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Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I'll start on a positive note. It was an uplifting story because after a nuclear holocaust in which only one small town in Florida is spared, people figure things out, cooperate, and rebuild. Not a spoiler, by the way, since this info can be found on the back cover. I liked the fact that this book demonstrated how people, in the absence of a government, can come together, DIY-style, and get things done.
Now for the not-so-positive notes. The writing is stiff and unimaginative. It was not easy to finish. Part of the problem is that it was written and published in the late 50's. However, the bigger part was simply the way the words came together, sentence after sentence. They made me yawn.
View all my reviews


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Joining Recurse Center
November 1, 2016
New York City for the Winter
I am excited to call the Recurse Center in NYC home for the next few months. Will be a part of their 12 weeks for Winter 2016 batch. Recurse describes itself as a free, self-directed, educational retreat for people who want to get better at programming, whether they've been coding for three decades or three months. There are facilitators but for 12 weeks you will be working with your fellow batchmates on honing your skills working on projects you always wanted to do.
Photo from Recurse Center Apply
I switched to Computer Science in college from Accounting and haven't looked back. I have been primarily doing full stack web development for the past four years and dabbling in everything else. I'm excited to take some time to work on some back burner project ideas and also explore new problem domains.
I've become more interested in working with data. We generate and collect so much data now that the hard science is reasoning with the data and storing it on demand. The culmination of this is personalized computing and AI. Having it so easy to access is a powerful idea; you can have contextual personalized search to any of your data on demand.
My favorite example of this is Google Photos, I'm can find an old photo of Street Food I took on a trip to China 8 years ago if I just ask. From Google Assistant, Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana, and even Facebook M, the future is going to be a world of personalized computing experiences and redefining the term Personal Computer.
What I'll be doing
At Recurse it's recommended you pick a focus, like a capstone project that you'll be working on day to day and hopefully finish at the end. I want to challenge myself to do more with data. I put together the idea of building a recommendation engine as my softball to myself. A little less ambitious than Mark Zuckerberg's plan to build an AI for his Home this year but baby steps.
I've been using Python for a few years now and have done some Scikit-learn and Tensorflow. All my experiments in the data science realm have all been very shallow but I'm fascinated by projects like Google's WaveNet generative audio and Tiny Clouds's coloring black and white photos.
I'm a few weeks into the original Coursera Machine Learning by Andrew Ng but the math bits are challenging. I've also accumulated a list of projects on a trello board that I'll pick through and try to tackle throughout my batch.
In Closing
I'll do a follow-up at the end of my batch to see how close I stuck with what I planned to do. I'll keep in touch, connect with me on Twitter and Linkedin and reach out if you have any questions about the program.

subset: commoncrawl


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Who Uses This Software?
Companies with more than 100 employees looking to streamline their HRIS process with a single database for HR, Payroll and Time & Attendance management and reporting.
Average Ratings110 Reviews
Ease of Use
Customer Service
Product Details
Starting Price$10,000.00/one-time
Free DemoYes , get a free demo
DeploymentCloud, SaaS, Web
Installed - Windows
Live Online
In Person
Business Hours
24/7 (Live Rep)
Vendor Details
- Optimum Solutions
- www.optimumhris.com
- Founded 1988
- United States
About Optimum Payroll
Starting at $10,000, Optimum HRIS offers in-house systems for both Microsoft Windows & IBM iSeries (AS/400) platforms, as well as a cloud solution (OptiCloud) Our software include Optimum Payroll, HR and Time & Attendance. Optimum HRIS' industry-leading software application offers payroll processing & employee information management, as well as training & benefits administration. Featuring a fully integrated single database, Optimum HRIS is a total solution for cost-effective HRMS management.
Optimum Payroll Features
- 401(k) Tracking
- Benefits Management
- Check Printing
- Direct Deposit
- Multi-Country
- Multi-State
- Reporting/Analytics
- Self Service Portal
- Tax Management
- Vacation/Leave Tracking
- W-2/1099 Preparation
- Wage Garnishment
Optimum Payroll Reviews Recently Reviewed!
Optimum Solutions user since 2013
Likely Extremely
Pros: I like that Optimum takes customer comments into consideration and sometimes incorporates those suggestions into future updates. I also like that it is SQL data tables, which I can easily access with my Crystal Reports software which we use with our payroll software. (We use HR/TA of Optimum currently, may consider rolling over to payroll as well in the future.)
Cons: Occasionally there are glitches (but that happens with any program, especially when new features are rolled out). Most recently, glitches have been with the ACA reporting - but that is to be expected with such a new process!! I have occasionally noticed some changes from one update to another in where the Weekly Timecard Status Report places hours in the totals at the end of the report. (We export to an external payroll software and use this for balancing our imported hours and sometimes it has been confusing until we figure out what moved where.)
Recommendations to other buyers: Make sure you set aside enough time to thoroughly evaluate! You don't want to make a decision to hastily. See if you can have a live software demo (besides the standard one - like one where you can play around with it, try setting up employees yourself, etc) to fully understand WHERE data is placed, before populating your initial data entry upload spreadsheets. I would maybe have organized the Org Levels and perhaps a couple of the other initial tables a little differently initially, if I had had a chance to play around with the software more beforehand to figure out WHERE data is used. This could have been a fault of my own though in trying to rush implementation while juggling other heavy projects :-)
Upgrade from version 6 to version 7
Likely Extremely
Pros: We have been with Optimum Solutions for many years. Their customer support has been consistently excellent....they have a very knowledgeable customer service support force who have helped us in a very timely manner through the years. Many of their employees have been with the company as long as we have been with them and are almost like family. The software is mostly easy to use. Upgrades, like the new ACA software needed for government requirements, have always been provided on a timely basis. Their programming staff is always open to suggestions from the users of their product.
Cons: If I had to choose one thing that we like least about version 7 over the older version 6 is the way reporting is done now. In version 6 we had one screen that had all the reports we wanted to print, set up with the outqs to send them to ......we just hit enter each week and it printed them. Now we have to go through a series of screens for each report we want. Even though there are more options in the new report selection process, it is more cumbersome to use. Hopefully in the future, the programming staff will make some improvements in this area. We love Optimum Solutions...no problem with the vendor or their staff!
Recommendations to other buyers: You can't go wrong with Optimum Solutions software! We have been with them for many years for a reason......they are just that good!!
Optimum Solutions review
Likely Extremely
Pros: All encompassing software tool that keeps things very accurate and detailed. I have not had to increase my Payroll staff in over 10 years even though our employee count has nearly doubled in all that time. In addition, Optimum provides regular software updates to keep up with changing times (example would be the new ACA form reporting requirement).
Cons: The initial set up was very daunting and there was a big learning curve. But it was very much worth the effort. We use the iSeries platform and some of our users don't like "Green Screens" - - they prefer Windows type feel like point and click. Optimum does have a windows program too, but we have never looked into it. It isn't the best (for us at least) for some HR type documentation and workflows (ie approving raises, disciplinary actions.
Recommendations to other buyers: I would recommend getting the entire Optimum Suite - Payroll, HR, Time and Attendance, Alerts, Employee Self Serve, Check printing. Everything ties together and is driven from what is entered in PR/HR. It is pretty close to a one-stop-shop.
Optimum Solutions - the BEST there is!
Likely Extremely
Pros: The software is very easy to use, flexible, and dependable! Our company has been using Optimum since 1998. We've tripled our employees in that time and continue to grow. We are upgrading to version 7 and the ESS package within the next couple of months. I am excited about the new features that we'll be able to implement! And my employees are going to LOVE the ESS!!! We used the same base package for 18 years and never had any problems with it! The opticoms and communications help keep us up with the every-changing HR/Payroll world we work in!
Cons: The fact that I wasted 10 minutes sitting here, trying to come up with something I don't like - and failed!!!
Recommendations to other buyers: Get referrals and talk to Optimum's customers!!! We're the ones that use the software and can tell you about it first hand! And don't miss the user's conference!! The ideas, knowledge, information and friends you meet are invaluable.
Review of the software
Likely Extremely
Pros: Optimum Solutions stays current with the latest tax and government requirements and keeps the client informed with frequent updates. They are a good source for keeping me abreast of laws. The software is easy to use. Optimum has always been available during emergency issues.
Cons: Sometimes the updates, directions, explanations, or how to screens do not go into ENOUGH fine details. I find that I still have to contact our client service rep for additional information on how to do or set up our company. I would like to see some improvements in the time and attendance module, greater ease in correcting the errors.
Recommendations to other buyers: I would recommend potential customers to contact a real user to see how service and the ease of software is.
Scheduling drama
Comments: From the beginning (2008) we believed this product would be an upgrade from the product we were currently using. However, we found out shortly after we started training that it was in fact way behind the product we had been using. That was a bit frustrating for me. We have 250+ employees and the ease of the Time and Attendance portion of your product was not very useful. It still takes longer than I would like to edit the punches and make changes to the employee time cards. The schedules don't allow a lot of wiggle room. (ex. if the employee takes a lunch earlier or later than "scheduled" it appears on 2 lines and becomes an edit, and the same with the in punch too early or outside the "schedule" it becomes an edit.)
The payroll processing it super good especially if you have automatic times cards with I do for my machine shop. And the supervisor payroll is all automatic so they are pretty much error free. I have issues of using the Rate Table for our insurance premiums and then when the employee doesn't make the entire premium payment, I have to run an entirely different report to see that. I would like to see it print on the deduction deviation report along with the other benefits and deductions that does not get taken from the employee check it would just make sense that way. This Software is always trial and error and has been from the beginning. Improvements are coming often and I would really like to see it all become more user friendly and less time consuming.
Optimum Solutions- User-Friendly Company for Payroll and HR Services
Likely Extremely
Pros: The software is very user-friendly. I've been using this software for the past 5 years and I do enjoy the ease of navigating through the different screens, tabs, and reporting capabilities. As far as the vendor goes, most people in the industry have heard of Optimum Solutions.
Cons: I do find that we are limited as far as reports. There are many reports, but since they are canned reports, we do find the need to run queries in order for us to report the information we are looking for.
Recommendations to other buyers: Prepare a list of your reporting requirements during the evaluation process. If you know ahead of time what your companies needs may be in terms of reporting, ease of transition from another vendor, etc, you should let the vendor know.
