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Bible Study Time: Every Sunday at 2pm.
Lifegroups are designed merely to fulfill Acts 2:42 & 2:46-47 "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayer." (Acts 2:42), ."…. continuing with one mind ….taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their numbers …. those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47). Come and join the Dunamis Life Group alternate Fridays at 8.00 p.m. All are welcome!
Dunamis@Tampines (Leader : Pastor Francis Ng)
"He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds." (Ps 147:3)
The Home and Hospital Visitation team visit the homes of our members' regularly for a time of fellowship, worship and prayer and to strengthen their walk with God through an inspiration word. As we commit to this cause, more and more people felt the love of God through our team and are drawn closer to the Lord. Every visit has been an awesome time. If you require us to visit your home, or if you have loved ones who are sick in hospital, call us for our team's pastoral care.
PERAZIM cancer recovery was birthed out of a calling and was launched on Sat 21 April 2018. It is a ministry of Trinity Community Centre and a ministry of helps for cancer patients, survivors and care-givers.


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Sept 17, 2009 By C.S.NATHAN
GRAPES here? That can't be possible. That's the response I got after telling friends of my visit to the Sendayan Fruit Valley — a vineyard and orchard located on a 20ha site, practically in my own backyard.
But for software engineer turned grape grower Azrul Nazim Abd Aziz, it was the question of "Why not?," that encouraged him to try his hand at cultivating grapes here.
"In Thailand, they have been growing grapes for decades so why not here? After all, we share the same climate.
Good crop: Azrul (right) and Baumann showing off the fruits of their labour.
"No doubt we may not be able to cultivate a large variety but we can still churn out good-quality grapes for local consumption," he said.
Azrul, the managing director of A-WINN Global Market Services said he approached grape growers in Thailand for their expertise in the field before setting up his first vineyard.
"We started off a few years back on a plot of land in Selangor. With Thai know-how, we experimented with different varieties of grape until we had a winning formula for sweet table grapes.
"Once we were confident of a good product, we started scouting for land and that is when we decided to set up in Sendayan," he said.
The vineyard is just a 20-minute drive from Seremban's town centre (about 80km south of Kuala Lumpur), located on land leased from the state government.
Set up in 2007 and aiming to produce grapes on a commercial scale, Sendayan Fruit Valley is neither the first nor the only vineyard in the country but Azrul believes the high investment cost may be a deterrent for many other hopeful grape-growers.
"There are a couple of small-scale vineyards here but not many people are willing to take a chance on cultivating grapes commercially. Costs are high and we ourselves have put in about RM6mil into the business.
"The bulk of the costs were chanelled into research and development and we spend about RM10,000 monthly on labour, maintenance and equipment," he said.
However, the 35-year-old is pleased with his venture and has no regrets despite the many challenges he faced in the beginning.
"It took some time to get it right but that first harvest makes it all worth it. It's a very satisfying labour of love.
Currently, the vineyard is home to 6,000 grapevines with four varieties namely the black opal, shiraz and black pearl — all dark grapes and the white malaga, a green variety.
For a start, the grapes are harvested twice a year and 1,000 vines yield about three tonnes (3,000kg) of grapes which works out to an average of 30 tonnes (30,000kg) per year.
Yield is also dependent on the variety of grape as the size of the fruit differs.
At present, less than half of the land is used for grapes and Azrul is sure production will leapfrog once more vines are put in.
"By the middle of next year, we hope to have a continuous supply of grapes all year-round. Grapes are grown in a cycle and it takes about a year from seedling to fruit.
"We are also growing mangoes, lychee, dragonfruit, guava, bidara (Chinese apple) and longan here among others so there'll be quite a harvest of fruit," he said.
Azrul is assisted by his Swiss-Thai project director Arthur Baumann @ Adil Mustafa Abdullah, 49, who is just as passionate about growing grapes as he is.
In fact, Baumann had been growing grapes in Thailand for over a decade before he was roped in to help.
"I jumped at the chance as my wife is Malaysian and had wanted to come back for a long time," he said.
Grapes need tender loving care to grow well and for that Azrul has employed four local women, whose job it is to check on the vines daily.
There are no machines involved as the grapes have to be picked entirely by hand.
Another five people including two Thais work on the vineyard full-time while Azrul and Baumann make weekly trips to check on its progress.
For a taste of these locally-produced grapes, consumers have to visit the vineyard as they are not in the market just yet.
"Our grapes are much cheaper than the imported varieties plus it is good for you. Pesticides are kept to the minimum and we use our own organic fertiliser," said Baumann.
Bonsai grapes and grape seedlings — starter kits for aspiring home grape-growers are also for sale at the vineyard.
Although the vineyard does not resemble its Napa or Loire valley counterparts in the Napa or Loire just yet, it is still a nice place to visit for a change of scenery and a taste of made-in-Malaysia grapes.
Both Azrul and Baumann hope that the Sendayan Fruit Valley will become an agro-tourism site where visitors can come and pick their own fruit and have picnics among the vines.
"Now, all we have to do is wait for the trees to mature and to provide a cosy spot for picnickers and the like. That's what this is really - a sort of orchard, only with grapes instead of durian.
"You'll not find a combination like this anywhere else," said Azrul.
As for me, a visit to the vineyard with my friends are on the cards — nothing else will wipe the disbelief off their faces than a taste of one of those sweet crunchy Sendayan Fruit Valley grapes.
To buy grapes from the vineyard, contact 016-228 8819 (Arthur Baumann) or 012-376 4751 (Farah).
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Duo growing grapes in Sendayan - Star
Posted by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Richard Ng at 3:02 PM
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subset: commoncrawl


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Julianna Margulies Is Looking Forward To Drinking More With 'Good Wife' Cast After Finale!
Julianna Margulies strikes a pose on the red carpet while attending The Good Wife Finale Party held at the Museum of Modern Art on Thursday (April 28) in New York City.
The 49-year-old actress was joined at the event by her co-stars Matt Czuchry, Christine Baranski, Graham Phillips, Zach Grenier, Cush Jumbo, Nathan Lane and Charlie Pollock.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Julianna Margulies
That same evening, Julianna along with Matt and Christine made an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where they discussed still being friends after The Good Wife finale – Watch their interview below!
"It's sad, we won't be together everyday but at least we will be drinking when we're together this time so we're going to have fun," Julianna told Stephen.
'The Good Wife' Cast – 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'
25+ pictures inside of Julianna Margulies and her co-stars at The Good Wife finale party…
'The Good Wife' Cast – 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'


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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness (CCMC) today reaffirmed its position on reforming America's capital markets and outlined actions the administration, Congress, and the business community must take to help restore and strengthen our nation's capital markets. The Chamber again called for modernizing the regulations governing our capital markets in a way that puts the economy, jobs, and all investors first.
"We welcome Senate action to reform our broken financial regulatory system," said David Hirschmann, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber's Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness (CCMC). "This effort needs to have a strong focus on protecting consumers and investors, while ensuring that our markets also supply businesses and entrepreneurs with the capital they need to grow, innovate, and create jobs."
The Chamber supports:
-- An overhaul of existing regulators and greater transparency in
financial markets.
-- Greater coordination among regulators, including mechanisms to ensure
regulators have the information needed to identify systemic risks.
-- Closing the gaps to end regulatory "dead zones" and eliminating
duplicative layers in current regulatory structure.
-- Greater global regulatory cooperation primarily focusing on cross
border regulatory issues and financial reporting.
-- An exit strategy for programs established by Congress, Treasury, and
the Federal Reserve to address the financial crisis.
-- Predictable mechanisms to dissolve failing financial institutions in
an orderly fashion.
-- Registration of hedge fund advisers, including appropriate reporting
to regulators.
-- Ensuring transparency in the derivatives markets through a greater use
of central clearing, while preserving the accessibility and
affordability of the over-the-counter markets for corporate end-users
of derivatives.
The Chamber opposes regulatory proposals that would impair financial markets and our members' access to capital:
-- A new stand-alone Consumer Financial Protection Agency, which would
add a duplicative regulatory layer to the current structure.
-- Proposals such as so-called proxy access that advance the agendas of
activist special interests at the expense of good governance.
-- One-size-fits all corporate governance rules such as those
contemplated in proposed "Shareholder Bill of Rights" legislation.
-- A systemic risk regulator that duplicates existing regulation or
permanently designates specific financial institutions as systemically
significant, thereby designating them "too big to fail."
-- Mechanisms for sustained, open-ended government intervention in the
private economy. We can only support resolution authority if it is
narrowly tailored to achieve the orderly bankruptcy and dissolution of
"The regulatory systems governing our markets need to be modernized, and the current debate should not be about more regulation, but smarter regulation," said Hirschmann. "We must ensure the viability of global accounting, protect companies from excessive litigation and abusive enforcement, and stop special interests from stretching the rules governing markets in order to pursue activist agendas. We look forward to working with Chairman Dodd in shaping a regulatory system needed to meet the demands of a dynamic 21st century economy."
Since its inception three years ago, the Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness has led a bipartisan effort to modernize and strengthen the outmoded regulatory systems. Fundamental to this effort, the Chamber believes we must eliminate duplicative and overlapping layers of regulation and enforcement that undermine efficiency.


