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By Cmdr. Bill Finch, USN (Ret)
In 2015, Americans donated $373.25 billion to charity, a more than 4-percent increase from 2014, according to the National Philanthropic Trust.
Nonprofit organizations noted they received about half of these individual donations at the end of the year, either because of the holiday spirit of giving or a desire to give before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) deadline. Whatever your reason for giving, how and to whom you give can make your philanthropic gift - no matter the size - more meaningful.
The 2012 Nonprofit Almanac estimates there are more than 2.3 million charities in the U.S. This number includes 40,000 registered military and veteran nonprofit organizations that support servicemembers, veterans, and military families and tens of thousands more nonprofit organizations that in some manner touch servicemembers, veterans, and military families.
With so many charities, choosing the right one can seem daunting.
Making a meaningful donation
Select a cause that is meaningful to you and one about which you are passionate. What injustice would you correct? What changed your life? From feeding hunger or curing cancer to preserving the environment or supporting an institution that positively affected you or your family members' lives, it's a personal choice and one for which there is no single right answer.
When you pick a cause in-line with your values and beliefs, you have identified your philanthropy. By doing so, you will feel less inclined to support impulsive solicitations that play on your compassion. In some cases, these solicitations do more to line the pockets of the solicitors than actually help anyone in need, but it can be hard to determine effectiveness when faced with an immediate request. It's best to research a charity before making a donation.
Narrowing down the choices
Once you have selected a cause, you typically will find many charities support that cause. How do you make sure your donation is going to a legitimate and effective organization that benefits the cause that is important to you?
Gone are the days when you could rate a charity's effectiveness solely based on which one has the lowest overhead expenses, which exposes only the poorest-managed charities. Donors' reliance on only this indicator discourages nonprofit charities from reinvesting into their own development - which, like successful for-profit organizations, they need to do. This lack of reinvestment can keep charities from achieving their long-term goals, which are important to you as a donor.
Instead of using a one-dimensional test, independent charity evaluators review charities for accounting transparency and discrepancies, defined goals, efficiency, and whether they are registered as tax-exempt with the IRS. (Read "Your Guide to Charity Evaluation Tools.") Some charity reviews even are beginning to measure effectiveness by looking at how close a charity has come to no longer being needed; a successful charity sometimes is one that works toward its own obsolescence. Independent charity evaluators also can help determine whether an organization is fraudulent or attempting to solicit donations by using a name similar to well-known organizations.
Even if a charity has checked out, avoid the temptation to spread your donations across too many charities. According to Charity Navigator, one of the largest charity evaluators, focusing your contributions allows more of your money to go directly toward helping your cause rather than toward processing expenses.
Helping veterans
Are you still wondering which cause should be the focus of your charitable giving? Consider that in the years since Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. Census Bureau shows 6 million Americans have served in the military, more than 2.5 million veterans have deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, and more than 2 million still are serving in either the active or reserve forces. According to the Government Accountability Office, 1 million servicemembers will transition to the civilian sector in the next five years.
The Philanthropy Roundtable and the DoD Recovering Warrior Task Force have identified private and public charities whose efforts are making significant improvements in the lives of veterans and their families. These efforts often complement or provide assistance in health care, education, employment, and quality-of-life issues for which government support is limited or unavailable. These charitable efforts help veterans make successful and rapid transitions after military service while avoiding common problems. For example:
• Younger post-9/11 veterans are experiencing significantly higher unemployment rates than nonveterans of the same age.
• Getting into a higher education program is only half the issue; once there, veterans must figure out how to graduate. Veterans and military family members sometimes need mentoring and counseling to adapt to the new climate.
• Pro bono legal and financial advice can put veterans on the right path and prevent potential problems down the road.
• Many veterans need assistance navigating the red tape involved with obtaining physical and mental health care or direct care services that offer greater privacy and access. There's also a need to support caregivers of wounded warriors.
• Family members need support extended to them in the areas of education, employment, or quality-of-life improvements to alleviate the burdens of multiple separations, deployments, and moves.
• Injured veterans need housing and adaptive improvements while recovering. Temporary housing for families near hospitals is beneficial when veterans need specialized care.
Many veterans need our support, and the desire to help them and their families in need reflects a fitting gratitude for their service to country.


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HP Spectre x360
HP Spectre x360• Laptop? Tablet? Rotating around the hinge behind the keyboard, the display of HP Spectre series machines can open from closed all the way around until the display is back-to-back against the monitor. With the ability to view the screen at any angle, your viewing options are nearly limitless.• Operating System: Windows 10 Home (64-bit)• Processor family: Intel® Core™ i5 (2.3 GHz with up to 2.8 GHz Turbo Boost) to Core™ i7 (2.5 GHz with up up to 3.1 GHz Turbo Boost)• Price: from $1299 to $1899• SSD: 256 – 512 GB• Memory: 8 GB
HP Envy Pheonix
HP Envy Phoenix 860• Capable of jaw-dropping speeds and stunning graphics, HP's Pheonix 860 desktop enables you to switch between designing spreadsheets, editing video, and quelling all resistance in your favourite games, on a PC redesigned with one goal in mind: to give you game-changing performance.• Operating System: Windows 10 Home (64-bit)• Powered by a 4-core 3.4 GHz Core™ i7-6700 processor with Turbo Boost to 4.0 GHz, 8 MB cache• 2 TB 7200 RPM SATA hard drive & 128 GB SATA SSD• 2 × 8 GB memory; upgradable to 64 GB over 4 DIMM slots• $1579.99
HP Envy 34-inch monitor
HP ENVY 34c 34-inch monitorMaximizing your media experience with both brilliant imagery and immersive sound directed at you from a constant arc. The HP Envy 34c Curved Display provides expansive Wide QHD visuals reinforced by immersive DTS™ Audio through front-facing speakers. Stimulate your senses and enliven your videos, gameplay, and more, with the ease of versatile connectivity.
• Anti-glare and Low Haze screen • 21:9 aspect ratio• 34-inch (diagonal) 3440 x 1440 pixel display • 749.9 x 333.7 mm (31.29 x 13.13 in) display area• LED backlights • 350 cd/m² brightness• 6 Watt front-firing speakers • 3000:1 static contrast ration, 10000000:1 dynamic CR • Input: • 1 MHL (with HDCP support) • 14 ms / 8 ms gray to gray response time(without / with) • 2 HDMI (with HDCP support) • Tilt: -5 to +25°, Swivel: +/- 180 degrees • DisplayPort 1.2 (with HDCP support)

subset: commoncrawl


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453. Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow
Sleeps: 2 • Bedrooms: 1 • Price Band: F
Detached two storey stone cottage in the grounds of the owner's house about 1 km from the pretty village of Kiltegan, previous winner in Ireland's Tidy Town competition. It is situated close to the Wicklow/Carlow border in quiet rural surroundings and is within walking distance of two pubs/restaurants and a shop. It is situated about 8 km from the historic town of Baltinglass on the river Slaney. Ideally located for touring on the edge of the scenic Wicklow Mountains with its many attractions, and about an hours drive from Dublin and Kilkenny. Numerous golf courses and gardens within easy reach, nearest at Baltinglass. The area is rich in archaeological and historic sites. Carlow 30 km. Garden furniture and barbecue and woodland walks on the estate.
Recently updated and easily managed accommodation with kitchen/sitting/dining room with 2 ring ceramic electric hob, combined microwave/oven/grill, kettle, toaster and cafetiere. Electric shower and W.C. and open plan stairs to loft bedroom with a double bed. Oil fired central heating. Duvets. Television. No pets. No banister on stairs - not suitable for infants/small children.
Small welcome pack of tea, coffee, sugar, milk, homemade brown bread, butter, jam and basic toiletries provided.
Linen, Towels
Oil, Electricity
Available Weeks
There is currently no availability for this cottage, please check back later.


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Local residents say these and other clashes have been fueled by the dispiriting realities of daily life here: the institutionalized job discrimination, the restrictions that prohibit those younger than 18 from entering mosques and the difficulty that many Uighurs face in obtaining passports. Those Uighurs lucky enough to travel abroad say they are often interrogated upon their return by security officials who demand to know whether they have engaged in separatist activities.
"The government should realize that reckless and inappropriate decisions by local authorities are only causing more instability," said Yang Shu (楊恕), a professor of Central Asian studies at Lanzhou University, referring to rules that discourage women from wearing head scarves and young men from growing beards.
Many Uighurs are also convinced that Beijing is seeking to wipe out their language and culture through assimilation and education policies that favor Mandarin over Uighur in schools and government jobs. Since 2004, a bilingual education initiative has required teachers in much of the region to use Mandarin for nearly every subject. The authorities insist that the policy is aimed at helping Uighurs compete in a country where Mandarin is the lingua franca, but many parents, teachers and Uighur intellectuals are unconvinced.
"My 17-year-old daughter speaks decent Chinese, but she cannot get through a piece of Uighur literature," said a government employee in Urumqi, who asked to remain anonymous because such criticism can have serious consequences. "A generation from now, I fear our people will be functionally illiterate in Uighur."
Fear and mistrust between the two ethnicities has hardened in recent years as a growing number of Han Chinese migrants settle into heavily guarded enclaves, especially in the southern crescent of Xinjiang that remains predominantly Uighur. Even in Urumqi, where ethnic Han Chinese make up 75 percent of the population, knots of heavily armed police officers in fatigues are positioned throughout Uighur neighborhoods; after dark, Uighur men are barred from the front seats of taxis, according to a local ordinance cast as an anti-crime measure.
Huang Xiaolin, a Han engineer who was recently lured to Hotan from coastal Shandong Province with a generous salary and subsidized housing, said colleagues frequently warned him against entering the city's Uighur quarter.
"The local people here are uncivilized and prone to violence," he said, standing near a propaganda banner that read, "The Han and the Uighur cannot live without one another."
Beijing has coupled its "strike hard" security approach with turbocharged economic development, but even that has stoked resentment among Uighurs, who say the best jobs go to newly arrived Han.
"The Chinese government is focused on a very outdated understanding of macroeconomic development, thinking that it will bring everyone up to the same level, but it's clearly not working," said Sean Roberts, a professor at The George Washington University who studies development in the region.


