text:
Starting a new company has been a challenge, and will remain so. There are strong reasons to corroborate the fact. Right from the moment you sow the seed of a startup, your tryst with the future of your pet startup begins.
As an entrepreneur, your first and foremost priority is to bring your pet startup at a break even point. The moment that happens, you, your team, resources get a most desired lift. Sounds simple!!! However, is it that simple? Not at all!!! Do you know why???
Startups' founders must consider disturbing statistics before painting a drawing on a canvas about the future of your startup. A dedicated research by a leading business school Harvard Business School clearly suggests that 75% of startups fail to see the light of the day. This figure speaks volume, can never be undermined.
A budding entrepreneur plunging into startup business can't undermine this fact. In fact he/ she should consider the figure before venturing into startup. It's like going on a sail with lifeboat. That's true!!! Blindly don't start a business!!!
Explore the Magic of Lean Startup
Do you know what separates a successful startup from an unsuccessful one??? There are couple of reasons. One could be banking on a plan that works when you are short of resources.
Industry insiders have been developing one theory after the other to fuel the growth of the startups. One such theory is lean startup. It's a marvelous development, enabling startups in scaling up.
How Does the Phenomenon Work?
The well researched phenomenon helps in making the process of running a company less risky. It works on clear cut rules. Instead of favoring a comprehensive planning on how to run a startup, it focuses on learning from experimentation, customer feedback, and iterative design among others. Philosophy is to carryout experimentation in product development, services without taking risk.
Customer feedback plays a significant role in keeping the product/ service alive and company at large. That's absolutely true!!! The moment you realize that a certain innovation is not producing result; you can plug it, saving yourself from future risks. That's what you want as an owner of a startup.
The same methodology is applicable for innovation. You are free to innovate with your product/ service; however, as exclusive monitoring is in place, you can comfortably capture the flaws. And it pays off in the long run.
Leverage on Innovify's Expertise in Lean Startup
At Innovify, fueling the growth of startup is not mere a business strategy, in fact it's a passion. Our one point agenda is to enable startup scaleup. Leveraging the outstanding experience of our wonderful lean startup team, we are helping startups in overcoming the market challenges, including product/ service launch, customer feedback, and innovation among others.
Explore the phenomenon at Innovify at the earliest and watch your dream startup company grow.


text:
Daniel is pursued by stories. His father, in thrall to a myth, has disappeared; his mother and sister, too; and Lydia, his lover, leaves him and the novel he cannot finish for quantum mechanics, the place where theory tells tales about the real. And then there is Pearl, the girl beneath the floorboards, whose adventures hum alongside Daniel's own. In this contemporary, contemplative fairy tale, the autobiographical novel takes on the cast of legend, and the uncertainty of memory leaves reality on shaky ground. Can parallel universes exist? Can a preoccupation with Moby Dick overwhelm the story unfolding before you? Where do you stand in relation to the metaphysics of your own life? Dan Beachy-Quick is the author of five books of poetry, most recently Circle's Apprentice; two books of prose, A Whaler's Dictionary and Wonderful Investigations; as well as a number of chapbooks and two collaborations, Conversities (with Srikanth Reddy) and Work from Memory (with Matthew Goulish). He teaches in the MFA program at Colorado State University, and lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with his wife and two daughters.
An Impenetrable Screen of Purest Sky
av Dan Beachy-Quick
Lagret i dine overvåkninger
Fri frakt fra 299 kr for privatpersoner. Sendes innen 5‑7 virkedager.
- Forfatter: Dan Beachy-Quick
- Språk: Engelsk
- English
- Utgitt: 2013-09
- Forlag: Coffee House Press
- Antall sider: 232
- Vekt: 249 gram
Du vil kanskje like
Veil. pris 69,-
Veil. pris 345,-
Veil. pris 215,-
Dette synes andre om boken
Blogget om boken
Du vil kanskje like
Teorier på 30 sekunder69,-4
Filosofi på 30 sekunder69,-6
Du Store Alpakka Pus Garn Alpakkamix 50 g
Du Store Alpakka57,-Veil. pris 69,-8
Ta vare på deg selv; 12 år yngre på 12 uker
Berit Nordstrand139,-Veil. pris 345,-9
Økonomi på 30 sekunder
Adam Fishwick, Katie Huston, Christakis Georgiou mfl.69,-10
12 uker til et sunnere liv og en smalere midje
Berit Nordstrand99,-Veil. pris 215,-11

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It takes a lot of effort to plan, project, and develop infrastructure in different countries. Many beautiful countries stagger in building a world-class infrastructure for attracting tourists. Fortunately, some people in the world who know ways to transform infrastructure in nations. One of them is Louis Gerard Saliot.
He is an international businessman with 30 years of experience in business development and international trade. He worked with Unilever for 15 years and then moved to one of the leading property development companies in France. Gerard Saliot moved to Asia in 1993 and founded Euro-Asia Management Group. The company has offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Jakarta and it specialises in tourism, leisure, and hospitality project management and development. The company also provide consultancy to international agencies and government ministries in the development of such projects.
Notable works of Euro-Asia Management Group
Euro-Asia directs the development primarily in the region of Asia-Pacific, Indian Ocean, and the Middle East. The company offer property development in specialised areas such as tourism industry, hospitality, leisure, and residential tourism development and much more. The team of the company comprises of master planner, architect, interior designers, project managers, legal and financial experts.
Euro-Asia has managed a major masterplan of tourism development for the Indonesian government. This plan was financed by the French government in 1996. Gerard Saliot and his team of international experts made the complete plan after analysing the whole project. They focused the resources to prime locations of Indonesia. Indonesian tourism market offers numerous opportunities and Gerard Saliot assessed and completed the plan successfully.
Gerard Saliot has promoted the development of Natadola Marine resorts. These resorts are famous in whole Fiji for their great experience and accommodation. The project required management and implementation and Saliot negotiated with the government bodies and some major worldwide hotel operators. He completed all the work needed to build the beautiful Natadola Marine resorts.
If you want to know more about Louis Gerard Saliot and his company, then contact us for further information.


text: Don't miss this opportunity to eat fabulous food and visit with wonderful people. Those who gathered last year can confirm it is a misnomer to call it a picnic. It is a banquet. As you can see from the photos posted the tables could barely support the weight of all the food. Come enjoy the food and the company. Click on the link below to register by Tuesday, September 17.


text: I'll soon be putting in a new pickup in my fender Musicmaster. I've never done anything like this ever, I've only seen the guys at the pro-shop do it to guitars, once. hey, its a rare sight! the reason i want to do it myself is the pro-shop says it'll be an hourly charge + cost of supplies + pickup. And they only want to use THEIR pickup choice which is very much over priced. I wanted to buy the brand/model pickup I wanted and bring it in but they didn't like that idea. So it's gonna cost roughly $225 for the whole shebang. Anyway, today I picked up a soldering kit at Radio Shack and got copper shielding tape, the pickup, pots, and all the other guts the guy said are needed. All together it cost about $100. Any books, websites, info you can offer? will a 16 yr old with good logic easily screw up soldering?


text:
Cleco and UL are teaming up to bring alternative energy to Acadiana. On Tuesday, the two opened the Cleco Alternative Energy Center in the University of Louisiana Energy Development Complex in Crowley. Not only will the facility create renewable energy sources, it will also be a hub for research.
John Pippins, III is already wearing his hard hat. He's a junior at UL, majoring in chemical engineering. He's ready to spark ideas at the new alternative energy center.


text:
Your Shopping Bag is Empty.
Blue Life
This product is available for store pickup
The Blue Life Crop Tube Top features an allover floral print with drawstring cropped style with ruched top and raw edge bottom fringe.
Fit Guide:
Regular Price:
this item has been added to your cart
Continue shopping
View cart & checkout
Customer Care
Sign into your account to speed up the checkout process
Enter your email address below we'll reset your password
If there is an account associated with email address you will receive an email with a link to reset your password.
Click the link below to return to login.


text:
* Jamie Lokier: > E.g. When evaluating online.myservice.free.fr, Firefox could look up > DNS records for online.myservice.free.fr, myservice.free.fr, free.fr > and .fr (in that order), and if there's a record use that. If not, > use the hard-coded information you have gathered for that domain. Isn't this the wrong direction, that is, should you start from the TLD? (But don't forget to put that record into a separate zone. 8-P) > (By the way, although we're talking about administrative divides in > the DNS tree, a little thought might be given to administrative > divides in URL trees. There are a fair number of sites containing > http://domain.com/user1/* and http://domain.com/user2/*, where those > prefixes indicates separately administered URL spaces. Do similar > cookie issues apply? Yes. I think Ebay suffers from these issues.Received on Tuesday, 10 June 2008 19:26:20 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 1 March 2016 11:10:46 UTC


text:
Trump Just Did More For Israel Than Obama Did In 8 Years
He's not even President yet, but with one single Facebook post PEOTUS Donald Trump has just done more to defend Israel than Obama's done in eight years!
The resolution being considered at the United Nations Security Council regarding Israel should be vetoed….cont: https://t.co/s8rXKKZNF1
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2016
So much for the #FakeNews narrative that Trump's the leader of America's anti-Semitic bloc. On the other hand, go to almost any lefty protest these days and you'll witness chants of "Long live the intifada!"
Here's Trump's full statement:
The resolution being considered at the United Nations Security Council regarding Israel should be vetoed.
As the United States has long maintained, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations.
This puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position and is extremely unfair to all Israelis.
Chuck Schumer, please call your underwear.
- Total: 10.8K
- 10.8KShare
- 0Tweet
As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to edit or remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, anti-Semitism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. The same applies to trolling, the use of multiple aliases, or just generally being a jerk. Enforcement of this policy is at the sole discretion of the site administrators and repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without warning. Guest posting is disabled for security reasons.


