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Writing Web Applications that Work – 12 Factor ComplianceFebruary 15, 2017 0 IT Solutions
When writing any kind of applications to be used over the web, there are a large number of options when it comes to how you want to organize your projects. With the advent of cloud technology there has been a radical updating of systems architecture that provides efficient, highly scalable organization of web applications. What […]Read more
Are Automated Backups Really Necessary?February 6, 2017 0 IT Support
For anyone working in any kind of office setting, the debate as to what information should be stored to cloud backups has probably been raised more than once, especially as more and more companies begin to use the cloud as a method of storing information. The advantages to backing up information are massive, and can […]Read more
The Importance of Real-time CollaborationJanuary 30, 2017 0 Managed IT Services
With the expansion of communication technologies and networking, almost all companies and workers are beginning to rely on IT services, such as instant messenger, video chat, and desktop sharing to implement real time collaboration between teams and individuals who are not located in the same place. This has allowed for exponentially faster project completions, and […]Read more
12 Factor Compliance – What are the 12 Factors?January 24, 2017 0 Managed IT Services
With the advent of modern cloud technology, the methodologies for app development have changed radically from older methods. With the development of mass system communication, the architecture of application development has gone from being primarily stored in a single device, to being cloud-based, with 12 factor compliance becoming standard. So what are the 12 factors? […]Read more
Business Consulting Services Available Australia WideJanuary 15, 2017 0 IT Support
Anyone who runs a business knows how tough it can be. The global economic environment that we operate in can be challenging, even for long established brands. The internet has provided us with the means of instant communication, one to one marketing, and the Cloud, but for many business owners, this new environment can be […]Read more
The Simplest Way To Manage Your Devices: Cloud TechnologiesJanuary 10, 2017 0 IT Solutions
The multitude of internet connected devices that are on offer today can represent a challenging scenario for many people. Of course, so many offices and other business organisations now use them as standard in their daily workflow that it is not possible to simply avoid using them. For most Australians working in the 21st […]Read more
How To Build And Implement A Flexible IT Strategy?January 3, 2017 0 Managed IT Services
It is a fact of life that many Australian businesses do not yet understand how an effective IT strategy can help them to be more productive, cut operating costs, and improve efficiency. Here at BenarmIT, we are passionate about the power of technology to transform the way that businesses operate. We believe that the right […]Read more
How To Improve Efficiency And Reduce Costs With Cloud SolutionsDecember 30, 2016 0 IT Solutions
If you run a business, you're probably already familiar with the concept of using Cloud services, but did you know that business Cloud migration is predicted to increase rapidly in the next few years? In fact, businesses nation-wide are already taking advantage of partial and full Cloud solutions to better manage workflow. In the necessarily […]Read more
IT Consulting ServicesDecember 25, 2016 0 IT Support
IT Consulting Services With A Difference In a world where the pace of technological change proves to be difficult to keep track of, even for experts, it is no surprise that many businesses struggle to keep up. Of course the business sector largely depends on a technology infrastructure that is streamlined and effective, but as […]Read more
Business IT SolutionsDecember 20, 2016 0 IT Solutions
Our Business IT Solutions Create Better Businesses Businesses all over the world these days face some pretty daunting challenges. It seems that since the global financial crisis, the world's economy has been volatile. This has clearly impacted on local businesses and business across the other side of the world. In Australia alone, we have witnessed […]Read more
Need an IT Service Provider to offer a Cloud Solution?December 14, 2016 0 Managed IT Services
Cloud Deployment Strategies and the IT Service Provider The Cloud is not just the latest trend in tech, it is the future of the way that we work, do business, and manage our data. For years we have been hearing about thin clients and centralized mainframes that serve as both data storage and Software as […]Read more
Professional Technical Support ServicesDecember 8, 2016 0 IT Support
Here's Why Your Business Needs Professional Technical Support Services More and more businesses and organisations are relying each day upon a complex network of hardware and software solutions. It seems that with each passing year, we are hearing of new applications and new technologies that promise to streamline communication and the way that business is […]Read more
Reliable Business IT SupportDecember 6, 2016 0 IT Support
The Benefits of Reliable Business IT Support There is no doubt at all that the reliance upon IT in businesses worldwide underpins most workflows and operations on a daily basis. The rapid increases in processing power; the ongoing affordability of computers and workstations; the penetration of the web; and the development of quality business software […]Read more
Managed IT Support Services and your BusinessDecember 1, 2016 0 IT Support, Managed IT Services
What Our Managed IT Support Services Means For Your Business Once upon a time, professional IT support meant an expensive IT department. This was usually the sole province of large companies and corporations who could afford to employ helpdesk staff and IT support staff with the right qualifications and experience. As the IT sector has […]Read more
Understanding IT Cloud ServicesNovember 28, 2016 0 Managed IT Services
Are IT Cloud Services The Way Of The Future? The 2016 State of the Cloud Survey clearly concludes that business migration to a Cloud-based workflow is rapidly increasing across the world. Even though companies like Verizon and HP have recently announced that they are getting out the public Cloud game, the truth is that they […]Read more
Implementing a solid Business Disaster Recovery PlanNovember 23, 2016 0 Managed IT Services
How A Business Disaster Recovery Plan Can Help Your Business Every single year, billions of business dollars are lost because of lost data and system downtime. The sobering truth is that data and systems are compromised due to a number of issues, including but not limited to malware execution, hacks, hardware and software problems, and […]Read more
Why Outsource IT Support?August 25, 2016 0 IT Support
How External IT Support Can Work For Your Business Businesses use and rely on technology every day to increase their productivity, but all of these tools require maintenance from time to time, including but not limited to: Software version upgrades, Stability testing, Data back-up, Data recovery, and Technical trouble shooting. Once upon a time, it […]Read more
What are Professional IT services?August 20, 2016 0 IT Support
This Is Why Your Business Needs Professional IT Services The provision of profession IT services are second nature to us at BENARM IT. It is what we do day in and day out for a wide variety of clients across the country and we love what we do. We can take any business to the […]Read more
What are IT Managed Services?August 12, 2016 0 Managed IT Services
Managing the Technology in your Office These days, many small to medium sized business are taking advantage of new innovations in technology and communication that allow them to maintain a flexible and mobile workforce with immediate access to data. This is great for speed, productivity and efficiency, but the integration of new technology also requires […]Read more
Why is IT Support Important?August 6, 2016 0 IT Support
The New Age of Information The 21st century has produced a wave of dramatic technological innovations in terms of computer processing power and global access to information. In fact, we have not witnessed such rapid changes in the way that we work, the way that we think, and the way that we behave since the […]Read more


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From an idea to CPAN
From an idea to CPAN
By Lars Dɪᴇᴄᴋᴏᴡ (daxim) from Vienna.pm
Date: Friday, 7 November 2008 15:25
Duration: 40 minutes
Target audience: Beginner
Language: English
In this talk full of practical advice I take a real-life Perl program and walk through how to polish it into a beautiful module ready for CPAN. I show how a sort-of paint-by-numbers process is not difficult at all, but eases future software maintenance and can improve quality, or at least kwalitee. Topics include how to set up a development environment, how to make code testable that was not written with testing in mind, and which traps to avoid.
Attended by: Petr Pajas, Michael Kröll (pepl), Herbert Breunung (lichtkind), Jozef Kutej (jozef), Jure Kodzoman (Yure),
Copyright © 2003-2008 Verein 'Vienna.pm - Verein zur Förderung der Programmiersprache Perl'.
To contact the organisers send an email to email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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ColoradoCare, Amendment 69 on the ballot this November, represents a positive change to health care financing in Colorado. However, the media have published assertions made by the Colorado Health Institute (CHI) that are misleading. As a citizen of the state, a retired health executive, and a health economist, I am concerned that the media is echoing misinformation about Amendment 69. It is important that Coloradans get the facts — pro and con — for an informed decision about voting on this issue.
My concerns with projections cited in the CHI report include:
1. The CHI analysis improperly excludes federal matching payments from its calculations, omitting approximately $2.25 billion from its 2019 projection. That assumption is unfounded, since Colorado will continue to serve those on Medicaid and would be entitled to those funds under federal law. Correcting this error puts ColoradoCare into a $250 million surplus in its first year of operation, before any other concerns are addressed.
2. CHI assumes that health care costs would escalate at 6-6.8 percent per year from 2019 to 2028, based on national averages. However, ColoradoCare would be able to negotiate payment changes to track with expense inflation, so the impact would be about 3-3.5 percent as projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Correcting this assumption would result in ColoradoCare remaining financially viable without funding increases. Further, the ColoradoCare board can establish rates that are budget neutral against tax revenues. CHI does not consider realistic rate setting action by ColoradoCare.
3. CHI argues that health care utilization will increase significantly when citizens have health insurance. While people with insurance do tend to use it, CHI fails to note its own data that suggests the majority of persons likely added to the state's insurance rolls under Amendment 69 would be the "young invincibles" who remain uninsured under the Affordable Care Act. These younger people use health care at lower rates than today's currently insured.
4. CHI ignores the fact that ColoradoCare would act as an insurance plan and take actions to minimize catastrophic cost losses. Health plans routinely use reinsurance to limit medical cost risk. ColoradoCare administration would be expected to use this strategy.
5. It is unreasonable to expect providers will need three years to eliminate duplicative billing costs as argued by CHI. Cost reductions should happen almost immediately. This error understates ColoradoCare surpluses by $500 million.
6. CHI underestimates administrative costs for health insurers. Publicly available financial statements for commercial health insurers indicate their administrative costs are approximately 19 percent. While there will be administrative costs to operate ColoradoCare, savings will exceed the 14 percent CHI estimate.
7. The CHI assumption that Colorado is too small to get savings from group purchasing is flawed. Commercial insurers reap discounts through contracting with Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM). PBM are separate entities from insurers and would have an incentive to work with ColoradoCare to reduce its costs.
8. The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association states health care fraud costs of 3-10 percent are included in health care spending. Thus fraud is already in the CHI estimate. One would expect savings from a fraud reduction program, not increased fraud above the existing average.
The CHI analysis cited in the media paints an inaccurate picture of ColoradoCare's future, grossly underestimating potential surpluses.
These differences are based on real-world experience not considered in the CHI analysis and must be included in our debate on the merits of Amendment 69.
Those who want to control health care spending in Colorado must vote YES on Amendment 69.
Jeff Helton, Ph.D. is a retired health plan and hospital system Chief Financial Officer. He teaches health economics and health care finance to undergraduate and graduate students in health care management.


