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Winners of Queen City Road Race art contest announced
The City of Clarksville and Cumberland Bank & Trust have announced the winner of the 31st Annual Queen City Road Race Art Competition. The announcement and award presentations were made in an assembly at Kenwood Elementary School.
This year's Queen City Road Race posters and t-shirts will feature the artwork of Jade Curtiss, a 3rd grader at Kenwood.
Miss Curtiss was presented a framed copy of this year's poster featuring her art design by Cumberland Bank & Trust President Ron Sleigh during the assembly. Curtiss also received $100 in prize money, this year's Queen City Road Race t-shirt and an entry form for the race.
First runner up was Taylor Schmid, a 5th grader at Kenwood Elementary. Miss Schmid received a $25 Hobby Lobby gift certificate for the purchase of art supplies.
Second runner up Laura King, a 4th grade student at Barksdale Elementary, also received a $25 Hobby Lobby gift card. Congratulations to these young ladies for being selected out of 475 entries for the contest.
The 31st Annual Queen City Road Race is set to take place Sunday, April 19, 2009. The race includes a 5K run, 1-mile walk, 1-mile wheelchair race, 5K Relay Run and a 1-mile Fun Run and begins at Austin Peay State University's Governors' Stadium.
This year's race is being sponsored by the City of Clarksville and Cumberland Bank & Trust. Other sponsors include Austin Peay State University, The Leaf Chronicle, WJZM, Q108 FM, The Beaver 100.3 FM, Eagle 94.3 FM, and Z97.5 FM. Entry forms are available at the Parks and Recreation Department, any Cumberland Bank & Trust branch, city community centers, or any physical education teacher. For more details, call 645-7476 or visit www.cityofclarksville.com/parksandrec.


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Mind experiences reality through ordinary and non-ordinary perception. Brain, however, is limited in perception to the 5 ordinary senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.
Non-ordinary perceptions include dream imagery, gut feelings, intuition, synchronicities, and deja vu, for example. Shamanic journeying and other deliberately-induced hypnotic trance states, with skillful guidance, can also open doors to non-ordinary perception, where we might be able to unearth disavowed parts of ourselves. Indigenous traditions dating back thousands of years and all over the globe have relied on the local shaman to provide communities with critical information from non-ordinary reality.
Connecting with the "unseen world" has been a lifeline to ancestral wisdom in Africa forever, without which healthy communities and individuals cease to exist. Wholeness is the dynamic mystery of interconnection of the various aspects of the universe, unseen and seen.
Fear is an impulse to cut ties and separate and defend, a signal from the sentry on the guard tower in the citadel of Self, back to headquarters, that says: drop the portcullis and arm the cannons. As mammals, our amygdalae are robust protectors, something like our immune system is to the gut: sorting threats from all of the rest of the information we perceive.
Do mammals need a threat response? The survival of our body depends on it. But the amygdala needs something it does not often get: enough down time and reassurances after a stressful event to know that it has left threat and returned to security. Like a guard who is never relieved from duty, the amygdala can begin to act a little odd…
This dysfunction is recognizable to the conscious mind only later, when we overreact to a new situation. The amygdala has fired shots into the air because it is does not know that the present situation is non-threatening. We can tell this is happening when we feel "triggered" by someone or something which is in fact non-threatening, and we act out of anger or fear. Amygdala signals are driving our nervous system and our bodies out of the window of tolerability and into hypervigilance, fight or flight, or even freeze. The amygdala is a repository for undigested intense experiences, and it uses uncomfortable sensation and emotion to remind us we have more emotional digesting to do. These signals fire off whenever a new experience smells, feels, looks, tastes or sounds like the undigested memory.
Quite literally, traumatic memories are not recorded where "normal" memories are stored. These memories in fact have unresolved ties with the amygdala, until they are released through trauma healing techniques. Like an old laptop computer with a slow processor and very limited memory, the amygdala malfunctions when too many big files are left on its little hard drive for too long.
The poor beleaguered amygdala has to receive and label every new experience and decide if it is threatening or non-threatening. And the default is set for threatening.
Fear for anything unfamiliar, coupled with fear for events which smack of previously-experienced trauma, crimps the bandwidth of energetic flow of love, both given and received. Repeated experiences of overwhelm can be a vicious cycle contracting into more and more isolation and more and more fear. For deeply traumatized people, it is as if fear is their one remaining, and only trustworthy, companion.
The process of spiritual awakening is the turning of the vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle. Gradually we remodel and stretch our conduit of love, wider and wider, until the reference points of self and other are eventually lost in the bliss of oneness. When we truly experience our essence, which is indivisible from everyone and everything, then our human apparatus, even with its antiquated mammalian fight/flight system and its brainstem-mediated freeze mechanism, can enlighten itself by truly experiencing the ecstasy of knowing that there is nothing to defend, nothing to win or lose, nothing to fear, not even death. Some fellow human beings have accomplished this: Jesus, Gautama Buddha, possibly Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, certainly many others. We are all capable of this natural state of non-fear. Love is the natural state of life. Fear is the shadow to its light. Fear, in fact, is an illusion created by the nervous system in order to trick the organism into implementing self-preservation behavior. Same mechanism used to great effect by political regimes and religions which instill fear or guilt in order to dominate the behavior of its subjects.
We prepare for our adventure of self discovery by gathering a few essential tools. Having a guide is extremely useful. Someone like Gandalf in the Hobbit books. There are many living masters, who are like us working through the illusion of fear. Our guides are not different from us, only a few steps further down the path. I also recommend a great deal of inquiry into the shadow, with a good flashlight! Such a flashlight is powered with honesty and self-responsibility and humbleness and curiosity and kindness so that we may rescue the wretched creatures (hate, fear, shame, and so many others) we once out of necessity locked in the dungeons of the mind. Then these parts can take their places within the ever-expanding sense of wholeness we come to know as our limitless self. A jolly band of fellow adventurers is also highly recommended.
One very effective way to heal our love constriction is through loving relationships. I think most people who are widening their bandwidth for love probably do it that way. When we share a loving gaze with a loved one, the hormone oxytocin is released by the pituitary glands in both parties. This "love hormone" downregulates the amygdala, lessening fear. Being seen really is healing. So many of us grew up without enough being seen, loved, accepted, or supported enough.
A potent complement to expanding the conduit of love through relationships is the shamanic journey. Ancient methods of healing, as well as modern ones, are based in this technology. Hypnosis, somatic experiencing, EMDR, brainspotting, even some forms of psychoanalysis (such as free-association, Jungian spontaneous writing, and dream analysis) involve a light trance or altered state within which material from the unconscious (unseen) mind becomes much more accessible. Guidance from a skilled practitioner may help one access the sources of the constrictions we wish to heal. These expeditions into our shadow material are essential. If we are to become whole, we must first know all the dark corners where we harbor resentments, pacts of revenge, unmet desires and needs. These skeletons in the closet of the mind are discovered not to be bogey men at all, but just a non-threatening collection of bones. All of these 'dark energies,' when accepted and loved, are liberated from their exile where we confined them, into light as aspects of a whole integrated self.
A healthy expansive self correlates with having a brain whose metabolic desires are whole and integrated as well. An adult having a temper tantrum is literally not using the adult part of the brain (the cortex), as bloodflow is shunted to the overworking amygdala and other lower brain areas.
If we are to succeed in the epic endeavor to grow to our unlimited potential to embody divinity while inhabiting human bodies, we must find a way to love the amygdala.

subset: commoncrawl


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You'll want to order more than one of this modal v-neck, made with fabric so soft you'll be wearing it under your scrubs every day. Contrast flatlock stitching ensures this t-shirt will last through multiple washes, and with no piling to boot. Makes a great gift for a loved one or for yourself.
- Men's Long Sleeve Modal Tee
- Mens curved v-nneck
- Subtle contrast flatlock stitching throughout tee
- Luxurious soft slub material
- Excellent durability with no piling after repeated washes


