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Insurance Blends Naturally Into Bank Business
GRAND RAPIDS — When, amid the storm of mergers, the banking industry has had the chance, it has begun taking advantage of certain changes in the law by dipping its toes into the insurance business.
It was a process viewed with grave misgivings and even fear by many insurance agencies. But now some agencies are becoming part of the mix.
In fact, according to its chairman and CEO, Art Johnson, United Bank of Michigan has had its feet in the insurance pond for years, and now has taken the plunge to make insurance a regular part of its operations.
Johnson explained that the bank's holding company has owned its own insurance agency since 1970. The firm acquired the agency under an old Michigan Bank Holding Company Act, which permitted bank ownership of such an entity in communities having populations of 5,000 or fewer.
"It's a fairly natural fit," Johnson said.
"The kinds of transactions we get involved with our customers are financial in nature; they're buying a home, they're buying a car, they're acquiring assets in one form or another and those assets need to be insured. And so while it's a completely different kind of product, the need for it comes about where banking transactions are involved."
The need, he said, obviously arises in cases where the manufacturing machinery — or house or car — for which one seeks a loan is the collateral; it must have complete insurance coverage.
But most people's need for insurance goes beyond that, Johnson said.
"What we're interested in doing, rather than selling you an insurance product, is talking to you about what your insurance needs are. And our philosophy in that regard is not terribly different from what our bank philosophy is: We don't want to sell you a product, we want to understand what your needs are and be your source to fulfill those needs.
"We don't view ourselves as a sales organization," he grinned, "as much as an inquisitive service organization.
"We think we are doing a less-than-adequate service if the clients have needs that they may not ever be aware of that go unfulfilled."
He explained that though the agency — now a subsidiary of the bank and known as the United Insurance Center — still is located in a United Bank office building in Wayland, its staff serves all of United's other nine offices.
Johnson said the agency led a fairly sleepy, small-town existence until the mid-1990s when changes in state law permitted banks to become directly involved in insurance no matter what their communities' size.
When the state banking law was liberalized in the mid-90s, he said, "We changed our operation internally. The agency became a subsidiary of the bank. At that point we could not avail ourselves of what were broader powers under the state act, so we didn't really immediately go gangbusters with that operation.
"Up until the last couple of years we didn't try to increase our insurance profile."
Now though, he said, the firm wants to use insurance in tandem with the rest of its products either as an opportunity for one-stop shopping for people who come in to obtain loans, or in terms of counselor selling for personal or family financial planning.
The center's manager is Ron Wannamaker, a United vice president, who indicated the firm handles both investment side and property and casualty insurance. The center also offers individual health though it does not market group insurance to businesses.
"All of our personnel continue to be based at our Wayland office," Johnson said, "but they travel to all the offices, so if a loan closing is scheduled for one of our offices, they can be there or have whatever papers are necessary delivered there or do whatever is necessary to get the job done."
He said they just as happily work at the family kitchen table, as well.
Johnson said he regards "what appears to be a sales activity to be an extended service activity. And that permeates the entire organization and the insurance center and investment center as well."
He said ideally the bank's dealings with its clients attempts to be a team kind of approach.The insurance center currently has four licensed agents and may come to need more.


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DornerWorks specializes in design and has a deep understanding of electronics manufacturing and the techniques and controls necessary to design for manufacture. We partner with your preferred (or one of our pre-qualified) contract manufacturers to produce your electronic circuit boards.

subset: commoncrawl


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It's graduation season in America and a good time to be leaving college and looking for a job.Some of these trends might prove ephemeral, but there is no denying that economic indicators are firmly positive.I was honored to be the commencement speaker at Ohio State University two weekends ago, and I predicted that graduates looking for a job would get one in a city.Mark Muro of the Brookings Institution has calculated that over the last decade, the 53 largest American metro areas have accounted for 71 percent of all population growth, two-thirds of all employment growth and a staggering three quarters of all economic growth. In fact, half of all job growth in the United States took place in just 20 cities.Meanwhile, small towns and rural America have lost residents and contributed barely anything to economic growth. A 2013 study argued that current programs could feasibly be scaled up to include 1 million volunteers without taking jobs from existing workers, yielding societal benefits worth more than four times the costs.National service will not solve all of America's problems.
Trump on Syria: Knowledge-free foreign policy
Why I support the impeachment inquiry now
China's grand parades might mask its weakness


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I was lucky enough to be part of Jason Calacanis' first Launch Incubator. It was a fantastic experience. These are all the founders, plus Jason and Brice after a day of pitching investors. That's me, Jill Bourque, on the far left.
I loved my 12 weeks in the Launch Incubator, so much so that I did not want it to end. Jason and his amazing team understand what works for getting your product all glammed up and investor-ready. And Jason is one of the best pitch doctors around. It's one of his many superpowers. His feedback and advice is what sets this program apart. He gives you the truth, no egomaniac baloney, just straight talk on how to make your company better. And the peer environment was wonderful. Everyone was rooting for one another and I got to know some amazing founders that I now call friends.
Here are eight things I learned in 12 weeks in the Incubator:
1. Your Pitch Can Always Get Better
I actually thought I had a good pitch as I had previously won a pitch competition. But pitching is like storytelling and there a lots of different ways to tell the story of your company. The Incubator focuses on a product pitch, not a business pitch. I watched my fellow batchmates refine their pitch week by week. Mine was a bit different each week depending on what I was focused on. I'm an improvisor, so I don't like things to be too scripted. The pitch I ended up doing on-stage was the culmination of those 12 weeks. You can take a look at it here.
2. Design Matters
Prior to getting into the Incubator, my focus was on Lean Startup practices and getting traction with our MVP. Design was not a top priority. I was extremely resistant to spending money on design. But Jason convinced me to spend the money and he was right. I hired a great NYC team and an Art Director in San Francisco and we did a complete re-branding and overhaul in two weeks. It was money well-spent and took RushTix to the next level. Here's a nice overview of the design by KAS Digital and Abby Post.
3. Investors Don't Agree on What's "Good"
Over the course of the program, investors did not consistently pick the same companies as their top choices. I learned that feedback should be listened to carefully, but taken with a grain of salt. The fact of the matter is that we're all long-shots at this point and no one really knows what will happen. Evaluating an idea is somewhat of a crap shoot and investors bring their own biases.
4. Trust Your Gut
At the beginning of the program I had a mini-crisis. Pretty much everyone else had a beautiful mobile app. I was freaked out because I had a not-pretty web app. I did have something that I felt was valuable: traction and a viable MVP. I had lots of opinions back and forth on what would be the best course of action. Ultimately, I went with my gut which was to stick with what was already working, a web app. Feedback is great, but trust your instincts.
5. The Flywheel Principle
During the interview to get into the program I asked Jason how he successfully manages so many entities and he told me about the book "Good to Great" and the Flywheel Principle. It's basically that great companies are able to gain tremendous momentum by consistently pushing in one direction. The analogy makes so much sense to me. I'm a voracious reader of business and marketing books and this idea is the one that I think about the most.
6. Hiring: Finding "10s" & Humor as a Beacon
During the program we spent a lot of time with Jason's team. He knows how to hire top-notch folks and we learned some insights into his hiring process. At one point he said that he only hires "10s" and doesn't try to turn a 7 or an 8 into a 10. It made me reflect on my own hiring practices and how I could improve. First off, I created a much more substantial system to find folks. For one role I started with 60 applicants and used seven different steps to find that right fit. For the design project I started with 400 applicants. I also tried to figure out how to get the right culture fit, so I started to make the job postings funnier. Humor was my beacon to see if folks would respond in some witty way. It worked especially well with the design process.
7. Be Concise When Emailing Busy People
Jason gave us many great examples of how to email investors and journalists. It boils down to showing that you know their work, being straightforward about what you are seeking, and credentialize yourself. And do all of this in about three or four sentences. Brevity good.
8. Pursue Your Objectives Relentlessly
It's impossible to spend any amount of time with Jason and not have his infectious enthusiasm rub off on you. What's unique about him is that he unabashedly pursues his objectives relentlessly. I think this is a pretty rare quality. He says "I want to be the most sought after Angel Investor." and then goes about aligning everything around this goal. I already had a good amount of this kind of drive in me before the program, but seeing him in action made me feel more confident about it.


