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Standout SMBs 2018: Small is the New Big
When CGT began honoring small to medium-sized consumer goods companies back in 2007, the goal was to recognize noteworthy businesses that might otherwise fly under the radar of daily media coverage, or to identify emerging brands that might — someday in the future — make a significant impact on their product categories, their distribution channels, or maybe even the industry as a whole.
The industry has changed dramatically since 2007, of course. So have the consumers that it serves. The age of digital communication has made flying under the radar pretty hard for any company to do (although it still happens occasionally). More significantly, it has allowed more than a few new businesses to make an almost immediate impact on the marketplace.
These companies are no longer just stealing market share; they're reinventing categories, creating new go-to-market strategies and disrupting the status quo in a variety of other ways. The word "small" no longer means "secondary" in any sense of the word.
The digital age has also drastically accelerated the potential time line for success, which is why at least two companies in this year's Standout SMB crop will almost assuredly not be SMBs by the end of 2018. "Small" doesn't necessarily stay that way for very long anymore, and today's "ankle biters" might well be tomorrow's category leaders.
That's not to say that there isn't room left to spotlight a few more-traditional SMBs, companies that have been operating for a long time yet are still growing and changing to meet the demands of the new world order. Old-school SMBs are still in fine shape, too.
Without further ado, here are the Standout SMBs of 2018. We encourage you to read, learn, and prepare yourselves accordingly.
Location: Miami, Florida
Years in Business: 12
Revenue (2017): $4.5 million
Employees: 9
Kate Boyer was getting her MBA in International Trade in France when she began designing outfits for the girls' gymnastics team she coached. The self-taught designer later began developing private label lines for exclusive resorts in St. Barthelemy. She met her future husband, Shawn, in Miami, where he was designing customized clothing for hard-to-fit athletic men.
The two joined forces to design sportswear for brands such as Elite Models, Cigarette Boats and Nikki Beach before launching Anatomie in 2006, transitioning their active-wear backgrounds into a travel-specific (lightweight and wrinkle-free) luxury line of "athleisure" apparel. "We wanted to create a brand that was timeless, comfortable, and stylish, so you don't feel like an American tourist in your white sneakers and your Lululemon leggings," Kate recently told Racked.com.
Since the launch, the Boyers have grown the company through exclusive distribution and marketing partnerships. Anatomie products are now sold through roughly 400 specialty stores, private clubs, resorts, golf shops, and spas across the U.S. "We identified a niche for stylish, comfortable and easy-care travel clothes and built a loyal following of 15,000 high-profile private clients and 200-plus specialty stores, together with marketing partnerships with top worldwide travel companies," explains Kate, who serves as chief executive officer. (Shawn is creative director.)
E-commerce sales nearly quadrupled in 2017, when Anatomie also added Neiman Marcus as a retail partner and struck a deal with a "dynamic" Canadian distributor, Kate explains. On the product front, the company "perfected the ultimate lightest weight and 'stretchiest' travel pant on the market, designed by body type," she boasts.
"The company's extreme attention to quality and fit are maintained consistently by having feet on the ground where its apparel is produced," praised CGT sister publication Apparel in 2016, when it named Anatomie as one of its "Innovator Award" winners.
The goal for 2018 is to increase sales by 45% through organic growth and expansion, with an eye toward making e-commerce 40% of total revenue, Kate says. Taking the Neiman Marcus partnership national (including at the Bergdorf Goodman banner in New York) and strengthening ties with luxury travel companies and bloggers are also high on the priority list.
HQ Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Years in Business: 160
Revenue (2017): $40 million
Employees: 305
The oldest institution of its kind in the U.S., American Printing House for the Blind is the world's largest company devoted exclusively to researching, developing, and manufacturing products for people who are blind or visually impaired. The nonprofit company subsists on government grants and donations from corporations, foundations and individuals. The 1879 Federal Act to Promote the Education of the Blind made APH the official supplier of educational materials for visually impaired students below the college level throughout the U.S.
APH manufactures more than 800 print and digital products that promote independence for its visually impaired consumers, improving opportunities in the classroom for blind students and in the workplace for blind adults. During the last half-dozen years, the company has introduced an average of 45 to 50 new educational, workplace and lifestyle products annually. The output in 2017 included revolutionary Braille translation software and an indoor way-finding feature for its Nearby Explorer app.
"Over the years, our work has evolved beyond the embossed page and educational products," explains president Craig Meador. "The expansion of our products and services in 2017 demonstrated our continued dedication to equity in the learning environment by removing educational, employment and social barriers. We're at a point where an accessible world is achievable, and the dedicated staff at APH have put us in a position to reach more individuals with vision loss … than ever before."
Don't think for a second that a 160-year-old nonprofit would be too stodgy to keep pace with technology trends. When Bill Beavin joined the company as chief financial officer in the mid-1990s, APH was still using mainframe-oriented computer software to run the operation. Beavin soon identified the need for a fully integrated, easy-to-use enterprise resource planning tool, and ultimately selected SYSPRO to provide the solution. SYSPRO's software is now used for all areas of manufacturing, along with all customer and financial services.
In 2018, APH plans to explore underserved markets like pre-school and college-level students, strengthen its brand presence in the U.S. and internationally, and build partnerships with other organizations serving visually impaired communities.
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Years in Business: 3
Revenue (2017): $30+ million
Employees: 110
A Google search for information about a new consumer packaged goods company doesn't often produce top-of-page results from guns.com. But such is the case with Black Rifle Coffee Co., which proudly and unapologetically wears its heart on its camouflaged sleeve.
Launched in 2015, Black Rifle Coffee is a small-batch, roast-to-order coffee manufacturer that uses beans imported from Colombia and Brazil to create a variety of blends primarily shipped directly to consumers, either as single orders or through a "BRCC Club" monthly subscription service.
But in a consumer marketplace where the causes for which a brand stands are often as critical to success as the products that it makes, Black Rifle genuinely leads with the cause. "The whole purpose we exist is to hire veterans and give back to the veteran community," says chief branding officer Mat Best, a former Army Ranger who helped company founder — Army Special Forces veteran and avowed coffee lover Evan Hafer — launch the company.
"We believe the company's success is directly attributed to the quality of our customers and the superiority of our products," asserts Best. "Black Rifle represents the American dream: hard work and freedom."
The company's patriotic, pro-2nd Amendment and unquestionably masculine positioning — presented most effectively (and with a good deal of humor) through a series of YouTube videos — stands in stark contrast to the more common coffee culture, which Hafer recently told CBS News is populated by baristas who "look like they should be chopping wood, but they don't have the calluses to prove it."
It's safe to say you won't find many baristas in the secondary network of product dealers that Black Rifle is amassing: It currently boasts far more gun shops and shooting ranges than it does coffee shops.
With its online emphasis and niche target audience, it's no surprise that Black Coffee's marketing relies on consumer-facing technology. In addition to the heavy social media activity, the company employs a mobile app from Shopgate to communicate directly with its consumers (via push notifications), offer fast, convenient purchase options (through Apple Pay) and provide round-the-clock customer service.
Corporate goals for 2018 are just what you'd expect: "Expand our operations, hire more veterans, and better serve our customers while supporting the veteran and first responder communities," says Best.
Location: San Francisco, California
Years in Business: <1
Revenue (2017): NA
Employees: 57
"When you can be disruptive, there's a reason," says Brandless co-founder Tina Sharkey about her company's waves-making entry into the consumer goods industry last year — which one executive at a recent industry conference termed "exciting, and terrifying."
Sharkey's point is that Brandless wouldn't have been able to make such an immediate impact on the brand-driven packaged goods world if consumers weren't in dire need of alternatives to standard industry practices. "Consumers would be rioting in the streets" if they fully understood the "series of inefficiencies" in the supply chain that typically drive up product prices, director of merchandising Jessica Glendenning said at the aforementioned conference, the Path to Purchase Summit in Chicago.
Brandless launched on July 11, unintentionally coinciding with two national retail events: "7-Eleven Day" and "Amazon Prime Day." Within 60 hours, the company had received orders from all 48 mainland U.S. states — a now-daily occurrence, Sharkey notes. ("We sell every single [available] item online every day," she also points out.)
"We reimagined the entire CPG industry, challenging the notion that better needs to cost more, by providing quality products at a fair price," says Sharkey. All of the 270 health-conscious and environmentally friendly products that Brandless currently sells across seven categories are priced at $3. (The goal is 400 items by the end of 2018.) Every product is "simple, it's clean and it's $3," Sharkey says. "Consumers shouldn't have to work to figure things out."
"The challenge with traditional CPG is that their customers are stores and channels. We're our own channel," she explains. "Brandless has been successful because we develop a direct relationship with our community. We're much more than an e-commerce company; we're a community that assumes best intentions, celebrates tangible acts of kindness, and believes in giving back." Every message from a consumer gets a personal response, she notes. Since launch, the monetary equivalent of 250,000 meals have been donated to Feeding America, triggered by purchases.
Additional price points are possible as Brandless expands the product offering, but the company will always strive to selectively curate the offerings and deliver "oh my goodness value," Sharkey promises. And don't expect Brandless to follow many of the other online-only upstarts that ultimately seek retail distribution as part of their growth plans. "What makes our model work is that it's all our own product," eliminating the need to deal with retailer demands or a competitive shelf set, Glendenning said at the conference. "We don't foresee selling anywhere else."
Location: New York, New York
Years in Business: <3
Revenue (2017): NA
Employees: 21
The only way to buy Dirty Lemon's health-boosting beverages is via text message. Founder Zak Normandin believes that simplicity provides a seamless transaction for consumers, who don't even have to download an app or log onto a website. "Once you place your first order, it's very frictionless," says Normandin, who previously created the Little Duck Organics baby snack line.
In deciding on the uniquely narrow ordering strategy, Normandin also wanted to address what he considers "a very antiquated way that brands interact with consumers," who now are "looking for new products outside the grocery store," he told the audience at ShopTalk in March. "We don't have to work with retailers, or distributors, or brokers. We're using data to make better decisions and cutting a lot of the noise out of [the traditional distribution model] so we can make a better connection with consumers."
Similarly, the product strategy was designed to simplify the popular but often-complicated practice of "juice cleansing" by letting consumers add one ready-to-drink beverage to their standard lifestyle (rather than making drastic changes to their diets). The Dirty Lemon line currently comprises six "elixirs." Each is made with lemon juice, ocean minerals and sea salt, and then differentiated through unique "flavor and function profiles" that deliver unique benefits (like charcoal for detoxifying). Shipping costs are built into the price: $45 per six-bottle case for "VIP" subscribers; $65 for one-off orders.
