text:
I was in the middle of Idaho…just finished my "traveller's" breakfast at one helluva truckstop restaurant, was content, full to the point of falling into a coma and suddenly it hit me:
"Oh cripes Mike, is today Friday?"
And it was. And I had no pie post done.
I looked to the left of me. Mountains.
I looked to the right of me. More mountains.
I looked at my cell phone – no bars. No wifi, no connection, de nada.
Now, I had some Wifi at the truckstop, enough to send out a picture of my "travellers" breakfast which in turn had people sending me message of jealousy due to the biscuits and gravy you see below.
How was I supposed to know that even Canadians get worked up over biscuits n' gravy? This was my first time trying them and I must say : I get it. Carb n' fat coma, here you come.
I will repeat: if this is the "traveller's" breakfast for the love of all that's holy I do not want to see what the "trucker's" breakfast entailed. Sadly, most of the biscuits were left on the plate and that sentence I am sure will start a siege of emails telling me how I didn't deserve them.
I also had enough Wifi to send out this picture and I must say, as a road tip loving gal this picture is one of my favorites from the entire trip. I also asked of people:
"Roll on highway, roll on along, Roll on daddy till you get back home" Name that tune/band!
Thanks to those dang mountains I had to wait until later to yell for help, my pie SOS you might say, asking if anyone wanted to guest post for my PieDay. Jeanne from Inside Nana Bread's Head came to my rescue! She sent me permission to post her Crustless Coconut Pie using her lovely pictures.
This -along with her razor sharp wit- is why I like her so much.
Plus thanks to one crazy night on Twitter, I envision her roller skating to Bang a Gong every time I think of her. How can you not love someone like that?
So this is for Nana Bread and all you T-Rex Lovers out there.
Nana Bread is so one of those dancers in the go-go boots behind them. I'm sure of it. She's totally the fox in yellow.
Doesn't that just set the mood for some retro coconut pie? S0 without further adieu, here is her recipe!
Crustless Coconut Pie:
1 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 1/4 cups of milk
1/2 cup of Bisquick, Pioneer or other dry baking/biscuit mix
3 whole eggs
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
1 cup of sweetened flaked coconut
Pre-heat your oven to 350F. Put all ingredients except for the coconut into a blender and blend on low speed for 3 minutes. Pour into a greased 10″ pie plate or casserole dish (I used a rectangle Pyrex). This will puff, so don't fill your dish to the very top. Let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the ingredients to settle properly, then sprinkle the coconut evenly across the top.
Place on a foil-lined baking sheet with a raised edge (to prevent spills) and place in the center of the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, the center is slightly jiggly, and a knife inserted near the edge comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool to completely. Like a souffle, this will deflate as it cools, so don't panic if you notice shrinkage.
Serve at room temperature for best results. Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator. Serves 6-8, depending on serving size.
It looks amazing and easy to boot. One of my favorite in-a-hurry quiche recipes uses Bisquick as a cheater crust, so I can see how this works. This is originally from a 1966 recipe book so definitely an oldie goldie that one doesn't see much any more and I can't wait to make it!
I love retro recipes when it comes to sweets and treats so this just gets right up in my bakers grill in a good way.
Obviously I am home, home on my range, eager to catch everyone up on all the amazing news and pictures of the Culinary Arts Cook Off, the trip to Salt Lake City, the Adobe Digital Marketing Summit (why we were in Salt Lake) and settle back into my routine.
And then I realized it's Spring Break for the kids.
Goodbye regular routine for another week.
There's No Place Like Home Magpie


text:
RockbillyView- Rock N Cats
Photo caption with: "All men should experience a straight razor/hot towel shave at least once in their lifetime. It's a classic process and your grandpa would be proud" –Tony The Barber Photo: Eli Allsup by Jenn Allsup Photo: Reverend Horton Heat – Fat Cat Mar 7 by Chris Murphy
RockabillyView By Jennifer Allsup
Publishers Note: This is the continuing series that celebrates Modesto's heritage as the birthplace of Rockabilly, the true roots of Rock and Roll. As you can see in Jenn's article, the Rockabilly lifestyle goes beyond the music and into daily living. Stay tuned for some exciting new projects here in Modesto that celebrate our Rockabilly roots that began 1938 with the early days of Maddox Brothers & Rose – Chris Murphy
ROCK'N CATS Young & Old
Tony Trevino, lead singer and guitarist for The Pendletons (2012 MAMA winner: Best Rockabilly Band) and founder of UNITY Music, has taken his talent and love of Rock 'n Roll to a new level, combining value, style and edge into his passion for the art of traditional barbering. Tony specializes in old-fashioned and modern cuts that embody style and class – as well as classic straight razor/hot towel shaves. All of Tony's cuts are followed up with straight razor edging, providing a finishing touch that can't be beat.
Whether you're seeking one of his widely acclaimed 1920's "Boardwalk Empire" style cuts, a professional "Draper" look, found on "Mad Men" – or a classic Elvis-style pompadour, Tony has got you covered. Last month, when the Revered Horton Heat played the Fat Cat, Tony saw a big increase in classic pompadours as people got ready for this show.
In Spring of 2013, Tony will be offering a line of fine men's grooming products, featuring hair pomades and aftershave – available both online and in-store. You can find him at 405 Downey Ave, in downtown Modesto at Tangled T's Hair Studio, where he is available for walk-ins or appointments Tuesday through Saturday. Appointments can be made by contacting 209-988-4612
Not only has Tony T. The Barber ventured out to styling the old fashion way, he is making new adventures in music as well. The Pendletons are still going strong as they proved that when they opened for Reverend Horton Heat last month. But, his new project will be coming to you soon more musical talents to stow upon Modesto's legendary Rockabilly scene.
Also, on new musical adventures and always striving to do better as a younger talent is Eli Allsup and his band Eli Goodtimes and the Oldtimers. Eli just added two new members Stephen Meeker on harmonica and Christian Boyett the lead guitarist and back up vocals. Eli, Stephen and Christian all attend Downey High School which makes it a bit more easier for the boys to sit down and play what they love music! So ladies and gentlemen keep your ears and eyes open for some incredible music of the future and go get your damn hair cut !
Smiles, Jenn Allsup

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Grays opened the scoring on 21 minutes after a nondescript start to the game. A free kick from the right of midfield found Jay Leader unmarked at the back post, his header from close range gave debutant keeper Jack Norton no chance.
Tommy Brewer picked up a painful knock just after the goal and had to be subsituted, and will possibly now be a doubt for the game against the Met Police.
Neither team looked blessed with confidence, much of the game played in the middle third but on 33 minutes, Joao Carlos managed to get through the defense and fired in a shot from close range, which Norton saved. Despite the conceded goal, the Beavers nearly got back into the game as Charlie Moone found himself on the end of a chipped ball in, but keeper Conor Gough blocked the shot at close range.
Once again, the second half was ultimately the Beavers undoing as it so often has at home this season. On 50 minutes, though, George Wells took a quick free kick from about 25 yards, Gough having to push the shot wide, despite having to cover most of his goal line to do so.
The game was taken out of the Beavers reach as on 65 minutes, Grays extended their lead. Joao Carlos pinged in a cross from the left bye-line, and Jamie Guy flicked it deftly past Norton at the near post.
New signing Norton had to be alert on 73 minutes as Jamie Guy broke through on goal, his diving save with his legs proved to be enough.
The Beavers hadn't completely given up, as substitute Jesse Kewley-Graham timed his move perfectly to pick up a little dinked pass by Karle Carder in the box; his dummy wrong-footed Gough but the ball ran away from him out for a goal kick.
Grays made it 3-0 as Lloyd Harrington got the last touch from close range in a goalmouth scramble with 7 minutes left and insult was added to the hurt for the Beavers in added time, as captain Billy Jeffreys inadvertently diverted a Joe Benjamin cross past Norton from close range.
Hampton & Richmond Borough (0) 0
Grays Athletic (1) 4
Jay Leader 21
Jamie Guy 65
Lloyd Harrington 83
Billy Jeffreys 90 (og)
Att 253
Hampton & Richmond Borough: 1 Jack Norton, 2 Harry Mills, 3 George Wells, 4 Tommy Brewer (Ben Osman 24'), 5 Billy Jeffreys, 6 Justyn Roberts, 7 Luke Wanadio (Jesse Kewley-Graham 67'), 8 Karle Carder, 9 Ben Harris, 10 Charlie Moone, 11 Jerome Federico (Michael Bryan 60')
Subs: 12 Matt Steer, 14 Jesse Kewley-Graham, 15 Ben Osman, 16 Michael Bryan, 17 Billy Adcock
Grays Athletic: 1 Conor Gough, 2 Aaron Best-Riley (Jonathan Glowacki 56'), 3 Jay Siva, 4 Lloyd Harrington, 5 Immanuel Barry, 6 Jay Leader, 7 Jordan Wilson (Glen Little 69'), 8 Kenny Beaney, 9 Jamie Guy (Joe Benjamin 78'), 10 Freddie Ladapo, 11 Joao Carlos
Subs: 12 Jonathan Glowacki, 14 Joe Benjamin, 15 Glen Little, 16 Leroy Griffiths, 17 Chris Bryan
|East Thurrock United
|Bognor Regis Town
|Hampton & Richmond Borough
|Harrow Borough
|Canvey Island
|VCD Athletic


