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Pedal #5
I normally use this pedal as an auto-wah type envelope filter. It is a lot of fun to mess around with and can do a lot more. It also has an octaver as one of its effect types, so I could see trying this out in the #2 slot as a dedicated octave pedal as opposed to an envelope filter.
Pedal #6
I have this acting as a volume pedal since I don't have a dedicated volume pedal up front. One tap away it is set up to change into a wah pedal. And then it does every other crazy thing that a multi-effect does. It could easily be set up to serve as a reverb or delay, should the need arise for any particular cover tune that might require it.
Pedal #7
This is one I can't live without, and I have it doing something really boring. Program one is nothing. I leave it there when the song I'm playing wants more boom and less attack. Program two is nothing but a "fat-wah" effect that is supposed to be controlled by an external pedal. I don't have the external pedal, but what it ends up doing is adding an emphasis to the pick attack. Program three is a low mid boost added to the "fat-wah" effect which gives the bass even more of a cutting edge. I'm not sure what type of effect could replicate what I'm doing with this pedal at the moment. Perhaps an EQ pedal?
Pedal #8
I got this pedal to learn about compression. The article I used as the basis of my foray into effect pedals recommends a compressor at the end of the chain to add back in any life that was sucked out of your signal by running it through a bunch of little electronic boxes. I still am no compression expert, but basically it adds gain and sustain. I leave it on all the time.
The Pedal Board
Everything is mounted on an SKB PS-45. The board was a good investment. I probably would have spent what it cost in 9-volt batteries by now.
So there is the first generation of my pedal board. I deviated from the article at almost every turn, so it ended up treating it more like a guideline than a rule. I think that tuner up front, compressor at the end and overdrive before other tone-shaping effects are all good things to keep in mind. I'll probably start rethinking and tearing apart my board now that I've been playing with it for the better part of a year. I have a pretty good sense now of what I do and don't use and what type of effects generate the kinds of tones I'm looking for. I hope I've helped someone learn something.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Should you outsource to India (or another overseas tech provider)? It's a question a number of different companies spanning many industries have asked themselves over the past few years (or decades at this point). Sometimes it works out and saves a lot of costs. Other times it backfires.
Outsourcing SEO and web design services overseas has been a popular strategy for a number of years. It's been an effective strategy as well, until recently. Before bulk link-building tactics could be completed at low costs, but as Google's algorithm has become more sophisticated, the ability for outsourced companies to execute effectively has been hindered.
LDM recently published a case study comparing SEO consulting executed in NY to an outsourced provider over a 10-month period. The main different here is in the quality of the appearance of the strategy each company was able to present. LDM focused on PR, building quality relationships, and growing the business in a more traditional way (except translated to online business). The overseas competition was quick to pounce on higher rankings, but eventually their tactics got devalued and penalized.
The entire idea behind an SEO strategy is to develop an online marketing strategy that pays long-term dividends. For most businesses, short-term tactics are going to result in lower ROI than ones that build website authority over time. In their 10-month case study, LDM showed how, with a little patience, investing in higher-quality services is a smart decision for most businesses.
For more information on the strategy that LDM employed, you can view the SEO Consulting services on their website. They focus on creating long-term value and being smart about keyword targeting.
That doesn't mean all overseas companies are bad. It just means you need to be careful and understand what tactics are being used to bring your website to the top of the rankings. If looks low-quality, then it probably is low-quality.


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Actually, it sort of WILL be televised, at least in a kind of contemporarily modern sort of interwebby way; i.e. it will be streamed. But most importantly, the tasting will be LIVE! Say what? Live Virtual Tasting. Ridge Vineyards winemakers,… Read More ›
Carmichael Zinfandel
Rhymes With Taco …
Yes, tomorrow night's First Friday event at our Monte Bello Estate is indeed going to be a special affair; after all, a rare three-vintage vertical of the already-elusive Carmichael doth not row down thy river very often … (For more about this… Read More ›
Hits On The Hill -or- The Weekend Tasting Flight Highlight
Well, we've quite quite an interesting flight on for this weekend, and in all honesty, I really wanted to find a title for this post that would allow me to play off "The Rumble In The Jungle" with a viticultural… Read More ›


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Thursday, 5 April 2012
Kat Bjelland
For an upcoming small press book about bands we loved when we were teens that still inspire us today. Mine is Babes in Toyland
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By Janeene Yarber, Army Capabilities Integration CenterNovember 2, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Attendees of the recent 2012 Association of the U.S. Army Annual Conference and Expo were given a unique opportunity to learn about the origins of the Army's Network Integration Evaluations -- the series of semiannual, Soldier-led evaluations designed to rapidly progress the Army's tactical network -- from someone who has been involved from the very beginning.
"We needed to modernize the way we conducted business," explained Lt. Gen. Keith Walker, deputy commanding general of Futures and director of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command's Army Capabilities Integration Center, who was there from the beginning of the NIE concept. Walker presented "NIE: Expanding to Joint," at this year's AUSA, and shared his views of why this new real-world approach to evaluation was so important for the Army. "We would have new technology, but the process was [inefficient], and we weren't working together as a network. Soldiers would ask, 'Why do I have to wait for a test? I just want to try it out."
During the NIEs, the "triad" of Brigade Modernization Command, the Army Test and Evaluation Command and the System of Systems Integration Directorate integrates networked and non-networked capabilities and then uses a full Brigade Combat Team, the 3,800 Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, to assess the capabilities in order to determine their implications across doctrine, organization, training, material, leadership and education, personnel, and facilities, also known as DOTMLPF.
The NIEs are conducted at Fort Bliss, Texas, and White Sands Missile Range, N.M., and assess potential network and non-network capabilities in a robust operational environment to determine whether they perform as needed, conform to the network architecture and are interoperable with existing systems.
In short, NIE and the triad are making the Army work more efficiently and cutting huge costs.
"Through a series of experiments, wargames, seminars and studies, we are able to find solutions to the issues facing Soldiers in formations," Walker said. "During the evaluations testing and realistic missions, Soldiers are able to use technology and make on-the-spot assessments," Walker said. "Once they make suggestions, engineers are on hand to make changes based on the Soldiers' feedback."
The Soldiers' assessments are shared with U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, and the other partners of the triad, allowing the Army to make necessary adjustments to training, education, capabilities and concepts.
"We conduct realistic missions in White Sands, N.M., and are able to test out technology that we can't in other places," Walker said. "Our Soldiers can turn on jammers and conduct realistic training in a desert environment without disturbing local emergency responders."
By consolidating efforts, cutting costs, updating doctrine and training, providing realistic training to Soldiers (with engineers on site), and listening to the troops at the lowest levels, the Army is providing Soldiers with the best technology, training and preparation for the future.
"The [NIE] is a great process … it's about empowering our Soldiers," Walker told the audience. "By conducting these exercises and adjusting the way we operate, we are preparing our Soldiers for the future."


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In 1715, Sybilla Masters traveled from colonial America to London to register a patent. She had invented a new way to process corn, but she was in for a nasty legal surprise when she arrived in the British capital.
"King George awarded [the patent] to her spouse because women could not hold patents, among other things," Moz co-founder Gillian Muessig said. "It was Thomas Masters that insisted that King George add her name to that patent and say that it was awarded to him for an invention 'found out about' by Sybilla Masters."
Masters became the first American awarded a patent, and potentially the first female inventor in colonial America.
Her story is a fitting metaphor and namesake for Muessig's new fund, the Sybilla Masters Fund, which focuses on funding companies that have at least one woman on the founding team or C-suite. Muessig, herself an experienced entrepreneur and investor, unveiled the fund at the first Women in Cloud Summit at Microsoft's Redmond, Wash., campus this weekend.
Microsoft veteran Alka Badshah and Outline Venture Group President Anne Kennedy are founding investors in the Sybilla Masters Fund and will also serve as advisors to Muessig, who is the general partner and manages the fund's investments.
Muessig declined to say how much the fund has raised to date, but said it will officially launch when it reaches $2 million. The ultimate goal is to raise a $100 million fund.
"The object of the game here is to provide a fund that does gender-lensed investing, and that does not mean investing only in females or female founders," Muessig said in an interview with GeekWire. "It really means looking at a company with the idea that says: 'How does this affect all genders, and in what way does it further the idea that all genders working together create a better outcome?'"
It's easy to see the imperative for such a fund: The vast majority of venture capital investments, 80 to 90 percent, go to companies that are entirely male-led. Even having just one female leader drastically decreases a startup's chances of scoring vital early capital and entirely, women-led companies receive just a small fraction of all venture capital in the U.S.
"So I expect to make my investors extremely wealthy," Muessig quipped. She pointed out that it's easy to miss out on a good opportunity when you're working in a noisy, crowded field.
"I would say, as an investor, look at the quiet field for your unicorn," she said. "You can get extremely good deals by looking at gender diversity and ethnic, racial and other diversities, as well."