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favorite restaurant
The first meal that John and I ever ate in New Mexico was at a restaurant called Two Fools Tavern. We found it only fitting that our last supper would be there also.
Now, I don't know if this is my favorrrite restaurant, but there is something to be said for a first and last memory!
One of my favorite things about the New Mexico is most certainly the scenery. I mean really, it is absolutely beautiful. Now, to be honest, when I first moved here I didn't appreciate it at all, and not surprisingly, now that I'm leaving I can't get enough.
So a new shaved ice place opened up near me, and I'm not going to lie, I have been there 4 times this week. I'm pretty much a shaved ice connoisseur... when I was a little girl I even bought a shaved ice machine off of QVC with my own money. It didn't work, so I returned it, but point being, I know whats-what.
And this stuff is amazinggg... please note, this is very different than a snow cone (which I do not like).
Brought to you by
BLovedBoston /// Lindsay Loving Vegan /// Meet @ the Barre


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british telecommunications has announced that it is rolling out gprs (general packet radio service) technology on june 26. the new "always-on" mobile internet service will be available in the uk and will vary in cost based on the amount of data downloaded.
the service will initially be offered in the form of a small card that plugs into a laptop, thereby giving the laptop a permanent connection to the internet.
bt also announced that gprs handsets will be available at the end of the year.
read more at internetnews.
joel's opinion
my question, of course, is when can we expect this in the united states?!!!
i love the concept of an "always-on" mobile internet service that will actually give a "normal" browsing experience to the user. normally when you hear about "always-on" it generally means that some of the content will be truncated or limited to browsing with a certain browser. in this case, gprs will allow very fast connectivity, wirelessly. you have to love that!
it's definitely going to be an interesting wireless world soon. imagine being able to browse the 'net, wirelessly, from anywhere, at top speeds! also imagine being able to connect one device to another without any wires–enter bluetooth.
i'm dying for the day when i can connect my revo to the 'net using the mobile phone in my pocket at speeds that rival my home connection. oh yeah, i'd also like to only pay a flat $40 a month for both my connection at home and my mobile one. if you think i'm in fantasy land, just look at what's coming out later this year.
as always, it looks like the u.k. is getting the fun stuff first, though.


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What is Secondary Infertility?
Throughout my life, I have constantly run into couples who have a common complaint… They can't get pregnant. And I can identify with that because my wife and I had a time during our life where we had what is called secondary infertility. Check out our experience with secondary infertility here.
Secondary Infertility
Secondary infertility is the name of the condition that occurs when a couple has successfully had one or more children, but suddenly they don't seem to be able to get pregnant anymore. As I understand it, a diagnosis of secondary infertility is primarily based upon age combined with length of time that you have been trying to become pregnant unsuccessfully. And, I must mention at this point that I am not a physician. So, if you believe that it is appropriate, verify anything that I write about with your physician.
If you are younger than 36 years old, your physician would probably tell you that you and your partner should be trying to conceive for at least a year before you begin discussing fertility-type treatments. After that age, six months is a good rule of thumb to begin talking to your physician about the possibility of a secondary infertility diagnosis.
It occurs because of various reasons such as:
- Lifestyle Changes.
- Exposure to Environmental Toxins and Pollutants.
- Physical Trauma to the Reproductive Organs, Such As a Vasectomy or Tubal Ligation (Tubes Tied), for Which a Reversal Has Been Attempted.
- Sexual Activity Related Issues Such As Timing or Frequency.
- Medical Conditions Which Have Developed Such As Endometriosis, Which Can Cause Blockages or Chronic Inflammation.
Many times secondary infertility will simply correct itself and the cause will remain a mystery and whatever corrected the condition will be unclear.
Lifestyle Changes
Quite frequently, lifestyle changes will lead to changes in the overall health of either the mother or father. One of the biggest problems the people run into is stress. Stress is well known to create unhealthy conditions, if it is long-lasting.
Stress just sneaks up on people. We go along living our lives in suddenly one day we realize that we have been under a tremendous amount of stress that were not particularly happy. When you suddenly realize that you have been under a lot of stress and at the same time you have not been able to become pregnant, it's time to look for the cause.
I suggest you get alone and relax. Think about your life and ask yourself "what would I change if I could?"
The answer is probably the cause of your stress.
Other things that could contribute to secondary infertility are things like recreational drug use, smoking or using tobacco in other forms, and the development of low self-image with accompanying obsessive behaviors. Weight issues and lack of exercise can also be major lifestyle factors in secondary infertility.
Some of those things actually fall into the category of environmental toxins… also known as pollutants.
Exposure to Environmental Toxins and Pollutants
Environmental toxins and pollutants are one of the leading causes of many of the autoimmune-type problems that we are encountering in the population today… Especially in the "Western World." In fact, as non-industrialized countries around the world become more prosperous, they typically begin to mimic the lifestyles of the richer countries, they tend to develop the same diseases in their populations as we have in ours.
One of the things that is known to occur as a result of the environmental toxins and pollutants is an increase in the incidence of infertility. Of course, the solution to the exposure to those chemicals is to remove them from your environment.
Sometimes, removing pollutants from your environment is quite simple… You stop using the chemicals in your household that may be causing your infertility. In other cases, it's not so simple. Major organs in our bodies tend to become collecting grounds for the chemicals we take in during our daily lives. These organs are the liver, spleen, and the colon.
The removal of chemicals around your house is especially important. Many of the chemicals that we use on a daily basis for cleaning of our environment and our food can actually have highly detrimental effects on our bodies and the way they work. Knowing what to remove and what is safe to continue using… And knowing what you can replace the "bad chemicals" with can also be important, too.
The removal of accumulated toxins and other chemical pollutants from our bodies is quite important. Knowing just how to do this is something that you must be knowledgeable about if you're to do it properly and safely.
Lisa Olson has written a literally world-famous book where she will explain what chemicals you need to remove and stop using from your household as well as how to go about "cleansing" your body to effectively and safely remove toxic chemicals from your person. If you are experiencing infertility and have been doing so, you need to read her book. It's called The Pregnancy Miracle.
You can find out more about her book by going to The Pregnancy Miracle Official Site and watching the special video Lisa has prepared for that purpose.
Or, you can read the review that I've written about her product by going to my "Pregnancy Miracle Review" article here at wejustgottagetpregnant.com.
Physical Trauma to the Reproductive Organs
Sometimes a physical trauma will occur which will damage the reproductive organs of either a man or woman. The trauma may be accidental, or it may be intentional. In either case, it may require surgery to correct the problem. And, it may not be correctable.
However, in recent years, surgical techniques have advanced to the point where most of the intentional physical damage to the reproductive tract comes from things like vasectomies (the male sperm delivery channel is cut) or tubal ligations (having a woman's fallopian tubes tied). It is possible to reverse these decisions, if the initial surgery was not "botched."
Lisa Olson talks about physical damage to the reproductive organs in which you may be able to do about it in her Pregnancy Miracle book.
Sexual Activity Related Issues
The human body is wonderfully made. We are extremely complex organisms and, because of that, as the old saying goes, "timing is everything."
The human reproductive cycle is a masterpiece of chemically-based timing. Hormones, enzymes, and organs engage in a delicately balanced dance that is really quite easy to "mess up." Many people don't understand how crucial the timing of sexual activity is. The Pregnancy Miracle book explains what you need to take into account as you time your sexual activity so that you have the highest probability of becoming pregnant.
If you have sex too soon, the male partner's sperm will die or become infertile on the way to its rendezvous with the woman's fertile egg. If you have sex too late, the egg may have already left the fallopian tube, which is where fertilization normally occurs, and her body may be preparing for her next menstrual period and the fertilized egg will be spontaneously aborted, even if it tries to attach itself to the uterus wall.
Click here to check out my review of Lisa Olson's e-book "The Pregnancy Miracle" to decide if you want to find out more about her approach to infertility at the Official Pregnancy Miracle Website.
Medical Conditions
There are many medical conditions that can affect your ability to become pregnant. Some of these conditions affect the male partner and some affect the female partner.
Rather than run through the major problems that most infertile couples encounter in this article, I'm going to refer you to another article I've written where I discuss some of these conditions. My article is called "Why Am I Not Getting Pregnant?" I recommend you that you read the whole article and not just the part about medical conditions that can occur which will cause you to be unable to conceive.
Becoming Pregnant Naturally
It saddens me that so many people who have difficulty conceiving turn, as a first resort, to what's called Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). Now don't get me wrong, there is definitely a place for conventional medicine's approach to infertility treatments. However, it has become big business and every year, childless couples literally spend billions of dollars in their attempt to conceive and give birth to a healthy, normal baby.
It seems to me, as both a normal, rational adult as well as a biologist with major drug company experience the clinical testing area that I believe that infertile couples have been sold a bill of goods by the medical establishment. If you review literature on the Internet concerning the cost of fertility drug treatments and/or Assisted Reproductive Technologies, you'll find that a typical cycle of conventional medical fertility treatments will run between $7,000 and $12,000.
If you take those figures and you extend them by the 15% or so of couples who want to become pregnant but can't, due to infertility issues, you will discover very quickly, why a multibillion-dollar industry has grown up around conventional medical treatments for infertility.
To be honest, I would be surprised if an infertile couple were to spend $1,000 (USD) implementing Lisa Olson's Pregnancy Miracle method to correct their infertile condition and become pregnant within two months (60 days) as Lisa guarantees. It seems to me again as a rational adult trying that before I went the fertility drug or IVF or similar treatment route would make a lot of sense.
If you would like to find out more about why I say that and consider it to be a viable alternative, check out the official Pregnancy Miracle website by clicking here.


