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Organization and Plan of Business Operations
|6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018
|Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
|Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]
Note 1 – Organization and Plan of Business Operations
Limbach Holdings, Inc. (the "Company" or"
) is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Company's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Limbach Holdings, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, including Limbach Holdings LLC ("LHLLC"), Limbach Facility Services LLC ("
), Limbach Company LLC, Limbach Company LP, Harper Limbach LLC ("
) and Harper Limbach Construction LLC.
We operate our business in two segments, (i) Construction, in which we generally manage large construction or renovation projects that involve primarily HVAC, plumbing or electrical services, and (ii) Service, in which we provide maintenance or service primarily on HVAC, plumbing or electrical systems. This work is primarily performed under fixed price, modified fixed price, and time and material contracts over periods of typically less than two years. The Company's customers operate in several different industries, including healthcare, education, government, commercial, manufacturing, mission critical, entertainment, and leisure. The Company operates primarily in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, and Southwestern regions of the United States.
The Company was originally incorporated as a special purpose acquisition company, formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, equity interest exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. On July 20, 2016, the Company consummated a business combination ("Business Combination") whereby it acquired all of the outstanding equity of LHLLC. In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, the Company changed its name from 1347 Capital Corp. ("1347 Capital") to Limbach Holdings, Inc.
Emerging Growth Company
Section 102(b)(1) of theJumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the "
JOBS Act"
) exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a registration statementunder the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Securities Exchange Actof 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"))
are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company's financial statements with another public company, which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period, difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
- References
+ Details
No definition available.
- Definition
+ References
The entire disclosure for organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure.
+ Details
Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef


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Google rolled out their real-time search last month that includes results from Twitter, blogs and other web pages generating real-time content. Even though everybody appreciated the feature, nobody exactly understood how Google works when it comes to ranking tweets.
Technology Review is breaking the silence on this after talking to Amit Singhal, a Google employee, who led the development of real-time search at Google. Amit mentions 3 major things that the Google algorithm considers while ranking a tweet higher than others:
1. Number of followers matter:
Just like a web page with 1,000 incoming links ranks higher than a web page with 5 incoming links, a tweet by a person with 1 Million followers would rank higher than a tweet by a person with 1,000 followers. To Google, number of followers is one of the key methods to calculate the reputation of a user.
Interestingly, if I only have 5 followers but those 5 followers are very reputable (have large number of followers), my reputation would also automatically be higher.
2. Hashtags are not always good:
A lot of people insert hashtags in their tweets to identify them with a certain topic. Similarly, a lot of spammers also use popular topics as hashtags to get people to read their tweets. For this exact reason, Google treats hashtags with skepticism. It doesn't necessarily mean that using hashtags will decrease your search engine ranking, but it does mean Google will analyze tweets with hashtags more carefully than regular tweets to see if they are spam.
3. Displaying timely and topical results:
Since the search is real-time, Google has a job to pick out and display the freshest tweets and filter out the older ones. This is done by analyzing the words next to the keyword and evaluating which tweets pertain to a more recent topic.
Even though these points don't completely explain how Google ranks tweets, they are a good starting point to understand the algorithm behind it. However, it does open up a few more questions like :
- How does Google algorithm factors in the ReTweets?
- Would a ReTweet by a more reputable person rank higher than the original tweet?
- If a hashtag included in a tweet becomes a trending topic, does it affect the ranking?
Unfortunately, we might have to wait for sometime before Google answer these and other dozens of questions about ranking real-time information.

subset: commoncrawl


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After several months of homelessness, Berks Book Bonanza has secured a location for its 2018 sale. Bibliophiles and readers alike will once again be able to attend one of the area's largest used book sales, held this year at the Berkshire Mall in Wyomissing.
On July 16, 2017, Berks Book Bonanza completed the most successful sale of its 38-year history, raising $81,600 for scholarships and public libraries in Berks County. By July 24, the massive fundraiser vacated its home at the VF Outlet that was scheduled for demolition later that year. The search for a 2018 location came to an end when the Berkshire Mall generously offered a vacant space to Book Bonanza. Thanks to Ellen Smoll, general manager, and Joe Nosti, operations manager, the annual fundraiser will be held on July 13-15 next to Coventry Corners.
"With the full support of ownership, the Berkshire Mall team is very excited to host this wonderful community event," said Smoll. "It is an honor to be able to be part of and give back to the community. We hope that this partnership with Book Bonanza assists them in their quest to raise money for a very important piece of the community, the libraries and scholarships."
Book Bonanza is asking for donations of gently used books, DVD's, CD's, games, and puzzles. Drop-offs will begin on Monday, April 16 at the entrance next to Firehouse Subs and will occur Monday and Tuesday mornings from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 noon and Wednesday evenings 5:30 to 7:30 P.M. Collections for donations will conclude on Monday, July 9. Volunteers will assist book donors with unloading vehicles during these times. For a complete list of acceptable donations, please check the Berks Book Bonanza website, www.berksbookbonanza.org.
Vicki Steinberg, Book Bonanza chair, expressed appreciation not only for the generous welcome from the Berkshire Mall but also for the patience of Book Bonanza's dedicated volunteers and book donors during the long search for a new site. "Book Bonanza is a community treasure," said Steinberg, "and thanks to the Berkshire Mall, it can continue to support scholarships and libraries across Berks County."
The 2018 Berks Book Bonanza sale will occur on the following dates:
– Friday, July 13 from 10:00 AM—8:00 PM
– Saturday, July 14 from 8:00 AM—7:00 PM
– Sunday, July 15 from 11:00AM—3:00 PM (bag of books sale)
If you would like more information about this topic, please visit the Berks Book Bonanza website at www.berksbookbonanza.org.


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Donald Coventry, Convenor, Remote and Rural communities working group
David Warrilow, Coordinator, ASPO-Gold Coast,
07 5572 9946 DWarrilow (at) Yahoo (dot) com
Tom Engelke, Coordinator, ASPO-South West
Working Group Convenors:
Richard Campbell,
Phil Hart, Oil and Gas Industry Working Group (Melbourne)
Dr David Worth and Colin Endean Indigenous Communities Working Group (Perth)
Dr David Bennett Agriculture, Fisheries and Food w/g & Biofuels Working Group (Perth)
Sam Powrie Bicycle/Active transport Working Group (Adelaide)
Dave Kilsby Urban and Transport Plannning Working Group (Sydney)
Dr James Barson Health Sector Working Group (Geelong)
Donald Coventry, Conservation & Environment Sector working group 0427174720
Graham McDonald Construction Industry (Perth)
Richard Bruggemann, Social Services Sector working group (Adelaide)
James Ward Young Professionals Working Group
ASPO Australia people:
Foundation Patron
Hon. Andrew McNamara previously chair of the Queensland Govt Oil Vulnerability Task Force, and past Qld Minister for Climate Change, Sustainability and Innovation
Foundation Committee
Bruce Robinson (Convenor)
(below with Meng Qingyang and Prof Pang Xiongqi, China University of Petroleum at ASPO Lisbon)
Keep up to date! Subscribe to the ASPO Newsletter.


text: StayHungryFL 12 Posted May 26, 2018 What are your typical settings? I've found if I am cutting REALLY small items (631 or any size foil/glitter HTV)I need to drop the speed under 100. I'm still afraid to use the stock setting...not sure why...? I've been leaving the force alone at 99. I use China blades that aren't the greatest, but I have 60 of them...so for now I'll use those. Any insight is appreciated. I value the experience here on this forum and appreciate you all helping out so we learn from others' mistakes... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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The website contains all information which is required to be disclosed in accordance with Rule 26 of the AIM Rules and is disclosed for that purpose.
Page last updated: 27 August 2020
Qualified shippers ensure the product reaches its destination safely within client time and temperature protocols around the globe.
We will formulate a product specifically for your application.
Please contact us to discuss your requirements for collagen biomaterials.


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Raphael Lilywhite (1891 – 1958)
Born in Woodruff, Arizona, he was a painter of western scenes. He was one of 15 children in a Mormon family that operated a trading post along the Little Colorado River and was named Raphael for the famous artist. He was educated in Mormon schools and graduated from the University of Utah. He also studied with Gonzales and Ed Tigera in Sonora, Mexico.
Lillywhite did indeed show a flair for art and received training at a number of schools as well as alongside some of the Taos Founders. He married the Hungarian portrait painter Ilka DeSzaak—who helped him with his figure work—and his loose, luminous scenes of southwestern life began to find an audience. After marriage in 1924, he settled near Walden, Colorado, where he painted scenes of ranch life and the Old West, an interest that began with his early exposure to pack trains and Indians. From 1940 to 1942, he also painted thirteen habitat backgrounds of bird and mammal groups, and in 1943, he moved to Laramie, Wyoming.
Lillywhite also worked as a muralist and his Alaska Tundra and Bering Strait can be seen at the Museum of Natural History in Denver.


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Power Carving Boots & Shoes 60-4615-6
Power Carving Boots & Shoes by Roman Hrytsak
With 250 images and 12 patterns, carve a wooden boot through illustrated step-by-step instructions. From sketching an idea to carving a stylized boot using found wood, this new DIY book guides you in preparing a pattern and cutting a blank using a bandsaw for the basic parts of a lace-up leather boot — the vamp, the toe, and the sole. Using a rotary power tool fitted with a flex-shaft hand piece, carving burrs, and sanding drums, learn how to give the boot a distinctive character for creating women's high-heel boots, hiking boots, casual slip-on boots, and brogues. Chapters include wood selection, sketching the pattern, blank preparation, and decorating and assembling the boot. A gallery of completed projects offers inspiration for your own creative ideas. For carvers of all skill levels.
60-4615-6 8.5" x 11" soft cover with 64 pages


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To all my readers, followers, friends and family,
Thank you for all the support throughout the year! Whilst I may not have been as active as I usually am at times, I have always enjoyed updating this blog and seeing your interactions with each post.
Happy Christmas to you all, and I wish you all the best for 2014. Here's to another year of 8-Bit Girl!


