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Director, Presenter
Since the late 1980s Bryan Bruce has been a prolific documentary maker and presenter. Over more than 30 documentaries, plus three seasons of The Investigator, he has cast fresh eyes on some of the most famous crimes in New Zealand's history, and asked tough questions about the country's economic and social trajectory.
...I think we can make analytical, thought-provoking programmes that encourage us to discuss the kind of society, the kind of place that we have here and whether this is New Zealand the way we want it. Bryan Bruce, in a 2007 interview
Big hair, big shoulder pads and big earrings feature in this video celebrating Three's 30th birthday. On 26 November 1989, TV3 — the first privately owned TV channel in New Zealand — transmitted from its Auckland studios for the first time. The promo opens with fresh-faced news reporters/presenters hamming it up for the camera, including Joanna Paul, Eric Young and Genevieve Westcott. The rest of the clip celebrates Three's successes (Outrageous Fortune, bro'Town, 7 Days) and takes a light-hearted look at its failings, revisiting times it went into receivership.
Presented by veteran newsreader Richard Long, this documentary looks at the history of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, focusing on some of the many and varied events which have happened on the bridge, such as AJ Hackett's first bungy jump off of it, the Dame Whina Cooper-led Maori land march of 1975, and the first plane to fly under the bridge. Interviewees include Joe Hawke, who was both a builder who worked on the bridge and a leader of the land march, and one of the Japanese makers of the 'Nippon Clippon' bridge extensions added in 1969.
This documentary tells the life story of entertainer Sir Howard Morrison. He discusses his Te Arawa whakapapa, whānau, and Anglican faith. Made by Bryan Bruce, it Includes footage of Morrison's investiture, a visit to his old school Te Aute, early performances by the Howard Morrison Quartet in Rotorua, and performances from throughout his career. Morrison is candid about his ego, his foray into film, and his marriage. An especially touching moment is a visit to an old Tūhoe friend (Morrison spent his early years in the Urewera) with a cloak made for his father.
The major contribution made by horses to New Zealand's development is investigated in this Bryan Bruce documentary – from the first to arrive (a stallion brought by missionary Samuel Marsden in 1814) to equestrian gold medallists and sires of Melbourne Cup winners in more recent years. This excerpt features extensive archive footage of some of the 10,000 horses sent to Europe and the Middle East during World War I (with only four returning); and talks to one of the last milk vendors to use a horse and cart (only retired with very mixed feelings in 1984).
This 1995 documentary about New Zealand humour features classic TV comedy moments from Fred Dagg, Barry Crump, A Week of It, McPhail and Gadsby, Letter to Blanchy, Billy T James, Pete and Pio, the Topp Twins, Gliding On, Lynn of Tawa and Funny Business. Tom Scott, John Clarke, David McPhail and Jon Gadsby talk about the nature of New Zealand satire; Pio Terei, Peter Rowley, and Billy T James producer Tom Parkinson discuss the pros and cons of race-based humour; and the Topp Twins explain the art of sending people up rather than putting them down.
John O'Shea was godfather to generations of Kiwi filmmakers; he was an inspirational force committed to bringing new perspectives to the screen. As Ngati actor Wi Kuki Kaa put it, "had he been a Māori, he would have been a kaumatua years ago". This documentary backgrounds O'Shea and his pioneering indie production company Pacific Films, ranging from his efforts to put Māori on screen, to banned 60s ads. The cast provides proof positive of O'Shea's influence — amongst the ex-Pacific staff interviewed are the late Barry Barclay, Tony Williams and Gaylene Preston.


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UK Airfields
Airfields, Memorials & Aircraft
Yundum International Airport, Banjul, The Gambia
Opened : unknown
Closed : n/a
USAAF Sta No : n/a
Current use : Airport
ARG Forum - Banjul
Banjul International Airport
This page last updated on : 2 June 2016
Airport Site
Aircraft at Yundum / Banjul
UK Airfields (previously known as 'Airfields & Aviation Memorials').
Copyright 1977 - 2020.
All photos taken by Richard E Flagg unless stated otherwise.
No images or content may be reproduced without prior written permission.

subset: commoncrawl


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This is our house post-Halloween. My pumpkins lasted forever this year because we never carved any and those huge Costco mums were so pretty. Of course, I chose pink. And the grass has been so green with cooler temps!
Speaking of Halloween, these two crazy kids had a ball this year. They stayed out longer than ever before and ran around the neighborhood with their friends. Our neighborhood is so fun and full of kids, and it's so fun to see everyone out and about.
We only accomplished about half of our fall bucket list this year. We certainly don't stress about it, it's meant to be fun, and who cares if we don't get to everything. We have so much to be thankful for.
We did manage to squeeze in a hike...a favorite among the kids...
And ate our fair share of cider donuts...
And finally, after living here for 5 years, we made it to the Nelson Atkins Museum. I loved the abstract art the most. And the grounds could not be prettier.
Steve and I had a long weekend in Chicago together. He was the best man in a wedding and the Cubs were playing that weekend. We had a ball!
And thank goodness for retired grandparents who love to babysit. We are blessed and happy when they agree to watch the kiddos so we can get away! My mom snapped this photo of the kids while they were fishing and we were gone. Kansas sunsets in the fall are just gorgeous.
We hosted Steve's family for Thanksgiving again this year. The visit is always filled with laughter, relaxation, and good food! I always gussy up the bar cart and use our china for special occasions. We don't use the dining room table much, but I always love moments when we do.
And little miss just turned 8 years old! I know I'm not old enough to have an 8 & 9 year old!! :) She is so full of life and spunk and is caring and mature and a little smartypants. I just love her spirit.
Thanksgiving this year marked 5 years of living in Kansas City. This is a big deal when you've lived in 6 states and none of them were longer than 3 years!
This is our home. We love it here. So happy life brought us here. Hope your fall was wonderful! xo
You can find me most days on Instagram, so be sure to follow along!


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Where to Stay in Liverpool – a neighbourhood guide
Find a place to stay
With a long history as a trading port, travellers have been flocking to Liverpool for centuries. Whether you're here to party in the heaving nightclubs or amble around the museums, Liverpool has an array of attractions to keep you enthralled. For a touch of class you can indulge in the variety of luxury hotels, but similarly there are a range of lower cost alternatives with an array of facilities in addition to backpacker hostels.
Hotels in City Centre
The City Centre has more hotels than you can shake a keycard at. These include eye-catching boutique pads located close to the Cavern Club and the shopping complexes. Many offer modern perks like free WiFi and on site spa facilities, meaning you will have all of the comforts of home with an added touch of sophistication.
While it'll never be mistaken for a glamorous quarter, Toxteth does have its attractions such as Sefton Park, a Grade 1 listed park which sprawls for hundreds of acres. The district is perfect for anyone looking to be away from the hubbub of the central and dockland areas and would like an affordable, comfortable place to rest their head.
Hotels in Toxteth
There's not a huge range of hotels in the Toxteth area, but you will find a few dotted around offering cosy home comforts. Some are within strolling distance of Sefton Park, and you can look forward to handy amenities like free WiFi and free parking.
Albert Dock
Albert Dock is one of the most trendiest areas of the city and is where many of the chain hotels can be found. It's a buzzing cluster of distinctive red brick warehouses converted into chic hangouts for foodies and culture vultures. The Tate Liverpool and Beatles Story museum are just a few of the attractions drawing in the crowds.
Hotels in Albert Dock
The reliable chain hotels of Albert Dock cater for travellers on a budget as well as those looking to spoil themselves a little. Expect spacious, smartly decorated rooms, relaxed bars snacks and cocktails, and sparkling views over the River Mersey.
Princes Dock
The sleek and tranquil Princes Dock and its surrounding waterfront area is another part of Liverpool that's been gorgeously revamped thanks to energetic urban development. Overlooked by the twin birds of the Royal Liver Building, Princes Dock and the surrounding inland area is home to some of the more exclusive hotels that Liverpool has to offer.
Hotels in Princes Dock
Expect deluxe experiences, with the hotels boasting plush, romantic cocktail bars, expansive indoor pools, and heated spas. Waterfront views make many of the guestrooms memorable places to unwind after a day's shopping and sightseeing.
Where to stay
AnfieldAverage hotel pricesSearch for Anfield hotels
Sefton ParkAverage hotel pricesSearch for Sefton Park hotels
The DocksAverage hotel pricesSearch for The Docks hotels
Find your perfect holiday in Liverpool
From 570 hotels.