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Although introduced by Spanish settlers, the island's carnival celebrations, like mask making, music, and public performance, have developed into uniquely Puerto Rican traditions that also reflect the customs and sensibilities of Puerto Ricans' African ancestors. The carnival mask pictured here was made by Felix V zquez. Its comical eyelashes are complimented by a set of teeth that once belonged to a horse or donkey. National Museum of American History
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Retractor Banner Stand 36w Contender Mega Marketing Display
3ft Wide Retractable Banner Stand Contender Mega for Trade Shows
Contender retractable banner stands pulls up from the base to present and retracts back down to store or ship. Made in the USA the Contender is a leader in marketing banner displays. Its sturdy construction has proved its dependability over time. This banner system comes with a carry bag and is available in a high-shine silver or classic silk black.
*** WARRANTY ***5 Year Manufacturers Warranty on Hardware.
Features and Benefits:
- Display set up is quick and easy
- Pull up for setup and roll down into the base for storage
- Graphic leader strip for easy graphic changes
- Swivel-out foot for extra stability
- Comes with a convenient travel bag
- Made in the USA
Graphic Design Services: Available upon request. Please call for a quote (239) 433-9738
|Custom Fields
|in stock
|Google Feed Product Image
|google product category
|Business & Industrial > Advertising & Marketing > Trade Show Displays
|Google Shipping Rules
|Custom Stock Message
|In Stock, Printing 3 - 5 days
- Assembled Size: 36.5" w x 77.5" h x 5" d
- Base Size: 36.5" w x 5" d x 3.75" h
- Color: Black or silver
- Material: Aluminum body and top rail
- Pole drops into barrel fitting at back of base
- Supplied with a padded carry bag with strap
- Shipping Size: 40" w x 6" d x 6" h
- Weight: 11 lbs
Graphic Specifications: Sold Separately
- Single sided graphic
- Total Graphic Print Size: 35.5" w x 84" h
- Visible Graphic Size: 35.5" w x 77.5" h
- Bleeds: 6" Bleed at the bottom and 1/2" bleed at the top
- Print Media:
Anti Curl Vinyl: Opaque vinyl resists curling over time (printed high resolution with solvent inks)
Melanex: 11oz semi gloss curl resistant ploy-film (printed with superior photo realistic quality)
Premium Fabric: Dye sublimation 8oz woven polyester with a black acrylic back (requires 1" bleed extra)
- Colors: CMYK Full Color Digital
- Print Turn Time: 3 - 5 business days after proof is approved
- Next day print rush is available
- Rush orders must submit print ready art by noon
- Print turn times are based on orders with up to 6 banners. For higher quantities please call us
Downloads: Contender Mega 36in. Retractable Banner Stand Display
NOTE: To download files, click the links below or Right Mouse Click and choose "Save Target As..."
Contender Mega 36" Retractable Banner Stand Art Work Template
Product Specifications for Contender Monster Retractable Banner Display
Set-Up Instructions for Contender Monster Retractable Banner Display


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Amy Fine Collins, a former art historian and author of the memoir "The God of Driving," has been a special correspondent for Vanity Fair since 1993. Born in Fairfield, Conn., and raised in Bucks County, Pa., and Knoxville, Tenn., Ms. Fine Collins, who says she is in her early 50s, lives on the Upper East Side with her husband, Bradley Collins Jr., who teaches art history at Parsons the New School for Design.
Wednesday, April 3
Worked at home per usual — we're just starting on the annual Vanity Fair Best Dressed List — in a turquoise and green beaded CALM caftan. I don't own sweats. For lunch at Swifty's with a friend, I changed into a B Michael orange and brown wool-crepe dress with bell sleeves, H&M brown tights, a Ralph Rucci orange and tan woven-leather jacket and my Manolo Blahnik brown suede wedge boots. Manolos aren't even a default for me. It's more like shoe monogamy.
Thursday, April 4
Went to lunch with Jason Wu and Anne Fahey-Storment. We like to discuss fashion history. Certainly being an art historian once has helped train my eye. I like a strong line versus surface ornamentation. I chose vintage YSL le smoking, a ribbed tank, Geoffrey Beene mohair coat and Manolo patent pumps with suede flowers. Then to Pilates in Black Milk bone print leggings and Uniqlo tank before an evening visit to Norisol Ferrari's studio to see her spring collection. I wore a black and red Norisol dress, a fun Alice and Olivia multicolor fur, Wolford lace pantyhose and Manolo cage boots. My loose rule of thumb: if I don't know the designer, I don't wear the clothes.
Friday, April 5
Worked at my desk in an orange wool Carolina Herrera shift, brown Wolford tights and brown python Lanvin flats. I put a Dennis Basso shearling over the dress for a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and saw "Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity" for the fifth time. At night, I went with my nephew Hugh Malone to a party in honor of the artist and filmmaker Michael Scalisi. Michael is partial to green, so I wore a green Alaïa dress [shown above]. I added a Lanvin green python bracelet, Verdura bracelet and watch, jade earrings, green velvet jeweled Manolo pumps and a vintage green Mongolian lamb coat. It was a great New York party.
Saturday, April 6
Drove up to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for Vassar College Family Weekend. My daughter is a freshman there. Wore an Alice and Olivia black leather motorcycle jacket, turtleneck and Norisol black wool pants. To swim in the hotel pool later, I wore a Victoria's Secret navy and white striped bikini and an O'Neill scuba shirt.
Sunday, April 7
A field trip to Dia: Beacon. I wore black and white striped bell-bottoms with an I Pezzi Dipinti black cable-knit cashmere sweater, Manolo motorcycle boots and leather motorcycle jacket. When my daughter was in the third grade, she asked me to come to Parents' Day geared up in motorcycle leathers, so the look was a tribute to her funny request.
Monday, April 8
Back in the city. Spent the morning working before heading to a lunch at Michael's with one of my book editors. I was in a fitted, wool tweed camel shift by B Michael, H&M tights in brown lace and brown Fendi leather jacket, which I bought in Rome in 1986.
Tuesday, April 9
What a beautiful day to dress for! Back to Michael's for lunch with Isaac Mizrahi and wore a black, white and silver houndstooth shift by him. I also wore the Manolo pumps with flowers and carried a Versace quilted patent bag. Home to work for a few hours before changing into a Pamella Roland black and white skirt beaded in a brick pattern, black stretch silk V-neck shell, leather jacket and Manolo black and white python mules. In this outfit I attended an F.I.T. cocktail party, the 50th anniversary celebration of my daughter's nursery school and a National Academy of Design cocktail party. Then took my mother to a screening of Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children." I'd been hearing about it for a year. It was a complete escape.


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Teens – Strain Menu
The genetics we offer to patients are flower verified & lab tested to ensure authenticity and an easy growing experience!
The genetics we offer to patients are flower verified & lab tested to ensure authenticity and an easy growing experience!
The Clone Conservatory offers various size marijuana plants and cannabis seeds for sale online. the lease spend time to review our menu to determine what strains are best suited for you. Send us a Strain Request if there is something you do not see here!
All marijuana clones are F1 cuttings from mother plants grown from seed. Our clones come in hydroponic friendly growing mediums such as rockwool cubes.
Avoid shocking plants with transplant ready clones that are well adjusted to mature grow rooms.
All marijuana teens are transplanted into various growing mediums depending on location. If you're growing in hydroponically, inform our Reps over the phone.
Save more money, cut down several weeks of vegging & harvest more medicine each year with teens.
All cannabis seeds are cultivated locally and harvested recently to ensure the highest germination rates possible. We also provide free exchanges guaranteed!
Growing cannabis seeds is the ultimate cultivating experience for both beginner growers and breeders.


