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Multiplatinum, record-breaking rock band Shinedown has announced the release of their sixth studio album ATTENTION ATTENTION out May 4 on Atlantic Records. Lead single "DEVIL" is out now along with the accompanying video. Directed by Bill Yukich (Beyoncé, Marilyn Manson, Wiz Khalifa), the visual for "DEVIL" is a dramatic and visceral introduction to ATTENTION ATTENTION. Check out front man Brent Smith's first interview about the album with Billboard.
ATTENTION ATTENTION is available for pre-order now at all DSPs and each pre-order will include an instant download of "DEVIL." Deluxe album bundles are available at the official Shinedown webstore HERE, including the limited transparent yellow colored double vinyl, a 3' x 5' flag and exclusive "ATTENTION" and "DEVIL" t-shirts. The first 500 Ultimate Vinyl and first 500 Ultimate CD bundle purchasers will receive a signed copy of the album.
The 14-track album, Shinedown's most raw and personal to date, is a mental, emotional and physical journey that follows an individual from life's lowest lows to the highest highs as anxieties dissipate and demons disappear. The ominous album opener and lead single "DEVIL" is a rush of unpredictable rhythms and roaring guitars that sets the stage for what's to come. The story that unfolds as the album progresses is a powerful and enduring statement about the resolve of the human spirit, our will to overcome struggles, and the importance of respecting and leaning on one another. On "KILL YOUR CONSCIENCE," a percussive march and a snarling refrain are instigated by the pitfalls of social media. Elsewhere, "GET UP" is an encouraging lyrical ode set to lush piano chords that speaks to struggles with depression. The energized distortion of "THE HUMAN RADIO" is a rousing call to action to keep fighting together for survival and truth. Album closer "BRILLIANT" packs a punch as fears finally evaporate and strength returns. Given the deeply personal nature of the record, Shinedown went in-house for production for the time ever, enlisting bassist Eric Bass to produce and mix the album in its entirety. ATTENTION ATTENTION ushers in Shinedown's biggest and boldest chapter yet, as they once again uproot convention and deliver a cinematic and poignant body of work.
Shinedown will be hitting the road for a world tour beginning March 23 in Deadwood, SD. PRESS HERE for tickets; full routing below. The band also recently announced select co-headlining tour dates with Godsmack on sale now as part of Live Nation's TICKET TO ROCK, which offers exclusive 3 or 4-show ticket bundles beginning at $59 to some of the hottest rock tours this summer. Lawn and reserved ticket bundles are available to purchase at LiveNation.com in limited quantities while supplies last. For full package listings and additional information, PRESS HERE.
Leading the charge for 21 century rock, multi-platinum, record-breaking band Shinedown - Brent Smith [vocals], Zach Myers [guitar], Eric Bass [bass, production], and Barry Kerch [drums] – has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide, has 11 platinum and gold singles and four platinum and gold albums, and averages more than 3.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify as one of the most-listened-to rock bands on the platform with over 600 million streams, contributing to their more than 1 billion total overall streams to date.
Attention Attention is the follow-up to 2015's Threat To Survival LP which marked Shinedown's third straight Top 10 debut on the Billboard Top 200, arriving at #5 while also debuting at #1 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums Chart and bringing Shinedown's total count of number one rock singles to 12 thanks to hits like "Cut the Cord" and "State of My Head." Every one of the singles released over Shinedown's nearly two-decade career has ascended to the Top 10 on the rock charts - a feat unmatched by any other rock band.
They began their unparalleled domination of multi-format rock radio with their 2003 platinum-certified debut Leave A Whisper and its gold-selling 2005 follow-up Us and Them. 2008's Billboard Top 10, double-platinum LP The Sound of Madness remained on the Top 200 Chart for a staggering 120 consecutive weeks and made rock history with six #1 singles including the gold "Devour," platinum "If You Only Knew," and the triple-platinum breakthrough "Second Chance," igniting a mainstream crossover and soaring to #1 at Hot AC and Top 3 at Top 40. The American Music Award-nominated band then seized #1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums Chart and #4 on the Top 200 with 2012's gold-certified Amaryllis, which launched three #1 Active Rock anthems - "Bully," "Unity," and "Enemies." Hailed as a fiery and always exciting live act, the band continues to engender diehard love from millions of global fans and has racked up countless sold-out tours and festival headlining sets as well as numerous national television appearances such as The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and TODAY.
12. special
March 23 Deadwood, SD @ Deadwood Mountain Grand
March 24 Deadwood, SD @ Deadwood Mountain Grand
March 27 Penticton, Canada @ SOEC #
March 29 Edmonton, Canada @ Shaw Conference Center #
March 30 Dawson Creek, Canada @ Encana Events Center #
March 31 Calgary, Canada @ Grey Eagle Casino #
April 2 Winnipeg, Canada @ Bell Mts Centre #
April 3 Saskatoon, Canada @ Sasktel Centre #
April 4 Lethbridge, Canada @ Enmax Centre #
April 6 Abbotsford, Canada @ Abbotsford Centre #
April 7 Yakima, WA @ Yakima Valley Sundome *
April 9 Modesto, CA @ Modesto Centre Plaza ^
April 10 Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre ^
April 12 Riverside, CA @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium ^
April 13 Scottsdale, AZ @ Arizona Bike Week Live at the Rock Yard
April 14 El Paso, TX @ Speaking Rock ^
April 16 San Antonio, TX @ Tobin Center for the Performing Arts ^
April 17 Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Pavilion ##
April 18 Baton Rouge, LA @ Raising Cane's River Center ##
April 20 Tampa, FL @ 98RockFest Live at Amalie Arena **
April 21 Orlando, FL @ WJRR Earthday Birthday Live at Central Florida Fairgrounds **
April 28 Sunrise, FL @ Monster Energy Fort Rock Fest Live at Markham Park
May 4 Concord, NC @ Carolina Rebellion Live @ Rock City Campgrounds
May 6 Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena ^^
May 8 Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena ^^
May 10 Tulsa, OK @ Bok Center ^^
May 11 Council Bluffs, IA @ Westfair Amphitheatre ^^
May 12 Maryland Heights, MO @ Pointfest
May 14 Salem, VA @ Salem Civic Center ^^
May 16 Birmingham, AL @ Legacy Arena at BJCC ^^
May 17 Evansville, IN @ Live at the Ford Center ^^
May 18 Moline, IL @ Tax Slayer Center ^^
May 20 Grand Forks, ND @ Alerus Center ^^
June 2 Nürberg, Germany @ Rock am Ring
June 3 Nuremberg, Germany @ Rock im Park
June 8 Interlaken, Switzerland @ Greenfield Festival
June 10 Donington Park, England @ Download Festival
June 14 Nickelsdorf, Austria @ Nova Rock
June 16 Firenze, Italy @ Firenze Rocks
June 22 Dessel, Belgium @ Graspop
June 24 Clisson, France @ Hellfest
June 30 Madrid, Spain @ Download Festival
July 14 Oshkosh, WI @ Rock USA
July 22 Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre ###
July 27 Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre ###
July 28 Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center ###
August 2 Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre ###
August 4 Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre ###
August 6 Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater ###
August 11 Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman ###
August 12 Dallas, TX @ Starplex Pavillion ###
August 19 Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live ###
August 24 Hartford, CT @ XFINITY Theatre ###
August 25 Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center ###
August 26 Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion ###
August 28 Burgettstown, PA @ KeyBank Pavilion ###
August 31 Scranton, PA @ The Pavilion at Montage Mountain ###
September 1 Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center ###
September 2 Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater ###
# - with In This Moment, One Bad Son, 10 Years
* - with In This Moment and Empire City
^ - with Empire City
## - with Starset and Empire City
** - with Seether, Three Days Grace, and Fozzy
^^ - co-headlining with Five Finger Death Punch; guests Starset, Bad Wolves
### - co-headlining with Godsmack (Live Nation TICKET TO ROCK date)


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Mission statement goes here
Vision Satement goes here
McAdam Ave. is a safe, respectful place to learn where we help each other to suceed.
A-Achieve your goals
B-Believe in yourself and care for others
C-Create and think critically
D-Dare to dream!
Creating caring critical thinkers who will help make the world a better place.

subset: commoncrawl


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Facing veto threat, Senate removes F-22 fundingFacing a veto threat from 'America's popular President,' the US Senate has voted 58-40 to remove funding for the F-22 Raptor from the armed services appropriation bill.
The F-22, the world's most advanced fighter, had become a flashpoint in a larger battle over the administration's push to shift more of the Pentagon's resources from conventional warfare to fighting insurgencies.But the House has voted to fund the plane, and so the issue will be decided in conference.
The plane's supporters, who ranged from hawkish Republicans to Democrats close to organized labor, also voiced concern over the possible loss of high-paying manufacturing jobs at a time when the economy is in turmoil.
Immediately after the vote, Mr. Obama praised the Senate's decision, saying that any money spent on the fighter was an "inexcusable waste."
Senate aides said that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, pushed hard to rally support for the president through phone calls to crucial senators.
The aides added that some Democrats who might have voted for more of the planes stuck with the president out of concern that a loss on the F-22 could have hurt him politically in the tougher fight over health-care reform.
Mr. Obama also received some crucial support on the F-22 vote from his Republican rival in last year's presidential election, Senator John McCain of Arizona.
Senator McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who chairs the committee, sponsored the amendment to strip the money for the F-22 out of the bill.
Failure to approve the F-22 will break a promise to two more American allies (Israel and Japan) and cost another 95,000 American jobs.
Here's President Obumbler applauding the vote.
Let's go to the videotape.