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President Donald Trump delivered his well-rehearsed 40-day speech to the United States Congress last night. Amidst mixed reviews of the speech's content, some social commentators agree that Trump's address seemed less boisterous and corrosive as prior engagements, a feat for the 70-year-old who has had an embattled first 40-days in office and suffers one of the lowest new presidential approval ratings of all time.
While conservatives in Congress are happy to go along with Trump in order to keep passing an agenda that was at times stymied by Obama, the inherent danger is that Trump is definitely a man of action and so far his actions are bending the limits of democracy all while appeasing a core of followers who may be just as blind as a standard German Christian circa 1939.
Talk of unity is good, but as President George W. Bush pointed out, seeking to destroy the free press is outright dangerous. The sharp increase in outright racism and division, spurned by the words and actions of Trump himself, are creating an environment that destroys intricate and delicate fabric of unity the makes a diverse nation such as the USA possible.


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The Jade Lioness – out now!
Today is paperback publication day for The Jade Lioness – I'm so pleased the third book in the trilogy is available at last! I always like complete sets of a series on my book shelves 🙂
In order to celebrate there is a competition over on the Choc Lit blog (Choc Lit Corner) where you can win these lovely jade items plus a signed copy of the book. Just head over there and leave a comment and you could be in with a chance!
Meanwhile, here is the blurb:-
Can an impossible love become possible?
Nagasaki, 1648
Temperance Marston longs to escape war-torn England and explore the exotic empire of Japan. When offered the chance to accompany her cousin and Captain Noordholt on a trading expedition to Nagasaki, she jumps at the opportunity. However, she soon finds the country's strict laws for foreigners curtail her freedom.
On a dangerous and foolhardy venture she meets Kazuo, a ronin. Kazuo is fascinated by her blonde hair and blue eyes, but he has a mission to complete and he cannot be distracted. Long ago, his father was accused of a crime he didn't commit – stealing a valuable jade lioness ornament from the Shogun – and Kazuo must restore his family's honour.
But when Temperance is kidnapped and sold as a concubine, he has to make a decision – can he save her and keep the promise he made to his father?
Buy links:-
Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jade-Lioness-Kumashiro-Christina-Courtenay/dp/1781892377/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444222646&sr=1-1
Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1781892377?keywords=The%20jade%20lioness&qid=1444222741&ref_=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2&sr=8-1
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


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Fact 1: If we could, we would all wear a onesie to bed.
Fact 2: We all want our little ones to sleep as much as possible for their development, of course, but also because we would all do just about anything to get as much shut eye as possible ourselves.
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A disgruntled farmer has slammed his local Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for failure to supply adequate TB testing hours.
In an anonymous letter to Farmers Guardian, the South Wales farmer said a recent change in policy was having a detrimental effect on what he said was already a 'massive burden' on the industry.
He said a refusal to allow staff to attend farms out of hours was playing with the cattle's natural movement pattern.
"For at least the last 10 years, the APHA has regularly requested to use its own field staff to test herds which were under movement restrictions," he said.
"Especially those herd tests that were potentially facing on releasing test and in general, the industry has welcomed their professionalism.
"According to the APHA office in Caernarfon which arrange all the appointments, they have recently received strict instructions from the field management team in Carmarthen that field operatives now work in a strict policy of 8.30am to 5.30pm only.
"The animals are being forced to move at a time that is alien to them, making them factious and nervous which will inevitably lead to accidents to staff or the cattle themselves."
He warned the APHA should be actively encouraging flexible hours to prevent falling milk yields and disrupted farm work, but the APHA said where possible, it tried to stick to normal office hours.
An APHA spokesman said a structured timeframe helped provide the best environment for the test to be carried out 'accurately, safely and efficiently'.
He added: "APHA in Wales is focussed on providing a consistently high quality service to farmers on behalf of the Welsh Government."
But the farmer the agency's decision and said farm staff were becoming irritated when having to present animals for an extra event, instead of allowing flexible testing during morning milking.
"Milk yields are suppressed for days following the test with some individual animals not recovering their predicted performance at all," he added.
"What is more disappointing is that it seems that the majority of the veterinary and field staff have fought with their own management to overturn this decision."


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Musician, artist and entrepreneur Will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas recently shared his perspective on logo design with the Wall Street Journal as part of the publication's Startup of The Year project. He makes points about the basics of logos in plain language, then concludes with thoughts about global communication trends. The original video is without music.
Here, I've incorporated "Funky Drummer" by James Brown as background beats. I claim no copyright and am making no commercial claims or specific statement, other than I thought it would be an interesting combination given the cadence of speech and the rhythm of the drumming. I created the above title screen via iPhone with the apps Rays, Phonto and Photoforge2, then edited the video in iMovie. Enjoy.
What do you think? Does Will.I.Am make solid points here? Have you ever mixed speaking and music elements for artistic effect? Are you into The Black Eyed Peas? Ever designed a logo? Let us hear from you in the comments.
Related articles
- Don't Watch This: will.i.am on Logo Design (core77.com)
- Tips on Logo Design. From Will.I.Am (redbubble)
- Video: Will.i.am Talks Corporate Logos with WSJ (getmybuzzup.com)
- Will.i.am Is Suing Pharrell Over the Phrase "I Am" (popdust.com)
- 10 Perfectly Good Songs Ruined By Will.i.am (buzzfeed.com)
- Will.i.am Talks Logos (LogoDesignLove.com)
- Sarah Silverman's Perfect Night featuring Will.i.am (NSFW via YouTube)


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Southern Utah's Elite Apple Repair Team
MacTek first began serving Southern Utah in 2000. At the time we were the only all Apple / Macintosh service in Southern Utah. We then billed ourselves as, "On-Site Specialists." Something that is no longer possible in most cases due to the increasing complexity of opening Apple computers, and special tools and diagnostics needed not available On-Site. The founder Robert Stevens moved on to doing home theatre during the housing boom all while still repairing Apple products. In 2010 he opened a shop on bluff street in Southern Utah which was short lived due to an opportunity to be the Master Technician / Service Manager for Simply Mac. Robert has decided to move on and re-open MacTek after nearly seven years at Simply Mac, accumulating over eight-thousand repairs, with a lifetime total of well over ten-thousand repairs under his belt. During Robert's tenure at Simply Mac, he has won president's club in 2016, as well received Master Tech MVP for 2012, and 2013. In addition, he was recognized as one of the two top performing technicians within Simply Mac by Apple in 2013. He along with his service team attained Premium Service Provider six years in a row, Apples highest Authorized Service Provider Status. Our goal is to treat every customer like family and get your computer running as we would want our own to run.
Here is just a little of what we do...
Data Recovery - MacTek will provide data recovery services on hard drives which permit this. Some units may require professional data recovery services and would need to be sent out to one of our parter companies.
Data Transfers - We will be happy to provide our customers with Mac to Mac and PC to Mac data transfers as permissible to what Apple's data transfer allows. We generally only transfer what is included with Apple's data transfer service. We will do our best to transfer other data as needed.
One on one Workshops - Our staff includes a former Simply Answers member from Simply Mac who is very personable and well versed in all areas of Apple products, MacTek will provide half hour or one hour sessions on just about any topic you need assistance with. Our most popular session would be one on one Q&A.
Recycling - In an effort to reduce computers from going to landfills, MacTek will take in and recycle your liquid damaged, broken, and non-functional units for recycling. Our goal is to place one or more units per month with a needy family in cooperation with local relief agencies.


