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Several years ago we offered 'the last shootout in Madera Canyon,' a hummingbird shoot that we expected would be our last. Well, we lasted a year of sitting out this wonderful area of the country before returning, and renewing our hummingbird shoots in southern Arizona. Last year, because of a committment to visit SE Asia to photograph orangutans, Komodo dragons, and other animals, we missed doing a hummingbird photo shoot, but returning this year more than made up for the lapse. It was, almost certainly, the best hummingbird shoot we've ever had in Madera Canyon.
Digital shooting offered such advantages. Although all of our photographers use our flash equipment and setups, having digital allowed everyone the freedom and peace of mind to move props and to rearrange sets to their own particular aesthetics. Props were easily moved -- flowers and plants in bottles move easily on a table -- and the lighting could be checked as easily as simply taking a shot and reviewing the LCD image and the histogram. It made making images so much easier and effective -- everyone loved it.
Species diversity was reduced this year, and only three species visited our feeders, but these did so on a regular basis and I do not believe anyone missed getting shots of all three - the Broad-billed, the Magnificent, and the Black-chinned. Right before we started the shoot a pair of Broad-tailed Hummingbirds visited one of our sets, and upon the conclusion of the shoot I found the nest of a huge Blue-Throated Hummingbird, but both species avoided our feeders during the shoot. Nonetheless, the opportunities that these three species provided were incredible, and by Day 3 of the four day shoot virtually everyone could have stopped if they had to -- they certainly had captured the images!
Relatively few photographers offer hummingbird photo shoots because of the equipment required. If participants bring their own, then those photographers must have a sufficient number of flashes, slaves, cords, light stands, etc. to make an effective lighting set. If one only plans on photographing hummingbirds once or twice in their lifetimes (doubtful, once you've done it well), the equipment and cash outlay involved makes the endeavor somewhat prohibitive. If you don't have that equipment, then it must be provided, and that represents a huge outlay if it's done right. Few photographers want to invest that type of money.
Further, as I point out to our participants on the first day of orientation, attempting to shoot hummingbirds by yourself, with just one set at a hummingbird-rich area is extremely counter-productive. Hummers are somewhat territorial and certainly birds of habit, and if their traditional feeders are available birds have little reason to look for others, or to visit your feeder that might be partially blocked by a battery of flash units. One could quite easily spend an entire week manning one flash setup and not have a single bird because all of the hummers are attracted to the feeders already established. That doesn't happen on our shoots for a variety of reasons, so photographers are assured of getting action.
As I said a moment ago in an earlier paragraph, we supply the equipment for these shoots, and all a photographer needs to do is arrive on site with the appropriate lens, camera, and tripod and start shooting. However, to give you an idea of what's involved, here's a sampling of the equipment WE USED for the five flash setups we provided. Each setup had at least three flash units, and most had four. The flash equipment included:
Four Sunpak 544 flashes, 12 Vivitar 385 flashes, and 8 Fotronix High Speed Flash units. Additionally, backup was needed for each set so that, in a worse case scenario, everything could be replaced. So, as backup, I had another six Sunpak 544 flashes, 4 Vivitar 385s, 6 Sunpak 285s, 4 Metz 600 series flashes, 5 Nikon SB units, and 5 Canon 550 flashes.
Additionally, I had along 30 Bogen Magic Arms, Variable Friction Magic Arms, or Articulating Arms, 8 portable light stands, 3 Studio Poles, 15 Bogen Flex Arms of heavy and light duty style, six mini-tripods, and 12 Wimberley PLAMPS for fine-tuning flower setups. We had a large variety of slave units to trip the flashes -- including about 12 Peanut Slaves, 15 Wein hot-shoe slaves, and 2 Quantum Master Slave Units. 15 ballheads for fine-tuning lights, PC cords for connecting flashes, accessories PC cords for attaching to multi-PC blocks, etc. etc. were involved, as well as about 30 pounds of paper that comprised our backgrounds.
The net result, however, was some mighty fine flash photography using high speed flash. However, we also had some great luck with other subjects as well, and photographers that put in the effort and were just a tiny bit lucky had great shots of Elegant Trogon, Elf Owls, Whiskered Owls, Scott's Orioles, and Western Tanagers. Nearly everyone obtained great images of birds attracted to our natural light setups -- including Mexican gray-breasted jays, black-headed grosbeaks, lesser goldfinches, pine siskins, house finches, acorn and Arizona woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, bridled titmice, yellow-eyed juncos, lazuli buntings, and chipping sparrows. I know I'm missing a couple of species.
We set up a whole collection of natural light sets that are available for people at any time of day when they're not manning a hummingbird set. These are positioned to take advantage of both afternoon and morning light and, because we feed the birds regularly, we'll have some that grow incredibly tame. Two of the most rewarding experiences this year involved these sets. At one, a Scott's oriole would announce its presence by singing, which 'conditioned' us to provide mealworms to one of several mealworm feeders we had set up. Nearby, another one of these feeders attracted a white-breasted nuthatch that was nesting nearby, and that bird would fly down and eat while we stood only three feet away! The other 'neat' experience, however, involved the acorn woodpeckers -- colorful harlequin birds that grew so tame that they'd fly to us as we baited our setups and wait within arm's reach. The Mexican jays would do likewise, but they were such robbers, and gluttons, that they didn't endear us as the woodpeckers did.
This year we located a very easy-to-photograph Bridled Titmouse nest, and a few of us were lucky enough to be there when the bird conducted its most active feeding. That same species visited three natural light feeders, offering fleeting chances for photographers that were ready. An elf owl nested nearby as well, and in the evening it would clamber to the edge of its nest hole, offering some great chances for shooting this, the smallest of America's owls. I went for a Whiskered Screech Owl search, and had luck one evening, and, inspired by the work and the luck of participants on our last shoot, on my last full day in the Canyon, I hunted successfully for Elegant Trogons. Three pairs of these beautiful, sedentary, colorful birds wandered through the sycamore-lined canyon and we'd hear them almost daily. For those making an effort, it's not too hard to get shots.
As we had years ago, a Pocket Gopher made an appearance, and as this subterrean mammal never encounters people, it was quite tame and literally crawled out of its burrow and ate birdseed from my open palm. One night a Black Bear attempted to eat a snake I had rescued from the road, but fortunately that was the only time we had any 'bear problems'. Truly a highlight this year was a BOBCAT that passed through the canyon on at least two occasions, passing within 20 feet of a hiker one day! I almost got shots both times, but didn't .... but this showed me that it was indeed possible as bobcats in the canyon must be quite accustomed to people.
We had a few reptiles to photograph (I always purchase an Arizona hunting license that allows me to collect particular species), and this year we had several lizards, a western diamondback rattlesnake, and a western coachwhip snake for an afternoon's shoot. Great stuff.
There was one frustrating aspect to this entire stay in Madera Canyon, and that was that Mary and I simply didn't have enough personal time to actually enjoy the canyon and its wildlife for ourselves! Next year, we're actually planning to book in one week between a few of the shoots so that we can indeed hike, work on trogans and owls and bobcats and nesting hummers and flying hummers and visit the desert at night and explore new trails and ... well, you get the picture. We're very excited about the area, and it's why we call this shoot 'Hoot Hollow West,' as we consider it our second home.
We will be offering Three Hummingbird Photo Shoots in 2006 and Two Digital Complete Nature Photo Courses, and we anticipate they will fill fairly quickly. If you are interested, please contact our office to be placed on our 'first contact list' where you'll be notified as soon as we have the dates and prices set. It's a wonderful time.
At this time (May, 2005) we do not have our updated brochure for 2006 posted, but you can read this year's brochure, which should give you a good idea for what is being offered for next year.


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ARTICLE I. Name and Address
The name of this corporation shall be THE LGBTQ CENTER OF DURHAM, INC. The Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to collectively as "the Board" and individually as "Director(s)") may designate other names for specific activities and programs as it deems appropriate. The principal office shall be located at 114 Hunt St in Durham, North Carolina 27701.
ARTICLE II. Objectives
This 501(c)(3) corporation's purpose shall be to create a safe and inclusive community committed to supporting and celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer identified people in and around Durham: through programming, resources, and networks of support, by acting as a hub for Durham's LGBTQ community, and by sharing and affirming LGBTQ lived experiences.
ARTICLE III. Membership
The Corporation shall have no members.
ARTICLE IV. Board of Directors
ARTICLE V. Officers
ARTICLE VI. Staff
ARTICLE VII. Finances
No member of the Board of Directors, or any of its Committees, shall derive any personal profit or gain, directly or indirectly, by reason of their participation with the Corporation. Each individual shall disclose to the corporation any personal interest which they may have in any matter pending before the corporation and shall refrain from participation in any decision on such matter. Any member of the Board, any Committee, or Staff who is an officer, director, a committee member, or staff member of a client organization or vendor of the Corporation shall identify their affiliation with such agency or agencies; further, in connection with any committee or board action specifically directed to that agency, they shall not participate in the decision affecting that agency and the decision must be made and/or ratified by the majority of the Board. Any member of the Board, any Committee, Staff, and certain Consultants shall refrain from obtaining any list of clients for personal or private solicitation purposes at any time during the term of their affiliation.
ARTICLE IX. Parliamentary Procedures
Robert's Rules of Order shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure not specifically covered by these bylaws.
ARTICLE X. Amendments of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
The articles of incorporation and these bylaws may be amended, supplemented, or repealed by a two-thirds vote of the directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present. Before Directors may vote on an amendment to the charter or bylaws, notice must be given to directors of the proposed amendment at a prior meeting of the board, and in no case less than 30 days before the amendment is to be considered. These bylaws shall become effective upon approval by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE XI. Statement of Nondiscrimination
The corporation shall not discriminate against any person in the hiring of personnel, election of board members, provision of service to the public, the contracting for or purchasing of services or in any other way, on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, color, sex, national origin, disabling condition, age, or any other basis prohibited by law. This policy against discrimination includes, but is not limited to, a commitment to full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and any subsequent amendments to these statutes.
Approved: by unanimous vote ratified on 05-31-2015