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Głogów, German Glogau, city, Dolnośląskie województwo (province), southwestern Poland. Located on the Oder River in the Środkowopolski Lowlands, it received its town rights in 1253. During World War II Głogów was almost completely destroyed.
The modern city is the railway and road centre for the northern part of Lower Silesia. The city is a centre for copper electroplating. It also has food-processing plants and factories producing electrical machinery. Pop. (2011) 69,608.


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Continuity mistake: When Jack is asking Isabel out on a date as they're standing by their trailers, he's very excited and walking backwards towards his trailer. His bicycle is behind him and it looks like he's just about to trip over it. When the camera cuts back to him, he's closer his trailer door and hasn't fallen over the bicycle, but it's not visible behind him anymore either.Cal K.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Darrin and Samantha go to dinner with Darrin's ex, his ex's hair goes from curly when they are sitting down at dinner, to straight when they are asking Satchel to decide.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where they are at the dinner Nicole Kidman is making toast. In the first shot she has toasted all of the bread. The next shot only half of the bread has been toasted and then in the next shot it has all been toasted again.Sapfarr
Continuity mistake: When Jack goes to pay for Isabel's $2.00 coffee, he pulls out a money clip, counts out money and puts it back on. Next shot he is counting money, finally he puts it back in his pocket.moviemogul
Continuity mistake: When they are in the office trying to decide who to cast as a new Samantha, there is a mini basketball that is purple and yellow. During the scene the position of the basketball lines keep changing.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Nicole Kidman is in her trailer with her two neighbours. In one shot, while she is looking at herself in the mirror, she combs her hair on the left side, over her ear. But in the next shot, centered on her face, her hair is covering her ears on both sides.
Continuity mistake: After their "date" when Isabel rewinds time, she and Jack don't sit down on her porch bench as they did before.
Continuity mistake: When Isabel gets her tea after Jack has changed, she takes the tea and sits in a chair. She puts the cup on the arm of the chair next to her. One shot, the string of the tea bag is hanging out of the cup, next time we see, it isn't visible. This continues through the scene.moviemogul
Continuity mistake: When Jack's ex sits next to him to tell him she wants him back, watch her red jumper - it jumps up and down her shoulder in every shot.twine42
Continuity mistake: Toward the end when Jack and Isabel are talking on the stage set, Isabel's hair keeps changing styles. In one shot the right side is flipped back and in the next shot it's curled forward. It changes several times.
Continuity mistake: When Isabel and Jack are having dinner, there are two wine glasses filled approximately the same amount. As the camera shots change, so does the amount of wine in Jack's glass from about half-full to a quarter-full and back again.
Continuity mistake: When Jack Wyatt is speaking on stage, there is a large video screen behind him, to allow those far from the stage to see the speaker clearly. The movement by Jack on stage is not the same as the movement on the screen. When Jack is moving quickly the image on the screen is not (and vice-versa).Wayne C.


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Sunnyland Tours offers Trip Protection for Motorcoach tours through a variety of travel insurance companies. Travel Protection policies afford you the benefit of a cash refund less premiums paid, plus other benefits including medical assistance. For medical coverage on any tour, the purchase of outside independent travel insurance is strongly encouraged.
Travel Insurance for Cruise and Fly Away tours may be offered through the supplier and is subject to the terms and conditions of the suppliers insurance provider.
Responsibility: Sunnyland Tours, Inc., acts only as your agent in arranging various accommodations and assumes no responsibility or liability in connection with the service of any other conveyance. We are not responsible for loss or injury in connection with sightseeing, excursions, restaurants, foods, or liquids, hotel accommodations or loss of any personal item or baggage. The airlines, coach companies or other transportation concerned are not to be held responsible for acts, omissions or events during the time passengers are not on board. We reserve the right to make alterations in a tour should it become necessary without penalty to the operator and to cancel any tour prior to departure and shall be responsible for only those refunds of payments paid by said tour participants. Sunnyland reserves the right to reject or terminate the itinerary of any tour participant whom the management may consider disruptive to the operation of the tour.


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Club Meetings
Every year the museum provides the perfect ambience for vintage car and other meetings organized by clubs from all over the world. The meetings range from small get-togethers, award ceremonies and spare part markets up to major events. Also your club meeting, no matter how large or small, could benefit from the outstanding infrastructures of our museum.
- Unique ambience with thousands of exhibits covering all areas of the history of technology
- Charming surrounding areas offering many possibilities for romantic tours
- Large open air grounds with festival hall accessible at ground level, ideally suited for presentation of the vehicles as well as for the installation of sales- and advertising booths
- Accommodation can be found at the Hotel Speyer am Technik Museum
- If requested our public relations department will inform the media about your meeting
- Professional support by the museum team during all stages of your event from planning to execution. We will help you organizing tours for social programs.


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We're back for another go on the comic-book carousel, and this week there's the possibility of Captain Britain appearing in the MCU (maybe), the Hitchcockian influence in The Batman, a live-action Superman: Red Son, the trailer for The Inhumans TV series, and the announcement of the 11th annual Manga Jiman competition for UK artists.
Our featured comics and manga are Hostage (FBCD 2017), Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju volume 1, The Mighty Thor #20, The Ballad of Franklin Bonisteel (FBCD 2017), Spill Night (FBCD 2017), From the Pages of Hellboy: Rise of the Black Flame, and When Big Bears Invade – which is kind-of a kid's picture book but since it's about kaiju-sized bears it's fair game.
Tune in to The Geek Show Podcast Network for all the latest news, discussions and reviews, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Audioboom and MixCloud for all of our latest shows. You can also listen to all of our latest shows on the go using iTunes or by downloading the free Audioboom or MixCloud apps.


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Tag Archives: Lamar Alexander
Alexander Leads Vote to Replace No Child Left Behind
The Senate approved a major overhaul of federal K-12 education policy Thursday that reverses a heavy-handed testing and accountability trend that had fallen out of favor with educators and parents around the country. The Every Child Achieves Act, … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Alexander, Lamar Alexander, secondary education, the Senate Leave a comment
Senator Howard Baker's Huntsville Estate set for Auction
The 11.5-acre Huntsville, Tenn., estate and much of its contents will be up for auction. None of Baker's family members had a use for the large property and wanted to "let someone else start enjoying" the home, said Don Stansberry … Continue reading
Sen. Alexander Seeks to Preserve James K. Polk Home
The Columbia, Tennessee, home of former President James K. Polk is a step closer to becoming a national treasure. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander has introduced legislation directing the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged James K. Polk, Lamar Alexander, national treasure, President James K. Polk Leave a comment
Bush Lauded at Tennessee GOP Event
The speakers at the Tennessee Republican Party fundraiser over the weekend took turns heaping praise on former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the keynote speaker at the annual Statesmen's Dinner. While Gov. Bill Haslam and Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Bob Corker, Lamar Alexander, Tennessee, Tennessee Republican Party Leave a comment
Republican Senators Oppose Gutting Patriot Act
Tennessee's Republican Senators say they oppose efforts to gut the controversial Patriot Act and support continued mass collection of telephone and other data. Both Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker voted Sunday for a house version that renews most parts … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Bob Corker, Lamar Alexander, mass collection, Republican Senators Leave a comment
Senators Question TVA's Goal for Renewable Power
Republican Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker are questioning the Tennessee Valley Authority's stated goal of relying more on so called "renewable" power for the future. Alexander says reliance on alternative sources like solar and wind generation add costs and … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Alexander, Bob Corker, Lamar Alexander, nuclear power generation, TVA Leave a comment
Alexander Elected to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander has been elected to chair the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. The Tennessee Republican was elected this week by his colleagues in Washington. The subcommittee oversees funding for national priorities, such as energy … Continue reading


