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Merchants have a checkout problem, and they know it. But many are unable to put their finger on how to move the needle forward in the right direction and how bad the problem really is.
And after looking at 10,000 data points over nine months, we can say that it's not what merchants know they don't know; it's what they know they cannot see.
"To really optimize checkout online is hard, because we are talking about both user experience and design — somehow having a really simple checkout experience, while giving the consumer as much flexibility as they want," Scott Fitzgerald, SVP at BlueSnap, recently told Karen Webster during a live digital discussion on this topic.
"A lot of times those two times are in conflict," he added.
A conflict that costs merchants plenty but, Fitzgerald emphasized, that could be resolved if merchants are given a clear line of sight into the four big blind spots that get in the way of a better online — and mobile — checkout experience for their consumer and a better bottom line for themselves.
"Merchants just aren't well-equipped to understand the root cause of abandonment."
Insights into why a customer abandons her shopping cart or why a payment didn't go through — checkout conversion analytics — usually aren't at the top of the list of the types of data most payment operations or systems collect.
And why it's challenging to fix a problem that merchants don't know they have.
Fitzgerald reflected on the many times he's asked a merchant what their current payment conversion rate is. He says that it's "amazing" how few don't have access to that data.
Lacking that information makes it hard to know whether a merchant is having a decline problem at a certain price, because of currency mismatches, or the device used to transact.
"Having that information and then being able to act on it is the difference between sales that could have gone through and hit the bottom line but instead disappeared," he added.
Without the right data in place, merchants could also risk laying the blame of losses in the wrong places. Maybe everything is working to successfully drive traffic to an eCommerce site, but what's getting in the way of sales is an ongoing problem with cross-border declines.
It's not a surprise that, once retailers do get ahold of this type of payment conversion data, Fitzgerald said they don't let go — and give their conversions a leg-up in the process.
"Large retailers often extend their existing physical POS payments provider to serve their online needs."
The quarterly Checkout Conversion Index, coupled with deeper conversations with more than 70 retailers, shed light on a really interesting fact: Many merchants have wrongly assumed that operating in a digital world is similar enough to their existing physical environments that they can leverage their existing POS payments providers to get them to an online or mobile optimized checkout.
Let's just call this what it is — a strategic and fatal assumption.
"Certainly, checkout is a significant part of the in-store shopping experience but rarely do you see consumers get to the front of the line, have everything in their cart scanned and bagged and then they simply walk out the door," Fitzgerald remarked.
But online, this is happening at a staggering rate, and Fitzgerald knows why.
"In eCommerce, checkout isn't just part of the experience; it's, in effect, part of the product," he explained.
The fatal mistake of thinking that online is simply a digital expansion of the physical POS misses the fact that, online, checkout is a significant piece of the experience.
"We've documented pretty well what the potential effect is on merchant sales if they don't," he emphasized.
Fitzgerald noted that this happens because physical merchants looking to grow an eCommerce footprint probably have great rates on their POS processing and want to extend that online.
But he said that it's rare to find a provider that's really good at handling all of the complexities at the POS, while also being really good at handling all of the complexities of eCommerce.
"I know there are folks that are trying to do it — and it's a noble effort — but it's a rare thing," he added.
"Online merchants lack a checkout strategy that gets the consumer from the front door through the back door with a purchase."
Fitzgerald observed that the reason that online checkout continues to be separated from the online product, overall, in the minds of merchants is that there simply isn't a strategy around what that checkout experience needs to be.
Fitzgerald used this example. In meetings with merchants, he will often ask how many of them have a regular ongoing discussion about how to test, design and create the best experience possible on their site's homepages. Not surprisingly, most of them do.
But when that same question is asked with respect to the checkout page, he said that few hands remain in the air.
His view is that that there needs to be the same amount of energy applied to both.
"Thinking about checkout with the same level of discipline and rigor around ongoing management and continuous improvement and a vision for what it could be — all of those things is what makes up a checkout strategy," Fitzgerald said.
"And there's not a lot of organizations we see that are really thinking about it."
Fitzgerald also said that it's easy to spot merchants that don't have an online checkout strategy in place: They've designed a mobile website because they know it's important and have a strategy in place, but checkout is nothing more than the existing checkout page presented in a responsive design.
"That's when we know merchants don't have a checkout strategy, because checkout on mobile is about more than responsive design," he added.
What it's about, he says, is a number of things, including a variety of payments options that can be enabled and using data capture flows that are unique to mobile versus a desktop.
That, Fitzgerald said, could also include integrating mobile wallets into the checkout product but resisting the temptation to consider a mobile wallet as the checkout strategy in and of itself.
When wallets are implemented correctly, he says that they can overcome conversion checkout problems but cautioned that it's also important for a merchant to look at consumer demand when considering adding a mobile wallet to its checkout strategy and why adding one will help and not hurt.
"If merchants don't have a baseline for what their checkout experience is today and what they want it to be, then whether they should add a mobile wallet or not will be up to whoever is screaming the loudest," Fitzgerald explained, while noting that, if there is actual conversion data in place, the decision can be easier to make.
"Retailers should focus on enabling a best-in-class experience in every channel that the consumer uses to interact with them."
Fitzgerald said merchants feel a lot of pressure to "be omnichannel," which they interpret as two things: having a great experience for their customer, no matter how that customer wants to interact, and common data about the customer in every channel.
While those are concepts that will ultimately become table stakes in the omnichannel game, Fitzgerald noted that the problem arises when merchants believe the only way to get there is by going all in with one provider or solution — all at once.
Forgetting, he says, that it might be a better idea to deliver a best-in-class experience for each channel first. Fitzgerald believes that the race to omnichannel may be causing merchants to lose sight of the main goal: offering the highest level of experience across each and every channel.
"You've got to have a great experience in every channel and try to get things as consolidated as possible without compromising that," Fitzgerald said. "Not doing that is a mistake we see people making."
Something that Fitzgerald asserts compromises the great experience in each of those channels, which he says becomes counterproductive.
"If we all just keep to the simple penance of wanting a customer to have a great experience, no matter how they want to interact and having the data on hand to service them," Fitzgerald said, "you can do a lot more, I think, when you think of it that simply."
$162 billion in annual revenue.
That's how much money underperforming merchants are leaving on the salesroom floor when they just can't convert an online shopper to an actual buyer.
Whether it's too many clicks, the requirement of too much information or charging way more than a shopper is willing to pay for shipping, there's many attributes of the online checkout process that can quickly turn shoppers away in the blink of an eye.
The Checkout Conversion Index™, a PYMNTS and BlueSnap collaboration, reveals what's causing consumers to abandon their virtual shopping carts and what merchants can do about it. The CCI measures these payment conversion problems by analyzing the digital shopper experiences of more than 650 U.S.-based eCommerce sites across 14 merchant categories.
The Q2 2016 CCI report found that big merchants still lack an online checkout strategy. Key takeaways from the latest release of the index include:
Despite the noted progress and the overall index improvement of three points to 56.4 from the first quarter of this year, the fact remains that merchants, both large and small, are still suffering from the "failure to convert."
The How We Shop Report, a PYMNTS collaboration with PayPal, aims to understand how consumers of all ages and incomes are shifting to shopping and paying online in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research builds on a series of studies conducted since March, surveying more than 16,000 consumers on how their shopping habits and payments preferences are changing as the crisis continues. This report focuses on our latest survey of 2,163 respondents and examines how their increased appetite for online commerce and digital touchless methods, such as QR codes, contactless cards and digital wallets, is poised to shape the post-pandemic economy.


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A dose of retro with your tea: Game Boy heat-change mug
Tech Tools: Inspired by Nintendo's Game Boy and the cult of Mario
Not quite technology at its most cutting edge, but certainly something that games fans might like. This heat-changing mug is inspired by Nintendo's Game Boy and the cult of Mario. It has all the styling of the old-style Game Boy, complete with screens. The "screen" is blank until you add your morning hot drink, and then as if by magic, it turns into an iconic Mario/Daisy scene. On the other side, you have the familiar start screen. Take your pick. Clearly it's some sort of wizardry we can't explain.

subset: commoncrawl


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North Korea nuke launch fears as Kim Jong-un mysteriously vanishes from public eye… just as he did before the last two missile launches
The weapons-obsessed dictator hasn't been seen since July 28 and there are fears a missile could be launched tomorrow.
KIM Jong-un appears to have vanished from the public eye - raising fears another missile launch could be imminent.
The North Korean dictator hasn't been seen for more than two weeks, since he was pictured by state media on July 28 celebrating the test launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile.
His withdrawal from public events mirrors the weeks before North Korea's last two test missile launches.
There are fears tomorrow's public holiday to mark the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japan at the end of World War Two could be used to fire a new rocket, according to South Korean news outlet KBS.
North Korea has previously threatened to fire four Hwasong-12 rockets to land in the sea 17 miles from Guam 'by mid-August'.
Kim had threatened to strike the US territory in an escalation of tensions with the United States.
US President Donald Trump has warned North Korea it is "locked and loaded" and to expect "fire and fury" if the threats are carried out.
The UN has already passed sanctions as North Korea continues to develop its weapons programme and carry out test launches.
CIA Director Mike Pompeo also told Fox News yesterday that he would not be surprised if another test were carried out.
He said: "I am quite confident that Kim will continue to try to develop his missile programme, so it wouldn't surprise me if there was another missile test."
Satellite images have also shown activity in the area of a submarine, similar to movements seen when preparations were made for a missile test in August last year.
In a statement released last week by the North Korea's KCNA media channel, the dictatorship vowed to mercilessly wipe out the provocateurs making desperate efforts to "stifle" their leader, Kim Jong-un.
Guam is situated around 1,500 miles to the west of the Philippines and just over 2,000 miles from North Korea.
most read in news
Crucially, the island is also a strategic US military outpost and is home to more than 6,000 US service personnel.
American military bases occupy nearly 30 per cent of Guam's land, including the Andersen Air Force Base and the Naval Base Guam.


