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SBM Charitable Foundation Scholarship awards
AREAWIDE - At its annual Scholarship Reception held on June 9, the SBM Charitable Foundation ("SBMCF") recently awarded 118 college scholarships, totaling $213,500 to area students. There were 39 new recipients and 85 returning awardees, including seven graduate students. Beginning with the fall 2015 semester, the students, residents of 40 Connecticut cities and towns, will be enrolled in 16 Connecticut colleges and universities.
Local student recipients are: Seamus McKeever, Emery Myette and Natalie Myette of Bolton; Jessica Boryczki, Benjamin Adams, Mandy Baniszweski, Kaitlin Brosnihan, Shannon Hill, Brendan Hughes, Sana Khan, Shawna Macuga, Kevin MacVane, Daria Marvasti, Nikki Pirtel, Emmalee Stewart and Sabiha Tarafdar, all of Manchester.
Pictured: Front Row (kneeling/sitting): Michelle Medina, Amanda Cabral, Brennan Schliphack, Seamus McKeever, Courtney Binkowski, Jenna Ethridge. Second Row: Huda Samakaab, Kyla Pokorny, Ethan Freund, Tess Michaud, Stacy-Ann Wallen, Nina Betancourt, Peyton Suggs, Lisa Panyanouvong, Nicole Medina, Jocelyn Guerraz, Natalka Tuczkewycz. Third Row: Stacy Bawuah, Emmalee Stewart, Sophia Pierre, AnnRichelle Akko, Cassidy Martin, Sabiha Tarafdar, Maricelis Abreu, Shawn Barrett, Sarah Mangiafico, Sasha Rhodd, Caitlyn Eaton, Shannon Hill, Sarah Froehlich, Julia Zagaja, Elaina Giordano, Claudia Paszek. Fourth Row: Joan Bosma, Julia Luppi, Nicole Green, Jessica Boryczki, Kaitlin Brosnihan, Joseph Stickles, Amanda Vollaro, Jahmal Gibson-Lindsay, Brendan Hughes, Lauren Biernacki, Stephen Sam, Anne Michaud, Brian Nwafor, Samantha Grajewski, Natalie Myette, Nikki Pirtel, Matthew Garneau, Leyda Ramos, Benjamin Adams, Kaitlyn LaBonté.
The SBM Charitable Foundation is located at 935 Main St. in downtown Manchester. For more information visit http://www.sbmfoundation.org.
Volunteers needed to read to children
MANCHESTER - The Retired & Senior Volunteer Program is looking for volunteers age 55+ to spend one hour per week helping an elementary school child become a better reader. RSVP READS pairs the volunteers with elementary school students for an hour of reading support. Volunteers make reading interesting and fun, act as positive role models and inspire their students to read.
This year, the program will operate in seven Manchester and five Vernon schools, from October-May. Training is provided, and many friendships are formed among the volunteers. Choose your preferred days, hours and locations.
Invest your time to help a child succeed in school. Call Theresa Strong, RSVP Manager of the Community Renewal Team, 860-760-3088 or email email@example.com.
Class of 1965 50th class reunion
MANCHESTER - The Manchester High School Class of 1965 will hold its 50th class reunion Sept. 11 to 13. Addresses of class members are needed.
Please respond to firstname.lastname@example.com or mail to MHS Reunion, PO Box 711, Glastonbury, Ct., 06033, or visit Facebook Manchester High School Class of 1965.
Registration for religious school
MANCHESTER - Registration for religious school at Temple Beth Sholom B'Nai Israel, 400 Middle Turnpike East. Manchester for this upcoming school year is under way. Registration for pre-school through high school. No tuition fee for grades Pre-K through Grade 2. For more information, contact 860-643-9563, ext. 100.
Book discussion
MANCHESTER - The Manchester Public Library, 586 Main St., will host a free book discussion on Dave Eggers' The Circle, July 20, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Howroyd Room.
The book looks at the issue of the public's need to display themselves through social media through a young woman who gives up her private life to work at a powerful technology company.
Copies of the book are available in the reference department. Light refreshments will be served. Advance registration is not required.
For information, call 860 645-0821 or visit library.townofmanchester.org.
Manchester Elks annual golf tournament
MANCHESTER - The Manchester Elks Lodge will hold its annual golf tournament July 18, beginning at noon, at the Skungamaug River Golf Club in Coventry. Tee time is 1 p.m.
The cost is $100 per golfer and includes 18 holes with a cart, food and beverages on the course. A prime rib dinner will be held following the tournament at the Manchester Lodge, 30 Bissell St.
For information and registration, call 860-646-9262 or 860-670-4060.
Adult summer reading program
MANCHESTER - The Manchester Public Library's adult summer reading program is now in full swing. To register visit the library's website at http//library.townofmanchester.org and click on Summer Reading 2015 and choose "Escape the Ordinary" in the drop down menu.
The program will offer weekly random drawings, and a grand prize drawing at the conclusion. The drawing for two tickets to a show at the Jorgensen Theater will be held Aug. 24.
Information on all the events associated with the program is available on the library's website or by calling adult services at 860-645-0821.
Art Exhibit at Manchester Town Hall
MANCHESTER - Fourteen artists from the Manchester Art Association are exhibiting artwork at Manchester Town Hall. The works represent an eclectic mix of media, thus the exhibit's name: "The Etc. Show." Media include: batik, charcoal, collage, dichroic glass, enamels & fused glass, fabric, glass, ink, inkless linocut, mixed media, mosaics, paper mache, pen, pen & ink, pencil, pewter, quilling, stained glass, and sterling.
Exhibiting artists are: Susan Aitner, Jeffrey Blazejovsky, Marianne Cornish, Janet DePratti, Sharon Gresk, Sue Hollister, Barbara Lappen, Christine Larson, Nancy Madar, Robin Simpson, Laura Sinsigallo, Steve Sottile, Patricia Trapp and Naomi Zima.
The exhibit will be on display through August. For more information, visit ManchesterArt.org.
Registration for religious school at Temple Beth Sholom B'nai Israel
MANCHESTER – Registration for religious school at Temple Beth Sholom B'nai Israel in Manchester for this upcoming school year is under way. Registration is for pre-school through high school. No tuition fee for pre-K through Grade 2. For more information, call 860-643-9563, ext. 100.
Local students earn honors at Kingswood Oxford
AREAWIDE - Several local residents earned a spot on the honor roll during the past year at Kingswood Oxford School. To make the honor roll, a student must have a B+ average with no grade lower than a C.
The local students are:
Bolton: Noah Hawks-Ladds, Joshua Pugliese
Manchester: Alexandra Burke, Cameron Dias, Emma Fisher, Jennifer Lee, Ryan Nesbit, Thomas Nesbit, Molly Sullivan and Vinz Umali.
Southern Deans List
MANCHESTER – Brittany Barrett, Stacie Martin and Tylon Smith, all of Manchester, were named to the Dean's List at Southern Connecticut State University for the spring 2015 semester.
University of Hartford Dean's List
AREAWIDE -The following area students were named to the Dean's List at the University of Hartford for the 2015 spring semester: Sarajane Cedrone of Manchester (06040)
Manchester - Sarah Conrad, Nathan Edwards, Daniel Fecteau, Elena Gandiaga, Joseph James, Kyle Rodny, Joseph Whalen, Kimberly Bigelow, Jeffrey Choiniere, Julienne Cutaia, Kaylee LaFrance, Lindsey Shores, Alexis Taylor, Chelsey Tinson and John Turner.
Bolton : Dejah Ford, Evan Jaworski, Kimberly Newton and Samantha Nyser.
Dean's List at Western New England University
MANCHESTER - Garrett S. Shaikh of Manchester was named to the Dean's List at Western New England for the spring semester of 2015. Students are named to the Dean's List for achieving a semester grade point average of 3.30 or higher.
University of New Haven Dean's List
MANCHESTER - Tatiyana Bramwell Jordan Martin and Nahian Rashid, all of Manchester, were named to the Dean's List at the University of New Haven for the spring 2015 semester. Full-time undergraduate students must have a 3.50 or better cumulative GPA for the semester to be eligible for the Dean's List.
University at Albany Announces Dean's List
MANCHESTER -Alexa Thomas of Manchester was named to the University at Albany Dean's List of Distinguished Students for spring 2015 semester.
NAMI Friends & Family Support
MANCHESTER - National Alliance on Mental Illness The group meets the third Thursday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Center Congregational Church located at 11 Center Street in Manchester. The group is open to families and friends of people with mental illness and focuses on sharing experiences and information. The next meeting is on July 16.
This program is facilitated by volunteers from NAMI of Manchester members who have been trained in support group facilitation. All family members are welcome. For more information, contact Betty Rousseau at 860-643-1173.
UCONN Dean's List
AREAWIDE – The following area students were named to the Dean's List for the spring semester at the University of Connecticut.
BOLTON: Eric Bousfield, Rostyslav Datsko, James Follett, Elizabeth Giuffre, Ryan Hof, Danielle Kerr, Kristie Longo, Drew Monroe, Lindsey Parker, Samantha Rosicke, Olivia Schipani, Leah St. Pierre, Julia Wilson, Crystal Zimmerman.
MANCHESTER: Kayla Blanchard, Megan Boyer, Kelsey Boyne, Jenny Bunick, Kelsey Carone, Cynthia Chin, Melissa Collins, Josh Couvares, David Cowles, Mahiza Dalal, EmilyDiana, Peter Dovidaitis, Neil Downes, Lauren Dundon, Marco Ebora, David Edelman, David Edelman, Joshua Essick, Gang Fan, Bryan Ferrigno, Laura Freeman, Natalie Fresher, Kayvon Ghoreshi, Keeyan Ghoreshi, Shannon Guilmette, Stew Henderson, Tara Higgins, Shanjida Jui, Colin Kasl, Samara Katini, Huma Khan, Andrew Kim, Alexander Kinstler, Vyas Krishnamurthy, William Kutz, Kimberly Logan, Thomas Lopardo Jr, Brian McCarty, Allison McHugh, Kathleen McHugh, Ashley Mills, Matthew Newport, Daniel O'Connell, Cailyn Ogle, Shannen Ogle, Shreevidya Periyasamy Shanmugavel Gu, Iva Petkova, Jessica Petritus, Fariha Rashid, Michael Reardon, Sarah Robbins, Sarah Robbins, Megan Shaw, Megan Shaw, Fiona Shaw-Mumford, Savanna Smith, Emmalee Stewart, John Sullivan, Justin Waggoner, Josee Walker, Paige Wlochowski, Christine Wolfenden, Amanda Zappulla.
CRIS Radio honors its volunteers
AREAWIDE - CRIS Radio volunteers were honored for their long-standing service at a special reception held recently at the Governor's Mansion. CRIS, a 36-year-old nonprofit, provides audio access to news and information featured in nearly 70 magazines and newspapers, as well as classroom materials, for children and adults who are blind or print-challenged due to physical, learning, intellectual or emotional disabilities.
Several volunteers were recognized for celebrating milestone anniversaries. They include: Jim MacPherson of South Windsor, a CRIS volunteer for 35 years, and Pete Anderson of Southington, celebrating 30 years. Henry Savage of West Hartford and Mary Jo Martin of Glastonbury also celebrated special anniversaries, marking 25 years of volunteer service at CRIS.
Others honored for their long-standing service include: Carla Pariser of West Hartford (15); Sondra Astor Stave of Coventry (15); Sherwood Willard of Bloomfield (10); Stephen Sacco of Wallingford (10); John Leland of Windsor (10); Tom Grossi of Windsor (10); Beth Gibbs of Windsor (10); and Richard Anderson of Simsbury (10).
In addition, the following CRIS volunteers also were recognized for marking milestone anniversaries. They are: Lou Morando of Windsor (5); Ryan McLean of Middletown (5); Garrett Ludwig of Glastonbury (5); Anne Karas of Bloomfield (5); Lisa Garlasko of Manchester (5); Jane Barstow of Hartford (5); and Susan Babcock White of Bloomfield (5).
CRIS operates with the dedication of more than 300 volunteers at its broadcast center in Windsor and regional studios located in Danbury, Norwich, Trumbull and West Haven, and at ESPN in Bristol. For more information, go to http://www.crisradio.org, email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 860-527-8000.
University of Maine Dean's List
MANCHESTER - Evan Cedrone of Manchester has completed his sophomore year at The Honors College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture at The University of Maine, making the Dean's list all 6 semesters.
Recent college graduates
Kathleen Bradway of Stafford Springs graduated with a Law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston-Salem, NC. She was a 2009 Graduate of Stafford High School. She is the daughter of Donald & Karen Bradway.
Julie Maloney, of Manchester, graduated with a degree in Management from James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, on May 8.
Emily Walsh of Bolton graduated from the University of New Haven.
Area businesses help MACC purchase much needed walk-in freezer
MANCHESTER - The Manchester Area Conference of Churches (MACC Charities) now has a new walk-in freezer, thanks to area businesses who put together Connecticut's latest "Make a Senior Smile Campaign," The Senior Promenade.
The event was held on May 16 at East Catholic High School in Manchester and raised $2,225 for MACC Charities. Always Best Care of Central Connecticut, October Kitchen and The Silent Partner Marketing teamed up to organize the dinner-dance for area senior citizens. During the event, students from East Catholic High School volunteered their time to serve dinner to the attendees.
Recently, MACC Charities walk-in freezer broke, resulting in hundreds of dollars worth of spoiled food. The money raised, including a $350 donation from Always Best Care of Central Connecticut, enabled MACC to purchase a new freezer and replace the lost food. MACC provides food, shelter, clothing and advocacy for the unmet basic needs in the community.
Sip 'N Sail
MANCHESTER - Walgreens Pharmacy is participating in Sip 'N Sail, an event to raise funds for backpacks and school supplies for children attending Manchester Public Schools. The event will be held July 17, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., on the Lady Katherine Cruise Line, Charter Oak Landing, Hartford.
Tickets are $75 each and includes a three hour cruise, two floors of musical entertainment, hors d'oeuvres, wine tasting and cash bar. Patrons must be 21 or older.
Tickets are available at Pinewood Furniture or Webster Bank on Main Street or by calling Dexter Singh at 860-942-0402.
Storytelling program for adults
MANCHESTER - Carol Birch will entertain an adult audience with stories of Renowned and Unsung Heroes and Heroines on Monday, July 27, at 7 p.m. at the Manchester Public Library.
Birch will share the story of Lou Gehrig, a man who excelled both on and off the baseball field. Listeners will also hear about the North Platte canteen, volunteers who met the more than 6 million service persons who traveled through Nebraska during World War II, and more.
This free program, sponsored by "Escape the Ordinary," the 2015 Adult Summer Reading Program, is open to the public and registration is not required. The performance will be held in the Howroyd Room at the Mary Cheney Library, 586 Main St., Manchester.
For more information, call Adult Services/Reference at 860-645-0821. http://library.townofmanchester.org
Southern Deans List
BOLTON - Hannah Bodner of Bolton was named to the Dean's List at Southern Connecticut State University for the spring 2015 semester.
MOMS Club of Vernon and Bolton
BOLTON - MOMS Club of Vernon and Bolton: A chapter of the International MOMS Club, a nonprofit organization specifically designed for today's mom. The MOMS Club of Vernon and Bolton is a way to meet other moms who share your interests and concerns. The MOMS Club welcomes children in all of our activities.
In addition to weekly activities, there are playgroups for children birth through preschool. Older ...and/or younger siblings are always welcome. We also have a monthly Moms Night Out. Each year our members participate in a service project that benefits the children or families of our community.
If you are interested in finding out more information, visit http://www.momsclubofvernonct.webs.com/ or email us: email@example.com.