text:
When creating layouts, people typically chose the photo first and then build around it. Since I hate to be "normal", I quite often chose the paper first and then decide what works best with it. And such was the case with this layout. I had a very old set of Valentine papers that I pulled out last week with the plans to make a card but couldn't find the mojo and so the papers sat on my desk. But then along came Rochelle Spears' color challenge along with the monthly sketch over at Grand Diva's Creative Corner and I was set! So out came my un-scrapped photos to find an appropriate photo. While the quality of the one photo wasn't great (even after Photoshop), I liked the green in my daughter's shirt and the rest just fell into place (for once), including the title which was inspired by Kerys' Scrappin' Happy WordArt challenge. I'm probably most pleased that everything came from deep in my stash from cardstock to the the year-old flowers and the even older Thickers.
Title - Thickers (Vera and Daiquiri)
Flowers - K&Company
Date alphas - Lilly Bee Designs


text:
Completed project
Aim of the project
- Improvement of the photographic holdings' accessibility via re-indexing and digitization
- Conservation and protection of the original holdings via integral digitization and repackaging in containers suitable for archiving
- Initial clarification of the rights to the photographs
Description of the project
The Thomas Mann Archive owns around 7,000 photo prints in a wide variety of formats depicting the life and work of Thomas Mann, as well as his personal sphere. The photographs, which were taken by more than 500 photographers and date from the 1840s to the 1990s, are extremely important to understand the "media author" Thomas Mann. Within the scope of the project, the photographic material is re-taken at individual image level, the contents described, digitized, repacked in proper containers and archived.
Synergies and context
The project uses the image information system Canto Cumulus, which ETH-Bibliothek has already deployed to index and manage comparable photographic holdings (including the Max Frisch Archive) and present them online. The digitization is performed at ETH-Bibliothek's DigiCenter.
Timeframe, sequence
|July 2015 to April 2016
|Project duration
|After the project's completion, the groundwork to upload a selection of photos into a catalogue on E-Pics will commence. In particular, the usage rights for the photographs are to be clarified. The catalogue is scheduled to go online in the course of 2017.


text:
What Type of Vacuum Cleaner is Best?
What Type of Vacuum Cleaner is Best?
Vacuum cleaners are often the most effective cleaning tools in the house, so buying the right one is very much an investment. With all the different types of vacuum cleaners on the market, sifting through the various models can soon get very confusing. This guide should help point you in the right direction.
Choosing the best vacuum cleaner can be confusing. To help make things clearer you should know what the different types of vacuum are, what the main features you can find on a vacuum cleaner, and want you type of flooring you will be using a vacuum cleaner on.
There are two main types of vacuum cleaner: upright and cylinder. Both offer advantages and disadvantages. Before deciding if you should by a canister or upright, you should ask yourself a few questions. The following guidelines will help you find the answer.
Upright vacuum cleaners are heavier than cylinder vacuums. An upright vacuum cleaner can be more difficult to manoeuvre and less suited to cleaning small gaps and spaces. If weight is an issue, then you are best off with a canister vacuum. Many uprights come with attachments to help you clean those more hard-to-get-at places. The Oreck XL upright vacuum cleaner is one of the lightest on the market, weighing in at only 8lbs! However, the Oreck doesn't come with attachments, and you have to wind on the cord by hand. The main advantage of upright vacuum cleaners is suction power. The motor is nearer the vacuum head than a cylinder.
Cylinder vacuum cleaners are easier to use because the motor units tends to be smaller and you can vacuum a large area with the head, without having to move the motor. Most cylinder vacuum cleaners come with attachments that are housed inside them for quick retrieval and put-away. The Electrolux Harmony canister vacuum is an excellent vacuum and has been designed to be ultra quiet.
Both upright and canister vacuum cleaner offer features to make cleaning better, or more convenient, or safer. The following is a list of the main features that come with vacuum cleaners. It should be borne in mind that the more features a vacuum cleaner has, the more expensive it will be.
A vacuum cleaner with powerful suction can depend on many things but the wattage of the motor is a very good indicator of its power. The more Watts a vacuum has, the more powerful it is. A good figure for a cylinder cleaner is around 1400 Watts, and 1300 for an upright.
Bag or Bagless
This seems to be the latest, and most confusing, feature on many vacuum cleaners. Until recently, all vacuum cleaners collected dirt in a bag. However, this changed when Dyson vacuum cleaners came on to the market. The main disadvantage with vacuums that use bags is loss of suction as the bag fills up. A bagless vacuum like the Dyson DC07 upright vacuum cleaner does not use dust bags but induces suction by means of centrifugal force. Vacuums that don't use bags don't loose suction power. Bagless vacuum cleaners tend to be more expensive that ones that use bags. Another disadvantage of bagless vacuum cleaners is empty the dust cup. Bagged models can be more hygienic because the dirt and dust is collected in a sealed bag. If you or anyone in your house is asthmatic then it is better to go for a bagged cleaner.
When a vacuum sucks up dirt some particles are expelled out the exhaust of the vacuum. The type of filter determines the size and number of particles that are expelled. There are now three types of filters on offer. Standard filtration is now usually found in only low cost vacuum cleaners. If you buy a vacuum cleaner with standard filtration, make sure you look for one with more than one filtration level. S-class and HEPA filters greatly reduce the number and size of particles that are emitted back into the air. These types of filter retain up to 99.97% of dust, down to 0.3 microns (microscopic in size). Allergy sufferers should only consider using HEPA filters. There are now many top rated HEPA vacuum cleaners, the Eureka 3684D canister vacuum being one of the best.
Other Types of Vacuum Cleaners
There are many other types of vacuum cleaners offering specialized cleaning capabilities. Stick vacuum cleaner are light weight and meant for small cleaning jobs and are great for high area such as the tops of curtains. Handheld vacuum cleaners are also meant for clearing up spills and typically come with a wall mounting and charging unit.
Steam vacuum cleaners use steam to lift out dirt from carpets. These are very effective in getting out ground in dirt. They are not that difficult to use and a good quality steam vacuum like the Hoover SteamVac should leave the carpet dry to the touch after use. Finally, Wet and Dry vacuum cleaners are versatile units. They can be used in dry mode exactly like their more common counterparts. But they can also be used to clean your carpet with water and carpet shampoo, leaving your carpet clean and sweet smelling. The Eureka InstaRinse Cleaning System is an excellent wet to dry vacuum.
There are many good vacuum cleaner products on the market but all of them are different and meet the needs of different customers.You may choose a top of the line Kirby Vacuum Cleaner, a mid priced Oreck, a Hoover, or any of the lower priced vacuums on the market. Establish your priority list and set a budget before buying your vacuum cleaner. A good vacuum cleaner is an investment in your home and your health. Make the right choice for your family and lifestyle!
October 10, 2012 at 7:53 pm
October 11, 2012 at 6:45 pm
October 11, 2012 at 6:49 pm


text:
Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) Ltd Recruitment 2014 - Apprentice Jobs
Heavy Engineering Corporation Limited invites Online applications from Indian nationals for filling up the 182 vacancies of Graduate Apprentices & Diploma Apprentice posts. Interested Candidates can send their applications in prescribed format on or before 31st January, 2014. More detailed information is mentioned below.
HECL Recruitment 2014 complete vacancy details :
Number of vacancies : 182
Name of posts :
1. Graduate Apprentices: 69 posts
2. Diploma Apprentices: 113 posts
Eligibility Criteria :
Age Limit : Candidates must have attained the age of 18 years and must not have crossed the age of 27 years as on 31st October, 2013 . Age Relaxation will be applicable as per govt norms.
Educational Qualification :
1. For Graduate Apprentice post : Must have Engineering degree in relevant disciplines.
2. For Diploma Apprentice post : Should have completed 3 years Diploma in relevant disciplines.
Selection Process : Selection will be based on performance in Interview.
Application Fee : Candidates have to pay Rs. 500 in the form of Demand Draft drawn in favor of "Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd " payable at Ranchi.
How to Apply : Candidates who want to apply for above mention post, they have to download the application form through official website , then take print out , fill the application form and along with relevant enclosures send it to following address :
Sr.Deputy Genral Manager (H.T.E),
H.E.C. Training Institute,
H.E.C. Limited, Plant Plaza Road,
Dhurva, Ranchi-834004
Last date for receipt of application form : 31-01-2014
Click here to view the Official Notification and Application form.
All the visitors are urged to register their Email Address in our Mail Subscription box to get updates of govt jobs, bank jobs, central jobs, PSU jobs etc...
we wish your search for jobs may end here...