Dirty Lemon has 100,000 customers buying regularly and a 60% retention rate month to month. Most of the ordering process is handled by a chatbot and natural language processing tool, with humans waiting in the wings as needed.
Marketing has a non-traditional flair, too, and uses the fashion world (where the brand caught on immediately) as a focal point. The Drug Store pop-up shop in downtown Manhattan let visitors watch as their cocktails were made last summer. In early 2017, the company rented out the trendy Ludlow Hotel for the "Biggest It Girl Slumber Party of the Year" to launch a product named sleep that's "designed to help you achieve a full night's beauty sleep." A recent concoction was created — and co-marketed — with Vogue magazine ("presented in a limited-edition bottle fit for the runway.")
Normandin is so confident in the operating model and the proprietary technology behind it that Dirty Lemon is actively seeking other startup beverage brands to capitalize on "the power of the platform." The company recently acquired the Juice Served Here brand, whose fruity beverages had been sold through Los Angeles-area stores (including Whole Foods). Dirty Lemon also will introduce a low-alcohol drink in Europe this spring and a sparkling water toward the end of 2018.
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Years in Business: <1
Revenue (2017): NA
Employees: 10 (including part-time)
Old CPG dogs can most definitely learn new technology tricks, as the recent launch of Farm & Oven Snacks has proved.
Farm & Oven Bakery Bites are moist, sweet snacks that contain 40% of the recommended daily intake for vegetables, loads of fiber, and more than one billion probiotics per serving. Formulated to help consumers "find the joy in healthy," the snacks are currently available in four flavors: beet dark chocolate, zucchini lemon poppy seed, carrot cinnamon, and pumpkin maple pecan. The product line launched direct-to-consumer through the brand's website last November and soon after on Amazon.com.
Driving that decidedly modern product launch strategy were two CPG industry veterans: Michael Senackerib, whose lengthy career includes senior-level positions at food giants Kraft Foods and Campbell Soup Co., and Kay Allison, whose time as chief executive officer of consulting firm The Energy Infuser included work with Mondelēz International and PepsiCo.
"Launching in e-commerce first has been key to delivering a personal, one-to-one experience," says Senackerib. "We are thrilled to be able to test, learn and fine-tune all of our communications and consumer experiences. Having the right tools to quickly analyze marketing ROI by message, audience and channel is already paying dividends."
New technology also helped the fledgling company get ready for rollout on a much faster timetable. "We went from zero to launch in 2017. Today's technology has made this possible," explains Senackerib. "We use SaaS tools for accessible, sophisticated business management and to let us collaborate with experts around the country. Last year, we developed products, named the company, created packaging, and began self-manufacturing."
Among specific tools, "our website platform via Shopify has been key to the early success," he says. "It provides a user-friendly storefront while giving us the ability to manage the customer experience, and it's efficiently integrated with our e-commerce, fulfillment and financial systems. The analytics help us gauge what is and isn't working."
Activity in 2018 "is all about scaling up," says Senackerib. "Accelerating growth, expanding the customer base, selectively expanding channels and starting up our new manufacturing facility to meet customer demand. We also expect to help thousands of people get their five servings of vegetables per day."
Location: Los Angeles, California
Years in Business: 6
Revenue (2017): $400 million (media reports)
Employees: 100
When the business media began publishing "David vs. Goliath" stories about Halo Top Creamery's meteoric rise to the top of the ice cream market last summer, the "guilt-free dessert" was labeled the next Dollar Shave Club. When Unilever reportedly came close to buying the brand toward the end of the year, that comparison became even more valid.
The accolades were all earned, however, after the brand that bills itself as "healthy ice cream that actually tastes like ice cream" busted out of its niche category to become the best-selling pint of any ice cream, besting giant rivals Unilever, Nestle and General Mills (among others). That's an impressive feat for a healthy-alternative brand (it's low-calorie, low-sugar and high protein), regardless of category.
"Our success starts and ends with our fans," says chief executive officer Justin Woolverton, a former attorney who created the original recipe in his own kitchen while trying to concoct a sugarless dessert for himself. "We think that we have a great product, a great brand, and we even created a new 'Halo Top' category of ice cream. But we wouldn't be here today if not for our grassroots following and army of fans."
"It was a surreal year for us" in 2017, continues Woolverton. In addition to becoming the No. 1 ice cream brand in the U.S., the product was named one of Time magazine's "25 Best Inventions." "The fact that we were named one of the best 'inventions' in 2017 — when the company started in 2011 — is a true testament to the fans and employees who helped to build this thing into what it is today," Woolverton says.
Not surprisingly, product distribution has become ubiquitous, with even Walgreens and CVS/pharmacy now stocking at least a few of Halo Top's 39 SKUs. Although you can buy branded merchandise on the company website, you can't order the ice cream directly. (So chalk one up for traditional retailing.)
In 2018, Halo Top will expand internationally into the UK, Ireland, and Canada, extend the product line with dairy-free and vegan options, and even move into retail: The first Halo Top Scoop Shop opened in Canoga Park, California, in February.
Location: West Chicago, Illinois
Years in Business: 92
Revenue (2017): $300 Million
Employees: 1,000
Not all noteworthy SMBs are upstarts; some have a little history behind them. Candy maker Jel Sert Company is a fourth-generation, family-owned business that has manufactured household staples since 1926. The company makes products in the freezable novelty, drink mix, dessert mix and ready-to-drink categories under such brands as Wyler's Light, Otter Pops, Fla-Vor-Ice, Mondo, and Royal Desserts.
"Although the company and its employees are proud of our strong heritage and traditions, in no way are we 'vintage' in any sense of the word," noted the employee who initially nominated Jel Sert as a Standout SMB. Despite its age, the company works hard to stay ahead of the competition from a production standpoint by developing state-of-the-art machinery: its stick pack production system has garnered interest from global pharmaceutical companies and government agencies.
The company's commitment to growth hasn't waned, either. In 2017, Jel Sert officially became the No. 1 producer of powder stick packs in North America across contract, licensed, and internally branded products.
And it has shown a willingness to test new waters — or new gelatins, at least: It currently has an agreement to provide Royal Gelatin flavors to Jevo, "the world's first fully automated gelatin-making machine" (or, more colloquially, a Jell-O shot maker), which manufacturer Food & Beverage Innovations last year began selling to bars, casinos and cruise ships.
"Jel Sert has remained committed to providing high-quality, high-value food and beverage products that help families and friends create lasting memories," says president Ken Wegner. "Perpetually striving towards this evergreen mission wouldn't be possible without the tireless efforts of our passionate employees."
Most important to those employees is Jel Sert's commitment to charities. The company maintains strong partnerships with the American Childhood Cancer Organization and the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. The "Take a Pop, Share a Smile" program it conducts with ACCO has donated freezers and unlimited ice pop supplies to more than 130 childhood cancer treatment centers and hospitals across the U.S. In 2018, the company plans to expand its stick pack capacity through new infrastructure and increase automation to support greater sales volume.
Location: Santa Fe Springs, California
Years in Business: <2
Revenue (2017): $1.5 million
Employees: 8
The people behind Nosh promise that "our snacks taste way better than any orange crayon." Therein lies the company's underlying goal: to deliver healthy snacking options for babies and toddlers that also can help soothe teething issues, aid motor skill development, and maybe even give parents a little respite from their hectic routines.
Nosh's all-natural Munchables are made with certified organic ingredients, such as Japonica rice, and "fun, foodie flavors" like beet and strawberry. They're designed to help in the development of motor skills by letting babies feed themselves more easily. The product lineup includes crackers, puffs, gummies and "Smoothie Snaps," freeze-dried fruit puree snacks.
"The success of our brand was initially driven by the formation of a strategic network with key contacts, allowing for a strong launching platform," says Jennifer Becker, who founded the company with brother Jason Becker and a third partner, Jonathan Weiner. "The core focus of Nosh, as the baby and tot snack specialist, has allowed us to specialize within the market and diversify ourselves from the competition. The brand is fresh, the products are relatable yet innovative, and the packaging is memorable — all factors we feel have driven our success."
Among specific catalysts is RangeMe, the online platform that connects retail buyers with product suppliers to streamline the new-product sourcing process. The platform "has enabled us to get in touch with new buyers quickly and efficiently," says Jennifer.
Helping parents is a key part of the marketing plan, which includes lifestyle content such as "5 Minute Guides" that help moms balance baby care with "me time." Social outreach invites parents to share their own parenting stories and advice.
Nosh had a busy year in 2017. The company began distributing through 3,000 stores in the U.S. (the partner list now includes ShopRite, Meijer, HEB, Shaw's and Buy Buy Baby) and at retailers in 12 countries. It also doubled the number of SKUs it produces.
One primary goal for 2018 is to gain a stronger foothold in brick-and-mortar grocery stores; 2,000 more stores, including Target and Ahold, were added this month. Another is to execute a strategic plan for growth on the leading e-commerce platforms; the latter effort includes expanding into China.
Location: San Francisco, California
Years in Business: 7
Revenue (2017): $977.1 million
Employees: 5,800 (mostly part-time)
To be honest, Stitch Fix doesn't classify as an SMB anymore: The wildly popular apparel "curator" generated $295.9 million in revenue in the first quarter of fiscal 2018, which puts it well apace to surpass $1 billion this year. But it still technically qualified for the designation in fiscal 2017, when revenues were only $977.1 million (up from $73.2 million in 2014). That left the door open to recognize Stitch Fix's tremendous impact on both the apparel industry and e-commerce while we still had the chance.
Few new business models better illustrate the use of digital technology to address changing shopper needs better than Stitch Fix. More than 2.1 million shoppers (as of July 2017) have flocked to the company's website to have its team of 3,500 (mostly part-time) stylists and 85-odd data scientists unite to take the decision out of their apparel purchases.
Shoppers provide their sizes, needs, style tastes and price preferences on stitchfix.com, and pay a $20 fee that ultimately is credited toward a purchase. The data science/human stylist tag team then goes to work to create five unique apparel items that are shipped free of charge. Recipients buy what they want and send back the rest (also free of charge).
"We are successful when we are able to help clients find what they love again and again, creating long-term, trusted relationships," the company stated last fall in the prospectus it filed before going public. As of the filing, customer "repeat rate" was a very healthy 86%.
"We believe that an intelligent combination of data science and human judgment is required to deliver the personalized retail experience that consumers seek … Our data science capabilities give us a significant competitive advantage, and as our data set grows, our algorithms become more powerful," the prospectus stated.
"We're not worried that incumbents will adapt because this level of data collection isn't inherent to their culture," chief algorithms officer Eric Carlson told Forbes last month. "You have to be data-driven early on. Traditional retailers just don't have the org structure or value system to support the change required."