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Why is this ornate, gorgeous "spiritual machine" so threatening that the Vatican wanted to blow it up? Rapture-seeker Erik Davis recently visited the mystical Damanhur temple beneath the Italian Alps to find out.
Davis writes:
Over thirty years ago, a handful of initiates into a vibrant and esoteric Italian mystery school took up hand drills and picks and started to dig a hole into the side of a mountain in the foothills of the Alps. The property, an hour north of Turin in the Valchiusella valley, was called the Federation of Damanhur, and it is now one of the most complex, dynamic, and creative intentional communities on the planet. With over six hundred permanent residents, and hundreds of more "citizens" of various grades scattered around Italy and the world, Damanhur possesses an enviable range of quality businesses, workshops, schools, healing centers, and quasi-independent collective homes, all organized according to an innovative governance system notable for its pragmatism and productivity. Damanhur organizes conferences, restores medieval buildings, sells high-end cloth and foodstuffs, and trades goods and services among themselves using their own currency. But the community's on-the-ground success story pales in comparison to what that hole in a mountain became.
Over the weeks and years, without much formal training, working at night and with music blaring to cover up the drills, a select crew of Damanhurians hollowed out a series of mighty chambers and passageways, all without other members of the community-to say nothing of the greater world-clueing-in to their secret work. With tenacious devotion and a startling degree of art, they transformed these underground spaces into the Temples of Humankind: a remarkable otherworldly honeycomb of sacred murals, onyx mosaics, stained glass, sculpture, inlaid marble, hidden passageways, precious metals, mirrored stone, alchemical elixirs, and-who knows?-maybe even the cosmic energy circuits, intergalactic portals, and temporal wormholes that the people of Damanhur suggest are the ultimate functions of their sacred architecture.
Calling it one of the most amazing pieces of outsider art that he's ever witnessed, Davis takes you into its glowing chambers - and the minds of the people who made it. Read his whole essay at HiLobrow.
By Alex Jarvis
By Alex Jarvis
By Alex Jarvis
Outdoor temple by Mikki