text:
NICKEL MINES, Pa. (AP) � Police couldn�t force their way into a barricaded Amish schoolhouse until 2� minutes after a gunman began shooting 10 girls inside, according to newly released details about the siege.
The killings last year and the Virginia Tech massacre demonstrate that police dealing with barricaded gunmen need better training and equipment, such as battering rams, said state police Sgt. Douglas Burig, who was in command at the West Nickel Mines Amish School standoff.
Schoolhouse gunman Charles C. Roberts IV acted so suddenly � shooting his 10 victims in about eight seconds and killing five � that even quick entry into the building might not have prevented the tragedy, said Burig, who carried two of the victims out of the school.
�It just highlights the need for equipment like this (to be) available for the first responders,� Burig said. �Ultimately it would not have made a difference in this incident, but perhaps it will in a future incident.�
Pennsylvania state troopers who were at the schoolhouse have said little publicly about the Oct. 2 shootings. But in talks to police agencies across the country, Burig and other state police officials have shared what they learned in hopes of helping other officers.
In an interview earlier this month with KTLO Radio in Mountain Home, Ark., where he was attending a conference, Burig said police tactical units have the tools to handle a barricaded hostage taker. But sometimes it falls to the first officers at the scene to handle the scenario.
Roberts, a 32-year-old father of three who worked as a milk truck driver, apparently planned to sexually assault the children. He lined up the 10 girls before the blackboard and tied their feet.
After insisting that police back off, he systematically shot them at close range.
�When he shot the girls, he shot them a total of 13 times and he did that in about eight seconds,� Burig said in a portion of the radio interview that wasn�t broadcast. �These doors were heavily barricaded from the inside with two-by-fours, with flex ties, with furniture. It took the troopers about 2� minutes to fight through the barricades.�
Police used shields, rifle butts and batons to beat through the doors and windows. Roberts shot himself fatally in the head as the first troopers entered.
�Those troopers assaulted the school without any thought of their own safety,� Burig told KTLO. �They were shot at but they continued to move toward the school, they dove through windows and ripped off doors while being shot at and they saved the lives of five of the 10 girls that were inside there.
�It�s something I�ll never personally forget, and their bravery�s directly responsible for why five of those girls are alive today.�
Three of the survivors are recovering well, but a fourth may need additional surgery for a shoulder wound, said Dr. Holmes Morton, a physician at the Clinic for Special Children in Strasburg who is familiar with their conditions. The most seriously injured girl remains in what doctors fear will be a permanent vegetative state, he said.
The investigation remains open, and just last week police returned some clothing to victims� families. But Burig said no additional information has surfaced that might explain Roberts� actions.
In suicide notes and brief phone conversations on the day of the shooting, Roberts expressed anger over the memory of having molested two very young female relatives two decades earlier. Investigators later tracked down the girls, who had no memory of it.
Roberts also expressed pain over the 1997 death of a newborn daughter, Elise. He was buried beside her in a grave that, nearly a year later, remains unmarked.
�We certainly believe that�s part of the motive,� Burig told the AP.
Roberts� widow, Marie, remarried in May and moved several miles away. Roberts� father, a former police officer, participated in the wedding ceremony, said Terry L. Blessing, the minister who performed it.
�From all indications as I observed her, she was doing quite well,� Blessing said.
Neither the Amish nor the surrounding community plan to mark the one-year anniversary of the shooting. A group called the Nickel Mines Accountability Committee has collected about $4.3 million for the victims and is working on setting up a trust fund to disburse the proceeds.
A Pennsylvania State Police spokeswoman said the department is considering whether to purchase additional anti-barricade equipment and how training might be improved.
But such incidents are rare and focusing on them might not be an efficient use of resources, said Patrick Judge, executive director of the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training.
�As far as having specialized training, you know, it certainly would be handy,� he said. �But those are so isolated incidents and they�re so unusual that you could train the officer, but you would have to train him on a continuous basis to keep the skills up.�
Trooper at Amish shooting urges better equipment, training for standoffs
NICKEL MINES, Pa. (AP) � Police couldn�t force their way into a barricaded Amish schoolhouse until 2� minutes after a gunman began shooting 10 girls inside, according to newly released details about the siege.


text:
Apparently, it's now unethical for environmentalists to invest in green energy firms, while also advocating for environmental policies.
The modern GOP: dumber than a post. Incidentally -- would this GOP halfwit be concerned about, say, discovering a former or present White House official with ties to the military industry also advocating for higher military spending? Because that list would include, oh, Bush I, Cheney, Powell, Rice, and probably at least a dozen others.
Friday, April 24, 2009
2 comments:
- Angelica said...
Of course, if he didn't invest in any green energy companies...then he's not putting his investment dollars where his mouth is...can't win.
- April 26, 2009 2:21 PM
- Anonymous said...
Why did Cheney get crap for ties to Halliburton then?
- April 28, 2009 4:28 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
"Climate of Change" is the theme for the 2004 Texas Plant Protection Conference, scheduled Dec. 8-9, at the Hilton Inn & Conference Center in College Station.
This conference provides all involved in crop production the opportunity to learn the latest information on agricultural security as well as new crop protection products, new technology, scientific advances and trends.
This year's conference opening session includes addresses concerning security, ag terrorism and ag bioterrorism by Kitty Cardwell, national program leader, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Neville Clarke, Texas A & M University; and Shashank Nilakhe, state entomologist, Texas Department of Agriculture, Austin, Texas.
In addition, the opening session will feature a talk by John Nelson-Gammon, state climatologist discussing climate changes impact on Texas agriculture. Parr Rosson with Texas A & M University will update the conference on the latest on international trade relations.
This year's conference also includes a special section co-sponsored by the Texas Association of Agricultural Consultants (TAAC) and the Texas Plant Protection Association (TPPA). This session features updates on new products and on crop pest management issues facing consultants and growers.
The balance of the agenda includes over 50 presentations by agricultural research scientists profiling their latest findings. These presentations feature the most up-to-date information in Texas crop production. Program topics are divided into sections; Cotton, Grains, Water Management / Fertility, Future Technology & Chemistry, Pasture & Rangeland and Precision Agriculture; and are presented by recognized experts in their respective fields.
Over 25 agribusinesses will sponsor the conference and have displays with information on their products and services.
CEUs are offered during the conference for Texas Department of Agriculture Commercial Pesticide Applicator License and for Certified Crop Advisers.
For more information, contact Bob Sasser, executive director, at (936) 539-2349. Additional information and registration materials are also available on line at http://tppa.tamu.edu or by e-mail at email@example.com.


text: Again, here is a category that we love very much. Watching those hot girls in sexy lingerie is breathtaking. For example, when I just glance to a photo with naked babe in naughty lingerie, my cock gets hard and I need to take a closer look and I might end with jerking on that girl. But let's leave this for now. Let's talk about how hot would be to see some cute asian babe or milf with a fishnets on them or some tight panties. I also noticed that many of Playboy girls are wearing really high quality lingerie that is very sexy and lucky 'bastard' Hugh Hefner gets to see them all, not to mention how many he could afford them to have sex with. Bu that's again another story and we wont go that way. He is just one lucky guy, what can I say. We also love to watch some hot sexy lingerie videos, but our page is dedicated to picture sets, so let's stick it to that and we might add video section later. If you're reading this, I would like to ask you to share our site with your social media network friends and tell them about us. We work hard for you to see tons of free picture sets daily!


text:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Parivartan Rally in Kanpur on 19 December after which he lay the foundation stone for the first ever "Indian Institute of Skills" at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
The institute has been opened in partnership with Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore. Inspired by Singapore's model of training, the institute was conceptualised during PM's visit to the country. The idea behind the institute is to make India the skill capital of the world by empowering its youth to be more employable and self-sustainable.
The Ministry has decided to set up six such institutes.
Here are the highlight's of PM Modi's speech at today's rally:
- History will not remember the PM who brought this revolutionary change to eradicate corruption but will praise the people.
- I ask journalists, writers, social media users, intellectuals to tell the world how India came forward to fight corruption.
Shopkeepers who are using debit/credit cards to receive payments will also receive rewards in Thousands of rupees in a lucky draw scheme: PM— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 19, 2016
-Shopkeepers who are using debit/credit cards to receive payments will also receive rewards in thousands of rupees in a lucky draw scheme.
-Have introduced a bumper draw scheme for costumers who have used electronic transactions after the announcement of the demonetisation policy.
I am aware of their strength, when they can bribe bank officials they can do anything but we have to fight this: PM Modi in Kanpur— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 19, 2016
-Now we are using technology to track those who have stashed black money. We are being vigilant and raids are being conducted across the country.
-Prime minister Narendra Modi promotes cashless economy, says "mobile phone is your wallet."
-Says that Uttar Pradesh is tired of goondaraaj.
Ek nirnay se ache achon ka khel khatam ho gaya.Kuch logon ko lagta tha bank mein paise daal diya toh safed ho gaye, yahin galti kar gaye: PM pic.twitter.com/3DDsO7Od0v— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 19, 2016
-More than 35 lakh people below poverty line have received an LPG connection and LPG cylinder.
-I have requested for a party meet for a discussion on how political parties get funds.
-It is our duty to work like soldiers towards making India a developed country
-We have to make India free of corruption and black money.
Municipality mei choone hue log bhi aisa vyayhaar karne se pahele 50 baar sochte hain: PM Modi in Kanpur pic.twitter.com/SLPIjQmNLy— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 19, 2016
Humara agenda hai ki kaala dhan bandh ho aur unka agenda hai ki sansad bandh ho: PM Modi in Kanpur (UP) pic.twitter.com/OuZgC8sCPn— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 19, 2016
-The country will grow at a faster rate only when the youth has ample of work opportunities - India is lucky to have more than 60% under the age of 35.
-Our youth can show the world their strength only when they have the talent and skill.
-Many initiatives have been taken up by the government to empower the youth, especially in Uttar Pradesh.
Many initiatives have been taken by the Government to empower the youth especially in Uttar Pradesh: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/Cs4RvuG8II— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 19, 2016
PM Modi's speech ends and he proceeds to lay the foundation stone of Indian Institute of Skills in Kanpur.
Also read: Rahul Gandhi targets PM Modi on demonetisation in Jaunpur rally


text:
A wrap of the local industry's executive appointments.
Global printing company Lexmark has appointed Carmel Mosser as general manager for Australia and New Zealand.
Mosser will be responsible for supporting the company in the local region and to increase its portfolio across the range of printing and imaging products, software, solutions and services.
Mosser will also be charged with driving the sales and business relationship management teams, developing strategies to support uptake of the company's print devices, and will also drive the focus on verticals including government, education, health, manufacturing, banking and finance, and retail sectors.
The appointment comes after six years with the company, prior to which, Mosser spent about 20 years in the ICT industry.
Commenting on the appointment, Mosser said she would draw on experience as SMB and channel manager and continue to work with the channel network and sales team to help implement strategies in the effort to increase the company's footprint throughout A/NZ.
Belkin A/NZ
Belkin has appointed Ian McLean as managing director for the Australia and New Zealand region. To succeed Patrick Domingue who will return to Belkin in the US.
McLean leaves his position at Seagate, where he headed up the company's local storage business and will be responsible for growing the business in the region, building market share and developing business partnerships.
Prior to Seagate, McLean spent 10 years at Netgear as VP of Asia Pacific Sales and 10 years at Netcomm as head of sales and marketing.
The company has also appointed Brendan Sparks as head of marketing and product management for A/NZ.
Sparks, who left his position at Samsung Electronics, has about 12 years experience in consumer electronics, including roles at Fuji Xerox and Canon Australia.
Global unified communications provider ShoreTel has appointed George Atrash as managing director for the Asia Pacific region.
Atrash will be charge with capitalising on the demand for UC, collaboration and mobility services and will contribute to the company's go-to-market strategy and managing the company's operations in the region.
To take up the position, Atrash leaves his role at Dimension Data business, Connectivity, where he has worked for five years.
Previously he has worked in various roles such as a technician, engineer, account manager, channel director and other various senior management roles locally and overseas.


