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One of the most common marketing complaints amongst business owners is that marketers don't care about generating a return on investment. Unfortunately, these aren't just fears because it's often the truth! Many marketers focus more on how creative a campaign looks than they do about whether or not it will increase the bottom line for your business. It's no wonder business owners are becoming less and less likely to seek marketing help!
But can this problem be fixed? Yes, but it takes a philosophical shift away from how most "marketing agencies" do business…
Leaning heavily on intelligence gathering, analysis, and planning helps us protect your marketing investment by limiting risk.
Where other marketers want to get going as fast as possible (so you can see results, then hopefully pay them more money), we choose to work as your partner. It's the only way to ensure the marketing campaigns you're investing in will actually align with your business, save you time, and make you more money
Start Here & You'll Save Money
Step #1: Discovery Call
Most "discovery calls" don't include much discovery at all. Instead, they serve as a way for marketing agencies to "sell you." There are entire websites dedicated to teaching marketers tactics that will get business owners to say "yes" on these calls.
We're a little different. Because if we can't use your budget to help make you more money (aka, give you an ROI), then we don't want to work together at all. Doing so would be a silly waste of time for everyone!
Our discovery call is an opportunity to figure out if working together will be mutually beneficial. You can ask us any questions you have and we'll spend the rest of our time together digging into how your business operates. Because if we don't know what your day-to-day looks like, how could we possibly help you increase revenue?
Step #2: Intelligence Gathering
Using information from our call and a post-call info-gathering worksheet, we'll get to work. Leaving no stone unturned, we'll complete a full analysis of the market your business operates in to uncover what's working, who's winning, and how they're doing it. During this research process, we'll take note of market gaps you can exploit to take business back from your competitors.
Step #3: Analysis & Hypothesis
You can have all the data in the world, but it's no use if you can't properly pull information from it. During this phase, we'll break down the intelligence we gathered about your industry and apply it to your business. Using charts and graphs, we'll compare you and your competitors and outline the areas that you can most quickly catch up.
Step #4: Solution Session
A few things have happened now. First, we've gathered the full picture of what success looks like in your market. Next, we've broken down that data into an easy-to-understand format. Finally, we've provided holistic analysis based on everything we know about you and your company.
The solution session is a valuable opportunity for us to review the data together, then make decisions on it. What's beautiful is that you're now able to make long-term marketing decisions based on facts not guesses. Together, we'll set goals for how you'll strategically catch up to your competitors.
Step #5: Personalized Action Plan
During our solution session, we created marketing goals. And goals are great, but if they don't have action items behind them, they'll never be accomplished. After our solution session ends, we'll get to work on creating a step-by-step action plan for all the goals we outlined. All action items will be organized in Trello, which makes implementation become a systematic process.
Step #6: Implementation
Implementation means it's time for someone to roll up their sleeves and get to business. Question is, will it be your team or us working on the project? Depending on your business size, current team, and needs, options include:
- Oasis Results is hired on retainer for implementation
- Oasis Results is hired on retainer to advise your team during implementation and help manage the project
- Your team handles implementation completely
Step #7: Testing & Iteration
Even the best plans need tweaking. That's why we'll work with you to keep eyes on the campaign's results, analyze change data, and suggest areas of the project that should be tested. We've found that companies who commit to a culture of testing their ideas find the most success long-term.
Let's Make Your Business a Success Story
As a business owner in the 21st century we face unique challenges never before seen by past competitive business environments. The rate at which information is gathered, sorted and analyzed is exponentially increased along-side technology. In this ever changing landscape business owners need to adapt. The question is whether you're going you're to play catch up in this business climate, or whether you're going to analyze current data properly and prepare to embrace change and growth as it happens.
At first I was skeptical that Oasis Results could meet my (personally) high expectations for results (no pun intended). However, after completing their discovery survey, meeting with Steve, and knowing I had their guarantee, it was what I refer to as a "no-brainer." If someone (in this case Oasis Results) is going to work for/with me and prove that their work is making profit above and beyond what they are charging me.
And of course Oasis Results gave me the tools to expand my business at a rate I never thought possible. What would have taken me quite literally 1000's of hours to learn and teach my employees, Oasis Results was able to do in a minuscule fraction of that time. I wasn't aware a multi-faceted approach to business growth was available in a single service, and like thousands of other business owners I was piecing individual tools together myself to grow my business. However, after the initial strategy session, we were able to devise a plan for growth that was both affordable, sustainable, and easy to implement without much of my involvement.
I get reports every month that let me know exactly how our strategy is progressing and I enjoy seeing the steady increases in website traffic, email engagement, and most importantly positive feedback from my new customers about how easy our new processes made their experience.
I would unequivocally recommend Oasis Results to any business owner who feels their time is better spent on their actual business interactions and growth, instead of the menial business day-to-day tasks and stress that comes with developing and maintaining a high level marketing plan. Let Oasis Results make technology work FOR you.
Brandon H
Pet Industry Entrepreneur
This page was last updated on May 10, 2017.