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To Rome With Love Review
To Rome with Love
Woody Allen scores again--writing, directing and starring in one of his satirical comedies about society's frailties and relationships--between men and women, parents and children, and the vacuity of television and celebrity.
Woody's character is a retired opera director, and he and his psychiatrist wife are visiting their young daughter in Rome who has become engaged to a handsome young Italian lawyer. Woody is disappointed when he discovers that his daughter's fiance's father Giancarlo is a small-time mortician. However, he is impressed by his Giancarlo's virtuoso voice when he overhears him singing in the shower. Woody persuades Giancarlo to appear for a tryout by a local opera company. The tryout flops, but Woody remains convinced that Giancarlo should be singing Pagliacci at La Scala and in New York. However, it dawns on Woody that the man sounds spectacular only when he's singing in the shower. So he stages a rave performance with Giancarlo singing Pagliacci in a shower on the theater stage.
A second vignette is a farce involving a recently married couple, Antonio and Milly, and a prostitute played by Penelope Cruz. Just as Antonio was changing his clothes, she appears at his hotel room, and claims that a session with her was already paid for, and won't take no for an answer. They are surprised in bed his uncles and aunts who came for lunch and to meet his new wife. (Milly had left their hotel room to get her hair done before meeting the relatives.) Antonio avoids immediate disaster by introducing Penelope to his stuffy relatives as his wife Milly. She accompanies Antonio and his relatives to an exclusive party where many important business associates were present. Turns out that nearly a dozen of them were clients of Penelope.
A third subplot involves Jesse Eisenberg and Greta Gerwig, students in Rome living together. Greta makes the mistake of inviting a friend from the states played by Ellen Page to move in with her and Eisenberg. One thing quickly leads to another and Eisenberg falls for Page against the advice of his acquaintance and possibly phantom mentor played by Alec Baldwin.
A fourth vignette is a send-up of the inanity of television celebrity. Alberto Benigni plays a clerk who suddenly, for no reason, becomes a TV celebrity constantly pursued by papparazzi and idiot TV interviewers.
To Rome with Love doesn't measure up to Midnight in Paris, but it's an entertaining, quite clever satirical comedy.
6-21-12NYTimes--A.O. Scott Review of "To Rome With Love"
- Woody Allen's Latest, 'To Rome With Love' - NYTimes.com
Woody Allen's "To Rome With Love" is the tale of an anxious, New Yorkish intellectual addled by conflicting desires.
7-2-12NewYorker--David Denby Review of "To Rome With Love"
- Woody Allen's "To Rome with Love" Review : The New Yorker
Woody Allen's new movie is light and fast, with some of the sharpest dialogue and acting that he's put on the screen in years...
Wikibio--Woody Allen
- Woody Allen
Woody Allen (b. Allan Stewart Konigsberg, 12-1-35) a screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, author, and playwright, whose career spans over half a century. He's won 4 Academy Awards. He's also a jazz clarinetist who performs in small NYC clubs.
Well if you ever find out anymore it would be a great read.
Ahoy Ralph! I'm a Woody Allen fan myself but I'd also like to quote a comment of yours from another hub "My great grandfather's ship, the Apollo, sank on the way from Liverpool to Genoa circa 1850. He was from Smoland in Sweden where he left his wife on the family farm when he went to sea. He was captain of the Apollo when she went down in a North Sea storm." How do we entice you to write that story? Or have you already?
Really? I have to see this one! Am a big fan of Woody Allen.


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Guy Court judge rules on social media whores (Exclusive preview)
How much Tweeting constitutes being a "social media whore"? At which point do your Facebook statuses break "guy code"? That's the question at the center of one of tonight's cases on MTV2's Guy Court. Will the defendant be guilty of being a #Douchebag? Comedian Andrew Schulz will defend his client's right to broadcast his business no matter how annoying it may be to his close friends. Check out an exclusive sneak peek of tonight's brand new episode of Guy Court with the dishonorable Judge Donnell Rawlings.
Guy Court airs every Wednesday night on MTV2 at 11 pm EST.
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Be sure to subscribe to the weekly Laughspin Podcast on iTunes or on SoundCloud for all the latest comedy news, audio clips and more! Listen to the most recent episode below!


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ROYAL PALM BEACH — In this quiet village a veteran councilman once referred to as Mayberry, the fictional North Carolina community on "The Andy Griffith Show," an incumbent, a former councilwoman and a one-time Planning and Zoning Commission member are vying for Seat 2 on the Village Council.
Vice Mayor David Swift, a 14-term councilman is seeking reelection and will face Martha Webster, a councilwoman for five years who lost to Swift in 2006 and 2013, and Darrell Lange, a political novice best known for the six years he served on the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Read my election preview this weekend at http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com.