text:
25 August 2016
Hello from a stranger.......
38 comments:
- ♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...
What a fun visit that must have been!!! We are so happy to see you again. Bah humbug on those trolls. You need to change your settings to not allow anonymous comments as we are suspecting that is where they came from.
Woos - Ciara and Lightning
- 25 August 2016 at 22:27
- Summer said...
This looks like such a wonderful visit! And Flynn's human is right - don't let the haters win.
- 25 August 2016 at 22:31
- Flynn said...
I am so glad you have blogged again. As I said to you at the time, you have many friends here and we have all missed your posts. Don't let some anonymous idiots get to you. You, your blog and of course dear GJ are loved by so many.
We really loved having you to stay and look forward to welcoming you back again in the future.
- 25 August 2016 at 23:31
- Sometimes, Cats Herd You said...
Wow, you got to meet Flynn> How pawesome is that? We're so glad you're not going to let the haters win. It's wonderful to hear from you here on the blog again!
- 26 August 2016 at 00:05
- Brian said...
Thanks for sharing pictures of your wonderful visit, we loved them! We love seeing you back too. Don't worry about those evil trolls, remember, lots of your friends have really sharp claws and we know how to use them!
- 26 August 2016 at 00:47
It is SO wonderful to see you blogging! Have missed you and your lovely sensible approach to life. Fabulous to see you cuddling a kitty and I'm sure Flynn appreciated the scritches. Don't be a stranger. We still love to hear about you, your family and what you're up to.
Lots of love,
Lizzie, Max, and Tuck
- 26 August 2016 at 01:03
- Millie and Walter said...
We're glad to see you back. It looks like you had a lovely visit.
- 26 August 2016 at 01:08
- Mickey's Musings said...
Looks like you had the most wonderful time with Flynn and his people :)
WE enjoyed the pics too.
We are glad you will not let haters win.
Haters gonna hate. It's what they do.
They have no life so they pick on you .
Remember, you have plenty of friends in blog land :)
Purrs Georgia and Julie,
Treasure and JJ
- 26 August 2016 at 01:11
- BeadedTail said...
Looks like you had a wonderful time! We can tell Flynn enjoyed your visit too! We hope you blog again because we love and miss you! We do see your photos on Facebook but miss your stories about everything. (((hugs)))
- 26 August 2016 at 02:02
- The Island Cats said...
We can't believe you got to meet Flynn...and hold him too! How awesome! Please don't let the trolls get to you. Do what you want to do...you know there are so many others who love you and care about you. oxox
- 26 August 2016 at 02:09
- Just Ducky said...
Glad to see you had a wonderful visit with Flynn and his beans. Mum would like to get to the UK again and visit all the cat bloggers she knows. Someday, she hopes!
- 26 August 2016 at 02:22
- Marty the Manx said...
What a fantastic trip visit Flynn and his Mum and Dad! How wonderful to get to meet him in the furs!!!! Glad you had a great time and love that we get to see some of your fun photos! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Marty, Mom and the Gang
- 26 August 2016 at 04:05
- STELLA and RORY from Down Under said...
Howdy mates. We too have not been blogging due to laziness of our mum. Glad to hear from you and glad you had such a lovely visit with your friends. No worries, and love, Stella and Rory (and Carol)
- 26 August 2016 at 06:55
- nashvillecats2 said...
How lovely to hear from you, I was wondering what has happended.
I can relate to some useless folk who have and still is upsetting me.
I have just this year released another poetry b ook.
Your pictures are someone and I wish you every happiness now you are back in the fold.
Yvonne (Lewis)
- 26 August 2016 at 08:20
- Hannah and Lucy said...
We are so excited to hear from you and are delighted to hear that you are going to do some blogs again.
- 26 August 2016 at 09:19
- Andrea and the Celestial Kitties said...
So glad to see you blog again! I'm glad you're not going to let a few bad apples ruin your enjoyment of blogging! Because the rest of us are glad you're here! Hugs!
What fun to get to meet another blogging kitty! And his peeps, lol! We love them too!
- 26 August 2016 at 09:34
- MISS PEACH ~(^.^)~ said...
well this is just a wonderful surprise! welcome back and my hat is off to you for rising to the top! NEVER let mean trolls take the magic out of your lives....just walk away...and towards US who love you!
Thank you for sharing your adventures with us...we do not do FB much but have followed your adventures all over the world there with great armchair joy!
life is good....love Karla
- 26 August 2016 at 10:43
- rainbow said...
Welcome back!
Great photos to commemorate a very special visit.
Purrs ... Rainbow
- 26 August 2016 at 12:30
- katsrus said...
Glad you got to visit with Flynn and his family. Good to see you.
Sue B
- 26 August 2016 at 12:52
- Laila and Minchie said...
What a wonderful visit you had and thank you so much for sharing your pictures! What a treat to meet Flynn in purrson and getting a ginger fix!
- 26 August 2016 at 13:25
- The Whiskeratti said...
It's so good to hear from you again! We remember GJ; he was always one of our favorites. We're extremely partial to oranges here, after all. We're very sorry people were mean to you. Pawhugs to you.
- 26 August 2016 at 13:44
- Marg said...
It is so good to see you back again. OK, it is time for a little kitten or maybe two of them. GJ would be thrilled if you got a kitten or two of them. Just think how lucky they would be to be able to live with you and Barrie..
So glad you got to meet Flynn and he sure looked like he enjoyed you all too. Keep up the blogging.l
- 26 August 2016 at 13:54
- Kari said...
Lovey to see all of the beautiful photos of your wonderful visit and even more wonderful to hear from you again. Flynnie seemed to love you and Barrie.
It must be such a treat to cuddle him.
Tell those trolls to take their you know what and put it in their you know where.
- 26 August 2016 at 14:38
- John Bellen said...
Hello! It's good to read from you again. I was following the visit over at Flynn's blog, and saw the link to come here. It looks like it was a fun visit. Did you meet Flynn's people through blogging? I have wondered that a while.
In any case, don't worry about idiots who just want to cause trouble. The only way they can thing themselves worth anything is by making people feel bad. The best way to get back at them is to treat them with the contempt they deserve. You have plenty of friends and well-wishers out here in the Blogosphere.
- 26 August 2016 at 15:15
- The Florida Furkids said...
YAY! It's great to see you!!! We're jealous that you got to meet Flynn and his Mom and Dad. It looks like a super visit!!!
The Florida Furkids
- 26 August 2016 at 16:44
- da tabbies o trout towne said...
waves to you Carol & Barrie from all of us here in trout towne; thanx for sharing your holiday with us when you visited Jackie and Ivor & Flynn. I know everyone had a great great time and we all look forward to hearing from you again soon; it's awesome to see you back this way ♥♥♥♥♥
- 26 August 2016 at 20:26
- Sweet Purrfections said...
We've wondered where you've been. Don't let those trolls get to you. You are a special person and our only regret is that Mom Paula didn't get to meet the two of you when you were in Vegas two years ago!
- 27 August 2016 at 02:13
- Katie Isabella said...
What a joy that had to have been there too and met the 5 of you. Oh that would have made my YEAR to meet two couples I so enjoy.
Please...if you can, don;t let nasty trolls dictate what you do here. We love you and if we see anything bad we know well it was not you. xoxoxoxox
- 27 August 2016 at 02:28
- meowmeowmans said...
What a great visit you had with Flynn and his Mum and Dad! Don't let the trolls get to you. You are always among friends who love you here on the CB.
- 27 August 2016 at 04:31
- Nellie Kowalik said...
So happy that you posted! I have missed you. What a great visit-it makes my heart sing to see you guys have such a wonderful time.
Makes me wish I was there.
Sending you love and many hugs
Nellie's Mommmy Barb
- 27 August 2016 at 06:58
- Alasandra, The Cats and Dogs said...
It is so nice you got to meet Flynn. So glad to see your blog post, we have been missing you.
- 27 August 2016 at 13:33
- Caren Gittleman said...
Soooooo happy to see you and EXTRA happy because you got to meet Flynn!!!! Oh how I would have LOVED to share some laughs with ALL of you!! catchatwithcarenandcody
- 27 August 2016 at 17:54
- Spike William and Angels China Cat and Willow said...
Wow, it looks like you had a terrific time with Flynn and his Mum and Dad!My Lady was so happy to see that you had a blog post up today!
Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs, Spike William
- 27 August 2016 at 21:21
- Timmy Tomcat said...
Oh meow my what fun! Flynn and Angel Eric's parents are wonderful people and are so right to ignore those who do not have love in their hearts. We love to hear from you and maybe will see some photos of GJ.
Purrs and Prayers from us all
Timmy, Dad Pete and Family
- 28 August 2016 at 17:30
- Poppy Q said...
How lucky are you guys getting to give Flynnie flynster hugs and kisses? Looks like a lovely day on the farm.
- 29 August 2016 at 20:31
- Nanük said...
Good day to woo all! Nice to hear you are well,
Nuk & family
- 7 September 2016 at 20:12
- Mariodacat said...
What a great visit that must have been. We would love to meet Flynn. We'd love to meet you too and all our blogging pals.
- 17 October 2016 at 15:25
- World of Animals, Inc. said...
What an amazing visit. We wish we could of went to see Eric and Flynn. They are both our favorite and their blog posts are always full of fun. Thanks for sharing the lovely photos. Have a wonderful rest of your week.
World of Animals
- 9 October 2018 at 19:14


text:
Waiata Dawn Davies and I have kept in touch via email for several years. In 2011 Waiata Dawn spent three months in Dublin where she attended several courses at the Irish Writers Centre. Her emails were funny, informative and at times hilarious.
I share a dormitory with three other women, a passing parade of nationalities who are all very kind to me because of my great age. The hostel is clean and safe but the plumbing is dire, especially the showers where one cowers in a corner and punches a button which sends a torrent of ice cold water everywhere, including the dry towel rail. Just as the water becomes bearable it all shuts off……
One of the porters here has just shown me how to clean the inside of my computer. I take it to the nearest petrol station and use their free air pump to blow all the dust etc that gets lodged under the keyboard.
Click on The Poets and select Waiata Dawn Davies to read more about this amazing lady. I've also popped in a couple of her poems for your enjoyment….