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Potentially endless set of pieces.
Workshop at RomaTre University, School of Architecture in Rome.
In his History of Rome, Livy mentions a monumental porticus outside the Trigemina Gate in the southern part of the city,[1] a warehouse built along the Tiber in 193 b.C by the aediles M. Aemilius Lepidus and L. Aemilius Paullus (later restored in 174 b.C by the censors Q. Fulvius Flaccus and A. Postumius Albinus), completed by an Emporium, a market connected to the river harbor.
The archeologist Guglielmo Gatti in 1934 found possible traces of such a building in the fragments 23 and 24a-c of the Severian Forma Urbis Romae,[2] whose outlines presented rows of squared piers marked by an uncompleted inscription "lia" which Gatti integrated with [Aemi]lia implying a portion of the porticus described by Livy.
Recent studies have instead demonstrated that the homogeneous seriality and the sloped progression of the building could be attributed neither to a simple porticus, a covered passages supported by columns, nor to a traditional horrea, a stocking warehouse with courtyards and a single access, suggesting that its supposed commercial use emerged only at a later stage. The building instead most probably worked previously as military navalia, or an arsenal to recover war ships, made of sloping docks sheltered by a stepped roof and supported by a limited amount of linear supports.
Nevertheless, besides its doubtful origins, the building on the Tiber constituted the earliest known use of concrete at a large scale: an impressive extended structure covering approximately 25.000 squared meters through 50 barrel vaults in opus caementitium of 8.30m span. 294 tuff piers in opus incertum were arranged in 7 rows at different levels to protect the boats from the flood variations and ensuring sufficient aeration and light conditions through the articulation of the roof as in a modern factory, where all the facilities and technical paraphernalia are usually compressed either in the plinth or in the ceiling to leave the manufacturing floor totally uncluttered.
At the end of the XVIII century Giovanni Battista Piranesi conjectured different reconstructions of the porticus, operatively reusing the generative potential of the plan in his Ichnographia,[3] while in 1978 Rowe and Koetter briefly mentioned the porticus Aemilia among the 'potentially endless set of pieces' in their Collage City.
Yet the building remained largely underestimated, despite its experimental use of concrete and the absoluteness of its functional organization, harbinger of an architecture devoid of quality and reduced to a zero-degree language.
In this sense, the porticus manifested a radically new conception of space, a purely utilitarian structure - an architecture that simply coincides with what it does: no longer based on hierarchical compositions of orders, forms or rooms but on the horizontal continuity of an unique environment, able to host whatever activity, adapt to any topographical circumstance and shelter any forms-of-life within the measured intervals of its repetitive frame: an infrastructure that would rapidly become the algorithm for any space of production.
[1]Livy, History of Rome, XXXV, 10, 12; XL, 51, 4; XLI, 27, 8 The aedileship of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus and Lucius Aemilius Paullus [193 BC] was a distinguished one. They collected numerous fines from people illegally grazing animals on public lands and with that money…built a covered warehouse [porticus] outside the Porta Trigemina, fronted by a commercial market [emporium] along the Tiber.
[2] Guglielmo Gatti, "Saepta Julia e Porticus Aemilia nella Forma severiana", Bullettino della Commissione Archeologica Comunale di Roma, 62 (1934), 123-49, esp. p. 14
[3] See Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Le Antichità Romane (1756) Pianta degli avanzi del Portico fabbricato da M. Emilio Lepido e P. Emilio Paolo fuori della porta Trigemina nell'Emporio alla ripa del Tevere, but also the Porticus Septorum Juliorum in his fictious Ichnographia Campi Martii, (1757-62).


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Sport and support
"Sport and support" is yet another initiative which, after "Run and support" extends the scope of sport disciplines taken into account while donating money for charitable purposes.
All workers of PRESS GLASS can participate in the action and some sport events chosen by the organiser can be joined by members of their families. Now, apart from running, workers have a chance to prove themselves in other sport disciplines, such as Nordic walking or cycling. Participants who represent "Sport and support" initiative make entry fees to participate in a competition independently.
The amounts donated by PRESS GLASS for charitable purposes depend on the number of people who finish a selected competition and depending on a discipline, achieved results, number of matches played, finished stages and kilometres covered.
Everyone interested in the campaign can find more current information on the action on Facebook.


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GITEX Technology Week opens its doors tomorrow, Sunday October 14, with leading global companies preparing to launch the latest products and services to boost the Middle East's growing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) market. With the Middle East and Africa's (MEA) spending in information technology expected to reach USD91 billion by 2015, according to the International Data Corporation, GITEX continues to lead the way in setting the regional agenda.
The 32nd edition of GITEX, under the theme "Where Technology Meets Business", will address the latest trends, opportunities and solutions most relevant to the regional and global business community. More than 130,000 visitors from 144 countries are expected through the doors of this year's GITEX, which runs from October 14-18 at Dubai World Trade Centre .
GITEX continues to be regarded as the preferred regional platform for new product launches, and has cemented its position one of the world's top three international ICT events. This year, as many as 1,000 launches are scheduled to take place by leading companies including a preview of Microsoft's Windows 8, which is expected to be generally available on October 26, as well as an appearance by hip hop megastar 50 Cent to launch his SMS Audio headphones.
"Launched in the dynamic Middle East market more than three decades ago, GITEX Technology Week has risen to be the pivotal platform where the latest developments in the ICT industry are unveiled to the world and the region and this year the event witnesses an even wider global presence. Gitex Technology week plays a key role in connecting leading global ICT companies to come together and further boost the strong market confidence to stimulate business investment," said Helal Saeed Almarri, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai World Trade Centre .
GITEX will host more than 3,500 exhibitors from 54 nations, including new country participants Algeria, Denmark and New Zealand, and over 625 new exhibitors including SAP, STC, ZTE, Vocalcom, ZTE and Sage. With over 80% of leading global ICT brands expected, featuring C-level executives in attendance representing ICT budgets of over USD50 billion, the exhibitors and speakers list is packed with industry heavyweights such as Cisco, Dell , Du, Etisalat, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard, Huawei, Kaspersky, Microsoft, Nokia, Oracle, RIM, Samsung, SAP and Symantec.
Trending technologies that will be a focus of discussions and constructive debate include Big Data in the field of Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity and the Consumerisation of IT phenomenon. As the Middle East and Africa look to the cloud for future innovation and growth, the largest Cloud Confex to date will highlight evolution and opportunities in the cloud. The Consumerisation of IT Forum will examine the associated security and logistical implications of the rise of the BYOD (bring your own device) trend that is impacting the region and world. The forum features prominent experts from Dell , the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), Hewlett-Packard, and Google. The developments and threats posed in the field of Cybersecurity will also have a strong emphasis as topics such as recent energy sector attacks in the region, wireless security, mobility threats and trends are discussed in the Cyber Security Seminars.
A strong conferences line-up will set the stage for high-level knowledge exchange among experts and global ICT professionals. Exclusive Industry Briefings have been introduced, which focus on technology trends within the Oil and Gas, Banking and Finance, Education, Healthcare and Government sectors. The Digital Strategies Forum, which aims to equip businesses to monetise opportunities in digital marketing, mobility, social media and the internet, will have Jonathan Labin, Country Manager MENA of Facebook, discussing how businesses can benefit from the large volume of data available on social networks in the social data revolution.
This year Gitex has initiated focus in new strategic areas including the launch of a dedicated SME Zone, which will serve as a conduit for SME ICT businesses from MEA to engage with a high concentration of influential investors. Africa in Focus is another important highlight due to the continent's booming ICT industry with strong trade delegations expected from African countries including Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Lesotho, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. The newly launched International Zone is a platform dedicated to giving more than 30 specific country groups the chance to present their most innovative technology products and seek profitable cross-border sales and collaboration.
Also highly anticipated is the strategic co-location of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2012, the leading platform for high-level networking, strategic debate and knowledge-sharing for the global ICT community, which will take place for the first time in Dubai alongside Gitex. ITU is organised by the United Nations specialised agency for ICTs.
Following its regional debut alongside GITEX Technology Week last year, InfoComm MEA returns to the region. The event is a joint collaboration with Dubai World Trade Centre in an effort by the international association of pro AudioVisual and information communication industries to help AV professionals and end-users in the region to keep abreast of latest developments and expand their skills and knowledge.
Press Release