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10 Business Success Lessons from Bill Michelon
Bill Michelon is a well-known businessman with an impeccable track record in areas, such as business consulting and marketing. He has spent more than a decade helping aspiring entrepreneurs realize their business ambitions through advisory services.
His abilities have helped elevate him to the status of a respected thought leader. Over the years, Michelon has assisted many startups drive sales and boost profitability.
Bill Michelon's Success Lessons
In addition, Bill is a seasoned media buyer who helps clients identify custom solutions for their businesses. He works closely with client organisations to assist boosting their brand visibility.
Michelon achieves the objectives by formulating innovative digital media strategies. He leverages the power of analytics to draw useful insights, which in turn help shape digital marketing campaigns.
He is always keen to share his expertise with business owners. Some of his top tips for fostering greater operational success include:
1. Managing Employee Loyalty
When it comes to managing employee loyalty, it is vital for leaders to look beyond delegating responsibility and handling routine performance evaluations.
Loyal employees draw inspiration from the leaders, which motivates them to become more productive. The sense of loyalty is generated by how management deals with issues affecting employees.
Incentives play a key role in promoting loyalty. More importantly, leaders should handle employer-employee interactions delicately. This helps generate mutual respect and togetherness. Aloofness does promote these objectives.
2. Systemize Business Operations
Bill recommends introducing well-designed systems capable of ensuring operational efficiency. All employees should be familiar with the company's systems, which should be covered during the induction process.
A good system ensures that all operational procedures are scale-able.
3. Prioritize Value Over Volume
Multitasking is not always a practical way to handle tasks, particularly when working on critical projects. It can compromise the ability to achieve positive outcomes.
Focusing on one task at a time may slow things down but it does not lead to mediocre results. For this reason, Bill recommends prioritizing tasks that creates the most value for the business.
Doing so significantly boosts the quality of work handled at any given time. The value will have a positive impact on many aspects of the business, including customer relationships and overall productivity.
4. Aggressive Management
Aggressive management is sometimes necessary, particularly when the business is going through a tumultuous phase.
When entrepreneurs find themselves consistently struggling to gain a competitive advantage, it becomes necessary to adopt a more aggressive approach. Good leaders learn to work outside their comfort zone when faced with considerable operational challenges.
An aggressive approach involves taking risks and making difficult choices. To succeed, entrepreneurs need to have confidence in their decision-making abilities.
5. Empower Your Employees
It is important to make employees share in the success of the business. Investing in employee training is a surefire way to help them grow with the business and contribute to the overall success.
Whenever possible, leaders should provide equity to long-serving employees. This enables them to become more committed to improve levels of productivity, which boosts the business' bottom line.
Offering shares to employees has been proven to help staff feel as being an integral component of the organization. It induces a sense of pride in the company's development and achievements. Morale can easily soar.
6. Leverage Company Data
Leveraging operational data makes it easier to improve human resources and organizational management. The data can cover a wide variety of operational aspects, including logistics and employee performance evaluations.
Analyzing the data closely enables business leaders to gain useful insights that help improve decision-making. Doing so enhances operational efficiency.
Managers should make an effort to make the employee performance evaluation process transparent. Workers must be well informed about the purposes of such exercises.
7. Stay Focused on the Bigger Picture
Many entrepreneurs do not focus on the bigger picture as they concentrate on the day-to-day affairs of running the business. This can compromise the decision-making process and make leaders more reactive that proactive.
It is vital to dedicate considerable time to evaluating the business and market factors from a broader perspective. Combining short-, medium- and long-term views provides a practical way to identify or create opportunities that bolster operations.
Staying up-to-date with market trends is a vital part of the approach. Focusing on the bigger picture makes it easier to handle day-to-day challenges.
8. Promote Transparency & Good Communication
It is vital to promote a culture of transparency within the organization. In addition, leaders need to provide constructive criticism in a timely and tactical fashion. Proper communication does not undermine employee morale and performance.
A significant number of business leaders fail to provide feedback in a timely fashion as they concentrate on day-to-day operations.
9. Stick to a Budget
A number of small business owners do not practice proper budgeting. Doing so compromises planning and operational efficiency. In some cases, entrepreneurs create budgets but fail to stick to them. Proper budgeting provides insights about the financial status of the business.
It becomes easier to determine the amount of sales required to cover operating expenses and make a profit. The budget provides the much-needed guide to help the enterprise grow.
Some entrepreneurs fail to see the benefits of creating and sticking to a budget because they perceive the approach as restrictive. Yet, it gives a business a clear insight of operations making it easier to identify areas that need improvement.
10. Free Up Time Through Automation
Automation is changing the way small and large enterprises do business. Technology simplifies processes and frees up time, thus allowing teams to focus on other critical tasks.
In turn, it becomes easier to boost levels of productivity and grow the business. Automation has the capacity to handle routine tasks like invoicing, payrolls, duty rosters, taxes and more.
Without automation, these tasks can take a long time to complete, thus diverting the attention of business owners and staff. The total hours saved per month can be used to boost sales and other profit generating activities.
Here's a quick recap on Bill Michelon's success lessons:
- Managing employee loyalty
- Systemize business operations
- Prioritize value over volume
- Aggressive management
- Empower your employees
- Leverage company data
- Stay focused on the bigger picture
- Promote transparency & good communication
- Stick to a budget
- Free up your time through automation
Connect with Bill
To get in touch with Bill Michelon, individuals and organizations can visit his website, BillMichelon.com. Alternatively, he can be reached via social media on Facebook and LinkedIn.


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Players: 1-5
Ages: 12+
Gametime: 45 minutes
The trail leads to Cheah Dell, fortress-city over the ancient dwarven cavernhome. The dwarves dwell here now, driven out by oozes and worms led by the Ichor King.
Deeper let lairs Mowtil, Lord of the Black Flame – bolstered by a Thunderstone, guarded by a legion of Doomknights. Will you face the djinni, defeat his sinister plot, and help the Dwarves of Caligin reclaim their rightful home?
This is not a standalone game; a copy of Thunderstone Advance is required for play.


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Shobaleader One: Elektrac
Recorded at a spate of recent outings, Shobaleader One's Elektrac consists mostly of covers from Squarepusher's formidable back catalog, from his first album through 2008's Just A Souvenir. Live humans playing music for robots – very funky robots – makes this record something to get excited about.
Also known by the more conventional moniker Tom Jenkinson, Squarepusher has been an undisputed titan of the drum 'n' bass and IDM scenes since his 1996 debut album, Feed Me Weird Things. More than just an innovative programmer and electronic musician, Jenkinson is also a true, old-fashioned virtuoso on the electric bass. While other artists in electronica are content to make push-button music, Jenkinson brings his synthesized and sequenced sounds into the realm of live performance, no mean feat considering the marriage of speed and rhythmic complexity may be his most defining trait.
Enter Shobaleader One, the tantalizingly mysterious band of presumably live humans who first joined Jenkinson for d'Demonstrator (2010), which shied away from Squarepusher's typically frenetic pace in favor of a retro-futurist's version of pop, rock and R&B. Aside from the conceptual nature of the music, the gimmick was visual: live, Squarepusher and his bandmates were cloaked in dark, hooded garb not unlike the Egyptian jellabiya, while outfitted with flashing LCD-screens meant to obscure their faces and their identities. Imagine a four-man tribe of LCD-enhanced Jawas (with all the tall genes) standing in for the Cantina Band in a timeline where it's not required that the Star Wars universe be at least 50% lame. A few strictly Squarepusher albums later – including the eminently relevant EP Music for Robots (on which Jenkinson's music was played by actual robots) – Shobaleader One has returned with a second offering that fulfills its promise as Squarepusher's live band.
In most cases, the band's nearly superhuman ability to execute the speed and complexity of tracks like "Coopers World" and "E8 Boogie" is more than enough to breathe new life into music that was already very much alive. Jenkinson in particular has the astounding skill to nonchalantly breeze through solo licks reminiscent of bass legends like Jaco Pastorius ("The Swifty") or Victor Wooten ("Deep Fried Pizza"). But inhumanly fast music is exhilarating only if it sounds effortless; in Jenkinson's case it is.
Unfortunately, Shobaleader One's drummer, officially identified as Company Laser, at times, makes himself needlessly conspicuous. Not that Mr. Laser falls short in speed or accuracy or even effortlessness; breakneck speed and precision can sound like a million bucks, but the ability to genuinely rock steady is worth its weight in fucking gold. Let's be honest, in a case like this it's a wholly forgivable (and understandable) offense that Shobaleader's Company Man is so eagerly chomping at the musical bit that he occasionally attempts to jack up the tempo, only to be steadily and decisively ignored by his compatriots.
Likewise, there is virtuosity in restraint, and M. Laser's hyperactive vamping on "Iambic 5 Poetry," the only moment of rest on an otherwise frantic album, is another minor mark against him. It's possible that nobody will care about such flaws, as they're easily overlooked and were probably even more forgivable in live performance, when the pure energy of this enterprise was more than enough to carry away an audience.


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The foundation located on Mansfield Drive is the remnants of Archdale Hall. The plantation was the longest family owned plantation in South Carolina. The area behind the house site contains numerous azaleas, lilies and other garden flora that were part of the garden in 1886 when the house was destroyed. The Archdale Civic Association is currently cleaning the undergrowth and plan on preserving the foundation and gardens for the enjoyment of current and future residents.
The house site is a historical landmark and as such is protected by law.
Please do not walk on the foundation walls, dig for artifacts, or remove
any items from the site. For more information or if you want to help,
please click here to contact........ The President of Archdale Civic Association.
|Land Grant from King Charles
|April 1, 1683
|Richard Baker (original owner)
|William Baker (brother) (built house)
|Richard Baker (son)
|Richard Bohun Baker I (son)
|Richard Bohun Baker II (son)
|Richard Bohun Baker III (son)
|Richard Bohun Baker (Nephew)
|House destroyed by the Great Earthquake
|Aug. 31, 1886
|Emma Grimke-Drayton (Niece)
|Glen Grimke-Drayton (Grandson)
|Land sold outside the family to developer
|Archdale Civic Association receives 2 acre house site from C&S Bank
Front of house taken after the earthquake (around Sep 20, 1886).Front of house (170K)
Left side of house taken after the earthquake (around Sep 20, 1886).Left side (153K)
Plat of Archdale Plantation shortly after the birth of the United States 1791 Plat (324K)
Foundation ruins from front of house.
The bricks in the foreground are the remnants of the front steps. (March 29, 2008)Front step ruins (291K)
Foundation ruins from left side of house.
The bricks to the right are the remnants of the front steps. (March 21, 2000)From left side (283K)
Close-up of the front steps. (March 21, 2000)Front step closeup (284K)
Some of the azaleas in spring time bloom.
These azaleas are the same as were in the garden in 1886. (March 21, 2000)Azaleas in bloom (269K)