text:
KOA Posts Gains for Memorial Day Bookings
May 28, 2014 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on KOA Posts Gains for Memorial Day Bookings
More than 110,000 campers flocked to Kampgrounds of America (KOA) parks over the Memorial Day Weekend, according to a written announcement from the Billings, Mont.-based company.
The 486 KOA locations in North America saw 3% more camper check-ins this year, compared to results from the Memorial Day Weekend in 2013. Thus far in the 2014 camping season, KOA has seen an increase in short-term camping nights of nearly 5% compared to the same period in 2013.
KOA campgrounds saw a more than 6% increase in camper nights during the recent KOA Care Camps Big Weekend May 9-10, and advance reservations for the rest of the summer season are also running ahead of 2013 results at this point in the season.
"Campers are obviously anxious to get back outdoors and camp after a long, hard winter," said KOA President Pat Hittmeier. "Our owners are making significant investments in improvements in their campgrounds, and we know campers are going to appreciate the enhanced camping experiences they are going to have on KOAs throughout North America."
While camper interest in KOA continues to grow, there are still plenty of good campsites and cabins available throughout the summer, KOA reported.
Forest River Now KOA-Approved Cabin Vendor
March 13, 2014 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on Forest River Now KOA-Approved Cabin Vendor
Elkhart, Ind.-based Forest River Inc. is the newest approved provider for KOA Deluxe Cabins, according to Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) Senior Business Development Consultant and Cabin Program Manager Mike Atkinson.
"Adding Forest River to our line of approved cabin suppliers adds healthy competition and increases the purchasing options for our campground owners, while maintaining the quality of deluxe cabins being added to the KOA system," Atkinson said in a press release.
Other approved deluxe cabin suppliers include Cavco Industries and General Coach of Canada.
Kampgrounds of America now has 2,200 KOA Deluxe Cabins, which include full bathrooms and some kitchens, located at more than 334 KOAs in North America.
KOA 2014 Directory is Now Available to Campers
March 11, 2014 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on KOA 2014 Directory is Now Available to Campers
A million copies of the new 2014 edition of the Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) directory have rolled off the presses and are now available to campers throughout North America.
According to a press release, this year's edition has a few enhancements as each of the 486 KOA campground listings was increased to one-third of a page and may include a full-color photograph supplied by the campground.
Also new this year, the traditional state grid listing of campground features and amenities has been replaced by colorful icons that will give campers instant information on a campground's offerings without the need to leave the campground's listing. The KOA directory also contains detailed state and provencial maps, as well as "last mile" locator maps that make the directory a true North American road atlas.
Copies of the new directory have already been shipped directly to the homes of hundreds of thousands of members of the KOA Value Kard Rewards Program. Directories are also available free of charge at all open KOA campgrounds in North America.
The 2014 Directory is the first "consumer" marketing piece that speaks to KOA's three new brand positions – KOA Journey, KOA Holiday and KOA Resort. More than 110 KOA owners have already adopted one of the new brands for their campground. The new brand positions are designed to better identify campground services and amenities for campers, aiding them in making their camping trip plans.
"The directory is one of our main communication devices to reach campers," said KOA Vice President of Marketing Toby Hedges. "Our goal this year is to tell the story of 'What's Behind The Yellow Sign?' while putting the directory into the hands of KOA campers as quickly as possible."
Again this year, the KOA directory is also available in digital format. Campers can view or download the digital directory by clicking here. The directory can also be ordered by mail through the KOA.com website.
KOA Names Va. Facility as Campground of Year
November 27, 2013 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on KOA Names Va. Facility as Campground of Year
Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) named the Fredericksburg/Washington D.C. South, Va. KOA as Campground of the Year during last week's international convention in Austin, Texas.
The campground, owned and operated by Susan and Ron Hart, has been part of the 486-campground KOA system since 1976, when Susan's father purchased and developed the property.
"The Harts are true believers in the KOA brand," said KOA President Pat Hittmeier in a press release. "They have always done a wonderful job of using the tools we offer to better develop their campground for their campers. It's a wonderful place, and absolutely deserving of being our 2014 KOA Campground of the Year."
The quiet campground, nestled in the Virginia countryside, is surrounded by four historic Civil War battlefields. Kings Dominion Amusement Park is also close by, as is George Washington's boyhood home.
The Harts met on the campground as teenagers, when Ron came to work for Susan's father. Although the two owned and operated a local tour business for several years, they jumped at the chance to purchase the park in 2000.
"The campground was our parents' baby, and we feel so fortunate to have been given this blessing," Susan said. "KOA has always been there for us over the years, and it's so special to be honored as the KOA Campground of the Year from among the hundreds of deserving franchisees."
KOA to Purchase Lazydays Campground in Ariz.
October 30, 2013 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on KOA to Purchase Lazydays Campground in Ariz.
Lazydays RV and Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) have reached agreement on the sale of the Lazydays RV Campground in Tucson, Ariz., to KOA.
According to a press release, the campground will now be known as the Tucson/Lazydays KOA Campground. It will join 486 other locations in the KOA system throughout North America.
Lazydays RV CEO Tim Sheehan said the agreement with KOA includes a marketing agreement that allows the two iconic outdoor industry brands to work together to promote both the campground and Lazydays RV, which will continue to operate a Lazydays RV dealership and service center at the Tucson site.
"We are confident that Lazydays RV and KOA, working together, will provide an unparalleled RV ownership and camping experience for guests," Sheehan said. "KOA and Lazydays will also work together to increase awareness of our businesses among our respective customers."
KOA President Pat Hittmeier said Lazydays' culture of "extraordinary customer care" fits well with KOA's focus on guest service.
"I'm confident that the synergy created by combining our two respected brands will exceed our expectations at all levels, Hittmeier said. "It was quite evident as this transaction developed that KOA and Lazydays have a healthy amount of respect and trust for each other, which allowed us to proceed to this point. We're looking forward to a very bright future at the new Tucson/Lazydays KOA."
The agreement on the Tucson property will be finalized in early November, after KOA completes the due diligence process at the campground.
Michigan Facility is 1st Designated KOA Resort
October 19, 2013 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on Michigan Facility is 1st Designated KOA Resort
The Port Huron, Mich., KOA, owned and operated by Howard and Shirley Stein, is the first campground in the Kampgrounds of America Inc. system of 485 locations in North America to be designated as a KOA Resort.
According to a press release, the Port Huron KOA, a former KOA Campground of the Year, has been an important part of the system for more than 23 years. The campground sits on 70 acres just a one-hour drive from Detroit or Flint.
The campground includes a western town complex, ice cream parlor, a fleet of rental bikes, sports complex and its own passenger train. An adjacent amusement park also has two water slides, a plunge pool, bumper boats and go-carts.
The western town includes an opera house/theater, restrooms and laundromat, a trading post gift shop, grocery store, Mad Dog Saloon food service and soda bar, and the sheriff's office.
Owner Howard Stein is a native of Port Huron. He developed the campground from a small 160-site facility to more than 450 sites that includes single and double-room cabins, deluxe cabins, deluxe patio RV sites and shaded tent sites.
"We look at the transition to becoming a KOA Resort as a mere alignment of our longtime philosophy," Stein said. "Our development has always been driven by the desires of our guests, and being the first KOA Resort is a perfect fit for us."
Over the next few years, KOA campgrounds across North America will be rebranded as either a KOA Journey, a KOA Holiday or a KOA Resort campground.
Traverse City KOA Adopts New 'Holiday' Brand
August 22, 2013 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on Traverse City KOA Adopts New 'Holiday' Brand
David and Cathleen Kuebler, owners of the Traverse City (Mich.) KOA Holiday campground, have a real problem.
"We've been adding more four-person Deluxe Cabins with linens and at this point, we're having trouble keeping them empty," says David. "We have upgraded them with patios, furniture and propane BBQs. People just love them. Right now we have 10 Deluxe Cabins with linens, and we will need to continue adding more due to the demand."
It's that kind of forethought that keeps the Keublers at the forefront of the industry, according to a news release. They've owned the campground for 19 years. For the 14 years they've been with KOA, they've used the KOA Quality Assurance program as their roadmap to keep the property in great shape; earn the Founder's Award, KOA's highest quality recognition, four times; and maintain a Net Promoter Score of an astonishing 87%.
By keeping up with the latest camping trends and best investments – like KOA's Deluxe Cabins – the Kueblers were able to easily meet KOA's criteria for becoming a KOA Holiday campground.
"KOA has not let us down in our many years associated with the brand," says Cathleen.
KOA Holiday Campgrounds, such as the Traverse City KOA Holiday, are great base camps to explore the area, and include family activities and additional amenities to make these KOAs great getaways for short vacations. They will also all feature KOA Deluxe Cabins, which include full bathrooms and may include full kitchens.
"We work toward having a great score for our Quality Assurance and we've read about and have kept up with any changes, so all we have needed to do is tweak a few items to be ready to go as a KOA Holiday," says David.
Because the Kueblers are savvy KOA businesspeople, their main focus is serving their campers. "The campers love concrete patios, cable TV, quality Wi-Fi, paved roads and more. Our motto has always been: Be clean and friendly, provide great service, and give campers something to do."
KOA Reports 16% Increase in July 4 Bookings
July 9, 2013 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on KOA Reports 16% Increase in July 4 Bookings
Summer camping numbers at Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) locations continued to grow, bolstered by more than 16% growth in camping over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
KOA reported Monday (July 8) that short-term camper nights for the Fourth of July holiday increased 16.3% over the same period in 2012, according to a press release. Year-to-date, Kampgrounds of America's 485 locations in North America are reporting a 2.5% growth in camper nights, compared to the same period last year.
"Camping numbers have been very strong all year," said KOA President Pat Hittmeier. "Despite some weather challenges in certain areas, we are looking at significant growth in 2013."
Advanced reservations for Labor Day Weekend are running nearly 12% over the same period last year, and overall camper nights for the remainder of the summer peak season (now through September 8) are running about 4.6% over the same period in 2012.
For more information on Kampgrounds of America, go to www.koa.com.
KOA Posts 100K Campers for Holiday Weekend
May 29, 2013 by Leanne Phillips · Comments Off on KOA Posts 100K Campers for Holiday Weekend
Camping numbers at the 485 Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) locations in North America over Memorial Day Weekend matched the strong growth KOA experienced over the holiday weekend last year.
According to figures released Tuesday (May 28) by KOA, more than 100,000 campers stayed at KOA campgrounds over the 2013 holiday weekend – the traditional start of the summer camping season.
"Our camping numbers were essentially flat to what we saw on Memorial Day Weekend in 2012," said KOA Vice President of Marketing Toby Hedges. "But that is still very good news, since our numbers in 2012 were up more than 6% over the Memorial Day Weekend numbers in 2011."
Hedges said this year's numbers would likely have easily exceeded those in 2012, except for the large amount of adverse weather in much of the U.S. last weekend.
KOA advanced reservations for the 2013 summer peak season (Memorial Day through Labor Day) continue to be strong at more than 8% over the same period in 2012. Advanced reservations for the 2013 Fourth of July holiday alone are running 15% over the same period in 2012.
KOA Reports Fast Start for Summer's Bookings
May 24, 2013 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on KOA Reports Fast Start for Summer's Bookings
Summer camping at the 485 Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) locations around North America is off to a fast start, according to numbers released this week by KOA, the world's largest system of open-to-the-public campgrounds.
KOA's advanced registrations for the Memorial Day Weekend are up more than 4% over the same period in 2012. Advanced reservations for the entire summer peak season (Memorial Day to Labor Day) are even stronger, showing an increase of 8% for that period compared to 2012.
"The 12-day period surrounding the Fourth of July holiday is actually up more than 14% over that same period in 2012," said KOA President Pat Hittmeier. "All indicators show a strong summer camping season on the way."
According to a recent survey by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), an estimated 14 million Americans will enjoy the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend in an RV. The survey also said 71% of RV owners intend to use their recreational vehicles more this summer than they did last year, and an additional 21% intend to use their RVs at least as much as they did in 2012. Only 5% reported that they intend to decrease their camping.