subset: commoncrawl


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Helping With Depression In Your Life
If left untreated, depression can have serious consequences that can affect every aspect of your life. Some of the various symptoms are sadness, hopelessness, sleep issues, and over lethargy. It can trigger suicidal thoughts and tendencies and can be very dangerous if the sufferer does not seek help. There are numerous treatment options and information available for those who suffer from depression.
Tips For Those Struggling With Depression
A good tip for those struggling with depression is to try to avoid stressful situations. If you are dealing with depression, among the easiest methods to make it worse is to stress yourself out with something you cannot control. Instead, try to get rid of all the stress in your life.
An important thing to also keep in mind when you're going through depression is that you're not by yourself, and there is no need to go through it on your own. You can find lots of community forums and groups and even live meetings where depression sufferers meet and discuss their problems. Sharing time with people who understand your situation can help.
When you feel the mental poison of depression entering your mind, battle it! Challenge those mental demons with positive and uplifting thoughts. It may not be easy, but one thing to remember through it all is that you can control your thoughts. Focus on methods for you to overcome those thoughts and how good it'll feel when you do! Battle those blues with positivity!
Books, Hobbies, And Stress
When your depression is at its worst, try reading a book. Books are a way for anyone to get away from reality and for depressed people, reading their favorite book can help take their minds off of their depression. Just try to stay way from books that will make you sad.
Finding a new hobby or interest will also help in the process of overcoming depression! Whether you decide to learn pottery, dance class, or take up archery, find something new to do. This will add interest, variety, and satisfaction to your life. Cultivating new interests has been found to relieve the symptoms of anger or sadness in those who struggle with depression.
When battling depression, it is important to keep stress in check. Stress will not only prolong depression, it will also make it worse. You need to examine your life and determine what is stressing you out. Once you have determined what are the main stressors in your life, you can develop a plan to reduce their impact or, when possible, avoid them altogether.
Do Not Hesitate To Get Help
Depression can affect anyone and will have devastating consequences if it's left untreated. The good thing is that depression could be treated and cured through many techniques like the ones listed above. Do not hesitate to get treatment if you feel you suffer from depression or to help someone you care about seek treatment if you see symptoms of depression.
Image Credit: Pixabay