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Tidy Town 113x113cm PJ Masks Storage Box Playmat
This fun, creative and practical play mat is all you need to entertain your little one for hours! Featuring their favourite characters, this mat has the added feature of being able to fold into a handy storage box, so you can just throw all the toys inside it and keep your home clean when it's not in use!
- Tidy Town PJ Masks Storage Box Playmat
- Colour: Multi
- Easy play and tidy away
- Folds flat
- Also folds into a handy storage box!
- Velcro sides
- Surface wipes clean
- Materials: Tear-proof material
- Recommended for ages 3+ years
- Dimensions (approx. cm):
- Mat size: 113 x 113 (L x W)
- Box size: 44.5 x 44.5 x 38 (L x W x H)


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It's no secret that one of my favorite subjects is windows. Since returning home from Italy, I've noticed that I gravitate toward images of windows as much or maybe more than before. Noticing this has caused me to look closer at how I use them, why they interest me so. For this installment of Exploring with a Camera, let's dive in and see how and why windows are such an appealing subject.
Source of Light
Windows are important to our existence. The let in light and air, while protecting us from the elements. As photographers, windows are a fabulous source of light when we are indoors. Each window, each time of day will bring a different quality of light to our photos. How often have you captured something with your camera, because you saw it sitting next to a window, in the light?
But windows go well beyond a source of light, to become an integral part of the composition and subject of a photograph. The image below is a great example. The window is the source of light, illuminating the table, but also a critical design element balancing the composition and interacting with the other items in the frame to tell a whole story.
Design Elements
The shapes and lines of windows make them an amazing design element in our photographs. They are usually square or rectangle, and we can decide how we incorporate them inside the square or rectangle frame of our photograph.
In the image below, the shape of the window replicates the shape of the frame. The contrast in color of the window gives your eye a place to focus and rest, while taking in the texture and layers in the wall. I see the texture as the subject, but the window "grounds" the image, giving the texture something to hold on to.
The window in this image is mainly used as a design element. Not only the color contrast, but the shape provides a strong, ordered contrast with the curving and disordered elements of tree, sculpture fragment and uneven texture in the wall.
When you see windows as a shape or a design element, you can see interesting uses for them in your images. Windows become the perfect subject to explore the use of repeating shapes as a dominant element, as in this photograph from late night in Venice. The repeating pattern of the window through the frame provides a separation between the working gondolier at the right and the rest of the empty gondolas on the left. (Visit Exploring with a Camera: Repeating Patterns for more on using repeating patterns in your photos.)
In this photograph from Madrid, repeating shapes plus the point of view reveal the use of windows as a design element to create lines. The strong linear perspective is completely created by the lines of the windows. (See Exploring with a Camera: Linear Perspective for more.)
Backdrops, Frames and Shelves
I find my use of windows in my photographs goes way beyond simple design elements. Windows are an integral part of many of my photographs, interacting with the subject as backdrops, frames and shelves. In the photo shared at the top of this post, the window serves as a shelf that holds the main subject – the colorful flower pots. In addition, the window frames the subject, creating separation from the contrasting space, texture and color around the pots.
Here is another example of a window used as a shelf, to hold the cupcakes. You can't see the whole window, but you can feel it is there. A second window becomes a backdrop and frame for the person inside the building.
The window in this image serves as a frame for my son, looking out at the world.
In this self-portrait, the window is a backdrop for me. The framing and brightness provided by the window brings your eye to where I am sitting first, making me the focal point.
Since windows are usually made of glass, they provide an excellent source of reflections. My recent favorite photo of the window in Ashland is an example of using the window as a source of reflection, but the window also serves to frame and bound the reflection within the image.
Window reflections can also create complex interactions within the photographic frame. They can reveal things that are not visible otherwise; the reflections create layered images by showing both what is reflected in the window along with what is seen through the window. The window reflection in this image shows a slightly different perspective of my sons face, while also layering it with what is outside and providing a frame.
You can find more on using windows as a source of reflections in Exploring with a Camera: Reflections in Glass.
Psychological Barriers
Windows can have powerful emotional impact in our photos, by creating a strong feeling of being on the inside looking out, or on the outside looking in. There can be a sense of separateness, longing, mystery or even protection created by windows in our photos. They are a useful storytelling element, both to express our own feelings and to draw the viewer in. This image below captures a story. It makes me wonder who lives on the other side of that window, with the colorful pots.
In this image, I am both literally and figuratively on the outside. I want to experience the warmth and companionship felt through the window, not just the warmth of the lone candle that is immediately accessible outside.
Does Stevie the cat long to be part of the outdoors or is he protected from the dangers of the outdoors by the window? You can decide. Either way, the window provides a boundary to explore, along with providing a frame for Stevie to sit within and light to the image.
By writing this post I may have discovered why windows show up in my photographs so much… there are so many different ways to use them! Here's a quick summary of what I've discovered, just by doing my own image review:
- Windows are a fantastic source of natural light, when indoors.
- Windows are the perfect design element to explore shape, line and repetition.
- Windows can serve as backdrop, frame and shelf, interacting with your subject in interesting ways.
- The glass in windows creates complex layers through reflections.
- Windows are a storytelling element, creating psychological barriers that can evoke strong emotion.
To view more of my window images, you can visit this set on Flickr.
What other uses of windows do you have? How do they show up in your photos? Share with us! The link up will remain open for two weeks. I look forward to seeing your interpretations of one of my favorite subjects!