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$3 show, May 11th
Nominal fee to see two newish Austin bands.
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011 – 9PM
Final night of the "Soft Wound" Tour featuring
at Bryan St. Tavern
4315 Bryan Street
$3 for 21+
Here is a daytrotter session with Soft Healer from earlier this year.
UPDATE: DIAMOND AGE will open.
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Blog Archives
#SXSWedu 2017 Manifesto
I've attended every SXSWedu since the beginning. As it's located in Austin, it's a great opportunity to learn and share with leaders from around the world right in my backyard. This year, we are sending quite a bit of staff to stretch their thinking and grow as professionals. As usual, Ron Reed and the crew at SXSWedu put together a dynamite line-up that doesn't disappoint. One thing I created to help guide staff is create a "manifesto" of sorts for those that are either going for the first time or are just needing help not being overwhelmed by all the great sessions in their lineup.
If you are a first-time or veteran SXSW-er, hopefully some of these tips will help you as you make your way towards Austin next week.
If you are with a group, create a Slack channel
Attending a large conference with a group can be engaging but you also can run into serious FOMO (Fear of missing out) on sessions you don't attend. I invited all of our staff attending to our own district Slack channel. Slack is a great way to share resources and communicate in a group format that won't crowd your inbox during an event like this. I consider it kind of like a group text on steroids. We will still encourage staff to follow along at the #SXSWedu hashtag, but using a private group Slack can be powerful when reflecting and sharing after the event is over.
Parking can be tricky…and Uber is gone
The days of free parking in downtown Austin are over (unless you are comfortable walking a long distance). That said, most of the parking around downtown is reasonably priced ($10-$15 bucks), but I'd encourage you to car pool if possible. Here's a map of downtown parking for some ideas of where to find parking. Also, as Uber and Lyft pulled out of Austin since the last SXSWedu, you'll want to use an alternate ride-share company like Fare or Ride Austin to get around down town. If that doesn't work, there are always a bunch of pedi-cabs!
Registration is located on the Northeast corner of the convention center (Exhibit hall 5). You should have been sent a badge via email from firstname.lastname@example.com that has your Quickcode to scan when you get there. You can also link your account with the social.sxswedu.com account to upload your picture ahead of time if you don't want them to take it when you get there.
You can pick up your badge starting at 4 PM on Sunday (advisable if you want to avoid longer lines on Monday).
Lunch places are always changing year to year so check Yelp for some good options. Prices do vary and "rush hour" is generally between 11:30-1:00. Some newer places downtown include Cafe Blue and one of the BEST pizza food trailers down Rainey street behind Craft Pride called Via313 (Detroit-style pizza). One of my favorite burger joints continues to be Casino El Camino on 6th street. Of course, if you are looking for BBQ and don't want to wait too long in line at IronWorks, I'd highly recommend LaBarbecue (order the rib, it's pricey, but worth EVERY penny!).
SXSWedu has several events that happen in the evening. There are multiple movie screenings happening throughout the week. One of note is a screening of the movie "Hidden Figures" on Monday from 7-9pm at the Stateside Theater (with a Q&A panel with @RafranzDavis and others to follow). Another event that I am personally involved in is the CatchOn Launch Party on Tuesday at 7:30pm-11pm at Cedar Street Courtyard. It's a start-up company I've been advising on and we have all sorts of fun stuff planned for that evening including a little live band karaoke! Your SXSWedu badge will get you into all of these events.
Scheduling Quirks
SXSWedu doesn't follow traditional conference schedules (1 hour sessions repeating throughout). There are variety of sessions from 15-minute talks, to Think tanks, to meet-ups, to Future 20s, to longer workshops. Be sure to create a log-in before arriving and 'star' the sessions you are interested in but also note the start and end times as many overlap. Also, note that with the exception of keynotes, most of the sessions Monday through Wednesday run from 11am-6pm and on Thursday they are from 9:30am-2pm with a closing party to follow. (you can sleep in!)
Sessions that intrigue me
I'm super pumped to see Tim Ferriss keynote on Wednesday at 9:30am. I've been a fan of his podcast and books for the last couple of years and I'm excited to hear what he has to say about learning and mastery. Sessions that focus on design thinking, student empowerment, and artificial intelligence tend to draw my interest this year. I'm also all-in on the Breakout EDU concept and I'm excited to see good friend and super-engaging speaker Adam Bellow at this year's event. This year, not only am I attending, but I'm also moderating an interactive panel called "#AppOverkill: Going Beyond the Buzzwords". I'm excited to hear from the panel of experts we have assembled and we are also going to be doing some different activities to engage audience in the conversation. Come be a part of the conversation and fun at Tuesday at 11am!
Takeaways and Reflections
Attending an event like this can be incredibly rewarding and energizing to those of us in education. However, it's important that those that attend also bring back and share their learning with others on campus.
Here is a list of questions to keep in the back of your mind as you attend sessions and look for things to bring back. (Thanks to Lisa Johnson @TechChef4U for curating this!)
- What are the top sessions/topics that you liked?
- What are the top sessions/topics that you would like to take back to your campus to impact change?
- What are the top sessions/topics that challenged your beliefs?
- Who was someone you connected with that impacted you?
- Who are the top people that engaged you?
- What are the top resources you found most impactful?
- What are the top pieces of research or studies you feel are most impactful for our students and/or teachers?
- How will I share my new discoveries from this event with my staff?
While there are many other questions you are thinking about than the ones above, keeping these in the back of your mind while attending SXSWedu allows you time to reflect when it's all over and also think about ways to share your new discoveries with others when you return.
Happy learning!
How Does Staffing Affect Technology Integration & Support?
How does staffing affect technology integration and support? That was the question I sent out to districts across the state of Texas and twitter. I asked those districts to fill out a survey and self-evaluate how well they support technology (Technology Services) and how well they integrate technology in the classroom and curriculum (Instructional Technology). I also asked how many of those districts were involved in some level of 1:1 device program in their districts. (here's a link to that original survey)
What follows are the results of that survey followed by an infographic that summarizes the findings:
Participating districts data:
There were 28 districts participating in the survey, primarily from Texas. Of those the largest had a student enrollment of 45,000 and the smallest had just 362 students. 12 of the 28 districts surveyed (43%) had a 1:1 program on one or more of their campuses. There was a combined student enrollment of 256,000 students with over 210,000 devices being supported.
Who filled out the survey:
The majority of those responding to the survey were either technology directors, CTOs, or instructional technology coordinators. I recognize there can be a level of bias when it comes to evaluating your own level of support or integration, but I found these answers to be extremely realistic and the outliers tended to cancel each other out. In fact, taking that bias inflation out of the results actually make the findings even more impactful in some ways.
Staffing Ratios:
In general, districts fund two technology support technicians for every one of their instructional technology specialists. As the survey data revealed, this has a direct impact on how well they are supporting technology (most felt they did a strong job of supporting technology) to how well they are integrating it (most felt they did a weak or adequate job of integration).
A majority of districts (69%) surveyed felt they had adequate to excellent level of support for technology. By contrast, only 41% of districts felt they were integrating technology at least adequately with only one stating they were doing an excellent job integrating technology.
Those districts that scored the highest on integration of technology into classroom and curriculum had either one full-time staff member on a campus dedicated to that role or a full-time staff member that shared multiple campuses. Those with only one full-time district person to support the entire district or no person dedicated to this role scored the lowest.
Almost all (96%) stated that turnaround time on a technology work order was expected to be 5 days or less.
Only 28% of districts surveyed felt that they had "Strong" or "Exceptional" professional development around the area of technology integration on their campuses. Those campuses that rated high in professional development also had more staff members dedicated to integration of technology.
More people equals better support and integration of technology. While that seems like a no-brainer, digging into the data revealed the a level of disparity between "support" and "integration" in these districts. The ratio of technicians (1 per 999 students) vs that of instructional technology specialists (1 per 1910 students) seems to be the highest contributing factor to this. If the technology doesn't work, then you can't integrate it. That seems to be the mantra districts are following with these staffing ratios (we follow a similar ratio at Eanes). However, if districts truly want to utilize these tools for learning, it would appear the next step is figuring out a way to fund that professional support person to help integrate the technology, whether it be at one campus (ideally) or at multiple campuses.
Thank you to all the districts that participated in this survey. I've conducted a similar internal survey with our own staff and would love another district to do the same so we can compare internal data. If you are interested, comment below and I'll send you the link.
Here's the infographic:


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This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website.
We just had wood looking tile put in our hallway, living, dining, and bedroom. Jed C.
came out and showed us some different things after getting a sense of what I was looking for. He was VERY patient with me and my husband. THEN he went outside so we could discuss our options together. He never pushed us or made me feel uncomfortable and he didn't use scare tactics.
He was awesome. We felt very comfortable with the product he showed us and he explained all the features. We bought it! The financing options were really good too.
The installation supervisor was Miguel. What a great guy! We really lucked out with him because once the installers got the living room done I had a hissy fit. I hated one of the tiles that was dispersed throughout.
I felt like I got the wrong tile- like a knockoff version of what Jed showed me. Jed came back! He had the tile he showed me and I compared it to those I received. With the exception of that one ugly one, I felt a lot better.
He didn't have to come back, but he did to make me feel better. He also stayed to help me and Miguel make a plan on what to do about the ugly tile. Miguel had his installers replace the ugly tiles for me, and then made sure I got the look I wanted. The two installers did not speak English, but it didn't matter because Miguel was right there all along.
The best thing about these two guys was that they always answered the phone and called back. Even when I left a message for Jed, the salesman, that clearly stated I wasn't happy he still called back AND came over to my house. My tile is gorgeous.
They did a great job, and so fast!! T N
Product or Service Mentioned: Empire Today Flooring Installation.
Reason of review: Good quality.