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The Spring 2010 Church IT RoundTable is just a few weeks away in Sunny Florida! If you haven't registered go on over to www.citrt.org. This event will be our best yet! Where else will you find a event for under $100 that Includes tours of Northland Church in Orlando and an "Up Close and Personal" Tour of the Kennedy Space Center.. and that's just the pre-event agenda! (Both tours are included in the event registration.)
One of the great aspects of the CITRT National events is meeting up with IT Peers you already know and meeting new peers too! Where else can you meet up with Church IT professionals who do what you do at ministries all over the country, all with the same goals to learn from others experiences or to share things learned over the last year.
If the peer learning wasn't enough, there are some great event sponsors participating and are ready to give you the necessary help or information to roll out those big projects for the coming year. We will be again having the Vendor Bazaar were CITRT partners can share, demo, explain etc the technology and tools they sell.
Maybe there is already one of those "would it be possible…" projects on your list and you don't know how to get the solutions.. I am sure someone at the RoundTable will have an answer or know someone who does.
If you are joining us at the RoundTable but you haven't invited a colleague from your town to join you what are you waiting for, make the call and allow someone new to experience CITRT this spring!
See you in Florida!


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How Can A Commercial Lawyer Help Your Business
Business owners have to know and apply the law in all their transactions, partnerships and contracts. Not knowing the legal requirements doesn't make you innocent, should you get sued by one of your partners or clients. This is why you have to make sure you apply the law in everything you do. Nonetheless, knowing all legal details of all transactions can be impossible, as laws can change quite frequently. The role of a commercial lawyer is to draft and review all agreements and business transactions in order to make sure they are in line with the legal requirements of the moment. A business may decide to have in-house commercial lawyers or to outsource these services by hiring a law firm.
Commercial lawyers spend a lot of time researching, drafting and reviewing business documents. They need to identify all rules that must be followed and all conflicts that might arise. This activity requires many hours of study, as these attorneys might need to examine a lot of international and local laws in order to be able to determine such rules and potential conflicts.
The main point of using the services of a commercial lawyer is to prevent the need for going to court to resolve disputes. Well drafted contracts, leases and other legal documents set out the conditions and fees for all transactions so that each party should be clear on their obligations. Difficulties arise when one party does not adhere to the agreements between the two parties.
Commercial lawyers in fact rarely appear in court since their work is predominantly desk-based centred around contracts, lease agreements, shareholder agreements and terms of trade among other documents. If there is a disagreement then they will work with the other party's lawyers to try to come to a suitable arrangement. It is only if this breaks-down that people have to go to court to get a resolution,
Some business owners think they are safe, as they don't give their partners or clients any reason to be unhappy. Nonetheless, this is a wrong way of thinking. You need to play it safe at all times, otherwise you might need to pay huge legal fees once you have to defend your case. Generally speaking, the fees of a commercial lawyer represent only a fraction of what you may need to pay to a lawyer to get you out of trouble once it's happened. It is always wiser to prevent such situations occurring than allow them to come to pass.
If you run a business, you should consider hiring the services of a commercial lawyer. You may already have your agreement drafts and various business documents you use in your daily work, but how can you tell they are good? By hiring a legal professional to assess and edit these documents, you can gain the peace of mind that you are going to be on the safe side and will be able to either enforce them or be able to defend yourself
If your business is small, you should probably outsource such legal services. Hiring an in-house business lawyer could be too expensive for you, as you'd have to pay this individual each and every month, regardless their activity. On the other hand, if you hire a law firm to check or develop your business documents, you are only going to pay for what you use. If they work 10 hours, you are only going to be charged the fee for this time and nothing more.
Either way, each and every business should use a commercial lawyer to make sure they minimise the risk of either losing a case or not being able to enforce your own position.
McVeagh Fleming is a firm of commercial lawyers on the North Shore of Auckland.


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Let's Cheer for Cherries!
By Chelsea Fisher
There's nothing like the iconic cherry when you're in need of a sweet metaphor: The used car that's "cherry"; the cherry on top that is the perfect finishing touch; the cherry red cheeks that stand for health and happiness. And there's nothing like a bunch of cherries when you're looking for a savory anti-cancer fruit. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, recent studies have found that cherries provide anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant that gives them their red hue, along with major health benefits. For this reason, they have been listed by the AICR as one of their 'Foods That Fight Cancer'.
Nutritionally, cherries can be separated into two categories: sour and sweet. Sour cherries have higher concentrations of vitamin C and beta-carotene, but both variations provide almost 20 times more vitamin A – good for eyes and cell growth — than either blueberries or strawberries. Studies have also found that tart cherry juice may aid in muscle recovery and reduce inflammation. Sounds like it might be time to have everything with that metaphoric cherry on top.
Ann's Tips
Cherries are the welcome fruit of early summer, and they proudly take their place in cobblers and picnic baskets from May through August. Bing, Lambert, Rainer, Montmorency, and Royal Ann are the most widely available varieties; each one has a unique taste.
Fresh cherries should be plump, blemish free, and shiny. Sweet cherries should be firm, but not hard, and sour cherries should feel medium-firm. Avoid buying any cherries that seem soft, bruised or have brown patches. Also, remember the darker the cherry the sweeter it will be. If you are as big a fan of cherries as I am, treat yourself to a cherry pitter. We don't usually recommend single use kitchen gadgets, but this one makes a bowl of cherries into a cherry pie without fuss or too much muss. You can pit olives with a cherry pitter too.
Recipe Tips
As with many fruits and vegetables, the skin is the most nutritious part of cherries, so leave it on for the most benefit. If it's not the season for fresh cherries, frozen or dried ones are a great addition to meals any time of year and provide the same nutritional benefits. Try our classic Cherry Pie recipe. For something quick and easy make our Cherry Compote and put it over a little plain yogurt. Cherries also add a delicious sweetness to salads, such as in our Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Dried Cherries recipe.


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Journalist Yessenia Funes opens CSUEB's Earth Week
Justin Mutch,
Staff Writer
May 10, 2018
Yessenia Funes, an environmental journalist for the blog Earther, gave a keynote speech to kick off Earth Week at CSUEB, April 23 through 27. She gave an informative and poignant presentation in the Multipurpose Room in the New University Union about environmental racism, as well as other forms of envir...
San Leandro High School was on lock down after threat
Louis LaVenture,
March 14, 2018
Racist graffiti prompts closure A lockdown was issued yesterday at San Leandro High School around 11 a.m. after graffiti was discovered in a boys bathroom stall that read, "I'm shooting the School tomorrow at 1 I'm sick of this shit Better not come Fuck this place," according to the San Leand...
Racism on the rise in Albany
Shelby Brown,
October 19, 2017
The city council meeting on Monday featured an Albany resident and her two young children, who experienced and witnessed racism and hate crimes. "If we are a sanctuary city, our foundations are cracking." said the mother. "We need to start bridging the gap because groups in Albany are divided an...
Donnisha Brown
Donnisha Brown,
August 27, 2017
A Cuban is a Cuban In the United States, there are African Americans, Chinese Americans, Mexican Americans and many more Americans. Although it is not directly defined by race, wealth, livelihood and overall quality of life is differentiated culture to culture, neighborhood to neighborhood. In Hav...
Right-wing 'Freedom Rally' planned for Saturday in San Francisco
Justin Mutch,
August 23, 2017
Patriot Prayer, a Portland-based political and self-professed free speech organization has received approval from the National Park Service to hold a "Freedom Rally" at Chrissy Park in San Francisco on Saturday, Aug. 26. Oath Keepers, a Las Vegas-based militia that the Southern Poverty Law Cente...
Colin Kaepernick: Remain yourself
Marissa Marshall,
Staff Writer
August 16, 2017
Another day has passed, totaling 165 since quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been an NFL free agent. On top of that, the Baltimore Ravens just signed former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Thad Lewis, whose last football impression was being placed on the 49ers' injured reserved list at the end...
Trump Tracker: Pioneer updates on America's president
Louis LaVenture,
August 16, 2017
What Happened? President Donald Trump spoke on Monday about the "Unite the Right" and counter-protest rallies that clashed on Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia leading to three deaths and 34 injuries. Trump was criticized by The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angel...
Hayward already a no-discrimination zone
Kamille De Guzman,
June 7, 2017
About six years ago, Linda Moore, an African American, was shopping near the fruit section of her local Safeway grocery market when a young Latina woman approached her and asked, "Can you get me some watermelons?" "I was first appalled at her audacity to even state such a discriminating and h...
'Get Out' tackles social, race issues
Tishauna Carrell,
Staff Writer
March 15, 2017
The new film "Get Out" is a turning point as a horror movie, and hopefully will inspire future filmmakers to take a different approach to making horror movies. When I saw the trailer for "Get Out," I was looking forward to seeing a horror film that included a focus on African Americans, so...
Oscar flub just one flaw in show
Louis LaVenture,
March 1, 2017
As I watched the cast and crew of "La La Land" accept the best picture award at the 89th Academy Awards on Sunday, I was mad. I thought about how African Americans won both best supporting actress, Viola Davis for "Fences" and best supporting actor, Mahershala Ali for "Moonlight." And yet a...
East Bay theater brings Ferguson to campus
Wendy Medina,
Copy Editor
January 6, 2017
As the lights dimmed and the music died down at a Dec. 9 performance of "CSU Ferguson" at Cal State East Bay, the performers made it clear that the title of this performance was meant to bring the world of police brutality to our campus frontlines, because we as college students of color are very real...
The media must be held accountable for dividing this country
Yousuf Fahimuddin,
November 17, 2016
The current political climate in this country is the most toxic it's been in my lifetime. In a mad dash to prove themselves right—because nothing is worse than a newspaper admitting that it got something wrong—they're spreading false information. "Big media" outlets like CNN, Huffington Post, ...