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280+ Mortise Mounted Series Shear Locks
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280+ Mortise Mounted Series Shear Locks
Schlage Locknetics provides the industry's most complete selection of electromagnetic locks. The 280+ Series Shear Lock features a patented design which is smaller, stronger and easier to install than earlier generations of Shear Locks, even in retrofit applications. The 280+ Series mortise design electromagnetic Shear Lock has an innovative "Power Plus" control module toovercome gaps of up to 1/4". This mortise Shear Lock offers the advantage of atotally concealed locking mechanism, which provides superior security and appearance. With holding forces tested to 2700 lbs., the Schlage Locknetics 280+ Series provides extra high security and easy engagement of magnet and armature. The armature literally "jumps" to the magnet resulting in a noticably increased noise level. magnet, with locking grooves in the armature. While thestrength of this design is a major advantage, the flexibility in tolerance is even more important. This designallows for normal door and frame movement, assuming a good quality door and frame are used.The compact size of the magnet fits into header construction with minimum preparation. It easily fits aluminum store front tube extrusions. The 280+ Shear Lock is ideal for hollow metal doors and frames. The 280+ TRD model is available when armature adjustment is required from the edge of the door due to flush ceiling conditions. The 280+ Series Shear Lock is UL 10C, CUL, and CSFM Listed and engineered to meet the ANSI/BHMA standard For electromagnetic locks.
Benefits of Using 280+ Mortise Mounted Series Shear Locks
• Innovative "Power Plus" control module provides force
to overcome gaps of up to 1/4″ between magnet and armature
• 2700 lbs. of holding force
• Requires filtered, regulated power supply
• External Automatic Relock Switch (ARS)
• Adjustable time delay on relock, 0-30 seconds
• Low temperature operation
• Microprocessor controlled
• Optional Magnetic Bond Sensor (MBS)
• Automatic voltage selection 12VDC/24VDC (Filtered)
• Universal hardware for installation into flush or recessed (1/8″ to 2
" depth) door edge
• Door position switch to prevent premature relock

subset: commoncrawl


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sing my songs
Isaiah 38:20
38:20 sing my songs. On the possibility that these songs of Hezekiah have been preserved in the book of Psalms, see notes on Psalms 120–134. The fifteen songs of degrees may correspond to the fifteen years added to Hezekiah's life.
Click here for the list of Evidence for Creation Topics


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Back to
Sour cream mixed with cheddar, Monterey Jack and grated Parmesan give these mashed potatoes their creamy, supremely cheesy appeal.
1 pkg. (24 oz.) ORE-IDA STEAM N' MASH Cut Russet Potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
Microwave potatoes as directed on package. (Do not mash.)
Place potatoes in large bowl. Add milk, sour cream and red pepper; mash until ingredients are well blended and potatoes are mashed to desired consistency.
Add cheeses; mix well. Sprinkle with chives.