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First Impression & Review • February Lush Goodies
Taking a bath with Lush products feels so luxurious, thus perfect for pamper time! I have tried two Lush bubble bars before and even though the seller told me that you can use one bubble bar twice, I am using it sparingly up to 5 fives of The Comforter! I went to the Lush in the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam and to be honest I was a little bit disappointed, because a lot of their bath bubble bars and bath bombs didn't smell that nice in my opinion. Nevertheless, I bought 3 new ones that do smell nice to stock up!
Honey Bee €4,95 • take the sting out
Honey Bee has a light but sweet scent, like a citrus. Smells like a refreshed honey, because of the aloe and orange.
Poor lavender bench.. it broke off :(
A French Kiss does foam up, since it's a bubble bar. It creates some foam, but not a lot. It smells really nice like lavender, thyme and rosemary. This was nice, but isn't in my favourites.
Golden Egg €5,95 • Sunny Side Up
Text in Dutch
The Golden Egg took a long time to dissolve completely. It is a really nice soft glittery yellowy bath. Thus this was the best of the three I purchased. You could really smell the toffee (not that sweet) and honey.
Any Lush Bath items that are your favourite? X


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For any business, it's integral that you install CCTV to monitor your premises. There are a number of benefits to installing CCTV including ensuring your premises, your staff, your assets and even potentially your profits are kept safe. CCTV also acts as a deterrent, dissuading opportunistic criminals from entering your facility for fear of being caught on camera!
But did you know there are a number of security options available to you and your business, not just CCTV? At MSL, we offer a vast range of security services, so you can pick the one that is right for you and your specific needs:
At MSL we will design, install and maintain a bespoke state of the art digital CCTV protection system based on a detailed understanding of your own business needs. Our cameras can pan, tilt & zoom and can even handle facial recognition.
Within your CCTV package we are also able to offer; a choice of viewing platforms, including smart phone and tablets; intelligent analytics; tannoy connection; licence plate recognition and remote monitoring over a secure internet connection.
Installing an access control system allows you to know who enters and exits your facility. Meaning that you protect your goods whilst also providing security for your employees and clients. We have a range of systems you can choose; from a single access door to a fully computerized multi-site network, and from fob access to biometrics (finger/palm print access).
Installing LED security lighting for your business offers a range of benefits including deterring intruders and providing clearer images at night for your CCTV cameras. We will create a bespoke lighting plan for your business, as well as supplying and installing the system.
If you want to find out how we can help protect your business, please call us on 0333 1234450.
Contact MSL
Call us today on 0333 1234450 or fill out the form on our contact page and we will get back to you.Contact Us


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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of
Best You Available at Publix. The opinions and text are mine.
Whenever the calendar flips to a new year, I get awfully
excited. It's that time when a new year awaits and the possibilities are
endless. You're able to set goals and check things off your long bucket list.
This year, I'm wanting to tackle being the best version of myself.As a mom, wife, blogger, friend and family
member, one of my biggest constants in life isoverthinking things. This can range from
endless amounts of clutter in my house or over-booking myself on social events
after work! What's the first thing I
need to do?I realize that if I have too much of something,
I need to get rid of it, and if I have too many commitments, I need to stop
spreading myself so thin and take time to plan maybe one or two activities. Unnecessary
things like this clouds my judgement and thought and really makes it difficult
to be the best version of myself.When I get overwhelmed with too many things on
my plate, that's when a migraine starts to come on. I used to be plagued with
them starting about 6 years ago in graduate school under the stress of tests,
deadlines and more! It wasn't until I stopped into Publix and saw a sale on
Execdrin® that I realized I should carry this with me in my purse at all times,
especially before my headaches get too bad and turn into migraines.While shopping at Publix, not only did I pick up something
for me but I needed a few things for my little guy too! Thank goodness for
these Gerber® Organic Pouches! I grabbed my favorite four (you can receive a $1
off any FOUR 3.5-4.23 oz) and knew Landon would devour these up in minutes! A
plus – I take them with me everywhere I go! It's a perfect snack to help him
get the nutrients he needs plus keeps us on the move!Are you looking to save money on products that
will help you be your best you? Right now, Publix is offering $3.00 off on any TWO Excedrin 80 ct or larger! You can mix and match with
other Excedrin products as well! I love shopping at my local Publix because it
truly is a one stop shop for everything I need and that not only includes
myself, but my family as well.


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If you are having trouble logging into WarriorPlus, it could be due to one of a few possible reasons:
1. You don't have a WarriorPlus.com account yet (you can register here)
You MUST have a WarriorPlus account to log in to WarriorPlus.
2. You are typing your username OR password incorrectly (Forgot Your Password? Click Here)
3. You are attempting to log into WarriorPlus with your 'Warrior Forum' username.
PLEASE NOTE: WarriorPlus and the Warrior Forum are NOT the same. The Warrior Forum and WarriorPlus.com are two completely different websites, companies and entities, owned by separate parties. No information is shared between the two.
By connecting your Warrior Forum account to your WarriorPlus account, you can easily link your Warrior Forum ads (WSOs, Classified Ads, Etc.) to WarriorPlus.
Click Here to Learn How to Connect Your WarriorPlus Account to Your Warrior Forum Account.
If none of the above seems to be the issue, you can send us a message using the message button in the bottom right hand corner of this page and we'll be happy to help you get it sorted ASAP.


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Tim Rusch, 917-399-0236,tim@
Andrea Alford, 703-477-1075, andrea@
Houston-based Joe's Crab Shack understands that $2.13/hour subminimum wage for tipped workers is unfair and antiquated
The following is a statement from Saru Jayaraman, co-founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United:
"We applaud Joe's Crab Shack on its announcement of a new wage structure to ensure that its servers in 10 states will receive a stable base wage, rather than relying on unstable tips for their income. As a restaurant company that spans 32 states — with locations concentrated in Texas, where the minimum wage for tipped workers is just $2.13 an hour — Joe's Crab Shack sets a powerful example of how employers can pay a fairer base wage for all workers while improving the quality of service in their restaurants.
"We especially commend CEO Raymond Blanchette for understanding that the two-tiered wage system is antiquated, and that eliminating workers' reliance on tips to survive will both enhance their employees' financial security and reduce turnover that is costly for the company.
"This decision by a major chain restaurant to significantly raise the minimum wage for its servers is yet another sign that the movement for One Fair Wage is gaining momentum, and ROC is proud that our worker members are leading this transformation that's underway in the restaurant industry."
Co-founded by leading workers' rights advocate Saru Jayaraman ("One of the top 50 most influential people in the restaurant industry" – Nation's Restaurant News), ROC United has grown close to 18,000 worker-members across over 30 cities in the US, winning 15 worker-led campaigns, totaling $8 million in stolen tips and wages.


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Filmed during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, crashes, mechanical problems, and tornadic weather hamper the pilots' and performers' ability to take to the sky.
A new airshow season begins but tragedy strikes early.
A jet team battles to launch its high-octane show, and an air show superstar wrestles dangerous flying conditions on the edge of the Rockies.


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Education Begins at Home!
As a mother, I'm my son's first teacher. I can't leave that responsibility to someone else. If my son is lacking in social skills, then that's a reflection on me; for the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!
My job is to nurture and cultivate my son, to take his place in society, and the world, as one who is responsible and productive.
Raising black boys to responsible men takes strong mothers, who are committed and dedicated to raising men. When we, as mothers, fail in our commitment, then our sons lose.


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Do not miss this job opportunity at VCA NORTHVIEW ANIMAL HOSPITAL SPECIALTY CENTER in Pittsburgh, PA!
We are seeking an experienced Associate Veterinarian to join our AAHA-accredited, general medicine and multi-specialty referral practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We know that doctors are in demand, and therefore you have a wonderful opportunity to select the best hospital '" and we would like you to see why VCA Northview is the one!
We offer the best of everything '" including general practice, specialty and emergency care. We are large enough to offer state of the art services such as CT, laparoscopy, ultrasound, and therapeutic laser yet still small enough that none of our doctors get 'œlost' in the shadows of specialty care, which includes Internal Medicine, Surgery, Avian & Exotics, Critical Care, and Integrative Medicine. This position allows you to practice high quality medicine and gives ample opportunity for continued growth by working alongside our team of specialists. We continue to have a community centered, friendly culture not always found in larger facilities.
Interest in emergency medicine and avian & exotics is a plus!
Come and see why VCA Northview stands out from the crowd. We offer a great working environment, an extremely competitive salary and benefit packages that will meet your needs.
As a member of the VCA family, your passion for medicine and compassion for pets and people is matched with a commitment to your professional growth. Among the reasons to consider joining VCA are:
VCA Northview adds value to your compensation package with the following:
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(C) 2013 Western University of Health Sciences. All Rights Reserved


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Posted November 24, 2016
Tollywood star heroin tamanna is currently busy with her projects in telugu and tamil industries. She is an renowned actress in tollywood. She is busy with her career both acting and performing in special songs. Knowing her importance, tamanna was offered 1crore 20lakhs for a night
A hotel, organizing an event for this New Year night ( 31st December) offered tamanna more than a crore for a dance performance. As of now tamanna is the highly paid actress demanding a huge remuneration for a dance performance.


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Did you get a new laptop, tablet or computer this Christmas? As we upgrade to newer, faster and shinier models, a huge amount of computer equipment will be deemed useless and discarded. Our old computers however, are a potential valuable source of digital education for disadvantaged students in Ireland and around the world.
By donating our computers for reuse we are reducing the amount of waste going into landfill. We are extending the lifespan and increasing the return on the energy used in the manufacturing process. Adding to the environmental benefits, donating your computer to Camara will make a positive social impact by transforming education and bringing digital literacy to disadvantaged communities in Ireland, Haiti, Jamaica and seven countries in Africa.
Camara works in partnership with schools to set up eLearning centres to improve the quality of education for marginalised communities, providing access to affordable technology and helping people break the cycle of poverty. Each second hand computer received by Camara has the potential to provide 21 students with valuable digital literacy and ICT skills, equipping them to find employment or start their own business.
When you donate your computer, all data will be fully and securely erased from your computer according to US Department of Defence standards (5220.22M) and you will be issued with a confirmation certificate. Your computer will then be refurbished in our workshop and installed with educational software before being dispatched to one of our education hubs located in; Ireland, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, Lesotho, Uganda and Rwanda. If the computer can't be refurbished to the required standard it will be recycled at a licensed WEEE facility.
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text: Wilful Damage News Administrator Account Jul 23 2014 Topic: Wilful Damage Occurrence #: 2014-14423 Crime Stoppers needs your help identifying the person or person(s) responsible for a damage to a tractor at Cooke Municipal Golf Course. On June 27 someone entered onto the grounds at Cooke Municipal Golf course and used a shovel to smash out all the windows on a tractor parked at the maintenance shop. If you have seen or heard anything that might be of assistance to this investigation, please contact Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to an arrest. You don't have to give your name and you won't have to go to court. If you have information about this or any other crime; call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or go to www.pacrimestoppers.ca to provide a tip online. Together, we can make Prince Albert a safer community.


