text:
Starting point: the USA has 50,000,000 functional illiterates.
Typically, these people wouldn’t find this article or be able to read it.
People who can’t read well are usually reluctant to talk about it. The goal of this article is to start a journey of discovery: to determine what the problem is and how it can be helped.
The first thing needed is candor. The second is hope. In millions of cases, the reading problem is neither deep nor permanent. Some improvement is almost always possible; major improvement is often possible. Let the journey begin.
Here’s something that must be mentioned: is reading the main problem? Or are there other problems such as faulty eyesight or hearing, poor memory, emotional problems, or inability to concentrate? If other problems exist, the best thing is to visit a doctor, therapist, or learning center; and take tests that will determine the exact problems and suggest how to fix them.
From this point, let’s assume that you can do everything that most other people can do except read. Perhaps you assume that you were somehow born without much of this skill. In fact, that rarely happens.
What has happened in TENS OF MILLIONS of cases is that many schools used reading instruction that does not work as claimed. (This instruction is variously called Whole Word, Look-Say, Sight Words, Memory Method, Whole Language, Dolch Words, and Balanced Literacy.) Having such instruction is bad luck, sort of like getting the measles, but it’s not your fault. Repeat: it’s not your fault. And you can be cured!
The situation is much like going in a barber shop to get a haircut. Oddly, the barber neglects to cut your hair but he does splash on some obnoxious cologne. So you went in with one problem but come out with two problems: you still need a haircut but now your hair smells funny. In sum, Whole Word instruction neglects to teach you to read; it then adds a new set of problems that are loosely called dyslexia--a fancy Greek word that means “reading problem.” In practice, you don’t process print in a normal way. But why? Not because there is anything wrong with you, but because you were NEVER taught to process print in a normal way, but in an abnormal way. You may be 100% normal in every way except that you were unlucky enough to attend a bad school.
ARE YOU A VICTIM OF WHOLE WORD?
1) MEMORIES OF LEARNING TO READ AT AGES 6, 7, 8 AND 9: Did your teacher tell you to use “picture clues?” Did your teacher tell you to “guess" or "guess from context?" Did your teacher tell you to memorize “sight words?” Did your teacher tell you, when you had a problem, to “skip ahead?” Did you teacher specifically tell you, “Don’t sound out letters or words”?
If you answer “yes” to these questions, you were definitely in a Whole Word classroom. In which case, it’s almost impossible to have a successful outcome. On the other hand, your reading problem may be shallow and easily corrected.
2) HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH STRANGE WORDS? Is it difficult to read made-up words such as: rop, bef, fap, sig, lep, wid, hur, pid, kag, dem?
Is it difficult to read big words you haven’t seen before such as: dynasty, pecunious, jabberwocky, carnation, nitrogen, loblolly, pandemonium, criterion?
If you answer “yes,” you were probably a victim of Whole Word. If you had learned phonics, you would be able to sound out these words.
3) ARE THERE WORDS YOU KNOW BY MEMORY...BUT OTHER WORDS, NO MORE COMPLICATED, THAT ARE HARD TO READ?
Again, a “yes” answer indicates you were taught to read by Whole Word.
4) DO YOU REVERSE LETTERS--FOR EXAMPLE, READING NO as ON, WAS as SAW, or LEFT as FELT?
If you answer “yes,” you were probably in a Whole Word classroom.
5) DO YOU MAKE CERTAIN KINDS OF MISTAKES? The following quote is from first-hand observations by Dr. Samuel Blumenfeld in various schools: "[Average students] seem to read with an adequate speed, but they make many errors along the way. They would drop words, read words that weren't there, sometimes rearrange the words in a sentence. They were never aware of their errors and never stopped to correct themselves, unless someone was there to point out errors. If not, they would read on, even when their error altered the meaning of the sentence." All of these errors are distinctively the result of Whole Word, and would almost never appear if someone actually knew how to read.
6) ARE YOU ABLE TO READ IN SOME SENSE BUT YOU FIND IT EXHAUSTING? DO YOU AVOID READING IF AT ALL POSSIBLE? Some students get all the way to college but they can’t read well, hate to read, and use all kinds of tactics to conceal their problem. Typically, this is a bright person with a good memory who has memorized 5,000 or so of the most common words. Still, every article or book presents strange new words. Such “readers” actually experience higher blood pressure as they struggle to make sense of a language they can’t truly read. All of these behaviors are often the result of Whole Word.
Note that these mini-diagnostics take only a few minutes; but so much is revealed. That’s because Whole Word disrupts the learning-to-read process in characteristic, predictable ways.
Bottom line: the solution to all these problems is to forget the bad lessons of the past, to start over, and learn to read properly. All of which you can do.
The best parallel seems to be with a hunt-and-peck, two-finger typist. If such typists want to be good typists, they need to put aside their old habits and learn to type as if for the first time.
The aspect of this story that fascinates me is that this woman was extremely smart, and had highly educated parents, and knew so much about so many languages, but she became a victim of Whole Word AND COULD NOT SEE HER WAY OUT OF THE WHOLE WORD PRISON. Her teachers had wrapped her in a cocoon, and she didn’t even know it. If this highly intelligent woman couldn’t escape, how can all the millions of less academically gifted people who know only one language? I’ve been thinking about this woman’s story for 20 years; this article represents an attempt at helping people in a similar situation. Half the battle, I’m convinced, is simply understanding that escape is possible.
A century ago we had literacy rates around 98%. A non-reader or an extremely poor reader was actually a rare thing in the world, until our Education Establishment went to work.
Mona McNee further reports that she personally taught “nearly 360 dyslexics to read, after their teachers had given them up as intractably illiterate. In every case she got them reading and many became highly fluent.” All of these so-called dyslexics were victims of Whole Word. These people were not somewhat impaired; they were extremely impaired. Officially, they could not be helped. In fact, they were saved, that’s the thing to keep in mind.
It may be helpful to understand clearly why Whole Word doesn’t work and how it creates problems that can last for a lifetime.
1) Whole Word instruction hides the fact that English reads from left to right, and that each word MUST be read left to right. Here’s a made-up word: sensonomic. This has to be attacked sen-first, so-second, nom-third, and ic-fourth. No other way is reading; all other ways lead to dyslexia; indeed, they ARE dyslexia. All so obvious to people who can read. But some victims of Whole Word never learn the absolute basics--that’s why the scam is so vicious. It abuses six-year-olds who can’t defend themselves.
2) Whole Word forces you to memorize words as shapes or graphic designs. You are actually told to ignore a vast array of phonetic clues that are right there in front of you--that is the problem. So your brain becomes divided and conflicted. (Compare trying to sing a song and read a book at the same time.) When you see a word, you don’t know whether to recall its shape from memory OR to sound it out as you should. This confusion wastes energy and makes you anxious. You can’t read with efficiency or pleasure. (Furthermore, English words can appear in lower case, upper case, handwriting, or exotic typefaces, all of which compound the confusion many times over.) The cure is to forget any “sight words” or “Dolch words” you ever learned, and to start reading English phonetically.
NOTE: Whole Word actually requires memorizing many forms of each word.
Consider these words strictly as graphic shapes and you will see they are often very different.
Every school, every teacher, every classroom, every student is different, so there are millions of different outcomes. In general, the older you are, the more time you may need to learn to read properly. Another factor is how completely you were cut off from phonics.
Here’s the basic plan of action. In learning a phonetic/alphabetic language such as English, you must learn to see LETTERS, SOUNDS, AND SYLLABLES. You may never have been taught these basic skills, so now is the time to start. Learn the alphabet (the ABC’s), maybe learn the main consonant sounds, the long and short vowel sounds (but don’t get mired in details), and start reading all the words in your immediate environment. Get going. Read all the letters you see. Sound out every word you see.
Once you grasp how it works--printed words are SPOKEN SOUNDS REPRESENTED ON PAPER--you’ll be reading in no time. Your speaking vocabulary is much larger than you might think--probably 30,000 words and names at a minimum if you’re 10 or older. You ALREADY know how to say all these words; and you will soon be able to read all those words in print. Reading is like riding a bicycle--the more you do it, the more comfortable you feel. Read. Read. Read. Liberate yourself from illiteracy.
A note about the politics of reading: I find that some of these businesses are a little vague about stating root causes. I suspect they don’t want to offend the Education Establishment by coming right and saying that schools are often the cause of the problem. This article, however, is based on an opposite premise: the first thing we want to know is root cause. How was a person taught? If the answer is Whole Word, then most of the mystery disappears. All the experts I’ve come to trust insist that with Whole Word you naturally get dreadful results.
On the other hand, if it turned out a person had learned to read phonetically (no Sight Words at all) but was still a bad reader, then we would have a real mystery. Perhaps there’s some subtle eye problem--in which case a doctor might help. Perhaps the person was forced to read difficult or boring books and lost interest---in which case the trick may be to focus entirely on easy, fun books that deal with only the subject you find most interesting.
So far as I know, the approach outlined in this article has not been tried. My basic thought was that any action is better than no action. Testing new ideas, talking to people about the problem, learning what may have happened in the past--these have to be good first steps. Not to mention, this approach is free and can be pursued privately at home.
Keep in mind that, for many illiterates, embarrassment is a powerful deterrent to doing anything at all. For a person with reading problems, there can seem to be few useful options. Clinics and learning centers might be expensive, and how can you know if they can help?
Meanwhile, I’ve been inspired by stories of people who were tutored late in life and finally regained lost ground. I know reading tutors who rescue children damaged by the public schools. Some problems might take a lot of time to fix; but Whole Word is, finally, just a set of bad habits. Like slouching or gross table manners. We can change.
Meanwhile, the mainstream media look the other way, usually supporting the Education Establishment no matter what it wants to do. This is short-sighted, as I’ve pointed out in an article called "How Newspapers Are Committing Suicide" (Google it with quotes.) Basically, newspapers are conspiring in the destruction of their customer base!
Here we are, almost 55 years after Flesch explained everything you need to know; but we’re still wallowing in the same mistakes. Enough is enough, wouldn’t you say? Please mention this article to any person or organization who might be able to put it to use.
For more about how our educators got so lost literacy-wise, please see "30: The War Against Reading." The Annex suggests some good phonics programs.
This article (still in beta, one might say) requires what might be called diagnostics on-the-fly. Here are two others. Send in your suggestions.
The point is, either someone can read the daily paper or they cannot (that is, they stumble over fairly easy words, make weird substitutions, and in general struggle at what should be a simple task). This test takes a minute and costs nothing. It does require that a good reader have a second copy of the paper and be listening closely.
Here’s another simple test: longer words that most students would have in their speaking vocabularies; but it’s unlikely they would have memorized them as Whole Words. Tell the students: “Please read these and state the meaning if you can. Go as fast as you can.” Glance at your watch...So the test seems to be about vocabulary; but it’s really a one-minute reading test.
Real readers might stumble or pause here and there; but most will be able to read accurately down this list. Whole Word readers will make many mistakes, and throw out weird guesses that are not even close.
The key thing here is to find a program that uses synthetic phonics and no other kind (no analytic phonics, for example). Personally, I don’t trust complexity and pedantry (partly because I still don’t know any phonics rules) so I’d suggest looking for the simplest and cheapest program. Most observers agree: once humans grasp the phonetic concept, their brains take over.
I would like to be able to recommend the best programs available. Send your suggestions. Saxon (for reading, math, etc.) is a name that often pops up first. Mona McNee in her book “The Great Reading Disaster” concludes that her own Step by Step is the best; I trust McNee completely but must mention that this program has a British flavor.
Samuel Blumenfeld, our foremost authority on reading, created a program called Alpha-Phonics, which can be obtained on samblumenfeld.net. Blumenfeld is the author of “The New Illiterates” and many other important books about education.
Don Potter, a big crusader in this area, says that Blend Phonics is the shortest and simplest. (It was created by Hazel Loring in 1980.) A pdf can be downloaded free on donpotter.net.
Wanda Sanseri gave a wonderful overview of all things phonic to the Oregon State Senate in 2001 (click here). This teacher's experiences are particularly delicious from my point of view because, according to her own testimony, she was in the classroom teaching children to read but she had never heard of phonics. How is that remotely possible? A question that may well lead you to dive into: 30: The War Against Reading.
Numbers such as 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. are non-phonetic symbols. They are graphic designs. They are used around the world; and each language pronounces 1 differently: uno, une, ein, una, etc. People around the world have no choice but to memorize how to draw and how to pronounce this symbol. In short, it’s a perfect example of a “whole word,” i.e., something you have to commit to memory. Whole Word, the reading philosophy, foolishly pretends that all English words are just like 1. That’s the lie.
In truth, all English words are alphabetic/phonetic objects. For example: ONE. This thing makes no sense to Russians or French people. ONE makes sense only to English-speaking people. It’s a combo of an o-sound and an n-sound, so you end up saying something like ONE. This word, in short, contains lots of phonetic content, which is there to help you remember what this word is and how to say it.
Whole Word dictated that all phonetic content has to be kept secret from children. Quite insane. From that point onward, fluent reading basically becomes impossible for most children.
When dealing with children, keep in mind the gimmick that Whole Word schools use: phony books with carefully limited vocabularies. Children see the same 500 or 1000 words; students with good memories can seem to be reading. They are not reading. Show them a cereal box or newspaper, and they won’t be able to read it. Besides, most children do not have excellent memories. Memorizing 1000 word-shapes, even if they always appear the same way, is a daunting task.
Meanwhile, all around them in every direction, English appears in all its rich and multitudinous forms, unreadable and unknowable. Do you think such children don’t feel lonely and isolated from their own culture? Do you think they don’t feel anger, anxiety and loss of self-esteem? When it comes to generating bad side-effects, Whole Word is a monstrous success.
Marva Collins, a famous educator, said: "Our children and parents surrender themselves to those who are identified as protectors, but who actually destroy them. Children come to school to get what they lack, and they are told, instead, all the things they cannot do."
The International Dyslexia Association appears to claim that dyslexia is entirely a brain/genetic problem. The IDA does not even mention reading instruction as a possible cause. Many experts strongly disagree with the IDA. Rudolf Flesch and Samuel Blumenfeld concluded that the vast majority of reading/dyslexia problems are not brain/genetic problems--they in fact result from faulty instruction in reading. Diane Mcguinness (author of “Why Your Child Can’t Read”) concluded that dyslexia has no biological basis at all.
A second organization, the International Reading Association (IRA), pushed Whole Word for more than 40 years and caused untold damage (50,000,000 functional illiterates). Now, it seems to me, the International Dyslexia Association is providing protective cover for the IRA by pretending that the problem is different from what it is, and must be treated in a way that won’t help.
The truth, in so far as I can deduce it from all the conflicting reports, is a diamond with five facets: 1) Real dyslexia is extremely rare, almost non-existent. 2) A certain percentage of children may have a potentiality for dyslexia (this would be sort of like having a latent gene for a disease); but this potentiality is activated ONLY if the child is taught to read using faulty techniques, i.e. Whole Word. 3) So dyslexia--there or not there? real or not real? genetic or not genetic?---is actually a moot point in a sensible school. 4) Some experts like to say Whole Word activates the disorder, while other experts say it mimics the disorder. In either terminology, if you are taught properly, you can’t and won’t have dyslexia. 5) Dyslexia and functional illiteracy are the plagues that should never have been. They were caused by bad educators pushing bad theory.
It’s worth noting that Maria Montessori, the innovative Italian educator, declared that she could teach all children to read and write by the age of six or seven. British schools traditionally assumed that children would learn to read by Christmas of their first year. Marva Collins states that all her pupils learn to read in the first year...Whole Word, even if things proceed on schedule, hopes that children might learn to read by about high school!
Here’s a parallel. A young person is kept in a house until the age of 20, never rides a bicycle, never even sees one. Then the person is put on a bike, and told to “learn to ride by riding.” You’ll probably observe these behaviors: falls, crashes, screams, bruises, blood, crying. What? This person can’t ride a bike?? So the experts designate all the observed problems as BDS--Bicycle Difficulty Syndrome. The government spends millions of dollars trying to determine why the victim suffers from BDS. Genetic? Environmental toxins? Gosh, it’s all soooo deep and mysterious. This sad person suffers from BDS. Or Dysbicycleia. And nobody knows why!!! Websites and associations spring up to grimace and groan over the plight of BDS victims. Maybe their mothers were drug addicts. Maybe the moon passed through Jupiter. Maybe it’s cosmic rays.
I submit this is an exact parallel to the so-called dyslexia that millions of Americans are said to suffer from. The schools don’t teach the children to read. And then everybody stands around wringing their hands. Woe is us. Woe is us. What mysterious ailment do the children suffer from??
At this point, the solution is to start over, teach the victims how to read.
In the case of BDS, the solution is similar. Put that person on a bike with training wheels and get them out on the streets until they have regained all the lost ground.
The fundamental scam in Whole Word is confusing how we recognize or identify such things as faces, art, cars and buildings, with how we read words in an alphabetic/phonetic language. Explaining the differences between these cognitive activities is a fascinating challenge. I've made a number of graphic videos for YouTube. If you've got patience for just one, let me recommend "How Dolch Words Cause illiteracy and Dyslexia."