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Pakistan seems to be a country divided between very honest, brave and determined people and very ignorant and savagely depraved people.
It seems the ignorant savages have the upper hand at the moment and have forced the Pakistani government to capitulate to their demands.
They have forced the Government to bar Asia Bibi from leaving the country, this despite her complete acquittal from the charges laid against her.
This is from Church In Chains:
From here: https://www.churchinchains.ie/news-b...aving-country/The government of Pakistan has agreed to place Asia Bibis name on the countrys Exit Control List , meaning that she will not be allowed to leave Pakistan.
The decision by the government meets a key demand of the Islamist extremist protesters who brought Pakistan to a standstill with three days of protests following the Supreme Courts acquittal of Asia in a judgment announced on Wednesday.
The government had stated earlier in the week that it would not bar Asia from leaving the country but reversed its decision after deciding to negotiate with the protesters. One of the leaders of the Islamic extremist group Tehreek Labek Pakistan (TLP) behind the protests, Afzal Qadri, said, the government has almost accepted our maximum demands and that if it backtracked we can come [out on the streets] again. The protests have now ended and daily life in Pakistan is returning to normal.
As part of the agreement, the government also agreed that it will raise no objections over the review petition against the Supreme Court decision sought by the imam who filed the original complaint against Asia in 2009. Such review petitions are normally heard within thirty days but there is no certainty as to when this will occur.
Where is Asia Bibi?
Eisham MasihAsias family (including her daughter Eisham, pictured on Friday) has been shocked and saddened by the government decision and the outpouring of hatred seen in the mass protests against Asia.
As far as is known, Asia Bibi is being held in an undisclosed location somewhere in Pakistan, guarded by heavy security. It is not known if she is still being held in the same prison where she has been held for several years or another security facility. Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the government would take all steps necessary to ensure her safety.
Following the agreement between the government and the protesters, Afzal Qadri, one of the leaders of the TLP told the media that Asia Bibi had again been put under detention and claimed that an aeroplane which had arrived from the UK to take her to some Western country had flown back without her.
It had been reported earlier that bureaucratic details were holding up the processing of the departure of Asia and her family from Pakistan to a European country that had offered her asylum.
Asias lawyer flees Pakistan
Saif-ul-MalookAsias lawyer Saif-ul-Malook left Pakistan on 3 November saying that he had decided to leave as it was not possible to continue living in Pakistan, adding: I need to stay alive as I still have to fight the legal battle for Asia Bibi. He told Pakistans Express Tribune he would return to the country to defend his client but needed the government to provide security.
Earlier in the week speaking about the threats to his life, Saif said, I think its better to die as a brave and strong man than to die as a mouse and fearful person
Placing Asia Bibi on the Exit Control List is like signing her death warrant, said Wilson Chowdhry of the British Pakistani Christian Association. I am not surprised that Imran Khans regime has caved in to extremists this is a commonly recurring socio-political trend in Pakistan we will continue to pray for Asia and call on people of good conscience to seek western intervention into this situation, so that Asia and millions of other Christians in Pakistan are protected.
In its editorial, Another Surrender, Dawn newspaper declared: Yet another government has capitulated to violent religious extremists who neither believe in democracy, nor the Constitution.
The law had already taken its course and an innocent woman was to be set free after a hellish, near-decade-long ordeal. It is the protesters against whom the law now needed to take its course the woman expressedly declared innocent by the highest court in the land is to be kept in legal limbo Pakistan, it would seem, was a country with no real leadership while chaos and anarchy spread in the streets once again. The repercussions could quickly manifest themselves in the days ahead.
(BBC/British Pakistani Christian Association/Dawn/Guardian/Release International)
Asia's Lawyer has had to flee Pakistan. This from Irish Times:
The Pakistani lawyer who helped a Christian woman overturn her death sentence for blasphemy said on Saturday he had left the country in fear of his life after her acquittal earlier this week sparked street protests by Islamists.
Leaders of the ultra-Islamist Tehreek-e-Labaik (TLP) group blocked main roads in Pakistans biggest cites for three days, calling for the murder of the Supreme Court judges who acquitted Asia Bibi on Wednesday urging their cooks and servants to kill them.
From here:


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I wake up almost every morning with an earworm. Some fade quickly, other last for days. Sometimes they make me happy, sometimes they make me doubt my own sanity. They come from all genres. I can rarely know what triggers them. The only thing I do know and that they do without fail is reinforce my belief that all music is connected and good music never goes out of style.
Here's a roundup of my September earworms.
Gloria Estefan – Rhythm Is Gonna Get You
Boxcar Willie – Wabash Cannonball
Bee Gees – How can you mend a broken heart
The Impressions – It's All Right
Billy Preston – Nothing From Nothing
Electric Light Orchestra – Don't Bring Me Down
En Vogue – Free Your Mind
Grand Funk Railroad – We're An American Band
Gladys Knight & The Pips – Midnight Train To Georgia
The Byrds – Ballad of Easy Rider
Sunnyland Slim – Be Careful How You Vote
Tommy Overstreet – Send Me No Roses
CeCe Peniston – Finally
The Marmalade – Reflections Of My Life
Loudon Wainwright III – Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road
Jimmy Reed – Ain't That Lovin' You Baby
Dee Dee Sharp – Never Pick A Pretty Boy
Pink Floyd – "Hey You"
P!nk – F**kin' Perfect
Mel McDaniel – Baby's Got Her BlueJeans On
Little Milton – Grits Ain't Groceries
Pretenders – Don't Get Me Wrong
Jimmie Rodgers – Waiting for a Train
Don Walser – Rolling Stone From Texas
Was (Not Was) – Walk The Dinosaur
The CARS – Let's go!
Frankie Lymon+The Teenagers – Why Do Fools Fall In Love
Freddy Weller – Games People Play
The Pretty Things – Don't Bring Me Down
George Jones & Tammy Wynette – We Gonna Hold On
This is an aside and not a September earworm, but it came up right after that last video. Watch the body language when George uses Tammy's name in the song. Brutal. I hope nobody ever makes me sing a duet with my ex.


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At TLC Weddings are not just our specialty, they are our passion!
We specialize in modern, posh & stylish weddings. We love working with creative couples who envision something different and unique for their affair.
In order to give you and your event the personal attention you both deserve....Your wedding will be our ONLY wedding that day. When you hire our Entertainment firm, you hire top notch talent. Our Disc Jockeys and Event Host are some of the most sought after talent in the private event industry. Our team's style, mixing skills, innovativeness and ability to read the crowd are unmatched by any other DJ company the tri state area.
Give us a call at 516.414.0914 to find out more information about our wedding services.
With TLC Entertainment your wedding won't be just another party, it will be a trend-setting event.
Why should I book with your music & event firm? What makes you different?
We are different from most other DJ companies, and proud of it. TLC Entertainment
brings an entirely new approach to your event, offering a professional, tasteful and
unique experience guaranteed to rock your dance floor.
TLC Entertainment evolved from a commonly seen problem with DJ companies
after attending way too many events with cookie-cutter performers, cheesy
routines, constant obnoxious talking and bad music selections, we saw an opportunity
to provide a refreshing alternative to generic and forgettable DJs and offer a more
modern, Sophisticated and exciting DJ performance for your wedding or special
occasion. We are way more than just great DJs, we are music mixologists & Event hosts!
We have the experience to keep your guests on the dance floor all night long, even if
they don't like to dance. Instead of just playing song after song randomly like a jukebox,
we seamlessly mix your favorite songs and genres together and use our ability for
reading the crowd to make you and your guests the focus of attention, not us.
Your wedding, will be our ONLY wedding on that date.
Because you both deserve that special attention.
We are a small, family-owned company. We only book one wedding per day, so we can put
all of our efforts into making your event the best it can be and provide you with the
personalized service you deserve. We'll work closely with you to understand your vision
and get all of the details right to make your event one to remember. Whether it's an
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celebration like no other.
Are you ready to take your event to the next level?
Contact us now so we can make it happen.
Call us at 516.414.0914 to set up a intimate studio consultation.


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Salon X has had a makeover!
Delta Cosette Bayer has downsized her salon and moved it into an adjoining space which she renovated in the blink of an eye. Add designing hip salons to her already packed resume. Although the salon is no longer occupying the large storefront (Delta plans to open a Spice Market in there this Fall), Salon X fans will be happy to learn that the facial room with Tianna Bolchunos at the helm, is still as busy as ever with Micro Needling, a new addition to her arsenal of skin care regimines.
Salon X continues to carry the PCA line which Tianna uses in her sublime facials and exfoliating peels, but manis and pedis are no longer on the menu. Tianna is an in demand hair stylist as well as an aesthetician, and has only so much time at her disposal.
Brooke Garver has also kept her chair at Salon X, and Delta says she is delighted with the new arrangement of just the three of them working shorter hours, in a smaller, easier to manage space.
"It feels really great in here, and my clients seem to like it too," she told me last week, when I went in for a Micro Needling treatment. "So far, so good." She smiled.
While I waited for Tianna, I chatted with Michele Hooker, one of her regulars both for hair and skin care.
Michele, a former model, originally from Virginia, moved to Taos a few years ago with her partner, after a lifetime on the East Coast, and found the dry climate aggravated her rosacea
"I tried everything," Michele told me, "but it just became more inflamed and irritated."
"I came here for a mani and pedi during the winter," she recalled, "and discovered Tianna had a special going for a series of facials so I decide to try it as a last resort."
"She took one look at my skin and proceeded with great caution", Michele explained. "At first I could only tolerate a couple of very mild products."
"PCA and Tianna saved my skin," she said. And to look at her now, her skin looks youthful and glowing (Michele is 60 years old), one would never guess that just months ago it was raw and inflamed..
I'm a huge fan as well. After a series of peels over the winter, my skin's texture and appearance has improved dramatically, but I still have smoker's lines around my mouth I'd like to diminish and a furrow between my brows I'd like to erase sans Botox.
Micro Needling piqued my curiosity so there i was waiting to have my face numbed and needled!
Four to six monthly treatments promise to reset the clock with visible results that last far longer than Botox or fillers without any of the side effects. In fact Google Micro Needling and you'll see it is all the rage, with Dermatologists and Plastic Surgeons declaring it the next best thing since, oh, okay Botox!
They claim it not only stimulates collagen renewal, but it erases fine lines, droopiness and melasma while refining pores and improving skin's texture.
I was sold, fear of needles be damned, especially since Tianna recommends peels only during the colder months due to sun sensitivity. Micro Needling is the perfect warm weather alternative!
While Michele was getting her mini Oxy Facial, I sat in the gallery space between the new salon and the facial room, enjoying Tracy Olson's beautiful paintings hanging on the pristine white walls. I found I was able to see them better, now that the salon was in a separate space and they could be viewed in a more serene setting.
Michele soon emerged, her skin looking luminous, and I went in to have my skin prepped and numbed for the procedure.
It takes twenty minutes for the numbing agent (applied topically), to take hold, and layers of plastic wrap are placed over your face (leaving your nostrils open), so there's not much to do while you wait but nap or meditate.
Then Tianna gets the needling device out and mostly one just feels a slight tingling vibration with very little discomfort.
I asked her to concentrate on my problem areas which she did, and then it was over and i was smothered in serum and healing balm and sent home with product and strict instructions to keep my hands off my face after Tianna caught me touching my cheek without sanitizing my hands. Your face is full of tiny open wounds after Micro Needling which is how the collagen is stimulated. There is serious science behind this, trust me.
That evening my skin felt a little sensitive but nothing out of the ordinary, and the next day it looked great. The lines were still there – it takes a few sessions to see results – but my skin glowed.
Micro Needling usually costs upwards of $300.00 per session. If you decide to go for the full round of five treatments, Salon X charges only $199.00 per session, plus take home product. If you'd like to try it once before committing to a series of treatments, it will cost you $250.00. That price includes your needles. They are sterile and disposable.
For more information on Salon X and all the services they provide, please visit their site linked below this post.
All photographs of Salon X and Tianna by Delta Cosette Bayer
Photograph of Michele Hooker's gorgeous skin, c/o Michele