Kampgrounds of America officially launched its summer camping season with its 10th Annual KOA Care Camps Big Weekend May 10-11. More than 12,000 KOA camping families stayed more than 25,000 camping nights during the event. Campers who stayed as paying guests on Friday, May 10 received a free night of camping on Saturday, May 11. The event also serves as a major fundraiser for KOA Care Camps for children with cancer, a network of 55 specialized summer camps for children with cancer located throughout North America.
Revamped 'KOA Care Camp' Set for May 10-11
April 4, 2013 by Barb Riley · Comments Off on Revamped 'KOA Care Camp' Set for May 10-11
After almost 20 years and $5 million donated to camping for children with cancer, KOA's Care Camps program executives have decided it's time to take it up a notch.
As reported by Woodall's Campground Management, Care Camps board member Wade Elliott said a marketing company was invited to the February board meeting for discussions about "further refining and defining ourselves, and helping us find where we should be."
That entails setting new goals and "re-energizing" the whole program, said Mike Gast, vice president of communications for Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA). "We want to pay more attention to it than we were able to do," he explained. "It's been averaging $500,000 a year that we've raised for Care Camps and it's been on a steady climb, and we just want to keep that going."
There are three audiences KOA and the Care Camps board need to connect with, he said. The first is campground owners. "We have new owners that are buying campgrounds all the time, so it's a constant re-education process" to bring those new owners into the loop.
Next are the directors of the Care Camps themselves. "These independent cancer camps put in requests for funding and we try our best to raise it. We have to stay in better contact with them in order to gauge their needs and make sure they're getting what they need to operate the camps so the kids don't have to pay anything."
The third group with perhaps the most untapped potential, Gast said, is KOA campers. "We need to educate our campers about Care Camps and help them establish an emotional attachment with these kids and what we're raising the money for," he said.
One effective way to do that is the Come Camp & Care With Us annual event held each May at participating campgrounds, also called "The Big Weekend." Campers who stay as paying guests on Friday night get Saturday night for free. Gast said it's a "huge kickoff to the camping season" for all the campgrounds, but it's also the largest single fundraiser event for Care Camps. This year's event takes place May 10-11.
To read the entire article click here.
KOA University Offers Training to New Owners
March 28, 2013 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on KOA University Offers Training to New Owners
Kampgrounds of America Inc (KOA) graduated 39 new KOA owners representing 23 campgrounds during two sessions in February and March at its KOA University in Billings, Mont.
The new graduates were schooled in KOA facilities development, financial planning, human resources and hiring practices, merchandising, marketing and recreation, along with other important facets of campground operation, according to a news release.
The specialized, one-of-a-kind training is designed to get new KOA owners off to a fast start in campground operations, and introduce them to the many proprietary KOA tools and support mechanisms at their disposal.
"This has been a wonderful experience," said Scott Jacobson, owner of the Denver East/Strasburg, Colorado KOA. "The best takeaway was the knowledge that we are not along, and that help is just a phone call away. Open communication with KOA is the key to success for all of us."
Kampgrounds of America hosts six KOA University sessions each year for new KOA owners and managers at its KOA Home Office facility in Billings. Training sessions are also scheduled for April 8-11, May 6-9 and Oct. 7-10.
Since the creation of KOA University in 1970, more than 22,000 campground owners and managers have graduated from the program.
KOA Adds 2 Florida Campgrounds to Network
March 16, 2013 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on KOA Adds 2 Florida Campgrounds to Network
Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) has added two campgrounds in Florida owned by Geoff and Hiromi Goetz. The couple currently operate three facilities in the state.
According to a press release, new additions to the national network are the Wildwood KOA and the Lake Panasoffkee/I-75 KOA.
Geoff Goetz has been in the campground business for nearly a decade, after a career in residential home building and developing.
"I kind of 'backed in' to the campground business indirectly," he said. "My father and I bought a piece of property that was being used as a mobile home park. Once we took out the mobile homes, we rented RVs on the land and learned how much easier the tenancy laws are for RVs."
He added, "Then I met the people who drive those RVs, and now they're my favorite part of the business. Most campers are very kind – so many of my guests have offered to take me fishing or out to lunch! They are also very diverse, so they expand my perspective."
Goetz was attracted to KOA because of the level of brand recognition, noting, "People know KOA even if they don't know RVing." He was also encouraged by KOA's money back guarantee to new owners. "That tells me that they believe in their own ability to perform," he said.
He attended the 2012 KOA Convention in Orlando, which was just 20 minutes from his home. "I was amazed at the number of people there," said Goetz of KOA's largest gathering ever. "I learned a lot about the KOA Cabins program, including management and maintenance."
Another topic at the convention was KOA's new plans for brand positioning. "I'm all for it. I think it's awesome and I think it makes perfect sense to our customers," he said. "There is a perception in the RVing community that KOA is expensive. The folks who are traveling through want a place to spend the night, where they aren't necessarily paying for amenities and services they won't use. My Wildwood KOA will be a KOA Journey as soon as possible."
Geoff also finds the KOA Rate Your Stay camper survey very useful. "We read and use the feedback all the time. We've made several changes and improvements based specifically on our guests' Rate Your Stay comments."
'Undercover Boss' Gives a Boost to KOA Brand
January 30, 2013 by RVBusiness · 1 Comment
The recent appearance by Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) CEO Jim Roger on "Undercover Boss" garnered unprecedented attention for the KOA brand, its campgrounds and KOA owners and staffs, according to a news release.
KOA was featured in the Jan. 11 episode of the award-winning "Undercover Boss" show, now in its fourth season on CBS.
"We were absolutely blown away from the reaction across North America," said Rogers, who took on the persona of Tim Bickford, a mild-mannered, out-of-work accountant from San Francisco.
"Undercover Boss was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to both receive totally unfiltered feedback from employees and our franchisee partners, as well as promote KOAs new deluxe cabins, destination attractions, Care Camps, and outstanding guest service to over 9 million viewers," Rogers said. "We showed North America the great diversity of KOA's outdoor hospitality."
The KOA episode of "Undercover Boss" was the seventh episode of the show's fourth season, and grabbed the second highest ratings of any show since the season premiere last November.
The KOA episode also "won the night" for CBS, ranking first in households watching; first in actual viewers and first among both adults in the 25-54 age group and the 18-49 age group. The ratings were up 20% over the "Undercover Boss" episode from the previous week.
The show also provided a bump for KOA.
Reservations across the 485-campground KOA system were up 17% for the weekend of Jan. 11-13, compared to the same weekend last year, and reserved nights at the four KOA properties featured in the episode were up 169% over last year.
KOA's popular KOA.com website also benefited, with a 128% increase in visits versus the same weekend last year.
"The web traffic on Jan. 11 nearly matched the traffic we would normally see during the weekend before the Fourth of July weekend," Rogers said. "That is traditionally our busiest weekend of the year for web traffic."
KOA Unveils New Landmark Brand Positioning
November 26, 2012 by Sherman Goldenberg · Comments Off on KOA Unveils New Landmark Brand Positioning
Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) drew a record crowd of park operators and exhibiting expo vendors Nov. 15-18 for its 50th Annual KOA International Convention at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. – a significant "Golden Anniversary" moment for the Billings, Mont.-based park franchisor that came on the heels of a strong business year despite plenty of natural and political headwinds.
Among them were some of the hottest temperatures on record accompanied by insufferable drought conditions over half the country and wildfires in Colorado and other western states that curtailed to an extent the regular summer season for the 486-park system of which 26 facilities are company-owned.
"The KOA system proved to be strong enough to increase camper nights and revenue and grow our footprint, all in a year when the economy and consumer confidence were sluggish, heat records were set across the country and gas prices fluctuated, but remained high," KOA stated in its annual report released at the convention at which the company's senior management introduced a bold new "brand positioning" initiative.
As of late October, in fact, the nearly 500-park system rated among the "Top 50 Franchisors" for the fourth year in a row in Franchise Business Review's annual survey, was reporting:
- Systemwide camper nights up 2.2% over 2011 with registration revenue 4.7% ahead of 2011's.
- Growth in every North American region except the Mid-Atlantic, with Western Canada leading the pack on a 14.9% increase in camper nights and an 11.6% uptick in registration revenue.
- Increases in long-term RV camper nights for the summer season, May through October, of 12.8% with registrations up 14.3% for the same period.
- Value Kard Rewards loyalty card sales and renewals up 7.3% on revenue growth of 5.1%.
- KOA.com visitation hiked 27%.
- Deluxe cabin rentals, a key point of emphasis right now for KOA, up more than 20% with registration revenues growing 19.5%.
New Branding Unveiled
In a rather bold attempt to step away from the common perception of KOA over the past half century as a basic "roadside" lodging option for those navigating the Interstate highway system, KOA took the opportunity at its Florida convention to introduce a rather bold new "brand positioning" program through which KOA parks are to be promoted in three separate categories based on their amenities and general use by the traveling public.
The idea, says KOA CEO Jim Rogers, is to step away from a "one-size-fits-all" perception of KOA parks in the public's eye and, in the process, to generate new business among consumers who will have a better ability to match their expectations with the park at which they choose to spend the night, the weekend or an entire vacation.
"Yes, along with this celebration, " noted Rogers, "we've also introduced a major initiative to take us forward for the next 50 years, and Pat and his team have put it out to the system over the last three or four months in terms of the documentation on what we refer to as 'brand positioning.' We're in such good shape in terms of the satisfaction of the system, the energy in the system and the leadership that's been demonstrated to take advantage of what I've been talking about for years in growing the outdoor hospitality world and capitalizing on all those opportunities."
The end result of this innovative new approach, a concept borrowed in part from the hotel business that's often referred to in the industry as "segmentation," is that parks are to be categorized and promoted to the public in the future as "KOA Journey," "KOA Holiday" and "KOA Resort" facilities instead of simply "the next KOA down the road," so to speak.
"We have to appreciate that this is where we have come from and that our research tells us that there are still millions upon millions of campers in this country that think of us as an Interstate system," said Rogers, who is set to appear next year in CBS's popular, 3-year-old "Undercover Boss" reality show. "This is what we are here to talk about – how we begin to break through that perception."
"We use the term brand positioning," said President Pat Hittmeier, "and what we've done is we've provided what might be called descriptors for three different groups of business based on how our guests use us today. So, there's a 'Journey KOA' for the guest spending one night with us and moving on to another place. Then, there's the destination park, which would be a place where you would go have an experience either at the park or, because of where it's located, sort of as a base camp experience where you might be able to visit things around the area and spend multiple days at this park. We're referring to those as the 'Holiday KOA.'
"And then a sub-set of the Holiday KOA, which would be a place that has an abundance of services and facilities, would be the 'Resort KOA.'"
All things considered, Hittmeier maintained, this new way of looking at KOA's franchised and corporate-owned parks is not a "good, better, best" type of formula, but one that should instead appeal to an Internet-minded world in which a demanding and time-starved public has increasingly exhibited a "need-to-know" or a "know-before-you-go" sort of attitude. And KOA's management believes these new brand positionings will not only help set those expectations, but, according to the plan, ultimately drive new business to KOA campgrounds.
"Now, in combination with that, we've sort of rolled in with this some new quality assurance requirements for our campgrounds," said Hittmeier. "So, it's not just a name. We've done a lot of deep research over the past ten years and worked with some focus groups and some qualitative studies to determine how and why people use us, and those requirements are part of getting into this brand positioning. So, campgrounds are not going to be able to just hang the sign up tomorrow without having to make sure that they meet these qualifications that we can then market to that particular defined camper to help drive that business.
What does Hittmeier anticipate with regard to the franchisees' reception to this new approach, which is to be dialed in over the next couple of years and will be reflected in signage, the directory and website? "You know, based on the kind of reaction we're getting here with this record crowd, I'd say that we were on the right track," Hittmeier told RVBusiness. "We laid things out on the first day and have been talking about this new program in the hallways and we've got a lot of momentum going with this right now, and I think it's going to be very big."