lowercased:
starting point: the usa has 50,000,000 functional illiterates.
typically, these people wouldn’t find this article or be able to read it.
people who can’t read well are usually reluctant to talk about it. the goal of this article is to start a journey of discovery: to determine what the problem is and how it can be helped.
the first thing needed is candor. the second is hope. in millions of cases, the reading problem is neither deep nor permanent. some improvement is almost always possible; major improvement is often possible. let the journey begin.
here’s something that must be mentioned: is reading the main problem? or are there other problems such as faulty eyesight or hearing, poor memory, emotional problems, or inability to concentrate? if other problems exist, the best thing is to visit a doctor, therapist, or learning center; and take tests that will determine the exact problems and suggest how to fix them.
from this point, let’s assume that you can do everything that most other people can do except read. perhaps you assume that you were somehow born without much of this skill. in fact, that rarely happens.
what has happened in tens of millions of cases is that many schools used reading instruction that does not work as claimed. (this instruction is variously called whole word, look-say, sight words, memory method, whole language, dolch words, and balanced literacy.) having such instruction is bad luck, sort of like getting the measles, but it’s not your fault. repeat: it’s not your fault. and you can be cured!
the situation is much like going in a barber shop to get a haircut. oddly, the barber neglects to cut your hair but he does splash on some obnoxious cologne. so you went in with one problem but come out with two problems: you still need a haircut but now your hair smells funny. in sum, whole word instruction neglects to teach you to read; it then adds a new set of problems that are loosely called dyslexia--a fancy greek word that means “reading problem.” in practice, you don’t process print in a normal way. but why? not because there is anything wrong with you, but because you were never taught to process print in a normal way, but in an abnormal way. you may be 100% normal in every way except that you were unlucky enough to attend a bad school.
are you a victim of whole word?
1) memories of learning to read at ages 6, 7, 8 and 9: did your teacher tell you to use “picture clues?” did your teacher tell you to “guess" or "guess from context?" did your teacher tell you to memorize “sight words?” did your teacher tell you, when you had a problem, to “skip ahead?” did you teacher specifically tell you, “don’t sound out letters or words”?
if you answer “yes” to these questions, you were definitely in a whole word classroom. in which case, it’s almost impossible to have a successful outcome. on the other hand, your reading problem may be shallow and easily corrected.
2) how do you deal with strange words? is it difficult to read made-up words such as: rop, bef, fap, sig, lep, wid, hur, pid, kag, dem?
is it difficult to read big words you haven’t seen before such as: dynasty, pecunious, jabberwocky, carnation, nitrogen, loblolly, pandemonium, criterion?
if you answer “yes,” you were probably a victim of whole word. if you had learned phonics, you would be able to sound out these words.
3) are there words you know by memory...but other words, no more complicated, that are hard to read?
again, a “yes” answer indicates you were taught to read by whole word.
4) do you reverse letters--for example, reading no as on, was as saw, or left as felt?
if you answer “yes,” you were probably in a whole word classroom.
5) do you make certain kinds of mistakes? the following quote is from first-hand observations by dr. samuel blumenfeld in various schools: "[average students] seem to read with an adequate speed, but they make many errors along the way. they would drop words, read words that weren't there, sometimes rearrange the words in a sentence. they were never aware of their errors and never stopped to correct themselves, unless someone was there to point out errors. if not, they would read on, even when their error altered the meaning of the sentence." all of these errors are distinctively the result of whole word, and would almost never appear if someone actually knew how to read.
6) are you able to read in some sense but you find it exhausting? do you avoid reading if at all possible? some students get all the way to college but they can’t read well, hate to read, and use all kinds of tactics to conceal their problem. typically, this is a bright person with a good memory who has memorized 5,000 or so of the most common words. still, every article or book presents strange new words. such “readers” actually experience higher blood pressure as they struggle to make sense of a language they can’t truly read. all of these behaviors are often the result of whole word.
note that these mini-diagnostics take only a few minutes; but so much is revealed. that’s because whole word disrupts the learning-to-read process in characteristic, predictable ways.
bottom line: the solution to all these problems is to forget the bad lessons of the past, to start over, and learn to read properly. all of which you can do.
the best parallel seems to be with a hunt-and-peck, two-finger typist. if such typists want to be good typists, they need to put aside their old habits and learn to type as if for the first time.
the aspect of this story that fascinates me is that this woman was extremely smart, and had highly educated parents, and knew so much about so many languages, but she became a victim of whole word and could not see her way out of the whole word prison. her teachers had wrapped her in a cocoon, and she didn’t even know it. if this highly intelligent woman couldn’t escape, how can all the millions of less academically gifted people who know only one language? i’ve been thinking about this woman’s story for 20 years; this article represents an attempt at helping people in a similar situation. half the battle, i’m convinced, is simply understanding that escape is possible.
a century ago we had literacy rates around 98%. a non-reader or an extremely poor reader was actually a rare thing in the world, until our education establishment went to work.
mona mcnee further reports that she personally taught “nearly 360 dyslexics to read, after their teachers had given them up as intractably illiterate. in every case she got them reading and many became highly fluent.” all of these so-called dyslexics were victims of whole word. these people were not somewhat impaired; they were extremely impaired. officially, they could not be helped. in fact, they were saved, that’s the thing to keep in mind.
it may be helpful to understand clearly why whole word doesn’t work and how it creates problems that can last for a lifetime.
1) whole word instruction hides the fact that english reads from left to right, and that each word must be read left to right. here’s a made-up word: sensonomic. this has to be attacked sen-first, so-second, nom-third, and ic-fourth. no other way is reading; all other ways lead to dyslexia; indeed, they are dyslexia. all so obvious to people who can read. but some victims of whole word never learn the absolute basics--that’s why the scam is so vicious. it abuses six-year-olds who can’t defend themselves.
2) whole word forces you to memorize words as shapes or graphic designs. you are actually told to ignore a vast array of phonetic clues that are right there in front of you--that is the problem. so your brain becomes divided and conflicted. (compare trying to sing a song and read a book at the same time.) when you see a word, you don’t know whether to recall its shape from memory or to sound it out as you should. this confusion wastes energy and makes you anxious. you can’t read with efficiency or pleasure. (furthermore, english words can appear in lower case, upper case, handwriting, or exotic typefaces, all of which compound the confusion many times over.) the cure is to forget any “sight words” or “dolch words” you ever learned, and to start reading english phonetically.
note: whole word actually requires memorizing many forms of each word.
consider these words strictly as graphic shapes and you will see they are often very different.
every school, every teacher, every classroom, every student is different, so there are millions of different outcomes. in general, the older you are, the more time you may need to learn to read properly. another factor is how completely you were cut off from phonics.
here’s the basic plan of action. in learning a phonetic/alphabetic language such as english, you must learn to see letters, sounds, and syllables. you may never have been taught these basic skills, so now is the time to start. learn the alphabet (the abc’s), maybe learn the main consonant sounds, the long and short vowel sounds (but don’t get mired in details), and start reading all the words in your immediate environment. get going. read all the letters you see. sound out every word you see.
once you grasp how it works--printed words are spoken sounds represented on paper--you’ll be reading in no time. your speaking vocabulary is much larger than you might think--probably 30,000 words and names at a minimum if you’re 10 or older. you already know how to say all these words; and you will soon be able to read all those words in print. reading is like riding a bicycle--the more you do it, the more comfortable you feel. read. read. read. liberate yourself from illiteracy.
a note about the politics of reading: i find that some of these businesses are a little vague about stating root causes. i suspect they don’t want to offend the education establishment by coming right and saying that schools are often the cause of the problem. this article, however, is based on an opposite premise: the first thing we want to know is root cause. how was a person taught? if the answer is whole word, then most of the mystery disappears. all the experts i’ve come to trust insist that with whole word you naturally get dreadful results.
on the other hand, if it turned out a person had learned to read phonetically (no sight words at all) but was still a bad reader, then we would have a real mystery. perhaps there’s some subtle eye problem--in which case a doctor might help. perhaps the person was forced to read difficult or boring books and lost interest---in which case the trick may be to focus entirely on easy, fun books that deal with only the subject you find most interesting.
so far as i know, the approach outlined in this article has not been tried. my basic thought was that any action is better than no action. testing new ideas, talking to people about the problem, learning what may have happened in the past--these have to be good first steps. not to mention, this approach is free and can be pursued privately at home.
keep in mind that, for many illiterates, embarrassment is a powerful deterrent to doing anything at all. for a person with reading problems, there can seem to be few useful options. clinics and learning centers might be expensive, and how can you know if they can help?
meanwhile, i’ve been inspired by stories of people who were tutored late in life and finally regained lost ground. i know reading tutors who rescue children damaged by the public schools. some problems might take a lot of time to fix; but whole word is, finally, just a set of bad habits. like slouching or gross table manners. we can change.
meanwhile, the mainstream media look the other way, usually supporting the education establishment no matter what it wants to do. this is short-sighted, as i’ve pointed out in an article called "how newspapers are committing suicide" (google it with quotes.) basically, newspapers are conspiring in the destruction of their customer base!
here we are, almost 55 years after flesch explained everything you need to know; but we’re still wallowing in the same mistakes. enough is enough, wouldn’t you say? please mention this article to any person or organization who might be able to put it to use.
for more about how our educators got so lost literacy-wise, please see "30: the war against reading." the annex suggests some good phonics programs.
this article (still in beta, one might say) requires what might be called diagnostics on-the-fly. here are two others. send in your suggestions.
the point is, either someone can read the daily paper or they cannot (that is, they stumble over fairly easy words, make weird substitutions, and in general struggle at what should be a simple task). this test takes a minute and costs nothing. it does require that a good reader have a second copy of the paper and be listening closely.
here’s another simple test: longer words that most students would have in their speaking vocabularies; but it’s unlikely they would have memorized them as whole words. tell the students: “please read these and state the meaning if you can. go as fast as you can.” glance at your watch...so the test seems to be about vocabulary; but it’s really a one-minute reading test.
real readers might stumble or pause here and there; but most will be able to read accurately down this list. whole word readers will make many mistakes, and throw out weird guesses that are not even close.
the key thing here is to find a program that uses synthetic phonics and no other kind (no analytic phonics, for example). personally, i don’t trust complexity and pedantry (partly because i still don’t know any phonics rules) so i’d suggest looking for the simplest and cheapest program. most observers agree: once humans grasp the phonetic concept, their brains take over.
i would like to be able to recommend the best programs available. send your suggestions. saxon (for reading, math, etc.) is a name that often pops up first. mona mcnee in her book “the great reading disaster” concludes that her own step by step is the best; i trust mcnee completely but must mention that this program has a british flavor.
samuel blumenfeld, our foremost authority on reading, created a program called alpha-phonics, which can be obtained on samblumenfeld.net. blumenfeld is the author of “the new illiterates” and many other important books about education.
don potter, a big crusader in this area, says that blend phonics is the shortest and simplest. (it was created by hazel loring in 1980.) a pdf can be downloaded free on donpotter.net.
wanda sanseri gave a wonderful overview of all things phonic to the oregon state senate in 2001 (click here). this teacher's experiences are particularly delicious from my point of view because, according to her own testimony, she was in the classroom teaching children to read but she had never heard of phonics. how is that remotely possible? a question that may well lead you to dive into: 30: the war against reading.
numbers such as 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. are non-phonetic symbols. they are graphic designs. they are used around the world; and each language pronounces 1 differently: uno, une, ein, una, etc. people around the world have no choice but to memorize how to draw and how to pronounce this symbol. in short, it’s a perfect example of a “whole word,” i.e., something you have to commit to memory. whole word, the reading philosophy, foolishly pretends that all english words are just like 1. that’s the lie.
in truth, all english words are alphabetic/phonetic objects. for example: one. this thing makes no sense to russians or french people. one makes sense only to english-speaking people. it’s a combo of an o-sound and an n-sound, so you end up saying something like one. this word, in short, contains lots of phonetic content, which is there to help you remember what this word is and how to say it.
whole word dictated that all phonetic content has to be kept secret from children. quite insane. from that point onward, fluent reading basically becomes impossible for most children.
when dealing with children, keep in mind the gimmick that whole word schools use: phony books with carefully limited vocabularies. children see the same 500 or 1000 words; students with good memories can seem to be reading. they are not reading. show them a cereal box or newspaper, and they won’t be able to read it. besides, most children do not have excellent memories. memorizing 1000 word-shapes, even if they always appear the same way, is a daunting task.
meanwhile, all around them in every direction, english appears in all its rich and multitudinous forms, unreadable and unknowable. do you think such children don’t feel lonely and isolated from their own culture? do you think they don’t feel anger, anxiety and loss of self-esteem? when it comes to generating bad side-effects, whole word is a monstrous success.
marva collins, a famous educator, said: "our children and parents surrender themselves to those who are identified as protectors, but who actually destroy them. children come to school to get what they lack, and they are told, instead, all the things they cannot do."
the international dyslexia association appears to claim that dyslexia is entirely a brain/genetic problem. the ida does not even mention reading instruction as a possible cause. many experts strongly disagree with the ida. rudolf flesch and samuel blumenfeld concluded that the vast majority of reading/dyslexia problems are not brain/genetic problems--they in fact result from faulty instruction in reading. diane mcguinness (author of “why your child can’t read”) concluded that dyslexia has no biological basis at all.
a second organization, the international reading association (ira), pushed whole word for more than 40 years and caused untold damage (50,000,000 functional illiterates). now, it seems to me, the international dyslexia association is providing protective cover for the ira by pretending that the problem is different from what it is, and must be treated in a way that won’t help.
the truth, in so far as i can deduce it from all the conflicting reports, is a diamond with five facets: 1) real dyslexia is extremely rare, almost non-existent. 2) a certain percentage of children may have a potentiality for dyslexia (this would be sort of like having a latent gene for a disease); but this potentiality is activated only if the child is taught to read using faulty techniques, i.e. whole word. 3) so dyslexia--there or not there? real or not real? genetic or not genetic?---is actually a moot point in a sensible school. 4) some experts like to say whole word activates the disorder, while other experts say it mimics the disorder. in either terminology, if you are taught properly, you can’t and won’t have dyslexia. 5) dyslexia and functional illiteracy are the plagues that should never have been. they were caused by bad educators pushing bad theory.
it’s worth noting that maria montessori, the innovative italian educator, declared that she could teach all children to read and write by the age of six or seven. british schools traditionally assumed that children would learn to read by christmas of their first year. marva collins states that all her pupils learn to read in the first year...whole word, even if things proceed on schedule, hopes that children might learn to read by about high school!
here’s a parallel. a young person is kept in a house until the age of 20, never rides a bicycle, never even sees one. then the person is put on a bike, and told to “learn to ride by riding.” you’ll probably observe these behaviors: falls, crashes, screams, bruises, blood, crying. what? this person can’t ride a bike?? so the experts designate all the observed problems as bds--bicycle difficulty syndrome. the government spends millions of dollars trying to determine why the victim suffers from bds. genetic? environmental toxins? gosh, it’s all soooo deep and mysterious. this sad person suffers from bds. or dysbicycleia. and nobody knows why!!! websites and associations spring up to grimace and groan over the plight of bds victims. maybe their mothers were drug addicts. maybe the moon passed through jupiter. maybe it’s cosmic rays.
i submit this is an exact parallel to the so-called dyslexia that millions of americans are said to suffer from. the schools don’t teach the children to read. and then everybody stands around wringing their hands. woe is us. woe is us. what mysterious ailment do the children suffer from??
at this point, the solution is to start over, teach the victims how to read.
in the case of bds, the solution is similar. put that person on a bike with training wheels and get them out on the streets until they have regained all the lost ground.
the fundamental scam in whole word is confusing how we recognize or identify such things as faces, art, cars and buildings, with how we read words in an alphabetic/phonetic language. explaining the differences between these cognitive activities is a fascinating challenge. i've made a number of graphic videos for youtube. if you've got patience for just one, let me recommend "how dolch words cause illiteracy and dyslexia."


