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My blogging as of late has been very sporadic, but good things are happening up here in Boston. I've also been trying to keep up with education news, but there has been A LOT to keep up with recently. One exciting article I wanted to share is part of the PBS series focused on the dropout crisis in America.
I highly recommend checking out the video and accompanying article (see below for additional links). As a middle school teacher, I was often frustrated by the lack of attention my students received relative to early education and high school graduation rates. I haven't taught elementary education, but I'd argue that middle school is the toughest age to teach because all the gaps created early are exposed during middle school AND must be tackled at the same time students are dealing with the challenging changes of puberty. I'm happy to see that the important education research of Dr. Robert Balfanz is getting increased national media attention. His work on early warning indicators is a critical piece of the mission to keep students in school and on track to graduate.
As for me, I can relate to the last paragraph, which states:
"But he also also cautions that while teachers are the front line, they won't be enough to reach every at-risk student. That's why he argues that schools need to get creative and bring in a "second shift" of adults — national service corps members, volunteers, retired teachers — so that every one in "that group of kids in the middle" has an adult."
…and THAT is a huge part of why I chose to continue the fight for educational equity with City Year, which is the most prominent national organization focused on utilizing the ABC's to help under-resourced communities.
"Middle School Moment is part of FRONTLINE's Dropout Nation community engagement campaign supported by American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen, a public media initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to help local communities across America identify and implement solutions to address the dropout crisis. Learn more about how to participate."


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Planning a wedding can be a LOT of work but it is SO much fun too! I've created this page, full of Pinterest boards to help you plan your wedding from start to finish! I am SO excited that you found it and I hope that the wonderful imagery and ideas here help you to create the wedding day of your dreams!
Don't forget to download the Free Printable Wedding Planner too! It has over 50 pages of wedding planning worksheets + makes planning your wedding easy as pie!
If you have any questions about wedding photography or wedding planning in general, don't hesitate to contact me! I have seen a few and I'm happy to help! ;)

subset: commoncrawl


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Time was when no one would even think twice about swimming
in the Mississippi River. You could jump right in, even catch catch
your dinner in it. Now, crew teams from surrounding schools are often
told to keep their mouths shut if they fall in, to ensure they do not
swallow any of the water.
After floods in the early 1900s, those who lived in the river bottoms
were given typhoid shots before they were allowed to return to their
homes. Like most great rivers used for commerce, the Mississippi River
is in ill health. The further downstream you go, the worse it gets.
The Mississippi River starts at Lake Itasca, MN, which is now a national
park. By the time the river reaches the Twin Cities of Saint Paul and
Minneapolis, the problems have begun. In downtown Minneapolis alone,
there are five Superfund sites within five miles of the river's edge.
Poor water quality, decreasing biological diversity and contaminated
organisms are all symptoms of our abuse of this national symbol. Agricultural
pollutants, in the form of runoff, fertilizer and animal manure, are
one major problem. Point source pollution in the form of industrial
waste poured directly into the river is another. Runoff from our cities
and our sewer systems, many of which are not treated before entering
the river, is another.
As the river suffers, so do the people. The Mississippi River provides
23% of the nation's public surface water supplies. Eighteen million
people depend on the Mississippi and its tributaries for drinking water.
But it's not just the water we drink that is of centern. What we do
to the rivers show up in other ways as well. One example is the area
in Louisiana called "Cancer Alley". Between Baton Rouge and New Orleans
is said to have one of the highest incidence rates of cancer in the
country. Residents also suffer from high numbers of respiratory problems,
birth defects and immune system disorders.
This is theoretically due to the huge amount of industrial pollution
affecting the waters, soil and air of the area, beginning mostly in
the 1940s. The rivers and the fish are not the only ones we harm.
For more information, try:
out other Mississippi Feature Stories
for Global Environmental Education
Hamline University
Graduate School of Education
1536 Hewitt Avenue,
St. Paul, MN 55104-1284
Phone: 651-523-2480
Fax: 651-523-2987
All Rights Reserved.


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Feel free to introduce yourself and engage in a discussion. (Press 'Ctrl' & '+' to zoom page larger.)
Dating sites
Hi everyone! I recently started to use Filipina Cupid and it seems to me that 90% of the girls that I've chatted with are scammers. They chat you up a bit, then give a sob story, and then ask for money. One girl said she was an airline stewardess and that she travels to LA quite a bit. The first day I started chatting with her, she said she was going to Vancouver and asked if I wanted to meet the next day. She then asked me for money for her fare and I was like, WTF? Don't you have free fare? She kept asking me to send her money through Paypal so that she can book. I already knew she was scamming me.
I've also tried to sign up on DateinAsia but my profile kept getting rejected for some unknown reason.
My question for you guys is what sites have you guys used and what have your experiences been like? I just want to meet a beautiful girl from the motherland.
I'm not surprised at all. As I've said in several videos, about 90% or more of the women are scammers. (lots of men scamming for free nude pics or sex too.) Some guys do find a sincere woman who makes for a great wife, (Ned & Michell met online).. but that's like pointing at the few people who win at slot machines. Most people lose at a casino and most people encounter scammers at dating sites. (And no, there is no one really good site. They all have scammers.)
Dating sites are best for a quick hookup. It won't fail for that. But it's much easier to find a good woman just showing up in the PH and walking up to her physically and starting a conversation. Just yesterday I walked up to a great looking Filipina and spent over an hour having coffee with her AND her twin sister. Really cool people. Very easy to meet women in the PH in real life. Dating sites are mainly for hookups.
I used Filipino Cupid when I found Lea. I did find a great match in Lea using Filipino Cupid, but there were a lot of scammers to deal with along the way. I did find one girl first before Lea that I thought was the one, but I found out that her so called "little brother" or "friend" was really her secret love and she kept asking me if I could get him a work visa near me so she had a friend when she moved here. Delete after that revealed itself. Then I went through the profiles again and picked about 6 girls that I liked their profiles. My search included 32- 40 yrs old (wanted a mature person), outgoing type person (i love all sorts of things outdoors, hiking, fishing, hunting ect.) and lastly someone that I thought was a family person. Anyone that asked me for money or sob story....delete..... I was upfront with the girls that I was talking to about 6 to see who was the best match. It was easy to take away 4 of the girls. One kept calling me Michael. My name is Kevin, lol. A couple asked me for money...delete... I narrowed it down to two girls. Lea kept showing to me that she was the one. Never asked for money. She was always nice, polite and funny. She was always available to talk when not working. Her profile said she like fishing... big bonus.....
I now am grateful that I found Lea. I don't think I could have gone around dating in the Phills without knowing anyone. First the culture shock. Second I only had a 2 week vacation.
Meeting Lea at the airport was a memorable experience that I think about often. Vacationed with her for 2 weeks in April 2015. Came back in October 2015 to visit and proposed. Married in January 2016. Took seven moths to get her Spousal Visa. In September 2016, I went back and went to her embassy interview and brought her home.
My best friend, my love, my asawa ko Lea Camara.
Kevin Camara
In my assessment dating sites the world over are horrendously prone to scammers, regardless of country of origin or target audience.
Dating sites are aimed at one thing - making money for those who start them!
One could say the same thing about the many 'Russian' styled dating sites as well.
I've never been a fan of dating sites - having said that I met my asawa online, albeit via a friend at the time who said 'start talking to her' - and I did 🙂
Even so, conducting a relationship, or indeed sowing the seeds for one online (in any form) is plagued with danger and issues from the get-go. As we all know, a person can be (even with cam, voice calls etc) whoever they want to be online - and tell (and show) you only what they want you to know and see.
Filipinas are very adapt at conversing online and working the field. No matter how innocent and shy she may appear, you can bet your sack she is not talking to only you and you alone. You would be a total fool to believe so. Even if you go there and meet for three months, this still does not tell you all about the person, it might give you a much better idea, but Filipinas have the upper hand here and they know it. Your in a country where (typically) you do not speak the lingo nor understand it, so you are immediately at a loss there. And things are very different in the Philippines to the way things are done in Western countries - so it is very easy to brush certain situations off as 'this is the way it is done in the Philippines' - it is a very easy and convenient get out of jail card for them and they know how to use it.
Some (not all) Filipinas lack any essence of basic honesty and decency - they can and will lie directly to your face. For some it is just a game to find the foreigner with the biggest bank account and the smallest brain.
Tread carefully on dating sites.


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Kevin Hart: Vegas Birthday Bash ... Smells Like Bachelor Party
Kevin Hart Vegas Birthday Bash Smells Like Bachelor Party
Kevin Hart's call to action "Get f***** up with me!!!" ... that's what he told his boys in Vegas, and his birthday bash looks a lot like a bachelor party.
Kevin's been in Vegas for a few days and partied at Omnia Tuesday night, when he told the crowd, "I'm getting married."
Kev's been engaged to Eniko Parrish for 2 years.
Marriage ... it's in the air.
1:08 PM PT: Kevin posted on Snapchat he's super hung over ... we can only imagine.
Waiting for your permission to load the comments.