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Data-driven sales: The 3 cold calling and emailing metrics that matter
Tracking sales data is a lot like dieting.
You know you should do it. You know it's good for you. You might even know how to do it. But do you?
Probably not.
You'd rather be calling, emailing, or visiting customers—literally anything other than tracking numbers. Besides, most salespeople don't track their sales data.
But most salespeople don't produce extraordinary results.
Here's why you need to track your data.
Your bias is killing your business
Human beings are biased, and our bias leads us to generalize, delete, and distort information. Because of this, we rarely see the "truth" in any situation.
We get attached to our ideas and let our emotions influence our decisions (and that can have serious consequences).
We need data because it has no bias, emotion, or motive. It simply is.
Data is the great truth teller.
Why don't we track our data?
Most salespeople don't track their data because they don't know where to start, and they don't know the difference staying on top of data could make to their sales career.
Tracking your sales data does not have to be complicated.
I'm going to show you a three-metric system that will transform your sales performance.
But before we get there, let's get clear on where you are in the sales process.
Are you in sales exploration or sales execution?
You're in sales exploration if …
- You can't tell me what your revenue numbers will look like three months from now.
- Your sales model has to change if you add more people or spend more money.
To track your data in a meaningful way, you need a sales model that is predictable and scalable. Here's a quickstart guide to building that model.
Step one: Customer profile
Who is your ideal customer?
If you said something like, "Any technology company with up to 2,000 employees," you're in trouble.
That's not narrow enough.
In the beginning, your criteria should be so specific you struggle to find qualified prospects.
If you find yourself saying, "But that only leaves us four companies," good! Go get those four!
Step two: Lead generation
How are you going to get to those customers? Will you rely on inbound leads or outbound prospecting?
If you go with outbound prospecting, and you decide to buy a list, make sure you do a quality assurance test. Always assume 30–40% of the contact information in a database is outdated. Sample a portion of the list and track your results.
Step three: Engagement
How are you going to sell to these prospects? Should you be knocking on doors? Making 100 cold calls? Sending 1,000 cold emails? The only right answer is the solution that works for you.
Give different strategies a try. Keep up what works and ditch what doesn't.
You're in sales execution if …
You have a sales model that is predictable and scalable.
You're recruiting, training, hiring, and, most importantly, selling. This is where you find the highest quality data. Now you're ready for the three metrics I mentioned earlier.
Crush your sales with these 3 metrics
1. Activity
How many cold calls did you make? How many cold emails did you send? How many storefronts did you visit? Knowing your activity will help you track how your time is being invested and provide a foundation for the following two metrics.
Check out our AI-powered cold email generator, which creates effective email templates quickly and easily.
2. Quality
How many decision makers did you reach? Of those, how many were qualified for your product? Use this to determine whether you're pursuing the right prospects and to test the quality of your lead list.
3. Conversion
How many of those qualified decision makers moved on to the next step (demos, trials, or purchases)? The conversion metric is great for pinpointing the strengths and weaknesses of your pitch and close.
Hey you...ever wondered how to maximize total contract value? Dive into our tips.
Make it a habit
The key to effective data tracking is consistency. If you don't make it a daily habit, your data is meaningless.
It's better to track one of those metrics for a week than all three for a day.
Hey there! If sales headsets are on your radar, our article highlighting the top 8 choices is a must-read.
How to pinpoint the weak spot in your sales process
Most people think of sales as the act of closing deals.
When performance is suffering, the first and only place they look is the pitch.
If you aren't making sales, you're obviously either a crappy salesperson or your presentation sucks. Right?
Maybe. Maybe not. There's no way to know for sure without looking at the data.
Let's look at a few scenarios and some data driven solutions.