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|The association between neighbourhoods and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of multi-level studies.
MedLine Citation:
|PMID: 21470263 Owner: NLM Status: In-Data-Review
|Metcalfe A, Lail P, Ghali WA, Sauve RS. The association between neighbourhoods and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of multi-level studies. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 2011; 25: 236-245. Many studies have examined the role of neighbourhood environment on birth outcomes but, because of differences in study design and modelling techniques, have found conflicting results. Seven databases were searched (1900-2010) for multi-level observational studies related to neighbourhood and pregnancy/birth. We identified 1502 articles of which 28 met all inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was used to examine the association between neighbourhood income and low birthweight. Most studies showed a significant association between neighbourhood factors and birth outcomes. A significant pooled association was found for the relationship between neighbourhood income and low birthweight [odds ratio = 1.11, 95% confidence interval: 1.02, 1.20] whereby women who lived in low income neighbourhoods had significantly higher odds of having a low birthweight infant. This body of literature was found to consistently document significant associations between neighbourhood factors and birth outcomes. The consistency of findings from observational studies in this area indicates a need for causal studies to determine the mechanisms by which neighbourhoods influence birth outcomes.
|Amy Metcalfe; Parabhdeep Lail; William A Ghali; Reg S Sauve
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|12773863 - Custody-related deaths in durban, south africa 1998-2000.
24701523 - Tracheal agenesis with tracheo-oesophageal fistula.
536093 - Evolution of serum immunoglobulin levels during the first year of life in mozambique.
Publication Detail:
|Type: Journal Article
Journal Detail:
|Title: Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology Volume: 25 ISSN: 1365-3016 ISO Abbreviation: Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol Publication Date: 2011 May
Date Detail:
|Created Date: 2011-04-07 Completed Date: - Revised Date: -
Medline Journal Info:
|Nlm Unique ID: 8709766 Medline TA: Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol Country: England
Other Details:
|Languages: eng Pagination: 236-45 Citation Subset: IM
Copyright Information:
|© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
|Department of Community Health Sciences Population Health Intervention Research Centre Department of Paediatrics Department of Medicine Centre for Health and Policy Studies, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Export Citation:
|APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex
|MeSH Terms
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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Official 3X3-partner
Official partner and floor supplier to 3X3 Swedish Basketball FederationRead more
With HOME you get practical flooring solutions specially developed for do-it-yourself environments.
Read more
Our business area PUBLIC is specially designed for public spaces and slightly tougher conditions.
Read more
Our business area EVENT has floor tiles for temporary and portable environments, such as trade fairs, corporate publicity stunts, events, racing, etc.
Read more
Find out more about SPORT and our two types of floor tiles developed for specific applications: Bergo Tennis, Bergo Multisport and Bergo Concept Top Tile Sport.
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MARINE is our line of high standard deck covering developed for extremely tough environments on the decks of ships.
Read more
Official partner and floor supplier to 3X3 Swedish Basketball FederationRead more
̶ A new SPORTS FLOORING SYSTEM system with integrated lines with official measure 50 mm.
for the development and release of multifunctional floor tiles made of 100% recycled material.
Our ECO series is made of 100% recycled material.
Interesting days in Barcelona
Bergo Flooring official partner and floor supplier to 3X3 Swedish Tour and Swedish 3X3 Championship
We had some interesting and fruitful days in Hamburg at SMM exhibition 4-7 Sep.
Inspirational lecture today at Luleå University of Technology about our Bergo Floors, made from 100% environmentally-friendly recyclable PP composite since 1972.
Bergo Flooring launches BERGO SOFT - a new series of soft, slip reducing and antibacterial flooring for wet areas to provide extra security and comfort in public spaces.
Lectures on our "Recycling success story - a win-win concept"
Bergo Flooring is nominated "Sustainablility work of the year"
Bergo Flooring is nominated "Surface protector of the year 2016" as they proved how their floor tiles in an economical way solve moisture problems associated with concrete floors.
The World of Flooring - 16 - 19 January
Meet us at the international Construction and Architecture Fair
Meet us at the international Construction and Architecture Fair
10-11 November
Meet us at Sports Arenas and Facilities IDA/BAD 2014!
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Fjæremsfossen power plant is located in Klæbu Municipality in Sør-Trøndelag County.
Ownership: 100 %
Production: 74 GWh
Power: 18 MW
The plant was commissioned in 1957, and is considered a run-of-river power plant.
The plant gets its operating water from the Nea-Nidelv watercourse, which flows all the way from Sweden and through the counties of Nord and Sør-Trøndelag.
The plant uses a height of fall of 27 metres and is equipped with two Francis turbines. The installed capacity is 18 MW.


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Spring Bowfishing: Time to Take Out the Trash Fish
Gars, tilapia, and armored cats are prime target and for Spring Bowfishing … Read More »
Gars, tilapia, and armored cats are prime target and for Spring Bowfishing … Read More »
Last month, Travis Lanphar of Twisted Limbs Bowfishing messaged me about a run-in he'd had with a Pinellas County Sheriff's officer. Caution – This may trigger some readers: "A while back you wrote an article on bowfishing and county ordinances. In your article you gave links to all of the county ordinances. I am looking for a Pinellas ordinance about bowfishing in the county parks. Had a Sheriff's officer tell me I can't bowfish in Ft. Desoto waters on Saturday… Read More »
Last Friday, I spent a wonderful evening on Tampa Bay bowfishing with Travis and Shanon Lanphar of Twisted Limbs Bowfishing. The water clarity wasn't the best due to the south wind blowing from the approaching front, but we still managed a few sheepshead and a flounder, though we (I) missed far more than we put in the cooler. I was OK whiffing on a few – ok, several – sheepshead but felt pretty foolish missing the first flounder, a species… Read More »
Spring. The time when a gar's fancies turn to love. Throughout Florida's lakes and rivers this time of the year it's not uncommon to find a large female with a bevy of male gar suitors in tow engaged in a spawning ritual. We call the target-rich scenarios "gorgies." Nile Perch or Tilapia are other common freshwater Spring Bowfishing targets which are far easier to filet than gar. Slab-sided fish perfect for catching an arrow, they can be twitchy, though. Bowfishing… Read More »
Anyone who has followed Good Hunt over the years knows I really enjoy bowfishing. Whether it's purposeful excursions for stingrays or barracuda, or just casually slipping around docks, the sport is super-addictive and ultra-satisfying when you hit your target. And anyone who has visited this site long enough might remember Travis Lanphar. He sent me a story about a successful gator hunt a few years back, and we've stayed in touch since. Despite my love for bowfishing, I'm still pretty… Read More »
I'm really thinking about the opportunity for bowfishermen here – especially those who have access to pits or retention ponds with tilapia and pleco catfish. I see nothing in the rules prohibiting bowfishing for entry to this contest. And I think you should get extra style points for the effort. From FWC: Want the opportunity to win prizes while helping to document and remove nonnative freshwater fish from Florida's waters? Consider participating in the second statewide Nonnative Fish Catch, Click… Read More »
This is just an unbelievable video Reese Johnson posted on Wide Open Spaces last week. Since he did a fine job summing it up on his own, I won't again. The highlights, though: – Ronald Reagan narrates which is bizarre years later as he's yakking about pelicans and trick archery shots. – The constant demonizing of sharks which would get a ton of disapproving clucks today. Heck, bowfishing for sharks is currently prohibited in Florida. The Earth will crash back… Read More »
Rolling towards Stan Blum Memorial Boat Launch from Ft. Pierce Inlet a couple Mondays ago, a 20lb. stingray glided out of a little slough leading from a tidal flat into the deeper channel. With bow in hand, I thought hard about shooting it from the pulpit of the Aquasport, but the kids were in the boat and cranky to get home, so I passed. Sure glad I did. Moments later, a FWC Rigid Inflatable scooted by us. The piloting officer… Read More »
On vacation this week, so I'll recycle material from my old, neglected website, The Wild Life, that you may or may not have read. You're welcome. Originally posted 1/5/11…much has changed since then. As if life isn't complicated and frustrating enough, I decided I wanted to take up bowfishing. I put a starter's kit on my letter to Santa, and lo and behold, it was under the tree Christmas morning. He'll be taking note of the naughty in 2011…at least… Read More »
Cole insists he introduced the use of the term "10-4" to text messaging. He recognizes "10-4" has been used since the Phoenicians to relay the affirmative, but when you type "10-4" and hit "send" on your phone, the credit, allegedly, belongs to Cole. My bold claim is I've stoked the current trend in bowfishing. I was the first or second of my friends to acquire one – now everyone has a bow and reel (including Cole who got his first… Read More »