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School News You Can Use – November, 2015
- CLUB News – Milford Twin TOLDs & USDA Grant
- In The News – America Recycles Day
- Contests, Scholarships & Fundraisers – PEYA Awards
- EPA & NHDES News – Holiday Food Waste
- Activity – Napkin Folding & Gourd-jus Gourds
- Green Calendar
Milford Middle School Hosts Historic 2-DAY TOLD Event
It was a perfect New Hampshire Fall Day on October 27 – bright sunshine, frost on the practice field and frosty breaths from the students and teachers of Milford Middle School. CLUB Educator Cindy Sterling and our newest media consultant, Ellen Cabral, joined me in setting up for an historic 2-day TOLD event. We were most impressed with the students of Milford's Recycling Club who took an active role in promoting, organizing, directing the students, coming up with their own recycling trivia game and even singing their own recycling song before each group.
Over the two day stretch, approximately 400 students had a chance to help weigh, sort and record the trash and recycling in a typical day's trash from the school. Overwhelmingly, they acknowledged the amount of food waste that could have been diverted from the waste stream. Of the 341 lbs. of trash sorted, only 153 lbs. (or 45%) was actual trash – the rest were recyclables. Of the recyclables recovered, 88 lbs. (or 26%) was compostable material.
Here are some pictures for your enjoyment:
Calling All Teachers!
NRRA Receives Funding for Waste Administration Training and Educational Resources
The Northeast Resource Recovery Association received $146,000 from the Rural Utilities Service Technical Assistance Grant Programs to work collaboratively with NRRA's members and regional solid waste planning and education districts to reduce their overall solid waste stream and the toxicity of that stream.
NRRA is targeting specific counties in VT and NH to provide eligible communities within the regional areas with hands-on training, education and technical support in municipal solid waste management. The regional areas include Carroll, Coos, and Grafton counties in NH, and Bennington, Caledonia, Essex, Franklin, and Orleans counties in VT. All school districts, municipalities and solid waste district organizations can partake in the overall services offered by this program.
NRRA is seeking assistance from teachers and school administrators in the targeted regions with providing professional development workshops for in-service teachers, decision makers, and department professionals.
If you or your school is interested in assisting with this project, please contact NRRA's School CLUB at email@example.com.
NRRA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination write, USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Skilled Educator Needed
The Northeast Resource Recovery Association is the nation's oldest non-profit recycling cooperative. We are seeking a qualified educator to update our natural resource management and pollution prevention K-12 curricula. We are publishing a fourth edition for our two curriculums and want to align the lesson plans with the Common Core Standards Initiative. The curricula are already aligned with VT and NH state standards, but the fourth edition will move it to the next level. A level that assuredly helps teachers to prepare their students to succeed in college, career and life with hands-on activities that combine science, math, English literature and social studies.
This is a limited time position, to be completed no later than February 1, 2016 or sooner. It is grant funded and can be completed working from home. Applicants should be sufficiently knowledgeable of the common core structure to complete this alignment project. Administrative support will produce the final product once the alignment draft is completed. Please submit a short letter of interest and qualifications with phone and email contact information.
Seeking a Creative K-12 Educator
Part-time, work from home, strong research skills required.
Are you familiar with the common core standards initiative? Want to apply them to two really fun hands-on science based curricula?
The Northeast Resource Recovery Association is the nation's oldest non-profit recycling cooperative. It is seeking a qualified educator to update our natural resource management and pollution prevention K-12 curricula. We are publishing a fourth edition for our two curriculums and want to align the lesson plans with the Common Core Standards Initiative. The curricula are already aligned with VT and NH state standards, but the fourth edition will move it to the next level. A level that assuredly helps teachers prepare their students to succeed in college, career and life with hands-on activities that combine science, math, English literature and social studies.
This is a limited time position, to be completed no later than February 1, 2016 or sooner. It is grant funded and can be completed working from home. Applicants should be sufficiently knowledgeable of the common core structure to complete this alignment project. Administrative support will produce the final product once the alignment draft is completed. Please submit a short letter of interest and qualifications with phone and email contact information.
Note: Compensation is based on your proposal following further discussion based on submission of your letter of interest. It is grant funded so there is an amount we cannot exceed.
Contact Cindy at email@example.com or 603-736-4401 ext. 10.
NRRA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination write, USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Calling all Students!
The holidays are fast approaching and you can make a difference. As the weather gets colder, and you start to pull out your winter gear, keep in mind there are other students who may benefit from your gently used older gear. Local churches and charitable organizations will gladly take your outgrown jackets and outerwear and redistribute them. Just be sure to clear this with your parent or guardian.
We found this site which can give you some guidance:
FIRST® LEGO® League TRASH TREK℠ Challenge
Several CLUB members have contacted us about this year's FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge. FLL® has selected TRASH TREK℠ as the subject for their 2015 Project.
- Identify a problem with the way we make or handle trash
- Design an innovative solution to the problem you select
- Share your problem and solution with others
To find out more, go to FIRST® LEGO® League.
We may not be able to answer all of your inquiries, so please keep in mind that your local transfer station and waste haulers can answer your questions and may allow you to tour their facilities.
There are so many inspiring stories of individuals and companies finding recycling solutions. We have added some great examples in this newsletter and don't forget our newsletter archive for more ideas.
Speaking of Legos . . .
Lego News from Waste360
Three Steps the Lego Group is Taking Towards Zero Waste
Sep 14, 2015 Cheryl McMullen
More than likely you've built your own cars, weapons and castles with Legos. Maybe you've painstakingly pieced together the Star Wars Death Star, assembled Captain Jack's Black Pearl or fabricated any number of Lego' sets. The Lego Group is known worldwide for its plastic brick toys, but the latest design the company is considering is the bricks themselves a more sustainable product.
Companies around the globe are looking to reduce their footprint and make a profit. The makers of Lego blocks, are no different. In fact, the Lego Group is investing $150 million in research, development and application of new, sustainable, raw materials to manufacture Lego blocks and their packaging materials. The company also has high hopes for reaching its 2030 goals for sustainable products, reducing its carbon footprint and eliminating waste.
1. Alternative Sustainable Materials. This month, Lego Group CFO John Goodwin announced the hiring of the first of an additional 100-plus specialists brought aboard to boost the company's search for alternative materials for building Lego blocks. This is no easy task, as Lego produces an estimated 19 billion bricks each year and the alternative material would need to be sustainable, while taking on 58 different colors, and fitting together (and holding together) with the strength of the oil-based plastic currently used in producing Legos.The first hiring came three months after the company said it was establishing the Lego Sustainable Materials Centre, based at its headquarters in Billund, Denmark. The center, which will have satellite locations around the world, will lead the drive toward reaching the Lego Group's 2030 ambition of finding and implementing sustainable alternatives to all current materials – including the materials presently used to manufacture Lego bricks, which are all petro-chemically based. "This is a major step for the Lego Group on our way towards achieving our 2030 ambition on sustainable materials," said CEO and President of the Lego Group, Jorgen Vig Knudstorp.
2. Packaging. The company saves an estimated 6,000 tons of cardboard each year by using smaller, more sustainable boxes. The boxes contain 75 percent recycled content and the smaller size requires less energy to transport to stores, saving as much as 3,000 truckloads annually. The smaller boxes also carry the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo. FSC is an international non-profit certification system that ensures wood and wood-based packaging comes from sustainable sources.
"Reducing our box size makes sense for shoppers, retailers, our business and most importantly the environment," said Knudstorp.
3. Waste. Lego tradition since the 1950s is well known. Its approach to waste is similarly traditional: reduce, reuse and recycle. The company works to reduce its inputs, reuse materials when possible and recycle paper, cardboard, wood and metal. In 2013, Lego achieved a 90 percent recycling rate from its production facilities, putting it another step closer to its zero waste goal. In hopes of making improvements, the company says it will continue recycling 100 percent of all element waste, by reducing inputs and reusing and recycling other materials used in the production process.
For Lego Recycling Now . . .
Recycling Legos
Any day can be "Earth Day", not just April 20th. Declutter your home, save the environment, and spread joy all at the same time! BrickRecycler.com accepts mixed up or complete LEGO sets and pieces (bricks, figures, etc), and matches them with kids that will use, cherish, and learn from them.
BrickRecycler.com did a study, calling over 40 thrift shops, libraries, and charitable organizations throughout the US and found most thrift shops do not take mixed LEGO pieces. We also called every curbside recycling center covering the top 30 metro areas in the US.
Unfortunately LEGOs are not recyclable by these centers for a variety of reasons, including:
• contain ABS and mixed plastics
• don't contain any recycling symbols
• are not considered "containers"
• are "toys"
• are far too small to be mechanically sorted
• some may include: electrical elements, batteries, or magnets.
Simply send your used pieces in good condition to the address above. Packing tips can be found here.
BrickRecyler.com even donated hundreds of pounds to mutiple organizations, including Haiti children, orphans in Zimbabwe, LEGO clubs, etc. They can pay for your postage if need, and you ship by ground, as long as you are in the US! Pretty cool!
Boy Scout, Girl Scout troops, teens, and schools have used collecting LEGOs as a great community service project too! Wow, you can help people declutter their homes, pass awesome toys on to multiple future generations, and save the environment. This is an example of "Pay it Forward" to the max!
Yes, BrickRecycler.com is still accepting donations of new and used Lego pieces (complete or not). This will continue throughout 2015, 2016, and 2017 at least.
If you are a 501 (c)(3) organization that desperately needs Legos, please contact us at the email above as well. Thanks for spreading so much joy!
2016 Conference Date Set!
May 17, 2016
May 16 and 17, 2016! NRRA announces it 35th Anniversary Emerald Jubilee Conference ….."It's Not Easy Being GREEN!!" We are moving south from Manchester to Nashua, NH. The Castle is rolling out the emerald carpet for this very special, first in the nation conference and exposition. Stay tuned, as we ramp up even earlier than usual with workshop proposals and exhibit opportunities that cannot be missed. Once we go live for registration I encourage all to sign up early to take advantage of the Early …Early Bird Discounts and the Special Value Package. The line-up for next spring will include Nationally Recognized Experts in this ever changing field and as usual, NRRA will be leading the way with the most up to date and cutting edge information you can use. You won't want to miss this historic event.
The School CLUB will host our 7th Annual Conference on Tuesday, May 17. By offering this in May, we hope more students and teachers will be able to attend. If there are specific workshops you would like to see, please let me know. We are already planning a number of activities, games, scavenger hunt and surprises to make this a memorable event. Watch for details in future newsletters but mark your calendars now!
Team Earth Poster Contest
Having updated the Team Earth Program Manual, the CLUB is in search of a new poster that relects those revisions. All CLUB artists are welcom to compete in the Team Earth Poster Contest (see below) that will run through April 15, 2016.
DEADLINE: Email a picture of your entry to email@example.com by Friday, April 15, 2016 to be eligible!
Would you like to host a TOLD, Garbage Guerillas or another Workshop at your school? Let the CLUB Help!
- Improves academic performance, especially in science and math
- Can lead to financial savings for schools
- Decreases the school's carbon footprint through practical solutions that reduce energy and water consumption
- Reduces school waste and conserves natural resources
- Encourages student environmental awareness and stewardship
- Increases parental involvement
- Helps students and teachers develop stronger relationships with their communities
Previous EPA EE-funded research at over 200 New England schools completed by the NRRA School Recycling CLUB (the CLUB) found that the single most challenging area for school recycling programs was in providing curriculum integrations that brought recycling and sustainability into classrooms to be used as the subject matter for meeting state and local curriculum standards. The intention of the CLUB programs is to address just that issue in schools across all six New England states. Our goal is to use the CLUB's workshops and technical assistance programs, all experiential and hands on, as a tool for educating K-12 students about consumption, proper diversion of waste, the resulting impacts on climate change and what they can do to change it. Through these offerings, we are also afforded the opportunity to link these priorities to curriculum standards. In addition, these workshops will model, for educators or community leaders, exemplary ways of teaching in creative, effective, and efficient methods about human health threats from environmental pollution as well as how to minimize human exposure to preserve good health. Click here to learn more or contact us at email@example.com or call 1.603.736.4401 ext. 19
America Recycles Day – November 15
America Recycles Day, a program of Keep America Beautiful, is a nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. Every year on November 15 (America Recycles Day) event organizers educate neighbors, friends and colleagues through thousands of events. Keep America Beautiful created guides, tools, templates and tips to make it easy to organize your local school or community event.
To learn more, click here.
For ideas on what to recycle at home:
From our friends at Resource Recycling:
America Recycles Day looks 'beyond bottles and cans'
By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling
October 20, 2015
The theme of this year's America Recycles Day, "Bathrooms, Wraps & Gadgets," is meant to remind people about recyclable but often overlooked items in the home.
"For 2015, we want to encourage people to think beyond bottles and cans to other products that may not be as top of mind but are also recyclable," Brenda Pulley, senior vice president of recycling at Keep America Beautiful (KAB), stated in a press release.
America Recycles Day, the popular annual initiative of KAB, takes place during the weeks leading up to and on Nov. 15. The nationally recognized recycling awareness and service day involves recycling-related activities from thousands of people across the country.
Last year, more than 2,000 events were registered online. Online registration for 2015 events is now open at americarecyclesday.org.
The 2015 theme aims to bring attention to the recyclability of items such as hair care and mouthwash bottles, plastic bags, plastic wrap used to package paper towels and toilet paper, and consumer electronics, according to KAB.
For this year's event, KAB will also be running a sweepstakes to give out four Apple Certified Refurbished iPad mini 3 devices. To enter, people post a photo on social media of them holding an item they pledge to recycle. The contest runs from Oct. 15 to Nov. 20.
Stranger Than Fiction . . .
(From Plastics News)
October 1, 2015
By Catherine Kavanaugh
Hungry mealworms may be the future of EPS recycling
Outlawed in some U.S. cities as unrecyclable waste and controversial almost everywhere, the plastic foam carryout food container could become a new part of the mealworm's diet — and solve a major garbage problem in the process.
Larvae of the darkling beetle will not only feed on expanded polystyrene, but microorganisms in their guts biodegrade it internally. And then, they poop out a seemingly safe product that may be suitable as soil for crops. Talk about waste disposal.
The promising trash-to-food chain is unfolding in a laboratory at Stanford University, where a research team is the first to provide detailed evidence of bacterial degradation of plastic in an animal's gut.
"It's actually astonishing to see the worms eating their way through the polystyrene," Craig Criddle, a Stanford professor of civil and environmental engineering, said in a telephone interview. "It is surprising."
Another surprise is that the PS doesn't seem to be toxic to the insects, which also are getting potatoes and food scraps for a nutritious balanced diet.
"They're fine with a little bit of the good stuff on the side," Criddle said.
He is supervising the study at Stanford, which is being led by senior researcher Wei-Min Wu in collaboration with colleagues in China. The study is still in its early stages, but Wu described in an email the high hopes he has for its implications: "to find a way to remediate current plastic pollution."
Gut reactions
Wu is building on research initiated at the Beihang University in China, where researchers observed waxworms, the larvae of Indian mealmoths, break down polyethylene in the form of plastic bags thanks to microorganisms in their guts. Wu said he decided to study EPS because it is commonly used for coffee cups and Americans throw away some 2.5 billion of those each year. The findings to date also are significant because EPS "has been considered basically non-biodegradable and it causes pollution problems in soil, rivers, lakes and oceans," Wu said.
In the Stanford study, 100 mealworms ate 34-39 milligrams of EPS — the equivalent weight of a small pill — each day. Microbes in the guts of the baby bugs broke down the plastic and converted some of it into carbon dioxide and some of it into biodegradable fragments, which were excreted like tiny rabbit droppings within 24 hours.So far, that excreted waste appears safe to use as soil, according to the researchers.
"Our findings have opened a new door to solve the global plastic pollution problem," Wu said in a Sept. 29 news release. But first, many other questions need to be answered about the microbes and their role in the processing of the plastic.
"The insects do some of the work because they're chewing up the material," Criddle said. "Then the microbes take it to an even smaller scale by breaking it down with enzymes and that effectively is recycling the material at a molecular scale. In the near term we'd like to find out what the enzymes are and understand the conditions under which they are operating."