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10 key facts about debt in the UK
The UK government is paying virtually the lowest amount of interest on its debt in recorded history, as a proportion of GDP. Of the payments it is making, most are to people and institutions in the UK, with just 25% of UK government debt owed outside the country. In contrast, 24% of the UK government's debt is owed to the UK government itself, via the Bank of England.
UK government debt presents relatively low risk because the majority is owed in pounds, a currency the government controls, to institutions and actors in the UK. However, the briefing points to major concerns over rising unsecured personal debt levels, the UK's economic deficit with the rest of the world, and economy's exposure to external financial shocks.
The UK economy as a whole – the private and public sector – has the largest deficit with the rest of the world of any of the IMF's list of 36 rich countries. The latest IMF figures show the UK's current account deficit as 4.4% of GDP, compared to 2.6% for the US, and 1.1% for France. Japan and Germany have surpluses of 3.9% and 8.5% of GDP.
Tim Jones, economist at the Jubilee Debt Campaign said:
"Debt crises around the world, from Ghana to Greece, have been caused by debts owed outside a country. Yet UK government debts are primarily owed to people in the UK, with a quarter owed to the government itself through the Bank of England. The overall amount the government spends on interest payments is also at virtually the lowest level since records began.
"Of much bigger concern is the fact that the UK is by far the most exposed to a global financial crisis of any major economy. Furthermore, despite the fall in the pound following the Brexit vote, the UK still has the largest deficit with the rest of the world of any rich country. Our 10 key facts tackle the widespread myths about the scale and risks of government debt, and show the real risks facing the UK economy are from high and rising private indebtedness."
The UK's finance sector is the most exposed to a global financial crisis of any G7 economy. The ONS recently revised its estimate of assets and liabilities, which led to a change from a surplus of £470 billion (24% of GDP) to a deficit of £22 billion (1% of GDP). This re-estimate led to headlines of "Britain's missing £490 billion." However, the real problem is not whether there is a small deficit or surplus, but the huge scale of the UK's external assets and liabilities (564% and 565% of GDP respectively). The next highest is France (286% and 301% of GDP). A 20% fall in the value of external assets held by the UK would leave the country with net liabilities of 114% of GDP.
The ten key facts in the briefing are:
- A quarter of UK government debt is owed to the UK government itself,
- Three-quarters of UK government debt is owed to people and institutions in the UK
- Of G7 economies, only Germany has a lower government debt (as a proportion of GDP) than the UK
- The UK government can currently borrow at the cheapest interest rates in its history
- The UK government is paying virtually the lowest amount of interest on its debt in recorded history, as a proportion of GDP
- UK government tax revenue (as a proportion of GDP) is the third lowest of G7 countries, and well behind other European countries
- The debt of the UK's private sector is more than four times as big as that of the government
- Unsecured personal debt in the UK is rising rapidly
- The UK economy has the largest deficit with the rest of the world of any rich country
- The UK's finance sector is the most exposed to a crisis of any G7 economy
by Tim Jones


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@pepperthai2, Instagram
On Thursday, Chrissy Teigen shared via Instagram the heartbreaking news that she and John Legend had lost their unborn son, whom they had begun calling Jack. The post inspired a number of parents who had experienced similar grief to share messages of support and stories of their own, and defend Teigen's decision to share such personal moments online. Yesterday afternoon, Teigen's mother, Pepper, shared an emotional and love-filled post of her own as tribute to her grandson Jack.
"My heart aches," she wrote, alongside a video and photos of her holding the child. "Love you so much baby Jack." The heart-wrenching video shows Pepper crying and speaking to Jack, while a nurse is holding him. Teigen can be heard in the background saying, "You can touch him if you want." The pregnancy loss comes after Teigen was hospitalized for excessive bleeding from her placenta and endured multiple blood transfusions to try to create a safer environment for the baby. "We were never able to stop the bleeding and give our baby the fluids he needed, despite bags and bags of blood transfusions. It just wasn't enough," Teigen wrote, sharing news of the loss.
After being criticized for posting such intimate photos online, various internet supports came forward to explain that it's normal for families who have suffered a stillbirth or miscarriage to have photos taken to memorialize the loss and to help them cope with the grief. "There's nothing weird about it," one Twitter user asserted.
It's common for families who suffered a stillbirth or late miscarriage to take photos like the ones Chrissy Teigen shared. Orgs like @nilmdtsHQ and hospitals offer photo services to memorialize the loss and help parents cope with their grief. There's nothing weird about it.— Jordan Davidson (@JA_Davids) October 1, 2020
No matter how much Teigen, her mom, or anyone else in their family decide to share about the devastating loss online, they deserve to grieve in peace.
If you or someone you know is going through a similar loss, you can contact a resource like Through the Heart or SAMHSA's National Helpline for immediate support.


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Announces new hires, client wins and key partnerships with local startup incubators
SILICON VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Square 1 Bank, a full service commercial bank serving the financial needs of entrepreneurs in the life science and technology sectors, and the venture capital community, today announced strong momentum in Silicon Valley including new key hires, client wins and key partnerships with local startup incubators.
This news comes on the heels of the MoneyTree™ Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and the National Venture Capital Association, which found that venture capital firms invested over $5.3 billion (across 514 deals) in Silicon Valley startups in the first half of 2012.
"Venture activity in Silicon Valley remains robust, and Square 1 Bank's ongoing growth and momentum certainly reflects this. We are committed to being a financial partner that supports growing companies and their investors with the experience, flexibility, speed and creativity they deserve," stated Sam Bhaumik, Executive Vice President, Banking Silicon Valley.
Recent new hires in Silicon Valley include:
This hiring corresponds with an increase in new banking clients, including Credit Karma, a pro-consumer company offering free credit scores and credit monitoring; Mixbook, a free online service for creating and sharing personalized photo books; and Vitapath Genetics, which is developing a platform for genomic-based tests that determine an individual's need for targeted therapy in certain medical conditions treatable with vitamins.
Square 1 Bank also continues to support the startup ecosystem through sponsorships and partnerships. It is the official banking partner of Greenstart, which invests in some of the best digital cleantech startups and helps them achieve progress during its 3-month Startup Design™ program. Square 1 is also a resource partner for StartX, a non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the development of Stanford's top entrepreneurs through experiential education. Most recently, the Bank sponsored StartX Demo Day on September 6, 2012. Upcoming sponsorships include DEMO Fall 2012 and Venture Alpha 2012.
"Square 1 Bank's support of StartX and our founder community goes far beyond its banking services. The bank's strong understanding of entrepreneurs and how to successfully navigate the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem has been an invaluable asset," stated StartX Partnerships Director John Melas-Kyriazi.
About Square 1 Bank
Square 1 Bank is a full service commercial bank dedicated exclusively to serving the financial needs of the venture capital community and entrepreneurs in all stages of growth and expansion. Square 1's expertise, focus and strong capital base provide flexible resources and unmatched support to meet our clients' needs. The bank offers tailored products and solutions aided by the latest in technological innovations. Square 1 has offices coast to coast in Austin, Boston, Denver, Durham, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, Seattle, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.square1bank.com.
Forward Looking Statements/Safe Harbor Provision
This release contains "forward-looking statements" that are based on assumptions and may describe future plans, strategies and expectations of the Company. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the use of the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "project" or similar expressions. The Company's ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Factors that could have a material adverse effect on the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries include, but are not limited to, changes in market interest rates, regional and national economic conditions, legislative and regulatory changes, monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government, including policies of the loan or investment portfolios, demand for loan products, deposit flows, competition, demand for financial services in the Company's market area, ability to operate new branch offices and loan production offices profitably and changes in relevant accounting principles and guidelines. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating any forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, the Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to release publicly the result of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.
Square 1 Bank
Dee McDougal, 919-597-7479
Senior Marketing Specialist
Source: Square 1 Bank


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While responding to a report of a prowler in the backyard of a home in the 3900 block of Weeping Willow Drive around 6 a.m., Moorpark patrol deputies found Michael Bennett in the front yard of a nearby residence.
After a brief investigation, deputies learned Bennett was the suspect at hand and had reportedly ran away after the homeowner saw him looking into the windows of the home with a flashlight.
Bennett was arrested for prowling and possession of a controlled substance.
Authorities discovered the suspect was also responsible for earlier break-ins in the Moorpark area Saturday morning shortly after. Moorpark deputies believe Bennett broke into two homes in the same area by reaching through pet doors and unlocking rear sliding glass doors. The property Bennett had stolen while the homeowners were sleeping was recovered.
The suspect was later linked to several other residences in the neighborhood that had also reported attempted burglaries.
Bennett was booked for charges of residential burglary, attempted residential burglary, possession of illegal drugs, and being under the influence of illegal drugs at the Ventura County Jail. He is being held on $250,000 bail.