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Monthly Archives: November 2012
23 Free Sites To Promote Your Free Kindle Books On Amazon
List of Free Kindle Promotion Sites
The first 17 sites you MUST submit your book to at least one week in advance or they might not list it. Always plan your KDP promotions ahead of time so you can promote them effectively!
1) Pixel of Ink http://www.pixelofink.com/sfkb
2) Ereader News Today http://ereadernewstoday.com/ent-free-book-submissions
3) Bargain Ebook Hunter http://bargainebookhunter.com/contact-us
4) That Book Place http://www.thatbookplace.com/free-promo-submissions
5) Free Kindle Fiction http://freekindlefiction.blogspot.com (Only for Fiction books)
6) Indie Book of the Day http://indiebookoftheday.com/authors/free-on-kindle-listing
7) Free Book Dude http://www.freebookdude.com/p/list-your-free-book.html
8) The-Cheap.net http://the-cheap.net/authors/free-promotion-opportunities/share-your-deal
9) Awesome Gang http://awesomegang.com/submit-your-book
10) Free Kindle Books & Tips http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/for-authors
10) FreeBookClub.org http://freebookclub.org/
11) The Frugal Reader http://thefrugalereader.wufoo.com/forms/frugal-freebie-submissions
12) Kindle Finds http://kindlefinds.com/submissions/submission-form-kdp-free-day
13) Ebooksfreedaily http://www.
14) Ebooklister http://ebooklister.net/submit.
15) Centsibleereads http://www.centsibleereads.
16) Freebookshub http://www.freebookshub.
17) Ebookshabit http://ebookshabit.com/
Free Kindle Sites On Day 1 Of Your Promo
These last 6 sites you must wait until the day of or the day before your promotion to list your book.
1) Snicklist.com http://snickslist.com/books/place-ad
2) Addiction To Ebooks http://addictedtoebooks.com/free
3) Daily Free Ebooks http://www.daily-free-ebooks.com/suggest-free-ebook
4) Daily Cheap Reads http://dailycheapreads.com/category/free/
5) Ereader IQ http://www.ereaderiq.com/contact/
6) Best Ebooks World http://www.bestebooksworld.com/addlinks.asp
How To Sell More Kindle Ebooks Using Proper Keyword Research and Tags
The following is an excerpt from my new book The Kindle Publishing Bible available only on Amazon.
Categories are the second most important way new browsers on Amazon will find your book (unless you reach Amazon's Top 100 overall list). But the largest source of traffic to your book page and sales from Amazon itself will be due to Amazon search.
Luckily, Amazon allows you to have some control over how your book appears in the Amazon Kindle Store search results. You can influence the search results by first of all doing your keyword research and putting your desired search keywords in your book's tags, title and description.
In this chapter we'll cover the exact process you can use for keyword research to choose the keywords that will lead to the most sales and then we'll discuss how to add these keywords to your book's tags.
Amazon Keyword Research
If you've ever done keyword research before for SEO purposes, this is a very similar process. For those of you who are totally new to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), it's a very simple process and I'm going to walk you through it step-by-step so that you can apply it to your book page to sell more books.
The first thing you must do is keyword research.
Step 1. Google Keyword Research
Go to adwords.google.com/o/KeywordTool and search for a general keyword related to your topic. First of all, you will have to login to your Google account if you haven't already.
I'll use this book as an example. One of my keywords, I know, will be "how to sell more kindle books" so I'm going to type that keyword phrase into the Google Keyword Tool:
The next thing you must do is click the [Exact] button on the left side of the screen under the "Match Types" category:
It's very important that you use Exact Match when searching for keywords. This tells Google that you want data for EXACT search terms – meaning Google will count the number of times someone typed in the exact words "how to sell more kindle books" – otherwise the data will be skewed with searches related to your search which doesn't help you choose the right keyword.
Next, click the "Global Monthly Searches" bar to sort the keyword by the most searched.
With this search, Google gave me the following keywords which I think MIGHT help me sell more books (each of these keywords gets over 1,000 global monthly Exact searches on Google):
how to write a book
how to publish a book
self publishing
sell books online
writing a book
how to get published
kindle self publishing
write a book
selling books online
publish your own book
how to publish an ebook
how to write an ebook
book marketing
how to self publish a book
how to self publish
getting a book published
The next step is to use Amazon search to see which searches Amazon recommends.
Step 2. Amazon Keyword Research
Now that we have our preliminary list of keywords from Google, let's head on over to Amazon.com's Kindle Store search to see what Amazon recommends to searchers.
Make sure you search ONLY in the Amazon Kindle store when doing Amazon keyword research because otherwise your results will be skewed. You can access the Kindle Store only search function here: http://amzn.to/RLGyUr
Once I'm on Amazon's Kindle Store, I'm going to type in my keywords into the search box. Notice how Amazon almost immediately starts recommending keywords and searches to me:
I simply wrote "how to write" and Amazon returned 10 other keywords and search terms including "how to write a book" and "how to write a novel" among others.
This means my keyword "how to write a book" is not only recommended by Google search, it's also recommended by Amazon search! Meaning this is a GREAT keyword and I should definitely consider using this keyword in my book's title, description and tags. Why? Because Amazon browsers AND Google searchers are both using this keyword to search for something – like my book!
Step 3. Keyword Relevance Check
The final step for keyword research is very subjective – this is the "art" of keyword research so to speak. My book isn't technically about how to write a book – it's really about how to sell more books on Amazon's Kindle platform.
So if someone types into Amazon's search box "how to write a book" and my book appeared, would they really want to click on it and buy it?
Now, you could argue either way. You could theorize that if someone is trying to figure out how to write a book then they will also want to know how to sell more books on Amazon Kindle and will therefore be very interested in my book. So this is a great keyword!
You could also argue that someone who's searching for "how to write a book" isn't yet ready to learn how to publish on Kindle because they first need to learn how to write their book before they can publish and sell it!
Which argument do you think is better? Should I use that keyword or not to try to attract more book sales?
Want to know my opinion? Check out my book page on Amazon and see if I used the keyword or not in my tags, title and/or book description!
What You Need To Know About Choosing Keywords
You might feel like I'm "leaving something out" here about choosing keywords but I'm not. That's really all you need to know to use them to sell more books. The problem is that there's a huge grey area – the area where your subjective opinion about what Amazon users are searching for meet the objective numbers from the Google Adwords Keyword Tool.
Here's my opinion: If you get stuck trying to choose one keyword over another that you found through either the Google Keyword Tool or Amazon Search suggestions, just choose the one. It doesn't matter. Don't get stuck in the nitty gritty. Don't get "paralysis by analysis" as so many of us perfectionists tend to do. At the end of the day, one good keyword tag is better than not having any tags at all.
"An imperfect plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow." – General George Patton
And the good news is you can always change your tags later if you change your mind or if the search results change.
Again, I want to caution you about spending too much time on keyword selection. Find your keywords on Google and Amazon, choose 15 or so you think are the best, tag your book and be done with it knowing confidently in your heart that it's better to have mediocre tags than no tags and you can always change it later.
How To Add Your Keywords To Your Book Tags
Once you've completed the above 3-step process and created a list of 15-30 high quality, relevant keywords for your book, it's time to add your top 15 keywords to your book tags (Amazon only allows 15 book tags per user).
You can only tag your book once it's published. Then just go to your book page on Amazon and scroll down until you see the section "Tags Customers Associate With This Product."
Here you can add up to 15 tags.
Each tag should be a unique keyword phrase that you did research on before. Add your top 15 tags to your book and voila! You're all done.
How To Get More Than 15 Tags
Let's say you did very thorough keyword research and found 27 ideal keywords that you would love to use for your book. Well, you can't fit all those keywords into your 15 tag limit! So you're going to have to find someone else who would be willing to tag your book for you.
You can call a close friend or business partner and ask them to tag your book with the extra keywords. I highly recommend doing this – the more keyword tags you have, the more likely you are to have your book appear in search results and the more sales you will generate.
Your 7 Search Keywords
In addition to tags on your book page, Amazon allows you to choose 7 search keywords to add to your book when you upload it to Kindle. If you want to change these 7 search keywords at any time, just edit your book and change them.
Whereas any customer or Amazon user can tag your book with any tag they see fit, only you, the author, can choose these 7 search keywords and tell Amazon what keywords are important for your book – so choose the top seven keywords you think will lead to the most sales for you!
Search Example
I want to give you an example of keyword searches in Amazon's Kindle store so you can get a feel for how it works. I searched for "love" and received 77,727 results! That's a LOT of competition for that keyword – which should be expected because it's such a common word and it's a one-word keyword. Keyword phrases with multiple words will be naturally less competitive – and more conducive to increasing your sales.
Next, I searched for "How To Love A Pet" and Amazon only gave me 14 results for this search, meaning it's MUCH less competitive and easier to rank highly for.
Notice that the keyword phrase "How to love a pet" is so much more targeted and narrowed down than the general keyword "love." It's a lot more specific. Remember that someone who types "love" into a search box might just be browsing or researching – but someone who types in a specific phrase like "how to write an ebook" is much more likely to be a buyer because they're looking for something very specific.
Ideally, you want high quality relevant keywords for your tags that are also not highly competitive. How do you know if it's highly competitive? Well, the easiest way is to just check your own search results for your keywords after 2-3 weeks on Amazon. Does your book come up in the top 10 or farther down the list? If your book is in the top 10, congratulations! You're likely to get sales from that keyword if it's well-chosen. If you're much farther down then you may need to wait longer for your book to rise up in the search results.
Note: Amazon, unlike other search engines, ranks search results not just by "keyword relevance" but also by sales rankings. What does that mean? Well, Amazon wants to sell more books so they have a part of their search results algorithm that calculates how many copies your book has sold and compares it to others in the search results. The bottom line is that if you sell more books, your search results in Amazon will improve over time. This benefits Amazon because they sell more books and it benefits you because you sell more books when you follow the strategies in this book!
After you've tagged your book with your ideal keywords, wait 2-3 weeks and then search for your 15 or more keywords that you and your friend tagged your book with. If you're appearing in the top 10 of those keywords, congratulations! That is a great keyword for your book and is likely going to lead to new sales.
If you find your book is not in the top 10 or top 20 search results, then that keyword is too competitive for your book right now. At this point, you have choices. Either you can change the tag to a different keyword and test it out or you can add that competitive keyword to your book's title or description as we will cover in the coming chapters.