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Ada Olive
Although one could reasonably think the head meat cutter would run the show in the Buzz meat shop, it's all Ada. With a smile always on her face she keeps everyone in line and work flowing.
Favorite Part of your Job: Packaging the various meat for customers
Favorite Cut of Meat: Flat Iron
Describe yourself in 3 words: Sweet, Hardworking, Funny
Song that describes your life
Song that describes your life: "Flawless"
Favorite Dance Move: Twerking
Best concert you attended: Blake Shelton
Best advice you've received: "Life is short, smile while you still have teeth."
Favorite outdoor smell: Honeysuckle
Splurge grocery item you haven't splurged on yet: Fancy Cheese
Food item you can't run out of: Apples


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The so called group of Serbian citizens "Freedom" have presented their initiative to erect a statue of the former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade.
This group submitted their request to the Municipal Assembly, the Directorate for Monuments and Names of Belgrade Roads and Squares, as well as to the Presidency.This initiative is supported by the MP Milutin Mrkonjic and the former Foreign Minister Zhivadin Jovanovic, Serbian media reports.
Jovan Dimitrijevic, a member of the Initiative Council, said that Milosevic's role in protecting the citizens is undeniable.
"Milosevic was a hero of his time, the defender of the country under NATO bombs and defender of the country in the most difficult times. The moral obligation of citizens to an innocent man and a warrior is the erection of a monument," said Dimitrijevic.
While Jovanovic said that Milosevic was undoubtedly one of Serbia's greatest citizens.
Serbian citizens efforts to erect Slobodan Milosevic's statue Friday, March 09, 2018 Rating:


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Bright Contrast Double Stamping NailsHello Fellas, I know its not the right kind of weather to flaunt Neons and Brights. But frankly I have never cared about weather or surroundings. All I care about is my mood and what I want to rock on nails. And seeing intense sun on a off day noon, there was nothing less than a neon that I desired to wear.
So I took my happiest polishes from Orly. I started with applying Orly Key Lime Twist as a base. Its a delicious smooth lime neon.I mean it's not an In Your Face Neon, shying away all other colors. Its a luscious subtle version neon, blending into any color and design seamlessly.
All who have been reading my blog/Instagram know that I have never ever ever attempted a Water Marble. I am too scared of failing and wasting so much polish irrespective. Having said that, I still love watermarble nails, specially if it paired with some other technique ex- Vinyls, stamping or freehand.
But lack of any traces of Water Marble skill whatsoever, I have always missed that side of fun. Recently, I was sent a cool collection of Bornpretty stamping plates and it had this cool water marble plate. I used Harunouta L005 stamping plate, you can buy them here and get 10% discount with code HQBQ10.
Now, that's what I have been waiting for. I stamped over "Key Lime Twist" with Orly brightest in your face orange neon 'Life is a Beach' . Its an obnoxiously distracting orange neon like mother of all neons.
On the bright fun water-marbled looking base, I stamped a negative space design from BornPretty Store BPL0024. Its is a versatile floral and leaves pattern plate that I have been using every now and then. I stamped using Konad Black and Bamm! I was in LOVE with the contrast, the happy water-marbled base and the clicks I got in my balcony. I never appreciated a free resource like sunlight till I got into nailart and realized how different and livey pics come in sunlight, ofcourse absolutely necessary for a holo.
But I see very less of sun because when I leave for work its 8am when sun is very subtle and when I am back its already moon time at 7pm. So I get excited on weekends when I can see Sun in its full strength and feel like swatching all my holographics at once :). Do you guys have similar lusty feeling for sun? And are you lusting over my mani, because I sure am.


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Role: ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
John Steinbeck's classic novel was adapted by Frank Galati for Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1988. It tells the epic tale of the Joad family's exodus from the dust bowl of Oklahoma during the Great Depression to the rich, ripe orchards and vineyards of California. Complete with a motorised truck, a Dixie band, a river and a torrent of rain, this production carves its way across the North American landscape and into the social and political heart of the USA.
Director: JOHN CLARK
Assistant Directors: ANDREW DAVIDSON
Playwright: FRANK GALATI after STEINBECK
Set Designer: STEVEN BUTLER
Costume Designer: ALEXANDRA GALLERY
Lighting Designer: ANTHONY PEARSON
Photographer: BRANCO GAICA
National Institute of Dramatic Art
Parade Theatre, Sydney
October 2004


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Games. We all play them. It's what makes us "gamers," right? Whether you enjoy the occasional card, board, or roleplaying game, the one constant for me has been the "fun factor." If I'm not having fun playing a game, it's probably not worth playing. But until I started writing my own game materials more than a decade ago and started reviewing game materials over the last few years, I really hadn't broken the experience down into what makes the games I play most often "fun." It's kind of like art and the old adage "I don't know much about art, but I know what I like."
Well, the Kobolds have managed to virtually corral some of the world's best game designers together and convince them that they should share some of their secrets with the rest of us. The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design is the result and let me tell you, there's an amazing array of talent talking about their shared passion in this book. In twenty different essays, these folks manage to cover the process of game design from coming up with a concept and designing it, to honing that design and the rules for others, and then presenting it to potential publishers. Soup to nuts, it's covered here. This is an amazing glimpse
behind the curtain at what goes into getting a design from concept to store shelf.
Though I've had it here to peruse for a while, when I finally got to it the whole book took less than a couple of days to get through – but don't let that fool you into thinking this is a quick read. I strongly suspect that I could re-read this tome multiple times and glean different tips and techniques each time.
And what I absolutely love is that there is reinforcement of key points all through the book. For instance, in "Play More Games", Richard Garfield (invented a small game called Magic: The Gathering) suggests that anyone who wants to design games should play lots of them – all types too, not just the kind you want to create. And then in "Whose Game Is It Anyway?" Mike Selinker (who has been involved with everything from Pirates of the Spanish Main, Axis & Allies Revised Edition, the Harry Potter Trading Card Game, and D&D 3E) shows why you need to play all sorts of games. Submitting your games to publishers that don't really "fit" what you're trying to do isn't going to get you far. And how do you learn more about different publishers? By playing their games!
Other designers who contributed essays include:
- James Ernest, owner and lead designer for Cheapass Games
- Jeff Tidball, freelance writer and game designer who built Pieces of Eight, was involved in developing the Dragon Age Roleplaying Game and much much more
- Matt Forbeck, game designer and writer who has worked with Pinnacle Entertainment Group (as president), Human Head Studios (as director of adventure games), plus Wizards of the Coast, Games Workshop, Mattel and many others
- Andrew Looney, creator of games like Fluxx and Icehouse
- Rob Daviao, Hasbro designer on projects like Risk: Black Ops and Heroscape
- plus Lisa Steenson (Gut Bustin' Games), Dale Yu (creator of Dominion, Paul Peterson (master of Magic: The Gathering, Dave Howell (The Primal Order), Teeuwynn Woodruff (Lone Shark Games, Magic: the Gathering, Vampire: The Masquerade), Steve Jackson (Munchkin, GURPS), Richard C. Levy (Warstone, Adverteasing), and Michelle Nephew (Atlas Games)
When you stop to consider the sheer amount of game design experience in this collection of people it's insane.
Even as a reviewer, The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design is going to be in my collection of go-to resources for years to come. The next time I try to explain why a particular game lacks the "Fun Factor" I'm going to dive back into this book to figure out why it didn't work for me. This book should definitely be on any game designer's bookshelf, but it will most likely offer some insights into some of today's favorite designers for players as well!
Related articles
- Take a Look at The Complete Kobold Guide to Game Design from Kobold Quarterly (koboldquarterly.com)
- The Complete Kobold Guide to Game Design from Berin Kinsman's Dire Blog " rpg (berinkinsman.wordpress.com)
- The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design from G*M*S Magazine (gmsmagazine.com)
- review: kobold guide to board game design from Fame & Fortune (satyrelite.blogspot.com)
- Challenges for Game Designers from Glimm's Workshop (glimmsworkshop.com)
- The First Board Game I Fell In Love With: Andrew Looney from Kobold Quarterly (koboldquarterly.com)


text: We would like to invite everyone to our fifteenth meeting, despite the fact that our last meeting announcement was for the thirteenth meeting. It was not a matter of simply skipping the announcement, it was a matter of simply skipping the meeting! Somehow, we inadvertently agreed that we shall not have a fourteenth meeting. Recognizing that […]READ MORE »