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Visitors to KAMERS Irene can also look forward to KAMERS met kuns, a new extension of your KAMERS experience, which was just launched with great success in Stellenbosch.
The Pretoria pop-up exhibition, curated by Fried Contemporary's Mika Thom, will showcase works in various media by David Koloane, Diane Victor, Guy du Toit, Leeann Shakenovsky, Michael Cheesman, Pat Mautloa, Pieter Swanepoel, Rina Stutzer, Sandra Hanekom, Senzeni Marasela, Vusi Beauchamp and Willem Boshoff.
Don't miss KAMERS met kuns at KAMERS Irene, 2-7 December at Open Window.
Vusi Beauchamp
Mr X
Mixed media on canvas, 29.7 x 42cm, 2014
Diane Victor
Single colour lithograph, 51 x 66cm, Edition 3/5, 2014
Guy du Toit
Makonde Mask
Ceramic, 120cm height, Edition: Unique
Andreas Schonfeldt
For Bullets
Monoprint, 84.1cm x 118.9cm, Edition: Unique, 2014
Pieter Swanepoel
Mixed media on canvas, 1.5 x 1.5cm
Leanne Shakenovsky
Louis Trichardt, Limpopo (after JH Pierneef)
Glitter and glue on canvas and plastic frame, 50x 70cm
Photos: Supplied


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New Forest RoofingThere are numerous New Forest roofing services throughout the area and we are often asked for a recommendation, we put together this page to help you find the best team for the job. The majority of roof repair and installation businesses might appear to offer similar services, choosing the right one is still vital to ensure a stress free and good value for money service.
Thatched Roofing Businesses in The New ForestDue to the large proportion of thatched housing in and around the New Forest, you won't be surprised to hear there are several thatched specialists. From the little character cottages of Lyndhurst to large retired farm properties, thatched roofs will be spotted throughout the entire National Park and surrounding areas.
We work with some of the most trusted, reputable thatching professionals who can competently undertake all aspects of thatching work. From new builds to historic listed buildings we will direct your enquiry to the best suited provider.
A thorough servicing of thatched houses would generally involve the following procedures:
- Replacing the old eaves with new ones is usually best practice in order to reduce the weight and strain on the building whilst producing an aesthetically pleasing result from below.
- At least one coat of reed ought to be stripped and replaced as to avoid excess weight on the cottage.
- Netting should be applied throughout with the intent of reducing common damage caused by birds and pests.
Complete our enquiry form to be contacted regarding your residential or commercial thatching requirements. We will put you contact with a tried and tested professional personally selected to fit your enquiry. Whether you require complete re-thatching of the property, water reed thatching, thatched roof inspection, ridging, damage repair, extensions, commercial projects or contracting we will find the perfect business to suit just what you're looking for.
New Forest Roofing, Repair, Renewal and Replacement
With an abundance of roofing specialist dotted around the New
Forest we
realised that what everyone is looking for is a reliable
recommendation. We support
the most reliable and trusted businesses in the area, by completing our
form at the bottom of this page a specialist will be notified based on
the details
you provide.
Contact us today for both residential and commercial roof repairs and rebuilds. Services covered include chimney repairs, guttering, roof inspections, lead work, painting and fascias.
Due to the number of heritage and listed buildings throughout the National Park we also know of several specialists for this remit. Allow us to help alleviate your concerns regarding the maintenance of your listed home, our roofing contacts are all well known for their expertise and dedication.
Related pages
Horse Stables, Field Shelters and Barns New Forest.


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"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." ~Lao Tzu
Care to share a cup of coffee or tea? Whether you need small business SEO or just a session or two to create some clear and actionable goals, I would love to help. It's easy to get in touch. Just fill out the form below or send me an email I am looking forward to getting to know you and to helping you make your dreams into reality!


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Now more than ever, DJ's are everywhere, yet the term "DJ" seems to have lost its meaning. It's time that we call attention to some of the most skilled DJ's in the world, as well as some of the best local talents. We as DJ's also tend to put too much focus on the negatives in our industry and shine light on everything WRONG with it. Beginning this month, I will be showcasing some of my favorite DJ's, highlighting those who are doing it RIGHT.
Are you a DJ that wants to be featured? Email me at: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Accord Office Supplies Limited01793 541500
When you choose to do business with Accord, you select much more than quality products for your office. With our expert teams and services on your side, you enjoy all the benefits of a stress-free solution from a single source provider.
Naturally we offer all of the top brands of office stationery, as well as our leading Advantia own brand range. We have printer toners and cartridges from all the leading manufacturers, plus the Imagejet range of compatible products. We want to help you cut costs, without compromising on quality.
Whether it's understanding the latest technology, managing your company's printing, or planning the ideal office environment, our specialists are more than happy to advise and assist.
Getting in contact with Accord Office Supplies Limited
Unit 22 Bridge Mead
Westmead Industrial Estate
Tel: 01793 541500
Accord Office Supplies Limited Products & Services
- Office > Stationery
- Office > Equipment
- Office > Furniture


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If you care about society and want to start a career in social care, then this is a great route in.
Step 1: Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care L2
Step 2: Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care L3
After that you can move on to a degree or start working in the field and consolidating your learning.
Checkout our social care courses below:
No products were found matching your selection.


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Read MoreVision and Values – The Best Start to 2018!
Vision and Values – The Best Start to 2018!
October 31, 2017
One simple thing every business leader can do to get 2018 off to the best possible start. Have you ever been on the receiving end […]
Read MoreEvolution is Unstoppable!
Evolution is Unstoppable!
October 24, 2017
Evolution is unstoppable – we've moved on from Holden vs Ford Does customer loyalty last forever? Nope! As sentimental as we all can be, market […]
Read MoreWhy Would Someone Care About What You Have to Say
Why Would Someone Care About What You Have to Say
October 16, 2017
WHY WOULD SOMEONE CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY? Part of our Performance Drumbeat at Optimum Consulting Group is a monthly all-staff meeting to […]
Read MoreIt's Not About the Coffee!
It's Not About the Coffee!
October 10, 2017
As a candidate, you may have noticed a trend when interviewing for prospective employment opportunities…that interviews have moved away from traditional company boardrooms, and into […]
Read MoreConnectivity in the Virtual Workplace
Connectivity in the Virtual Workplace
October 02, 2017
Connectivity in the virtual workplace We all know the world of work is changing. There is so much noise about what jobs will […]


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This scheme of work has been written to provide primary school teachers with guidance on how to deliver the Year 3 objectives for the KS2 Framework for Languages. The learning objectives are suitable not only for Y3 pupils, however, but for first year language learners across the KS2 age group. As well as providing suggestions of many free downloadable resources, this scheme of work makes reference to PowerPoint presentations, worksheets, flashcards and photocopiable OHTs that have been tailor made to support its lesson content.
Year 3 Framework for Languages
The objectives in the scheme of work apply to KS2 learners in their first year of learning a language. Schools should acquire a hard copy of the Framework to keep in a central resources area in school in order to ensure that teachers have the opportunity to become familiar with objectives and understand how the KS2 learner will progress in the four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing.


text: On Monday 16 February 2009 03:08, compn wrote: > On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 02:07:02 +0100, Michael Niedermayer wrote: > >On Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 01:43:17AM +0100, Ivo wrote: > >> http://samples.mplayerhq.hu/archive > > oh wow thats nice being able to quickly check by codec or container. > great job!! Thanks! [..file naming rules..] > some of this could be scripted. rename text files to copy video > filenames and making extensions lowercase should be easy, right? Yes, though I doubt if that's really necessary. The idea is that once incoming is completely cleaned up and only contains symlinks to the new archive, it'll only take 10-15 minutes a week to archive the new uploads of the last 7-days. Writing and running a script to fix uploader's mistakes in naming probably takes more time than just mv fubar.txt snafu.txt to accompany a snafu.avi file. --Ivo


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From the spiritual technology of the ancestors, let us consider the hallows—in Latin, the sacra—those holy objects of presence, in which a god is. If the work of religion is the making-present of the gods, this work the hallows accomplish, for the hallows are points of communication, articulating radical immanence. The genius of the paganisms has always been to understand that we best touch the universal through the specific.
To say "idol" implies a statue, but hallows take many forms.
One thing to remember about hallows is that in them, by them, through them, we look upon a god.


