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Cat burglar sniffs out (then steals) up to 1000 socks
LIKE a real-life Slinky Malinki, Oscar the cat sneaks out each night to steal from his neighbours.
In the past eight years living in Herne Bay, the 11-year-old pure-bred puss may have pilfered as many as a thousand socks.
Most mornings his owner, Paul Wai-Poi, wakes to discover strangers' socks littered around his property.
"It would vary between a couple of socks and to maybe eight I may find in a day. That could include ones he's dropped along the way.
"If you leave them out, he's going to take them. I tell you, he's done a lot of socks. I've heard of other cats taking socks, but he is prolific."
There is a large urn outside Mr Wai-Poi's front door with several dozen socks - about six months' worth.
Soon they will be washed and taken to the charity bins, before another swathe turns up.
"We inherited him about eight years ago, when he was 3. He's a pretty timid cat, it took him a while to settle. Then he started bringing these socks home. He just kept doing it and I don't think he's going to stop.
"They are mainly kids' socks, not so many adults'. I guess if you have a low line or a clothes horse, yeah, he'll take them."
The Mandalay cat sleeps most of the day to give him energy for his evening escapades, Mr Wai-Poi said. Although daylight capers aren't unheard of, he added.
Oscar has been spotted at nearby Bayfield Primary School, stealing the socks out of children's shoes while they play.
Mr Wai-Poi used to visit nearby homes with a basket trying to return the stolen socks, but has given that up. Most of the neighbourhood is aware of Oscar's antics, he said.
"I don't know why (he does it)."
The reason, says feline and canine behaviour specialist Lynne O'Malley, is often a lack of mental stimulation at home. Purebred cats such as Mandalays are particularly prone to thievery. "It's generally the more intelligent cats," Mrs O'Malley said.
"Those Oriental-type breeds are bred to be companion cats. They are quite intelligent and with that they can be a bit eccentric. They tend to need greater stimulation."
Pam Johnson-Bennett, a Canadian cat expert who has written books such as Think Like a Cat and is the star of a soon to be aired Discovery Channel television series Psycho Kitty, cats steal for fun, for attention or stress relief. In an article on her website titled Is your cat a thief? Johnson-Bennett writes cats sometimes suck wool as a self-soothing mechanism so "the objects stolen may include socks or other cloth items".


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No one will ever have to know this show-stopping Christmas cake started with a box of chocolate cake mix!
How to Make It
Level off the top of each cake, then cut horizontally into 2 equal layers. Place aside. Place spearmint candies into a zip top bag and crush into fine pieces using a rolling pin. Roughly chop green and red candy melts and place into separate bowls.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Melt down the white candy melts in the microwave and then spread them onto the lined baking tray. Sprinkle on the green and red candy melts; then sprinkle the spearmint candy pieces to create a simple Christmas bark. Place the tray in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes, or until bark is set. Once the bark has cooled, break it up into large triangles.
Using an electric mixer, mix the heavy whipping cream, sugar and spearmint extract. Whip the ingredients together until soft peaks form. Place the whipped cream into a large pastry or zip top bag. Cut a large hole at the bottom of the bag for piping.
In the center of a cakestand, pipe out a nickel-sized amount of frosting to serve as the "glue." Place the first layer of chocolate cake on the stand. Pipe out a layer of whipping cream on top of the first layer, and then sprinkle a layer of red candy melts. Repeat the process with the next layer, alternating to green candy melts. Repeat the process with the last two layers.
After adding the final layer of chocolate cake, cut a larger whole in the bottom of the pastry bag to make the final layer of cream more stylized. Place 2 large Christmas bark triangles into the top of the whipped cream, and finish by spinkling with remaining red and green candy melt pieces.

subset: commoncrawl


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Bill Medley announces first ever UK concert at Wembley
Story by Jack Foley
BILL Medley, best known as one half of The Righteous Brothers, has announced details of his first ever concert in the UK.
The brother with the rich baritone will perform an exclusive one-night-only show at Wembley Arena on November 24, 2013.
He commented: "It was always my dream to perform in the UK. I've been performing for 50 years, so now we'll have the time of our lives at Wembley in November…!"
60's – Unchained And Live will also feature the talents of a host of other 1960's icons: Gary Puckett & the Union Gap are best known for hits such as Young Girl and will also be making their debut UK stage appearance, Still Drifting featuring Ray Lewis (the former lead singer of The Drifters) and The Foundations, who are probably best known for their smash hit Build Me Up Buttercup.
Show tickets go on sale on Friday, May 10 at 9am. Prices range from £100 to £29.


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New Era ® Cage Short Sleeve 1/4-Zip Jacket. NEA600
Designed for warm-ups and batting practice¿or for fun at the batting cages, this water-repellent, wind-resistant jacket has short sleeves for ease of movement.
Adult Sizes: XS-4XL
Price starts at: $45.98
For detailed PRICING, please select "Add to
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What Is an Epic Tale?
An epic tale is a literary work about a hero, amazing adventures or an otherwise intense or amazing story. Often, an epic tale involves a hero on an adventurous quest to rescue another main character, to save the world in some manner, or to defend his community against a rival or enemy.
Epic Tale Examples
A number of epic tales center on Greek gods and myths. The Odyssey and Clash of the Titans are classic examples of epic Greek tales. More contemporary epic tales include the Harry Potter series books and the Lord of the Rings series. Many modern-day epic tales are adapted from literature into full-length motion picture screen plays.
Photo Credits
- Siri Stafford/Photodisc/Getty Images


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What We Offer
Creative-specific Leadership Development
Develop critical skills to lead collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams effectively.
Sample Engagement:
Rapidly Growing Organization
Building strategic thinking, communication skills, and team dynamics understanding through training with 15+ person team and individual leadership coaching with UX team's current and future leadership. Activities includes: training in communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution capabilities. Building cross-discipline empathy.
Duration: 1+ years (ongoing)
Team Development & Coaching
Get your team — leadership, project, working group or community of practice — operating like a well-oiled machine.
Sample Engagement:
Major Merger
Worked with UX team in major merger. Worked with leadership in direction development and organization structure. Conducted trainings in vision development, skills building (visioning, research, idea generation, internal positioning). Planned field trips with team to observe customers in-context, teaching observation, analysis, and synthesis techniques.
Duration: 1 year
Quick Team Identity & Change Navigation Coaching
Worked with newly formed team to help them orient towards the future, increase positivity (in the face of significant change), establish shared vision and values, and align them towards ways of developing that vision.
Duration: 2 months
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Energizing events, custom-designed to help your team navigate change, re-focus vision, build alignment, and strengthen relationships.
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Future Product Visioning
Bring together cross-disciplinary team and align them around articulating a future vision for products and services. Established plan for moving forward including both a vision for the product and a strategy for gaining company buy-in.
Duration: 4 months (ongoing)


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Surly Nation up in arms over 'price gouging' for Surly Darkness
The root of the controversy: Surdyk's charged $36.99 for a 750 ml bottle of Surly Darkness. Most other retailers stuck around the $17 to $20 range.
"Your disgusting display of greed has pissed off the Surly Nation," wrote one poster. "Bad move."[jump]
Surly releases the beer every October, and it's become so popular that a long line of hop heads camp outside the brewery the day before. In stores, there's often a three bottle limit. In the off season, a bottle of Darkness can fetch astronomical prices on eBay.
Despite the rabid demand, several Surly lovers noticed the price difference at Surdyk's and began sharing the news with one another over various social networks. Eventually, they took their collective disgust to Surdyk's Facebook page, accusing the retailer of price gouging:
Jim Surdyk makes no apologies for his decision to charge roughly twice what his competitors did, and says the fact that he's already sold out speaks for itself.
"I sold it for what I felt it was worth," he says. "It sold out in a day and a half."
The controversy even found its way to Twitter, where Schell's brewermaster David Berg entered the fray on Surdyk's behalf:
Surdyk says he is not concerned that he has a boycott on his hands, calling his detractors "the same half-dozen guys, beer people that have nothing to do, apparently, but drive around looking for beer."
Meanwhile, an astute Surly fan tweeted that the price is actually $3 more at MGM.
Previous coverage:


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We Need a Bit More Information About Your Vehicle
Controlling emissions from idling and on-the-move trains is essential to making them a great choice for meeting the increasing demand for economic, reliable freight transportation. APC leverages decades of diesel emissions control and experience to design and deliver industry leading products for everything from locomotives to auxiliary power unit (APU) systems and refrigeration units on train transport cars.
In our labs and in the field, we refine and test catalysts and diesel particulate filters (DPFs) to find selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system combinations that enable diesel locomotive engines to generate maximum power, meet emissions standards and keep moving.
You can count on APC to keep innovating as new power generation options for trains are developed. Combining a legacy of quality and value with forward-thinking engineering, we are committed to keeping trains EPA-compliant and operating at peak performance.