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A Requiem For Remembrance is the title of a concert being given in Thame this weekend.
Great Milton Singers, Wheatley Singers and Cumnor Choral Society are joining forces to present Brahms' A German Requiem, at St Mary's Church on Saturday, November 11, at 7.30pm.
There will also be readings and poetry, specifically chosen to honour Remembrance, and spellbinding, moving solos, specifically selected for the evening.
Musical director Kate Billimore will be joined by soprano Ann Mackay, bass Steven Henderson and Bruce Alexander, who will give the readings.
A spokesman for the event said: "Brahms's magnificent, noble 'German Requiem' always draws a crowd. Its sublime, radiant solos and majestic, dramatic choruses have, for almost 150 years, moved and delighted audiences. That alone is reason enough to get along to a performance.
"Add to this the united voices of around 100 singers, some known personally to you, along with first class soloists - the wonderful Ann Mackay and stupendous Steven Henderson - known for their splendid renditions of the work, and an orchestral ensemble drawn from far and wide."
Funds raised will help the Southampton University Centre for Cancer Immunology Research and Oxford-based children's charity Parasol.
Tickets £10, £8 in advance, from choir members, Wheatley Library, Great Milton Stores, The Book House in Thame, or on the door.


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-To realize our client's visions for an information technology environment, and to be a valued partner in its development, growth, implementation, and ongoing maintenance. To be a guide and mentor in the world of information technology for our clients, providing services, that will meet European ITIL and SLA standards by using modern techniques such as Help Desk, Service-Desk, remote administration, cloud technology in order to build a robust IT infrastructure in each company. And through that process to provide services that will meet or exceed our client's expectations
These services provide the customer with a commitment from Technology Bridge to supply the expertise and resources appropriate for performing the tasks contained in the customized Statement of Work that is delivered with each project plan or proposal. This statement details the tasks, roles, and responsibilities so there is no question of what is to be delivered. The expertise and resources are acquired through Technology Bridge's training and development programs, or through access to Technology Bridge's technical and management methodologies. The cumulative experience and resources of Technology Bridge back the quality of this service.


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Parents, students, and alumni are encouraged to take a moment to share your experience with us.
Sharing how you feel about St. Mary Parish School can make a tremendous difference! Parent, student and alumni testimonials help provide an external perspective on St. Mary Parish School teaching and students' learning.
(If you wish to remain anonymous, please leave the name fields blank)


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Have you ever driven past a junk yard and spotted a once fancy car now sitting in what seems like a metal graveyard? In its prime, it gleamed and shined with pride. Now it rests in shambles waiting to be fully destroyed by time and the elements. If you could get closer you would see where rust has eaten its way through parts of the structure. Where erosion has run a course that leaves it nearly unrestorable. For men, if you take this allegory and use it as an example of what might be happening internally for your lady, it could shed some light on her actions.
From the barber shop to the ball games or just hanging with friends, I get to hear tons of men complain about their woman's issues. Most are not valid, they are simply relationship growing pains. But if you listen closely, you will hear some details leak out that show exactly why this guy is going through the ringer. As men, we do stupid things from time to time. What we do not seem to get is that saying "sorry" is not a cure-all remedy. Words fall short of repairing situations where trust has been violated. It is only in the land of fantasy that apologizing can go backward, fix the problem and leave your mate fully restored. That is not how it really works.
When we think of rust, erosion comes to mind. It is when something has been worn away, diminished or destroyed. It does not ever happen overnight. It is through the process of neglect and abandonment that things erode and fall apart. As it relates to women and our relationship with them, once it begins, it is almost impossible to reverse. Here are a few things that are guaranteed to cause erosion where your lady is concerned.
- Make her feel foolish for believing you cared. Nothing violates the trust of a woman faster than when she is internally made the decision to put herself out there and trust you only to find out you have been playing her. The process that it takes to develop a relationship can be lost in a few moments. Our actions can put her in a position to have an all-out inner war. Where she goes back and forth questioning her own conscience for putting her faith in you.
- When you don't live up to your verbal commitments. Say what you mean and mean what you say. We have slipped into a societal mindset that feels it's alright to lie and deceive others. It is easier now with the influx of social media to be a fake. When we enter a relationship it also drags in all the props we use. Now we are face to face with someone and quickly find out it's tough to keep up the façade. My advice is to be authentic from the door. Keep it real and you won't have to keep up any lies.
- Give her the ammunition of bad behavior. We all mess up, I get it. No one walking the planet is perfect, nor should we pretend to be…. But some things are just plain stupid. Lying, cheating or sneaking around will only serve as fuel on a fire. What makes us look even crazier is after getting caught, we have the audacity to have an attitude in the future when we are questioned about something. Are you serious? That infraction will take time and effort to heal. And guess what… You don't get to dictate what that timeline is either.
The late Stephen R. Covey, a profound educator, businessman and author, described trust as:
Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships together.
Ask yourself, what do you have if you don't have trust? Our quality of life in a relationship is in direct proportion to the trust we experience for that person. If it is gone, it will only be a matter of time before she checks out too; maybe not physically first, but definitely emotionally. Trust and believe, once her mind is gone, her body will soon follow.
Written by Early Jackson
(Edited by Cherese Jackson)
The Modern Princess: a 21st Century Guide to Fairy Tale Relationships
Photo Credits:
Top Image Courtesy of Early Jackson
Inside Image Courtesy of Zulufoto – Shutterstock License
Featured Image Courtesy of Voyagerix – Shutterstock License