text:
Significance Of Health And Wellness
Many people nowadays are turning away from medical attention by involving themselves in other physical activities that helps in averting diseases. There are other methods used to avert diseases which most people have adopted. Health and wellness have become an important aspect in people lives.
Weight loss programs, fitness equipments and centres and other leisure activities that are common today are some of the signs that people have seen the importance of health and wellness. These changes are attributed to extreme demands and long waits for health care in the hospitals. The desire of the working generation for more active lifestyles after retirement to be able to participate in various activities has called for the need for health and wellness.
Eating a lot of vitamins or fats is very dangerous and should not be encouraged. There are several proven ways in which an individual may achieve a good healthy lifestyle. The most common activities involved in health and wellness includes the following steps.
Finding Similarities Between Wellness and Life
A person must eat healthy foods to remain fit. Your health will improve if you start using some of the healthy foods. Health and wellness require the food that we eat to be a reflection of our physical health. The habit of having a balanced diet has become a major driving force in improving our health.
Understanding Resources
Ensure that you keep fit by participating in less vigorous physical activities. One can wake up early in the morning to jog or have a walk in the field or a nearby park. Carry on on this activity every day until you achieve your goals. You don't have to lift weight to remain healthy, but any activity that involves physical body movement can lead to a better healthy life.
Some food are not good to our health and some of them can lead to illness hence the need to avoid them. Some of the habits which are socially acceptable are not good to our health, for example, smoking of a cigarette or excessive consumption of alcohol can hurt our health. Also, stop indulging in excess fatty foods consumption as they lower the rate of metabolism in our body.
Determination and believing in oneself is what is needed to achieve a good and healthy life. Set targets that you want to hit at the end of the day. Research carefully on the best ways of gaining a healthy life and have the required knowledge of the outcome that you want to get. place the written goals in a strategic location where you can see them everyday. This will provide you the inspiration and motivation you need in order to keep on with the healthy habits. Make sure you set a date on when you want to experience change in your life. You will have a smooth life when you start adopting this life of living healthy.


text:
After the exciting time Sasha Talks Tech had at the inaugural Dublin Tech Summit, we're super excited to now head to Lisbon, Portugal Nov 6-11 for the annual Web Summit tech conference.
Founded in 2010 by Paddy Cosgrave and co-founders Daic Hickey and David Kelly, the Web Summit is one of the world's largest technology, innovation and entrepreneurship events. The conference launched in 2010 in Ireland and will remain in Lisbon until 2020!
Read on for 4 things we are super excited about at 2017's Web Summit this November.
Exploring Lisbon
It could go without saying, but we are SO excited to visit Lisbon! Portugal's hilly, coastal, cap city is famous for its views and the number 28 yellow tram, which is a major tourist attraction! (#Selfie anyone?)
2,000+ Journalists Under One Roof
Expecting 27,000 attendees from 149 countries, Web Summit has been dubbed "the largest tech conference in the world."
We're excited to mix and mingle with the industries top tech reporters from across the globe! If you're planning on attending please reach out so we can connect!
Inspiring Generation Z
On its official website Monday, Web Summit announced that it is going to put 10,000 tickets on sale for young people ages 16 to 23 at €7.50 (roughly $9USD). The 'Inspire Portugal' event is being promoted in partnership with the local government. Last year in a similar giveaway, they allocated 2,000 tickets to Gen-Zers.
25 Conferences Within a Conference
We're especially excited about dropping in on these:
ContentMakers is the world's leading gathering for content creators, connecting the world's largest media and entertainment companies, with disruptive new brands, platforms, investors and creators.
Music tech is changing faster than ever before. The MusicNotes conference highlights how cutting-edge tech, the new streaming age and licensing is fundamentally changing the music landscape.
FutureSocieties brings together distinguished politicians, academics and thought leaders in the tech industry to assess the opportunities, challenges, and impact of recent years' technological advancement.
Learn about how advancements in tech are transforming design in the fashion industry at Modum. Topics include the fashion industry in becoming more sustainable, the influence of design on VR and AR and howrapid prototyping and 3D printing has affected the industry.
The best of Web Summit's networking happens after hours. Night Summit will take over the city from 8pm nightly from November 6 to November 9.
Heading to Lisbon for Web Summit? Connect with me so we can meet up!
Follow my trip to Lisbon on Snapchat SashaReports and Instagram:
Be sure to follow me on Instagram to watch my trip LIVE on my Instastory! Comment #SashaTalksTech and I'll follow you back!
Leave a Reply.
sasha talks tech, Sasha Horne, Silicon Beach, LA Tech, Tech LA, LA Tech Scene, Los Angeles Life, Los Angeles socialite, ABC Whodunnit, Melina Alves, Brazil, Kam Perez, Cris Cross, Dana Davis Blake, Geno Smith, Don Tayback, Dontae Mosbey, Sherri Marsh, Reality TV Star, TV Host, Los Angeles TV Host, Reporter LA, Sasha Beaufort SC, Beaufort High School Notable Alumni, College of Charleston Notable Alumni, Georgetown University Notable Alumni, Team Southern Belles, Air Force Veteran, Black Girls Tech, Black Nerds, Blerds, Black girls rock, Black girls code, Social media superstar, black tech blogger, black tech la, Black Hollywood, Tech in Motion, Tech in Motion LA, CNN Master's Fellow, CNN Graduate Fellowship, Reality TV where are they now,
Tech News You Can (Actually) Use
Why Being A Flexible Investor Matters


text:
Collision, Part 1 Written by Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, and Mercedes Lackey Read by Veronica Giguere The forces of the world unite against the threat discovered at Ultima Thule. Teams coordinate under the command of a new leader. Download the episode here
Archive for June 29th, 2017
Ep 8-32: Collision, Part 1
June 29th, 2017 admin


text:
Trelawny proud to sponsor Leamington Business Awards 2017
May 12, 2017
We've sponsored the Business and Community category in this year's Leamington Business Awards 2017!
The awards are currently in their fourth running year, supporting charities such as Helping Hand and Love Leam. Deadlines for nominations are the 25th of June, with voting beginning in July. Announcements for the winner will be before or just after September 1st, with an awards dinner held to celebrate the winning company for 2017.
As a company based only a stone throw from Leamington centre, we have always strived to support the local community and wider Warwickshire area. We have raised money for various charities over the years and offer work placement opportunities to young people in the area wherever possible. Because of these strong community ethos, we were more than happy to support the fantastic work of the Leamington Business Awards, which help to raise awareness of the hard and fantastic work local companies provide to the area.
Our Group Finance Manager, Sarah Adamo said, "We are delighted to be sponsoring the Business and the Community category at the Leamington Business Awards. Leamington Spa is a thriving hub of fantastic businesses, many of whom donate time, effort and money into supporting the wider community, whether that's raising money for charity or freely sharing their expertise and skills so that others can benefit. We're really pleased that this award will celebrate those businesses going the extra mile to help their community."
The Trelawny Team is looking forward to working with the Awards and seeing the contestants and results across the summer period. We will be updating our blog regularly with the updates for the Business and Community category as they come through.
For more information on the Leamington Business Awards for 2017, please visit their website at: https://www.leamingtonbusinessawards.co.uk/All Articles