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Simple Sandwich Day Post #2
Location - Syntagma Square, Athens Greece
Price - €1.00 = $1.30USD
Rating - 4/5
|The Wrap, wrapped.
|I was surprised that it was served hot.
|Unsettling green colour, but tasty
|Like most food in China, unappealing look, but good taste.
|Inside the pie
|The snack wrap, sadly no unique packaging.
|Crème Brûlée McFlurry
|Cranberry Orange Muffin
|Double Chocolate with Oreo Crumble Muffin & Large Coffee
|Carrot Muffin


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Planning Stock vs. Fashion
by Matt Pruitt
Not all merchandise planning is the same, because not all merchandise is the same. One of the biggest differences we see in planning for apparel stores is the distinction between stock merchandise and fashion merchandise. Stock merchandise is usually made up of basics such as T-shirts, basic bottoms and hosiery — the kind of items that people need to replace on a regular basis. Fashion merchandise, on the other hand, is the kind of stuff that people want, rather than need, and is made up of clothing that is usually trending, such as jackets, designer denim and dresses.
Fashion merchandise is usually bought up front because it's harder to reorder it in-season. We recommend that our merchants buy around 80% of their fashion merchandise at the beginning of the season, and leave 10% to 20% of their open-to-buy for fill-in orders later on.
Stock merchandise, on the other hand, is much easier to replace, so you can order it as needed. And, even if you are over-inventoried, stock merchandise can often be carried over to the next season because it has less chance of going out of fashion.
So, fashion merchandise is more of a gamble, but it usually comes with greater rewards in terms of margin. Stock merchandise is somewhat easier to buy, but you still have to pay attention to color and other small details to make sure that it is on trend for its category.
There are times, however, when stock merchandise seems to slip into fashion categories, such as with designer tees and sweatshirts. The recent "Althleisure" trend of expensive, athletic-inspired clothing is a great example of what's typically thought of as stock merchandise actually being fashion.
Just remember, no matter how hot an item is, if it's refillable it is still considered stock. This means that if you run out of an item you can reorder it and have it back in stock within a few days. If you can do this, no matter expensive and trendy an item may be, it's still stock merchandise.
In really high fashion stores (that aren't clothing stores that offer stock suits) everything they carry can fall into the fashion category because it's unique and cannot be replaced immediately, if at all.
But there's definitely a benefit to carrying both — Fashion brings greater margin, but a little more risk, while stock offers more consistent margins and not as much capital outlay upfront.
If you have further questions about how to plan your inventory in these categories, please feel free to give me a call.
For more information, contact Matt Pruitt at email@example.com or call (781) 325-6751.
Matt Pruitt is a retail consultant and data analyst at Blacks Retail. His expertise in vendor performance, point-of-sale analytics, and growth strategies has helped clients achieve and exceed their goals. He studied Business Management and Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.


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Mapping the Best Eats of Simon Majumdar's American Road Trip
With a four-word mantra—"go everywhere, eat everything"—and a mission to discover what it means to be an American, Simon Majumdar set off on a culinary pilgrimage across the U.S.
One year and 300-plus pages later, not only is the British-born television personality a fully-fledged citizen, he's also the author of Fed, White, and Blue, a new collection of travel essays detailing the American experience through food.
"He figured that if he was going to join our star-spangled club he should take a little road trip and discover his new country the way he has the rest of the planet: with his stomach," wrote fellow Food Network star Alton Brown in the forward of the book. "Simon has done here what he does best: eat, talk, write repeat."
Now hear the story from the man himself.
Below, T+L talks with the author about American cuisine, his citizenship celebration, and the best eats of his journey.
Why did you take this trip?
The journey for Fed, White, and Blue is in many ways the culmination of a trilogy, one that began with my first book, Eat My Globe, which came out in 2009. I quit my job as a publisher in the United Kingdom and traveled to 31 countries in a year. On that journey around the world, I met my now wife, Sybil, and we got married in 2010. I'm not someone who likes to do things by half-measure, so I didn't just want to become a resident of the United States, I wanted to become a fully-fledged citizen.
This journey was a way of finding out what it means to become an American. I was using food as a prism to really connect to the people in this country, and it worked, it absolutely worked. By doing that and traveling all over the country and sharing food experiences, I created this network that I call my new American family.
How did the food journey differ from those of the past two books?
I think it this journey was a lot more personal. The first journey, I called myself an accidental explorer. It came from a very dark place—my mother had died, I was suffering from real, very serious depression, when the publishing company I was helping to run was failing. I found a notebook where I had written down all the things I wanted to do when I turned 40, and in it were notes like go and have a suit made, and run a marathon, but at the bottom I had written four words: 'Go everywhere, eat everything.' So that first journey was me saying 'to hell with it.' I'm going off around the world and whatever happens, happens. Almost by accident, I ended up doing what I do now.
For the second book, I wanted to rescue British food from its bad reputation, and go and find out the best of what we have to offer. And I did that by spending a year traveling and finding the wonderful people of Britain who make and grow, and produce and brew really amazing stuff.
But Fed, White, and Blue was a very personal project. I went on social media, and I said if I'm becoming an American, what would you show me to tell me about your country, and I received hundreds of replies of people saying 'come to our town' or 'do this'—very specific, very personal recommendations.
It was magical, it really was. Journeys where you share meals with people, where you break bread with people, they're almost sacramental. You really do make a connection. So it was a great journey that culminated last October when I became an American citizen.
It was fantastic. It was much more of a moving than I anticipated and I'm not particularly sentimental. It was in L.A.—3,200 people—so it certainly wasn't intimate, but what I thought was really moving was everyone there had their own story. I had my story about citizenship, but when I looked around and saw people high-fiving and hugging, and all of that, I realized that each one of them had their own story, too. I had no intention of ever moving to the United States or becoming an American citizen, but now it's one of the greatest things that's happened in my life.
Where did you eat your celebratory dinner?
We went to a great restaurant in L.A. that I love called Connie and Ted's. It's a New England-style seafood restaurant run by a Michael Cimarusti. It was very simple and very casual. I sat with my wife—who is absolutely my rock—and we drank a bottle of wine and ate lobster rolls and had a great time.
How would you describe American food?
First of all, I think on the whole, Americans are very apologetic about their food. They tend to think it's going to be big portions and fast food, and all of the stereotypes that sometimes people from abroad have. And part of my mission is to get Americans to be much more proud of their food. Sometimes you need an outsider to come in and say wow, you know, (a) I think this country has some of the most spectacular ingredients of anywhere in the world and (b) it has some of the most spectacular chefs—and that could be anyone from someone working in a diner to the head chef at the finest restaurant.
But what I really think is, I think that American food really is a history book. It tells you about trade, war, immigration, and it tells you that when you're eating a meal, you're not just eating ingredients; you're eating American history. When you're eating steak, you're talking about manifest destiny and the beginnings of the beef industry. When you're eating barbecue you're speaking to the German immigration and when they moved to the west. When you eat pizza in New York, of course, you're speaking to the fusion of American technique and Italian immigration. So that's what really fascinates me about American food: putting it in its context. How it impacted culture and how the culture impacted food.
Check out the map below for some of Simon's favorite eats from across the country, and head over to his website for more info on his book, Fed, White, and Blue.
Caroline Hallemann is an assistant digital editor at Travel + Leisure. You can find her on Twitter at @challemann.


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The world population is 7 billion. That's 7 billion living souls, descendants of Adam, to hear the Gospel. (The first man Adam was a living soul). These souls are inheritors of the sin and therefore death of Adam. They bear the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
What is the church's responsibility? Go tell them they can be quickened to life by the second Adam and grafted into the Tree of Eternal Life. (The second Adam was a quickening spirit).
The question today is what is your role in this mission? It's actually called the Great Commission that the Lord Jesus game Himself prior to His ascension.
At Sports Fan Outreach Int'l our participation in the Great Commission is to take teams of evangelists to major sporting events to to tell the fans of the Good News that they can 'change trees' or source of life.
The George Whitefield Program is for those men who want to preach this Gospel message full-time in major cities of the Western World.
Again the question is what is your role? Are you going, giving or praying so that the Gospel will be heard by these 7 billion souls? Do you have an idea of what types of evangelistic or church planting work exist? If not please contact us and any information available will be shared with you.
The work of the church is never ending and increasing in responsibility. Pray about where you are to participate and 'Get in the Game'.