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Retired City Manager Mike Levinson has added his name to the broad list of public officials and community activists who have endorsed Commissioner Roy Gold for Mayor of Coral Springs.
"Roy's impressive track record as a City Commissioner and strong business background makes him my choice for Coral Springs Mayor." – Mike Levinson, retired Coral Springs City Manager (1995-2010)
Roy Gold also recently received the endorsements of the Coral Springs Forum and the REALTOR Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale. The Coral Springs Forum writes, "Gold, a commissioner since 2004, has a distinguished level of experience and accomplishments, which make him the preferred choice for the post. …Gold has the proven track record and is the stronger choice for the post."
Roy has been endorsed by many U.S., state, and local leaders, including former Congressman Robert Wexler, Congressman Ted Deutch, Congressman Ron Klein, State Representatives Ari Porth, Martin Kiar and Jim Waldman, as well as the Metro Broward [Coral Springs] Professional Firefighters [Local 3080], the Broward County Council of Professional Firefighters, the Florida Professional Firefighters, and the Broward AFL-CIO. See the complete lists of endorsements by cytotec overnight without prescription and cytotec purchase canada.


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Hey Everyone!
A friend of mine is going on a volunteer trip to Ghana to work with an orphanage and she needs some help getting there. Below I'm going to share with you her story & and the link if you want to make a donation !
"We're definitely blessed with lots of amazing things here in Canada. Switching up our perspectives a little and knowing that there are real people, leading very real lives, in other parts of this world that are waaayyyy less fortunate than we are has to cause people to want to give back a little...
That is kind of my plan here.
I know I want to make a career in counselling. I know I want to help out people in developing countries. Until I am done with school, volunteering with organizations like IVHQ is what I want to do.
Here is some info on the program from the website:
The Ghanaian orphanage, my first of these programs, addresses the numerous problems that many children without proper education, health care, food, love and attention face as a result of their parents not being there for them. Orphans everywhere need care and we (volunteers) will be placed in either rural or urban environments where we will "teach, love and care" (directly quoted from site, lol) for these less fortunate children. We will design and execute effective teaching programs, activities and events to inspire and develop the children's talent and abilities through human interaction and care. This program will also give us an opportunity to explore and understand the Ghanaian people and their culture.
Also, this summer, I worked with Plan Canada and started to sponsor a girl from Ghana. Plan has programs for us to go visit our sponsored community and see their work firsthand. More of an excuse to go volunteer there!!
Unfortunately, finances are tight. The flight is about 1600 (so far) and the program fee is about 600 (really cheap for this kind of thing). I would love it if you guys could me out. ANYTHING works. ANYTHING helps. All the good things that happen for these kids owing to this trip will be in large part to all the people who decide to lend me a hand. I would definitely suggest that everyone do this kind of thing atleast once in their lifetime.
Help me do this now and make a difference in some kids' lives :)
Thanks in advance!
Huma :)
About International Volunteer HQ
International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) provides safe, quality and extremely affordable volunteering programs abroad in developing countries all over the world. Each year we place over 4000 people into our programs abroad and have a wide range of volunteer abroad opportunities in over 18 countries.
***If you would like to donate to her cause click HERE***
9/24/2012 02:32:04 pm
Thanks syd! :) the link is www.gofundme.com/make-some-kids-happy to make things easier for all the AWESOME people who are going to visit my site and help out! :P
Leave a Reply.


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Sigourney Weaver Gossip
Sigourney Weaver gossip, latest news, photos, and video.
TIFF Review: A Monster Calls
C Flanigan/ Michael Tran/ GP Images/ Alberto E. Rodriguez/ Getty Images
AKA, the movie where everyone cries for two hours straight. Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona (The Impossible, The Orphanage) commits another act of emotional terrorism with his latest movie about a little boy learning to grieve with the help of a semi-terrifying tree monster with a weirdly muscular butt. Full Story
Hugh Jackman in Chappie review
With his latest movie Chappie, South African director Neill Blomkamp officially enters The Wachowski Zone: His debut feature film was an impressive feat, and everything that has followed it is a flop mess. Chappie isn't completely terrible—it's not as off the rails as, say, Jupiter Ascending Full Story
Avatar is coming
The cast of Avatar led by director James Cameron has been making its way across Europe promoting the film overseas before bringing it to North American for a final push before release date. Avatar opens on December 18th, one of the most expensive movies ever made, and riding on a new 3D film technology that Cameron created… So expectations are enormous. Full Story
Globes Worst Clapper: Beyonce
Good: Her dress Bad: Her hair Worst: Her clapping! It wasn't golf clapping either. It was little girl learning how to clap clapping. WTF? Save? Duana pointed it out – she seemed appropriately present at the Globes. Like she knew her place. She didn't rush that carpet like she owned it. Full Story


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Reader TT asks a good question: given your (self-appointed) role as the Spectator's unofficial darts correspondent, why haven't you written anything on the death of Sid Waddell? What can I say? Grief moves one in mysterious ways.
Few people can claim to have created a sport, yet that was Waddell's achievement and only nit-pickers and other churls would mock the fact that the sport Waddell created was darts. Before Sid there was nothing and the darts universe is his creation. As he might almost have put it, "God took six days to create his world, Phil Taylor needed just three hours to build his. And Taylor never rests on the Sabbath."
Though a Northumbrian by birth, Waddell was an example of the democratic intellect. Had he been Scottish he'd have been considered a "lad o'pairts". Rising from humble beginnings he made it to Cambridge and then Durham universities. His love of books would, in time, provide the hinterland for his commentary.
His genius was to appreciate that fat men flinging arrows at tiny targets eight-feet distant could be more than just a pub game. Much more than that, in fact. Waddells's commentary persuaded the viewer that they were watching great drama. If, as I've noted before, the darting world is characterised by a splendid "air of semi-ironic gladiatorial mock-heroism" then this too was Sid's creation. It was a gift he bestowed on the players and the audience in equal measure.
Perhaps he sometimes teetered close to self-parody but he nevertheless managed something remarkable. That is, he persuaded viewers that they were watching a sporting event that was important and yet still – and simultaneously – grandiloquent nonsense.
He understood that, presented properly, darts is a vehicle for theatre. That drama was both reinforced and subtly undercut by Waddell's magnificent hyperbole. His most famous line was a perfect demonstration of this and deserves to be in some commentary hall of fame: "When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears because there were no more worlds to conquer – Bristow's only 27." It cannot get better than that.
But there were many other marvellous moments, all of them delivered by a commentator whose style was inimitable. He was an excitable Geordie banshee in a blender and, by god, it was grand. Without Waddell darts might never have made it to our television screens; with a more pedestrian commentator it could never have captured our hearts.
Sid's own heart was first lost to Jocky Wilson and then, utterly and irrevocably, gifted to Phil Taylor. He made extravagant claims for Taylor's genius but if Ryan Giggs could be awarded the BBC's "Sports Personality of the Year" award as some kind of lifetime achievement bauble Waddell – and darting aficionados everywhere – had cause to be aggrieved that the Pride of the Potteries was not comparably recognised.
If Waddell was a kind of darting Zeus, father of all he surveyed, Taylor was, figuratively speaking, his son. To put it in the kind of flamboyant terms in which Sid delighted, the Power was some kind of Ares, a god of war who, as one historian has described it, was "overwhelming, insatiable in battle, destructive, and man-slaughtering". Or, as Sid put it himself, "If we'd had Phil Taylor at Hastings against the Normans, they'd have gone home."
At times Waddell's Power-worship was mildly unsettling. But by the turn of the century he had earned the right to indulge his favourites. Where would they have been without him?
His commentary often took on a Wodehousian flavour. The great man would have enjoyed Sid's command of language. He might even, on occasion, have envied this facility. No commentator at the Drones Club annual darting extravaganza could have bettered this description of a 180: "That was like throwing three pickled onions into a thimble!" Similarly, one likes to imagine that Plum would have smiled at the notion that "Big Cliff Lazarenko's idea of exercise is sitting in a room with the windows open taking the lid off something cool and fizzy." And had he been a kitchen-minded kind of man, Wodehouse would surely recognise this description of an over-beaten, vanquished, hero: "He looks about as happy as a penguin in a microwave."
His death – I'm afraid I abhor the faux-gentility of describing it as his "passing" – also robs us of one of the last voices wholly and inescapably linked to a single sport. Waddell was the Bill McLaren or the Peter O'Sullevan or the Dan Maskell or the Ted Lowe of his sport. These giants have plenty of fine descendents but none of them in this multi-channel age will be the "voice" of any given sport as their predecessors were. That's not their fault.
As for darts, well, John Gwynne is a grand commentator himself but he can't be Sid. If the darting authorities have sense they should name the World Championship trophy after Waddell.
It all reminds me of Simenon's comment on first encountering the Scott Monument in Edinburgh. They built this, he asked of the largest memorial to any writer ever, And for one of us? Well, why not? He created us.
Darts and its place in the mainstream fabric of British sport is Sid Waddell's monument. His achievement should be recognised and celebrated. We shall not hear his like again.
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Nasser Hussain's contribution to the revival of the England cricket team has been recognised by the award of an OBE in the New Year's Honours, while Lennox Lewis is made a CBE for his exploits in boxing.
Hussain, 33, led England to four consecutive winning series before Australia ended the run last summer.
The Essex batsman is recognised as a central figure in the revival of England's fortunes, and even in the 1-0 series defeat in India recently the performances by a squad missing several senior players have received much praise.
Lewis, previously made an MBE, lost his world heavyweight crown to American Hasim Rahman in April but in November regained the WBC, IBF and IBO titles in an impressive Las Vegas rematch.
The 36-year-old is also an Olympic champion. He won the super-heavyweight gold at Seoul in 1988.
Another Lewis was also made a sporting CBE - Tony Lewis, former president of the MCC who has presided over a series of changes in cricket's most prestigious club.
Under Lewis, women were admitted to the MCC for the first time while Lord's underwent a much-praised modernisation programme including a state-of-the-art media centre at the home of cricket.
Lewis is a former England captain who also led Glamorgan to their first county championship in 1969.
In football, there are honours for Graham Taylor - the former England coach who also managed Watford, Aston Villa and Wolves at club level - and for Gary McAllister, the former Scotland midfielder who last season won three trophies with Liverpool.
Taylor, awarded the OBE, made his name with Watford before succeeding Bobby Robson as England manager in 1990. The 57-year-old's four-year spell at international level was characterised by a stormy relationship with the press, highlighted by the time one newspaper super-imposed a turnip on his head after England had been beaten by the Swedes.
McAllister, who was 37 on Christmas Day, is made an MBE. He is currently enjoying a successful swansong with Liverpool and helped them to the FA Cup, Uefa Cup and Worthington Cup last season.
Veteran cyclist Yvonne McGregor, 40, also gets an MBE after a successful career on two wheels. Bradford-born McGregor, who lives in Wilmslow, came late to the sport but won the 3000m individual pursuit at the British national championships eight times.
The highlight of her career was in the 2000 Sydney Olympics when she took bronze for Great Britain in the women's individual pursuit.
There are also honours for sporting stars of the past.
Max Faulkner, who won golf's Open championship in 1951, is made an OBE while former Olympic flyweight Terry Spinks gets an MBE. Faulkner, 85, from Pulborough in West Sussex, won the Open at Royal Portrush, the only time it has been played in Northern Ireland.
His victory became legend when, at the start of the final round and leading by six shots, he displayed his confidence by signing a schoolboy's autograph book: 'Max Faulkner, 1951 Open champion'.
Spinks, 63, was a binman at London's Albert Docks when he won Olympic gold at Melbourne in 1956. He had a short professional career, becoming British featherweight champion, and has dedicated much of his life to work with youth and boxing clubs.
Other sporting MBEs go to: James Fleming, a rugby union referee from Edinburgh; Douglas Lampkin, for services to motorcycle trials riding, Silsden, West Yorkshire; Reginald Lomas, head groundsman at Cheltenham Racecourse; Susan McKiernan from Sheffield, for services to disabled sport; Ann Saunders, from Newbury, for services to the Jockeys' Association of Great Britain; Dorothy Tyler, from Surrey, for services to athletics.