Payroll General Accountant
Likely Extremely
Pros: The customer support is outstanding. The staff is always willing to go above and beyond in assisting us with issues we may have. They give us the necessary information and tools to meet the requirements of government agencies and our auditors.
Cons: There is a learning curve that one must understand. The system does exactly what you tell it to do. So you really need to understand how the system works. Fortunately no matter how much I have messed up the system in the past they have always been able to correct it.
Recommendations to other buyers: It is an outstanding system but you need to work with your Support Representative until you understand the system. They are there for you - so use them.
I have been an OSI customer for 17 years.
Likely Extremely
Pros: The software is versatile and the customer service is excellent. I have built good working relationships with OSI staff and consider them valuable partners.
Cons: I would like to see an OSI online application become available. This would allow a seamless transition from application to software. We would not have to take an application and enter all the basic data. Just upload the application and enter other criteria like department, wage, etc.
Recommendations to other buyers: OSI gives you the resources for a successful software implementation. However, it is a big task and one should ensure that they have enough resources within their own company to assist with the completion of software implementation.
HR & Payroll Software
Likely Extremely
Pros: The product is very user friendly and the support staff is very responsive if a problem is ever encountered.
Cons: The person assigned to the initial set up did not seem to have a full knowledge of the product and led us down the wrong path. Outcome led to various other scheduled meetings and a lot of changes that could have been avoided if the initial set up was done correctly.
Recommendations to other buyers: Be sure to know what functions you would like to have and definitely need for your organization. There are many things that the program can do that we were unaware of. Still not utilizing the program to its full potential but every year there seems to be more functions that are available that we find a must needed use for.
Optimum is great!
Likely Extremely
Pros: It is great having a software that meets all our payroll and HR needs in one place. It makes it easy to enter information and find it later. Optimum's customer service is excellent! They are always personable and very quick to respond. It is amazing in this day and age to actually talk to a real person on the other end of the line and not have to go through 10 minutes of pushing buttons to do so.
Cons: Sometimes the software is a little overwhelming because it is so robust.
Recommendations to other buyers: This is a great software to go with. Optimum helps set everything up to meet your specific needs. If they don't currently have something you want, they can make it happen.
Best customer service in the industry
Likely Extremely
Pros: At any point if we have questions or issues (big or small), we can always get someone on the phone that will step us through the process to get the end result that we need. I have even had top notch support on a weekend during a move from one server to another that included an upgrade of system.
Cons: In all honesty I have not had a negative experience with either the product or the vendor.
Recommendations to other buyers: Keep in mind that no matter what kind of software you are looking for you will always run into a situation where you need support from the vendor. Take your time and research the company as well as the product.
Optimum Review
Likely Extremely
Pros: This software was chosen because I can control the input and processing of my payrolls. There is no waiting for reports or tax filings. I wanted a product that was in-house rather than on the internet. Vendor response time for support issues is very good.
Cons: This software lacks greatly in the ability to build reports. Frequently I must run several reports in Optimum and merge them together. I am disappointed that no effort has been made to improve reporting.
Recommendations to other buyers: Write down every payroll scenario that you encounter and discuss how they would/could be handled in the software.
Optimum Review
Likely Extremely
Pros: System is user friendly. Support staff is helpful and responds quickly when there are problems.
Cons: Lots of updates. Update that result in an unexpected problem somewhere else in the software. Required items when entering a new employee into the system. Why isn't rate of pay required? You can't process a check without this information. When I have new users in the software this is hard for them and can create payroll issues.
Recommendations to other buyers: Learn how to use the reports. They are be very helpful you understand how to export, sort, and create custom reports that you need specific to your company.
Easy to Use
Likely Extremely
Pros: the best part of optimum solutions is that it prints the vendor/payee checks during the payroll process. Also it prints all of the tax forms.
Cons: I would like to see if possible on the payroll pay cycles calendar when you enter a pay period begin date and pay period end date that spans over 2 months the system will calculate the accrual based on if it is a biweekly or weekly pay cycle.
Recommendations to other buyers: Talk to other users about their experiences. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples meaning that some payroll software you have to buy a third party software to print w-2s and process tax forms.
Easy to use, efficent and speedy
Likely Extremely
Pros: Speed of our payroll processing has increased. The transfer of data from Timekeeping to Payroll Processing is simple and efficient. The HR side of the system is very user friendly and has a large array of reports to choose from. On a daily basis I enjoy how easy it is to maneuver around in and enter data quickly.
Cons: There are many "newest versions" that you need to update your system with which can be bothersome, but they are actually very easy to use.
Recommendations to other buyers: I recommend that if you are looking for new software to give Optimum Solution a try. Take a "tour" of the system with a representative so you are able to discover all the features it has available. It is easy to use, fast to operate and maneuver around within the system.
Likely Extremely
Pros: The best aspect of this product is the support and responsiveness of the support personnel. They are always ready and willing to help in answering questions and also developing custom mods for our company specific issues.
Cons: The annual costs of the support are continuing to rise and the total cost of support for the three modules we use should be combined and discounted in my opinion.
Recommendations to other buyers: The OPTIMUM SOLUTIONS payroll and time and attendance software are tried and proven applications. You will not regret choosing them for your payroll software needs.
great payroll system
Likely Extremely
Pros: it gives you a multitude of information, more than I ever had in our previous system. I have not had time to enter all the info that it asks for, but I do want to finish it so that we have info at our fingertips instead of looking for it manually in different areas of the file cabinet.
Cons: I would like to be able to open several areas at a time ( to check on info). I would like to have the reports that I run every week to be separated from the rest of the reports that I don't use all the time.
Recommendations to other buyers: Do not be overwhelmed with everything it can do. it is awesome! Just take it a little at a time and you will eventually see that it can be very beneficial to your business.
IT Director Managing HRIS for Company
Likely Extremely
Pros: The support department and their flexibility is top-notch. You rarely, if ever hear that something cannot be done.
Cons: Their employee web portal need modernization. Most of the screens are a bit out of date looking, but it is functional and gets the job done. Just would prefer is to be more flexible, modern looking.
Recommendations to other buyers: This software is easily integrated with our other applications, for they have an awesome programming team who can make customization easily. Most companies do not allow or offer this level of flexibility.
Optimum Soluitions
Comments: Overall, Optimum Solutions provides a phenomenal HR/Payroll program that is easy to use. With respect to "pros", Optimum Solutions' customer services is outstanding - particularly Mr. Dave Collazo; who is always there to assist me with any questions I may have. Should he not be immediately available, he is always good at returning my phone calls and/or answering my emails.
The only con that I can think of regarding Optimum is the many bugs that seem to pop up from time to time. For example, on PTO cash-outs, any amount of hours cashed is not automatically deducted from the PTO bank; thereby requiring that I manually deduct the hours cashed-out. Also, for some unknown reason, we always receive a scheduling error on Saturdays and Sundays; which also require manual correction. Please note that there are other minor bugs - nothing we can't cope with; but it would be nice if the errors could be eliminated. Several copies of our database have been sent to Optimum with no avail.
In light of these minor issues, I still continue to praise Optimum and its customer service; and will recommend it to anyone looking for HR/payroll software.
- Cal.
Reliable software and tech support
Likely Extremely
Pros: This product is user friendly (once you learn the basics) and the tech support is very helpful.
Cons: It would be a lot easier to keep up with the new updates to the software if customers were notified as soon as they became available instead of having to look on their website.
Recommendations to other buyers: This software is overall very reliable and accurate. I would definitely recommend it.
Terry Lewis Review of Optimum Solutions
Likely Extremely
Pros: The software is easy to use and stays up to date. The software does everything I need for payroll and time and attendance. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful.
Cons: I really like the product and vendor. There is really nothing that I don't like.
Recommendations to other buyers: Take advantage of their training. It was very good and helpful when setting up the software.
The Best Payroll, HR, and Time & Attendance Combo Software
Likely Extremely
Pros: The software is user-friendly. It has everything you need for payroll, HR, and Time and Attendance wrapped up in one package. The vendor is great to work with. I don't have to call them much these days, but when I do, I know I will get a quick and satisfactory response from them. Anyone I talk to is very friendly, and they all seem very knowledgable of the product. If not, they are quick to get someone else in on the conversation that can help.
Cons: This is hard to answer because I am very happy with this product and this vendor and would not even think about using a different product. I don't think I have a least like.
Recommendations to other buyers: Ask Optimum to give you some names of people that are already using the product. Call those people and ask questions. That helps you know if they like the product and if they have anything negative to say about it.
Good Payroll and HR product
Likely Extremely
Pros: It has a lot of canned information but is customizable to your specific needs.
Cons: Some things are a little confusing, but they have great customer support, so if you are willing to ask for help, they can usually clear up issues.
Recommendations to other buyers: Have your list of must-have items and look at the overall costs of all those items.
Makes payroll easy to process!
Likely Extremely
Pros: Very easy to work with. A lot of support. If you make a mistake not impossible to fix. Most of the time you can do it yourself.
Cons: would like to be able to have area for ee's to sign in and look at their sick/vacation time.
Recommendations to other buyers: Very cost effective in comparison to other companies out there.
Nextek's Review of Optimum Solutions
Pros: HR, Payroll, and Time and Attendance are fully integrated. It's easy to use and the support staff are great. Optimum offers an annual conference for their users which allows you to attend classes and interact with other users. Optimum stays on top of Payroll Law changes and implements updates to the system as needed.
Cons: Not all the reports have sort functions and some have limted sort functions.
Overall: Our company has been using Optimum since 2007. Optimum is a great cost effective tool which has allowed us to continue generating payroll in house. They are always open to suggestions on how to improve current features as well as suggest new ones. The support staff is knowledgeable and eager to help. They have great implementation teams that walk you through every step of the system set-up. I highly recommend Optimum Solutions software for all your Payroll or Human Resources needs.
An amazing solution to punch cards and hand calculated hours!!
Comments: We transitioned from time punch cards that were totaled by hand and then inputted into a payroll processing software. The biometric hand scan eliminated employees clocking other employees in. The ease of the flow from time & attendance to payroll has saved us countless hours!!
Customer support has been very responsive to my emails and questions.
The training and implementation process was amazing.