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Warnbro school blaze deliberate
A Warnbro principal has expressed his frustration at the ''thoughtless act of a small number of people'' after a deliberately lit fire in the school canteen caused an estimated $20,000 damage on Monday morning.
Warnbro Community High School principal Syd Parke said the fire was an inconvenience but he was sure students would not be overwhelmed by the incident.
''I think kids see things as they are,'' he said.
''They are remarkably aware these days and they tend to be quite mature in their outlook.
''They'll see this as an isolated incident done by a very small number of people and not come to some general conclusion about it even though they might be very frustrated and annoyed by it.''
A Fire and Emergency Services Authority spokeswoman said they found six wheelie bins had been set alight and pushed up against the canteen.
Mr Parke said although lunch services would be affected, he hoped the students would recognise the incident as isolated.
''I had assemblies on Friday and my message was how fantastic most of the kids are because they really are and they don't deserve to be affected by this small number of other people,'' he said.
''They certainly don't deserve any reflection upon them by the actions of a small number.''
Police investigations are continuing into the incident.
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Monday, June 18, 2012
Until love do us part?
Maybe it was the soporific slant of his eyes, the white-boy fro, or the slow, measured pace of his speech - not a drawl, exactly, but a way with words that bespoke a man comfortable with a life outside the frenetic pace of modern life. A life of waves - of the surf he liked to ride.
But he was a priest, once, and had spent years in the hot, distant folds of Africa, bringing the liturgy of the Anglican Church in his own, surf-tinged way... a way I'd wager was anything but typical of the high church of which he was a part. Perhaps that's why - after years of doing things his own way (of, for example, distributing speakers throughout the church, and then bringing in a DJ to spin trance music for guided meditation) - that Mepos Langostina* was no longer a priest.
When I met him in the year two thousand, Mepos was management at the tree planting company where I was doing summer work. I was a grunt-laborer and something of a recluse, so he and I didn't talk much. I did eventually learn, however, that he was the owner of an old barn on the ocean, in the arts community of Seaforth, Nova Scotia. I learned there were depths to him that his half-asleep surfer drawl belied, and that he had a lot of good things to say. He was, in fact, something of a hobbyist in the fields of theology and philosophy, just like me.
The last time I called Mepos, we talked a lot about women (who are, of course, the instigative premise of all philosophical discourse), and about his semi-recent nuptuals. After perhaps six years of dating, Mepos and his Love had climbed a bluff in Ireland overlooking a crescent of shining beach below, and had read their vows under the watchful eyes of God, a nearby shepherdess, and her flock. Then, they had returned to Canada to re-enact the scene in front of clumpings of their friends and family.
Mepos has always been a bit of an odd, free-spirited sort, so the un-orthodoxy of their wedding wasn't particularly troubling. What bothered a good number of their eventual witnesses, however, was the fact that they'd included in their vows the statement that although they could not presently conceive of a situation in which love might lead them to part, they wished to remain open to the possibility that if love did demand that their marriage end, they would follow love's demand.
When he told me this, I instinctively sided with Mepos' concerned family and friends. It sounded to me like he was setting himself up to fail - allowing himself a loophole that would facilitate quitting in moments when his marriage might come to seem an insurmountable, unending struggle. I had just suffered the ending of my own marriage. How much quicker and easier, I asked him, would my marriage have evaporated, had I started it with a loophole?
There is, of course, no good answer to this question. A divorce is a death, and there are no pat answers to the tragedy that is death.
Will Mepos' marriage end because of his vow? Will he or his wife someday use it as an excuse? I do not know. I cannot know. But as time has passed, I have begun to come around to his point of view - to believe that Love must be the first and final word. As I have trudged painfully through the rubble of my own crumbled marriage, I've had to allow for the possibility that it may actually have been the more loving thing for my marriage to end.
I don't really believe that. I believe, rather, that there is enough love and grace in the world to make beauty from any ashes. But still... I don't know. In an ideal world, all wounds (if they happened) would heal quickly and easily. But this is not an ideal world. This is real.
Last month, I watched a film called Away From Her; a film that changed my mind even further on this question, by telling a story in which love did demand that a marriage end before death. In it, a man discovers that his wife of many, many years has contracted Alzheimer's, and that he will not be able to care for her... to protect her from the threat she has become to herself. Together, they are forced to make the loving decision to place her in an extended care facility, essentially ending their long marriage.
I do not think Mepos and his wife were thinking of anything quite so specific as Alzheimer's when they wrote their vows. Rather, I believe they were striving for a radical humility - an approach that chooses to put love above everything else... even their own hopes, dreams, and preconceptions. This, I think, is the path of True Love. It is the path of Grace.
As I have been embarking, over the past few weeks, on a journey of relational discovery with a truly fantastic woman; it is not her fantasticness that has given me hope, nor even the way in which our mutual fantasticness seems, at the outset, to mesh so well. Rather, it is the sort of Love-Above-All-Else approach evidenced by Mepos' vows.
In so many ways, this woman and I are just a big mess. We are not enough. We will never be enough.
Maybe Love will bind our messes together for a while longer, maybe not. I don't know. But I do believe this: love is enough. Love is always, always enough.
- - -
*Not his real name. In fact, uber-bonus-points to anyone who can tell me where I got the name "Mepos" (Massive hint: it's a mis-spelling of the imaginary hometown of a silly character on a long-forgotten television show).
Further Note: I stole the photos off "Mepos's" facebook page. Perhaps he'll forgive me.
7 comments:
Perfect Strangers, FTW?ReplyDelete
"Away From Her" was a profoundly touching movie. It spoke to me so deeply. I admire your journey, Josh. I guess I'm still not sure if even love is enough....ReplyDeleteReplies
I suppose it would depend on the definition of "love."Delete
What I mean when I say that is "perfect love," which could also be interpreted as "impossible love."
Sucky Fact: I loved my wife, she loved me... it wasn't enough.
Additional, also-sucky Fact: I did not love my wife particularly well. She did not love me particularly well. She gave up on the belief that capital "L" Love could eventually transcend our difficulties and heal our wounds into something scarred but beautiful, and our marriage was over.
I guess what I'm clinging to is hope that it's still at least possible to live with hope, and allow some hoped-for, transcendent Love to be between two people the thing those two people cannot. Sometimes, I think it's a load of horse-manure. Sometimes, I want to burn down the world in despair.
But then, I've always been a conflicted, cynically-infected, starry-eyed idealist.
Great post. And super thought provoking.Delete
I'm reminded of the book Love and Responsibility, written by Pope John Paul II, before he was pope. It was brilliant. So profound. Blew me away. I shared some thoughts/excerpts of it on my blog here, in case you're interested: http://arleenspenceley.blogspot.com/2012/07/books-in-2012-love-and-responsibility.html
Thanks, Arleen. I'll check it out.Delete
Hope you enjoy it. And delayed reaction, but excellent subtle Perfect Strangers reference. Two thumbs up. :)Delete
Around six years ago Ben Joyner came to me with an idea for a short film. I wrote it. Rewrote it a million more times. Shot some fundraisi...
Growing up Protestant-Christian, I was taught that one of the most important verses in the Bible was II Timothy 3:16, which says that "...
I am writing to apologize for my behavior last Sunday. I want you to know that I am not normally one of those guys who acts like an idio...
Here's the deal, amigorinos: I need to pick short stories for a book I'll be putting out in a couple months as part of a kicks...
Fine Ants in Finance... a doodle to make you groan.