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Monday, December 20, 2010
Money, Money, Money...
It's no secret that I've spent the past couple of years kind of broke and desperate for work. And even when I did find a paying gig, more often than not, the money sucked. But I'd take the job anyway because hey, some cash is better than none.
During those lean times, I managed to squeak by but not without some sacrifices. I'd often opt to spend the evening staying in instead of going out with friends. I'd eat the same thing for a week rather eat out. I'd keep a pair of running shoes well past its prime rather than buy on a new pair.
But this year, despite getting off to a slow start, has been a pretty bitchin' year for me. I've been working steadily, as things go, and for the first time in a while, my bank account has been pretty well fed.
However, now the challenge is, how do I keep it from sliding back into its previous anemic state?
I've noticed that the more money I make, the more I tend to spend. Sure, I know that this newfound cash should be put in the bank and left there, untouched and saved for the rainiest of days. But as with many things in this business (and life in general), it's easier said than done... Especially after a rough couple of years.
I suddenly find myself indulging in all the stuff I had to previously miss out on. I'll splurge on a night out with friends or treat myself to a nice meal and a movie. I'll get my car washed and waxed. And more importantly, I'll splurge on a new wardrobe. After all, I haven't done any serious shopping for myself in a while and vintage Ts are so 2009.
You'd think that the logical thing for me to do once I got that all out of my system would be to get back on a reasonable budget, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Apparently, the next logical thing for me to do is indulge myself even more.
All this work I've been doing lately, while it fills my pockets with cash, has been leaving me tired and fried. I feel like I work hard for my money, so it's all too easy to justify treating myself to a massage or a nice dinner. I've had a really rough week at work, so why not indulge in a little shopping spree? Not to mention taking some real time off and skipping town for a while.
And then there's my friends... Some of them are still down on their luck, so when we hang out, I'll offer to pay for their movie ticket or buy them lunch. After all, I've been lucky enough to be working virtually non-stop while they're still on their ass and unemployed, so it seems like the right thing to do. Especially when you consider how they've always stood by me when I needed them.
While this spending may (or may not) be justified, it's also imperative to point out that my career is that of a freelancer. Sure, I may be doing well now, but how long will this good fortune last? If I go through another period of lean times, will my bank account still be fat enough for me to make it through?
My balance sheet is still in the black, but it's pretty obvious that my recent spending habits need to change (like, set up a savings account that's as good as forgotten) but change is hard. Even more so around Christmas when you're excited about the fact that the first time in a while, you're able to afford presents that you know your loved ones will really enjoy, rather than ones off the clearance rack.
Sigh... Maybe I'll start saving again after the Holidays....? :)
*Before I get called a hypocrite in the comments, I'd like to point out that the difference between my friend and I is that he's to the point where his phone was shut off. Despite me spending a bit more than usual lately, I'm still a ways off from anything like that.
2 comments :
- Phay said...
I recently (as in 4 months ago) got myself into the habit of tranferring money into my savings account at the same time I deposit my checks...for every day that check is for, I put $20 into my savings...I also deposit a small portion of my unemployment checks as well...it's a slow build, but it seems to be working out so far
- December 22, 2010 at 12:01 PM
- D said...
I learned long ago that that's the answer- having two accounts. If you keep it all in one, it either goes down or stays at the same level. It's really mysterious how it happens too. I used to put every other check into savings and forget about it. It builds up quick and doesn't get spent. I also have 200.00 a month transferred automatically to savings just as an extra bump.
- December 26, 2010 at 9:45 PM
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People in New York may be interested to learn that the IRS uses certain rigid classifications to determine if an employer is an Applicable Large Employer under the Affordable Care Act. Two options under the Affordable Care Act, one dealing with shared responsibility and one dealing with information reporting for offers of minimum essential coverage, apply only to these types of employees.
Determining whether an employer falls under this classification is based on information from the previous year. An ALE must have had more than 50 full-time or full-time equivalent employees. A full-time employee in any given calendar month is defined as someone who worked at least 30 hours per week during that month or at least 130 hours total during that month. A full-time equivalent employee counts up the hours of more than one part-time employee to reach the same number of hours in a calendar month as a full-time employee.
There is one exception in determining who is a full-time employee for the purposes of identifying an ALE. Due to the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015, if an employee is covered for medical care though the military, that employee is not counted.
Employees who feel their rights are being violated in relation to health insurance may want to speak to an attorney. For example, an employee might suspect that their hours have been reduced as part of an employer's effort to avoid classification as an ALE. In a situation like this or any other case in which an employee feels that they are being denied benefits, wages, or overtime, they may want to file a lawsuit.


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- Services
- Permits & Inspections
- Building & Construction
- Building Demolition
Building Demolition
A demolition permit is required for the removal or demolition of any major structure.
- Don't start work without an approved permit. A violation could result in a code enforcement violation with a penalty fee.
- All utilities must be shut off and releases issued by all utility companies.
Still have questions? Contact:
Permits and Inspections
Permits and Inspections
111 Maryland Ave.
Rockville, MD 20850
Rockville, MD 20850
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Permit Process
Review the GuidelinesReview the demolition requirements before submitting the permit application.
Gather Additional DocumentationAdditional resources are required with the permit application.
You will need:
- Three copies of the property plot plan.
- Three copies of to-scale design drawings that include dimensions.
- Written approval from Homeowners Association, if applicable.
Plot plan copies can be purchased by completing the application with the City of Rockville or by visiting Maryland Land Records.
Complete Permit ApplicationComplete the permit application and submit the application, additional materials and permit fee at:
City Hall, second floor
111 Maryland Ave.
Rockville, MD 20850
Residential Permit Commercial Permit
Permit Fees
|City Condemned
|$525 plus $.05 per cubic foot
Schedule an InspectionAfter construction, schedule an inspection to ensure safety and code standards.
To schedule an inspection, call our 24-hour Voice Permits™ IVR System at 240-314-5040. Have your site-specific permit number and inspection code ready.


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+ Ambient Tracks
Inner Goddess Meditation
Renee Airya
Sometimes women become disconnected from their strong feminine power within. Renee will guide you to connect yourself to the present moment, using Goddesses and Deities as a guardians that can help you with attaining your desires and aligning with prosperity. You will reach for deeper intuition the true feminine way.


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Return Policy
We want you to be happy!
We will gladly provide a refund for unused mats returned within 30 days of purchase. We are unable to accept items that have been used.
In order to process a return:
- Send an email to email@example.com with your order # and the item(s) you want to return
- You will hear back from Ono with a Return Authorization Number (RA #)
- Print the attached Return Form and fill in the required information
- Repack the merchandise and enclose the completed Return Form
- Attach the completed Return Address Label to your package and send to us via the carrier of your choice
Ono will process a credit/refund for your mat(s) as soon as the returned item is received. All returns should be sent to: DIRECTSOURCE C/O ONO, ATTN: RETURNS DEPARTMENT, 5510 GRACE PL COMMERCE, CA 90022-4112.
If you have any questions or concerns please send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
International Shipping
Great news! We are now shipping internationally to many countries worldwide. You should receive a pop-up with instructions on how to order.
If you have any questions or concerns please send an email to email@example.com.


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Everyone likes a good pie whether it's sweet or savory. New in my kitchen is this Electric Pie Maker from Judge Cookware and I have to say I'm seriously loving it. In a word it's brilliant; the pastry cooks perfectly and the deep fill pie moulds allow for 'proper' good and filling pies to be cooked in just 15 minutes once you have the filling ready.
Far quicker than waiting for the oven to heat up, so in a way this is also a money saving gadget too!
This pie maker is so easy to use too.
- Make your chosen pie filling; just remember if you are using meat or poultry then it has to be cooked first.
- Cut out the pastry using the pastry template cutter which comes with the machine.
- Line the pie maker's non-stick moulds. *Please note you don't have to use strips of greaseproof but I think it makes removing the cooked pies so much easier purely because they will be piping hot!
- Fill each pie with filling the top; brush the pastry edge with egg yolk.
- Pop on the pastry lids; brush with egg yolk.
- Close the lid of the pie make and switch on - 15 minutes later your pie will be cooked.
The cord wraps around the base and the pie maker can be stored on its side therefore taking up less space.
Yield: 2
Apple Pie with Rum Soaked Sultanas - Electric Pie Maker Recipe
Makes 2 large pies I cooked them in a Pie Maker. The pastry cooks perfectly and the deep fill pie moulds allow for 'proper' sized pies. Cooked in just 15 minutes once you have the filling ready.
prep time: 1 hourcook time: 15 minstotal time: 1 hours and 15 mins
- 2 large Bramley apples
- 50g sultanas
- 2 tablespoons of dark rum
- 50g golden caster sugar
- 15g butter - unsalted
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 egg yolk - free range of course
- 1 x 500g block of ready made pastry - you will have a little bit left over which you could pop in the freezer.
- Remove the pastry from the fridge and start by soaking the sultana's in the rum for at least an hour so they plump up nicely.
- Once done drain from the rum and start making the pie filling.
- Peel and core the apples and cut into bite sized pieces. Throw them into a medium sized saucepan along with the sugar and butter and cook over a medium heat adding the sultana's and the mixed spice, stirring well to coat.
- Cook gently until the apple is nice and soft but still keeping its shape - don't overcook or you will have apple puree.
- When cooked remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Once your pastry is room temperature, roll it out and use the pastry template cutters to make the two pie bases and two pie lids.
- Lay the pastry bottoms into your pie maker and add the filling.
- Now brush the edges of the pie with a little egg and pop on the pastry lids. Brush the lids with egg and close the pie maker.
- Turn on the electric, close the lid of the pie maker and the pies will cook. You will need to set a timer to 15 minutes from that point and the pies will be perfectly cooked though - no need to peep!
Top Tip - be sure to fill to right to the top or the pie lids will sink and won't get cooked in the pie maker.
Created using The Recipes Generator
Typical in-store price £37.50
Model JEA70
Non-stick and comes with a 2 year electrical guarantee from Judge Cookware
Please pop over to Judge Cookware for more details.
It would be great if the pie moulds could be removed for cleaning but it really isn't too much bother to clean anyway; obviously since the moulds aren't removable so it can't go in a dishwasher but that aside this electric pie maker gets a BIG thumbs up from me!
Twitter @JudgeCookware @PBMmarketing
Disclaimer - I received a pie maker for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.