subset: commoncrawl


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Even the major international Interphone study, which has relied heavily on industry-funded research, has had to conclude that the risk increases after 10 years' use.
So why has it taken so long to discover this fact, which is now almost indisputable? For many years, any discovery of a health hazard with mobile phones has been countered by other studies that have contradicted the findings. This 'push-me, pull-you' dance has created a fog of uncertainty, within which the mobile phone industry has continued to grow exponen-tially, while paying across billions of pounds and dollars to governments.
Now, however, independent research appears to have made sense of the science, bringing us one step closer to the truth.
A new study, which can be found online ahead of print, has pooled the results of 23 previous studies investigating mobile phones and the risk of tumours. This 'meta-analysis', by an American-Korean team, involved nearly 38,000 sub-jects and examined whether mobile phone users have a higher risk of malignant (cancerous) or benign tumours of, for example, the brain or head and neck.
Although the study found no overall link between mobile phones and tumour risk, on closer examina-tion, the researchers were able to discern a clear pattern. When they analyzed only the high-quality studies, excluding those that were less methodologically rigorous, the team found a "significant positive association"-in other words, a harmful connection between mobiles and tumours (J Clin Oncol, 2009; Oct 13; Epub ahead of print).
As study co-author Dr Joel M. Moskowitz told the Los Angeles Times, "I went into this really dubious that anything was going on . . . Overall, you find no difference. But when you start teasing the studies apart and doing these subgroup analyses, you do find there is reason to be concerned."
Indeed, according to the high-quality studies, mobile phone users had a 10-30 per cent greater risk of tumours compared with those who rarely or never used such phones. Also, the risk was highest among those who had used mobiles for 10 years or more.
In contrast, the poorer-quality studies found either no association, a negative association or even a "protective effect".
Interestingly, the high-quality studies were mostly conducted by oncologist Dr Lennart Hardell and his team in Orebro, Sweden, and were independent of industry funding, whereas the low-quality studies tended to come from the INTERPHONE project, a 13-country investigation that is partly funded by the Mobile Manufacturers Forum and the Global System for Mobile Communication Association (see box, page 8).
Although it's been maintained that the INTERPHONE study investi-gators are not influenced by funding sources, the "distinct pattern" evident in the US-Korean meta-analysis is likely to be more than just a coincidence.
While the Hardell studies found a harmful effect from mobile phones, the INTERPHONE studies curiously found a protective effect. Could it be that the study sponsors are influencing the design of the study to affect the results?
Although this is pure speculation, it is worth mentioning that most of the INTERPHONE studies were not blinded-the researchers knew which subjects had tumours and which did not. This is an important design flaw that may affect any findings. On the other hand, all of the studies by Hardell were blinded, making them much more reliable.
Getting what you pay for
This is not the first time that mobile-phone researchers have observed the so-called 'funding effect'-a result biased by the source of funding. In 2007, Dr Anke Huss and her team at the University of Berne, Switzerland, conducted a systematic review to determine the relationship between the source of funding and the results of studies into the health effects of mobile-phone use. They found that studies paid for by the mobile-phone industry were 10 times more likely to report no adverse effects compared with studies funded by public agencies or charities (Environ Health Perspect, 2007; 115: 1-4).
Dr Henry Lai, based at Washington University in Seattle, has observed a similar pattern of skewing. His database of biological studies conducted on mobile phones reveals a clear funding bias: the industry-funded studies found an effect in 28 per cent of the studies whereas the independently funded studies found an effect 67 per cent of the time.
As one researcher has put it, "The probability that this is a chance finding is extraordinarily minute" (Pathophysiology, 2009; 16: 137-47).
Not surprisingly, this is a com-mon phenomenon in scientific research, and numerous books and papers have been written about it. As Professor Lisa Bero of the University of California at San Francisco notes, "Industry groups are likely to communicate risks in a way that minimizes harm and reduces the chance that their products are regulated or restricted in any way" (Public Health Rep, 2005; 120: 200-8).
In particular, the bias observed in the mobile-phone studies echoes the findings of investigations into the influence of the tobacco industry on the research it funded. In a study by Bero, for example, which analyzed review articles published in the 1980s and 1990s on the health effects of passive smoking, whether or not a harmful effect was reported was strongly related to the authors' affiliations.
"The only factor associated with concluding that passive smoking is not harmful was whether an author was affiliated with the tobacco industry," the study said (JAMA, 1998; 279: 1566-70).
The funding effect could also explain why the research on mobile phones is so inconsistent. Indeed, some claim that many of the tobacco industry's techniques for manipulating data on risk-such as publishing only the findings that support their position while criticizing or suppressing those that don't-are also being employed by the mobile-phone industry. This means that, to answer the question of whether or not mobile phones are harmful to health, it all depends on who you ask.
The repeated facts
As it's difficult to trust the results of industry-funded research on mobile phones, it's crucial that we look at what the independent researchers have to say. Alarmingly, the message is highly consistent, and suggests that there's clearly cause for concern.
Much of the research is from Dr Hardell and his colleagues, and repeatedly shows that using mobile or cordless phones for 10 years or more significantly increases the risk of brain tumours.
Most recently, the group found a threefold greater risk of astrocyto-mas (tumours that start in the star-shaped glial cells) on the same side of the head as the phone is held among those using mobiles for more than 10 years. What's more, the risk of a brain tumour was highest-five times more likely compared with controls-among those who first started using a mobile under the age of 20. Similar results were found for acoustic neuroma, a tumour that affects the auditory (hearing) nerve (Int J Oncol, 2009; 35: 5-17).
Other significant findings by the Hardell group are that:
u for every 100 hours of mobile-phone use, the risk of brain cancer increases by 5 per cent (Int J Occup Saf Ergon, 2007; 13: 63-71);
u for every year of mobile phone use, the risk of brain cancer increases by 8 per cent (Int J Occup Saf Ergon, 2007; 13: 63-71); and
u after 10 or more years of digital mobile-phone use, there is a 280-per-cent greater risk of brain cancer (Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 2006; 79: 630-9);
According to a detailed report by the International EMF Collabora-tive, which reviewed Hardell's research (see Cellphones and Brain Tumours: 15 Reasons for Concern, Science, Spin and the Truth Behind INTERPHONE, at www.radiation research.org/pdfs/15reasons.asp), their findings are precisely what would be expected if mobiles lead to brain tumours; in particular:
u the higher the cumulative hours of mobile-phone use, the higher the risk (Int J Occup Saf Ergon, 2007; 13: 63-71);
u the greater the number of years since first mobile phone use, the greater the risk (Int J Occup Saf Ergon, 2007; 13: 63-71);
u the more power radiated from the mobile phone during use, the more the risk (Occup Environ Med, 2005; 62: 390-4);
u the greater the exposure (phone use on the same side of the head as the tumour), the greater the risk (Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 2006; 79: 630-9); and
u the younger the user, the higher the risk (Arch Environ Health, 2004; 59: 132-7).
Such consistency increases the credibility of their findings.
In contrast, most of the INTER-PHONE studies found that mobile-phone use protected against brain tumours. However, as Professor Bruce Armstrong, principal investi-gator of the Australian arm of the INTERPHONE study, stated in his keynote address to the Australian Centre for Radiofrequency Bio-effects Research (ACRBR) annual meeting in November, 2008, "Does anyone here know why mobile use protects against brain tumours . . . Does that sound plausible? Do you think it is at all likely, particularly to that extent? No! So, immediately, it tells you there is something wrong here, there's a problem here."
Indeed, 11 major design flaws have been identified, which may have compromised the study's results (see box, page 8).
Nevertheless, even the industry-funded INTERPHONE studies have found data that support the Hardell group's findings in some respects.
A results update, published online in October 2008, reported a "significantly increased risk" of some brain tumours "related to the use of mobile phones for a period of 10 years or more" in some studies. Findings in France and Germany show that those who started using a mobile a decade or more ago were roughly twice as likely to have a glioma. In addition, analysis of the pooled data from the Nordic countries and the UK showed a raised glioma risk with 10 or more years of mobile use, albeit only with 'ipsilateral use', when the phone was used on the same side of the head as where the tumour started.
For meningioma (tumours of the meninges, the membrane surround-ing the brain), six out of seven studies found a rise in risk when mobile-phone use started 10 or more years ago, while two of seven studies into acoustic neuroma reported similar patterns. One study found that ipsilateral mobile-phone use for 10 years or more resulted in a fourfold higher risk of acoustic neuroma (www.iarc.fr/en/research-groups/ RAD/INTERPHONE8oct08.pdf).
So, although the independent and industry-funded studies tend to be contradictory, in general, they appear to agree that long-term mobile use (10 years or more) is associated with an increased risk of brain tumours, particularly when that use is on the same side of the head as where the tumour develops.
This makes sense, as cancer usually takes years after the initial exposure to manifest, and it is also likely that the side of the brain on which the phone is usually held will have the highest radiation exposure and be the most vulnerable (Int J Oncol, 2009; 35: 5-17).
Our youngsters at risk
Alarmingly, as the INTERPHONE study protocol appears to be riddled with flaws, some researchers claim that all of the results reported so far may be dramatically underestima-ting the true risk of brain cancer (see box, page 8).
One major design flaw is the exclusion of young adults and children from the study. In the US, over half of children have their own mobile phone, which is also likely in the other developed countries.
Also, there's good evidence that exposure to carcinogens in young-sters comes with more serious risks than in grown-ups, suggesting that, if mobile phones do indeed cause brain tumours, kids will be the most endangered users. As the Cellphones and Brain Tumours report says, "Children's heads and brains are not miniature adult heads. Their skulls are thinner, the proportion of water is higher, myelin (thought to be like wire insulation for neurons) is still developing, etc. As a result
. . . cellphone radiation penetrates a far larger proportion of the brain."
In fact, the few studies that have looked at mobile-phone use in young people have indeed reported higher brain tumour risks than in older adults. One study by Hardell and his team found a sevenfold increased risk among individuals aged 20-29 years compared with a 1.4-fold risk for all adults (Arch Environ Health, 2004; 59: 132-7).
More recently, a fivefold-greater brain tumour risk was found in those who started using mobiles as teenagers or younger compared with a threefold-greater risk for all age groups (Int J Oncol, 2009; 35: 5-17).
Korean researchers have also reported similar findings, with further evidence coming from an ionizing radiation study that found that the younger the child, the greater the risk of brain tumours (Pathophysiology, 2009; 16: 137-47).
Fortunately, although the INTERPHONE project ignored this evidence, some governments have already issued warnings against children's use of mobile phones. The French government has led the way by recently announcing a ban on mobile phones in primary schools, a decision based exclusively on the potential risks to health. In the UK, however, the government has yet to take such firm action.
Making the connection
In addition to convincing evidence from epidemiological studies-those looking for connections between exposures and health effects in human populations-there is also mounting biological evidence showing that mobile phones may well cause cancer. As WDDTY reported in August 2007 (vol 18 no 5), a number of scientists have discovered that mobile-phone radiation causes permanent damage to DNA, an undisputed cause of cancer.
According to one report, "Obvious disturbance of the communication between cells, which is a prerequisite for the uninhibited proliferation of cells that is characteristic for cancer development, occurs at [mobile power levels of] just a few watts per metre" (Hennies K et al. Mobile Telecom-munications and Health. Hanover, Germany: ECOLOG-Institut f"ur sozial-"okologische Forschung und Bildung GmbH, 2000).
Equally alarming, the report explains that these effects can take place within the brain. The body normally has a self-protective mechanism to prevent toxins from entering the brain, but mounting evidence shows that mobile-phone frequencies can cause the blood- brain barrier to break down. In fact, there is "a whole series of studies
in which a greatly increased perme-ability of the blood-brain barrier was produced through pulsed high-frequency fields of very low intensity . . . which corresponded to those of mobile telephony", the report states.
This suggests that, while the findings for mobile phones may be conflicting-a point highlighted by many in an attempt to reassure us that mobiles are safe-a closer look reveals that, in fact, much of it is consistent, particularly regarding long-term use. Adding further fuel to the fire, the mobile companies themselves-in their rarely read user manuals-warn customers to keep their mobiles away from the body, even when the device is not in use. Why would such a warning be necessary if these phones were truly perfectly safe?
The largest mobile-phone study to date, the long-awaited INTER-PHONE project, has yet to be published, but it's already clear that there is considerable cause for concern and that something needs to be done about it. As one public-interest group put it: "The science is here. The problem exists. Action is required."
Joanna Evans
Beyond cancer
Besides cancer, mobile phones have been linked to a number of other health problems, including:
u reduced sperm quality (Fertil Steril, 2008; 89: 124-8)
u memory impairment (albeit in rats, so the results may not apply to humans) (Bioelectromagnetics, 2008; 29: 219-32)
u weakened bones (J Craniofac Surg, 2009; 20: 1556-60)
u autism (see WDDTY vol 18 no 9)
u symptoms of electrosensitivity, such as tiredness, stress, headache, anxiety, concentration difficulties and sleep disturbances (Environ Health, 2008; 7: 18).
WDDTY Volume 20 Issue 09