When the microbes are grown outside the insect, they still break down the polystyrene but not at as high of a rate, Criddle said. "The rate of degradation seems to happen faster inside these worms," he said. "Something is occurring inside the insect."
Eating away
A lot of questions about how the mealworms process plastics and what that could mean for the polluted planet are eating away at the researchers.
"If we learn more about new enzymes or new processes, how can we engineer them in way that helps get rid of the problem," Criddle asked. "…There are many issues with [EPS] and these other plastics so we need to find solutions to these problems for many reasons. Landfills are filling up. There's ocean debris."
Scientists could be at the forefront of engineering more powerful enzymes to degrade plastic or guiding manufacturers to design polymers that don't accumulate in the environment or food chains.
"This is early stage research," Criddle said. "We don't know where it will go."
The researchers at Stanford and in China plan to study whether the microorganisms in mealworms and other insects could biodegrade other plastics, such as polypropylene, mircobeads and bioplastics. Wu said they also begin looking for a marine equivalent of the mealworm. The long-term ripple effect is exciting, Criddle said, but he doesn't want to raise hopes too high.
"We're human beings. We have those hopes, too," he said. "We don't want to raise expectations to a level where we can't meet them. We want to be realistic about what's possible this science. We just don't know; there's a lot we don't know right now."
For Our Youngest Recyclers . . .
From our friends at the Container Recycling Institute
Teaching recycling to children
By Sally Asher Staff Writer/Education/Health Reporter
Posted on Oct 22, 2015
A Northwestern Oklahoma State University-Enid organization is making 4-year-olds into superheroes.
Conserving Our Ranger Environment faculty sponsor Steven Mackie brought his college students and Enid Public Schools' 4-year-olds together to create Ranger Recyclers.
Five students in the on-campus learning lab on a rotating basis get to help CORE pick up recycling items from around the NWOSU-Enid campus and take it out to the pickup area while wearing red recycling capes.
"Superhero powers, activate! Recycling!" Mackie cheered as he and the tiny recyclers soared down the hallway, capes flowing in the wind. "What do we recycle? Do we recycle grass?"
"No!" The recycling superheroes said.
"Do we recycle plastic?"
"Do we recycle cars?"
"Do we recycle paper!"
The students helped Mackie put paper, cans and plastic into bags. He held up a Coca-Cola can.
"What is this made out of?" he asked, and after a long pause as the students struggled for the right term, added, "It's kind of a big word … aluminum!"
"M&Ms!" One caped recycler cheered, struggling over the word and settling for something easier and tastier to say.
Mackie said the purpose behind Ranger Recyclers is twofold.
"It's partially for the help, but also to get them thinking about recycling," he said. "Parents have even called me and asked how they can start recycling at home."
From EPA's WasteWise and Food Recovery Challenge Email: October 29, 2015
Creating LEDs from Food and Beverage Waste
Tue, 10/13/2015 – 2:00pm
Chanapa Tantibanchachai, Univ. of Utah
Christmas lights, DVD players, televisions and flashlights have one thing in common: they're made with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs are widely used for a variety of applications and have been a popular, more efficient alternative to fluorescent and incandescent bulbs for the past few decades.
Two Univ. of Utah researchers have now found a way to create LEDs from food and beverage waste. In addition to utilizing food and beverage waste that would otherwise decompose and be of no use, this development can also reduce potentially harmful waste from LEDs generally made from toxic elements.
LEDs are a type of device that can efficiently convert electricity to light. Unlike fluorescent and incandescent bulbs, which direct 80% of the energy consumed to producing heat, LEDs direct 80% of the energy consumed to producing light. This is made possible by the fact that LEDs do not require a filament to be heated as incandescent and fluorescent bulbs do.
LEDs can be produced by quantum dots, or tiny crystals that have luminescent properties. Quantum dots (QDs) can be made with numerous materials, some of which are rare and expensive to synthesize, and even potentially harmful to dispose of. Some research over the past 10 years has focused on using carbon dots (CDs), or simply QDs made of carbon, to create LEDs instead.
Compared to other types of quantum dots, CDs have lower toxicity and better biocompatibility, meaning they can be used in a broader variety of applications. U Metallurgical Engineering Research Asst. Prof. Prashant Sarswat and Prof. Michael Free, over the past year and a half, have successfully turned food waste such as discarded pieces of tortilla into CDs, and subsequently, LEDs. The results were recently published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.
From bread to bulb
To synthesize waste into CDs, Sarswat and Free employed a solvothermal synthesis, or one in which the waste was placed into a solvent under pressure and high temperature until CDs were formed. In this experiment, the researchers used soft drinks and pieces of bread and tortilla. The food and beverage waste were each placed in a solvent and heated both directly and indirectly for anywhere from 30 to 90 mins. After successfully finding traces of CDs from the synthesis, Sarswat and Free proceeded to illuminate the CDs to monitor their formation and color.
The pair also employed four other tests, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman and AFM imaging to determine the CDs' various optical and material properties.
"Synthesizing and characterizing CDs derived from waste is a very challenging task. We essentially have to determine the size of dots which are only 20 nm or smaller in diameter, so we have to run multiple tests to be sure CDs are present and to determine what optical properties they possess," said Sarswat.
For comparison, a human hair is around 75,000 nm in diameter.
The various tests Sarswat and Free ran first measured the size of the CDs, which correlates with the intensity of the dots' color and brightness. The tests then determined which carbon source produced the best CDs. For example, sucrose and D-fructose dissolved in soft drinks were found to be the most effective sources for production of CDs.
Finally, the CDs were suspended in epoxy resins, heated and hardened to solidify the CDs for practical use in LEDs.
An environmentally sustainable alternative
Currently, one of the most common sources of QDs is cadmium selenide, a compound comprised of a two toxic elements. The ability to create QDs in the form of CDs from food and beverage waste would eliminate the need for concern over toxic waste, as the food and beverages themselves are not toxic.
"QDs derived from food and beverage waste are not based on common toxic elements such as cadmium and selenium, which makes their processing and disposal more environmentally friendly than it is for most other QDs. In addition, the use of food and beverage waste as the starting material for QDs allows for reduced waste and cost to produce a useful material," said Free.
In addition to being toxic when broken down, cadmium selenide is also expensive—one Website listed a price of $529 for 25 mL of the compound.
"With food and beverage waste that are already there, our starting material is much less expensive. In fact, it's essentially free," said Sarswat.
According to a report from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, roughly 31% of food produced in 2014 was not available for human consumption. To be able to use this waste for creating LEDs which are widely used in a number of technologies would be an environmentally sustainable approach.
Looking forward, Sarswat and Free hope to continue studying the LEDs produced from food and beverage waste for stability and long term performance.
"The ultimate goal is to do this on a mass scale and to use these LEDs in everyday devices. To successfully make use of waste that already exists, that's the end goal," said Sarswat.
Source: Univ. of Utah
From Treehugger
This HORSE converts food waste into fertilizer and energy
Derek Markham (@derekmarkham)
Technology / Clean Technology
September 22, 2015
In this case, the HORSE is a 'living' machine, not an animal, and has the potential to reinvent the food cycle.
We have a huge food waste problem, not only in the US, but all over the globe, and while the issue really needs to be addressed on the upstream side, we also need viable solutions on the downstream, or consumer side, for converting biodegradable waste of all sorts into a usable resource. Composting is one great option, but it does require time, space, and infrastructure to support it, so it can't be a one-size-fits-all solution without a major shift in the way we deal with our waste on a local and regional level.
However, one potential solution may lie in what's called the HORSE, or High-solids Organic-waste Recycling System with Electrical Output, device, currently in development from Impact Bioenergy. This portable anaerobic digestion system can accept a wide variety of organic waste materials, ranging from kitchen scraps and yard waste to paper products, and generate both liquid fertilizer and energy in the form of biogas and electricity.
Assuming one of the devices could be placed in each neighborhood or community (accompanied by a rigorous recycling and overall waste-reduction program), the HORSE system could eventually "eradicate curbside garbage pickup" and avoid the carbon emissions associated with that element of waste management.
Video link: http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/horse-converts-food-waste-fertilizer-and-energy.html?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202015-09-23%20Waste%20Dive%20Newsletter&utm_term=Waste%20Dive
According to Impact Bioenergy, each HORSE unit is capable of converting 25 tons per year of organic waste into about 5400 gallons of liquid fertilizer and up to 37 MWh (megawatt-hours) of energy. With a daily input rate of 135 lb (61.2 kg) of organic waste, a single HORSE could produce up to 360,000 BTU of energy per day, and 2.5 kW per hour in electric output, with virtually no waste, using the power of microbes to do the heavy lifting. Each unit is said to cost $43,300 USD, and to take the device from prototype to a containerized production model, Impact Bioenergy is seeking crowdfunding with a Kickstarter campaign.
The impact that an affordable and portable anaerobic digestion unit like this could have on local waste management issues, renewable energy production, and reduced transportation emissions is potentially huge, even without coupling it to a low-carbon transport model. But if, as Impact Bioenergy sees it, the electrical output from a HORSE was used to power an electric cargo trike, then the 'horsepower' from these units could truly be a gamechanger.
"When generating electricity this energy converts into about 5,000 kWh per year. If a Tesla gets around 2 miles per kWh, our HORSE could power that Tesla to go about 10,000 miles per year. Not bad. Keep in mind, that car weighs 2.5 tons though. To improve transportation productivity, we decided to lose the unnecessary weight and create a carbon neutral urban cargo tricycle powered by human and electric motorhub.
Let's go Back-to-the-future and call this the HORSEPOWERED CARRIAGE. Fully loaded, this carriage weighs around 0.3 tons. Now we can squeeze the work out of every kWh and transport stuff more than 10 miles per kWh. That's a 5x improvement in electric vehicle productivity or about 52,000 miles per year! This mind-blowing combination could be the next-gen HORSE and CARRIAGE, from waste to wheels…1 lb of food scraps can fuel 1 mile of electric transport!" – Impact Bioenergy
For more information on the project, and how you can contribute to its success, see the HORSE Kickstarter campaign page.
Contests, Scholarships & Fundraisers
President's Environmental Youth Award
Program Updates
In Spring 2015, the PEYA program was updated. The award portion was expanded to include awards for two age groups. All qualified applicants will continue to receive a certificate.
PEYA has two parts — a regional award for Grades K-5 and a regional award for Grades 6-12. Applications are due December 31, 2015. A regional panel will review applications from each of EPA's 10 regions. Up to two winners will be selected from each region – one for Grades K-5 and one for Grades 6-12. If a group of students is applying from a variety of grade levels, they should apply for the grade level of the oldest participant. For example, if a group of students in Grades 3, 5, 6 and 8 is applying for the award, the students should apply for the Grade 6-12 award.
Each award-winning project will receive a Presidential plaque. All qualified applicants will receive a certificate honoring them for their efforts to protect human health and the environment.
• Project is completed while the student(s) are in kindergarten through 12th grade.
• Student(s) are citizens of the United States or its territories or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residency.
• Project is sponsored by at least one adult.
• Sponsor must sign and date page A-2 of the application.
• Project must be summarized on the pages provided in the PEYA application form (no more than 300 words).
Here is the link for more information: PEYA Awards
Wyland "Water is Life" Mural and Art Challenge
Educational leaders and teachers take part in the 2015 Wyland National 'Water is Life" Mural and Art Challenge Sept.25 – Nov. 25. Sign up before Aug. 15 to win 1 of 100 free mural canvases for your classroom to participate in a nationwide environmental mural and individual art contest celebrating our ocean, lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. This year's theme will be "Our Coasts and Climate."
2015 Mural Art Contest:categories include grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. The class in each category whose mural best expresses their understanding of and appreciation for "Our Coast and Climate" will receive a $250 gift card to Michael's for art supplies and a grand prize signed Wyland artwork (Total ARV. $1,000) Schools may register multiple classes. Note: To qualify for entry each participating mural must be accompanied by no fewer than 5 individual concept entries into the individual contest.
2015 Individual Art Contest: categories include all grades K-12. The student in each grade category whose artwork best expresses the "Our Coast and Climate" theme will receive a gift certificate for art supplies.
Deadline to submit murals and individual art is Nov. 25, 2015
Official Classroom Mural and Art Challenge Rules
From our friends at DoSomething.org
Do you have what it takes to score a $20,000 scholarship?
For the fifth consecutive year, Foot Locker will be awarding $20,000 college scholarships to outstanding student athletes who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and strong leadership skills in sports, school and within their communities.
As a new addition to the program this year, one of our twenty winners will also be selected for the Ken C. Hicks scholarship for demonstrating superior educational achievement, outstanding leadership, and a true love of the game. This winner will receive an additional $5000 award (for a total of $25,000).
Applications are due by 5pm EST on December 17, 2015.
For more information and to apply, go to:
$$$$$$$$$$ Other School Grant Opportunities $$$$$$$$$$
(Collected from NWF Eco-Schools Newsletter – August, 2015)
DonorsChoose.org – Can list on site up to 4 months
Helps classrooms and students in need
From 10/29/15
EPA Seeking Youth Input on Climate Justice by November 30
Make your voice heard on climate justice. EPA's National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) is forming a first-of-its-kind workgroup comprised of up to 15 youth climate justice leaders to assist EPA in developing strategies to combat climate change and empower youth. Young people are making tremendous strides toward a more sustainable future, and EPA greatly values the youth perspective.
The Climate Justice Youth Workgroup will assist the NEJAC in developing advice and recommendations to assist EPA in developing best practices to address climate change concerns as highlighted from a youth perspective. Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 29. The deadline for applications is November 30, 2015.
Learn how to apply.
Watch a video on the importance of the youth perspective on climate change.
Be Food Smart During the Holidays
From EPA's GO GREEN!
EPA News You Can Use – November 2015
Reducing food waste. As we enter the holiday season, remember to feed people, not landfills. Prevent waste by being smart about what you buy, how you prep, and how you store food. Donate extra food to an area food bank. And if somehow you still end up with scraps, compost them.
About WasteWise
Wastewise helps organizations and businesses apply sustainable materials management practices to reduce municipal and select industrial wastes.
Organizations can join WasteWise as a partner, endorser, or both. Partners demonstrate how they reduce waste, practice environmental stewardship, and incorporate sustainable materials management into their waste-handling processes. Endorsers promote enrollment in WasteWise as part of a comprehensive approach to help their stakeholders realize the economic benefits to reducing waste.
Launched in 1994, WasteWise has become a mainstay in environmental stewardship and continues to evolve to address tomorrow's environmental needs.
Benefits of Joining
- Opportunity to receive WasteWise Awards that recognize outstanding achievements
- Public recognition in WasteWise publications, case studies, and meetings, and website listing
- Annual WasteWise Climate Profile (PDF) (2 pp, 2.1 MB) describing greenhouse gas reductions achieved through waste diversion
- Reduced purchasing and waste disposal costs
- Outreach and educational materials and free one-on-one technical assistance
All U.S. businesses, local governments, and non-profit organizations can join WasteWise. WasteWise participants range from small local governments and nonprofit organizations to large multinational corporations.
WasteWise Endorsers engage state and local government agencies, trade associations, nonprofit organizations, and businesses to help educate their members, constituents, or clients about the benefits of reducing solid waste.
For more information, go to WasteWise.
Holiday Napkin Folding
Here at the CLUB, we advocate the use of cloth napkins over disposable paper napkins (unless you are using them for composting). There are many creative ideas and videos on how to fold cloth napkins, but this one really takes the cake:
Here's the link: http://blog.lulus.com/art/napkin-folding-idea-thanksgiving-turkey/
But why stop there?
We found these great ideas for the leftover ornamental gourds:
Dish or Bowl
11/15/15 – America Recycles Day – An initiative of Keep America Beautiful (KAB), America Recycles Day is the only nationally-recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the U.S. For ideas, contact www.americarecyclesday.org.
03/22/16 – World Water Day – To plan your event, visit www.unwater.org.
04/22/16 – Earth Day – To plan your event, see future newsletters and visit www.earthday.org.
04/29/16 – Arbor Day – To plan your event, visit www.arborday.org.
05/17/16 – NRRA School CLUB Conference – Come join us in celebrating NRRA's 35th Anniversary at the Radisson in Nashua! Details coming in future newsletters.
06/05/16 – World Environment Day – To plan your event, visit www.unep.org.
06/08/16 – World Oceans Day – To plan your event, visit www.worldoceansday.org.
WHAT IS YOUR SCHOOL CLUB UP TO? The NRRA School CLUB always loves to hear what its members and other schools are doing to recycle and help the environment so we can share it through our newsletter. There are so many different things being done, and you are our best source of information about what is working in your school. It can be a new program, a long-term project that's been proven over time, a field trip, etc. Always feel free to contact me or submit something and you may see it in the next School News You Can Use! – Gwen Erley, email@example.com 1.603.736.4401 ext 19