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Monthly Archives: September 2010
Keep Striping Away Their Identity with School Uniforms and Segregation Please
Imagine a world where we all look the same. Guys wear the same khaki colored slacks with a blue polo. Girls outfitted in the a khaki jean skirts that falls above the ankles and should be called a dress, but because dresses are meant for walking all these little sweethearts are thrilled to show the frill of lace around the top of their bleached white socks. No, I am talking about more than dress code.
I am also talking about segregation. Boys and girls split up as our father's and mother's fore-people were in school back in the day. What is this world? This world is the one ripping away our children's identity and critical developmental skills, but when it comes to a higher education is it worth it.
We live in a dynamic world of change and opposition. It is full of terrorism, drugs, war, gangs, teenage sex, murder, sexism, child abuse and neglect, and tons of individuality that screams hallelujah to the seven hells for a way to make us somehow different from every other human being we share air.
No, I am in no way supportive of any criminal activity, if you misread how I constructed my sentence above. I am in no way un-supportive of finding ways to help our youth exercise their brain, though I feel that many youth today are way smarter than they were ten, fifteen, fifty years ago.
Of course, contribute this to science's last 200-year sprint to replace God with the microorganism and prove that we are not alone in the ever-enlarging cosmos. Add in the amazing spider-Web with massive highways full of information that will allow you to visit Uranus without ever needing to leave your $100 office chair, hand-held computers that ring the Moody Blues, and assigned algebra to a third grader's math curriculum equals some pretty smart youth.
There are still those kids, you know the ones who have a hard time paying attention in class and work at a slower pace. The ones who are really just lazy, don't get their math or language homework, or haven't matured fast enough to be doing more homework on a weeknight than their parents 400 level college instructor assigns them. That's ok though, science has been good to teachers. It invented ADHD, so some BS law could force kids to go to some doctor with a letter of assessment by a teacher.
The letter reads in a secret coded language, "Please drug kid. He wants to do his own thing." The doctor on the spot writes out a prescription for Adderal without any evaluation. We will blame this same youth for being a drug addict in twenty years and give him the reputation that we always knew he turn out like this. Nevertheless, whose fault is really?
I was one of those kids back in the day before the meds and tougher laws requiring parents to conform came about. I was slow, have never really showed enthusiasm in much, and usually figured things out before the other kids. Don't kid yourself, I am in school and on my way to becoming an instructor of the English language. The subject of English and writing in school were the only two subjects that held my attention. Sure I loved history, liked most things in science class (unless it tried to disprove that dragons, witches, monsters, gods, and the Tooth Fairy wasn't real), but have never understood math (yes, I get 2+2=4 and 861,856+ X =138,332,984,033, but go into some Calculus or Trigonometry and I just might toss you across the room). However, when my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Shepherd, told me that, "the writer had the powers of God;" I have played God since.
School is a place to learn. Moreover, learning should be not only our children's top priority, but ours as well. The kids are suffering from our mistakes. We look at statistics and listen to news broadcast and see Columbines, gangs, and then see shows like the Secret Life of Teens, or whatever, and fret in the crosshairs of cultural change inside moral dilemma.
The truth is the statistics we usually read are skewed in making you think a certain way. Columbine type incidents are on the rise of because of continuing over population, but school violence is nothing new. Violence and gangs have been around since the dawn of time and the show Secret Life of the American Teenager is a drama, we are drama!
Sure, we dress the kids all the same and take away their identity, but what good is it doing us? Fixing the dramatic problems we all worry about in the school systems must start at home. When you see a guy in a Marilyn Manson tee and all dark cloths walking down the street don't look at your son and say who is that freak. That freak is a person with likes and dislikes, and probably a smart kid.
However, don't blame him when he blows your son's head off because your son has for years dogged him with your biased views and stereotyped behavior.
The same with a girl whom shows a little skin. It does not make her a whore. Your daughter can easily be that whore in the khaki skirt that looks like everyone else. Of course, I am talking high school. Yet I have seen parents to this crazy stuff. Clothes don't make the person.
Separate the kids you say, (at least a school in Buncombe County, NC is doing so). Then, are we not devaluing the essence of equality then? Of an educational experience that exceeds those anything a teacher can teach?
The communication between the two sexes is crucial at such an early age. Only experience can teach a boy and girl to communicate and learn that they are equals. Remember that less than ninety years ago women were not considered the equal of man in the United States. What if this reverses in the future, and this time it is man whom loses his rights?
We must teach our children to be different. To have their own identity, in personality and dress, as we all should have our own personal identity. Making a better world starts with better choices of judgment of character. Not filling the seats with techno-zombies loaded up on Adderal. Not every boy is good at playing sports, nor is every girl made to be sweet and innocent. We are all-different inside and show it on the exterior. Teach our children to love one another, be a sponge, and to do their best. What more can we really ask for?
Some clues from a drug addict to help a drug addict rid an addiction.
I have been free of an addiction for almost a year, but I dare not call myself liberated. The demon crawls on the edge of my conscience every day. Some days are worse than others. But the biggest realization is that I made it through withdrawal-hell with the love of my family, my openness to proper medical staff and myself, and with the last piece of confidence left inside me.
No one understands what it's like to live under the gun. That's what you basically do each time you shoot, snort, or drink your veins filthy black, place a gun to your head and play Russian Roulette. For a long time it feels better than anything you could ever do or accomplish, until you realize your mind is eroded with a gun to your temple and your world's crashing. No one seems to care about a person when the addiction takes them.
That is who I hope to respond today. Those with a family member who way out of control. Those addicts the world has given up on. Those people in your family that deserves your love more-so than ever.
It's easy to give up on someone when you see their life spinning out of control. I know people turned their backs as I did. I was addicted to oxys, more than 200 mg's a day or so, if I could obtain it. I became hooked after I returned home from Operation Iraqi Freedom and it started out because I wanted to numb my mind from the things I witnessed. As my addiction grew over the years, people stopped talking to me as my physical appearance changed with my behavior. I didn't recognize the change because I was in a hell that looked like heaven.
My wife became dependant on my addiction to Percocet. I could not function without them. I grew callous, absorbed; I stopped doing things. She should have left me is what she tells me people tell her. And maybe, she should have. But if it hadn't been for her I would have been dead right now.
Toward the end of it all, when I was seeing what the pills I snorted were doing to me, if it hadn't been for her love of me I wouldn't have been able to walk myself into a doctor's office and ask for help. I remember it was a Monday when she led me by my trembling hand.
Sometimes, that's all it takes. Love, with a hand. If a person is ready to rid the poisons out of their life they must be ready, if not, go beyond and fight for their life. No matter if you're hated for it. I would rather be hated and know that someone is alive and well.
There are a variety of clinics out there. You must understand when someone has taken a drug or drank until their genetic code is dependent on that, then that person may have to take a pseudo-narcotic in a step off, or down, plan. It can be expensive, but if that person is purchasing $700 a month in pills or beer, what can $700 a month hurt to help your loved one break that addiction and begin living a productive life.
This is something that takes time and reserves of strength from not only the addict, but people around him or her. There is going to be slip ups. And that is ok, as long as the addict is open and honest about why they did it and knows that because they slipped it doesn't mean they have to binge.
Heroin and pain meds seem to be out doing crack and meth on the streets by a long shot. Suboxone and Methodone are great alternatives to combat this addiction. I did Suboxone, which my doctor claimed was a better option because Methodone is more addicting and has a longer withdrawal rate. I beat my addiction with Suboxone in less than six months, though I was scheduled for a year. I wanted nothing more than to be clean.
Since being clean, my appearance and thought process have improved greatly. I have found ways to be high on life. I have gotten more work done. Remember your addict may have changed, but that is the drug masking their personality.
I am willing to talk with anyone with an addiction or anyone who wants to help someone they love conquer an addiction. Remember it takes love, willingness, and patience. Going clean cannot happen without these three things.