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Graphic Design
conveying visual information
Visual Communication by means of graphic design for print or web is a way in which we can convey any message, or brand or idea by means of images and text. Communicating in a visual way has been proven to be more effective than just hearing or reading a message – and this is what we aim to do: Communicating in a visually, fun and striking manner through various mediums like, banners, pamphlets, booklets, websites, corporate stationary, posters, flyers, newsletters and the list goes on. Please have a look at some of our work and feel free to ask for examples.


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Unless you live in Brighton Pavilion a vote for Green this time around is not going to result in a Green MP. You might think it's harmless to vote Green and will simply support a smaller party who may one day in the future, either through increased support or changeRead more
Tag: Brighton Pavilion
Greens and UKIP working together in Brighton Pavilion?
Got home today in Brighton to find a leaflet stuffed in my letterbox. "Exciting" I thought. "Who's been delivering things today?" I pulled it out and look, it was the Green: I turned it over and saw UKIP: Very confused. One side was Green, the other UKIP! It turned outRead more


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Plano is a company founded on the belief that outdoor adventures go beyond the fish you catch or the game you carry out, but the experience you take in. These experiences are unlimited and available to everyone, and we appreciate and understand the determination outdoorsmen have to pursue their passion because we are a company built on that same passion and love for the outdoors.
We've been supplying outdoor enthusiasts with equipment protection and storage solutions for over 60 years, and there's a 4 in 5 chance that if you own a tackle box, it was made by Plano.
Plano acquired Frabill in 2012, creating a partnership with over 135 years of combined industry experience, values, and product quality. These iconic brands, combined with Tenzing hunting packs, provide an unmatched portfolio of products for the outdoor industry.
We're proud of our heritage and humbled by the countless anglers, hunters and shooters that trust us with the safekeeping of their equipment.
Features:- Dimensions: 43" x 22-1/2" x 9"- Lockable- Separate area for arrow storage- ProLatch storage box
Features:- Dimensions: 43-1/4"L x 19"W x 6-3/4"H.- Exclusive PillarLock System- High-density foam interior- Color: Black & Camo
Features:- Dimensions: 49"Lx19-1/2"Wx6-1/2"H- Color: Black & Camo
Features:- Dimensions: 48"L x 21"W x 7-1/2"H.- Rubber gasket seals out dust, rain and snow- Holds 12 carbon or aluminum arrows- Made of impact-resistant resin
Features:- Exterior: 36.375"L x 7.5"W x 3.1875"H- Interior: 35.625"L x 6"W x 2.75"H
Features:- Dimensions: 49"Lx19-1/2"Wx6-1/2"H- Color: Camo
Features:- Color: Black- Material: Plastic
Features:- Poly tie-down straps- High-density foam- Compatible with: Fits most crossbows