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After a few very frustrating months, we are delighted to announce that the team at Redcastle are back!
We would like to apologise to all our valued customers who missed us over Christmas, but we are back under a new management team (check our information page for more details).
What better way to move forward than to announce that we have made the coveted Top 10 for the 3rd consecutive year in the The Scottish Gin Society's consumer poll.
Huge thanks to everyone who voted for us and have continued to support us through the last few weeks of uncertainty.
We are working hard to get our stock levels back up and will hopefully be back on a shelf near you soon!
After a very busy couple of months, team Redcastle are absolutely delighted to pick up the Silver Medal for our Passion Fruit & Mango Gin Liqueur at the Scottish Gin Awards.
It was also a great night for our distilling partner & friends at Distillutions LTD.
We had lots of fun with our Angus & Arbroath gin friends on the night celebrating some great achievements and some amazing gin.
Everyone at Redcastle HQ is absolutely thrilled with the news that our amazing Spiced Rum has been awarded 2 stars as part of the Great Taste awards 2019.
It is a blend of our own Angus distilled rum with 3 year old cask aged Jamaican rum, which results in a heavenly and indulgent spiced rum, with notes of vanilla and citrus.
We may be biased but we think it is amazing and we are sure if you are a rum fan you will love it too!
The nominees have been announced for the Scottish Gin Awards 2019 and we are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for the following awards:
We at Redcastle are really pleased to see some of our fellow Angus based producers nominated too, great to have our region so well represented.
Fiona Walsh, co-director, commented that "being shortlisted for such prestigious awards is a great bonus for Redcastle and is testament to all the hard work done by team Redcastle. However, we need to give a big thank you to all those customers who enjoy our products and help us to be who we are!"
We cant wait for the awards!
Redcastle are delighted to announce the launch of our exciting new product!
Our ready to drink Gin & Tonic, is a perfect serve of our award winning gin, mixed with our own specially selected tonic water with a hint of lime.
Each bottle is 200ml & 5% abv.
It will start to roll out across our customers from next week, and will be available at our markets as usual from this weekend.
It will also be available in our online shop from later this week
We are absolutely over the moon at Redcastle HQ!
The results of the 2019 Scottish Gin Society online survey of Scottish Gin lovers has revealed that Redcastle Gin has come in 3rd Place!
Having been delighted with 7th place last year, we are absolutely bowled over with this years result.
Fiona Walsh, Director stated "We are absolutely astounded by this result, it really underlines that we are on the right path and gives us increased momentum with all our exciting plans for the year ahead. It is amazing to be in a top 3 along side such illustrious company as Isle of Harris and Kintyre gin, and it is great to see so many newer brands in the top 20. We want to recognize and thank our wonderful customers who have supported us on our journey so far and we look forward to sharing more exciting times ahead with them!"
After its successful debut in 2018, we are delighted to announce that our beautiful engraved Redcastle Raspberry & Pomegranate gin liqueur heart bottles are back!
Each bottle is 20cl and is hand dipped in black wax and will retail at £20.
As well as being available from our regular farmers market stalls and selected retail partners in the run up to Valentines day, we will also have a pop up stall in the Overgate from the 7th February.
If that was not enough, we will have the hearts available to pre-order from our online shop from... today! (bottles will be posted from the 28th January)
This Saturday, the folks at Redcastle HQ will be putting their glad rags on and hitting the town to celebrate The Courier business awards 2018.
Redcastle Spirits has been nominated in the "Young Business of the year" alongside, Bella and Duke, Pirate Boats & The Butcher The Baker.
Good luck to all those nominated.
At Redcastle HQ, we are busy finalising the next 2 additions to our range. We will bring you more news of these exciting developments over the coming weeks!
Redcastle Spirits were delighted to learn that our wonderful gin has been voted in the top 10 favourite Scottish gins, in a poll carried out by the Scottish Gin Society
Redcastle Gin came in 7th on the extensive list of all Scottish Gins, and we were delighted to share the top 10 with a number of household names, as well as other craft distillers.
Fiona Walsh, Co-founder and director of Redcastle Spirits said "We are delighted to have such a loyal following, and proud to be listed alongside some fabulous examples of Scottish craft gin."
Redcastle Spirits are delighted to announce that our range of Gin and Liqueurs are now available in miniature!
Available now for just £5 each at all Farmers Markets (Angus Farmers Markets, Perth Farmers' Market, Dundee Farmers Market) and available soon from our retail partners.
We will soon be announcing an exciting new addition to our Liqueur range (you may be able to get a sneak preview at the next farmers market)
We are delighted to announce that Redcastle Gin has received its first (of many) awards, having been given a Bronze medal in the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) 2018.
Redcastle Spirits are delighted to announce that our Raspberry & Pomegranate Gin Liqueur has been shortlisted in the Scottish Gin Awards!
We are alongside a very impressive line up: Edinburgh Gin, Eden Mill, Boe Gin and El-Gin! Congratulations to everyone & here's to a fab night, celebrating this amazing and thriving industry, in September!


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A Recollection of Stories from My Mom | KCET
A Recollection of Stories from My Mom
By Ivan Wu
My dad works until 2 am so he's usually too tired when he's at home to want to do an interview. My mom is a seamstress and she works for about 12 hours, when she gets home she even cooks dinner, but she's always tired so I don't want to bother her with a trivial interview.
I will be telling you about my mom, from recollection of stories she has told me in the past. My mom immigrated from a small farming village by plane. She immigrated because most of her family was already in America. She thought it'd be a better life here in America. Life was hard in China, being the oldest sibling and such, she had to give up a lot. When her family immigrated, they didn't have enough money to send all of them there. My mother was left behind in China, while her parents, two younger sisters, and a younger brother went off the America. She always had to do more work on the farm and was expected to be more responsible because she was older. When she got older, she saved up the money and came to America.
As an early immigrant life was very hard. She moved in with her family that was already here and worked as a seamstress. She went to an adult school for a short while and tried to learn some English, but was never able to fully learn because she was always working to help out the family. Her younger siblings, however, learned English and other things much easier because they were younger.
Life in America now for her is fairly decent. She's happy that she raised her family pretty well. She does not regret immigrating to America. Even though life is hard now, she hopes for a better tomorrow. She hopes that her children will grow up to be successful and be able to support her well into old age.
Story continues below
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However, so far I've been quite cheap and used the freebie ones you get on planes, Virgin eye masks have done me well so far!! But today I decided to actually buy one that looks good.
So I popped along to Joy and found this one
It was either that, or an F Off one, which I thought even when I'm at my most tired is just a bit too much! Looking forward to wearing it tonight, pink and frilly, can't go wrong!!
I feel a bit ashamed about my free plane eyemasks now, you should always try to look your best, even in your sleep!!!


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Teal In Motion
Honestly, we did not know Stratford, Ontario is the property of the teen sensation Justin Bieber till we visited the Stratford Tourism Office on Downie Street, just a block or so from the Avon Theater. Almost 50% of 25-34- year-olds use their phone to shop online whilst standing in line at a store.five To aid these shoppers research goods much more simply this vacation weekend, we rolled out new mobile functions to Google Shopping such as 360-degree imagery and much more detailed item details.
No matter what you are searching for, you are going to be in a position to locate it. Regardless of whether the upscale NorthPark or the suburban Stonebriar is much more your style, you're confident to thoroughly take pleasure in the encounter of shopping in the Dallas-Ft Worth Metroplex.
Searching by color family allows all dresses in every single specific color family to pop up. Then, each dress will list each of the distinct shades of that colour obtainable, particular to that particular dress. Thanks for clearing up the difference between shopping an supply and letting current queries and agents who have fulls get a likelihood before you accept an provide. Pros: Shopping on the internet implies no queuing at the checkout to pay, no parking hassles as you search for a space in the shopping mall car park and no negotiating the in-store crowds if you have to shop at peak occasions.
These individuals take pleasure in carrying out shopping and acquire almost everything even if they never need it. Often I feel that I am a shopaholic. Louie akan tidur disana ketika dia sudah kembali." Kata Nyonya Choi, Tuan Baek terlihat cemberut sambil bergumam tak percaya kalau kejadian akan seperti ini pada hidupnya.
By coupling buyer intent with Google Shopping's image-focused method, Paper Culture was capable to highlight their styles in a expense-successful way – making sure that every shopper that clicked on a Google Shopping ad was an already-interested purchaser.