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Review the official comments, letters and responses from the National Transitions of Care Coalition (NTOCC).
Visit the Policy Maker information page
As a contributor to the Learning Health System Commentary Series of the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care, Mary Naylor submitted commentary to IOM outlining the care coordination and quality improvement work that is being done through the Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative (INQRI), an initiative to improve patient care by examining the role nurses play in improving care quality. As co-chair of the INQRI, Naylor highlighted several studies that examined nursing practices and tested interventions that can improve patient care and safety, including "an analysis of the factors that influence the quality of preparation of patients and family caregivers for the transition from hospitals to home and the impact of enhanced preparation on patients' perceived readiness and rates of re-hospitalization."
read more..
The National Summit will host a well-known cast of health care professionals who work to improve transitions of care through the development and use of new models, software and other initiatives.
The following speakers and panelists are now confirmed:


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Sampsa Hyysalo
Sampsa is Professor of Co-Design at the Aalto University School of Art, Design and Architecture in Helsinki, Finland. His research focus is on longitudinal studies of designer-user relations in technology projects. His research orientation is multidisciplinary, science & technology studies, innovation studies and collaborative design being his main fields of reference. He received his PhD in behavioral sciences in University of Helsinki, working with activity theory. His docenture in is user-centered design of information systems in University of Turku. Sampsa has published about 50 full lenght articles and book chapters. He has authored several books, the latest being "The new production of users: Changing innovation communities and involvement strategies" (with Elgaard Jensen and Oudshoorn, Routledge, 2016) Health Technology Development and Use: From practice-bound Imagination to evolving Impacts (Routledge, 2010). He has been the chief editor of Science & Technology Studies journal since 2007 and was awarded the Academy of Finland price for social impact of research in 2010.
Contact: sampsa.hyysalo at aalto.fi


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Writing web content can be the defining factor on the results your site achieves. Without good content, visitors will get bored and exit the page. Building a following online, attaining consistent visitors, and keeping people interested in what you have to offer requires immense work and patience. Building a website or blog requires writing ability that grabs people with their emotions and provides solutions to their problems. These simple tricks will help you write articles and blog posts that improve the quality of your site. Make more money, attract more visitors, and grow your visibility online.
1. Grab The Attention Of Your Readers
Have you ever read a sales letter that was just too intriguing that you couldn't stop reading it? Your website is almost like a sales letter in some form. People online are always on the move. They are constantly searching, clicking, and skimming through different sites. You need to make a headline or some kind of bolded sentence to convince them to stay. Through your writing, your goal is to show them that they don't have to go anywhere to find their answer. You want your content to be the solution to their problem. Grabbing their attention is merely about giving a strong benefit in your titles and headlines.
The only problem writers have is continuing this throughout the introduction, all the paragraphs, and the conclusion. It is hard to continue their attention effectively without using different scarcity tactics. To keep their attention, make every sentence flow from one word to the next, and simply provide useful information that answers their questions.
2. Engage Your Readers
If you want to know how to write website content, you need to know how to write engaging content. Engaging content is when you write just like you talk and you speak to the reader directly. Your goal is to get them to read all the way to the end. People love reading articles that are short and to the point, so keep sentences as short as possible. If you only need a few words to describe something in a sentence, just say it without adding words.
The key to create engaging content is to read what you have written and see if it engages you. Ask yourself questions about the content you write. Is the content something you would want to finish? Is it easy to read and go through? Does the article capture the essence of what you were trying to convey?
3. Answer Their Objections And Doubts
When people visit your site, they are trying to find the answer to their problem. They are trying to discover the right solution that's going to help them with their problems. Answer their objections through your web copy. Find any opportunities to help provide them with as much proof that you are giving them the real answer. You can do this by showcasing facts, graphs, and other types of content that can help you show them what you know and understand. People will read your content wanting to find the answer while also looking for ways to debunk what you're writing.
You need to give them the ability to look no further. Screenshots, photos, video proof, and other facts can help bring your content to life. When reading through your articles after a rough draft, try to question the article yourself. If you have just a slight doubt, make the changes needed to help deliver your content with truthfulness and honesty.
4. Consistency In Your Writing And Understanding Your Reader
When you write your web copy, stick to whatever type of content you started with. In other words, if you're using a type of energy or a tone in your writing at the beginning, brick with that for as long as you can. Make the article consistent and very easy to read for them. Make it a point to stop worrying about grammatical errors and focus on getting your point across. You still want to maintain quality grammar throughout your content, but if you make your article way too clean, you may miss out on utilizing the right words to convince your readers.
Another thing to remember is that understanding your readers is so important. In other words, put yourself in the mindset of your readers in the niche you are writing content for. Do market research on your niche to see what their biggest problems are, what the common solutions are, and how other content written on this subject are done.
5. Promising Success With An Action
Throughout your content, make it known that you're promising to deliver to them the answer to their problem, whatever it is that may be. Make them a promise they cannot refuse that they read the entire article to get the answer. You can make a promise in your headlines and throughout the introduction of the article.
As you finish up your web copy, make sure you give them an action to learn even more and discover more from you. Whether you want them to read another article, sign up to your newsletter, or be brought to a product, use your last five sentences to slowly convince and pre-sell them. Every post you make on your site can be lead to another page that can make your readers learn more. Take ad tangle of this whenever you can and get them to go to all parts of your website.
If you want to know how to write website content, use the five tricks above to help get you started. Don't forget the power of simplicity and creating content that is simply easy to understand. There are all kinds of ways you can use the tips above, and it's all about using your creativity and making sure that what you're writing is interesting, powerful, and effective. You want to create content that gets people wanting to come back. The tricks above should get you on the right track to building content that your readers will love to read.


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A new report released Wednesday by SANDAG revealed that San Diego is home to 158 gangs that continue to play a significant role in crime across the county.
According to the report – titled "Gang Involvement Among San Diego County Arrestees in 2012" – there are approximately 7,500 documented gang members in San Diego County. Many of those gang members are linked to crimes such as drug distribution, robbery, human trafficking and prostitution.
The report says local gangs are increasingly working together to maximize profits.
"Gangs are diversifying into other areas and becoming more involved in prostitution, alien smuggling, and human trafficking. They are collaborating with each other to build more sophisticated criminal enterprises, and they are using new and advanced technology to facilitate criminal activity to a greater degree than ever before," said Dr. Cynthia Burke, SANDAG Director of Criminal Justice Research, in a press release.
Local groups include the increased presence of Somali gangs.
Also, with about 200 members, the Mexican Mafia – a prison gang known for meth trafficking and extortion – is prominent in San Diego. The workings of the Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations also account for local gang activity, the report says.
The SANDAG report was compiled from interviews with dozens of adults and juveniles who are gang associates.
On average, association with gang members starts at the age of just over 13, mainly because one's friends are members or associates of a gang. What's more, about 61 percent of arrestees with gang affiliation reported that their family members were also in a gang.
About 71 percent of arrestees also reported an increase in criminal activity after joining a gang. Given San Diego's close proximity to the border, around 25 percent of adult arrestees with gang ties reported they had been asked to transport drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border at one point or another.
Included in the report, researchers also conducted a survey with 11 local law enforcement agencies on their perception of the threat gangs currently pose to local communities.
The survey concluded that, on average, local officials attribute 26 percent of violent crime in their jurisdictions to gangs. Nine jurisdictions agreed San Diego gangs pose a more significant risk than they did five years ago.
To read the full report, click here.


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MOSCOW—The Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League saw itself as the oil-rich rival to the NHL, offering a tempting, if less prestigious, alternative to playing in North America.
As the league planned to expand as far as Britain, the money on offer even attracted Russian stars such as Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Radulov, who walked out on lucrative NHL deals to return home.
Then came the crash of the ruble this week.
The financial crisis has threatened the plans of players such as former Vancouver Canucks goaltender Curtis Sanford, who came to Russia to save for his retirement.
"It's just really happened all of a sudden," the 35-year-old Sanford told The Associated Press. "These are some things that you don't expect when you sign a contract. Right now, you just have to ride the rolls of how it's going and hopefully it stabilizes and gets better."
The ruble had been sliding against the dollar for most of the year against the backdrop of low oil prices and economic sanctions against Russia, but went into free fall Monday and Tuesday. Following a slight recovery, it has still lost almost half of its value against the dollar this year.
With KHL rules stipulating ruble-only contracts, that is bad news for the many U.S., Canadian and European imports on the rosters of the league's 22 Russian teams. Russia's economic woes are starting to spread into neighbouring nations such as Belarus and Kazakhstan, potentially shrinking the incomes for players on KHL teams there.
Some players have already started to rebel. Revealing that he had not been paid for three months at Russian club Yugra Khanty-Mansiisk, except small amounts to buy food, forward Ilari Melart told the Ilta Sanomat newspaper in his native Finland that he was not "in Siberia for charity."
Another Finn, goaltender Mikko Koskinen, was accused by Russian media earlier this month of having refused to play for Sibir Novosibirsk because his ruble salary had dropped. Koskinen, who denies the claims, was traded to SKA St. Petersburg two days later.
For the first time since the league was founded in 2008, KHL management has been forced to deny the league could collapse.
"The league's financial situation is stable and we're looking calmly at the current economic situation. The season will be finished as planned," league president Dmitry Chernyshenko told local media after meeting with club heads Thursday. He also dismissed rumours the league could enforce across-the-board pay cuts for players.
Chernyshenko, who led the organizing committee of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, did suggest that some clubs could be removed from the league if they lacked the money to function properly.
"There are completely clear criteria for taking part in the league, including financial guarantees," he said. "We'll demand . that the financial guarantees are provided and not just that some pieces of paper are handed in."
Smaller KHL teams such as Yugra, which depend on the generosity of benefactors in Russian regional government and state-run companies, have long struggled financially. Delays in paying players have been common in recent years, but have reportedly increased this season as government budgets come under strain and Russian state oil and gas companies struggle with low prices for their products.
Without large-scale subsidies, many clubs could become financially unstable. Compared to players' wages, income from ticket sales and TV rights is typically far from enough to keep a club viable. Despite posting league-record crowds last season and reaching the KHL's Gagarin Cup finals, Czech team Lev Prague withdrew from the league for financial reasons in July.
Sanford, who tends goal for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, says he has received all his pay on time. Regardless of what happens to the ruble, Sanford will be heading back to Canada soon. He plans to retire at the end of the season and acknowledges that the falling currency is playing on his mind.
"My wife and I, we try to do our best with how we save and how we use our money," Sanford said. "We've done pretty good concerning that and obviously we'll have to try and do even better for the foreseeable future and just try and hope things work out."