text: Thallus: crustose, usually well developed, thin to moderately thick and verrucose or verruculose; prothallus: indistinct verrucae: contiguous or rarely dispersed or partly confluent, convex or depressed-convex, 0.2-0.5(0.8) mm in diam. surface: white or white-glaucescent or gray, shiny or dull, without soredia Apothecia: usually frequent, 0.25-1.25 mm wide, not or scarcely constricted at the base disc: black, plane to convex, often glossy margin: black, epruinose, shiny, usually thin and inconspicuous, entire, not prominent, becoming depressed and then disappearing exciple: toward outside purple-black and K+ distinctly purple but reaction soon fading, toward inside pale to hyaline, composed of thin, radiating, gelatinized, elongated hyphae with lumina c. 1 µm wide, slightly branched and anastomosing epihymenium: dark olivaceous to red-brown or brown-black, N+ red, K+ distinctly purple hymenium: hyaline, c. 60 µm tall, I+ blue then wine red; paraphyses: strongly coherent, gelatinized, with clavate tips, purple, 4-5 µm wide; subhymenium: hyaline to pale yellow-brown, I+ blue then red, with hyphae anticlinal to the disc asci: clavate, with a moderately to strongly thickened apical wall, 8-spored ascospores: hyaline, simple, narrowly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, 8-10(-12) x 3-4 µm Pycnidia: immersed conidia: filiform, arcuate, 11-35 x 0.5-1 µm Spot tests: thallus K+ pale yellow, C-, KC-, P+ red or P-, UV- Secondary metabolites: thallus with atranorin, +fumarprotocetraric acid. Substrate and ecology: usually on wood (e.g. of pines) World distribution: northern and western parts of North America, Europe, and Australia Sonoran distribution: Arizona at 1740-2600 m. Note: Pyrrhospora elabens differs from other species of Pyrrhospora in the region, in that the apothecia appear pure black and very shiny.