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2009. 7. 24. 05:14 Social Network Services
Google News Alert for: online social network
Report: April Brings Boost to Small Business Confidence
eWeek - New York, NY
When asked if they were a member of any online social networking community such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace or Twitter, 38 percent of SMBs said yes, ...
See all stories on this topic
This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.
Google Books Search for: Report: April Brings Boost to Small Business Confidence
Authors: Malaysia. Kementerian Kewangan, Malaysia. Ministry of Finance
Book id: unknown
Published year: 1992
Page count: 0
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The fundamentals of how a government system provides for its citizen's rests on the morals and ideologies that underlie the system itself. A socialist government possess the essential aspect, "conception of liberty is the positive provision for the entire population" (Strachez, 1936:214). Liberty for the entire population, in other words: equality. Socialism's foundation is based on egalitarian ideals for the benefit of its people, steering away from establishing an economic profit that would conflict with the liberty of well being. Health service is to be regarded as a social or human right, evenly available to all, versus a substantial determination by the commercial market depending on purchasing power. (Roemer, 1976). In the Cuban Socialist Constitution, health care is considered a right, guaranteed to every citizen. Medical care, along with food, clothing, housing and education, is "of the highest priority" (Schwab, 1997:18). By treating health care from a holistic perspective and implementing it as a constitutional right, Cuba has become a "powerhouse;" their health care a "jewel of the revolution" (Schwab1997:18). The purpose of this paper is to show how Cuba's medical care system has been fiercely adhered to by its political leaders and citizens because of an ideology focused on human well being versus profits; how it has been installed into the national value system and adhered to throughout its growths. Cuba's health care system is revolutionary because rather than focusing on profit, it has made its focus the health of individuals, which capitalist countries have de-prioritized. Establishing their ideology as the basis, Cuba has formed their health care system into a free service, just one of the aspects in their socialist philosophy. Health is a constitutional right. In their Constitution, these basic four principles form the foundation of their philosophy:
1. Health care is a human right rather than a product for economic profit. Therefore, all Cubans have equal access to health services, and all services are free.
2. Health care delivery is the responsibility of the state.
In addition to integrating the health care system into the ideology that formed the basis of the new socialist government, it has approached health care from a systems perspective. This entails recognizing that an individual's well being is comprised of several components, and an efficient health care system must be designed to meet all the needs if it is aimed at complete well being. After WWI, a scientific discipline called systems analysis developed, where national leaders looked for the solution to problems from the perspective of "seeing the situation as a whole" (Roemer, 1976:3). Out of this new systems perspective, a new model of health was developed. Overall, there are three main determinants that influence an individual's well-being (See chart on page 12 for details):
1. Physical environment: includes the geography and climate they live in, and basic necessities such as housing, food, and water.
2. Social environment: includes education, occupation, relationships, urbanization, etc.
3. Personal traits: attributes such as age, sex, immunity, genetic background, habits, etc. (Roemer, 1991:21).
Together, these three components influence an individual's overall health. Health services have the responsibility to provide a means to meet these requirements of its citizens in order to establish a healthy population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in order to be effective, health services must consider both medical effectiveness; "quantitative health indicators like infant mortality rate, nutritional status, and life expectancy," and social impact; "not only social justice and the mobilization of community resources but the process through which people gain greater control over the social, political, economic, and environmental factors that affect their health" (Iatridis, 1990:29). These standards set by the WHO effectively fulfill the three determinants of the systems health model.
The Cuban health care system meets all these standards set by the WHO, therefore also
fulfilling the fundamental needs an individual requires in order to be in complete health.
Cuba's socialist government approached health care and designed their delivery system, using the systems analysis approach. This is exemplified in their program called "Medicine in the Community" established in 1976.
It was argued that health and illness are conditioned by the interaction of bio-social human beings and their environment. Health was therefore a function of the biological, environmental, and social well-being of individuals. The fundamental objectives were promotion, maintenance, and improvement of individual and community health through their participation in the functioning, organization, and use of the system, with patient satisfaction as the primary goal (Nayeri, 1995:324).
This program, among others, not only is successful by applying the systems analysis approach, it is an example of the comprehensive, humanitarian ideology underlying the Cuban health care system. In 1985, during the American Public Health Association meeting, the Cuban Minister of Health was awarded the Edward Barsky Award for Cuba's achievement of the WHO goal: "Health for All by the Year 2000" (Iatridis, 1990).
In order to clarify the importance of the health care system and at the same time explain the pride and will of its citizens who partake in it, I will describe the history of its development.
The Cuban health care system was not always designed as such, so comprehensively and equally. The emergence of their health care system is just one of the aspects that came from the birth of its socialist government, in the Revolution of 1959. Prior to the revolution, the majority of the Cuban population was under the oppression of the Batista military dictatorship. There was no free government-funded health program, and the health services were essentially conformed according to social class. The population of Cuba consisted of a proportionately small wealthy class who owned and controlled the bulk of Cuban wealth, the largest class of those who lived in or near poverty standards, and a small middle class. The very rich, top social class went to privately owned hospitals run by independent physicians, the middle class (about 10% of the population), went to Mutualistas, and the remaining large class of peasants and other poor citizens went to the remaining facilities: 46 overcrowded and understaffed government hospitals, some first aid stations in the main cities, and eight maternal and child health stations, built for the total population at the time of 8.5 million people. (Roemer,1976). The distribution of doctors was extremely uneven: high proportions were in the main cities with few, if any at all, in the rural areas.
There were several privately-owned healthcare facilities that were run under profit-oriented managements. The most commonly used services were the Mutualistas. These were family owned and operated insurance schemes. They were started by Spanish immigrants and colonists, originally run for their families and friends. They eventually expanded, sold memberships for monthly premiums, and charged on a fee-for-service procedure. In addition to these, there were military medical services that served the armed forces and their families. There were also industrial medical services, which were company-owned hospitals and clinics, run by the employers for their employees. Half of the fees were paid by the employer, the other half by employee wage deductions. Lastly, there were religious and voluntary facilities. These were few and small, sponsored by churches and donations, run by physicians who were often not compensated for their services. (Roemer, 1991).
The revolutionary movement came from within, first initiated among students and then spread through the large population of peasants. (This is significant because it is from these common people who held personal values that would eventually form the new national ideology.) The Batista government was overthrown by Fidel Castro and his guerillas in January, 1959. This new government, which was mostly formed by the poor population, had not developed a value for extreme luxuries of profit and power and simply desired a more healthy and equal Cuban nation. The pre-revolutionary health statistics of the Cuban population were poor. The poor population who live in conditions with poor hygiene, sanitation, and nutrition, contributed to the infant mortality rate of 60 per 1000 live births, a maternal mortality rate of 125.3 per 1000 live births, a general mortality rate of 6.4 per 1000 person, and a life expectancy of 65.1 years (Nayeri, 1995). They "inherited a for-profit health care system that was plagued by political corruption, poverty, illiteracy, economic inequality, and social injustice" (Iatridis, 1990:29).
The new government promised to provide Cuba, despite their limited resources and agricultural economy, a free quality health care system, establishing it as a national priority (Iatridis, 1990). Yet, transforming and rebuilding the nation around the new "human right philosophy" (Roemer, 1976:84) was a step-by-step process that has been revolutionized over three decades. The first major obstacle that the new government faced was finance. Up until the revolution, 75% of Cuba's trade was with its powerful neighbor to the north, the U.S. (Nayeri, 1995). After the invasion of the U.S. in 1961 known as the Bay of Pigs, and after the placement of the U.S. Embargo in 1962, "total hostility of the U.S. government towards Cuba" was obvious (Nayeri,1995:327). Cuba looked towards the nations in the East for both assistance and advice. In an interview with a Cuban revolutionist, Roemer reported his statement, "We received helpful ideas from many countries, some capitalist and from all socialist countries. We blended these with creative initiative of our own" (1991:455).
Cuba's most ample economic supporter was the Soviet bloc, which was a relationship that introduced both positive and negative effects to their development. First, financially they proved to be a beneficial aid:
The Cuban relationship with the Soviet bloc has been a complex one. On the one hand, Cuban economic development benefited from trade, technology, finance, and credit relations in the face of U.S. hostility. These proved essential for the rapid rate of growth which supported social programs in Cuba, including health care achievements. (Nayeri, 1995:327).
The Soviet's generous assistance helped rebuild their struggling economy. On the other hand, the Soviet's bureaucratic castes had social and political influences that conflicted with and hindered the absorption of the Cuban socialist philosophy. Probably the strongest influence in the revolution was Ernesto Che Guevara. He strongly disapproved of the relationship with the Soviet bloc because of the conflicts of philosophy and incentives. He criticized their "bureaucratic and technocratic nature and for it's reliance on the market mechanist," versus the strategy that he helped develop, one of "economic, social, and political development to deepen and expand the leading role of working people and gradually replace moral motives for material incentives in all spheres of social life" (Nayeri, 1995:327). Basically, the Soviet influence threatened the new ideology focused on the intrinsic human worth versus the benefits of profit. Sadly, Che Guevara died and the influence he feared from the Soviet model lingered in the vulnerable society. "The Soviet model fostered bureaucracy and a self-seeking attitude in the Cuban population...health care workers began to respond more to personal gains than to social needs" (Roemer, 1991:451).
What originally seemed to be an economic blessing now turned to be a force that threatened the socialist moral foundation. The leaders of Cuba held a conference, and a rectification process was put into effect aimed at a return to Guevara's ideology in 1986 (Roemer, 1991). This relationship with the Soviet Union, although rocky, did not tip Cuba. The determination to adhere to their basic ideology that benefited all was both the light they worked toward, and the foundation that kept them stable on their feet.
With the assistance that they were initially receiving form the Soviet bloc and other Eastern European countries, the Cuban people (for they worked together as a community, another glue that helped them succeed in their common goal) needed to rebuild three major deficiencies: their facilities, their resources, and their medical team.
MINSAP (Ministry of Public Health) was put in control of all resources for health care. They collected and integrated all the existing facilities from the former private organizations, compensating the owners (if they were still present, many were among the citizens that left) and renovated them. By 1970, the last Mutualista hospital and clinic were collected into the MINSAP network, therefore establishing all facilities under government control. That process made up much of the most intense transition period between 1962-1968 (Roemer, 1991). This process took the profit out of health care. Health care was now a government funded institution.
