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CAO Performance Evaluation Toolkit
The Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) has introduced a three-step CAO Performance Evaluation Toolkit that will benefit municipalities across the country.
Developed and piloted over a two-year period, the toolkit will enhance the CAO / Council relationship and help local elected officials achieve their strategic goals and objectives. It is available for free to member and non-member municipalities.
An effective working partnership between Council and its CAO can be one of the most critical prerequisites for municipal success.
Local elected officials rely on their CAO to be the link between them and municipal operations; to implement the municipality's policies and programs; and, to help them achieve their strategic goals and objectives.
That said, in a survey conducted by CAMA in 2014, while a majority of elected officials and CAOs indicated they participated in a performance evaluation process, far less reported they felt prepared for the process or that the outcomes were tied to actual results. Overwhelmingly, both parties identified the need for a performance evaluation system benefiting each.
As a result, CAMA developed the three-step CAO Performance Evaluation Toolkit.
The toolkit was prepared using surveys and best practice research, with input and support from CAMA members, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), public sector / human resource experts, and the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA).
The result is a toolkit that uses a "pick and choose" format, which can be adapted to support existing evaluation processes. It builds on foundational steps and core competencies to help set clear goals for the success of the municipality, to guide and support the evaluation process, and to foster open conversations between Council and CAOs.
Our toolkit has a lot of gears and options that might, at first glance, make it appear to be dauntingly complicated. It's not! It's really a simple tool. CAMA is pleased to provide you with a webinar (approximately 20 minutes in length) that is designed to show you just how easy it is to use and how it can be customized and scaled to your municipality. The Frequently Asked Questions by Chief Administrative Officers document and the Frequently Asked Questions by Elected Officials document will also help navigate you through the toolkit.
CAMA's Toolkit is designed to be a system that is flexible for the CAO, Mayor and Council. It's a tool that lets you construct an evaluation process based on what works for you and your organization. It offers a variety of ways to choose goals, set competencies, conduct your self-assessment, and have ongoing performance evaluation conversations. For CAOs, the toolkit provides a process that uses strategies and templates that can be shared with the Mayor and Council to ensure goals, key results, core competencies, and performance measures are mutually understood. For Mayor and Council, the Toolkit underscores the value of CAO performance conversations, and offers a process for conducting the performance evaluations fairly.
- To access the Performance Evaluation Toolkit click here.
- To introduce the toolkit to your elected officials you may wish to send them an e-mail along with the Evaluation-At-Glance
- The Quick Reference Guide is also a great executive summary of the process.
- Appendix 3 provides a CAO Process Checklist. (Word)
These documents are provided as a guide. They are provided to you below in PDF and in Word format. Please modify them to suit your municipality's requirements.
1. SAMPLE GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS (Word)
1.1 A: Municipal Policy: Monitoring CAO Performance (Word)
1.1 B: Municipal Manager Bylaw (Word)
1.1 C: Municipal Manager Delegations Bylaw (Word)
2. SAMPLE DOCUMENTS FOR HIRING A CAO (Word)
ICMA Recruitment Guidelines for Selecting a Local Government Administrator
CAMA Model Employment Agreement
Sample Job Descriptions
City Manager Job Description for the City of Grande Prairie (2011)
City of Summerside
3. SAMPLE DOCUMENTS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENT (Word)
CAMA's Statement of Purpose
George Cuff's Council—CAO Covenant
Conroy Ross's Evaluation Cycle
Town of Canmore's Guide to Evaluating the CAO's Performance
4. SAMPLE DOCUMENTS FOR THE ANNUAL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE (Word)
City of Grande Prairie City Manager Performance Review Process Policy No. 120-1
Sample Performance Reviews
City of Grande Prairie CAO Performance Review Template
City of Mississauga Performance Evaluation for SENIOR MANAGEMENT – 2015
5. SAMPLE DOCUMENTS FOR LINKING THE CAO's EVALUATION TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN (Word)
City of Mississauga Performance Evaluation for Senior Management—2015, Part II
Comox Valley Performance Assessment Form
City of Moose Jaw Competency Review
These documents are provided as a guide. Please modify them to suit your municipality's requirements.
1.2A: Job Description (Word)
1.3: Strategic Planning Checklist (Word)
1.6A: Performance Evaluation (Word)
1.6B: Additional Core Competencies (Word)
Compensation Options Template (Word)
Handbook Cover Template (Word)
Final Performance Evaluation Report Template (Word)
Appendix 3: CAO Process Checklist (Word)


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A spate of thefts in Durham has prompted police to urge motorists and tradesmen into stepping up their security measures to avoid a claim on their van insurance.
Police in the north-east of England reported eight van thefts between November 10th and December 15th.
Every van stolen during the spree was a Ford Transit that had been parked either in a driveway or on the road.
Inspector David Gibbs of the north area road policing unit said: "In a number of cases the keys had been left on top of the sun visor or even balancing on the wheel of the vehicle."
He urged van drivers and builders to ensure their van is secure when left unattended, adding that the recent spate of Ford Transit thefts suggests they are being specifically targeted.
A mechanic in Romford last week criticised police for failing to take action against thieves after his van was targeted three times within the space of three months.
Visit the #1 Van Insurance page

subset: commoncrawl


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7 predictions for RPA in 2019
7 Predictions for the 2019 RPA Market
Forbes recently referred to robotic process automation (RPA) as "a gateway drug to AI," referencing its low barrier to entry compared to other technology choices within the AI realm. But while experts continue to tout the future of RPA, what can we expect of it in the short-term?
Jump into this resource to get a peek at how experts are predicting RPA's 2019 will pan out, including notable market shifts, major technology disruptions, and entirely new RPA use cases.


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7 Best Father's Day Gifts
(promotion not valid anymore)
Celebrating Father's Day often requires a gift he'll find memorable and useful. We've rounded up 7 can't - go - wrong father's day essentials dad will love.
1. ASAP Exfoliating Pack
Contains a daily exfoliating facial scrub & revitalising body scrub. Smooth round beads and AHAs gently remove dead skin cells and exfoliate the skin improving it's overall appearance and texture. Ideal for treating ingrown hairs.
2. Aspect Gold Sunscreen
Aspect Envirostat SPF 50 with Vitamin E is a sunscreen that provides broad spectrum UVA + UVB coverage developed specifically for Australian conditions. Suitable for the face or body, it offers 4 hours water-resistant protection and cannot be sweated off.
3. Laser hair removal - Back & Shoulders
Permanent laser hair reduction treatment for a full back and shoulders using advanced laser hair removal technology resulting in smooth and silky skin. View current specials here.
4. Laser hair removal - Beard Sculpting
This laser hair reduction treatment focuses on tidying up the beard area concentrating on upper cheeks and lower neck line.
5. Aspect Dr Mild Clean Facial Cleanser
Aspect Dr Mild Clean Facial Cleanser calms the skin while you cleanse with a gentle foaming gel. Designed for sensitive, reactive and dry skins or rosacea sufferers.
6. Cosmedix Emulsion Intense Hydrator
Cosmedix Emulsion Intense Hydrator is a deep penetrating moisturiser and extremely soothing and hydrating treatment for dry, sensitive or irritated skin. May be used post-treatment, or alongside resurfacing treatments.
7. Environ Sebuwash Cleanser
Environ B-Active Sebuwash is a mild gel cleanser containing tea tree oil, salicylic acid and a special oil absorbing ingredient ideally suited for people with problem skin.


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Airbus Group Chief Financial Officer Harald Wilhelm says he "cannot see" the alleged decision by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to sell or lease out its entire Airbus A380 fleet "impacting our campaigns" for more orders. MAS is understood to have decided to phase out its six Airbus A380s over time in an effort to reduce its long-haul capacity and to focus on a more regional network, a significant part of its restructuring. According to one senior airline source, MAS and ...
REGISTER FOR FREE ACCESS (Valid Email Required)
Register now for free access to "Malaysia A380 Decision Deepens Airbus Worries" and other premium content selected daily by our editors.
Current magazine subscribers: digital access to articles associated with your subscription are now included at no added charge to you. Simply use your subscriber email to log in to your account (or contact us for assistance in updating your account).
Current Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN) enterprise and individual members: please go to http://awin.aviationweek.com for access.


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October 9, 2015–January 10, 2016
Shinique Smith: Wonder and Rainbows
Shinique Smith. Forever Strong, 2014. Acrylic, ink, fabric and ribbon collage, and vintage hubcap on canvas over wood panel. Courtesy of the artist and David Castillo Gallery, Miami. © Shinique Smith
Shinique Smith. By the Light, 2013. Ink, acrylic, fabric, and paper collage on canvas over wood panel. Photo by Zack Balber. Collection of Francie Bishop Good and David Horvitz. © Shinique Smith
Shinique Smith. Inner Clock, 2014. Acrylic, ink, fabric, and paper collage, and found objects on wood panel. Courtesy of the artist and David Castillo Gallery, Miami. © Shinique Smith
- Shinique Smith Gallery Guide (PDF)
- Interview with Shinique Smith, courtesy of Paul Ladd, World Christian Broadcasting (MP3)
- Artist's Perspective: Shinique Smith: Wonder and Rainbows | Lecture presented on October 10, 2015
- The Scene talks to artist Shinique Smith about her exhibit at the Frist, By LAURA HUTSON | Article in the Nashville Scene, October 29, 2015
- Critical i: Shinique Smith at the Frist Art Museum through January 9, by JOE NOLAN | Article in Nashville Arts, December 2015
- Art Review: Repurposed Memories: Shinique Smith at the Frist, Nashville, by ERICA CICCARONE | Article in Burnaway, December 9, 2015
For the past decade, New York–based artist Shinique Smith has created highly expressive paintings, sculptures, and installations that reflect influences as diverse as dance, Eastern spirituality, fashion, Abstract Expressionism, music, childhood wonder, and poetry. Many of her collaged works contain recycled or reused objects, demonstrating her belief that personal possessions can inspire memories and shape our experience and identity. Yet such materials, particularly her bundles of cast-off clothing, also comment on the vast excess and waste in American consumerist society. The artist's early years of writing graffiti in Baltimore remain evident in her exuberant calligraphic strokes, which she often intermingles with worn materials from popular culture. Smith sees a link between graffiti and Japanese calligraphy, noting that "in both you can't back up, you must have a confident hand when you put your brush to the surface. . . . There's no erasing."
Among the highlights of the Frist Art Museum's exhibition are a new site-specific painting and a multipaneled wall piece composed of rainbow-like fields of color. The latter, initially inspired by the "spectrum" paintings of Minimalist artist Ellsworth Kelly, is meant to represent a range of both hue and emotion in a manner similar to the theories espoused by Wassily Kandinsky. Like Kandinsky, Smith believes that each color can have a particular psychological impact and reflect an individual's inner state. The other galleries will contain approximately ten collage-based paintings and four of her hanging "bundle" sculptures. One bundle includes the artist's own T-shirt featuring an image of the cover of Jimi Hendrix's second album, Axis Bold as Love, which is a riff on a painting of the Hindu deity Vishnu. The title of Smith's work, Tongues became flowers, was derived from a poem by the thirteenth-century Persian mystic poet Rumi, whose writings also inspire the artist. By literally and conceptually bringing together many disparate elements, Smith creates a compelling cross section of time, place, and meaning.
This exhibition was organized by the Frist Art Museum.
Supported in part by
Supported in part by
Supported in part by