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Project number – 2017-1-EE01-KA105-034734
"EcoTrekking on the way to mindful lifestyle" was an international Youth exchange in which were involved 30 participants from Cyprus, Lithuania, Finland, Czech Republic, Germany and Estonia.
Dates: 08.09.2017 – 14.09.2017 (07.09. arrival day; 15.09. departure day)
Participants: 16-23 y.o. (group leader 18+)
Group per country: 4 + group leader
Venue: Suburban camp Vihasoo, Tammispea Village, Estonia (70km from Tallinn)
Applicant organization: NGO Youth Centre Vihasoo (Estonia)
How was born the project idea:
Estonian initiative group, which consisted of three people, wanted to raise awareness for the topics of environmental, healthy and mindful lifestyle among youngsters. The idea was to show through practical workshops what everybody can do to raise own awareness as well as sharing learned skills and knowledge back in the home countries. Initiative group was ready to share own experiences connected with hiking and environmental friendly lifestyle and choose also the project venue in purpose to show youngsters what it's needed to protect.
Main aim:
To raise awareness among youngsters in age 16-23y.o. of environmental problems in partner countries and discuss solutions that can be implemented in our everyday lives
• Improve knowledge of environment protection methods across the countries
• Support passion for ecology and environment in youngsters
• Interaction between young people interested in green environment subject
• Motivate young people to do new initiatives (Erasmus +) to promote more ecological lifestyle
• Learn ecological actions and try them first-hand
• Get out of the comfort zone by participating in a two-day hike
• Get to know different cultures
• Non-formal learning experience through methods trekking, games, simulations, team working, sessions
• Foreign Language practice
• Self-reflection on each stage of the project for the learning recognition process
Day 1 – Introduction, getting to know each other, Teambuilding
After all groups arrived together in the evening to the Camp, the project started on the first day with introduction of the stuff, letting participants know about camp rules and first games to get to know each other, to avoid to call everybody "you" instead of using the actual name. With different teambuilding activities we started to break the ice and to interact with each other to achieve managing the tasks together. Of course, we were also talking about expectations, fears and possible contributions of participants to involve everybody as much as possible and making the organization team aware of ideas of participants. The first evening we spent with learning new things about Estonia, Cyprus and the Czech Republic and of course also enjoying the traditional food.
Day 2 – Workshops part 1
On the second day we already started with the workshops. To be more specific: the Czech group organised a world café on the project related topic and so participants went from station to station and wrote and draw down their opinions, ideas and solutions. In the afternoon Estonian group organised a practical workshop and taught how to make a fire and how to cook delicious pancakes on the fire.
After that interesting day we got ready for the second intercultural evening where Germany, Lithuania and Finland showed us what are the specialities of their countries.
Day 3 – Hiking experiences
This day was for some of us already a challenge, for others just a Sunday-afternoon-walk but still for everybody a unique experience. Out from the gates of the camp we started our hike to the half island of Käsmu. During our walk we had to manage some tasks like hiking in silence for one hour and talking with a partner about different questions two other group leaders prepared for us. All that we could enjoy with the beauty of Estonian nature around us.
Day 4 – Canoe trip
The fourth day offered something special for us and for some of us again something new: a Canoe trip. In pairs of two we took a canoe and faced new challenges on the water. Although the river wasn't that wide, it still prepared a lot of obstacles for us. Stones under the water surface we didn't see, trunks, which blocked our ways and small curves, which made it sometimes quite difficult to steer the canoe. But all the effort we had to show was worth it for the experience we got and the nature we saw. After that we came back to the camp and learned in the workshop organized by the Finnish group how to repair our clothes and how to make self-made bracelets.
Day 5 – Hiking part 2 and more workshops
On this day we did again a little hiking and had again some tasks on the way. The most difficult thing was to walk blind in groups of 5 people with just one or two people to guide the way, but the solution to guide our groupmates safely through the forest were pretty creative and nobody got harmed fortunately. At the end of our way there was waiting a viewing platform for us with an amazing view over the Baltic sea. Back to the camp in the afternoon we had the last workshops organized by Cyprus and Germany. We were debating about environmental problems and afterwards we did some meditation.
Day 6 – What is Erasmus+ and planning of dissemination process
Our time in the forest came slowly to an end but before we had to talk about our dissemination strategies, because after a project it is still an important thing to do to spread the outcomes of the project. Before we learned more about Erasmus+ to understand the structures and not everybody knew what the YouthPass is, we received later. In the national groups we discussed about possible dissemination activities and some groups had pretty nice ideas like, for example, a Zero Waste week.
Later on, after the evaluation, warm words for everybody and getting the YouthPass, we started a barbecue and campfire evening to celebrate our last hours in the camp. We enjoyed the atmosphere under the sky with stars, playing guitar, singing and talking with each other.
Day 7 – Saying goodbye to the camp and coming back to Tallinn
The morning we spend with cleaning the camp, packing our stuff and taking group pictures at the beach. After the lunch it was time to take our backpacks and suitcases and to go to the bus which took us back to the city. The international groups stayed for one more night in a hostel and used the free time in the afternoon to discover the city until they had to departure the next day.
Title: " 3,2,1 Action for All"
Project number: 2016-2-EE01-KA105-017373
Dates: 5.11.2016-13.11.2016 (05.11 – arrival, 13.11 – departure)
Participants: 18+ (youth workers, teachers, all of the people who are connected with YOUTH)
Group per country: 3 participants per country, 4 from Cyprus and 5 from Estonia
Venue: Tallinn, Estonia
Countries: Cyprus, Romania, Turkey, Poland, Germany, Spain and Estonia
Applicant organization: NGO Youth Centre Vihasoo, organizing with help from NGO Youth Club Active (Estonia)
- To increase awareness on social inclusion and equity;
- To increase awareness on the importance of Theatre as a tool for enhancing social inclusion;
- To share and suggest successful practices using non formal methods for enhancing youth workers competences and competencies;
- To improve and develop basic key competences (social, creativity, languages, reflection) to Youth workers for their personal and
professional development;
- To train youth workers in the planning and implementing non formal learning through Theatre for empowering social inclusion;
- To create new future cooperation and increase the visibility of the results of Erasmus+;
Day 1: the introduction day.
We spent the morning learning more about each other. We saw a presentation about our staff and found out about their work and hobbies. We played some name games and ice-breaking activities, also we had Team-building exercises. The highlight of this part was the golf game, involving all members as a big nice team.
After lunch break, we pinpointed our expectations and fears about the course, also sharing what we can contribute to the process. We learned about the objectives of the course (raising awareness of social inclusion, theatre as a tool of NFL, creating cooperation for future). We discussed the formal and non-formal learning, as well as social inclusion practices, that take place in each of our countries.
The day was concluded with reflection groups led by our staff members.
In the end of the day we had an intercultural evening.
Day 2: Discussing Social Inclusion.
We started day with some active movements, like dancing in pairs in different styles and touching different body parts, then proceeded to other body contact tasks (to have only specific amount of body parts on the floor). During these activities a lack of verbal communication was very welcome.
After reminding ourselves about the concepts of formal, non-formal and informal learning, we proceeded to discuss social inclusion. At first, we were given a selection of pictures which we discussed in terms of seeing soc. incl. practices on them. Then we had a 'speed dating' format discussion about several statements – one part of the team brainstormed the same statement with many people, and others were discussing a range of issues.
We brainstormed the prerequisites for social inclusion, then pinpointing those that we cannot directly control, the so called Factors X. The ones that we focused on today were
a) stereotypes/labels,
b) perception,
c) communication (three types of it: verbal, body language and paralanguage).
We did some tasks to understand more of these factors (i.e. stereotype issues – 'walking through the park' story, drawing a child vs drug addict, role-playing activity; perception – passing the information without words, and looking at context as a means to manipulate information; communication – taking up the roles to 'help the young girl to cross the river').
Of course, the highlight of today was completing the 'golf' task from the second attempt.
Also we had Second intercultural evening
Day 3: Field trip
Today was a day of something different: we went for a little trip to the Vikings' Village!
In the village we had our two sessions. First focused on the Erasmus+ and everything connected to it. Thus, we learned about the priorities, based on which the applications for projects may receive grants (European citizenship, young people participation, cultural diversity, and involvement of youth with disabilities), aims of Erasmus+ – local (changing yearly) and 'global' (developing key competences, promoting intercultural communication, raising quality of youth work, supporting development of youth policy formation, international level of youth work development) and key actions (learning mobility of individuals, strategic partnership, support for policy report).
Then the NGO fair took place, during which the participants were elaborating on the following aspects of their organisations: the key aims, the projects in which the organisation is involved, and three 'wow' local things that the organisation is involved in.
After the sessions we indulged in traditional Estonian meals, in some snow fights, and the bravest ones took a walk to the Blue Springs.
Day 4: Collaboration as Factor X
We changed our work location to the YCA palace. The day was devoted to exploring and debating collaboration as one of the Factor X of the social inclusion. Thus, first of all we 'walked on the E-Quality street', when we were given roles and, with aid of several questions, have sorted ourselves to different social status in the society. Interacting with others from same soc.status we have discussed why we are in this position, how we feel in it, and what can we do to improve it. Then three representatives of each class had an open discussion. The important lesson from this exercise was that social inclusion means improving the lives not only of ourselves, but of others too.
Next step, we were split for three groups. Togroups were given a society/community description and had to act accordingly in a simulated scenario of being stuck on the island and having to build a common shelter. Despite chaos in the beginning, we completed the task successfully on time. We've learned the concept of Venn diagram and were reminded about a common goal as something to facilitate collaboration.
The Nuclear Factory Debate was in order: the team was split into six smaller groups to play the roles of the Unemployed, the Environmentalists, the Youth Workers, the Investors, the Ministry of Energy and Finance resources, and the Community Counsel, to have a conference-type discussion about a proposed building of the nuclear power plant close to our village. Thus we've learned that, besides common goal and similarities, there are other factors that can influence the dynamics of collaboration, and collaboration is not as easy to reach when it's not a life-or-death situation.
Our last big task of the day was the World Cafe, during which we debated several statement regarding social inclusion and role of youth workers, community, education and communication. We finished our day by reflecting via River of Life method. For tomorrow we were asked to bring three valuable things for the sessions
Day 5: Practical Workshops
Today was the day to focus more on acting and less on speaking. The energizers played a role of introduction to importance of such aspects as attention, reaction, memory, coordination and so forth. Then was a time to soak in some theory (i.e. Stanislavski's views and methods, as well as those of Grotowski).
The participants brought the objects that were of certain value to them and shared their stories with others. Then we put our most valuable object to the blanket, having a chance to later reposition or remove it. After that we proceeded to contact improvisation: first, leading a blind partner around the room, then keeping contact with chosen body parts changing either leader or the contacting parts, then letting a blind partner explore surroundings while protecting them from possible dangers.
After lunch we had a chance to be storytellers, and, blinded, to follow the story created for us by our partners. We later proceeded to synchronising walking/standing still, then were creating figures/shapes and adding or changing those. The following part was about dancing and performing – in fours or a whole group (following the leader), also creating a sequence of movements in pairs and then showing them as a mini-performance. The last part of that session was a pair work, where we had to figure out a key spot/point/movement to free our partners from uncomfortable positions.
The very last sessions focused on performance and improvisations 'on stage'. First the viewers had a task to make the 'actors' laugh while the latter ones had to maintain the poker face. Then the actors were given the starting and ending point and had to create a story (beginning with one person on stage, then increasing the number of actors). Finally in groups of five we were creating and showing an episode/etude such that lack of speech/silence would be natural in our story.
We reflected on the day by giving silent thanks to other members of our team, then expressing our emotions about the day in a single gesture.
Day 6: Inclusion through theatre – action planning day plus activity with youngsters.
Today we were to put everything we've learned into practice working with a group of teenagers. But we started our morning with a mini-workshop by Eric which focused on the communication as a Factor X in the social inclusion. 'brave volunteers' were given some statements that they had to convince the audience in.
The brainstorming has began. People were sharing their ideas – first, in groups of fives, then all together. The process was long and tiring, but in the end having divided into smaller groups we managed to create something nice – messy, but nice.
Thus, we had two wonderful intro-entertainers who engaged the kids and divided them into three groups. The groups then worked in separate rooms for around an hour, creating a performance, which was later shown at the common stage. The event was concluded by two very interactive outro-entertainers.
After the kids have left, we have shared our emotions, also listening to what our observers had to say.
Day 7: Final day and evaluation.
The day started with giving a presentation about work in the field of social inclusion in Romania regarding poverty.
We proceeded to work in country groups to brainstorm the ideas about dissemination of the project at the local level. The suggestions included: workshops with youth, presentation of newly obtained knowledge to other members of our organizations, spreading out information via social media.
Renos talked about process of planning a project. Currently prioritized topics were mentioned: intercultural cooperation, environment, social inclusion, tools for…, media, employability, refugees, healthy lifestyle, people with NEETS, coaching/mentoring. The objectives for the project should be SMART, and such points as key action, project type, venue, time, target group, and partners of collaboration were outlined. The participants then had to discuss in groups potential ideas for a project and then present it.
The after-lunch session focused on youth pass and developing eight key competences. In small groups the participants made a short episode to depict the competences, the discussion of each followed. We were prompted to make a reflection on a project based on the 8 competences.
Out final session was an evaluation of the whole process. First we revisited out expectations-contributions-fears tree to take off our expectation notes if those were fulfilled. The crown of the tree turned leafless. Then we completed a survey and with aid of several charts (i.e. pizza chart, objectives/activities graph, collective inbox) shared our thoughts and emotions about the project. The 'cute' evaluation part involved sharing gratitude to the project fellows and trainers.
We had a lovely dinner in the evening, with a sudden surprise visit of Santa Claus and his Snow Lady! For a little performance for Father Christmas each participant was given their Youth Pass.
Photos are here