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by: Global News Staff
EDMONTON - As we head into the summer months, cities, towns, and dozens of non-profit organizations will be feeling the impact of government cuts to a small but significant program: the Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP), which was eliminated in March.
The Edmonton Social Planning Council recently helped conduct a survey about the loss of STEP. Of the 27 municipal governments, and 207 non-profits across Alberta that responded, 56 per cent of respondents indicated they will not be able to maintain programs and services. Furthermore, 49 per cent said they will hire fewer students, and 36 per cent will not hire any students at all this year.
"Over 89,000 people within Alberta - families and children - impacted, per year; and you know over 500 students hired, again, per year. And again, you know, this is just a very small sample. I think it's much bigger than what we've been able to sort of portray in the sample that we've done," said the Council's Susan Morrissey.
The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues was one group which relied on STEP, and it wasn't just all about Green Shack drop-in programs.
"Many leagues, including our organization," said the league's Allan Bolstad, "was planning to hire a student this summer if we got a STEP grant to do some research work on our anniversary project; and leagues are writing history books…so I think quite a number of projects are going by the wayside because of it."
"(STEP) has really built up over the years to be a way for a lot of no- profit groups, in partnership with the provincial government to be able to augment their programming and be able to provide things in summer that just probably wouldn't have happened otherwise," explained Councillor Ben Henderson, who is chair of the Inter-city Forum on Social Policy, the other group behind the survey.
"These were not 100 per cent funded programs by the province. The province put in x amount of dollars and everyone else was expected to come in and significantly top up the wages, and often, significantly top up the number of weeks that students were employed."
Henderson said it's not just the provincial piece of the pie that's being lost.
"We end up losing that ability to leverage that other kind of effort to get significantly more than the sum of its parts."
The results of the survey have been forwarded to the Human Services Ministry, with the hope that the province will listen.
"Our hope is that we will be able to work with government to look at what we might be able to do in terms of developing some other program that might better suit the needs," said Morrissey.
According to the Federation of Community Leagues, $150,000 dollars in one-time funding has been secured from the province to cover the Green Shack program in 15 high-needs areas of Edmonton.
With files from Vinesh Pratap, Global News


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go to hird Judicial District Court home page
Information for Defendants in Small Claims Cases
The Small Claims Hearing
Courtroom Code of Dress and Behavior – When you come to court for your hearing you should dress neatly and cleanly—the way you would for any important occasion. Many judges do not allow people to appear in court wearing shorts, crop tops, hats, gang colors, or other gang insignia. You should be courteous to the judge, the court clerks, and other people in the courtroom, including the plaintiff.
You should not bring children with you to court unless they are old enough to stay in their seats and sit quietly. While court is in session and you are waiting for your turn to talk to the judge, you should not visit with people around you because this can be distracting to other people in the courtroom. Cell phones and pagers are not allowed in the courtroom unless they are turned off. You cannot take pictures or make a tape recording at the hearing unless you have the judge's permission. Food or drink is not allowed in the courtroom.
Attorneys or Other Representatives – When you come to the hearing to talk to the judge you cannot have an attorney appear with you or for you at the hearing but you can talk to a lawyer before or after your hearing to get more information and legal advice. You cannot have a friend or relative appear in court instead of you but you can bring friends or relatives as witnesses and friends or relatives can come to court to watch the hearing. A business can appear in court through an owner or through an employee, so long as the employee is not an attorney.
Interpreters – If you or one of your witnesses will need an interpreter at the hearing, you must ask the court clerk to get one for you before the day of the hearing. The deadline to ask for an interpreter varies depending on the county and the language for which you need. You can ask the court clerk what the deadline is in your county. If there is no deadline, you should ask for an interpreter two weeks before your hearing. You must tell the court clerk your case number and the language for which you need an interpreter. You do not have to pay for an interpreter. Generally, a friend or relative will not be allowed to interpret for you or your witness.
Evidence - At the hearing, the judge will ask the plaintiff to explain why you should pay the amount of money the plaintiff is asking for and/or why you should return the property the plaintiff is asking for. The judge will then ask you to explain why you disagree with the claim.
Sometimes there is a disagreement about the facts of the case or a party not telling the truth. Sometimes both parties are telling the truth as they see it but they see things or remember things differently. When the disagreement is about the facts of the case it is important for you to be prepared to give the judge evidence to support your side of the case. There are two basic types of evidence—witness testimony and exhibits.
Witness Testimony – When you tell the judge about something that happened, you are a witness giving testimony. There may be other people who saw or heard something that happened that is important to your case. For example, if your claim is about a car accident, someone who saw the accident may be an important witness; if your claim is about a verbal agreement, someone who heard you and the defendant making the agreement may be an important witness.
There are two ways you can offer what another person has to say at the hearing. One is to have the witness come to the hearing to tell the judge what the witness saw or heard. Another way is to have the witness write a statement and bring the statement to the hearing with you. It is usually better to have the witness come to the hearing. A witness in court is usually more convincing because the witness has to stand up in court and promise to tell the truth and the judge can ask the witness questions. If your witness lives a long distance away, you can ask the judge to allow the witness to testify by telephone. If you want to ask the judge to allow a witness to testify by telephone, you must make your request in writing, explain the reasons for your request, and file it with the court clerk at least two weeks before your hearing. The request does not have to be in any particular form but it must include the same caption (name of the court, name of the plaintiff and defendant, and case number) as the claim. The court clerk will notify you before your hearing whether the judge granted your request and any special instructions for you or your witness.
The second is to ask the court to subpoena (an order telling a witness to come to the hearing) your witness. You must ask the court clerk for a subpoena form. You must fill out the form and take it to the court clerk. The subpoena must be served (delivered to the witness in person). The subpoena can be served by the sheriff's office, by a private process server, or by any person at least 18 years old who is not a party (plaintiff or defendant) in your case or an employee of a party in your case. Private process servers can be found in the phone book. The sheriff's office or a private process server will charge a fee to serve the subpoena. The sheriff's office or a private process server will ask you for information you have that describes the witness and where the witness can be found. The sheriff's office will not search to find the witness for you. If you do not know where the witness can be found, some private process server offer investigative services. A private process server will charge you more to find the witness for you.
If the sheriff's office serves the subpoena, the sheriff's office will file a return of service with the court clerk that states whether the sheriff was able to serve the subpoena on the witness and if served, how the witness was served. If someone else serves the subpoena on the witness, the process server will need to file an "Affidavit of Service" with the court clerk before the hearing. In some counties, the process server can get a form from the court clerk. The affidavit must be typewritten or printed in black ink. It must have the same caption (name of the plaintiff, name of the defendant, and the case number). It must say whether the process server was able to serve the subpoena on the witness and, if the subpoena was served, when and how the witness was served. The affidavit must be signed in front of a notary and the notary must sign and seal the affidavit. In some counties, there is a notary at the court clerk's office. The witness may require you to pay a witness fee. If the witness is properly served and does not come to the hearing, the witness can be held in contempt and the judge can order the witness to pay a fine and/or go to jail.
Exhibits – Exhibits are things that may help prove your case. The most common types of exhibits are documents and photographs but an exhibit can be anything that is useful to show the judge what happened in your case. You should bring any exhibits to the hearing that may help prove your case. There are some types of exhibits that can be especially important in certain cases.
· If your case is about a contract (written agreement), you should bring all of the contract papers.
· If the plaintiff claims that you failed to pay money that you owed, you should bring a copy of your receipt or cancelled check.
· If there is an issue in your case about the condition of property, photographs of the property can be very useful.
· If there is an issue in your case about the cost or value of property or repairs to property, estimates and receipts can be very useful.
· If your claim is about a car accident, it is useful to have a diagram or drawing of the area where the accident occurred showing the streets, the location of any traffic signs or lights, and the location and direction of the cars. You can bring a diagram with you or the courtroom will have a drawing board where you can draw a diagram at the hearing. If police were called to the accident a copy of the police report may be useful and you may want the police officer to come to the hearing to testify as a witness.
If your exhibit is a tape recording, you should bring a
tape player to the hearing to play the tape. If your exhibit is a video
recording, you should call the court clerk's office before the day of your
hearing to let the court clerk know you are bringing a video so that a video
player can be available in the courtroom for your hearing.
Expert Witnesses – If there is an issue in your case about whether services were properly rendered by the plaintiff, it is likely that you will need a statement or testimony from an expert witness (someone who has training or experience in a trade or profession). An expert witness will review the facts of your case, tell the judge whether the plaintiff's work met the minimum standards of that trade or profession, and tell the judge how the failure to meet those standards caused your failure to pay for services. For example, the plaintiff's claim may be that you failed to pay for repairs to your car. Your position may be that your car wasn't running right and you took it to the plaintiff to fix it. When you got the car back it still wasn't running right. Your judge may or may not know anything about fixing cars—how to figure out what needs to be fixed and how to fix it. You may need someone with training or experience in fixing cars to tell the judge whether the plaintiff did what a properly trained and experienced mechanic should have done to figure out and fix the problem and whether the problem with your car now is because of something the plaintiff did wrong or because of some new problem.
The Roll Call – When you come to the courtroom for your hearing there may be several other small claims cases scheduled for the same time. The first thing the judge will do is call the roll of cases to find out which parties (plaintiffs and defendants) are present and whether each case will uncontested or contested. The judge will do the uncontested cases first.
Uncontested Cases – If either party in a case fails to appear, the case is considered to be uncontested.
Contested Cases – After the judge has finished
the uncontested cases, the judge will start hearing the contested cases. When
your case is called you and your witnesses will go to the defendant's table and
the plaintiff and the plaintiff's witnesses will go to the plaintiff's table.
If you have any papers, photographs, or other exhibits that you want the judge
to see you should give them to the court clerk at this time.
The judge will ask the parties (plaintiff and defendant) and their witnesses to be sworn to tell the truth. The parties and their witnesses will stand, raise their right hands, and the judge or court clerk will ask if each one swears or affirms that the testimony they are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
The judge will ask the plaintiff to explain the plaintiff's claim and the reasons for the amount of money the plaintiff is asking for. After the plaintiff explains the plaintiff's side of the case, the judge will ask you to explain why you disagree with the claim. The judge is likely to interrupt you with questions. If the judge interrupts you, the judge is not trying to be rude but is asking questions to guide you to the information that is relevant to showing that the plaintiff has not proven the elements of the case, showing the elements of a defense to the case, and to avoid wasting time with information that is not relevant. For example, if the claim is about a contract, the judge will be looking for information about whether there was an agreement, the terms of the agreement, whether the defendant breached the contract (failed to do what the parties agreed), and, if so, whether the breach caused damages to the plaintiff and the amount of damages. Some parties want to tell the judge all of the reasons they think the other party is a jerk (or worse) but that information is not relevant to what the judge must decide—which is whether the plaintiff has a legal claim and is entitled to judgment or whether the defendant has a legal defense to the claim.
While the plaintiff is explaining the plaintiff's side of the case to the judge, you should not interrupt. Also, the judge may not allow you to ask the plaintiff questions. If there is a question you would like to ask the plaintiff, tell the judge the question you would like to ask when you are explaining your side of the case. The judge will either tell you that you can question the plaintiff directly or the judge may ask the plaintiff your question. Many judges will now allow the parties in small claims court to question each other because in many cases the parties will get into an argument with each other and it won't help the judge get the information the judge needs to make a decision.
When the judge is done asking questions, the judge will either give your exhibits back to you or the judge may keep them in the court file. If the judge gives them back to you, you should keep them in case either party files an appeal. If the court clerk has not given your exhibits back to you after the time for appeal is over, you may ask the court clerk to give them back to you.
If possible, the judge will decide your case at the hearing and briefly explain the reasons for the decision. Once the judge has told you that the judge is ready to make a decision, the judge will not listen to any further argument about the case. Sometimes the judge may need time to research a legal issue, look at the parties' exhibits, or just need time to think about it. If the judge takes the case under advisement (needs more time to make a decision), a decision can be expected within a week or two after the hearing.
When the judge has made a decision, the judge will enter a judgment. If the judge decides that you should pay money to the plaintiff and/or that you should return personal property to the plaintiff, the judgment will be in favor of the plaintiff and state the amount of money you should pay and/or the personal property that you should return to the plaintiff. The judgment will also state the amount you are to pay the plaintiff for the cost of the filing fee that the plaintiff paid to file the claim and the amount of the cost the plaintiff paid to serve process on you. If the judge decides that you should not pay any money or return personal property, the judgment will be in favor of the defendant. The court clerk will either give a copy of the judgment to you and the plaintiff while you are at the hearing or mail one to you and the plaintiff after the hearing.
In some counties the court clerk makes a tape recording of small claims hearings. If you want a copy of the tape of your hearing, or if you want a transcript of your hearing, you can ask for one at the court clerk's office. You must pay a fee for a copy of the tape or transcript before the court clerk will make a copy of the tape or have a transcript prepared. (To prepare a transcript, a transcriber listens to the tape and types out everything that was said.)
If you disagree with the judgment you can file an appeal.


