Soul of Yosemite, 2012) tells interweaving stories of wolves and their human advocates.
In December 2013, Sage McAllister lives in a log cabin on a privately owned tract of land in Yosemite National Park. One night, two adult gray wolves appear on her deck. Sage is a former biologist with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, so she knows that the last wolf in California was killed in 1924, making her new visitors quite miraculous. Even more incredible, the wolves speak to her, introducing themselves as Tish and Issa. They explain that they approached her because she's a writer and they want their story told. In order to help her better record their journey, the wolves gently nip the back of her neck and bring her consciousness into "Wolf Time," allowing her to take mental excursions into their past. Meanwhile, 11-year-old Blue is about to join Idaho's hunting culture at the behest of his Uncle Marshall, even though the boy and his 7-year-old sister, Sunny, respect animals and find them beautiful. The siblings discover a wolf den near their house and bring home a sickly, abandoned pup. Can their love for the wolves spread to the ranchers, hunters, and others like Uncle Marshall who seek to exterminate the species? The book eventually connects several characters through a spiritual network that includes deceased wolves and humans who realize that "once fear moves out of a person, compassion can move in." Ecologist Moritsch delivers an advocacy narrative that initially feels playful. Its use of talking animals will broaden its appeal to middle-grade audiences. Its dreamy prose and shocking statistics, though, will draw in teens and adults; during Sage's transition to Wolf Time, for example, she says that "It felt as if I descended a long distance...floating backwards down a spiral staircase." Moritsch goes on to inform readers that in the last century, there have only been two humans allegedly killed by wolves (in 2005 and 2010); domestic dogs, however, "kill between twenty and thirty people every year," the book notes.
An endearing, if sometimes painful, read for animal lovers and a wake-up call for everyone else.


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What an Axle Supplier in Fargo Needs to Serve Trailer Manufacturers
Having access to the right trailer will often make particular jobs easier, and this means that there will always be demand for the services of those who can provide them. While many trailers on the roads today are of standard, mass-produced kinds, smaller manufacturers do plenty of important work, as well. Typically taking orders from clients who have more specialized needs than large suppliers could account for, these small trailer companies deliver products that often make a big difference for their customers.
Having access to the necessary materials at all times is one way to which companies of this kind can be sure of always living up to the expectations of their clients. While raw materials like steel, aluminum and wood will generally be important, finished parts often matter every bit as much. The vast majority of the nation's trailer companies rely fairly extensively, in fact, upon access to items like axles in their finished forms.
In many cases, the kinds of relationships that a company is able to build will make or break it. Working with an Axle Supplier in Fargo like the one online at Pioneerwheel.com, for instance, will allow a trailer company to respond more reliably and effectively to the needs of its clients. Instead of having to worry about whether axles of a particular layout or capacity will be readily available, the trailer manufacturer can be confident of having access to whatever might be needed for any upcoming project.
An Axle Supplier in Fargo that hopes to live up to such responsibilities will have to do plenty of work on its own part. For one, it will need to maintain healthy stocks of axles of a variety of kinds, accounting for a range of possible requirements with its inventories at all times. For another, it must be able to deliver quickly and consistently, because every delay or failure will reflect poorly on its customers in their dealings with their own clients.
For those suppliers that live up to these standards, though, plenty of demand is likely to await. With the nation's many smaller trailer companies doing so much important work themselves, those they count on for their own supplies can easily stand to benefit.


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According to The Los Angeles Times, "X-Men: First Class" finished at number one in the weekend box office game, but its $56 million domestic gross gives some in the industry pause. While it beats the first "X-Men" film's opening take, it pales in comparison to "X-Men 3: The Last Stand's" debut at $105.9 million. The LA Times article states the film, directed by Matthew Vaughn, cost something in the neighborhood of $160 million to make. Twentieth Century Fox, the studio that produces the "X-Men" series suggests the soft reboot nature of the film kept moviegoers at bay.
"This is also the first "X-Men" film that does not star recognizable A-lister Hugh Jackman -- although the actor has a brief cameo in the film," the Times writes. "Instead, it features an ensemble cast of lesser-known but still critically acclaimed actors like independent film star Michael Fassbender, British actor James McAvoy and recent best actress nominee Jennifer Lawrence." It seems, as in comics, Wolverine is the best at what he does ... and what he does is inspire people to open their wallets.
With the overseas gross bringing the final weekend tally to $120 million, the film is well on its way to earning back its production cost. The Times article notes the "X-Men" movies are popular in foreign markets. Despite the press surrounding "First Class'" weekend take seeming oddly negative, not all is lost in the superhero movie sweepstakes. "Thor" opened with $65.7 million, a number that made Marvel Studios and distributor Paramount happy. To date, the film -- which also features plenty of fresh faces -- has made $427 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The summer also has three more comic book-based properties to battle at the box office with "Green Lantern" due for release on June 17 and "Captain America: The First Avenger" and "Cowboys & Aliens" out in July.