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Family Salticidae
With 95 known species recorded in Florida, Jumping spiders belong to the family that has the most species found in the state. Wow, how can I possibly take photos of all of them? I guess 95 species isn't too bad since there's over 5000 species known worldwide.
Guess what these spiders do best...that's right, they jump! They can jump three maybe four times their body length and land exactly where they intended. How many of you can do that?


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On March 2, 1942, Public Proclamation No. 1 began to appear on telephone poles and buildings. This was the first official notice Japanese Americans had of their immediate removal from the West Coast. The notices stated that they had six or seven days to prepare, and were to take only what they could carry. They were not told where they would be taken. People rushed to sell or store, in one week, property and belongings acquired over a lifetime. Some families tucked their valuables away in their attic or basement and locked the door, hoping to return soon.
Related articles from the
Densho Encyclopedia :
Military Areas 1 and 2
This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.
This interview was conducted over two days due to electrical problems. The majority of the interview was completed on the second day, September 5.


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iPad thief meets match in S.F. principal
(03-22) 14:55 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- A high school principal took a hands-on approach to school safety in San Francisco when he chased down a suspected iPad thief and pulled him off a fence as he tried to escape, school officials and authorities said.
Students at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in the Outer Sunset had suffered a wave of theft involving school-issued iPads, with dozens disappearing over the last few weeks. Administrators had a description of a suspect - a man seen hanging around campus when the thefts happened - but hadn't been able to catch him.
Dean of Students Bill Gotch was doing his regular rounds through campus around 3:45 p.m. Thursday when he saw a man matching the description and stopped him to talk.
Though the suspect looked the part of a high school student - complete with a backpack and a copy of Lord of the Flies - he couldn't easily answer questions about what school he went to and why he was on campus, said principal Patrick Ruff. He and Gotch questioned him further in Gotch's office and eventually said they were going to call police.
That's when the suspect bolted.
He ran out the door and across the school's track toward an iron fence, Gotch said. Ruff, 43, sprinted after him, caught up as he was climbing the fence, and pulled him down. School security guards helped detain the suspect, identified as 27-year-old Gabriel Ruiz Vega of South San Francisco, until police arrived.
Ruiz Vega was booked on suspicion of committing burglary, possessing stolen property and violating the terms of his probation in an earlier grand theft case, said police spokesman Officer Gordon Shyy. Police found seven iPads and a wallet belonging to St. Ignatius students in Ruiz Vega's bag, Gotch said.
"We're hopeful we're going to recover more," Ruff said. "We're thrilled we found this guy. And everyone helped - the dean, security, administrators. I just happened to be the runner."
That may be so, but Ruff had a captive audience - students who were amused and impressed that their principal was willing to tackle a guy for their iPads.
"At first when I saw it on Facebook, I thought it was a joke," said Lizzie McCaffrey, 15, a freshman. "I think it's pretty cool Mr. Ruff would stand up for his students like that and save the day, almost."
Students took to Facebook and Instagram to spread the word - and to capitalize on a good pun opportunity. One post on a Facebook group page summed it up: "If you're going to steal iPads from S.I., you're going to get ruffed up."
Ellen Huet is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: email@example.com Twitter: @ellenhuet


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COTTONWOOD — A 50-year-old Yuba City woman remained in critical condition Monday morning at Mercy Medical Center in Redding after her 58-year-old truck-driver boyfriend accidentally ran over her Sunday afternoon in Cottonwood.
California Highway Patrol officers said Sunday that Gregory Dwayne Gross of Yuba City was driving a 3-axle freightliner towing a 2-axle flatbed trailer full of building braces when he stopped around 2:50 p.m. at the east curb of Parkway Drive near the Chevron station so his girlfriend, Deronda Gail Harris, could use the bathroom.
CHP officer Matt Clark said Gross thought Harris had gone inside to use the bathroom when he pulled up a short distance to make a U-turn at the end of the cul-de-sac.
But he saw Harris lying badly injured in the road, Clark said, and she was run over by the right side tires of his truck.
Clark said Harris was between the truck's sleeping area and the rear axles on the right side when she was hit.
Harris was taken to Mercy Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, Clark said, but Gross was not cited or arrested. Clark said drugs or alcohol were not a factor in the accident.


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It had been a bitter break-up that neither of us really wanted. Michael remains to this day one of the most delightful, talented and engaging people I have ever met. But like so many extraordinarily talented souls, he was a self-medicating manic depressive. In other words, a drug addict. The constant fighting over my wish for him to seek a different route for living basically, was just more than either of us could bare. We reluctantly, meticulously planned the move-out from our big old colonial home in Historic Oakwood. Michael would move out all of his things first. Then after two o'clock, I would come and retrieve my things.
Ours had been a life full of fighting, laughter, rambunctious dogs, happy fish, a well appointed creaking old home and a multitude of luscious green plants. When I arrived most of my things were carefully tossed into boxes or in piles throughout the house. Michael had taken the fish. And the dogs. Big sigh. And he took all the plants except for five. He left me five plants. Five nearly dead plants. In that moment I stood there and the fight boiled up in me like potatoes at Thanksgiving. In that moment I determined that darn it – those plants were gonna live… and I was gonna live!


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The power to say No
Over the years, the businesses' dependence on IT has grown to reach a state that it is unimaginable to think of any business running without IT. I am sure that we can start creating a list of exceptions which may be different by geography or economic classification, but predominantly every business operation uses IT to sustain, grow, diversify, improve, analyze, and a lot more.
Over the years, the IT head has also transformed through the journey, working lockstep with the demands of the organization, providing the necessary solutions, sometimes wildly successful and sometimes challenged, delayed, or unsuccessful. Through the era, the IT leader kept moving outward from the glasshouse to the factory, warehouse, corporate office, and field and wherever the internal customer was present, and then beyond to where the external customer lived.
Over the years, as the transition occurred to the CIO, the discussion changed from the nuts and bolts, three-letter acronyms, servers, routers, hardware, software, networking, to business process, order to cash, procure to pay, customer analytics, increasing revenue, strengthening the bottom line, creating competitive differentiation, managing supply chains, collaboration with the suppliers and customers, new business opportunities, until the difference with other CXOs started blurring.
Over the years, one characteristic that has not changed is the acceptance of demands ― reasonable or otherwise, requirements ― rational or not, time pressure to deliver ― urgent or not, budget cuts ― downturn or not, accepting everything business desired, spoke about, or demanded. The IT function was expected to stay subservient to cajoling, coercion, ransom, threats, with the proverbial sword hanging inches from the neck; if you cannot do it, we will find ways outside to get it done a la shadow IT.
IT teams were not expected to challenge, they were expected to deliver; whether it is a report that no one sees, a quick fix that stays in UAT for weeks beyond the deadline, systems that saw usage drop faster than the stock market in the downturn, one liners or vague or assumptive requirement definitions, or in recent times, consumer devices to be connected to corporate networks. A challenge or denied service was sacrilegious and a pile of turn-downs could lead to "lack of alignment" to what business wants.
With increasing comfort with business, conviction, and communication, CIOs have looked the other in the eye and engage in a non-confrontational debate which has germinated into acceptance of the CIO viewpoint and its intent only to the best interest of the enterprise. It's a newly discovered facet that boosts confidence and fuels itself; the spark is now traveling virulently. CIOs have created the freedom to say "No" to the unreasonable and ill-defined.