lowercased: thallus: crustose, usually well developed, thin to moderately thick and verrucose or verruculose; prothallus: indistinct verrucae: contiguous or rarely dispersed or partly confluent, convex or depressed-convex, 0.2-0.5(0.8) mm in diam. surface: white or white-glaucescent or gray, shiny or dull, without soredia apothecia: usually frequent, 0.25-1.25 mm wide, not or scarcely constricted at the base disc: black, plane to convex, often glossy margin: black, epruinose, shiny, usually thin and inconspicuous, entire, not prominent, becoming depressed and then disappearing exciple: toward outside purple-black and k+ distinctly purple but reaction soon fading, toward inside pale to hyaline, composed of thin, radiating, gelatinized, elongated hyphae with lumina c. 1 µm wide, slightly branched and anastomosing epihymenium: dark olivaceous to red-brown or brown-black, n+ red, k+ distinctly purple hymenium: hyaline, c. 60 µm tall, i+ blue then wine red; paraphyses: strongly coherent, gelatinized, with clavate tips, purple, 4-5 µm wide; subhymenium: hyaline to pale yellow-brown, i+ blue then red, with hyphae anticlinal to the disc asci: clavate, with a moderately to strongly thickened apical wall, 8-spored ascospores: hyaline, simple, narrowly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, 8-10(-12) x 3-4 µm pycnidia: immersed conidia: filiform, arcuate, 11-35 x 0.5-1 µm spot tests: thallus k+ pale yellow, c-, kc-, p+ red or p-, uv- secondary metabolites: thallus with atranorin, +fumarprotocetraric acid. substrate and ecology: usually on wood (e.g. of pines) world distribution: northern and western parts of north america, europe, and australia sonoran distribution: arizona at 1740-2600 m. note: pyrrhospora elabens differs from other species of pyrrhospora in the region, in that the apothecia appear pure black and very shiny.


text:
The Turkish government has continued to detain dozens of people as part of its massive post-coup witch-hunt targeting alleged members of the Gülen movement.
The Kayseri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued detention warrants for 12 people, with police detaining nine of them on Wednesday over their alleged use of the ByLock mobile phone messaging application.
Also on Wednesday police detained seven people for alleged links to the Gülen movement as they were apparently trying to flee from Turkey to Greece in Edirne province. Two people who have reportedly been assisting alleged members of the movement to flee were also detained, later arrested by a local court and put in pretrial detention.
On Tuesday police detained eight military officers, including one who had previously been dismissed from his post, in five provinces as part of an Aksaray-based probe into alleged members of the Gülen movement.