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Your loop is 1-2 spots long.
Look, this is just inexcusable, but it happens all the time. The Wachovia branches in New York, for example, show a loop of 2 rotating spots. No news. Coincidentally or otherwise (both Wachovia and BofA use the same vendor for digital signage in New York), Bank of America shows 2-3 spots over and over again, albeit interspersed with news. So as not to discriminate unfairly, Charles Schwab, Chase, Scotiabank, Lloyd's TSB, and many, many others deserve to be called out, too...
Friday, September 28, 2007
Content Worst-Practice #4
Your loop is 1-2 spots long.
Content Worst-Practice #3
This is likely a controversial addition to the list, given that so many digital signage networks partake in it, but splitting the screen into multiple content windows—generally in the form of a main panel, a side-bar, and a news/stock ticker or two—is an unabashedly bad practice. For a moment, let's explore two most common reasons for doing so…
The big television news networks do it. Yes, the networks do, but they don't have anything invested in what particular bit of content their viewers are watching on their screen. Banks, on the other hand, are generally footing the cost of the network in hopes of selling additional products to their customers…why would they want to provide an alternative to watching their ads while they are running? Given the choice between reading a news ticker, watching the weather, or watching an ad for home equity, which would you choose?
It helps keep the content fresh. Bosh. XML feeds can be incorporated into other content just as easily as they can into a ticker. If anything, keeping content in four panes fresh should be more difficult, because there are more "mouths" to feed.
In all, just a bad idea.
Labels: content, worst-practices
Friday, September 21, 2007
Content Worst-Practice #2
2. Your digital content changes out less frequently than your print
Two of the most frequently cited benefits of digital signage are the ease and low-cost of message change-out, but don't tell that to a number of banks, who change their print materials more frequently than they do their digital content.
This actually occurs pretty frequently in cases where there is either a sub-scale network or stalled pilot program (Citi here in New York, ABN Amro in Chicago, or US Bank and Fifth Third in Cincinnati come to mind) and frankly it's understandable. Given limited time and capital, resources should always be concentrated on the programs reaching the largest audience, ie. existing print. However, in a number of scale bank digital signage networks, print is still changed out more frequently than digital content….in a word, inexplicable.
- 3 print merchandising fixtures per branch
- 2 campaign graphics per fixture (2-sided) @ $ 50 per graphic
- $ 20 shipping and $15 installation per campaign, per branch
- $ 20,000 agency and print production fees per campaign
Using these figures, and assuming the Wachovia NY branches receive unique material (believable, given that the offers are different here than elsewhere in the network), the cost to produce and install every print campaign is $ 30,050, or $ 120,200 for the four campaigns I saw over the past six months. Let's assume, generously, that Wachovia spent $20k for the 2 new spots they produced for their digital signs during the same period (likely overstated given the low production value).
If you believe those figures, in an environment where all branches have both print and digital campaign capabilities, Wachovia is allocating its branch marketing budget 85/15 in favor of print materials, spending 6x the dollars on print, and changing campaigns 4x as frequently. If you believe the statistics on media effectiveness, which skew heavily in favor of digital…what gives?
(Final note: my personal opinion is that large-scale print graphics are more effective than digital when it comes to windows-based messaging, but it still doesn't justify the change-out frequency skew)
Labels: content, worst-practices
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Content Worst-Practice #1
Your screens show competitors' ads
The last 2-3 years have seen a boom in banks installing flat-screen televisions in their teller areas, most often playing CNN, MSNBC, or another broadcast news station to entertain customers while they wait for service. While seemingly innocuous, in reality these banks are exposing their customers to thousands of their competitors' advertisements...while they wait in their own branches!
If we assume banks show 2,250 broadcast hours per year (9 hours/day x 5 days/week x 50 weeks/year), and that there are 15 minutes of advertising per hour at 30 seconds per ad (network averages), it means branch visitors are exposed to 67,500 ads on a yearly basis. Having watched CNN for more than a few hours in my lifetime, I think it fair to assume 1 in 5 ads are financial services oriented, meaning 13,500 competitor ads grace screens in bank branches annually.
The TV epidemic is visible in many different banks here--Citi and Signature Bank are two examples--but perhaps worse yet is Bank of America's network, as I wrote earlier in the week. BofA, who have the mechanism already in place to deliver their own content, is mixing their material seemingly randomly with broadcast TV, which is what led to E*Trade's high-rate savings ad to be played (while BofA advertised an inferior rate on their print materials!) while I walked by the branch the other day.
Come on, guys. Seriously.
Labels: content
The Top-7 Content Worst-Practices Countdown
My hatred for the phrase "Content is King," well-known among my close associates, is due largely to the fact that it has been hackneyed to the point of meaninglessness. But if in fact "Content is King," then there are a number of pretenders to the throne among financial services networks.
Although banks using digital signage deserve a tremendous amount of credit in other capacities--the industry, afterall, has probably been the quickest to adopt the new medium--when it comes to content a great number of them deserve a bit of scolding. At some level this probably shouldn't be that surprising, given that the industry's traditional lack of humor and (more likely) rigorous compliance requirements gave birth to that timeless slogan "Great Rate, Ask Us How." Some institutions, such as Harris Bank, Synovus, Citizens-Charter One, Chase, and SunTrust, are definitely getting it right, but they are the exception rather than the rule.
Over the next week or so we'll be counting down the "7 Content Worst-Practices" perpetrated by FS digital media marketers, many of which can be seen every day here in New York. More detail will be provided for each worst-practice in an individual post, but without further adieu...
The "7 Content Worst-Practices"
7. You're using your web or broadcast content in-branch
6. You're using (or not using) audio
5. You're showing local news...in the wrong locality!
4. Your loop is 1-2 spots long
3. You've split the screen into multiple content windows
2. Your digital content changes out less frequently than your print
1. Your screens show competitors' ads
Labels: content
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Rumor: Commonwealth Bank Network Rollout
Ring the bell! Rumor has it that another market leader has adopted digital signage as its primary form of branch communications, and if true then we have our next entrant in the rapidly expanding 1,000-site network category.
Commonwealth Bank, the largest of Australia's "Four Pillars," is said to have begun network-wide digital signage deployment to its more than 1,000 retail branches. Although details are sparse at the moment, the bank is said to have made the decision after a lengthy pilot process, and that Fujitsu Australia (long a player in the Aussie digital signage market) is the lead supplier, which suggests that TelEntice could be the software engine behind the network.
More information as it becomes available--please email it if you have it!--and hopefully I'll be able to come upon some photos while in I am in Australia later this month.
Labels: Australia, digital signage
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Bank Hapoalim - Network Rollout
The Middle East has been a hotbed for financial services digital signage networks lately (albeit mostly on a small scale) but Bank Hapoalim, Israel's largest consumer bank, maintains the largest. Starting nearly two years ago, the bank began a rollout of a comprehensive digital communications system to its 250 branches. According to a press release at the time, each location is now equipped with digital signs in four different zones--the teller counter, the business banking zone, the retail lending zone, and the personal banker zone--each showing a unique "channel." Content consists of 30% entertainment and 70% advertisements, as well as displaying customers' positions in queue (a clever "now serving" application), and a permanent Reuters information ticker on the bottom of the screen. Ad targeting is done generally on a regional basis, but also using attributes such as branch size, services available, and customer mix.
Labels: content, digital signage, Middle East, pilot test results, rollouts, staff channel
Monday, September 17, 2007
Hey, Hey BofA...
...do something about your content in New York, and stop mixing it with a live broadcast feed!
This article deserves to be expanded more broadly to encompass the general "crisis of content" plaguing so many bank digital signage networks today (well documented here, as well), but I couldn't help but comment on the Bank of America branch in Grand Central this morning, which includes at least a dozen screens of different shapes and sizes.
There, broadcasting on all screens during the morning subway rush, I watched a fanastic advertisement for E*Trade's new high-yield checking account. Not a bad idea, Bank of America...maybe I'll close my account with you and open one up there.
Friday, September 14, 2007
E*Trade Financial - Flagship Stores
This is anything but a branch strategy...this creates a concept store that presents the brand. (Full article: here)
Are these high-concept retail financial services "branded experience" stores worth the money? Not to me, and apparently not to E*Trade.
While E*Trade has continued to open branches across the US--undoubtedly buoyed by their burgeoning deposit business, as well as the core trading offer--the Manhattan flagship location (pictured above), has long since been shuttered and is now a Wachovia or a Chase branch (can't remember which). The San Francisco flagship on Market Street is still operational, but I suspect that has more to do with closing an office in your hometown in a location with landmark status than it does with any sort of break-even.
The lesson for all of us? The "branded experiences" not linked to any tangible service or communications functionality just don't cut it for customers, and don't cut it as ROI justification long-term. (One potential exception: ING Direct's coffee shops, which we'll address in an upcoming article)
(Photos taken from E*Trade Annual Report)
Labels: digital signage, flagship, LED, New York, San Francisco
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Washington Mutual - Occasio Branches
Washington Mutual's digital signage network spans roughly 250 of the bank's 1,700+ branches. Referred to internally as "WM TV," the network is another of the industry's earliest and most well-publicized (at least within digital media and A/V circles).
Installation began in 2001-2 with a lengthy pilot, and has continued in earnest, albeit very slowly and most in denovo locations, ever since. WaMu has cited a number of reasons why they adopted digital signage as a component of their Occasio branches (more on them in a minute), but most accounts include:
- The pilot proved that the medium greatly reduced wait-line fatigue, increased product awareness, and was consist with WaMu's "un-bank" brand image.
- By at least one account, published in a local business journal at the time of the test, WaMu believed they had statistical evidence that customers were switching their primary service activities to branches with screens because they were so much more pleasant to visit.
- Quicker time to market or, per Les Gruner, the bank's VP of media and production, "the beauty of (the) system is that we can craft messages...that speak to products we may be featuring this month."
It's unclear why WaMu hasn't opted to deploy the system beyond a few core locations in Seattle and its denovo builds, but at least one explanation is the fact that the network seems inextricably linked to the overall "Occasio" retail format, which the bank launched as part of its national branching push in 2001. This is in many ways very unfortunate since, despite the silly show the bank made of patenting the format and the press it received in industry rags, anyone who has visited an Occasio branch knows they've been a pretty blatant failure.
Developed to be unlike any other branch format, Occasio, or "favorable opportunity," promised to eliminate lines, provide more personal service, and improve efficiency. Tactically, this manifested itself in a rotunda shaped interior where no staff are hidden behind desks or walls, the installation of free-standing service "podiums" rather than a teller counter, and cash dispensers along the wall, all wrapped in a garish color palette and dropped by the dozens in the bank's new markets across the US. A link to a virtual tour of an Occasio is available here: Link.
In practice, which is readily observable during any lunch hour here in New York, the design (completed by retail agency Design Forum) actually created two lines--one for the teller podiums and one for the cash dispensers--and a massive amount of confusion, as customers figure out where to wait. It's telling, by the way, that the three executives responsible for the concept are no longer with the bank (two are at Barclays plc...enjoy, my English bretheren), and many of the branches have since been shuttered. But I digress...
Impart provides software, network management, and syndicated news services for WaMu and, as I understand it, most of the content is handled largely in-house these days. Design Forum designed the Occasio branch format.
(Photos taken from Impart, Washington Mutual websites, Digital Signage Quarterly magazine)
Labels: banner, digital signage, pilot test results, quotes, rollouts
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Sovereign Bank - New York Branches
They're not terribly memorable, but for the sake of completeness a quick entry on the digital signage installations in Sovereign Bank's 15 or-so NYC branches. Frankly, while the screens themselves are attractively integrated into the surrounding millwork, due to their placement within the branch--on the back of greeter station, facing a tiny, never-occupied waiting area--I doubt that the vast majority of customers who visit many of these branches have no idea they even exist!
Note to any/all bank marketers considering (or consultants recommending) deploying a digital signage system: Spend a day monitoring traffic patterns in one of your busy branches, and you'll find that 85-90% of visitors head from the door right to the teller counter. Of the remaining 10-15% customers who come to see a CSR, whether to buy a product or for service, only 2-3% will be required to wait (generally during the lunch hour, or late in the day). That means of the 300 or-so customers who enter a busy branch, 6-9 per day will spend so much as a minute in the waiting area. In other words, from a marketing standpoint, this is not exactly valuable real estate...
It's unclear who made the recommendation to install these displays where they are, nor is it clear that Sovereign has deployed digital signage elsewhere in its 800+ branch network (these were inherited in the Independence Community Bank acquisition). OpenEye Displays manages the network using software from 3M Digital Signage, and content is likely created by Sovereign's in-house ad-agency, 601.
(Photo taken from OpenEye website)
Labels: digital signage, New York
Citizens-Charter One - Network Rollout
With "video merchandising" deployed in roughly 850 of its 1,600 total branches, until recently Citizens-Charter One maintained the world's largest financial services digital signage network. While the network has been profiled in a couple of different industry publications over the years, it origins have often been confused. It also merits re-visiting due to its sheer breadth, both in terms of size and usage, and the number of learnings that have come from it over the years.
The network as it exists today consists of two separate digital signage initiatives, assembled when Royal Bank of Scotland purchased Citizens Financial Group (RI), and later Charter One Financial (OH). Citizens had begun to deploy digital signage in their "NICE" concept branches and had built a network of roughly 75 locations, less than 10% of the total footprint. Charter One, on the other hand, had made the decision to use their "digital communications network" (DCN) as their primary branch communications medium, and had deployed it to their entire network of 650 locations.
- Improved the impact of promotional messaging (increased recall)
- Improved customer perception of key brand attributes
- Increased the number of products which could be put on display
- Reduced perceived wait-time and improved satisfaction
In terms of content strategy, in a recent interview, Bill Harrison, director of branch marketing for Citizens-Charter One, commented that the network is aimed at making a three-tiered impression on customers,
It starts with the brand. The first impression when people walk in is 'This is a nice branch.' Their second impression is 'This bank has everything I'm looking for today.' And their third impression is 'I need to go and check that out now.' This exhibits itself through brand spots, spots that show product breadth and spots that tell you what to do next. you need to give consumers enough content that it's...entertaining and worthwhile.
Based on a few select branch visits over the past few years, Citizens-Charter uses a roughly 15-20 minute playlist of 20-30 second spots, although the timing of the loop is deceiving as a number of key spots are repeated more than once. News, weather, and sports updates for 21 unique regions appear prominently in the mix, and I would say that brand interstitials are featured more prominently than in other, more promotional networks. In addition to customer communications, the bank also uses the network to reach its employees , delivering training videos, product launches, and other corporate communications before- and after-hours. Sound does not seem to factor prominently in the multimedia experience, although ambient music does play in the "NICE" branches, and I can remember seeing content in the old Charter One branches that included an audio track.
The Citizens "NICE" branches were originally designed by Lippincott, and employed Impart software and content services to manage the network. Charter One's branches were designed by John Ryan and managed using the company's ScreenRed software and content services.
(Photos taken from ScreenRed, Impart, and Lippincott websites, ABA Bank Marketing article)
Labels: Boston, Chicago, digital signage, pilot test results, quotes, rollouts
Monday, September 10, 2007
TCF Bank - Network Rollout
TCF Bank ("Twin Cities Federal"), whose network spans Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Colorado, may be the possessor of the least well-known large digital signage networks--by now implemented in the majority of the bank's 400+ branch locations. According to a press release from 2005, the bank made the decision to move forward with a network rollout after piloting screen-based communications in some of its largest and most patronized locations. Reasons for adoption cited by Mark Foster, then the bank's SVP of Marketing, included that the medium was "unique" and capable of "targeting messaging down to the individual branch level," thereby increasing the relevance of the bank's communications to the local market and the likelihood of reaching customers who may be in the market for a given product.
As deployed, TCF's digital communications network consists largely of screens mounted behind the teller counter in traditional and in-store branch formats, although in some cases displays have also been installed in windows (I've seen 2-3 branches like that in Chicago) or on promotional kiosks in branch lobbies. The content loop appears to be roughly 3-4 minutes long, and alternates between general branding spots (open 7 days, etc.), product/category awareness (solutions for students), and specific product promotions (rates, etc.), interspersed with local news, weather, sports, and financial markets updates. Most of the content appears to be video-based, but the syndicated news spots, at a minimum, must have a flash overlay component, as they seem to site- or city-specific, and updated regularly. According to the release, the bank uses John Ryan's network management software and content services.
(Photo taken from Business Wire press release)
Labels: Chicago, digital signage, rollouts
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Bank of America - Collated Pilots & Rollouts
With nearly 6,000 locations, Bank of America possesses by far the largest retail network of any US retail bank. While the bank, which prides itself on technological innovation, has been making waves in the digital signage industry for years now--including this 2004 article in Business Week, which many at the time believed (incorrectly, it turns out) was the bellwhether moment for the digital signage industry--but has yet to make any large-scale commitment to date.
That said, over the past 2-3 years a number of "small scale" rollouts have occurred among within the bank's network (the largest of which was inherited in the acquisition of FleetBoston), and many of these would dwarf a full rollout for almost any other client. The bank is notoriously tight-lipped about results from any of its pilot tests, but rumor has it that customer satisfaction improved dramatically in RBSi branches, where Teller Zone Media was originally tested, and that branches with the interactive mortgage fixtures witnessed a 10-15% increase in applications during a limiting pilot test (if that's true, it's shocking the bank didn't deploy those babies everywhere, as 6-12 additional mortgage sales per year would easily cover the cost of ownership).
Rather than detail them individually over time, I have attempted to provide a comprehensive list below:
- Teller Zone Media (400-500 sites) - 19"-42" screens located above or behind teller counters, displaying live news feeds interspersed with bank content, primarily in New York, Washington, DC, and in denovo (RBSi) locations from the past 3-4 years
- Lobby/Media Wall (300-400 sites) - a 42" screen located in the waiting area of denovo (RBSi) branches, playing the same mix of news and bank content as the teller area
- External LED Signage (<10>sites))- massive LED banners and walls serving as external signage, primarily in high-visibility locations in New York
- Digital Windows (10-20 sites?) - 19"-60" Screens located in windows of high-traffic New York locations, some in 'portrait' mode and some in 'landscape' mode, primarily playing the same news/content mix as the interior screens (where they're even working these days)
- Investor Centers (40-50 sites) - 1-2 42" screens located in the Banc of America Securities offices, mostly in California and Texas, showing financial news almost exclusively
- ATM Vestibule (~50 sites) - primarily small screens in New York branches, frequently incorporated into the ATM surround itself
- Interactive Web Kiosks (~300 sites?) - all over in New York, DC, and Boston (although rarely being used and with less pomp than those displayed in the photo below), touchscreen kiosks enabling customers to access account information, print out information, and use various "tools" available on the Bank of America homepage
- Interactive Mortgage Centers (15-20 sites) - a very cool application, which since may have been de-installed, the interactive versions of the ubiquitous "Mortgage Center" fixtures allowed customers to learn about mortgage products or watch informational videos, and were located primarily in Las Vegas and Florida
- Interactive Window (1 site) - an ersewhile pilot test in Chicago, probably designed to generate buzz (which it did: link), which played primarily the same content used on the mortgage fixtures
As you would imagine, this many projects takes a small village of suppliers to manage and complete, including Prism Technologies, Creative Realities, Planar/CoolSign, R/GA, GestureTek, Convergent, and Sony, among others I'm sure.
Labels: articles, ATM, Chicago, digital signage, digital window, interactive, LED, New York, rollouts, videowall
The Provident Bank (NJ) - Jersey City Flagship
The "Provident Hub" communications strategy came to life with six 40-inch LCD displays, fitted together to create two sets of seamless banners, each hung in designated zones. The new Digital Signage Network projects financial facts, brand positioning, product offerings and local news....the solution improves the customer experience as it promotes brand recognition and communicates product campaigns and financial services information. As a result, The Provident has been able to transition from a traditional, transaction-oriented bank to a full-service provider of expert financial solutions.
Labels: banner, digital signage, digital window, New York
Cover stories: digital signage in banks
Labels: articles, industry press
Bank of New York - Park Avenue Flagship
To be honest, I'm not sure what the architect's or marketer's intent was with this sign originally, as it's positioned well to be visible from the street--where employing need some sort of short flashy 'attract' sequence with 3-5 second content bursts would make the most sense--yet too high to be seen as you wait to use the ATM, where devoting 45 minutes or so of every hour to talking-head style Bloomberg financial news (does anyone other than a banker, stock analyst, broker, or trader actually choose to watch that on their free time? Granted, those guys were probably BoNY's target market) might otherwise make a modicum of sense.
The screen is broken up into multiple quadrants, one showing a live Bloomberg feed, one a ticker, one a separate text-based news panel, and one with an ad, but cuts to Bank of New York advertising whenever the telecast cuts to a commercial break. This solves one major problem faced by the myrriad of banks here in New York who have installed televisions in their denovo branches, only to broadcast thousands of their competitors' ads to their own customers as they wait for service (read: dumb). I'm assuming that Chase, who I'll profile at some point in the future, has since replaced this feed with the same content they run in their own legacy branches, but I'm guessing content/software was originally provided by Bloomberg Financial Network and The Affinity Group.
Labels: ATM, banner, digital signage, New York
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Harris Bank - Network Rollout
Harris Bank (owned by Bank of Montreal) is one of Chicago's oldest community banks and, with roughly 200 branches in the metropolitan area, one of its largest. Starting in 2001, the bank began experimenting with digital signs in its branches, first in high-traffic urban areas, and eventually made the decision to roll out to its entire network.
Labels: Chicago, digital signage, pilot test results, rollouts