The reports that come with the software are not as customizable as I would like. We haven't yet had the time to figure out the report-writer part. I would also like to see development around the training information. It would be really helpful to be able to create training programs that I can mass add employees under so that I don't have to go into each employee individually to add the training. Usually I have 50 people go through a training class at a time. It would be so much simpler to add them all at once.
Optimum is great / mainly due to my support person Stacie
Likely Extremely
Pros: the payroll / HR / time cards system is very user friendly and support is great
Cons: a couple reports I would like to be able to sort or pull info in a different format
Recommendations to other buyers: I do not have any recommendations at this time / I would believe most other users feel the same about this system
Likely Extremely
Pros: REPORTING IS GREAT. YOU CAN GET ALMOST ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF
Cons: DIFFICULTLY OF GL SET UP WHEN WE STARTED WE PROBABLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW WE WANTED EVERYTHING SET UP
Recommendations to other buyers: UTILIZE IT ALL YOU CAN AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IT SET UP LIKE YOU WANT IT FROM THE BEGINNING
Hosanna - Payroll / HR
Likely Extremely
Pros: Vendor is always very helpful. When my own rep is out of town, I am always very well taken care of if I have any issues. This Windows based product is very easy to use, especially after working on their Version 7.
Cons: The setup was very time consuming, but it was worth it as it was personalized to fit our needs.
Recommendations to other buyers: You write the code tables (with their instruction/training), so you make this software fit your needs.
Optimum Review
Likely Extremely
Pros: The software is easily used and the customer support is always on top of issues.
Cons: Reports. I am not the best at queries. I wish there was a greater list of reports that can be ran.
Recommendations to other buyers: Optimum is a unique payroll, hr and time and attendance software company.
Optimum Review
Likely Extremely
Pros: Their dependability and their response time. Always prompt returning calls and/or replying to emails.
Cons: I do not have any dislikes with the product or vendor.
Recommendations to other buyers: Make sure the software is equally comparative to the products that Optimum has to offer.
Optimum Solutions Payroll
Comments: I really enjoy Optimum Payroll. It is user friendly. When you need support you just send and e-mail or call whichever you prefer and if you don't get them immediately they are very good about getting back with you in a timely manner. The people are friendly, courteous and helpful.
The only thing I don't like about it is that when you go to change something technical you will probably have to change things in several different place so I usually have to call support to make sure I haven't forgotten something, but the everyday running payroll and working with employees is very straight forward.
Overall I would say that it has certainly been a step up for us and I have enjoyed using it now for three years. There is a report for anything you want or need and they make saving electronically as simple as printing to hardcopy, so I save more than I print and that is a plus all the way around.
Optimum software review
Likely Extremely
Pros: the software does what we need it to do - I am mostly pleased with the support - they are on top of updates and new requirements like ACA
Cons: this software is not user friendly at all. My first year on this software was a disaster. It's hard to set it up correctly when your not sure what the different sections do and Optimum language and my language mean different things. The room for payroll errors is excessive and the reporting is awful. Why can't the reports be exported to excel in a normal and easily manipulated way. Also, it would be nice to be able to add fields to a report instead of having to run 3 different reports and then try to merge them together just to get all of the data needed.
Recommendations to other buyers: take your time - learn the software before you set up your system. Make sure optimum understands how your business works before you set up the software. Triple check everything. Especially with the first payroll and especially with taxable wages.
2 years with optimum Suite
Likely Extremely
Pros: Product: Well rounded, easy to use. Vendor: Willingness to help, friendly attitude.
Cons: Product: color contrast of screens, system errors in the general ledger, limited report capability and report errors. Vendor: Technicians under staffed, unable to resolve system issues promptly.
Recommendations to other buyers: Try and be as honest as possible. it will help the vendor understand areas of improvement.
Likely Extremely
Pros: I LIKE ALL THE PAYROLL UPDATES WE RECEIVE WITHOUTH HAVING TO ASK AND BE CONCERNED
Cons: Very happy with the product and software and customer support.
Recommendations to other buyers: TO COME FORWARD WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR EVERYONE TO BENEFIT FROM.
Great Payroll and HR System!
Comments: We have been with Optimum for about 3.5 years and we have not been disappointed. We looked at several different vendors and chose Optimum due to price and how well we liked the software after the demo. Optimum has excellent support staff and user friendly software. I recommend being very involved with the Set Up process as that is the best way to learn the ins and outs of this software. It can be customized to fit the needs of your company! Did I mention the support staff are excellent!? They always do a great job and are very friendly.
The only "con" I can think of, is that sometimes it takes a little longer to get "non-emergency" items resolved. With that said, they do get them resolved and usually in a reasonable amount of time! After all, they were "non-emergency" items!
Would definitely recommend this company!
Good software for HR
Comments: We have had a good experience for the most part with Optimum. The software really has everything HR needs to use and then some along with a very capable way of securing the interface and back end from users. Their tech support is top notch and I haven't had any issues that have persisted for very long. At times the updates they send out have had some bugs in them and were not fully regression tested, but they have fixed any issues from such. I have had on several occasions had to restore from backup, but that has not happened for over three or four years. When we've had issues due to database changes in the updates or other things (mis-clicks by users) tech support has worked hard to find a solution and not just point fingers at why it isn't their fault. They work hard to keep problems from being a show stopper.
Optimum Solutions Review
Likely Extremely
Pros: Questions are answered promptly and the step by step instructions that include print screens to view as I am performing each step. Reports are easy to obtain and I like that they can be produced in various formats (PDF, Excel, etc.)
Cons: No issues at this current time. There isn't anything that I can state that I least like about his product and vendor.
Recommendations to other buyers: Make sure the evaluation is based on the needs of the company and that it will be put to good use. Obtain as much knowledge as possible and ask questions.
Optimum Solutions Payroll Software
Pros: Excellent customer service.
Cons: When we implemented the software, there were no instruction manuals. We had to develop our own.
Overall: We have been using Optimum Solution's payroll software for about 10 years. We have been very satisfied with their product. The software is very reliable and their customer service is excellent.
Vendor Response
by Optimum Solutions on April 16, 2012
Thank for your high recommendation on customer service.
In regards to not having instruction manuals, you are correct, we were limited with our documentation at the time you became a client. The good news (for others!) is since your implementation, we have added a lot of new documents including implementation manuals, self-help manuals and recordings of implementation sessions with our clients to refer back to, for training purposes.
Thank you for the feedback and we welcome any additional comments.
User Friendly
Comments: Optimum is a user friendly program with helpful and guiding features. When you set up a new employee the system guides you through all of the screens to complete the entries so nothing is forgotten. When you pull a payroll in all of the information you need to check and make sure your payroll is accurate is in easy to find reports.
The only fall back we have found is in running reports for audits. We have to run several different reports to get the information we need and some reports do not give you totals or the number of employees on the report. We have employees in different states and need to break out what state they work in and there is no way that we have found to accomplish that.
Quality HR software
Likely Extremely
Pros: Optimum HRIS is very functional and does what we need it to. They have made strides in the web interfaces of both the Suite application as well as their company website. The new branding and navigation is A+ compared to the old stuff.
Cons: Too frequent of update releases. I wish more testing could be done before they get released so I don't have to apply a new one once a week, three weeks in a row. This isn't always the case but I do feel updates are released too often a majority of the time.
Recommendations to other buyers: The big 3 for me would be make sure that 1. The software you're purchasing is capable of doing everything you need it to. 2. Support is guaranteed to you in a certain window (problems can and will occur no matter what application you choose) 3. The user interface is easy to grasp. For us, Optimum has done that.
Ajax Turner Company
Pros: Customer Service is OUTSTANDING. The customer support team is cooperative, attentive, and can speak on my level. They can be creative in developing solutions to issues whether major or minor.
Cons: With version 6.3, we have recently experienced a limitation with non-taxable pay codes. As our needs have grown over the past several years, OSI has been able to meet those needs each time except for this most recent event.
Overall: I have and will continue to recommend OSI to any person that will listen. The relationship Ajax Turner Company, and myself personally, has built with OSI has been an enjoyable and educational experience.
New user with limited hands on experience with payroll processing.
Likely Extremely
Pros: I have extensive experience managing payroll departments but this is my first exposure to doing the actual transactions. And I was thrust into the role with no notice. That said, the customer support has been very responsive and timely in addressing my questions and issues. Given the limited exposure to Optimum and hands on processing, I would have to give customer support the nod as the thing I like best about the product.
Cons: There have been a number of instances where changes made to the employee master but other tables buried in the set up took precedence over the master file. For example the labor type buried in the setup overrode the hourly rate shown in the employee master. As a result, one hourly rate showed on the employee master and printed on the pay stub but the employee was actually paid significantly less per hour.
Recommendations to other buyers: It is very difficult to anticipate all the functionality requirements of an organization's payroll department and how the vendor under consideration will or will not meet those requirements. For those requirements that are unique to buyer's enterprise, I would strongly encourage the vendor to demonstrate that function to the full satisfaction of the ultimate users.
Software is very user friendly. Customer service is great.
Comments: We have been using the software for almost 7 years and have had no issues. One thing I have noticed is that it is very easy to make updates on someone else's account in error. Need to be sure you double click when changing to another account. Our hourly employees are covered by Collective Bargaining Agreements and their pay calculations can be very involved. Our clerk has been able to work thru these issues. Except she does have an issue differentiating between overtime and shift premiums between direct and in direct. The shift premium only calculates one shift and our employees work all 3 shifts. Tech support is good also.
Payroll Clerk/Accts Payable
Likely Extremely
Pros: The people are very helpful and they respond to your answers in a good timely fashion.
Cons: The help button doesn't explain any information needed to walk you through a procedure. You always have to call the help desk. The forms for taxes should be readily available instead of having to order elsewhere. I was the second person in my company to do payroll and I had no back up information on how things got set up.
Recommendations to other buyers: Please issue some clear help screens for functions within Optimum
I have been working with Optimum for 2 years.
Likely Extremely
Pros: Customer service, customization, willingness to work with our unique company.
Cons: Product is hard to learn given the AS400 green screen format. Sometimes I feel like I am lost in the program and unable to get what I want out of it because of my lack of programming and IT knowledge. Sure there is usually help available (our IT department or customer service) but it is frustrating to have to ask to have a query made or something when I know what I want it seems like an extra step to go through another entity to help me with what seems like something that would be simple.