Low reach rates
You're calling 100 prospects, reaching two, qualifying two, and closing one.
Activity: 100 cold calls
Quality: Reached two (2%), qualified two (100%)
Conversion: Closed one (50%)
Although you have a qualification rate of 100% and a conversion rate of 50%, you're only reaching 2% of the customers you're calling. You don't need to improve your pitch, you need to speak to prospects! Figuring out how to do that is your number one priority.
Potential solutions:
- Call different numbers
- Visit storefronts in person
- Call at different times
Low qualification rates
You're calling 100 prospects, reaching 15, qualifying two, and closing one.
Activity: 100 cold calls
Quality: Reached 15 (15%), qualified two (13%)
Conversion: Closed one (50%)
Your reach rate is better and your close rate is still acceptable. However, the problem is that none of your leads are qualified. Either your lead list is outdated or you are going after the wrong customers.
Potential solutions:
- Revise your customer profile
- Get a new list
- Explore inbound opportunities
Low conversion rates
You're calling 100 prospects, reaching 15, qualifying 10, and closing one.
Activity: 100 cold calls
Quality: Reached 15 (15%), qualified 10 (66%)
Conversion: Closed one (10%)
Now you've got great reach and qualification rates, but your conversion rate is bad. If you can only close one qualified prospect then your pitch needs some serious work.
Potential solutions:
- Use a script
- Delegate sales responsibilities
- Find a new career
How to measure your results
If your sales aren't bringing the results you want, optimize from the top down. Ask yourself:
- Is my sales activity high enough? If it is,
- Is my lead quality high enough? If it is,
- Is my conversion rate high enough?
Use the framework below to benchmark your performance against successful campaigns.
Cold calling benchmarks
Reach rate: 15% of total called
If your reach rate is below 15%, change your cold call approach.
Qualification rate: 30% of total reached
If your qualification rate is below 30%, you need a new lead list.
Conversion rate: 50% of total qualified
If your conversion rate is below 50%, you need to work on your pitch.
Cold emailing benchmarks
Open rate: 30% of total sent
If your open rate is below 30%, then you either have inactive email addresses or weak subject lines. Remember, five times as many people read the headline as the body copy.
Response rate: 30% of total opened
If your response rate is below 30%, you don't have compelling calls to action. Get your readers to respond.
Conversion rate: 50% of total responses
If your conversion rate is below 50%, there's a problem with your follow-up pitch.
What sample size would give you enough data to make a decision?
This is the messy reality of startups: You will not have enough time to gather data for a perfect decision. You need to optimize for speed, not perfection.
I'd rather be wrong three times in a row really fast than be right really slowly.
Here are some basic guidelines:
Cold calling: 100–200 calls/day for three weeks
Cold emailing: 25–50 emails/day for two weeks
It won't give you perfect data, but you don't have the luxury of waiting around. Billion dollar companies can afford to have data scientists on staff to make sure that they only deal with statistically significant sample sizes. But even they get it wrong sometimes.
For a startup, aspiring to have 100% accurate data is a waste of scarce resources that could be put to better use.
The 2-week challenge
Tracking your sales data doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, it's almost effortless if you're a Close user. We've automated the majority of the process; all you have to do is tell our software what you want to track.
Still feeling a little dataphobic? Try tracking your data for two weeks (which just happens to be the length of our free trial), then share your results in the comments below.
I'll personally take a look at your data and offer my feedback
Sound good? Great. Now get out there and crush it.
Recommended reading:
How to write subject lines that get your sales emails opened
Want to increase your open rates? Don't follow the widespread advice you find on the net. Here's what really gets sales emails opened ...
15 cold email templates that will generate warm leads for your sales team!
Cold email templates for sales professionals. Cold calling 2.0 approach as well as direct sales approach templates.
19 B2B cold calling tips for sales success in 2015
People say cold calling is dead because they work the phones like it's 1995. Here's how fast-growing companies cold call to drive revenues in 2015.