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Skye Andrews
My name is Skye Andrews. I am from Christchurch New Zealand. My debut novella I am Terry Walker came out last year. It is about a serial killer who uses various torture methods to kill his victims. My second novella Living with the torture killer came out February this year and is a companion/follow on from I am Terry Walker. The third book in the series A disturbed mind release date TBA
Nathan Bush
Nathan Bush is the author of The Foley Chronicles: Files from the 8th District, a Christian based crime series. He currently has two published works: Written in Blood (2016), and Root of Evil (2017). His third work in the series, Twisted Christian, will be published in 2018. The Foley Chronicles: Dark Sides of Foley is a spin off series of short stories that will give readers a 'behind the story' look into the past of Foley. The first title in this series, Dark Blue Rising, will be published in 2018. His writing is not so much a 'who dunnit', but a 'how and why', style. His purpose in writing is not only to entertain, but to draw readers into the lives of his characters, as well. His work can be found at www.amazon.com/Nathan-Bush/e/B06WD4H9LY/. You can follow him and get updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FoleyChroniclesNathanBush/
Margaret Craig
I am a retired teacher/administrator who is now able to pursue her dream of writing a work of fiction worthy of being read for enjoyment. I have currently completed my first novel, DEATH BY STUPIDITY, available at Smashwords.com and Amazon.com in both eBook and paperback. In short it's about three guys, three deaths, and the cop that is in pursuit. I am so excited and proud to have actually accomplished this feat. My hope is that it will sell and the people who bought it will feel they entertained. I am now writing a second book called TEACHER ONCE REMOVED that I hope will be complete by the end of March. It is succinctly about a first year teacher a student has targeted to abuse.
Blair Denholm
Blair Denholm is a freelance writer and translator who has lived in Moscow, New York, Munich, Abu Dhabi and Australia. He has written content for commercial websites and done corporate voice-over work in English and Russian. His first novel in the Gary Braswell series, SOLD, was released by Clan Destine Press in November 2017 and is getting rave reviews. He is also working on a murder mystery based on a real event that occurred in Moscow in the late 1980s.
Vicki Fitzgerald
Briguella – After seven women fall victim to a serial killer, journalist Kate Rivendale becomes embroiled in the manhunt. The authorities have no suspect, only one forensic link dating way back to the 1930s. Detective Chief Inspector William Beckley needs to salvage his career; he has too many deaths on his conscience. Beckley entices Kate to go undercover, a decision which backfires with devastating consequences. While DCI Beckley reaches a horrifying conclusion about the murderer Kate enters a desperate fight for her life… while battling to keep her own secrets buried.
Ben Hurren
I'm both a writer and playwright. I love the art of storytelling. Be it love and despair; or hate and violence! Having read hundreds of novels from such greats as Stephen King, James Herbert, James Patterson I've always loved a good character driven thriller and I have learned much. From the dramatic exchange of characters to dark and twisted circumstances they find themselves in. Endings are very important to me too! I'll never rush an ending as I thrive on taking people on a satisfying journey they'll remember, over and over again! I'm a reader, just like you and I relish in the satisfaction of a good story. I hope you enjoy my work.
Shaun Kolich
My name is Shaun Kolich and my book Perfectly Imperfect is about a Hit man named Nataly. He has a change of heart that escalates many lives to a downward spiral of chaos.
Arnaldo Lopez Jr.
Mr. Lopez is a resident of Queens, NY. He is a happy retiree, spending his time reading, writing, painting, and catching up on movies and t.v. shows. His first novel, Chickenhawk, is the winner of two International Latino Book Awards.
Axel Matfin
I've been writing seriously since I was 15 and publishing my own work since 2012. I started with 'zines and the moved on to do a pulp fiction action adventure crime novel series called The Bartender. The books take the titular character and explore a world of genres. I have another series called Lazlo, which follows the exploits of globe trotting super operative Lazlo. I've finally built a body of work that I feel comfortable presenting to the world so check it out!
John McKay
"You should have left me alone." Charlotte Corday was once called the most dangerous woman on the planet by the FBI until she retired. But it's not so easy to remain retired when the past is determined to drag her back into the hell she wanted to leave behind her. To uncover the origins of the mysterious Valkyrie program, Charlotte fights through her own dark past, dredged up by those determined to keep her out of retirement… or out of the business permanently… and to find solace in her own razor blade filled mind. Her own words—her own warning—will come to haunt them. They should have listened.
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-venom-protocols Google Play: https://goo.gl/CWkN9A Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/781944 Amazon: https://goo.gl/atQQ3v
Diane Moat
When I turned 50, two years ago, I wanted to do something crazy. Since I did a lot of dog rescue, I thought I would write a short story about that. It's true everyone has a story to tell! I now have two series. One is a middle-grade fantasy about a young girl who pet-sits magical animals. I am currently working on the third book in an adult crime thriller, with a young woman who turns vigilante against animal abusers.
Denver Murphy
Gamekeeper Turned Poacher is a debut British crime thriller with a twist. The murder is a former detective who intends staying one step ahead by using his unique insight into police procedures. However, in DCI Stella Johnson he meets his match in this classic tale of cat and mouse. All the reviews so far have been 5 stars with readers explaining how they couldn't put the book down, thanks to the tension and identifiable characters. Gamekeeper Turned Poacher marks the first novel for this hugely promising author.
William B. Naylor (Will)
As a younger man, Will lived in Sri Lanka, the Maldive Islands, (Indian Ocean) and in Surinam and French Guiana (South America). This led to his completing a B.A. in Sociology/ Anthropology upon his return to Canada. At present, he calls Eskasoni, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia home. He thrives with his wife Francine, (his ideal first reader) serves as a tutor and group facilitator, writes and spends as much time as he can with his grandchildren who also appreciate the value of a tale well told.
Who Got the Meat Came Off Them Bones?
Do you like riddles? Ones that pit will against skill? Looking for an off-beat 'said the Spider-to-the-Fly' tale? One peppered with colorful characters and more twists than a ram's horn? Featuring a family that jealously guards its ugly secrets while enjoying the protection of a community that simply doesn't want to know. Can any of us be as dumb as all of us? Welcome to Millicent's mirrored palace of crazy wisdom.
See also – My 'Flash' Abcedery, A Sampler of the Wit, Wisdom and Waggery of William B. Naylor, Concisely Conveyed in 26 Fifty-five Word Stories. Please Note: Flash fiction is not to everyone's taste. If you haven't read or tried haiku you may not like the conciseness and brief beauty of Flash. and Things That I Carry "Things That I Carry" is a wide ranging collection of 55 previously unpublished flash fiction tales each comprised of 55 carefully selected words.
Brian Paone
Brian Paone was born and raised in the Salem, Massachusetts area. Brian has, thus far, published four novels (which are detailed below). Along with his four novels, Brian has published four short stories: "Outside of Heaven," which is featured in the anthology, A Matter of Words; "The Whaler's Dues," which is featured in the anthology, A Journey of Words; "Anesthetize (or A Dream Played in Reverse on Piano Keys)," which is featured in the anthology, A Haunting of Words; and "Two Gunslingers," which is featured in the anthology, A Contract of Words. Brian is also a vocalist and has released seven albums with his four bands: Yellow #1, Drop Kick Jesus, The Grave Machine, and Transpose. Brian is married to a US Naval Officer, and they have four children. He is a retired police officer and worked in law enforcement for sixteen years from 2002 – 2018. He is a self-proclaimed roller coaster junkie, a New England Patriots fanatic, and his favorite color is burnt orange.
Novels: 1. Dreams Are Unfinished Thoughts (2007 – drama/music): "When the lines between a drug-addicted rock star and a die-hard fan begin to blur …" 2. Welcome to Parkview (2010 – cerebral-horror; ie. Stephen King meets Twilight Zone): "In a town built on madness and the macabre, even truth can be a deception …" 3. Yours Truly, 2095 (2015 – time-travel-romance): "Trapped 114 years in the future, Jeff has a decision to make: repair his failing marriage in 1981 or start anew with a copy of his wife in 2095 …" 4. Moonlight City Drive (2017 – supernatural crime-noir): "A self-righteous killer terrorizing the streets. A disgruntled detective hot on his trail. An army of ghouls pulling the puppet strings. No one gets out alive …"
D.R. Shoultz
GONE VIRAL The year is 2032, and the deadliest bioterrorist attack on record had already fallen on the Sydney Olympic Games, killing thousands of spectators and athletes. CIA agents Miles Stevens and Terri King are transported back in time from their Langley offices in 2050, arriving two weeks prior to the disaster. Their mission: to erase the epic attack from history.
D.R. Shoultz A dog lover, blogger and author of several novels, D.R. (Donn) Shoultz hails from a small town in central Illinois. He and his wife Claudia have called North Carolina home for more than 20 years. Donn writes at their mountain retreat off the Blue Ridge Parkway where Claudia shares her editorial experience in shaping his novels, and where they both enjoy hiking nearby wooded trails with their dog, Milo. Donn turned his focus to writing in the fall of 2010 following a 32-year career in corporate America that took him around the world. His ongoing writing projects include posting regular thoughts to his blog, submitting short stories to competition, and working on his next novel. Having recently finished the third book in the Miles Stevens series, GONE VIRAL, Donn has begun a murder mystery set in the foothills of North Carolina. Donn's short stories have received recognition in national writing competitions. Blending captivating characters with suspenseful plots, Donn strives to appeal to a broad range of readers. His books include: • Corrupt Connection • Better Late Than Ever • Melting Sand – A Miles Stevens Novel #1 • Cyber One – A Miles Stevens Novel #2 • Gone Viral – A Miles Stevens Novel #3 • It Goes On – Short Story Collection #1 • Most Men – Short Story Collection #2 You can find Donn's books on Amazon and Goodreads, or go to drshoultz.com to learn more.