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The Leyden Story
Leyden Publishing has been an independent family firm, specialising in Australian educational resources, since its' founding by Peter and Elsie Leyden in 1954. Nearly all primary schools have at least some Leyden Publishing resources in their library.
Peter Leyden's son Michael and his wife Karin moved to New Zealand in 1975 and formed Michael Leyden Publications. They distributed many Peter Leyden resources but also developed an extensive range specific to New Zealand. Their programs on Maori and New Zealand Natural and Social Sciences are highly regarded in local schools. Peter's daughter, Ashleigh and son in law Bob, continue the firm in Australia.
The focus of the firm has always been on the development of Australian primary resources in social studies, natural sciences and music.
In 2012, with the trend towards delivering resources online, the firm is undertaking a major reworking of the catalogue for online access. This provides the opportunity to deliver directly to teachers individual lessons on demand, rather than persuading your school to buy the whole program at one time.
We are starting with the Music Mime & Movement program which has 16 lessons and will move on to others in the catalogue very soon. Watch this space .....


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Starting a Kickstarter page may be the contemporary equivalent to buying a lottery ticket. Both hinge on dreams of making money quickly, and by chance. But, as Jason Best, Principal of Crowdfund Capital Advisors in San Francisco points out: "Crowdfunding is not an easy way to raise money. It's a new way to do a difficult thing, which is raising money for a business. It enables you to more efficiently raise the money and shorten the time it takes to do so. But it takes a lot planning, a lot of preparation, and careful execution of your plan" (Assenova et al., "The Present and Future of Crowdfunding," p. 125).
In this MediaLit Moment, your high school students will have the chance to imagine themselves in the position of the entrepreneur who wishes to raise funds on a crowdfunding platform, and learn the basics of creating a project page that's likely to drive traffic to the site.
Ask students to evaluate the effectiveness of a sampling of Kickstarter project pages
Grade Level: 9-12
Key Question #5 for Producers: Have I communicated my purpose effectively?
Core Concept #5: Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.
Key Question #3 for Producers: Is my message engaging and compelling for my target audience?
Core Concept #3: Different people experience the same message differently.
Key Question #4 for Producers: Have I clearly and consistently framed values, lifestyles and points of view in my content?
Core Concept #4: Media have embedded values and points of view.
Materials: Computer with high speed internet access, LCD projector and screen.
Activity: This MediaLit Moment activity requires a little teacher preparation. Visit the Kickstarter home page, then look for the FAQ page, which will provide directions for establishing a Kickstarter account. There's no need to worry about starting a project. Creating a minimal profile page is enough to establish your Kickstarter account. Next, search the site for the Kickstarter Creator Handbook. Read the section titled "Telling Your Story." This focuses largely on putting together the project video. Next, spend a little time browsing successful and unsuccessful projects. Each time you open the Kickstarter main page, you'll see showcases of successful projects, or projects in progress that are doing well. A site search for "unsuccessful projects" or "unfunded projects" should yield several failed campaigns.
For the activity itself, browse a few successful and unsuccessful project pages with your students, and ask relevant questions. Project videos are the first priority. These are essentially three minute elevator speeches which answer those Key Questions for Producers: Is it engaging and compelling? What is the project creator hoping to accomplish, why is it important, and what are the benefits for prospective funders? And, what's inspiring the project creator to take the risk of creating the campaign? Ask students to evaluate the pages they've visited. If you have any time to spare, you might also want to take a look at the different features of the project page. How many backers are there for the campaign? Has the project creator been a backer for other campaigns on Kickstarter? Have backers posted any comments? Has the project creator posted any updates? Generally, the more active the site, the more successful the project is likely to be.
The Five Core Concepts and Five Key Questions of media literacy were developed as part of the Center for Media Literacy's MediaLit Kit™ and Questions/TIPS (Q/TIPS)™ framework. Used with permission, ©2002-2016, Center for Media Literacy, http://www.medialit.com.


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Jan Shikayat legal disclaimer
- When we receive the complaint we contact the seller or the service provider on the basis of the complaint . The response is posted on the response section of the complaint without any prejudice .
- This service is free and no money is charged from the complainant . The idea behind launching this free service is to protect the interests of the common man or the consumer. We have no intention to malign the image of any company or brand . We will post all responses with the complaints without any prejudice and will give equal opportunity to both the parties to express their concern.
- Service provider may also contact you directly. In case your problem is solved or you get a positive response , kindly let us know so that we can update this complaint. Please assure you that you give complete details about the product, serial number, bill number , name and address of the vendor , complaint number of the complaint docket number.
- Please note that we are not a consumer court or a government agency . We also cannot guarantee solutions or redressal. This is a social forum and we try our level best to get the problems or shortcomings solved.
- The sellers or companies are always concerned about their brand names or reputation. Good brands respond quickly as they don't want to earn a bad name for their brands. ( Click here to see how the companies respond).
- We want to assure you that we are with you and we are not afraid of anybody as and when the question of protection of consumer rights , guarantees or warranties , erratic service , cheating , bogus claims , frauds or wrongdoings are raised. We will fight back and together we will.
- The complaints should be genuine . Please do not hide anything as we do not verify individual complaints and the complaints are published by the affected customers themselves . They are required to register themselves which enables them to post the complaints.
- Complaints can also be edited for clarity and to make them readable .
- We will delete incomplete complaints, ambiguous words or statements or false assumptions or if the brands or companies concerned raise a question about the veracity of the complaint.
Let us work for a healthy buyer and seller relationship.
Jan Shikayat Forum
For any queries please contact us at [janshikayatbank][at]gmail.com