text:
I've heard wonders about the two main products I bought and that's why I got them, the reviews were amazing!
This "haul" is two different orders that came within like a month of each other, but I still think it counts! haha
I submitted this order with the BBLEARNVEST code, which I think doesn't work anymore and ended up paying only $28.43! Pretty good, considering it should have been $41.90 S&H and taxes!
Disclaimer: I purchased this with my own money, and this is my own personal opinion :)


text:
The Burbage SurgeryTel: 01455 634879
Wolvey Surgery Tel: 01455 221331
Sapcote SurgeryTel: 01455 634879
Sharnford SurgeryTel: 01455 634879
AS FROM MONDAY 10th DECEMBER 2018
For most people, flu is unpleasant but not serious. You will usually recover within a week.
However, certain people are at greater risk of developing serious complications of flu, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. These conditions may require hospital treatment.
The flu vaccine is offered free to people who are at risk, to protect them from catching flu and developing serious complications.
It is recommended that you have a flu jab if you fall into one or more of the following categories:
If you are the parent of a child who is over six months old and has a long-term condition on the list below, speak to your GP about the flu vaccine. Your child's condition may get worse if they catch flu.
It is recommended that all pregnant women should have the flu vaccine, whatever stage of pregnancy they're in.
This is because there is good evidence that pregnant women have an increased risk of developing complications if they get flu, particularly from the H1N1 strain.
Studies have shown that the flu vaccine can be safely and effectively given during any trimester of pregnancy. The vaccine does not carry risks for either the mother or baby. In fact, studies have shown that mothers who have had the vaccine while pregnant pass some protection to their babies, which lasts for the first few months of their lives.
The flu vaccine is offered free to anyone who is over six months of age and has one of the following medical conditions:
If you live with someone who has a weakened immune system, you may also be able to have a flu vaccine. Speak to your GP about this.
Employers are responsible for ensuring that arrangements are in place for frontline healthcare staff to have the flu vaccine.
Outbreaks of flu can occur in health and social care settings, and staff, patients and residents are at risk of infection.
Frontline health and social care staff should protect themselves by having the flu vaccine to prevent the spread of flu to colleagues and other members of the community.
If you care for someone who is elderly or disabled, speak to your GP about getting vaccinated against seasonal flu. You should also ensure that the person you care for has the flu jab.
An annual nasal spray flu vaccine will be offered to all children aged two, three or four years on 1 September 2016 as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme.
It will also be offered to children aged 2-18 with long-term health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and lung disease.
Children aged six months to 2 years with long-term health conditions aren't able to have the nasal spray and will get the injected flu vaccine instead.
You should not have the flu vaccine if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a flu vaccine or one of its ingredients. This happens very rarely.
If you have had a confirmed very serious (anaphylactic) reaction to egg, have an egg allergy with uncontrolled asthma or another type of allergy to egg, your GP may decide that you should be vaccinated with an egg-free vaccine. One such vaccine is available for this flu season (called Preflucel, manufactured by Baxter Healthcare).
If no egg-free vaccine is available, your GP will identify a suitable vaccine with a low egg (ovalbumin) content.
Depending on the severity of your egg allergy, your GP may decide to refer you to a specialist for vaccination in hospital.
If you are ill with a fever, do not have your flu jab until you have recovered.
Although no medical procedure is totally free of risk, flu vaccines are generally very safe. The most common reaction to the jab is a sore arm, or you may feel hot for a day or two after the vaccination.
This year's flu jabs have been tested and approved for use across the UK and in Europe. The jab cannot give you flu because it doesn't contain any active viruses.
The Department of Health recommends that everyone who is eligible for a flu jab should have it as soon as the vaccine is available.
If you are in an at-risk group and do not have the jab, you will have a greater risk of developing serious complications or even dying if you get flu this winter.
If you haven't had the flu vaccine and you are in a risk group, make an appointment to get vaccinated.
Find out more about the flu vaccine, including how the vaccine is made and how it protects you.
A annual nasal spray flu vaccine is now offered to all children aged two, three and four years as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme.
In certain geographic areas the spray will also be offered to children aged 2-18 with long-term health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and lung disease. Please contact the surgery for further information if required.
Read more information about:
Flu Clinic Dates 2017
Our surgery will be offering flu vaccination to patients at risk or aged over 65 years from September 2017 onwards in open clinics on the following dates.
Burbage Surgery
Saturdays 30th September 2017, 14th October 2017
28th October 2017
8.30 am to 11.30 am
Wolvey Surgery
Thursday 19th October 2017
2.30 pm to 5.30 pm
Flu vaccinations for eligible children aged under 16 years will NOT be available in our open clinics. Please contact reception to book your child into a weekday flu clinic.
If you would like a vaccination please attend a surgery convenient to you on one of the above dates. If you are unable to get to one of our open clinics, please contact reception and ask to make an appointment for a flu vaccination with our Practice Nurse. If you require vaccination but are unable to get into the surgery, please inform the Receptionist who will arrange for our nurse to visit you at home.
Copyright 2006 - 2019 My Surgery Website | Privacy & Usage | Edit | Staff Home | Site Map | Accessibility | Site T&C's | Service T&C's


text:
Among CPA tax preparers, tax return preparation software generates often extensive and ardent discussion. To get through the rigors of tax season, they depend on their tax preparation software. Here's how they rate the leading professional products.
Understanding the new Sec. 199A business income deduction
The new deduction allows certain business owners to keep pace with the significant corporate tax cut provided by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.