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To All Who Want Change
and thank you for stopping by, taking an interest in my blog. I am the 'relentless hunter and gatherer of soothing beauty, great and small'
behind these pages, which for now means: here you find the stuff that makes me think, that inspires me, that I envy and am passionate about. I would love to see or read your views too, so feel free to comment!
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Monthly Archives: May 2013
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Stars line up on The Graham Norton Show
Thank God it's Friday! What a lucky shot to turn on the tv whilst waiting for the kettle to boil. I was ready for a last cuppa, but geared up into overdrive when I heard the tune of the Graham … Continue reading
Image May 25, 2013 Tagged After Earth, BBC, behind the candelabra, Bradley Cooper, chat show, Google, Google yourself, Graham Norton Show, Hangover III, Heather Graham, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liberace, Michael Douglas, SO television, Steven Soderbergh, The pursuit of happiness, the pursuit of happyness, tv show, Will Smith Leave a comment
Dancing in suits
Towards 5 o'clock now, the tune's still lingering, whattisitagain?… I've got sunshine, on a cloudy day… Ofcourse! The Temptations, My Girl 🙂 Five gorgeous men dancing in suits, so sweet ,-)
Sunny buttercups
I've got sunshine On a cloudy day When it's cold outside I've got the month of May (…) Today May is a bit different: no sports day for the kids in school, thanks to the weather report: freezing storms ahead… … Continue reading
A new moon means change
One thing I haven't blogged about yet, is my fondness of astrology and horoscopes. I have been reading Susan Miller's horoscope pages on Astrologyzone.com for almost 15 years now. Brought to me by a friend from Indian origins. They take … Continue reading
The Time Principle
Time is a funny thing, and I seem totally addicted as I cannot get enough of it! I need more time on a daily basis. I have stuff to do, things to read, to cook, shop, a blog to run, … Continue reading
Canal bouquet
I love to pick (wild) flowers, when going for a walk. Along the canal you don't find so many flowers, but there's an interesting range of green leaves. These are from around the corner, combined with a few blossoms, all … Continue reading
The egg that healed itself
What an amazing egg this is! I have just come home from the market around the corner (read post Best daily market and Fabric Heaven) and found this wonderful design in the box of extra large free range eggs. It … Continue reading