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Business partnership - we need to educate for Asia
Media Release
Business partnership says we need to educate for Asia
Leading New Zealand business and employee organisations are urging schools to prepare young New Zealanders for the future by teaching them more about Asia, says Asia New Zealand Foundation Director Dr Richard Grant.
Dr Grant says the Business Education Partnership, a joint initiative between the Asia New Zealand Foundation and the business community, is an urgent call for the New Zealand public and educationalists to think deeply about how we all can prepare our young people for a future increasingly dominated by Asian economies.
"It is not a choice we have to offer these skills but an imperative," Dr Grant said. "It is encouraging that the companies and organisations that are signatories also see the critical strategic value of this initiative."
The launch of the Business Education Partnership today is a declaration by 43 leading New Zealand companies and employee organisations to call greater attention to educating young New Zealanders about Asia.
The declaration urges greater attention for the learning about Asia in our schools. It says building knowledge of Asia, its cultures, languages and peoples is a priority task for our education system, so that New Zealand has a workforce that is better informed about the region and better equipped to deal with it.
All the business signatories commit themselves to working with school communities to see that this partnership can help deliver greater Asia Awareness to fellow New Zealanders.
The Business Education Partnership launch will take place in Wellington today (Monday November 16) at 5.30pm.
Dr Grant says the New Zealand Curriculum acknowledges the importance of New Zealand students having opportunities to explore future focus issues such as globalisation and citizenship. "Asia is central to this global understanding."
"It's time for all New Zealanders to begin to join the dots, to acknowledge our growing interdependence with a region that will have a huge impact on world affairs in the 21st century. Many New Zealanders already have been affected by Asia in some way, whether by travel, trade or with people in their communities," Dr Grant said.
"We need greater emphasis in education on the Asian region to prepare young New Zealanders for a world that's very different from the one we grew up in."
The Business Education Partnership launch today will be accompanied by the release of the New Zealand Curriculum and Asia Guide.
"This document will provide school leaders, senior management teams and curriculum leaders with knowledge and information about the importance of being Asia Aware and using Asia as a context in teaching and learning programmes."
The New Zealand Curriculum and Asia Guide includes school stories and comments from principals, teachers and students already engaging with Asia and Asian communities as well as a series of questions to trigger discussion in schools about how to become more Asia Aware.
"Our aim is that by 2015, all young New Zealanders will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to take advantage of the opportunities to live, work and interact with Asian communities in New Zealand and with the peoples and countries of Asia," Dr Grant said.
The Business Education Partnership is based on one of the recommendations that came out of the Action Asia Business Summit in 2007 which called for more Asian content in New Zealand schools. The BEP initiative is championed by the Action Asia Advisory Group, a representative group of New Zealand business leaders.


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My writing is nowhere near what I would consider good. I am the only one to blame. As I previously stated in other class assignments, I dropped out of high school in the middle of ninth grade. Ever since then, I never did any sort of writing, unless it was for work. Instead of working on my writing and education in general these past 6 years, I have been ignoring the fact that being educated will get me further in life and help me live more comfortably.
What pushed me get back into school was the birth of my daughter as well as my interest in becoming a police officer.
Aside from my horrible credit history, I knew from the start that my writing needs improvement if I even want to get through the screening process for new hires. In class, I realized how much there is to writing certain texts. Specially with essays, there was terms mentioned that I was not thought with or I just simply forgot about them.
Learning grammar was of great help to me as I see grammar as my biggest weakness when it comes to writing. I specifically remember the presentation about proper usage on the apostrophe, because I was guilty on using it incorrectly with plural nouns.
What I would have liked, however, is that grammar should have been taught not by the students, but by the professor. Some of the presentations seemed very important and essential to writing but they were not all clear to understand. Others had good information but it was hard for me to keep interest as the speaker read line after line of text of what seemed to be copy and paste definitions. Aside from that minor flaw, I thought the class was good overall. I just wish I had more free time so I can take another class that supersedes this one.
If I get thru the hiring process, I will have to be a good writer as police officers have to generate many accurate reports throughout their work day. Since incorrect grammar can completely change the meaning of something, I do not want it to be my weakest link when it comes to my law enforcement career. Especially since being a bad writer is correctable. Whether I take another class or buy a book on grammar, I will attempt to improve it. Even if its a little at a time. As long as I am moving forward and not backwards, my future looks brighter than before I got back into school.
Cite this Extra Credit for Reflective
Extra Credit for Reflective. (2017, Jan 07). Retrieved from https://graduateway.com/extra-credit-for-reflective-essay/


text: funnymom8 Posted July 4, 2018 I think I have an addiction to crochet hooks, I seem to have alot of them! My new "thing" to do with them is putting polymer clay handles on them! These are some of what I've made, there's more that need pictures plus I am making some for gifts. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text: Trap Beats CANDY MAN Continue Reading Previous automaticNext BLOCK A COP More Beats Country Beats Hood beats Trap Beats RANDOM NIGHT Cool Beats Country Beats Laced Beats Trap Beats PIANO PLEASURE BY JTWAYNE. Laced Beats Trap Beats NO ONE CAN CHANGE ME Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


text:
Freistil by Rolf Benz
Free spirits and lovers of originality will adore FREISTIL BY ROLF BENZ. Literally translated to "Free style" this young and vibrant range aims to encourage all walks of life to experience the comfort and sophistication of German design. With absolutely no compromise on originality or quality, the FREISTIL range offers the exceptional design, manufacturing quality and materials of all ROLF BENZ products. Pops of colour, modular sofas you can play a game of Tetris with, and a multitude of styles to suit your home, FREISTIL radiates an atmosphere of individual freedom. FREISTIL will encourage you to live the way you want to live, and encourage you further to keep change as a vivid dynamic in your lifestyle. Experience the freedom of FREISTIL.


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About this course
This course aims to extend your knowledge and experience of practical data mining, following on from Data Mining with Weka.
We'll talk about "big data" and how to deal with that in Weka (you'll process a dataset with 10 million instances). You'll learn about mining text. You'll look at filtering using supervised and unsupervised filters. You'll learn about discretization and sampling. You'll learn about attribute selection. You'll learn about classification rules, rules vs. trees, association rules, clustering, cost-sensitive evaluation and classification. You already know how to use the Explorer, and we're going to start by showing you Weka's other interfaces.
Again, the aim of the course is to dispel the mystery that surrounds data mining. After completing it you will be even better equipped to mine your own data using more powerful methods. Most importantly, you'll understand what it is that you're doing!
Course structure
Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself. (Chinese proverb)
This is structured as a five week course:
- Week 1: Exploring Weka's interfaces, and working with big data
- Week 2: Discretization and text classification
- Week 3: Classification rules, association rules, and clustering
- Week 4: Selecting attributes, and counting the cost
- Week 5: Neural networks, learning curves, and performance optimization
Each week focuses on a couple of "Big Questions." For example, Week 1's Big Questions are What are Weka's other interfaces for? and Can Weka process big data?
The week covers a handful of activities that together address the questions. Each activity comprises:
- 5-10 minute video
- Quiz. But no ordinary quiz! In order to answer the questions you have to undertake some practical data mining task. You don't learn by watching someone talk; you learn by actually doing things! The quizzes give you an opportunity to do a lot of data mining.
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. (Confucius)
You will get additional benefits by purchasing an upgrade, including access to the tests:
- Mid-class test at the end of Week 2
- Post-class test at the end of Week 5
This week …
In Week 1 you will explore Weka's other interfaces: the Experimenter, which allows you to run experiments that compare different methods; the Knowledge Flow interface, which lets you set up a graphical workflow for your data mining project; the Command Line interface, which accepts more complex commands to Weka. And you will learn about "big data" and how to deal with it in Weka. At the end of the week you'll be equipped to use all Weka's facilities, including stream-oriented processing for massive datasets.
Teaching team
- Lead educator, Ian Witten
Although I won't be able to join the discussions myself or respond to individual comments or questions, the course encourages a strong learning community. Please share your own experience and knowledge, and listen to new perspectives. We hope that you will enjoy interacting with and learning from each other. Don't forget to comment, and do help other learners when you can.
If you have a technical problem with Weka and others on the course are unable to help, go to the Weka Wiki at https://waikato.github.io/weka-wiki/. This also contains a link to the Weka mailing list.
Production team
- Logistics, David Nichols
- Video editing, Louise Hutt
- Captions, Jennifer Whisler
- Music: 7 Mand på en Skude (7 men in a boat) by Rasmus Ørskov, performed by Rasmus Ørskov, Ashley Hopkins, Sarah Shieff and Ian Witten
- Share what you are learning, including difficulties, problems and solutions, with others in the class in a weekly discussion focused on the Big Questions of the week and what you have learned
- Other discussions from time to time
- Transcripts are supplied for all videos
- Slides for all videos can be downloaded as a PDF file
Software requirements
If you have not already installed the Weka software you will need to do so right away (see step 1.4). It runs on any computer, under Windows, Linux, or Mac. It has been downloaded millions of times and is being used all around the world.
(Note: Depending on your computer and system version, you may need admin access to successfully install Weka.)
Prerequisite knowledge
You need no programming experience for this course. And no math, though some high-school statistical concepts are used (means and variances, maybe confidence intervals).
However, you do need to have completed the course Data Mining with Weka, or have equivalent knowledge. If you can do the Are you ready for this? quiz at the end of this Activity, you'll be fine!