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Siren Group
Siren Group is home away from home for some of the most innovative and industry-savvy professionals around. We may have different skills and backgrounds, but we all have the same main objective: succeed by helping our clients succeed.
Together, we make sure you're investing your ad spend into channels that deliver the the best returns, while building loyalty to your brand at every touchpoint.
Leads and Customers Delivered To Our Clients
Clients Across The Globe
Unique Verticals Served
Languages used in our ad campaigns
Our Departments
Client Partnerships
Real relationships, true partnerships. We've built an agency around the belief that the client's business, problems and careers are as important as our own. When you win, we win.
Strategy & Insight
Consumer insights are only as good as the business problem they're applied to. Our strategists spend as much time diagnosing and understanding business problems as they do applying the right data, tools, research and insights to find the right solution.
Media Buying
Media has always been our first love, that's why we integrate online, mobile and offline data to tell the full story that helps ensure every dollar spent on media is held accountable for results. What's not to love about that?
Creative & Content
Our job is to find ways to get the best ideas out of our heads and into the real world. Because in the modern world, creativity isn't a department. It's the key to moving people to action.
Applied Sciences & Technology
Comprised of R&D, Software Development, Quality Assurance, and Systems Engineering teams, these groups are the force behind our technology solutions. We research, architect, implement, test, host and support some seriously cool websites and mobile applications.
Data Analytics
These folks are the data sleuths and truth-seekers within Siren Group. Our Analysts and Data Scientists work together to provide operational insight and wisdom from some very large and complicated data sets. We transform the unstructured and overwhelming into meaningful visualizations, recommendations and optimizations.


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Ernest Nordman (Marine Corps)
Gender: Male
Marital Status: married
Birthday: July 29, 1976
Hometown: Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Military Status: Active Duty
Military Branch: Marine Corps
Military Rank: O-2
Ernest's Assignment History
|Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor
Ernest's Salutes
1 - 1 out of 1
Tamie Towers said on 03/12/2012 at 08:34 am
I salute you with a song - A song written, and dedicated to you, our brave military - It is called - I'll Go (A Soldiers Oath) - by Kelly's Lot - Here's the link - You can copy & paste, or type the following link into your address bar: http://youtu.be/c5p1Qiqggao - (this is not a download, simply a link to a YouTube video) - Thank you for your service and sacrifice - I appreciate every day, what you do for us - Tamie Towers - Patriot - P.S. My dear friend Kelly Zirbes of Kelly's Lot wrote and performed this song and has given permission for the video to be shared and/or embedded anywhere.
Connect with Ernest
Login or join for free to get in touch with Ernest


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by Denise Giardina
Giardina surpasses herself with this powerful re-creation of the life and martyrdom of German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who participated in a plot to kill Hitler and was executed at Buchenwald in the waning days of the war. In a crisp, flexible style that skillfully alternates past and present tense, Giardina creates a compelling image of one of the century's authentic heroes. Excitingly dramatic, with a dozen or more passionate exchanges in which the fate of civilization and the responsibilities of citizens are memorably debated.What is the price of acting morally in a time of great evil, when sin and necessity seem twinned? Saints and Villains is a strikingly resonant novel that dramatizes this painful dilemma through the fictional re-creation of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This emblematic figure risked his life--and finally lost it--through his participation in the failed plot to assassinate Hitler and topple the Nazi regime. In a gripping and sweeping narrative that moves from Berlin to London to New York City, encompassing shattering historical events, clandestine meetings, perilous missions abroad, and eventual imprisonments and death, Denise Giardina brings to life an instance of shining courage in the charnel house that was Europe in the Second World War. A novel that is bold in conception and utterly convincing in its powers of fictional re-creation--a literary event.Reviews:
"High drama . . . Stirring adventure . . . To find a historical figure like Dietrich Bonhoeffer packaged in what is essentially a moral thriller is a surprising joy." --The Boston Globe
"A SPLENDID NOVEL ABOUT A SPLENDID MAN . . . In the pantheon of heroes of this fading century, few are more deserving of residency than [Dietrich] Bonhoeffer." --Philadelphia Inquirer"COMPELLING . . . The story is engrossingly narrated, with an eye for significant detail, a strong sense of life's bitter ironies and a powerful feeling of immediacy. . . . The Bonhoeffer depicted in this novel is a convincing blend of high-mindedness and self-doubt, an austere yet vulnerable man, naive and unworldly in some respects, but able to see far more deeply than many of his contemporaries into the illness and evil of his time." --NewsdayAbout the author: Denise Giardina was born October 25, 1951 in Bluefield, West Virginia, and grew up in the small coal mining camp of Black Wolf, located in rural McDowell County, West Virginia. Like the rest of the community, her family's survival was dependent upon the prosperity of the mine. Giardina's grandfather and uncles worked underground and her father kept the books for Page Coal and Coke. Her family lived in Black Wolf until she was thirteen, when the mine closed. In order to find work, her family moved to the state capital of Charleston.
Giardina received a Bachelor's degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1973. She pursued graduate work at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, later receiving a Masters in Divinity from the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia in 1979. In 1980 she decided against ordination in favor of pursuing a career in writing. In order to fund this career choice, Denise Giardina did secretarial work during the day so she could write in the evenings. Giardina currently lives near Charleston and teaches at West Virginia State University. In 2007 she was reinstated as an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church
Her book Storming Heaven was a Discovery Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club and received the 1987 W. D. Weatherford Award for the best published work about the Appalachian South. The Unquiet Earth received an American Book Award and the Lillian Smith Book Award for fiction. Her 1998 novel Saints and Villains was awarded the Boston Book Review fiction prize and was semifinalist for the International Dublin Literary Award.


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English as a Second Language
Proof of English proficiency is required for admission to Memorial University. These requirements are outlined in the university Calendar.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum English proficiency requirements can apply to join Memorial University's Intensive English Program (IEP).
Memorial's IEP classes are small (no more than 18 students per class) and are taught by highly-qualified instructors. This allows for a great deal of interaction with the instructor and other students. All IEP students can use the university facilities, including the library, student centre, computer facilities and recreation complex.
Visit mun.ca/esl for further information.


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Atomic 'photos' help make gene editing safer
They show exactly how CRISPR works its wonders.
IBM-powered DNA sequencing could find bacteria in raw milk
They plan to sequence the DNA and RNA of milk and the microbes it typically gets in contact with.
A newsletter a day keeps the FOMO at bay.
Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | iHeart Radio
Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | iHeart Radio
Robots could soon cooperate on surveillance
Researchers are working on AI that works together to track objects.
ICYMI: Raining tiny satellites and the laundry-folding machine
Saving all of you who'd rather wear wrinkly clothes than ever fold something properly.
Cornell researchers create 3D printer that builds as you work
The 'on-the-fly' 3D print system aims for easy changes while prototyping.
Brain glucose levels can predict someone waking from a coma
Cornell University's measurement method was accurate eight out of ten times.
Researchers develop passive-aggressive robotic roommate
Using unsupervised learning, Watch-Bot's AI develops its own pet peeves.
Ancient mega-tsunamis hint at cold Martian oceans
And where there were cold oceans, there could well have been life.
GPS top hat uses directional sound to show the way
This chapeau's localized audio tells you where to go.


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Andy McBain
Senior Manager, RFID Sales & Marketing, Motorola
Andy McBain is the EMEA Product Marketing Manager for Mobile devices and RFID. He has spent over 15 years in the AIDC industry and has knowledge of many of the vertical sectors. Coming for a technical background he has seen a number of the issues faced during the implementation of Point of Activity solutions whether Bar code, Mobile or RFID based and has worked with many large customer on their venture into Enterprise Mobility solutions


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Mathematics is taught by a team of teachers:
James Keating
Kay Quinn
Elmarie Lynch
Martha Hayes
Marion Barry and Dav Leung
Maths Week is in October each year, where we try to show how important Maths is, in everyday life.
The Project Maths ideals followed discussions with teachers, lecturers and most importantly business people.
Mathematics is……
essential for disciplines such as science, technology, engineering and finance, but it also promotes the ability to think rationally, analyse and solve problems, and process data clearly and accurately. In a globalised competitive economy it is important that Ireland moves beyond being "average" at mathematics towards the promotion of advanced levels of skills, creativity and innovation. We urgently need to improve
attainment levels in mathematics generally and to encourage more students to take Higher Level Mathematics. In addition, mathematics is an essential life-skill for citizenship and economic and social participation in an increasingly complex world.
www.projectmaths.ie will provide a central portal for all mathematics curriculum
support materials.