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Up-to-date content, focus on skills
This program makes required U.S. history content accessible for all students as they make the important connections between social studies and their own lives. The manageable content includes our nation's most recent events, such as Operation Iraqi Freedom, and helps students successfully meet curriculum requirements and improve their performance on standardized tests.
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Tom Price, a longtime opponent of Obamacare, is President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This selection supports Trump's plan to start the process of repealing Obamacare "right out of the gate"—as Vice President-elect Mike Pence stated just a few days before this announcement.
Tom Price's healthcare proposal detailed in his Empowering Patients First Act could significantly influence reform polices under Trump's healthcare plan. Price, a former orthopedic surgeon and current House Budget Committee (R-GA) chair since 2015, made a statement back in 2011 that "the purpose of health reform should be to advance accessibility, affordability, quality, responsiveness, and innovation." He also commented that "none of these are improved" by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This may be why Trump said Price is "exceptionally qualified to shepherd our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare and bring affordable and accessible healthcare to every American."
The Empowering Patients First Act summary below sheds some light on the potential reality of health insurance for Americans if Price takes the seat as head of the HHS and his policies are adopted.
Highlights of Tom Price's Healthcare Proposal
- Require continuous coverage for preexisting conditions
- Provide funding for high-risk pools
- Make insurance better for the young and healthy
- Provide tax credits based on age
- Expand the use of health savings accounts (HSAs)
- Repeal Medicaid expansions
- Limit tax exclusions for employer-sponsored coverage
1. Require Continuous Coverage for Preexisting Conditions
Current ACA laws require that insurance companies provide health coverage to Americans regardless of having prior health conditions. This is upheld in both Tom Price's healthcare proposal and Donald Trump's healthcare plan. But Price's proposal differs from the ACA in that guaranteed acceptance would only be offered if continuous coverage is maintained for at least 18 months before enrolling in a new plan. And companies would be allowed to charge higher premiums if continuous coverage is not maintained. This stance on continuous coverage is popular among Republicans and is featured in House Speaker Paul Ryan's A Better Way policy paper.
2. Provide Funding for High-Risk Pools
The Empowering Patients First Act proposes that states set up high-risk pools to provide health insurance to those who are denied coverage by insurance companies in the individual market. These high-risk pools under Price's plan are set to be funded with $3 billion over 3 years, which is much less than Ryan's plan to fund high-risk pools with $25 billion ($2.5 billion per year) over a 10-year period.
3. Make Insurance Better for the Young and Healthy
Republicans in general think that the Obamacare benefit package is too large. The logic here is that having a comprehensive benefits package is a factor in higher premiums, which could turn off younger people and dissuade them from buying insurance. Price's healthcare proposal aims to make the individual insurance market better for younger and healthier Americans, which involves getting rid of the ACA's 10 essential health benefits mandate that applies to Marketplace health plans. This proposal is in alignment with Donald Trump's healthcare reform plan, which involves restricting the federal government from deciding which benefits health plans are required to offer. Price's reform would affect these 10 essential benefits:
- Ambulatory patient services
- Hospitalization
- Emergency services
- Pregnancy, maternity, and newborn care
- Mental health and substance use disorder services
- Prescription drugs
- Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
- Laboratory services
- Preventive and wellness services
- Pediatric services
Other ways Tom Price's healthcare proposal aims to make buying health insurance better for young Americans is to require that companies charge younger enrollees lower premiums—simultaneously allowing companies to set their own rates for older people. Under current ACA laws, insurance companies are only allowed to charge an older enrollee a premium rate that's up to 3 times higher than what the youngest enrollee pays.
4. Provide Tax Credit Based on Age
Price's Empowering Patients First Act would give a refundable tax credit to people who buy insurance in the individual market. The tax credits don't take income into account, but they favor older Americans who would end up getting more. The tax credits detailed in the act are:
- $900 for children under 18
- $1,200 for adults 18 to 35
- $2,100 for adults 36 to 50
- $3,000 for adults 51 and older
5. Expand the Use of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
Price's healthcare proposal on HSAs would allow Americans to save money tax-free to use for healthcare expenses, which is also a reform that Trump proposes. Price's plan includes providing a one-time tax credit of $1,000 toward HSA contributions, and allowing people who get coverage through government health insurance programs the choice to use HSA contributions for paying premiums and copayments.
6. Repeal Medicaid Expansion
Since Medicaid state expansions began in 2014, over 15 million people have signed up for Medicaid benefits. Continued enrollment could be affected because Price's reform calls for a full repeal of Medicaid expansions. The likelihood of this proposal being implemented as part of Trumpcare could be high because Trump's healthcare plan is already in favor of limiting federal funding for Medicaid and allowing states to have more control of running the Medicaid program. The Empowering Patients First Act summary doesn't mention a replacement proposal, so Trump could also follow suit.
7. Limit Tax Exclusions for Employer-Sponsored Coverage
Employers are allowed to deduct expenses for employee group health coverage on their business taxes. These tax breaks contribute to a loss in revenue for the government, and some economists propose that tax breaks be eliminated, or at the least, reduced. Tom Price's healthcare proposal on limiting employer tax exclusions to $8,000 for individual plans and $20,000 for family plans aligns with the viewpoints of some economists because it plays a role in reducing tax breaks on health insurance overall. This proposal may fit with Donald Trump's healthcare plan to maintain employer-sponsored health insurance. However, Trump has not provided any specifics about what this would look like.
Other Tom Price Healthcare Proposals
- Medicare: Price agrees with Medicare premium support and expects the GOP to move forward with plans to implement changes to Medicare in 2017.
- Balanced billing: Price is in favor of doctors being allowed to contract with Medicare patients, charge a fee for services, and bill patients for extra charges that are over the Medicare-approved amount.
- Abortion funding: Price wants to limit the use of federal dollars to pay for abortions and protect doctors who don't want to perform abortions for religious reasons.
What Should Americans Do?
The best thing Americans should do when it comes to proposed healthcare reform is to continue with business as usual under the current Obamacare law because the repeal-and-replace process is unlikely to happen overnight. Tom Price's healthcare proposals, as well as those proposed for Trumpcare, aren't set in stone—you're still required to have minimum essential coverage. And with the Obamacare open enrollment deadline on January 31, 2017, approaching fast, you may need the help of a knowledgeable insurance agent now more than ever. At no cost to you, a HealthMarkets licensed insurance agent can provide you with access to thousands of affordable health insurance plans and check to see if you qualify for premium subsidies. Just give us a call at (800) 304-3414 and get a free health insurance quote today!


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Experimental Escape Leamington Spa Announces They are Now Open Again Delivering the Area's #1 Escape Room Venue
With England reopening to a great degree, there's no doubt the excitement is high. This has definitely carried over to Experimental Escape Leamington Spa, tbe area's top Escape Room, who were forced to clothes for months, and just got word they are permitted to reopen. Experimental Escape are on a mission to "wow" customers with its two exciting conventional and one head to head competitive mission. The escape room recommends guests keep high expectations, and watch its team deliver, and then some.
"We have specialised in creating unique and one of a kind escape games that have intrigued, amazed and excited our great customers for the last two years," commented a spokesperson from the escape room. "We are on a drive to take things to the next level. We've had plenty of time to plan out the best challenges possible during the lockdown."
According to Experimental Escape its escape room challenge is appropriate for anyone from a grand child to a grand parent and in between. The rooms have won praise as an exciting work outing that can help with team building and establishing bonds that stretch far into the future. As a social event it delivers the same thrills, giving a date night or family day out that won't be forgotten for a very long time.
Lynn R., remarked in a five-star review, "Had the best time ever at Experimental Escape. First time in an escape room and it was great. Charlie was our host, he was very helpful and friendly. Would highly recommend this place for a laugh and good time. Thanks chaps!"
For more information be sure to visit https://experimental-escape.co.uk.
Media Contact
Company Name: Experimental Escape Leamington Spa
Contact Person: David Billany
Email: Send Email
Phone: +44 1926 675432
Address:69 Warwick St
City: Leamington Spa
State: Warwick
Country: United Kingdom
Website: https://experimental-escape.co.uk/