Recommendations to other buyers: I would recommend that they evaluate using their own experiences.
Great customer support
Comments: The biggest con I have with the software is that I can't customize what information is seen on the employee listing screen. You see name, SSN, phone, emp # and status. Most of that information isn't important to me. I would like to be able to select what field I want to view on that main ee listing screen.
I have had extremely positive experience with the customer service rep assigned to us. She is very easy to get along with, knowledgeable, precise and accurate--a true professional. I have enjoyed the annual conferences as well and Optimum is very good about keeping us up-to-date on things like tax changes.
Have used Optimum for many years and grown with the programs.
Likely Extremely
Pros: Customer service is very good. The reps are very personable and knowledgeable.
Cons: Does not have some capabilities of some other systems we have seen. Reports are not always easy to run with the information you want. Since the program we have is not windows based it is not easy to train new employees to use the system.
Recommendations to other buyers: Make sure and test the program before you purchase it. You may not be able to get all the capabilities you want unless you purchase add on packages.
Pros: We have found Optimum Solutions Payroll to be very user friendly. We especally like the time and attendance application. It is so nice to be able to pull down any report we need with no problem, and if we need to put it into a spreadsheet it's very simple to do. Our customer service rep., Whitney is very helpful and friendly and always gets back to us in a timely manner. I would highly recommmend Optimum Solutions to any business.
Cons: We have no Cons to report.
Overall: We would highly recommend Optimum Solutions to any business!


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When it comes to your company's website, few things have as much influence on your site traffic than its presence (or lack thereof) on the first results pages of the top search engines. This handpicked selection of search engine optimization tips and tricks will help you to get your name near the top of the list.
Maintaining a healthy presence online means always keeping your website or forums up to date with current affairs. Even if your main selling point is not any sort of news angle, it is a good idea to show that you are constantly upgrading your site and put full attention into your business and customers.
By making the URL of a website with clear keywords, you will enhance the ease of their search-ability on search engines. The URL of a certain webpage will also make it easier for individuals who are visiting your site to navigate around. Ultimately SEO Expert Osteen, by having obscure and complex URL's, it will make it harder for those pages to show up in the top ranking of any search engine.
Use your strongest keywords in your site's name, in the sub-folders, and in the page names. This will help your site, as well as individual pages, rank more strongly. Search engines will give relevant pages high rank, and you can link those pages to others in your site. All of this strengthens your entire site and helps it to rank.
Do not be too general with your keywords. These are what will bring readers to your site, so you want to be specific. If you are talking about backpacking through Tahiti, you do not want your keyword to be "travel." There are thousands of travel sites, and yours will definitely not get the attention it deserves.
Overdoing it with the keywords on your site could get you labeled as a spammer. If you become labeled as a spammer, your site will be overlooked by search engine spiders. They are specifically programmed to ignore the sites that try to stuff as many keywords as possible onto it.
Find someone else that is in the same industry as you and trade links. Offer to place their links on the back page of your newsletter as long as they are willing to do the same for you. This should bring more traffic to both websites with no investment or risk involved.
If you are wondering how to get more people to look at your company website, the answer is to add a blog that you can use to publish high quality content about your product or service niche. By adding content from well-known online authors, you may get better search engine rankings, due to their readers following them to your site. Additionally, the introduction of various aspects of your niche in high quality articles will attract a broader spectrum of your target group.
SEO covers a variety of different things. There are many things that can help your website's ranking climb. Start out by using the tips covered in this article to get started off on the right foot with your search engine optimization.


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I just received a thump on the head from one of my fans, wondering what was up since I hadn't been blogging for some time--two months now.
Frankly, I'd fallen victim to the Information Age.
It's easier to read about than it is to do, and I'd been reading about journalling, reading about art, reading about and reading about and reading about. Joining Yahoo Groups devoted to this and that, joining in swaps and round robins and other group endeavors, and making copious lists of stuff to do Real Soon Now.
As soon as I had a chance.
As soon as I had time.
And the decos stacked up, and the ATC's were threatening to spill onto the floor, and the journals were getting dusty.
But there was all this e-mail, you see. And books I'd ordered, and books I'd been given, and books I'd won in various contests. And audiobooks to read, and movies to watch, and stuff and thing and stuff to consume.
And then it hit me that consumption is not production. And I needed to get with it and do what I was gonna do--or it wouldn't get done.
So I dropped about half my groups--the ones I only lurked in, the ones I wanted to be inspired by (but wasn't), the ones that ate up time and time scrolling through the chatter panning for gold.
I cleaned both studios so I could think--and more importantly, so I could run in and do in the corners of time that work so well for me. If you're only going to spend fifteen minutes a night and an hour on the weekend days, that's not a large investment at a whack--but you don't want to spend the whole allotment hunting for your embossing powder.
And the logjams are breaking up, a little. I've found that writing plans and leaving little notes for what I want to do works well. That way I can just duck into the paper studio, pull a project and my notes about what happens next, set my timer and go like thunder till the beeper beeps and it's time to go take care of something else.
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Flooring Installation
Flooring Installation Services
At Nicassa Handyman Services we believe your home maintenance and remodelling projects should be as seamless as possible. We offer any service your home may need, and are experts at our craft. Installing flooring is no exception! Being not only proficient, but efficient as well, are what we strive to do on each and every project we work on. We don't want you to feel displaced for long, so we work hard to get you back in the room (or rooms) you upgrade as quickly as possible.
Collaborate With Our Team
Residential and Commercial Floor Solutions
When deciding on which flooring is right for your project we believe it's best to view all the options first to make sure the one you are choosing makes the most sense. High traffic areas may do better with hardwood flooring, where your bedroom and upstairs may feel more "homey" with carpeting. Whatever the project, we are here to make your flooring installation a success. Something you will love for years to come. Our expert installers will walk you through the process, step-by-step, from selecting the flooring and colors, to proper maintenance once we are finished. You never have to worry about whether or not you are getting a quality installation.
Flooring Services Include:
- Flooring installation services
- Ceramic and porcelain tile repair/ installation
- Tile and grout cleaning
- Vinyl flooring
- Linoleum flooring
- Carpet installation
- Hardwood flooring installation
- Heated flooring
- Stone tile
- Laminate flooring
- Full house, one room, or small repair projects
Thinking about remodeling your kitchen?
Custom Estimate
Learn about your project's costs up front. We'll quickly provide a ballpark estimate.
Feel free to reach out to us directly! Our team typically responds within 24 hours. We'd love to talk to you about your next project.
Call: (440) 283-9242
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Bridge the gap between marketing and sales.
Lead generation strategy for growth-oriented businesses.
Lead Generation should be the highest priority of any digital marketing strategy.
Lead Generation is the method used to generate positive growth for your business by attracting, converting, closing, and delighting committed, loyal customers who are truly interested in hearing what you can do to help them out.
You expect your sales team to sell, and you expect your marketing team to help them by delivering "warm" leads. However, many of the issues that can contribute to poor growth within your business are caused by a breakdown in the sales and marketing relationship. In order to get the most out of your teams, you need to ensure that everyone is focused on a singular lead generation goal, so that your sales goals are informing your lead generation strategy.
You're looking to turn an online presence into serious growth for your business, and this is how you get there. Lead Generation takes interested prospects who are just now considering a purchase and puts them square on the path to becoming your delighted customers.
One of the biggest factors in growing your business is your ability to take complete strangers and turn them into buyers. How you find those strangers, educate them on your product, and condition them for a purchasing decision is called Lead Generation.
Now historically, lead generation has involved casting a wide net around mostly random crowds of people using TV ads and cold calling and hoping for a result. We refer to this as "outbound marketing."
Recently, marketing has evolved to enable you to be much more intentional about speaking to people who are already asking the questions you want to answer – delivering your message to the exact right person at the exact right time. This is called "inbound marketing."
By taking a targeted approach, you can ensure that the leads being delivered to your sales team are marketing qualified and truly ready to talk business. And, you can condition these potential customers to be receptive your specific sales process – answering their questions, offering value, and making them feel good about their decision to choose you.
If you're serious about growth, and you recognize that you need more or better leads in order to meet your goals, it's critical that you determine whether your current lead generation process is helping or hurting your progress — and how much of a change is necessary in order to get back on track. The info below should help you get off to a good start, but if you decide you want real help, we're a phone call away.
Effective Lead Generation Aligns Your Sales and Marketing Teams
Focusing two teams on a single goal requires the presence of mind to fully understand your business's overall growth goals. Your sales team needs to define a qualified lead in light of those growth goals, and they need to communicate that definition clearly to your marketing team.
Without sales and marketing alignment for Lead Generation, you're looking at:
- Poor quality leads from a marketing team that isn't sure what they should be delivering.
- A sales team forced to rely on their own lead generation efforts.
- Wasted money generating leads that sales can't use.
It doesn't have to be this way. If senior leadership at your company is committed to marketing and sales alignment, and everyone is willing to work together to establish and achieve a common set of goals, develop a plan for content marketing and lead generation, and utilize the right technology to help themselves succeed, then everyone wins.
Goal setting should happen regularly with Senior Management, Sales, and Marketing all at the same table.
Our first objective with any new client is to put sales and marketing team leaders in the same room with senior leadership and discuss your business's goals from the top down. This process of discovery allows us to understand the unique challenges that are affecting each team. As we develop an appropriate lead generation strategy, that discovery process informs every decision and enables us to get everyone working from the same playbook.
Our primary focus is always to ensure that our Inbound Marketing strategies align with your goals for growth over time. We want to continue to understand what success means for you as we meet initial goals and set new ones. The same is true for every team in your sales process. It isn't enough to coordinate once. Growth is defined by constant change and unexpected challenges. Even when it seems like you've established a pattern of success, it's important to understand that your strategies will need to continue adapting to an ever-changing landscape.
Do Lead Generation Tactics Really Increase Conversion Rates?
Implementing lead generation tactics in your digital marketing efforts is a must for any business focused on sustained growth and positive metrics.