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Rear Disc Brake Conversion
One reason automakers favor a front-disc/rear-drum configuration (aside from the low cost), is that drum brakes require a simpler -- and cheaper -- mechanism to operate the parking brake. On drum brakes, the parking brake cable controls a lever that's connected to the brake shoes. With disc brakes, the lever attaches to a separate mechanical device inside the caliper piston that pushes the piston into the pads. On some cars, the lever attaches to a separate drum inside the rear brake rotor, depending on single-piston or four-piston calipers brakes.
What this means for your conversion is that, depending on your vehicle, you may need to install an entirely new parking brake system. If you're lucky and your new brakes are compatible with your parking brake system, all you'll need to do is disconnect the parking brake before removing the old brakes, and then reconnect it after you've installed the new ones.
Removing The Drum Brakes
Rear drum removal is essentially the same as removing front drums, except for that pesky parking brake. Start by removing the wheels and then the dust cap, the center nut and washer and the brake-drum bolts. Before you remove the drum, you need to disconnect the brake hose and parking brake cable. After you remove the drum, inspect the spindle and either replace it or reuse it. Then reposition and secure the steering arm.
Installing The Disc Brakes
Attach the rotor to the spindle, followed by the washer, the bearing and nut and the cotter pin. Then put the dust cap on and move on to the caliper assembly.
Before positioning the caliper on the rotor, attach the new brake lines and install the pads. Then place the caliper over the rotor and attach the parking brake and the brake lines. Put the wheels and tires back on and you're nearly done.
As with the front conversion, it's extremely important to bleed the brakes and refresh the brake fluid. Equally important is testing the parking brake and making necessary adjustments.


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About School Championships
Did you know:
- The Schools Championships programme covers 10 great events across the whole of the UK.
- There's something for everyone; track and field for the summer months (sunny we hope!), with cross country during the winter for those who enjoy running through the mud!
- Many of our top athletes who have medalled at World Championships and Olympic Games have started their athletics careers competing at the Schools Championships.
- Each home nation has its own Schools Athletics Association so right across the UK – in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales – we're working together to offer competition opportunities at Primary and Secondary level.
- For those who are fortunate enough to go on to represent their countries, there are two Schools' Internationals (SIAB) each year that bring together the very best athletes from across the UK. Venues change from year to year, but you can check out more information by following the links through to the Home Countries' own websites.


text: Advertisement SEE ALSO: College Finder Map|See, Sort All 300 Best College Values|SPECIAL REPORT: Kiplinger's College Rankings|How We Rank the Best College Values Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, CA) (0) selected | Compare up to 5 View College Compare List Loyola Marymount University is ranked 72 in Kiplinger's list of Best Values in Private Colleges and is ranked 230 among all colleges. Visit College Website ACADEMIC QUALITY Applicants who took SAT 61% Applicants who took ACT 53% SAT Critical Reading Score 700+14% 600-69940% 600+54% SAT Math Score 700+15% 600-69946% 600+61% ACT Score 30-3633% 24-2962% 24+95% Students applied13,506 Students admitted7,276 Admission rate54% Students per faculty10 4-year graduation rate74% ANNUAL COSTS Tuition$45,460 Fees$926 Room and board$14,255 Estimated book expense$1,854 Total cost$62,495 Cost after need-based aid$42,055 Cost after non-need-based aid$52,410 Average debt at graduation$30,698 SALARY DATA Salary yardstick #$55,800 FINANCIAL AID % of aid need met66% Average need-based aid$20,440 Average non-need-based aid$10,085 STUDENT BODY Total enrollment6,261 Full-Time Men2,631 Women3,413 Part-Time Men125 Women92 Freshmen retained88% # - Based on the median earnings of workers who started at a particular college 10 years earlier and who received federal financial aid. The data don't consider whether the student graduated or went on to graduate school.NA - Not available SOURCES - Peterson's Databases (© 2018 Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.), U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. SEE ALSO: College Finder Map|See, Sort All 300 Best College Values|SPECIAL REPORT: Kiplinger's College Rankings|How We Rank the Best College Values


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Part 1:
Pissed Beyond Expression
With books in hand, ready to hit the library, someone knocks at my door to inform me that my car's windows are smashed and that there's a gaping, wirey hole where my CD player used to be.
To get to the radio they had to smash my window, break the ignition, cut through several plastic parts and do some serious unwiring. I bet they were pissed when that huge xmas box in my car was empty. All of that effort and the only other things besides the Pioneer CD player were a few lousy comic books.
Today a routine traffic check revealed a stolen car containing two men, a dozen or so car stereos, an amp, a pile of cds…
and one bag of library books.
The Walled Lake police called every library I'd borrowed books from until one of them ignored the Michigan Privacy act and released my name without a court order.
"Autumn? We've found your Fables comics and we'd like to ask you a few questions…"
I got those comic books back and my radio, too!


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There are products that may be part of our daily life and sometimes it just surprises you that, that's not how it works. Sometimes things aren't that complicated at all. Like these photos below that might surely change your routine on how you eat or use it.
1. Have you ever noticed the lock roll at the side of the aluminum foil box? You just need to press it to secure the roll in place.
2. You might be doing it all wrong, this is the proper way to get a Tic Tac.
3. Are you fond of eating this but you forgot your spoon?
Turn the foil into a spoon. But please make sure your mouth is not full of metal fillings.
4. Opening your peanut butter just like wrestler? Well you try to store your peanut butter just like this, to ensure the oil spread out in the container.
5. Make the most out of it, spread the ketchup cups widely to make use all of its space.
6. The flat bottom plunger is for the sink and the other plunger is for the toilet.
7. This Chinese take out food container are actually made to be folded out when you eat.
8. This is how less you should put a toothpaste on your toothbrush.
9. You might be scooping the toppings and yogurt in a different way. This yogurt container is intended to be folded in half.
10. The flap of the toilet seat cover should be placed in front.
11. If you're not gifted to drink in a can without spilling. Soda tabs can be used also as a straw holder.
12. Just to make sure that it might not unplug easily, try this.
13. Well this is a good art but pipe cleaners serve literally as pipe cleaners.
14. Teach your kid not to squeeze the soda box by holding the sides.
15. You don't need a knife or karate moves to cut a Toblerone.
16. You might want to use the hanging hole for spoon testing.
17. For easy floss, tie the floss and it helps you not to strangle your fingers again.
18. The lids from the top of the cup perfectly fits the bottom part of the cup for coaster.
Well! There you have it.


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By definition, operate of art can be a painting, sculpture, piece of carved furnishings, or anything, which is regarded as as attractive or artistic. Artwork Archive's Remedy works on any device (telephone, tablet, desktop) and takes the be concerned and hassle out of cataloging a collection, though offering strong economic intelligence and even heat-map primarily based location maps. Vertical paintings make the room appear taller while horizontal paintings make the space appear wider in size. Artwork Archive offers you easy however powerful tools to manage, document, and safeguard your art collection.
Artwork Archive provides artists at all levels of their careers with the tools they need to handle their art production and be effective in their small business practice. My father, who was at Artworks helping, is nevertheless raving about what a brilliant notion Artworks is. He thinks Artworks need to go globe wide-what a fabulous franchise. Extra-significant wall paintings for living area will normally be great room wall arts.
So the cartoon cover of Road to Ruin, made by punk rock zine artist John Holmstrom from a sketch produced by Scottish Ramones' fan Gus MacDonald, match the band properly. By donating to ArtWorks, you support us to continue to EMPLOY, ENGAGE, Develop, TRANSFORM the Greater Cincinnati region. 1 of the ever most effective paintings for the living room will be that of Raja Ravi Varma.


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Joel Del Rosario
I'd like to sincerely apologize to two fantastic radio hosts I haven't put here on my web site yet (but will!). Gary Fuston of GHP radio and Michael Anthony Fernandez of Rhythm and Jazz Radio. These two have fantastic radio shows featuring independent and mainstream jazz artists and have a huge following. Please tune into their awesome radio shows accessible on my links page! Thanks and I appreciate you both! -jDR
© 2019 Joel Del Rosario. All Rights Reserved. Powered by HostBaby.


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Shock Absorber : RUN Blue Red
Price: £35.00
Shock Absorber Run Blue and Red B5044 BRE Shock Absorber's expertly designed range of sports bras are activewear essentials. With every feature carefully crafted to guarantee the most comfortable workout, pack this breathable, quick-drying style in your gym bag to ensure you get the best support.Padded cups with adjustable non slip straps.
Designed specifically for runners, the award-winning Ultimate RUN bra reduces bounce by up to 78%* and provides ultimate friction-free comfort.
• Infinity-8 support system counteracts the breasts' figure-of-eight movement during running
• Soft, seamless inner reduces rubbing or chafing
• Non-slip, wide padded adjustable straps
• Reflective tape across cups for high visibility
• Full back opening for easy on and off
• Made from moisture-wicking, breathable fabric, sports performance fabrics
*University of Portsmouth 2009 (Scurr et al) - testing carried out against 'no bra' conditions.
Product code: B5044BRE
- Express delivery - £6.00 (Next working day, Excluding Saturdays)
- 1st Class delivery - £3.50 (Recorded)
- 2nd Class delivery - £3.00 (Recorded)
Orders placed before 3pm are dispatched the same day, subject to payment authorisation and stock availability.
Should there be any delay or stock issues; one of our excellent customer service team will contact you.
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Also found in: Dictionary, Medical, Wikipedia.
Bainbridge,city (1990 pop. 10,712), seat of Decatur co., SW Ga., on the Flint River; inc. 1829. It grew up around a fort, used by Andrew Jackson, that was constructed during the Indian Wars of 1817–1821. The city is a trade and industrial center as well as an inland port and barge terminal. Industries include printing and publishing and the manufacture of carpets and yarns, cotton, harvesting equipment, brooms and mops, and outdoor lighting. Nearby Lake Seminole offers fishing, hunting, and boating.
Beryl. born 1934, British novelist and playwright. Novels include The Dressmaker (1973), Injury Time (1977), Master Georgie (1998), and According to Queeney (2001)