text:
http://www.emporia-fabric.co.uk is now open for business!
After many months in the planning and weeks in the making, we are very excited to announce that our brand, spanking www.emporia-fabric.co.uk is now live and kicking! Selling all our fabulous dress patterns and a range of our gorgeous fabrics, the website is now open for you to browse and buy if you can't get into the town centre to see us in person.
The website launched last week and since then we've been tweaking and sorting out various bits and bobs before today, and now we're sharing it with you today. There's still some work to be done (and plenty of fabrics added to the online shelves!) so pleased be patient with us while we get on top of it – technology doesn't always come naturally to us so we're having help from some friendly web engineers. But we are still up and running, so if you see something you want to buy online, then you are good to go!
The best bit about having a website is that we can now sell our patterns all over the country – and all over the world! So we've included loads of lovely photos of the various different designs so that you can see precisely how they will turn out once you've made them – which is something we know that sewists find really helpful. Using different fabrics and showing off the different styles you can make from the same pattern, we've showcased the lot of some of our most favourite people so you see just what you will be making.
We're also planning on selling our sewing machines through the website, so if you know what you're after there, we can arrange shipment direct to your house for free (for some models). And if you're after a little sewing themed treat, you can get your hands on our exclusively designed sewing and knitting themed jewellery online too – what more could you want? (More fabric? We've got that covered!)
Having said all that, Clair and I are still in the shop all day Monday to Saturday and we'd be very sad if you abandoned us to shop solely online, so do make sure you pop in and say hello too! New fabrics will be arrived in the store and online very soon, so keep your eyes peeled and if you need to get hold of us in a rush, give us a bell on 01233 612278.