As an example, consider those "What Disney Princess Are You" or "What's Your Ideal Meal at Taco Bell" quizzes on social media. You may be ashamed to admit that you've fallen for these time-wasters in the past, but did you know that this kind of interactive content is considered one of the top lead generation tactics for B2B companies, as well?
While a quiz focused on cartoon royalty probably wouldn't impress the potential leads looking into a home construction company, a targeted email with a quiz asking them to rate the biggest home building and interior design trends might.
Lead Generation tactics, including interactive content, educational webinars or events, and lead nurturing (more on that in just a second), increase conversion rates because they invite your prospect to be a part of the process. They offer engagement at a personal level and create an authentic connection that leads them right to the Zero Moment of Truth (or ZMOT).
Consulting firm DDI found that prospects were six times more likely to open follow-up emails after they received one email that included interactive content.
Nature vs. Nurture: Don't leave your leads out in the cold.
Lead nurturing, according to Marketo, is the process of developing relationships with buyers at every stage of the sales funnel and through every single step of the Buyer's Journey.
To nurture a lead means to listen to them — find out what their problem is and what they need from you in order to solve it. Since about half of the leads in your system are likely prospects that just aren't ready to buy, neglecting them could easily lead to the prospect dropping you out of consideration by the time they decide to purchase.
In order to have the greatest success at lead nurturing, you first need to implement a system of lead scoring. Lead scoring helps sales and marketing pinpoint how far along your prospect is in the Buyer's Journey, and how likely they are to be a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) vs. a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) that isn't quite ready for your sales team.
How you define your lead scoring system is going to be specific to your business. However, we can tell you that your internal system will almost certainly use four basic metrics with numerical values assigned to them:
Lead nurturing is more about relationships than numbers.
Don't lose sight of one important fact when your teams are scoring a lead: the prospect isn't just some text on a screen, but a human being. The secret to effective lead nurturing is not to lose yourself in numbers, but to focus your marketing efforts on building a conversation and connection that keeps you top-of-mind when it matters most.
Your website has a job. Understanding that job is key to lead generation success.
Have you ever really thought about why you have a company website? It's true that every business needs a website, but what is the specific purpose YOUR website serves?
When you sit down with a web design company or marketing agency to talk about a new website, there are three ideas you need to have in your head before you get started.
Every website has a job.
Your website needs to have a job, and your web design partner should understand that job from the beginning.
A lot of business owners believe that a website should only be there to show credibility – the nicer the website, the more credible the company. This idea is flawed for two reasons. The first problem is that beautiful websites are way more accessible now than they were even a few years ago, so a nice website doesn't equal a big, successful company anymore. The second problem is that websites are capable of doing so much more than you're giving them credit for.
Your website should be generating MORE leads than the rest of your sales team put together. So you can let that team worry about closing sales, while your website keeps the qualified leads coming.
Whether it's lead generation, sales support, customer support, or something else entirely, give your website a job and watch it go to work for you.
User experience is priority one.
A beautiful website might very well be useless at doing its job, and an ugly website can totally crush it. Why?
Because usability matters, and user-driven design is all about prioritizing function over form. A good user experience is gonna boost your conversion rates at every level, so building a website that's fun to look at should be a lower priority than building a website that people can actually use.
Now, don't just throw good design out the door — my point is that great design is about staying connected to your audience and putting their needs above your own.
Your website is your hardest working employee.
If you were trying to recruit a great salesperson, you'd never find a better option than your own website. Your website never takes a day off. It's hard at work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, weekends and holidays.
If its well-designed and organized, your website can serve thousands of users at once – each with a different problem or question – every day. It can have every answer to every question, funnel leads through your buying process, and even close the deal FOR you if you let it.
Plus, your website can do all of this while building credibility, awareness, engagement, delight.
So, what do YOU want YOUR website to do?
However you answer that question, everything about your website needs to exist to do that job. So when you sit down and talk about your needs with that new web design company, go ahead and share that priority with them and make sure they have a plan for delivering.
Design your web content to be more than just visually attractive.
We love beautiful web design. Most people do. But a beautiful site also needs to be usable and conversion oriented. Many web design companies boast large portfolios of beautiful web designs, and even we have to admit how impressive that looks; but before you jump to any conclusions, here's the question that needs to be asked: "How did these designs perform?"
A digital lead generation strategy obviously starts with your website, and that's where you should be investing the most time and money. Don't think of your website as an object — something akin to a "functional" work of art — but as a constant work in progress. We've written several case studies that document some of the most impressive numbers we've delivered for clients, and every single one of them shares a common thread: regular conversion optimization and growth-driven design sprints.
Nobody gets conversion rates perfect the first time. That's why a good web design is one that never stops changing and continues to be informed by past performance. Your lead generation strategy needs to include a web presence that prioritizes conversion and uses good design as a means to that end — with regular checkups to ensure the best possible performance. Such an approach will also ensure that your website is staying relevant well beyond what we would consider to be a typical expiration date.
Measure the success of a design by how well it delivers quality leads — not by how many awards it wins.
Your Guide to Growth-Based Lead Generation
People change as technology changes, and so do the sales and marketing tactics that are most effective. It's essential to keep up with the times, especially in B2B digital marketing. It may take time to see the effects, but a failure to address outdated sales and marketing processes now can lead to major problems down the road. Many of these new tactics are not overnight processes, and the roadmap for some companies can be months or years.
The solution we're offering is not a product or service that you need right now or it's too late. The solution we're offering is a conversation with someone who can bridge the gap between your business and the future of lead generation. Every company is different — with unique challenges and opportunities. Let us take our expertise and apply it to your growth goals and find out what can work for you.
Waypost Marketing is an Inbound Marketing agency in Greenville, SC, focused on implementing proven, results-driven marketing and lead generation strategies to help our clients grow their relationships and bring in highly-qualified leads. We are a highly-educated team with wide-ranging expertise in all areas of digital marketing – from growth-driven web design to client relationship management.
We'll work with you to understand how you can capture leads earlier, qualify those leads faster, and measure your success with quantifiable results.
Are leads your biggest challenge?
We can align marketing and sales to meet that challenge.


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In lobby & advocacy we are often in multidisciplinary teams, working with other CSOs, companies, governments, even with opposing views. We need them to reach our goals and dreams. In order to have succes you need to connect from your heart and your head. That is how even the biggest enemies find common interests to work together. My innovative training focusses on the psychology of human interaction, the unconscious influence of your reptile brain and the power of an open heart in the practice of persuasion.
Civic power of the heart and brain; we can't choose the people we lobby with to reach our dreams and goals. We can prepare to connect for succes!
What problem are you trying to solve?
The ongoing problem or staying on our own islands trying to save the world. The problem of the powerless being unable to have their voices heard. The problem of powerabuse by people with money and/or power. The problem of capable women being invisible. The problem of ineffectivity in negotiation processes, political systems, aid and relief programs due to ego's and humans ineffective communication. The problem of working or competing next to each other on the same problem but not together. Working together is hard, People all have their own ideas that are often not similar. But working on a shared goal means you have to get away from your personal view and look at the higher goal and bigger picture. Through partnerships, tripartite bodies, aid and rescue programs we are forced to work together without considering cultural, financial and organisational differences or even competition of power struggles. As an expert in negotiation in conflict situations I can solve this problem.
Describe your solution to this problem:
My solution to this problem is awareness, consciousness and knowledge. It seems to simple to be true, but still little time and money is spend on this way to improve effectivity, increase empowerment and decrease frustration. I designed a training that makes you look at:- yourself and your preassumptions and behavior, – the group and the goals and interests, – the other with preassumptions and non verbal communications. It teaches about the psychology of the brain and how your unconscious is leading you. It teaches you to prepare for any conversation with friend or enemy, tells you about groups and power. It teaches you tools and techniques for negotiation and persuasion. But more importantly it makes you feel empowered to open up your heart and approach the other for success. This solution increases and speeds up the process of building trust, which is necessary to work together. It gives power to powerless, creates an equal level playing field and creates innovative ideas.
Why are you going to win The Spindle Award for Best Innovation?
This innovation gives a present to everybody on the personal level and also on the business level, It gives efficiency and cash, it creates time in a world where we lack time to STOP-LOOK-LISTEN. It teaches you how to find and use your own power, to create the human connection. It is one step towards a world without (power) abuse, anger, violence and misery.


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Organic Can Feed the World
Posted on by Michael Caplan
Barry Estabrook of The Atlantic wrote a well reasoned rebuttal to the common argument against the viability of organic agriculture to feed the word. Estabrook does a decent job siting the evidence that shows organics are not just viable, but imperative. In sum:
Given that the current food production system, which is really a 75-year-old experiment, leaves nearly one billion of the world's seven billion humans seriously undernourished today, the onus should be on the advocates of agribusiness to prove their model can feed a future population of nine billion -- not the other way around.
Well said Mr. Estabrook. Read on.