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Ryan O'Reilly update: Not much goin' on
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – A lot of you have asked about this mysterious foot injury of Ryan O'Reilly. I've asked a lot too. Today, I learned: it's just a minor sprained ankle. He'll probably be off his feet a few days and then things will be fine.
About of the rest of the O'Reilly holdout situation? It doesn't seem good. Very little, if any, contact is going on between Avalanche management and O'Reilly's agent Mark Guy – and his other agent, Pat Morris. Morris, from the Newport Sports Agency and a longtime agent, is also heavily involved with negotiations with the Avs – at least when there were any.
One other thing: O'Reilly can become an unrestricted free agent after NEXT season if he doesn't sign with the Avs by then. Right now, the Avs are saying they won't trade him at all this season, despite a TON of teams around the league calling about him. But obviously, if things remain at an impasse with the Avs on a contract, they will have to trade him at some point before next season, unless they want to lose a young, valuable, two-way center who plays with heart and leadership for nothing.
The Avs have just let this kind of thing go on for way too long with players. They cut off their nose to spite their face time and again with players who want what – fair or not – is their perceived value. Then they leave and thrive elsewhere. Maybe it's time for Avs management to take a good hard look in the mirror and say "Maybe it's us, not them" as to why players seem to do great things away from this team, after, you know, other teams show they care about them at the bargaining table.
I'm not saying the Avs need to just give in to every player's contract demands, and I've been on record saying the Avs' offer to O'Reilly is "fair." But circumstances with the roster have changed, and the Avs need to DO SOMETHING or else just completely, 100-percent turn off their fan base, who already perceive the Avs as a cheap, stupidly stubborn management/ownership group.
What I most worry about, if I'm an Avs fan, is letting another good player get away for not enough in return, if the Avs do make a trade. Kevin Shattenkirk, Chris Stewart, Tomas Fleischmann, Peter Mueller (lately), Craig Anderson, Brian Elliott, Matt Hendricks – all these guys the Avs let get away when they obviously still had a lot of good hockey left in them.


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Upgrade list:
Salespeople with just one recommendation or the dealership does not meet the minimum requirements:
Morgan Sargeson, Chevrolet
Sam Milstein, Tesla
Paul Berggren, Nissan
Stephanie Pauluik, Nissan
Richard Herod III, Mitsubishi
Cory Minion, Chevrolet
Jeff Rabenort, Tesla
Mason Trang, Tesla
Nathan Barbeln, Nissan
Chad Walczak, Mitsubishi
Brendan Chamberlin, Volkswagen
Cody Bristow, Nissan
EV Sales Savvy is powered by:
EV Sales Savvy
EV Sales Savvy is a recommended PEV sales personnel listing program that is coordinated by MN PEV Owners' Circle members.
On the right sidebar you can find list of recommended PEV sales personnel and the dealership/sales office that they work at. This list is compiled based on the recommendations from MN PEV Owners. The MNPEVOC Recommendation Committee goes through the recommendations periodically and updates the list based on the recommendations and dealer information.
To be listed PEV sales personnel need to:
- Have a 5:1 ratio of positive/negative recommendations.
- Show adequate knowledge of PEVs and related technologies.
(charging, utility rates, etc…)
The dealership/sales office where the salesperson works also needs to:
- Provide charging for the general public.
(either Level 2 or DC fast charging or both)
- Consistently have at least 3 new or used PEVs available at their dealership.
MNPEV Recommendation Committee consists of 6-12 active MNPEVOC members who volunteer their time for the committee. Recommendations are based on past experiences and do not guarantee future performance.
My recommendation:
PEV sales personnel:
12 recommendations
Adam Bazille
Kline Nissan
Maplewood MN 55109
(877) 284 5230
9 recommendations
Bryan Bailey
Eden Prairie Nissan
12790 Plaza Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
(952) 567 2107
8 recommendations
Dave Troy
Rosedale Chevrolet
2845 Highway 35W,
Roseville, MN, 55113
(888) 476 2204
7 recommendations
Roger Ratajczak
Rosedale Chevrolet
2845 Highway 35W,
Roseville, MN, 55113
(888) 476 2204
5 recommendations
Joe Itman
Shakopee Chevrolet
1206 E. 1st Ave
Shakopee, MN 55379
(866) 492 4486 www.shakopeechevrolet.com
6 recommendations
Libby Sullivan
Tesla Eden Prairie
6801 Washington Ave S
Eden Prairie MN 55344
(952) 944 1373
4 recommendations
Kevin Kallhof
Brookdale Chevrolet
6701 Brooklyn Boulevard
Brooklyn Center, MN 55429
(763) 222 1959
3 recommendations
Pavel Ihnatovich
GS Motors
10921 Excelsior Blvd #114, Hopkins, MN 55343
2 recommendations
Mitch Stein
Don Robinson Mitsubishi
3605 W Saint Germain St, Saint Cloud, MN 56301
(866) 374 1915
2 recommendations
Mark Leuthard
Eden Prairie Nissan
12790 Plaza Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
(952) 567 2185 www.edenprairienissan.com
PlugInConnect, LLC © 2017 All rights Reserved | Privacy Policy
PlugInConnect sites: MultiHousingCharging.com


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Running total = 75 books
Forum » Conventions and Meetings » Parent Thread | Refresh | Search
I'm counting books as I fill and close boxes. So far, I'm at:
Fiction 40
Fiction 53
Running total: 93
I have another almost full box of nonfiction and then I have maybe 3 boxes and 2 bags full of fiction & kids books still to register and release. I should be somewhere between 500 and 600 this year. I'm keeping a spreadsheet and will update here daily.
Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.


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Events on Public Land
Events on Public Land Policy
The Events on Public Land Policy provides a documented process on how event organisers may obtain approval to hold an event on public land in Ballina Shire such as parks, open spaces or streets under the ownership and/or control of Ballina Shire Council.
Event Guidelines Prepared by Ballina Shire Council
The Event Guidelines are designed to assist event organisers with the regulations and procedures associated with staging events in parks, open spaces or streets under the ownership and/or control of Ballina Shire Council.
Application Form
Applications are to be lodged via the 'Events on Public Land Application Form'. To allow sufficient processing time, organisers are encouraged to lodge applications up to 3 months prior to the proposed event.
In some cases larger events may require a Development Application (DA) for the erection of temporary structures, which can take up to 12 weeks to be processed. Events that include a temporary road closure will need to submit an application a minimum 4 months prior to the event.
Minor event applications must be lodged a minimum 4 weeks prior to the event. Venue availability is often a determining factor, so applicants are encouraged to lodge their applications with as much notice as possible.
Fees & Charges
Applicants may be subject to fees and charges, ground bonds or key deposits. Please refer to Council's Fees and Charges.
Approval Conditions
Applications will be assessed and have approval conditions issued within one month of lodgement. Applicants may be required to attend a meeting with Council staff to discuss approval conditions. Council reserves the right to refuse applications where insufficient information is provided, events are deemed a hazard to the general public and/or the environment or where Council believe there is lack of event management skills and experience by the applicant.
For more information, read our FAQs.
- Events on Public Land information (extract from the Use of Public Land Handbook)
- Amusement Devices Factsheet
- Operate an Amusement or Inflatable Device Application Form
- Banner Poles Application Form
- Notice of Intention to Hold A Public Assembly
- Guidelines for Food Businesses at Temporary Events
- Environmental Health Fact Sheet Children's Face Painting – NSW Health
- Free Event Promotion Service - Ballina Visitor Information Centre
Further Information
- Accessing the Arts
- Civil Aviation Safety Authority - Ph 13 17 57
- Destination NSW
- Discover Ballina Online Events Calendar
- NSW Government – Event Starter Guide
- NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing - Ph 02 9995 0894
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Temporary Structures) 2007
- Workcover - Ph 13 10 50


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hey danmark what country you from?
yo DK. Im gonna watch DKMagician right now. Im looking on the facts. If only I could be as good as you, I'd get the attention of big companies too. I need a job. ASAP O.O anyway, manny pacquiao will be proud of you. lol
DK! Whatever happened to DK Magician?
hey... let me see your latest animation! >:3
I'm closely watching thanks DK
and subbing :P
could you stream or something and teach me FX??
you mean you wont be avatar anymore? why? nd what do you mean i want it? i could turn my rhg into avatar?
gime link to your RHG page
ps what is the name on that nice animation program?
OMG what is the name of this song
Junior Member
It's a Cruel world.
Truly Prime
Senior Member
Yeah... I'm that guy....
Teh ill pop your head off


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On the 9th of October I was giving a talk at itnig, the hacker accelerator of Barcelona. The first talk after a couple of workshops on the same topic, it was exciting and frightening in the same time to see so many people interested. Of course teaching requires a lot of practice and learning, just like everything, but I am happy to have been given positive feedback on this first occasion already.
Already thinking about how to make it better, more relevant for a startup and useful for small organisations, I am very happy to get more feedback. The slides are on SlideShare, so if you happen to give them a look and have any constructive criticism, feel free to comment! Thanks in advance!