Cuba was now in the process of developing its new medical facilities; innovative, extraordinary, and unique. The Cuban health care system is so incomparable, on a theoretical level, because it brings together the medical community and residential community, creating a sense of belonging and unity which improves a person's sense of security, improving their mental health. "By mediating between individuals and the social structure, the networks strengthen individuals and families and promote self-governance...In the industrial nations, urbanization and technological development have diffused, altered, and weakened mutual support groups; mobility has disrupted traditional primary groups" (Iatridis, 1990:32). Here stands a difference between a capitalistic health care system and a socialist health care system, and the success that complements the perspective of systems analysis.
The structure of Cuba's health care delivery system is organized into six hierarchical levels that all interlock with one another and correspond to the country's administrative and political departments (Iatridis, 1990). (See chart on page 13 for details). The uniqueness of the Cuban system begins at the local, personal level and ultimately made all its citizens "difficult to be forgotten or lost" (Iatridis, 1990:30). The medicine-in-the-community programs created in the 1970s brought the emphasis away from the hospitals and into the communities, changing the emphasis from illness to wellness, from treatment to prevention. It was a program described as a "stress prevention and outreach to families, not just responding to patient complaints" (Roemer, 1991:462).
The polyclinics, which provided primary health care to the residents in small areas called "sectors", were further divided into mini-polyclinics, which were even smaller local units. A family doctor team established in each unit would assume total responsibility for the health care of their assigned neighborhood (Iatridis, 32). Trust was therefore installed into the doctor-patient relationship, along with personal recognition - no one is just a case or a number, each individual is a part of the whole that makes up the community. The government also made it a health care equally accessible to every citizen, even those who lived in rural parts, so no Cuban lives more than 600 yards away from a physician (Hemmes, 1994).
Emphasis on the community is extended into education, which is also a free service to all Cuban citizens. As a result, they have achieved a 100% literacy rate, extraordinary for their economic status, and much higher than that of several industrial nations, including the U.S. (Schwab, 1997). Also an emphasis of health is applied to education. The physician teams work together with mass organizations to monitor routine community health functions, such as classes about sanitation, alcohol abuse, etc. (Hemmes, 1994). Special emphasis concerning prevention is ensured to maternity patients and vaccinations, aiming at early health intervention to create healthy young people. There are maternity homes established throughout communities, which not only offer residence to high-risk mothers, but also provides meals and vitamin supplements to outpatients in order to increase birth weights (Schwab,1997). This has contributed to a high rate of mothers giving birth in hospitals, 99% (Hemmes, 1994), and a Cuban infant mortality rate of 7.5 per 1000 births, lower than even some areas in the U.S. (Schmechner, 1994). Vaccinations are routine, "98% of all children have been vaccinated against 12 major diseases" (Schwab, 1997:18).
For a third world country especially, they have achieved high standards. Their three leading causes of death are the same as in most other industrial countries: heart disease, cancer and stroke (Iatridis,1990). Therefore, this ideology that has focused on early prevention starting in the communities, and oriented towards a full socioeconomic concept of wellness has proved successful.
The method that the Cuban government has used to maintain this ideology in the medical field is built into the education program that is designed in their medical schools. When the new socialist revolution took over, there was only one medical school and a great deficiency of physicians, since an estimated 40% of their medical staff left the country after the revolution, most of them leaving for the U.S., desiring to live in a for-profit oriented economy. Now, there are 15 medical schools in Cuba, and some 60,000 doctors (Schwab, 1997).
All physicians must complete a nine year medical program: five years of basic medical training, one year of in-hospital internship, followed by a mandatory three year placement at a rural post. Emphasis is put on family medicine, but those who wish to specialize in a certain field of medicine are required to fulfill a further three-year medical program. Education shifted from training only individual health workers to training teams and teaching team intervention and community-centered approaches. The basic training is designed to take emphasis away from competition in profit and prestige and replacing it with community and cooperation. Upon graduation, each graduate must abide the special Cuban oath which declares his or her intention to serve the people, to renounce private practice, to cooperate with government policies, to emphasize prevention and human welfare, and so forth. This inserts a common goal to work towards, with the intrinsic reward of achieving national wellness.
The Cuban medical system has definitely advanced. They now have 60,000 trained physicians to serve a population of less then twelve million. They have expanded to 284 hospitals, 440 clinics, 11 research institutes, and 15 medical colleges (Roemer, 1991). Some of their aspects have been criticized, though. For example: the doctor to person ratio (1:190) is considered too extravagant, and the annual expenditure of 10-15% of their GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for research and free medical care is also considered too much (Schechner, 1994). Yet, Cuba's impressive growth cannot be denied, and is still predominantly admired by many nations in the world. The Cuban socialist philosophy has been further emphasized through the treatment to other countries. Many physicians volunteer to third world countries and they have participated in many relief efforts (Schwab, 1997). Their research contributions that their 5000 current researcher have developed are outstanding: Cuba …
Cuba's hard work has paid of, literally. Their medical research and innovative medical technology has been exported abroad. Cuban exports of diagnostic equipment and pharmaceuticals earned Cuba $120 million in 1995 (Schwab, 1997). A second way that Cuba has used their technology for economic finance is through what has become known as "health tourism." This is a medical system they have developed for foreigners only in order to help finance the free service to their own citizens, the expenses of medical research, and so forth. Health tourism is a chain of private hospitals that provide paid services to foreigners only - in 1995 this brought in over $25 million dollars. Services performed include treatments for eye and skin diseases, open heart surgeries, Parkinson's disease, kidney transplants, neurological disorders, and countless others (Schwab, 1997). The North American Congress on Latin America recorded that 7,000 foreigners from 60 different countries have visited Cuba to receive medical services (1997). Cuban medics have also been hired to go out to other countries at very profitable rates. These profits are redistributed into the health economy, one source reported 60% into the health tourism hospitals and 40% into health care for the citizens (Schechner, 1994). This system has also received some criticism for the dual-system it creates in Cuba. Some of the services that physicians perform for the foreigners they can not perform on the citizens, for the reason that they cannot afford it. The same country that criticizes health tourism is the same country that has contributed to the cause of their economic crisis: the United States.
The U.S. Embargo has caused the Cubans and their economy to suffer terribly. I will briefly touch upon the impacts of the U.S. policies simply to emphasize the power behind a nation's ideology. This blockade has not only been a blockade of U.S. products, (mainly medical supplies that the Cubans were dependent on because of the cheaper import costs), but it came to be a "virtual world-wide blockade" (Nayeri, 1995:332) because all other nations were prohibited by the U.S. to trade any import with Cuba that was comprised of any U.S. part. For example, most antibiotics are produced under American patents, so these are included in the embargo. Any third country or foreign enterprise exporting these to Cuba will be threatened by U.S. sanctions (Schwab, 1997). This explains why one reported described it as a "virtual economic blockade" (Chelala, 1996:559). It has deprived the Cubans of, ultimately, an aspect of everything. From essential necessities such as some basic food groups, to intellectual trade items such as journals, to commodities we take for advantage such as gasoline. (That, actually, was ironically beneficial in the long run. Cubans have resorted to bicycles which has improved their physical health and the environment) (Flavin, 1997). The U.S. has not gained any respect or admiration for their embargo or any of the other policies they have enforced, (such as the Cuban Democracy Act, Trading with the Enemy Act, or the Helms-Burton Act just to name a few). In fact, at a United Nations General Assembly, nations voted overwhelmingly that the U.S. was in violation of Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that maintains that everyone has the right to the "health and well being of himself and his family, including...medical care and necessary social services" (Schwab, 199107:21).
The Cuban health care system has developed immensely. At the time of the revolution, the socialists started with run-down hospitals, poverty and disease stricken citizens, a severe shortage of physicians, and a nation and its people recovering from a long struggle with oppression. From creative ideas rose a new nation. Step-by-step the communities picked up the broken pieces and with collaborative effort, they have successfully put them together. The new Cubans developed their own Constitution with their own ideals. They transformed demolished facilities into the innovative hospitals that people from around the world come to receive treatment. They have built themselves research facilities that make worldwide medical contributions. The Cuban's have replaced the profit-oriented physicians with bright new doctors, both male and female, that do not let the distraction of wealth interfere with the delivery of service to their patients. There is no competition among them, they work cooperatively to achieve the same purpose. The Cubans have transformed a nation that benefited only the wealthy few into a country that reaches out to all: young or old, rural or urban, leader or peasant. They have reinvented the concept of health care, and have stood as an example to many countries, even to some that are wealthier than Cuba. The Cubans have ultimately brought "first world care to a third world country" (Hemmes, 1994:53).
This transformation would never have been completed without the ideology the new socialist people created for the benefits of all its citizens. The Cubans have recognized the intrinsic value of every individual, and have made it their priority over the pleasures of wealth. Cubans do not pay for their health care, they help each other achieve it because health is everyone's human and constitutional right. Human health has no affiliation in Cuba with the concept of riches. Significance is put instead on the person regardless of their status. By taking money out of health care, they have put health care back to where it should have initially stayed: the person. Cuba has the potential for advancing further than any capitalist community. A nation of healthy people united for the same effort will leave the greedy individuals fighting amongst themselves in the dust.
Chelala, Cesar. 1996. "Relations between the U.S. and Cuba; a Proposal for Action." The Journal of the American Medical Association 275:559-560.
Flavin, Christopher. 1997. "Cuba's Dilemma, Self-Reliance or Global Exchange." World Watch 10:37-39
Hemmes, Michael. 1994. "Cuba: Its Health Care System May Offer Lessons for U.S. Policy-makers." Hospitals and Health Networks 9:52-55.
Iatridis, Demetrious S. 1990. "Cuba's Health Care Policy: Prevention and Active Community Participation." Social Work. 95:29-34.
NACLA, North American Congress on Latin America, Inc. 1997. "Health Tourism Booms in Cuba.." NACLA Report on the Americas 30:46-48.
Nayeri, Kamran. 1995. "The Cuban health Care System and Factors Currently Undermining It." Journal of Community Health 20:321-333.
Roemer, Milton I. 1976. Health Care Systems in World Perspective. Health Administration Press. Ann Arbor.
Roemer, Milton I. 1991. National Health Systems of the World, Vo. 1: The Countries. Oxford University Press. New York.
Schechner, Richard. 1994. "Cuba: Lift the American Embargo Now." TDR (Cambridge, Mass.) 38:7-10.
Schwab, Peter. 1997. "Cuban Health Care and the U.S. Embargo." Monthly Review 49:15-25.
Strachey, John. 1936. The Theory and Justice and Practice of Socialism. Random House. New York.