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into swords
And now their ploughshares are beat into swords
-as are ours.
Now their pruning hooks are beat into spears
-as are ours.
Not only swords and spears,
but bullets, and bombs, and missiles,
of steel on flesh,
of power against bodies...
And you, in your indignation sound your mantra,
'Blessed are the peacemakers.'
We dare to believe they are the aggressor,
and we are the peacemaker.
Yet in sober night dream, we glance otherwise
and think we may be aggressor,
as we vision rubbled homes,
murdered civilians,
and charred babies.
And you, in our sadness, sound your mantra,
'Blessed are the peacemakers.'
We do not love war,
we yearn for peace,
but we have lost much will for peace
even while we dream of order.
And you, in your hope, sound your mantra,
'Blessed are the peacemakers.'
Deliver us from excessive certitude about ourselves.
Hold us in the deep ambiguity where we find ourselves,
Show us yet again the gaping space
between your will and our feeble imagination.
Sound your mantra with more authority,
with more indignation,
through sadness,
in hope... '
Blessed are the peacemakers.'
Only peacemakers are blessed.
We find ourselves well short of blessed.
Give us freedom for your deep otherwise,
finally to be blessed,
in the name of the Peacemaker
who gave and did not take. Amen.
Walter Brueggemann Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth


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This is first in a series of blog posts where we focus on event organizers. Keeping in mind the growing popularity of unconferences in India, we asked Kiran of HasGeek if he could write about how AndroidCamp was arranged. Read on to gain insights on how attention to detail ensures an awesome experience for your attendees.
HasGeek organized AndroidCamp on April 1 in Bangalore. We came up with the plan in late February. We had just finished the DocTypeHTML5 series in five cities and wanted to do something lightweight. Android was a great topic and it seemed a good time to reboot the unconference format.
One of our sponsors at DocType HTML5 — Althea Systems — had recently moved into a new office with a spare floor for expansion. They offered us the space for an event. Since the floor was completely empty, we were free to set it up any way we liked.
The Cricket World Cup series was running through March, so we picked the only free date in the calendar, April 1, and put together a website in two hours with a simple announcement linked to a sign-up form. The website went viral on Twitter and in two days we had 300 sign-ups.
We still hadn't decided on any specifics regarding the event. The only thing confirmed was the date, April 1. We closed the venue and, as key item in our plan to reboot the unconference format, decided to charge for participation. Most community events are either free to participants, with all costs being picked up by a sponsor, or charge participants while being free to speakers. We decided to charge everyone the same fee, regardless of whether they were speaking or not. Our reasoning was two-fold:
- We wanted the event to be participant-supported. A common refrain in Internet marketing is that if you are not paying for it, you are the product being sold; you're not the customer. We felt this true. The event had to be viable on the basis of participant support. Any sponsor support had to be a bonus.
- A fundamental rule of unconferences is that the organizers don't interfere in the content. Much of an unconference's content is dynamic, with participants deciding to propose sessions based on what they see happening around them. This meant we couldn't recognize anyone as speaker prior to the event, so we charged everyone the same flat fee.
The next issue was with determining venue capacity and charging the fee. We've seen a turnout of between 40-60% at free events and about 80% at paid events. When given the choice of paying online or at the venue, only about 40% pay online. These two factors make for a lot of ambiguity on actual turnout at the event — especially since we had a small venue that could only take about 150.
We decided to offer everyone a discount of 10% if they paid online, with a ticket price of Rs 300. The ticket covered for lunch and unlimited all-day beverages. This approach worked: over 90% of our participants chose to pay online. It allowed us to fine tune our logistics to cover for exactly the expected turnout, making the most of the thin margins we were operating at.
We used DoAttend for our billing. DoAttend provides an embeddable form that we could integrate into our website with practically no effort. It took just a few minutes.
As the event date got closer, we turned to venue arrangements. Most all-day events have two tea/coffee breaks. We thought it was bad user experience to have everyone stand in line for up to ten minutes, so we kept the counter open all day. Given the onset of summer heat, we went with chilled soft drinks instead of hot tea/coffee and stocked up a fridge that anyone could take from.
Convention halls at hotels are priced on the basis of food, so the selection tends to be elaborate and loaded with carbs. This results in carb coma: participants get drowsy and have trouble paying attention to the post-lunch speaker. Many will desperately look forward to the next tea/coffee break, or head out to the nearest coffee shop. We deliberately selected a light meal that was just right for the afternoon.
The common layout of a venue is to have a speaker's corner with a projector and screen, with chairs filling the rest of the space. We figured we could do better than this. Plastic chairs are uncomfortable beyond a few hours, besides making the event feel cheap. Hotels typically provide metal chairs covered with white cloth. Whether to protect from bedbugs or hide stains is unknown, but what happens is that the occupant of the chair keeps sliding down and must constantly readjust position. Most events see their audience thinning out post-lunch because participants can't bear to sit on those chairs after a nice meal.
We did away with the chairs.
Not entirely: we still had them, but only in a single row in the back. For the rest of the hall, we filled it up with mattresses and cushions. Our participants loved it. The mattresses gave the space an informal air, breaking the unspoken hierarchy that separates speakers from audience. Participants felt more comfortable asking questions and engaging in discussion. Our audience strength post-lunch was the same as pre-lunch. Making the space comfortable convinced everyone to remain there all day. In the feedback session at the end of the day, the mattresses were rated as one of the most notable features of the event.
Our total effort in putting together the event: about four man days. This was by far our easiest event to organize and DoAttend played a significant role in it.


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Between all the gift-giving, travel, parties, and big family dinners, overspending during the holidays is a common phenomenon. However, going into the red can make the most wonderful time of year downright stressful. Here are five tips for saving money between now and January.
Make a Budget and Stick to It
Have a lot of friends and relatives to shop for? Before you hit the mall or the Buy Now button, make a list with an exact dollar amount that you can afford to spend on each person. And because most of us tend to buy a little something for ourselves while shopping for others, factor a gift for yourself into your budget. If the gifts you planned on buying are marked down, great. But resist the urge to buy extra presents just because theyre on sale. Bonus: Set up holiday savings account now for next year. Parting with $100 a month is a lot easier than coming up with an extra $1,000 to buy presents for the 2016 holiday season.
Shop Online, but Dont Overpay for Shipping
Without question, shopping online saves you time, money and gas (since you can comparison shop to your hearts content without setting foot outside your door). But beware of steep shipping prices, especially if you procrastinate and get stuck with rush charges. You can avoid paying for shipping altogether by having your purchases mailed to a retailer's brick-and-mortar store for pickup, or by taking advantage of free shipping promotions. You can also find free shipping codes at sites like FreeShipping.org. And dont forget about Free Shipping Day on December 18th, when hundreds of merchants will offer free shipping on all purchases with guaranteed delivery by December 24th.
Don't Spoil Your Kids
You might not view buying every single toy your children ask for as a waste of money, especially when you see their eyes light up every time they open a gift from you. But keep in mind that many of those items could potentially wind up under a bed or in the back of a closet within a matter of days – and sometimes within a matter of hours. Better to spend your money on a few items (or even just one item) you know they'll really use.
Keep an Eye on Your Airfare, Even After You Buy Your Ticket
If youre traveling by plane to see friends or relatives over the holidays, keep this little-known fact in mind: You can get most airlines and online travel agencies to give you a rebate (usually in travel credits or vouchers) if the price of your flight is marked down from what you paid prior to your travel date. You just have to ask for it. Sites like Yapta.com will send you alerts if the price drops on a flight you've booked. The only downside is that some airlines charge significant fees for rebooking your flight. If the fee outweighs your rebate, it's obviously not worth it.
Don't Wait to Pay Off Your Credit Card
True, buying all your gifts and other holiday items on sale is a great way to save money. But if you charge everything to a credit card and don't pay off the balance right away, those savings can easily be erased by the interest and fees that you may have to pay. Bonus: Forcing yourself to pay off your credit card in full will likely temper your spending.
Dont let financial stress drain all the joy out of your holidays. After all, its not the money you spend on your family and friends that really counts. Its the time.


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Tasting Notes This great California port is a medium bodied port wine, intensely flavored and moderately sweet. It offers nutty flavors mixed with fruity aromas such as black currant, plum, caramel and dried red fruits - an excellent pairing with dark chocolate for an after dinner treat! This is a 750ml bottle.
Chocolate And Wine Pairing To obtain the optimum luscious pairing of wine and chocolate we paired this nutty Port with robust French dark chocolate. As each Peel and Pour bottle is hand-dipped and decorated no two are the same, making for a unique and beautiful chocolate and wine gift to delight the senses! Simply pull the ribbon "zipper" to release the chocolate jacket from the bottle and then savor the amazing sensation of melting chocolate and wine as they mingle in your mouth.
Gift Presentation This luxurious gift will arrive in an elegant organza gift bag with an instructional card insert and a complimentary card with your greeting or personal message.
NOTE: Please read Shipping Info prior to Checkout! You must be 21 years and older to purchase gifts and gift baskets containing wine. Due to the alcoholic content of this gift, an adult signature is required upon delivery.