Different Tags for Different Versions
By the way, different versions of a book will have different tags. For example, a book published in paperback as well as Kindle will have different and separate tags for the paperback sales page and the Kindle sales page. So make sure you utilize good relevant tags for each version of your book!
The same holds true for books in different Amazon store countries like the US, UK, Germany, Italy and Japan!
Action Steps
Do your keyword research for Google and Amazon and add your keyword tags to your book.
This was an excerpt from my new book The Kindle Publishing Bible available only on Amazon.
5 Steps To Guest Blogging Traffic – Interview With Alex Mandossian
I was so humbled recently to be interviewed by the King of Internet Marketing, Mr. Alex Mandossian. Alex and I talked about how to get EXPOSURE for your business and blog online using guest blogging.
In the interview, I share the 5 simple steps to getting published as a guest blogger.
1. Find Bloggers In Your Niche
2. Research Them!
3. Contact Them In A Professional Manner
4. Build The Relationship
5. Follow Up (You'll be amazed at the opportunities you'll receive from guest blogging)
Get all the details on the 5 steps in the interview below!
Ten Steps To Staying Focused On Your Objectives
Wiz's Ten Steps To Staying Focused On Your Objectives
Maximize your time by being productive
Multitasking is a best way in order to maximize your time however, there will be chances that your work will be low in quality. Not everybody can do multitasking also because it requires a lot of skill and expertise.
One of the ways to maximize time is by avoiding distractions around us. Most especially the unnecessary things because it will just make our work delay and waste our precious time. Time is very important in our lives and it's one thing we can never get back once it was lost. That is why time should be spent well in a more productive and essential matter.
In this article, I'am not giving ways how to manage time but ways on how to avoid distractions:
Avoid procrastination
Do the things you can do now and avoid procrastination. Sometimes we just settle for the things we can accomplish in a day without basing it on our goals and objectives that we set. The purpose of making a to-do-list is to follow it through. Don't depend that you have so much time in the future. Finish what you can finish now in order for you to enjoy your free time as well.
When it comes to priorities, put on the top list what is most essential and try to avoid unnecessary things when you are working. For example, you know that you have a lot of things to do but you chose to be with your friends partying. It is really okay to enjoy but you must know where to put it.
Loud music or noises
When working, sometimes it is very distracting to work on a noisy and crowded place. If you want to work efficiently, choose also a place that is relaxing, conducive for working and comfortable.
Sometimes you must also choose music that suits the task that you have to do, If is more on mental work, try a more mellow and smooth music in order for you to concentrate more.
Exhaustion and fatigue could hinder your productivity.
Of course if you are tired, your tendency is to sleep and have a rest. However, if you still insist to work, it will just alter the quality of your work and may affect you.
Whenever tired and exhausted, try to take a power nap for 15-20 minutes in order to get back your energy for work.
Social media and technologies
Nowadays, there a lot of social and entertainment media around. Gadgets, high technologies are also one of the hindrance of our productivity because aside to work, we are tempted to use these things for recreations and sometimes we stick to it and therefore, our tasks are also stucked.
So, just try to prioritize first. These social media and technologies are not bad but they should be used in the proper time, place a timing in order for us to finish our work on time, in a great quality in order for us to reach our goals.
How to Find Amazon Top Reviewers In Your Niche And Their Emails
Special Google Short Code (Jus copy and paste it): "top 1000 reviewer" "your keyword/genre" "e-mail:" site:http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile
Simply type the code into Google with your keyword or genre, for example:
"top 1000 reviewer" "romance" "e-mail:" site:http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile
Here's what the results look like below. Notice 31 Top 1000 reviewers with the word "romance" in their profile and their email listed.
The 3 Biggest Social Media Marketing Mistakes Made By Small Business Owners
Biggest Social Media Mistakes Made By Small Business Owners
1) Not Getting Started
If you have customers chances are they've already searched for your business on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social networks. If you're not there you're missing a chance to connect with your customers and prospects and benefit from their word of mouth marketing for you!
2) Being Inconsistent
Posting 10 tweets a day for a week and then doing nothing for a month looks like you're not serious about your business. Don't let your customers get the wrong impression about your company because of the way you manage your social media accounts! Always remember that in any form of marketing consistency is the key to success
3) Not Having A System
A social media marketing system will save you and your employees hundreds of wasted hours trying to find content to post, trying to decide what to say and how to say it and when to post it. Instead, just create a simple daily checklist of all the social media activities that need to get done in your business. Even if you're a solo-preneur, create a checklist. Then when you grow, you can just hand the checklist to your virtual assistant or employee and the job will be done just as well as you did by yourself!
BIO: Tom Corson-Knowles is the international best-selling author of How To Make Money With Twitter and Facebook For Business Owners, among others. Tom is a social media marketing consultant and blogs regularly about social media and marketing your business on Twitter. You can connect with Tom on Twitter and Facebook.
Be A Good Blogger
Be a good blogger requires a lot of skill and experience, you will not achieve it overnight. Posting everyday and hearing your readers' comments may help you improve into a better one. Just always remember that whatever comments you receive, take it a challenge. If your readers' comments are good, make a way to maintain it. However, if there are times that we receive negative comments, take it as a perseverance to be better. Actually both ways could lead you to success.
Below are the things you must do in order to be a good blogger:
Be you!
Being a blogger, being original is very important. Original in terms of your blog's content and not anybody's work. What is the key in this work is that you make your own name out of your effort not by someone else.
Post blogs as often as possible
Write as much as possible in order for your readers to have a reason to return. Make them thirsty of your work in order for them to crave for it every day. In this way, you may able to produce traffic to your site. Being consistent and updated with your work could show that you are interested with your work as well.
Write with passion
Writing is a skill and it is practiced over the years. However, there are instances that we cannot avoid that we are tired and not in the mood. So, if these instances happen, do not write for the sake that you have to write. Write because you love to and it is your passion.
You can always tell which blogs came from the heart because you can read their love and commitment for the work.
Make your site open to everyone
Invite readers to your site. Not just that, accept their comments as well, either good or bad. Many comments would always mean that there is a traffic to your site which is good.
Make also an effort to invite other bloggers by reaching them through their mail or by leaving also a comment on their blog. Through your comment, people will see how substantial your comments are and will find interest in you.
Organize your site
Making your site very simple and manageable, readers will not have a difficulty. But, if your site is very complicated, they have all the reason to leave.
Write with substance and have focus
The most important is that you write with substance and with good content. Remember that what you write reflects what kind of person are you. So, if you want to be respected, write in a manner that readers would respect you.
And lastly, have focus! Do not jump to one topic to another topic. Concentrate to your topic so that readers could understand what you want to say.
Developing as a good blogger may be difficult at first but constant practice may mold you a better one. Obstacles and challenges may come along your way but just take it as a trial for your business and to you personally as a person.
How To Choose Your Business Entity – Nellie Akalp Interview
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Nellie Akalp, the founder of Corpnet, about what new entrepreneurs need to know about starting a business and getting it legal. In the interview, Nellie covers everything you need to know about choosing a new business entity whether it's an LLC, S Corp, C Corp or Partnership. We also discuss some simple solutions for busy business owners to outsource the work so you can focus on growing and building your business without the stress, hassles and headache of corporate paperwork.
Whether you're a brand new entrepreneur or just someone who wants to learn more about business entities and choosing the right structure for your business, this interview is for you. So grab your notebook and a pen and prepare to take great notes! You can watch the 28 minute interview below.
You can learn more about Nellie and Corpnet at Corpnet.com where you can also get your business entity paperwork taken care of as well as trademarks and other document filing services.
Want free training on how to grow your business online? Join as at www.BlogBusinessSchool.com for a free video training course on how to create your own business blog and get thousands of leads a month for your business.
Have any questions about choosing the right entity for your business? Post your comments below and we'll make sure you get all your questions answered!
Blog Promotion: The Most Powerful Technique in Marketing
Blog promotions have been considered as the most powerful strategy in marketing our products. It is one of the most important marketing schemes we should consider because it is the most helpful way to boost business. According to Marketing professionals, blog promotions contribute a great factor in their sales of their products.
Since blogs have been exposed in the world wide web, it has really a great chance that people may see it. So, when putting a great blog promotion, there are factors that we should consider. Factors that would not just get our customer's attention but to improve our sales too.
Here are those:
Make an attention-grabbing content
In blog promotions, not just the presentation is important but also the content of your blog. It has been considered as the center point of your market. It is the basis of persuading customers of your products. It is where you put what your products is all about, who is your target clients, why should they purchase your product and what benefits they could get. In the content, you should make sure that you can convince and influence your prospect buyers.
Right tags should be used properly
Most readers find the blog they want to read through the tags. So, when writing an article or a blog, make sure you include right tags in order for your article to be searched in the Search Engine Oprimizer.
Make use of other bloggers
Other bloggers may seem to be your competitors, but do you know that they can also help you promote in your business? Through sharing your page links to their pages could also give traffic to your site. So, there could be a great chance for your site to be visited.
Articles could be a great help
If you are passionate about writing, make it a habit to write one topic each day and post it to your site. In this way, you could share your ideas and point of views to a certain topic and readers may find it very helpful, so they will read your articles every day and may share it to their friends.
Give importance also to their comments about your article. Appreciate and thank them whatever comments they will post because it will help you improve your articles.
Try video Marketing