text:
Writing a book takes dedication. For many authors it is a culminating, defining feat of their lives. Sadly, the chances of an author's book actually being read are miniscule at best. Rapacious agents, stoic publishers, and that brick wall called 'marketing' are typically insurmountable hurdles for would-be authors. Enter iUniverse (parent company Author Solutions) and their new, successful self-publishing model. New York Times bestselling author Amy Fisher published If I Knew Then in 2004 through iUniverse. Since then, a series of partnerships (Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble) and programs such as The Star Program are providing hopeful authors a reason to be optimistic.
SM: Let's get started by reviewing your background. Where do you come from and how did you end up in this business?
KW: I grew up in the northeastern part of the United States and went to Princeton University. After graduation I went to Manhattan and worked for IBM. I spent approximately 17 years with IBM in a variety of jobs, mostly on the sales side. I did go into corporate strategy for a while, then software, which took me to Austin, Texas. An opportunity came up to work for an enterprise software company called BMC Software, so I joined them in 1995. BMC had just come off of a good growth year at just over $400 million. I stayed there five years, and when I left we had just finished of our fiscal year at $1.75 billion. It was not because of me, I was just happy to be part of such an incredible growth factor.
SM: What did you do at BMC?
KW: I was the head of field operations in the Americas. After that I went to work for a little re-start company. The person who hired me at BMC became CEO of Bindview, another enterprise software company with a security focus. I went there to be the chief marketing officer. Not quite a year after I joined them, the person who brought me in decided he wanted to leave and the founder returned. I did not want to be in the middle of that, so I told the founder I would help him out but that he should get someone in there who would be loyal to him.
I then went to work for Ariba. Ariba was down on its luck but they had a good franchise. I ran their international business and ended up moving to London, where I got recruited to head operations for McAfee in Europe. I left in October of 2006, not of my accord, as the president. I then did some work in Houston for a private investor who had quite a bit of money invested in a company and was trying to figure out if it was ever going make a dollar. I consulted until December of last year, when I came to Author Solutions as the CEO.
SM: How did you get introduced to Author Solutions?
KW: Bertram Capital, one of our investors, was started by Jeff and Ken Drazan. Jeff and I went to college together. Jeff and Ken started Bertram Capital and Author House, which was the largest self-publishing company in the world, was their first acquisition. They followed that up with the acquisition of iUniverse.
Jeff called me and asked if I would be interested in helping them out with this company they just bought. Eventually he asked me if I would be willing to take over the company, which I was not sure about because I did not know anything about publishing. He said I would know what I needed to after six months! Sometimes things just feel right, and this did. I saw the publishing industry, which has been doing business the same way for a long time, was flat. I then saw Author Solutions was posting 20% growth by doing things I thought were unique. I saw a huge opportunity and felt we could be disruptive without knocking the boat over. I took over as CEO in December of last year.
This segment is part 1 in the series : Urging Authors to be Entrepreneurs: iUniverse CEO Kevin Weiss
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I published 2 books with iUniverse and since the company was sold, the only thing that Author Solution is doing is sending out offers for current authors to buy more of their services. With the Amazon contract in doubt, authors should seriously consider the marketing aspect of their books.
This past June I submitted a book ms. for publication with iUniverse. Since then I have learned a bitter lesson. Anyone considering getting a book published through iUniverse had better think twice. They are bad news! Once they have your cash, they don't answer your emails; if you call, they lie to you. The reason it seems is that they are so successful they're backed up till Christmas. One Publishing Assistant told me she is a week and a half behind on looking at her email. They're all totally swamped, and books are backed up, with many customers angry as hell. My advise: pass on iUniverse.
This company is in serious trouble. I paid in full and sent all my material more than 3 months ago and I have received nothing. The system does not work well so the poor customer service reps are struggling, asking authors to send material via email instead. The editorial department is over booked and they promised editorial evaluation in 3 -4 weeks, 8 weeks passed by and we never received anything. They refuse to provide refunds… check the better business bureau for the open complaints. Stay away from iUniverse by now.
In my opinion based on horrific experience with them, IUniverse should be totally avoided. My book was supposed to be published anonymously, but when they distributed it over the internet they inserted my name!!! The PSA avoided my calls as did his supervisor. The worst publishing experience imaginable. At this point, the customer service supervisor will not even contact me. This is the absolute worst internet experience I have ever had.
iUniverse is one of the most horrible publications I ever have experienced in my entire publishing experience.
Never publish with iUniverse. They are not customer friendly, what they promise they won't do.
Please, do not publish with them
I think that the best thing for awards is to look at previous winners.
Most of the books seem to have been self-published. Not that that's a
bad thing, but iUniverse has an appalling reputation.
I wouldn't touch those awards with a barge pole. $65!!!! And what
kudos would any book have with "winner of Readers Views" on it? Or
many other online awards, to be brutally frank.
I talk to my publishers first about awards.
— In MarketingForRomance Writers@yahoogro ups.com, "ruthsims_author"
> Re: Readers Views Literary Award
> Does anyone have any experience or knowledge with this award? It's
> apparently been around for several years. RV is, judging from the
> website at http://www.readervi ews.com/Awards. html an author service
> site, with reviews both free and express (paid for, but not
> guaranteed to be a good review)and several other "packages" of
> promotion.
> The Literary Award has several categories. The prizes are not actual
> monetary awards but are promotional services from various agencies,
> worth $1000 and some are less.
> Entry includes a review. Now for the kicker: Entry is $65 for
> entering the book in one category and an extra fee ($10, I think)
> for entering the same book in an additional category. Entry includes
> a review, as I read it.
> Are there any thoughts on entering contests with hefty entry fees
> but pretty decent awards? Or should we stick to the few awards that
> are free?
> It's good promotion to have a "Winner of–" description, so I don't
> think I'm breaking any rules to ask about contests… am I?
> Ruth
> http://www.ruthsims. com
It's about time iuniverse were sent to court, sued and closed down as they are not a company they are low-life crooks. Dirty …
Wow! And to think I was seriously considering signing with iuniverse. I've earned a Phd degree, earned every kudo from tenure to full professor to
professor emeritus when I took an early retirement to write full time, published a lot while at the university and yet getting my novel published makes everything else pale in comparison. I guess I'm glad I checked them out but I sure miss the high I experienced when hope walked through the door after I spoke to their representative. Thanks for the warning.
My complaint goes back to January 2008. DO NOT USE IUNIVERSE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! The company is an absolute joke. It is a mistake I will be paying for, for a long time. It took them 12 months to from my manuscript into a book. In that time they merged with Authorhouse and after that time it was impossible to get anything done unless I kicked and screamed my way up to the Vice-President du jour! I foolishly signe the 10% royalty agreement because I thought they would incentivize the bookstores to buy my book, but they have ignore any marketing of my book to this point. Someone mentioned them trying to sell their current authors more services. That's the extent of there company. Don't do what you promise, just try to make more money for more promises. I paid for the Premier Plus option which was at the time the highest and most expensive service they offered and they have not fulfilled much of what they said they would do. I also think they are now scewing me on the sales of my books as well. I can't get a royalty report from them and they say they have to wait until (months after the close of the quarter) to get their reports. That's nonsense. My recommendation is to STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM IUNIVERSE AS POSSIBLE.
My experience with iUniverse was a scant brush; a telephone chat with a representative. The rep called later with the most appalling hard-sell push to sign with iUniverse now and receive discounts of photo charges if 'saving money is a priority', and the like. Still sanguine about iUniverse I e-mailed my wish to change representatives, but the same hard-sell tyke replied. Hurt feelings, I suppose. I did not open his mail and have no further interest doing business with this company.
Dear Mr kevin
I am your client and very much disappointed with the way my book is handled, unless it is quetsion of grabbing money,it is difficult to get a reponse
My project No 145710 and I need immediate asistanc Hasanat
I am glad I found this site as I was going to give them some money tomorrow, anyone have any suggestions on the best way to get a book published, I have never been published and I don't have a lot of money.
I am in the same situation. Has anyone sent you any good suggestions?
At the beginning of last year (2008) iUniverse was bought out by a bigger, mammoth company called AuthorSolutions. Before this happened I had published around 200 or more books through iUniverse with great cooperation and efficiency on their side, over a period of over seven years. But with the takeover, they became… not to put too fine a point on it, their service became abysmal! I no longer had a single person as a point of contact, and my emails were hardly ever returned. Submitting a book would
take months, not a matter of two or three weeks anymore – or the books would just hang about in limbo. Fulfilling orders to publishers wanting author copies became a nightmare too. The whole system was no longer user (author) friendly. Their only concern seemed to rake off as much money from the author as possible – so how they continue to exist financially as a viable & respectable publishing company is beyond my understanding. Ordering books that were already published by the former regime, is no problem at all – provided you go through Amazon or their associate booksellers..
When I ran into these difficulties with the new company, I cancelled the two books I already had submitted to them, and asked for a refund of the fee I had paid for each book. Result – emails totally ignored (although the account for each of the two books was indeed cancelled). I resorted to emailing their CEO asking for the refunds—repeatedly—but all emails were ignored. So I realised that if my business (Diadem Books) was to survive, I would have to move. I used LULU for a time, but this too was not as efficient as I wished. So in the end I became my own publisher – now publishing under my own imprint of Diadem Books. The printing and distribution is handled by Lightning Source, and the books are professional and available worldwide as before. So in a sense this takeover of iUniverse was a good thing for me – it forced me to grow and become independent.
I have read the above posts, but there is something far more sinister going on with iUniverse. A friend advised me that Google have my book on on their web page and are showing every page of The Ten Percent Man.
On the site, they state that they have permission from the publisher to do this. I wrote and advised them that I did not give them this permission, nor did I give the publisher the power to make these decisions. I was directed to:
http://www.googlebooksettlement.com It makes interesting reading.
Let me add to the soured scribblers who learned the hard way of the racketeering dirtbags in the self-publishing bu$ine$$. Yes, Iuniverse is truly an unethical pack of swine. I can't think of a label dark enough to lay on them, except that probably they should set up shop in some toilet facility. Thanks loads, A & K.
My e-mails go unanswered-somehow, I gain the impression the people speaking with me on the telephone are not telling the truth…
After the final editing my book was published-there are many childish and clumsy printing mistakes made by the printer-of course, iuniverse thinks I should pay for the corrections…again.
If you are having difficulties with your book, please contact us. You can reach me directly at kevin.gray at iuniverse dot com. I will see to it that the appropriate professionals reach out to you and work to resolve your book's issues.
Kevin A. Gray
PR Manager
Dear Mr. Gray,
If the employment record holds true to form, you've long since left iuniverse. But, if you should still be there, I'd like you to know that my last name was omitted from the hard copy of my book. I complained, but iuniverse claims my book is not defective. According to Eugene Hopkins, who treated me with disrespect, and in a combative way, there would be no allowance for this mistake. (I had thought, perhaps, that at the very least I might been given a financial break on future orders.) Mr. Hopkins referred to himself as a kind of arbitrator from Author Solutions. If iuniverse is serious about problem solving, it might consider admitting to its deficiencies rather than blowing smoke at clients.
My sincere apologies for my unjustified earlier bad- mouthing Iuniverse in a moment of dark angst. They are doing a remarkable job for me. Thank you with all my heart, gang.
I contacted Mr Gray. He is "for real", he is a gentleman and genuinely concerned and did his best to steer me in the right direction. Mr Gray is a credit to the publishing industry.
I was referred to customer services representatives. Getting information from these folks was like pulling teeth. In the end they would finish their spiel buy trying to flog yet another of their weak and ineffective marketing ploys. Incompetent, know nothing, sales people. (They are not there to help you-they are there to sell you junk you don't need.)
The first two years with iuniverse was a honeymoon-these last two years have been frustration coupled with anger. They now print my book with sixty blank pages-and wont fix it!
The flag ship of the vanity/POD industry is sinking herself. HMS iuniverse is going down the toilet.
Stay away from these people, do not invest a penny in iuniverse. Save yourself time, money and frustration! Buyer beware!
I wish I had seen this site (and many others popping up out there) before paying iUniverse to destroy my four years of hard work. A few of the reps assigned to my project were sincere, hard-working people who honestly wanted to help. But on the whole iUniverse has become a black hole to be completely avoided–run by amateurs, con artists, and snake oil peddlers. AUTHOR: DO NOT ENTRUST YOUR PRECIOUS BOOK TO IUNIVERSE!!
My third comment as to my experience with iUniverse is of pleasant satisfaction. The book is out and nicely executed. Thank you. It was a pleasure dealing with you. Jim Peters.
Mr. Peters, Congratulations on your book and I wish you the best. One issue I and some others I know are running up against now, aside from serious quality and customer service problems, is iUniverse failing to honor valid returnability clauses. At least one major retailer here in my area will not order iUniverse products because they have been stuck with excess books that were sold to them as returnable. Even Barnes and Noble, with whom iUniverse loves to boast of their "strategic alliance," is hesitant to order any more than one or two copies of iUniverse books at a time. I'm told that some B&N branches will not order any and insist on pre-paid consignment. There are indeed some very good people at iUniverse, but it seems to me that overall it is sinking fast.
I have been working with iUniverse's sister company, AuthorHouse, and have had the same bad experience with them as others have had with iUniverse. I cannot get one person to focus on the issues I have and I have lost a month in production already. I'm glad I read these comments now so that I can cancel my contract with them and start up with a different self-publishing firm. Thanks, everyone, for your honesty in working with iUniverse.
I almost signed a contract with Author House in 2009. The person who'd emailed me repeatedly implied he was the president of the company. I do not recall his name at this time but I Googled his name just to see what results I got. The man's name as well as Author House was listed on the Florida District Attorney's website as a scam artist and is wanted in several states for Fraud and a multitude of other issues. Lawsuits galore from all over the country. He has worked under different aliases, and changes the name of his company every few years. It took a bit of digging to find this information but before signing any contract with any of these types of people, it definitely pays to er on the side of caution and learn more about them.
K Diller,
I'm sorry to hear you've encountered difficulties in publishing your book. Please contact me directly and I will see to it that your issue are resolved. We still want to publish your book and I am confident that we can meet or exceed your expectations. Thank you for trusting AuthorHouse with your book.
Kevin A. Gray
PR Manager – Author Solutions, Inc.
kgray at authorsolutions dot com
May I know the email address of iUniverse CEO, to be able to write to him and describe my case.
Thank you
We do not give out email addresses.
I am not certain that PSA teams are performing "Quality Control" before submitting the interior proofs to the author to give final approval.
Authors cannot be held accountable for technical mistakes made by the publishers. (simply because authors are not technicians and they rely on the expertise of their publishers)
Converting from Microsoft Word to PDF files are the responsibility of the publishers (iUniverse) not the author. The onus is on the publisher to ensure proper formatting.
For the past six weeks I have received Interior Proofs only sporadically. Last week PSA began redoing the entire work because there were major errors in the process of reformatting my manuscript. In the absence of Quality Control, I have lost more than one month.
The first PDF I received was on February 12 and it was full of publisher's errors, which I corrected. On March 9, I received for review what was supposed to have been ''a corrected'' PDF. Apparently iUniverse corrected the errors of Feb 12, but committed many more fresh ones on March 9. Going through the March 9 PDF I found that almost all words in Italics have been dropped out. I spoke to my PSA and they said the issue related to ''formatting'' and they needed the original MS to be able to redo the work. In their emails to me PSA reiterated that ''It is author's responsibility to proof every page of the interior and cover for errors. When you give your final approval of your proofs, no more changes can be made without your purchase of Re-do process"…. How can any author be held responsible for errors committed by his publishers? Who can guarantee that the errors he had corrected and on which basis he gave his Okay to proceed, are not repeated and 'fresh' errors surfaced in the meantime. These will not be visible to him after he had Okayed. Is there any ''Quality Control'' process iUniverse is considering to deal with such issues?
Up to now I have not received definitive answer concerning the date my book will be published.
Based on 'promising' email from iUniverse dated March 9 ''You're closer than you think'', I made commitments with Book Stores and Book Fairs in my country, who have outlets throughout the region, that they should be in a position to pre-order my Book beginning April 2010. As a first step, they are interested to look up my book in: 'pre-order' through amzn.com and barnesandnobles.com and many more.
I need to know to be able to pursue my commitments with the Book stores.
Thank you
Whilst I agree that the current iuniverse is not what the old one was in user-friendliness, in all fairness, I have to say that they have just published my second book 'Life with the Ladies of Low Arvie' and the whole process was troublefree. I submitted my work (and my fee) at the end of January and the book was published at the end of March with only three very small mistakes which we due to oversight on my part ('it' instead of 'if' and two more similar). I did my own typesetting according to the information they gave me and the only problem I had was with the photographs. They would not take lower quality ones unless I signed for them, which the old iuniverse did with no bother. I also sent the photograph for the cover, produced by my photographer to iuniverse's specifacations. Most emails were answered promptly and my book is as good as the first one 'The Ladies of Low Arvie'.
I would think twice before using them again after reading these posts, but by and large, my experience was good.
I do agree about the pushing of marketing ploys which are very expensive and I have just paid for one to test the water and see what happens.
I should add that I am resident in Scotland and do all my business with them over the internet or by phone. Phone calls have always been answered promptly or returned as soon as possible.
I was getting very upset until I saw your post. I have been saving my pennies to publish my book with iuniverse. I thought I had done an excellent job of comparing POD's and had set my sights upon them. I see that all of the other posts are from one to three years old, and yours is very recent. It's funny, one of my dreams (from the money selling my book) is to surprise my husband with a trip to Scotland for a few rounds of golf we will never forget! I have talked to an author rep and he seems to be just a doll, I hope I can trust them now, maybe they ironed out all the kinks that the others ran into? It is so hard to trust anyone anymore, let alone with my book that I have worked so hard on. Do hope to visit your wonderful land one day. Happy writing!
[…] options now available to us, I strongly recommend your taking a look at this seven-part interview: http://sramanamitra.com/2008/07/10/opportunity-within-the-long-tail-of-book-authors-iuniverse-ce…. Kevin Weiss is the CEO of iUniverse, and even though the interview was done two years ago, his […]
I read a good deal about all the horrible service from self-publishers, but, can anyone give a recomendation of a good traditional publisher that will even look at a first time authors book?
[…] At 56, she said, "I don't have time for this anymore," and self-published her new book, a historical fiction tome, through print-on-demand provider iUniverse last year (see interview with iUniverse CEO Kevin Weiss). […]
Seems someone should post to fourhourblog.com and fourhourworkweek.com. I learned of this company because he recommended them. I believe he did all of his publishing when the company was good. I bet he would sh*t in his pants if he knew all of this was going on.
I am very disapointed with IUniverse. I feel the need to inform everyone and anyone out there how badly they treated me while I was with them. My book was published with countless errors by the editors. It had blank pages, it was not the correct size and though none of this was my fault I was forced to pay for all of the editors mistakes. I tried countless times to contact someone but the only people I was able to speak with were very rude and turned me away. My money that I work very hard for (I am a single mother and finding the money to do this was almost impossible) had been wasted. I am never going to publish with a company that IUniverse owns or is part of. I reccommend no one else does either. It's not worth your time.
IUniverse is a nightmare! They fuction as an uncoordinated book printer, attempting to sell you services performed by people with little experience. The turnover of employees at all levels is hard to even believe. I experienced misrepresentation, poor editing services, rude behavior, and no concern for the end result. Good luck getting anyone to return calls! It is hard to believe that they are still in business. I made a huge mistake Beware!
Does anyone know of a GOOD, HONEST self-publisher??
Everyone seems to be against iUniverse, so who would they recommend instead?
Well, I am new to this publishing game & I am so grateful to have sites with this kind of feed back. Not everybody will tell the same lie, inretrospect to iUniverse people that have intrusted there finished projects or even their life's work to this company. In your eyes you have no self respect, so why should this company operate any differently. I,however have started a petition signing to put before congress on virtually companies, to become mandaited via laws per state to abided in the clause of a legal agreement, including subsidary companies as well. Practice to run a great business is to do right via the people that they represent them. Best believe that even if this company shuts down, & reopens again under another assumed name the word, via internt is even stronger than word of mouth. Mostly people don't plan to fell, they just fell to plan, this is just another fat cat company that festers off the needy while being greedy.
I too have issues with i-universe..first off I finally had to do MY OWN COVER /front and back..the illustrations they did were horrendous ! they even changed the wording on my bio and synopsis of the book, which would have taken away the premise of the book…genre was humor and they tried to serious it up..duh..and I have never been able to get into my account page.." web error" since last year..REALLY ???..give me a break…each time i e-mail them, I get the same directions, but they NEVER work..and I spent over $ 1200.00 …now they don't return my calls at all..and I haven't lost my temper once !!!
i was deeply considering to be apart of the IUniverse company! but based off of the comments i have read, i think that i is a good idea to keep shopping around. and right about now i am thinking about going to the traditional publishers
This comment thread is a case study in the old truth about advertising – If you have a poor product (or service), advertising will only let the world know how bad your services are…fix your product before you try to do any digital PR".
Sramana, your interviews are always great. Thanks for this excellent resource that every entrepreneur should know about.
I have contracted with iUniverse and have been very pleased with all their very professional representatives, editorial services, promptness in emailing and scheduling phone conferences.
I, too, had my book published through iUniverse in 2010. This was my first book. It was for the most part a delightful experience. During the process there were a few challenges but the company always came through with great results. At the end of the process my book was printed and delivered to me by Lightning Source. The quality is excellent. This was my first book and I couldnt't have done it without iUniverse. I am doing the marketing myself. I have done book signings with remarkable results. At least one Indigo Chapters has my book on their shelf and the books are selling. At most other book stores you can order my book. HOWEVER, YOU MUST BE YOUR OWN MARKETING PERSON. It is up to you to get your book out there. I am still selling them myself. My goal is to sell one book each day. I always have one book with me and at every opportunity I offer the book to someone. I usually reach my daily goal. My book is YOU'VE SET A GOAL … NOW WHAT? I am working on my second book and will definitely use iUniverse.
My husband and I just published our book through IUniverse – Fanny Lear, Love and Scandal in Tsarist Russia. We only have good comments about them, when we phoned them they would call mus back immediately, they would answer our e-mails very fast, they helped us through the entireprocess. When we submitted the manuscript it took less than a week to return, we made the corrections and now our book is in various outlets for sale. If we ever do another book we will certainly use IUniverse. Eva McDonald
I am pleased to see this array of negative comments on iUniverse. I have republished two books with them. They are nothing but a bunch of hustlers who do not know how to sell books. Instead, they try to extract money from authors by selling them their own books and having the authors resell them for iUniverse.
They have twice taken withholding taxes from my quarterly payment despite my having twice filed my W9 form with them.