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The Starfish Story
A young man is walking along the ocean and sees a beach on which thousands and thousands of starfish have washed ashore.
Further along he sees an old man, walking slowly and stooping often, picking up one starfish after another and tossing each one gently into the ocean.
"Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?," he asks.
"Because the sun is up and the tide is going out and if I don't throw them further in they will die."
"But, old man, don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it! You can't possibly save them all, you can't even save one-tenth of them.
In fact, even if you work all day, your efforts won't make any difference at all."
The old man listened calmly and then bent down to pick up another starfish
and throw it into the sea.
"It made a difference to that one."
Version 2
An old man had a habit of early morning walks on the beach. One day, after a storm, he saw a human figure in the distance moving like a dancer. As he came closer he saw that it was a young woman and she was not dancing but was reaching down to the sand, picking up a starfish and very gently throwing them into the ocean.
"Young lady," he asked, "Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"
"The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if I do not throw them in they will die."
"But young lady, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it? You cannot possibly make a difference."
The young woman listened politely, paused and then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves, saying,
"It made a difference for that one."
The old man looked at the young woman inquisitively and thought about what she had done. Inspired, he joined her in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and all the starfish were saved.
There are many versions of this story above are two.
© Cathy Brown 1998 - 2019


text:
This elegant Console Vanity is compact in size and ideal for any small bathroom or powder room. It's made of durable 16 Gage 316L Stainless Steel and comes with a reinforced acrylic composite sink with matching rectangular chrome overflow cover.
Included in the price:
- Reinforced Acrylic Composite Sink with Overflow
- Stainless Steel Console for Durability and Longevity
- 16 Gauge, 316L Construction Console
- Durable Reinforced Acrylic Composite Sink
- Matching Rectangular Chrome Overflow Cover
- Dimensions: 35"H x 29.5"W x 18.75"D
- Weight: 145 lbs
KubeBath company was founded with a vision to develop products based on the concept of sustainability. Their dedication to those principles, and philosophy of manufacturing with the lowest possible impact on the environment, while using the most advanced technologies, has made their company a reference point for the bathroom industry.
Shipping Policy
We offer FREE shipping on all orders delivered by FedEx Ground & FedEx Freight.
We do not ship to PO Boxes.
Full insurance is included in all shipments.
Tracking number(s) will be provided by the email supplied 1-2 business days* after the date of the order is placed and after which:
- Items shipped FedEx Ground will take 2-4 business days* after processing date.
- Items shipped FedEx Freight will take 3-5 business days* after processing date
Free shipping applies to 48 contiguous states. Free shipping offer does not apply to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guan, Northern Marina Islands, United States Virgin Islands, any outlining mainland USA islands or any international destination including Canada. However, we will work with private parties/shipping proxies for shipments outside our normal shipping range mentioned above (including Alaska, Hawaii, Outlining mainland USA Islands, Canada, etc) if pre-arranged by the customer. We will NOT honor returns for shipments outside of our normal shipping range.
Please message [email protected] should you have any questions related to out of zone shipping.
*These are estimated time intervals and are dependent on Ship To location


text:
Children's Advice & Support Service
The Children's Advice and Support Service(CASS) is the way citizens and professionals in Birmingham access support, advice, information, report a concern about a child and make contact with their allocated Social Worker.
CASS offers early support from a range of partners and a wide range of services.
Ring 0121 303 1888 for:
- Information for families
- School admissions and pupil placements
- Discussing concerns for a child or family and receive Early Help advice on thresholds and pathways
- Support from the Early Help Support Team
- Support to complete an Early Help Assessment
- Booking onto your local Early Help Panel
- Family Support and Think Family
- Accessing MASH to report/discuss your safeguarding concern for a child. MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) is a multi-agency team which co-locates key safeguarding agencies including professionals from social care, police, health and education to better identify risks and improve decision making, interventions, and outcomes.
To report a concern about a child or request Intensive Family Support, please see form and guidance here.
Reviewed: 29.09.16