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Prize Notifications: How You Know When You've Won Sweepstakes
So you've entered a giveaway, and the sponsor has chosen your name as a winner. Great! But what comes next? How will the sweepstakes' sponsor let you know that you've won? Here are the most common ways that companies use to send their prize notifications:
Prize Notifications Can Come by Email
Many sweepstakes will send a winning notice to the email address that the potential winner used on their entry form. To be sure you don't overlook an email notification; it's a good idea to set up a dedicated email address for sweepstakes and to check it frequently.
Even with a dedicated email, it's easy to overlook a prize notification among all of the other emails you'll receive. It's a good idea to have an idea what winning emails look like so that you don't skip a prize notification by accident.
Some prize notifications may look a little untrustworthy. While it's a good idea to be wary of any email with an attachment, prize notifications will sometimes include an attachment with valuable information like the sweepstakes rules or an affidavit to print out and return to them. Other times, the notification will include a link to a website where you can find more information about how to claim your prize, or you'll have to reply to verify your win. And sometimes, your notification will be purely informational, and you won't have to do anything at all.
Prize Notifications May Come by Mail
Many companies send winning notifications by mail. These prize notifications may come through the regular postal service or via a delivery service such as FedEx or UPS. Along with the information that you've won, you may also receive an affidavit or other forms that you'll need to fill out and return to claim the prize.
Beware of any prize notifications that arrive by bulk mail. Legitimate companies won't notify winners in bulk, whereas many scammers send mass mailings to try to trick as many people as possible. Look out for precanceled stamps, metered postage, or permit imprints to identify bulk mailings.
Telephone Calls to Let You Know You've Won
Some prize notifications come via telephone calls. Often, the sponsor will try to reach the winner a certain number of times and then disqualify them and draw another winner. To avoid losing a prize, it's a good idea to use a number where you can be easily reached when you enter. A mobile phone number might be a good choice, or you can use call forwarding to make sure that you can be contacted on the go.
Of course, some scammers will also call to try to trick you. Make sure that you know the signs of telephone scams, so you don't fall for one of these cons.
Some Prize Notifications Arrive Immediately
When you win instant sweepstakes, you will find out right away if you've won a prize. Either a message will pop up on your screen letting you know you're a winner, or you'll receive an email or text message within a few minutes of entering.
Don't get so excited by your win that you overlook important information. You may need to take additional steps to claim your prize, such as a supplying a shipping address. Closing your winning screen too quickly could cost you the prize.
A Prize Notification Can Be Announced on a Website or Newsletter
Some sweepstakes only announce winners on their website or through their email newsletters. If you don't respond within a certain amount of time, the company will disqualify you and draw another winner.
When you're entering a lot of giveaways, it's easy to forget to check a winner's list posted on a website. To avoid missing out on a prize with this notification method, leave yourself a reminder to check back to see if you are the winner. A program like Google Calendar helps you avoid forgetting by sending you a reminder email when it's time to check back. Be careful about unsubscribing from sweepstakes emails if the winners will be notified in a newsletter.
Having a Google Alert on your name can act as a fail-safe to keep you from overlooking these kinds of wins. While it's not perfect, it may catch prize notifications that you missed.
Prize Notifications Announced Through Social Media
Companies that run Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook sweepstakes will often send prize notifications via social media. Make sure to check your direct messages to find out if you've won a prize. On Facebook, be sure to check the "other messages" which come from people who are not your friends. Facebook doesn't display these messages prominently, and it's easy to overlook a prize notification in your messages.
Surprize! You've Won With No Notification at All
Once in a while, a prize will just appear on your doorstep with no prior warning whatsoever. This is what sweepers call a "surprize." Many sweepers feel their hearts jump every time they see a delivery truck, hoping that it's holding a surprise for them. These prizes are the hardest to miss out on, as long as you don't have a problem receiving packages by postal service or delivery service.
How to Find Out Which Prize Notification Method a Giveaway Uses
So how will you know which method to look out for? Most sweepstakes will say which prize notification method they will use in their rules.
However, when you enter a lot of giveaways, you should be on the lookout for any of these notification methods. It's a good idea to spend a few minutes a day going through your sweepstakes emails, opening even postal mail that comes from unfamiliar addresses, and making sure that you're reachable by telephone to make sure that you don't pass up a valuable prize.


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Zombie Strippers
I must admit that quite often I am found guitly of the sin of curiosity, so when I happened across a movie titled (interestingly enough) Zombie Strippers! I figured I might as well check it out. Oddly enough, it's more or less what you'd expect.
As the film starts we're brought up to speed on an America gone awry: George Bush has just started his 4th term, elected once again by a mishap in Florida involving the Jeb B Voting Machine. With wars waging pretty much everywhere and the military stretched thing, the army turns to the move logical solution: A "chemo" virus that reanimates the dead. Naturally, things get a little out of hand.
The story begins as we watch the "Z-squad" plying their trade, which is kicking zombie ass all over the research facility that made the virus. Heads are exploded, guns discharged, then that's pretty much the end of their involvment. Except the one who got bit, he goes to a strip club and all sorts of campy hilarity and B-class gore ensues.
Apparently, in addition to an insatiable thirst for human flesh, the chemo virus also bestows greater than average abilities in most strippers. The bulk of the film deals with the owner of the club, Ian (the infamous Robert Englund), and his having to deal with more and more of his strippers (porn star Jenna Jameson and goth rock chick Roxy Saint to name the hottest a couple) drinking the koolaid, so to speak. His happy ending (sic) comes when the Z-squad shows up and does what they do best.
The movie is based on the Theatre of the Absurd play Rhinoceros in which the inhabitants of small French town start turning into rhinos and, I must say, aesthetically pleasing women turning in to flesh craving zombie strippers is much more interesting.
With just the right mixture of nudity, gore and camp this movie's earned itself a place on my personal A-list right beside Dr. Giggles and Killer Klowns from Outer Space.


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Coming out of the theater in Providence; I ran smack into this very, very large photo. I don't know who shot it or why; but I definitely had one of those "wish I'd shot that" feelings. When that happens, there is a simple acknowledgement that someone has done something that I admire; but, then, there is that petty little "I could have done that" partnered with the jealous "I want that". When I am done stuffing all those reactions back in to their little black box; I can get back to simple appreciation and wonder at how directly a photograph can describe a profound humanity with an intensity afforded by no other medium.
This is not a simple picture. The soft, cool palette; the order and abstraction of the composition; the relaxed elegance of the hands all combine to create a significant whole. I want to believe that this man was in this place, at this time, of his own accord; and that this is a record of that beautiful and sublime moment where art and history collide. I may have it all wrong; this could be a totally manufactured event. Photography has become more and more suspect as its cinematic nature has been exploited (aka Gregory Crewsdon at the extreme). Still, there is hope as only a photograph can engender, that this just happened and the photographer just happened to be there.
Photography has always been for me, first and foremost, about the record; a means of communicating wonder, shock, and awe. The more it gets fiddled with the more abstract that basic tenet becomes, not necessarily at the expense of ideas and art, but, I think, at the expense of something that only a photograph can provide … simple truth. I was reminded of a couple of artists that seem to consistently create these kinds of images, Eve Arnold (l) and Dawoud Bey (r).


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View our Industry range at www.o-icatalogue.com.auand choose a glass container and then contact O-I Australia on how we can collaborate with you.
Our sales representatives understand local market conditions and work hand in hand with our customers to help build their brands across the region and the world.
Please reach out to us, we'd love to hear from you.


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Global Vipassana Pagoda in Mumbai Suburb
This article gives an overview of one of the most sought after meditation techniques by Gautama The Buddha. Vipassana has been one of the most authentic and right way to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Buddha has given a gift to mankind. This article gives little more information which is built in the heart of Mumbai.
Remember those days when in India the only goal for mankind was to achieve the salvation. But now the goal of life is changed to get more and more money and earn quick bucks with so many means to accumulate property and wealth.
What is the real aim of life? Who knows ? Who is the whole of soul of life?
All questions always tickles our mind but we never think out of box. Everything is nearby, everything is within the man. All saints said that look within silently and you will see the whole universe, you will the God. But who care to see within. We are just looking outside world to complain and blame others.
In this situation Gautama The Buddha came and found the real meaning of natural life. He found that all problems of life is just knowing our self. He tried all kinds of meditation but no one lead him to salvation except his own findings. He concentrated his breathing and slowly he found the path of Nirvana and Salvation. He came back to practical life the distributed his techniques of Vipassana to all possible people. And the results were outstanding. Every one who tried and did sincerely became "Arahanta" and many got to reach the situation of "Nirvana".
How this happened? Why thousands of people believe in him and his teachings of vipassana is not because of blind faith but only on self-experience of knowing oneself.
2500 years ago this vipassana lost from India because of many reasons. Dhamma that is Dharma vanishing. Slowly it got vanished due to non practice of people. But at Burma, at one place it was alive. The person who were preaching and practicing was Ven Ledi Sayadaw.
Slowly it passed on to Saya Thetgyi then Sayagyi U Ba Khin. Finally Sayagyi U Ba Khin found a person who became the bridge between this vipassana, Burma and India and that is S.N. Goenka. U Ba Khin had dread to give back to vipassana to India and S.N. Goenka played a vital role to do that.
Today in the heart of Mumbai suburb Global Vipassana Pagoda stood with a difference. Here the relics of Gautama Buddha is preserved in a huge dome for the benefits of people of India and world. Whenever you get the chance to visit the Essel World just have a free look inside this dome and surroundings. You will never miss the second visit to this place. And if you are so eager to meet yourself by looking inside just join the 10 Days Vipassana Course and your will never regret.
With all METTA. Be all happy.