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RS-390 Echo
IMPORTANT: Analogue Systems modules have their own power cable that may or may not be compatible with your eurorack case. Click this link for an installation guide.
Voltage Controlled Delay, Mono In Stereo Out
- 12 hp
- 4.5 inches depth
- 160 mA +/-12V
- 160 mA +5V
The RS-390 is a 24-bit stereo digital delay line with a sample rate of 46.9kHz, and a maximum delay time of approximately three seconds. It offers three delay ranges with CV control, as well as CV control of the dry/wet mix. The input and output converters (ADC and DAC) are 24-bit linear PCM although the RS-390 uses 16-bit audio throughout.
We Also Recommend


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Job Description:
Grab a slice of Hollywood and join an award-winning team! Mid-West Family is looking for innovative, energetic, problem solvers who are dedicated to serving their communities in South Haven, Michigan! Experience the highs of owning your own business without the pressure of overhead. Get out of the office, meet new people, learn more about local businesses and engage your community. Mid-West Family provides you with extensive training and resources to create and sell systematic measurable advertising campaigns on market leading stations and groundbreaking digital platforms. You will help local businesses and the community thrive through creative problem solving while you earn a competitive salary, multi-level bonus structure, opportunities for promotion, benefits, and 401k. Strong performance will be recognized and rewarded on and individual and team basis.
College preferred, or equivalent outside sales experience is preferred, but will train the right person. Also, community involvement is preferred.
- Strong drive for personal success
- Interpersonal skills(in person and on the phone)
- Persuasive ability
- Confidence and an outgoing personality
- The ability to build relationships with customers
- Diplomacy and patience
- The ability to work under pressure and meet goals
- Good mathematical skills
- Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, and knowledge of social media platforms
- Time management skills
Contact Details:
Email the South Haven Sales Manager at email@example.com
Job Type:
** Mid-West Family is an equal opportunity employer


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Consumer confidence in the U.S. fell more than forecast in February as Americans grew more pessimistic about the outlook for the economy and employment.
Bloomberg reported that the Conference Board's index decreased to 78.1 from a revised 79.4 in January that was weaker than initially estimated, the New York-based private research group reported today (Feb. 25). The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a reading of 80.
The share of Americans who said business conditions would improve in the next six months declined to a four-month low. Bigger gains in payrolls and wages would help the economy recover from colder temperatures and snowstorms that weighed on growth at the start of the year.
"The biggest thing that'll help is if income growth was accelerating, which means you'd need a stronger labor market and more jobs being created," Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Pierpont Securities LLC in Stamford, Connecticut, said before the report. "On both counts we've had some progress, but certainly not enough to make people enthusiastic about their prospects."
To view the entire article click here.


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Park Hill Church
590 Fir Street, Downtown San Diego
Membership: 125
Pastor: Evan Wickham
Age: 36
Born: San Diego
Formation: Western Seminary, Portland, OR
Years Ordained: 15
San Diego Reader: What is your favorite subject on which to preach?
Pastor Evan Wickham: God is in relationship with himself — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — and out of that relationship comes humanity. The whole story of the Bible is that God pursues his family in love. I would want to preach on that my whole life — a relational God working history to recover a relationship with his family. At the end of the story, of course, he gets exactly what he wants — a renewed humanity in relationship with him.
SDR: What's your main concern as a member of the clergy?
PW: What I notice among millennials that grew up in the church is a tendency to love spirituality and hunger for an encounter with the divine; on the other hand, there's a real anti-authoritarian sensibility among millennials. The answer is for the millennials to rediscover the ancient identity of the church as the place of God's dwelling in the world, a place of God's healing presence, where the sick, infirm, and marginalized can find acceptance in a family.
SDR: Why non-denominational?
PW: My wife and I are leading a small team being sent from a family of churches in Portland, Oregon, to replant the church at 590 Fir St. Our family of churches in Portland are non-denominational with a conservative evangelical theology, but we also see a high value in social justice and a concern for the poor and the wellbeing of the community with a strong civic sense to help relieve suffering in the city at every level. It's that family style of church we hope to bring to Park Hill Church.
SDR: What is the mission of your church?
PW: To be the place of God's dwelling in the city, the presence of Jesus in San Diego along countless other denominations across denominational lines. The old boundary markers are less meaningful than they used to be, and that's great. It's less about denominations and more about networks. That's our goal — to network with other churches for gospel causes in San Diego that bring tangible healing to places of true need.
The last thing we want to be is a church that cloisters in the building for two hours a week and that's it. We see the gathering on Sunday as the huddle and everything we do all week long as the game. What's more important to football, the huddle or the game? Well, it's both, really — you can't have one without the other. So our mission is to live out what the Holy Spirit does during the gathering — to live out these things Monday through Saturday, in the park, on the beach, wherever you are in the city.
SDR: Where do you go when you die?
PW: I believe in a place of eternal separation from God for those who arrogantly reject the lordship of Christ; and there is a place at God's forever-table for those who respond in humility and receive the lordship of Christ. Both of those things are forever. Jesus is a beautiful, peaceful, loving lord; but he's also a just judge. Everyone wants justice and everyone wants the wicked, who have done them harm, to be judged. That's exactly what God is going to do through Christ on the final day. The great call of the gospel is to repent of your own injustice.
More from SDReader
- More stories by Joseph O'Brien
- Pushed out to the margins — July 20, 2018
- Great coffee to foster the next churchgoing generation — May 11, 2016
- First Lutheran Church of San Diego — Oct. 17, 2012
- Our Redeemer Lutheran Church — Nov. 2, 2011
- Sweetwater River Church — Sept. 28, 2011