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All rodeo fans already know that the city's signature annual event known as The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is postponed due to Hurricane Harvey. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo authority declared that they postponing ticket sales for the opening and closing event, Garth Brooks. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo event are the biggest livestock show in the world. In 2017, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo brought more than two million people to the city. The Houston rodeo event is held at the NRG stadium, that is situated in Texans.
According to the Wikipedia: "The event is 20 days long. It is kicked off by the Downtown Rodeo Roundup held near Houston City Hall, the Downtown Rodeo parade, and the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run – a 10k and 5k walk & run and the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. The show features championship rodeo action, livestock competitions, concerts, a carnival, pig racing, barbecue and the Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition"
The email from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Authority
As the Houston community continues to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ officials have postponed the Garth Brooks ticket on-sale until further notice.
"We extend our deepest condolences to those who have suffered a loss during this catastrophic event," said Joel Cowley, Rodeo president, and CEO. "While we are all excited for the 2018 Garth Brooks performances, our main focus at this time is to support our fans and our community during the rebuilding process."
Garth Brooks is opening and closing the 2018 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™, Feb. 27 and March 18, 2018. The Rodeo will reschedule the Garth Brooks ticket on-sale and more information will be released once available. "
Houston Rodeo Live Stream Coverage information
Hope The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo authority announce the event schedule soon and we expect a great event like the previous year. If you looking for live streaming coverage of the Houston Rodeo Event then you have to follow our site to get Houston Rodeo Live Stream Coverage