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the turkish government has continued to detain dozens of people as part of its massive post-coup witch-hunt targeting alleged members of the gülen movement.
the kayseri chief public prosecutor’s office issued detention warrants for 12 people, with police detaining nine of them on wednesday over their alleged use of the bylock mobile phone messaging application.
also on wednesday police detained seven people for alleged links to the gülen movement as they were apparently trying to flee from turkey to greece in edirne province. two people who have reportedly been assisting alleged members of the movement to flee were also detained, later arrested by a local court and put in pretrial detention.
on tuesday police detained eight military officers, including one who had previously been dismissed from his post, in five provinces as part of an aksaray-based probe into alleged members of the gülen movement.


text: Please sign in to your account. For most students, your username will be your email address. If you need assistance, please call the Registration Office at 470-578-6765.

lowercased: please sign in to your account. for most students, your username will be your email address. if you need assistance, please call the registration office at 470-578-6765.


text:
Chicago: “Varda Nishri,” WGBH Media Library & Archives, accessed April 20, 2019, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/A_ECDED05A31A643C9A3BE9BE3731D2879.
MLA: “Varda Nishri.” WGBH Media Library & Archives. Web. April 20, 2019. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/A_ECDED05A31A643C9A3BE9BE3731D2879>.

lowercased:
chicago: “varda nishri,” wgbh media library & archives, accessed april 20, 2019, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/a_ecded05a31a643c9a3be9be3731d2879.
mla: “varda nishri.” wgbh media library & archives. web. april 20, 2019. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/a_ecded05a31a643c9a3be9be3731d2879>.


text:
Dr. Megan is a St. Croix County native who was born and raised in New Richmond. She spent her childhood playing on many sports teams, babysitting, life guarding and teaching swimming lessons at the local pool.
Dr. Megan earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Go Badgers!). She went on to receive her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry where she received the pediatric dentistry award.
Throughout her dental training, she was involved in opportunities to help those in need of dental care. She helped organize Give Kids a Smile Day at the University of Minnesota and volunteered regularly with Special Olympics. During her final year of dental school she traveled to Lima, Peru to volunteer at an orphanage and provide dental screenings and care to the children.
Following her dental school training she was immediately accepted into the pediatric specialty residency at The Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver. Being one of the top ranked children’s hospitals in the United States, Dr. Megan had an exceptional opportunity to focus on children with special needs and a wide range of medical conditions.
In addition to being certified in basic life support, she has training in Pediatric Advanced Life Support. She maintains this certification through attending advanced courses both locally and nationally. Dr. Kinder presented a research paper on “The Systemic Effects of Odontogenic Infections in Children Admitted to the Emergency Department” at the 2012 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Conference in San Diego, California.
She has also completed Laser Proficiency Certification in hard and soft tissue lasers, and she recently completed EZ pedo training as well.
Dr. Megan is proud to be a member of the American Dental Association, Wisconsin Dental Association, Academy of Laser Dentistry, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the Minnesota Association of Pediatric Dentistry. She is also a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.
Dr. Megan is a member of the medical staff at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota where she is able to provide comprehensive dental treatment under general anesthesia for young children with extensive dental needs or children with special health care needs.
Dr. Megan has always loved treating children and she enjoys having a small town feel to her practice. Dr. Megan combines her academic background, research experience, clinical skills and love of children to provide the best possible care to all her patients. She believes that each and every patient deserves the same care she would give her own children. She and her team work to ensure every parent and patient receives the quality care they deserve and strive to establish a personal and positive dental experience for each and every family. She believes her role as a pediatric dentist is critical in making children’s early dental experiences positive that will ensure a lifelong commitment to dental health.
Dr. Megan is thrilled to be back in Wisconsin with her family and friends. In her free time, Dr. Megan enjoys spending time with her husband, J.P., their children, Summer & Jack, and their red lab, Bo. She also enjoys biking, hiking, camping or canoeing outdoors as much as the Midwest weather permits. She is an avid Wisconsin Badger fan from her days in Madison and always tries to make at least one football game a season.

lowercased:
dr. megan is a st. croix county native who was born and raised in new richmond. she spent her childhood playing on many sports teams, babysitting, life guarding and teaching swimming lessons at the local pool.
dr. megan earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the university of wisconsin-madison (go badgers!). she went on to receive her doctor of dental surgery degree from the university of minnesota school of dentistry where she received the pediatric dentistry award.
throughout her dental training, she was involved in opportunities to help those in need of dental care. she helped organize give kids a smile day at the university of minnesota and volunteered regularly with special olympics. during her final year of dental school she traveled to lima, peru to volunteer at an orphanage and provide dental screenings and care to the children.
following her dental school training she was immediately accepted into the pediatric specialty residency at the children’s hospital colorado in denver. being one of the top ranked children’s hospitals in the united states, dr. megan had an exceptional opportunity to focus on children with special needs and a wide range of medical conditions.
in addition to being certified in basic life support, she has training in pediatric advanced life support. she maintains this certification through attending advanced courses both locally and nationally. dr. kinder presented a research paper on “the systemic effects of odontogenic infections in children admitted to the emergency department” at the 2012 american academy of pediatric dentistry conference in san diego, california.
she has also completed laser proficiency certification in hard and soft tissue lasers, and she recently completed ez pedo training as well.
dr. megan is proud to be a member of the american dental association, wisconsin dental association, academy of laser dentistry, american academy of pediatric dentistry and the minnesota association of pediatric dentistry. she is also a diplomate of the american board of pediatric dentistry.
dr. megan is a member of the medical staff at children’s hospitals and clinics of minnesota where she is able to provide comprehensive dental treatment under general anesthesia for young children with extensive dental needs or children with special health care needs.
dr. megan has always loved treating children and she enjoys having a small town feel to her practice. dr. megan combines her academic background, research experience, clinical skills and love of children to provide the best possible care to all her patients. she believes that each and every patient deserves the same care she would give her own children. she and her team work to ensure every parent and patient receives the quality care they deserve and strive to establish a personal and positive dental experience for each and every family. she believes her role as a pediatric dentist is critical in making children’s early dental experiences positive that will ensure a lifelong commitment to dental health.
dr. megan is thrilled to be back in wisconsin with her family and friends. in her free time, dr. megan enjoys spending time with her husband, j.p., their children, summer & jack, and their red lab, bo. she also enjoys biking, hiking, camping or canoeing outdoors as much as the midwest weather permits. she is an avid wisconsin badger fan from her days in madison and always tries to make at least one football game a season.


text:
Corel’s Pinnacle Studio video editor sits in the gap between consumer editing software and the professional options — and Corel just nudged the software even more towards that pro end. This week, Corel announced Pinnacle Studio 22, an update that brings advanced features like color grading and three and four point editing.
Corel says that Pinnacle is designed for the users that want more than a basic video editor but without the complexities or expense of a pro-grade platform. The company is aiming to keep the simple interface while adding more high-end features in the latest version with features typically found in those pro-grade options.
Color grading opens up a suite of new editing tools to fine-tune the video’s color. The HSL tools (hue, saturation, luminance) allow for control over each color channel to make specific colors pop, to shift a specific color to alter a mood, or to simply correct colors that didn’t record accurately. The new color tools also allow for color grading to match different clips. The colors tools also include color wheels, LUTs, waveform scope and others.
The addition of three- and four-point editing helps editors mix clips more precisely. The process allows users to place flags at the exact point of the transitions when adding a clip at the end or in the middle of the existing timeline.
A new MultiCam Capture Lite option allows the software to capture a screen share while simultaneously filming from the webcam, a process popular with creating software tutorials. The option syncs the different sources, including audio.
Additional updates expand previously added features. Splitscreen options, for example, now have keyframes that allow editors more control when working with multiple clips on the screen at once, including enhanced options for transitions and movement. In a demonstration, the new split-frame keyframe tools were used to create a magnifying glass effect over the original video. The previously added 360 video support now includes the tiny planet and rabbit hole views to create a spherical panorama or reversed spherical panorama.
The update also includes updates to Pinnacle MyDVD and new effects from NewBlueFX. The update also integrates the new features from the 21.5 mid-version update, which included selective color and transition effects that use two similar objects or colors in the clips to create less jarring transitions.
The software is available in three options with varying tiers of features, starting at $60. Pinnacle Studio 22 Plus retails for about $100 and the Ultimate for $130.

lowercased:
corel’s pinnacle studio video editor sits in the gap between consumer editing software and the professional options — and corel just nudged the software even more towards that pro end. this week, corel announced pinnacle studio 22, an update that brings advanced features like color grading and three and four point editing.
corel says that pinnacle is designed for the users that want more than a basic video editor but without the complexities or expense of a pro-grade platform. the company is aiming to keep the simple interface while adding more high-end features in the latest version with features typically found in those pro-grade options.
color grading opens up a suite of new editing tools to fine-tune the video’s color. the hsl tools (hue, saturation, luminance) allow for control over each color channel to make specific colors pop, to shift a specific color to alter a mood, or to simply correct colors that didn’t record accurately. the new color tools also allow for color grading to match different clips. the colors tools also include color wheels, luts, waveform scope and others.
the addition of three- and four-point editing helps editors mix clips more precisely. the process allows users to place flags at the exact point of the transitions when adding a clip at the end or in the middle of the existing timeline.
a new multicam capture lite option allows the software to capture a screen share while simultaneously filming from the webcam, a process popular with creating software tutorials. the option syncs the different sources, including audio.
additional updates expand previously added features. splitscreen options, for example, now have keyframes that allow editors more control when working with multiple clips on the screen at once, including enhanced options for transitions and movement. in a demonstration, the new split-frame keyframe tools were used to create a magnifying glass effect over the original video. the previously added 360 video support now includes the tiny planet and rabbit hole views to create a spherical panorama or reversed spherical panorama.
the update also includes updates to pinnacle mydvd and new effects from newbluefx. the update also integrates the new features from the 21.5 mid-version update, which included selective color and transition effects that use two similar objects or colors in the clips to create less jarring transitions.
the software is available in three options with varying tiers of features, starting at $60. pinnacle studio 22 plus retails for about $100 and the ultimate for $130.