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In these tough economic times, any additional income is welcome. There are several ways to make money on the internet, but one easy way is through writing. You don't need to be an English expert or a post-graduate in English literature from Harvard.
These are simple and fun, if you love to write, and you don't need to involve yourself with any marketing (most ways to make money online seem so full of marketing that this is a welcome break!) Here are 5 practical ways you can make some decent amount of money online with your passion for writing.
Writing Reviews
All kinds of businesses need good reviews, and this is especially so for online businesses that need to rely on word of mouth for their promotion. There are many websites to consider. softwarejudge.com that pays up to $50 for a good honest review, whether good or bad.
Better still, visit a site like cnet or any other site that lists a host of products, like software (software review is easy as compared to say cameras because the software can easily be reviewed online) and contact the developers who need a good review. Such products are not usually hard to find as a lot of new developers need reviews for their products. Offer them your services and they should easily realize the importance of a good review from a writer.
Creative Web Domains
All businesses need a perfect domain name that is easy to remember and recollect and talks to the customers. Unfortunately, there are billions of websites and this restricts the availability of their top choice.
Therefore you can use your creativity and name websites for businesses, getting paid in the process. Try out pickydomains.com that pays $25 each time a domain name is picked by the business.
Simple Copywriting for eBay
Here is an idea that is used by a lot of professional writers. Go to eBay and find products that are costly but have pathetic product description. This can range from art and antiques to yachts and boats. Contact the owner directly and assure him that you can attract customers by writing good descriptions. You can charge your client a fee depending on the selling price, say 1% of the price for which the item finally gets sold
Blog with Google Adsense
If you can come up with topics that attract readers, there is nothing like writing a good blog to make money. Google Adsense is a great program but there are others you might consider, like AdBrite. The point is, if you can write on controversial or hot topics, chances are you'll attract a lot of readers, which translates into good revenue streams. Once a blog is well established, it can bring in a good amount of money with minimal efforts.
Guest Blogging
You can go to a site like payperpost.com that allows you to write promotional guest posts for different blogs, according to their requirement. If you have a blog, it is easy to contact some blog owners directly and offer them a guest blog. Every blog owner needs good attractive content, and if you can provide it, you can make a good amount of money in the process.
These are some of the ideas for people who can use their skill and love for writing to make a decent amount of money working online.
Are there any other ways that you earn income from writing?
photo credit: Markus Rödder