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Caitlin Freeman, the pastry chef of San Francisco's Blue Bottle Coffee, recently visited South America. After visiting Uruguay (read her account here), she and her husband James traveled to Brazil. Here, her highlights.
"Traveling from Uruguay to Sao Paulo couldn't have been a bigger culture shock. When we arrived we were warned that a big alternative music festival was happening in the city, and the Black Eyed Peas were staying in our hotel. Who really cares about the Black Eyed Peas in Brazil? Oh, people care. Media, teenagers, and hangers-on were all milling around the lobby. As we headed down to dinner, we found ourselves alone in the elevator with a man I assumed was in the band. It turns out that we had 15 floors of alone time with Will.i.am—we figured he was famous by the solid gold glasses he was wearing, and it was confirmed by the screaming tweens in the lobby. That was our celebrity highlight, here, the culinary highlights:
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"The one place that was unanimously recommended by all of our friends was Alex Atala's D.O.M. Given the mania of Sao Paulo, it's so lovely to come through the enormous front door of D.O.M. and into the quiet, tasteful and luxurious interior. But I didn't like my meal. I didn't like it so much that when I successfully didn't finish my Lilliputian hearts of palm appetizer, and barely ate half of my Amazonian fish entrée, the waiter denied my dessert order—telling me that I wouldn't like it and I should order one of their more popular items (which, for the record, I didn't like—but he was right, I also didn't like the original dessert I ordered).
"I sound like a big whiner (and I felt it at the time), so instead of griping about all of the things I didn't like, I'm going to tell you about the delicious dishes that were ordered by my companions, or that I marveled at being served to my neighbors. The mushroom consommé with herbs from the forest was lovely. The cod brandade with marrow starter received coos of approval. James loved his duck confit with Madeira wine and yam puree. It was rich and delicious and perfect with the Burgundy that our dining companion had chosen to pair with James' duck and his wild boar entrée. A number of the tables around us ordered the aligot, melted cheese and butter blended into mashed potatoes and pulled tableside, between two forks, like a big, hot ball of mozzarella. Come on, hot cheese and potatoes? How did I not order that? Would I go back? Absolutely. I know my experience was a lark, and I look forward to someday returning to Sao Paulo and giving D.O.M. another try. 549 Rua Barão de Capanema, 55/(11) 3068-4444, domrestaurante.com.br.
Mercado Municipal
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"Having both started our businesses at the farmer's markets, and seen those businesses grow and thrive at San Francisco's Ferry Building, James and I have great fondness for outdoor and public markets. Sao Paulo's Mercado Central is a wild wonderland of exotic fruit, salted fish, meat galore, and mortadella sandwiches housed in a grand and beautiful building. The mezzanine in the marketplace is where you can go for warm food and cold beer. The mortadella sandwich stands sell big sloppy piles of meat topped with melted cheese on a crusty bun (below). Heaven." 306 Rua da Cantareira 306, 55/(11) 3326-3401, mercadomunicipal.com.br.
"When travelling, we love to pick up jams and jellies for our breakfasts back home. They transport well, it's a good way to bring home unusual flavors from faraway lands, and a great reason to explore markets. Casa Santa Luzia (below), in the Jardim Paulista neighborhood, was the Dean & Deluca of Sao Paulo. A glossy, clean, and lovely store that seemed to have a corner on the country's gift basket market." 1471 Alameda Lorena, 55/(11) 3897-5000, santaluzia.com.br.
more from afar