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Remove a large amount of rubbish with our
We have a selection of skips sizes for different jobs
If you have a large amount of rubbish that you need to get rid of in one go, or if you have a building project and you need somewhere to keep the waste tidy and contained, then one of our skips is perfect for your needs. With a selection of green waste skips to choose from, our friendly staff would be delighted to advise you on which size would best suit your needs and we will sort out any permits that you may require to place a skip on your site, be it a road or a public area. With Greenacre skip hire, all the rubbish that we take away is recycled as well.
Ordering your skip doesn't need to be difficult and we make it as easy and simple as possible. If you are unsure of what skip is best suited for your purpose then we will give you our honest recommendation. We can also check where you want to place your skip and make the arrangements with the local council for a permit if needed. You can choose between our commercial and domestic skip hire services.


text:
Genre: Life, Society
WHEN THE MOON SLEPT by Akinkunmi Adewumi
The moon slept,
But we were awaken to Hunger,
We groan and groan,
We wrestle and wrestle,
Our left hands on our aching stomachs
Writhing in agony inflicted by Hunger.
At the first cock crow,
That Sleep already stole our night,
One of us after the other,
We slept like horses,
Wherever sleep caught us,
On our lame arm chair,
Our wrinkled skinned mat,
Until the sun rescued us from the
captivity of the night.
We woke to another episode of hunger,
Another conflict,
Another climax-
Where is mama?
Her clothes are gone,
She is not in the kitchen,
Not in the neighbourhood,
Her photographs gone,
Her sore memory dawn
On our vision…
Bolanle, now 13,
Spits litres of saliva every minute,
Her stomach as round as a tortoise's back,
chameleons motels every night,
She wears men like clothes,
View original post 124 more words


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What happens when you dance to the Pharrell Williams song Happy during the Greenmarket at Grand Army Plaza? If you're Brandi and Lily, at least one person will join you and one child will back away with a bit of concern, as this cute video shot this past Saturday shows.
Videographer The Geoff Man has filmed a bunch of these, inspired by the initial release of the video for the song, which featured 24 hours of people dancing to the tune around Los Angeles. If you've got an idea for an interesting place for him to film another one, or you'd like to be in one of the videos, you can contact him at .


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3 May 2018
At Subway (the sandwich company) they got high speed ovens which toast bread in like 20 seconds. I always wondered what magic is inside to be that quick.Today I found out that you can even buy those ovens if you have a need for them. Like this one: https://www.turbochef.com/product/bullet/
And the magic they use: hot air as well as microwaves.
Before you think about buying one: it'll cost you about US$10k, and the Japanese version uses 200V and 30A (resp. 400V/16A for those in 230V countries).


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Enjoy this fantastic junior 1 bedroom suite with City and mountain views at The Savoy. Features include: crown mouldings, open kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and gas stove, gas fireplace, in-suite laundry pluse small den area perfect for computer workstation/office. Includes 1 parking and separate storage locker. Quality building with 70' lap pool, gym, sauna, hot tub, guest suite and billiards/lounge. Pet and rental friendly. Conveniently located near Public Library, Robson, Art Gallery, Orpheum Theatre, Choices Market & boutique shops all within walking distance to Yaletown. This one has it all. Great value.
Clothes Washer/Dryer/Fridge/Stove/Dishwasher/Microwave/Window Coverings
Indoor Pool/Gym/Sauna/Hot Tub/Guest Suite/Billiards/Lounge
RE/MAX Select Properties


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Agriculture is constantly evolving, which is why AgDirect® works to help you make the right decision for your operation when it comes to financing your next tractor, combine or ag equipment.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Section 179 tax deduction has in recent years been the driver of a lot of year-end farm machinery and equipment purchases. The deduction allows a business to deduct the full purchase price of machinery that's financed in the current tax year under a set price limit.
Though that amount has fluctuated based on different federal economic stimulus measures since 2008, this year's Section 179 deduction limit is $500,000 and is good for any new or used equipment. Though the deduction is capped at $500,000 for these purchases, bonus depreciation can add to the savings in subsequent years after a purchase.
In addition to the extension of the Section 179 deduction, bonus depreciation remains in effect at a 50% level for 2016, though it's likely the last year at that level as the federal government begins phasing it out in the next 4 years.
That means this year, producers can depreciate 50% of new equipment purchase costs, though by 2018, that number will be 40%, then 30% in 2019. After 2020, bonus depreciation, much like the Section 179 deduction, will be renegotiated and implemented anew. Bonus depreciation only applies to new equipment purchases, typically after the Section 179 deduction is exhausted.
"The Section 179 deduction will continue to be a good incentive to purchase or finance equipment by year's end if you have a need to upgrade equipment while taking advantage of tax incentives," says Minnesota-based AgDirect Territory Manager Tate Moser. "Keep in mind Section 179 applies to both new and used equipment purchases and that it's always a good idea to talk to your tax accountant before making year-end purchase decisions that have tax implications."
Farm machinery is just one item eligible for a Section 179 deduction. Other property includes:
More machinery-buying resources
More helpful Section 179 links
Working together to anticipate your machinery and financing needs
Read more >
Freeing up working capital, managing debt
Is now the time to buy?
Adoption of precision ag equipment
Fixed- versus variable-rate financing
Delivering on the promise of simple, fast, flexible.
Structuring plans and managing risk
What you need to know in 2020
Current trends and financing tips
Finding and applying for financing
Choose AgDirect financing Powered by Farm Credit.
Tips for calculating costs, creating a capital expenditure plan
Trends, costs and custom work
Tips for measuring, monitoring and goal setting
Understanding your equipment financing options
The next frontier in farm machinery
Tips for getting optimal value out of your equipment
A simple, secure solution
Trends, tips and financing considerations
Calculate loan and lease payments anytime, anywhere
Tax deductions and other bottom-line enhancing tools
$867 billion plan restores safety nets
Best practices for managing machinery costs
Tips for prioritizing winter activities
What's driving farm equipment preferences?
Strategies for repairing, replacing and retaining equipment
Alternative options for acquiring machinery
Calculating cost of ownership
Equipment purchase considerations during tight profit margins
Getting the greatest return from technology
Built for agriculture, powered by Farm Credit
Financial strategy to reduce costs
Deduction limit raised to $1 Million
Adopting strip-till starts by answering a simple question: Why?
What You Need to Know for your Farm
Managing machinery financing in volatile times
Half-year equipment lease options
Almost every machine on dealer lot represents potential sale.
Strong crop yields = strong used machinery prices
Major themes in the farm machinery market in recent years
Used combine market saw some signs of life in late 2016
Factors influencing the buying or selling of used implements
Used tractor market is strengthening
Here's all you need to know about Section 179 deductions
Online machinery auctions growing in popularity among farmers
Take a longer view of your machinery needs
Think twice before using operating credit
Think Long-term When Investing in Irrigation
Leases offer equipment buyers a lot of flexibility
Used vs. new machinery: Ask all the right questions
Take positive steps to manage stress on the farm
Stress on the farm: Watch for key warning signs
Women's changing roles on the farm
Machinery and the Alignment Process
Leasing's Role In A Farm Succession Plan
Farm Machinery & Positioning Your Operation For Succession
Buy Smart: Tips To Stretch Your Machinery Dollars
Own the Machinery or Custom Hire
Key machinery benchmarks and how they can benefit you
Measuring your financial health with the Operating Expense Ratio
Will the IRS Section 179 tax deduction be restored to $500,000?
Machinery Financing Stable Despite Farm Economy Slowdown
Know your leasing options and their implications
7 Tips to Keep your Farm Safe This Fall
Consider Equipment Financing Options
Low Rates Make Refinancing Loans a Tactic to Consider
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About Leasing
Erase All Sensitive Information Before Disposal
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About AgDirect Financing, Equipment Types and Rates
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About Applying for AgDirect Financing
Rural Locations Provide No Defense Against Phone, Internet Hackers
Defense Against Identity Theft Begins with Your Waste Basket
AgDirect® Mobile Financing Calculator Available in iPhone, Android Platforms
For Flexibility, Equipment Buyers Show More Interest in Leasing
See more
Watch video


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Use our simple OEE Calculator below to quickly calculate OEE, Availability, Performance and Quality. Below the OEE calculator, we discuss the formulas and details of the OEE calculations.
Interested in tracking OEE? See how a SensrTrx subscription could be an easy and affordable way to use data to decrease waste and improve your bottom line.
(minutes per part)
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{{capacity | number:0}}
Total Produced
{{totalQty | number:0}}
{{performance*100 | number:0}}%
{{quality*100 | number:0}}%
{{availability*100 | number:0}}%
Let's look at how we calculated your OEE above. The OEE formulas is:
Let's break down each component of the OEE formula:
To calculate availability we first determine the duration of the shift in minutes.
Then subtract breaks, lunches and planned maintenance included in Planned Downtime.
Planned Production Time Formula:
Planned Production Time Calculation
Next calculate the operating time of the equipment. To do this subtract any unplanned downtime from the planned production time.
Operating Time Formula:
Operating Time Calculation:
Now we can calculate the availability percentage
Availability Formula:
Availability Calculation:
Performance is how the equipment is performing against its capacity. In this calculation we use the ideal cycle time and operating time to determine how many parts the machine can produce under ideal operating conditions. We then calculate the ratio of how many parts we actually produced vs the capacity.
Capacity Formula:
Capacity Calculation:
To calculate Performance we use the total parts produced, this includes any scrap or rejected parts.
Performance Formula:
Performance Calculation:
Quality is the ration of good parts versus total production.
Quality Formula:
Quality Calculation:
OEE Putting it Together
Now we take each of the three components and put them in the the formula above.