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As President of PMRG's Eastern Division, Bill Weghorst oversees long term strategies for the entire East Coast portfolio and is responsible for leasing prominent Atlanta landmarks as One Glenlake, Powers Ferry Landing, 999 Peachtree, The Fountains at Piedmont Center, and Northridge Center.
Mr. Weghorst brings more than 25 years of office leasing experience in the Atlanta market. He has completed more than 1,000 lease transactions totaling in excess of 6.0 million square feet and with an aggregate dollar value of more than $600 million.
Prior to joining PMRG, Mr. Weghorst was Senior Vice President of Asset Services at CB Richard Ellis, where he was responsible for the marketing and leasing of approximately 4.5 million square feet of office space throughout Atlanta. His portfolio included major urban high-rise towers and multi-building suburban mid-rise developments.
Mr. Weghorst served as Senior Managing Director for Insignia/ESG prior to the firm's merger with CBRE. During his tenure with Insignia/ESG, he gained recognition as one of the city's most creative and aggressive third-party leasing agents.
During his career, Mr. Weghorst has leased many prominent Atlanta office properties including Bank of America Plaza, Centennial Tower, The Plaza, Lakeside Commons, RiverEdge Place and 2100 RiverEdge, Piedmont Center Building 14, Northlake Office Park, Tower Place 100 and 200, One Georgia Center, Cumberland Office Park, 1117 Perimeter Center West, Crescent Centre, and the Peachtree Lenox Building.
Mr. Weghorst has been recognized numerous times over the years for his leasing achievements. He has also received the 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 "Power Broker Award" by CoStar Group, which recognizes Atlanta's top brokers based on leasing activity for the year. He is an active member of the Commercial Board of Realtors and the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP), where he was a charter member of the Million Dollar Club. He also sits on the Advisory Board for CoStar and is an honorary member of the Georgia State University Real Estate Honorary Board.
As Executive Vice President and Market Leader of PM Realty Group's (PMRG's) Atlanta office, Chip Roach is responsible for overseeing the leasing and marketing activity of approximately 9,000,000 square feet of office space throughout the city of Atlanta. In addition, Mr. Roach is personally responsible for the leasing of such prominent buildings as 999 Peachtree, The Fountains at Piedmont Center, The Peachtree Lenox Building, Mansell One & Two, River Ridge, 100 Ashford Center, and Peachtree Ridge.
Mr. Roach brings more than 30 years of diversified experience in the industry and has completed more than 1,000 leases totaling over 10 million square feet.
Prior to joining PMRG, Mr. Roach was Vice President of Marketing & Sales at Technology Park/Atlanta, Inc., where he was responsible for the leasing activity of approximately 3.5 million square feet of office space, land sales and build-to-suits in the 650 acre Technology Park and 2,000 acre Johns Creek mixed use development.
Prior to joining Technology Park/Atlanta, Inc., Mr. Roach was Vice President of Asset Management and Business Development for the Southeast Region of Prentiss Properties Trust and was Vice President/Regional Manager at Leggat McCall Properties Management L.P., a Boston commercial real estate firm.
Mr. Roach is the current President Elect of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designee, and a member of the Georgia Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP). He is also a multiyear member of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors Million Dollar Club.
Mr. Roach is a licensed Georgia Real Estate Broker who also holds licenses in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
As Executive Vice President of Strategic Accounts, Julie Motsinger is responsible for all aspects of operations within the southeast region, including asset management, property management, engineering, and construction management for a portfolio totaling over 10 million square feet.
Ms. Motsinger brings more than 25 years of experience. Prior to joining PMRG, Ms. Motsinger served as General Manager for Carter where she managed a multi-use property consisting of commercial office space, retail space, an upscale residential community and exquisite town homes.
Prior to joining Carter, Ms. Motsinger was Facility Manager for OmniOffices and was responsible for the operations of an executive suite facility. Prior to that, she was a Property Manager with Prentiss Properties and a Tenant Services Coordinator/Construction Coordinator with Portman Barry Investments.
Ms. Motsinger holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting and has her Georgia Real Estate Salesperson License. She is an active member of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Atlanta where she achieved the Real Property Administrator (RPA) designation. Ms. Motsinger is proficient in MRI, Yardi, Skyline, and JD Edwards as well as Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook.
As Madison Marquette's Executive Vice President, Director of Operations for the Southeast region, Patti Morris is responsible for leading the region's property management team and providing oversight to the construction management team.
Prior to joining Madison Marquette, Patti served as Managing Director of Asset Management for Accesso Partners, overseeing the leasing and operations of a portfolio totaling over $3 billion and 14 million square feet of office space.
Patti joins Madison Marquette with over 30 years of commercial real estate experience, including tenure with Wells Real Estate Funds as Chief Real Estate Officer for Wells Core REIT and as Managing Director of Asset Management of a national portfolio in excess of $6 billion in assets across multiple investment funds. Additionally, she held portfolio/asset management positions with Prudential Real Estate Investors and Travelers Realty Investment Company.
Mrs. Morris is a graduate of the University of Mississippi where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. She is an active member of NAIOP.
As Senior Vice President and Controller, Diane Rahn oversees the accounting and financial reporting of over 150 properties for over 40 clients in the Central and Eastern divisions. In this role, Ms. Rahn directs a staff of managers, accountants and support personnel to deliver consistently accurate, timely, and complete financial reports to our clients.
Ms. Rahn has been with PMRG for over 15 years holding various roles within the company. She recently served as Senior Vice President of Investments where she oversaw the accounting for all PMRG-owned assets. Prior to this role, she served as Senior Vice President of Facility Services as the Finance and Administrative Executive on the JPMorgan Chase (JPMC) facilities account. In this capacity, Ms. Rahn was responsible for the financial and administrative functions of a portfolio with more than 300 employees who provided engineering services across 14 states and Western Canada totaling more than 27 million square feet of facility space. Ms. Rahn's responsibilities included monthly and annual financial client reporting for an annual budget of over $30 million and vendor account management related to fleet vehicles, cell phones, and uniforms for the engineers assigned to the JPMC account. Ms. Rahn's role also allowed her to work with operational personnel to streamline processes and manage projects efficiently to meet client objectives and initiatives in all facility management areas. Preceding this work, Ms. Rahn was Vice President of Facility Services for PMRG's facility services' clients (including JPMC, Chevron and CenterPoint), Assistant Controller of the Central Division and Assistant Controller of the Eastern Division. Prior to joining PMRG, Ms. Rahn was Vice President/CFO for a Houston-based general contracting company and has over 30 years of accounting, administrative, and operational experience in various industries, including over 15 years in property and facility management.
Ms. Rahn is a graduate of Our Lady of the Lake University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management.
As Senior Vice President, Scott Rees is responsible for the day to day leasing and marketing activity of such prominent Atlanta landmarks as the Plaza, One Glenlake, Overlook II, and Piedmont Center 14.
Mr. Rees brings more than 30 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry in Atlanta. He has completed more than 600 lease transactions totaling in excess of 5 million square feet and with an aggregate dollar volume of more than 500 million.
Prior to joining PM Realty Group (PMRG), Mr. Rees was Principal of Rees Real Estate Advisors, where he served clients providing tenant representation services.
Prior to founding Rees Real Estate Advisors, Mr. Rees was Vice President of Leasing at Cousins Properties, where he was responsible for marketing and leasing of properties in the Atlanta portfolio including One Ninety One Peachtree, Terminus, Wildwood Office Park, American Cancer Society Center, 1155 Perimeter Center West, North Point Center East, Two Live Oak and Galleria 75.
Prior to joining Cousins Properties, Mr. Rees spent 16 years at Peterson Properties/CarrAmerica where he was responsible for leasing the Atlanta portfolio. During his tenure there, Mr. Rees participated in the development, acquisition, leasing and management of numerous projects including Spalding Triangle, Royal Peachtree Corners, Midori, Waterford Centre, Spalding Ridge, River Green, The Summit, Overlook I, Cumberland Center II, Embassy Row, 5871 Glenridge, 1600 Parkwood, 1955 Lakewood, 2400 Lake Park, Veridian and Colony Center.
Mr. Rees began his career at Coldwell Banker in 1982 where he served landlords and tenants as a leasing specialist.
As Senior Vice President and Regional Director of Leasing, Eddie Trujillo oversees business development initiatives for PMRG, and is responsible for driving third party leasing and sales business throughout the Washington D.C. metro region. He serves as a Principal Broker with responsibility for asset management, operations, property management, construction, acquisitions and underwriting.
Mr. Trujillo brings over 30 years of experience in Washington's commercial real estate market, having successfully represented office buildings up to 125,00 SF, as well as small tenants sized at less than 8,000 SF. With clients across the retail, not-for-profit, legal and financial services industries, Mr. Trujillo oversees relationships with top organizations, including KanAm Grund KAG, Columbus Properties, Carlyle Group, AION Partners and UHT.
Prior to his current role, Mr. Trujillo was responsible for establishing PMRG's Tenant Rep/Agency business from the ground up, hiring a team of real estate professionals, and developing new agency listing assignments. He consistently exceeded revenue targets, achieving $1.2M (120%) in the first-year and $2.1M (131.2%) in year two. He completed 61 transactions and signed six new listings, encompassing a total of 680,000 SF.
His past experience includes senior roles with Brookfield Properties and Archon Group. At Brookfield, he was responsible for the oversight of eight buildings offering more than 2.4 million square feet of Class A office space. Prior to joining Brookfield, Mr. Trujillo served as the national marketing director at Archon Group.
Mr. Trujillo holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. He is a licensed real estate broker in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, a former board member of the Greater Washington Commercial Association of Realtors, and a current board member of the US Lacrosse Chesapeake Chapter.
As Vice President of Property Management for PM Realty Group's (PMRG's) Eastern Division, Michael McLean is responsible for the administration and oversight of a portfolio of properties located in Atlanta, GA.