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Source: https://honeybeesuite.com/perfect-bee-suit/
Bee suits can be miserable things to wear, so when Terry Chapman of Guardian Bee Apparel asked me to beta test his newly designed bee suit, I was a bit skeptical. After all, how can you fix such a freakish piece of clothing? But I have to say, Terry and his team came up with […] Read more
The post Guardian Bee Apparel presents the perfect bee suit appeared first on Honey Bee Suite.
To be updated with the latest information in the apiculture industry to may check out our apiculture latest news. On the other hand in case you're new to apiculture and would like to start professional beekeeping today download a copy of our beekeeping for beginners ebook.
Beekeeping can be a full-time profession or a hobby that is simple. Nonetheless, more often than not, what started as a hobby would become a profession. But you cannot just tell and determine yourself that you will start to do beekeeping. You need to have sufficient knowledge and comprehension on the field that you are going to enter before beginning on any hobby or profession. Then it's about time to indulge yourself in your line of interest, if you really have been putting off your interest in beekeeping for a long time. Bee farming may appear simple; learning the basic beekeeping lessons can get you off to a good start.
What does a beekeeper need to understand?
On beekeeping to start at the right foot you should have interest that is full. You will need to spend time taking care of your own colonies of bees. You should have also agreed to share your home space. There are potential dangers in beekeeping that can harm not only you but your family also. If you decide to let the bees inside your living space, then you must understand gear and the supplies you will use for beekeeping. Your focus isn't just to build an income by selling honey; a good beekeeper should have fire and a keen interest in raising bees.
An apiarist should know the right location for the beehives. The place must have adequate sources of nectar for the bees to get. You have to make sure beekeeping is allowed in your town, if you decide to put your beehives at your backyard. There are several places limited to beekeeping; you should get permission relating to this.
Beekeepers must understand whether beekeeping supplies can be found in the place where the beehives are situated. When you must go to a local beekeeping shop you may never know; it is best that a nearby beekeeping shop is not inaccessible.
Protective supplies and equipment are also important for beekeepers to know. Beekeepers are prone to bee stings; the outfit that is proper must be worn during beekeeping sessions. This will decrease the chances of being stung by your bees. Understand the appropriate suit to select to keep you from any potential danger in beekeeping.
Last but definitely not the least, among the beekeeping lessons you need to know is that: it's not unimportant for the beekeeper to know the appropriate way of harvesting honey. All the efforts that are beekeeping would be useless if you're incapable to harvest honey. A beekeeper ought to know the methods in collecting the honey in the comb; beeswax is also part of the returns in beekeeping.


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Apache Wicket – WebSocket Support
With Apache Wicket there exists a component based Web Framework which supports the new WebSocket protocol.
I want to give you a short introduction to Apache Wicket with the focus on the new WebSocket Support. It will be explained by developing a little real-time chat application in 7 steps.
As I mentioned in my previous article WebSocket versus Comet, there are good reasons using the new WebSocket protocol.
There are some Web Frameworks supporting this new protocol in their technology stack.


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Professional Flooring and Carpet Dealer in HollandSince 1948, Michigan Tile, Inc. has been taking care of the flooring needs of the residents in Holland, Zeeland, Saugatuck, Douglas, Allendale, Lamont, Glenn and the surrounding area. Trust us when it comes to providing superior flooring and carpets for your home and businesses.
We are your one-stop destination for all varieties of flooring sales and installation services. Our experts guide you to choose the best flooring for your homes that will look amazing. Call Michigan Tile, Inc. at (616) 294-8700 to choose from our wide variety of tiles and flooring designs.
We Offer:
- Wood Flooring
- Carpeting
- Flooring Materials
- Hardwood Floors
- Laminate Flooring
- Vinyl Flooring
- Window Treatments
- Blinds
- Countertops
- Stone, Ceramic and Porcelain Tile


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This past season we saw a few true freshman quarterbacks shine for their teams when their numbers were called. Tua Tagovailoa and Jake Fromm both put on a show in the national championship game for Alabama and Georgia, respectively, and we could see a few more true freshmen on the field for the 2018 season as well.
Now that the 2018 prospects have been signed, the 2019 classes are being built -- and some of them could have an opportunity to play right away as well. Here is a look at some of the 2018 quarterbacks you might be seeing soon, as well as a few 2019 prospects who could be going into favorable situations.