text:
At 1:30 the Miss.S.Ct. will hear the death penalty case of Justin Barrett Blakeney v. State of Mississippi. Blakeney was accused of killing his girlfriend’s two year old daughter. She died of blunt force trauma to the head. Blakeney was watching her when she collapsed. He was arrested three months later. Blakeney raises twelve issues including an alleged discovery violation, improper use of jailhouse snitches, a biased venire, etc.
August 29, 2017 in Uncategorized.

lowercased:
at 1:30 the miss.s.ct. will hear the death penalty case of justin barrett blakeney v. state of mississippi. blakeney was accused of killing his girlfriend’s two year old daughter. she died of blunt force trauma to the head. blakeney was watching her when she collapsed. he was arrested three months later. blakeney raises twelve issues including an alleged discovery violation, improper use of jailhouse snitches, a biased venire, etc.
august 29, 2017 in uncategorized.


text:
To view bios for the sheepdog nominees, please click here.
To view the bio for the cattledog nominee, please click here.
To download a PDF ballot to print and mail in, please click here.
To vote online, please use the form below.
If mailing a paper copy, please mail by February 22. Be aware mailing from Canada may take longer.
You can vote for Cattle Judges, Sheep Judges or both on this ballot. For sheepdogs, information submitted about each nominee can be found here. For cattledogs, information about the nominee can be found here.
Four judges will be selected. Each director can vote for as many nominees as he or she chooses. You can enter 0 for any nominee you do not wish to vote for. You can enter your preferences as follows: Assign first place choice the same number as the total judges nominated. For example if there are 8 judges nominated, your first choice will be given 8, 2nd choice will be given 7 and so on until everyone you want to vote for has a number. The secretary shall total the numbers assigned to each nominee by all the directors and, after confirming their willingness to serve, shall notify the directors of the four nominees receiving the highest total, who shall be deemed elected. If for any reason an elected judge cannot serve, the nominee receiving the next highest number of points shall be substituted.
One judge will be selected. Each director can vote for as many nominees as he or she chooses. You can leave blank or enter 0 for any nominee you do not wish to vote for. You can enter your preferences as follows: Assign first place choice the same number as the total judges nominated. For example if there are 8 judges nominated, your first choice will be given 8, 2nd choice will be given 7 and so on until everyone you want to vote for has a number. The secretary shall total the numbers assigned to each nominee by all the directors and, after confirming their willingness to serve, shall notify the directors of the four nominees receiving the highest total, who shall be deemed elected. If for any reason an elected judge cannot serve, the nominee receiving the next highest number of points shall be substituted.

lowercased:
to view bios for the sheepdog nominees, please click here.
to view the bio for the cattledog nominee, please click here.
to download a pdf ballot to print and mail in, please click here.
to vote online, please use the form below.
if mailing a paper copy, please mail by february 22. be aware mailing from canada may take longer.
you can vote for cattle judges, sheep judges or both on this ballot. for sheepdogs, information submitted about each nominee can be found here. for cattledogs, information about the nominee can be found here.
four judges will be selected. each director can vote for as many nominees as he or she chooses. you can enter 0 for any nominee you do not wish to vote for. you can enter your preferences as follows: assign first place choice the same number as the total judges nominated. for example if there are 8 judges nominated, your first choice will be given 8, 2nd choice will be given 7 and so on until everyone you want to vote for has a number. the secretary shall total the numbers assigned to each nominee by all the directors and, after confirming their willingness to serve, shall notify the directors of the four nominees receiving the highest total, who shall be deemed elected. if for any reason an elected judge cannot serve, the nominee receiving the next highest number of points shall be substituted.
one judge will be selected. each director can vote for as many nominees as he or she chooses. you can leave blank or enter 0 for any nominee you do not wish to vote for. you can enter your preferences as follows: assign first place choice the same number as the total judges nominated. for example if there are 8 judges nominated, your first choice will be given 8, 2nd choice will be given 7 and so on until everyone you want to vote for has a number. the secretary shall total the numbers assigned to each nominee by all the directors and, after confirming their willingness to serve, shall notify the directors of the four nominees receiving the highest total, who shall be deemed elected. if for any reason an elected judge cannot serve, the nominee receiving the next highest number of points shall be substituted.


text:
The trickiest part of compliance is managing employee leave. In this video, Don Phin provides an overview of what to do in a complex legal area of leave, vacation, sick pay, and pay time off. Know the procedures employees and managers must follow.
- Perhaps the trickiest part of compliance is managing employee leave. Employees leave work for many reasons, being sick, injured, taking care of ill family members, vacation, maternity leave, to watch their kid's soccer game, for school meetings, to serve in the military or the local volunteer fire department. The list is endless. Let's begin by discussing the laws that affect vacation and sick pay leave benefits.
Under federal law, vacation and sick pay agreements are left up to negotiation between the employer and the employee. However, many states have specific laws related to the granting and accrual of these benefits. Regardless of the state you're in, you want to find out if employees may accrue vacation or sick leave, meaning once it's earned, they get paid out on it whether they are fired or quit. In many states, employees can't forfeit any of their earned vacation at the time of termination and would have to be paid out for it.
In other states, it all depends on the agreement between the company and the employee, which is usually found in the employee handbook. Expanding sick pay coverage has been on the agenda of many legislators. That includes those at the municipal level. San Francisco has one of the first mandatory sick pay law requirements. Now many states and cities do, as well. Most companies will set forth their leave, vacation, paid time off, sick pay, and other benefits, in their employee handbook.
Know the procedures employees and managers must follow. For example, when employees request time off for medical leave, disability accommodation, or similar purposes, many company policies require the employee to use any available sick or vacation pay. While it may be frustrating when employees request leave, especially at the wrong time, know your company's policy so you can give accurate answers to employee questions.

lowercased:
the trickiest part of compliance is managing employee leave. in this video, don phin provides an overview of what to do in a complex legal area of leave, vacation, sick pay, and pay time off. know the procedures employees and managers must follow.
- perhaps the trickiest part of compliance is managing employee leave. employees leave work for many reasons, being sick, injured, taking care of ill family members, vacation, maternity leave, to watch their kid's soccer game, for school meetings, to serve in the military or the local volunteer fire department. the list is endless. let's begin by discussing the laws that affect vacation and sick pay leave benefits.
under federal law, vacation and sick pay agreements are left up to negotiation between the employer and the employee. however, many states have specific laws related to the granting and accrual of these benefits. regardless of the state you're in, you want to find out if employees may accrue vacation or sick leave, meaning once it's earned, they get paid out on it whether they are fired or quit. in many states, employees can't forfeit any of their earned vacation at the time of termination and would have to be paid out for it.
in other states, it all depends on the agreement between the company and the employee, which is usually found in the employee handbook. expanding sick pay coverage has been on the agenda of many legislators. that includes those at the municipal level. san francisco has one of the first mandatory sick pay law requirements. now many states and cities do, as well. most companies will set forth their leave, vacation, paid time off, sick pay, and other benefits, in their employee handbook.
know the procedures employees and managers must follow. for example, when employees request time off for medical leave, disability accommodation, or similar purposes, many company policies require the employee to use any available sick or vacation pay. while it may be frustrating when employees request leave, especially at the wrong time, know your company's policy so you can give accurate answers to employee questions.


text:
Today kicks off the Big Reveal of the 2015 Stewardship Renewal.  This year’s theme is “The Joy of the Gospel: Faith Working through Love.“ It is so important for us as a parish to embrace the renewal process each year. The new theme, along with reflection and prayer helps us to discern God’s specific stewardship call for us in the upcoming year. God is always calling us to renewal and growth. It may be that God is not calling us to change the amount of our gifts of time, talent and treasure this year. Rather, it might be that he is inviting us to carry out our stewardship with a more genuine spirit.
This year’s theme of “The Joy of the Gospel: Faith Working Through Love” addresses both our tangible gifts of stewardship and the spirit in which we offer these gifts.  The renewal phrase, “Th e Joy of the Gospel” reflects a way of life that is not oppressive, downcast or reticent.  The way of life in which we follow Christ by faith working through love is to be living a life of joy. God intends for our stewardship to leave us joyful. Jesus himself states that, “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.” Of course, it will be generous and sacrificial, but that doesn't take away the joy associated with stewardship.
As this year’s theme is shared with the parish in the Big Reveal, let’s take advantage of the opportunity to examine our motivation for living the stewardship way of life as disciples of Christ. It might be that the Lord wants to renew our hearts and motivation for being his disciples.

lowercased:
today kicks off the big reveal of the 2015 stewardship renewal.  this year’s theme is “the joy of the gospel: faith working through love.“ it is so important for us as a parish to embrace the renewal process each year. the new theme, along with reflection and prayer helps us to discern god’s specific stewardship call for us in the upcoming year. god is always calling us to renewal and growth. it may be that god is not calling us to change the amount of our gifts of time, talent and treasure this year. rather, it might be that he is inviting us to carry out our stewardship with a more genuine spirit.
this year’s theme of “the joy of the gospel: faith working through love” addresses both our tangible gifts of stewardship and the spirit in which we offer these gifts.  the renewal phrase, “th e joy of the gospel” reflects a way of life that is not oppressive, downcast or reticent.  the way of life in which we follow christ by faith working through love is to be living a life of joy. god intends for our stewardship to leave us joyful. jesus himself states that, “i came that they might have life and have it abundantly.” of course, it will be generous and sacrificial, but that doesn't take away the joy associated with stewardship.
as this year’s theme is shared with the parish in the big reveal, let’s take advantage of the opportunity to examine our motivation for living the stewardship way of life as disciples of christ. it might be that the lord wants to renew our hearts and motivation for being his disciples.


text: Pre owned Toyota Land Cruiser سياره نظيفه حدا بدون حوادث صبغة الوكاله ضمان شاسيه جير ماكينه 8 ارباك for sale in Sharjah by Al Qayed Used Cars. 6 cylinder engine, Grey/Silver exterior and automatic transmission. Comes with 19″ wheels and beige interior. 80,000 kilometers on the odometer, GCC specs.

lowercased: pre owned toyota land cruiser سياره نظيفه حدا بدون حوادث صبغة الوكاله ضمان شاسيه جير ماكينه 8 ارباك for sale in sharjah by al qayed used cars. 6 cylinder engine, grey/silver exterior and automatic transmission. comes with 19″ wheels and beige interior. 80,000 kilometers on the odometer, gcc specs.