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Pretoria's Catholic history 1877-1877
Pretoria's origin – A Church
It is interesting to read of the several approaches that were made to the Volksraad in the 1850's for a town to be established beside Elandspoort. The applications were made by the Commandant-General, M.W. Pretorius as early as 1853 and although refused, he applied again the following year but only succeeded in 1855. The arguments for and against centred around the establishment of a "church-place" and was strengthened by the necessity of setting up a central town other than Potchefstroom the then seat of government, Lydenburg its constant opponent, and Rustenburg. "With a view to the setting up of a town on the Apies River, the Commandant-General had purchased two farms from Messrs Prinsloo and Van der Walt. The final decision was made because of the setting up of a church to be built on a suitable site".
"We, the servants of the Magaliesberg congregation, being desirous of erecting a church. On the church farm selected and bought for the purpose by the hon. M.W. Pretorious, Commandant-General, herewith approach all sympathisers with the request to help us carry out this intention…
We propose to couple this place the name of his late father, our Commandant General, the Honourable A.W.J. Pretorious, who as we all know, left nothing undone to make his countrymen free and happy…"
Various forms of the name were presented – Pretorium, Pretoriusstad, Pretoriusdorp, and even Pretoria-Philadelphia – signifying brotherhood, but Pretoria was finally accepted.
"A notice appeared in the Staatskoerant announcing the resolution of April 9th that Pretoria will be the seat Government as from 1st May 1860". So it was that Pretoria had its origin in a church. Further it developed around the small Dutch Reformed Church which gave the name to Church Square.
The early planners directed the Surveyor to centre the town north, south, east and west of the Church Square and churches have been the characteristic of the town and city ever since.
Of later years it merited the name of "Jacaranda city" but in the 1870's it was noted for its roses, hence the name Arcadia given to the first suburb. Carl Jeppe, an early pioneer, described the place as "the City of Roses – the whole town was drowned, smothered in these fragrant flowers for each hedge consisted of them, each verandah, each wall was clothed in them".
We will not go into great detail here but it is an interesting and frustration point to determine where the first Mass was said in the Transvaal or South African Republic.
As early as 1855 we read of a Portugese Commission which set out from Inhambane, Mocambique for Schoemansdal to the north. At the head of the Commission was the Rev. Father Juaquim de Santa Rita Montana, Knight of the Order of Christ. There can be no doubt that he said Mass often during his stay there but no other
details are available.
Father P. Hoendervangers, the pioneer priest in the Free State, visited Potchefstroom in 1864 in response to a sick call, but when he requested to administer the sacraments he was informed that he would be put forcibly over the border. With Father Hoendervanger's return to Europe in 1869 he was succeeded by Father Le Bihan OMI from Basutoland who with the help of a small group petitioned the Volksraad for the repeal of the law "that no other religion but that of the Dutch Reformed Church was allowed in the South African Republic". This was granted in 1870.
It was on this occasion that a list of donation towards Church was drawn up the first name was that of President M.W. Pretorius. His gift was a piece of ground in Pretoria situated on the corner of Potgieter and Bloed Streets – the title deeds were dated 27th November 1872.
Catholic beginnings in Pretoria
Leaving on May 23rd after fourteen days they arrived in Pretoria on June 5th, where they were invited to lunch with the Acting Governor, Sir Theophilus Shepstone.
The detailed happenings of the next few days are given in the Bishop's diary:
8 June 1877, Friday, feast of the Sacred Heart. My vestments and chalice having arrived, I can, for the first time, say Mass at Pretoria on this happy day. The Baron (de Lelys) serves my Mass. On the same day I address a petition to obtain a site for our future mission building.
9 June 1877, I dine at the Governor's (Sir Theophilus Shepstone).
10 June 1877, I say Mass in the Camp in a small hut and dine with the officers of the 13th Regiment.
12 June 1877, I go with Melville, Surveyor General to select a suitable site.
Pretoria's first Mass then was said in the private residence of Mr.de Vogel, Postmaster General, and following Sunday Mass was offered on the site now occupied by the City Hall.
Bishop Jolivet then bought a horse and set off for Lydenburg, taking six das fir the journey. He said Mass there for a small group of Catholicism, gathered by Father Walshe, and then continued his journey to Pilgrim's Rest and offered the Holy Sacrifice in the small hut built by Father Walshe, whom he had sent there two years previously after their arrival in Port Natal.
On his return to Pretoria, and we refer again to his diary –
17 July: At about 2 p.m. we arrived at Pretoria. I put up at M. . . Hotel. Such a hotel! But I have no place to go to. However things improved within a couple of weeks.
6 August: the Bishop writes. "I have left the hotel. My room is like a little Chapel. The bed disappears during the day and is divided into three seats. Colonel Montgomery had given me a Corporal Flynn to serve my Mass every morning…Sir Theophilus has granted me two excellent erven – the two I have chosen, and which he had some difficulty in giving me, as the General wanted the same erven. Sir Theophilus agreed with me that the military should not be allowed to camp so near the town, One of the erven was granted and the other exchanged for another (the one in Bloed Street). Now I think I have got position in Pretoria. Deo Gratias".
Anyone who knows Pretoria today will realise that these words of the Bishop are as true today as they were then. The present church, the third on the same site, occupies a dominant position above the centre of the city. Within its vicinity are the City Hall, the Mint, the Transvaal Museum and other magnificent buildings.
Adjoining erven were granted subsequently for educational purposes, and the Loreto Sisters wisely purchased the ten remaining erven so that the Church and the Convent owned the whole block.
As temporary measure a small summer house was erected in Skinner Street, the Bishop being helped by the military. An artillery wagon was loaned to cart his building materials. The place was so small that civilian and soldiers had to stand outside during Holy Mass. Such was the Bethlehem of the Catholic in Pretoria.
On October 2nd the foundations of the first real mission building were started, and the first mass was said by the Bishop on the Fourth Sunday of Advent – "I say Mass for the first time today in the hall – chapel – school, our first brick building in Pretoria".
(When the writer arrived in Pretoria in October 1930 this small building was still standing and was used as a classroom. A second storey had been added and used as a dormitory for the boy boarders.)
The next development was that the Bishop called Walshe to Pretoria, and a beginning was made with a small four-roomed convent. His Lordship remembered the promise he had made to the Loreto Sisters, and now wrote to Navan, Ireland, to invite them to establish a Convent and School in the Capital of the Transvaal. The story of the arrival of the pioneer group is given elsewhere in this brochure.
War of Independence
The beginning of both the Church and school were hampered by the outbreak of war in December 1880, an attempt by the Boers to regain their freedom lost to them by the Annexation.
The Bishop, the Parish Priest, the Sisters and the small congregation suffered as a result. Father Walshe went as Army Chaplain and was involved in the Battle of Islandwana – he was even reported killed in action at one stage, but it was a relief when he turned up in person a few weeks later.
Mother Margaret Mary, the first Superior, died in January 1881, and it was only two or three months later that her brother, Bishop Jolivet, heard the sad news.
The Church and Convent grounds were turned into a redoubt in which the people were endorsed for safety. The nuns slept in the small sanctuary, the soldiers in the convent – the only two storey building in the town – and the people were accommodated in tents. This was the state of things for one hundred days.
It is easy to imagine the efforts that were required to return the place to order when peace was restored. However, out of evil cometh good. The war had placed the spotlight on the Catholic community. The town and the community developed and form the initial thirteen souls in 1877 there was a need for a larger church less than a decade later.
The first Church was "turned around" to serve as sacristy and sanctuary for the extension towards Skinner Street. Some or our older parishioners will remember the larger church with its Norman tower which served from 1887 to 1933.
Pretoria - A Mother Church
It was in the year 1886 that Bishop Jolivet succeeded in having his vast territory subdivided. From Natal he had set up churches and convent schools in the Diamond Fields, in Bloemfontein, in Basutoland as well as in the Transvaal.
All this development had meant that he was continually travelling either by ox wagon, by post cart or on horseback.
The South African Republic became a new Prefecture under Monsignor Odilon Monginoux OMI, while Diamond Fields and the Orange Free was erected into a Vicariate, to which was attached Basutoland, all under Bishop Anthony Ganghren, OMI.
It was in the same year that the Mining Camp of the Witwatersrand – soon to be called Johannesburg – was proclaimed and the one word gold was on every lip. From a comparatively small population it developed rapidly, with peoples of every nation, travelling on foot or by every type of vehicle to try their luck on the Goldfields.
This rush was followed with interest and concern by the Oblate Fathers in Pretoria and several visits were made by Father de lacy to Ferreira's Camp seeking among the diggers for Catholics.
The diary of Father Trabaud in Pretoria tells how on February 19th 1887 he travelled by wagonette – a journey of nearly eight hours – and next morning, Sunday "I said Mass in the hut of Mr. and Mrs. Whelan – Bakery of the Camp. There was 33 people at that Mass and a baby – Agnes Doyle – was baptized afterwards.
During the writers first years in Pretoria – 1930 onwards – I came across an account book of those early days. In clear writing are the entries for February 19th. On the credit side appeared: Collection at the Witwatersrand, £2.0.0.
It was in this way that Pretoria became the spiritual Godmother of the City of Gold. On august 21st this year the Catholic Community of Johannesburg will celebrate Anniversary of the blessing and opening of the first Church on the Witwatersrand, built on the corner of Fox and Smal Streets, the present site of the fifty storey Carlton Centre. The Pretoria priests, Fathers Monginoux and De Lacy were responsible for this first Church.
The Turn of the Century
The close of the century saw the outbreak of the Bier War which naturally had serious effect upon the country in general, and Pretoria and the Witwatersrand in particular. Thousands of people moved away from these two centres, business was disrupted, and the economic situation of the Transvaal affected.
It was a difficult time for the Church, and in fact once the cessation of hostilities was enacted and life in general slowly returned to normal the financial situation became precarious. During these years the Church lost several of her properties and in some cases the priest found himself in the salesroom bidding a price to get his Church back.
In better times Father Van Laar OMI in 1896 had built a double storey presbytery in Visagie Street and the adjoining stands in Koch Street between Skinner and Visagie Streets were purchased and so in time it would have faced the present City Hall. Alas the Continental Hotel is on that site today! The presbytery was built at 399 Koch Street – in more recent times it is adjoining the present Cathedral.
Father Tom Ryan OMI – still remembered in the Capital – was appointed Parish Priest in 1908. From the outset he began to collect funds for a larger church. He had ambitious plans drawn up in Amsterdam but they were never realised.
It was he who began a second parish in Gezina – later to be transferred to Capital Park; the he made world-wide appeals for funds for a church at the newly established Leper Asylum at Westfort.
Meanwhile the town was spreading rapidly towards the east. In 1912 the Redemptorist Fathers came to South Africa and decided to make their Monastery and Mission Centre at Pretoria. Again it was Father Ryan who chose the site and made possible a decade later the nearby Christian Brothers' College, and the adjoining block the Loreto Convent School of Hillcrest.
While the few Africans were taken care of by the priests in Koch Street, the setting up of Bantule brought about a church and school, the latter staffed by the Holy Cross Sisters who arrived in 1916. Father de Hovre began his zealous work at this Mission, and while in the beginning he cycled out every day, he soon took up residence in a small room, formerly used by the Sisters as a laundry. It was only ten feet square with lean-to which served as a kitchen and here he "lived" for over twelve years. In the summer months he rigged up a bed in a nearby tree! "Those were happy days", he used to say, and endless crowds of Indians, Coloureds and Africans found in him a friend and a helper.
One evening, on returning home, Father de Hovre found a deputation sitting around his dwelling. They had come from De Wildt to find "the true Church in Pretoria" and after a few days' search they were directed to Bantule.