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ICC events in recent years have witnessed the Indian cricket team devising unique ways of training and it was no different this time around with the side employing a unique 'two-bench' theory to counter the pace and bounce of Pakistani bowlers in its World Cup opener.
During the last World T20 in Bangladesh, Indian bowlers were sending down deliveries to a 10-feet tall batting mannequin to hone their skills in channel bowling. This time the batsmen devised a unique throwdown session using two small benches.
The idea behind the innovation is to get well equipped to counter the threat that 7 feet tall Pakistani paceman Mohammed Irfan could pose.
After Virat Kohli practised at the main nets, he went to the corner of the St Peter's Main Oval ground to get some throwdowns from team's specialist Raghavendra.
The throwdown expert was told to dig one delivery short, which Kohli would immediately move back and across to pull it effortlessly. It was followed by a fuller throwdown to counter the pitched-up delivery.
Once he had taken sufficient throwdowns, Kohli and later Ajinkya Rahane went to the adjacent net where two small benches of around 20 inch in height were kept side by side.
Assistant coach Sanjay Bangar stood on one of the benches with the throwdown equipment and then stepped on the other to throw balls from a good height.
The logic behind such a practice is to get an idea of steep bounce that Irfan might generate from just short of good length.
Bangar standing on the bench made him send down the deliveries from close to 10 feet (keeping the huge arm action of throwdowns), which will be a feet more than the height from which Irfan is expected to deliver.
It was Kohli, who spent maximum time at the nets and batted more than an hour in the two nets put together. Both Duncan Fletcher and team director Ravi Shastri kept a close eye as Kohli batted with all concentration in the world.
The Indian practice session can be segregated into specific areas that players concentrated on.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni arrived an hour into the session as he had taken a morning flight from Melbourne to reach Adelaide.
Dhoni batted mostly against slow bowlers like R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and some young boys from the South Australian High Performance Centre.
The fielding session under R Sridhar also had its own unique touch to it.
Sridhar made the trio of Ashwin, Mohammed Shami and Stuart Binny throw from the deep. The idea was to judge how quickly they reach the ball and to have a perfect pick-up and throw.
"I want to see the power guys," Sridhar shouted as Shami ran for the ball.
Later Sridhar had a 'position specific session' with Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan.
Raina is expected to field at either point or cover point. Accordingly an imaginary fielding set-up was done with Sridhar playing the cut shot - either square cut or back cut and Raina was diving on both sides to stop the balls. The same drill was repeated for Dhawan.
The other interesting aspect was a long chat that Shastri had with Dhoni.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.
Updated Date: Feb 13, 2015 19:39:28 IST


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The fourth slim volume of memoirs (Stet, 2001, etc.) from the veteran London editor looks back on a mostly blissful English country childhood, concluding that early happiness is life's best preparation for death.
Beginning with the passing of her mother ("that a woman of ninety-six was lucky enough to die an easy death without losing her wits . . . there was nothing much to mourn in that"), Athill, 85, offers a series of upbeat accounts of what it's like to be "a mobile reservoir of experience" ("you can so easily let your mind drift") before examining her first 17 years. The eldest of five children born to an upper-middle-class family in Norfolk, Athill offers lush, episodic recollections that drift over the flora and fauna surrounding her grandparent's large country estate, touch on her real and imaginary adventures with siblings, her closeness with horses, and her sensitivity to the varying moods within the many rooms of her grandparents' huge manor house, which she contrasts to the smaller but no less interesting farmhouse that her parents occupied. Things that could have been sources of trauma don't become so here (a malignant "ghost" glimpsed during potty-training; a fussy French governess; a funereal doctor who mistakenly diagnoses her childhood coughs and sniffles as tuberculosis); nor do the exciting but carefully constrained fumblings of teenage love become anything more than momentary interruptions in a childhood rich with the rhythms of nature, the mostly kind, if occasionally incomprehensible, administrations of servants and teachers, and the aloof but unquestioned affection from parents. All these gave Athill a sense of self, and of place, before adult uncertainties intruded and, as she puts it, "the gates of Eden clanged shut."
Graceful recollections of a privileged English childhood that was "directed by common sense as well as with love." (15 b&w photos)


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SleepingInAirports.com recommends a big pair of headphones and a walkman to drown out the sound of airport announcements and to make the stay seem shorter. Of course, nowadays, everyone uses an iPod instead (and with the Griffin iTalk microphone, the iPod is a great fieldwork tool). I use it for all of my interviews as well as dictating notes to myself. They sync right back up to my laptop and I put them in the same folder as my written notes (now you can see why losing my laptop was such a big deal).
Rather than big "earmuff" headphones, I might also recommend inner-ear headphones such as the Sony MDR-EX71. I've had these now for about a month. These have silicon earplugs in various sizes that seal out outside sound much better than the open-air phones that come with the iPod. The sound quality is much better and it really quietens the roar of the airplane if you're sitting in the rear seats. I bought mine for just over Y4000 in Japan.
The one downside is that they seal out sound so well that you really have to be careful if you're walking around a busy city while wearing them. You can't hear bicycles or taxis that are bearing down on you with homicidal intent. You can also buy Shure high-end phones that look similar but cost over $200. I'm not that rich so I can't say if the sound is that much better.


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The countdown begins to a new chapter for Just in Time as we prepare to move to a new location! In today's Monday Memo, you'll read about where we are headed, why we making the move, and what it means for our mission. You'll also get connected to our continuing service to youth through our Career Horizons/Financial Horizons workshops, read about two developing partnerships, and the launch of our 2017 College Bound campaign.
We'll keep you updated on the details of our big move as they become available and you can check out the location at: https://email@example.com,-117.0967929,3a,75y,145.94h,87.7t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sTdS8bHSITcMCwvLOdNc4dw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1


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Official Herman Li website | 李康敏 – 官方网站
'Welcome to my brand new site. I am currently working on a new exciting project. I can't wait to tell you more soon!'
'欢迎来到我的新网站. 我目前正在研究一个令人兴奋的新项目. 我希望能尽快告诉你!'
Official Herman Li website | 李康敏 – 官方网站
'Welcome to my brand new site. I am currently working on a new exciting project. I can't wait to tell you more soon!'
'欢迎来到我的新网站. 我目前正在研究一个令人兴奋的新项目. 我希望能尽快告诉你!'
I will be touring in China to celebrate my Ibanez signature guitar, the EGEN's 10th anniversary! See below for the tour dates. – Herman Ibanez EGEN 10th Anniversary | 2008 – 2018 October 12th – 15:30 Shanghai – Music China上海国际乐器展览会 长城乐器展位舞台W5G15 October 13th – 19:00 Wuxi – EM7音乐生活家 October 14th – 20:00 Wuhan – 弥迪琴行-L7 …
Continue reading "HERMAN LI SIGNATURE GUITAR MODEL – IBANEZ EGEN 10TH ANNIVERSARY"
It was a pleasure to present the RIAA Certified DragonForce Gold Record to my friend Larry DiMarzio. DiMarzio make my HLM Custom pickups, found on my Ibanez EGEN18 signature guitar.
Happy Chinese New Year! It's the year of the dog 🙂 .
Born in Hong Kong, Herman Li (Chinese: 李康敏) is the guitarist, songwriter, and producer of the Grammy-nominated metal act DragonForce.
In the last 15 years, Herman has established himself as one of the most recognised and influential guitarists of his generation. He is a two-time winner of the Metal Hammer's Golden Gods 'Best Shredder' award and has topped four categories in Guitar World's Readers Poll. Outside of DragonForce, Herman has performed with guitar legends Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Tony MacAlpine, and Paul Gilbert, among others.
Herman believes that to improve as a guitar player, it is important to understand the instrument as much as possible. To that end, Herman has worked to develop innovations for his Ibanez signature guitar series, the EGEN, which is equipped with the latest guitar technology. Herman is also interested in inspiring and coaching the next generation of guitar players and has contributed guitar lessons to publications such as Young Guitar (Japan), Total Guitar (UK), and Premier Guitar (USA).
Outside of music, Herman's interests include computer technology, martial arts and Porsche racing. He is fluent in Chinese, French, and English.
Notable Awards and Achievements
RIAA Certified Platinum Single 'Through the Fire and Flames"
RIAA Certified Gold Album 'Inhuman Rampage'
Music Radar/Total Guitar 2017 – Best Metal Guitarists in the World
Metal Hammer Golden Gods 2009 – Best Shredder Award
The Grammy Awards 2008 – "Best Metal Performance" Nomination
Guitar World Reader's Poll 2007 – Best New Talent
Guitar World Reader's Poll 2007 – Best Metal
Guitar World Reader's Poll 2007 – Best Riff
Total Guitar Reader's Poll 2007 – Best Solo
Terrorizer Reader's Poll 2006 – Best Band "DragonForce"
Terrorizer Reader's Poll 2006 – Best Musician "Herman Li"
Terrorizer Reader's Poll 2006 – Best Live Act "DragonForce"
Metal Hammer Golden Gods 2005 – Best Shredder Award
Video Games