In his previous role as Portfolio Manager, Mr. McLean was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day property management and operations of approximately 2 million square feet of office, industrial and medical space throughout the city of Atlanta including such prominent assets as The Plaza, Ten Peachtree Place and Piedmont 14.
Prior to joining PMRG, Mr. McLean was with Cousins Properties Incorporated where he was on the management team for 191 Peachtree Tower, Promenade and Ten Peachtree Place. While with Cousins Mr. McLean learned valuable experience in all aspects of property management, ranging from engineering operations and construction management to implementing long term capital projections for ownership. Mr. McLean provided assistance with the disposition of Ten Peachtree Place and the acquisition of Promenade, including the capital intensive rebranding initiatives implemented there. He also helped develop and implement the property budget plans. Mr. McLean was instrumental in achieving LEED, Energy Star and BOMA 360 designations to the buildings he was responsible for.
Mr. McLean holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Stetson University. He is active in the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and is a member of the Development Review Committee for Special Public Interest 12, the zoning approval authority covering the commercial core of Buckhead, including two malls and major high rise office developments.
As Vice President of DC Operations, Emmy is responsible for over 800,000 SF of properties composed of Class A and B office, medical office, and GSA. Her portfolio includes 1200 New Hampshire Avenue, 810 7th Street, 2131 K Street, Montgomery Executive Center and 6905 San Tomas Rd. Prior to joining PMRG 10 years ago, Emmy worked for Hines and managed 1.1 million SF of Class A office space in Washington, DC.
With over 23 years of experience in commercial property management, Emmy has a proven track record for developing and executing operating budgets with favorable results, anticipating and responding to both client and tenant needs, leading teams to exceed goals and expectations, and managing multiple projects. She has a strong knowledge of budget creation and operation with favorable variances, financial reporting, CAM reconciliations, competitive bidding and oversight of service contracts and general day-to-day operations of a property, including oversight of full-time parking management, security and janitorial account managers.
In her role of establishing the property management operations, she will lead the collaborative effort to ensure transition to effective trophy class property management services, with a focus on value creation through facets such as maximizing parking revenues, increasing efficiencies and constantly seeking ways to mitigate risk.
Emmy has an MBA from The American University and an undergraduate degree in Business / Economics from Marymount University. She holds an RPA designation as well as a DC Property Manager's License, a Virginia Sales License (inactive status) and is a LEED Green Associate. She is a member of Apartment and Office Building Association (AOBA), the local chapter of Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), and Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW).
As Vice President of Operations for PMRG's Eastern Division, Marc LaVoie is responsible for managing the engineering team for the daily operations of 9 million square feet of R&D, office and industrial warehouse facilities.
Mr. LaVoie brings more than 18 years of industry experience in engineering, development, construction management, operations, and property management. He and his team work closely with ownership and tenants to provide repairs and maintenance, energy management, preventive maintenance, and life safety testing. He is also responsible for managing redevelopment projects throughout the portfolio ranging from complete building renovations to building system upgrades, architectural improvements, site improvements and reconfiguring buildings from single tenant to multi-tenant occupancy.
Prior to joining PMRG, Mr. LaVoie was a project manager with W/S Development Associates, one of the largest private retail developers in the country. Working with consultants and town officials, he was responsible for all regulatory permitting and entitlements, pre-development, due diligence, planning, budgeting, and scheduling, for renovations and new developments of large commercial properties.
Mr. LaVoie also worked as a project manager for Carter & Burgess, a full service engineering and architecture design and construction management firm, where he was responsible for permitting and engineering commercial developments.
Mr. LaVoie is a graduate of Northeastern University and a licensed professional civil engineer in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He is a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP), Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA).
As Vice President of Construction, Jeff Checkoway is responsible for the management of 9 million square feet of industrial and warehouse facilities. Mr. Checkoway specializes in a vast array of construction and predevelopment projects and manages day to day operations throughout the portfolio to successfully complete projects and deliver results for PMRG and its clients.
Mr. Checkoway brings more than 11 years of industry experience in the areas of budgeting, cost control, and scheduling, and has become a well seasoned Project Manager in construction, real estate development and property management.
Prior to joining PMRG, Mr. Checkoway served as Project Manager for W/S Development Associates in Chestnut Hill, MA where he was in charge of the design, construction and tenanting of retail and multi-tenant facilities. He has also held positions in Tenant Coordination and Architectural Design & Engineering.
Mr. Checkoway is a lifelong resident of Massachusetts and holds a Bachelor of Facilities Management degree and an Associates of Architectural Engineering degree from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. He is a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP) and the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA).
As Vice President and Director of Property Management-Tampa for PMRG, Bridget Lancaster is responsible for the day to day operations and oversight of property management, engineering and construction management for PMRG's portfolio of properties consisting of 1 million square feet and growing. As part of her role, she directly manages the Tampa office and industrial properties.
Prior to joining PMRG, Ms. Lancaster was Director of Property Management for Avison-Young where she oversaw all aspects of property management, engineering and construction management of their North Florida portfolio consisting of 4.5 million square feet of office, retail and industrial properties.
Bridget brings over 29 years of commercial real estate management experience, working with various institutional owners and owner managed assets throughout the Tampa Bay area. Her experience and strengths include development and implementation of management procedures, team building/mentoring, tenant satisfaction, emergency preparedness, project management, corporate account management, court appointed receiver, receivership management, acquisitions and dispositions, risk assessment, increasing asset values while decreasing operating expenses.
Over the course of Bridget's 29 year career in commercial real estate she has worked with several commercial management firms such as CNL Commercial Real Estate, CBRE, Trammell Crow Company, Equity Office Properties and The Paragon Group in such roles as Property Assistant, Property Manager, Senior Property Manager, Director and Vice President.
Ms. Lancaster attended St. Petersburg Junior College for business management. She earned an RPA designation through BOMA and a CPM designation through IREM. She is also a Licensed Florida Real Estate Sales Associate. Bridget served on the Board of Directors for IREM's Tampa chapter 2004-2006 and 2008-2011 as well as the chapter's Treasurer 2008-2011. She also served on the Board of Directors of BOMA's Tampa chapter 2001-2003 and BOMA's 2001 Building of the Year Committee.
As a Senior Vice President, Stephen Clifton oversees asset strategy development and implementation for properties in many of Atlanta's submarkets. Mr. Clifton currently leases notable assets such as Piedmont Center Buildings Nine - Twelve, Mansell One & Two, the Peachtree Lenox Building, Davinci Buildings, 999 Peachtree, and 6200 The Corners Parkway. Mr. Clifton brings value in organization, analytics, creativity, and reliability to PMRG as the Atlanta office continues to expand.
Mr. Clifton brings more than 5 years of experience to the Atlanta office. During his career, Mr. Clifton has represented notable ownership clients including Franklin Street Properties, Wells Real Estate Funds, Banyan Street Capital, American Realty Advisors, Lionstone, Faison Capital Advisors, Sun Life, and Commonwealth REIT.
Prior to joining PMRG, Mr. Clifton worked as a development associate at Broad River Developers, LLC, a South Carolina based commercial and residential development company.
Mr. Clifton holds a Bachelor's degree of Business Administration from Presbyterian College. He is a licensed real estate salesperson in the state of Georgia, a member of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, Association of Young Real Estate Professionals, the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), and serves on the Board of Directors for the Young Council of Commercial Realtors.
As Senior Vice President, Zach Wooten currently leases notable assets such as Platinum Tower, Northridge Center, Powers Ferry Landing, 3379 Peachtree, 66 Perimeter Center East and 1955 & 2300 Lake Park Drive. He is also responsible for leasing of a handful of medical office buildings including, Towne Lake Overlook, Southern Crescent Center I & II and Kenmar Medical Center.
Prior to joining PM Realty Group, Mr. Wooten was Leasing Manager at John Hancock Financial Services, where he handled the leasing for Eleven Hundred Peachtree, Proscenium and Ashford Green.
Mr. Wooten serves on the Young Council of Realtors Leadership Committee (YCR) at the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors. He also serves on the 2016 NAIOP Future Leaders Board.
Mr. Wooten holds a degree in Marketing from the University of Alabama.
As Vice President and Leasing & Marketing Manager, Stacy Langston provides all aspects of lease administration for the Atlanta leasing team and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of PM Realty Group's (PMRG's) Atlanta Regional Office.
Mrs. Langston brings more than 13 years of commercial real estate experience, including but not limited to, lease review, lease analysis, overseeing broker/tenant RFP responses, managing client monthly reporting processes, budgets, generating commission agreement, invoicing and the coordination of marketing material.
Prior to joining PMRG, Mrs. Langston held a similar role with CB Richard Ellis (formerly Insignia/ESG) and was instrumental in assisting with the growth of the Atlanta's leasing team's portfolio, as well as helping develop a reputation as some of the most responsive leasing agents in Atlanta.
Mrs. Langston previously worked at CSFB Realty, where she helped to establish the firm's Southeast regional office. Prior to that, she was with Prentiss Properties supporting the leasing and marketing functions for a number of Class A office properties in Atlanta.
Mrs. Langston holds a degree in Communications from Auburn University, a Masters of Business Administration degree from the Keller Graduate School of Management, and a Georgia Real Estate License.