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When I was a little guy, this is the taunt my older siblings called out as I left the scene of some conflict:
The sordid scene in Washington these days makes me think often of this taunt. I worked a lifetime to acquire sufficient funds to pay my way in retirement, and the shenanigans in Congress are so scary to the markets that there is a real chance Congress is about to cost me – AND you! – a lot of our hard-gained pieces of the American dream. Bastards all.


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Group banks serve companies and customers all through the country. Any amounts so re-lent to Debtors shall bear curiosity at the fee applicable to Base Fee Revolving Loans and for all other functions of this Settlement shall be handled as if they were Revolving Loans, supplied, nevertheless, that for functions of voting or consenting to issues with respect to the Mortgage Documents and figuring out Pro Rata Shares, such Defaulting Lender shall be deemed to not be a Lender.
Contracts shall mean all of every Borrowers proper, title, and interest in and to each presently current, and hereafter arising, loan account, account, contract proper, Instrument, word, document, chattel paper, general intangible, and all other types of obligations owing to any Borrower, all rights of any Borrower to receive cost thereof, along with all ensures or other rights of any Borrower obtained in connection therewith, and any collateral therefor.
(b) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH 12.9, DEBTORS COMPLY WITH INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS AGENT AND EACH LENDER FOR THE COMPLETE AMOUNT OF INDEMNIFIED TAXES (TOGETHER WITH ANY INDEMNIFIED TAXES IMPOSED BY ANY JURISDICTION ON QUANTITIES PAYABLE UNDERNEATH THIS PARAGRAPH) PAID BY AGENT OR ANY LENDER AND ANY LIABILITY (TOGETHER WITH PENALTIES, INTEREST, ADDITIONS TO TAX AND EXPENSES) ARISING THEREFROM OR WITH RESPECT THERETO, WHETHER OR NOT OR NOT SUCH INDEMNIFIED TAXES WERE ACCURATELY OR LEGALLY ASSERTED.
In the occasion that the issuer of any Letter of Credit score honors a draw underneath such Letter of Credit and the Borrowers shall not have repaid such amount to the issuer of such Letter of Credit pursuant to subparagraph 2.18(d)(i), such drawing shall represent a request by the Borrowers to the Agent for a Borrowing of a Base Charge Revolving Mortgage in the quantity of such drawing.
At any time when Agent receives a cost from Borrowers on account of reimbursement obligations in respect of a Letter of Credit score as to which the Agent has previously received for the account of the Letter of Credit score Issuer thereof payment from a Lender pursuant to subparagraph 2.18(d)(ii), Agent shall promptly pay to such Lender such Lenders Professional Rata Share of such fee from Borrowers in Dollars.


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Join Ed Mazria at the 2016 Getting to Zero National Forum, October 12-14
Architecture 2030 is proud to support the 2016 Getting to Zero National Forum, held from October 12-14 in Denver. Join us along with leading designers, owners, operators, commercial real estate professionals, policymakers, manufacturers, and others to share perspectives on the growth of zero net energy and high-performance buildings.
The Forum – organized by New Buildings Institute and Rocky Mountain Institute – will also discuss the policies driving new projects, examine best practices for successful outcomes and explore collaboration on opportunities for ZNE to transform the built environment.
Architecture 2030 Founder and CEO Ed Mazria is one of the plenary speakers, and the other program highlights include:
- Policy sessions to spotlight current rules, incentives and programs that are creating low-energy outcomes and catalyzing projects.
- Leading cities and states to showcase their action on ZNE to attain carbon mitigation goals.
- Technical tracks dig in on critical design, construction and operational aspects with added tracks focused on residential and multifamily ZNE buildings as well as grid integration strategies.
- Business leaders to offer perspectives on the value proposition, cost and financing and share strategize on breaking down the barriers.
- Interactive sessions will highlight the bright spots and lessons learned.
The preliminary schedule is here, and you can register here. We look forward to seeing you in Denver!