text:
(Photo via RowanAlumni.edu, seen here)
For those of you looking to take the next step in your baseball coaching career and jump from the high school to the college level then this post will be a good resource. The jump between the two levels, even going from high school to junior college is a big one. There will be duties assigned to you that you might have never had to complete in the past. They will be time-consuming and in-depth but will definitely be worth your time.
This is part two of a three-part series that examines the transition from coaching high school baseball to coaching college baseball. Let's take an in-depth look at the duties you could face in college and how you can adjust so that they are completed successfully, helping your program become a competitive one in its conference and beyond.
High School Baseball Duties
Coaching baseball at the high school level, even sub-varsity teams comes with a lot of responsibility. Depending on the program you might be the only coach on the staff. This means that you need to handle quite a bit for practice and on game day. A brief list of those duties includes the following:
- Running practice: throwing batting practice, conducting infield/outfield drills, monitoring the pitching throwing sessions, instruction, catching drills, baserunning drills and more.
- Gameday: infield/outfield, stretching, pitcher warm-ups, field prep, lineup creation, umpire waivers, rubbing up game balls, managing the game and more.
That's just a taste of what high school baseball coaches need to do in order for their program or team to make it through a season. It's intense but it's not nearly as in-depth as the duties found at the college level.
When you are coaching high school at a sub-varsity level and you are on your own this can take its toll. You are the only one throwing batting practice to anywhere from 15-20 kids each day. You are the only one offering instruction and the only one hitting infield/outfield. It can be difficult to focus in on just one aspect of the team, such as only the catchers or only the infielders without leaving the other players without much guidance or instruction.
It's still a great experience to have under your belt, especially if your ultimate goal is to run a varsity program or jump to college as an assistant. The best part of all the work you put into running a team is seeing the kids get promoted to varsity or getting to watch them play top-side when they get older.
College Coaching Duties
Even though you will find yourself committing much more time as a college baseball coach you will find that you will have to focus on maybe one or two aspects of the team instead of the team as a whole. This, of course, is if you work as an assistant coach in college and not a head coach.
If you get the opportunity to work with a head coach and staff like the one I worked with at Division III Rowan University you will find that the transition will be quite easy.
When I joined the staff at Rowan prior to the 2010 season all of the assistants were new to coaching in college. There were a total of four assistants; I came from the high school level and the other three had just finished their playing careers for Rowan.
I was assigned the duties of recruiting coordinator, bench coach, and infield instructor for my two seasons at Rowan. The recruiting aspect was immense.
I joined the staff towards the end of June 2009. I immediately began recruiting, attending a host of games in Philadelphia called the Carpenter Cup. I watched this tournament almost from beginning to end with hundreds of other college coaches from throughout the Mid Atlantic states.
There was a bit of a break in early July but then the recruiting trail really took off as I attended tournaments all over New Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania. I began talking to high schoolers who were of eligible grade level/age to speak with colleges (no earlier than July 1 after the athlete's junior season).
At the same time that these trips were going on, I took over control of the recruiting software program. This is where we logged every single player in which we had interest, their academic information, the scouting grades we assigned them, the camps in which they participated and every contact we made with them (only one call per week outside of the designated contact period per the NCAA).
We used the program to send mass emails to recruits about the goings on at Rowan University, information about the program, and any camps we were scheduled to host during the summer.
Outside of the recruiting duties, I was responsible for working with the infielders in our program during our fall and spring seasons. This included running infield drills, both indoors and outdoors, hitting ground balls during batting practice to infielders, and going through the bunt rotation plays run by the program.
My duties as bench coach were what I enjoyed the most out of everything I did while at Rowan. We had a chart bag that went with us to every single game. I didn't let it out of my sight. It came home with me each night.
In the chart bag, we had multiple binders, blank scouting forms, the official scorebook and scouting reports. Those binders featured hitting spray charts, pitching logs, quality at-bat charts, pitch charts, lineup cards and plenty of statistical printouts.
Prior to every game, I was responsible for printing out the up-to-date statistics for the opposing team (batting and pitching), the opponent's roster, and any other scouting documents requested.
During the game, I was responsible for using a tiny chart that had the opponent's lineup written on it to log how every hitter's at-bat ended. This included whether or not they walked, struck out, were hit by a pitch, reached on an error, reached on a fielder's choice or registered a hit. I also needed to log the final pitch that was thrown to end the at-bat.
When we were at the plate I was responsible for logging all of the at-bats of our hitters to gauge whether or not they were quality at-bats. A quality at-bat included a walk, hit by pitch, hit, sacrifice, or hard hit ball. We then released statistics for each hitter at the end of designated periods throughout the season that showed them their percentage of quality at-bats.
There is a big time commitment when you coach baseball no matter the level. The commitment needed to coach at the college level, even as an assistant, is immense. The off-field duties alone will take up hours each week.
Part three of this series will examine the differences in coaching high school-aged players and college-aged players when it comes to their experiences within the game, their maturity, and how they adapt and respond to adversity.


text:
Bomb found under car at Albanian PM's office
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Police in Albania Friday said they have found a bomb under the car of a senior official as it entered the compound of the office of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Security officials called in bomb disposal officers, who found 200 grams (7 ounces) of C4 explosive, two detonators and a cell phone attached under the car of Besnik Dervishi, the Socialist regional governor of the southwestern Vlore district.
The device was removed and destroyed in a nearby controlled blast, police said.
Rama was not at the office when the incident occurred. Police gave no other details, but said an investigation was underway and that additional security had been provided for Dervishi and members of his family.
Politics in once staunchly communist Albania has been marred by decades of volatile debate and violence, while public officials have also been targeted by criminal gangs.
In 2011, a judge was killed in Vlore when a bomb exploded under his moving car. There was no claim of responsibility for that attack and police made no arrests.
Rama took over as prime minister in September after a landslide win for the Socialists in June elections.
The incident sparked criticism from the conservative opposition, which hinted that the Socialists themselves could have been behind the bomb. They described it as a "spectacle designed to distract public attention from the premier's plans to raise taxes and put pressure on businesses."


text:
The Internet has proven to be a game-changer worldwide across virtually all modern industries. Entrepreneurs for all types of businesses need to be able to adapt to quickly evolving strategies, approaches, and technologies. This in itself is a challenge as it takes time and resources to vet new solutions, let alone make changes. Usually newer and smaller businesses are able to adapt more efficiently but even making sense of all the different new trends, technologies, or solutions can be a challenge. For new online business owners, here are the top, reliable web resources to help get started:
The Cloud Service Economy
Few online resources are as useful to businesses and entrepreneurs as cloud services. In simple terms, the cloud enables the best applications to be utilized by anyone, anywhere. For entrepreneurs developing cloud service applications, look to integrate with white labeled marketplace platforms like AppDirect to gain distribution to millions of businesses around the world through AppDirect's marketplace customers."
Brand Building Tools
Generating a recognizable online identity is difficult; the trade-off for the relatively easy access to the internet means billions of voices are competing for seconds of attention. However, the path to establishing a brand is navigable – it just takes the right tools. Fortunately, Microsoft has recently released an online toolkit to help companies build a brand. Resources like this are especially invaluable for startups running on limited finances.
Numbers Crunching Calculators
The internet is awash with calculators accessible to anyone. Ranging from interest projections, budget estimates, and even comparing rental options to property purchase, a whole host of data necessary for business success can be figured out with the help of calculators. Calculators and financial tools for almost every industry are generally available with a few clicks.
Outreach Through Social Media
Most business owners are familiar with Facebook and Twitter in their personal lives, and in today's always connected world, social media helps connect businesses with potential customers. A social media presence is critical for businesses. Pictures of progress, products, and updates on service and sales broadcasted via company profiles across several social networks help build brand awareness and an engaged audience.
The Old Fashioned Message Board
What happens when entrepreneurs in relatively isolated environments run into problems? They can call customer service if there is any available. In cases when this is not applicable, the tried and true internet message board remains a reliable fall back option. Worst case scenario, your question has never been asked before (although very unlikely) in which case you lead the way and wait a day or two for an answer.
Thanks to the web, business owners trying to start businesses now have the means to take advantage of the best digital tools, regardless of their size or location. Knowing where to begin can seem daunting with so many tools, solutions, and platforms available. However, savvy entrepreneurs can find and use tools like these to help them get started.


text:
Click on the link below and NoodleTools should open in another browser window.
(You can then review these instructions in one window and see NoodleTools in action in another.)
On campus: You will automatically be directed to NoodleTools after you click on the link.
Off campus: You will first need to enter your library card number.
Either sign in to your NoodleTools account OR set one up if you have not done so already — See the directions in the next box.
Remember to write this information down!
After you click on the Register button, you are ready to get started using NoodleTools!


text:
This article was written by Kale Phoenix. Please do not make any changes to this fiction without receiving the author's consent.
The Ha'ahl are a race of nomadic paristitic invaders that move from one hospitable planet to the next, wiping out the inhabitants and draining the planet's resources, before departing to their next target. They are the sworn enemies of the Gandrians, as they were the only race that encountered and defeated the Ha'ahl, besides the Humans.
Because the Ha'ahl moved from place to place a lot, their history is nearly impossible to record. What is known is that they originated from the planet, Crimson-Sphere. The Sphere was small and desolate. The Ha'ahl grew to become aggressive, due to the conditions they lived in and in need of a larger home because of their over-crowding.
The Ha'ahl managed to evolve so that they could survive even the vacuum of space. Now weilding the power to live anywhere, they swiftly destroyed the Crimson-Sphere, and began searching for a new home. They visited many planets, and took them all over, regardless of any other sentient beings originally living there, who were promptly executed. Seeing how much they could use in these new planets, the Ha'ahl freely wasted the planet's resources, usually destroying the planet in the process. After they finish, they move on to the next planet.
Due to the growing number of Ha'ahl, the race splitted into different 'tribes', ruled by a 'Cheif', going separately to other planets, spreading like a disease.
The Ha'ahl have aquired a number of abilities to help them adapt to any location.
- Able to survive in any environment, even space
- Extended lifespans
- Invunerable to metal weapons (spears, knives, bullets etc.)
- Superstrength
- Omnilingual
- Flight
- Resistant to ill effects of entering a planet's atmosphere


text:
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has suggestions to reduce holiday stress.
Judy Martin, DHHS Deputy Director of Community and Environmental Health, says one person cooking the entire Thanksgiving meal is unrealistic.
"If you can share the responsibilities and have other folks bring side dishes or bring the pies, that's a good thing," she tells Nebraska Radio Network.
You should try to keep your commitments in check and don't over-extend yourself.
Martin says the holidays are really about quality time with your family, not spending so much time on the cooking and the cleaning of the house.
When it comes time to break bread, have moderation on your mind, not over-indulgence.
"What we encourage folks to do is choose things like fresh fruit as a dessert or substitute for candy you might be tempted to grab," Martin advises. "Certainly, we encourage people to limit fat, salt, and sugary foods."
Keeping the same sleep schedule and exercise routine will help fight stress as well.
"Get outside if the weather permits and do something active with your kids," Martin says. "Try to maintain the routine you have. If you're already physically active, maintain those routines. If you aren't physically active now, use the extra time off you may have to increase your movement."
It is recommended that adults have 30 minutes of strenuous activity each day, while kids need about an hour.
Martin says Thanksgiving hosts need to watch how much alcohol their guests have too.
"We certainly would not want to have folks out drinking and driving at all, and don't let any of your guests at your home, if they've been drinking, to have them drive, but offer them a place in your home, if they have had too much to drink."