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I did mark off my favorites, such as bondage, breast/nipple torture, pain, pinching, spanking, talking dirty and vibrators—but really, how much does that tell you about me? I'd imagine not that much because even though I was given choices like being into or curious about these fetishes, or giving, receiving or watching, to me, that is just more than a stranger needs to know about my sexuality.
It's certainly not something I'd discuss on a first date, and that's why I only use FetLife for professional purposes. I'd be extremely dismayed if I did decide to sleep with a date and they just assumed they knew what made me tick because they'd read about me in such a limited form. I'm much more about the excitement of the slow reveal, à la a burlesque act.
Despite my reservations, this year I ventured into online dating for the first time, thinking that maybe I'd been too hasty to reject it as a potential option. After all, there are millions of people in New York City and my social circles tend to overlap (and, okay, someone I had a little crush on was on there too and I thought I might "bump" into them).
I tried OkCupid first, and was immediately stumped. The toughest part was filling out the profile, followed by a list of numerous inane questions that seemed more like Zen koans than actual guides toward how a person thinks.
After almost backing out, I finally managed to create a self-summary that says, "I'm a fun-loving workaholic looking for a serious relationship" and the most private thing I was willing to admit is that I used to drink four to six liters of diet Coke a day. When I reread my profile now, though, I hardly sound like someone I'd want to befriend, yet I feel I'm an inquisitive, sensitive person who is looking for a relationship where I get to dote on someone else (and be doted on in return). It's just hard to say that without sounding foolish on OkCupid.
The first guy to contact me there actually sounded very appealing, but he wasn't asking me out, just wishing me good luck on the site. After that, it was largely downhill. Apparently it's standard to just write, "What's up?" or something equally bland. I deliberately left my profile pretty vague and didn't get into my sexual preferences because is that really something someone needs to know before they really know my name, rather than sweetthing2010? I'd say no. But of course some guy who recognized me wrote to ask, "When are you going to let everyone know how kinky you are?"
And there's the rub. Too many people know that, because I've put it out there in my work. I don't regret that per se, but it leaves them with an unfair advantage, not to mention assumptions. He wasn't as bad as the one whose attempt at a compliment—"You look like you've lost weight recently!"—was an utter failure.
The truth is, if I found the love of my life and wanted to be with them, I'd forgo kink in favor of true love in a heartbeat. I only like doing BDSM with people who are equally as ardent about it (or are open to learning). I'm just coming away from a relationship where I thought my boyfriend was into rough sex, but apparently wasn't, and that's made me more than a bit wary about oversharing with people I'm dating.
I've heard plenty of horror stories, but just this week I ran into a friend who last I'd heard was going hiking on her second date set up via a dating site, and now they are talking about moving in together. They just happen to share a love of travel and many other interests. I had some wonderful dates with a girl I met on OkCupid, but I only responded to her because I'd met her briefly at an event and recognized her photo and handle, otherwise I most likely would've checked out her profile, but been too nervous to respond.
I asked Cara Bruce and Shawna Kenney, co-editors of the anthology Robot Hearts: True and Twisted Tales of Seeking Love in the Digital Age (Pinchback Press, 2010), what they'd recommend regarding online dating (even though both women met their husbands the old-fashioned way).
"First of all, take everything that anyone says with a bucket full of salt. People lie and unfortunately the Internet only makes it easier. Second, be aware of anyone who seems to grow attached very quickly; also, watch out for people who probe you for information but are reluctant to give any."
They are totally right, and it's good advice offline, too, but some stubborn part of me doesn't want to approach people from a suspicious POV.
For all that, there is something incredibly seductive about meeting people online. Just this week, after feeling totally disillusioned with the medium, I got an email from a man who, in his profile, anyway, seemed like everything I'm looking for: smart, spiritual, self-actualized, and old enough to know what he wants.
Within two minutes of reading his profile, I found myself responding and already pondering when we could meet in person. Especially when someone posts that they want children, which is otherwise a tricky topic to bring up, it can seem as simple as click, meet, mate.
There's also a communal aspect to online dating. A friend in Denver told me to check out a certain Cuban/Jewish cartoonist who she thought I might like. You can compare notes with friends if someone sounds too good to be true or you're curious about their reputation, though it is also a little bizarre.
I also realize that there are many factors that go into how we're perceived online. Kia Matthews, who's black, posed as a white woman with a new profile and the same answers, and has blogged extensively about the results. She also brilliantly skewers some of the very dumb questions OkCupid asks (because in whose mind is: "When is suicide okay?" relevant when it comes to a date?). I wonder if I wrote that I'm kinky, bisexual and don't want to get married would skew my results?
Ultimately, I doubt that I'm going to meet the love of my life online. I enjoy getting to know new people, whether the dating/sex side pans out or not, but online dating makes me feel like I'm being judged. Of course, people make judgments all the time, but I feel more in control of how I talk, dress and act in real life than I do within the confines of a profile, no matter how much it lets me ramble.


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The year-end appeal is one of the most important communications nonprofits will send out all year. 30 percent of annual online gifts are made during the holidays, and people also tend to give 80 percent larger gifts. An effective ask is crucial to leveraging this once-a-year opportunity.
Unfortunately, simply having a year-end appeal doesn't mean you're maximizing year-end fundraising. Some appeals are crafted in ways that can inadvertently leave support on the table. Keeping this in mind, we've listed 6 types of appeals nonprofit professionals that are sure to flop.
Check Out Classy's Giving Tuesday Resource Center
Flop #1: The Stand-Alone Email Appeal
If you were planning to send a single email appeal this year, it's time to reconsider your approach. It's easy for people to miss or disregard a single message (even if they don't mean to). This can easily happen during the holiday season, when their inboxes are flooded with messages from friends, family, and other organizations.
Instead, the better approach is to develop a larger narrative across a series of two or three emails. According to an M+R study comparing a multiple email series to stand-alone emails, a 2-3 part email series had four times the response rate and nearly double the average donation size. Create a cohesive, multiple-part email campaign to maximize your chances of reaching your supporters and increasing donations.
Flop #2: The One-for-All, All-for-One Appeal
Sending mass emails to your entire audience is an ineffective marketing practice, any time of the year. People are getting more emails now than ever before, causing irrelevant messages to annoy recipients and end up in the trash bin – or, worse yet, get marked as spam.
To improve your chance of engagement, you need to make sure your year-end appeals are as personalized and relevant to supporters as possible. This means you need to segment your email list so you can send targeted messages to specific groups of supporters. There are many ways you can segment your donor database, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Frequency of donations
- Last donation amount
- Last donation date
- Specific campaigns or program donated to
- Volunteers
Flop #3: The Appeal that Links to a Generic Donation Form
Your year-end appeal will have its own specific messaging, branding and images that move people to give back this holiday season. But if your special message directs them to a generic donation page, supporters can quickly lose the emotional push inspired by your email's copy, images and storyline.
Instead, connect your special appeals to a custom donation form that reiterates the same branding, images, and copy. Consistency between your appeal and donation page enables you to sustain the emotional momentum your appeal helped create. This way, you'll be able to maximize your conversion rate for that email appeal.
Read Next: Only One Donation Form? You Might Be Missing Out
Pro Tip: But wait, there's another way you can use customized donation pages to help generate better returns during the holidays. If you segment your donor database by past average gift amounts, you can send each group of donors to different donation forms with appropriate default gift ranges. You can use this information to motivate specific groups of supporters to upgrade their gift amount without inadvertently downgrading larger donors.
Flop #4: The Appeal that Isn't Mobile-Responsive
This one can be a bit more difficult to implement, but it's worth keeping in mind even if it can't be addressed this year. 66 percent of emails are now read on a mobile device, and people are quick to delete or unsubscribe from messages that aren't optimized for smaller screens. Accordingly, a year-end appeal that doesn't format properly on smartphones or tablets has an extremely high chance of going unread. And if it goes unread, well…it won't generate donations.
During the holiday season, you definitely don't want to leave all those mobile donations on the table. To improve your chances of getting smartphone-using readers to your donation page, make sure your email appeals are beautifully formatted for small screens.
Here are a few ways you can optimize your appeal for the mobile experience:
- Deliver emails that are responsive, so they'll look great on any device (many email marketing services like MailChimp and CampaignMonitor offer responsive templates).
- Make sure to use 16px as a minimum font size for body copy, and 22px for headlines
- Make your CTA touch-friendly by making the button at least 44 x 44 pixels
Flop #5: The Appeal that Isn't Urgent
If your appeals don't spark any sense of urgency, people won't be motivated to respond to your appeals right away. And if they don't respond now, they may never do so.
Your appeal should communicate an important, pressing need specific to your campaign. Use language that creates a sense of urgency around your call to action, like "now," "today," or "immediately."
Deadlines also fuel a sense of urgency. The perfect deadline to use for your year-end appeal is, coincidentally, the end of the year. A few days before December 31st, you can send an email as a "last chance" reminder for donors to get in their tax-deductible gifts for the year. You can even send a couple emails on December 31st to count down the number of hours left to make a gift, as in "24 hours left to make a gift!" to "2 hours left to make a gift!" Deadlines can hike up a sense of urgency and compel supporters to act immediately.
Read Next: Powering an Urgent Campaign with Deadlines
Flop #6: The Appeal that Ignores Donors
A key element of every appeal and campaign is its follow-up. With 53 percent of donors leaving an organization due to a lack of effective communication, failing to follow up will give your organization a harder time on the donor retention front.
At the very least, your donors should receive an automated thank-you email after they make their gift. On top of that, you should include them in a follow-up campaign that thanks them for contributing to your holiday fundraising efforts.
This campaign can include:
- An annual impact report to show what your organization achieved this past year
- The results of your holiday campaign and its impact on your mission
- Your plans and goals for the New Year
- A detailed note of appreciation for your donors
- How funds will be distributed in the upcoming year
As you plan and craft your message, make sure to steer clear of any mistakes that can jeopardize your chances of success. Tweaking these various elements can make a huge difference in how supporters respond to your year-end ask. Invest the time and effort to improve your appeal's message and delivery, and maximize your returns this holiday season!
50+ Free Giving Tuesday Resources to Download