It was the feast of the Epiphany – January 6th 1921 and Father saw in this coincidence the Hand of Providence. His bicycle came into use again and several times he made the journey to De Wildt and visited the people. In due course a stone Church was built by one of the people, and Bishop Cox came to bless and open the building dedicated to the Most Holy Redeemer.
A rondavel built behind the Church was used by Father for his overnight's stay, until the first resident priest – Father Van Hecke – arrived. His was to be a very brief stay. Two days after Christmas he went down to the Post Office, and dropped dead at the very doorway!
The Sisters of the Precious Blood from Marianhill came to De Wildt but they did not remain for long as it was felt they were too isolated from their other communities.
The Holy Cross Sisters took over in 1929. In the course of time De Wildt became a centre for several other missions but today under the Stigmatine Fathers there has been an event greater development along the beautiful valley.
The Sisters of Mercy extended their educational work from Johannesburg to Pretoria in 1922 and the Church of St. Columba was built alongside the new Iona Convent. The Church of St. Francis Xavier at Gezina was closed.
Meanwhile the Lady Selborne are had been proclaimed, and soon Catholic children came over the Koppie, a good hour's walk – to St. Teresa's School in Bantule. Especially in the winter months, the plight of these children, barefooted and cold, won the heart of Father de Hovre and he began to look for a suitable site in Lady Selborne itself. The present site is the result.
Three Holy Cross Sisters in a two-roomed tin shanty, which had to serve as dwelling place and school, began their uphill work in 1927. St. Thérèse had been canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and two years declared Patroness of the Missions; so it is not surprising that her patronage was given to the new Mission. Who would believe that such poverty-stricken beginnings could develop into the fine church and Holy Cross Maternity Home of today. The Sisters found many friends among the people in Pretoria and every weekend journeys were made to the mission with food, blankets, school-books etc.
St. Camillus, Hammanskraal – spreads its wings
Tens of the many thousands, from practically every part of South Africa, who visit Hammanskraal today and make use of its Conference Centre at St. Peter's Regional Seminary, would believe the simple but hard way in which it started.
About 1931 father de Hovre used to cycle the twenty –eight miles from Pretoria, often in extreme heat. Through his efforts and assistance of one of his men, David, he erected a simple oblong building to serve as a church, to which he gave the name of his own patron, St. Camillus.
In between his other obligations at Bantule he would spend a few days at Hammanskraal, often with no other sustenance than half a loaf of dry bread and a small bag of peanuts. But the mission developed, a small school was started and Father's one and only visit overseas for leave enabled him to collect funds for the development.
For a few months he gave himself the luxury of a motor-bike but soon returned to his old bicycle. "When I have a puncture and breakdown I can always put the bicycle on my back and reach the mission", he used to say. All this cycling, often with a happy-go-lucky attitude to his daily sustenance, ultimately undermined his death.
In January 1936 I received a call to the mission via local storekeeper. It was Sunday morning. I found Father lying on a mattress under a tree. The iron roofed sacristy, without a ceiling was too hot. After Mass I brought Father back to Pretoria, despite his heartfelt plea "to let me die amongst my people". The Doctor pronounced his heart had given in. He was less than twenty-four hours in the Sanatorium when he died.
All his missionary life he had laboured and lived alone but there were some twenty of his fellow Oblates around his bed when the Master called him.
He was only 56 years of age but in "journeyings often" he had worn himself out. A few days later when he was buried in Pretoria his African people wept and stayed on till sunset at his graveside. They had lost a Father, a Friend and the Founder of most of the Pretoria Missions.
St. Gerard's Garsfontein
While all this development was taking place to the north and east of Pretoria, a Mission at Garsfontein was founded to the east by the Redemptorist Fathers.
The first three Redemptorists who arrived in 1912 were Fathers Creagh, Burke and Kirk. In due course the Monastery Chapel, which was used initially as a Mass-centre for the small congregation, gave way to the present Church of St. Alphonsus in 1925.
So rapid was the growth in the area that even this building had to be enlarged in the 1950's.
Christian brothers and Loreto Sisters
But the area was to become over and above all this, an educational centre. The site for the University was chosen. Several other schools were established, but first in the filed were the Christian brothers and then the Loreto Sisters building on ground adjoining the Monastery.
Pretoria had to wait many years before it gained a Boys School. It is true that as early as outbreak of the war two years later put an end to their hopes.
The Christian Brothers had begun their college in Kimberley in 1897 and for a quarter of a century it was their only establishment in South Africa. On September 8th 1922 – their Silver Jubilee year, they opened the doors of C.B.C. Pretoria.
Social Works and Hostels
Over the years several parochial societies had been active in Pretoria. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was established early in the century and it was Father Peron who extended the work of the Catholic Women's League from Johannesburg during his time as Parish Priest.
But it is a work of another kind for which we are also indebted to Father Peron. It was in 1932 that he encouraged Mother Angela to start Melrose Hotel in Belgravia as a residence for young ladies working in the city. This was followed by the opening of the Mazenod Hostel in Judith Paarl and then Mother Angela was invited to begin a similar place in Pretoria.
This began very simply in a house opposite the Presbytery in Bosman Street. The need was so great – especially then during the War that very soon a larger building was necessary.
Half of the presbytery garden was acquired by the Sisters and so rosary Lodge began to grow under more favourable conditions. Hundreds of young ladies, mostly from other parts of the country, away from their homes and families and now transferred to Pretoria found in rosary Lodge not only a residence but a home from home and safety and guidance from the Sisters.
This work continued for forty years and only last year ceased to operate when the building was taken over as the general Secretariate of the Catholic Bishop's Conference under the name of Khanya House.
Holy Father's Representative in Pretoria
In December 1922, the Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Pius XI established the Apostolic delegation in Southern Africa and the following day His Excellency archbishop B.J. Gijlswijk O.P. was consecrated as the first Apostolic Delegate. He arrived in South Africa in February 1923 and Bloemfontein, as the Centre City, was chosen for his residence.
He was succeeded in October 1945 by Archbishop H.M. Lucas, S.V.D. Very soon after his arrival, early in the following year, His Excellency realized that Pretoria would be a better tended a warm welcome to the representative in South Africa of the Holy Father.
A Third Church – The Cathedral
Following in the footsteps of Father Tom Ryan and his ambitious schemes for a larger church in the Capital, were Father Ives Saccadas and Father W. Quinlivan, OMI. Neither were to stay long in Pretoria but in his two short years Father Ives restarts a Building Fund effort and his successor Father Quinlivan continued the good work which was interrupted by his death in May 1926.
Father Louis Foley had come out to South Africa in 1924 after nearly two decades of teaching duties in Ireland. Father Quinlivan have had taught as a little boy and now he was sent to help him and ultimately succeed him in Pretoria.
The years 1929-31 saw the depression everywhere and although Father Foley fully realized the need for a new Church, he continued to add to the monies already invested. However, as the financial debacle continued he was advised "build now".
The advice was trustworthy and was indicated by the fact that no less than twenty-nine tenders were received, come as far away as Cape Town. The Building trade, like today, was at low ebb. The tender, thirteenth on the list, of Alexander Bennett at £26,500 was accepted.
The first Mass in 1877 was offered on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and on October 17th 1932, the feast of St. Margaret Mary, the great devotee of devotion to the Sacred Heart, saw the first step, when the ground was tested and levels taken,. By November Mr. Bennett had completed his contract of building the Metro Theatre in Johannesburg and he arrived in Pretoria ready for the new contract.
Father Foley had fear of debt and fought shy of these even thousand pounds which was wanting to full payment.
He undertook to build only the nave of the Church, sanctuary and choir gallery would have to wait. We wonder today at this decision and after all £7 000, even with interest, would have been small indeed. But Pretoria and its community then was quite different in size to our day. Time was to show that seven thousand was to multiply several times.
The Sanctuary was built by Father Peron in 1940 and cost 11 000, while the remainder and completion of the plan was only realized in the 1950's. The final and total cost was nearly 50 000. Of course the World War II put up building prices several times over!
Let us return to 1932. On August 21st Father Foley had the ceremony of "turning the first sod" on the site. That morning he preached at all five Masses on the dignity of marriage and the sacrifices involved. He had invited all the families of nine or more children – he was one of nine himself – to have representative in that ceremony. There were 24 in all.
A photo was taken and sent to the Holy Father and later each family received a Special Blessing.
On New Year's Day 1933, the ceremony of the laying and blessing of the foundation stone was performed by Bishop O'Leary, assisted by Fathers Brady and O'Callaghan OMI. The foundations and walls, to a height of a few feet, had already been built around the existing church still in use, but on January 5th, demolition of the old church began and the Convent Hall was used as a temporary church during the following months.
The Catholic Community took shape and everything had been judged by their previous small church. The material for the building was to a certain extent experimental. It was constructed of concrete blocks with a facing of crushed marble chips. The ceiling was of fibrous plaster with an oak-beam like finish.
Gradually the edifice took shape and everything was ready the windows. These were to be quite a feature, long and narrow with shaped mullions each presented a picture of one or other incident in the earthly life of Christ. The front window especially drew quite a good deal of attention and admiration – it portrayed Christ weeping over Jerusalem.
It was Father Peron who shortly after building the Sanctuary completed the windows with the Crucifixion Scene.
At long last the great day arrived for the opening and blessing of the church. Again, Bishop O'Leary officiated on Sunday, December 10th, following the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Prelates from other parts of South Africa were invited to attend. Bishop MacSherry of Port Elizabeth was the preacher while Bishop Delalle of Natal, Bishop Meysing of Kimberley, Mgr. Van Nuffel of Pietersburg, Mgr. Mohn of Lydenburg were in the procession. Some twenty-five priests also attended while in the congregation there was standing room only.
Father Foley appealed to his people to be generous in that morning's collection so as to pay for the initial number of benches – people responded with £500 0.0.
While all this was taking place in Pretoria in December 1933, another event was happening in Rome where a young student, originally from the Transkei, a pupil of C.B.C. Kimberley, and sent forward for priesthood from Cape Town, was ordained priest on December 23rd, just two weeks after the opening of Pretoria Church.
Little did we realize or did the young priest that in due course he would be appointed the first Vicar Apostolic of Pretoria in 1948, and three years later the first Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Province of Pretoria. This was Father John Colburn Garner.
That same year a baby was born to the Daniel family in Pretoria, one "who waxed strong in wisdom and age" and who in August 1975 was to be consecrated Archbishop to succeed Archbishop J.C. Garner.
All who leave the present Cathedral by the north doors cannot help but notice a marble plaque which lists the pioneer priests in the Capital City. At its head carved the Oblate coat of arms, recalling to all that for seventy years the Sons of De Mazenod labored there. The name of Bishop Jolivet heads the list as the Founder and Father Andrew Walshe as the first Parish priest. Names like N. Meyer, J. de Lacy, L. Trabaud, O.Monginoux, Serriere, Vigniron, Charmard, Van Laar, Hammer, T. Ryan, C. de Hovre, Quinlivan Foley and others follow.
This commemorative plaque was inscribed and erected in June 1947 when we held a week of celebrations for the seventieth anniversary of the First Mass. Special Masses, a preached novena, a historical exhibition and a gathering of prelates from many parts of South Africa enhanced the celebrations.
At this time and date the Centenary seemed a long time off. Would any of us ever see it? Yet here is realization of our plans and even our ambitions. There is much to thank God for and we have endeavoured to pay tribute to the pioneers, priests, religious and laity. We recall as fitting the words of the Apostle, "I have planted, Apollo watered, but God gives the increase. Therefore, neither he that plants is anything, nor he that waters, but God that gives the increase." 1 Cor.3:6 & 7.