text:
NEW DELHI Jet Airways, India's second-biggest airline by passengers, reported an annual profit on Thursday for the first time since 2007 and a year ahead of schedule under its 2014 turnaround plan.
The carrier, part-owned by Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, said lower fuel costs and higher aircraft use helped it swing to a profit in the year ending on March 31 but warned that growing domestic competition was putting pressure on yields.
For the year, its net profit was a record 12.12 billion rupees ($181 million) compared with a loss of 20.97 billion rupees in the previous year, the company said in a statement.
Jet reported a profit of 4.26 billion rupees for its fourth quarter to the end of March, compared with a loss of 18.03 billion rupees in same quarter a year earlier.
It lowered its debt by 16.8 billion rupees during the year but did not say what the latest debt level was.
The airline would continue to focus on strengthening its balance sheet to sustain growth, Chairman Naresh Goyal said in the statement, although he said competitive and structural challenges remained.
"The induction of capacity and the enhanced competitive scenario is creating a constant pressure on yields," Goyal said.
Jet competes with state-run Air India and Vistara - a joint venture of Tata Group and Singapore Airlines - in the so-called full-service category in a domestic market dominated by low-cost carriers.
InterGlobe Aviation Ltd's IndiGo is India's top carrier with 38.7 percent of the market as of April.
Jet Airways' market share was 18.9 percent in April, down from 23.1 percent a year ago, according to government data.
($1 = 66.9545 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Aditi Shah; editing by David Clarke)
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.
Updated Date: May 26, 2016 20:44:51 IST


text:
Indianapolis speed dating at the avalon online dating men with children
22-Aug-2017 10:40
Dallas is the third largest cities in Texas, with just over 1.2 million inhabitants, but it's arguably the top city both for visiting and settling down.Dallas is a leading business center for the country, with the 3rd highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the U.S, and it's ranked 14th in the world in terms of GDP.
Dimensions and color: 12" x 44", fluorescent yellow green diamond sheeting with 10" x 24" white high intensity sheeting insert. The signs can be installed with either a portable or fixed base.The City of Madison, Wisconsin utilized these signs and found that the number of drivers yielding to pedestrians increased by 6 to 15 percent.Availability: This product can be purchased off-the-shelf.On average, a studio apartment's size in Chapel Hill, NC is 745 Sqft, which is convenient for a young professional, recent graduate, student or for someone who prefers not to spend more than necessary on a monthly rent.
A cheap studio can be rented starting from 0, so your next step is to make up your mind regarding the layout of your future nest: do you want a one room apartment, with kitchen in the main room, or a bachelor flat with a separate kitchen? They say renting is like dating- you should not expect absolute perfection from a rental home, but you should love the things that make it uniquely yours.
Data collection and evaluation were conducted at selected intersections.


text:
Home > Paranormal Investigators > Photographing The Paranormal
Photographing The Paranormalhttp://www.photographingtheparanormal.com/ popular
To photograph the paranormal isn't as easy as one could think, orbs or perceived anomalies aren't always paranormal in nature. On This blog, I try to show how you can make the difference.
Submitted in section: Paranormal Investigators: Photographing The Paranormal


text:
Dear 2017,
I woke up a little hungover when we first started and remember saying "This is the year I'm cutting back drinking". That didn't happen.
I motivated myself to lose weight and actually give it a good try to shed a couple pounds. It didn't happen.
I mapped my career out at a place I loved, hoping to launch something new, inventive and bring back the fun. It didn't happen.
I decided to get back out on the dating scene and maybe finally find my partner in crime. It didn't happen.
I thought I would finally make it to Iceland on my 31st birthday. It didn't happen.
I actually thought this would be the year where I ate eggs again. It didn't happen.
But every f-ing year is like this. Things don't happen. Obstacles are always placed in front of us and we have to figure out our way around them. 2017, you were rough on me...but literally every year has shitty moments. But a lot more good outweighed the bad...
Did I become an uncle? That happened
Did I witness my brother fulfill his childhood dream of being Mayor of the city we grew up in? That happened
Did I eat Primanti Bros and knock off some baseball stadiums off my list? That happened
Did I adopt a dog who literally brings me great joy when I see him? That happened
Did I share a bunch of pizza, beers, laughs and good times with family and friends? That happened
Did I just spent the last two months of the year creating things? That happened
Did I finally decide to just risk it all in 2018? That's happening.
2017, you were probably one of the most difficult years I've had. I can easily sit here and complain about what went wrong or how you did me dirty but the truth is...things happen and I'm not about to let me roll into 2018 with a chip on my shoulder. So I'm gonna leave you how we started this year. On my couch...in a onesie...most likely drunk. Here's to the new year.


text:
Risky business: Coping with chaos in weather forecasts
Will it rain this weekend? It's a simple question, but the best answer comes down to probability, says Ken Mylne of the UK Met Office
How do you forecast the weather?
We set up a model to represent the current state of the atmosphere based on many observations. From that, the model projects forward in time and calculates how the atmosphere may evolve. The outcome of the forecast is very sensitive to small errors in the initial state, so we run what we call an ensemble forecast. Instead of just running the model once, we make a series of small changes to the initial state and re-run the model a large number of times to get a set of forecasts. On some days the model runs may be similar, which gives us a high level of confidence in the forecast; on other days, the model runs can differ radically so we have to be more cautious.
How certain can you be about forecasts?
The level of confidence varies from day to day and from forecast to forecast. In some circumstances you can get big differences between the forecasts in the ensemble. The biggest uncertainties are often around big storms and the dramatic weather everyone cares about, because the atmosphere has to be in a sensitive, unstable state to generate that high-impact weather. The chaotic nature of the atmospheric system does impose fundamental limits on predictability. In terms of day-to-day weather, that limit is typically between 10 days and two weeks using probabilistic forecasts.
From 2011, the Met Office started presenting rain forecasts using probabilities. Was that controversial?
We'd been debating it for a long time. The Americans have been putting out probability of precipitation forecasts for many years, and it's quite accepted there. The argument in favour …


text:
HCPHC hosts Economic Development Leadership Training for Elected Officials
September 29, 2017
The Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission hosted a workshop at Stennis International Airport on September 26th to educate elected and community leaders how to successfully recruit companies and win jobs for their communities.
Carol Johnson, an economic development sales and marketing expert, facilitated the interactive, 90-minute workshop and offered best practices for job attraction and economic development success.
The workshop focused on the site selection process, how the community is being assessed, where public investment is required, the role of public or private leaders in economic development, the appropriate do's and don'ts of site visits and how to win projects. This workshop was offered at no cost to elected officials and community leaders.
The instructor, Carol Johnson, is a highly respected economic development sales expert and founder of Continuous Dialog. Her finance and marketing skills were developed at Kraft Foods in New York. She holds a BA in Marketing from Florida State University and a MBA in Finance from Indiana University. Johnson's workshops are widely sought after by major corporations, site selectors and economic development organizations, including states, regional partnerships, communities and utilities. Her entertaining and interactive workshops allow communities to keep existing jobs and grow and recruit new jobs.
"The workshop gives Hancock County leadership the tools and knowledge to go out and win projects. We have a continuous dialogue throughout our elected officials, educators, and governmental entities," said Bill Cork, chief executive officer of HCPHC.
The Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission was established in 1963 to lead the county's economic development activities. Stennis International Airport and Port Bienville Industrial Park are home to 30 companies with more than 1,000 employees. For more information visit www.portairspace.com, or contact the chief development officer, Janel Carothers, at firstname.lastname@example.com or 228.467.9231.#Community, #Stennis International Airport


text:
Live Reviews
Free Membership!
Utah Carol
Album Title: Rodeo Queen
Release Date: May 15, 2007
Genre: Indie
Email this article
Print this article
Save to del.icio.us
It has taken them 3 albums to get there, but Utah Carol's members have finally gotten their heads straight. For the first time in its brief career, the duo has released a record on which the band sounds like itself, a focused effort through and through.
The Chicago tandem, comprised of Grant Birkenbeuel and Jinja Davis, has released the first folk-pop gem of the year in
Rodeo Queen
. For this album, Utah Carol has decided to stray from the formula of previous efforts and have rallied around one predominant sonic theme. The record is mellow and soothing while remaining vivid enough in its lyrics and sound to keep listeners coming back for more. The male/female vocal approach constitutes the driving force of Utah Carol; and this aesthetic is reminiscent of Page France and the Michael Nau/Whitney McGraw dynamic. This makes for a perfectly angelic, honeyed texture that is held up for
Rodeo Queen
's entire duration. The vocals are unquestionably the appeal of the duo and while Utah Carol's instrumentation is interesting (with horns, organs, and vibraphones all making appearances on the album), the vocal harmonies are executed with such flair that it becomes difficult for listeners to revel in anything other than the twosome's remarkable chemistry.
On past albums, there were instances when Utah Carol would diverge from what worked so well for them and would indulge in quicker, jauntier numbers. These tracks aren't terrible per se, but they certainly don't stack up to the easy-going, cushy tracks heard when Utah Carol is in its element. And now that the Birkenbeuel and Davis seem comfortable with the urban lonesome-cowboy tales they've weaved, it is safe to say that Rodeo Queen is easily their strongest effort to date.
Writer: Vinh Cao
Related Stories
Latest News
Aaron Keyes Releases New Album This Summer
Peter Furler Releases 'On Fire'
Paper Tongues Personalized Skate Deck Contest
Delirious? Releases History Makers: Greatest Hits, Tours US
Passion Twenty Ten Gears up for Atlanta
Relient K Ascends With 'Forget And Not Slow Down'
Proud Supporters Of:
About Us
Contact Us
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Site Map
©Copyright 2009 Soul Shine Publishing Designed by:
Peashooter Media