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How safe is safe? The current market turmoil and the spectre of numerous failed, acquired and bailed-out banks in the US, the UK and Europe, though not in Canada, raises questions about the safety of investments, even those considered the least risky.
When looking for "safe" investments, most people have in their minds whether or not the invested capital and any interest owing will be paid back, which is termed credit or default risk. But any guarantee is only as good as the strength and reputation of the party making it, which may or may not be the institution where you invested the money. So what are the assurances or guarantees and who are the backers for some common securities?
Equities are very high risk in terms of default risk since no one makes any promise to pay anything back.
Brokerage Account Cash - the industry-funded body government of Canada's is in the very best class but various provinces are rated lower, though still considered to be high quality. DBRS rates the City of Montreal the same as Enbridge Pipelines at A+ (high).
Like many things in life, safety is a relative and shifting measure.


text:
How to help Hurricane Harvey relief efforts
On August 26, 2017, at 3:00 a.m. local time, Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport, Texas, as a Category 4 hurricane. As of Sunday, August 27, 2017, the storm has stalled, causing catastrophic flooding across much of southeastern Texas. As people in our area consider donations to relief efforts, UWCIL encourages them to:
- donate to charitable organizations they are familiar with,
- donate to organizations with a specific fund established for disaster relief, and
- donate to organizations able to provide details on how your donation will be spent
For this reason, we have provided the information below and recommend making a gift directly to:
- The American Red Cross – www.redcross.org,or
- A local United Way in the affected areas (see below)
It is important to understand disaster relief funds through local United Ways prioritize immediate safety, shelter and basic needs, like food. Once the community is stabilized, United Ways will focus on long-term recovery efforts.
Because this is a far-reaching disaster, affecting at least 20 United Ways in Texas and Louisiana (this page will be updated as information becomes available. If you know someone living in affected areas, please encourage them to call 2-1-1 for assistance.
|Updated, as of 9:00 p.m. ET, August 27, 2017
|Aransas County United Way (Rockport)
|Community was evacuated, and residents are encouraged to stay away until local authorities and the National Guard can assess roadways. There is a curfew in place and you must show proof of residency to enter Rockport.
|Guadalupe County United Way (Seguin)
|Matagorda County United Way (Bay City)
|United Way Galveston County Mainland, Inc. (Texas City)
|United Way of Beaumont and North Jefferson County (Beaumont)
|United Way of Brazoria County (Angleton)
|Contributions will be utilized by the Brazoria County Long-Term Recovery Committee (BCL-TRC) for disaster relief.
|United Way of Calhoun County (Port Lavaca)
|United Way of Comal County (New Braunfels)
|United Way of Galveston (Galveston)
|Unable to access offices because of street flooding, although United Way's space is on the 8th floor, so they expect to be okay.
|United Way of Greater Austin (Austin)
|United Way of Greater Baytown Area & Chambers County (Baytown)
|United Way of Greater Houston (Houston)
|Described as "worse than worst case." Historic and catastrophic flooding expected. See press release. Fund established to help with both immediate, basic needs and long-term recovery services such as case management and minor home repair.
|Text UWFLOOD to 41444.
Visit https://www.unitedwayhouston.org/flood to donate.
|United Way of Hays County (San Marcos)
|United Way of Jackson County (Edna)
|United Way of Metropolitan Dallas (Dallas)
|Fund established to support nonprofits helping those affected by the storms who are seeking shelter and long-term assistance in North Texas.
|United Way of Mid & South Jefferson County (Port Arthur)
|Flooding and concerns for break in levee.
|United Way of Orange County (Orange)
|United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County (San Antonio)
|United Way of Southwest Louisiana, Inc. (Lake Charles, LA)
|See press release.
|Text HARVEY to 41444.
Visit www.unitedwayswla.org/donate from any mobile or desktop device.
|United Way of the Coastal Bend (Corpus Christi)
|United Way of Williamson County (Round Rock)
|Victoria County United Way (Victoria)
|Contributions will be used by partner agencies for disaster relief, emergency food and housing.


text: STEP 1 – SEND US YOUR CONTACT INFO Please Email Your Contact Information to email@example.com. 1 – Name 2- Phone Number 3- Email Address STEP 2 – PURCHASE YOUR STUDY BOOK Don't miss this powerful Motivational Monday series! Learn to allow God to position you for greater opportunities! Purchase your study book today and get motivated to move!


text:
With the launch of the 6th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor product family (formerly codenamed "Skylake"), Intel®
takes performance and computing power to a new level. These new
processors combine a new micro architecture with Intel's 14nm process
technology, and DDR4 memory support. The product family offers
manufacturers a wide selection of processors to build new hardware
solutions for an extensive range of applications.
The IoT and Industrial 4.0 are exploding.
According to Gartner, Inc. (a technology research and advisory
corporation), there will be nearly 26 billion devices on the Internet by
2020. In other words, the number of devices or things connected to the
Internet is increasing with unstoppable speed. Demand for IoT solutions
in Networking, Industrial Automation, Medical, Transportation, and other
IoT Industrial 4.0 applications are rising.
As a leader in providing trusted innovative
embedded and automation products and solutions, Portwell offers more
advanced system, hardware, software, services, and customer-oriented
customization support. To meet IoT market demands, Portwell is ready to
help customers speed new innovative solutions to market. The picture
below shows our position and vision in this global trend.
The new 6th Generation Intel®
Core™ Processor delivers greater CPU and graphics performance over the
previous generation. While offering better performance, the new
architecture brings new features like DDR4, DirectX 12, 4K, and PCIe Gen
3 support. The new PCH also brings more I/O ports and flexible high
speed I/O combinations. Through the 14nm process technology and other
enhancements, Intel® is able to provide up to 30% faster graphic performance with Intel® Gen 9 graphics.
With flexible high speed I/O combinations,
customers have several options of PCH selection to fulfill and meet
requirements from different applications. The Gen 3 PCIe support allows
faster connection on add-on cards and peripherals. The DDR4 support
brings more memory bandwidth which is good for general system
performance, but it's especially good for integrated graphics
performance. The integrated GPUs are enhanced by Gen 9 technology and
DirectX 12.
Portwell's wide-range product line gives
customer rich choices. Customers can select different form factors from
modules (COM Express, Q7, ETX) and embedded boards (ATX, Mini-ITX,
Nano-ITX), SBC (PICMG 1.0, PICMG 1.3, Backplane), to systems (Panel PC,
Box PC). With Portwell's unique modular design, no matter what kind of
solution you're looking for, you can simply start by selecting your
preferred platform. Then our complete one-stop service will help you on
integration with software (BIOS, EC, embedded OS, BSP, API), hardware
(expansion, form factor, peripheral devices, PSU), and system (thermal,
chassis). It's simply like playing Lego; just picking up options of
bricks then building them up into a system. This easy but quick way will
only consume a short period of time on verification and validation. The
next step is to meet customer's requirements with our flexibility and
customization capability.
Portwell uses the new 6th Generation Intel®
Core™ Processor to offer five new products in different form factors
designed to fulfill requirements from vertical markets. We're proud to
announce that the 6th Generation Intel® Core™
Processor is successfully implemented on our COM Express module. With
our thermal solution, we're able to use desktop SKUs on PCOM-B637 which
help customers on cost reduction. In addition, we also offer PICMG 1.3,
ATX and Mini-ITX boards with these new processors.
With our 22-year experience, rich successful projects/use cases, and as a Premier member of the Intel®
Internet of Things Solutions Alliance, Portwell is able to bring you
state-of-the-art technology and product solutions that help you
accelerate time-to-market. Our modular design concept may help you adopt
the latest platforms in a shorter period of time. With our flexibility
and customization abilities, you can achieve verification and validation
without much effort.


text:
What Is an Activity Cost Pool?
An activity cost pool is a list of all costs associated with a particular business activity. Activity costs are itemized for company leaders to use in making financial decisions. In manufacturing, an activity cost pool includes the costs of all raw materials, labor involved in moving and using the materials in production, the equipment utilized to make goods and cleanup.
Considering all possible costs that would result from a business activity or investment helps a manager make a more informed decision. An activity pool is a more detailed cost breakdown than what is typically recorded in financial accounting. Comparing potential revenue to activity costs helps you avoid unprofitable moves. Cost pools also are useful in comparing two options.
Photo Credits
- Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images