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Readdle has been working on bringing its email app called Spark to the Mac for a while now, and this week the company started taking sign-ups for users who want to test the beta version.
Spark for Mac will be an alternative email client to Apple's built-in Mail app with better support for Gmail and a smart inbox for presenting important messages first.
Spark first debuted on the iPhone and Apple Watch last year with deep integration with third-party services. Spark for iPad followed at the start of this year.
Spark for macOS will complete the suite which is especially critical for Mac users investing fully into Readdle's email workflow.
Mac users who want to try Spark for macOS can sign up at sparkmailapp.com/beta to join the waiting list. Readdle says over 3500 sign-ups have already been collected as the first beta is expected to go out early next week.
Spark for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch is a universal app that you can download for free on the App Store. Readdle also makes a ton of other productivity tools for the Mac and iOS.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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Lots of people want to get healthy. They want to do better by their body and live longer and all those good things. But too often, they just don't know how to get started! Thankfully, I've put together a list of a few foods that should put you on the right track.
The first food on our list is spinach. Not only is it available pretty much everywhere and year-round but it can be a part of any meal. For breakfast, try putting it in a smoothie! For lunch, slide it on the sandwich as a lettuce replacement (nothing against lettuce). And for dinner, prepare it as a side salad! The possibilities are endless and so are the benefits. Spinach is a rich source of omega-3's and folate; folate can reduce the risk of heart disease, strokes and osteoporosis. It also protects you against age-related sexual issues, so you can enjoy your life as long as possible!
Next on our list is tomatoes! Now, this is the only fruit on our list but it's much more than a sweet treat. Red tomatoes provide the best health benefits by reducing the risk of cancer and certain coronary disease. In order to increase your intake, you don't really have to get too creative because tomato is in a lot of things we use. Just try increasing your usage of those products like tomato paste and ketchup: I know it sounds weird but it really works!
Lastly, we have carrots! Suggested intake is a ½ cup per day which is it much but you get a lot out of it. Carrots contain carotenoids which reduce the risk of cancer and other inflammatory conditions; you can eat them in a lot of ways, including raw as long as they're washed. Try them in a carrot cake!
The great thing about these healthy foods is that you can get very creative with them so look up some recipes, try them out, and let me know which ones are your favorites down below!
Source: http://www.eatthis.com/8-superfoods-you-should-eat-every-day
Nowadays, it's easier than ever to start a business but it's very hard to keep one going. I could sit here and give you the statistics for how rare it is for a business to make it past the one-year mark, and then the five-year mark, and then to $1 million in revenue but I don't think it's worth anything to discourage you. You know how hard it is to do something you set your mind to, no matter how much you "want" it. What's important is giving you the keys to getting from an idea to a business plan to a successful business.
Have a novel idea
First off, don't start a business if you're just going to sell T-shirts or keychains or mini fans. Basically, if you can find it in a flea market, think very hard before you start a business based on it, because chances are there's already somebody doing what you want to do at a better price price point and with more experience and know-how. You have to start with a novel idea which will add value to people's lives and that they can really fall in love with. The best way to do this is to get opinions on your idea before you start anything; and not just from your friends and family, from people who know success, business, and products. This way, you'll have your best shot at having something that will succeed with a large audience.
Create a plan of action
Next, have a real plan. You're going to have to work hard to come up with a real business plan that you could present to investors, friends, and family given the opportunity. You have to be able to pitch this in order to make people believe in your idea, more than just enough to buy it, but to bet on it for the future. After all, no one likes feeling like you just want to make money without putting any work in: so, put the work in!
Do your research
Know about the field, about the market, about your typical customer, about how much it's going to cost to make your product, etc. You can never do enough research! Now, don't get bogged down knowing every little fact and figure but go in with knowledge about what you want to do, how you want to do it, and how you can get it done. It'll give your business the best chance to succeed and will make you more confident going forward.
Make connections in the industry
You want to make connections with people doing what you're doing, or similar to what you're doing. That means having a mentor, peers, or friends you can toss ideas around with and having people you can talk to about your product that would possibly be prospective buyers. The more people you know that know what you're doing, the less likely you'll be willing to just drop out or to give up. As crazy as it sounds, the fear of embarrassment can actually keep you going! So have some friends and consultants who are going to hold you accountable.
Be innovative and find solutions
You're really going to have to be innovative and find solutions! Like I said before, people won't want your product unless it's adding value to their lives and to add value you're going to have to look for where value is needed. Get creative, don't be afraid to fail or to have an idea that doesn't exactly work out and just get after it! After all, there's no penalty for trying and failing. You'll learn and be better for it! The only time you truly fail is when you quit, so don't quit and you truly won't ever fail.
Don't give up!
Finally, and the most important piece of advice, don't give up! If you follow every other step and it still hasn't worked out, your breakthrough is coming! Just keep pushing and doing what you know to do, and don't be afraid to change directions but just don't quit. It's better to have marks on your "resume" rather than having nothing at all.
Right now is your time! Stop waiting and looking for the perfect opportunity; it's not coming! You have to make it happen, so start somewhere and finish where you want to be down the road.
Pretty much everyone has heard about the Law of Attraction at this point: it's been a craze ever since "The Secret" was published in 2006, becoming a fixation of pop culture ever since. Oprah once devoted a whole episode of her show to the concept and how it can help people improve their lives! So, what's the big deal? Is it all about spending your days selfishly dreaming up all the things that you want? Or is there more to it? I want to explore it and share how it's already been a part of all of our lives without us realizing it, so we might as well actively participate in it!
Most people understand that positive people attract other positive people and people with more negative bents attract--well, people of the same inclinations. But what I told you that positive people can even attract positive results in their lives? The job they've always wanted, the relationship you dream about, the house, the car, etc? Well, that's exactly what the Law of Attraction states! To be clear, the Law of Attraction is much less complicated than an actual wordy, confusing law: it's quite simple, really. The Law basically says that through positive thoughts, focus, and fixation on the things that you desire, you enlarge these positive things in your life until they become a reality. That's right, theoretically you can imagine that brand new car right into your driveway, given the proper practice and intentions!
But of course, in a world characterized by cynicism and roadblocks to positivity, this sounds too good to be true. Many call it pseudo-science, New Age thinking created to comfort people who feel dissatisfied by their lives and would rather ask 'the Universe' for all the things they want. But if you think about it, most religions even preach this notion, just in different ways. Christianity is the most popular religion in the world, and the Bible confirms the law in an often-overlooked way; Proverbs 23:7 says that "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he," and it doesn't even mention prayer or any type of religious practice associated with it. Buddhism is credited with the first real introduction of the law into religion, and since then it's been found in many different forms in many religions. So, spiritual or not, you have to admit that there must be some validity to the Law. With that in mind, why not give it a shot?
There are plenty sources out there that will tell you to basically pray to the Universe for guidance and all the things you want in life -- I think that's a little farfetched to work. Besides, if you're a practical person like me, you'll probably conclude that being more positive in your own thinking rather than trusting the whole universe is a much safer, smarter bet. The process is simple: take some time out of your day to pray, or meditate, or whatever it is you do. During that time, do your best to focus on, visualize, and truly immerse yourself in the experience of having what it is that you want. If it's a new car (no shame), imagine yourself driving the car down your favorite road; the more realistic the scenario you're able to visualize, the easier it will be for you to feel that it's real and this will make it easier for you to hold onto that positive thought over time. The more you focus on this thought over time, the more real it will become to you; you'll be open to more opportunities to receive this thing, and your positive thinking will clean out your mindset to be able to truly pursue this thing. More importantly, it's always beneficial to focus on what you want rather than what you don't want. It's like walking a tightrope and thinking about falling the whole time rather than on putting one foot in front of the other and reaching your goal.
There are always obstacles to this though: when you encounter failure or disappointment, you can't dwell on it. See it as a closed door, one among many that will be present in your life: your acquisition of the things you want is ultimately up to you so one door closing in your face doesn't mean you can't have it, you've just struck one path to success off your list. Refocus and move on.
If you'd like to learn more about the Law of Attraction, check out TheLawofAttraction.com and Business Insider's article on it.
Being Your Own Brand
When you start a company, and therefore become an entrepreneur, there's probably going to be a lot of people that tell you to change who you are to get what you want out of the business. I'm here to tell you NOT to take their advice. The last thing you want to do is change the thing that makes you unique to fit into a market that is missing you. All you need to learn how to do is make yourself compatible with the market not fit in with it.
Don't Change Your Personality: Market It
The first thing you need to do is to learn how to market your personality. if you made it this far in life it's clear that you have some great qualities so all you need to do is learn how to make those qualities pop on page, on a website, in a board room, etc. Spend your time being creative about how to make your great qualities apparent, not how to hide them behind the norm. This way, you'll let your best self shine and you'll be confident because you know it's the true you!
Do The Things Your Company Can't Do
Next, you want to focus on doing things your company can't do and this applies especially to social media. See, corporate entities generally don't have all the capacities and personality traits that make you special so you have to use that to your advantage! Interact with people, make friends, make jokes, be yourself, and let the company be the company; there's no use in trying to be or do something that the company already is or does. So spend your personal time expanding what your business can really be with the business side and yourself.
Have Fun With It
Lastly, you just need to remember how to have fun! I can assume that if you're anything like me you started a company because you saw the way other people are doing things and you thought, "I'm sure I can do better than that! " The corporate world is desperately missing a personal side. We're shut in by so many walls and formalities that we've forgotten that we want to make money and be successful so that we can ENJOY (don't worry, it's not a bad word) the things in life that really matter. So be open about enjoying yourself, about having fun and about being a person, a human who's not just an employee or employer. This will set you apart and it will endear you to others.
One last piece of advice before I go: think about your favorite businessperson. Do they seem to follow all the rules? Do they seem happy? Would you enjoy living their lives? These are things you should be reflecting on as you transition into becoming a public figure: if people can't see a little bit of themselves in you, they won't want to follow you. So start being relatable, having fun, and being great at what you do.
It can be hard to start every day with a renewed mentality. After all, if you're like me you wake up with the same problems, the same worries, and the same obligations and promises that occupy every day. But that shouldn't keep you down; I want to help you reset every day, using tips that work for me, so that you're not only getting more out of the day, you're also putting more positive energy into yourself and the people around you.
Reframe Your Circumstances
The first thing you have to realize is that you can't put too much stress on yourself. The world is already going to try to keep you down so at the beginning of EVERY day you have to be the thing that pulls you up. When you wake up, don't let your mind automatically go to all the things you have to do that day: focus in on yourself and have a morning routine that allows you to prepare for the world in the best, most positive way possible: then go attack it and get things done!
Realize Everything Isn't Equally Important
next realize that although there are so many things for you to do in a day (especially if you wear lots of hats like I do), you can't stress yourself out by worrying about all of them as if they're all equally important. Prioritize your day! Realize that there are some things that are important to others, some things are important to you, and some things that are important to your future. Organize things that way (or in whatever way you find best) and you'll find you're much less stressed and able to focus on accomplishing tasks one at a time, and doing them well. No, tomorrow isn't a guarantee but you have to do what you can now and let the next 'now' come when it comes.
Do Your Best and Let The Results Speak for Themselves
As much as you want to be in control of everything you do and everything that happens to you you're just not. The quicker you realize that the easier it will be for you to move forward in confidence, knowing that you're doing your best and that's all you can do. All you can do is take each day in stride, being positive and motivated and pushing for success in all the areas of your life; after that, you can't get caught up in worrying about the rest.
It's not going to be easy, and it's not even going to get you instant results. But I can promise you that taking these steps day by day and improving your outlook on life WILL help you reach your goals in a significant way.
Introducing...Workout Wednesdays!
Vontoba and I are big on staying healthy, and one of the best ways to do that is with consistent exercise! Because of this, we're excited to be able to share our workouts with you, starting this Wednesday on our Instagram accounts! We'll post short clips of us doing the exercises and we'll have some great routines for you; they require little to no equipment, so that means NO EXCUSES! We hope you join in with us and start a routine of your own -- after all, it's all about living a happy, healthy life!
3 Tips For Your First Internship
Congratulations on your first internship! If you're reading this, you're probably a young, bright-eyed college student embarking on the journey towards a career, starting with your first internship. Unfortunately, you probably have no idea what to expect and how to behave in this new setting. It's going to be easy for you to find articles about how to be professional in terms of dress and behavior; that type of advice is a dime a dozen, if we're being honest. What you're going to learn here is how to really get your foot in the door and make an impact in your company, no matter the size of your role. This is a no-excuses, real results article and if you pay attention and implement these tips, I can promise you that you're going to get MUCH more out of your internship and be better off for it.
Know the company culture
The first thing you need to do is get acclimated with your company, inside out. You need to know all about it: the industry, competitors, and all the expectations that the company has for its employees. Don't wait until your first day to do this either! Do as much research as possible before you step foot in the office. Not only will you set yourself apart by being more prepared than the average intern, you'll also find that you're more confident in your abilities from jump because you've done preparation to give yourself the best chance at success. What's more is that when you know the company culture, you understand how to interact with your higher-ups and other employees and you won't be that annoying, clueless intern who has to learn all the social rules on the go, as well as your own job role. It's an investment into yourself and your future, and one that will definitely pay off.
Take initiative and exceed expectations
The single most important thing you can do in the workplace to elevate your status, intern or not, is to take initiative in the workplace. Stop waiting for your boss to drop by your office and give you something to do! If you find that you're running out of tasks, try going around to other people in your office and asking them if there's anything you can do to help them or free up their time. They'll be impressed and you'll be surprised about how this can help build relationships; people tend to be endeared to you when you make yourself of use to them. Don't worry about how small the task is, just get to work and you'll find that the same people you're serving under will start to be on your side. They'll offer advice or even just simple kindness and understanding, which will come in handy on your more rough days. This is how you build a network within a company. People will remember what you did for them when you didn't have to do anything and this is a valuable tool for connecting with others in the workplace. When you start to do more than expected, they'll notice and it all adds up to make you look like a great intern and even a viable job candidate for the future. Don't sleep on this tip; get to work!
Learn a marketable skill
Now, everyone has heard the internship horror stories of a summer filled with boring tasks or, even worse, a drudgery of hours spent at the office doing nothing. Well I have good news: this is actually an opportunity. If you're at an internship where you have access to a computer and the internet, you now have dedicated time and resources to be able to pick up a skill that you can use in the future. Everyone has those things that they're been meaning to do or learn, like a second language or coding. Make sure the skill you choose has some kind of applicable use to the company you're interning at, but feel free to be creative! Not only will this come off as initiative on your part, but you'll get more out of the experience if you're making sure that every hour spent at the office goes towards something productive. Being able to make something out of nothing is an important skill to have, especially if you're leaning towards being an entrepreneur or working at a startup; very rarely will you have all the resources and all the answers, but you'll still be expected to produce and this type of mentality is the first step in that direction.
At the end of the day, you'll have a lot of figuring out to do but with these tips you should feel much more confident as you begin to navigate the workforce. Just remember to keep your wits about you and to contribute in whatever ways you can, as this will always push you in the right direction.
Marriage coach:
Just had the most insightful convo with my 12 almost 13 years of marriage husband around arguments. Enjoy:
Men argue like this: kids want "sauce" to accompany their chicken nuggets so they yell out they need some sauce. Dad gets up and gets ketchup because that's what they normally eat. Dad sits down figures they are done. He eats a bit and finds out, no they needed BBQ sauce and mom wants water. He gets up gets it. He sits down, starts eating again and he notices he has no forks. He gets up again. This happens the entire meal the family is done but dad is frustrated. Women argue like this: kids want "sauce" and she goes to the fridge, and the cabinets gets 3 different kinds and grab forks and knives and napkins too... she over does it. She is hoping to not have to get up again. Dad is frustrated that she has taken so much time to get what they want. What's the difference? Men like to one and hopeful done. Women like to pull out almost any and everything to completely obliterate it. Both without understanding of each others thought process can be difficult to swallow.
3 Tips to Argue Better
1. Understand And Appreciate That You Argue Differently
Based on my true story above you will see that we as men and wile tend to argue just a little differently from each other. But what we do with that info is all the news. Knowing that your partner thinks differently should help you understand their method. If you understand who they are then you can successfully manipulate your message to be in tune with how they hear. This way your partner feels like you understand them and are responding to their feelings. If they want a one and done then say that you understand that but you would like to cover a few more topics under the same playlist. This will help calm the defensiveness and balance the want to work through the issues.
2. Get To The Heart Of The Matter
I like working hard to discover exctky what the issue is so we can dive in and work through and around the complexity of the total issue. This takes time and a one and done method may be frustrated with this process. But if we explain each to other what the root issue is and the super powerful thing that is frustrating then both parties can work less to get to a resolve. For men this means a shorter aruguement and for women this means less emotional drag to get your point across.
3. Prepare To Resolve
if you aren't expecting to effectively resolve an issue you won't. You can't be effective if you don't share with each other your end result intentions. Immediately when an argument starts tell your partner this is something you want to resolve amicably. This let's all powerful anger subdue a little. It's tellin anger that is lurking in the atmosphere that you are agreeing already that you are on the same team. This immediately allows tensions to die and peace to step in and be helpful to the situation.
I'd love to hear from you. Did this work for you? Did you share this message? I want the best for you and I am believing the best for you.
Psyche Terry
Life coach & Business Coach
Best Day Of My Life?!
I woke up early like I always do this morning and felt like I heard clearly in my head that today would be one of the best days of my life. I'm about 3/4 through the day and including all the running, it was good but best is a BIG discriptive word to me.
Rethought about the concept while making dinner for the 5 of us. (Cheeseless cheese steaks for us tonight.) I decided it was a great day. I interviewed with CW and with a radio station in Delaware and met with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Collin County and took an intern to lunch and even scoped out a new super awesome make up artist. But to say best- again, that's deep. But here is the big Ah-ha: I think we are responsible for making our days the best day of our lives. All day I was expecting greatness. All day I was like, oh, that's okay, I won't let that get me down, not on the best day of my life!
Make them all your best days
Then I get it! Make them all the best days of my life. Wake up every morning with that great expectation of greatness and settle for nothing less than awesome. I think my entire spirit was lighter and my life seemed for just one day, and the first day of many, much more bette - best in fact!
Try it! Change your thought tomorrow. Choose to make it your best day ever!
Founder & CEO
Life Coach & Business Coach
If you are anything like me you have your hands busy at all times and by the end of the day you are pooped and your brain is half way still on and you don't want to use the last little steam you have to try to figure out how to keep people from noticing "we just had that!" So what do you do, well, usually we buy more food or more items and before we know it we are buying mismatches in foods to complete one meal and we are left with a lot of - how do I say - left shoes! Don't you hate grabbing a new shirt to match the skirt or pants that you got because the one you got last time didn't quite match up. But when you get home you find that the shirt is still a couple shades off! This is so frustrating! I do this with my kids clothes more often than not. I get a basic short and plan to complement it with shirts for different days - but no, I get wrong colors that don't match up right.
Dinners can be this way if you don't shop right the first time.
Anytime I'm shopping I like to be dinner hacker and say to myself, can this particular thing be done on it's own? Can this style hold an entire show on it's own? I get even more particular sometimes and I look up recipes on the foods I'm buying to be sure I can change it up.
Shop in basics
My 4th of July meal was made of some basics that I knew I could redo!
1) Mixed Greens
- where I'm from we just call them "greens"
I make them with Kale, Collard, & Mustard. It is delightful and I will post the specific recipe soon. This is perfect because you can simply use the kale as its own green salad. The collard leaves are so big you can stuff chicken with them or wrap bacon or some other fun food around them.
2) Corn on the Cobb (specify on the Cobb)
- you need this on the Cobb because it allows you to do several things with it as an alternative. If you use it frozen and already husked then you can't serve it on the Cobb. The Cobb offers, creamed, fried, husked, on the Cobb, and even this way that I tried later - sliced off the Cobb.
3) Baked Chicken
- stating the obvious here - super healthy fan favorite here and so much that can be done with it. Wrapped, stuffed, sliced for later. I prepare this pretty bland- simply because I dress it up in every new act I put it in. Look at this like your white dress shirt or your black or blue staple pants. It can fit in with just about anything and can be dressed up or down.
4) Baked Sweet Potatoes
- I'm learning more and more about this! Looks like sweet potatoes are awesome even sliced up later like I did, refried in circle slices in the skillet, squashed & mashed, and my new favorite - cut in half and stuffed with chicken and a green veggie favorite. (Kale please)
Here is how I did this extreme leftover make over!
1 sliced wheat hoagie
3 sliced long- ways thin cutlet size baked chicken
1 husked ear of corn
1 large pre baked sweet potato
1 cup of greens
1/8 cup shredded cheese
load and bake till warm and melted (which ever occurs first) then add a favorite spicy or sweet sauce to a top toasted bun.
And there you have it! You've made an extreme makeover out of yesterday's meal!
Psyche Terry
Life Coach, Business Coach
Mom Chef
Follow my adventures on Instagram @psycheterry
Please note, this is what I made my family, my meal is shown below.
My babies have a lighter pallet so here is there meal:
Psyche Terry
Psyche Terry is a self-made millionaire whose passion is inspiring people to find their best self.
August 2017