text:
Three Former Supervisory Correctional Officers Charged With Beating Handcuffed And Shackled Inmate At Angola State Prison
BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney Walt Green and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, announced that three former supervisory correctional officers at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana, were indicted today for beating a handcuffed and shackled inmate, and conspiring to cover up their misconduct by falsifying official records, committing perjury and tampering with witnesses as well as physical evidence. Earlier this week, a fourth former supervisory officer pled guilty for his role in the crimes.
Former Major DANIEL DAVIS, age 40, of Loranger, Louisiana, former Captain JOHN SANDERS, age 31, of Marksville, Louisiana, and former Captain JAMES SAVOY, age 38, of Marksville, Louisiana, were charged in a multi-count indictment by a federal Grand Jury sitting in the Middle District of Louisiana. According to the indictment, Major DANIEL DAVIS, Captain JOHN SANDERS and Captain JAMES SAVOY beat an inmate, who suffered bodily injury as a result. The defendants then created a false cover story, asserting that the officers used reasonable force to get the inmate under control after he had gotten out of his cell and fought with officers. To corroborate that false cover story, members of the conspiracy instructed subordinates to clean up the inmate's blood before internal investigators could document it, falsified official prison reports and records, ordered subordinates to lie to internal affairs investigators and lied under oath in a federal civil proceeding arising out of the incident.
A fourth defendant, former Captain SCOTTY KENNEDY, age 48, of Beebe, Arkansas, pled guilty on Tuesday, November 1, 2016, for his role in the incident.
U.S. Attorney Green stated: "It is a sad day whenever a member of law enforcement engages in wrongdoing. In addition to the direct harm caused to a victim, such wrongdoing taints the vast majority of officers who fulfill their mission with honesty and integrity. Today's indictment reinforces that no one is above the law."
This case is being investigated by the Baton Rouge Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick A. Menner, Jr. of the Middle District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Christopher J. Perras of the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section.
NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by the Grand Jury. Each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.


text:
and all that is within me
bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's
Ian and I have spent a significant amount of time studying Psalm 103. We noticed while studying this that the first benefit listed is that God forgives all of our iniquities. If we were to be given no other benefit but our salvation through of Jesus' death on the cross, it would be enough to bless the Lord with all that is within us and it is of most importance.
While studying this Psalm, God brought me the idea to start memorizing scripture with Ian. It's something that he used to do a lot and that I've prayed about being able to do with him again. We've been praying for his short-term memory and I've been trying to think of exercises to help him with that. Memorizing scripture was the sweetest thing that God could've brought to mind. Since then, Ian has memorized several verses of Psalm 103, and is able to recite them with his voice. It's wonderful to hear him speaking truth again.
Speaking of, speaking, Ian has been doing a lot of it. His voice is coming more and more easily. Every day he is using his voice several times, to tell us things, to have conversations with us, to ask Lydia what's wrong when she's crying and to tell her that he loves her. I remember when we used to spend half an hour just to get one sound out. God is helping and Ian is responding in obedience.
We truly appreciate everyone's prayers. I recently told Ian how many people are reading his blog every day and right away he said "wow." I'm praying that soon we will see "the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" through Ian's complete healing.


text:
Mara Simetic
Client Associate
As Client Associate, Mara Simetic assists in client relations and in managing the details of client accounts. She first joined CIBC's predecessor company in 1992, and became a Registered Representative in 1997.
Mara holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University in Montreal, and she is fluent in English, French and Italian.
We'd love to hear from you.
If you would like to speak with us directly to pose a question or schedule a consultation, kindly fill out the form below and we will reach out to you personally.*Required fields


text:
Let me give you some basic facts about Russia and the United States in terms of defense spending and then you will begin to appreciate my glum, angry outlook.Then this.
Russia has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $1.326 Trillion dollars. Their Per Capita GDP is roughly $9,200.00. Russia, who is supposedly keen on conquering the world, only spends $60 Billion dollars on Defense. That works out to $417 per person in Russia to buy tanks, planes and air craft carriers.
The United States, with a GDP of almost $18 Trillion dollars is spending over $600 Billion dollars on Defense. Every man, woman and child in America is contributing $1,884 for U.S. defense. On a per capita basis the United States is spending four times what Russia does.
It also is laughable to portray Russia as "a crumbling civil society." Look at the fundamental economic facts. Although the United States enjoys a higher per capita GDP than Russia (almost six times more than Russia) the United States has a massive imbalance between its income and its expenses. The United States, with a GDP of $18 Trillion dollars, has a debt that is approaching $21 Trillion dollars. Put simply, we are spending more than we are bringing in. As long as the rest of the world lets us run up our credit card then we can continue to live the lives of kings. Russia, with a GDP of $1.3 Trillion dollars, only has a national debt of $157 billion dollars.
This is the American delusion. We insist that Russia is a beast of enormous appetite and intent on world conquest while happily ignoring the hard truth that the United States is invading more countries than any other nation state. We continue to spend more money on defense than China and Russia combined while our infrastructure becomes more frail, middle class jobs disappear overseas and our national debt exceeds our domestic product. We are like a drunk asleep on the sidewalk. In our previous life we were a banker of great repute. Now we lie soiled and asleep. Content to keep drinking the lethal mixture of war and debt. This much I know--this does not end well for us.Story here.
NOTE!!!! SST has a STRICT comment policy. He will ban a person he considers a troll faster than even I do. I even think he pre-approves comments before they're posted. If you go there then behave.


text: Welcome to the SMART-UTU Iowa State Legislative Board web site. It is our goal at this site to keep our membership informed of important legislation and issues affecting their job and safety. We hope it is a useful tool to increase your awareness of the role of the Legislative Department.


text:
I hope everyone had a really amazing holiday weekend. Mine was quite nice. I ate a whole lot of turkey sandwiches and pumpkin pie and drank a lot of Glühwein. Plus, the Christmas market opened this weekend. It's been super festive around here.
I also started decorating for Christmas.
First Advent here. It's such a wonderful time, so relaxing and family-oriented. Peter's been working for the past 6 days so I was alone, but I enjoyed it by my faux fireplace (above), Thanksgiving leftovers and a Glühwein.


text:
A new modern 3-storey commercial building will rise soon in Divisoria at the corner of Tirso Neri and Pabayo Streets, the site of the old building occupied by Barkadahan Grill which was destroyed by fire last year.
The Sanvictores Family will rebuild a much more modern edifice in place of the old 2-storey building which was gutted by fire. Barkadahan Grill was forced to relocate at a much smaller space at Divisoria Arcade nearby. As shown in the tarpaulin installed onsite, the grill will still occupy the ground floor with probably office and commercial spaces in the upper floors. The sidewalk is now also fenced indicating that construction will soon start.


text:
We maintain prestigious Gold Partner level certification from Oracle. This certification enables us to provide our customers with a comprehensive range of services and projects, including Oracle development licenses, technological projects and Oracle technical support services.
In 2014 we achieved Independent Software Vendor status with Microsoft, which is one of the potential levels of cooperation that gives our company access to the latest Microsoft technology and the ability to offer this technology to our clients.
We are a partner of SIX, the Swiss finance infrastructure operator, financial market data provider and a provider of comprehensive services on a global scale including securities trading, clearing and settlement of transactions
Bloomberg is a globally-recognized provider of financial information, reports and analysis of the global financial markets and enterprises. Thanks to this strong partnership, we have been able to secure the implementation of fully automated processing of statistical and transaction data from Bloomberg online and in real time with the SUMMA system since 2012.
Reuters is a world-renowned news agency that globally delivers latest and the most trustworthy news information to professionals in the field of finance, risk, law, taxes, accounting, sciences as well as other areas. Integration of the FX Trading platform with system SUMMA facilitates automated data transmission of executed transactions into the post-trading system for further processing without the need to enter manually the same data twice.
MTS is a major European company providing a trading platform specifically focused on fixed income financial products operating on the market with more than 500 unique counterparties with an average daily trading volume in excess of €100 billion.
Transaction information processing has been supported in the system SUMMA since 2014 when we became a certified MTS partner. The result is elimination of duplicate manual data entering which could a potential source of errors.
EUREX Group is one of the leading companies providing comprehensive portfolio of services for trading in financial derivatives. EUREX integrates six specialized companies, forming an international network of agencies, which cover a wide range of tools and financial market products.
The SUMMA can be integrated with EUREX for STP of transaction data.
Are You Looking For Treasury Management System?
Feel free to download brochures about our Treasury & Risk management system, for corporates and financial institutions.


text:
Your shopping cart is empty!
Make your personal dressing space like no other with this swivel organiser and keep your baubles on display!
A collection of everything you love. An explosion of color to add to your eclectic spaces as well as fashion choices to reflect your spirits and persona.A thrilling mixture of colors,patterns and creativity CUSP brings to you an echo of your enigma and energy. Choose from a wide array of quirky home decor and fashion that adapts to your every mood.
Register Account
By creating an account you will be able to shop faster, be up to date on an order's status, and keep track of the orders you have previously made.Continue