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COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service Product Development Center (PDC) hosted an Infectious Disease Response Workshop on Nov. 8 at the Emergency Operations Training Center and Disaster City?. The event drew robotics experts, researchers, responders and industry partners to learn and discuss training and new technologies for emergency response to infectious disease and medical disasters.
The workshop covered various aspects of medical response, including how TEEX training for first responders incorporates proper procedures for response to a medical emergency. TEEX experts explained the various types of personal protective equipment and demonstrated proper procedures for donning and doffing hazmat suits, decontamination procedures, as well as the current practices for biohazard waste management and patient transport.
"We were pleased to host this event to bring key researchers, responders, industry and government personnel together to explore critical issues related to response to infectious disease incidents," said PDC Manager Caleb Holt. "One of our strengths at the PDC is to give manufacturers, developers and innovators a place to test out their products in real-world scenarios."
The workshop included demonstrations of the current practices in medical response by walking participants through various scenarios, including a field hospital, a demonstration of how biohazard waste is handled, and how first responders, equipment, and vehicles are decontaminated. The role of robotics was also examined, including a demonstration of a MUTT, or multipurpose unmanned tactical transport, that resembles an electric wagon. Jason Moats of TEEX participated in a panel discussion on best practices in education and training related to medical disaster preparedness.


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IES Exec Tapped for Top Award
Summary: Logistics software provider, IES, ltd. is named for top industry award.
IES, Ltd., a leading provider of logistics and compliance software solutions, announces that Senior Vice President Kevin Gavin has been named by Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine for the prestigious Pros to Know award.
Mr. Gavin was recognized for spearheading IES's eCellerate web-based suite of applications. eCellerate delivers on his vision of helping companies maximize profitability by connecting various supply chain participants into one collaborative tool.
The award is open to individuals from service providers, consultancies, software firms or academia who have helped their clients or the supply chain community at large prepare to meet the significant challenges in the year ahead. The magazine's editorial selection committee culled through more than 350 submissions to find the applicants who best fit the criteria of helping clients meet key challenges facing their supply chains in the years ahead.
Kevin Gavin will be featured in an upcoming issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive print magazine and digital edition and on the Supply & Demand Chain Executive website at SDCExec.com.
About Supply & Demand Chain Executive
Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the executive's user manual for successful supply and demand chain transformation, utilizing hard-hitting analysis, viewpoints and unbiased case studies to steer executives and supply management professionals through the complicated, yet critical, world of supply and demand chain enablement to gain competitive advantage.
About IES, Ltd.
From purchase order to proof of delivery, IES provides web and desktop-based software for dedicated purchase order and supply chain management (SCM). IES also offers a comprehensive, consistent industry approach to guide users through the in-depth information needed to coordinate freight in the international arena.
With offices throughout the United States and in Asia, the suite of IES import and export solutions serves freight forwarders, NVOCCs, Customs brokers and other transportation intermediaries who seek advanced systems to grow their business, differentiate their service and improve profitability. IES's product offerings adjust to the changes and complexities inherent when doing business in the global marketplace. Please visit http://www.iesltd.com, email salesiesltdcom or call +1.201.639.5000 for more information.


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Entertainment City is one of the largest utilities in Kuwait. The place provides unlimited fun, entertainment and adventure. It is located in Doha on the outskirts of Kuwait. This amusement park is one of the biggest attractions of Kuwait. It provides a complete range of amusements based on the theme of 'Arab World', 'Future World', and the 'International World', with a variety of rides and entertainment options. The area is fully equipped with a police station, ambulance service and a car parking area.
Ticket prices are KD3.5 each and below 4 years are free.
There are special prices for groups.
Monday's are only for woman. So please call to confirm which days are family days,