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**warning: this is a bit crazy**
I am actually left speechless after reading this article, which never happens to me. So I guess all I can think of to say is, what do YOU think of this?
**I want to add, this is not real…I thought that was pretty obvious. Real or not, I am still speechless**
by Nicole Mullen | Article Source
To those of you that breastfeed, this situation might seem a bit familiar to you.
It was about a month ago. I was standing in line at the movie theater, waiting to purchase two tickets to the new X-Men movie. My son, Mason, was standing in front of me. My shirt was off and he was drinking milk from my boobs while we waited in line.
"Ma'am, you need to stop that right now," shouted the ticket clerk from behind his bullet proof glass.
Now, only a few people had noticed us prior to this, but now that he had drawn attention to us, everyone was looking at us.
"What's wrong? Never see a woman's boobs before?" I yelled, waving my free breast at the gawkers. I could feel Mason get uncomfortable as he pulled in closer to my body and his teeth scraped on my boob.
"No, honey. Don't be scared," I told him, squeezing his ears between my boobs so he couldn't hear them.
"I am a mother and I have every right to feed my child in public. If you have a problem with that, you can avert your eyes, but my son is feeding and will continue to feed until we are both satisfied."
I stood up for myself, and I felt good, but this story doesn't end like one of those feel good stories you hear on the local news. None of the patrons came to my defense, and they actually cheered as security escorted me and my son out of the theater.
This is just another day for me. This is what it's like to be a mother that breastfeeds. This is what it's like to live in world that hates women's bodies.
But, this isn't about me. It's about my son. His name is Mason. He's twelve years old, and now that he stands at eye level with me, he has to bend over a bit when I breastfeed him in public. Sure, it's a little jarring when people see what appears to be a grown man sucking on a woman's breasts, but it's natural and their discomfort is not my problem.
I've even been encouraging my son to not shave because it feels even better when I feed him in public and I can feel his beard coming in. Which, oddly enough, makes even more people feel entitled to come up to me and tell me that what I am doing is wrong. It's ironic that the more natural I make the breastfeeding, the more likely people are to call the police and report me for indecency.
But, you know what? I press on. Because at the end of the day, it's my body, and it's my choice, and I don't care what the state or the manager of Kohl's or even what Mason has to say about it – I'm going to keep breastfeeding my son in public because I'm a mom and moms have rights too.
I'm going to keep breast feeding my son until my body decides that it's time to stop, and I get the feeling that my body isn't producing milk because Mason needs it, it's producing milk because my body knows that we live in a problematic society that discourages women from letting their children suck on their boobs in public. That and I have a hormonal imbalance.


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This large shoulder bag from Japanese brand Porter-Yoshida & co. is a great everyday companion for your smaller items. The bag features two expandable outer pockets, two zipped compartments, a removable bag inside, as well as orange lining that makes it easy for you find your stuff. The inside of the bag comes with a range of the brand's functional pocketing.
The items from Porter-Yoshida are made by hand with the absolute highest standard in Japan. Each item is hand cut and hand sewn by one person. The Tanker collection is inspired by the American pilot jacket MA-1, with subtle, maritime colours and a pragmatic finish. The fabric consists of three layers: nylon twill on the outside, polyester and cotton in the middle and densely woven nylon on the inside.
Worldwide: 200 NOK (approx. 24 USD).
Europe: 150 NOK (approx. 16 EUR).
We handle all taxes and duties for you, no surprises! This service is included in the shipping price.
Norway: Calculated at checkout.
Dapper Oslo ships internationally with DHL Express and in Norway with Bring. We do our best to ship as quickly as possible and your order is usually sent from our store the same day. Your package will be fully trackable and delivered within 1-3 days after being sent from us.
To return an item, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com
We strongly advise you to check items thoroughly upon receipt before removing any attached tags, or disposing of any original packaging. Please notify us immediately by email if you receive any item which is defective, damaged or missing original tags/packaging.
If you wish to return an item, you can either ship it back to us with the carrier of your choice, or contact us to purchase a DHL return label for 150 NOK. We recommend that you return any items with a trackable shipping method as we cannot be responsible for untracked returns not arriving.


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No, we do not run a background check on our members. We don't want to give our members a false sense of security since the currently available background checks are faulty and don't give a 100% guarantee. All your personal information is kept confidential and you are the only one that can share it with others. Please read our Online Dating Safety advice.
Please read our Membership Guidelines for a full list of activities prohibited are:
1. Commercial activities,
2. Sending mass emails,
3. Advertisement,
4. Solicitations of sex, money, goods or services.
At the time that the application is submitted we can only rely on the truth and the integrity of the individual. We count on our members to help us discover those that are non-Christian, so that we can act accordingly. We will remove profiles of the members who are proven to be non-Christian.


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Alexis Bledel 176616 1633.17 KB
"Alexis Bledel 176616" is an awesome wallpapers presented here by Derrick Snow at the top resolution of 2766x3168px and size of 1633.17 KB. More of such great image you always can find at the Girls category or with our "Related walls" widget. Upload date - 01 May 2015
Popular Wallpapers


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For pricing and online shopping, please log in.
For pricing and online shopping, please log in.
8 Well Chamber, removable
Chamber slide with a removable 8 well silicone chamber for cell culture and immunofluorescence staining
- The ideal chambered slide for cost-effective immunofluorescence assays and long-term sample storage
- Suitable for use with upright and inverted microscopes
- Large growth area combined with a small staining volume (especially 3 Well Chamber, removable)


text: 'Lore': TV Review 2:06 PM PDT 10/12/2017 by Daniel Fienberg FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME YOUTUBE Dull re-enactments leach the horror from real stories. TWITTER 10/13/2017 Amazon's adaptation of the popular true horror podcast has some big-name producers, but doesn't do much to capture why the podcast is a phenomenon. We're only beginning to see the inevitable onslaught of podcasts turned TV shows, the latest evidence of a medium that continues to believe in the power of IP branding to the point of distraction. The challenges of transferring an audio-only format to a video medium can be seen in Amazon's Lore, based on the popular and award-winning podcast from Aaron Mahnke. Boasting a superstar team of producers including Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead), Ben Silverman (The Office) and Glen Morgan (The X-Files), Lore is a lackluster advertisement for the podcast for non-listeners and rarely distinctive enough to stand out as a TV show in its own right. For those unfamiliar with the podcast, Mahnke delves into the real-life backgrounds of horror stories, superstitions and cautionary folklore, using actual historic cases and a modern perspective to show how many of the creatures, characters and tropes of genre fiction are based on human nature and our flawed attempts to understand the unknown. This is hardly a shocking observation, but it can be interesting. The Amazon take on Lore premieres appropriately on Friday, Oct. 13, and the three episodes sent to critics are based on the podcast episodes "They Made a Tonic," "Black Stockings" and "Echoes." Those episodes deal, to varying degrees, with an origin for bits of vampire mythology, changeling stories in Irish culture and astoundingly misguided approaches to curing mental illness. The episodes have all been expanded for TV, and most of the show's flaws rest in the dull attempts to flesh out the material. While each episode has occasionally evocative animated sequences and a mixture of pictures, illustrations and occasionally film from the past, they're driven by really, really flat re-enactments that somehow attracted actors of reasonable stature to do very little. The best of the re-enactments is in "Echoes," with Colm Feore playing lobotomy innovator Walter Freeman with a nicely off-kilter zeal. Those re-enactments are shot in a handsome black-and-white that mirror the post-World War II Hollywood style, and they're viscerally effective if only because the lobotomizing process is harrowing to even readable and becomes more so when you can watch and hear somebody driving an icepick into a patient's brain. The re-enactments were less engaging in the other two episodes, lacking both the decisive style and performance energy. Despite playing the patriarch of a family preyed on by either consumption or demons, Campbell Scott barely emotes in "They Made a Tonic," and the re-enactment's choice to occasionally detour into a style emulating grindhouse or degraded video cheapness makes little sense. "Black Stockings," featuring Teen Wolf star Holland Roden, is awash in bad accent choices and even less gripping drama. Since the podcasts build their arguments around multiple cases, the re-enactments shift the focus onto a single case, which messes with the narrative flow of the entire episode. In an episode like "They Made a Tonic," the re-enactments drag on and I wanted more analysis of how medicine in the late 1800s lagged behind other scientific advancements, rather than watching a Rhode Island man meekly mourn his family. In "Black Stockings" the concentration on the overwrought telling of the Bridget Cleary changeling possession makes it really weird when Mahnke interrupts the flow to talk about Annie Oakley, who doesn't seem to have had any interactions at all with changelings. Also in "Black Stockings," Mahnke talks about how the British used Irish belief in changelings as a justification for maintaining their rule over an island that was made to seem backwards, but Mahnke is just as often taking a condescending look at the ignorance of the past himself, treating the extreme as typical. It's annoying that if one of the premises behind the podcast is the many hours of research Mahnke puts into it, the Lore TV show feels so frequently intellectually loose, if not flimsy. The first few episodes are littered with pronouncements that are only occasionally wrong — the expression "saved by the bell" simply doesn't refer to the 19th century trend of "safety coffins," though it's fun to think it might — but are more often based on poorly substantiated leaps or speculation presented as truth. In debunking or explaining folklore, Mahnke sometimes seems to be falling into the trap of creating or reinforcing the urban legends he chooses to want to believe. This won't drive many people seek out the podcast, but it should warn future adapters of podcasts for TV that this is not an easy task. Lore premieres on Friday, Oct. 13, on Amazon. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME YOUTUBE Daniel Fienberg email@example.com TheFienPrint


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This from SHOCK TILL YOU DROP:
The Descent: Part 2, Jon Harris' follow-up to the Neil Marshall creature feature, is leaping in theaters across the UK and Ireland on December 4.
Shauna Macdonald returns as Sarah, continuing the story of the first entry in which a group of young women disappear during a caving trip in the Appalachian Mountains.
Emerging from the cave system alone, distraught and covered in the blood of her missing companions, Sarah is incoherent and half-wild with fear. Skeptical about her account of events and convinced Sarah's psychosis hides far darker secrets, Sheriff Vaines (Gavan O'Herlihy) doesn't waste time. Along with his partner Rios (Krysten Cummings), and their cave rescue team Dan (Douglas Hodge), Greg (Joshua Dallas), and Cath (Anna Skellern), Vaines forces Sarah back into the caves to help the rescuers find her friends.
Alongside Macdonald, The Descent: Part 2 also features Natalie Mendoza reprising her role as Juno. Krysten Cummings, Anna Skellern, Gavan O'Herlihy, Joshua Dallas and Douglas Hodge also star.
Below you'll find the official quad poster:
I really dug the first 'THE DESCENT' and I'm glad the sequel is picking up right where the first film left off. I hate it when sequels have nothing to do with the first film.