text:
I am very happy with my photography. I have studied the craft for a few years now and I have grown very confident in my technical, and more importantly, creative skills. Still, I am not one to be happy and satisfied at the same time. I always feel like there should be room to improve and it was exactly because of this, that I have grown critical of my own style of photography.
I really felt like I should keep pushing my progress if I aspired to be at least above average.
Pushing for progress
The trouble came when I had difficulty defining what my own style in photography exactly was, or rather, should be. In recent months I slowly started to shoot more portraits and lifestyle stuff, which I really enjoy doing. As a matter of fact, I remember when everything I do now was just a vague idea in my head of where I wanted to take my photography next. This realization reaffirmed my confidence in that the next vague idea of direction I probably would develop, was to be explored. I really felt like I should keep pushing my progress if I aspired to be at least above average.
Consequently, I developed a modest interest in analog photography and the specific look of it. By this I am not referring to the way the colours and contrast in a photo have that film like quality that everybody seems to enjoy (myself included, I process my digital photography with a very analog mindset). Rather, I was growing interest in the subjects I saw a lot of people shooting, usually using a very raw and unpolished approach.
The experience has been extremely liberating
The qualities of film
To illustrate, a well known complaint by photographers is that people tend to shoot a photo on film, only to claim it was a good photograph because it was shot on film and without any regard for subject matter and technical quality. It's like being able to create a well exposed shot with an analog camera, where there is no digital preview and not a lot of chances to reshoot until it's right, is sufficient for it to be a 'good photograph'. While I do agree that good photography does not come from being able to create a well exposed photo alone, this 'inconsiderate' style of shooting some people exercise did spark an idea with me.
This is when I picked up an analog camera just to shoot things that I normally would not. I would look for angles I would not look for with my digital camera and I would try to basically fool myself into believing that any redundant detail I'd point my lens on would make for a good photo because well; I'm shooting on film. The experience has been extremely liberating. While I still enjoy crafting imagery with great precision; intentionally trying to shoot subjects I would normally skip, has brought a few new perspectives and ideas to me. I could now use these new found perspectives and ideas as handles to start building other ideas of what is possible through photography.
Experience different
As a bonus, the added incubation effect of waiting for the development of your film reinforces this experience. It creates a disconnection between the moment of shooting and the first proper viewing of the final photograph, allowing you to look at your own work as if it's someone else's while still retaining exact knowhow of moment you took the shot. This way, shooting film has allowed me to understand my process in the moment I took the shot, while at the same time making me able to define certain characteristics that I liked and didn't like in the final product. If you combine this with the idea of purposefully shooting different subjects, you create an experience that's bound to give you some unfamiliar results.
While reviewing my shots, I was actually quite pleased with some of the results. Especially the black & white of the Kodak Tri-X 400 had delivered some photos I was satisfied with. Still, I had a lot of photos that I completely missed focus on because I got the camera settings wrong. I don't really mind though, since the out of focus subjects, combined with the grain en colour of the Kodak Gold 200 film, do make for an image to my liking and thereby exactly proving my point.
Appreciate different
To conclude, I shot a lot of photos of usually uninteresting subjects that I am now trying to see some kind of beauty in. While I still don't believe that the fact that they are shot on film make them any better photographs, the intentional adaption of this mindset has served its purpose well. The challenge has always been to shoot these 'bad photos' and now forcing myself to recognize some element in them that I like, has really pushed me to start appreciating photography in another way. That being said, I believe there is some kind of beauty hidden in the ugliest things and when you are able to find that beauty, you can try and incorporate that into your other work to start making that even more beautiful.


text:
PlanetFone Affiliate Program: Common Questions Call 1-818-359-3595
Making It Work | Common Questions
How does the Affiliate program work?
How do I get started? Call 1-818-359-3595
What does it cost to join?
Can anyone with a web site join the PlanetFone Affiliate Programs?
What if my web site isn't live yet?
How do I create links to PlanetFone?
Can I use the PlanetFone name on my site?
Where do I place my PlanetFone links?
Can I change my graphics whenever I want?
How are orders tracked and credited to my site?
How much will I be paid?
How often will I be paid?
How can I keep track of my account?
What if PlanetFone changes information or policies?
What if I need more information?


text:
We're pretty sure you're going to like Munich. Yes, it's the capital of Bavaria in Germany, but when you think of a capital city, don't you think of a serious place with government officials and boring buildings? Well get that picture out of your mind…. Munich is FUN!
It's in the southern part of Germany. Truthfully, it might be best known for its fall festival of Oktoberfest. Beer is a big part of touring this great city with all its famous beer halls, but there is so much more.
There are great museums to visit… historic churches… and the great central square of Marienplatz which is full of flowers, and alpen horns, and the Rathaus looming over the whole pagent. (OK, many of the buildings have been re-built since they were destroyed in World War II, but the reconstructions are so faithful that you'll never notice.)
What's this about Alpen horns? You'll find lots of those Tyrollean influences because it is close to the Tyrollean Alps; they're only 50 miles (80 km) away. The music and the people in Bavaria just seem more carefree than what you find in northern Germany.
It's Munich in English, I'll say it's Munchen in German, but that's not really right… it needs those two little dots over the "u" or they'll tell you it's misspelled. Sometimes you see it spelled Muechen in German, but that's not so common.
So what should you see in this fun loving city? See the Marienplatz we mentioned above. Join all the other tourists to watch the Glockenspeil that graces the top of the Rathaus (the New Town Hall) put on its show at 11 am. (The bells and characters also come out at 12 noon and 5 pm in the summer.)
See the Frauenkirche, one of the symbols of the city, but don't neglect other churches, and stay alert for concerts in them. It's a real treat to hear organs and choirs in any church… like listening to angels, and I guess that's the affect the architects were hoping to have on you!
You'll also want to see the Residenz, the Palace in the middle of town. It can take you the better part of a day just to see the highlights. Its fabulous rooms are full of period furniture. Don't miss the treasury! I will never forget the little gold statue of St. George Slaying the Dragon that is encrusted with jewels.
There are museums too… the Alte Pinakothek full of old masters and the Neue Pinakothek with paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, but you could also visit… say… the BMW Museum. There is a whole list of museums to choose from.
For meals why not try a beer hall? There are plenty to choose from in Munich… and while there will be lots of tourists in them… there will also be lots of locals and plenty of atmosphere and music.
Most major airlines fly into the Munich airport. If you want to get straight to this fun loving part of Germany, why not fly directly in? Bus, trains and taxis are available to get you into town. The airport is only about 9 miles (15 km) from town, but it will take you about 45 minutes to get in from the airport to city center.
If you want to rent a car to explore the rest of Bavaria, do that AFTER you've seen Munich… you don't need a car in town, and you don't want the expense and bother of parking it.
So for a visit to the Bavarian corner of Germany consider starting in Munich where you can immerse yourself in culture and lots of fun.


text:
Five safety tips for DIY home maintenance
Every month is home safety month at my house, says the guy who cannot complete a job without at least one scratch, bruise or bump.
June is National Home Safety Month and just because it's almost over, don't slack off.
Here are five good tips from the Home Builders Institute to keep yourself out of the ER:
Use a ladder properly: Check for defects and loose or bent rungs before each use. Never carry equipment, materials or supplies up or down a ladder.
Prevent eye injury: Safety glasses, goggles or full-face shields should be used when there is a possibility of splashing chemicals or flying dust, resulting from sawing, grinding or windy conditions.
Wear a hard hat and gloves, when appropriate. Hard hats or helmets should be worn when there's a possibility something might fall on your head or you might hit your head. Gloves should be worn when working with chemicals or doing yard work, but should never be used with tools that have a spinning or twisting blade or bit because a glove could get caught.
Store power tools properly: All tools should have the battery removed or unplugged, and any bits should also be removed before storage. On portable electric saws, the blades should be fully retracted and all guards in place.
Clean up your dusty work area thoroughly. Wear an N-95 dust mask (it filters 95 percent of airborne particles), available at any home-improvement store, when using a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Arresting) vacuum and wet mop to clean up dust and debris. Remember that dust particles in sufficient quantity and size can be combustible.
More Safety Info:
- Tips For National Home Safety Month
- Springfield Schools Send Home Safety Tips
- Police Safety Tips: Home Security 101
- Easton Fire Officials Present Home Safety Tips
- Nursing home safety: Special safety tips for the elderly or disabled
Tags: guy, Home, Home Builders Institute, ladder, National Home Safety Month, safety tips, store, workPosted in Home Safety News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


text:
Sponsored Listings:
Rachel Orozco (Postmaster) firstname.lastname@example.com
303 N Sanborn Rd
Salinas, CA 93905
Salinas, CA 93905
The Alisal Post Office is located in the state of California within Monterey County. This location serves 61,087 Salinas residents with a median income of $42,055. It's estimated that approximately 97,502 packages pass through this post office each year.