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Reports & White Papers
- Type: Whitepaper
- Date: February 2018
By Dan Daley, Special to AVIXA
Once upon a time, stadiums and arenas were used mostly for sporting events, and concerts halls were used for music — each venue had its own type of sound system design and rarely did the two meet. Sports facilities required high sound pressure level (SPL) systems tuned for speech intelligibility, while music venues focused on full-range frequency reproduction. And it largely stayed that way through when Alex Rodriguez was playing for the New York Yankees and Linkin Park was selling out Madison Square Garden.
Today, however, municipalities and counties are demanding that the sports venues they underwrite with bonds make those ever-higher mortgage payments faster. Meanwhile, the touring business, which has taken over from records as the music industry's main revenue driver, is experiencing an increase in overhead costs, as stadium and arena tours require bigger production systems that drive up transportation and personnel costs. Venue owners seek to increase revenue from their facilities to positively impact their ROI, with more stadiums and arenas looking at going what's known as "rider-friendly," aiming to attract more music shows and other sonically sensitive touring productions.
The rider, an addendum to a contract for performing at a venue, specifies details for each production. Van Halen made it notorious in the 1980s with demands for dressing-room candy bowls filled with M&Ms (with all the brown ones removed), but the rider also includes key technical specifications.
"A sound system that meets the requirements on music-touring riders has a better chance of bringing a venue more and a wider range of touring productions," says Dan Palmer, National Manager for installation projects at L-Acoustics, one of a handful of PA system brands, including d&b audiotechnik, Meyer Sound, and EAW, routinely found on contract riders for music venues.
Those additional events are typically bestselling touring musicians, but also include productions such as circuses, award shows and other spectacles that rely on music. "You can't just think about music touring," Palmer explains. "That's just part of the picture as venues are looking at to fill open dates in their calendars and increase return on investment. But they have a better chance at getting the bigger, more lucrative shows with certain sound systems."
The top tier of touring music artists still looks askance at an arena's or stadium's installed public-address (PA) system as the main sound system for a concert. But the idea is gaining traction from the edges. If a venue's house system is among a handful of desired brands, then its secondary speakers, such as those used to fill in hard-to-reach seats, or its delay speakers, for throwing sound to the farthest seats, are easier to program and integrate with the touring system.
Everett Lybolt, General Manager at sound system provider Sound Image, says that while the company's touring clients want them to provide what they need for total coverage in every venue they will play in, "I know several difficult buildings — stadiums, mostly — that have the kinds of systems we can tie into from time to time to enhance coverage in the upper decks."
That capability, says Palmer, reduces wear and tear on the venue and its rigging steel. It's also easier on the touring system because then only its main speakers need to be flown. This benefits both parties.
"That can translate into ROI for the venue and its investment in a more expensive touring-grade installed sound system," he says, noting that the L-Acoustics PA system in Vancouver's Rogers Arena commands as much as $1,500 a day over and above the cost of the facility rental.
Systems Integrate at Rupp Arena
A growing number of touring artists have begun to interface with the PA system installed at the University of Kentucky's Rupp Arena in the summer of 2016. The venue is home to the school's vaunted basketball teams, as well as concerts by the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, and Garth Brooks.
"We have some fill speakers positioned in such a way as to get sound around the center-hung video scoreboard, and delay speakers that can cover the balcony overhang," explains Bob Stoops, the arena's Technical Services Manager.
In addition, two of the four corner hanging speaker arrays, plus the side speakers, can be lowered on chain hoists and moved to one end of the venue to create a concert configuration, leaving the other two arrays as delay speakers. "Touring artists come in here carrying their own PA and they're going to use that PA system," he acknowledges. "But they also recognize that we have a touring-grade system installed, as well. They know the brands. So, they'll be fine with connecting their PA with our delay and fill speakers. And that's a service we can charge for, so even when an event isn't using our main PA, it's still contributing to its ROI."
Stoops and AV systems integrator Loud & Clear, based in nearby Cincinnati, also designed the house PA system so that it could be dismantled and redeployed — in whole or in part — to other areas of the building, such as its adjacent convention center, or onto the venue's broad patio for outdoor concerts, which becomes another revenue-generator for the venue. In the past, those needs would have been filled by a separate system from a local rental company. Stoops says the venue can rent their PA system for those applications, in whole or in part, for less than an outside rental would cost and pass the savings on to their clients. At the same time, they're applying the rental fees to amortizing the capital cost of the system. Not surprisingly, several other sports venues have inquired about the Rupp Arena's strategy, says Stoops.
Raising Awareness
"This is a topic that definitely needs more awareness in the industry," says Jonathan Laney, who manages customer development for d&b audiotechnik, whose PA systems have been on tour with Coldplay and Bryan Adams and are installed in the Amsterdam ArenA and Rice Owls Football Stadium in Houston. "Having installed speakers that can cover the hard-to-hit areas of an arena is an advantage for touring shows, but they also want the same level of sound quality as they get from the touring-sound system they're carrying. So, having a rider-friendly sound system installed makes using those installed speakers — and the venue itself — more attractive."
Laney adds that sound quality has a direct relationship with revenue and ROI. "Fan experience and expectations are changing," he says. "The competition between venues now for the best productions justifies the capital costs."
Sports venues have been pressured to generate faster returns on investment. With the help of tour-grade sound, more and more of them are looking to leverage the booming music touring business to achieve that goal.


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The more rejections I receive, the more they seem to get to me lately. That Tinder guy I'd been chatting to for a few nights and was supposed to have a dinner/drinks date with today? The one I thought could finally be a normal date that I deserved? Well, I'm home, writing this, so that didn't happen. I received a text message in the middle of the night saying 'I'm going to be a total dick but need to be honest. Going home with someone so it doesn't feel right to see you.' Well fuck me. Got rejected even before meeting. I replied that indeed he was a dick and happy fucking. It's not that I care if he fucks someone at all, but if you've got a 'project' that you're working on, you shouldn't be on Tinder, let alone making actual agreements to date. I get so tired of this whole dating thing that is leading nowhere.
The fact that his rejection came while I was having drinks with the Stud also didn't help. I had been looking forward to today's date, even if only it made me feel adequate that I could do what he did. I needed to have something to look forward to.
So yeah, the Stud came to see me. True to form, he was late. I went to pick him up from the train station and we went to my regular bar. It didn't take long for him to bring up his lady-friend. He told me he had almost lost his friendship with the other chick he'd been seeing over it, as she couldn't handle the change in their relationship. She'd been ready to call the whole thing off, he wouldn't let her. I told him I didn't feel like he was doing the same for me. I told him I was really not cool with the way he told me by text messaging. I told him that because he chose to do it that way it put things in a new light for me. He didn't care enough. He was a little taken aback, and said he hadn't even realized that it would have some sort of impact and how it came across. No shit Sherlock. He then said there was another friend he'd had to tell, that he'd been friends with benefits with before me. They haven't slept with each other in a year, but when he told her she was heart broken. It had really surprised him and while he understood, he also felt that he had been clear with her the whole time. I told him I was somewhere in the middle. I wasn't heart broken, but I did take a good look at myself and my reaction that night. And yes, it had also crossed my mind that I wasn't good enough. And that I wasn't sure if we were friends. And then, I mentally shut the door. I didn't care anymore. If we were friends, fine. He doesn't like me that way and there is nothing I can do to change it. He told me some stuff he's never told anyone, I told him about my fuck up with the ex last week, and it was all good. We now have stuff on each other I guess.
They've already talked about exclusivity, he's met her child, he's shown me her photo, and I kind of laughed at myself. If anything, I had been leading myself on. What's left to do is redefine our friendship. We didn't really talk about it, and I kind of wished we did, because I still don't know what kind of friend he thinks I am, but well. I am off to China next weekend and decided that if nothing happens with anyone by then, I am deleting all my profiles. Dating (and the inevitable rejections) is making me harsh and bitter and it isn't pretty.