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Easy installation subwoofer kit for Tesla Model S with Standard Audio. This set comes complete with an 8"subwoofer in an enclosure and Lightharmonic's specially engineered Class-D 600W amplifier and c
Expected delivery time
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As we do here, we want this to be the easiest installation possible and designed the entire package to sit easily, and no cutting required for setup.
Featuring a specially engineered, intuitive 600W Class D amplifier that will deliver 600W of continuous power to your subwoofer. We also added a crossover to supply your sub those low frequencies while maintaining a firm and fuller bass foundation. It works perfectly with our S4D door speakers for the Tesla Model S owner who doesn't have premium audio package.
600W Class D Amplifier
Inline Crossover Circuit
8'' 1ohm impedance Subwoofer
Power core and two pairs of signal wires.
Custom built enclosure
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Chuck Muth: How the GOP really lost Nevada
A lot of folks want to blame Romney's loss in Nevada on voter registration, pointing to the Democrats' well-publicized registration efforts over the three-month period leading up to this year's general election. Alas, the numbers just don't back that up. Consider the following:At the close of registration in 2008 in Nevada, there were approximately 531,000 "active" registered Democrats. At the close of registration this year, there were approximately 527,000 "active" registered Democrats. So over a period of four years, the number of active registered Democrats in Nevada shrunk by 4,000.Meanwhile, at the close of registration in 2008, there were about 431,000 "active" registered Republicans in Nevada. At the close of registration this year, after supposedly being "swamped" by the Democrat voter registration effort, Republicans had about 437,000 "active" registered voters. That's an increase of about 6,000.So over a four year period, Democrats lost 4,000 voters and Republicans increased their number by 6,000 … yet supposedly the Democrats are this huge registration colossus and Republicans were a colossal failure?Now let's look at the actual voting numbers:In 2008, Obama got 533,000 votes in Nevada. In 2012, he got approximately 529,000. So in other words, he got about 4,000 fewer votes after losing about 4,000 "active" registered Democrat voters. Meanwhile, John McCain chalked up about 413,000 votes in Nevada in 2008 while Mitt Romney in 2012 got about 463,000 votes. In other words, despite gaining just 6,000 additional GOP "active" registered voters, the GOP candidate got an additional 50,000 votes!How can that be?Well, at the close of registration in 2008, there were approximately 246,000 "Other" registered voters, registered as either non-partisan or with a third party such as the Libertarian Party or the Independent American Party. And at the close of registration in 2012, there were about 294,000 "Other" registered voters.That's right. While the vaunted Democrat "Reid Machine" was losing 4,000 registered Democrats and the GOP was adding 6,000 registered Republicans, the "Other" registered voters increased their number by some 48,000.So as you can see, the problem for Republicans wasn't that they sucked at voter registration; the problem was Republicans failed to sufficiently win over Nevada's large and growing "Other" voters. And I'll argue that the reason isn't because the GOP isn't "moderate" enough, but because it isn't conservative enough.Just look at the 48,000 votes the IAP candidate got in this year's Nevada U.S. Senate race that Republican Dean Heller barely pulled off by just 12,000 votes.The bottom line is this: The GOP's problem in Nevada isn't registration. It's that it stands for nothing. The GOP wins not by being a pale imitation of Democrats, but by being conservative. If only their "leaders" and high-priced consultants understood that. • Chuck Muth is president of CitizenOutreach.com and blogs at MuthsTruths.com.


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A Singapore-based scientist has won the top science and technology award of the Islamic world, which comes with a US$500,000 (S$702,000) cash prize.
Professor Jackie Ying, 49, executive director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), will be awarded the inaugural Mustafa Prize in the Top Scientific Achievement category today, in a ceremony to be held in Teheran, Iran. This prize is for individuals whose research has improved human life and "expanded... our perception about the world".
Among her numerous scientific contributions, Prof Ying was recognised in particular for her role in developing glucose-sensitive nanoparticles that deliver insulin to diabetic patients only when their blood glucose levels are high. The system does away with external blood glucose monitoring by finger pricks, and allows insulin to be delivered orally or via the nasal passage, instead of through injections.
Professor Hossein Zohour, head of the scientific committee of the Mustafa Prize, said the groundbreaking research holds "great promise for improving the quality of life of mankind".
The other top award winner, under the Nano Science and Nanotechnologies category, was Jordanian chemist Omar Yaghi, co-director of the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. The pair edged out 600 other nominees, including Nobel laureates and scientists at the top of their fields.
The Mustafa Prize recognises leading researchers and scientists of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, and Muslim researchers from around the world.
Prof Ying - who was born in Taipei, and raised in Singapore and New York - converted to Islam in her 30s. She said she intends to use a portion of the prize money to get more students intrigued about science, such as through exchange trips to renowned overseas science institutions and better-equipped school laboratories. She will start her effort at her alma mater, Raffles Girls' School.
"Students cannot be obsessed with just results. They need to understand how science works and be better prepared to do something novel and innovative instead of regurgitating information from the textbook," she said. She believes such experiences will create Singapore's next generation of passionate, driven scientists.
The chemical engineer is known for her strong work ethic - she works 80 hours a week and has published 340 papers in leading journals with over 150 primary patents issued or pending, many of which have been licensed for commercialisation by multinational companies and start-ups.
Touching on Singapore science, she said research here has come a long way, due to an emphasis on good research backed by generous funding.
Distinguished career
Professor Jackie Ying is executive director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) at A*Star.
Her research has led to many new materials and systems with unique functions and properties that tackle major challenges in medicine, chemistry and energy.
These inventions have been applied in areas such as drug delivery; cell and tissue engineering; biosensing and diagnostics; catalysis and pharmaceuticals synthesis; and battery and fuel cell systems.
Prof Ying, 49, joined the faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992, where she was professor of chemical engineering until 2005. She has been IBN's founding executive director since 2003.
She has 340 publications in leading journals and over 150 primary patents issued or pending.
Prof Ying and her institute have won numerous awards and accolades this year alone. For instance:
• Last month, she was elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for her contributions to the fields of nanotechnology and bioengineering. The association is the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the leading journal, Science.
• In March, she was elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering's College of Fellows.
• Also in March, a new drug delivery system from the institute - that uses green tea to fight cancer - won the Grand Prize at The Crown Prince Creative, Innovative Product and Technological Advancement Award 2015. The award was organised by the Institut Teknologi Brunei and Brunei LNG.
This article was first published on December 25, 2015. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.


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Movie with Abe: Quartet
Directed by Dustin Hoffman
Released December 7, 2012
Earlier this year, John Madden's "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" gathered together a handful of esteemed older British actors to play disgruntled retirees heading to India to spend their later years. Now, American actor Dustin Hoffman steps behind the camera for the first time to adapt the play by Ronald Harwood, Oscar-winning screenwriter of "The Pianist" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." A trip to India may sound magical, but visiting colorful characters in a retirement home for musicians is a true delight, and a winning combination of laughs and drama in this terrific comedy.
Maggie Smith is the other connective link between the two British senior citizen-centric films of the year, appearing as a crotchety loner in "Marigold" and in this movie as Jean, a newly arrived resident less than eager to perform again. Smith is far more likeable in this role, appearing snobbish at first but quickly showing Jean to be kindhearted and generous despite her firm belief that she should be seen more highly than anyone else when it comes to her art form. By the time that Smith, who was singled out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for a Golden Globe nomination, joins the film's events, the rest of its cast has already established a marvelous musical community.
"Quartet" gathers together for its title grouping a fantastic foursome. Two-time Oscar nominee Tom Courtenay takes the serious part of Reggie, a slightly younger resident who teaches young students about opera and used to be married to Jean. His sentimental performance, coupled with Smith's, is well balanced out by two lovely humorous turns, from Billy Connolly as the ever-flirtatious Wilf and Pauline Collins as Cissy, who has a sweet heart and a deteriorating memory. Watching the four of them interact is a blissful, extremely entertaining endeavor. The cast is enhanced by Michael Gambon as Cedric, the hilariously dictatorial director of the home's annual concert, and one of the youngest members of the ensemble, Sheridan Smith, as the home's very pleasant director, Dr. Lucy Cogan.
A tremendously talented cast contributes to an equally charming story, with some knockout musical performances along the way. In many ways, it's a familiar tale in an unusual setting, following opera singers into a time way past their prime when they still love to engage in their beloved art, unable to avoid other human interactions along the way. Following these characters into old age is a magnificent treat. Hoffman's first effort behind the camera is a roaring success, and this is easily one of the year's best and most consistent dramatic comedies.


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FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 499
Culture-based fisheries in Bangladesh
A socio-economic perspective
John Valbo-Jørgensen
FAO Fisheries Management and Conservation Service
Rome, Italy
Paul M. Thompson
Flood Hazard Research Centre
Middlesex University
Enfield, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Download Full PDF version 677 kb
|The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.
All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to the Chief, Electronic Publishing Policy and Support Branch, Communication Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy or by e-mail to [email protected]
|Valbo-Jørgensen, J.; Thompson, P.M.
Culture-based fi sheries in Bangladesh: a socio-economic perspective.
FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 499. Rome, FAO. 2007. 41p.
Fisheries policy in Bangladesh is still trying to get to grips with the major
(universal) dilemmas of maximizing benefi ts from natural resources while,
at the same time, ensuring an acceptable degree of equity in distribution of
benefi ts and protecting the ecosystems that support the resources. During
the twentieth century Bangladesh adopted one-sided production-oriented
policies in the agricultural sector to feed the rapidly growing population.
This strategy included increasing fi sh production, which was in decline
mainly as a result of environmental degradation brought about by the
expansion of agriculture. The solution was aquaculture development and
later the promotion of culture-based fi sheries and large scale stocking in the
fl oodplains and beels (lakes) that previously sustained the capture fi sheries.
Although fi sh production per se in many cases may have increased as a result
of this type of intervention, benefi ts are not socially and environmentally
ContentsPreparation of this document
Participatory planningAccess limitations
Involvement of NGOs
Distribution of benefits and costs
Risk management
Choice of species: indigenous versus exoticAlternatives to stocking
Predator removal
Habitat modifications
Implications for fish consumption and nutrition
Who benefits from stocking?Measuring impacts on livelihoods
Alternative income generating activities