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The best international travel tips is to carry original copy of some documents and keep one or two photocopies of the other in case of emergency. You should also leave a copy of your documents with some friends, which they can fax to you if you loose yours. Ask your travel agent or friends who have gone to those destinations about the necessary travel tips for documents.
Whether you are on fun, business or a personal trip, the important documents required while traveling outside US: Passport, Visa, Driving License, Medical Certificates and Insurance documents. A passport is an internationally recognized travel document that verifies the identity and nationality of the bearer.
A valid US passport is required to enter and leave most foreign countries. The Passport Services Office provides information and services to American citizens about how to obtain, replace or change a passport. To obtain a passport for the first time, you need to go in person to passport acceptance facilities with your two photographs, proof of US citizenship, and a valid form of photo identification such as driver's license and apply for the passport. You can seek travel tips for documents from your friends and acquaintances that have traveled to those destinations.
If you are carrying valuable and electronic items, good travel tips is to keep a copy of the invoice, insurance and troubleshooting manuals with you while you are traveling. While invoice and insurance are needed to prove your ownership, a manual will help the technicians if some problem occurs in it. These documents will also help you to avail international warranty and service facilities wherever applicable.

lowercased:
the best international travel tips is to carry original copy of some documents and keep one or two photocopies of the other in case of emergency. you should also leave a copy of your documents with some friends, which they can fax to you if you loose yours. ask your travel agent or friends who have gone to those destinations about the necessary travel tips for documents.
whether you are on fun, business or a personal trip, the important documents required while traveling outside us: passport, visa, driving license, medical certificates and insurance documents. a passport is an internationally recognized travel document that verifies the identity and nationality of the bearer.
a valid us passport is required to enter and leave most foreign countries. the passport services office provides information and services to american citizens about how to obtain, replace or change a passport. to obtain a passport for the first time, you need to go in person to passport acceptance facilities with your two photographs, proof of us citizenship, and a valid form of photo identification such as driver's license and apply for the passport. you can seek travel tips for documents from your friends and acquaintances that have traveled to those destinations.
if you are carrying valuable and electronic items, good travel tips is to keep a copy of the invoice, insurance and troubleshooting manuals with you while you are traveling. while invoice and insurance are needed to prove your ownership, a manual will help the technicians if some problem occurs in it. these documents will also help you to avail international warranty and service facilities wherever applicable.


text:
Below are the prices for the animal encounter packages that we offer, if you want to tailor make your animal encounter & pick which specific animals you would like to meet then please contact us to confirm a price.
The prices listed below are for an encounter lasting different durations however encounters can last longer, please contact us if you have any queries or to enquire about a price of a tailor-made animal encounter!
Prices shown are accurate as of the 1st of May 2018 but may be subject to change.

lowercased:
below are the prices for the animal encounter packages that we offer, if you want to tailor make your animal encounter & pick which specific animals you would like to meet then please contact us to confirm a price.
the prices listed below are for an encounter lasting different durations however encounters can last longer, please contact us if you have any queries or to enquire about a price of a tailor-made animal encounter!
prices shown are accurate as of the 1st of may 2018 but may be subject to change.


text:
A gift in memory or in honor of a relative, friend, student, professor, or teacher is a generous and thoughtful way to recognize a person's life and accomplishments. When you make an honorary or memorial gift to the Texas A&M Foundation, we notify the honoree or next of kin, and the gift is used as you specified.
If you choose to make an online credit card donation, you can donate to the account of your choice or select "GENERAL MEMORIAL." Please include the honoree's name and address or the address of the next of kin in the "WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR GIFT TO HONOR SOMEONE SPECIAL?" section of the online giving form.

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a gift in memory or in honor of a relative, friend, student, professor, or teacher is a generous and thoughtful way to recognize a person's life and accomplishments. when you make an honorary or memorial gift to the texas a&m foundation, we notify the honoree or next of kin, and the gift is used as you specified.
if you choose to make an online credit card donation, you can donate to the account of your choice or select "general memorial." please include the honoree's name and address or the address of the next of kin in the "would you like your gift to honor someone special?" section of the online giving form.


text:
Israeli officials are outraged after the Obama administration leaked information to the press on their latest airstrike in Syria.
CNN reported Thursday that an anonymous Obama administration official said Israeli fighter jets attacked the base, describing it as a missile storage site, apparently confirming reports on Twitter and in the Israeli media.
“We’re not commenting on these reports,” an Israeli official told Reuters.
Israel Matzav added that this isn’t the first time that American officials have confirmed an Israeli strike on Syrian arms supplies to Hezbullah in the face of Israeli silence. Israel officials are not happy with these continued leaks.
It’s almost as if the Obama administration is siding with the Islamists… Weird?

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israeli officials are outraged after the obama administration leaked information to the press on their latest airstrike in syria.
cnn reported thursday that an anonymous obama administration official said israeli fighter jets attacked the base, describing it as a missile storage site, apparently confirming reports on twitter and in the israeli media.
“we’re not commenting on these reports,” an israeli official told reuters.
israel matzav added that this isn’t the first time that american officials have confirmed an israeli strike on syrian arms supplies to hezbullah in the face of israeli silence. israel officials are not happy with these continued leaks.
it’s almost as if the obama administration is siding with the islamists… weird?


text:
YTO Express Group Co. Ltd. is set to spend 12.2 billion yuan ($1.79 billion) to build an aviation logistics hub in East China’s Zhejiang province, as the courier gears up to compete with rivals, including SF Express, amid a booming e-commerce trade.
The facilities will encompass an area of over 1 million square meters (247 acres) within Jiaxing Airport, the Shanghai-based courier said in a statement (link in Chinese) on Monday.
An initial investment of 7.3 billion yuan will be spent on building the hub, on which construction is set to begin this year and for which plans call for completion by 2021. The remainder of the 12.2 billion yuan will go to expand other businesses, including cargo jets.
The hub will act as a cargo center for YTO both nationally and globally. Part of the capital will be used to expand the company’s cargo-plane fleet to 50 by 2030, up from the current 10. By 2030, the facilities are expected to have an annual freight capacity of 1.1 million tons, and to more than double to 2.4 million tons by 2050.
Flights from Jiaxing Airport, on China’s city cluster on the Yangtze River Delta, can reach all of China’s main urban centers — including the Pearl River Delta in the southern Guangdong province — within three hours, YTO Vice President Su Xiufeng said.
The move comes as the country’s couriers race to expand their logistics networks to meet surging demand on the back of thriving e-commerce activities. YTO Express currently rents cargo capacity from airline companies to provide courier services for more than 1,000 routes.
The company is playing catch-up to larger rival SF Express Co. Ltd., which operated a fleet of 40 cargo jets as at the end of last year.
SF Express is building a $5.9 billion logistics hub in Central China’s Hubei province. The aviation center will be in the city of Ezhou, 98 kilometers (61 miles) from the provincial capital of Wuhan. The project got approval from authorities early this year.

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yto express group co. ltd. is set to spend 12.2 billion yuan ($1.79 billion) to build an aviation logistics hub in east china’s zhejiang province, as the courier gears up to compete with rivals, including sf express, amid a booming e-commerce trade.
the facilities will encompass an area of over 1 million square meters (247 acres) within jiaxing airport, the shanghai-based courier said in a statement (link in chinese) on monday.
an initial investment of 7.3 billion yuan will be spent on building the hub, on which construction is set to begin this year and for which plans call for completion by 2021. the remainder of the 12.2 billion yuan will go to expand other businesses, including cargo jets.
the hub will act as a cargo center for yto both nationally and globally. part of the capital will be used to expand the company’s cargo-plane fleet to 50 by 2030, up from the current 10. by 2030, the facilities are expected to have an annual freight capacity of 1.1 million tons, and to more than double to 2.4 million tons by 2050.
flights from jiaxing airport, on china’s city cluster on the yangtze river delta, can reach all of china’s main urban centers — including the pearl river delta in the southern guangdong province — within three hours, yto vice president su xiufeng said.
the move comes as the country’s couriers race to expand their logistics networks to meet surging demand on the back of thriving e-commerce activities. yto express currently rents cargo capacity from airline companies to provide courier services for more than 1,000 routes.
the company is playing catch-up to larger rival sf express co. ltd., which operated a fleet of 40 cargo jets as at the end of last year.
sf express is building a $5.9 billion logistics hub in central china’s hubei province. the aviation center will be in the city of ezhou, 98 kilometers (61 miles) from the provincial capital of wuhan. the project got approval from authorities early this year.


text: Your baby girl is the star of the show! Introduce her to family & friends with these cute birth announcements. Select from 8 cartoon baby girls with different skin & hair colors. We'll custom print your announcements with any headline and text of your choice. Announcements measure 5" x 7" and are printed on quality white cardstock with a raised shiny pearl border. White envelopes are included. Price shown is for each single card with envelope. There are no minimum orders or setup fees - order as many or as few as you need.

lowercased: your baby girl is the star of the show! introduce her to family & friends with these cute birth announcements. select from 8 cartoon baby girls with different skin & hair colors. we'll custom print your announcements with any headline and text of your choice. announcements measure 5" x 7" and are printed on quality white cardstock with a raised shiny pearl border. white envelopes are included. price shown is for each single card with envelope. there are no minimum orders or setup fees - order as many or as few as you need.