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Image copyright: bostonherald.com
INDIANAPOLIS — Between media sessions for the high-profile quarterbacks Friday at the NFL scouting combine, Tanner Carew sat at a round table, a personalized nameplate in front of him.
The Oregon product was mostly anonymous — the lone long snapper invited among the 336 players auditioning for an NFL job. But that didn't make Carew's experience any less valuable.
Thursday, one day before NFL Network kicked off hours of live coverage showing on-field drills, Carew estimated he snapped the ball nearly 200 times under close supervision of the league's special teams coaches. He snapped to a handful of aspiring punters and also fired it back to set up field goal attempts for the kickers who were here.
"I never snapped that much in my life," Carew said.
Friday morning, Carew and the other specialists went through other on-field drills, including the 40-yard dash. He clocked in at 5.0, hopefully fast enough to show teams he's athletic enough to sprint downfield on punt coverage.
At the Senior Bowl in January, Carew made two tackles and also was credited with downing the ball once — a performance that drew attention he's not used to while manning the most unheralded position on an NFL roster.
"It's good a long snapper got noticed for something positive," Carew said. "I had a good game. I thought I had a pretty good week, and it was kind of cool to get noticed — and not for messing up."
It's not necessarily unusual for a long snapper to be invited to the combine. Two participated last year and one, Colin Holba of Louisville, was drafted in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Holba eventually earned a spot on the Jacksonville Jaguars' roster. The other, Bradley Northnagel, didn't make a team last year, but he signed a futures contract with the Oakland Raiders in January and will participate in their offseason program while working as a grad assistant at Cal.
Carew also played linebacker and tight end while in high school, but snapping was his path to a Division I scholarship with the Ducks.
"I was good at it, and I used it to get an education, that's how it started," he said. "Used it to get myself to the next step, and I had an amazing four years at Oregon.
"I loved Oregon, love Eugene, made great friends there. It was definitely a way to get me to college, play the game I love."
Now maybe he'll play a little bit longer.
Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2018/03/03/what-oregon-long-snapper-tanner-carew-doing-nfl-scouting-combine-ducks/391903002/


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Build A Niche Store Review
Build A Niche Store is a tool I use to help maximize the potential of the eBay affiliate program. So yes this is a review that contains my affiliate link, but at least it's one where the writer (me) actually uses the product. I don't want to go off on a rabbit trail here, but the way many of the Clickbank guru's make money online is by doing reviews for Clickbank products they don't own. I own Build A Niche Store (BANS), have built 7 or 8 sites with it and it's my biggest single money maker outside of Google Adsense.
I've said it several times before what a great opportunity the eBay affiliate program is and I had been reaping the benefits of it since before I even knew about BANS. When I came across BANS I had already been using a script named CaRP which is an RSS to HTML converter. CaRP allows you to take advantage of eBays RSS feeds which are found at the bottom of every search you do on the site. However, when using a script such as CaRP you must hand build every page. BANS however, allows you to build a complete website in about 15 to 20 minutes.
You must already have a hosting account (I use 1and1.com, you must have UNIX hosting), a domain name and be a member of the eBay affiliate program and once you have your copy of BANS, installation is very simple. All you have to do is upload the BANS files to your domain via ftp and follow the instructions, choose your eBay category, plug-in your PID from Commission Junction for your new domain, click Set Up and you have a new website with a few or more than 1,000 pages depending on the categories and niches you pick.
BANS is fully customizable and comes with 9 templates that you can tweak via CSS or if you are savvy enough you can design your own template and just put the necessary tags in the correct places. You can adjust everything in your BANS store to suit your liking and style. You can change the number of auctions that show on the pages of your BANS store, you can add customized search pages for very specific items, you can change the layout of how the auctions are displayed, you get to upload your own logo and tweak many more parameters so you have your custom store. It really is so simple a low IQ caveman could do it.
Every page on your site gets necessary header info such as titles and meta tags via eBay so you will want to add your own titles and change the meta info, but this info will at least have you started and some of your pages will get indexed in Google very quickly. I have additionally added H1 tags and a paragraph or two of text to each individual page of my sites to give them their own unique spin. You should also add a few to several articles related to the niche you've chosen to give your readers info about your topics and so the search engines see that there's something to your site.
Can You Make Money With BANS?
Well, that all depends on how much you are willing to work to promote your site and the niche you are in. Here is a screen shot from CJ on my best performing BANS website last month:
The example above is for a store that is only two months old as of the date of this posting. I'm not revealing the url of this store but here is my BANS travel auctions site and a toys and hobbies site I added to an already existing gifts site.
As you can see, at least for me, the answer is yes you can make money with Build A Niche Store. BANS is one of the first products that has really live up to it's billing. I've found BANS to be very search engine friendly and have seen several pages on new sites get indexed in Google in only about 6 to 7 days.
After spending 2 months building a eBay computer affiliate store with the CaRP script, Build A Niche Store is like an answer to prayer. In the time it took me to build my computer store, I had 5 BANS stores built and had paid for the initial $97 cost of the software many times over. If you can't make money with BANS and the eBay affiliate program, you might not want to quit your day job.
If you want more info on Build A Niche Store you can check it out here.
However, if you can wait, you just might win a free copy of BANS that I'm giving away in a contest starting tomorrow.
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Check out the 2 Minute Download as a PDF
Mobilizing Experience to Build Tomorrow's Workforce
The United States is potentially facing a shortage of five million skilled workers, but policies to implement prior learning assessment could help change that by allowing non-traditional learners to complete training and degree programs earlier using college credit awarded based on experiential knowledge and skills. Check out more information in Governing about prior learning assessment and the state policy leaders who are developing strategies using this promising tool.
Open Data for Transparency and Economic Benefits
Governments at all levels are working to make their data public and accessible in order to increase transparency, but open data's value goes beyond transparency and citizen engagement. Open data can also reduce transaction and service costs, increase operational efficiencies, and boost the private sector's ability to develop new uses for data. Learn more on StateTech.
NewDEALer in the Spotlight:
Dan Gilman, City Councilmember (Pittsburgh, PA)
Technology and Training for Public Health
NewDEAL Leader Pittsburgh City Councilmember Dan Gilman recently joined Pittsburgh's mayor and the Allegheny County executive to announce a three-pronged plan to improve public safety and mobilize residents to take action. A new smartphone app will alert bystanders to the need for CPR, paired with expanded CPR training for Pittsburgh residents and Gilman's push for registration of defibrillators. Read more about this innovative plan.


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Connect - Learn - Grow - Succeed
Membership in the FSMTA has many excellent benefits to enhance your professional career and to help you succeed!
FSMTA is an industry leader and the preferred massage association since 1939. Serving Massage Therapists Nation Wide.
Your membership is valid for a full twelve months from the time your application is processed and 100% of your membership dues go toward the work of uniting, promoting and protecting massage therapists and the entire profession. Upon joining the FSMTA, Florida LMT's are automatically a member of their local chapter at no extra cost. A portion of your membership dues support local chapters which bring services and events to your area.
FSMTA Membership Applications
You can join the FSMTA and receive all of the benefits of membership for as little as $14.95 per month! We have multiple member categories and payment options to choose from. Please choose one of the options above to complete and submit your application for membership to the Association.
There are several member categories that you can qualify to join FSMTA under from Student, Florida LMT, National Membership, Business and more!
To join FSMTA now please call 407.786.3307 and our staff will assist you or complete this printed Application and submit along with your payment information to our Corporate Office.
If you need a New Membership Application to be mailed or faxed to you, please call the Corporate Office at 407.786.3307, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET.
FSMTA offers several easy ways to pay. You can sign up for only $14.95 a month on our new autobill program, or pay for the membership in full at $125 for 1 year. There is a small application fee of $15 for new members and memberships that have expired for more than 30 days.
The low membership price does not include insurance, but once a member you can obtain insurance for the affordable rate of only $135. We continue to work and provide even greater value to your FSMTA Membership and our benefits just keep growing.
Join today and begin to connect, learn, grow and succeed!
Membership Benefits include:
- 20 Local Chapters throughout the United States
- Access to Massage Television
- Free Website to promote your practice
- Monthly eNewsletter emailed to you to to keep you connnected and informed of any events.
- Access to Optional Professional Liability Insurance
- Optional Individual Health Insurance
- FSMTA Lobbyist-Your membership includes having a presence in Tallahassee where FSMTA's Lobbyists, Legislative Chair, Legislative committee, and our corporate attorneys who work on your behalf to address the legislative concerns of massage therapists. Please see the About Us page to learn about our legislative achievements.
- Legislative Awareness Days: A yearly event during which FSMTA Members visit Tallahassee as a large group to meet with representatives to educate and promote awareness of the benefits of massage therapy.
- Annual Convention with substantial member discounts
- FREE and low cost CE programs at the chapter level
- FREE subscription to Massage Message Magazine and chapter newsletters
- FSMTA Sports Massage Team-join the team to promote your specialty
- Massage Therapy Awareness Week: Every October, during a week designated by the Governor, FSMTA organizes events throughout the state to increase public awareness of massage therapy and its benefits.
- Professional Affiliation, Networking and Referral Opportunities
- FSMTA Chair Massage and Special Events Team on the chapter level
- Representation at all Board of Massage Therapy Meetings with membership updates
- FSMTA website providing you with updated information
- FSMTA Social Media sites to keep you updated, and to connect with others in the field
- FSMTA Members Only social media group to keep you connected and informed of actions, events, jobs and news relevant to you as a Massage Therapist and exclusive to members only. This is another platform to to connect, grow, share and succeed.
- Membership certificate, card, and lapel pin
- Use of the FSMTA logo for your marketing, promotions and credibility as a professional
- Promotional and Professional Practice Products: Online Store Now Open!
- FREE listing in the FSMTA Therapist Locator to market you to the public
- Community Service/Outreach Opportunities
- Sample Contracts for Employees and Independent Contractors Do you know the difference?
- Discount programs, educational programs and other benefits to provide you with the tools for success!
Join today to receive the many benefits of membership in the FSMTA!
*Membership dues are non-refundable.