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Alvera All-Natural deodorant is made from non-toxic ingredients, such as witch hazel and grapefruit seed, as well as arnica and calendula herbal extracts. It doesn't contain aluminum, an ingredient found in nearly all of the antiperspirants you see at the drugstore.
Some alternative health practitioners believe this toxic heavy metal is contributing to the rising incidence of breast cancer, a disease that strikes 232,000 women each year in the United States alone. Dr. Joseph Mercola, DO, warns against applying anything with aluminum to the sensitive underarm area.
Although there's no conclusive proof this is dangerous, on his website, Dr. Mercola points to studies showing elevated levels of aluminum in the tissue of women with breast cancer.
I have used other all-natural deodorants that were marginally effective in controlling sweat and odor. However, Alvera works just as well as any conventional brand. It is also free of parabens, another class of suspected carcinogens.Buy Now


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The main heroes of the country are not the movie stars or the cricketers who have millions hooting for them. The real heroes stay outside the eyesight of the common people and lay down their lives for the protection of the motherland. Yes! The members of the armed forces or the soldiers Bharat ke Veer are the real heroes of the country.
When a soldier dies on duty, a dark cloud looms large on their families. The cloud is that of economic insecurity. The salary of the common soldiers is not much and so is the compensation that their families get after the death of the soldier. With the newly launched app and portal named Bharat Ke Veer, the government urging the common people to extend a helping hand towards eliminating the economic troubles of these families. All the details of the scheme are available on the official portal and one can check it out by logging in to www.bharatkeveer.gov.in
Launch Dates and Details of Bharat Ke Veer Portal App
The designing and the development of the application and the portal have been done by the National Informatics Center, popularly known as the NIC. The official announcement and the inauguration were done on the 9th of April, 2017. The declaration came from the Union Minister of the country, Mr. Rajnath Singh. The Union Home Affairs Minister, Mr. Kiren Rijiju and the loved Bollywood star Akshay Kumar were also present on the occasion.
Beneficiary Or Eligibility For the benefits Under Bharat Ke Veer Portal
All families of all those soldiers who have lost their lives on the line of duty will be the main beneficiaries of the scheme. All members of the Central Para Military Force and the Central Armed Police Force will also be included under the scheme. The following sections of the armed forces have also been included under the scheme: Border Security Force (BSF), Assam Rifles, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo – Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP), National Security Guards (NSG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF – India.)
Purpose of the Bharat ke Veer Portal
The main aim of the government behind the launch of the portal and the application is to provide financial security to the families of the soldiers who laid down their lives in the service of the motherland. The portal will urge the countrymen to donate generously so that these families do not suffer for the lack of money.
Main features of Bharat Ke Veer Portal
To understand the purpose of creation of the Bharat Ke Veer website and application, one needs to take a look at the salient features of the scheme. The following points will highlight the motive of the central government:
- The application and the website has been designed in such a manner that anyone will be able to make monetary contributions towards the family of one or more soldiers who dies on the line of action.
- The selection of the family will depend on the preference of the person making the donations. The donor will be able to select the dead soldier or soldiers and make the money transfer accordingly.
- The donor will be able to take the help of the online portal or the application and transfer a maximum of Rs. 15 lakhs in the account of one soldier. If the donor wants to transfer more money, then the surplus will be stored in the pool account and it will be divided equitably among the ones who need it the most.
- Once the donor has made the monetary donation, the government department, responsible for the operation of the app and the website will immediately transfer the amount in the soldiers' family accounts.
- The pool account that will be maintained by the department will also make sure that the extra amount, which gets accumulated, will be divided among the families, which have not received any contributions.
- Both the application and the portal will provide the donor will the choice of making a monetary donation in the name of one particular dead soldier. If they do not want to do that then they can make the donation in the corpus fund.
- The responsibility of monitoring the pool account will be placed on the shoulders of an elite committee. The members of the committee will be selected among high placed and older people who have served the government.
- While making the donation, if the amount is more than the specified amount of Rs. 15 lakhs, the website of the application will generate an alert for drawing the attention of the donor. The alert will urge the contributor for channelizing the funds in other ways too.
How to Use The Bharat Ke Veer Portal
The interested candidate will have the option of using either the website or the application for making the donations. The following steps will assist the interested donor in making their contribution:
- First of all, the person willing to make the money transfer for helping the families of the dead soldiers will have to click on the official link of the portal (bharatkeveer.gov.in) or click on the application icon to activate the process.
- Once the home page of the portal has been activated, the interested donor will have to bring the mouse pointer on the button that has been marked as "Enter." It will activate the next step.
- After this, the donor will have to decide whether they want to make a monetary contribution to the mane of any particular soldier or contribute the amount in the pool account. Accordingly, he/she will have to click on the "Bravehearts" (for specific soldier) or the "Bharat ke Veer" (for pool fund) links.
- If the donor wants to contribute towards the account of a particular soldier, then they will get the name list as soon as they click on the "Bravehearts" link. The donor will be able to initiate a search by typing the name of the soldier in the search engine tab. Photographs of the deceased soldiers are also displayed on the site.
- After this, the donors will have to type in their personal details like the name, current mobile phone number and the e-mail address. They will also have to type in the amount that they want to contribute.
- The website will urge the donors to click on the button that has been marked as "Generate OTP." Once the button has clicked, the OTP will be generated and sent to the registered mobile number.
- After typing in the OTP in the proper file, the donors will have to click on the button that has been marked as "Submit." In case the donors have changed their mind, they will have to click on the button marked as "Go Back."
Banking support For the Bharat Ke Veer Program
The banking support to the entire scheme has been provided by the biggest nationalized bank in the nation, State Bank of India (SBI). The accounts will be maintained and the transactions will be monitored by the SBI servers.
With the implementation of the scheme, the government has tried to provide the kin of the dead heroes of the armed forces with the much-needed financial support. These heroes laid down their lives for the countrymen. Now, it is time that the favor is returned and their sacrifices are honored in the best ways possible.
Read Article,