text: Emergency Message Controls LLC was founded to address the growing need for affordable emergency messaging. Their emClock product line provides a critical visual extension to most any emergency messaging system. emClocks deliver location specific messaging and synchronized network time in an affordable and efficient Power over Ethernet (PoE) device. They present the current time and important messages on college campuses, in school buildings, hospitals, clinics, commercial spaces, sports venues, and in government facilities.


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An eCommerce portal is perfectly tuned only when it drives traffic and converts. It's like the perfect recipe of the most delicious dish whose secret everyone wants to know. Since there are millions of e-portals on the web, only a handful has blended every successful ingredient in their portals, which not only does business, but eventually help them to buy equity in other businesses.
Amazon, the epitome of what an eCommerce strategy and business should be, became incredibly successful for various reasons. It took Jeff Bezos 23 years to find make a profit for the online giant. WOW!!! A lot of businesses are spending time in studying Amazon's genius business model to execute all the key elements in their sites.
Industry experts have come forward to outline what actually a shopper does or lists important while doing shopping on an eCommerce portal.
Amazon really had vision to achieve milestones, which companies aspire to follow. Jeff, being an amazing and one of the most influential entrepreneurs, tested and experienced seamless things to cement his place as an undisputed eCommerce king.
There are various things, which even numerous marketing peers miss by a shot that can be a complete game changer. Following is the list of numerous elements which can give an insight on why some portals perform incredibly well over their rivals.
- Eye-catchy Design
Many people fail to understand the importance of a web design. Some claim that they have a great content and an SEO-friendly website. However, they completely overlook the importance of the web design, which down-slides their business.
Let's talk about the importance of design in the real world. Why millions of people visit Rome to see breath-taking architecture and not a new city that has no lucrative buildings to attract visitors? Design, isn't? Be it Colosseum or leaning tower of Pisa, the stupendous designs have attracted billions already and will continue to do so without any promotion.
Maybe the history has made them famous, but it was discussed just to give an overview of the true importance of design.
Now imagine; you visit a restaurant and as you enter, you find a complete mess going inside like the cracked walls, stained tables, wasted food lying around the bin, filthy dresses of the staff etc. How will you react at that time? Probably, you will hop to other restaurant or just forget you were ever hungry.
And why you left the place? Maybe because you thought how the food will be, when they fail to manage their shop? The same thumb rule applies of every e-commerce website.
A lot of studies have been constructed regarding eCommerce design and structure that analyzed customer's journey and what he notices while shopping. For instance; consumers spend 80% of time seeing the page content, and 69% time on viewing left-hand side column. Hence, these areas should be perfectly crafted in a web design aligned with greatly depicted content.
- Conversion friendly Optimization
Sugarcoating your website with enriched media, and HD graphics won't take you ahead in the race. A lot of eCommerce businesses fail in doing that.
To fetch sales, you have to ensure that you are taking right step by optimizing your conversions. Meaning; your design elements should be SEO friendly and have everything you need to ensure business conversions. Kindly note; conversions mean sales, not gathering personal data of a customer through forums.
You have to motivate them to buy things without using any force. Sometimes, too much of force can break the things and same in the case of trust during shopping journey of the buyer. Some websites often force users by giving them lots of options; while options are good, they distract, too.
- Complete Transparency in Checkout Process
A lot of times, transactions die midway because eCommerce portals fail to show fees or prices according to pin code until the person doesn't reach the final stage of payment page.
The data speaks itself, and that's what many e-portal owners have confessed about their policy of hiding fees, which results in reverse than they had expected.
The best way is to remain transparent from the beginning. For instance; some places are far from the main office while some are near. Hence, some vendors or companies don't send their products to every corner of the country. That's why offering product availability on pin code right on the product page will save a lot of customer's time in filling all the important during payment and end up not having shipping availability in his area.
In the same way, tell your potential customers about the fees by highlighting it so everyone who visits your page notices.
A lot of companies are including their fees in actual product price on the page. It means a customer has to pay no extra fees other than the fees displayed on the product page.
Let's split product pages into 4 different sections for better understanding;
- Product validation and experience (top left)
- Core product details and buying area (top right)
- In-depth product information (bottom left)
- Cross-sell other products (bottom right)
- Smooth Checkout Process
If you make your payment process smoother, chances are; you will draw a lot of sales at the end of the day.
eCommerce means a person can do shopping from other territories, too. Maybe you don't ship to other countries; however, someone from foreign can buy a product from your portal to gift it someone in your business country.
Many portals didn't have that feature because they were too focused or have limited their vision within their region that proved them costly by losing many healthy business transactions. Hence, it's a good way to accept payment globally, and let your business checkout page works smooth for various account holders.
There should be no more additional pages on your payment page. These little things can seriously hurt your business.
Beneath is an info-graphics by NuBlue for a better understanding of the topic.
Beneath are some pearls of wisdom by industry experts.
Image Source: NuBlue


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16 WTF Moments From Last Night's Bachelorette
What. The. Actual. F*ck?!!
If you were watching The Bachelorette Australia last night with us, besides the obvious "Where did all these hot, unattached men come from?", you may have had some general wonderings, perhaps even misgivings, about the evening's bizarre events, such as…
1. Sam earnestly explaining that her heart was broken on a reality TV show and so she has chosen to heal herself by appearing on a reality TV dating show. Come again?
2. No-one seems to notice the sexual tension between Sam and Osher. Which is weird because everyone notices Sam and also everyone notices Osher.
3. A contestant named Richie has the actual job title of 'rope access technician'.
4. A contestant named Drew has the actual job title of 'sleep technician'.
5. A contestant named Davey claims boldly to have invented the Bro-Code, although most of the male audience of the show would dispute his claim.
6. The same contestant breaks his own sacred Code less than fifteen minutes into the game.
7. The very same contestant speaks of his fears of nipple rash whilst trying to arouse Sam.
8. A contestant named Sasha performs a complex origami manoeuvre on a serviette to turn it into a rose, and astonishingly, when he is finished, it looks remarkably still like a serviette.
9. The same contestant declares that he has gone into the Bachelorette mansion 'cold turkey'. Though he is referring to Sam, there remains the tantalising possibility that he could also be withdrawing from drugs.
10. A contestant named Kayne is under the impression that the way to a girl's heart is to stand on one's head for twenty seconds in wet grass, despite the fact that he himself can only manage three.
11. A contestant named Drew is under the impression that the way to a girl's heart is with a bird. And so he summons a bird, except that it's not a delicate bird, it's an owl, like, a really big, terrifying owl, the kind that scratches out a woman's eyes and builds nests in her hair and has leading roles in Hitchcock films, and it is the stuff of nightmares, and women around the country clutch their heads in terror.
12. A contestant named Will the Musician is under the impression that the quintessential embodiment of feminine beauty, the mythical figure to whom every woman wishes to be compared in song, is Peter Pan. Even though Peter Pan is actually a boy.
13. A contestant named David explains the fascinating backstory to how he came to be a model, in which he has a modelling career as an international model who also models internationally. And he wasn't even asked.
14. A contestant named Richie uses the term 'cool bananas' twice, and not even ironically.
15. Bro-Code Davey, Handstand Kayne, Will the Musician and Owl-Man Drew all get roses despite their woeful attempts at seduction.
16. There is one contestant, Alex, who is attractive, poised, confident and can string words together in meaningful sentences. He makes eye contact, is empathic, dresses well, and has a nice accent. He has had serious relationships but not too many, laughs easily and can make Sam smile.
And this man is on a reality dating show looking for love.