text:
A tongue biopsy is surgery to remove a piece of the tongue to look at under a microscope.
Alternative Names
Biopsy - tongue
How the test is performed
A tongue biopsy can be done using a needle.
- You will get numbing medicine at the place where the biopsy is to be done.
- The health care provider will gently stick the needle into the tongue and removes a tiny piece of tissue.
Some types of tongue biopsies remove a thin slice of tissue. Others are done under
How to prepare for the test
You may be told not to eat or drink anything for several hours before the test.
How the test will feel
Your tongue is very sensitive so a needle biopsy may be uncomfortable even when numbing medicine is used.
Your tongue can be tender or sore, and it may feel slightly swollen after the biopsy. You may be stitches or an open sore where the biopsy was done.
Why the test is performed
The test is done to find the cause of abnormal growths or suspicious-looking areas of the tongue.
Normal Values
The tongue tissue is normal when examined.
What abnormal results mean
- Amyloidosis
Tongue (oral) cancer
- Viral ulcer
- Benign tumors
What the risks are
- Bleeding
- Infection
Swellingof the tongue (can obstruct the airway and cause breathing difficulty)
ReferencesEusterman VD. History and Physical Examination, Screening and Diagnostic Testing. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. Feb 2011;44(1):1-29.
Review Date:
Reviewed By:
Ashutosh Kacker, MD, BS, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Associate Attending Otolaryngologist, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc., Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Bethanne Black, Stephanie Slon, and Nissi Wang.


text:
|Project by cmassey1999
|posted 02-17-2015 12:39 AM
|1633 views
|6 times favorited
|10 comments
10 comments so far
#1 posted 02-17-2015 02:40 AM
Nice job. Looks like something I need to make for the back patio. Is the faucet on the side tied into the drain plug on the igloo, or is this used for something else.
-- TheQueTip, Killeen Texas - All tools I've purchased from Harbor Freight eventually became a hammer.
#2 posted 02-17-2015 10:57 AM
The faucet drain is tied to the drain plug. The side handles have been removed and the top frame has been cut to fit on the handle mounts thus locking the cooler inside the stand. It was a fun project and we use it all the time in our BBQ area.
Nice quote.
-- www.facebook.com/woodchucks1
#3 posted 02-17-2015 12:24 PM
Curious how you tied the spigot to the cooler drain valve. I'm building one of these and apparently have a drain valve that is a bastard size and can't find any fittings that will screw all the way into it. Nice work by the way.
#4 posted 02-17-2015 04:04 PM
When I made the couple that I have made, I used a standard mount wall faucet designed to be used with PEX. Use a piece of flexible clear tubing and some hose clamps.(clamps aren't a necessity but keep drips from occuring) use the drain spout that's already in the cooler and just connect them.
-- Aaron Gardner
#5 posted 02-17-2015 04:17 PM
Always a fun build and useful project.
-- Directions are just the Manufacturer's "opinion" on how something should be assembled. ----Mike, Waukesha, WI
#6 posted 02-17-2015 04:36 PM
It looks great. It's a very practical rustic piece.
helluvawreck aka Charles
-- helluvawreck aka Charles, http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
#7 posted 02-17-2015 04:45 PM
I removed the existing drain and used (3) 3/4" male/female coupler/Adaptors will a rubber washer in between on the cooler (one one inside, two on the outside, the drain valve screw directly into the female side of the coupler on the outside. Hope this makes since.
-- www.facebook.com/woodchucks1
#8 posted 02-17-2015 04:56 PM
On my first one, I did begin to try to PLUMB it together. The cost of materials, and practical use just didn't add up for me. This is when I went out to find an easier and more cost conscience way. I will say that no two of mine have ever been the same. It's all what one wants to put into it. As long as you like it or the person you are building it for likes it, then you have done well.
-- Aaron Gardner
#9 posted 02-17-2015 05:42 PM
Very nice!
-- I make sawdust. I think thats a fair assessment of my finished products!
#10 posted 02-17-2015 07:03 PM
Great job. I have some of these to build this summer.
-- The Old Rednek Workshop https://www.facebook.com/theoldrednekworkshoptn
Have your say...
You must be signed in to post the comments.


text:
Friday, May 29, 2009
Dam Beavers
I mean really, who would fear a beaver invasion? Surely an occasion like this would be rejoiced!
It appears that after a 400 year absence in Scotland, a pair of European beaver families are being introduced as part of a 'Beaver Trial'.
It's no wonder the Scottish are so effin miserable. 400 years with no beaver! All of the golf and whisky in the world is not going to overcome that now is it?
Alas, fishing interests are deeply concerned about the impact on the salmon industry and have presented some pretty damming evidence: "American beavers, slightly smaller than their European cousins, were reintroduced to Prince Edward Island, Canada, in 1949, and opponents of that scheme say that the difficulties associated with their inexorable spread will soon be mirrored in Scotland."
I always thought American beavers were slightly smaller than European beavers, though there is no question that American mouths are much bigger. As for the inexorable spread, well, quite. It's nice to get the confirmation in print from an authoritative source like the Times.
The beavers used in the trial were captured here in Norway, and as most of us here will attest, the Norwegian beaver is one of the finest in the world. I am sure my Scottish cousins will be grateful once they have had a peek at the little, though slightly larger than American, snappers.
On an entirely separate but beaver related note, a 40 kg behemoth beaver has escaped a farm in Devon this week and has thus far evaded capture.
A behemoth beaver, and on the loose. Now that is something that will strike fear in most men's trousers.
P.S. To avoid any confusion, the beaver on my head is Canadian.
P.P.S. Nursemyra's contribution: Australian Beaver
P.P.P.S. Rob's contribution: Canadian Beaver
12 comments:
- dorothy said...
what? as you're drinking your latte? in public? reading the newspaper? dang. that's multi-tasking for y...oh. you mean in the photo...
- May 29, 2009 at 1:11 PM
wars have been fought over a beaver deficit... scotland shall remain peaceful!
- May 29, 2009 at 6:31 PM
- ian in hamburg said...
The way to fix a too-large beaver is you insert liver for shims.
- May 29, 2009 at 10:30 PM
your double entendres are priceless. Worthy of an Australian
- May 30, 2009 at 2:07 AM
- Shantanu said...
Heh! Beavermania everywhere.
- May 31, 2009 at 3:52 PM
- Rob said...
@ian in hamburg: Just one word....Ewwwwwwwwwww!
Seen this one?
Oddly enough, right after I read your blog, I saw this item in "The Oakville Beaver".
You can't make this stuff up!
- June 1, 2009 at 4:57 AM
- RennyBA said...
Interesting observation and thoughts - you really have been digging into this subject.
Looking forward to a follow up about the mouse ;-)
btw: The idea of getting together Oslo based bloggers is brilliant. Lets keep in touch and join our network for one in - lets say August?
- June 1, 2009 at 9:50 AM
MMMmm....nothing better than some beaver tail and beer.
- June 1, 2009 at 5:24 PM
- American in Norway said...
I'm SPEECHLESS...first time for an AMERICAN eh?
Hey.... if ya'll (bloggers)are getting together in Oslo I wanna come...(I am invited right? : O
- June 1, 2009 at 8:58 PM
- Zhu said...
There is a very serious beaver invasion in Tierra Del Fuego, Southern Argentina.
Destroying trees, eating plants, blogging... I can see the threat.
- June 2, 2009 at 2:06 AM
- Michele said...
Hey, did you just insinuate that Americans are fat and loud? If I wasn't so impressed with your selfless concern over the fate of international beavers, I just might be a little muffed. Er, I mean miffed.
P.S. I thought the beaver on your head was Norwegian...
- June 2, 2009 at 11:58 PM
- beaverboosh said...
dorothy - cmon, multi-tasking? I am man... I can't even chew gum and shag
df - indeed, the great beaver deficit, look at the middle east
ian - yuck
nm - kiss kiss
shantanu - great name for a musical - Beavermania!
rob - thanks
renny - i'm learning new things about beavers all of the time.
Aug is great, lets speak of plans!
cf - i miss beavertails...
zhu - you sound like a beaver warrior
michelle - smaller beavers, bigger mouths, that's all. No, the beaver on my head is Canadian, the beaver on my face is Norwegian
- June 5, 2009 at 7:10 AM


text:
I'm hanging out either at my writing blog (not much there yet!) or at my home garden... raising all those tulips!
Feel free to join me there!
Monday, April 16, 2007
1 comment:
- Alana said...
Hi, sorry I didnt know how else to contact you!
Thankyou for ordering the Amelie Socks pattern, I accepted your payment and it should be delivered to you shortly! Thankyou!
- July 24, 2008 at 11:24 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
What was the highlight(s) of your year?
I'll go first. Bought a home and the Cubs won the World Series
It's good to be home. ugh crews get posting!
Although bear with me while I get my shit together.
mike p wrote:
mike p wrote:seymo bruh
Copyright 2016 © U N D E R G R O U N D H O U S E. All Rights Reserved. Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited.