text:
Don't worry, it's not just Chicago that labels its teams' roadtrips by what is occupying their arena. Everyone has a circus trip.
The Hawks start theirs tomorrow, while the Bulls are on a permanent one, considering what a ruckus the NBA lockout has become. As always, this road trip help brings into relief exactly what the Hawks are. Two years ago, when they romped and stomped their way to a 4-1-1 trip, with blowouts over Calgary, Edmonton, and San Jose to start, it was pretty obvious the Hawks were a great team that was going to take some beating. They never were. Last year, though the Hawks went 4-2, their ugly losses to Anaheim and Calgary sandwiching a beating of favorite plaything Vancouver showcased how schizophrenic the team was going to be.
Once this is over, the Hawks will have passed the quarter mark of the season and be two months in. At that point, you can start to draw some conclusions as there's enough evidence.
So what awaits them? It's the usual circuit of the Alberta Double, but this time the pit stop in Riot Town comes before, not after. Canucks matchups are always tasty affairs, but this one will have added spice after the slapstick comedy that the Hawks were when the Canucks were here a week ago. Obviously, the Hawks want to show that's not how things are going to be, and Vancouver will want to revel in playing the Hawks in the site of the demise last year.
However it goes, the Hawks will have to avoid an emotional letdown when they head to Calgary and Edmonton, two teams they just soundly beat here at home for the most part. Calgary last year was the area of two huge letdown performances, one resulting in the dreaded "bag-skate" practice in Edmonton after it.
After that there's a couple days off, before the Hawks being the customary California portion starting with the now-traditional Black Wednesday tilt in San Jose and the Black Friday one in Anaheim. Both the Sharks and Ducks haven't gotten off to the best of starts, with the Ducks slip sliding out of sight. The Sharks have bee iffy at home, but are starting to heat up having won seven of their last ten. However, that's inflated by a five-game win streak on their long roadtrip, and they've muddled along since. The Ducks are just bad right now, not getting the supreme goaltending they need to keep afloat what is a very top heavy lineup.
The trip ends as it always does with a Saturday night date in L.A.. The Kings had some big expectations this season, but haven't lived up to them yet. They're having serious scoring problems when star Anze Kopitar isn't doing it for them. But their goalie Jonathan Quick might be the most underrated one in the league, and the Kings always use these games against the Hawks as a bellweather.
3-3 would be just fine, but with three struggling teams on the schedule that is just the minimum. If the Hawks can come home with more than eight points from these six games, we'll know we have something here.
Sam Fels is the proprietor of The Committed Indian, an unofficial program for the Blackhawks. You may have seen him hocking the magazine outside the United Center at Gate 3. The program is also available for purchase online. Fels is a lifelong 'Hawks fan and he also writes for Second City Hockey .


text: The Polson Interpretive Trail was a collaboration between the City of Polson and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and offers a paved trail with spectacular views of Flathead Lake. The trail connects the City of Polson's Salish, Sacajawea and Riverside Parks. Over a dozen interpretive signs are posted along the path depicting tribal and city history- in Kootenai, Salish and English.


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Cabbage (Brassica oleracea or variants) is a leafy green biennial plant, grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. Closely related to other cole crops, such as broccoli, cauliflowe..
Water spinach is an easy to grow herbaceous aquatic or semi-aquatic annual that can be propagated through seeds, or cuttings if they are available. Common name: Water Morning Glory, Swamp ca..
Stem cuttings can be rooted in water or moist sand and transplanted into pots of fertile potting soil mixture and placed in a sunny location. These plants relish heat, humidity, water, and nutrients. ..
Flowers are bright yellow buttercups, which look great against the dark-green foliage. The blowers might be slightly brownish towards the center. It can become tall and leggy if not pruned.Common name..
The Long melon form a distinct group of species with many similarities in botany, agronomy ecological requirements and susceptibility to insect pests and diseases.Long melon is also one of them. Some ..
Phaseolus lunatus is a legume grown for its edible seeds, or beans.Common nameFlower coloursBloom timeHeightDifficultybutter bean, Theobroma cacao,seim bean,lablab beanwhiteSeasonal bloomer20.00 to 30..