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|A.L.O.E. (A Lady of England, Charlotte Maria Tucker). A WREATH OF INDIAN STORIES.
|211pp. In original decorated blue cloth. All edges gilt. Christian stories written for Indian readers by Amritsar missionary. Very good indeed. Prize label dated 1889 No date (1880s?) Nelson.
|Andrews, C.F. SADHU SUNDAR SINGH.
|A Personal Memoir. 255pp. Frontispiece photograph. Very good. 1934 Reprint, Hodder & Stoughton.
|Anon. REPORT OF THE NEGAPATAM AND TRICHINOPOLY AUXILIARY OF THE WESLYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
|c400pp. Annual mission reports bound together with leather spine and corners. A little slack and scuffed. Some contemporary notes on endpapers. 1886-1895, Trichinopoly and Madras.
|Anon. RACHEL BARCLAY (1885-1932) A MEMOIR.
|High Leigh and Ceylon. 119pp. A family memoir. Illustrated with facsimile of letters from Ceylon and a watercolour of Ceylon in colour as frontispiece. Photographs in b/w. She worked in mission schools. Very good. Family inscription. 1935 Privately printed.
|Ashley-Brown, W. ON THE BOMBAY COAST AND DECCAN.
|The Origin and History of the Bombay Diocese. A Record of 300 Years' Work for Christ in India. 280pp. Index. 16 b/w illustrations. Endpaper maps. Very good in darkening dw split at the fold, 1937 First edition, S.P.C.K.
|Bertrand, Madame. ALFRED BERTRAND.
|Explorer and Captain of Cavalry. 238pp. 8 plates and 2 maps. Swiss soldier's exploits mainly in Africa. One chapter on visit to India and Himalayan trip. Newspaper obituary from 1924 loosely inserted. Very good. Owner's name. 1926 First edition, Religious Tract Society.
|Bryan, R.W. A QUIET HABITATION...a short account of St Thomas' Church, Calcutta.
|28pp sewn booklet. Card covers. 4 plates and illustrations in the text. Very good. Some foxing. 1937 Calcutta for the church.
|Buchanan, Rev. Claudius. MEMOIR OF THE EXPEDIENCY OF AN ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMENT FOR BRITISH INDIA
|both as the Means of Perpetuating the Christian Religion among our own Countrymen and as a Founndation for the Ultimate Civilization of the Natives. 96pp. Rough cut. Rebound in plain blue modern cloth. Very good. 1811 The First American Edition, Cambridge.
|Bull, Geoffrey T. WHEN IRON GATES YIELD.
|254pp. 3 maps. British missionary in Tibet held by the Chinese for three years. Very good in chipped dw. 1955 First, Hodder & Stoughton.
|Bull, Geoffrey T. WHEN IRON GATES YIELD.
|254pp. 3 maps. British missionary in Tibet held by the Chinese for three years. Very good in very good dw. 1956, Reprint, Hodder & Stoughton.
|Butterfield, R.P. PADRE ROWLANDS OF CEYLON.
|182pp. Portrait frontispiece. C.M.S. mission to the Tamils in Colombo, Kandy and the tea estates 1861-1884. Very good. No date (c1900), Marshall, Morgan & Scott Ltd.
|Cable, Mildred and French, Francesca. THE STORY OF TOPSY.
|Little Lonely of Central Asia. 212pp. 32 full-page b/w photographs. Very good. 1944 Reprint, Hodder & Stoughton..
|Caldwell, Rev.R. LECTURES ON THE TINNEVELLY MISSIONS
|Descriptive of the Field, the Work and the Results with an introductory lecture on the State of Christianity in India. 134pp. In the original blue cloth. From a college library with rubber stamp mark on the title page and label removed fron front paste down. The author was a highly respected missionary whose statue still stands in Madras and who was the first to identify the Dravidian group of languages. Very good. 1857 Bell & Daldry.
|Carey, S.Pearce. WILLIAM CAREY.
|413pp. 25 b/w illustrations. Life of Baptist missionary and self-educated translator of the Bible into Indian languages. First published in 1923. Fine in fine protected dw. 1993 Reprint, The Wakeman Trust.
|Carey, S.Pearce. WILLIAM CAREY.
|428pp. Index. 60 b/w illustrations. Folding map. Life of Baptist missionary and self-educated translator of the Bible into Indian languages. Signed by the author on the title page. Very good. Some spotting throughout. 1925 Reprint, Hodder & Stoughton.
|Carey, S.Pearce. WILLIAM CAREY.
|428pp. Index. 60 b/w illustrations. Folding map. Life of Baptist missionary and self-educated translator of the Bible into Indian languages. Signed by the author on the title page. Very good. Blue cloth a little bubbled. 1924 Reprint, Hodder & Stoughton.
|Carus-Wilson, Mrs Ashley. IRENE PETRIE.
|Missionary to Kashmir. 343pp. Schools and travels in the 1890s, her death in Ladakh. 9 b/w photographs and a folding map of Kashmir in colour. Very good indeed. An excellent copy. 1900 First edition, Hodder & Stoughton.
|Davies-Leigh, Rev A.G. A SHORT HISTORY OF ALL SAINTS' CATHEDRAL ALLAHABAD.
|33pp. Small 8vo Card covers.13 full-page b/w photographs. Very good indeed. 1929 Allahabad.
|de Silva, K.M. SOCIAL POLICY AND MISSIONARY ORGANISATIONS IN CEYLON 1840-1855.
|318pp. Index. Fine in fine dustwrapper. 1965 First edition, Longmans.
|Drewery, Mary. WILLIAM CAREY.
|A biography of the Bible translator, orientalist, botanist and pioneer missionary to India. 224pp. Index. Very good indeed in fine dustwrapper. 1978 First edition, Hodder & Stoughton.
|Dyer, Helen S. PANDITA RAMABAI.
|The Story of her life. 170pp. 29pp of b/w photographs. Much on work by Indian Christians for famine relief. In the original decorated brown boards. Very good. Hinges slack. 1900 First edition, Revell, New York.
|Elwin, E.F. INDIAN JOTTINGS
|from Ten Year's Experience in and around Poona City. 314pp. Index. 16 b/w photographs. A missionary's observations of the lives of the people around him. Very good. Corners bumped. A little wear to top of spine. 1907 First Murray.
|Elwin, E.F. INDIAN JOTTINGS
|from Ten Year's Experience in and around Poona City. 314pp. Index. 16 b/w photographs. A missionary's observations of the lives of the people around him. Very good. 1907 First Murray.
|Fraser, A.G. et al. VILLAGE EDUCATION IN INDIA.
|The Report of a Commission of Enquiry. 210pp. Index. The Commission was set up by the missionary societies of Great Britain and North America. Very good. Spine faded. 1920 Oxford University Press.
|Graham, Rev J.A. ON THE THRESHOLD OF THREE CLOSED LANDS.
|The Guild Outpost in the Eastern Himalayas. 166pp.119 b/w illustrations. Establishing the Kalimpong mission. Presentation copy inscribed and signed by the author. Very good. No date (introduction dated 1897) Clark, Edinburgh.
|Hall, Gordon Langley. GOLDEN BOATS FROM BURMA.
|The story of Ann Hasseltine Judson, the first American woman missionary in Burma, 255pp. Mission to convert the Burmese in 1812. Fine in torn dw. Owner's name. 1961 First edition, Macrae Smith, Philadelphia.
|Hall, Gordon Langley. GOLDEN BOATS FROM BURMA.
|The story of Ann Hasseltine Judson, the first American woman missionary in Burma, 255pp. Mission to convert the Burmese in 1812. Fine in very good dw. 1961 First edition, Macrae Smith, Philadelphia.
|Harper, Susan Billington. IN THE SHADOW OF THE MAHATMA.
|Bishop V.S.Azariah and the Travails of Christianity in British India. 461pp. Index. 17 b/w illustrations. Fine in fine dw. 2000 First edition, Eerdman's Press, Michigan
|Hart, Frank. RAHATOR OF BOMBAY.
|The Apostle to the Marathas. 189pp. Portrait frontispiece. Very good. 1936 First edition, The Epworth Press.
|Heber, Reginald, the Late Lord Bishop of Calcutta. NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY THROUGH THE UPPER PROVINCES OF INDIA
|from Calcutta to Bombay 1824-1825 (with notes upon Ceylon). An Account of a Journey to Madras and the Southern Provinces, 1826, and Letters Written in India. In three volumes. 450, 564 527pp. Index. 29 engraved illustrations. The early 19th century marbled boards have been rebacked with new spines. Although the boards match exactly the spine labels are in different colours. Old library marks and one bookplate from the National Liberal Club . Very good. Tight, clean and complete. 1828 Second edition, John Murray, London.
|Heber, Reginald. NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY THROUGH THE UPPER PROVINCES OF INDIA
|from Calcutta to Bombay 1824-1825. In 3 volumes. 450pp, 564pp, 525pp index. In original red boards with spines relaid. Large folding map in front pocket. 27 wood engravings. Very good. A tight set. 1829 Fourth edition, John Murray.
|Heber, Reginald. POETICAL WORKS.
|347pp. Small 8vo. Portrait frontispiece. In 19th century full leather binding. Presentation inscription from 1843. Very good indeed. A lovely copy. 1842 First edition, John Murray.
|Hewlett, S.S. NONE OF SELF AND ALL OF THEE.
|266pp. 14 tissue-guarded b/w photographs. In the original red decorated cloth. Tale of Christian conversion set in Amritsar. Very good indeed. No date (preface dated 1888), Third edition, James Nisbet.
|Hiney, Tom. ON THE MISSIONARY TRAIL.
|The Classic Georgian Adventure of Two Englishmen Sent on a Journey Around the World, 1821-29. 367pp. Index. 20 illustrations and 6 maps. A deputation from the 'London Missionary Society'. Long chapter on visits to the missions in Bengal and South India. Fine in fine dw. 2000 First edition, Chatto & Windus.
|Houghton, Frank. AMY CARMICHAEL OF DOHNAVUR.
|390pp. Index. Biography of missionary. Very good indeed. 1953 First edition, SPCK.
|Hoyland, J.S. THE MAN INDIA LOVED.
|C.F.Andrews. 126pp. Very good in chipped dw. 1945 Second impressionn, Lutterworh Press.
|Hudson, D.Dennis. PROTESTANT ORIGINS IN INDIA.
|Tamil Evangelical Christians, 1706-1835. 220pp. Index. Fine in fine dw. 2000 First edition, The Curzon Press.
|Hunter, Sir William. THE OLD MISSIONARY.
|Early 19th century mission life in Bengal. The central figure of the novel is said to be Rev James Williamson of the Baptist Mission. 138pp. With five plates of engravings by Sir Charles D'Oyly. In the original cloth Very good. Spine a little rubbed. 1897 Twenty-first thousand Henry Frowde.
|Hunter, Sir William. THE OLD MISSIONARY.
|Early 19th century mission life in Bengal. The central figure of the novel is said to be Rev James Williamson of the Baptist Mission. 138pp. With five plates of engravings by Sir Charles D'Oyly. In the original red cloth Very good indeed. 1897 Twenty-third thousand, Henry Frowde.
|Irvine, Wm. C. Et al (edit). INDIAN REALITIES.
|Stories and Surveys of Missionary Enterprise in India... 210pp. Folding map and folding table. Photographs in b/w. Some foxing throughout. Otherwise very good. No date (1930s?), Pickering and Inglis.
|Jackson, John. IN LEPER LAND.
|being a Record of my Tour of 7,000 Miles among Indian Lepers. 276pp. Index. 34 b/w photographs. 'Including some notes on missions and an account of eleven days with Miss Mary Reed and her lepers.' Very good. Bookplate and rubber stamp mark of the Henry Martyn Library, Cambridge. No date (preface dated 1901), Marshall Brothers.