text:
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- Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: The Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II
- Featured Publications
- All Publications
- contributors
|Simon Wessely
|King's College London Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience
|Trends in mental illness and suicidality after Hurricane Katrina
|Jan M. (Melchior) van Wessem
|Utrecht University Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research
|Mass loss of the Amundsen Sea embayment of West Antarctica from four independent techniques Dynamic thinning of glaciers on the Southern Antarctic Peninsula
|Karen Wesson
|U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
|Estimating the national public health burden associated with exposure to ambient PM2.5 and ozone
|Adam West
|University of California, Berkeley Department of Integrative Biology University of Cape Town Department of Botany
|Mechanisms of plant survival and mortality during drought: why do some plants survive while others succumb to drought?
|Corlis W. West
|U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mid-Continent Ecology Division
|Geographic, anthropogenic, and habitat influences on Great Lakes coastal wetland fish assemblages
|Derek C. West
|Yale University Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
|Impacts of warming revealed by linking resource growth rates with consumer functional responses
|Jason West
|Princeton University Department of Geosciences Princeton University Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
|nca3 chapter 27 : Mitigation Human mortality effects of future concentrations of tropospheric ozone Co-benefits of global and regional greenhouse gas mitigation for US air quality in 2050 Co-benefits of mitigating global greenhouse gas emissions for future air quality and human health Global health benefits of mitigating ozone pollution with methane emission controls Co-benefits of global, domestic, and sectoral greenhouse gas mitigation for US air quality and human health in 2050 Intercontinental impacts of ozone pollution on human mortality
|Joe W. West
|The University of Georgia Animal and Dairy Science Department
|Effects of Heat-Stress on Production in Dairy Cattle
|Jordan M. West
|National Center for Environmental Assessment U.S. Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development
|Improving conservation outcomes with a new paradigm for understanding species' fundamental and realized adaptive capacity SAP 4.4. Preliminary Review of Adaptation Options for Climate-Sensitive Ecosystems and Resources U.S. Natural Resources and Climate Change: Concepts and Approaches for Management Adaptation Climate warming, water storage, and Chinook salmon in California's Sacramento Valley
|Mark West
|U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Plains Area Office U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Rangeland Resources and Systems Research
|C4 grasses prosper as carbon dioxide eliminates desiccation in warmed semi-arid grassland
|Nancy L. West
|Washington State Department of Health Division of Environmental Public Health
|Evaluation of a Heat Vulnerability Index on Abnormally Hot Days: An Environmental Public Health Tracking Study
|Paul C. West
|University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment
|Climate variation explains a third of global crop yield variability
|Tristram O. West
|Joint Global Change Research Institute Pacific Northwest National Laboratory U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science
|second-state-carbon-cycle-report-soccr2-sustained-assessment-report chapter 6 : Social Science Perspectives on Carbon Agricultural green revolution as a driver of increasing atmospheric CO2 seasonal amplitude Climate Science Special Report: The Fourth National Climate Assessment: Volume I 18.1: Primary Drivers of Carbon Stocks and Emissions Reconciling estimates of the contemporary North American carbon balance among terrestrial biosphere models, atmospheric inversions, and a new approach for estimating net ecosystem exchange from inventory-based data Investigating the nexus of climate, energy, water, and land at decision-relevant scales: the Platform for Regional Integrated Modeling and Analysis (PRIMA) second-state-carbon-cycle-report-soccr2-sustained-assessment-report chapter 5 : Agriculture second-state-carbon-cycle-report-soccr2-sustained-assessment-report chapter 18 : Carbon Cycle Science in Support of Decision Making North American carbon dioxide sources and sinks: magnitude, attribution, and uncertainty ES.6: Primary Drivers of Carbon Stocks and Emissions in Select Sectors 18.3: Example of Results from a Global Integrated Assessment Model Downscaling global land cover projections from an integrated assessment model for use in regional analyses: results and evaluation for the US from 2005 to 2095 Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report second-state-carbon-cycle-report-soccr2-sustained-assessment-report chapter 19 : Future of the North American Carbon Cycle
|Richard M. Westaway
|IMS Consulting Europe Ltd
|Climate adaptation planning in practice: an evaluation of adaptation plans from three developed nations
|Jonathan Westcott
|Federal Emergency Management Agency
|An Estimate of the U.S. Population Living in 100-Year Coastal Flood Hazard Areas
|Nancy E. Westcott
|Illinois State Water Survey Midwestern Regional Climate Center
|Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment: Part 3. Climate of the Midwest U.S. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 142-3
|Thomas Westerhold
|MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences
|Two massive, rapid releases of carbon during the onset of the Palaeocene-Eocene thermal maximum
|Anthony L. Westerling
|Scripps Institution of Oceanography Scripps Institution of Oceanography Climate Research Division University of California, Merced University of California, Merced School of Engineering University of California, Merced Sierra Nevada Research Institute
|Climate change and wildfire in California Wildfires drive interannual variability of organic carbon aerosol in the western U.S. in summer Response of Sierra Nevada forests to projected climate–wildfire interactions Climate and wildfire area burned in western U.S. ecoprovinces, 1916–2003 Continued warming could transform Greater Yellowstone fire regimes by mid-21st century Climate, Santa Ana Winds and autumn wildfires in southern California Correction to "'Increasing western US forest wildfire activity: sensitivity to changes in the timing of spring" Interannual Variations in PM2.5 due to Wildfires in the Western United States Warming and Earlier Spring Increase Western U.S. Forest Wildfire Activity Climate and Wildfire in the Western United States Impacts of climate change from 2000 to 2050 on wildfire activity and carbonaceous aerosol concentrations in the western United States Influence of Fires on O3 Concentrations in the Western U.S. Climate change and growth scenarios for California wildfire Increasing western US forest wildfire activity: Sensitivity to changes in the timing of spring Projected effects of climate and development on California wildfire emissions through 2100
|Sebastian Westermann
|University of Oslo Department of Geosciences
|An observation-based constraint on permafrost loss as a function of global warming
|Daniel Westervelt
|Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs Program in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy
|Quantifying PM2.5-meteorology sensitivities in a global climate model
|James D. Westervelt
|U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center
|Indirect effect of climate change: Shifts in ratsnake behavior alter intensity and timing of avian nest predation
|Bob Westfall
|Jim A. Westfall
|U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
|An indicator of tree migration in forests of the eastern United States Assessing the stability of tree ranges and influence of disturbance in eastern US forests
|Robert D. Westfall
|U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station
|Late Holocene forest dynamics, volcanism, and climate change at Whitewing Mountain and San Joaquin Ridge, Mono County, Sierra Nevada, CA, USA Response of Subalpine Conifers in the Sierra Nevada, California, U.S.A., to 20th-Century Warming and Decadal Climate Variability
|David B. Westjohn
|U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Division
|Arsenic in ground water of the United States: Occurrence and geochemistry


text:
This week on a very special 10th edition of Finding Fiction Friday, I'm very excited to depart from the norm and talk a little nonfiction. Cynthia MacGregor is a prolific writer, with many books ranging from self-help to parenting to cookbooks and even the occasional novel. Not only that, but she's really a just plain nice person too, and boy does she keep busy. Please join me in welcoming Cynthia ... and first a little biographical info ...
Full-time freelance writer/editor Cynthia MacGregor has over 100 published books to her credit, 54 of them conventionally pubbed and the remainder e-books. She loves to write—she even writes for a hobby as well as for a living. Notable in "for-fun" writing are the dozen or so plays she's written, all but the most recent of which have been produced in at least one venue, although they have not been money-makers for her. Besides writing books, she hires out her writing and editing services and has written everything from web copy to promotional video scripts to speeches to poems to ghostwritten books and blogs to advertisements to…well "everything except grant proposals," she says. Her editing has encompassed books, magazines, business materials, and more. For nearly two years she produced and hosted a TV show, SOLO PARENTING, on WHDT, a South Florida station, and is hoping that in the future the station will reinstate that show and/or another she has proposed to them. She lives in South Florida with her Significant Other, enjoys cooking, and says, "There is no one in the world I'd want to trade lives with."
Cynthia, how did you get started writing?
I've been writing since I first learned to spell C-A-T. By the time I was nine I'd co-opted my mother's typewriter and kept it as a permanent fixture in my room. That same year I wrote my first play, which was produced in camp that summer, and I still remember the thrill after the final curtain when some counsellors in the audience called, "Author! Author!", I came out on stage, and they threw a bouquet of wildflowers up onto the stage to me. At 15 I was doing what today would be called interning—it wasn't called that then—at the local weekly paper in the community where I grew up (on New York's Long Island), and I don't even remember what the first paid article was that I sold.
So let's get started by talking about your books. You have written over 100 books in many different areas. But I'd like to know first about your first book, and what it was like when you learned that book was going to be published. What was it about and what was that experience like?
In 1992 I was editing a panoply of magazines for one publisher, working from home as a freelance editor (independent contractor), and my then-best friend was computer-typesetting the magazines, working with me in my home office. One day she bemoaned the fact that Xmas vacation was approaching and she would be required to keep her two then-young children entertained for two weeks while school was out. This put a thought in my mind—why didn't the publisher for whom I was editing put out a one-shot magazine filled with activities moms could use to keep their kids occupied? It was too late to get it out in time for Xmas vacation, but we could aim at Easter. I would edit it, of course. I proposed it to the publisher, but ultimately he nixed the idea. I was so taken with it, however, that I determined to write it as a book if I couldn't edit it as a magazine.
This was before the plethora of activities books that are available nowadays.
I wrote MOMMY, THERE'S NOTHING TO DO and sent it off to three publishers, including Berkley, one of the big houses in NY. Subsequently I got a call one day, "Is this Cynthia MacGregor? This is Hillary Cige at Berkley Publishing. Is your book MOMMY, THERE'S NOTHING TO DO still available? If it is, we'd like to make an offer on it."
I sprang up from my chair in my home office and began leaping up and down in the air while trying to keep my voice level and asked what her terms were, what the advance was, what the royalty percent was, what pub date they envisioned—all while trying to keep her from discerning that I was literally jumping for joy.
It pubbed in 1993 and was followed by two more activity books for Berkley, three for Citadel, then three serious children's books that tackle explaining tough topics (WHY DO WE NEED ANOTHER BABY? WHY DO WE HAVE TO MOVE? WHY DO PEOPLE DIE?) for little kids, then my six-book Abduction Prevention Library for young kids, and then LOTS more books for adults (and a few more for kids).
We call this "Finding Fiction Friday" and you have written a few fictional books, but it seems you are very drawn to nonfiction. How do you go about choosing what you are going to write about next?
I look to see what topic might either fill a need or be particularly interesting to readers.
Is there a big difference between writing fiction and nonfiction, from your experience?
Well, yeah! Fiction requires more imagination; nonfiction requires more organization. Also unless you know your subject pretty well nonfiction is going to require some research, whereas I try to keep my fiction within bounds of what I know without having to research arcane facts. If I were writing novels set in a different time period or country I might have to do research, so as much as possible I stick to familiar settings that I can write right out of my head without needing to look stuff up. But the main difference is that I love writing nonfiction MUCH more than fiction. Which shouldn't come as a surprise since I love READING nonfiction almost exclusively too. I rarely read novels.
I am gathering information from individuals for another of my books that I don't so much write as collate people's stories for and then edit them. I don't want to say now what it's about. It's the same kind of book as my MOM—IS THAT YOU? and LOST LOVES REUNITED where people share their stories on a particular theme—the first one I mentioned is reunions of adoptees with their biological families and the title of the second one is self-explanatory. This book is another case of my soliciting stories from real people on a specific topic, but I do not want to divulge the topic yet.
What does your family think of your writing career?
My family? Well, my daughter has never said one way or the other. I've never discussed it with my grandkids except for the oldest one, Justin, who has written a book himself and keeps calling me for advice. My Significant Other is glad I'm following my bliss but thinks I undercharge for the writing I do for clients—not talking about books, now, but the other writing. My late mother was my biggest fan—proud as could be. And that's my whole family. (My dad died when I was just 14.)
You also have other non-writing efforts that you are or have been active in. Tell us a bit about those.
Well, there's editing, there's the TV show, and I think you're probably thinking of one or both of those, so that's what I'll answer about, although I'm also an ordained minister. I don't have a church but do lead services for the residents of an assisted living facility on Sundays. And of course I perform the occasional wedding, funeral, house blessing, and such.
The editing? Well, back in the '70s I was tapped to be theatre editor of a biweekly entertainment publication in NYC, and eventually I was made full editor. Then in '79 a magazine publisher I was writing for asked me to edit a magazine for her. LOVE GUIDE was a sexual how-to, not porny but helpful, instructive. LOVE GUIDE failed, but the publisher kept me on as a copyeditor for some of her other mags till a rival publisher hired me away to edit a mag for him, and that led to my editing a slew of mags. All this was freelance work done from home—I was telecommuting before that practice even had a name. I haven't been a salaried employee of anyone since the early '60s. Although that's about to change—a new company that I think is gonna be the Next Big Thing hired me over a year ago to edit and do some supervisory work for them when they launch, which hasn't happened yet—it's been a long and laborious birth—but when the company launches I'll be working for them as a salaried worker although they will allow me to work from home. My whole life is going to change when the company—Funn Networks—launches.
As for the TV thing, that started, just like my first book did, with an idea for a magazine, which I pitched to that same publisher. I thought SOLO PARENTING was a great idea—there are so many single parents—mostly divorced but also widowed and never-married—and I wanted to be the founding editor of the mag and have the company I was editing for publish it. I came up with a proposal for it and everything, but to do it right would require a serious investment, and the publisher's brother, who was his partner at the time, shot the idea down as too risky. Well, I couldn't take it to just any publisher—they'd swipe the idea and give it to another editor to edit—but I did try two other publishers where I had "ins," but to no avail. So instead I started a website (now defunct), TheSoloParent, I wrote a book, and ultimately I decided to try to turn the concept into a TV show. I tried what I thought were all the local stations and a number of networks to no avail, and then I learned of a local station I hadn't even known existed, WHDT, so I pitched the idea to them, and wonder of wonders they said yes. So for nearly two years I produced and hosted SOLO PARENTING, which was broadcast in South Florida, till the station ran into money issues and canceled me. Meanwhile I had ANOTHER idea for ANOTHER TV show, YOUNGER EVERY DAY, which they liked, but they had various not only financial but technical issues. There is STILL a chance that they will move ahead with one or the other or both shows some time in the future, but at the moment I'm off the air.
To close the interview, I have ten questions for you, plus one. Here they go!
- What is your favorite word? Don't have one.
- What is your least favorite word? Don't have one.
- What turns you on? A guy's voice and personality.
- What turns you off? Body odor, bad breath, a guy who's overbearing. But why are you asking me about my sex life?
- What sound or noise do you love? Music. Rain falling.
- What sound or noise do you hate? Someone talking angrily.
- What is your favorite curse word? Rats! Frick it!
- What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Video editor. Audio editor.
- What profession would you not like to do? Never really thought about it.
- If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? I do believe in God but don't believe God is a person, a humanlike entity. If there is a heaven, I do not expect to be welcomed by a bearded million-years-old man. God is a spirit, a life force. God is in each of us and we are all in God. God just might be another name for the living universe. Whoever and whatever God is, He is not a little old bearded guy on a throne.
- What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? "How would you like me to give you a million dollars?" Oh wait—those Nigerian scammers have already asked me that.
Cynthia, thanks so much for spending time with us. Can you let us know where to follow you, and where we can go to purchase your work?
My website is www.cynthiamacgregor.com. You can subscribe to my ezine, EZine Does It, by writing to firstname.lastname@example.com and putting SUBSCRIBE in the subject field. It's FREE, weekly, eclectic in content, but the "Note from the Publisher" at the beginning of each issue has news of new releases and such. Go to Amazon.com to buy my work (I am NOT the Cynthia MacGregor who wrote the Irish joke book!). Many of my books were published by XoXoPublishing and you can try going to www.xoxopublishing.com but the site's been down and under repair for a month or so already.
Rudy and Trish are the main characters in our two published short stories in the "Evernight: Romance in a World of Darkness" anthologies. You can get to know them as well as get 23 other great stories! Here's where you can find them:


text: Who We Are Our MissionWe educate people to better understand the importance and benefits of holistic financial planning and wealth management as well as secure them with protection to help their plans succeed. Our CommitmentFrom whole life insurance to annuities, and from growing your future to maintaining your legacy, the services we offer are customized to be as unique as the clients who depend on them. Integrating your goals in a way that leads to a lifetime of financial prosperity, we will design your plan around you, and you alone. Our team is versed in all aspects of financial planning, as we know that one size does not fit all.There are many pieces to your complex financial puzzle. Certified Financial Services works as a collaborative team to deliver powerful solutions, uncommon knowledge, and a comprehensive financial outlook you can be confident in pursuing.We position ourselves to reflect our values of Family, Protection, and Community. Our clients have the ability to choose any product in the market to assure the maximum benefit. Combined with the backing of Guardian Life Insurance Company, the difference in us is safety, stability and freedom.Live It Up with Donna Drake welcomes Craig Feinberg Have a Question? Name Email Address Question Thank you! Oops!


text:
It is always hard to create software that would fulfill all customer needs, especially when it comes to an agile project. Most teams find it challenging and deliver half-done low-quality products. The article will present you 5 tips on how not to lose face delivering excellent solution resorting to agile approach.
#1 Gather a team
First tip is more like a must. Having no team you won't success. But it is not actually easy to create a collaborative atmosphere where all roles should work together. Developers and testers are different. So while combining those in one team a Collaborative Culture will definitely come in handy.
The most important issues include:
- Trust – is a foundation of successful teamwork
- Collaborative culture including shared goals, collaborative leadership, shared rules or norms and model of the truth
- Reward, which is not one of financial nature
Here tools can appear helpful. TMap for the Visual Studio 2010 Testing Process template gives testing a significant place which can help a tester get on board quicker. There is also a manual tool MTM (Microsoft Test Manager) which can be helpful in getting the team more connected showing the main points where it is not seamless to resort to collaboration.
#2 The acceptance tests should be written logically
Adhering to this tip you will bring the benefits for the team allowing get the acceptance criteria in such test cases. Thus the team will easily understand the item. But the main benefit is that testers begin to feel involved and important at the beginning of the software cycle.
#3 Use a business and risk driven approach while testing
Testing is useless when there is no business risk. Besides, a good healthy practice is to conduct risk analysis before writing hundreds of test cases. Risk also proves to be a significant factor in Scrum.
#4 Regression Sets
In order to achieve good ROI one should have a clear understanding of which tests should be executed within regression testing. So it is vital to collect a well done regression set. Numerous approaches how to get these regressions sets are based on business value and risk classifications. The regression set MUST be automated. See how and when in tip#5 on automated testing.
#5 Automated Testing
While testing every activity costs money and needs time. So companies aim at getting maximum efficiency of testing. Without doubt adding automation saves your time thus saving money, but its creation and maintenance simultaneously cost time and money. To calculate the test automation's ROI is not easy. One should think of how much time the test automation will be relevant in the project and number of times the validation should be executed.
Using these tips you will be able to make your testing effort working more efficiently in all kinds of projects.