text:
I always loved sword fights. I'm a little pro at it and I want to become the best sword-fighter. I always play sword fighting tournament online, not that I'm addicted, but mostly more like a daily training and learning of tricks and how to use different swords at the time but my favorite sword is illumina, since I have a chance of defeating Darkheart users.
Darkheart is a sword that when slashed an enemy, mostly 1 hit KO him. Then, his whole body parts burst into random pieces when killed by it.
Well, that's just an explanation but after this that happened to me, I know this sword is gonna come back to me at the right time to strike me.
I was playing some Build to Survive since I already have 1100 survives in there just because of Illumina sword that I always save up first before a M4 gun. After that, I built my awesome fort. People was amazed with it (I've been playing those types of games 4 years now) mostly some of the players decide to live with me in the fort which is fine because they don't really annoy me much and they are helpful backing off the mobs that attack us.
1 player during that time has a Darkheart and mostly have the killer's game-pass which he can kill players. So I felt a bit annoyed since I can't kill him. Luckily, my base is big enough so that he won't get in. Just then, after many tries, he raged out and kept saying the word "HeartDark". I thought to myself that this is just a noob who can't even spell Darkheart right. The spam was so powerful that it crashed the game. Man... if I can only punch him in the face in real life.......sorry, sorry. Since after that, I decided to play Sword Fighting Tournament since that game is flooding with noobs already.
I was having fun in that server and was training my sword skills like the usual. I played in that server for like 1-2 hours. After that, there were only 4 people in that server, and I was top 2 with an Illumina, Venomshank and Collosal Blade (my favorite starter weapon). After defeating the top 1 of the server, he got mad and ragequit, and I thought pros don't rage. Just then, I realized one of the players don't always show up in the battlefield.
His username was just a bunch of numbers which I agreed to myself that it is hard to memorize when you forget it. Just then, I met him in the battlefield, but he doesn't move. Maybe this is the fake AFK trick which mostly I sometimes do but after getting close to him, he still didn't move. I madee my sword go closer to him but no, nothing. After that, he moved, and looked at me.
To explain first how he looks like, he is one of those new players which they don't bought anything yet, so after that, he said "Don't slash", so I didn't. He reset, and then left. Since it's very boring with nobody left to fight and mostly the game doesn't allow 1 player in a server, I left the server.
Finally, I took a break after all that slashing and killing players. I rest in my bed for a while since my eyes were darn tired to look at a single thing. I closed my eyes. I did dreamed about something when I was sleeping. I was in the sword fighting tournament game and tons of players were noobs and by looking at myself, I looked depressed well only my face while holding a sword that looks like a Darkheart but there is some difference in it glows a bright red and random dark shade of red were like colored in the sword like a sword with blood in it but after I woke up, I kept thinking about that dream if it was real or not.
After that, I played ROBLOX again to check the catalog but no updates in the catalog at all. I decided to play Sword Fighting Tournament again. Just then, all my stats were saved during the last time. So I was lucky that I have my Illumina and Venomshank. I noticed something all the players were mostly 4 of them were Noobs which looks like the same players in my dream trying to shake that feeling off since mostly that's just a coincidence.
After that my turn started but it was strange since i have only 1 sword available and it has no name nor even a pciture of the sword but my enemy is starting to get close to me so i got no choice but to equipped it after i equipped it i was shocked when it was that sword from my dream and then after equipping it the tool give show a little bit of name on it when i first decode it it was "AllDream" which is well that was my first guess since it was hard to read.
I actually slashed my opponent but after i slashed him instead of the normal color black it keeps flashing red and black and to tell you that this is what i heard i heard a scream like somebody was killed instead of the Off sound after that i saw him again but after he spawned he has no arms so i think to myself that this is just a glitch.
So after that my second try is on and its the 2nd noob again so i killed him with my sword but i feel in my head that i was almost being controlled by something that i don't know yet i killed him and the same thing happened and then instead of the 2nd noob being the one with missing body parts the 1st noob was it this time he has no legs but the 2nd noob actually quit the game after i killed him.
After that my head is actually getting a little painful so i tried to rest so i quit the game but after that it just opened again and with the same server with the same stats that i have so i got no choice but to play it through.
This time i was fighting the 3rd noob but to my surprise i spawned near him were i can slash him instantly after killing him the scream were louder as if a person is having more pain than ever before and so like the thing that happened the 1st noob has now no hair and then my character was almost like blood stained now and my face is now depressed so its like my character is now saying that i need to stop it now.
After that i was about to kill the 4th Noob but this time I spawned very far from him but this time I didn't try to kill him instead I let him kill me so i saw him closing by but as he gets closer my face becomes much depressed as he close by but after that my face becomes a smirk and then my character suddenly move by itself and killed the 4th player after killing him i was switch to the 1st noob's camera screen and then i saw him just exploded and then i saw real insides just got out of him and oh my god i saw his face, his disturbing face its like a very creepy smile with red eyes and that face was on my screen.
After that my camera screen was now back to my character and then it finally revealed the name of the sword it was named "HeartDark" I was surprised since it was the same name that i seen from the other noob who keeps spamming the word "HeartDark" at first maybe he's messing with me and hacking me but after that it became real since i feel my back hair go straight forward i was terrified to even look behind me and after 30 seconds my back hair was not straight and then my character reset and then the game quit.
The next day i tried to play the game again but it was closed to visitors for a while but that's impossible i saw like 130 players playing it so i decide to play build to survive but the game was already shutdown and all it showed was full of nothing so i have no choice but to quit and shutdown my computer but i know that sword will always haunt me and will take the time and plan when to strike again and to strike who.
I saw in the news that a child was missing after his mother saw him playing ROBLOX but after they said what is his name it was one of my classmate!. I was terrified about this and never play ROBLOX for a while.
The End...


text:
How To Make Payments in China
Running a product based business? Amazon FBA or traditional trading, payment solutions and cash flow are critical components of a successful operation. Today we'll tackle a few tools and tactics used by many.
The Cash Flow Issue For Product Based Businesses
Let's discuss cash flow. Cash in any business is key, but especially essential in an inventory based business. You need inventory in order to make sales. If you're out of stock, you're out of luck (unless you're running a crowdfunding campaign, cha-ching!).
So it is essential to be able to have money in the bank to pay deposits and final payments to suppliers in order to ensure your supply chain is on time and your customers are getting their products.
The issues come up with bank fees, currency controls, and just overall fear of money getting lost or stolen in the process. Today we'll dig into some of the ways to mitigate it.
International Bank Wire – The "Good Old Fashioned Way
Most likely, your first payment to a factory will be by bank wire. Go down to your local bank (or, if they are high tech, allow you to do them online) and fill out the Chinese company name, SWIFT code, bank account, and address (if required). Normally this costs in the range of $35 to $55 USD fixed per transaction. Yes, this sounds like a lot, but if you are doing an order of $10,000 USD and 2 payments – that is $110 USD total, for a percentage fee of 1.1% – much less than Paypal or credit card payment.
While no one likes paying bank fees, this is a clear cut, tried and true method. If you are doing regular bank transfers on a regular basis, some of the methods below may be worth investigating.
The Ultimate Way – Open A Chinese Company
Let's start with the most ideal way, but also the biggest commitment of time and money: opening your own Chinese company. Many times this is done with a WFOE (wholly foreign owned entity) structure, which basically means it is 100% foreign owned – by a non-Chinese person or company.
Another option is having a local Chinese partner, and setting up a joint venture (JV), yet you need to make sure you trust this partner, as we normally say, a business partner is more involved than a marriage in some cases!
By opening your own Chinese company, you will have a Chinese business bank account where you can wire funds from overseas, and have the money legally converted into Chinese Yuan (keyword: legally) to pay your suppliers, staff, and other business costs.
Using a structure like this, you have ultimate control of the currency, the payment timing, and tax treatment. But like Uncle Ben says in Spiderman, "with great power, comes great responsibility" – and having your own Chinese company will mean more upkeep. You'll need to keep a Chinese business address, file taxes monthly, yearly audits, and more. So we normally only advise this when your company has grown to a certain level. The cost of lawyers or agents ranges in the thousands of dollars, and between company setup and banking it will take months to process.
Having a Hong Kong Business, and Paying Suppliers in HK
The second best investment is a Hong Kong company. This is an investment, but nowhere near as big of an investment as a Chinese company (WFOE). Having a Hong Kong business bank account is often seen as the golden ticket. You can ask your Chinese factories if they have Hong Kong banks and oftentimes they do.
Using a HK company then can allow you to manage your cashflow in the following way:
1. Have your "investment money" for buying inventory stored in HK.
2. When you need to make a 30% deposit to a supplier, if they have a HK bank, it is often same day or next day for little fee (or no fee if same HK bank, such as HSBC).
3. They deal with getting the USD into Chinese Yuan when they want to.
This has been a common strategy for many product based businesses over the years. They have their Asia based company in HK, and pay suppliers in China, or even other countries in Asia, and then have their Western country company (USA, EU) to collect money from customers.
Note/disclosure: I'm a business consultant and blogger on all things Hong Kong www.globalfromasia.com, so I am a bit biased towards leveraging a HK company. As everything in this blog post, do your own due diligence and cross-checking before making a big decision such as opening a new entity and bank account, and don't do it to hide from your own government and tax department.
Hong Kong for decades has been a haven for import/export companies buying from China and selling to the West. Its English legal system, globally recognized multi-currency banks, and proximity to Mainland China has been the perfect combination. Yet we also have noticed banking to be much more strict, due to some business people taking advantage of the ease of doing business there. So have a good business case to prove to the banker before applying.
Using Third Party Payment Providers
There are quite a bit of payment providers nowadays to help you receive and send money as an e-commerce seller. Such popular solutions like Payoneer have allowed Amazon sellers to receive their funds and then be able to send them to their international bank account, or directly to a supplier for a payment.
You can also use Remitsy, which helps you send Chinese yuan to Chinese suppliers without needing your own Chinese RMB bank account. Doing this can often help bargain a lower price with the supplier, as they don't need to add in extra margin for USD/RMB currency risk.
Remember, that China operates in their controlled currency, the Chinese Yuan, and factory bosses need to pay their workers, rent, and subcontractors in this currency. By having the ability to pay them in their home currency, you can help them mitigate the risks of currency fluctuations between the time the product quotation is sent and the order is shipped (often a few months in between).
In addition to currency risk and exchange rates, there is taxes. It is a bit out of scope for today's guide, but many in China have heard of fapiao when at a restaurant or buying something. Exporting products from China has similar process, basically in the form of a tax rebate from the Chinese government. To explain as simply as possible, this is due to the goods being taxed upfront, rather than added once the end customer buys it (sales tax). The factory should file for a tax rebate once the goods are exported, as these goods were not sold "B2C" and instead "B2B" to a foreign country and China does not tax that. This is a conversation you should have with your factory, and they will be a bit surprised when you even mention you know this terminology.
Again, knowing is half the battle. By showing the factory you are experienced and have been through the process before, often they will be less likely to try to add extra charges to you.
Different For Every Situation – Don't Let Payments Freeze You
Payment is a massive industry and can get to be your full time job if you let it. As a product based business owner, you need to focus on what matters, getting quality product and building your customer base and distribution. Be aware of the various ways of sending payment, but if you are paying some extra fees here or there – try to keep a big picture and just move forward tweaking the model.
How are you currently sending payments? I'd love to hear in the comment section below.