|Jeffery, Mary Pauline. IDA S. SCUDDER OF VELLORE.
|138pp. 28pp of b/w photographs. Very good. Front endpaper removed. No date (1939), Wesley Press, Mysore.
|Jeffery, Pauline. IDA S. SCUDDER OF VELLORE.
|226pp. Many b/w photographs. Very good. No date, Wesley Press, Mysore.
|Jenkins, Rev. W.M. LIFE AND WORK IN KHASIA.
|97pp. 20 b/w photographs. The story of the Welsh Calvinist methodist Mission to the Khasia Hills. Very good. Chapel library rubber stamp. No date (c1910), Newport, Mon..
|Laird, M.A. (edits). BISHOP HEBER IN NORTHERN INDIA.
|Selections from Heber's Journal. 324pp. Index. 39pp introduction and map. Fine in fine dw. Owner's name. 1971 First edition, Cambridge University Press.
|Longridge, George. A HISTORY OF THE OXFORD MISSION TO CALCUTTA.
|272pp. Index. 26 b/w photographs. Very good. Corners a little bumped and rubbed. 1900 First edition, John Murray.
|Lovatt, Heather and de Jong, Peter. ABOVE THE HERON'S POOL.
|A Short History of the Peermade/Vandiperiyar District of Travancore . 166pp. Card covers. Includes extracts from the registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials. The story of a missionary family and planter community. Fine. 1993 First edition, BACSA.
|MacLagan, Sir Edward. THE JESUITS AND THE GREAT MOGUL.
|434pp. Index. 12 illustrations and 2 maps. Attractive bookplate. Very good indeed. 1932 First edition, Burns Oates.
|Massie, J.W. CONTINENTAL INDIA.
|Travelling Sketches and Historical Recollection. Volume 2 (of 2) only. Bound in later plain red cloth. Public school library bookplate. This volume describes travels visiting missions in South India. Very good. 1840 Thomas Ward & Co.
|McLeish, Alexander. THE FRONTIER PEOPLES OF INDIA.
|A Missionary Survey. 202pp. Index. 7 b/w photographs. 4 detailed folding maps with all missions located. A detailed survey of missionary activity from Baluchistan to Bhutan. Appendix listing mission stations of all Christian denominations. Ex-college library. Very good indeed. 1931 First edition, World Dominion Press.
|Millar, A.A. ALEXANDER DUFF OF INDIA.
|212pp. Scottish missionary (1806-1878) influential in the development of Indian education and founder of the University of Calcutta. Fine in fine dw. 1992 First edition, Canongate, Edinburgh.
|Minto, James R. GRAHAM OF KALIMPONG.
|202pp. 7 b/w photographs. Study of the missionary and his orphanages. Very good in like dw. Inscription. 1974 First edition, Blackwood, Edinburgh.
|Morling, David. PIONEERING ON THE CAUVERY.
|159pp. 7 photographs and a map. Account of mission at Sendamangalam. Published for the Strict Baptist Mission. Very good. No date. Preface dated 1923.
|Myers, John Brown. WILLIAM CAREY.
|The Shoemaker who became the father and Founder of Modern Missions. 160pp. In decorated boards. Engraved illustrations. Very good but paper darkening at edges. No date (preface dated 1887) Partridge.
|Ogilvie, J.N. OUR EMPIRE'S DEBT TO MISSIONS.
|The Duff Missionary Lecture, 1913. 276pp. Index. Bookplate of the Moravian College Library on front paste-down but no other library markings. Very good indeed. A clean, bright copy. No date (1914) Hodder and Stoughton.
|Padre, The. FIFTY THOUSAND MILES ON A HOSPITAL SHIP.
|A Chaplain's Experiences in the Great War. 284pp. 21 b/w plates. With Indian and ANZAC casualties from Gallipolli Very good . Bookplate. 1917 First edition, The Religious Tract Society.
|Paul, F.V.N. THE CROSS OVER COROMANDEL.
|A Brief History of St Paul's Cathedral, Chennai. 78pp. Card covers. Lists of burials, bishops and trustees. Presentation copy inscribed by the author. Fine. 2004 for the author, Chennai.
|Payne, C.H. JAHANGIR AND THE JESUITS.
|With an Account of the Travels of Benedict Goes. 287pp. Index. Jesuit mission to the Moghul court. India to China over the Himalayas in the 17th century. In the 'Broadway Travellers' series. Very good indeed. 1930 First edition, Routledge.
|Payne, C.H. (edits). AKBAR AND THE JESUITS.
|An Account of Jesuit Missions to the Court of Akbar by Father Pierre di Jarric. 288pp. Index. 8 b/w illustrations. Notes. The Broadway Travellers. Very good indeed. 1926 First edition, Routledge.
|Peggs, James. INDIA'S CRIES TO BRITISH HUMANITY,
|relative to Infanticide, British Connection with Idolatry, Ghaut Murders, Suttee, Slavery and Colonisation in India . 500pp. 15 engraved illustrations. In the original green cloth. Peggs was a missionary at Cuttack. Rebacked in the original cloth. A very clean, tight copy of a scarce work. 1832 Third edition revised and enlarged, published for the author by Simpkin and Marshall.
|Pennell, Dr T.L. AMONG THE WILD TRIBES OF THE AFGHAN FRONTIER.
|A Record of Sixteen Years Close Intercourse with the Natives of the Indian Marches. 324pp. Index. 11 photographs. Very good. 1909 Third edition Seeley & Co.
|Pennell, T.L. AMONG THE WILD TRIBES OF THE AFGHAN FRONTIER.
|A Record of Sixteen Years Close Intercourse with the Natives of the Indian Marches. 324pp. Index. 37 b/w illustrations and 2 maps. Doctor missionary on the North-West Frontier Corners bumped but a very good copy in the original green cloth 1909 Third edition Seeley & Co.
|Pool, Rev.John J. THE LAND OF IDOLS.
|Talks with Young People about India. 217pp. Many b/w illustrations. In original decorated boards. Very good. 1895 London Missionary Society.
|Pye-Smith, Charlie. REBELS AND OUTCASTS.
|A Journey through Christian India. 304pp. Index. 32 colour photographs. Fine in fine dw. 1997 First edition, Viking.
|Rai, Raghu (photographs). FAITH AND COMPASSION.
|The Life and Work of Mother Teresa. 192pp. 4to landscape. Text by Navin Chawla. Many fine photographs in b/w. Fine in fine dw. 1996 First edition, Element Books, Shaftesbury.
|Rijnhart, Dr. Susie C. WITH THE TIBETANS IN TENT AND TEMPLE.
|Narrative of Four Year's Residence on the Tibetan Border and of a Journey into the Far Interior. 406pp. Index. 13 photographs and a folding map. American missionary who escaped from Tibet after the death of her infant son and loss of her husband on attempt to reach Lhasa. Very good. Some bubbling of cloth over the boards but a bright, clean copy. 1901 Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier, Edinburgh.
|Robinson, Thomas. THE LAST DAYS OF BISHOP HEBER.
|355pp. Includes a journal of a journey (in 1825-26) through South India with the bishop. First printed in Madras. Very good in later binding with unlettered spine. 1831 Third London edition, Robert Jennings & William Chapman London.
|Rooney, John. ON HEELS OF BATTLES.
|A History of the Catholic Church in Pakistan, 1780-1886. 129pp. Index. Soft covers. Pakistan Christian History Monograph No 3. Very good. Some underlining. 1986 Christian Study Centre, Rawalpindi
|Sargent, Rev.John. A MEMOIR OF THE REV. HENRY MARTYN.
|484pp. With leather spine and corners. Account of his missions in India and Persia. Corners a little scuffed but binding sound. 1831 11th edition corrected and enlarged, Seeley and Burnside
|Schwartz, C.F. REMAINS OF THE REV.C.F.SCHWARTZ, Missionary in India.
|Consisting of his Letters and Journals with a Sketch of his Life. 316pp. Eighteenth century mission in Tritchinapoly. Bound in black cloth with paper spine label. Very good. Corners worn but binding firm. Bookplate of Baptist Mission House Library and library reference written on front endpaper. No other library marks. 1823 First edition, Hatchard and Son.
|Schweitzer, Albert. INDIAN THOUGHT AND ITS DEVELOPMENT.
|272pp. Index. Very good. Some light pencilled notes. 1936 First edition, Hodder & Stoughton.
|Short, Stanley W. ON BURMA'S EASTERN FRONTIER.
|144pp. Missionary with the Shans caught up in the war. Very good in very good dw. 1945 First edition, Marshall, Morgan and Scott.
|Smith George. HENRY MARTYN,
|Saint and Scholar. First Modern Missionary to the Mohammedans 1781-1812. 580pp. Index. Portrait frontispiece and 9 illustrations. Mission service in Serampore, Patna, Cawnpore and Persia. Front endpaper removed. Otherwise very good. 1892 First edition, Religious Tract Society.
|Smith, George. ALEXANDER DUFF DD. LL.D.
|480pp. Index. Ex-public library copy with minimal markings. In the original brown cloth. 30 years a Church of Scotland missionary in India. Very good. 1881 Popular edition, Hodder and Stoughton.
|Smith, George. THE CONVERSION OF INDIA.
|From Pantaenus to the Present Day. 258pp. Index. A history of Christianity in India Corners bruised and slighly worn but a sound copy. The boards have been varnished. 1893 First edition, John Murray.
|Smith, George. STEPHEN HISLOP.
|Pioneer Missionary and Naturalist in Central India from 1844 to 1863. 317pp. Index. Portrait frontispiece and 12 illustrations. Map. Service in Nagpur. One chapter on the Mutiny, 'Nagpoor saved by the Missionary'. Very good indeed. Bookplate. Slight stain on front board. 1889 Second edition, Murray.
|Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MISSION TO CHOTA NAGPUR.
|A collection of pamplets, annual reports and quarterly journals. Stoutly bound together in red cloth. Original wrappers bound-in. Inscribed 'This volume belongs to the Committee of the D.U. Chota Nagpur Mission.' Very good indeed. 1893-1899 University Press, Dublin.