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Winter Park Interior RenovationFebruary 4, 2012 1:19 pm
This 70's style home in Winter Park, FL was transformed into a home reminiscent of the movie Out of Africa. With authentic African colonial elements, Jonathan McGrath Construction renovated the home to something quietly elegant reminiscent of the lodges seen in east and south Africa. Nowhere does the custom nature of this renovation shine more... View Article


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Ashampoo MP3 Cover Finder 1.0.17
Ashampoo MP3 Cover Finder
Ashampoo MP3 Cover Finder automatically finds and downloads the most suitable covers for your MP3 music so you can enjoy beautiful artwork across all your music devices. In the process, the application also fills in any missing ID-3 metadata to make your MP3 music easily searchable and organizable. Most player applications rely on this metadata to classify music, e.g. by artist, album or genre. Once your MP3s are fully tagged, you can rely on your favorite music player application to auto-create meaningful playlists and add new variety to your listening experience.
Single-page user interface with several high-contrast color schemes for maximum ease of use
1-click music adding: from file, from folder, from my music, via drag and drop
Find covers by album or single
Assign covers and metadata automatically or use the integrated ID-3 tag editor for individual editing
Intelligent fingerprint technology to identify MP3 tracks even without proper metadata or file names
Relies on multiple trusted online sources for best results


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A company's worst enemy is not always the competition. Sometimes it's the fear that lives within its own walls.
In companies, fear can take many forms: fear of not meeting a goal, of not getting a bonus, of losing decision rights and respect. Fear compels employees and managers to protect themselves by creating seemingly impenetrable barriers fortified by rules and practices that benefit one group while harming others.
Sound familiar? If so, then you know that left unchecked, fear-driven barriers can spread at an alarming rate in a company. Workgroups start to define success not by reaching the company's overall goal, but by fulfilling their part of the process. Restrictive policies pile up until managers start to exert extreme control over headcount and resources. Other managers feel compelled to build empires -- taking over other departments' functions to regain or enhance their self-sufficiency. In the midst of these counterproductive activities, employees suffer, success deteriorates, and efficiency dies.
These barriers might seem insurmountable, but they are not. They were built internally, and they can be destroyed internally.
By learning from the real-world lessons in this book, leaders, managers, and employees can overcome the barriers that plague their company. It takes courageous leadership, and it can be difficult, but the result will be nothing less than transformational.
About the Author
Tom Rieger pioneered the study and science of organizational barriers and how large complex systems self-destruct. Through this work, he has become a recognized leader in developing methods and frameworks to identify and remove barriers to success for societies and companies.


text: I think I have lost count of how many different new years festivals there are up in Soppong! Anyway, following Lisu New Year comes Lahu New Year. The dates for the Lahu New Year festivities this year have been set by the high epopt of Lahu shamans to fall on 19, 20, and 21 February. Although all the Lahu people will all be dressed in their finest, you might say that the Lahu womens' traditional clothes are no match for the Lisu womens'. That said, while the Lisu circle dances might seem a bit sedate, the Lahu dancing (also in a circle around a shrine) is a lot wilder. Lots of foot stomping and jumping around until there a dust cloud fills the air! Is it because Lahu whiskey is more potent than Lisu whiskey? Who knows. Anyway, if anyone is interested in riding up to Soppong for Lahu New Year and has any questions that we might be able to help you out with, just drop us an email or post them here.