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Atsushi Yamazaki
The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Extremely active, social and inquisitive Japanese, who loves challenges and adventures!
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Fun Fact About Yourself:
Seven Summit Challenge: I'm a passionate mountaineer and am part way through the "Seven Summit Challenge," climbing the highest peak on each of seven continents. I have already done three of them, Africa's highest Kilimanjaro, Europe's highest Elbrus, and Australia's highest Kosciuszko. Bonding with teammates, challenging myself beyond limits, and seeing with my own eyes what few people will ever see are experiences worth sharing with my Chicago Booth classmates.
NPO establishment: After Japan's massive 2011 earthquake, volunteers rushed to help. However, fear of nuclear contamination kept volunteers away from cities near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Trying to deliver hope to desperate victims, I went straight to the hardest hit areas. I delivered relief supplies, raised donations, and helped in physical rebuilding, but also wanted to help relieve Fukushima of a Chernobyl-like nuclear stigma. Therefore, I established an NPO, "Happy Island," to help Fukushima recover its reputation, and we got to work creating a "recovery" CD for worldwide distribution. We lined up from American and European classic rock artists to a Venezuelan pop music artist and a Filipino heavy metal band. We produced a CD of talents and sounds that truly represented a global effort. We distributed 4,581 CDs with positive message about Fukushima to more than 24 countries 7,338 Leaflets and founded more than JPY 1.0 million. We also communicated our positive message from receiver of the CDs back to victims and I even appeared on TV programs in Fukushima to discuss our project.
Rockstar: I was a band leader, song composer, guitarist and vocalist of "ASUNARO," a rock-band with over 100 public performances, several nation-wide tours, and commercially released CDs. ASUNARO also played in the huge venues where Oasis and Red Hot Chillipeppers play in their Japan tours. The lyrics of ASUNARO encourage the listeners to pursue their hopes and dreams. The music is super-fast paced and leads crowd-surfing and mosh on the floor.
I also established a record label "2327 Records" to discover the new talent, produce and distribute CDs throughout the nation including HMV and Tower Records.
Athlete: I run marathons and triathlons. I've done a 42k in 3:36:44. I keep training every week. I run because it keeps me in balance, physically and mentally. I also like that both marathons and triathlons require long term commitment and effort. I play soccer every week, as I have since elementary school. Unlike long-distance running, the most solitary of activities, I love the solidarity of team sports.
Undergraduate School and Major: Tokyo University of Science, Industrial Administrations, Bachelor / Master of Engineering
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Morgan Stanley's Fixed Income IT for totally 3 years, supporting traders and sales, developing IT applications, and working on quantitative analysis including data analysis, bond valuation, risk calculation, and trade booking J.P. Morgan's Investment Banking for 6 years, marketing and executing M&A and finance transactions
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment was the execution of the merger of two Japanese energy giants. We spent huge time on its pitching and had meetings with senior management very often. When the transaction was announced, the transaction was on the headline of Nikkei newspaper, the biggest economic newspaper in Japan. I was responsible for the main part of the transaction, such as valuation, due diligence, and the point of contact from our client, other advisors and counterpart-financial advisor, under the supervision of the senior banker in the team. This transaction was something I was dreamed of when I determined to become an investment banker, so I am so happy to be a part of this transaction.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? It is extremely critical to be confident during the whole application process. To be honest, although I had a lot of barriers that I had to break, I always trusted myself and never gave up. This sounds like just too overconfidence, LOL.. When the test scores do not improve or essays do not go well, you might feel like giving up. But, please don't give up and keep it up! The Sun will rise!
The biggest obstacle for me was time management. Since I was working as an investment banker full-time, it was really difficult to manage my time for TOEFL, GMAT, essays and Interviews. So, you should carefully plan in advance but please keep in mind that you have to prepare for the unexpected situations. "Expect the unexpected" was my doctrine throughout the application process.
What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Chicago Booth offers the best mix of everything! For example, Boothies think as an individual but work as a team. Curriculum consists of the best mix of case study, academic lecture and experiential learnings. Entrepreneurship, social impact and marketing are getting Booth's next arrows, although it is apparently strong at its finance and economics programs.
Since I spent my nine years in finance world, I would like to know more about business, operation and strategy areas. However, I also want to hone my finance expertise to the next level. Therefore, unparalleled high-level finance education opportunities and robust non-financial offerings including corporate strategy fits me perfectly!
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?
- Fostering life-long friendships with my classmates
- Building a next-level finance expertise, skills and experience
- Implementing the basic corporate strategy skill-sets, including operation, marketing, and entrepreneurship
- Experiencing and absorbing a variety of the culture, the ways of thinking, and the beliefs from diversified classmates
- Building my own leadership style
- Receiving an offer at my dream company
- Making Chicago Booth at all the MBA rankings No.1!
Related Stories In Our Meet The Class of 2019 Series:
The Pioneering MBAs In The Class of 2019
Duke University's Fuqua School of Business
Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business
Vanderbilt University's Owen School of Management
University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business
Notre Dame University Mendoza College of Business
UC-Berkeley's Haas School of Business
New York University Stern School of Business
University of Texas-Austin McCombs School of Business
University of Michigan Ross School of Business
Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business
MIT Sloan School of Management
University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business
University of Chicago Booth School of Business


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I'm not sure what I intended to blog about tonight or if I was going to wing it, but I have just been transported out of my comfort zone by a mind-blowing article (Texas Monthly) about the life of a woman wounded in the UT Tower Shootings. Come August that will be 50 years ago, before Columbine, Sandy Hook, Aurora, before we thought about mass shootings and came, regrettably, to accept them as inevitable. What is wrong with us that we've come to that distanced acceptance?
It was August 1, 1966 when Charles Whitman went up the UT Tower in Austin, well-armed, and began shooting randomly, with amazing range and accuracy. He killed sixteen and wounded thirty-two others. I was a newlywed, living in a concrete block shack on the back or a clinic parking lot while I attended TCU and my husband was a surgical resident at Fort Worth Osteopathic Hospital. I was home that morning, and I remember being mesmerized watching the TV. How could one person do such evil, so much killing?
The horror becomes all that more real when you read, as I did tonight, the lengthy article about Claire Wilson, who survived the shooting (barely) but lost her boyfriend and the eight-month fetus she was carrying. Her life has been one of unanswered questions, unfulfilled longing, an inability to stay in one place long. Two unsuccessful marriages. No biological children, but an adopted bi-racial son she adores who developed bipolar problems. She asks some "What if?" questions, and you can't help but wonder—what if she and her boyfriend were five minutes later walking across the campus? What if their class had not let out early?
It's a sad story, yes, but it's also one of resilience and courage and faith. It's hard to read without weeping, but read it for yourself: http://features.texasmonthly.com/editorial/the-reckoning/
To me, it's a story that resonates in this day of guns everywhere. Obviously, I'm not a fan of guns. If people want to hunt, fine! But why in heaven's name do Americans need to carry either open or concealed handguns. The old argument about protecting themselves doesn't carry much weight with me. And guns in the home to protect against invasion? Anybody read the statistics lately about how many people are killed by inept gun owners or foolish gun owners who leave loaded weapons with reach of toddlers? It absolutely makes no sense, and I am ashamed—and a bit frightened—to live in a state that has embraced open carry. Yay to my school (TCU) for forbidding guns on campus.
The issue speaks even more relevantly in this long, endless presidential campaign. Donald Trump has, as Joe Biden said, appealed to the darker side of humanity. We all know it's there. We all know another Charles Whitman can spring up among us The idea of encouraging hate and anger, along with looser gun control, absolutely scares the you-know-what out of me.
I think to too many of us it all seems abstract. It won't happen to us. If that's your thought, read Claire Wilson's story. Me? If I walk into a restaurant and there are people there with military-style weapons, I'm leaving. Or if I have ordered, I'm leaving my dinner.
I'm honestly not sure what has happened to America as a society, but it saddens and scares me.


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Opened in 2001, Moonlight Hair Design is a quaint salon located in the cool breezes of Moonlight Plaza in downtown Encinitas, at the corner of Hwy 101 and Encinitas Blvd. We specialize in organic based products that are good for your hair and good for the environment as well. We are a hometown, cutting edge salon with a warm welcome and professional service. In this friendly atmosphere, we offer precision haircuts, beautiful and rich hair coloring, highlights and lowlights, corrective color, conditioning perms, split end treatments, keratin straightening and blow outs.
Natural or trendy, short or long, fun or spunky, here at Moonlight Hair Design we will enhance your beauty and help you to express yourself your way!


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Hello crafters!
I am so excited to introduce our special Guest Designer to Anna's Craft Cupboard – Michelle Stokes! Michelle recently had a play with the popular Pink Paislee collection – Moonstruck and she will be sharing her creations here in the coming week.
But first, here is a little background on Michelle…
"Hello, I'm Michelle! I'm a 30 something Crafty Mum of one, based in the outskirts of Geelong Victoria. I've been scrapbooking on and off now for over 10 years, dabbling in many different areas of the craft, from mixed media to Project Life. These days I keep my layouts quite clean and simple, with layers of pretty papers and embellishments, machine stitching, cut files and more often than not, a splattering of Color shine. I can't wait to share what I've made with you all, and hope that you can take some inspiration from it all.
You can see all my creations on my Instagram: shelz626
We are very fortunate to have Michelle join us as this week. She is extremely talented as you will see in her upcoming layouts… so now I hand it over to Michelle, to show you her first creation from Moonstruck! 🙂
Hi Everyone! I'm so honoured to be here today, sharing my first layout as a Guest Designer for Anna's Craft Cupboard!
I was super excited to hear that I would be creating with the new Pink Paislee collection 'Moonstruck', an absolutely stunning collection with so many beautiful designs. Big florals, soft pastels, watercolours and butterflies, this collection has all of my favourites.
It's even more beautiful in real life, that I had such a hard time cutting into it. But I'm really happy that I did, as the layouts I've created with it have become some of my very favourites.
Here's a look at the very first layout I created..
I'm really happy with how this came together as I generally tend to steer away from pattern paper backgrounds. But, this paper with its watercolour effect had the right mix of softness that it didn't detract from the entire layout. I went with a diagonal design, which I am quite drawn to recently, as it gives the page balance while drawing the eye across the page.
I added a couple of little details before starting the actual page by machine stitching around the edges and also adding some Gold smudged dots with the Nuvo Embellishment Mousse. These are in random spots using the end of a crochet hook I keep on my desk. This is about as messy as I generally get with any form of mixed media product these days, as I can never seem to keep the paper from warping lol
I've layered a few different pattern papers with torn edges under the photo, then raised them up off the page with foam to create a little dimension on the page. I've also included a doily from my stash.
For this layout I tried to keep the embellishing to a minimum and created embellishments from the rub ons in the collection, and fussy cutting designs from other papers.
The Moonstruck collection features quite a lot of butterfly designs, so I was able to mix in a Cut File that I had sitting in my pre cuts box – this design is from The Cut Shoppe.
Lastly I created a large title using Puffy alphabet stickers from my stash, and worked them into the bottom cluster made from die cuts, rub ons and stickers from the Moonstruck collection.
Thanks so much for stopping by today.
Until next time, Happy Scrapping!
Michelle x
PS. Here's a sneak peek at layout number two that will be shared with you all very soon..
Pink Paislee Moonstruck Paper – #1 Doilies
Pink Paislee Moonstruck Paper – #10 Flowers on Script /Pink Grid
Pink Paislee Moonstruck Paper – #11 Inked Script / Eclipse
Pink Paislee Moonstruck – Ephemera
Pink Paislee Moonstruck – Rub Ons
Pink Paislee Moonstruck – Word Jumble Stickers
Tonic Studios – Nuvo Embellishment Mousse – Indian Gold
Other: Doily, Puffy Alphabet Stickers, Cut File, Cardstock & Vellum
Photo credit for Main layout : Sara Taylor Photography over here in Geelong, Victoria.