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Providence Baptist Church is a church in Harrisburg, NC where God is moving and drawing people of all ages to become a part of His family. We are thrilled to be a part of this movement and invite you to experience it along with us.
Categories | E3 Strategy (2019)
Filetype: MP3 - Size: 12.83MB - Duration: 35:53 m (50 kbps 24000 Hz)


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Queens Book Festival
I'll be on a panel at the inaugural Queens Book Festival at the World's Borough Tent at 4pm. The other writers and moderator are Eugene Lim, Susan Breen and Brandi Megan Granett.
Stories by Nicole Haroutunian
I'll be on a panel at the inaugural Queens Book Festival at the World's Borough Tent at 4pm. The other writers and moderator are Eugene Lim, Susan Breen and Brandi Megan Granett.
I'm thrilled to participate in the Affinia Hotel Group's National Book Month initiative, a month-long focus on reading, writers and books to benefit the NYPL. I'll be reading at their Fifty NYC property. It's the last reading I have scheduled, so come on out! There will be wine and books for sale. More info here.
The Halfway There inaugural reading will feature acclaimed local writers Matthew Thomas and Abby Sher, along with series co-founder, NJ-native Nicole Haroutunian.
Books will be available courtesy of Watchung Booksellers and coffee and treats from Red Eye Cafe.
Doors will open at 6pm, readings will start at 7pm. We can't wait to see you there!
Nicole Haroutunian, named a "New Author You Need to Know" by Refinery29, is a New Jersey native currently living in Woodside, Queens. Her first short story collection, Speed Dreaming, was published earlier this year. Matthew Caprioli wrote in The Paris Review, "Haroutunian is smart about contemporary relationships, and her collection will certainly resonant with the Modern Love crowd. Her protagonists, all women, admit to melodrama, but they go one step further than the characters in Girls in that they question what's behind their woe-is-me antics. Through their honesty, we get characters we actually like, who illuminate what it means to be a woman outside of Lena Dunham's 'Brooklyn.'"
Abby Sher is a writer, performer, and mother of three cool beans. She wrote and performed for The Second City, ImprovOlympic, HBO and NPR. Her memoir, Amen, Amen, Amen: Memoir of a Girl who Couldn't Stop Praying got lots of awards and a nod from Oprah. Abby writes regularly for The New York Times and has an advice column called Dear Gefilte. She means well, but is usually five minutes late.
Matthew Thomas was born and raised in New York City; he lives in Montclair, NJ. He has a BA from the University of Chicago, an MA from the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University, and an MFA from the University of California, Irvine. His New York Times-bestselling novel We Are Not Ourselves was shortlisted for both the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and the James Tait Black Prize, longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, nominated for the Folio Prize, and named a finalist for the John Gardner Fiction Book Award. It was named a Notable Book of the year by the New York Times, one of the fifty best fiction books of the year by the Washington Post, one of the ten best fiction books of the year by Entertainment Weekly, one of the five most important books of the year by Esquire, one of the best fiction books of the year by Publishers Weekly, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Apple, and one of Janet Maslin's ten favorite books of the year in the New York Times.
Nicole Haroutunian will be on the panel:
The Power of Short Stories
In our age of constant distraction, there is still always time to read a story. In fact, a story is often the best form of distraction. So it isn't surprising that outlets for short stories are thriving, and they are publishing some of the most powerful and pioneering fiction today. A group of writers discuss the art of short fiction, their creative processes, and the evolving literary landscape (both in print and online).
Panelists: Nicole Haroutunian, Author, Speed Dreaming; Lincoln Michel, Author, Upright Beasts; Justin Taylor, Author, Flings; Daniel Torday, Author, The Last Flight of Poxl West
Moderator: Mark Krotov, Editor, Melville House
I'll be reading some new fiction about NJ at the WORD bookstore in Jersey City for Vol. 1 Brooklyn as part of the Chilltown Literary Festival. I love Vol. 1 Brooklyn!
Nicole Haroutunian will be reading and in conversation with 2014 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction-winning author of Godforsaken Idaho, Shawn Vestal, at Auntie's Bookstore in Spokane, WA!
Nicole Haroutunian and Portland writer Caitlin Delohery will read at Mother Foucault's Bookshop in Portland.
Lit Fix, the reading & music series that marries dive bars with dishy artists, is kicking off summer 2015 with a lineup of emerging voices. Join us to hear them roar! http://bit.ly/18c0WZa
$5 at the door. All proceeds go to The Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas (formerly 826 Seattle).
SONYA LEA's essays and interviews have appeared in Salon, The Southern Review, Brevity, Cold Mountain Review, Tricycle, The Prentice Hall Reader, and Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and excerpts from her forthcoming memoir, Wondering Who You Are, received an Artist Trust Award. Sonya teaches writing at Hugo House, she's leading a pilot project to teach writing to women veterans, and she recently directed her first short film, Every Beautiful Thing. She lives in Seattle.
NICOLE HAROUTUNIAN's first story collection, Speed Dreaming, came out in March. Her work has appeared in Tin House, Two Serious Ladies, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, and elsewhere, and her story "Youse" won the Center for Fiction's Short Story Award in 2013. Nicole is co-editor of the digital arts journal Underwater New York and writes the blog Our Books Are Better Than We Are. She works as a museum educator, holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence, and lives with her husband in Queens, New York.
DAN GEMEINHART is the author of The Honest Truth, a debut middle-grade novel that was a New York Times Editors' Choice selection, an Indie Next List selection, and an Amazon Best Book of the Month. A teacher-librarian and the father of three daughters, he lives with his family in Washington state.
DAVID K. WHEELER's debut poetry collection, Contingency Plans, was published by T. S. Poetry Press. His writing has appeared in The Morning News, The Gay & Lesbian Review, Glitterwolf, The James Franco Review, Codex Journal, and others. He earned his BA in creative writing from Western Washington University and is now associate editor at Shelf Awareness in Seattle.
MAN WITH GUN is an indie-folk outfit from Seattle comprising songwriter Jeff Brennan, Jarret Middleton, and David Stone. The band makes use of the country traditions of murder ballads, traveling songs, and down-on-their-luck antiheroes making the best of terrible options in life.
Bring friends, lovers, bons mots, and your appetite—the Rendezvous has a tasty bar menu and cocktails for days.
I'm thrilled to be reading with the wonderful writer Lucy Corin in San Francisco--please come join us at the awesome Green Apple Books on the Park for stories, conversation and merriment! The event is free and open to the public, so spread the word and invite your friends!
Check out the bookstore website for more info:
About Lucy Corin:
Lucy Corin is the author of the short story collection The Entire Predicament (Tin House Books) and the novel Everyday Psychokillers: A History for Girls (FC2). The collection One Hundred Apocalypses and Other Apocalypses was released in September 2013 from McSweeney's Books.Stories have appeared in American Short Fiction, Conjunctions, Ploughshares, Tin House Magazine, and many other places. She spent 2012-13 living at the American Academy in Rome as the 2012 John Guare Fellow in Literature. She is at work on a novel, The Swank Hotel. Lucy Corin has a BA from Duke University and an MFA from Brown. She's an Associate Professor at University of California, Davis where she teaches in the English Department and Creative Writing Program.
In the name of love and glory, mistakes have been made. Hubristic heros, ambitious ingenues, and other individuals blinded by ideals or desire are the subject of a series of readings and a discussion with writers Nicole Haroutunian, Lucy Ives, Shelly Oria, and Lynne Tillman. Writer and critic Christine Smallwood of Harper's Magazine will moderate this evening of tales of inanity, infatuation, minor crime, and major miscalculation. This event additionally marks the re-release of Lucy Ives's novella nineties, which returns to print as a paperback from Little A. Presented by Housing Works with Triple Canopy; drinks generously provided by Little A.
About the readers:
Nicole Haroutunian is the author of the short story collection Speed Dreaming (Little A, 2015). Her fiction has appeared in Vol. 1 Brooklyn, the Literarian, Day One, Two Serious Ladies and online at Tin House, among other publications. Her story "Youse" won the Center for Fiction's 2013 Short Story Contest. She is co-editor of Underwater New York, holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and lives in Woodside, Queens.
Lucy Ives is the author of four books of poetry and prose, including the novel nineties, re-issued by Little A in June 2015. She is the editor of Triple Canopy and teaches writing at Pratt.
Shelly Oria is the author of New York 1, Tel Aviv 0 (FSG, 2014), nominated for both the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and a Lambda Literary Award. Her fiction has appeared in The Paris Review among other places, and has won a number of honors, including the Indiana Review Fiction Prize. A MacDowell Fellow in 2012 and 2014, Shelly holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and has a private practice as a life and creativity coach.
Lynne Tillman is the author of five novels, four collections of short stories, one collection of essays, and two books of nonfiction. Her second essay collection, What Would Lynne Tillman Do?, was published by Red Lemonade Press in winter 2014.
Christine Smallwood has published reviews and essays in many magazines, including The New Yorker, Bookforum, T, and Harper's, where she is a "New Books" columnist. Her fiction has been published in The Paris Review and n+1. She is the co-author of ScarJo, forthcoming from Peradam Press.


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Into the Open Air
Lyrics from Brave
Written by Alex Mandel
Performed by Julie Fowlis
This love it is a distant star
Guiding us home wherever we are
This love it is a burning sun
Shining a light on the things that we've done
I tried to speak to you every day
But each word we spoke the wind blew away
How did we let it come to this?
What we've just tasted we somehow still miss
How will it feel when this day is done?
And can we keep what we've only begun?
Could these walls come crumbling down?
I want to feel my feet on the ground
Can we carry this love that we share?
Into the open air
Into the open air
Into the open air
This love it is a burning sun
Lyrics transcribed by Disneyclips.com