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Today is Kelsi's birthday!! She is my brother's girlfriend and I hope she has a great day!! Happy Birthday Kelsi!!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Happy Birthday!
Labels: Family
1 Comments:
- Anonymous said...
thanx amber for the special blog. i had a great birthday!
- August 25, 2007 at 8:40 AM
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Your Most Reverend Excellency,
The Supreme Pontiff continues to follow with apprehension the drama of the Peoples of Romania, hit by torrential rains that have caused deaths, devastation and serious damage in this Country.
His Holiness raises fervent prayers for the repose of the souls of all who have lost their lives in this disaster and assures those who are suffering because of the death of their loved ones, who are homeless or who have been forced to leave their possessions and are now in serious difficulty, the assurance of his remembrance in prayer to the Lord.
With these sentiments, as a comfort the Holy Father invokes from God consolation and support for these brothers and sisters and, as a sign of his affection, sends them a special Apostolic Blessing.
Yours most devotedly in the Lord.
Cardinal Angelo Sodano
*L'Osservatore Romano. Weekly Edition in English n°30 p.2.


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We have tied up with Medanta Hospital, Gurugram for all our students and their families health care at special discount. It is multi-speciality and among the best in Gurugram and need no formal introduction. The discount can be availed by showing the student I.D. Cards and their personal I.D. Proof, discount will be as under :
Health Check Up : 10% discount
OPD Services 10% discount
Senior Citizens 10% discount
IPD Services 10% discount


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The AKC Puppy Protection Package is available to purchase with the Cockapoo Puppies for $50.00
This would cost $217.64 if purchased separately.
Your Puppy Protection Package will include:
AKC Registration
AKC Reunite Microchip Enrollment & Lifetime Pet Recovery Service
Lifetime Live Phone Support from AKC Dog Trainers (AKC GoodDog! Helpline)
AKC New Puppy Handbook
AKC Family Dog Magazine - 1 Year Subscription
Complimentary First Office Visit (at a Veterinary Practice listed with the AKC Veterinary Network)
Complimentary Free Trial AKC Pet Healthcare Plan
Click Here for more information:
The Complimentary FREE Trial - AKC Pet Insurance
FYI: I do not always support the act of crossbreeding and mixbreeding dogs. However all of our purebreds were crossed with another breed at some point to get the end result of that purebred dog. Cockapoo's have been bred for some time now and I feel as though that they have been well established, in some breeders hands, and are healthy, great little dogs that I truely feel comfortable with. As you know on my "About Us" page the Cockapoo was our 1st family dog. I have a passion for the Cockapoo and would not be breeding Cockapoo's if I didn't like the result. We carefully select our purebred Cockers and Poodles that we breed, we don't just breed to have a Cockapoo. Our Cocker's and Poodle's must meet breed standard and must be friendly, healthy dogs. Yes I like to show my dogs and no you can not show a Cockapoo in an AKC confirmation ring, but who knows what the future holds and you don't always need to show a dog to prove he is a great, healthy and beautiful companion! The ACA shows will allow you to show your Cockapoo's now in their ICA portion of the show, also if your Cockapoo has been bred Cockapoo to Cockapoo for 3 consecutive generations you can now enter your dog in thier ACA Confirmation ring.
We recommend having your pet spayed or neutered at around 6 months of age to prevent any unplanned breedings.
About Us
Contact Us
Purchasing and Delivery
Guarantee & Agreement
Havanese Puppies
Cocker Spaniel Puppies
Cockapoo Puppies
Past Puppies & Reviews
St Francis River Bottom Canines
Cockapoo Puppies
All of our Cockapoo puppies are kept on a strict vaccination and de-worming schedule.
Our Cockapoo puppies are fed a top of the line puppy food. We feed
Royal Canin Small Puppy Food
, which we do strongly recommend them staying on while puppies.
We also require your new baby to be on NuVet Plus till the puppy is at least 1 year old. Our Cockapoo puppies are also microchipped with the "mini" MicroChip ID or the AKC REUNITE Microchip for their protection.
NuVet is not available in stores!
Click on the NuVet picture to order.
Cockapoo Puppies, Cockapoo Puppies for sale, Cockapoo Puppies for sale in Missouri, Missouri Cockapoo Breeder, St Francis River Bottom Canines Cockapoo Puppies, Red Cockapoo Puppies, Cockapoo puppies, Cockapoo Puppies for sale
Personality: Cockapoos are highly trainable, with a keen intelligence. They are curious and eager to perform. They do well with one-person owners as well as with families with young children. They are very people-oriented, outgoing and happy dogs.
Hair: Coat is usually dense; may be wavy or curly; usually little-to-no-shedding.
1st Generation Cockapoo's are good for people with allergies.
Tails: Tails may be docked or not. (Both are acceptable.) Our Cockapoo puppies tails are generally docked to a medium length, unless otherwise requested.
Lifespan: Generally 14 to 18 years, even into the 20's.
Activity Level: They adapt well to apartments and homes, but are also "at home" on the largest farm. They have a moderate activity level. Cockapoo's are very deversified.
Cockapoo's have been around for years. Me and my mother have bred and raised the Cocker Spaniel for over 19 years. Years ago we introduced the Poodle. The Cockapoo's have a loving, smart and loyal personality without all the shedding of the Cocker. They are non-shedding dogs because of the Poodle in them. They are wonderful with children and just good all around family pets. They are quick to learn and make a nice Emotional Support, Therapy or Service Dog. Our Cockapoo puppies will be registered with the International Canine Association to show that both mother and father are registered purebreeds. We look forward to sharing the love of Cockapoo with other families and providing you and your family with that companionship you have been searching for.
The Sire's to our Cockapoo Puppies
Miniature Poodle
Son of Rusty and Tammy
My Cockapoo
Our Cockapoo puppies are socialized around children and other pets on a daily basis. We provide early neurological stimulation, child and sound socialized, so your puppy will have the best start. Upon leaving most of Cockapoo puppies will be able to use a doggy door and/or puppy pads to do thier business and introduced to a crate. We like the docked tail look of the Cockapoo, so unless requested our Cockapoo Puppies will have their tails docked and dew claws removed.
Each Cockapoo puppy is microchipped for thier safety unless you request otherwise, please let us know. All puppies are vet checked prior to leaving.
Prices generally start at $1,200 and up. We do not raise our puppies cheap therefore our price reflects the care and quality you are getting in one of our puppies. Prices subject to change.
Our Cockapoo puppies are 1st generation ("TRUE Cockapoo") puppies. They come from carefully selected, AKC registered, healthy and good tempered parents for a quality Cockapoo puppy for your family. We take our Cockapoo breeding very serious to insure we are providing you with a puppy that would be a wonderful companion or potential service or therapy dog.
What supplies do I need for my new puppy?
It depends a lot on how you want to train your puppy, house training, ect.. but here is a list of things that we like to have here.
Food & water dish,
Royal Canin Small Puppy Food
Treats (we like Bil Jac Treats best), NuVet Supplements (can be used as treats also)
Leash, collar and/or harness
Toys (No Rawhide or anything that can be swallowed)
Snuggle Puppy or clock in sock or something to snuggle with
Crate; if crate training
Wee Wee Pads
Expen or also called excercise pen/play pen (we use one inside the house and one outside for a potty area)
Baby Gates to keep the puppy in a certain area of your home until house trained fully
Vinegar water or some type of cleaner in case of an accident
Puppy shampoo & conditioner (we like to use either Chris Christensen or Pure Paws products you can google them online)
A couple towels for puppy
Straight toothed comb & brush
Vet phone number on hand and appointments scheduled for routine vaccinations
I like to keep a bag packed for the car when we travel:
Small Blanket
Bath Towel
Paper Towels
Trash Baggy
Cleaner / Baby Wipes
Water & Water Bowl
Light Weight Collar & Light Weight Long Leash
What shots will my puppy have?
Each puppy will come with their own individual vaccination and deworming record that you will need to take to your vet for their first initial checkup. This will let the vet know what he will need to follow up on. Your new puppy will need to be kept up to date on his booter vaccines, just like a human baby. We start each puppy here with the following:
Deworming scheduled for every 2 weeks at minimum, until monthly preventative is started.
5-6 weeks of age they get a NeoPar Shot. (this is a high titer Parvo Vaccination) & Kennel Cough.
8 weeks of age they get a 6 way. Parvo, Distemper, Adenovirus Type 2, Parianfluenza & Corona.
If we still have the puppy past 8 weeks we do follow up boosters every 3 weeks until they are 17 weeks of age. 6 months, 9 months and 1 year, then yearly or bi-yearly thereafter.
Rabies Vaccination is given at 12 weeks or older.
Do the puppies get their vaccinations from the vet or do you do them yourself?
It has been brought to my attention by a previous buyer of one of our puppies, that I should have this information on my website. My sincere apologies if this information is something you as a buyer wanted that I did not provide previously.
YES, I give all the vaccines your new baby needs, as per my vet recommendations and under my vets guidelines, except for the rabies vaccine and my vet gives that at the recommended age as required by state laws. I have many, many hours of continuing education on vaccines and how to give and monitor them along with many, many years experience giving them as well. My vet does sign off on my vaccine protocol. These vaccines are purchased directly from Revival Animal Health and sent to me in a cooler the next day and they are immediately put in a refrigerator that is only used for vaccines where the temperature is very closely monitor, the exact same way our vet does. We use a trusted brand called Nobivac.
I am very strictly monitored as a breeder here in the state of Missouri. Some states don't have the guidelines and regulations that we have here in our state, so it is understood if you or your vet may not trust some breeders or rescue's that are not regulated or those who may not be doing things to your expectations. There are some that may purchase shots from a feed store or pet store, and no, those can't always be fully trusted, on the brand, or on how they are purchased, or handled.
Please understand that I do know the fear of purchasing a puppy and not knowing if it had proper vaccinations or if the person is lying about them to cut cost or etc, that's why my standard's are so much higher. But because I deeply care about each of my dogs and puppies, remember these are my babies first, if you cannot trust me and my vaccine protocol, as your new companion's breeder, then you have not found the breeder you are looking for so please keep searching until you can find a breeder you trust. I do not want the babies I've worked so hard to provide for families, to be over vaccinated and made sick, because you or your vet don't trust that I have done it properly. A vet can be very intimidating but stick to what is best for your puppy. A breeder's years of experience, heart ache, success, failure, tears, trial and error and more ceu credit hours than that are required to be done by most vets means so much to back a good breeder.
Thank you to all those who have trusted me and as your Breeder!
Can we come see the puppies?
We do completely understand the need to want to see the babies in person. But there are several factors we must take in consideration.
We do not allow anyone to come out to see the puppies until they are at least 6-7 weeks old. Before this time they are still with their mothers and just like us, the momma's get a little nervous when there are strangers coming in and out looking at their babies and touching them and taking them from them when they are wanting to keep them all together and protect them until weaning age. Just think about what it would be like if you had these babies and were a little dog and you had all these different people coming into your space, hovering over you and touching your babies. I've seen the look in their eyes and as their owner I just want to protect them from that fear of "what's going on?"
Another factor that plays a roll in this is diseases, you may have walked somewhere previously and not known it but may have picked something up on your shoes or even clothing. Our puppies generally get vaccinated at 6 weeks of age so for their protection they need to be vaccinated first before being handled or seen.
Any puppies that are already sold will not be available for viewing as they are already spoken for and we are protecting someone else's pet at that point.
Most of our puppies are chosen by the pictures and/or video's we send out. And a lot of times they are sold by the time they are 6 weeks old. I know that makes it hard for those of you looking to come out and pick out a puppy. With the way the demand, technology, laws and times have changed it just makes it nearly impossible to be able to choose a puppy in this way any longer without missing out on the puppy you originally thought you wanted. I understand this is hard for some, we totally get it... But to make sure we can get all of our puppies placed in loving homes safely this is just the way it is. If you were to come out before they were 6 weeks old the only thing you really would be seeing is what colors they were or how they compared to size in the litter, which you can see in pictures or speaking with me. A puppies eyes don't open till they are 2 weeks old, then ears open at 3 weeks, visual site improves by 4 weeks.... they are just sleeping alot up to this point because it takes so much energy to grow. Personality really doesn't start to come out till they are 7 weeks and older, after they leave momma, then sometimes that changes after they get in their new homes and they adapt your rules and boundaries.
A deposit must be placed on a puppy before we will allow you to come out. No exceptions! This is transferable to another puppy if you so choose another puppy that is available at the time you visit. This insure's you are not waisting my time away from my dogs/puppies and family
helps give a little extra security that you are not a thief or criminal
and you are serious about the commitment. Deposits can be transferred to future litters as well.
Are the puppies potty trained?
Our puppies are started on potty pad / paper training. Some introduction to the crate is started upon their leaving. Here is a link to the local trainers for more information on house breaking:
Tips for Raising a Successful Puppy
Why are your puppy prices what they are?
When you purchase a puppy from us you are choosing a puppy from a legal, licensed, professional breeder. To be a legal licensed professional breeder in the State of Missouri takes a lot of time, money, love and passion for the breed. When you purchase a puppy from us you are not bringing home a puppy from a backyard breeder, illegal breeder, a flipper, hobby breeder or just someone trying to make a buck. You are bringing home a puppy that comes to you from loving hands that is healthy, fully vaccinated, fed a high quality food from the beginning for the best start, vet checked, health guaranteed, healthy parents and from a breeder who understands that puppy's background and where it came from, socialized and loved from day one, someone who sat beside momma while she was birthing and helped each baby take their first breath of life.
It's not cheap raising quality, healthy puppies. Our puppies are worth it!
ACA Champion
Miniature Poodle
"RedMan" (RETIRED)
He is the son of Cheeto and Red.
OFA Teeth= Full Dentition
OFA Congenital Cardiac Disease = Normal
OFA Patellar Luxation = Normal
Vet Checked on Eyes
can be
We breed for the preservation of the breed type & bloodline, their great loyal companionship and for potential service/therapy dogs.
We recommend the Snuggle Puppy
Dogs and puppies are pack animals and are instinctively drawn to their mother and others in their pack. Snuggle Puppy recreates that intimacy with physical warmth and a simulated heartbeat. The result is a calmer, more peaceful pet - one that feels less loneliness, fear and separation anxiety.
Click HERE for more information & ordering
Page Updated: October 22, 2020
To be placed on our waiting list we require a $100 non-refundable partial deposit.
This deposit will go toward your future puppy.
Those on the waiting list will be contacted in the order their information was received.
Waiting List for Future Litter:
Mary, Anne, Lindsey, Anjuli, Florence
Click on the stork to the right
for the Waiting List Placement Agreement
Everyone on our waiting list has been contacted.
1 Female Cockapoo Puppy Available
Money Order's / Cashier Check's are NOT ACCEPTED
for payments at time
of pickup, please see our Purchasing Page for more information.
Deposit must be received before puppy is reserved.
Miniature Poodle
10 1/2 lbs
13 3/4 inches tall
Thunder was imported in from the Netherlands.
Miniature Poodle
11 lbs
Cocker Spaniel Momma's are on the Cocker Spaniel Page
Rusty & Miriam Litter
Born: August 24, 2020
Ready: October 26, 2020
(tentative date)
ICA Registered;
Tails Docked / Dew Claws Removed;
Poodle Momma's to the Cockapoo Puppies
Miniature Poodle
Born & Raised here out of Cheeto & Red, full sister to RedMan
Vet Checked, healthy and very nice girl.
18 lbs
14 inches
Now owned by and living with my mother, when she has a litter to share with families we will still post their pictures here.
Maverick - Male #1 -
Mia - Female #2 -
Mikayla - Female #3
Myla - Female #4 -
trupanion is now also offered with all of our puppies
Medical insurance for the life of your pet.
Free for the first 30 days if activated within 24 hours of receiving your puppy!
"I'm the Goshorn Family's Most Adorable New Baby Boy! I can't wait to join them in TN!!"
"I've been adopted by the Mudder Family in MS!!"
"I'm going home to the Cantrell Family here in Missouri!!"
Website Designed
for Your Business