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Procedural Lightning Featured on Unity Asset Store
Today I visited the Unity Asset Store home page and I noticed something curious.
That lightning bolt with the black background is the lightning asset I've been working on for the past few months. I'm amazed to see it featured on the Unity home page.
I've spent quite a few hours on this lightning and I believe it to be best in class not just for Unity but for any game engine. I've had input from very helpful people who have given feedback and ideas, which I greatly appreciate.
Download Procedural Lightning for Unity and let me know what you think.
Looks like my mirror asset is featured now! How fun!


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Getty Images
Tennis news - Best Tweets: 'We love you Andy Murray, Britain's greatest ever sportsman'
It was the press conference we have feared for some time, but when it finally arrived, there wasn't a dry eye in the room, nor on Twitter.
Andy Murray has set his sights on retirement, playing just 14 matches since a hip operation last January, and it could be all over within the next week.
The former world number one has battled to recover from a chronic hip condition for more than 18 months, undergoing surgery in Melbourne a year ago, but was forced to admit in a tearful press conference that his efforts have not been enough.
It has led to the inevitable outpouring of emotion on social media, with tennis supporters throughout the world uniting to pay tribute to the two-time Wimbledon champion:
With three Grand Slam titles, two Olympic Gold medals and a Davis Cup success with Great Britain to his name, Murray has earned his place in the pantheon of great British sports stars, and many have now called on the Scot to impart his wisdom on the next generation:
It wasn't long before celebrities and other sporting personalities were adding their own tributes following Murray's emotional press conference:
Murray will contest his first-round match against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut on Monday in the Australian Open but that may prove to be the final match of his illustrious career.
Friday's heartbreaking revelation was not without it's lighter tones, as Murray's more humorous side and feminist streak was also highlighted:


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Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Deep Pore Cleansing: Benefits & Review
How Aztec secret works Indian healing clay clays have been used for centuries to beautify and refresh when used as a facial mask. Cleopatra used clay from the Nile River and the Arabian Desert over 1800 years ago, as part of her beauty ritual. German


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Two Headed Floppy Doll, Light Pink Hair in Kitty Dress
Two Headed Floppy Doll, Light Pink Hair in Kitty Dress
These girls have two heads and one body. Their arms and legs are floppy and great for posing and sitting. Each face is hand drawn using ink pens and colored pencils.
These girls have wavy pink yarn hair and pretty green eyes. Their shoes are painted on their black and white striped legs using acrylic paint. Their dress is made of pink gigham with cute little animals and sweet goodies printed on it.
Each doll is 100% handmade by me so details and faces may vary.
Doll stands around 12" tall
Made to order,please allow 2-4 days before shipping for production
In Floppy Dolls


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'80s TV icon Joan Collins will become the latest person to take on the infamous Deal or No Deal banker on New Year's Day.
Collins will be joined by friends and family including Glynis Barber and Michael Brandon (aka Dempsey and Makepeace), fellow Dynasty alumni Emma Samms, comedienne Helen Lederer and Loose Women co-presenter Lisa Maxwell as she takes on Noel Edmonds's box game.
Watch the Celebrity Deal or No Deal promo:
The TV actress will be hoping to win £250,000 for charity in the special episode.
Joan Collins will be playing Celebrity Deal or No Deal on Channel 4 at 6.30pm on New Year's Day.


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Choose lit or unlit & you'll smile as onlookers keep children away from what appears as the chromed air intake for a pavement gobbling monster. The amber L.E.D. running lights really look sharp for that screaming red hot performance. No one needs to know it provides visual horsepower only.
'01-'15 GL1800 & F6B Models
NOTE: Not compatible with Sport/Touring lamp kit(P/N 2218).