text:
After writing my article on https://gospelperspective.wordpress.com/2016/01/16/a-lie-of-masturbatory-proportions/ I felt that I needed to be honest and up front with my Bishop on this matter rather than simply state my feelings on this blog and go about my merry way. My children are at risk from the harm that the LDS church's position on this issue has and does cause. Millions of members around the world and prospective members are also affected by this position that the church has taken. This matter is important to me, and many others I have discussed it with as well, regardless of what side of the issue they are on. I e-mailed my Bishop and laid it all out on the table. I could not, not tell him as it would weigh on my conscious if I did not.
His response to me was the following
1. The Church declared it so, therefore it is sin.
2. Church leaders have spoken on it.
3. It is part of the law of chastity.
4. How we personally feel should not stop us from obeying church leadership.
5. Church leaders may not be perfect but they speak for God, therefore God has spoken it.
6. One must obey to sustain.
7. It makes no sense that I would receive personal revelation contrary to God's revealed word to the prophets.
1. The Church declared it so in mid 20th century while before 1920's era had very different view, thus this is only a recent "revelation" and was either a non-issue before, or it is not a sin, why the change now, so recently in the history of prophets? Did God change his mind?
2. Church leaders have declared it sin in conjunction with false statements about it being preached through the ages, thus perpetuating a lie about whether it has been revealed by God previously. This brings into question validity of it's sinful nature to begin with.
3. While it has been in incorporated into the law of chastity, it status of sin is another question all together.
4. To obey despite our feelings is to reject our convictions and to live contrary to them. We must seek the truth for ourselves and consider the words spoken by church leaders, then after much study, pondering and prayer, which I have done, we can learn the truth for ourselves. This is how God intended it, to do otherwise is to open ourselves to false doctrine and to be led from God's word on the whims of man, who may have good intentions, Is not necessarily preaching what God actually has said but rather how they interpret it or feel on any given manner.
5. The assumption that every word spoken by imperfect men is by default the word of God simply by virtue of their position in the church is a fallacy and dangerous assumption that leads us open to being led away from God and true doctrine.
6. One can strongly disagree with someone while still supporting that person within that role. The problem here is that words of church leaders have been canonized as scripture because of cultural dogma within the church to accept everything without question that the church leadership has declared. Because of this tendency within the church, it is very easy for church leader's personal feelings to become enshrined as sacred words of God whether they are or are not. This is what I believe has happened with this issue.
7. To say it does not make sense that I would receive revelation contrary to what God has spoken is to assume that the prophets and apostles statements on the issue (largely just in the 1980-2000 era) was in no way influenced by their own personal feelings and because of their position and therefore was God's word. It also implies that any personal revelation I have received could not have been from God because it is not in line with LDS church thinking. Essentially one must agree with the church or you're being deceived. That is the implication at least.
I do not pretend or claim to speak for the church, and I hope I had made that clear during our conversation. My feelings on the matter which I had stated numerous times were my own and the result of my own study, pondering and prayer on the matter, not intended as revelation for the church as a whole.
I had explained to my Bishop that if this was and is truly sin it does not make sense that God would have waited till mid 20th century to declare or reveal it so. It is only in this time that the issues has ever been addressed. It does not make sense that it would have been left out of the record or that God would only reveal its sinful nature now. Ultimately the issue comes down to not so much it status, but how it has been dealt with and preached within the church. As with all things that have the potential to be habit forming, and life controlling, they only become an issue of worthiness when they become problematic on one's life. At least my Bishop and I can agree on one thing, that habitual masturbation in an unhealthy way is sinful and must be dealt with by church clergy to seek help in overcoming this problem, however where we differ is that this only requires church authority when it becomes sinful and problematic. The occasional masturbation session in no way falls under this idea any more so than a fast food meal, which taken to extreme and levels of addiction is also unhealthy.
Because of my stance my position in the church is at risk and by extension my families as well. My Bishop does not know how to deal with this. Because I have spoken publicly what I have done falls under the apostasy section of the Bishops handbook, and yet because of my testimony of church, my declaration of support of current church leaders and testimony of the book of Mormon my Bishop can't reconcile my actions and otherwise supportive and faithful position as apostasy. The apparent conflict is not one he can easily recommend a course of action on and he has stated he must take time to pray about it himself.
The effect on my life personally this has had, has been very direct and measurable. Similar to how breaking through the barriers of nudity has changed how I look at things like porn. Because of how I have changed my views on nudity from my upbringing to what it is now, porn no longer has any hold on me. It is easily ignored and no longer provides temptation to me like it has so often in the past. The issue of masturbation was a source of consistent stress and anxiety in my life for almost as long as I can remember. Breaking through the conditioning that was placed upon me has changed everything. It is no longer something that controls me. I no longer feel as though I have a need for it as I no longer have a need to release stress and anxiety due to the constant battle. It is amazing what can change when something is no longer taboo.
I have been asked by my Bishop if I am living the law of chastity as declared by the church. I have told him that while I have masturbated in the past, and I would also be foolish to believe that it could never happen again, I am doing the best I can to live so that I may enter the temple and worship there. Despite my statements that I feel no need for such things, as I no longer have stress, anxiety and guilt over it as a result of the conclusions that I have come to, my worthiness has still be called into question and I had been asked to not attend the temple for myself or my wife. However once I pointed out that it is unjust, unfair and not right to take my wife's temple privileges on the basis of my comments and statements is wrong. I declared to him that to take her privilege away is to judge her without merit and that she should never be held back from the temple on the basis of my issues. She may agree with my position but she is not the one who has acted, I have. Thankfully he quickly backtracked on that and conceded the point.
There are many things that are requirements for the temple that are not inherently wrong if not done or meeting such requirements. Paying of tithes, being at least 12, attending church meetings, being baptized, membership for minimum of one year, having access to a temple etc… I view abstaining from masturbation as one of those requirements that is not inherently wrong, but a minimum standard that must be met. Not meeting one of these requirements is not in and of itself sinful.
What is difficult for me is knowing that putting my feelings on this issue out there puts my status in the church at risk. This is an organization that I have grown to love and cherish. Ultimately however, doing what is right, was never easy. I could very well have made this easier for myself and family simply by keeping my mouth shut and not saying anything. That however would not have been the right thing to do and ultimately would be worse for myself and family. I have no regrets and feel as if a large burden has been lifted off my shoulders by sharing my story with you and my Bishop. I can go forward with faith knowing that whatever happens, happens. I can go on knowing that regardless of the outcome I am doing right by myself, my family and my God. And that is ultimately what this life is all about, becoming the best people we can so that when we stand before the judgement bar of God to be judged for the kind of life we live we can do so with confidence and a clean conscience knowing we did everything we could to be the best people we can be.
The Irony in all of this is that if I had said nothing online, nothing to my bishop and just kept quiet, my worthiness for the temple never would have been called in to question. I know that I am worthy to attend and ultimately, however, I will have to accept the Bishops judgement, or Stake President in the event of disciplinary council, whether I agree with it or not. Word on that however is still pending.
And that is the Gospel According to Andrew


text:
[bug/regression] FR locale - "bookmarks" text
Vivaldi 1.3.551.13 x64 on Win10 x64, French locale Missing translations from previous builds are fixed, thanks ! However, a new bug has appeared : [b]Bookmarks [/b]should appear as [b]Signets[/b] but instead appears as "[i]des signets bien pratiques[/i]" ([i]very useful bookmarks[/i], more or less). Looks like a search&replace error somewhere in the localization file... (Or is Vivaldi starting to congratulate itself ? :P) It appears in [b]the hover from the panel[/b], in [b]the speed dial[/b] and also in [b]menu > tools[/b]. I guess this is nomal since they probably all share the same string resource. See attached screenshot. Attachments: [img]https://forum.vivaldi.net/uploads/attachments/16857/Capture.png[/img]
Still present in latest build (1.3.551.17, x64 /FR on Windows 10, x64)
Still exists in 1.3.551.21 (x64), on Windows 10 x64. Reported using the bugreport form.
Developers have taken note. Keep an eye on upcoming releases.
Thanks Ayespy, I'll do.
Edit : Fixed in 1.3.551.27, Thanks
Reopening : this has come back in both latest stable build (1.4.589.11) and dev build (1.4.589.4), although with a different text "des signets très pratiques" (it was "… bien pratiques" before), that still roughly translates to "very useful bookmarks".
Edit :
…and, closing again : seems fixed in today's version (1.5.604.4).


text:
A lot of people keep talking about SWTOR like it's a failure but that's really not the truth. So why do so many people seem to have this perception about SWTOR?
People make up their minds about whether they hate or like something and once their minds is made up, it is very hard to change it. Some people who think SWTOR is bad will continue to do so no matter what you tell them, even if the game is no longer like what it was since they played it. They will also seek reassurance from other people who share the same views so they can tell themselves that they made the right choice. It is really basic human psychology (known as Confirmation Bias). Also, the more difficult the choice, the harder people will go defend theirs.
The same hate you see on SWTOR you see it on ESO. Sure the game has flaws but the hate is mostly done by people who either never played the beta or played it for a few hours at most. They hear the game has over 200 million USD in development costs and the first thing they think is that the game is going to flop because it costed too much. The weekend beta model some of these games have adopted tend to also influence some of the views negatively as some players tend to get feel rushed and cannot enjoy everything the game has to offer.
It's a fairly fun experience. Any MMO that holds up well as a single-player experience, though can still offer a decent range of features that comes with the genre itself, is a good release in my books.
I don't play much myself, but I still come back from time to time. Would probably invest real time into it if I had time available. Life.


text:
Shares of Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) rallied more than 5% on Wednesday after Mark Zuckerberg said the struggling social-network company is now "coming out of" its mobile woes and admitted to previous stumbles.
Continue Reading Below
The rally comes as Facebook continues to try to recover from its flubbed initial public offering, which valued the young tech company at more than double its current market cap of $44 billion.
In his first major public appearance since the May IPO, Zuckerberg told the TechCrunch Disrupt conference late Tuesday, "One of the main things that I think is misunderstood right now is how fundamentally good" Facebook's mobile prospects are.
Zuckerberg, 28, said the social network's mobile ads are proving to be more profitable than its PC ads.
The young Facebook co-founder also admitted the company was set back by its focus on the HTML5 platform that allow apps to work on different kinds of hardware.
At the same time, Zuckerberg may have relieved shareholders by saying a mobile phone is "so clearly the wrong strategy for us," indicating he will not follow in the footsteps of Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Analysts at J.P. Morgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) said Zuckerberg's comments make them "incrementally more positive" on Facebook, while Topeka Capital said the company "should monetize mobile in a big way" in 2013 and 2014, Dow Jones Newswires reported.
Zuckerberg also acknowledged the painful stock drop that has hurt shareholders and employees. Facebook's shares closed at $19.43 on Tuesday, representing a 49% plunge from their $38 IPO price.
"The performance of the stock has obviously been disappointing" Zuckerberg said, pointing to how it "doesn't help" serve as an incentive for employees.
Still, Zuckerberg said "it's a great time for people to stay and double down."
While Facebook's shares responded positively to the comments, analysts at Needham slashed their price target on the stock to $25 from $40, though they maintained a "buy" rating.
Facebook recently traded up 5.4% to $20.48, up 17% from their 52-week low of $17.55 hit on September 4.