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Chef – SoCal is Swimming in Fish!
Ah Southern California… Where the setting sun dips into the omnipotent Pacific. Warm sands and cool ocean breezes entreat the global traveler. Where nouveau cuisine comes to life while grasping tightly to the traditions of their history. Rich in Seafood, San Diego is a hub for great food and culinary talent. SeafoodS.com is over the moon to offer the Direct Distribution of some of the nation's finest sea creatures while supporting some of the coolest fisheries of the Baja.
Hand Line Fishermen of the Baja have been an intergral part of SeafoodS.com. From small fishing villages along the northern part of the Baja Peninsula, Day Boat Fishermen set out in small Wooden Pangas for a day of hand lining and scallop diving. The honor of tradition and familial unity are drivers in this amazing Day Boat program. Fishermen – The Quintero Family, Ortega Cruz, Elmar King, Paisa Ocegueda
San Diego's ports harbor some of the Pacific's most dedicated men and women of the sea. Longline Boats like F/V Kraken and F/V Anthony G offload each week with brilliant pelagic species found between the mainland and Hawaii. The brilliant winds of the Pacific often slipstream the catch into port as quickly as it is boated. Displaying the highest quality is what the San Diego fishery is highly renowned, and we have it for you the very next morning. Find the species that fits your need and it's a call away.
California Halibut – "Right Eye"
California Halibut falls comfortably between Alaskan Halibut and Large Summer Flounders. That gives it a well recognized marketability to anyone across the country and beyond. The California Halibut have wide thick fillets that are perfect for high heat cooking methods. California Halibut stand alone in the Halibut realm as a light, delicate and clean flesh that works in a multitude of applications. A favorite in Ceviche, the California Halibut has the moisture content to stay creamy, but lower fat contents to keep the Ceviche clear and bright. It also has a great propensity for buttery sauces, vinaigrettes, gastrique, and broths. Give this incredible Halibut a place on the Feature Board and bring a great hand line caught species to your guests.
Pacific Red Snapper – "Huachinango"
(Lutjanus peru)
The Red Snapper is member of the Lutjanidea or Snapper Family, which are known in English as snappers, and in Mexico as pargo and Huachinango. A highly-prized game fish, the Red Snapper is distinguished by an overall bright red or sometimes a dark pink color, predominant on the head, back, and all fins, which gradually turns into white with a silvery sheen on the lower part of the body. It has a relatively "smooth" and streamlined appearance, as compared to most other snappers, but there isn't a comparison for the complex Pacific flavors of the Huachinango. The fierceness of the rolling ocean strengthen the Huachinango and firm the flesh with a toothsome appeal while maintaining brilliant flake and moisture. The name alone peaks the interests of diners, and its excellence seats it firmly in their menu memories to be requested again and again.
Cabrilla Grouper – "Various"
Cabrilla fillet have a paper white flesh that is textually firmer than Atlantic Black Grouper, but just as sweet and moist. The Cabrilla Grouper go through color changes during the year. Depending on the color of the fish at capture, the common name may change. Sardinera, Golden Grouper, Leopard Grouper, Spotted Grouper all associate with the species.The Spring typically shows a transition from Leopard to Golden. Ingredient names lend a poetic flare to any menu, and Cabrilla offers the poetry with a texture, taste, and presentation that matches the allure of its name.
Contact SeafoodS.com to Customize Your SoCal Features
Josh Adams : 704-769-2260
Josh Bogen: 704-769-2261
Mike Casagrande: 704-769-2263
Karen Harmon: 704-769-2262
Jon Flower – 704-769-2258
Ben Hollinger: 704-769-2320
Patrick Lowder: 704-769-2265
Chris Nelson: 704-769-2256


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Dhanna Rajpura – Star Diaries – Addi Tappa Music – VJ Ashutosh – Beatboxer Interview
This time we have got a new page for new Beatboxer for our show Star Diaries. In this episode you will get to know about personal life of Dhanna Rajpura. Must watch and share this episode.
Star Diaries
Interview of Dhanna Rajpura
Anchor: VJ Ashutosh
DOP: Red Lion Videos Co (+91-9803-886688)
Media Partner: Qik ads
Video Editing: Addi Tappa Videos
Special Thanks:
Audio Production: [email protected]
Sound Engineer: DJ Deepu (+91-98728-06108)
Satnam & Lucky
Produced & Directed by: GPS Gumber
Addi Tappa Music


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|Squire Park in 1910 with
Providence Hospital in the background
|William Grose house, still standing, near
24th and Madison
|Germania Hall, Second and Senaca
U. W. Collections
|Officers of Danish Brotherhood
UW Collections
|UW Collections
|Hazel Dixon stands by a Packard in 1914. Behind her is
her house built by pioneer William Grose, her husband's
African American Heritige Society
Yesler Way and the Squire Park Neighborhood looked and sounded a lot like Seattle today, many cultures and languages populating the streets – nearly 12,000 Blacks, Jews, Chinese and Japanese congregating near Washington Hall. Soon they would be joined by several thousand Filipinos whose country had become a territory of the United States after the Spanish-American War, meaning that citizens of the Philippines would be able to travel more freely to the US because they weren't considered aliens. Though only 17 Filipinos lived in Seattle in 1910, they were poised to become the newest and largest group of people to move in close by Washington Hall. Seattle was 97% white in 1910, but in the little melting pot of Squire Park, it was almost okay to look and sound a bit different.
|Vermont Senator William
|Carlos Bulosan
|Edythe Turnham and her Knights of Syncopation
University of Washington Collectoins
The segregated music scene ended in 1958 under pressure from the Century 21 World's Fair leadership, who did not their portrayal of the 21st Century marred by segregation. In fact, Overton Berry was hired to bring more black musicians to the fair grounds. In the closing scene of "It Happened at the World's Fair," for example, where the band marches through playing Elvis' highly forgettable "Happy Endings," Berry and others were drafted to carry instruments because the sharp eyes of the fair organizers saw too few African Americans in the band.
|UW Collections
|Young Filipinos Dance at Washington Hall
in the 40s
UW Collections
|LA Times
The emergence of Seattle University, which moved back to the neighborhood in the 1930s, along with the appearance of a thriving restaurant culture, have helped make the neighborhood in 2014 as hot as it was in 1900. The rebuilding of Yesler Terrace into a mixed income home for 5,000 people is a stimulant on the way. The existing housing is, by Seattle standards, affordable and the commutes to downtown or to the nearby health care complex are minimal.
Carl Sandburg saw, correctly, that the magic of cities is in their constant and restless re-imagining:
"The city is made, forgotten, and made again,
trucks hauling it away, haul it back."
Every change, however, brings an abiding need -- a place at the center that somehow figures out how to bring people together. That's Washington Hall's role and it somehow must figure out how to do it all over again.
Lovely Historylink Piece About Washington Hall
The Baker Building and Massajiro Furuya
History of Sephardic Theater at Washington Hall
Central District History
Harvard University collection on immigration from 1789 to 1930