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What to Expect from Psychological Testing
What is involved in the testing?
Testing consists of a variety of activities:
- Answering questions
- Completing hands-on tasks
- Writing
- Drawing
- Completing puzzles
Testing usually lasts between 2 to 5 hours depending on what diagnoses you are being tested for.
You are always welcome to take as many breaks as you need throughout the testing session to use the bathroom or grab a snack or some water.
For testing sessions lasting longer than two hours, a scheduled break will be planned half-way through the testing. On some occasions, testing will be broken up over two separate sessions in order to accommodate schedules.
Who does the testing?
Testing is completed by a doctoral level psychologist. The same psychologist will interview you, conduct the testing, score and interpret the data, write your report, and meet with you to discuss results.
How should I prepare for my testing day?
- Please bring all requested paperwork completed.
- Getting a good night's sleep night before testing day is important! Avoid staying up very late, having caffeine the night before, or deviating too from your normal routine.
- Eat a good breakfast!
- In most cases, prescription medications should be taken as usual on the testing day. However, ADHD medication should NOT be taken. It is important not to consume alcohol or ingest any other substances within 24 hours of your testing session.


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A Catch-22 situation arises when talking of marketing an event, and that is that the more money you spend on marketing, the less you can spend on the event itself. But if you do not market your event, how will you get people to go to it?
It is of course all about distributing and using resources in a smart and cost-effective way, and digital marketing is probably the smartest method you can choose for this - because with small means you can reach a large number of people and get a good ROI on your investment.
Here are a couple of smart and cost-effective marketing techniques for you to market your event digitally.
1. Attract visitors with social proof
One method that has been shown to work is known as "social proof". Get references, reviews and statements from participants who have previously attended - and use these in marketing along with aesthetically pleasing and attractive photographs.
Also, make sure that your event is on all social media, and that you push people to like your event there. It will spread to their circle of friends as a social proof and encourage them to read more about it because they see that a friend or acquaintance has liked it.
2. Harness the power of email marketing
Using email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways you can promote your event. Findings from research show that email generates up to 40 times more new customers than Facebook and Twitter.
Create a free account in Postman, Paloma's tool for newsletters and customer communication, and start creating an invitation mail - you can reach hundreds and thousands of people before the end of the day. It doesn't get cheaper than that.
3. Publish shareable material
When you produce content for your event and the description of it, remember that content is king. You need to share things that your followers will want to share.
Make sure you work strategically with what you publish and make use of content you think can be shareable. Interviews, images, video or perhaps some good fact lists or tips that may seem exciting to the target group you are working on.
If you can present your event to potential visitors in a sufficiently exciting way, they will share your post with their circle of friends, as it feels relevant. And it is relevance that can be the decisive factor in whether you will succeed or not.
4. Use retargeting
Working with retargeting involves directing digital advertising to people who have recently visited your event page. It is aimed at people who have visited your page and then left without carrying out a purchase, because you know there are great opportunities to get sales there. This is not the cheapest of the digital marketing methods, but you can be sure that it is one of the most effective ways to increase conversions. There are figures indicating that this investment pays for itself up to 6 times over in increased sales.
In order to really get the maximum effect, it usually pays to run this kind of marketing in a way that gets the visitor to feel a sense of urgency. Use communication which signals that there is "only X amount of hours left to book" or "just a few places" to motivate a quick purchase.
5. Create a selling event page
What do you do yourself to find out about an event? You probably start with Google, right? Even at this stage, you need to inspire potential participants to make a purchase, before they can be distracted by something else.
We have seen that people who first google their way to an event page often end up in Youtube or Google Images afterwards, and why do they do that? To find out more about the event, of course. They want to see videos or photos of previous events, speakers, guests, etc., to get a picture of what to expect.
Make it easy for visitors to your event page to remain by including all this on your landing page. Share photos, video clips or perhaps an Instagram feed from a specific hashtag. This minimizes the risk that the potential buyer will leave your event page and move on, which in itself ultimately leads to higher conversion rates.
Event planning software makes it easy to create a selling event page.


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I will be running an 8-player Manoeuvre tournament at Origins this year. It will take place Saturday morning from 10 am to 3 pm. The event number is 4055. The event will include the armies from Distant Lands so you can get an opportunity to see those countries in action if you desire. Help me fill up the event.
I just browsed a number of travel sites and tickets seem to be about $280 from Florida.
wtf! a ticket for Gus is $380 and up, most are well into the $400's and its half the distance.who knew gnomes were so expensive to transport!


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In a rich hue of fuchsia, 21 oversized snails are making a big entrance into the city of Coral Gables.
The Pink Snails, made of recyclable materials and seen recently during Art Basel in Miami Beach, come courtesy of the international artistic collective Cracking Art Group and the Galleria Ca d'Oro from Italy, which in December opened a new gallery space in Coral Gables. They are part of the global sensation known as the Regeneration Art Project, a public art series designed to inspire community-wide conversation.
"We're thrilled to welcome this internationally significant exhibition of fun and colorful works of art to the city, and we encourage people to enjoy discovering them in many of the city's most popular places," said Cindy Birdsill, the city's Economic Sustainability Department director. "We are very grateful to the Galleria Ca d'Oro for making this exhibition possible."
The Pink Snails bring a "green" message about the importance of recycling and its environmental impact. For approximately two months, the colorful snails can be admired at Merrick Park, Fred B. Harnett Ponce Circle Park, Cartagena Plaza, War Memorial Youth Center, Coral Gables Museum Plaza, Segovia/Biltmore Way Traffic Circle, Segovia/Coral Way Traffic Circle, Alhambra Median, and on Ponce de Leon Boulevard near the Village of Merrick Park. This is the first temporary exhibition under the city's Public Art Master Plan.


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Discussions about "Truecrypt functionality", necessary, since the original project was abandoned by its developers.
It would be convenient if TC let me right-click "encrypt file(s)" like I can right click "compress files".
Possible Process: * Create a mini-container with exactly the right length * Encrypt a copy of the desired files * Secure overwrite of the original files (DOD 3 pass by default, user could select in preferences one pass of zeros, DOD 3 passes of randomness, or NSA 7 passes of randomness).
Mounting the "mini containers" as a drives might be a bit awkward if the user opens lots and lots of them. That's a design challenge that TC's UX designer would need to tackle.
Its strange that nobody raised this idea earlier. Great idea, mr_glasses! I support this idea with "both hands". Truecrypt lacks that very much (the function of "let me right-click "encrypt file(s)" like I can right click "compress files"). The whole your proposal is partially implemented in AxCrypt.


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Louis Theroux - Law and Disorder Collection
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You Save: £12.30
Law and Disorder Philadelphia - Louis joins Philadelphia's police department, patrolling an area that has over 400 homicides a year, drug dealers on every corner and where carrying a gun is part of everyday life. But during his time spent with the local cops, he sees a complex picture evolve
A place for Paedophiles - Louis visits the Coalinga Mental Hospital in California, which houses more than 500 convicted paedophiles. Spending time with those undergoing treatment, Louis wrestles with whether he can ever allow himself to believe men whose whole history is defined by deception and deceit.
Crystal Math - A show about Crystal-Meth and the effect it has on those that take it and the communities it's taken in.
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Region 2
Sound: Dolby Digital
Main Language: English