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It is a CNC Tools/Drill Bits/Engraving Bits/Milling Cutters/Carbide End Mill. Material: Solid carbide tungsten steel. Application: It is mainly suitable for PCB, SMT, CNC, mold, plastic, copper, stainless steel and other precision metal parts processing.
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Click the image below to download the latest edition of faithmatters in PDF format.
faithmatters is an evangelistic magazine which is UK written, published and distributed
to the general public free of charge. The magazine is paid for by local churches,
organisations or individuals when they order them. Its mission is to describe man's
need and God's way of salvation in clear terms that all may understand.
There is emphasis on salvation by grace, without works, available to all who believe.
Believe what? That the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross and the shedding of His
precious blood is for you as an individual, whoever you are, and whatever your present
The magazine articles provide hope for seekers and discipleship for new believers.
This magazine is for you!
The magazine is written, published and distributed in the UK and Ireland and is published
twice per year, in 12 pages in full colour using high quality paper and printing.
There are three articles and one personal conversion story per issue. Each issue
will address different topics and issues in light of what the Bible has to say about
them. The writers are evangelists and missionaries who are involved in ministering
the gospel to people in the UK and abroad and have personal experience of leading
others to Christ. We only commission authors who we feel explain the message of the
gospel simply and succinctly.
The magazine is free at the point of delivery but distributors have to pay for their
Individuals may sign up to receive 100 or more copies for their own personal use
and for giving to contacts.
Assemblies or ministries may order 400 copies and upwards (in steps of 200 copies)
for door to door distribution, use in open-air work and for giving to those who visit
our regular or special gospel meetings.
Distributors and personal subscribers- please see order form for prices.


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By Jason Williams
Taxpayer Association of Oregon
Media trend watchers take note that today is the debut of The Oregonian newspaper's new revamped look in order to adapt to changing tastes & times. It is now laid out like a weekly tabloid (magazine style). The sections are big color-coded inserts following the example of USA Today format. This has got to be the biggest physical change to the newspaper in 50 years. With more giant photos and less news-type you can see the trend of more attention getting methods used to highlight an ever shrinking news story base. Overall, The Oregonian is making a creative pitch to consumers to earn their attention and win more subscribers. Time will tell if it works.
Postscript: It was interesting that a few weeks ago I mentioned on this blog that paper delivery services were offering subscribers missing newspaper days (M,T,TH) if they paid a lot more. Since then several friends contacted me asking how can they get this option as if they were taking part in some bootleg underground service for news junkies. I found that oddly entertaining.


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Congratulations to everyone taking part and those who have completed 2015 Transcontinental Race. One of the toughest endurance / audax events of the year. Riders race non-stop from from the Muur van Geraardsbergen in Belgium to Istanbul in Turkey. They can choose when and where to rest and there is no defined route but there are mandatory controls along the way. The controls, help bring the competitors together, and let racers share their stories, the control ensure riders visit famous European landmark. One of the control points was the top of eeary Mont Ventoux.
175 riders started the event, and so far five have made it to Turkey. The first man home was Britain's Josh Ibbett riding 4,239km in 9 days, 23 hours, 54 minutes. Riders can be followed live on the event website.
The Super Acciaio pictured (below), belongs to Matthew Swain who is taking part in the race. He stopped to take the snap somewhere in the Champagne region.
Find out more on the Transcontinental website.


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'Up!': Shania Twain On The Rise With Bigger And Better Blockbuster
Twain's third diamond-certified album in a row, 'Up!', was released in North America on November 19, 2002.
You could buy it in red, or green, or blue. Pop, or country, or "international" versions, and it was a truly multi-format, multi-cultural affair. It was the third diamond-certified album in a row by Shania Twain, and it was released in North America on November 19, 2002. It was Up!
Viewed again now, the sales achievements of the Canadian country-turned-pop singer seem almost unbelievable — and of course she's since added to them with 2017's Now, her first release since the album we're looking at. After a platinum-selling debut in the US with her self-titled 1993 debut for Mercury, Shania went 12-times platinum (12 million shipments) with 1995's The Woman In Me. Two years later, Come On Over went 11-times platinum. Surely she couldn't do it again, especially after a gap of five years, with the 2002 sequel? But she could. Up! went 11-times platinum too.
Listen to Up! right now.
Created with Shania's then-husband Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the album became almost as much reported about for its carefully marketed multiple formats (with its tracks mixed in various styles to reach the artist's audiences in different genres) as it was for its musical content. But the tactics worked perfectly: the record debuted at No.1 on both the pop and country charts, as well as becoming an international sensation and spawning seemingly endless single releases, including "I'm Gonna Getcha Good," the title track and "Ka-Ching!"
That last song was a comment on consumerism and on Twain's modest upbringing. "I grew up in a household where we really did not have enough to get by, and spending money you didn't have was absolutely something you could not afford to do," she told this writer when Up! was about to be released. "I don't even think my parents had credit cards until way later in their life, so I just think we've gotten so far from that healthy basic way of looking at things."
Listen to uDiscover Music's Shania Twain Best Of playlist.
Commenting at that time on whether the album could match the sales achievements of its predecessors, Twain said: "Whether the payoff will be as big or not, who knows, but that's not really the point of it for us. We wanted to really put something together that was bigger and better in our opinion."
Buy the green vinyl, country edition of Up!