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Cement producers around the world are under greater pressure than ever to maintain margins in light of difficult conditions in many markets. Once any apparent technical process solutions have been implemented, what else can be done to improve the performance of cement producers in terms of operational costs, suppliers, staff attitudes and management approaches? Here, we hear about the work of Alexander Proudfoot, a management consulting company with wide experience in the global cement industry, from Angus Maclean, the firm's Executive Vice President for Client Delivery, Europe.
Global Cement (GC): Can you outline Alexander Proudfoot and its work in the cement sector?
Angus Maclean (AM): Alexander Proudfoot is a diverse management consultancy that works in a wide range of sectors. Alexander Proudfoot delivers transformational, lasting change in operations, organisational capability, productivity, profitability and growth.
I head up the construction and building material practices, which includes our work with cement sector clients. As in the other sectors that we work in, we design and implement operational transformation programmes that offer practical help for cement executives and enable them to instil disciplined execution at all levels of their organisations. We do this by engaging with staff at all levels, from the delivery driver to the board, to unlock anywhere up to Euro3/t of operational savings, without significant capital expenditure.
Geographically, we have worked on projects from the Arctic Circle to the bottom of South America and from the west of Canada to rural China. This has been for all levels of cement producer, from the largest multinationals like HeidelbergCement, LafargeHolcim, CRH and Cemex, through regional players to one-site operators in developing markets. We've partnered with these on a multitude of major improvement projects. These programmes have helped our clients realise tangible and sustainable increases of Euro1-3/t in earnings before interest tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in as little as six months.
GC: How does Alexander Proudfoot operate?
AM: We provide Operational Transformation in a shoulder-to-shoulder approach that we call Co-venture™. This is unlike many other management consultancy firms and is a fundamental difference in the way we perform our work. It is a key reason for the substantial benefits the programmes yield. Our core methodology is based on the P4 Approach: People, Productivity, Profitability and Predictability. Our teams, of which we have about 10, go into cement plants and join the plant staff or visit senior staff in their offices. We typically start our work with a business review, in which we analyse and define improvement opportunities on a rapid timeline with the client. We design a large-scale improvement programme with a scope that may include multiple sites, countries or regions. We agree on the benefits to be delivered, along with a timeline and roadmap.
With regard to operating the roadmap, we operate two linked processes that focus on the various 'technical' and 'tactical' soutions. Technical factors concern any aspect of the plant itself, as well as the management of processes, in both the plant and wider company. This may include answering questions like: 'Can we reduce the number of times we lubricate a particular gear?'; 'How do we streamline this conveying process?'; 'Do we really need this many different suppliers?' Technical areas are often ones with which plant operators have better experience and often the plant will lead on the technical solutions that can be implemented.
Tactical factors, by contrast, can often be neglected by producers. They concern things like management's attitudes to the company, staff motivation levels and relationships with customers and suppliers. Such 'soft' factors can quickly affect the bottom line if they are forgotten about. Consultants can help provide focus on these sorts of areas.
GC: Can you give some recent examples?
AM: Some recent examples from around the global cement industry include:
South America, 2016: Earlier in 2016 we completed a 24 week project for a South American cement plant, during which we had been asked to improve its maintenance and production costs. It had undergone a change of management in a fairly tough market and the new owner wanted to reduce ongoing maintenance costs.
When we started, the plant was in a poor state of repair due to poor implementation of existing practices and fairly low staff engagement. There was also an overlap of pre-existing cultures from the previous owners that threatened further confusion.
When we started, we first conducted a three week diagnostic study of the plant's operations. On the basis of this, we identified the changes that we could make to save the most money in the shortest time and for the lowest investment. This included everything from being more 'hard-nosed' with suppliers, optimising spare-part inventories and getting deep into the workings of the plant.
Over the subsequent weeks, our team conducted weekly consultations with the plant staff at all levels to help them identify and be proactive in coming up with their own, location-specific solutions. Once the project kicked off the staff were really proactive and motivation increased. They came up with suggestions on, for example, how to reduce maintenance duration, improve monitoring and implement preventative maintenance programmes to limit downtime. We looked at and implemented many of those changes, using our experience to identify where the largest gains could be made. At the end of the project, the plant was saving more than Euro2 on every tonne of cement produced, all with zero capex.
West Africa, 2015: In a contrasting example, we were asked to run a 30 week project for an African producer as part of a project to optimise its sales and general admin expenses. Unlike the South American example, this was about bringing the different working practices of board-level employees into line with each other to optimise processes at a company level. The producer, as it exists today, had previously been represented in the region by several different entities. There was considerable need to reduce departmental overlap, reduce head-count and look at supplier relationships. The project was also able to reduce the costs of production by more than Euro2/t over the course of the project.
UK, France and Poland, 2014: Elsewhere a European cement producer wanted to run a large project to optimise its operational performance, achieve supply chain excellence and reduce the cost per tonne across multiple cement plants in response to poor conditions across Europe. It needed to optimise its plants to meet its own internal investment criteria, which are fairly strict for the sector.
The project included reducing fixed and variable production costs, assessing head-count, reducing fixed and variable maintenance costs, as well as targeting procurement, energy, supply chain logistics and throughput. In total the operator was able to achieve more than Euro3/t across a number of 24 and 32 week projects.
China, 2013: We spent a full year helping a major Chinese cement producer to achieve operational and supply chain excellence across 20 cement plants. Our teams went all around China in three 'waves' of the project, looking at ways to reduce fixed and variable production costs and achieving more than Euro3/t of savings overall. This is a huge amount when one considers the large capacity covered by the project.
While all of the plants were operated by the same producer, they were not all optimised in the same way. Each plant is different and, while the methodologies we use can be very similar, each plant needs to be looked at individually.
GC: Does Alexander Proudfoot have the capacity to suggest technical solutions or provide advice on return on investment for large technical projects?
AM: We always emphasise a low or zero capex approach to improvement. In some cases, it is clear that a major new piece of equipment is necessary. However, in these sorts of situations, the cement producer is usually the initiator of such a major change. We take this into account in the improvement programmes that we develop together. We would never suggest a capital-intensive investment to a producer and would certainly not recommend specific technical solutions.
GC: Does Alexander Proudfoot have any markets where it has been unable to operate in so far?
AM: Not really. We have worked in more than 45 different countries so far with cement firms, essentially everywhere we have been requested to. We review how safe it is before we send out teams to certain countries, as would any other company. In terms of entering new markets and expanding our expertise, we would like to do more in China and India. We have worked in both previously but there is incredible potential for savings in both countries.
GC: Has Alexander Proudfoot worked on the LafargeHolcim merger or HeidelbergCement's acquisition of Italcementi?
AM: We have been involved in both of these deals, not on a global basis, but for specific individual integration projects in certain countries. Unfortunately I cannot go into more detail.
GC: Do cement producers look for the same types of consultation as other industrial players of similar size, for example oil producers or steel firms?
AM: Every sector is slightly different and, at a macro level, there can be similarities between cement producers and other asset-intensive industries. However, the cement sector operates far more locally than, for instance, the oil sector. This relates to the cost of shipping cement around the world, which is high in relation to its value. In the case of the European producer mentioned earlier, we found that transportation issues were a major issue for the company in Poland but not in France. Indeed, we found that it was experiencing issues similar to those we had seen with other clients in Poland. In such cases, simply 'copy-pasting' the solutions from the French plant into the Polish plant would have been at best ineffective and at worst counterproductive. This is another reason why our programmes can be so effective.
GC: What changes are you seeing at the moment in, for example, the types / sizes of cement companies, the locations of the companies coming to you?
AM: Before the onset of the financial crisis in 2008 we worked with various types of cement producers all over the world. However, since margins have become squeezed we have seen an increase in demand for our services. This makes sense considering that we offer long-term savings for minimal investment. All producers, whether big or small, are trying to become leaner.
The recent trends for mergers and acquisitions also add to our workload in various countries. This trend looks set to continue and I think that the smaller regional producers will grow as they pick up assets from HeidelbergCement, Cemex and LafargeHolcim. As they become larger, these growing regional multinationals will start to change how they look at their assets and what they can do to optimise them.
GC: Do different sizes of companies want the same types of advice or does size matter?
AM: Different clients require different services and advice. This can be due to their history, location, size and a number of other factors. For the larger producers it is hard to generalise because each of the major companies that we have worked with has unique ways of doing business. Some are very centralised and want to replicate processes and practices across all plants, be it in Germany, Turkey, the US or Vietnam. Similar equipment, the same training, the same shift patterns, same everything. This approach is strong on company ethos, and can make it easy for senior management to understand and use the tools at its disposal.
On the other hand, other multinationals don't want that kind of uniformity and prefer to treat their cement plants more as a portfolio. For them, as long as the plant performs to certain financial requirements, all is well. Most multinationals are in between these extremes to different degrees. We have to adapt our working practices to the clients, whatever the prevailing methodology. Sometimes, in merger and takeover scenarios, we have to help previously competing methodologies work together.
There is more similarity at the smaller end of the cement sector. One-plant operators typically ask us to review their 'end-to-end' process and identify opportunities across their value chain. This is usually with relation to fixed and variable production and maintenance costs and commercial excellence projects.
GC: What are the next big areas for management consultancy in the cement sector?
AM: We see that market leaders are now more comfortable with stabilisation in their processes and profitability. This is an important change after many years of volatility. Through our ongoing research and engagement in the industry, we see strong opportunities for further development of management consultancy practices in the cement sector. In our discussions with senior leadership across the sector the common themes include the need for rapid change, increased predictability and increasing staff proficiency. In both developed and emerging markets, there are skills shortages looming in the years ahead. Talent is scarce and competition for talent at the first level of supervision is rising. Firms that have capable and proficient staff and management systems that address this talent shortage will lead.
Many clients are telling us that they have completed most improvement actions at least once and are now at a certain 'performance ceiling.' Many now want to make their operations more predictable. Instead of just reacting to sporadic commercial demands, day-to-day variations and challenges, the businesses that can accurately predict the demand on its plants, machines, transport and staff, are the ones that will perform the best. They are looking for tools to forecast cement demand and the supply of raw materials into their plants, plus fuel prices. This will enable them to optimise the plant and process, not just for today's levels of demand but for every possible set of demand and supply circumstances that may exist in the future. Producers that can navigate this 'road' of demand and can accurately forecast when to step on the gas or the brakes will come out on top in terms of margins, sales and profits.
GC: That sounds like a difficult target. How will companies achieve this level of performance?
AM: Of course, 100% accurate forecasting is not possible in reality. However, by looking at increasingly smaller areas in each of the core elements of our methodology (Figure 1), producers can hone their performance. When they achieve excellence in all three areas: people and behaviours, management operating systems and process improvements, they give
themselves the flexibility to rapidly adapt to the prevailing conditions and to make the best of them.
Remember, at the top end, the large multinationals are not only in a fight with other cement producers to sell cement. They are in a fight with other companies in other sectors to provide dividends to shareholders. Investors often don't care what a company does, but what it offers to them. If a cement company's key performance indicators (KPIs) don't fit the bill, they won't be as investable. There is far wider competition and it is why the multinationals will continue to lead the way in terms of management and operational optimisation.
GC: Thank you very much for your time.
AM: You are very welcome.


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Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber Put Their Los Angeles Home on the Market 2010-10-05 05:00:00
Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber List Their Low-Key LA Mansion
Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber have put their 4,410-square-foot, six-bedroom, 4.5-bath home in the Helenas, a coveted Brentwood, CA, neighborhood, on the market for $6 million. Considering how much time the couple has been spending in NYC, it's no wonder they want to leave their California digs behind. But I must say it is quite a dreamy home. Lush landscaping offers great privacy for the celeb family and architectural details like a trellis-covered outdoor living room, French doors, and an ivy façade give it the feeling of a villa in the South of France. Très romantique. As for the décor, Naomi and Liev have terrific taste! They've stuck to a neutral palette and integrated contemporary furniture and antiques over acres of sisal carpet for a laid-back, well-balanced look. Accents like a mother-of-pearl inlaid mirror, original black and white photography, blockprint textiles, and cheerful throw pillows from Anthropologie give the space personality and a sophisticated, exotic vibe. In other words, it's definitely a coveted crib. Check out the photos below and see for yourself:
Continue reading to see more photos!