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New approach needed for investment across region
In my previous piece, I set out how the Government should be radically redefining the economic model through nationalising key industrial sectors, whilst businesses should be looking at the social line as well as the bottom line. In this post, writes Waheed Saleem, I aim to set out how the state should be leading public policy interventions to support inclusive growth in local communities.
The awful tragedy of Grenfell Tower laid bare the failure of public policy. The Government, Council and society let down residents and continue to let down 'hidden' communities, trying to survive under the radar, under enormous financial pressures, often having to work two or three jobs just to survive, with considerable mental and psychical health challenges, living in sub-standard housing with children not having a decent meal and with some people resorting to drugs and drink to escape their plight.
The increasing number of homeless people on our streets starkly demonstrates our collective failure.
The extensive debate that ensued after the dreadful incident bought to the forefront the stark disparity of power and wealth that exists in society, as well as neglect of the needs of the residents who were housed in substandard high rise flats, living next to multi-million pound apartments.
The residents of Grenfell Tower and other social housing accommodation were left to fend for themselves, with the Council and management organisation not listening to their concerns; using the cheapest material to refurbish the outside of the building to make it look aesthetically pleasing, but neglecting the interior and not investing in fire evacuation.
Public outcry resulted in the Government setting up an inquiry. Without extensive media and political pressure, I suspect this tragic incident would have been forgotten quicker than the time it took for the smoke to clear.
Unfortunately, the disparity of wealth laid bare in council areas like Westminster and Chelsea is the same in many of the other major cities across the UK, from Birmingham to Manchester.
Although the differences are not as stark – in that you don't have as many £1m apartments on sale in Birmingham – whereas in London the average price is £1m, there are significant differences of living standards even in small areas. Ladywood constituency is one of the most deprived areas in the country. However, just a 'stone's throw away' from the high rise Council flats are expensive new apartments.
I am not advocating against regeneration of the city centre, not least as I was once a dweller of one of these expensive apartments, albeit as a tenant.
But we must consider why significant regeneration is not benefiting local people on the outskirts of the centre. In the 18th Century, the investment was made in other areas; Matthew Boulton built his factory in Soho not in the city centre.
I understand businesses wanting high rise offices in the city centre, both for access and convenience. However, the existing inward investment strategy needs a fundamental review to attract investment in the outer areas of the region.
We need to attract manufacturing; warehouse distribution centres and call centres which require large spaces outside the city centre to invest and build in areas across the region. We need to provide a compelling offer to international companies to consider taking office spaces in areas other than the city centre, where land is scarce.
This requires excellent, reliable and cheap transport links, ensuring goods and people can move easily, without getting stuck in endless queues of traffic. We need a skills and training strategy that targets training toward the most needed to enable them to aspire to and attain high skilled jobs in the city centre as well as other areas.
The Mayor needs to develop a strategic economic plan that provides a clear steer on attracting investment across the region, with tax incentives for recruiting and training local people, investing in areas outside the city centre, paid through a levy on businesses based in the city centre, either directly or through a car parking levy. This will ensure a better distribution of resources to areas still suffering from the industrial decline since the 1980's and more importantly across society more generally.
The regional Mayors and local authorities can play a significant part in providing place-based leadership to ensure none of their citizens are left behind. However, this requires national Government to devolve resources and power. I can hear the hollows from the streets of Birmingham 'they can't keep our streets clean never mind look after our economic well-being.' However, this should not distract from the significant part that they can play in place-shaping.
The Mayor and West Midlands Combined Authority can, for instance, issue place-specific bonds to raise money to support the economic regeneration of the local place. They can raise funding through issuing bonds for specific areas, backed by increases in business rates and local authority assets, with the funding used to regenerate and attract significant investment.
The Hall Green (or any other area in the West Midlands) bond can be used to invest in transport infrastructure, revitalise shopping districts and build new homes and refurbish dilapidated houses through compulsory purchase orders on a grand scale. This will ensure the economic viability of the local area, creating jobs, improving skills and developing a co-ordinated approach to public sector services and investment.
Through strong local leadership, Hall Green and other constituencies can flourish and compete regionally, nationally and internationally.
It is unfortunate that public sector thinking is too narrow at present to think outside the box and make things happen.
However, I can understand the predicament the sector is facing with austerity, jobs cuts, significant challenges in delivering public services and increasing demand. Therefore, they require additional support and thinking from outside to lead and help shape 'out of the box' thinking to support the bigger challenge of redefining the public policy discourse.
Waheed Saleem sits on several public and charitable boards in the West Midlands, including the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner's Strategic Policing and Crime Board.
Pic: https://twitter.com/Natalie_Oxford/status/874835244989513729/photo/1
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It's not too often that construction deficiencies result in criminal charges being laid but that seems to be what is happening with respect to a gas station North of Guelph, Ontario, CTV News Kitchener reports. Typically, this sort of matter will be pursued and resolved through civil litigation without criminal proceedings even coming onto the radar. Unfortunately, the report (and others I found online) don't give enough information to cast some light on the reason that, in this case, the conduct of the vendor was considered by police to give rise to potential criminal responsibility.
Category Archives: Real Estate Litigation
Can an owner rely upon read-in evidence from transcripts of subcontractors' Examinations for Discovery against the general contractor?
There are two ways to introduce evidence given by a witness examined for discovery at trial:
- The party who carried out the examination can use the prior evidence to impeach the witness' evidence at trial where it differs from the evience given at the examination; or
- The party who carried out the examination can "read-in" portions of the transcript produced at the examination and those "read-ins" become part of the evidentiary record at trial.
The recent case of Urbacon Building Groups Corp. v. Guelph (City), 2013 ONSC 5773 (CanLII) – which by the way is producing lots of interesting caselaw re construction liens in Ontario – addressed whether an owner rely upon read-in evidence from transcripts of subcontractors' Examinations for Discovery against the general contractor. The City of Guelph took the position that it could read-in portions of the transcripts of the Examinations for Discovery of Urbacon's (the GC) subcontractors against Urbacon.
Much to my nerdy delight, Justice MacKenzie cited an earlier Ontario Decision and a B.C. Decision and ruled that (I paraphrase) discovery evidence can only be read in against the party who gave it. One can easily imagine the mischief that could result from one party relying on the evidence given by X against Y when Y may not have had a chance to challenge or counter X's evidence and I am glad that the door on this risk has been closed just a little further and, in particular, in the context of a multi-party construction lien action.
Ontario Government to seek intervenor status in Waterloo Region's appeal of OMB ruling
Kitchener-Waterloo's main journalistic rag, The Record, reports that the Ontario Government will apply to the Court to become an intervenor (an intervenor is a party added to a court proceeding as a result of an interest in the outcome) in the Region of Waterloo's appeal of the Ontario Municipal Board's decision to open up more than 1,000 hectares of regional land to new greenfield development (compared to the 85 hectares set by the Region). As reported, if the Province's motion is successful, the Region will have a powerful ally in its appeal.
The significance of this appeal in shaping the development of the Region of Waterloo for future generations is obvious and many, myself included, will be watching with great interest as it unfolds.
Mike Holmes weighs in on Title Insurance
Construction deficiency claims and title insurance being two of my primary areas of practice and both being near and dear to my heart, I read Mike Holmes' article "A flood of misinformation: Title insurance is not a home warranty" in the National Post with some interest.
I don't agree with everything that Holmes says in the article but he got the title right anyway. Title insurance is a specialized insurance product and, as a very general statement, protects purchasers of real property from a long list of "title" or "ownership" related problems or "risks". It is not, and doesn't pretend to be, a warranty of good design and/or construction. The title of the article seems to suggest that Holmes agrees with this proposition. So far, so good.
Where Holmes really loses me, though, is when, in discussing hypothetical homeowners who discover major construction deficiencies, he writes, "Who's at fault? Is it the homeowner who got the renovation? Is it the contractor that was hired? Is it the title insurance company, the building inspector or the government? As far as I'm concerned, it's all of the above." How can the title insurer be at fault?
A policy of insurance (be it title insurance or some other kind of insurance coverage) covers what it covers and doesn't cover what it doesn't cover. For Holmes to suggest, as he does, that the title insurer is at fault in the scenario he outlined is a bit like saying that when your house gets broken into and your auto insurer won't pay for your stolen sofa, your auto insurer is partly at fault for your loss.
In any case – I thought the article was worth mentioning as Homes has brought some good media exposure to title insurance and cast at least a little bit of light on a common misunderstanding that I see all too often in my practice.