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In this article, as a marketing training exercise, this challenging question will be well answered!
It's a great question to begin a marketing mindset exercise and designed to stretch your mind and to find easy client acquisition strategies to grow your business.
Below are some answers to the question. Follow along by considering these answers relevant to your business too.
This (training) exercise is more relevant if a business in a specific industry is chosen, so in this example let's make that a plumbing company.
Continuing on, they (all possible future customers)…
- don't know the business exists
- are currently dealing with another plumbing company and will use them again in future due to a positive previous experience
- know about the business but chose not to buy from it, having formed an impression about it (that may or may not be true)
- feel the business operates too far away from their location (which can be a perception, not the reality) – they aren't "local" (i.e. more trustworthy and less expensive for travel time)
- purchased from the business previously and not had a great experience
- assume the business doesn't 'specialise' in the service the plumbing business provides (so therefore may not have the skill-set for a job the client wants done
- feel they are too expensive (from the plumbing company's website)
- don't like or didn't like the company's website
There could be and there probably are even more reasons why everyone who could buy from the (fictitious) plumbing company isn't buying from the business, but for this exercise there are plenty of reasons to explore opportunities with.
Each of these reasons now become ways to "see" opportunities, because opportunities are 'seen' with the mind, not with our eyes.
Let's go through of the 8 reasons above to explore each one…
Reason 1 – potential customers don't know the business exists
This is one of the biggest opportunities for this business.
Local service and especially trade service businesses need to get LOADS of exposure – so people in the area know they exist.
Lack of sheer exposure is what most trade service businesses aren't consistently growing and generating plenty of leads, sales and customers.
How can a service business gain exposure? With these strategies…
- A website that has local SEO work applied to it – which entails the city mentioned in the page/s Title and H1 tag/s
- set up the Google My Business profile to appear on the Google MAP in search results (and optimising the profile to rank in position 1, 2 or 3 on the Map)
- bus shelter signage
- signage on the backs of buses
- shopper-docket ads (with offers)
- vehicle signage (with more than just a business name),
- a proactive referral strategy (incentives for customers to refer friends),
- loyalty cards (if purchase frequency is over 4 times a year), and even
- letter box flyers (with magnets attached so people keep them).
These strategies would probably all be successful, if (and its a BIG if), they were expertly executed. More often than not a strategy is NOT expertly executed and that's why the strategy fails.
Reason 2 – People are dealing with another business
This doesn't mean the customers can't be lured away. In fact, they usually can because as we all know, the average level of service in this country is "average" at best and mediocre or poor more commonly.
'Attracting' potential customers with strong offers is a great way to bring in those people who may be usually use another business they have purchased from previously.
Combine this strategy with the ones above to get the message out of the offer can be a powerful and effective strategy (if executed expertly).
Reason 3 – People have formed an impression about the business previously
This comes down to changing the marketing message – i.e. the text that is associated with the business. This is recommended for all the local offline marketing such as signage.
Signage that just has the name of the business and phone number is an example of a poorly executed strategy.
Signage is best with a headline (where space allows, or can be utilised).
A great headline for (vehicle) signage is…
Here's Why You Should Call (Business Name)…
Then have bullet points (with a tick as the bullet point), that are benefits…
- Guaranteed to turn up on time, or you'll get $50 cash
- Guaranteed reasonable prices so you get top value for money
- Guaranteed no mess for you to clean up when our jobs are complete
- Guaranteed no changes to quoted prices or hidden extras ever
These types of bullet points impress potential plumbing customers due to their 'risk-reversal' aspect. They change a lot of the perceptions of plumbing companies in the market place.
And with signage, never use ALL CAPITAL LETTERS as they reduce reading comprehension by 67%!
Reason 4 – Prospects feel the business operates too far away
People love buying locally, especially with service providers, often because they believe they will be charged more for the travel time.
This often isn't the case for bigger businesses, so dealing with this perception is important and beneficial.
It can be dealt with by simply stating with all marketing communication – 'Our tradies are regularly in your local area, so there's no charge for travel'.
This includes signage as well as websites (on the Contact us page, or next to a phone number on the site).
This simple phrase can pick up a LOT of extra sales.
Reason 5 – Purchased from the business previously and not had a good experience
The majority of businesses are not communicating with all their previous customers, and that's a BIG missed opportunity.
With email its just so easy these days to send out newsletters once a month to all previous customers. By setting up a database in a CRM or emailing platform such as MailChimp is very easy to add new contacts and put them into a sequence of email newsletters sent out once a month automatically.
Here's an important statistic…
67% of all people who buy from a business, won't buy from
the same business because of perceived indifference!
What that simply means is, they didn't have a great experience, and were forgotten about immediately after finishing payment for the service they received.
Following every customer up with an email – thanking them for their business within 3 days in a fantastic strategy that can change the customers perception from 'perceived indifference, i.e. "satisfactory" service to one of great service.
Its also 6 times cheaper to generate a sale from previous customers than it is to acquire a new customer. Food for thought.
Another great strategy to reduce the future loss of business from customers is to simply phone them a day or three after their purchase to get some feedback and to thank them. This can make a HUGE difference to any business and our clients have often discovered powerful opportunities from customers from doing this. (A Brisbane kitchen renovation company DOUBLED its net profit with one idea thanks to this strategy – expertly executed)
Reason 6 – People assuming the business doesn't 'specialise' in the service
Assumptions are extremely expensive when it comes to business.
Customers can assume things to be true and so can business owners. 🙂
Customers can assume you don't provide a service that you do, and not call you. That's a simple example.
How do you deal with this? There are multiple effective ways.
One is to simply be communicating to all previous customers with newsletters, to prevent this happening in future (as assumptions can and frequently occur with previous customers).
Another is to spell out all the specific services a business does. In this example for the plumbing company instead of saying "We do all types of plumbing work – commercial and domestic" the business needs individual web pages with each and every specific type of service the plumbing company offers.
Having a detailed (over 400 words) web page for each and every service is extremely important (and beneficial).
For a lot of reasons, such as it demonstrates the confidence in your services by explaining it in detail, its highly beneficial to Google to assist in ranking your website (web pages need to be over 400 words (including the Homepage) for Google to determine the context of the page).
More words mean, or should mean (if written expertly) more benefits and what defines the business as quite unique and special to the person visiting the website.
All of these are important and valuable reasons to have at least 400 and preferably 1,000 words on each webpage.
NOTE: blog pages need to be over 1,000 words and ideally 2,000 words for the best result in Google ranking results (yes, the length is longer now than previously).
Reason 7 – Feel the company is too expensive
Good communication (i.e. the critical home page and internal page images – as well as the copywriting (text) on every page) is critical to create a perception of great VALUE.
Unfortunately, the majority of website developers often let their clients choose both, or simply copy the poor/old text from their previous website into the new one.
Sometimes, but very rarely does the website contents create a perception of being expensive. In fact, there's often no real perception being communicated so people ring after visiting the website and commonly start with "How much would (blah) cost?"
A great website with expertly chosen images, and great copywriting puts website visitors further into the buying process. You can see that because when they call they start to talk about when they will get the service carried out, or state "I like your website because…"
By the way, the worst thing you can do when a person calls your business and asks a question, is to answer it!
You probably know that if you answer a question, you will be asked another, and then another and then finally be told, "Thanks, I'll think about it and I might get back to you".
Instead, answer their question with… "Just so I can help you best, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" You will then receive a "yes" and then you can ask them questions like, "Can I get your name please", and "How did you find our business", and then ask more clarifying questions about their initial question and query.
By handling all incoming prospect calls, you will see that a great website with expert execution will make people far more open, friendly and accommodating to talk and answer questions, plus be further into the buying process.
When you implement these strategies, price goes out of the caller's mind, and VALUE starts to replace it. They start to trust the business and that's where price isn't as relevant.
$10 is a lot of money for a coffee, so people have a price in their mind of what they want to pay, however their perception can be changed with good communication (on the website and on the phone). With great marketing and great customer service, people probably would or currently do pay $10 for a cup of coffee (somewhere in the world)!
Reason 8 – Don't like the company's website
This is extremely common and is happening in every industry, and there are a LOT of reasons why, not just one or two.
First of all, its important to understand website developers are far better programming experts than they are marketing experts. Their time in training is spent more on learning code and that's what's in most of their training.
Marketing takes YEARS to learn, unlike website development. Years and paying to learn from a dozen or three dozen other world renowned top markers, combined with years of testing concepts is how you start to become great at marketing.
However, a website developer can learn WordPress themselves from one course and start a business selling website designs and yet still know very little about the subject of marketing, and probably never will.
ALL great marketers measure the results of their own marketing (either paid for, or written/designed themselves).
Even the top marketers pay other marketers thousands of dollars to do their marketing for them, because its just such an extremely technical almost infinite subject to learn.
What all this means is, 95% of ALL websites are missing key "marketing" fact-proven design ingredients, and the poor business owners doesn't ever know it.
And the price of the website has little to do with effectiveness of design.
Take this website homepage of Masters Hardware…
You'd think this was a business selling clotheslines, not a national hardware chain backed by a billion dollar company!
Don't assume that public corporations have great websites, in facts assume they don't, because there are very few (less than 5%) websites of billion dollar companies that are excellent in design and function.
A great website "warms" people up, so that when you great them professionally and friendly, they start to trust you very quickly and price is no longer their highest priority – trust is.
In Summary
By combining ALL of the above strategies above, its not uncommon to see (clients') businesses MASSIVELY increase not just their income, but also their profits because they generate more sales at higher prices.
If you're wondering how to rapidly and dramatically increase sales and profits in your business start to look at the execution skills of all your marketing (and selling) techniques.
The best way to learn execution skills is to invest in digital marketing course training.
Training is very inexpensive. Ignorance can cost you $50,000 to $200,000 a year in what you're not making by not having the skills.
Why do you, the business owner need training?
Unfortunately because 95% of ALL marketing is poorly executed. The more you learn about marketing yourself, the more you will see the overwhelming evidence of it.
Best of all, when you have been trained, you will avoid paying for marketing in future that just doesn't work, and see rapid improvements in your marketing, that in most cases you can do yourself in-house.
Yes, in-house in minutes or hours.
If all this makes sense, and you'd like to consider inexpensive training, the best investment you will ever make is in the Marketing Fast Track workshop training. It's the ONLY digital marketing course online that covers the most common and effective strategies for online marketing with top level execution secrets.
And success in growing your business is all about execution!
If you'd like to know more call the office, or contact us for a chat about your marketing.


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Facebook adds Sponsored Stories to 'Pages You May Like' mobile module
Facebook appears to be testing Page-Like Sponsored Stories in a mobile module called "Pages You May Like."
With this new module, seen right, the social network is showing some users two Sponsored Stories at a time. This increases Facebook's mobile inventory, but it's unclear how it might affect clickthrough rates. Two ads are now competing next to each other, but the unit includes a large thumbs-up symbol, which could perform well. It's unknown whether this format is being tested only for premium advertisers working with Facebook directly or whether any mobile Sponsored Story is eligible to be shown here.
A number of third-party ad providers have seen early success with Facebook's mobile Sponsored Stories. Nanigans found mobile campaigns have an average 45 percent lower cost per click than those on desktop. In some cases, CPCs were as low as $0.20. AdParlor says it has seen an average mobile CTR of 0.821 percent, which is 25 times better than traditional Facebook ads.
However, Facebook is doing a a slow rollout of mobile ads, monitoring interaction and feedback to avoid disrupting the user experience.
We first saw Facebook testing the mobile "Pages You May Like" module at the end of June, but it did not include sponsored listings, as seen below. At the time this seemed to be the mobile equivalent of what Facebook does on desktop with the "Recommended Pages" module in the sidebar. It's unclear if Facebook will continue to show the module with unpaid suggestions or if it is now for Sponsored Stories only.


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BRAINTREE, Massachusetts — Two cops were injured at the funeral of a slain police officer when a butter-fingered sergeant's gun went off after he accidentally dropped it, officials said.
The incident occurred as thousands of cops gathered to lay Weymouth, Massachusetts Police Officer Michael Chesna to rest on July 20 after he had been fatally shot while investigating a car crash.
As Cranston, Rhode Island Police Sgt. Michael Patnaud, was removing his honor guard uniform aboard a police bus, his .40 caliber Glock 22 fell from his holster and went off when he tried to catch it, cops said.
"It was accidental," Braintree Police Chief Paul Shastany told the Patriot Ledger.
The bullet passed through the side of the bus and ricocheted off the asphalt on the street below, sending debris flying which stuck two officers with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology police force.
One officer was hit on the hand and the other just above the eye, although neither was seriously hurt. Both refused medical attention.
Because no one was hurt, Patnaud remains on duty, the Cranston police said.
"Obviously, we feel terrible. I know he does, too," Cranston Police Col. Michael J. Winquist told the Providence Journal. "He's a person that's never had an incident like this, ever. He's very proficient with firearms and has had a lot of training over the course of his career."