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Every e-commerce manager has to decide which products and product categories they want to include in their e-store.
They obviously need to take some risk, just like they do in their everyday life. It comes as no surprise that some "sure bets" turn out to linger in the warehouses for months or even years. The gut feeling can be misleading and the sure bet can be of no interest to the users. Take some time to think why the good quality product is hard to sell online. There are many reasons, for instance the price isn't attractive, you forgot to edit the description or the product is hard to find.
What can you do
if there are many goods in your warehouse? How to get rid of products that generate extra costs? How to sell them?
#1 Match the product with its pricier counterpart
It's a simple method that can easily influence a buying decision. What this method relies on is to show that the high quality product doesn't have to be as pricy as its more expensive counterpart. Unsurpassed will to get a certain product will be fulfilled when the consumer sees that they have an exceptional opportunity to purchase what they want at a reasonable price.
American store Williams-Sonoma that offers kitchen products did a valued experiment in the 90s. They basically took two bread makers and showed them together. One of the bread makers wasn't very popular and its price was lower. The moment two machines were presented together, the cheaper machine's sales numbers literally exploded. You're asking why? The answer is simple, consumers couldn't compare prices before so the product didn't seem such a bargain.
#2 Offer a lower price for those buying in bulk
It's a basic rule that applies when selling beverages in fast foods for example. The consumer is more willing to buy a drink when they know they can drink as much as they can. The truth is that majority of us will drink only one cup. What matters here is the psychological trigger.
Similar trick can be used in an online store. Simply offer a batch of products. An average price per one product will be lower. Remember to inform the client how much they will spare if they use bulk offer. This trick works miracles in FMCG industry. Just use your imagination and you'll surely get rid of lingering goods.
#3 Use scarcity factor
If certain goods are hard to sell for a long time now, just show these are very last items available. Just create the fear that the item will be sold soon so decision has to be taken quickly. People tend to make up their minds faster when they see that only 2 or 3 products are available. The fear that a T-shirt, heels or a gift can be sold soon makes the purchase decision process faster. This is precisely what you need.
#4 Let them find what you need to sell
If you really need sell out, using only above three tricks may not be enough. You need to make sure the products are properly showcased so that users don't have to look for them. If you have exceptional bargains, don't hide them from your potential buyers.
#5 Find gold means
Every product has its price. Even though the so called lingering product is of exceptional quality and its price is a bargain, the product doesn't have to be a best-seller. Sometimes people think that a low price means low quality. Sometimes all you need to do is to increase the price or offer just a small reduction.
#6 Product presentation
Product page can deter future buyers if it lacks information, if it's a huge chunk of text, if there are no user comments or there aren't any videos etc. The product page needs to be optimized not to have any buying barriers.
When you run a small e-commerce it's obvious you won't get many fans, subscribers or followers in social media. If you place social plugins in a visible place in your e-store, low numbers might discourage future buyers. It's best to wait before implementing social plugins if you're still working on your social media.
E-commerce managers have a lot on their plates.
They need to make sure conversion rate is good, content marketing is in place, products are properly showcased. They take care of special offers, reductions, remarketing, marketing automation and the list doesn't end here. On top of that, they need to make sure that stock doesn't linger and generate unnecessary costs. If you're an e-commerce manager with the task to get rid of 20% of lingering stock, use the above proven techniques.


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Step 1
JPS Health Network is working to improve our financial screening process. The new process will be easier and faster for our patients. It will also allow us to screen and notify applicants in a matter of a few days, not weeks.
Please download and complete the application packet below.


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Last Updated on 29/03/2019
Back to articles
Back to articles
When will my Baht withdrawal arrive at my bank?
I have created a Thai Baht withdrawal, when will it arrive at my bank account?
- Did you check your email and confirm the withdrawal via the email confirmation link?
If not, you must do this first before your withdrawal can be processed.
KBANK (Kasikorn):
If you are using Kasikorn bank and your withdrawal is processed before 18:00 then your withdrawal will arrive at your bank account within the same day.
If your withdrawal is processed after 18:00 then it will arrive the next morning at 07:00.
All other banks (SCB, Bangkok Bank, KTB, TMB, etc..)
If your withdrawal is processed before 10:00 on a weekday then your withdrawal will arrive the same day, usually around 15:00.
If your withdrawal is processed after 10:00 or on a weekend then it will arrive in the afternoon on the next business day.


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Listen to Fist Pump, the latest track from Lil Jon. The cut dropped on Sunday, November 7th, 2010. Lil Jon's future brightens with every new release, and Fist Pump certainly isn't an exception. It's a fitting addition to a solid catalogue that Lil Jon has been developing since stepping foot in the game. We're excited to hear more.
Hear more of Lil Jon on Drink, featuring LMFAO. Check out Lil Jon's profile page for the most recent info, news, songs, and mixtapes.
Can you appreciate the bars here?


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Mourners held a vigil Sunday to remember an 8-year-old boy who was struck and killed by a truck while crossing the street with his sister in Queens.
The truck hit the third-grader, Noshat Nahian, as it turned from 61st Street onto Northern Boulevard Friday. He was about a block from his school, PS 152. His 11-year-old sister was not injured.
Sunday's vigil took place on the corner where the young boy was killed. Attendees held a moment of silence in honor of Noshat.
Organizers said they want to make Queens safer for pedestrians. They said the intersection where Noshat was killed does not have a crossing guard.
The 51-year-old driver who stayed at the scene was charged with driving with a suspended license and violating safety rules for having faulty tires and other equipment problems.


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Monday, June 22, 2009
June 2009
These are my eyes but this isn't my body.
My actions are made by another.
This is anything but my home.
It's a house that's run by a mother.
You stopped being my friend long ago.
Running away from that place.
I'll be far away and this won't matter.
Displaced out of sheer disgrace.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Hard Feelings
"Hard Feelings"
June 2009
It was so dificult to breathe.
Always fearing the ebb and flow of blood inside.
She picked up on the scent and got carried away.
We were dead meat floundering on a sea of blue.
Since then I've never been sure of what was real.
I'd get turned on whenever she would cry.
With time passing I've been her savior.
From the sidelines i'd scream encouragement.
Anything to alleviate the pain and fear.
Drowning to keep her lifeless body afloat.
Then she began to take from another.
And still I was left to be blamed.
I left with nothing while she danced round taking.
She who has it all and hasn't learned a thing.
Yet this hypocrite can never be bothered.
Labeled an albatross while waiting for company.
I gave her everything I never could give.
Simply by giving in and swimming away.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
June 2009
He's not done. Up to his knees covered in dirt. There's this last bit of work to finish. Finally earning sweat on his blue collar. Here he finds the drive that was once lost. A reason to move forward for vindication. To truely become out of reach from all of them.
Digging deeper under the foundation. Sliding down this unforgiving sinkhole. Somewhere he won't be found. No window, certainly no future. Only memories of what passed. Just his limited imagination. Inside his final isolation. He's only just begun.