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You probably have some very pretty framed art in your home hanging on a wall or perhaps even leaning against the wall – which is a very popular way to display art now.
Kick it up a notch by covering a stretched canvas with a coordinating or colorful fabric and hang it on the wall behind your leaning art to create more impact. Layering your art in this way adds dimension, interest, and will highlight your favorite pieces.
Simply staple fabric to the back of the canvas frame with a staple gun. Make sure to keep fabric straight and taut as you staple.
It will end up looking like this on the back. . You can buy stretched canvas on frames at most crafts stores. They are in the Fine Arts area and come in many different sizes.
Leaning art on a colorful backdrop – is an easy and inexpensive way to add impact not only to your art, but your room, too.


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SEE ALL POSTS FROM BRYAN'S BLOG Blog
- January 7th, 2015
January 7: Loyalty Links & Likes
Consumers Advice for 2015: Your Brand's Loyalty Program is the Wrong Way Round – Customer Think
Sometimes brand loyalty can be confused with the consumers' preference for the attributes, experience or category of a company's offering, rather than the brand itself. To change this, brands need to shift strategies to focus on being loyal to their customers, as opposed to the other way around.
Sony Hack Hurts More Than Star's Egos: Brand Loyalty Takes a Hit – New York Post
The recent computer hacks on Sony exposed confidential information that damaged the reputation of company executives as well as some celebrities working on movies produced by the studio. The unexpected damage, however, comes in the form of brand reputation and reliability.
The Year in Review: Top 14 Loyalty Marketing Stories of 2014 – COLLOQUY
A look at some of the top stories in loyalty marketing over the last year, which ranged from major partnerships and program shifts to emerging technologies and loyalty strategies.
Jeff Fromm and Cherryh Butler: Three Ways to Inspire Millennial Loyalty – PSFK
Millennials are a skeptical generation. They are weary of advertising and only give up valuable information if they truly trust a brand. Companies can lure in these valuable consumers by being transparent, clearly stating their value and leveraging customer data.
5 Traits of Customer-Focused Companies – Business 2 Community
In order to become a company that is customer-focused, there are a few important aspects of the business that must be considered. In addition to actually expending the appropriate resources, it's important to make sure key stakeholders are also on board.


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Only three candidates are now in the running for the 2024 Summer Olympics: Los Angeles, Paris and Budapest. Putting the Californian city to one side for one moment, the contest provides an intriguing face-off between two of Europe's most beautiful capitals. Away from their sporting credentials, of course, the pair also stand as excellent winter city-break destinations. But which one gets the nod as a festive getaway?
Banner Image Credit: iStock.com/Mapics
Responsible for a never-ending tide of enraptured Instagram posts, Paris is one of the world's most photogenic cities. Whether you're looking west along the Champs Élysées, gazing down from the heights of Montmartre or pointing a lens across the Seine from a Bateau Mouche, the place is ridiculously lovely to look at. Famously, Georges-Eugène Haussmann's wholesale reconstruction of the city centre in the 1800s has reaped dividends – the city exists on a monumental scale. 9.5/10
Image Credit: iStock.com/C_Fernandes
Budapest might not pack the same consistent panoramic punch as its French counterpart, but it's still a phenomenally handsome city. There's good reason why it gets called (ahem) the Paris of Eastern Europe. The view back across the Danube from the Fisherman's Bastion is the equal of any other city vista in Europe – add a bright afternoon and a frosting of snow and there's no prettier sight. 9/10
With the possible exception of Verona, Paris can claim to be more synonymous with romance than any other city on the planet. It's a reputation that is both a blessing and a curse. Few would argue that it makes a superb choice for an amorous getaway, but the sheer weight of expectation can leave some visitors disappointed when not every moment brings a perfect snapshot of Gallic loveliness. That said, the place is basically an aphrodisiac in city form. As TS Eliot once remarked, "the chief danger about Paris is that it is such a strong stimulant." 9/10
Image Credit: iStock.com/Adam Zoltan
And Budapest? Fewer visitors, less pressure for everything to be impeccable, romantic restaurants by the dozen – you only have to look at the "love" padlocks attached to various trees and bridges around the city to see that it draws a huge number of couples. Take a winter stroll along the riverside, arrange a dinner cruise or, better yet, make the most of the city's numerous thermal baths and spas. Basking in the steamy outdoor pools at the Széchenyi Baths on a crisp December day takes some beating. 8.5/10
Food And Drink
If you're prepared to spend big, Paris gives the chance to eat in some of the world's best restaurants. There were, at the latest count, more than 130 Michelin stars glimmering over the city. At the other end of the budget spectrum, winter is also a time for warming up with bags of hot chestnuts, picking up oven-fresh pastries from a boulangerie or nipping into backstreet brasseries for generous portions of onion soup. And don't get us started on the chocolat chaud… 9/10
Image Credit: iStock.com/anyaberkut
In Budapest, the colder months give the perfect excuse for lingering in the city's famed grand cafes. Coffee has been an integral part of the culture here since the Ottoman invasion, and the accompanying cakes tend to be many-layered and indulgent. There's also no better time of year to try the most quintessential Hungarian dish of all: goulash. Often misrepresented as a simple stew, the authentic version is a rich, well-spiced beef broth that leaves you nicely fortified. 9/10
Value For Money
Paris is many things – soaring, outspoken, flamboyant – but it's not cheap. Spend a few nights at "palace hotels" like Le Meurice or Plaza Athénée and you'll likely be several thousand euros lighter. There are, however, alternatives to splashing out on unbridled luxury. Decent budget hotels do exist – particularly if you're here outside the main Christmas period to take advantage of better rates – while lots of restaurants have good-value set lunches. And don't be afraid to ask for a "carafe d'eau" (tap water). 7/10
Image Credit: iStock.com/Czgur
This year's annual Post Office survey pointed to Budapest as one of the best value city break destinations in Europe. It's still perfectly possible to throw cash at the five-star treatment – the seven-course menu at Cortes Restaurant, for example, works out at €120 a head, without drinks – and the city is no longer the bargain it once was, but it can certainly be enjoyed without breaking the bank. Even opera tickets start at very reasonable prices. 8.5/10
Paris has some great Christmas markets. The largest is found at La Défense, normally a modern business district but from mid-November onwards home to more than 350 stalls. Among the various other areas to lay on festive markets are Notre-Dame and Montparnasse. If you're here in January, meanwhile, several of the city's high-end boutiques have sales periods running through to early February. 9/10
Image Credit: iStock.com/encrier
In the Hungarian capital, attention falls onto Vörösmarty Square on the Pest side of the river. The square holds the longest-running and most atmospheric Christmas market in the city – expect the full gamut of carols, gingerbread and flickering candles. Be there at 5pm to witness the daily opening of its musical advent calendar. The city's main big-brand shopping street, Váci utca, leads off from the square. 9/10
Some things aren't even remotely season-dependent, and Paris's astonishing range of cultural attractions is one of them. As well as obvious draws like the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, set aside time to head to lesser-known art gems such as the Musée Jacquemart-André, set in an old private house, and the Musée de l'Orangerie, which has the added bonus of being located in the Tuileries Gardens. 9/10
Image Credit: iStock.com/Andres Garcia Martin
Budapest, of course, has treasure of its own. A guided tour of the sumptuous Parliament Building is a must (it's open until 4pm over winter), while the city's incredible Great Synagogue is the largest of its kind in Europe. And for something completely different? Head out of the cold and into the Pinball Museum, which showcases 130 different machines from over the years – and yes, you're allowed to play them. 8/10
Start up the opening bars of La Marseillaise – PARIS takes gold. But while the maths has the French capital topping the podium, it's a close-run thing. The best Christmas compromise? Go to both.