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Shirlington Limousine & Transport, Inc.
B-299241: Mar 13, 2007
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
(202) 512-8278
Kenneth E. Patton
(202) 512-8205
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
Shirlington Limousine & Transport, Inc. protests the terms of request for proposals (RFP) No. HSHQDC-07-R-00009, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for agency-wide transportation services. Shirlington asserts that the solicitation is unduly restrictive of competition because it requires the secured storage facility to be accessed by an electronic access control system, that the contractor supply sedans, and that all shuttle buses be equipped with wheelchair lifts. Shirlington also asserts that the solicitation, issued as a small business set-aside, instead should have been set aside for Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small business concerns.
We deny the protest.
B-299241, Shirlington Limousine & Transport, Inc., March 13, 2007
Matter of: Shirlington Limousine & Transport, Inc.
David J. Taylor, Esq., Spriggs & Hollingsworth, for the protester.
Rose J. Anderson, Esq., Department of Homeland Security, and Lara H. Hudson, Esq., Small Business Administration, for the agencies.
Kenneth Kilgour, Esq., and Christine S. Melody, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision.
1. Protest that solicitation requirements that secured storage facility contain an electronic access control system, that the contractor supply sedans, and that all shuttle buses be equipped with wheel chair lifts are unduly restrictive of competition is denied where the record establishes that requirement was reasonably designed to ensure that the government's needs would be met.
2. Protest challenging agency decision not to set aside procurement for Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small businesses is denied where the decision was based on sufficient facts to establish reasonableness of agency's conclusion that there was not a reasonable expectation that offers would be received from two or more HUBZone business concerns.
Shirlington Limousine & Transport, Inc. protests the terms of request for proposals (RFP) No. HSHQDC-07-R-00009, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for agency-wide transportation services. Shirlington asserts that the solicitation is unduly restrictive of competition because it requires the secured storage facility to be accessed by an electronic access control system, that the contractor supply sedans, and that all shuttle buses be equipped with wheelchair lifts. Shirlington also asserts that the solicitation, issued as a small business set-aside, instead should have been set aside for Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small business concerns.
In June 2006, DHS decided to revise the way in which it procured transportation services with the goal of improving the quality of service and promoting the more efficient use of resources. The existing DHS transportation contract has a total value of $21.8 million over 5 years, and the agency estimate for the new solicitation is $41 million over 5 years. Agency Report (AR), Tab 11, Affidavit of Director of the Office of Procurement Operations (OPO), at 2. Under the existing contract, Shirlington operates shuttle buses that transport agency employees between various agency offices and provides executive sedan service to transport authorized staff to and from any location in the
On June 23, the agency issued a request for information (RFI) on the FedBizOpps website to determine the level of interest in a DHS-wide transportation services contract. The RFI stated that the [c]ontractor is responsible for maintaining a cleared facility for parking the sedans and buses. AR, Tab 3, RFI, at 1-2. Interested firms were asked to submit a capability package that identified the following: core services; corporate experience, including relevant contracts; type of business; current security clearance level for overnight parking of vehicles; and drivers with suitability determinations.
The agency received responses from 11 small businesses, all of which were located in
According to the agency, it conducted an internal review of the available potential offerors for the requirement to determine whether it should be set aside for either HUBZone firms or small businesses. The OPO Director and the Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) reviewed the history of the two previous transportation contracts at DHS, noting that the upcoming solicitation would place a significantly greater burden on the contractor than did the prior two contracts: previously, the agency did not require security clearances for storage facilities because the sedans were stored at agency facilities; the contractor-supplied dispatching service was housed at the agency; and the agency provided all sedans. The OSDBU Director characterized the competition under the first of the previous agency transportation contracts as very limited, with only one HUBZone firm, the incumbent contractor Shirlington, submitting an offer.[1] AR, Tab 10, Affidavit of OSDBU Director, at 1. Under the second contract, two HUBZone firms submitted proposals, one of which was rated marginal and could not be considered for award. The Directors concluded that the agency failed to receive proposals from two or more qualified HUBZone businesses in either of the two previous agency transportation solicitations, both of which contained considerably less stringent requirements than the proposed solicitation.
The agency states that these two Directors also evaluated the four responses to the RFI that were submitted by HUBZone firms, using information provided by each of the firms, previous experience with two of the firms, and additional research conducted on the Consolidated Contractor Registration (CCR) database. One firm was the incumbent and protester, Shirlington. Another was the HUBZone firm that had submitted a marginal proposal under a previous transportation solicitation. The third firm, the agency notes, indicated that its experience was limited to shuttle/bus services as a subcontractor to commercial activities and it did not appear to have experience providing executive sedan services.
The OSDBU and OPO Directors concluded that the increased scope and breadth of the requirement rendered the contract too difficult and capital-intensive to be performed by a HUBZone firm. In the Directors' estimation, if the solicitation was set aside for HUBZone firms, there would be a high degree of risk to the government that the agency would not receive adequate proposals. AR, Tab 11, Affidavit of OPO Director, at 3. The two Directors then concluded, based on the prior procurements and the responses to the RFI, that small businesses were interested and could fulfill the requirements. As noted above, the RFP subsequently was issued as a small business set-aside on November 20.
The solicitation contained the following electronic access control requirement:
The vehicle storage facility gate access will have a minimum of [two][2] electronic access control keypads. . . . The electronic access control keypad will create a history for every vehicle's entry and departure that can be accessed any time in the future. Electronic access control can also be set up strategically to create security zones within the vehicle storage area. . . . The electronic access control system will have all doors integrated into one system. . . . Program of the access control system will be done through a computer based system.
AR, Tab 6, RFP attach. 4, at 1. The solicitation also required that closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras be mounted throughout the vehicle storage area to provide a record of all activities, persons, and operators inside and outside the facility.
The protester asserts that the solicitation requirement that the secured storage facility be accessed by an electronic access control system is unduly restrictive of competition, cannot be deemed necessary to security, and is superfluous. Protest at 6.
The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984 requires that agencies specify their needs and solicit offers in a manner designed to achieve full and open competition, so that all responsible sources are permitted to compete; solicitations may include restrictive requirements only to the extent they are necessary to satisfy the agency's legitimate needs. 41 U.S.C. sect. 253a(a)(1)(A), (2)(B) (2000). The determination of a contracting agency's needs and the best method for accommodating them is a matter primarily within the agency's discretion. Tucson Mobilephone, Inc., B- 250389,
Where a protester challenges a specification as unduly restrictive, the procuring agency has the responsibility of establishing that the specification is reasonably necessary to meet its needs. The adequacy of the agency's justification is ascertained through examining whether the agency's explanation is reasonable, that is, whether the explanation can withstand logical scrutiny. Chadwick-Helmuth Co., Inc., B'279621.2,
The language of the solicitation, quoted above, identifies several advantages inherent in an electronic access control system. An electronic access control system creates a history of every vehicle's entry and exit from the garage, has the potential to create security zones within the storage area, and has the ability to have all garage doors integrated into one system and to have access programmed through a computer-based system. According to the agency, DHS's Office of Security, which has the responsibility to review and approve all solicitations, provided the specifications for the securing of the vehicles. AR, Tab 11, Affidavit of OPO Director, at 2. The Chief of the agency's Physical Security Division stated that the solicitation requirements are drawn from recommended minimum security standards and security best practices for Federal facilities. AR, Tab 11, attach. 1, Memorandum from Chief, Physical Security Division, to CO,
The protester disagrees that the solicitation requirement at issue is reasonable. Shirlington argues that the advantages of the electronic access control system cannot be achieved because there is no solicitation requirement that it be monitored full-time. However, Shirlington does not explain why an automated system requires 24-hour monitoring. The protester also argues that the required CCTV cameras alone are sufficient. While the CCTV cameras may be a partially redundant system, the record shows that they record valuable data the electronic access system does not, and likewise the electronic access system supplies information the CCTV cameras are unable to provide. In the interest of human safety and security, the agency has specified a system that produces not just reasonable results, but higher levels of safety and efficiency. Although Shirlington disagrees with the agency's judgment with respect to its needs, it has not shown the requirement to be unreasonable. Kastle Sys., Inc., B-231990,
In its protest, Shirlington notes two additional flaws in the solicitation: that the contractor must supply the sedans, and that all shuttle buses to be supplied by the contractor must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. sect. 12101 et seq. (1994). Protest at 3. With respect to the latter argument, we note first that the solicitation does not require compliance with the
With respect to the requirement that the contractor provide all the required vehicles (shuttle buses with wheelchair lifts and sedans), the protester asserts that since doing so will be very expensive for a contractor, the government should supply the vehicles instead. Without more, the allegation that a requirement is costly is not sufficient to show that the requirement is unduly restrictive of competition. Supreme Edgelight Devices, Inc., B-261667,
The protester also argues that the government could save money by leasing the sedans and supplying them to the contractor, rather than having the contractor supply the sedans. The general rule that the determination of the government's needs and the best method of accommodating those needs is primarily the concern of the contracting agency is no less applicable when the government is deciding who should own the equipment required for contract performance. See Crown Laundry and Cleaners, Inc., B-213796, B-213810,
The protester also asserts that the agency unreasonably determined not to set the procurement aside for HUBZone small business concerns. Acquisitions that exceed the simplified acquisition threshold must be set aside for HUBZone small businesses if the agency makes two determinations, only the first of which is at issue here: that there is a reasonable expectation that offers will be received from two or more HUBZone small business concerns, and that award will be made at a fair market price. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) sect. 19.1305(a), (b). Generally, our Office regards a determination to set aside a procurement as a matter of business judgment, within the agency's discretion. See York Int'l Corp., B-244748,
Here, the record indicates that the agency employed several methods to ascertain whether to set aside the procurement for HUBZone firms. The agency's key small business official, the OSDBU Director, was integral to the agency's decision-making process. That official, in cooperation with the OPO Director, considered the responses the agency received to two similar, although substantially smaller in scope, solicitations, noting that in neither case did the agency receive two acceptable proposals from HUBZone firms. The agency gauged the interest from possible HUBZone firms by publishing an RFI and considered the responses to that RFI, discussed in detail above. The agency then made a determination, based on a review of the information provided by all of these sources, that it was unlikely to receive adequate proposals from two or more HUBZone firms. Given the record, including the protester's own apparent concerns with the difficulty that it would have in performing this contract, we find that the agency's decision not to set aside the procurement for HUBZone firms was reasonable.[3]
We solicited the views of the SBA on whether the agency should have set aside the procurement for HUBZone firms. The SBA concluded that the agency should have done so, arguing that the agency offered no support for its assertion that the four HUBZone firms that responded to the RFI lacked capacity.[4] SBA Comments at 11. On the contrary, the capability package requested by the RFI contained a wealth of information on each of the interested firms. After reviewing that data and information from other sources, the agency articulated clearly why the three actual HUBZone firms, in its business judgment, would not be able to successfully complete the contract.
The SBA also argues that if the agency had conducted a search on CCR, using the two applicable North American Industry Classification System codes, the agency would have identified 33 HUBZone firms that might have been potential offerors. As a preliminary matter, the actual number of respondents is 31, because 2 firms appear in the results of both searches. In any event, SBA's argument is not persuasive; the raw number of HubZone firms generated by a CCR search reveals little about the capability of those firms to perform as required under the RFP. A cursory review of the list shows that many lack experience in the services called for; for example, one listed firm is described as a construction contractor located in
Finally, the protester asserts that the agency improperly assessed the capability of the firms who responded to the RFI to provide the required DISCO-cleared storage facility because the agency first informed potential offerors of that requirement in an amendment to the RFI but discouraged HUBZone firms from responding to the amendment. Comments at 7. The SBA shares this concern. The agency specifically requested in the capability package that interested firms describe their current security clearance level for overnight parking of vehicles, thus putting interested firms on notice that they should fully disclose the extent of their security clearances. In fact, one of the responders specifically indicated that it could provide a DISCO facility. Under these circumstances, we see no basis to question the agency's assessment of the firms' capabilities on this ground.
The protest is denied.
Gary L. Kepplinger
General Counsel
[1] While Shirlington is the incumbent on the current contract, it is not performing the expanded scope of work that would be required under the new solicitation.
[2] The solicitation omits the minimum number of keypads required. The context in which the omission appears makes it clear that the minimum number required is two.
[3] As part of this protest ground, the protester alleges that the OSDBU director failed to properly discharge his duties as required by the FAR. Because we conclude that the agency's decision not to set aside this procurement for HUBZone firms was reasonable and consistent with the FAR, we need not address this allegation.
[4] In a related argument, the SBA asserts that the assessments of potential HUBZone offerors performed by the agency amounted to determinations of responsibility that should have been referred to the SBA. SBA Comments at 7. Once again, a determination that a particular procurement is to be set aside is basically a business judgment within the broad discretion of the contracting officer. See York Int'l Corp., supra. In making this determination, the contracting officer need not make determinations tantamount to affirmative determinations of responsibility, but rather need only make an informed business judgment that there is a reasonable expectation of receiving acceptably priced offers from eligible business concerns that are capable of performing the contract. See Admiral Towing and Barge Co., B'291849, B'291849.2,
Oct 23, 2020
Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc.
We deny the protest.
Oct 22, 2020
Academy Medical, LLC
We deny the protest.
Colonna's Shipyard, Inc.
We dismiss the protest in part, and deny it in part.
Knight Point Systems, LLC
We sustain the protest.
J&J Worldwide Services
We deny the protest.
Oct 20, 2020
MindPoint Group, LLC
We deny the protest.
Oct 16, 2020
Potomac Electric Corporation
We deny the protest.
Oct 15, 2020
Island Pyrochemical Industries
We dismiss the protest.
Oct 14, 2020
MicroTechnologies, LLC
We deny the protest.
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text: Myla was brought on at Tri-City Health Center as a Nutrition Services Coordinator in January 2015. Myla came to TCHC from Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center where she served as a Clinical Registered Dietitian for nearly seven years. She earned her B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics with an associate in Food Service Management and Catering from the College of the Holy Spirit in Manila, Philippines.