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Last night police in 51 division got into a short chase with a driver who wouldn't stop. He drove down Adelaide the wrong way and eventually crashed at Ontario st. The driver was taken to St. Mike's with minor injuries. He faces multiple charges including impaired operation of a motor vehicle. TSV investigates the collision.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
TGIF .... It's the weekend.
I thought it was going to be a quiet night. We had a three alarm house fire on Sepia Dr. in North York and I was thinkimg that might be it. Later on that night I went to a tractor trailer roll over on the QEW at Winston Churchill. On the way back downtown I also shot an accident on Queen St where an alleged drunk driver slammed into a cab while the cab was taking on a passenger. The passenger was thrown and had head injuries. Traffic Services was called in to reconstruct the accident. I didn't have time to feel tired. I'm home now and have a couple of days off. TGIF.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Triple Shooting in Toronto
Thursday, October 8, 2009
5 Guns, 50 Charges, 2 Men and a Boy
Congrats to the folks in 51 Division Street Crime Unit. While executing a warrant on suspected drug dealers they seized four loaded handguns and an AK-47 assault rifle which was modified for easy concealment. They admit even they were surprised with the amount of firepower they found in the Regent Park townhouse. Three suspects, one a young offender just 16 years old, face 50 charges. Hats off to 51 Division Street Crime. Reality TV.
Nice Fall Sunrise.
I went for a walk this morning at the mouth of the Credit River. It was so nice just to think about photos and nothing else. Every now and again I need to just get away from all the bad news and smell the flowers. The bad news can drag you down if you don't have some balance.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Fatal 401 Collision
A man is dead and another is in critical condition after a fiery crash on the 401 near Whitby just before midnight.
Witnesses said a car was apparently driving in reverse on the highway when a tractor-trailer smashed into it near Thickson Road.
Ministry of Transportation staff who were working nearby saw the car burst into flames and were able to pull the passenger out of the burning vehicle, but were not able to save the driver, who was pronounced dead at Sunnybrook Hospital.
The passenger is in hospital with life-threatening injuries and the driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured. No names have been released.
The eastbound lanes of the highway are open, but Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Dave Woodford said the on-ramp will likely remain closed for most of Monday morning.
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Major Writings - Nichiren Daishounin
Reply to Ko Nyudo
I have received two paper bags of sea laver, ten bundles of seaweed, one paper bag of algae and one
bunch of mushrooms.
The human mind is inconstant; it is ever-changing and unfixed. I thought it wondrous that you pledged
faith in my teachings while I was in the province of Sado, and your sincerity in sending your husband all the way here is
even more remarkable. The provinces we live in are far apart and months and years have passed, so I was concerned that you
might slacken in your resolve. However, you are increasingly demonstrating the depth of your faith and accumulating good deeds.
Surely this is not a result of practice over just one or two previous lifetimes.
Because the Lotus Sutra is difficult to believe, the Buddha assumes various forms, such as that of one's
child, parent or wife, to enable one to take faith in it. However, you have no children, and live alone as husband and wife.
The sutra states, "... the living beings in it [this threefold world] are all my children." If this is so, then Shakyamuni
Buddha, the lord of teachings, must be a compassionate father to both of you. I, Nichiren, must be your child, but, wishing
to save the people of Japan, I am residing
for the time being in the central part of the country. The meritorious deeds you have accumulated in
previous existences are indeed precious.
When the Mongols come pouring into Japan, please make your way here. And, because you have no sons,
please consider coming here to live with me in your old age. No place is secure. Be convinced that Buddhahood is the final
The twelfth day of the fourth month
Reply to Ko Nyudo
A Comparison of
the Lotus Sutra and Other Sutras
A Ship to Cross
the Sea of Suffering
Earthly Desires
Are Enlightenment
Clear Sake Gosho
Letter to Niike
Letter to Domyo
Letter to Akimoto
Letter from Sado
Reply to Nichigon-ama
Roots of Good Fortune
Reply to Jibu-bo
No Safety in the
Threefold World - Nichiren Daishounin
Letter to Horen
- Nichiren Daishounin
King Rinda - Nichiren
Jozo and Jogen -
Nichiren Daishounin
Bodhisattva Hachiman
- Nichiren Daishounin
On Prayer - Nichiren
The Opening of the
Eyes Part I
The Opening of the
Eyes Part II
Conversation between
a Sage and an Unenlightened Man
Conversation between
a Sage and an Unenlightened Man Part II
Establishment of
the Legitimate Teaching for the Protection of the Country
How Those Initially
Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood Through the Lotus Sutra
The Learned Doctor
The Entity of the
Mystic Law
The Pure and Far-reaching
Reply to Takahashi
The Teaching, Capacity,
Time, and Country
The Doctrine of
Attaining Buddhahood in One's Present Form
Encouragement to
a Sick Person
The Essence of the
Yakuo Chapter
The Daimoku of the
Lotus Sutra
The Supreme Leader
of the World
The Treasure of
a Filial Child
The Supremacy of
the Law
Reply to Nii-ama
The Workings of
Bonten and Taishaku
The Story of Ohashi
no Taro
The Teaching in
Accordance with the Buddha's Own Mind
The Treatment of
Illness and the Points of Difference between Mahayana and Hinayana and Provisional
Repaying Debts of
On Practicing the
Buddha's Teachings
On the Urabon
Letter to the Priests
of Seicho-ji
Letter to Nichimyo
Letter to Shomitsu-bo
Questions and Answers
on Embracing the Lotus Sutra
Reply to Sairen-bo
Rationale for Submitting
the Rissho Ankoku Ron
Persecution by Sword
and Staff
Rebuking Slander
of the Law and Eradicating Sins
Recitation of the
Hoben and Juryo Chapters
Reply to Lord Hakiri
Reply to Yasaburo
Letter to Ichinosawa
Letter to Myomitsu
Reply to Hoshina
Goro Taro
Wu-lung and I-lung
White Horses and
White Swans
The Sutra of True
The Kalpa of Decrease
The Farther the
Source, the Longer the Stream
The Third Doctrine
The One-eyed Turtle
and the Floating Sandalwood Log
Letter to Nakaoki
General Stone Tiger
The Heritage of
the Ultimate Law of Life
Lessening the Karmic
Letter to the Brothers
Hell is the Land
of Tranquil Delight
On Prolonging Life
On the Buddha's
On the Buddha's
On the Treasure
Propagation by the
The Embankments
of Faith
The Dragon Gate
Strategy of the
Lotus Sutra
Reply to Kyo-o
The Person and the
The One Essential
The Gift of Rice
The Real Aspect
of the Gohonzon
Letter of Petition
from Yorimoto
Introduction and
Preface to the Ongi Kuden: Namu Myoho Renge Kyo [Devotion to the Lotus Sutra]
Muryogi Sutra [Sutra
of Innumerable Meanings]
Chapter 3: Simile
and Parable [Hiyu]
Chapter 4: Faith
and Understanding [Shinge]
Chapter 6: Prediction
Chapter 7: Phantom
City [Kejoyu]
Chapter 8: Prophecy
of Enlightenment for Five Hundred Disciples [Gohyaku Deshi Juki]


text:
- On the move Meet at the airport and board your flight to Singapore!
Singapore & Vietnam
On this tour students will experience the unique cultures of Singapore and Vietnam as they tour the city sights and attractions. As they explore the Battlefields of Singapore and the underground tunnels and sprawling rivers of Vietnam students will gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of WWII and the Vietnam War while visiting fascinating museums and monuments.
10 Days
Singapore Battlefields TourNight SafariCu Chi TunnelsMekong Delta TourUniversal Studios
Your Adventure, Day by Day
- Battlefields Tour This morning meet with your guide for the Singapore Battlefields tour. Beginning at the Johore Battery, you will also make stops at the Changi jail, Selarang barracks, Changi Chapel and Museum and the Battle Box at Fort Canning
- Night Safari Zoo Nestled amongst a lush forest, the night safari offers the unique experience of exploring wildlife in a tropical jungle at night
- City sights Enjoy a City Cultural tour of Singapore which begins with a spectacular 30-minute flight aboard the Singapore Flyer. Towering 165 meters above Singapore, the Singapore Flyer is the world's largest observation wheel and provides more than a view, it captures Singapore's magnificent skyline!
- Afterwards explore the Civic District and catch a glimpse of the Padang, Parliament House, Supreme Court and City Hall. Stop at Merlion Park and enjoy amazing views of Marina Bay
- The tour continues with a visit to the Thian Hock Keng Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist-Taoist temples on Singapore Island. Continue on to Chinatown to a local handicraft centre and Kampong Glam where you will understand more about the Malay culture
- Universal Studios Transfer to Sentosa Island and Universal Studios Singapore. Featuring 24 movie-themed rides and attractions, 18 of which are unique to Singapore, thrill seekers will be the first to experience many new rides and shows based on blockbuster hits
- Gardens by the bay Today tour the spectacular Gardens by the Bay which provides the group with an opportunity to experience the development of modern Singapore. Housing more than 250,000 rare plants and 18 Supertrees, the park is built to raise the quality of life of Singaporeans by enhancing greenery and flora in the city
- On the move Transfer by private coach to the airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City
- Cu Chi Tunnels During the Vietnam War underground tunnels were used by the Viet Cong and the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels were the location of several military campaigns. This morning meet your guide and coach for the guided tour of the Cu Chi tunnel complex
- City sights After returning to Ho Chi Mint City, join a city tour and discover the city's historical sights including the Notre Dame Cathedral, Chinatown, War Remnants Museum, Ben Thanh Market and the Reunification Palace
- Mekong River Tour Enjoy a full-day tour to the watery world of the Mekong Delta. Take a boat trip along the narrow waterways overhung with dense vegetation. Try exotic fruits at one of the many orchards on Thoi Son Island. Visit the beautiful Vinh Trang Pagoda, the best known Buddhist temple in the region
- Evening Activities Return to Ho Chi Minh City for dinner while cruising on the Saigon River
- Departure Enjoy some last minute sightseeing and shopping before boarding the coach for the transfer to the airport for the flight home
- Welcome home


text:
Most of Taiwan enjoys a tropical climate, with sunny and rainy seasons. Only the northern part of Taiwan has winter. The coldest average temperature recorded there is 15 °C.
Overall, the weather in Taiwan isn't harsh, so you can visit this country practically any time of the year. The normal average temperature is about 24 °C (75 °F) in the south and 22 °C (72 °F) in the north.
However, the best time to visit Taiwan is from September to November, when the weather is warm and dry. Air pollution is also said to be at a minimum and prices are lower everywhere during this time of the year.
March to May is not the best time for a visit, because the weather can be unpredictable during these months. It can be a sunny day one day, then gray and rainy the next. There are also reports of sandstorms coming from China during these months.
For sun worshippers and beach lovers, the summer months of June to August are the best time to go to Taiwan and do different types of outdoor activities. July is the warmest month; the average temperature can reach up to 27 °C (81 °F).
If you plan to travel during the summer months, book flights and hotels way ahead of time, because Taiwan's tourists count peaks during this time, making it more difficult to secure a hotel and flights.
You should also take into consideration the national holidays in Taiwan. Chinese New Year, for instance, is nice to celebrate in this country, but since almost everything – including shopping malls and restaurants – is closed during this celebration, you won't have any place to go to.
Hotels also impose additional surcharges on Chinese New Year, so aside from having a hard time finding a room, the rates also come out really high.
Taiwan also has lots of visitors during the Lantern Festival, which happens in February. This is considered the most romantic night of the year.