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Compressive pressure fine bubble foam cloud making machine for party
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We was founded in 2008 ,specializing in the production of various CNC Steel bar drawing machine,steel bar straightening shearing machine,Steel bar bending machine,thread rolling machine,Sleeve tapping machine and other construction machinery .Our company is located in Xingwan town ,an industrial production base in Xingtai. Our company adheres to the "people-oriented, scientific and technological innovation; winning by quality and win-win" for the purpose, and sincerely welcome the domestic and international colleagues and businessmen to join hands today to create the future!...more
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·Pre-sale Service1.Any consultation will be reply within 24 hours.2.Supply item design, process design.3.Help you to chose the fit machine.4.Making the machine according to your requirement.
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Please contact us if you are interesting in our product.I will do my best to help you.
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Q1.You are the manufacturer or the trading company?A:We are a professional manufacturer ,we are in this area for more than 10 years,with rich experience.
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Supply planning uses the methods of MRP, DRP, heuristics, allocation, and optimization (both cost and inventory) in order to make the recommendations of what, when and how much to bring material into the supply network, the what, when and how much to move material between the locations of the supply network, and in some applications what, when and how much create the production recommendations. Supply planning was performed exclusively in ERP systems using the twin methods of MRP and DRP up until the mid 1990s when companies began investing in advanced planning systems. These advanced planning systems used more sophisticated methods that up until that point hardware was insufficiently powerful to leverage. These applications were introduced with great fanfare, but also had high failure rates because they were generally not designed to be easily implemented or easily maintained. Applications in this category are what we refer to as first generation advanced planning products. And a number of software vendors are still selling these applications as if they are state of the art. A good marker of a first generation advanced planning applications is if it uses a cost optimizer. During the period when first generation the prevailing wisdom was that any supply chain domain could be "optimized" with by focusing on minimizing costs. Some of the advanced planning applications have still not progressed beyond this state. Optimizers are run with constraints, which limit the result to what is actually feasible.
When used in planning, constraints limit the solution to what is feasible, or what is actionable by the business. By limiting the solution, the time and processing spent evaluating recommendations that cannot be converted in reality are also limited.
The Real Story Behind Constrained Planning
The ability to use constraints is a major differentiator between applications in the minds of buyers. However, the ability of buyers to actually implement constrained systems is much more limited. One of the important factors in how well constraint based systems can be implemented is how easily constraints can be modified and assigned – something which buyers rarely look for. The best application at managing constraints that we have seen is PlanetTogether, which is primarily a production planning and scheduling software vendor, although they are moving into supply planning. Curiously enough, while applications like SNP can hold supply planning constraints, by far the most common constraints used in supply planning are actually production constraints. Supply planning applications can be differentiated partially based upon whether they can incorporate production constraints. When they do, and when they are used, the planning system generates both the initial production plan along with the supply plan (stock transfers and purchase requisitions). After this point, the supply plan and initial production plan are passed to the production planning and scheduling system where the more detailed planning and scheduling is performed, and adjusted, before being passed back to the supply planning system. This is the standard approach used by the supply planning applications that can incorporate production constraints. We refer to it as the sequential approach, because first the supply plan is run, then the production planning and scheduling is run. However, after several decades of working this way, our observation the standard approach is not actually effective. PlanetTogether, a software vendor we rate as the most innovative in the production planning space, are currently developing ways in which the supply plan and production plan are created in a single planning run – something which allows production to be managed much more flexibly than in the standard sequential approach.
Choosing 2nd Generation Planning Applications
Because of the numerous implementation problems with first generation supply planning systems, we tend to score applications significantly higher if they were new – which would mean being developed on new principles within the past 10 years. This is not because we are focused on newness for simply the sake of newness, but because there have been observations about what has and has not worked in supply planning, and older applications – while they may make some changes, have difficulty in being adjusted to work a more modern and effective way. In addition to the modernity of the methods used, we give significant weight to how well the system can be adopted by users. One of the highest rated applications in this category does not actually use complex methods for generating the supply plan, but is highly rated because software vendor focused on usability and maintainability. This should demonstrate our view, which we can support with project experience, that the complexity of the mathematics used to generate the supply plan is only one measurement of the application. This is actually a consistent observation across many enterprise software categories, if not all of them that complex solutions often do not lead to good outcomes.
Inventory Optimization and Multi Echelon Planning
Several of the applications profiled in this software category section use the inventory optimization and multi echelon planning (MEIO for short) method. MEIO is an innovative use of two separate forms of optimization: inventory optimization and multi-echelon inventory optimization (but which I simply refer to as multi-echelon planning to reduce confusion). MEIO applications are an example of the 2nd generation planning applications that we just discussed. While cost optimizers are generic and adapted to different supply chain planning domains, MEIO was an attempt to adjust the optimizer for the specific environment of supply planning; each component of MEIO answers a separate supply chain-planning question.
- Inventory Optimization: Answers the question of how much to keep in inventory.
- Multi-echelon Planning: Answers the question of where to keep inventory in the supply network.
Developers of MEIO applications have very smoothly combined both sets of mathematics (which were developed separately) to work in unison during a single supply planning run. Unlike supply planning techniques that use sequential processing or calculation, MEIO calculates the service level impact of carrying one additional item at every product location combination and then sorts the list of options by their contribution to service levels and selects the best contributor. It is a powerful technology that is still only understood – beyond a high level understanding – by a small portion of the people that work in supply planning. Some important concepts behind MEIO are included in the following paragraphs.
While most companies have multi-echelon networks, not all supply networks are of equal complexity from the perspective of multi-echelon. The more locations, and the more echelons (regional DCs, which feed DCs, which feed forward stocking locations, etc.), the more complex the multi-echelon problem becomes, and the more beneficial the implementation of MEIO software would be. Service parts networks are known for having a high number of echelons due partially to their need for forward stocking locations that can quickly service expensive equipment, thus minimizing equipment downtime. Service parts networks have the additional complexity of needing to move repairable items to locations in the supply network where they can be serviced. Therefore, it is not surprising that one of the early innovators in multi-echelon inventory optimization was MCA Solutions, a vendor that focused on the service parts market. Unfortunately they were acquired by Servigistics. Furthermore, the earliest papers on multi echelon and inventory optimization were directed towards optimizing service parts networks, not finished goods networks. For any application to be multi echelon, it must have the concept of effective lead time – that is instead of viewing lead time as a static input, effective lead time is situational, and dependent upon other conditions in the supply network.
In this example, the effective lead-time is the lead-time experienced by a customer at a retail location. Note the chain effect: their effective lead-time increases as the quantity demanded increases as more demand stocks out locations higher in the supply network. The numbers here are kept small in order to improve the clarity of the explanation. A key assumption is that this is a single product supply chain. All locations carry only one product. The example above shows that that while the actual lead time stays the same between the locations, depending upon the demand vs. what is stocked at the various locations the effective lead time changes depending upon how high the multi echelon supply chain it is necessary to go to obtain inventory. Service levels can be set at various places, which vary depending upon the particular vendor. Companies that intend to select and implement MEIO software should have the necessary internal discussions as to how and where they want to control their supply planning with service levels. The way the implementing company is current performing supply planning will if unaltered, will not be able to fully leverage MEIO's capabilities. The decision of where to set service levels should be known prior to any MEIO software selection. Of course this means understanding the options for service levels. To this end I have listed the options below. In MEIO software, service levels can be set by the following:
- At the location
- At the product-location combination
- At the group location
- At the customer
- At a product mix, and
- *At the contract/equipment
Where the service level can be set in the application makes a very big difference in terms of how the company can use the application as well as how powerful the application is, but also in the degree of maintenance required after the application is installed. MEIO applications can be categorized partially by how easily the service level is set and how high in the hierarchy—contract, customer, location, and product location—the service level can be set
Multi-source Planning
Multi-source planning (or multi sourcing) — the ability to have the system flexibly choose from external sources of supply — has been a consistent requirement at many companies. However, many companies have also had a problem getting multi-source planning to work the way they want it to work, and so it is not implemented as commonly because of issues with functionality robustness. Buyers must do a better job of having the software vendors actually make proof of concepts with regards to multi sourcing work if the application is being partially purchased on the basis of this.
Software Category Summary
Supply planning has a hangover from the purchase and implementation of many applications, which were overly complex, and developed and implemented by software vendors more focused on sales than on implementation success. The likelihood of receiving a very good supply plan from and ERP system is low. Supply planning systems are very important to the overall solution architecture, but the best applications cannot be found from any of the name brand software vendors. To find a good supply planning application, buyers should be looking for 2nd generation applications and software vendors who have really thought through what has and had not worked in previous approachs. Supply planning software is a complex area to analyze and it's easy to get tied up in the complexity of some of the applications. Overall this software category has a small number of compelling applications. This is an area where buyers really understand their requirements and their tolerance for complexity before even initiating a software selection.
MUFI Rating & Risk
See the MUFI Ratings & Risk below for all of the applications we cover.