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Features japanese culture
about Japan
Home > Shiomihyo
One of Japan's seasonal tradition is "Shiohigari." "Shio" means tide and "Higari" is Hunting.The word "Shiohigari" defines digging for clams or other types of shellfishes, at shallow Japanese beac...
For Tourists
Learn Japanese History
Learn Japanese Culture
Visiting Ibaraki prefecture to enjoy the water fall and beautiful scenary!
Let's have a fun with the most famous festivals in Japan
Let's enjoy the summer by visiting one of the top three waterfalls in Japan
Trip to the rural area by a rental car!
If you are tired of the rainy season, please visit Hokkaido!
All rights reservede by Mogic, inc


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Kyri (pr. kee-ree or kye-ree) could be a variant spelling of Kyrie, which comes from the Greek phrase Kyrie eleison meaning "Lord, have mercy", the vocative form of Kyrios meaning "lord" or "master". It could also be another form of Kiri, a Maori female name meaning "peel", "skin" or "bark, rind" referring to the "bark of a tree" as well as an Indonesian and Malay word meaning "left". Kiri is also a Maltese word meaning "hire" or "rental", an Estonian word meaning "writing", "letter", "script", as well as a Japanese female name meaning "pear tree" (樹梨) or "fog, mist" (霧) though there are other meanings depending on the kanji used. It's also the word for the paulownia tree (桐). Kyri is also a surname, likely derived from the Greek meaning of the name.
Origin: Greek, Maori, Indonesian, Malay, Maltese, Estonian, Japanese
- Kyrie (Ancient Greek, English)
- Kiri (Maori, Indonesian, Malay, Maltese, Estonia, Japanese, English)
- Kyria (Ancient Greek)
Male forms:
- Kyrios (Ancient Greek)
- Kyriakos (Ancient Greek)


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Munchkin is a dedicated deck card game by Steve Jackson Games, written by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Kovalic, that has a humorous take on role-playing games.
This week on Munchkin Land, what else does Steve Jackson Games have for you? How about Zombie Dice!
Eat brains. Don't get shotgunned. You are a zombie. You want brains. More brains than any of your zombie buddies. Zombie Dice is a quick and easy game for gamers and non-gamers alike. The 13 custom dice represent victims. Push your luck to eat their brains, but stop rolling before the shotgun blasts end your turn! Zombie Dice is a dice game for 3 to 8 players. Each game takes 10 to 20 minutes, and can be taught in a single round.
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The material presented here is my original creation, intended for use with the Munchkin system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.
Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com
A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.


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Some very exciting news for all you students out there..The Co-Operative Food are now offering NUS card holders 10% off. This is super handy to know, especially as my uni has a mini Co-Op in the student union, which means my dinner will be a bargain from now on.
The Co-Op asked me to create a kitchen hack as part of #Coopfoodhacks, to celebrate cheap food for students. I was very kindly sent a mini-hamper of chocolate and marshmallows to help me on my way. I made a super easy microwave gluten-free chocolate mug cake.
To make the cake:
One whole big bar of melted chocolate
3 Tbsp of rice flour
2 Tbsp of melted butter
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
Mix it all together and pop in the microwave for 1-1/12 minutes and voila!
I also melted another half a bar of chocolate to make a yummy chocolate topping, this was sooo good but VERY sickly.
Let me know if you give this a go.


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Please Welcome Starla Kaye to the Decadent 1Night Stand Party
It's party time for 1 Night Stand! Maybe you can't see me skipping around in delight, but I am. It has been such fun to part of the whole Decadent Publishing world…especially the 1 Night Stand part. I'm looking forward to trying more stories for the line.
Maggie's Secret Wish was my first story with 1 Night Stand and it was one of the first batch in the series. The idea behind the series called to me and I just had to try my hand at it.
Maggie came to me first. The poor thing had become stuck in a rut of a life, protecting her heart and getting over a jerk that'd tromped on it. But she had fantasies to make her life okay…just okay. A good friend of hers wanted more for Maggie and pushed her into contacting Madame Eve, something she was definitely reluctant about doing.
Ian came to me next. A steamy erotica writer and part-time Dom, he was certain he would never have a "normal" relationship. He couldn't see himself ever finding a woman who could accept him and his kinky quirks. But Maggie came into his life…
Since the original story came out, I have written a number of later looks into their lives in various blog posts. It is always enjoyable to go back to visit "old friends" and see how things are working out for them. In celebrating 1 Night Stand's birthday, many of the 1NS authors are getting a chance to think about our characters. Personally, I am happy to share in this celebration with my fellow authors and our readers.
Maggie's Secret Wish
Decadent Buy Link
Starting Over (my second 1 Night Stand story)
Decadent Buy Link
RAFFLECOPTER CODE: a Rafflecopter giveaway
5 responses
I love that Ian is a steamy erotica writer. You don't see that often in books. And to really 'top' it off (no pun intended) you made him a part-time Dom. Love it!
October 14, 2013 at 4:37 pm
I love how each 1Night Stand story is so different from the next. So many characters from all walks of life, and Madame Eve brings them together for a magical night.
October 14, 2013 at 6:05 pm
Thanks to each of you who stopped by the blog today. Yes, the 1 Night Stand series is exceptional!
October 15, 2013 at 5:36 am


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Urban Dreams
Ali Carr, Lauren Brown, Lia Serge, Emily Wake and Lisanne De Jong @ Elite (NY) Alley Cats or Cats' Alley? Hard to know how the actual title of this editorial from newest Dazed & Confused sounds better. Or more appropriate. What is the most important detail: how these girls melt into the beautiful rainy urban landscape or how their presence turns a familiar-looking place into some unknown wonderland. The real magic might be in between, in the interaction between the characters and the atmosphere they evolve in. In... [Lire la suite]
The Elite Squad
Ali Carr: caught our attention with some tests by Jonathan Leder a bit before the season then we simply fell in love with her look after she walked for Marc Jacobs. And that's just the intro. In our recent entries, her name was quoted a few times to illustrate what we call a fabulous first season: no overwhelming buzz but overwhelming facts. Her way from NY shows to Paris runways is just the way it should be for a girl making her first steps, as selective as expensive. Put names like Burberry or Aquilano.Rimondi on the list and add... [Lire la suite]
Alternative Statements
Gaspard Yurkievich quickly became a regular name on our Paris to-do-list and it's not without any good reason behind. Skipping a meeting for the sake of a casting reminds us our core business includes much more than making then strenghtening connections, like going where things happen and try to find out why. What happened at Yurkievich this season is not very different from previous seasons but that's actually the point, this runway keeps playing its role of highlighting potential major future forces in fashion modeling. Besides... [Lire la suite]
Our Paris Way of Life: Daydreaming vs. Realpolitik
Olga Cerpita @ Studio (Paris), not in the review but expecting to see her again in town after a nice season in London with Profile. And Studio girls definitely belongs to our favorite Paris perks... As usual Paris packages offer a wide range of high level models, including many newcomers you are tempted to watch closely during one week running from one show to another. Hide and seek backstage, good surprises and big disappointments. Though, our approach of that new season in Paris seems a little bit different and our state of... [Lire la suite]


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Zach Grinspan
Dr. Grinspan is Assistant Professor in Pediatrics and in Healthcare Policy and Research and a board certified pediatrician and child neurologist with additional training in epilepsy at Weill Cornell Medicine and the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. His training also includes a degree in biostatistics, and a completed postdoctoral fellowship in quality of care and medical informatics. His published research draws from experts across multiple disciplines (epilepsy, emergency medicine, critical care, health services research, informatics, biostatistics, machine learning, economics). He currently leads several multi center research projects, including a grant from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study rare epilepsies in New York City, and a grant from the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Foundation to compare the effectiveness of medications for infantile spasms.BACK TO LEADERSHIP [+]


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4818 Tarpon Ct
Cape Coral, FL 33904
Taste of the Cape!
Lots of local restaurants will have samples of their food available for purchase.
To make it easier, you buy tickets for $1 per ticket at various booths, along with a map and list of Restaurants and menus.
Each food sample costs between 3-8 tickets.
Some tables are available but may want to bring your chairs.
Sorry, NO PETS this time.
The event is hosted by the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce and the Gulf Coast Symphony.
For any information or go to the Taste of Cape Coral website.
100% of the proceeds go to charity
to benefit children through college scholarships from the chamber and fund the symphony's musical outreach program for children.


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It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
i have upgraded to 7.0.4 and i can use only the original carrier and if i try to use other carrier it shows sim failure , invalid sim or no service . i have been looking all over internet for solution but haven;t found one yet .. would advice stay with that don't upgrade .until you have done it , if yes then do share the result ..maziyark1 said:
my iPhone is sim locked. I unlocked it using redsn0w for iOS 6.0.1.
Should I first update to 7.0.4 and then jailbreak it ? And so would it stay unlocked afterward ?
I have an iPhone 4 sim locked probably country lock (Not sure what is the difference. Yesterday I found a way to unlock it myself but I don't know what will happen if I update it to iOS 7)Any help ?


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Cessna Citation XLS
Enjoy the comforts of a stand up cabin in this beautiful mid-size jet. Up to 9 passengers can enjoy an exceptionally quiet cabin with superior head and shoulder room along with a full size lavatory. It's capable of shorter fields that are usually limited to light jets. This aircraft can go up to 500 mph and 45,000 feet while still allowing for a range of up to 2,000 statute miles. A truly incredible travel experience.
N502EG - Cessna Citation XLS$3300 Hourly
- 9 Seats
- 500 mph cruise speed
- 2,000 nm range


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Annual Cost of Charging an iPad at $1.36, news release.
Consumers who fully charge their iPad tablet every other day can expect to pay $1.36 for the electricity needed annually to power the device, according to an assessment by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
Wow, that's insane. That's the annual cost. Considering the bright, super-high-res screen and the (for a hand-held) very powerful processing, that can only be considered a bargain. Apple has really scored top points with the power-economy here. (Also considered as how much performance you can squeeze out of a given processor, amount of memory, etc.)
I haven't done this test recently, but I once ran a graphic screen-clock application on my iPad 1 non-stop, and the battery lasted over 15 hours. That is of course with the processor not doing much work, but with the screen on constantly.