text: titans0021 2,807 Posted July 28, 2017 http://www.footballsfuture.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=550292 Can't believe it took me this long to make this thread. I'll just copy over some of the essentials. Keeper structure: Quote I was thinking about potentially breaking it down in to tiers, something like if you spent x pick to keep the player the year before, the cost is now x: 10 round pick or later - New cost: 8th round pick 7th-9th round pick - New cost: 6th round pick 5th-6th round pick - New cost: 4th round pick 4th round pick - New cost: 3rd round pick 3rd round pick - New cost: 2nd round pick or highest pick left 1st or 2nd round pick - New cost: 1st round pick or highest pick left Note: This only goes for a player you are keeping for a second year onwards. If it's your first year using that player as a keeper, you lose the pick that you used on them last year. Quote Last year's keepers: Raging Bulls Delanie Walker – 8th round Carlos Hyde – 9th round Carson Palmer – 11th round Jordy Nelson – 18th round Deeeeeeeeeej Brandin Cooks – 2nd round Jeremy Maclin – 5th round Coby Fleener – 17th round Thomas Rawls – 18th round Grizzans Eric Decker – 6th round Travis Kelce – 8th round Ben Roethlisberger – 9th round Madvillainy Julio Jones – 1st round Dez Bryant – 2nd round C.J. Anderson – 8th round David Johnson – 14th round titans0021 Russell Wilson – 2nd round Le'Veon Bell – 6th round Alshon Jeffery – 7th round Allen Robinson – 8th round TitanSlim Andrew Luck – 2nd round Greg Olsen – 6th round Arizona D – 10th round Blake Bortles – 18th round Michael Griffin Adrian Peterson – 1st round Demaryius Thomas – 2nd round Keenan Allen – 5th round Kelvin Benjamin – 17th round Mularkey Sucks!!! Antonio Brown – 2nd round Cam Newton – 8th round Tajae Is Sharpe Rob Gronkowski – 2nd round Justin Forsett – 8th round Tntitans4life17 A.J. Green – 1st round Aaron Rodgers – 2nd round Julian Edelman – 4th round Devonta Freeman – 11th round UTMoc10 Amari Cooper – 2nd round Todd Gurley – 3rd round Marcus Mariota – 4th round Odell Beckham Jr. – 8th round King's Bishop DeAndre Hopkins – 2nd round Brandon Marshall – 4th round Doug Martin – 8th round Latavius Murray – 9th round Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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In October 2004, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin asked each parish to set up a Parish Pastoral Council. The Pastoral Council of Sacred Heart Parish Donnybrook, established in 2006, provides an opportunity for parishioners to share in the task planning and coordinating pastoral action in the parish so that
· people both young and old grow in the understanding of their Faith.
· appropriate preparation is made for the celebration of the liturgy and sacraments.
· newcomers are welcomed to the Parish.
· the parish engages in shared pastoral initiatives with neighbouring parishes
· justice and peace are promoted.
· provision is made for children and young adults to participate actively in the
life of the parish and drawn appropriately into ministry
· the sick and housebound are cared for
· the bereaved are supported
Among the achievements of the Donnybrook P.P.C. to date were consultations on Sunday Mass times and the organising of the parish meeting at the Avila centre which clarified the views of parishioners on a wide range of subjects. Working through a subcommittee, the P.P.C. led on the Parish census which has enabled parishioners to volunteer for service in a variety of ministries. The census is on-going.
Following recent discussions at the PPC, it has been agreed that the time has come to renew the mandate of the Council. For the sake of freshness, it has been agreed that four members of the Council will step down. Together with an existing vacancy, this gives us five places to fill. For the sake of continuity, some members of the current PPC will continue for a further year. Some members, such as the parish clergy, are ex officio.
A nominations process will be held in October / November 2013. The details of this process can be found on a brochure which is available in the Church this week. Nomination forms will be made available at all Masses on the weekend of 19th / 20th October. It is not meant to be a "political" process, but a prayerful discernment. We hope to have a high participation rate.


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Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 1988
This is the forty-second Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific (until 1974 entitled Economic Survey of Asia and the Far East). This Survey is devoted exclusively to the analysis of current economic and social developments in the region in a global context. The secretariat has prepared a special study on "Restructuring the developing economies of Asia and the Pacific in the 1990s", as a background document to the theme topic of the forty-fifth session of the Commission. The study will be published as a separate publication by the secretariat in lieu of part two of the Survey.
The strong performance of the world economy in 1988, belying the fears generated about an imminent recession in the wake of the October 1987 stock market crash, has had its favourable effect on the region's developing economies. A welcome feature of the improved growth performance is that it has been more balanced and evenly spread across the region than in 1987. However, the continued slower growth of the least developed and Pacific island economies, many of which were battered by severe natural disasters during the last year, remained a major cause for concern.
The fast momentum of Asian and Pacific economic growth has, however, to be seen in perspective. For most of the South-East Asian and South Asian countries their improved economic performance, in 1988, was partly because of the recovery in agricultural production from the drought affected levels of the previous year. The Asian newly industrializing economies and China, while continuing to be the main sources of the region's reputation for dynamic growth, slowed down in 1988 owing to both domestic and external factors.
Indeed there are some significant strains that are beginning to develop as the region attempts to sustain its growth at the present level. There is the emergence of supply bottle-necks in many countries because of inadequate infrastructure development; environmental degradation such as deforestation, and protectionist reactions in developed market economies to manufactured exports from the region. The neglect of social development in the preoccupation with economic success runs the risk of creating social tensions that could prove disruptive. However, if appropriate policy measures are taken at the national, regional and international levels, these strains could be eased and the developing ESCAP region could continue to advance on a steady growth path. Like previous issues, this Survey is published on the sole responsibility of the secretariat, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Governments of the members and associate members of the Commission.


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Amendment C026
Moonee Valley Planning Scheme
Amendment status
Amendment last updated
Environmental Effects Statement (EES)
Planning authority contact details
Moonee Valley City Council
Moonee Valley 9 Kellaway Avenue Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 Australia
Tel: (03) 9243 8888
Please Note: Proposal description below describes the amendment. To verify content of the final approved amendment see the Explanatory Report.
Include the former Sisters of the Mercy Campus and convent site located at 233 to 251 Mt Alexander Road Ascot Vale in a Heritage Overlay


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Husband Held in Wife's Cruise Ship Murder
SAN DIEGO (AP) The first hint of trouble aboard the Carnival Elation came three days into the luxury cruise to Mexico, when a passenger contacted the ship's security to express concerns that a woman might be dead.
Crew members went to Shirley McGill's cabin on Tuesday evening and found her body, but her husband, Robert McGill, was not in the room, said Keith Slotter, a special agent in charge of the FBI's San Diego bureau.
On Thursday, Robert McGill was taken into custody from the cruise ship more than six hours after it returned to port in San Diego. He will be charged in the murder of his wife, Slotter said.
Slotter wouldn't say why the passenger who notified security was concerned, but said several hours may have passed between the death and the body's discovery.
McGill, of Los Angeles, was later detained and held in the ship's brig until the boat docked Thursday morning. The San Diego County medical examiner removed the woman's body about three hours later, said John Gilmore, a spokesman for the Port of San Diego, and the FBI took McGill from the boat Thursday afternoon.
Slotter would not provide details about a possible motive or how Shirley McGill was killed.
"We have suspicions at this time of how it was conducted but until that autopsy is done I can't comment ... on exactly how it may have occurred," Slotter said of the death.
Both the suspect and victim were in their mid-50s, Slotter said.
The ship is the length of more than two football fields and carries more than 2,000 passengers and 900 crew members, according to Carnival's Web site. The ship traveled for five days, stopping in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
FBI agents leaving the ship carried plastic baggies and a plastic foam box labeled: "Urgent. Refrigerated evidence enclosed."
McGill will likely make a first appearance in U.S. District Court in San Diego on Friday, although the time of that hearing was yet known, said Debra Hartman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office.
It wasn't immediately known if McGill had an attorney.
More Coverage at CBS Affiliate KFMB San Diego
July 16, 2009 - Murder at Sea: Man Questioned in Wife's Cruise Ship Murder


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Connecticut Automobile Injury Lawyer Tim O'Keefe has been hired by a woman who was seriously injured in a head on collision in Hartford, Connecticut. "It appears that the other driver was distracted due to cell phone use and veered into the opposite lane of travel causing a big crash. My client was transported from the scene to a local Emergency Room. She continues with her medical care. We will be filing a lawsuit shortly to hold the other driver accountable for the crash." Tim O'Keefe
For a Free Consultation with a Connecticut Automobile Injury Lawyer, please contact us directly.