text:
Let's Dream of a Better World
February 25, 2006
I was thinking about writing about the relationship of debt creation and inflation, or Bernanke's "sacrifice ratio" concept — and come to think of it I still haven't written about the amazing summer of 1972 — but instead I thought I'd talk about some of my other interests, particularly what is sometimes known as "urban geography."
It has become clearer to me, over the years, that the post-World War II industrial lifestyle experiment, led and exemplified by the United States, is a gross failure and tragedy. In the longer sweep of history it will be seen as a brief phase, somewhat like Communism in China (i.e. a command economy under a Maoist dictator, unlike the capitalist economy under a mandarinate government of today) will be seen as a brief episode in Chinese history. The most basic reason why it won't continue is that it can't: it is too consumptive of resources and destructive of the environment. But even if that could be mitigated somehow, for example by some as-yet-unknown energy source to replace fossil fuels, it is so unpleasant that people will eventually decide to put it out of its misery one way or another.
This "post World War II industrial lifestyle experiment" has a multitude of aspects. To start with, let's list some of the nicer qualities, perhaps things that we want to keep as part of our New Way of Living which will replace the PWW2ILE. Here's a brief list:
1) good plumbing, which has helped greatly with
2) cleaner cities, and thus:
3) a major reduction in infectious disease.
4) Electricity, which allows:
5) air-conditioned offices. OK, I could live without this, and I have never used an air conditioner at home even when I've owned one, but this seems to me like one luxury that is worth keeping.
This list is nearly exhaustive, meaning that I would be hard pressed to think of a #6, let alone a #10. Think of that: all of our meaningful advances can be reduced to an index card, and by the way they were all accomplished by 1970.
I have personally experienced both rural living (in Vermont) and urban living (in Tokyo and San Francisco), and both are fine with me. The problem lies with suburban living, the sort of living arrangement that appeared on the scene after World War II. This was something completely different, made possible by widespread automobile usage. If you go back in human history, as far back as you like, you find both urban and rural living. People have lived in large cities since Sumerian times, around 3500 BC. Today, in the United States, there aren't many people living in true urban environments (defined as a place where it is easier to not own a car than to own one), nor are there many people living in traditional rural situations, which historically has meant independent farms. "Rural" areas today tend to be the outer scatterings of the suburbs, or just plain depopulated places.
I won't go on too long about the problems of the suburbs, especially as Jim Kunstler (www.kunstler.com) has done such a good job of it. But let's think of what our living arrangement of the future, replacing the present tragedy, may entail. First, it should be both more urban, and more rural. More urban as city dwellers dwell in urban (no car) environments, and more rural as, perhaps, more people also live on largely self-sufficient farms. I don't know quite how the move to more individual farmers might come about, but it may be a part of a process by which we abandon today's artificial agriculture and re-embrace real food, natural non-hybridized varieties grown without artificial fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. Indeed, "organic" meats and vegetables have been a big winner in the otherwise stable agricultural sector, growing by about 20% per year in recent years, and much of this is produced by smaller operators. Is this an advancement? In 1930, all food was "organic." Perhaps we could adopt the Japanese solution of simply making corporate farming illegal. The result of that policy has been somewhat higher food prices, but so what — Japanese are wealthy people and they can afford it. The food quality is much better than what we have in the US, and a tradition of independent farmers is maintained. There has been quite a bit of talk recently that depleting fossil fuel supplies will lead to the readoption of farming in historic farming districts like Pennsylvania, Western Massachussets and New York State, which are now largely unused.
Urban (no car) environments have traditionally been ones where the preferred method of transportation is walking, as in London or Paris of 1830 for example, but since this is a bit impractical today, we should expect to use trains. Trains are wonderful, highly evolved technology, and there isn't much that one could do to make them better. Nor are there many alternatives, except for variants such as aboveground monorails instead of below-ground subways. Trains will be the preferred transportation system of the future, unless we get ourselves in such a mess that we end up walking. However, trains and cities are built together — the city must be built for trains, which in practice means that once you step off the train, you are in an environment where you can walk instead of taking a car. You cannot plop trains down in a city built for cars and expect them to work. When you get off the train, all you find is a giant parking lot. So we are facing the rebuilding of all our urban areas, a rather daunting prospect although hardly an insurmountable one. The fact is, most of our urban areas have been built in the last fifty years anyway, so in a sense we would just be doing what we have been doing. The Chinese have been rebuilding their urban environment at a much faster pace than that.
I am writing this in part because I think of the Chinese, who, understandably, have visions of living a "western" i.e. US-style lifestyle in the future. They will fail, as they will find it physically impossible to do so, but even before then I would like to warn the Chinese and others that imitating the US is not even desirable, as it is a failure and a tragedy. Chinese people would be better off imitating Hong Kong, which is much closer to what I have in mind, as Hong Kong is both a hyper-dense city of six million inhabitants and a place where nature is close at hand and relatively unmolested. You can actually put your boots on in the middle of the financial district in Hong Kong and go for a nice hike in the mountains of Hong Kong Island. So, for China: lots of trains, tall buildings, narrow roads, no parking, and stop building expressways. (It's best to be specific and not too philosophical.)
More like this. (Hong Kong)
Narrow streets, tall buildings, people walking around, no parking, trains
Less like this. (Las Vegas)
Crap like this as far as the eye can see. (Some nameless suburban hellhole.)
Is there anything more dismal in the 5500-year history of cities?
China is already running into problems with water supply. Humans are grossly wasteful of water, and not because you leave the faucet on when you brush your teeth. The average US citizen uses roughly 70 gallons of water a day. Much is flushed down the toilet, due to the somewhat bizarre practice of pooping in drinking water. Even more is used for taking care of the bits and pieces of suburbia, such as watering lawns and washing cars, especially in arid environments like Los Angeles or Phoenix, where people have the psychotic need to maintain lawns reminiscent of the English countryside. In my better future, human waste would be composted, which is what the Chinese did with their "night soil" for thousands of years, before adopting the recent habit of pooping in drinking water. Nevertheless, it must be said that the modern flush toilet contributes greatly to general urban cleanliness. Fortunately, today we actually have flush toilets (they use about a pint of water, and there are no-water toilets as well) that are connected to a central composter, which could be kept in the basement of an apartment building for example.
Sun-Mar commercial composting system
As for electricity, we should eventually be using much less of it, which would allow a far greater portion of total electricity generation to be accomplished by "renewable" methods. If 25% of electricity today comes from hydroelectric, solar, wind, etc. (it's not 25% but let's imagine), then if people used 75% less electricity in total, then 100% of electricity could be supplied from renewable resources. This inevitably conjures up images of huddling around a kerosene lamp, but in fact it is not very hard at all to reduce electricity usage dramatically while maintaining a fully modern lifestyle. Anyone who investigates "getting off the grid" with some backyard solar/microhydro/wind project inevitably finds that it is far easier to use less electricity than to generate more. A 100W incandescent light bulb uses 100W of electricity. That's a lot. A compact fluorescent bulb that produces the same amount of light uses 25W. And a hyper-bright LED bulb that can produce the same amount of light in a small area (but not in all directions) uses about 4W. 100W to 4W, just by changing lightbulbs. Then, of course, if you have a smaller domicile (like those in Hong Kong instead of those in Alexandria, Virginia), you might have three or four light bulbs in a room instead of ten or fifteen. Of course, it's easy to turn off the air conditioner, which is not at all needed in residential environments even in the hottest weather, if the building has been properly designed. An electric fan uses about 5% of the power. Today's superefficient refrigerators use about 20% of the power of the regular ones, but keep food just as cold. Higher electricity prices (MUCH higher) would bring all this about. How about this: put a $0.15/kwh tax on electricity (mine costs about $0.13 now so this would be a doubling), and eliminate taxes on something else, like capital gains? Or maybe use the proceeds from higher taxes on energy/water to fund a national health system.
There is a lot to think about here, so we will revisit it from time to time.