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The newest installment in the Metal Gear franchise has gone through a bit of an adjustment period before its big debut trailer at the 2011 Spike TV's Video Game Awards, complete with a name change to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and even a different developer: Platinum Games - A lot for one game to handle in such a short time. All of this was coupled with a tease by Hideo Kojima, who promised he would disclose "the truth" about the game. It felt vaguely like they were preparing for a confession.
Thankfully it wasn't that the game didn't really exist (which would have been both parts hilarious and infuriating), but the world was presented with a sharp trailer for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance to get them riled up for its release.
So what is the truth? Well, Kojima wasn't exactly clear on that, but what was clear is that Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance has some intensely epic sword fighting action. Everyone seems to be carrying a katana these days, if this trailer is any indication. Taking inspiration from the Samurai and following a motto that the sword kills some in an attempt to save others, our pal Raiden slices up pretty much anything that gets in his way be it human or Metal Gear (this really happens). This installment is clearly taking a different route in its gameplay, which might take some getting used to. Espionage and stealth have taken a hike in exchange for a more... direct approach.
What do you think of the transition from gunplay of past Metal Gear games to swordplay seen in the trailer?
Be sure to check out the rest of the premieres, announcements trailers coming out of the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards here on Game Rant.
Metal Gear Solid Rising: Revengence is currently in development for PS3 and Xbox 360, scheduled for a Q1 2012 release.


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Control Gostar Jahed (CGJ) (Private Joint Stock, Since 2004) Founded with the aim of localization of industrial automation technology, and employing the technical know-how and execution power of 30 full-time personnel in the Tehran office and more than 50 workshop personnel, has achieved a high capacity in providing engineering and technical services.
Major focus of the company over the years has been on the following domains:
- Design, procurement, construction, programming and commissioning of control systems (DCS, PLC, ESD, F&G)
- Design, manufacture and installation of low voltage fixed and sliding panels ( using the products of CUBIC Denmark )
- Upgrading hardware, software and optimization of industrial automation systems
- Consulting services and basic and detailed design of electrical and instrumentation systems
- Installation of electrical and control systems
Telefax: +98 (21) 44098424-44098353-44007928
Copyright 2014 CGJ Electrical Control Instruments. All Rights Reserved.


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Ignoring Online Marketing Is Like Opening A Business But Not Telling Anyone
SEO is the process of getting traffic from the "free," "organic" or "natural" search results on search engines. Its a Process of increasing the quantity & quality of traffic to your website.
SEM refers to paid search marketing, a system where businesses pay Google to show their ads in their Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) primarily through paid advertising
Online Reputation Management
Deals with everything about your company's brand in the online community & taking control of the online conversation so that people find the right materials when they look you up on the Web.
Email Marketing is the process of sending emails to customers in terms of advertisements, request business.Email Marketing is the act of sending Emails to the certain lists, Groups. It is the most effective way to universally reach people who have expressed their interest in your product or website.
Send text/image/pdf/videos and Send Bulk SMS using Online Panels. Get Excellent Delivery Response Online Reports Access. We can send huge measure of Whatsapp messages to your focused on clients
Why Business Need Digital Marketing
Digital Marketing Will Deliver Success
You have a company website but you are not getting high amount of customer traffic to you site? You got all the basics in place – a well designed website with detailed products or services, contact addresses and portfolios, but still no traffic? Unfortunately, just having a website, is not enough to bring traffic to your site. Digital marketing is the only way to drive traffic to your website
What Is Digital Marketing
In its simplest sense, digital marketing is promotion of your business online(on Internet). If you think of your website or mobile site as a shopfront, digital marketing encompasses all the ways you can promote your business on the internet and attract customers (known as 'traffic').
Billions Of Searches Every Day
The internet search engines, such as Google, follow strict formulas that determine which websites will be successful for each keyword search.
There are 40,000 searches using Google every second. Every second! That totals more than 3.5 billion searches over 24 hours.
There could be thousands of searches every month looking for your service or products. And the only way to get the market share you want is through digital marketing.
Success With Digital Marketing
Get More Visitors To Your Site
Search engine traffic can increase the number of visits to a website exponentially . Businesses have reported more than 100% increase in the web site traffic within 3-6 months after search engine optimization
Higher Conversions
Research shows that digital marketing provides better conversion rates than traditional marketing such as television, print media and radio. The recent slump in adverting sales for television and print media and the dramatic increase in mobile platform adoption are testaments to this change. A digital marketing strategy provides a way for small and medium business to grab customers away from their big competitors
Cost Effective Solution
Digital marketing is suited to every size of businesses. The amount spent is infinitely adjustable to the budget and aims of the business. Many of the digital advertising models work on a 'pay for results' basis, which means a highly cost-effective campaign is possible. And many of the digital marketing platforms such as social media, email software and online directories are either very cheap or free – costing only the time to update them.
Measurable And Targeted
Organizations spend more on digital marketing than traditional media not only for its effectiveness but for its ability to target specific demographics, and generate measurable statistics using intelligent software. Sample reports enable give a glance of what is working, and what is not. This information can then be used to continue to fine-tune and adjust campaign to achieve the best results.