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(July 15, 2010) The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) filed a Comment this morning with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding federal authority to govern the Internet. Since the recent Comcast v. FCC Court of Appeals decision rejected the FCC’s past framework for regulating the network management decisions of Internet Service Providers (ISP's), the FCC is re-working their legal basis for future Internet regulation.
(July 14, 2010) The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) is deeply disappointed by yesterday’s U.S. Court of Appeals Second Circuit ruling that struck down the FCC’s policy on fleeting indecency. NRB filed an Amicus Brief with the Supreme Court in support of the FCC’s indecency rules, and our association applauded the Supreme Court for affirming the indecency rules as a “reasonable” FCC regulation. The appellate court ruling now changes the landscape, making the issue whether or not the FCC regulation against indecency violates the First Amendment.
(June 30, 2010) The National Religious Broadcasters Executive Committee recently voted to approve four new full members and five new associate members during their June 2010 meeting.
(June 3, 2010) Today the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) filed Reply Comments with the FCC, urging the Commission to not eliminate “Must Carry” during any reevaluation of retransmission consent rules. Religious television broadcasters – many of whom are non-profit/non-commercial – have a deeply vested interest in “Must Carry” since they are not in a position to negotiate for retransmission fees. History also demonstrates that most religious programming would disappear from cable television if “Must Carry” is eliminated.
(May 10, 2010) The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) congratulate U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan on her nomination to be the 112th Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Simultaneously, we urge the United States Senate to carefully analyze Ms. Kagan’s position on a wide range of media issues.
(February 18, 2010) WLMB-TV 40 will receive the prestigious NRB Station of the Year Award (Full Power) during the February 27th Television Reception at the NRB Convention & Exposition.
(February 18, 2010) Samaritan's Purse will receive the NRB Best Television Teaching Program Award for its Children's Heart Television Pilot during the February 27th Television Reception at the NRB Convention & Exposition.
(February 18, 2010) Samaritan's Purse will receive the NRB Best Television Public Service Announcement Award for Box of Hope during the February 27th Television Reception at the NRB Convention & Exposition.

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(july 15, 2010) the national religious broadcasters (nrb) filed a comment this morning with the federal communications commission (fcc) regarding federal authority to govern the internet. since the recent comcast v. fcc court of appeals decision rejected the fcc’s past framework for regulating the network management decisions of internet service providers (isp's), the fcc is re-working their legal basis for future internet regulation.
(july 14, 2010) the national religious broadcasters (nrb) is deeply disappointed by yesterday’s u.s. court of appeals second circuit ruling that struck down the fcc’s policy on fleeting indecency. nrb filed an amicus brief with the supreme court in support of the fcc’s indecency rules, and our association applauded the supreme court for affirming the indecency rules as a “reasonable” fcc regulation. the appellate court ruling now changes the landscape, making the issue whether or not the fcc regulation against indecency violates the first amendment.
(june 30, 2010) the national religious broadcasters executive committee recently voted to approve four new full members and five new associate members during their june 2010 meeting.
(june 3, 2010) today the national religious broadcasters (nrb) filed reply comments with the fcc, urging the commission to not eliminate “must carry” during any reevaluation of retransmission consent rules. religious television broadcasters – many of whom are non-profit/non-commercial – have a deeply vested interest in “must carry” since they are not in a position to negotiate for retransmission fees. history also demonstrates that most religious programming would disappear from cable television if “must carry” is eliminated.
(may 10, 2010) the national religious broadcasters (nrb) congratulate u.s. solicitor general elena kagan on her nomination to be the 112th justice of the u.s. supreme court. simultaneously, we urge the united states senate to carefully analyze ms. kagan’s position on a wide range of media issues.
(february 18, 2010) wlmb-tv 40 will receive the prestigious nrb station of the year award (full power) during the february 27th television reception at the nrb convention & exposition.
(february 18, 2010) samaritan's purse will receive the nrb best television teaching program award for its children's heart television pilot during the february 27th television reception at the nrb convention & exposition.
(february 18, 2010) samaritan's purse will receive the nrb best television public service announcement award for box of hope during the february 27th television reception at the nrb convention & exposition.


text:
From time to time, a roofing contractor may be faced with the dilemma of going under contract on a job where there are concerns about an owner's ability to pay for the work. Rather than turning the business away, the roofing contractor should include in its contract a provision, such as the one following example, which provides the roofing contractor with assurance from the owner of its ability to pay before the work begins. The provision requires that an owner at minimum demonstrate its financial ability to fund the project before work begins and ideally requires the owner provide the entire contract sum up front. If the owner is unable to do so, the contractor is not required to begin the work. Additionally, this provision ensures the roofing contractor may cease working if an owner fails to make an interim payment.
Owner's Financial Assurance Provision to Protect Roofing Contractor Concerned about Owner's Ability to Pay for Work: Prior to Roofing Contractor's ordering materials and the start of Work, Owner shall make an initial payment to Roofing Contractor of __________. Owner shall deposit the remainder of the Contract Sum in an escrow account, which shall be disbursed by an Escrow Agent to the Roofing Contractor in the amount of __________ when the job is 1/3 complete and an additional __________ when the job is 2/3 complete. The Escrow Agent shall make a final payment of the remaining Contract Sum when the job is completed. The amount of final payment shall be adjusted based on changes in the Work. Upon Roofing Contractor's receipt of notice from the Escrow Agent that the Contract Sum has been deposited in the Escrow Account, Roofing Contractor shall order materials and proceed with installation. In the event the remainder of the Contract Sum after the initial payment to Roofing Contractor is not immediately available for deposit in escrow, Owner shall provide evidence satisfactory to Roofing Contractor that Owner has the financial resources and has made the necessary financial arrangements to pay in full the Contract Sum and to timely deposit into the escrow account the amount of __________ on or before ____________, and the amount of __________ on or before ____________. Provision of such financial assurance to Roofing Contractor is a condition precedent to Roofing Contractor's ordering of materials and commencement of the Work. If Owner fails to timely deposit the amounts owed into escrow, Roofing Contractor shall be entitled to immediately stop work and recover costs of shut-down and remobilization. Roofing Contractor is entitled to interest at the rate of 1% per month and costs of collection, including reasonable attorneys' fees. The Owner's financial data is to be kept confidential and made known only to those people necessary to verify the authenticity of the information provided therein.

lowercased:
from time to time, a roofing contractor may be faced with the dilemma of going under contract on a job where there are concerns about an owner's ability to pay for the work. rather than turning the business away, the roofing contractor should include in its contract a provision, such as the one following example, which provides the roofing contractor with assurance from the owner of its ability to pay before the work begins. the provision requires that an owner at minimum demonstrate its financial ability to fund the project before work begins and ideally requires the owner provide the entire contract sum up front. if the owner is unable to do so, the contractor is not required to begin the work. additionally, this provision ensures the roofing contractor may cease working if an owner fails to make an interim payment.
owner's financial assurance provision to protect roofing contractor concerned about owner's ability to pay for work: prior to roofing contractor's ordering materials and the start of work, owner shall make an initial payment to roofing contractor of __________. owner shall deposit the remainder of the contract sum in an escrow account, which shall be disbursed by an escrow agent to the roofing contractor in the amount of __________ when the job is 1/3 complete and an additional __________ when the job is 2/3 complete. the escrow agent shall make a final payment of the remaining contract sum when the job is completed. the amount of final payment shall be adjusted based on changes in the work. upon roofing contractor's receipt of notice from the escrow agent that the contract sum has been deposited in the escrow account, roofing contractor shall order materials and proceed with installation. in the event the remainder of the contract sum after the initial payment to roofing contractor is not immediately available for deposit in escrow, owner shall provide evidence satisfactory to roofing contractor that owner has the financial resources and has made the necessary financial arrangements to pay in full the contract sum and to timely deposit into the escrow account the amount of __________ on or before ____________, and the amount of __________ on or before ____________. provision of such financial assurance to roofing contractor is a condition precedent to roofing contractor's ordering of materials and commencement of the work. if owner fails to timely deposit the amounts owed into escrow, roofing contractor shall be entitled to immediately stop work and recover costs of shut-down and remobilization. roofing contractor is entitled to interest at the rate of 1% per month and costs of collection, including reasonable attorneys' fees. the owner's financial data is to be kept confidential and made known only to those people necessary to verify the authenticity of the information provided therein.


text:
I'm a freelance motion graphics designer.
I live and work in Milan and have ten years of professional experience. Throughout these years I have been lucky enough to work on a lot of cool projects: TV shows, commercials, music video, video-set for art and fashion exhibitions.

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i'm a freelance motion graphics designer.
i live and work in milan and have ten years of professional experience. throughout these years i have been lucky enough to work on a lot of cool projects: tv shows, commercials, music video, video-set for art and fashion exhibitions.