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Lisa Murray
Personal Coaching Services
Personal Coaching Services
Welcome to Lisa R Murray, Personal Coaching Services Website!
If you are looking to regain control of your life and not sure how to get there, you are one step closer in achieving that goal!
Let me begin by telling you a little something about me and how I can help you achieve the life you desire.
I am a board certified life coach (BCC) and member of the International Coach Federation (ICF). With this certification and membership, I have met the professional coaching competency standards required by the Center of Credentialing and Education and agree to adhere to BCC and ICF recommended Code of Ethics. I also hold a postgraduate degree in education and child/adolescent development.
My passion has always been working with people to enrich their lives. My experiences include teaching children and adults along with facilitating parent education sessions. In addition to this teaching and facilitation, my personal life experiences have led me to my current role: coaching and empowering others in designing the life they want and deserve.
As your personal life coach, I am committed to providing support and guidance for you to transform your life. I work with you to identify what really matters to you. I maintain a safe and confidential environment to talk aloud desires, fears and concerns without judgment. Together we develop strategies and plans to bring balance back into the areas of your life that are less than satisfactory. If you are committed to getting back in the "driver's seat" and ready to explore life's possibilities, I look forward to working with you!
Coaching is time set aside for you.
Coaching process is a structured, but informal conversation.
Coaching provides a safe place to explore your challenges and desires.
Coaching provides guidance for those seeking to improve their life.
Coaching provides accountability and support.
Coaching acknowledges you as capable and resourceful.
Ready to explore life's possibilities.
Wanting to make dramatic changes once and for all.
Seeking clarity, confidence and/or knowledge.
Seeking a more balanced and fulfilled life.
Ready to identify the next steps in life.
Responsible and ready to take action.
Parents seeking strategies, solutions, and support.
Parents wanting to improve family relationships.
Parents seeking confidence in their parenting.
Adolescents seeking direction.
Adolescents wanting to set goals.
Adolescents wanting to improve relationships.
Become organized with increased energy levels and more time for fun!
Experience self-acceptance, confidence and increased joy.
Gain perspective and insight resulting in discovering their own solutions.
Discover core values and how to live accordingly.
Create life balance and purpose.
The possibilities are endless!
You have been struggling with a life-transition.
You have a feeling something is missing in your life.
You long to answer the nagging question, "Who am I ?"
You know you need to make changes/decision but do not know where to start.
You look outside yourself for happiness.
You do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.
You want a better relationship with spouse, children, peers, and co-workers.
You are feeling stuck and in a rut and are ready to break free.
You are ready to learn how to trust yourself.
Whether you are looking to achieve one goal or several, coaching can help. What better time to begin your journey than now?
If you are still unsure if coaching is right for you or you would like more information, contact me, and I'll be happy to answer your questions.


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You'll want to grab a cup of coffee and get comfy this morning! It's the "grand opening" of the Paper Craft Crew Blog. While we HAVE been posting to it for sometime, this is the week we launch all the fun stuff!
So...down the right hand side of my blog, you'll want to check out all the other crew members blogs because EVERYONE is giving away blog candy! However, before you do, check out today's card:
I started off with a square base for this one, so the card is just 4" x 4". Tiny and cute! The polka dot Designer Series Paper is from the Festival of Prints Pack. I just LOVE how versatile this pack is. It's in the Holiday Catalogue, but you can use it for just about anything! It's only available till January 2nd, 2013, so get yours soon!
I added a piece of Very Vanilla to the bottom of the card front and then hid the seam using a length of Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding.
The main image from Apothecary Art was stamped in Basic Grey and coloured in using a Blender Pen with Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke Ink. "Dare to Dream" (from Loving Thoughts) was stamped in Cherry Cobbler and then end was flagged before it was adhered to the main image.
The whole image panel was then attached to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.
Here's the sketch on which the card was based:
And now, for the BLOG CANDY. Today, just by commenting below, you could win a full pack of the Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper:
STAMPS: Apothecary Art, Loving Thoughts
INK: Basic Grey, Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke
PAPERS: Very Vanilla and Cherry Cobbler Cardstock; Festival of Prints DSP
ACCESSOIRES: Big Shot, Framelits, Seam Binding, Blender Pen, Stampin' Dimensionals
Happy Stampin'!


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Heidi - posted on 05/01/2009 ( 11 moms have responded )
My daughters father has seen her two times in the past two years. He comes in and out of her life when it's convenient for him. My daughter is six years old and is starting to understand things. However, she still gets very upset and thinks her daddy doesn't love her. Although her father is not in the picture I never talk negatively about him and I am always telling her that he loves her. I've told her that daddy doesn't doesn't know how to show it and he doesn't make good choices. Anyone have any words of wisdom to help me talk to her. She still doesn't understand and i don't know what else to tell her without talking bad about him. Thanks so much


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Print is not dead!
Be it a sticker on a chairlift tower or a poster in a bike shop, a print piece is still one of the best ways to direct your customer. The term "Print" includes large format pieces like vehicle wraps and billboards, as well as merchandise and apparel, tradeshow booth design and environmental (interior) graphics.
Don't be afraid to present a visual puzzle to the reader. Your goal is to catch their eye and draw them in, and the method is the same as any other design project. The viewer needs to feel your enthusiasm and pride of product so don't be boring!


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Cloudy Water
Cloudy, murky or grayish water is usually caused by dissolved or suspended solids. This is also known as "turbidity." Water can become turbid naturally or from land disturbances such as construction, storms and urban runoff.
The turbidity of your water can range from low to high. But even if your water looks clear, it could still contain a high level of dissolved solids. That's why, whether your water is turbid or not, we recommend you have it tested.


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San Francisco just got a little Rosey-er
By Joe Nelson
Josh Rosenberg, recently with XX 1090 and before that with XTRA Sports 1360 just notified SanDiegoRadio he is leaving town after 14 years in San Diego.
Josh says he has accepted a position with 95.7 The Game. Home of the A's and the Raiders.
In an interview with SanDiegoRadio, Josh says "I'll be doing weekends and weekday fill-in work at first, plus some updates." "I couldn't pass up a chance tp join a top 5 market." "I'm excited for this opportunity to join 95.7 The Game and grow with a great new station in the Bay Area. The journey continues in this wild radio world. I loved my time in San Diego and developed a lot of great relationships with quality people."
Best wishes to you, Josh!