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Meet the Team at Sub Sinai!
Khaled Amin
I am originally from Cairo but came to Sinai some 15 years ago in order to escape the noise and crowds of the city. As my profession as an optician didn't seem adventurous enough I got involved in trekking and climbing and worked for several years with a travel agency organizing Safari and Trekking tours in South Sinai and the Western Desert. After I became a PADI Assistant/Instructor in 1993 and gained a good amount of diving and guiding experience, I decided to open up my own Safari/Trekking/Dive Center.
SINAI ADVENTURES and SUB SINAI was "born" in 1998 and since then all my effort goes, next to my family, into our business. I am mainly responsible for the overall organization within the company, the marketing side of life, all technical matters and of course my great passion, the desert and the mountains!
Donna joined the team in August 2004. She is best known for her work as a safari / trekking guide. In Dahab since 2002, she knows the local Bedouin community inside out and has a wealth of experience in introducing her guests to the desert and mountain areas of Sinai. In addition to her previous experience in this field, she has been guiding tours for SINAI ADVENTURES since the autumn of 2004 and her guests always return to Dahab having gained considerable insight into the culture and the traditions of their Bedouin hosts. Her easy rapport both with visitors and Bedouin makes her tours memorable experiences which are not easily forgotten!
When she is not leading treks, Donna is also responsible for handling the reservations and booking enquiries received. Her mother tongue is English but she is also fluent in German and French and has an excellent command of Bedouin Arabic. Her knowledge of these various languages stands her in good stead both in the desert and the office! When not occupied with trips or the computer, Donna is most likely to be found in the sea. She is a keen swimmer and likes to jump in daily, even when the water temperature drops to a fresh 19 degrees!
Ahmed Hafez
Licentiate in Arts (Ancient Egyptian Archeology Department)
Ahmed Hafez has been with Sub Sinai since the very beginning. Trained by Gabi he has all the best qualities that make an inspirational teacher. He is an extremely thorough diving instructor and has literally hundreds of certifications to his credit. He has many years experience as a diving professional and his knowledge regarding diving techniques and the diving sites in South Sinai is unsurpassable. Ahmed is famous for his unlimited patience and easy-going nature; he can calm the fears of even the most nervous of novice divers, turning them into confident, capable and responsible scuba enthusiasts. Many of his PADI Open Water students return to Sub Sinai and Ahmed to further their diving qualifications because he is such a popular individual and such an approachable professional. We think we are lucky to have him on our team and the many students who return and request him as their instructor and guide obviously agree. He speaks Arabic and very good Engliattitude and his genuine love of their culture. He speaks Arabic and very good English.
Anne Witwer
Anne first arrived in Dahab, from her native Switzerland, in 2006, planning to stay for long enough to do her PADI Divemaster course and then move on. Like so many others before her, her plans changed and she is still here! In the meantime she has qualified as a PADI Instructor and now has an impressive roll call of successful students to her credit. Anne also guides recreational dive packages and takes great pleasure in introducing all those who dive with her to the stunning underwater world of the Red Sea. Anne also has other strings to her bow! She has a keen interest in the desert and helps out the desert crew with the increasing volume of safari / trekking tours. This is proving extremely useful for Sub Sinai's new diving itineraries, which combine both diving and desert.
Her cheerful nature and professional attitude to her responsibilities make her an extremely popular addition to the team. She works in German and English and also has a good command of Arabic.
Hamid Abu Awad
We like to provide the highest and best standards of service for our guests in all areas of our activities. So when it comes to transportation matters, likewise we seek out the best. Hamid Abu Awad is a local Dahab Bedouin of the Muzeina tribe, who organizes all Sub Sinai's airport transfers, in addition to sightseeing excursions and some safari-related work. Having grown up in Dahab, he is well-acquainted with all the local Bedouin minibus and taxi drivers and is in a good position to select the most professional and reliable among them to be assigned to Sub Sinai trips. Hamid is usually so busy with the organizational aspect of his work, that he doesn't get to drive so much himself these days. However, those guests lucky enough to be driven by him do not forget his courteous and friendly manner; he is a real gentleman!
When he manages to take some time off, Hamid likes to escape to the sea and spend a few days fishing off the South Sinai coast.
Abu Radi
Abu Radi is a local Muzeina Bedouin; he is one of Khaled's main partners in the desert. It is in collaboration with Abu Radi that some of our most adventurous expedition routes have been devised. Infact, his contribution cannot be underestimated, as customizing itineraries to the specific requirements of guests is one of Sub Sinai's areas of specialization. Abu Radi himself is a perfect example of the traditional Bedouin; nothing is too much trouble when it comes to making guests and visitors feel at home. Those lucky enough to have met him have experienced at first hand the world famous Bedouin hospitality. And he seems to have passed on this good example to the younger members of his family as well; his sons and nephews frequently work with us as guides and camel drivers.
Abu Radi likes to feel at home when he is on safari. He always packs his water pipe in his camel bag and likes nothing better than to enjoy a smoke of his shisha once camp has been set up!


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A man has been released without charge following a pile-up in Birmingham.
Seven vehicles were left wrecked in the crash which happened Douglas Road, Acocks Green, at 8.45pm on Wednesday .
West Midlands Police said a 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and drink driving but he had been released without charge.
Miraculously no one was hurt but a telegraph pole was knocked down in the crash which residents said was like an enormous clap of thunder.
Jon Aspinall, 34, woke up to find his Ford had been extensively damaged.
Mr Aspinall ended up losing a day's wages as he could not get to work.
Below: Footage shows aftermath of the crash
He said: "My car will be written off. The damage is more than what the car is worth. My front wheel is bent, alloys smashed, there's a hole in the side of the door etc.
"I don't know what will happen until I get it inspected by the insurance company."
Resident Nora Brown's front fence was wrecked when the pole came crashing through it.
She said: "The car hit three cars on my side of the road and then it turned over and hit two cars on the other side.
"The pole fell down and broke my fence and it hit two cars. "I've never seen so many emergency services. They took six cars away."
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "Enquiries are ongoing. The man has been released without charge."
Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them on 101.


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The Ministry of Aviation has confirmed reports that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority purchased two bulletproof cars worth $ 1.6 Million - N 256,264,417 (256 Million Naira) – for the Nigerian Minister of Aviation,. Stella Oduah. Punch reports.
Sahara Reporters who was first to report the news claimed that it had documents in its possession that the transaction for the purchase of two black BMW 760 Li HSS cars began in June, but the request for the delivery and payment for the cars fast tracked between August 13 and 15 2013.
Joe Obi, the Special Assistant to the Minister of Aviation on Media said in a telephone conversation with the Punch reporter that the cars were purchased for security reasons.
"Yes, it is true that some security vehicles were procured for the use of the office of the honourable minister in response to the clear and imminent threat to her personal security and life following the bold steps she took to reposition the sector.
When she came on board as the minister, she inherited a lot of baggage in terms of the concession and lease agreements in the sector, which were clearly not in the interest of the government and people of Nigeria.
And so, she took bold steps and some of these agreements were reviewed and some were terminated, and these moves disturbed some entrenched interests in the sector, and within this period, she began to receive some imminent threats to her life; therefore, the need for the vehicles.
It should be noted that these vehicles are not personal vehicles and were not procured in the name of the honourable minister; they are utility vehicles and are for the office of the minister, and if she leaves the office, she will not be taking the vehicles along with her." he said.
check out photos of the official exterior and interior features of the car....


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Scootaround is proud to be the exclusive scooter and wheelchair rental service for the ISSA Show North America 2019
Once an event has started, no further pre-reservations will be available. Please see the attendant at the onsite booth location to book a walk-up rental
More Details
Contact us today and make your travels worry-free!
Rent Now


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Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in 'Tomb Raider': Exclusive Pics, and How She's Training for the Role
See exclusive photos of Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, and learn all about her ultra-intense training regimen to get in shape for the physically demanding role.
One could reasonably assume that Alicia Vikander is naturally blessed with stamina. The Academy Award-winning actress is in the midst of making her fifteenth movie in four years—Tomb Raider, due out next March. But stamina alone could not prepare her for this especially physical role, or for the spectacularly high standards it puts her up against. In 2015's Ex Machina, the Swedish star played a robot that could pass as a human. In Tomb Raider, Vikander is a mere mortal trying to fill the boots of video game legend Lara Croft, the sexy, ass-kicking archaeologist whose adventures fans have revered for over 20 years.
If you're a famous Swede with limited time to transform yourself into a living Roman statue, you call Magnus Lygdbäck. The trainer helped Alexander Skarsgård (incidentally Vikander's former flame) put on 25 pounds of chiseled muscle for 2016's The Legend of Tarzan, and he has been working with Vikander day in and day out to get her Tomb ready.
"Seven months before filming, I started Alicia on a nutrition plan for her to gain muscle and to boost her metabolism," Lygdbäck tells SELF. He also sent her video workouts "consisting of mostly weight lifting to build muscle and movement training to help build her into the Lara Croft character." And that was just the warmup.
Lygdbäck's "Magnus Method" combines workouts, nutrition, and sports psychology. A former ice hockey player, Lygdbäck says that his method centers around "embracing the ethos of an athlete." He expects his clients to adopt the intensity of an athlete and to adhere to a rigorous food and fitness regimen tailored to their goals. He trained Ben Affleck for his turn as Batman and has worked with Britney Spears and Harry Styles, among others.
Four months before the start of filming for Tomb Raider, Lygdbäck joined Vikander in London and began working with her full time. That meant: heavy lifting five to six days a week, climbing two or three times a week, and boxing and MMA four times a week. On top of all that, they did a few hours of near-daily stunt rehearsals.
After two months of that, Lygdbäck put the actress on a new eating plan and cut her to shorter workouts—30 minutes of HIIT in the morning, and 45-minute gym sessions in the afternoon.
SELF got exclusive early photos of Vikander in the film, in which she appears every bit the tomb raider in the making, decked in the cargo pants and ragged tank top that are Lara Croft's hallmarks—and let us not forget the signature armband, leather accoutrements, and pickaxe. She looks the part. She looks determined. She looks strong as hell.
Set before the two Tomb Raider video game adaptations starring Angelina Jolie, the film (from Warner Bros. Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) tells the origin story of Lara Croft as she retreats from a directionless life in London to investigate the mysterious death of her famous adventurer father. With little more to go on than his last known destination—a remote island off the coast of Japan—21-year-old Lara sets off to find clues, and, one can only assume, herself.
"What's different about this Tomb Raider movie is that it's an origin story for the big screen, focusing not only on Lara's strength and physical accomplishments but her humanity," says director Roar Uthaug. "We see Lara as a young woman, smart and capable but largely unfocused, and follow her on a dangerous journey that will push her to her limits in every sense, and allow her to hone the skills she needs to ultimately become who she was meant to be. As Lara Croft, Alicia Vikander is brilliant. She brings great depth to a complex role that is both physically and emotionally demanding."
These days Lygdbäck trains Vikander in the morning before shooting on the rocky beaches and dense forests around Cape Town, South Africa, to help her get and stay in the right physical and mental state to embody Lara on her intense journey. And all that work seems to be paying off: Paparazzi photos circulated in February show the star scaling a suspended platform, biceps straining, lats bulging, drenched in sweat.
Billed as "the story that will set a young and resolute Lara Croft on a path toward becoming a global hero," Tomb Raider may likely set Vikander on the path to becoming a global franchise.
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