|Statham, J. INDIAN RECOLLECTIONS.
|468pp. Observant Baptist missionary in Bengal. In 19th century full leather binding. All edges gilt. Stitching cracked (but holding) at centre of the book. Bookplate of Cheltemham Proprietary College with Latin inscription dated 1849. 1832 Samuel Bagster.
|Streeter, B.H. and Appasamy, A.J. THE SADHU.
|A Study of Mysticism and Practical Religion. 264pp. Index. The ideas of Sadhu Sundar Singh, Sikh convert to Christianity. Very good. 1927 Reprint, Macmillan.
|Streeter, B.H. and Appasamy, A.J. THE SADHU.
|A Study of Mysticism and Practical Religion. 264pp. Index. The ideas of Sadhu Sundar Singh, Sikh convert to Christianity. Very good. Nick to head of spine. Inscriptions. 1922 Reprint, Macmillan.
|Sundkler, Bengt. CHURCH OF SOUTH INDIA.
|The Movement towards Union 1900-1947. 457pp. Bibliography and index. Very good in chipped dw. Boards a little bowed. 1954 First edition, Lutterworth Press.
|Taylor, William. FOUR YEAR'S CAMPAIGN IN INDIA.
|416pp. In the original cloth. American Methodist missionary tours India with amazing stamina and dedication. Front hinge slack. Otherwise very good. No date (Preface dated 1875), Phillips & Hunt, New York.
|Thomas, M.M. THE ACKNOWLEDGED CHRIST OF THE INDIAN RENAISSANCE.
|340pp. Index. Two college rubber stamp marks on endpapers. How India's spritual leaders sought to interpret Christianity. Studies include Ranmohun Roy, Vivekananda, Radhakrishnan and Gandhi Very good in chipped dw. 1969 First edition, SCM Press.
|Tuck, Mary N. EAST AND WEST.
|The Story of a Missionary Band. 224pp. 66 b/w photographs and drawings. In the original decorated boards. Account of Indian missions for girls. Very good internally but a little wear to spine cloth and some colour loss to edges of red boards. No date (c1900), London Missionary Society.
|Valentine, D.M. MINDFUL OF OUR STEWARDSHIP.
|Eleven Years at the End of the Raj. 142pp. 44 b/w photographs. Card covers. Missionary life in Amritsar, Quetta and Karachi. Fine. 1995 True to Type Books.
|Venn, Henry. THE MISSIONARY LIFE AND LABOURS OF FRANCIS XAVIER TAKEN FROM HIS OWN CORRESPONDENCE
|with a sketch of the General Results of Roman Catholic Missions among the heathen. 326pp. Folding map. Account of his missions in India and Japan. Very good Purple cloth faded. 2 bookplates. 1862 Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, & Green.
|Waddy, R.P.Stacy. PHILIP LOYD.
|Missionary and Bishop. 155pp. 5 b/w plates. He was Bishop of Nasik (now Nashik) 1929-1944. Signed by the author. Very good indeed in very good dustwrapper. 1954 First edition, A.R.Mowbray.
|Walker, F.Deaville. WILLIAM CAREY.
|Missionary Pioneer and Statesman. 320pp. Index. Very good. 1926 First Student Christian Movement.
|Ward, F. de W. INDIA AND THE HINDOOS:
|being a Popular View of the History, Government, Manners, Customs, Literature and Religion of that Ancient People with an account of Christian Missions among Them. 283pp. In full leather binging. 'Blairlodge Academy' embossed in gold on front board. . By American missionary who sailed from Boston to South India in 1836. Very good indeed. Largely uncut. No date (1853), William Collins, Glasgow.
|Ward, F. de W. INDIA AND THE HINDOOS:
|being a Popular View of the History, Government, Manners, Customs, Literature and Religion of that Ancient People with an account of Christian Missions among Them. 283pp. In the original cloth. By American missionary who sailed from Boston to South India in 1836. Very good indeed. Largely uncut. No date (1853), William Collins, Glasgow.
|Ward, F. de W. INDIA AND THE HINDOOS:
|being a Popular View of the History, Government, Manners, Customs, Literature and Religion of that Ancient People with an account of Christian Missions among Them. 283pp. In 19th century full leather binding. 'Blairlodge Academy' in gilt on front board. By American missionary who sailed from Boston to South India in 1836. Very good. No date (1853), William Collins, Glasgow.
|Wilkins, E. Gordon. BY HANDS, BULLOCKS AND PRAYERS.
|Building the Moorshead Memorial Hospital, Kond Hills, Orissa, India. 223pp. 47 b/w photographs. Husband and wife missionary doctors and the hospital they helped to build amongst the Kond tribal people in the foothills of the Eastern Ghats from 1936 to 1951. Fine in fine dw. 1987 First edition, by the author.
|Wilson, Dorothy Clarke. CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN.
|The Story of Granny Brand. 222pp. 16 b/w photographs. Missionary work in South India. Very good in very good dw. 1976 First edition, Hodder & Stoughton.
|Wingate, Major F.R. THE YEAR'S CAPTIVITY IN THE MAHDI'S CAMP.
|From the Original Manuscript of Father Joseph Ohrwalder, 2 vols bound as one. 295, 296pp. Small 8vo. Bound with white leather spine and corners. 'Villa Bonaventura' embossed in gold on front board. Front hinge splitting but binding firm. Otherwise very good. 1892 Heinemann and Balestier, Leipzig.
|Winston, W.R. FOUR YEARS IN UPPER BURMA.
|266pp. 29 b/w illustrations and folding map in colour. An account of Burmese life and culture and the establishment of a mission in Upper Burma from 1887. Very good indeed but front endpaper removed. 1892 First edition, C.H.Kelly.
|Wintle, W.J. (edits). DR. J.L.PHILLIPS, MISSIONARY TO THE CHILDREN OF INDIA.
|A Biographical Sketch by his Widow. 264pp. 8 plates and a map. In the original blue cloth with gilt decoration. Work in the Baptist missions of Orissa and Bengal from 1865. Very good. Prize inscription. No date (preface dated 1898) The Sunday School Union.
|Wylie, M. BENGAL AS A FIELD OF MISSIONS.
|389pp. Excellent large folding map. In the original brown cloth. Ex-college library. Very good 1854 First edition, W.H.Dalton.
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text:
Holy Moly its been awhile! Please forgive me but its been a wild few months…we officially have three kiddos under 5 yrs old!
Updates are over due….
I made the executive decision to skip the 6-row grain plantings/seedings this winter. There were two factors that played into this decision:
- Rain Rain & more Rain. This winter was extremely wet and after last years rainy season destroyed my hopes and dreams of harvesting grain, I never was able to pull the trigger to seed this winter.
- Warm Weather. In south Louisiana we barely got below freezing this year. I only had 6 days/nights where temps got below 31° on the farm. Which is crazy considering last year was the year of perpetual freezing rain. If you remember from my previous post temperatures must consistently be in the low 40's for barely seed to germinate.
So this brings us to the beginnings of Hops Season or at least Hop preparation season. I expect the hops to begin sprouting sometime within the next month, so we must prepare our soils. True hop gardeners rarely refer to soil as simply dirt. You must understand the difference between the stuff you dig up in your backyard versus the 'gold' that consist of compost, manure, organic matter, and beneficial microbes that are actively at work underground….feeding your hopes and hops.
- Texture
- Structure
- Drainage
Soil Texture: refers to the percentage of moss, sand, silt, and clay within the 'dirt'. Ideally, you want to have an equal amount of each. When these are proportionate, the soil is noted to be loamy. Great texture allows root spread, retained moisture, and air to exist between particles.
Soil Structure: is how moss, sand, silt, and clay fit together in this matrix. Good structure is evident when the soil holds together when squeezed but breaks down when disturbed. Blending and trial-n-error is the fun part!
Soil Drainage: is in my option the most important aspect to hop growth, especially in a place like Louisiana, where hops aren't supposed to grow here. Hold to much water and you risk drowning your friends….Hold to little and the summer heat will burn them to the ground. Having positive flow along the hop trellis as well as away from the hop trellis is key, as is hosting the proper soil structure for retaining moisture. BTW moisture is retained in the organics, moss, and "dirt". They all play a part in retaining, flowing, and keeping your hops alive. A symbiotic relationship at its finest!!!
Manure: as mentioned previously my chickens mulch bed will be used as fertilizer. It's one of the main reasons I even deal with those pests, lol. Within the next couple weeks I'll rake out the chicken coup/ run to use the byproduct as my hop focused fertilizer. Nitrogen Nitrogen Nitrogen is your hops best friend!
Understanding your soil is a gardeners best friend. Regardless of your current soil texture, structure, or tilth, you can change what you already have. "Soil Makeover."
Side Note: I'm working on my second sour beer. This one is a classic base Amber with Brett and Lacto introduced after initial fermentation.
Happy Gardening, Brewing, and Beer Consuming. I'll see you soon.


text:
ANDREA ROBERTS from Rhos-on-Sea is the new Welsh Open Mountain Running ladies champion after a remarkable first full season.
In the final round of the championship last weekend, at the Clwydian Hills 10-mile race from Cilcain, she was third in a field of over 150 runners. That was good enough to secure the Welsh title after four top three finishes in the six race series.
She finished in a time of 88 minutes behind Eryri club mate Jackie Lee (80.51) and Shrewsbury's Anna Bartlett (83.210).
The 32-year-old Open University student has also won the Eryri Harriers championship this year and has finished second in the North Wales Championship behind Anna Bartlett.
She also competed in the recent Snowdonia marathon, finishing 140th out of 1500 runners and 10th senior lady out of nearly 200, in a time of 3hrs 38mins 43secs.
Lloyd Taggard (Dark Peak) won last weekend's Clwydian Hills men's race in a new record time of 66mins 15secs – taking an amazing seven minutes off the previous record.
Eryri's Richard Roberts was second in 73.23, and clubmate Don Williams was first over-60 in 83.178.
Other Eryri runners among the honours in the Welsh Open Championship were Alwyn Oliver (male over-60 champion) and Maggie Oliver (female over 50 ), while champions in the North Wales series include Richard Roberts (male champion), Don Williams (male over-60) and Maggie Oliver (female over-50).
QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAINS: Welsh champion Andrea Roberts