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Giving to ABC-Ohio is available through our giving portal by clicking HERE.
Once you have arrived at our giving portal, you will be presented with a screen where you may log in (if you have used the site previously).
If you have never used our online giving portal, you will be presented with a screen that looks like the image pictured here. Click on "Create Account" (the red circle). At that point, you will be guided through the process of creating an account.
Once you have created an account, you will be able to give online and track your giving history. Please be aware that once you have clicked on the links, you will be transferred to a secure site and a password protected account will be required.
Don't forget to create an account with a password that is easy for you to remember, but secure enough that someone else will not be able to figure it out. Do not use birth dates, a child's name or other easily-identifiable characteristics!
Thank you and know that through your gifts more people can be touched by the ministries of ABC-Ohio!


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Spend your points on a $500 helloworld Travel voucher to put towards any purchase* with helloworld Travel. Choose from a world of travel options!
Are you planning your next holiday getaway? Spend your points with helloworld Travel to purchase vouchers for part or all of your trip. helloworld Travel is a full service travel agency where you can book:
*helloworld Travel vouchers cannot be used to purchase foreign currency.
If you'd prefer to book flights online with helloworld Travel, you don't need a voucher. Just go to the helloworld Travel website https://helloworld.co.nz/flybuys, find the flights you want, then use your points to pay for all or part of your fare (including taxes) in the normal checkout process.
If you have any questions about this product, let us know.


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7th Circuit Declines To Stay Gun Order
(CN) – Shawano Gun and Loan may have reached the end of the line in its effort to keep its federal firearms license after the 7th Circuit refused to stay its ruling pending an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Shawano lost its license after federal inspectors found missing paperwork and evidence that the shop was selling guns to straw buyers. The infractions were repeatedly discovered during each of the three inspections conducted in 1999, 2002, and 2007.
The 7th Circuit affirmed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' decision to revoke the license.
In a one-sentence opinion, the appellate court declined to stay its order.
Raymond Dall'Osto, the store's attorney, claimed that his client could not appeal to the Supreme Court because it will be unable to remain in business.
However, Shawano may continue to operate if owner Timothy Backes follows through on his plan to transfer the operation to his nephew, wiping the slate clean.