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Hair products are not a topic frequently visited here at GKK but, my friends that is about to change. I don't even know why I never talk about hair and products for it. Perhaps it's because I'm not an expert at anything hair related and I don't think I ever will be. As I spritz and trial my way through hair products there are some that have impressed me beyond words and others that just didn't perform quite as well. And like the rest of the beauty products I talk about I feel it's my duty to give my opinion for this category too.
I get alot of questions and confusion about my hair because in many pictures I'm seen with long dark hair and side bangs and in others I have lighter shorter hair with full bangs. So I am going to address that now hastily. As a religious Jewish married women I am obligated to cover my actual hair in some shape or form when I leave my house as a form of modesty. And so I wear wigs. The topic is a lengthly one so I will link more here for those of you that are interested in learning more about it. I also want to add that I absolutely love wearing my wigs. It means I can have good hair days even on the days I have only enough time to roll out of bed and almost immedietly right out the door. I have a few wigs and they all look very different. I like to change up my look just like I would with a shirt or a pair of shoes from time to time to put it simply.
Different people keep to stricter or less strict rules so it's a very personal thing but I do often pull the front of my hair into wigs (more natural and less sweaty) being careful that the amount is whats ok according to my familys followings. Even though I wear wigs I have the same need for styling products and I have begun to collect quite the stash.
Now that I'm finished with that whole ramble I want to tell you about a hair product that has become a must have in my hair routine ever since trying it. Batistes dry shampoos are so talked about by every beauty junkie around the world so you have most likely either heard about it or tried it already. Either way I will let you know what I myself think of it. It is the first of the dry shampoos I've ever tried and after just 4 weeks I can definitely give it a big thumbs up and guess what? This mini size 1.6 oz is still going stong! Here are some more details:
What it does for my hair: Gives great volume to the roots and adds amazing texture. When my wigs are in need of a wash (I wash some on my own) and I'm just a bit lazy to take care of that this comes to the rescue and I'm all set for about a week more easily. On actual hair I would say it lasts for the day at the most. The product absorbs excess grease and dirt which have hair appearing old and dirty and help achieve the look of freshly washed hair. I have also used this on my hair when I pull it out over my wig since that adds the volume I need to have it blend and look the most natural.
Scent: Really pleasant scent and not overwhelming or headache inducing at all and that is coming from someone who is pretty picky with scents.
Packaging; alright being that it's an aerosol can but I do think the wording and design are pretty and appealing.
Price: Great price considering what good hair products go for nowadays I think $3-$8 is great for a hair product that really works. With this one a little goes a long way so it'll probably last me for a good amount of time making it even more cost efficient.
Variations: It comes in plenty of different scents and ones meant for specific hair colors too. I would love to try one that matches my hair better since this one has a white cast that needs to be brushed through alot to avoid looking like you've gone grey or just have a dehydrated scalp.
Who it would work best for: I believe it would most likely work well for all hair types but people with fine thin hair will most likely appreciate it most with the most noticeable results.
Ingredients: A bit scary as they are aerosol propellants and are very flammable and not extremely healthy to be breathing in. My advice would be to keep them away from heat and only spray in a well ventilated area- even outside if possible. Rice starch is another important ingredient included which is the agent for adding texture. It also soaks up those unwanted natural oils which cause the hair to look unclean. Because it isn't a heavy starch it doesn't leave behind unwanted residue or feel heavy or powdery. It just just adds the perfect amount of freshness.
My instructions and tips: shake well and lift up different sections of hair. Aim into the roots from about an inch away to get the best distribution. Wait a minute for it to settle in then brush through and toussle quite a bit until the white residue disappears and the amount of volume and cleanliness is achieved.
Overall: I think this product is a great one for having dirty hair look fresh and clean again. It's amazing at boosting volume and adding texture so it makes it easy for people like me who don't know much about styling but want a little texture and style at the same time. I also like that it's quick and easy to use and has visible results in seconds. Now that I've tried dry shampoo I don't know how I ever got on without it and I don't think I ever will again. I will surely repurchase this one and I look forward to trying others and seeing how they compare to this.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Have you tried this dry shampoo? What did you think of it? Which one would you reccomend I try next? Let me know in the comments form below- I absolutely love to get your opinions!
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MINNEAPOLIS, March 13 (UPI) -- Primary care physicians are more likely to ask parents about complementary alternative medicine use when caring for autistic children, U.S. researchers say.
A national survey of 539 U.S. physicians conducted by the University of Minnesota finds physicians were more likely to ask patients with autism about CAM use compared with children with other chronic conditions.
"In light of the high prevalence of complementary alternative medicine used to treat children with autism, it is important that physicians ask about what is used in the context of routine primary care," study author Dr. Allison Golnik said in a statement.
"Physicians need access to balanced education that will inform their own recommendations for specific CAM therapies and adequate information to care for families who elect their use."
The physicians responding to the survey reported integrating some CAM modalities that may be supported by emerging evidence, but need further research. Physicians also reported actively discouraging some therapies that have been refuted by evidence or carry significant risks.
The findings are published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorder.


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Who We Are
With the combined efforts of top calibre professionals in the field of technology, e-Methods for Business Management Corp. or e-MBM for brevity purposes was duly organized in October 1, 2002. The wealth of experience contributed by the Board of Directors, Managing Officers and staff has been beneficial to thousands of small and medium businesses. This company is the most efficient provider of solutions for the management of receivables and payables, real time inventory systems and general accounting measures.
Since the establishment of e-MBM, it has taken responsibility on marketing Intuit's key products namely Quicken and QuickBooks in the Philippines. Having been designated by Intuit as key partner and master reseller, e-MBM takes pride in serving more than 5,000 satisfied clients.
What We Do
e-Methods for Business Management also provide the following services:


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|Jafar says: Read my lips and come to grips with the reality!
This article is a stub and is in need of expansion. You can help Villains Wiki by expanding it.
The Pirates are the antagonists of the 2012 animated film Ice Age: Continental Drift. Their leader is Captain Gutt, the main antagonist of the film, and they plunder incoming ice caps for new parts for their ship and raiding all food supplies from other animals, ruling the seas without no-one stopping them. Until, they encounter the Sub-Zero Heroes (Manny, Diego and Sid).
- Captain Gutt
- Silas
- Shira (formerly)
- Squint
- Flynn
- Gupta
- Raz
- Dobson
- Narwhals (who work for Gutt and are presumably his "pets")
- Rats
- It is hinted that Captain Gutt first came to this idea after his kind was going extinct and he also need allies for survival.
- They all were going extinct and doomed to die in this changing world, except Flynn the Elephant Seal and Slias the Blue-Footed Booby. Each found across the world by Captain Gutt and serve him as his friends.
- Shira, Silas, and Gupta are the only meat eaters of the pirates.
- Shira is the second character to betray a group and leader, Diego is the first with the Soto and the Sabertooth Tiger pack.
- Shira and Squint may be the only ones in the group who are still alive. Flynn is also most likely still alive (since he is a sea creature). Silas, too, could have survived, considering his ability to have flown away (being a bird) if things had gotten too tough for him.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Coming up almost immediately in Brazil is carnival time, that zany, free-style, fabulous festival taking place this year Feb. 17-21. And hotel space for Carnival is going, going—not quite gone, according to Allison Tilton of award-winning Yampu Tours.
"Well, time's run out on selling a completely customized Carnival tour," Tilton reports. However, for Rio and Salvador, "we have some availability on packages that include hotels and transfers only. And these are very date-specific packages: clients flying on down to both Rio and Salvador must check in on Friday, Feb. 17." (All prices to follow are pp dbl.)
A 6-day/5-night Carnival in Rio package is priced at $2,509 in a three-star room and $2,699 in a four-star room at the Astoria Palace; booking a five-star room at the Fasano, the cost is $4,469.
According to Tilton, Carnival in Salvador can be even more riotous than Rio. During the nonstop festivities, the city closes 15 miles of city streets to make way for large floats and moving states bearing popular bands. A 6-day/5-night Carnival in Salvador package is priced at $1,739 in a three-star room and $1,959 in a four-star room at the Catussaba Resort; a five-star room is priced at $2,929 and a deluxe room at $3,549 at Casa Amarelindo.
Brazil, of course, is not the only Latin American destination to go wild at Carnival time. Argentina celebrates carnivals all over the country, particularly in the states of Entre Rios and Corrientes, where celebrations are Brazilian in style with grand parades and elaborate feathered costumes. The largest of these, known as the Carnival del Pais or Carnival of the Nation, takes place over 40 days in the near-unpronounceable town of Gualeguaychu, just across the border from Uruguay.
In Panama, each year the otherwise sleepy town of Las Tablas erupts into a riot of merry-making as two rival factions—Calle Arriba (uptown) and Calle Abajo (downtown)—compete in a dance-off. Parades, fireworks and music bring the party to life, while the carnival queens in their astonishing costumes compete to be named the most beautiful of all.
In the days preceding Ash Wednesday, visitors to Bolivia encounter a very different Carnival in Oruro, one characterized by a dance style known at La Diablada, or the Dance of the Devil. Parades of men dressed in demonic costumes whirl through the streets.
Carnival in Uruguay adds up to a month-long party. At the beginning of February, the season opens in Montevideo with a parade along "main street," Avenida 18 of Julio, while the more popular Llamadas parades take place along the narrow streets of Palermo and Sur neighborhoods and close the month. Yampu Tours markets a 5-day Carnival in Montevideo tour, where right from day one your clients are introduced to the roots of the Afro-American people in Uruguay and the birth of their candombe music. Other tours include a city tour showcasing street markets, the Gaucho Museum and the historic quarter, as well as special carnival events—such as street theater—showing customs and traditions in action. On another day, travelers enjoy the seaside sights and pleasures of Punta del Este, returning to the capital for a tango and condombe show at the Milongon.
Carnival in Montevideo is priced from $1,269 to $1,499, depending on hotel selection, and include private tours with local English-speaking guide, 4-night accommodations and transfers. Note that all carnival packages can be combined with a Yampu Highlight Tour.
For more information, call (888) 926-7801 or visit yampu.com.