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Bar 360
Cocktails in the Center of All the Action
Whatever your drink of choice, enjoy it at our elevated full bar—the best place to see and be seen—in the center of the casino floor. Read More »
Bella Italiana
Beautiful Italian cooking at feel-good prices
Share a meal (and wine) with good company. Bella Italiana serves appetizers, flatbreads, pastas, desserts and more, using the season's freshest ingredients. Read More »
The Buffet
A Variety of All-You-Can-Eat Cuisines
Whether your group is craving Mexican, Italian, Asian or American comfort food, this is one restaurant where everybody wins! Fill up on a variety of quality meal items at a great price. Read More »
Canal Street Café
Classic. Casual. Comfort.
Craving a little home cooking? Welcome to Canal Street Café. Stop by the hotel lobby and pull up a chair for great American food done right. Read More »
curve bar
Open Now!
Grab a drink and play at Potawatomi's newest bar, The Curve, located near The Buffet on the Four Seasons side of the casino. Read More »
Dream Dance Steakhouse
Milwaukee Steakhouse and Wine Bar
Go on, indulge. A notch above the everyday, this Milwaukee steakhouse brings more to the table than ever before. Steaks, seafood, a fantastic bar and a hundreds-strong wine list makes Dream Dance Steakhouse your new go-to place for fine dining at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. Read More »
The Fire Pit Sports Bar & Grill
Great Food, Great Company and Great Seats
What's better than taking in a great game? How about great food and drinks in a casual, high-energy sports bar reminiscent of a Las Vegas sports book? That's The Fire Pit Sports Bar & Grill. Read More »
Menomonee Valley Food Court
Convenient, Casual and Full of Menu Options
The food court offers four different stations to accommodate every taste and mood. For a quick bite to eat that's full of great taste, stop by the food court to refuel in between games. Read More »
Authentic Asian & Sushi Bar
Find sanctuary in our new sushi bar or contemporary dining room while enjoying authentic, flavorful Asian dishes like high-quality sushi & sashimi, wok noodles, rice dishes, soups, house specialty entrées and more. Read More »
Topgolf® Swing Suite
Now Open!
Our new Topgolf® Swing Suite offers playful competition for you and your entire crew. Featuring massive screens with a variety of virtual golf and simulated multi-sport games, luxurious surroundings, plus dedicated food & beverage service Read More »
Gift Cards
Wondering What to Get that Special Someone?
How about a Potawatomi Gift Card? Gift cards make great presents for any special occasion and are available for any restaurant, the food court or gift shop. Why give cash when you can give the gift of Potawatomi! Read More »
Dining Promotions
Foodies Unite—Learn About All our Tasty Dining Promotions
With seven dining options to choose from, you're bound to miss a special here and there. We've made it easier to find the tastiest dining promotions being held, in one convenient location. View Promotions »


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Boston Cream Donuts
Easy, fried Boston Cream Donuts in under 30 minutes! Made using Pillsbury Grands biscuits and filled with a creamy pudding mixture, these are sure to tempt you! Don't forget the rich chocolate ganache!
Well, school is in full swing and it's time for Curriculum nights. In the younger grades, it's not so painful. You sit in the classroom and hear a quick overview of what your kids will learn. Meet the teacher. Not bad.
In high school, totally different. I'm making my husband go this year alone because last year I had nightmares for weeks about homework, projects and public speaking.
Basically, you get your child's school schedule, and you make the rounds to each classroom. The bell rings and you move on to second period. Bell rings, move to 3rd period. Meanwhile, in the hallways, you have 4,000 adults rushing to their next "class." Seriously. It's what nightmares are made of.
And let's just say, you don't want to be last to class, because just like in high school, the only seats left are up front. Gah!!!
So while my husband is at curriculum night tonight, I'll be enjoying an extra donut. And pushing off thoughts of penny loafers, pimples, and math class.
As for the donuts, these are super simple to make! Using a roll of Pillsbury Grands helps cut time, but not flavor. I whipped up the pudding mixture before frying the donuts, giving it time to set and chill. I made a creamy, rich chocolate ganache for the frosting. If you want to cut an extra step you can totally use canned frosting. Heat it up in the microwave for a little bit (maybe 30 seconds to a minute), stir and spoon it on the donuts. ENJOY!
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Boston Cream Donuts
Easy, fried Boston Cream Donuts in under 30 minutes! Made using Pillsbury Grands biscuits and filled with a creamy pudding mixture, these are sure to tempt you! Don't forget the rich chocolate ganache!
For the Donut:
- 1 pkg Pillsbury Grands biscuits
- canola oil
For the Filling:
- 1 box JELL-O Instant French Vanilla Pudding (3.4oz)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
For the Ganache:
- 2Tbsp heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp corn syrup
- 2 oz dark chocolate
- 2 oz milk chocolate
- 2 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- Prepare the filling first by whisking together the pudding mix with milk. Beat with whisk for about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat on high with an electric mixer the heavy cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form (about 3 minutes). Fold in pudding mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat oil about 1/2-3/4 inch high. Depending on your size skillet will determine how much oil is necessary. Bring oil to a sizzle when you drop a couple drops of water into it.
- Separate biscuits. Fry each biscuit for 2-3 minutes each side. Allow to cool and dry on paper towels.
- For the ganache, add cream, milk, butter, vanilla and corn syrup to a medium saucepan. Heat on medium until butter is melted. Turn to low and add in the chocolates. Whisk continuously until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar until ganache is smooth. Set aside.
- To assemble, spoon filling into a large pastry bag with tip (any tip will do). Press tip into side of donut and squeeze until donut appears "full." Repeat for remaining donuts.
- Spoon warm ganache over each filled donut. ENJOY!
I save the used oil to use again by allowing it to cool slightly, then storing it in a mason jar. I strain off any fried bits while pouring it in the jar. Saves money!! This recipe will have extra filling leftover. I enjoy making a trifle using this extra filling (bake up a brownie mix and layer it with filling in a trifle bowl). Or spoon into bowls as dessert. ENJOY.
More Delicious Donut recipes for you to enjoy!
Apple Pie Donuts
(makes a great individual sized dessert too for company)
Aimee is a dessert lover (specifically rice krispie treats), workout enthusiast, self-taught foodie, and recipe creator. Her recipes have been featured in over 15 magazines, and her passion is to share her love of cooking with the everyday home cook! Learn more about Aimee.
**There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I love! Thank you for supporting Shugary Sweets! See my disclosure policy for more info**


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Facebook Wants You To Leave YouTube Behind
It's been touched on a time or two within this blog, but the race for your video uploads is now fully on, and Facebook is doing everything it can to catch YouTube. For years and years if you had a video to share, you would upload it straight to YouTube, and then you could share the link to whomever from there (many times to Facebook). Well, now Facebook wants you to cut out the middleman and upload all of your videos straight to your business page. According to a recent announcement, they've given business page owners many more options when it comes to uploading and sharing video.
So, how does this apply to you? Well, remember all those virtual tours you have? They're often hosted on YouTube or on a third-party site, but if you have the video file itself, you really should use Facebook's new video uploader. Before I tell you why, here's a list of some features they've recently introduced:
- Restrict the audience of a video by age and gender (in addition to location and language, which are already available).
- Set an expiration date for a video and retain its insights, even after the video has been removed.
- Publish video directly to the Videos tab for your Page, without distributing to News Feed or Timeline.
- Allow or prohibit video embeds on third-party sites.
- Add custom thumbnails for videos, using your own image or a suggested thumbnail.
- Label videos based on interest categories, including Entertainment, News and more.
Facebook wants users to stay on Facebook as much as possible and not stray to sites like YouTube, where they can hang out for a long time. In this new race for video uploading dominance, it's completely conceivable that, if you upload your video straight to Facebook, it could be favored (shown higher in News Feeds) than a video link from YouTube and that advantage could go a long way. If you upload a virtual tour straight to Facebook and a competing agent uploads a video to YouTube and then shares the link to Facebook, your video could theoretically be seen by many more people than your competition. That means more eyes on your video just by adjusting your online strategy very slightly.
I would highly suggest uploading all of your videos to Facebook and YouTube to make sure you've got all your bases covered, but in the future, Facebook may be all you need!


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Men's Freedom Long Sleeve- Yellow$50
Distances are getting easier. Enjoy your progress in this lightweight long sleeve tee that is soft to the touch and filled with motivating benefits for any amount of miles you choose.
Sorry, this product is currently out of stock.
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- VENTLITE mesh back panel offers maximum strategic ventilation
- Long, lean fit with shaped bottom hem for just the right amount of coverage to help from riding up


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Medicare Advantage Colorado
For more information on Medicare in Colorado, please call the number below to speak with a healthcare specialist:
Residents of the State of Colorado have approximately 40 different carriers to choose from when enrolling in a Medicare Advantage or Part D prescription drug plan. Of the different, big-named carriers that offer coverage in the state like Horizon, Humana, Highmark, Coventry, BCBS and UHC to name just a few, Erickson Advantage and Kaiser Permanente are considered the best in 2016, with each getting 5/5 stars.
Most counties in Colorado offer ten or less different plans to its residents, however the larger counties such as Douglas, Denver, Adams and Boulder counties offer between 30 and 40 different types of plans.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the best Medicare Advantage plan in Colorado in 2017 is Kaiser Permanente, which has 5/5 stars.
Of the more than 800,000 seniors who are eligible for a Medicare plan, approximately 37% opt for a HMO, PPO or PFFS (Private-Fee-for-Service) Medicare Advantage plan.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2018, 586,694 residents enrolled in Original Medicare and 324,951 residents enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.
Additionally, the State of Colorado offers a Medicare Savings Programs (MSP) for its residents that helps lower-income seniors pay for their Medicare premiums and other out-of-pocket financial requirements. The state offers four different types of MSP programs for different income levels and residents should apply for the appropriate program with the Colorado Department of Human Services.
Find and CompareMedicare Advantage Plans in Colorado
For more information on Medicare Advantage Plans in Colorado, or to receive a free price quote, please call and speak with one of our healthcare professionals at 1-800-810-1437TTY 711


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Pancakes are quick and easy to whip up, and can be eaten with just about any kind of leftovers in your kitchen. They're so versatile and delicious, why keep pancakes for Shrove Tuesday?
Here are a few savoury ideas to inspire you to make pancakes a regular on your home menu.
Pesto, ham and leftover vegetables
Add a little pesto to your pancake batter. Make a white sauce or use a bought cheese sauce. Mix in your ham and any leftover cooked vegetables you have, roughly chopped. Spread the mixture over 2/3 of the pancake, roll it up and place seam side down on a greased dish. Sprinkle with cheese and heat in the oven until piping hot. Serve with a crisp green salad.
Chicken stir fry
For an oriental twist, add chopped coriander to your pancake mix and use coconut milk in place of the regular milk. Fill your pancakes with your leftover stir fried chicken and vegetables. If you want to use up any other stray vegetables from the fridge, just add them in.
Spanish pancakes
Add a pinch of chilli to your pancake batter. Heat a jar of tomato pasta sauce in a pan, chop and add any leftover vegetables that you have hiding in the fridge. Bring to the boil and cook until reduced. Fill your chilli pancake with the tomato sauce and top with a fried egg. Sprinkle over grated cheese and chopped coriander.
Green pancakes
Fold in leftover cooked spinach to your pancake batter. This gives a lovely speckled pancake and tastes great filled with a mixture of leftover vegetables such as mushrooms and grated cheese that need to be used.
Mince pancakes
Spread any leftover bolognese or chilli sauce over 2/3 of your pancake. Roll up and place seam side down on a greased oven proof dish, top with grated cheese and bake until golden brown, and hot through.