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文章來源: | 發布時間:2019-07-02 | 【打印】 【關閉】
应中國科學院可再生能源重點實驗室和广东省新能源和可再生能源研究开发与应用重點實驗室的邀请,香港浸会大学朱福荣教授(Furong Zhu)將于2019年7月4日在所举行學術報告会。
時間:2019年7月4日 上午9:00-10:30
(1) Stability of Nonfullerene organic solar cells
(2) Visualizing Near-infrared Light
Zhu Furong is a Professor in the Department of Physics, Director for Research Centre of Excellence for Organic Electronics, and Associate Director for Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). He received his BSc and MSc in Physics from Fudan University, Shanghai China, in 1983 and 1987. He completed his Ph.D in Applied Physics at Charles Darwin University in Australia from 1990-1993. He did his post-doctoral research in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Kyoto University in Japan from 1993-1995, and was a Research Fellow with the Department of Physics at Murdoch University in Australia from 1995-1997 working on silicon thin films derived from plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition for device application. He joined Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) in Singapore in 1997. Prior to HKBU, he was a Senior Scientist and a Program Manager leading the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and organic photovoltaic (OPV) R&D activities at IMRE. His research interests include device physics, surface science, nanostructures and semiconducting materials-oriented research for application in organic semiconductor devices. In 2019, he established a start-up company in Hong Kong, Crimson Vision Technology Limited (宏視科技有限公司). Crimson Vision develops near-infrared visualizing technologies for fast and portable detection.
(1)Stability of Nonfullerene organic solar cells
Remarkable progress has been made in the development of high efficiency solution-processable nonfullerene organic solar cells (OSCs). It shows that a continuous vertical phase separation process occurs in the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) in nonfullerene OSCs, e.g., forming a PBDB-T-rich top surface and an ITIC-rich bottom surface in PBDB-T:ITIC BHJ during the aging period. A gradual decrease in the built-in potential (V0) in the regular configuration PBDB-T:ITIC OSCs, due to the interfacial reaction between PEDOT:PSS hole transporting layer and ITIC acceptor, is one of the reasons responsible for the performance deterioration. The reduction in V0, caused by an inevitable reaction at the ITIC/PEDOT:PSS interface in the nonfullerene OSCs can be suppressed by introducing an MoO3 interfacial passivation layer (Fig. 1). Retaining a stable and high V0 across the BHJ through interfacial modification and device engineering, e.g., as seen in the inverted PBDB-T:ITIC OSCs, is a prerequisite for efficient and stable operation of OSCs].
(2)Visualizing Near-infrared Light
Near infrared (NIR) to visible light up-conversion is of significant importance in many applications including thermal imaging, bio-imaging, night vision and wellness monitoring. This talk will discuss visualizing NIR light via monolithic integration of a charge generation layer (CGL) and a light-emitting diode (LED). The performance of a high performing solution-processable NIR to visible light up-conversion device, comprising a polymer bulk heterojunction (BHJ) NIR CGL and a CsPbBr3 perovskite LED will be presented. An NIR visualizing device, as illustrated in the following figure, provides a platform for NIR imaging applications. The NIR CGL enables an efficient hole injection in the LED in the presence of NIR light, and also serves as an optical out-coupling layer to enhance the visible light emission by the perovskite LED. The perovskite LED has a narrow emission spectrum with a FWHM of 20 nm and a peak wavelength of 520 nm, corresponding to the wavelengths near the peak response of the human eye. Visualizing NIR is demonstrated using different shaped NIR light sources. The up-conversion device can be operated at a low voltage of 3 V. The results are very encouraging, revealing a high performing solution processable up-conversion device for visualizing NIR light.
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Iron-Deficiency Anemia – Homeostasis Image
A short article regarding iron deficiency anemia was recently published on the New England Journal of Medicine blog. The thing that immediately caught my attention was this beautiful image of iron homeostasis. Iron deficiency anemia is the most common anemia worldwide so it's definitely something to be familar with. See the article here.
Embryogenesis – Implantation Videos
Here are 3 of the best videos covering implantation during the first 2 weeks of embryogenesis. Pretty remarkable stuff. Enjoy!
Heart Embryology – YouTube Video
It may be "old school", but this is still probably one of the best embryology videos out there. Watch it with your notes, textbook or review book in hand as an additional guide and it definitely makes things much clearer. Always worth going back for review if you've seen it before too!
What is a superantigen and how do they work?
See this video for an excellent explanation of superantigens and the sequence of events they induce. A prototypical example of a superantigen is toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST) released by S. aureus.
In a nutshell:
1) Superantigen binds periphery of T-cell and MHC molecule receptors
2) Non-selective T-cell activation with release of IFN-gamma
3) Macrophage activation and release of IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha
4) Non-specific inflammatory response
Sarcomere Components
I remember when I used to get all the different parts of the sarcomere mixed up, but with a few simple tricks you can remember it easy and long-term.
First, understand the the I band is isotropic and the A band is anisotropic. Although these terms technically refer to the behavior of polarized light passing through, I like to think of isotropic = moving and anisotropic = non-moving (remember that "an-" means "without").
So how do you remember which is the thick filament and which is the thin filament? Just remember that the heavier something is, the less likely it'll move! In other words, think of the thick filaments as too heavy to move which means they're the A bands because "an-" (or "a" if that's easier for you) means "without". By default, the thin filament will be the I band. Additionally, the letter "I" is thinner than the letter "A" so it's gotta be the "thin" filament right?
Now Z lines are you endpoints which should be easy to remember, because the letter "Z" is at the end of the alphabet. This actually ties into the next point too.
The points that "move" during muscle contraction are the H band and I band which spell "HI". In other words, the "HI" bands bring the ends of the sarcomere (Z lines) closer together so they can say "Hi"!
Obviously this doesn't cover everything you should know about the sarcomere and muscle contraction, but hopefully it helps get you started if you were having trouble!
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemaglobinuria (PNH) Made Easy!
Background: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria is a rare, chronic condition in which patients experience breakdown of red blood cells (RBCs) which releases hemoglobin into the blood. This hemoglobin is then filtered into the kidneys and causes the patient to have dark-colored urine. Although patients can experience hemoglobinuria after a full nights sleep, this isn't always the case, so the name is somewhat of a misnomer. The idea behind this process occurring mainly at night is that people have altered breathing patterns when sleeping which causes the blood to become more acidic. The acidic environment activates the complement system which goes on to cause hemolysis of RBCs. However, more recent studies have shown that hemolysis actually occurs anytime throughout the day and the urine just becomes more concentrated at night. Thus, it often appears darkest in the morning because of it being in a concentrated state.
Pathogenesis: I actually really like the image shown below for a visual explanation of the condition. Basically, patients with PNH lack the glycosyl-phosphotidylinositol (GPI) protein that functions as an anchor for CD55 (decay-accelerating factor or DAF) and CD59 (membrane inhibitor of reactive lysis or MIRL). This is due to an X-linked mutation on the PIGA gene. As a result, cells can't "hold on" to the CD55 and CD59 proteins. Think of CD55 and CD59 as identification tags for the cells; without them, the cells can't prove they belong! The complement system comes along and sees someone without proper identification, so it decides to do something about it. Thus, it attacks the "foreign" red blood cells which results in hemolysis and the release of hemoglobin. At first, a molecule called haptoglobin can go around and "sweep up" the hemoglobin. It's like a specialized janitor for hemoglobin. Over time the janitors are all busy so the hemoglobin starts to accumulate in the blood and gets filtered into the urine for excretion.
Treatment: Also shown in the diagram, you can see that eculizumab blocks C5 which prevents formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC). As a result, there is decreased hemolysis of the RBCs. However, opsonization by C3b can still occur so that macrophages will eventually take care of business.
Additional Information: Hemolytic episodes can also be precipitated by drugs, trauma, infection etc. The most common cause of death in these patients is venous thrombosis. However, the thrombophilia present with PNH is not fully understood. Plasma hemoglobin can consume nitric oxide (NO) which is important for inhibiting platelet aggregation. Thus, one hypothesis is that the the reduction in NO causes increased clot formation. Patients are also at an increased risk of developing aplastic anemia.
Awesome EKG & Arrhythmia Playlist by Khan Academy Medicine!
This is probably one of my favorite video series on cardiac arrhythmias. I haven't watched all the videos yet, but the ones I've completed have been great! The EKG video is also a nice introduction to the physiology behind EKG tracings if you need some help understanding that as well. This is definitely a great resource for anyone studying electrophysiology of the heart, so be sure to check it out!
In addition, I've added one of my favorite action potential images that can be found through Google. It's an excellent visual representation of how each area of the heart contributes to the overall EKG tracing. Enjoy!
New Podcast Episode – Heart Murmurs
Hey everyone!
Please go check out the latest Medical Minded podcast episode Heart Murmurs – MS, MR, MVP, AS and AR. This podcast is an expansion on the concepts presented in the Introduction to Heart Sounds episode, so make sure if checked it out if you haven't already. In this latest episodes I discuss mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, mitral valve prolapse, aortic stenosis and aortic regurgitation. If you plan on only learning the basics of heart murmurs, these are the 5 you need to know!
Also, if there is one thing that I can't reiterate enough about learning this stuff it's to develop an understanding of the underlying concepts. If you learn the basic principles, the heart sounds will make sense. You should be able to work out why each sound happens if you truly understand the material. Remember, you need a solid foundation to build a house!
Stop Highlighting That Textbook!
Have you ever read through your textbook, highlighted "important" information, and then reviewed your highlights to study for an exam?
Some studies show as many as 80% of students use this method as their primary mode of studying and it also happens to be one of the most ineffective ways to study!
For a while now I've had an interest in memory techniques and the efficiency of learning. Lately, I've become somewhat obsessed! If I were to recommend one book to everyone, it would be Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A McDaniel. The book has some phenomenal information regarding learning and is helpful to people of all ages. It was the source of the introductory information regarding highlighting as well. Apparently, highlighting is not only time-consuming and ineffective, it also creates a false sense of knowing the material since you familiarize yourself with the words. Instead, you should force yourself to recall the information without reading it again (flashcards, creating outlines from memory, etc.). Obviously, you can't always remember everything and will need to go back to review certain material. However, the stuff you do remember will "stick" better if more effort is required to recall it. This is just the tip of the iceberg in regards to helpful information in the above book, so like I said, you should definitely check it out.
Most of the books I've been reading lately deal with the science behind effective learning, speed reading, memory palaces, mnemonics, etc. and I honestly can't get enough. In the coming weeks I should definitely have some update recommendations. I'm currently even enrolled in an online course that teaches speed reading, and I have high hopes for it. I generally read at about 300 WPM with 80% retention and have a goal of 500 WPM within the next couple months while keeping retention at 80-90%. I'll be sure to keep everyone updated and recommend the course if it works out!
However, it's the last few weeks of the semester for medical school as well, so hopefully I'll be able to keep up with everything!