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Here you will see Latest Bridal Gold Jewelry Fashion in Pakistan for women. Most recent Bridal Gold Jewelry Sets Designs In 2015 are indicated here with Mostly gold gems are unreasonable and each body cannot purchase them for common capacities. Each Girls have first decision to utilize gold gems with dashing styles upon the arrival of their marriage. These gold gems are exhibited by man of the hour. Pakistani marriage gold adornments uncommon plans 2015 are accessible underneath.
you can check distinctive styles as per your choice.gold goldsmith are a great deal more famous in Pakistan in women and youngsters. In diverse gathering and capacities women needs to utilize gold gem dealer. With the progression of time the fame of the gold adornments sets is getting to be so normal and requesting among the ladies.
Much the same as the wedding patterns all the ladies are a considerable amount cognizant to try and research the most recent patterns and outlines of the gems sets too. Nowadays gold gems sets are a considerable amount popular as they essentially include the extra excellence in the identity of the spouse. Normally ladies wear gold adornments on wedding however now young ladies needs to wear valuable ston matching jewelry.
The immaculate gold adornments set is all included with the white gold, green yellow gold and platinum. Gold gems sets is all included with the scope of neckbands, rings, studs, tikkas and numerous more. Best beads, stone, pearls and vivid gemstones are utilized for the adornment of the gold adornments sets.
Gold jewelry is customary and society of Asia. New Asian ladies has its own pattern and conventions on weddings like dresses, jewellery has its own particular esteem in everywhere throughout the world. By looking inside the style market you will be discovering such a variety of outlines and styles of adornments sets that have been set with the scope of gold. Other than picking with the immaculate gold adornments set you can even find the particular case that is all included with the white gold, gold, yellow gold and platinum.
Gold gems sets is all included with the scope of accessories, rings, hoops, tikkas and numerous more. Dabs, stone, pearls and vivid gemstones are utilized for the adornment of the gold adornments sets. Have a look now Latest Bridal Gold Jewelry Fashion 2015 in Pakistan with new bridal Gold Jewelry set 2015 design…


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Follow along in this quick video and add your first content page to your WordPress website on iPage.
Pages are used for areas of your site like "contact us" and "about us" rather than blog entries or frequently updated content.
Thanks for watching and thumbs up if you love wordpress too!
Leave a comment below 🙂


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"We have now proven to ourselves that this single programming model that spans Windows, Linux and the Mac is now ready. This follows our single programming model for the server, where we standardized on Java," he said.
Some observations from a customer who has been testing Sametime 7.5, based on "gold" code released by IBM earlier this month:
- Sametime 7.5 client takes 30 to 60 seconds to launch depending upon workstation
- Sametime 7.5 client takes 30 to 60 seconds to authenticate depending upon workstation
- Sametime 7.5 client reported as extremely unstable on Citrix 32-bit and 64-bit test servers
- Sametime 7.5 requires desktop to be rebooted almost daily, or memory leak will consume all resources
- The dependency on the Java Virtual Machine has proven problematic with multiple COE images containing different JVMs
- Issues utilizing AWM web-based tool have been experienced after installing Sametime 7.5. Resolution uninstall Sametime and JVM and reinstall JVM.
- Privacy Settings (allow to see me online/offline) are not saved and must be reset after restart
- Users with a Sametime 6.5 server are unable to save changes to their buddylist
- Intermittent Client Crashes when saving Preferences
- User interface is cluttered and difficult to navigate. Multiple levels of options are difficult to locate. Out of the box settings are not standard/best practice settings.
- Intermittent issues with HTML being transmitted to non 7.5 users during a conversation instead of plain text
- Video Codes have not been updated since 1999 and are not part of IBM's strategic direction for the product, must use third party vendor
- Install file is not SMS compatible and requires the user to have administrative rights to the desktop
- Install file has grown from 10MB to 48MB which impacts the ability to distribute the client
- Intermittent issues with thee Screen capture functionality will not work for 7.5 to 7.5 conversations
- Business Card and Image functionality not supported using Domino authentication (Requires LDAP, which is not possible due to the size of our directory)
- No integration with TeamSites, Outlook or Office Applications - planned for 2H 07
- No integration with desktop authentication/active directory - planned for 2H 07
- No stress tool available to validate capacity information - planned for 1H 07
- User who is removed from Sametime Directory and denied accecss can continue to use Sametime until they logout - planned for 2H 07
- Client is based upon Ecliple platform, however, the implementation has been customized and is no longer a standard Eclipse implementation, therefore standard Eclipse applications do not function as expected with Sametime 7.5 This was done to improve performance, but now limits the integration capabilities
Yep, sounds proven and ready to me...


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican House Speaker John Boehner vowed on Sunday not to raise the U.S. debt ceiling without a "serious conversation" about what is driving the debt, while Democrats said it was irresponsible and reckless to raise the possibility of a U.S. default.
"The nation's credit is at risk because of the administration's refusal to sit down and have a conversation," Boehner told ABC's "This Week," adding that there were not enough votes in the House of Representatives to pass a "clean" debt limit bill, without any conditions attached.
Asked if that meant the United States was headed towards a default if President Barack Obama does not negotiate, Boehner said: "That's the path we're on."
The comments appeared to mark a hardening since late last week when Boehner was reported to have told Republicans privately that he would work to avoid default, even if it meant relying on the votes of Democrats, as he did in August 2011.
Republicans and Democrats also traded blame for a shutdown that has brought much of the government to a standstill for nearly a week. With no end in sight, the battle over funding the government looks like it will merge with the one over the debt ceiling, which must be raised by October 17 to avoid default.
Republicans are seeking concessions in exchange for raising the nation's $16.7 trillion debt limit. If the borrowing cap is not increased, the United States could go into default, with what officials and economists say would be seriously damaging consequences for the U.S. and global economies.
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew warned of serious consequences "if we were to have the unthinkable happen, to have the United States default."
"It is irresponsible and it is reckless to take that chance, which is why Congress needs to act," he told Fox News.
Pressed on Obama's vow not to negotiate over the debt limit, Lew said: "The president has always been looking for a way to negotiate, to find that reasonable middle ground, with a bipartisan group of members and senators to do the right thing for the American people ... He put out a budget that actually took an enormous step to do that. So the president is open to negotiation. The question about the debt limit is different."
Senator Ted Cruz, who has been the standard-bearer for Republican opposition to funding the government without measures to undercut Obama's landmark 2010 healthcare reform, also known as Obamacare, told CNN that Congress frequently in the past had attached curbs on spending to votes to raise the debt ceiling.
On this occasion, he said, Republicans were looking for three things before raising the debt ceiling: a significant structural plan to reduce government spending, no new taxes, and measures to "mitigate the harm from Obamacare."
Democrats vow not to negotiate on the funding bill or the debt ceiling, arguing that it is the job of Congress to pay its bills.
Concerns that the shutdown could trim economic growth coupled with nervousness over a potential debt ceiling crisis later this month have weighed on stocks and pushed the U.S. dollar close to an eight-month low.
While selling has been orderly so far, investors expect volatility to rise as the shutdown continues and the debt ceiling deadline nears.
Democratic Senator Charles Schumer told ABC's "This Week" he did not believe Boehner would let the nation go into default, as it would lead to chaos on financial markets, freeze lines of credit and cause a jump in interest rates.
"I believe Speaker Boehner will not do that when push comes to shove," Schumer said, adding that Boehner and Republicans would be forced "sooner or later" to stand up to the "hard right" in their party and give in. "They will have to back off."
Obama and the Democrats say bills to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling could be resolved quickly if Boehner permitted votes on simple, no-strings-attached measures in the Republican-controlled House.
Asked about reports that around 20 House Republicans have said they would join some 200 Democrats in voting for such a bill - enough to pass it - Boehner told ABC that there were not enough votes in the chamber to pass such a bill.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said via Twitter that Boehner should prove he does not have the votes for a clean bill, known as a "continuing resolution," or CR, by putting a bill on the House floor. "The Speaker says there are 'not enough votes' to pass a clean CR? If he's right, why not prove it?" Carney said in a tweet.
Republicans have demanded that Democrats agree to delay implementation of Obamacare as part of any spending bill.
The law aims to provide health insurance to millions of Americans without coverage. Republicans argue it is a massive government intrusion into private medicine that will cause insurance premiums to skyrocket, put people out of work and eventually lead to socialized medicine.
The shutdown started on Tuesday and initially idled as many as 800,000 federal workers, shuttering all but essential government operations.
The Pentagon said on Saturday it would recall the vast majority of some 350,000 civilian Defense Department employees sent home during the shutdown. The announcement came as Democrats and Republicans in the House agreed to pay all furloughed employees retroactively once the government reopens.
In an interview with CNN, Lew repeatedly declined to say what would happen if Congress failed to raise the debt ceiling.
Some Republicans have argued that the U.S. government would be able to continue to service its debt even if it did not have enough money to pay all of its bills. Lew declined to say whether that would be the case, but he argued that it would be just as bad if it missed other obligations like Social Security pension payments or Medicare payments to hospitals and doctors.
"There is no option that prevents us from being in default if we don't pay our bills," he told CNN's "State of the Union."
Lew said the Obama administration has determined that legally it does not have the authority to raise the debt ceiling on its own, as some Democratic lawmakers have suggested.
"There's a desire here for there to be some kind of a magic solution. There's an easy solution: a majority in Congress would do the right thing if given a chance to open the government. A majority in Congress would do the right thing if given a chance to let us pay our bills."
While most House Republicans have remained firmly opposed to reopening the government without some changes to Obamacare, Republicans in Democratic-leaning states, particularly in the Northeast, have been trying to build support for a revolt against that stance.
In an opinion piece on Sunday on local news website Philly.com, seven Republican House members from northeastern districts called for a measure to reopen the government without conditions.
"The fight to stop Obamacare cannot continue with the government shut down. That's why we support a short-term, clean funding bill to turn those lights back on," wrote the group, which included Representatives Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania and Frank LoBiondo of New Jersey.
The lawmakers also said they were talking with some Democrats on a possible compromise plan that would involve reopening the government for six months while repealing the medical device tax, a provision of Obamacare that is unpopular with Republicans and some Democrats.
Reporting by Tabassum Zakaria, Bill Trott, Paul Simao, Jeff Mason, Tom Ferraro, Richard Cowan, Phil Stewart; Writing by Claudia Parsons; Editing by Paul Simao