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Dear TWU Members:
Let me start off by saying congratulations on successfully bargaining your first contract. Now that you have a negotiated agreement in force, it's time to fully charter your unit of Allegiant flight attendants as a local Union of the TWU.
To enable us, under the TWU Constitution, to get your local union chartered and functioning as soon as possible, it is first necessary for as many of you as possible to sign a membership application, and to see to it that these are returned to us as soon as possible. Your signed membership application will secure for you the right, once the local is chartered and functioning, to fully participate in the life of the union: to vote in elections and ratifications, attend and participate in Union meetings, nominate or second the nomination of others, and run for Union office. It is also vital for you to give immediate attention to a second document, the checkoff authorization card. Signing this card is by far the easiest and best way to assure yourself that you will meet your monthly financial obligation to the union in a timely manner — a necessity for a member, if she/he is to remain a good standing member of the union and thus able to fully participate in the activities of the union.
We urge you to get your Membership Application and check off Authorization Cards completed and sent to us as soon as possible — our target date for the chartering your local and beginning of the local election process is February 21. Please send both cards to:
Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO
Attn: TWU Local 577 – Shavon Gibson
501 3rd Street NW – 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20001
Only members who have filled out membership applications and who are meeting their dues obligations to the union will be able to nominate, be nominated, run, and vote in the local elections.
While you wait for the local chartering and election process to begin, we urge you to better acquaint yourself with important TWU policies by visiting the TWU website at twu.org.
Getting to this point has been a long road and it is with great pleasure and anticipation that I welcome you to the TWU. Our Union is characterized by an active and empowered membership and I look forward to you joining the growing ranks of TWU members fighting every day to improve the terms of conditions of employment and for justice and fairness on the job.
Should you have any questions, please call or email Air Division Representative, Thom McDaniel at 817-723- 5132 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
In Solidarity,
John Samuelsen


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The Chicago real estate market is huge and covers a wide range of properties from commercial, affordable single family homes to multi million dollar mega mansions. So as a real estate professional how do you stand out in a huge market full of established professionals and companies?
The easiest and quickest way to stand out in sea of established real estate professionals is to be positioned out front where all of your potential customers are looking. This is where digital marketing and search engine optimization services can be a total game changer for your business. Let's face it the phone book is pretty much dead. and advertising in the local newspaper works sometimes, but doesn't usually have a very good return on investment. The internet on the other hand is usually the first place that most people look when searching for a new home or property to purchase. In fact most people make multiple online searches before the find a property that they like and contact a local realtor.
So just imagine if every time a potential client performed a local search for real estate listings that your website shows up as their first choice in the search results. This would give your business tremendous exposure to new clients and a level of trust because Google is saying that your website is the best out of all the other Chicago real estate websites.
So how do you get your website positioned in front of the competition? Digital Marketing companies move websites from the back pages in the search engines where no one hardly looks and into the top spots of the search results through a process called Search Engine Optimization or SEO. What these companies do in simplest terms is go through your website and make sure that it has everything that companies like Google's search algorithm look for look for. This is called On Page Optimization. Things like title tags, picture descriptions, relevant keywords within the text of your website, and many other factors that the algorithm looks for. There are in fact well over a hundred aspects of your website that are used to rank which site is shown where in the results.
Then there is Off Page Optimization which includes checking all of your citations make sure your contact details are the same across all locations on the internet. The will also makes sure that every website that is linking to your website is of good quality and is a benefit to moving your website forward.
This is SEO in it's most basic terms, but it can be a real game changer in most real estate markets where hundreds of people are searching for new properties to buy each and every month. There are many great Digital Marketing companies in Chicago and the Midwest. Companies like Serp Doc who are the #1 Ranked Midwest SEO Agency and have proven top search rankings in several different markets including Peoria, Omaha, and Minneapolis SEO are the kind of seo agency that you want to get you to the top of the search results.


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Nitronica based in Co. Down, Northern Ireland, provide contract electronic manufacturing (CEM) services including; PCB assembly, box build, cable assembly, cabinet/ panel build and full product build.
Nitronica have evolved and diversified to offer much more than traditional contract electronic manufacturing services. A combination of value added activities and development of our key skills allow us to effectively engage in large scale electro-mechanical integration projects not normally associated with "build to print" organisations.
Nitronica operate in many industry sectors with its breadth of capability and flexible approach attracting a diverse range of customers from local start ups through to global corporations. We do business with customers in North America, Europe, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, and the rest of the UK. Offering a complete range of services such as cable assembly and PCB assembly through to the design, refinement and supply of high quality, fully integrated electro-mechanical products, this positions Nitronica to be an attractive partner for your business.
"Our key strengths stem from a legacy of over 60 years in the industry"


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Council takes its only November meeting on the road.
Plainfield City Council meets for its only November session Tuesday (November 1) at Clinton Elementary School, Clinton Avenue at West 4th Street. The combined agenda and business meeting gets under way at 7:00 PM.
Two discussion items are noted on the agenda --
- "Best practices inventory"
- "Loitering/Public nuisance at Park and 7th"
Four new ordinances are also on the agenda --
- Execution of escrow agreements with prospective developers;
- Authorizing sale of "sliver lots";
- Amend violations and penalties of existing taxi ordinance; and
- Amend speed regulations on certain streets.
Parking at Clinton School is available in the lot on Clinton Avenue.
-- Dan Damon [follow]


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Heroin addiction is a destroyer of the human spirit, completely obliterating not only the heart of the addict, but the hearts of those who love them as well. The harsh reality of this cyclic battle is that some souls simply cannot be saved no matter how hard you try to help them, or how much love you offer them. We can't walk the path for anyone but ourselves, and there is no way to help someone who doesn't want to be helped. – Dena M. Daigle
This is a piece dedicated to my sister. I tried with everything in me to make this a spoken word piece, but I could barely get out 5 lines before I broke down in tears. Wherever you are sister, just know that you are loved and I hope you can find yourself one day.
An Open Letter to My Sister
I reached out to you with three simple words,
"How could you?"
And your response was "I need help"
But how many times are we supposed to save you when you won't even save yourself.
You said "Fuck help. Fuck life. I give up"
Never giving another thought to the children who need you;
nor the mother and sister who would succeed you.
You told me that I would never see you again;
and I'm not even sure how I'm supposed to feel about that.
Is it a ploy for attention, or a cry for help?
I don't know,
because most don't give a warning before they kill themselves.
And you have lied so much to anyone who would listen.
They obliviously cater to your bullshit while you feed your addiction.
You leave devastation in your wake;
a winding trail of shattered hearts as long as the river Nile,
robbing piggy banks and leaving bones scattered on the shores of denial.
But you tell me "Just remember that I love you."
As if those words could ever ease the pain of losing my sister;
my own flesh and blood
the girl I would give my own life to save.
Then you block my messages and calls and vanish without a trace.
How dare you lay down your sword at my feet as if I'm supposed to end this battle for you.
How dare you lay your burdens on my fragile heart as if I haven't suffered too.
I will not clean up the entrails you recklessly leave behind.
I will not hide your rotting corpse from the wolves that come to dine.
I will not place you gently into the river trying to save your soul.
And I will not write your fucking obituary before your body turns cold.
But if you reach out to me, I will answer your call.
I will sit with you in the gutter and we will write graffiti on the walls.
I will write you into poetry of painted skies and butterflies
and you will laugh at me.
You will think I have gone completely mad
unless the only hue on the palette I've chosen is black.
But I would do it anyway because I just want to see you crawl out of your cocoon.
I want to shed my light on your darkness and guide you to brighter days.
I want to see your babies smile and seek solace in your embrace.
I will stay at your bedside and watch over you as you sleep,
and I will help you slay your demons on the days you are too weak.
I will roll up my sleeves and grab a broom and we will clean this mess together;
but I will not let you sweep it under the rug again
nor let you decide which storms we have to weather.
I will not watch you destroy yourself any longer and tear our family apart;
and if that means you hate me,
I will just have to keep you safe in my heart.
But I will not write your obituary.
I will just love you from afar.
-Dena M. Daigle © 2018


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Bill Bennett runs out of patience with Cain
The conservative author and former education secretary writes on National Review that the Herman Cain campaign has run out of chances to brush off the issue:
If Herman Cain wants to be taken seriously as a public advocate for anything, never mind running for the chief executive and commander in chief of the most powerful and important and blessed country in the world, he needs to give a full press conference dedicated exclusively to this issue and these allegations.
I have watched long enough and held my tongue long enough to give him the benefit of the doubt, but can no longer say this is a witch hunt, "a lynching" to use his word, or any other euphemism. There are allegations out there that matter and they have stacked up. For we who led the charge against Bill Clinton on a number of related issues to continue to blame the media or other campaigns or say it simply doesn't matter makes us the hypocrites as well.


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As the cost of wind energy continues to fall and electricity prices continue to increase in the coming years, the long-term hedge provided by self-consumption will become even more significant and on-site wind energy will provide early adopters with a key competitive advantage.
With over three decades of medium and large-scale wind development experience, Dulas helps utilities throughout the installation process, from early-stage planning and site assessment to the choice of turbine, grid connection and long-term financial yield modelling.
If you are planning an on-site installation, Dulas offers a comprehensive site assessment and planning pack for 50kW-100kW single or multiple turbine sites. The service is designed to provide all of the important information you need to make an informed decision. Our package includes:
In order to give you the best chance of success with your planning proposal, the planning pack also includes site location details, a site plan, block plan, turbine elevation and zone of theoretical visibility. In addition, the report will supply wireframes for use in a photomontage, a noise map and predicted noise at nearby dwellings.