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Set within beautifully landscaped gardens and offering 8 spacious master bedrooms, 10 master baths and two powder rooms, the architecture of this inspired home is designed to capture the natural beautify of Anguilla, with its spectacular sunsets and ocean views. With more than a dozen dedicated outdoor deck and lounge areas, there is no shortage of spaces for entertaining or quiet solitude.
The setting for this incredible home is as stunning as the design. Built on one acre of prime beachfront land on the powdery white sand of Meads Bay in the island's west end, with just under 17,000 square feet of total living space, the Beach House is a modern masterpiece.
Inspired by the natural beauty of Anguilla, with its spectacular sunsets and ocean views, The Beach House ensures that the difference between the outdoors and indoors are seamless. Decorated with sleek, modern sophistication, The Beach House incorporates large expanses of glass, clean and unexpectedly varied geometric lines and shapes, stainless steel trims and highlights, with warm touches of wood and complemented by natural oversized stone tiles.
The villa is outfitted with chic and modern entertainment features including a large home theatre, a fitness room, a tennis court, a stunning 50-foot infinity edge pool, and an outdoor Jacuzzi. Large floor-to-ceiling window and door glass panels unsparingly envelop the view and can slide away entirely to invite the cool sea breezes into the home. The design balances function and flow with aesthetics and incorporates design efficiency whilst maintaining the feel of generous and carefree lavishness. Only the finest materials were sourced from various continents and islands around the world to execute the construction and finish of the Beach House.
Maintaining the view of the ocean was paramount and the house was designed and laid out to incorporate a clear view of the ocean from most rooms in the house. The spaces that do not open to the bay incorporate water features that maintain aquatic continuity throughout the home. One such water feature is the highlight of the interior, a 12" high waterfall made with split-face travertine.
If you would like to visit or own an idyllic Caribbean get-away, where you can enjoy the exclusivity of a private residence fully serviced by private chefs, butlers and other staff services, then The Beach House is just the place for you.


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AndriaCWDS's Channel – YouTube
Filed under: Advocacy, Community, Experiences
AndriaCWDS's Channel – YouTube.
Did you know? Have you seen? A YouTube channel just for Changing Ways Diaper Service!
Since YouTube has become a major search engine online, I have discovered a wealth of information to share with you there!
Subscribe to the channel or just check out some videos and remark on your favourites!
There is a place for disposables?
Filed under: Advocacy, Experiences, Starting out
As you see from some of the references to cloth diaper research online I have become a great follower of a Texan mom who enthusiastically writes about cloth diapers. She has a killer sense of humour and an honest way of reviewing many topics related to cloth diapers and getting them clean.
One of her latest postings really caught my eye and I had a good read, so I invite you to do the same. Are Disposable Diapers Really That Bad?
There is a short history of disposable diapers compared to cloth diapers in our society. Yet cloth diapers have only been formally around for about 200 years. Cloth like a linen or other available fabrics and even vegetation were the first recognized padding under baby's clothing to absorb their pee and poops. Baby was swaddled in these clothes and changed once a day as personal hygiene standards were lower than they are today. (Reference to academic article here) Toilet training was begun at very early ages to avoid having so much mess to clean. Parents today can tell me stories about how young they were when toilet trained as their mothers would finish with diapers by 18 months as the next baby needed them! Plastic or rubber pants were soon fashioned to fit over the cloth diaper and that is the image many grandparents still have of cloth diapers and then they remember the washing with inferior machines, let alone hard water and uneffective soaps!
Enter the modern day. Parents introduce baby to the world from a hospital bed with baby wearing a supplied disposable diapers. I'm not saying all parents go this way, but my first two did and about 1,400 babies each year are born in the Peterborough hospital. It's fair to say disposable diapers are commonplace now. Cloth diapers are still trying to escape their work intensive, smelly past with the advent of PUL fabrics in beautiful designs and patterns to make any new parent proud of their baby's tush! I have upgraded to a front loader HE washing machine when I moved to Peterborough and love it! The detergents have been formulated now to produce less suds (lower phosphates) and use less water (which will show off the benefits when the water meter gets installed). Detergents have very appealing scents or none at all. Plus we now find many biodegradable products for the same cost or cheaper than good old Tide. Oh, how technology and education has advanced the diaper industry!
Have you backed up your reasoning to a cloth diaper parent for why you use disposables? Have you snubbed you nose at a disposable diapered supporter? Let's try on each others shoes for a bit and recognize where they are both advantageous.
Changing Ways hosts a playgroup called Diapering Darlings and I do have a half bag of size 2 diapers on hand for parents who come over and may have gone through their last diaper in the bag. A disposable will help get that family back home without the stress of an accident along the way. Another time the disposables came out was when I hadn't kept up with washing our diaper covers and I was sick of it – just stressed over the poop my daughter kept producing. I put her in two disposables that day and when I finally had the time to think, those covers were ALL washed and ready again for use.
I am aware parents practice cloth diapering with exceptions. Here's a short list:
- except at nighttime
- except when we visit the doctor
- except when we go over to Grandma's
- except when baby goes to daycare
- except when baby is left with dad
- except when baby has a rash
- except when I know the biggest poop of the day is coming, etc.
- I have even heard from parents who use disposable diapers except when they run out and so they pull out the cloth diapers until they can restock the disposables. I love that one!
My previous post offered a challenge for using cloth diapers 3 times/day to cut down in some way on the waste. Consider a newborn can burn through 10 diapers/day so in one week with a baby using 3 cloth diapers a day, 21 disposable diapers could be saved from waste while baby was in cloth. Those numbers can add up and remember how cheap the investment was to get cloth diapers for 3 diaper changes? Forty bucks.
As a cloth diaper user, what comments have you had to support your cloth diaper habit? Are comments positive, admiring, negative, depressing?
As a disposable diaper user, what comments have you had to support your disposable diaper habit? Does anyone ever question you?
Now we can pick from so many brands of disposable diapers (but even more with cloth diapers!) and there seem to only be three competitors out there – Huggies, Pampers, and store brand diapers. Can I give you a fourth option?
Introducing Simply Kids. This a whole line up of baby products from disposable diapers to lotions and wipes! They are special to me as it was the brand I was buying when I did use disposable diapers. And then I met one of the owners last year: Pinball Clemens. You know – the football guy from the Toronto Argonauts who was an amazing player for being such a little guy and then became the coach for the team he loved! Pinball and his wife work together in this corporation and I want you to check out the Contact page too as you can see the address is Toronto!
In Peterborough, Simply Kids is available at the Metro grocery store in the north end. Why not support a Canadian entrepreneur for your baby care needs? Try it out!
Rockin Green in Cloth Diaper land
Filed under: Experiences
What do you wash your cloth diapers with?
Hot water seems necessary, but what about the detergents to be considered? When you've got stinky diapers that just won't wash clean and you've tried all the other remedies suggested, where do you turn? Rinsing is your friend, but do you need to get to boiling diapers?
My research online and through friends with feedback has my awareness pretty high now that washing cloth diapers isn't as easy as the rest of our laundry! Finicky it can be!
Changing Ways has ordered in some sample packages of Rockin' Green laundry detergent. Charlie's Soap suppliers have evaded me so far and other brands of detergent which are good for cloth diapers are common place or easily available, such as Nature Clean and cheaper store brands.
Testers have volunteered themselves to try out this Rockin Green soap using the Classic Rock, Soft Rock, and famous Hard Rock versions! Scent free samples are available for a couple other cloth diaper parents interested in helping me determine if Changing Ways should consider making this a regular product available.
Send me a note by e-mail, text, or on the Contact page note Rockin Green is your question if you'd like a sample package to review!
Cloth diapering and the clean up, should be easy. Let's see if this experiment confirms what all the other reviews say about specially made detergent for cloth diapers!
Here's the first feedback from a mom in Havelock with hard water who's been fighting stinky diapers:
Diaper Strip Soak:
I had the perfect challenge for this. A year ago I put away some diapers that I just couldn't get the ammonia out of. They were truly unbearable, you could smell my son peed from across the room.
I Filled the tub with the diapers and some covers (mother ease, Kushies and Bummies) and warm water (more than tepid but less than a hot bath) with an extra large water cycle. I added 3 tbs rock and green hard and let it aggitate for a minute or so. They soaked for 15 hrs then I let the machine run the full wash cycle.
After the soak but before the wash you could see the fibers on the dipaers were raised in the water.
During the wash there were very few bubbles.
During the rinse (cold water) I saw some small streaks of foam.
After the wash before the dry the diapers had no oudor and looked clean.
The diapers smelled and appeared clean after the drier too.
So here's the real test.:
I put one of the ammonia offending, now cleaned diapers on my girl and waited for a pee.
Upon chaning her there was only a small trace of ammonia. You really had to get up close to notice.
Diaper Wash
I rinsed my load of dirties with an extra large cycle and warm water, only the wash portion of the cycle was used (my rinse is cold and I have had problems in the past with diaps not coming clean). I interupted the cycle after the drain but before the rinse and started the wash cycle over using warm water and a small load. I added the 1.5 tbs of soap remaining in the sample, and let the machine run it's course.
Findings/ Test:
Out of the wash the diapers looked and smelled clean.
After drying the diapers had a noticeable poop odour. This surprised me.
I ran the same wash cycle using my regular diap detergent (arm and hammer, something scented) and got the same results.
I don't know what to tell you here. Perhaps my dryer still had the scent from the first run? or maybe I am still having washng problems.
My opinion:
This stuff is awesome as a strip soak. One soak did nearly as well as 10 hot washes. It is low sudsing and unscented. My little ones had no skin reactions. I would consider using this for soaking again. As for the wash I figure it would be fine and there s something else in my routine causing the oudor. I would need to work with it and my system longer before making a final comment on it.
So there you have it. The low down on how the rock and green hard works with my diper washing cycle. Hope this, is what you were loking for.
I'm awaiting some more results! Have you already tried Rockin Green? What's you favourite scent? Why did you turn to it?