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With its ageing rollercoaster and deserted tourist attractions, Margate's Dreamland Fun Park looks desolate and forgotten. It could be a scene from almost any coastal resort as summer draws to a close and tourists head home, leaving the beaches, promenades and amusement arcades empty.
On the face of it, it is a classic image of an English seaside town in decline, with its glory days long behind it. But according to Allan Brodie - a senior investigator for English Heritage, who has spent the last five years travelling the country studying seaside towns and whose book, England's Seaside Resorts, is published next month - this image of seasonal exodus and decay is a partial one. While towns such as Margate may have struggled to revive their fortunes after holidaymakers turned their backs on the traditional English bucket-and-spade break, it is important, he says, to dispel myths about coastal resorts generally being in a state of terminal decline.
Brodie's book, written with colleague Gary Winter, is an attempt to examine the development of towns on England's coast - home to 7% of the country's population - and how their heritage and built environment have helped or hindered their evolution. It is important, he says, because if towns such as Margate are to prosper in the future, understanding how heritage, economic progress and regeneration interact is vital.
"I suppose the popular press would say [seaside towns] are under threat, but the reality is that they are changing, and they have been for 300 years," Brodie says. "Decline assumes that it's all negative. Some are still on the way down, but in other places you are seeing upturns."
He says Margate is a good example of how small-scale, targeted, locally-coordinated projects can help inspire a turnaround. Standing in a once rundown Victorian electricity substation that has been gutted, whitewashed and taken over by artists, Brodie says he is convinced that taking advantage of heritage in this way can be a visible step in the right direction. "I think [the building] was derelict for many years before it came into use, and it's interesting to see new projects like this. I think from these small-scale projects you can start to build a momentum hopefully for development - in this case, for development in the Old Town area of Margate. It is an example of what's possible."
Brodie argues that large injections of regeneration cash are not a panacea, and that there are no quick fixes or "one size fits all" solutions. Financial assistance from central government can help - many coastal towns have benefited, for example, from the Single Regeneration Fund and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (£411.4m in total between 2001 and 2008) - as can private investment, but these, Brodie says, are only part of any long-term solution. Successful regeneration is not about throwing money at the problem. Brodie says we only have to look at some of the planning disasters of the past, such as multistorey car parks plonked near beach fronts, to appreciate the consequences of poor planning.
There are plenty of examples of towns clinging successfully to their holiday heritage, Brodie says - Blackpool, with around 10 million visitors annually, being perhaps the most significant. And there are others, such as Brighton, that have seen unprecedented economic growth and regeneration from a combination of public and private investment. But for many towns, the reality has been more of an ongoing struggle for survival in the face of rapid economic, cultural and demographic change.
It is not only English Heritage that is concerned about seaside towns. In March, the Commons select committee for communities and local government published a report into coastal towns. It concluded that, while their needs vary, there are "common challenges" that should be addressed. "We believe there are specific areas where the government needs to act to ensure that coastal towns are not neglected," the report concludes.
It argues that while the government has no specific policy on coastal towns because they are regarded as "too diverse" to warrant special attention, this needs to be reassessed. It highlights a combination of factors that render seaside towns as being in need of special attention, much in the same way as inner cities. These include: a proliferation of concentrated pockets of deprivation (many towns appear in the top 100 on government multiple deprivation indices); physical isolation and inadequate transport infrastructure; poor quality housing; an over-reliance on a single or seasonal industry (tourism or maritime-related industries, such as fishing); and environmental challenges such as flood threats.
The committee expressed particular concern about the long-term implications of demographic change - namely, the outward migration of young people and the inward migration of older people who, partly because of physical separation from families and support networks, can put extra strain on social care in seaside areas. According to government figures supplied to the committee, 29 out of 31 towns it examined had a lower than average proportion of people aged 16-44. A town such as Brighton, where a third of the population is between 25 and 55, is a rare example of a seaside town that is bucking the trend.
Phyllis Starkey, MP for Milton Keynes South West and chair of the select committee, says its members were surprised by the extent of the barriers faced by towns on the coast when attempting to regenerate, even when they are on the fringe of a more prosperous area.
Paul Lovejoy, executive director at the South East England Development Agency (Seeda), the regional body responsible for promoting the economic development of the stretch of coastal Kent that includes Margate, agrees, saying it is critical to get seaside towns in his region on the political radar, otherwise they "get lost in the wider prosperity of the south-east".
Sluggish economy
Lovejoy believes that laying the foundations for future prosperity in seaside towns comes from "tapping into" the individual strengths of towns and local initiatives driven by councils, business and other agencies. He points to Hastings, in east Sussex, another town blighted in recent years by a sluggish local economy, where something small - the introduction of broadband internet - is being used to attract new small businesses to the area. "It won't provide a panacea, but it will provide opportunity," Lovejoy says.
In Margate, physical signs of regeneration are everywhere. On one stretch of its long sandy beach, the grand Victorian Sea Bathing hospital, which was fast becoming a neglected eyesore, has been turned into luxury flats, in a development that has remained sympathetic to the building's heritage. Meanwhile, the Margate Renewal Partnership, a collaboration between Thanet district council and other local bodies, is coordinating investment in a range of projects, from housing improvement to revamping civic spaces and the heritage of the Old Town.
As for the future, Margate has been capitalising on a burgeoning reputation for the arts. The building and burning last year of Antony Gormley's spectacular Waste Man, a 25ft-tall construction made from the detritus of modern consumer society, is an example. But the flagship is likely to be the opening of the Turner Contemporary Gallery near the town's harbour, and scheduled for completion in 2009.
Even at Dreamland, there is a possibility of new life. A group is campaigning to preserve the site, its rollercoaster - the only such structure to have Grade II listed status - and for fresh investment to keep the park as a going concern.
Bistrofication path
For all the challenges, Brodie is sanguine about the future of English coastal resorts. "I think it's important that each seaside town takes a path that will suit it," he says. "It would be crazy for Blackpool to go down that bistrofication, gentrification path because that really isn't in its character. I think it will be important that seaside resorts recognise that they are an entity. But while they share lots of things in common, they've also got different problems individually - and possibly different solutions to their problems.
"We've seen the start of whatever regeneration means at lots of places, and there are successful examples. But I don't think there's any resort that can claim it has been regenerated. It's a process of change. And, hopefully, seaside resorts will continue to change."
· England's Seaside Resorts by Allan Brodie and Garry Winter is published by English Heritage, price £40 (hardback)
· Email your comments to email@example.com. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication"


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A cataract operation has been decided since it is no longer possible to improve your vision by simply changing your glass lenses of.
3 days before the operation you must come back to our clinic for a biometry examination. This examination, carried out with the assistance of our orthoptist Elodie, would enable us to determine the power of the implant to be fitted into your eye. Bear in mind that this visit will last long (approximately 1h30) since a complete health care file will be handed to you by one of my assistants in addition to the biometry examination.
To make things simpler, do not forget to bring the list of medication that you usually take in order to save time.
The operation will be performed as outpatient surgery (you come to the hospital an hour before the operation and you can leave an hour after the operation). The surgery will be performed at the Adassa Clinic in Strasbourg.
You can reach Strasbourg by plane from the airports of London. There are daily flights between London and Strasbourg. You can also reach the airport of Baden-Baden, which is close to Strasbourg.
Here are some hotels located close to the office:
Hôtel Ibis: Click here
Hôtel Kyriad: Click here
Hôtel Hilton: Click here
Hôtel Mercure: Click here
The operation lasts roughly 10 minutes and anaesthesia is topical, i.e. you will not be asleep and no injection will be administered around your eye. A simple anaesthetic gel will be applied on your eye ten minutes before the operation. If you are under anticoagulant medication, it won't be necessary to stop the treatment as the operation does not involve any bleeding or injection.
A check-up in our clinic should be scheduled 3 to 15 days after the operation. The prescription for your glasses will be handed to you at the last appointment.
For the cataract operation, there are several types of implants. In most cases, we will select an implant that will enable you to see far without glasses so you would need glasses to see near objects. The opposite is also possible (make you myopic or leave you with your myopia) so that you will require glasses for distances but not to read. If you are very astigmatic (irregular cornea), there are implants today that can also correct your astigmatism. Lastly, there are also implants (bi-focal) that can correct your presbyopia: unfortunately these implants are not suitable for all patients and are costly in relation to standards implants. Furthermore, these bi-focal implants could cause night halos (glares brought about by headlights at night) and a small decrease in vision of contrasts.
Astigmatism is an optical defect in which vision is blurred at all distances due to the irregular shape of the cornea. Programming an implant to correct astigmatism involves complicated calculations at the clinic and fitting of this implant in the eye requires more work to be carried out than for a "standard" implant, thus accounting for the additional cost.
If in the days following the operation, you notice a deterioration in vision, redness or pain that does not decrease with the drops prescribed, please contact the clinic or call Dr. Ferrari at +33 680 278971.


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Jansport Backpacks for Back To School A Great Deal
These Jansport backpacks are really a great deal for back to school. This is an iconic brand that I think probably all of us have owned at one time or another if not right now. I have one in the back of the car for day hikes that carried my books around campus in college. Now it just does duty on day hikes. But these are really great for the kids from elementary to high school and beyond and they have styling for girls and boys which is great because back in the day they didn't have very many choices.
JanSport Classic SuperBreak Backpack
This is the Classic SuperBreak it has a single large main compartment and a single front compartment. It also has a small organizer for pens pencils and that type of thing. A really great backpack for back to school especially for kids in elementary school.
Jansport Superbreak Wheeled Backpack
The Superbreak backpack wheeled backpack is really great for the older kids since typically if your child is in high school or even junior high now they have a lot of books to carry. I don't know how they carry it all. But a wheeled backpack is a really great choice if your kid is starting to look like they are going on an overnight backpacking trip when they are walking out the door just to go to school. If you are worried about back problems from carrying all that weight then I would recommend a wheeled backpack and the Jansport Superbreak is one of the best.
A great modern styled backpack. The Jansport Air Cure Backpack comes with two large pockets inside including one for a 15 inch notebook and 3 smaller pockets on the outside I love the style of this one. Also this has the comfortable S curve shoulder straps that the newer style Jansports are coming with
All these Jansport backpacks will make a good school backpack and they are great deals as well. All the packs I have shown here are basic black just so you can compare the look of the pack without some of the modern wild colors distorting the lines of the packs but let me assure you that if you want an orange pack or a hot pink pack or even a polka dot Jansport they have it in stock.