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What is City Plaza? – leaflet
What is City Plaza?
It is a self organised refugee accommodation space in the Victoria/ Agios Panteleimonas area in the centre of Athens, in which approximately 400 people are currently living, among whom over 180 children.
A seven storey hotel, which remained closed for seven years, until the Economic and Political Refugee Solidarity Initiative, together with hundreds of refugees occupied it and returned it as a gift to society, that is, as a hotel transformed to meet the immediate need for housing refugees.
An act of resistance to the authoritarian border and migration policies in Greece and Europe, to the EU-Turkey deal of shame, to the closing and militarisation of the borders and to their consequences: the trapping of tens of thousands of refugees in mainland Greece and the imposition of a system of mass detention, deportation and exclusion from the right to asylum for the refugees arriving on the islands.
A counterexample for how the housing issue for refugees needs to be addressed by the movement and by society, which is at the same time a
concrete demand from the Greek state, against the detention of refugees in terrible camps, and in favour of their housing inside cities, with guaranteed access to health care, education and all social services.
An initiative of self organization of everyday life and of common struggle for locals and refugees. Because it is only through the practical fight for rights and common struggles, not through general humanistic declarations, that societal correlations change, that the dominant authoritarian and neoliberal policies, and the field of action for the far right becomes limited.
The residents of City Plaza
Refugee Accommodation Space City Plaza has been operating since 22 April and is home to approximately 100 refugee families, which were selected both on the basis of their previous housing arrangement and on the basis of the particular problems fac d by each family. Each family lives in a separate room, while three meals per day are offered to everyone, as are other essentials.
Operation and self organization
The initiative is an experiment in the self organization of refugees and locals, centered on the weekly general assembly and on the thematic working groups. The aim is to realise a conception of everyday life which will empower "from below", ultimately leading to the creation of a "space of freedom", which will serve as proof of our vision for society.
City Plaza relies exclusively on the political solidarity and on material support from the solidarity community in Greece and abroad. Economic and political support and, especially, participation in the working groups are for City Plaza the only protection against attempts to repress the initiative as well as a guarantee for its continued daily operation.
Coordination and centre for struggle
City Plaza is attempting to create a wide network with unions, schools, hospitals and social spaces, to organise solidarity to the trapped refugees and to resist the antirefugee policy of the government. As a centre for struggle, it attempts to carry out outward facing actions for claiming the social and political rights of refugees.
The working groups:
Education and child minding: its aim is to organise lessons in the children's mother tongues, in Greek and in English, as well as creative activities. At the same time, it is organizing the struggle for refugee access to public education.
Health care: the doctors and nurses making up the health care team, which operates the health care centre at City Plaza on a daily basis, coordinates contact with public hospitals and the issues that arise as regards refugee access to health care.
Kitchen: approximately 1000 cooked meals are prepared in the kitchen daily, in addition to breakfast – from teams made up of refugees and solidarians.
Security: throughout the day and night, there are teams in place for guarding the building.
Cafe/Bar: the team operates the bar daily, offering coffee, tea, and soft drinks, thereby generating economic support for the initiative.
In addition, there are teams for economics, storage, cleaning and communications.


text: My Touch 3g Battery extender on the Sprint Hero? I live in NYC and on 34th street between 6th & 7th avenues there is a T-Mobile store right next door to a Sprint store. At eh T-Mobile store i saw an accessory for the My touch 3G called a battery extender. It basically plugs into the bottom of the phone making it longer and is an external battery. Have any of you tried this accessory with your Hero? Does it work?


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The corporate tax plan President Obama outlined on Wednesday would roll back oil-and-gas industry tax breaks while promoting more development of renewable energy such as wind and solar.
Obama's proposal seeks to lower the corporate tax rate to 28 percent while closing loopholes and deductions that he claims make the current rate of 35 percent much lower in practice. His plan would roll back oil-and-gas "tax preferences" worth $40 billion over 10 years, along with other business tax breaks whose elimination the administration said would help make the plan revenue-netural.
"The tax code currently subsidizes oil and gas production through tax expenditures that provide preferences for these industries over others," said a copy of the plan. "The Framework would repeal tax preferences available for fossil fuels."
The rollbacks — considered dead on arrival in Congress — largely mirror those Obama proposed in his fiscal 2013 budget and State of the Union address. Among those breaks are the "tertiary injection" deduction, a manufacturing deduction that multiple industries benefit from, and the "intangible drilling costs" deduction (for well-development expenses that don't go toward elements of the final well).
The American Petroleum Institute, the oil-and-gas industry's main lobbying group, has slammed the proposed rollbacks over concerns that they would serve as an affront to the "all-of-the-above" energy policy Obama espoused in his State of the Union address. The group also has said they would hurt an industry that has boosted the economic recovery, hurt oil-and-gas production and raise energy costs.
Stephen Comstock, manager for tax policy at API, said the proposed corporate rate decrease is "enticing" but raised concern about how rolling back tax provisions to make the plan revenue-neutral would affect the oil-and-gas industry.
"Right now we as an industry anticipate we will pay a heavy share of that," he said.
API also contended in a new policy paper that the oil-and-gas tax provisions Obama is targeting "are in no way 'taxpayer subsidies' and are not unique to our industry."
"They constitute standard business deductions (some available to all other industries) and mechanisms of cost recovery – a fundamental and necessary component to a national income tax system," the paper said.
API today suggested the president's budget would actually rake in $85 billion from the oil-and-gas industry in 10 years, identifying other proposals that would extract further revenues. One would raise around $10 billion, according to API, by reinstating petroleum-industry taxes for the Superfund program, which finances the cleanup of hazardous-waste sites.
At the same time, Obama's plan would boost renewable energy sources.
The plan would permanently extend a research-and-experimentation tax credit that expired Jan. 1, as well as seek to streamline the formula companies use for calculating it.
It also would permanently extend clean-energy production tax credits "in order to provide a strong, consistent incentive to encourage investments in renewable energy technologies like wind and solar."
Obama has noted those tax credits are temporary, a characteristic that can hamper their effectiveness. For example in the past the production tax credit for wind has temporarily expired, causing new wind-farm installations to drop 75 percent or more, according to the American Wind Energy Association, the industry's lobbying group.
"This approach has created an uncertain investment climate, undermined the effectiveness of our tax expenditures, and hindered the development of a clean energy sector in the United States," Obama's plan said.
Extension of clean-energy tax credits briefly came up for discussion in negotiations over extending the payroll tax cut through the end of the year. That language didn't make it into final compromise, however.
Obama has made it clear extending the tax credits — and rolling back tax breaks for oil-and-gas companies — will remain an economic- and energy-policy priority for him.
"It's time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that rarely has been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that never has been more promising," Obama said in his State of the Union. "Pass clean energy tax credits. Create these jobs."


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|Cherry Blossom and Enso
Water Colour and India Ink
Bamboo Brush and Water
Sunday, January 1, 2017
What is Black and White and Red all over?
4 comments:
- a woman who is said...
Oh wow, I want your gift =)
- January 2, 2017 at 11:28 AM
- patti said...
Happy New Year Cindy, now it's a different theme for the salon so, well...... the white elephant is certainly a "white elephant"! Ha!
- January 2, 2017 at 12:33 PM
- Bobi Wilson said...
I love the ensos! Are they what you are preparing the loom for?!!!
- January 4, 2017 at 10:46 PM
- patti said...
Thanks Bobi, and yes, play, choose, modify then weave!
- January 6, 2017 at 10:58 AM
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It's Saturday night in Vegas and you're not really in the mood for Electric Dance Music. You're looking for some Hip Hop to get your twerk on, but where can you go?
Located conveniently on The Strip is the Drai's Beach Club Nightclub on top of the Cromwell Hotel. Besides hosting a day time beachclub, Drai's features the hottest R&B/Hip Hop artists every Saturday. Find artists like Trey Songz, Big Sean, lil' Wayne, DJ Khaled, Rae Sremmurd, and much more- you can check out their events calendar.
Thanks to a good friend, I was able to experience a Saturday night at Drai's with Chris Brown as the performing artist.
There were different queues for General Admission and Table Service. To accommodate the rowdy crowd, the table hosts were extremely straight-forward.
With a friend's little connection, I was able to skip the queue and I went up to the club after a short wait.
Drai's has two main sections, an outdoor and indoor area. The outdoor space has multiple pools/Jacuzzi and numerous cabanas for VIP bottle services. There is a spectacular view of the Strip with the Bellagio Fountain up-close and fully visible.
The indoor section of the club has a stage and a standing zone for fans to see the concert. Surrounding the standing zone are tables for bottle service. As a Chris Brown fans, it was no hesitation to head directly towards the stage. The indoor area isn't too big, which means you can get a fairly decent view of the performing artist if you decide to hang around the indoor section of the club.
I got into the club approximately 1am, and finally Chris Brown came on stage 30 minutes later. There were special effects to make the concert entertaining along with the artist's performance, like confetti, fire sparks, smoke, etc (check out the concert videos at the bottom of the post). Do not be surprised to experience constant pushing, fans arguing, or champagne showers from the VIP section. If you don't like the artist enough, it might not be worth it to stand in a suffocating room full of intoxicated people.
The concert lasted a whole hour. Tickets to the club ranges for $30-$60 depending on the performer, and females typically can purchase discounted tickets. Considering how close I was to the stage last night, I must say it is really worth your buck to see a concert at Drai's. For the same distance from the stage at one of Chris Brown's concerts on tour, they are easily $500 to over $1,000.
Overall: WORTH IT.
Pros: Spectacular view of the Strip, opportunity see your favorite artist up-close for a lot cheaper than a regular concert ticket, great concert effects
Cons: Disorganized queues, rude staff, crowds can get rowdy
Notes: Table services typically range from $1,500- $8,000
Videos of the performance:


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The award of the 2008 Sakharov prize for human rights to jailed Chinese dissident Hu Jia took place at midday Wednesday. In his absence his wife gave an emotional and moving video message from under house arrest in Beijing to MEPs today. Zeng Jinyan spoke about her husband's poor health and his continued fight for human rights. A symbolic empty chair was in the middle of the Chamber for Hu Jia.
This is a link at 了了园 to the Acceptance Speech that Zeng Jinyan has written on behalf of Hu Jia.
You can also find coverage of the awards ceremony in major English language mainstream media such as: AP, AFP, BBC and CBC Canada.
Here is the video message:


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High-Tech Courtroom Of Tomorrow…
GRAND RAPIDS — Picture this: Top-level executives of an investment firm have been named in a class-action lawsuit alleging that their suspicious accounting practices bilked investors out of millions of dollars while lining the pockets of the company's highest-ranking officers. Locating the evidence necessary to prove the suit's allegations would require sifting through millions of pages of reports and internal memos, as well as terabytes of computer files, database records and e-mails.
Yet within weeks of beginning the discovery process, the plaintiffs' attorneys have located all the information necessary to make their case.
When the suit goes to trial, the plaintiffs' attorneys use interactive software presentations with custom illustrations, call-outs of important pieces of text, and animations that explain the complex processes that the company executives used to defraud their investors. All of these visual aids boil down sophisticated financial and legal concepts to a level that is easily grasped by members of the jury.
Twenty years ago, none of this would have been possible.
Just as technology has transformed the landscape of American life in the past century — even in the past decade — the legal profession, too, has evolved and matured to meet the needs of an increasingly tech-savvy client base.
For many law practitioners, including those in West Michigan, keeping abreast of the newest waves of technology has become less a luxury and more a necessity.
"With my practice, it's the way of the future," said Steven T. Buquicchio, a litigation attorney who specializes in receivership and creditors' rights cases for the firm of Stenger & Stenger. "Judges and juries are expecting more, and you need to cater to that."
Buquicchio, who is chair of the Grand Rapids Bar Association's litigation section, has recently tried to make himself an expert in the latest legal technologies. In addition to improving his own practice, he hopes to educate his fellow lawyers on the latest trends. Those helpful gadgets and pieces of software break down roughly into two categories: those items that help an attorney build a case and those that help present evidence in court.
Among the technologies that fall into the pre-trial category, the most important are those that allow lawyers to organize, sort and search millions of documents in a short time frame. In Buquicchio's receivership cases, the paper trail can amount to tens of millions of pages. Locating a piece of evidence in such a flood of documentation can be "literally looking for the needle in the haystack." His firm's document management software, however, has proven to be quite the needle-finder.
Buquicchio admits that the efficiency such a system provides comes at a price. The very bottom end of similar document management programs would run a firm around $5,000. To add advanced capabilities such as high-quality scanners and optical character recognition software could mean an outlay of tens of thousands. "It's truly an investment," he said, "but one that's a good investment when compared with the alternative." That alternative could be losing out on big cases or, perhaps worse, missing a critical piece of evidence during a manual search. "It pays for itself," he said.
One alternative to investing in an in-house document management system is farming the work out to a firm in the burgeoning field of litigation support. Grand Rapids-based Compulit is one of the leaders in the industry. The company, which serves almost two-thirds of the top 100 law firms in the country, was recently bought by information management giant Pitney Bowes after 25 years in the legal-support business. Compulit provides document management services including electronic discovery, coding for search criteria, and on-line repositories that allow multiple parties involved in a suit to access important documents via the Internet.
Compulit founder E. Jane Warnshuis argues that choosing to process these tasks "in-house" is a mistake. "From my perspective, there are few advantages of having in-house litigation support service departments in the law firm," Warnshuis said. "It is far too costly to the client having paralegals and associates coding documents."
She also points out that few firms have a steady enough flow of lawsuits to keep these support crews busy, which can result in inefficiency and turnover. "The learning curve never goes away," she said.
Whether in-house or outsourced, Warnshuis said that practically all firms should invest in these processes. "Certain types of law can be practiced today without elaborate document management systems, but any kind of sophisticated litigation … requires information systems," she said.
While all of the electronic document management systems hum along in the background, the most visible, and perhaps most important, category of modern legal technology is the suite of tools used to present evidence in the courtroom. Buquicchio found that the essential tools of the trade are three: a laptop computer, a data projector and a high-quality display screen.
Once armed with these basic "tools," there are endless possibilities of how a lawyer might choose to spice up his or her presentation of evidence.
"Everything you do in front of a jury has to be done in a way that will maintain their interest," said Paul Sorensen, an attorney with Grand Rapids' largest firm, Warner Norcross & Judd. "Attention spans have shortened. You need to be quick — interesting — to get your point across."
Quick and interesting can take many shapes. Animation is widely used to recreate accident sequences. Hearing a police officer's account of a traffic incident is certainly less compelling than seeing a three-dimensional, multi-angle replay of the event. Multimedia presentations using software like Microsoft PowerPoint are the norm for arranging and presenting arguments and evidence in a way that is as interesting and engaging as possible. Information can be presented in multiple languages. Interactive slideshows can illustrate complex relationships between defendants and their associates. Expert witnesses can appear via teleconference.
"Quite frankly (juries) expect something more than the slide projector," Buquicchio said. "You are at a severe disadvantage if your opposing counsel uses (courtroom technology) and you don't." He said that many attorneys do not take advantage of the tools readily available to them. "They may be hesitant, but in general the use of technology is going to be something that they're going to have to gravitate to."
Buquicchio hopes that a series of informational lectures he is planning through the Grand Rapids Bar Association's litigation section will help. The first in the series will feature District Court Judge William G. Kelly on June 2. Kelly will explain how attorneys can take advantage of the high-tech tools provided to them in many modern courtrooms.
In Kentwood Today
KENTWOOD — Step into Judge William G. Kelly's realm and you will see "the courtroom of the future." Kelly oversaw the construction in 2002 of Kentwood's 62-B District Court facilities in the Kentwood Justice Center. The technology built into every nook and cranny of the building makes this courtroom more "Star Trek" than "Law & Order."
The first thing a visitor to the courtroom notices is the monitors. Two large-screen monitors are recessed into nooks above the gallery. Flat-screen LCD monitors are affixed to the tables for both defense and plaintiff's attorneys, as well as to the jury box, the witness box, the judge's bench, and the desks of both the court recorder and the in-court clerk. The bailiff can monitor the holding cells from his desk.
The monitors' touch-screen capabilities come into play while discussing evidence. Items are placed under a document camera, which transmits the image to all monitors. Kelly refers to the built-in annotation system as the "John Madden Telestrator," in honor of the illustration-happy NFL commentator.
When a piece of evidence is displayed, the witness, judge and attorneys can emphasize important elements by circling, underlining and marking spots with arrows, simply by dragging a finger across the screen. When combined with the REGIS online database of aerial photography, the system makes for excellent ad-hoc re-creation of traffic accidents. "Even attorneys who hate computers find the document camera and Telestrator easy to use and beneficial," Kelly said.
The sound system is equally impressive. Microphones abound throughout the room. Every word is captured and recorded. The judge controls, via touch-screen, the complete audio-video suite. Need an interpreter for a defendant who speaks Farsi or Serbo-Croatian? Kelly simply dials up a California-based translation service. Within minutes, an interpreter can be heard from the overhead speakers.
The technology is not simply whiz-bang, flashy gadgetry; it actually improves the efficiency of the court. Kelly said people typically understand and retain about 10 percent of what they read and 20 percent of what they hear. However, when using the multimedia approach to combine reading and hearing, retention jumps to 50 percent. So Kelly practices what he preaches.
When it comes time to issue judgments and sentences, Kelly uses the monitors to explain the provisions to the defendant. The sentence is immediately entered by the clerk and a printed copy is provided to the defendant. The same is true of monetary penalties and fees. The clerk prints out an invoice and amortization schedule for repayment if necessary.
Kelly uses a carpentry analogy to describe the use of technology in the courtroom. For him, the traditional reliance on oratorical skills is equivalent to the use of hand tools. "Can you build a house with a hammer and nails and a screwdriver? Sure," he said. "But it can be done quicker and more efficiently with power tools. The attorney who doesn't use technology has a screwdriver; the (attorney who does) has an electric drill," he said. "The attorney who is familiar with these tools has an advantage."
And judging by the smile on Kelly's face as he shows off his high-tech courtroom, the judge who has these tools enjoys his job.