text:
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text:
Friday, January 3, 2014
More snow
7 comments:
- dcpeg said...
Love your bluejay! I'm also envious of your snow. We just got a slight bit, but enough to turn the grass white.
- January 3, 2014 at 12:53 PM
- Marilyn said...
How kind of you to clear a spot for that dove. Love seeing your snow. Wish we had a day or two of it, but I will take the few sprinkles and 40 degree days right now. Not basking in the sun, but not sloshing through the freezing snow either. Hope your back is feeling better, so you can shovel a bit.
- January 3, 2014 at 2:18 PM
Just a bit of wind over nite, but not a drop of snow... it's cold, so does that mean you still like us? LOL
- January 3, 2014 at 2:21 PM
- Janney said...
Basking? more like melting! I feel like jumping into that snow right now...
- January 3, 2014 at 5:03 PM
- Wayne (Woody), whatever said...
We have a bunch of Doves that hang out or should I say 'pig out'.
I'm suffering through this with you. Did you see my time lapse of the snow? I compressed 800 images over 12 hours into ~10 seconds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKJiUhsCbzs
- January 4, 2014 at 9:05 AM
- Karen said...
...maybe not kidding.
1 degree this morning. bleh.
- January 4, 2014 at 9:55 AM
- Jerral Miles said...
I'm trying to feel it... from a distance. The temperature at our house in San Diego today was 74.
...but we had no beautiful bluejays visiting our porch.
- January 5, 2014 at 11:47 PM


text:
Seattle Mariners Game 10: vs. Oakland
I'm excited to see Hector Noesi again, I think he'll be better off pitching in Safeco, and pitching against the A's. I'm also excited to see how boring Tom Milone is. I know how weird that is. Jesus Montero catches tonight and Miguel Olivo DHs. This is the Mariners intentionally being worse. John Jaso is a better hitter than Miguel Olivo and Miguel Olivo is a better defender than Jesus Montero. They're a bad team and actively rolling out a worse lineup.
Starting Pitchers
Hector Noesi vs. Tom Milone
1. Jemile Weeks, 2B
2. Coco Crisp, LF
3. Josh Reddick, RF
4. Yoenis Cespedes, CF
5. Seth Smith, DH
6. Kurt Suzuki, C
7. Daric Barton, 1B
8. Josh Donaldson, 3B
9. Cliff Pennington, SS
1. Chone Figgins, CF
2. Dustin Ackley, 2B
3. Ichiro Suzuki, RF
4. Justin Smoak, 1B
5. Jesus Montero, C
6. Alex Liddi, 3B
7. Miguel Olivo, DH
8. Casper Wells, LF
9. Brendan Ryan, SS


text: At lower ground floor level this bright and spacious hall (circa 304 sq. metres/ 3200 sq meters) can seat 250/300 and is suitable for formal meetings, AGM's, conferences, recitals and dinners. The spring floor also makes it a popular venue for dances. It has a large stage area at the east end and an adjoining fully equipped kitchen for easy catering. This hall is currently not available during term time (Monday to Friday), before 6pm.


text:
As you all know, new and updated data fields were added to the online Currency Transaction Report (CTR) last year and recently there was a deadline to meet a new format requirement for CTR batch files. The updates outlined in the Federal Register went live August 2017, but batch filers had nine months before fully transitioning to the new file format. It is June 2018, so here we are using the CTR's new and updated fields and adhering to the requirement to submit batches in an XML-based file, rather than the previous ASCII fixed-length delimited file format.
June 2018 is also the go-live date for FinCEN to update their Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) on the BSA E-Filing System, and adhere to changes defined in the Federal Register Notice posted on February 2, 2018. Online Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) were patiently waiting in the wing, but you will see more changes this month on FinCEN's website as this online report was also enhanced with new fields and features. Not to worry, you still have some time to update your SAR batch files in the new XML-based file since the BSA E-Filing System will continue to accept ASCII based batch files until January 1, 2019.
Here are the updates you'll see on the SAR beginning this month:
- New text field option: Filing institution note to FinCEN
- New/Modified types (and sub-types) of suspicious activities
- IP Address: Date and Timestamp
- New Cyber Event Indicators
- New Product Types
- New Types of Securities and Futures Institutions
SAR Federal Register
FinCEN Announcement on SAR Updates
CTR Federal Register
FinCEN Announcement on CTR Updates


text:
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's World Cup organizers said on Saturday that the tournament had so far been a success and would help to improve the country's image abroad.
With the third-place game and the final remaining, Alexei Sorokin, CEO of the local organizing committee, said the country had welcomed more than one million foreign guests during the tournament and that its 12 World Cup stadiums had had a 98-percent occupancy rate.
The month-long tournament, which ends with the final between France and Croatia on Sunday at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium, has so far been without major security incidents. Pre-event fears of racism and hooligan violence have not materialized.
"It changed the perception of Russia abroad," Sorokin told a news conference. "It showed who we are. We showed ourselves as an open, hospitable, welcoming nation."
Sorokin said that the fan zones set up in the 11 host cities, including Moscow, St Petersburg and Sochi, had been visited by more than seven million people during the tournament so far.
Although fans from European countries were outnumbered by their Latin American counterparts, Sorokin said Europe's interest in the World Cup picked up as the tournament went on.
"We can only think and speculate why there was not a huge number, why didn't European nations come in huge numbers to support their teams," Sorokin said. "But the truth of the matter is that on the way they really got a taste of the World Cup."
Citing an increase in fan ID requests by English fans as the tournament went on, with England reaching the third-place playoff, Sorokin said prejudices about Russia had been broken during the World Cup.
"You see that we did our best to welcome any fans from any country, from any corner of the world," he said.
Russia's success on the pitch made the World Cup especially appealing for the host country.
Russia qualified automatically for the finals as hosts and entered the tournament as the lowest-ranked team.
But wins against Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the group stage allowed Russia to reach the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in post-Soviet history.
Russia went on to eliminate Spain in the round of 16 before losing to finalists Croatia on penalty kicks in the quarter-finals.
"It changed not only the perception of Russia abroad, it changed us," Sorokin said. "We now believe that we can. We can play football well, we can organize events of global importance well."
Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by


text: Acro Revolution was born out of a desire to bring partner acrobatics knowledge together in a way that is user friendly and most helpful to the teachers, students, and community. Our teacher trainings are geared to acrobats that have put the time into their practice to be able to complete the prerequisites, and want to dive deeper into their own practice and learn new material. We use progressive/method-based teaching practices to facilitate positive learning experiences. In our training you learn techniques, progressions, and calibrations for washing machines, hand-to-hand, foot-to-hand, whips, and pops. We show you how to properly train these skills and teach the basic elements. We facilitate teacher's that are embodied in their own acro practice and have the tools to be a successful acro teacher in their community.


text:
We specialize and believe in providing a comprehensive Hajj and Umrah packages from canada, taking care of all your travel needs during your holy pilgrimage, so you can focus on what's important to you – Your Ibadah. Our Hajj and Umrah services include obtaining a travel visa from Saudi Embassy, your hotel bookings in Makkah and Madinah, Your travel and transportation arrangements to and from Canada to Saudi Arabia, a complete guided tour to historical sites during your stay Makkah and Madinah.
We also specialize in Muslim Friendly Tours to countries like Turkey, Spain, Morocco, UAE.
We are located in the heart of Richmond in beautiful British Columbia.
Facebook: Naasir Travel


text:
JIBC Foundation announces BC Hydro Community Safety Award recipients
Award provides funding to communities for specialized emergency management training
The Justice Institute of BC (JIBC) Foundation is pleased to announce the latest recipients of the BC Hydro Community Safety Award. These awards are made possible through the generosity and safety minded efforts of BC Hydro in an effort to make communities safer.
Thirteen communities recently received the award, which will be used to fund specialized emergency management training provided by JIBC. The latest communities to receive the award worth up to $2,000 are:
- City of Burnaby
- City of Campbell River
- City of Colwood
- Fort Nelson First Nation
- Regional District of North Okanagan
- Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
- City of Pitt Meadows
- Village of Port Alice
- City of Port Moody
- Squamish Nation
- District of Squamish
- Squamish Lillooet Regional District
- Sunshine Coast Regional District
The BC Hydro Community Safety Award supports employees and volunteers of local authorities and First Nations communities in BC and enables them to complete emergency management courses and applied training offered by JIBC. These courses can be taken at a JIBC campus, online, or hosted in their own community.
"With the growing number of natural and human-caused emergencies and disasters affecting our province, we are very pleased to have BC Hydro support the training needs of emergency response leaders in BC," says Rick Page, Vice Chair of The JIBC Foundation. "As a longstanding partner, BC Hydro is playing a pivotal role in the development of exceptional public safety leaders and the building of safer communities."
Additional funding, generously provided by BC Hydro, will extend the award through 2016 and will grow the opportunity for more communities to participate.
"We integrate safety into everything we do at BC Hydro - keeping safety first in mind, heart and action," explains Tennille Wong, Manager, Community Investment. "Everyone has the right to be safe, and feel safe, which is why BC Hydro is proud to work with Justice Institute of British Columbia to ensure that safety and emergency training remains accessible to first responders, employees and volunteers in our communities."
Speaking on behalf of the Comox Valley Regional District, a recent recipient of the community award, Business Continuity and Emergency Planner, George Doerksen, shares what the award meant for his community. "During the recent floods we experienced in the Comox Valley, it became plainly evident to us and the local municipalities just how vital Emergency Management training is. The Comox Valley Regional District is committed to continue providing this much needed training to its staff, whenever possible. The generosity of BC Hydro made this training possible."
The next award application deadlines are September 30, 2015 and May 31, 2016. For more information, please visit the BC Hydro Community Safety Award webpage.
About The JIBC Foundation
Since 1993, The JIBC Foundation has supported the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) by raising funds for student scholarships and bursaries, applied research, equipment and other tools for learning. By inspiring giving through various fundraising initiatives, the Foundation ensures that JIBC continues to maintain its worldwide reputation for excellence and innovation as Canada's leading public safety educator.
Last updated September 11, 2015


text:
Do your translations look like this? If so, you've got problems! This is the actual result of a translation by a software solution we will not name here – but you can imagine how dismayed the user was when they saw this output! The user contacted us and we set them up with a copy of TransMagic to solve their problem right away.
Mis-translations can take many forms, from missing geometry (usually the most complex, organic geometry is missing, and prismatic geometry is retained), to missing details and PMI, to geometry that is there, however unusable; the screenshot above is simply the most outlandish and entertaining case of unusable geometry we've ever seen.
TransMagic is built on 15 years of translation excellence, and we're constantly working to improve translation results. Recently, we found out that one type of JT translator on the market creates badly flawed JT files, which were adversely affecting some of our customers; to remedy this, we've implemented a predictive heuristic that will detect incorrect or exploded transforms in JT models and proactively correct these errors upon reading them into TransMagic. That's one example among thousands that go into making TransMagic what it is today.
If you're having translation problems, you owe it to yourself to try TransMagic; TransMagic is purpose-built for quality translations from CAD to CAD and CAD to Poly. Learn more about TransMagic's quality translations here.