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Woodcrafters Club of Tampa
is a group of people who love
woodworking and all things wood.
Skill levels range from complete
newbies to those who craft wood
for a living.
Stop by and check us out!
Meetings are the 3rd THURSDAY of every month at 7:00 pm
Oak Grove United Methodist Church
2707 W Waters Ave
Tampa, FL
Guests Welcome!
Special club projects and events include
Urns to honor veterans who have passed
Toy cars for children who would receive little during the holidays
2x4 Contests (building a project from one 8 foot 2x4)
"Green" projects (building something out of reclaimed materials/objects)
Tool and skill demonstrations
Shop visits
Demonstrations at the Florida State Fair
Membership drives at the annual Woodworking Show
Woodcrafters Club of Tampa
to download an application to join the club


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Your Destination for Information
Posted on February 8, 2018 at 5:34pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Photo and recipe from Sincerely Jean.
Try this homemade Red Velvet Oreo recipe for Valentine's Day.
Makes 12…Continue
Posted on February 5, 2018 at 11:25am 0 Comments 0 Likes
It's time for the Adult Winter Reading Program! For every book, magazine, audiobook, or e-book you check out from HCPL, you will be entered into a weekly gift card prize drawing. At the end of the program, all of the entry slips will go back into a hat to draw for a Kindle Fire HD (one for each library branch). Register for the program at any of…Continue
Posted on January 24, 2018 at 7:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Farewell to beloved sci-fi/fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin, who passed away January 22, 2018 at the age of 88. The daughter of two anthropologists, her stories deal with society and gender and attempt to deconstruct the culture we take for granted.
Her series include the Hain Cycle (read…Continue
Posted on December 4, 2017 at 4:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes


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It was 8 o'clock at night and I said to myself "I should make some pasta!". Out of all the things to do on a Friday night, I choose to stay at home, make pasta and watch Kitchen Nightmares. So, here we go with the recipe. I am finding it A LOT of fun to create recipe videos to put on YouTube now, so you have one this time! I hope you enjoy it! The recipe is also typed down below.
Also I have reached 100 000 views on my blog so I would like to make a big THANK YOU to every person out there! I couldn't be doing this without all your great responses! So again, thank you!
You'll need:
- 2 1/2 cups OO flour (or just all-purpose)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/4 water
- Pinch of salt
On a clean dry work surface, make a mountain with the flour. Create a well in the flour big enough to fit the eggs. Add your eggs and olive oil and then gently whisk them together.
Gradually begin to make little circles from the edges to slowly incorporate the flour into the eggs with a fork. Once the mixture begins to look like pancake batter, add the water and salt. Continue to mix more flour in until it again looks like batter. Now you can fold in the flour.
Knead your dough for 8-10 minutes until it is solid and smooth. During this process, you can add more flour if your dough is too sticky or more water if it is too dry. When you're done kneading, wrap your dough in plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
When you unwrap your dough, it should feel extra elastic, and you should see a bit of colour change. Cut your dough into 2 or 3 pieces to work with.
Use a pasta crank or a rolling pin to flatten out your dough thin. Fold your dough in half twice, and you can cut your pasta into whatever width you like. Gently separate the pasta with your hands. At this point, you can wrap it up and put it in the freezer to use another day, or you can boil up the water, add some salt, and toss the fresh pasta in for 1-2 minutes – until it floats to the top. Because it has not been dried, this pasta will cook a lot faster!
There you have it! Add your favourite sauce and serve. This was the second or third time I've made this recipe and I absolutely love it! There's nothing like fresh homemade pasta!


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Bill McMorris, opening this article about male friendship:
I got a telephone in my room right when "Boy Meets World" was getting big. I saw the characters chatting on the phone daily and mistook a studio cost-cutting device for how friends interacted. So I grabbed the school directory and called up my best friend at the moment, Sean.
"Hey, it's Billy"
The call was over in seconds.
I went through something similar. I grew up with two older sisters who were constantly on the phone at night. In my early teens I thought this was the expected behavior for guy friends. It always resulted in short, awkward conversations.
While my sisters could seemingly make a conversation go on for hours, me and my friends had problems making one go on for more than a few minutes. After a while we didn't bother. We'd see each other in school the next day.
Now I barely use the phone. However, I like the idea of a cigar night.
Read the entire article for an idea of how male friendship differs from female friendship. I like hanging out with my friends, but if they're just gonna come over and do nothing then what's the point? Let's drink and smoke,1 call each other horrible names, make jokes at each other's expense. But no ladies, because yes – we can't be our horrible selves around them.
Some friends and I tried the 21st century version of this years ago by declaring Wednesday as Xbox night. We tried it for a few weeks with GTA IV, meeting on Xbox Live at 8pm, and play together. The first session was just troubleshooting for people couldn't connect. It took about 90 minutes of trying to get one guy in, games starting and getting restarted. Not much fun was had.
Then when it finally did work and GTA IV got boring we couldn't settle on a new game. Imagine if you had a poker night and nobody really wanted to play poker, and you couldn't decide what game to play in its place.2 That was Xbox night.
Xbox night died quickly. Now when I do play games I either see a few people on my friends list playing games by themselves or a couple of them playing without me. …but mostly I see that they're on Netflix.
Maybe it really is better just to get guys together to drink and smoke.


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Securing Windows Terminal Services
A guide to securing Windows Terminal Services. There are entire books dedicated to this topic, here we will cover some of the essential security steps.
- Securing Windows Terminal Services
Vulnerabilities in Terminal Services
What is Terminal Services ?
Terminal services (also known as Remote Desktop) is a fantastic tool for system administration as it allows most tasks that would otherwise require physical server access to be performed remotely (excluding hardware changes, of course). This is particularly useful with the ongoing trend towards more and more services being operated from dedicated servers and virtual private servers located in data centers.
Why is it vulnerable ?
Because of all the power and flexibility it offers its prone to malicious attack. Because windows systems rely on this type of administration and when windows boxes are connected directly to the Internet methods of protection are required. Systems are vulnerable from many points, these include:
- Brute force attacks.
- Weak passwords.
- Social engineering techniques used to gather passwords.
- Operating system exploits.
Methods of protection
Now you know that there is a problem, here are some steps to minimise the risk and ensure security.
If you don't need it turn it off
Terminal services is a great tool, however if it's not needed you can turn it off:
To Enable or Disable terminal services.
- Click Start Then Control Panel and select the System Icon.
- Click the tab Remote.
- Under Remote Desktop, make sure the Allow users to connect remotely to this computer checkbox is unchecked or checked based on if you want to disable or enable the service.
Now turning it off is only useful if you don't want or need remote access or you want a isolated system.
Restrict who has access to Terminal Services
Restricting who has access to Terminal Services is a good starting point, methods include:
- Firewall
- Source based firewall restrictions are a great idea if you are connecting from a limited number of locations with static ip addresses.
- Windows has a built in firewall client that does a great job with source based restrictions however if you need to be able to connect from any location this might not work for you however the following is an alternative.
- A VPN is a great idea as it gives a good level of security as it creates a secure tunnel between the client computer and the server.
- There are many small, cheap and effective VPN appliances on the market that you can use to access your local network from remote locations with the peace of mind that its very secure, this eliminates the need to have terminal services facing a live interface.
- User Restriction
- By default terminal services is configured to only allow local administrators access to terminal services, Normally this works however if a user has been added to the "Remote Desktop" users group they will also have access, so closely audit this user group.
Windows Updates
A critical part of Windows system administration are Windows Updates. Updates normally are release on the second Tuesday of the month or Wednesday our time. There is a mailing list put out by Microsoft that you can find here Security bulletins.
Login banners give some basic security in the form of presenting a banner before a user will attempt to login to the system. This will not stop the more sophisticated hacker but it will often foil those accidentally attempt to login to the wrong system and those using older brute forcing tools against your terminal server.
To enable or disable the login banner:
- Click Start/Settings/Control Panel.
- Double-click Administrative Tools / Local Security Settings / Local Policies / Security Options.
- Set Message text for users attempting to log on.
- Set Message title for users attempting to log on.
- Logoff/Logon to test.
Secure passwords
Secure passwords are always needed, The Biggest vulnerability by far with Terminal Services is weak passwords Another article here on our Wiki has good suggestions for password complexity and security Passwords section in Securing Remote Access via SSH and Server Security. Password guessing is the primary method for attacking Terminal Servers, so it is critical that you take steps to protect against this type of attack. Try making users passwords easy to remember, but hard to guess. Also inform your to never give out their password!
Example of attack methods
TS Grinder
TS Grinder is a "dictionary" based attack tool, but it does have some interesting features like "l337" conversion, and supports multiple attack windows from a single dictionary file. It supports multiple password attempts in the same connection, and allows you to specify how many times to try a user name/password combination within a particular connection. Protecting against this type of attack is very difficult. The reason TS Grinder works is the administrator account has no lockout threshold.
There are several ways to combat TS grinder attacks:
- Complex passwords changed on a frequent basis
- A login banner.
- Renaming the Administrator account.
- Connecting through a VPN.
- Firewall limiting access control by IP or other information.
Terminal Services is a critical part of system administration, I know here we would be lost without it. If properly protected and setup it will be as secure as You make it!
See also:


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magazine "Man About Montréal"
With 3 restaurants already under his belt, Jean-François Corriveau next set his sights, logically enough, on food service and retail. The food? Meat. The retail? Boucherie Grinder, the latest room to join the already healthy roster of the city's 'nose-to-tail' butcher shops - market-style spaces where it's all about the aging process, in-depth product knowledge, specialty cuts, and a convenient, lifestyle-driven shopping experience.
With expertise in dry-matured meat that looks as good hanging in the refrigerated expanse of windows at the corner of Notre-Dame and Richmond as they would be searing on your barbecue, master butcher Charles Bizeul elevates steak to an art form, and is eager to share his passion. A stint at Fleisher's, the New York shop and birthplace of the 'neo-butchery' movement, taught him all about provenance, traceability, and the techniques involved in using as much of the animal as possible.
Charcuterie, and the processing of animal parts for both retail and restaurants rounded out his training, a valuable skill set for a group that provides for Grinder, Hachoir, and Lea. 'A large turnover allows for more inventory and a greater depth of choice for our clients', says Jean-François.
Speaking of clientele, while exposed sides of beef may not be everyone's idea of attractive window displays (PETA and FEMEN steer clear!), everything is geared to the on-the-go, sometimes hectic schedule of the end user: local professionals who likely already frequent Grinder down the street, appreciate and seek out quality, and live close by.
The somewhat artisanal space is airy and easy to browse, the hours are extended (open until 10pm four nights a week) for a drive by after work, and nice add-ons include valet service, online orders, and home delivery. Some ready-to-serve dishes (an area they could probably expand on) and meat seasonings are also available on site.
Our bet however is that even if you don't live in or around Griffintown you'll want to detour and check out the wares.


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The world becomes flattened, surface, ordinary, spiritless. And in response we succumb to the pseudo-enchantment of addiction to entertainment, to food, to alcohol, to sex, to possessions — out of our deep innate hunger for mystery, for spirit, for glory. Like Esau, we trade our birthright. We settle for glittering treasure, dragon bait, but then the dragon wakens and eats our souls. We become the hollow men and women that T. S. Eliot described. We may not know how to name it, but we are no less deprived, impoverished, hungry. The gnawing feeling that our lives ought to be more possesses us. And we are right. – Herbert Marcuse
Nature has lost its spiritual meaning. Centuries of denigration of "the world" by ill-conceived Platonist and gnostic notions in Western philosophy and theology have rendered nature "flat" for contemporary Western society. Our age has experienced the desacralization of the world and nature – a rendering of nature as lifeless and spiritually void. We see these ideas periodically expressed through the denigration of sex, excessive fasting and self denial, disengagement from society, and suspicion of joy and pleasure.
Rather than finding meaning and value rooted in this world, many religious traditions have posited the location of meaning and value in heaven. The real, the significant, the spiritual is transcendent, beyond, and certainly not in muddy, bloody nature.
Yet such a theology is purely speculative – despite our hope, we have no evidence of heaven, no proof of a joy to come. Those rejecting the joy's of this life are rejecting the only joy they might ever have.
The Nature-Based Impulse
Emerging nature-based spirituality and theologies have a core focus of affirming life and affirming nature, rooted in insights of the interconnectedness of all things, in the spiritually charged condition of nature, and in awe and gratitude for the goodness of this world – despite its imperfections.
Today's forms of Spiritual Humanism have strong connection to ancient, indigenous religions that emerged from specific lands and places and that found divinity in this world, in nature's rhythms, in the agricultural cycles, and in the progression of the seasons.
Ancient forms of paganism also contained elements common to other nature-based spiritualities – warrior spirituality, stories of sacred battles, animal and agricultural sacrifice, often the denigration of women, slavery, an abundance of superstition – and many other practices that we are right to reject today. Spiritual Humanism has discarded these remnants through the centuries, refining its practice toward ethical living, although often at the expense of genuine nature-based spiritual insights.
Spiritual Humanism therefore seeks to cultivate a this-worldly focus that weaves ethical living and deep reverence for the earth as something sacred into a tapestry of spiritual practice.
Such an immanent spirituality can be part of a wider postmodern protest against the modernist separation of nature and the sacred.
Life, more life, a larger, richer, more satisfying life, is, in the last analysis, the end of religion. The love of life, at any and every level of development, is the religious impulse."
— James Leuba, The Monist
To argue for an emphasis on an immanent theology is not to deny the existence of transcendent realities. It can be argued that to the extent that divinity and meaning are transcendent, they are lateral transcendence, rather than vertical one: the divine is infused throughout physical reality (panentheism), rather than being separate from it.
Recovering an Immanent Theology
This world is our context – our spiritual touchstone – and our connection to it is vital for our thriving. Humanity is inherently part of nature, we do not stand above or outside reality; we are fully ingrained within it. Our wholeness happens in this world.
Spiritual Humanism, at its best, is concerned with a holistic sense of circumstances – economic, political, social, cultural – and yes, spiritual. But by spiritual, we speak of the arena of human meaning which touches on the eternal, but isn't focused on another realm.
A healthy spirituality fosters an attitude of awe at the beauty, preciousness, oneness, and interconnectedness of everything. Rather than being perceived as flat and mechanical, nature is once again perceived as an interconnected web of vitality and meaning.
From an immanent perspective, this world is real, not illusory. Nor is it fallen. We do not seek to escape or transcend the world, but rather seek to deepen their experience of it. We should be skeptical of spiritual abstraction or otherworldliness.
A Theology of Thin Places
Ancient Celts used the notion of 'thin places' to describe situations or locations that are spiritually charged, where meaning is found, where the divide between the material and the immaterial is "thin" and things blend – where the spiritual reality of being bleeds through into the material world.
Thin places include places in nature – fields, forests, beaches – liminal moments – a sunrise or sunset, the changing of the seasons, the phases of the moon, the agricultural cycles – and human encounters – of love, kindness, healing, and justice.
Thin spaces are liminal places – spaces in between. Liminality (from the Latin word līmen, meaning "a threshold") refers to a heightened awareness that our understanding is in transition. A liminal space is literally a space in between where we "stand at the threshold" between two realities.
The divine shows itself in nature-based spirituality – each act of kindness, each blessing, each lighting of candles or seasonal ritual, each time we fulfill a sacred obligation – we release the inner light of creation, we allow the sacred to bleed through into our awareness, we reclaim as holy that much more of the world.
Further, much of Spiritual Humanistic observance takes place quite often in liminal space and time – sunset, new and full moon, at the end of a season, and at the liminal times of life – birth, maturation, marriage, death – a religion of thin places and spaces in between.
The nature-based cycle of holidays also evoke the spiritual dimensions of nature's cycles. Each holiday occurs at significant agricultural or seasonal moments. The cycle of nature-based holidays are rooted in the spiritual experience of nature – the agricultural cycles and the unfolding of the seasons – the liminal, or in between times – and the depth of each season itself.
Embracing the cycles of life and death, dark and light, planting, sowing, harvesting, and attuning ourselves to the rhythms of earth, sun, and moon, we uncover truths about ourselves and about divine energies.


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Canine Cruciate Ligament Injuries
Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injuries to the dogs' knee (stifle) is one of the most common causes of canine hindlimb lameness.
Typically this disease is degenerative, however, injuries can also be caused by traumatic incidents.
CCL problems are frequently reported in medium to large breeds with an average age between 6 – 8 years old. However breeds of any size and age can also be affected.
Benefits of Physiotherapy for Torn Ligaments in Dogs
Loss of the CCL support eventually leads to osteoarthritis. In many cases surgical intervention is recommended to help overcome this, although conservative management may also be possible.
Following surgery (both stabilisation and TPLO), studies show that "post-operative rehabilitation, improves range-of-movement and that long-term these exercises should be continued".
Physiotherapy aims are to improve;
- The muscle strength of the primary stance group, namely the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles
- The tone of these muscles reduces the potential for osteoarthritis
These aims are achieved by a mixture of electrotherapy, treadmill walking, massage, stretching and targeted 'weight-bearing' exercises. The continuing assessment of treatment programs are achieved by a combination of reviewing the joint movement, muscle tone, weight bearing, sitting / lying positions and the dog's ability to move into the stand position.