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Déda|Producing has been key to a step change in outdoor produced work in our part of the world [East Midlands]. The vision and experience of the team, evidenced through work such as Games Time and Elemental Force, show they are a genuine and unique talent.
Peter Knott - Director, Arts Council England
Déda|Producing (DPL) is a creative company bringing together people and resources in order to produce high quality cultural projects.
DPL seeks to be strategic in its approach and delivery, identifying and working with a range of cross-sector partners.
By operating a flexible model, expertise is tailored to the needs of individual projects.
If you are interested in working with us on your own outdoor projects, please get in touch.
Déda Producing creates large-scale outdoor shows with a great sense of place. Games Time brought together hundreds of young people from each of the four host communities, and Elemental Force was redesigned each time in response to the architectural environment of the locations.Their commitment and sensitivity is matched by their ability to create great outdoor shows for large audiences: a winning combination.
Nigel Hinds - Senior Producer, London Festival 2012


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Everybody seems to have one particular rolling around in their cabinets somewhere—under the kitchen sink, in the pantry, in the refrigerator still filled with Fantastic Aunt Susie's apple jelly—we're speaking about the lowly Mason jar. After all the shells are glued to floral wire you are ready to assemble your bouquet. Even though it really is simple to get caught up in the romance of it all, there are a lot of issues massive and small that you might not believe to contemplate when preparing for a wedding. We went to a wedding last evening that utilized old green wine bottles with sunflowers in them for decorations and it was beautiful. Couples who delight in sunrise and sunset will certainly be content to get married right here because it is a legal requirement to conduct the wedding ceremony soon after sunrise and ahead of sunset otherwise the marriage is invalid.
These preferences aren't to oppress your selection of style, but rather help the couple in getting the wedding they've constantly dreamed of. This project, with directions at Minimize, REUSE, REDECORATE, makes use of a paper lantern and shredded newspaper to make a stunning, exclusive lantern. Out of respect for the liturgy, Videographers are also expected to stay stationary for the duration of the Mass or ceremony, except for the entrance and exit of the wedding party. We'll coordinate it. We have partners for favors, wedding cakes, entertainment, and far more to finish things off with style.
Armani Privé handled the wedding day attire for Beatrice, starting with a lace-covered gown with three-quarter sleeves. We do the identical down right here, and woe these who want to have an outdoor wedding in the rain season without having a Program B. It had all the critical details which meant I did not want to waste paper giving info to guests. Find help, ask inquiries and swap stories in our wedding forum , and stick to brides arranging true weddings on our wedding blog ! If planning to hang or hand carry the pomander, you will want to wrap floral tape or wire about the circumference of the floral foam, and once more crossing the tape or wires and dividing the ball into quarters.
English wedding cakes are customarily frosted with firm icings, such as Royal icing, marzipan, or fondant. Yes, white may appear to be a classic colour, but it wasn't constantly so. Centuries ago, there had been wedding dresses of colour and today, the trend is rapidly catching on. Apart from, in numerous regions of the globe, wedding attire is really colourful. This will certain support my sister, as she is going to be the maid of honor in her friend's wedding. As excited as you are about the shopping, meetings with the wedding planner (who, by the way, can be your best pal) photo shoots, the bachelorette party, the following rehearsal dinner celebration, and occasionally the right after wedding party, but specially the honeymoon – remember – these events are designed to be instances of celebration for the bride and groom.
Hindu ceremonies are normally conducted completely or at least partially in Sanskrit , the language of the Hindu scriptures The wedding celebrations might final for a number of days and they can be very diverse, depending upon the region, denomination and caste Mehendi ceremony is a classic ritual in Hindu weddings, exactly where Henna application takes place on bride's hands and legs, just before the wedding. I consider the flowers that stand out the most in Diana's wedding bouquet are the huge gardenias prominently placed centrally in the bouquet.


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Wesley Community Center works with companies, governments, nonprofits and other organizations to address complex challenges on a community wide scale. Our partners contribute their ideas, time, resources, volunteer power, in-kind support and more to support our work in building a stronger West Dayton.
This list represents some of our partners:


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{{show_title_date || "Sanders NH win carried by several key groups: exit data, 2/9/16, 8:23 PM ET"}}
Sanders makes history with New Hampshire landslide
There are plenty of questions about what happens now in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and those questions matter. But before looking ahead, it's worth pausing to appreciate just how impressive Bernie Sanders' landslide win in New Hampshire really is.
For one thing, this would have been very hard to predict when the race got underway in earnest several months ago. Hillary Clinton, who won the New Hampshire primary eight years ago, appeared to have an insurmountable lead over a 74-year-old socialist senator, who was believed to be running as a protest candidate, simply looking for a platform for his ideas. And yet, as the dust settles, Sanders appears to have finished with a roughly 22-point victory.
For another, consider that margin in a historical context. Among New Hampshire Democrats, the biggest win ever for a non-incumbent was Michael Dukakis' 16-point victory in 1988. Sanders defeated that record easily. In fact – here's the really amazing part – Sanders' 22-point win is actually larger than some of the Democratic primaries in which an incumbent Dem president faced a challenger: Jimmy Carter won by 10 points in 1980 and Lyndon Johnson won by 8 points in 1968.
Exit polls offer us some sense of how the Vermont independent pulled it off.
Values and demographics shaped the strong support Bernie Sanders received Tuesday in New Hampshire, according to the NBC News Exit Poll of Granite State Democrats.The Vermont senator won 83 percent of millennial voters under the age of 30. He also won 66 percent of voters who describe themselves as very liberal, and at the same time took 72 percent of self-described independents.
That last point is of particular interest. Among New Hampshire Democrats, Clinton and Sanders actually tied, but independents voted in the primary and propelled Sanders to his record victory.
Having set the stage, let's now consider the What It All Means question.
For Sanders' supporters, it's quite simple: the senator's easy win in New Hampshire, coupled with a strong, second-place showing in Iowa, means Sanders has the momentum he'll need to win the Democratic nomination.
And that may yet happen. But some caution is in order.
Following up on our post-Iowa coverage, FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver published a piece back in July noting that Sanders is strongest in states where the universe of Democratic voters is very white and very liberal. Based on previous performance, that means the three best states in the Union for the senator are, in order, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Iowa.
This is no small detail. It means that, other than his own home state, Iowa and New Hampshire are quite literally the two strongest states in the nation for Sanders.
Sanders and his capable campaign team know exactly what they have to do as the race shifts to less-friendly terrain – expand the senator's base of support, connect with constituencies that have not yet been as receptive to his message, etc. – but pulling it off is much easier said than done.


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May 2018. I have spent two days facilitating a seminar on strategy deployment with a bunch of motivated young intrapreneurs – middle managers empowered to run their business as if it was theirs. I based my coaching on the Goal Tree, a logic tool of choice among the Logical Thinking Process, totally suiting the purpose.
During these two days I probably learned as much as my audience, even so on very different aspects, and this makes the consultant's job worth doing it. In this post I share some of my lessons learned.
Been told to deploy the strategy vs. bring your organization to the next level
Usually the Goal of an organization is defined by the founders, the owners or their delegates. Those people know why, what for the organization was created, why money was invested and what the organization is supposed to achieve. The Goal is set and it's up to the subordinates to carry out the deployment of the necessary tasks to achieve it.
It is conversely unusual that the Goal can be (re)defined by young middle managers. Except in a culture fostering engagement and entrepreneurship, showing confidence, granting support and as much of wellbeing as possible to its talents.
It makes a huge different though if the Goal is set by a remote boss or committee with loose ties with the unit or if the future is defined by the managers running it and having their skin in the game every single day.
In my pleasant and uncommon experience, it was the latter that was done: the managers in charge defined the Goal and ambition for their unit, worked out the details of how to achieve it and "sold" the whole to their bosses. It was a great success and the CEO asked unexpectedly to work out an even bigger ambition.
Twenty minutes to define the Goal and three hours to work out the details
This is another benchmark in my own records working with management teams. The consensual Goal was defined with a compelling phrase in a matter of 20 minutes. This is, according to my experience, a very short time.
It shows how aligned the team of 12 members was, even before starting the work with goal setting and strategy deployment. I remember another case in which I had to struggle many hours to simply get enough acceptance from a management team about their boss's Goal, despite the fact they worked on a daily basis with him… Their competitors are still safe I think.
The three hours to get to enough details of the underlying Necessary Conditions is consistent with my records, provided you don't have a naysayer in the team. Now three hours don't get you in every detail of the tasks to carry out, but give a sufficient picture to communicate and share with more people in the organization.
As my "students" soon realized, further details must be worked out with their subordinates in order to onboard them and let them be part of building their future. Themselves as managers had a clear enough picture of what must be done, how to align their staff to get it done and how to explain the whole scheme to their bosses.
A pure logic tool can leave some space for emotions
Before this seminar I always presented the Goal Tree as a pure logic tool filtering out the emotional side of things. From now on I have to amend my speech. First because applying my lessons by the letter, the first Goal statement my students came up with could only be compelling for the most fanatic accountants. As I gave my surprised feedback that such a Goal would not trigger many dreams of a desirable future, the reply was: "you told us that emotions have no place in the logic tools".
Alright, I had to explain that the Goal statement was an exception for the sake of being compelling, otherwise nobody would possibly get thrilled by a series of numbers, i.e. the expression of the Goal in measurable units. Except for the already mentioned fanatic accountants.
The next place where emotion is welcome is in the room, in front of the brown paper where the Tree builders build their Goal Tree with sticky notes. The rational analysis of the Necessary Conditions to achieve the desirable scheme can be done with passion as long as it is positively driving the group and does not lead to fights. In the case this post is based on, it was a very positive and collaborative mood.
Third place (moment would be more adequate) where emotion is likely to show, and is in some extend welcome, is when the Goal Tree builders present their work and "sell" their project to their audience. Without emotion, even the most compelling written Goal statement may not move the audience as much as a passionate invitation to the journey to achieve it by the project presenters.
Except for the Goal statement, my initial stance remains valid. Emotion will not find its place in the Goal Tree itself.


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Our Story
Easter & Associates, was given a new name in 2011; however, we are anything but a new company. The original insurance and real estate agency was formed in the mid -1960's as Davidson Insurance and Real Estate, and quickly became a household name in the region.
Mark Easter, president and managing owner, began working for the company in the late 1990's. Soon after obtaining his insurance and real estate broker licenses, he began managing both parts of the organization.
As a Nebraska boy who grew up in the farming and livestock business, Mark recognized the need for more auctioneers in the area. He also saw the added-benefit auctioneering expertise could bring to his clients who wish to sell personal items along with their real estate.
Mark attended the World Wide School of Auctioneering in 2000, and has been conducting real estate and personal property sales ever since. He has since purchased the company and the company and renamed it "Easter & Associates". Today, the company provides a full-range of insurance, real estate, auctioneering and sale management services to businesses and individuals across the Midwest.