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Buying a home is the epitome of the American Dream. Therefore it's extremely important that you're prepared for the quest. The following are just some helpful questions you should be prepared to answer when searching for a home:
- How many bedrooms/bathrooms are you looking for?
- How many square feet are you looking for?
- What price range can you afford?
- Are you pre-qualified with a lender?
- How important is neighborhood/schools?
- What type of location or amenities are you looking for?


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Protection Film for iPhone 4S/4Screen Protector (Glossy / Matt)
Availability: Out of stock
End of Life
Everyday Protection
The screen protector for smartphone can protect your device from scratches, it is ultra thin, anti scratch and anti glare.
Bubble Free
The screen protector for iPhone of high-quality material from Japan, it avoids application with bubbles, adhesive residues or creases.
Regardless of how long or how many times you have applied this iPhone protector, you can remove and re-apply it again.
Precise Fit
No Rainbow Effect
The screen protector fits the screen of your device perfectly as it aligns seamlessly with every corner to prevent peeling off.
The screen protector for smartphone eliminates the rainbow effect to ensure a comfortable viewing experience of your iPhone screen.
114 (L) x 58 (W) x 3 (H) mm
iPhone 4S / 4
Packaging & Boxed Content
180 (L) x 115 (W) x 13 (H) mm
Shipping Information
Item Number:
Glossy : ORAAC-PF003-GBA01
Matt : ORAAC-PF004-GBA01
Matt : ORAAC-PF004-GBA01
Glossy : 0872767004726
Matt : 0872767004733
Matt : 0872767004733
Gross Weight:
0.05 kg
Support Form
Request Form
The product you selected is currently unavailable. Please send us a request and we get back to as soon as possible.


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3-1002(g) of the Education Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, provides that
the Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) of Prince George's County is
to be elected at a special election meeting of the delegates of Prince George's
Regional Association of Student Governments (PGRASG) to be held each school
year. The Prince George's County Board
of Education and the PGRASG approved the election process for the SMOB at their
October 1999 meeting, followed by the State Legislature's approval during the
2000 Legislative Session.
process for electing the Student Member of the Board of Education of Prince
George's County shall be as follows:
Any questions should be directed to Richard
Moody, Supervisor for the Office of Student Engagement and School Support, at 301-749-4379
or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Download application packet >>
Prince George's County Public SchoolsSasscer Administration Building
14201 School Lane
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
301-952-6000Contact Us
© 2019, Prince George's County Public Schools, Prince George's County, Maryland


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- Location: Berlin, Germany
- Hotel Category: 4-star
- Website: Visit Website
- Have a question?: Click Here to Contact Us
Located in Schöneberg, the heart of the gay scene in the city, Axel Hotel Berlin is fascinating for its cosmopolitan spirit, by the careful combination of design and comfort, and for excellent service. The charming and elegant mix of gold on black, overlay and textures make Axel Hotel Berlin a unique space in the German capital. With 87 design rooms, fully equipped to provide the guests with maximum comfort and a differentiated stay. The Axel Hotel Berlin is located just steps from the legendary department stores KaDeWe.


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All commissions that you earn during a given month are paid to you on approximately the last day of the subsequent month, so long as your earnings have reached a minimum of $100.00. Until then, we hold them until you have accumulated $100 or more in earnings. Referral Partner Program commissions are paid in US Dollars. (Please note that our Referral Partners do not earn commissions on their own purchases.)
Please refer to the Affiliate/Referral Partner Agreement for the terms and conditions.
If you have any other questions about your commissions, please contact our Referral Partner Department directly, so they may address any specific questions or concerns that you have. You can reach them at:
If you have not already registered as a Shift Network Referral Partner, you may do so through this link:
Thank you for promoting our programs to your friends and contacts, and helping us to co-create a global shift in consciousness on Earth!


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Hurricane Hiatus....September 25th, 2008 at 07:17 pm
or hurrication as someone called it. I evacuated August 30, the day before mandatory evacs for Gustav. Headed out to DD's with truck and boxes of paperwork and the dogs. I'd found a kennel there that would take the munchins. Hubby stayed behind to finish boarding the house and to shut down the plant. He'd bring out the kitty. Fortunately for us, but unfortunately for others, Gustav went elsewhere. Meanwhile, Ike was brewing and all indications at that time was sending it to Florida or the East Coast. Well, we've been here before. Hubby said to just stay put because it is difficult to actually tell where those things are headed when they are brewing up. They tend to have a mind of their own until well established, and even then, they can move all over the place. We had a feeling of deja vu when they said middle of Texas coast. Same scenario for Rita. We watched as it crept up the coast closer and closer to our area. I bought more hurricane supplies for DD's, and DS and family evacuated to DD's since the eye was going over their new digs. They didn't want to take a chance with the baby. The scary part was finding out about the storm surge the night before. I then found out that Hubby was ill and having a hard time getting out. All of us at one point was going to head into the storm area to retrieve him. I was so scared. He finally was able to leave about the time the winds were picking up on Friday. When the doorbell rang a couple of hours later, he was standing in the doorway with the cat carrier. I practically knocked him down in the driveway because I was so glad to see him. We dropped off Kitty at the kennel and "hunkered down." We had six people, a baby, and a DD's little doggie in a two bedroom cottage. The next morning, the power went out, but since DD is in a little gully, the winds went over us. A day or so later, Hubby took the truck because of the water and headed home as a first responder. Cells were sketchy, but he was able to tell me he arrived safely. The plant had accommodations, food, gas, and medical help for the twenty or so that remained inside. The weather cooled off twenty degrees cooler than after Rita, so we were able to open windows and hang on for the few days power was out. DS and family went home after about a week when their power was restored. Our power at home was restored after a week, also, which is amazing considering almost 100 percent of the customers in our area were out of power. Our home only lost one shutter. But, in the towns all around us there is enormous damage. The flood surge decimated whole communities. A town to the east of us only has 14 houses without flood waters. Friends and co-workers have lost so much.
I returned the day before yesterday since my doc called and wanted to get me in for my meds appointment. I brought the car back this time and only had room for half the stuff and Kitty. I'll have to go back for the doggies. Kitty has stuck to me like glue since she was without us for over a week. The doc's office was running on a generator, and there was a lot of tree damage around his area. Blue roofs have returned. I saw dozens and dozens of electrical workers all along the route and in the towns. They are from everywhere. I saw signs on their trucks ecouraging Texas and even one convoy from New Jersey flying the Texas flag. I almost wept. I wish we could thank each person who has come into the area to help including all the rescue people, the volunteers giving out food, the firefighters from other areas ripping out the damage from fellow fireperson's homes and the police that help with all the other issues. Traffic is crazy without working lights. Tree people are here lifting trees off houses. Truckers brought in trucks full of supplies donated by others. I know that our area does this often for others, but seeing it for yourself is so touching. I saw a makeshift sign on the highway that thanked some of the people helping. I wish they knew how much we appreciate it. For the few stories of complaining and all, there are thousands of grateful people.
I haven't begun to figure out the finances. I called before Ike to get 30 day waivers from those who would give it to me. Today, I'll go and retrieve the mail and start piecing together the bills and stuff. I know I spent on extra food and things we used for the storm since my supplies were here sustaining Hubby. But, now we can use things up and move on. I do need to pay the kennel which will run close to a thousand when all is said and done. They've been wonderful. Taking the pets out and playing ball with them, and little doggie got to see her first cow. According to them, she went nuts. I am starting a kennel fund for next year's season. That seems to be our biggest expense in all this.
All in all, it is surreal to me because we weathered it well. I am hoping to help out with what we can for those who took such a hit. I haven't been reading the blogs since I spent so much time playing with the grandbaby or watching the news online when I could get power. We swapped melting ice cream with a neighbor for his extra screens so DD's house could be opened up to the air. We laughed some. Played cards by candlelight. Took cold showers. Prayed for those back home. I'm looking forward to catching up on the blogs. Unpacking all the stuff we put away. Perhaps we'll find some ways to help out there. The people are strong here. They'll make it back. But, right now, they are hurting and sad. It affected more than the vacation homes on the beach. Whole communities that had never flooded have been badly damaged. But, they will make it. We'll all be there to help them where we can. I look forward to seeing what everyone has been up to on here. A special thanks to Boomeyers who sent me some encouraging emails. I know all of you were thinking of us. For those of you who were also affected, I hope things are okay. I missed you guys.
Now, on to planning for the holidays. Wow.....