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|No one will be calling you a "hot tranny mess" when you rock Christian Siriano's exclusive new collection of makeup for Victoria's Secret this fall. The Project Runway winner and fashion phenom's limited edition cosmetics collection lets you feel like you're working the runway everyday. Siriano incorporated the same themes as his Fall 2009 clothing line by combining strong, rich colors with soft, luxurious textures.
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As a Christians on the Left member and contributor, and current university student, I was pleased to represent CotL as the delegate to the Labour Party's National Youth Policy Conference, hosted by Young Labour at the University of Warwick last weekend.
This year's conference was devoted solely to forming policy, based on submissions from young members across the country. The policies adopted will be recommended to the National Policy Forum, and will form part of the Labour Party's ongoing policy formation process.
There were over forty motions up for discussion on a wide range of issues, including the minimum wage, workers' rights, housing, mental health, education and the environment. Christians on the Left is an organisation which itself contains a range of views on many issues, and as your representative, I did not find every voting decision straightforward. Many issues are very complicated, and the wording of some motions contains nuance. With just a single vote, it is hard to reflect the breadth of views and the subtlety some motions require. But after reflection and prayerful consideration of all the motions, I do feel I voted with care and with integrity on the motions before the conference. If you are interested in how I voted on a particular issue, please do email me (at firstname.lastname@example.com) to discuss.
A number of motions that passed align with recent Christians on the Left campaigns: to trial a universal basic income scheme, to re-open the Dubs amendment, for overhaul of the housing market, and for a national mental health strategy. It was particularly encouraging to see a consensus emerge on these issues, and they vindicate the efforts that many young CotL members have put in to campaigning on issues they feel passionately about. It can feel lonely to fight for social justice, but it is rewarding and encouraging to see such steps forward. My prayer is that CotL would be blessed with more and more passionate young people willing to stand up for values of social justice, human dignity, and an economy that works for the many.
Aside from the mainstay, which was debating and voting on policy motions, the conference welcomed the Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn MP. He spoke briefly and took a number of questions from the conference floor. We were also joined by CotL member Cat Smith MP, shadow minister for youth and voter engagement. She re-iterated her strong support for the Votes at 16 campaign, which Christians on the Left is part of and supported with a high-profile event at the recent Labour Party Conference (where Cat herself was amongst the speakers).
There were also various breakout sessions on a range of issues. Cat hosted one specifically on Votes at 16, while topics for others included student housing, trade union rights and political campaigning. I was pleased to support my colleague from the Jewish Labour Movement, attending his session on combatting anti-Semitism and engaging the Jewish community.
Another aspect of the conference was obviously the social one: I was obliged to mix and engage with other delegates. Fortunately, this was an activity I embraced with relish, helped along by the rather good food provided and the slightly surreal Labour-themed quiz after dinner on Saturday! I had several interesting discussions about Christians on the Left, our work, and more generally about faith and its impact on policy. Everyone I spoke to seemed friendly and open to discussion, and in fact the entire event carried a tone of good disagreement – some of the votes were fairly contentious, but by and large the debates were carried out in a constructive and conciliatory tone.
Overall, my main reflection is that it was hugely positive that Christians on the Left was represented at the event, inputting into policy discussions, making our voice heard and raising our profile among young members. We are looking forward to next year's event and hope this continues to stimulate more discussion on policy – we're hoping that Christians on the Left will be able to get our own motion debated next year. As always, please do contact myself (email@example.com) or the office (firstname.lastname@example.com) to find out more about what we are doing and how you can be involved. We'd love to hear from you!
Matthew Judson


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First Class Football - Summer Football Camp
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text:
I know you all have been waiting with bated breath to hear what happened at my recent mediation appointment. I'm happy to report that it went much better than I expected. And as a bonus, (although I felt like it), I did not punch the Goblin King. As we entered the mediation, the parenting coordinator Read More
Tag: parenting coordination
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Why Parenting Coordination Didn't Work for Me
If you couldn't make the partnership work before the divorce, chances are you an your ex will have irreconcilable differences in your co-parenting styles after divorce as well. Some people have it easier than others. If both parents are willing to put their differences aside for the sake of the children, you may be able to Read More