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10 Projects to Keep You Busy Over a 3-Day Weekend
A 3-day weekend is approaching and it's a great opportunity to sit down, by yourself or with your kids, and work on a project. There are so many projects to choose from on makezine.com, but here is a quick collection of 10 fun projects that would be great for this weekend. The weather is getting warmer […]Continue Reading


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We come two by two each month to the Orlando Museum of Art, are warmly greeted, and don our nametags—blue for the "diagnosed," brown for the companion. I'm getting to know the group and they to know us, and it's become a happy and comfortable place for Mike. We come for "Art's the Spark," the museum's program for adults with memory issues. Except for us and a few staff, the museum is empty, and we get to view and discuss several pieces according to the month's theme: portraits, landscapes, and so on. On a recent visit, we examined the grid that the Belgian post-impressionist Louis Dewis used to sketch and then paint what he saw.
Dewis, like many artists, employed a wonderfully simple system to assure fidelity between reality and canvas. Using lines sketched on a canvas and a similar grid through which to view the scene, the "main thing" stayed the main thing, and the perspective was correct. Portraying reality was not left to mere good intentions.
We looked through the grids ourselves, and it was remarkably helpful. I got to thinking about how the artist Dewis used the grid because he sought to paint the world true to life, and I thought about other tools we use to keep a right perspective. Compass and plumb line come to mind. Only a couple of degrees off course will take the traveler where she did not want to go, and if a plumb line shows a wall not to be truly vertical, the wall will collapse.
For a person of faith, the most obvious equivalent is the Bible, which teaches who God is, what he's done, who we are, and what we should do. We need a standard outside of ourselves the way a painter needs a graph, and it must be absolutely reliable. "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him" (Proverbs 30:5). Without an objective measure, it's hard to place the bridge correctly and paint the barn the right size compared to the trees, which one can only hope will be truly vertical. If we're depending on our own intuition, or letting our conscience be our guide, things sooner or later go awry. Without right thinking, we can neither perceive nor act rightly.
Sailors and masons likely consider their compasses and plumb lines equally essential. It may be tempting to go with our instinct rather than reaching for the vital tool—weather in navigation, masonry, or painting—or just to "pray about it" or "follow our heart" rather than consulting God's word, but let's not neglect the gift. Christians call the Bible a "means of grace," a method by which God gives grace to us. The Bible will never fail us, because the God behind it will not. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your path" (Proverbs 3:5).
The grid also helps the artist by dividing the scene into manageable sections. Maybe you, like me, get overwhelmed with all of life coming at you. If you know me, you have probably heard me say, "There's enough grace for the next thing." I can not count the ways that God has brought to mind a promise from the Bible to help me through my moment of need. Sometimes it's a person delivering the grace, with a kind truth, a helping hand, or a prayer. It happened yesterday at a stressful medical appointment, that a sweet friend texted a reference to Psalm 86:17 with this prayer, "Please show Maria a sign of your favor, and help and comfort her." A reminder of God's care enabled me to complete the next grid of the painting, so to speak, and to lay my head on the pillow last night assured that the God who had been faithful that day and every day prior would be faithful tomorrow too.
For an artist to work without a grid may lead to wonky art, but to disregard the truth that God holds out in his word is catastrophic. Let's help each other stay true to life and find grace to help in time of need.
If you are praying along with us on this journey, would you pray now for those who suffer with dementia and for their caregivers, especially for our dear friends in the "Art's the Spark" community. At yesterday's appointment I heard Mike's amnesia referred to as dementia for the first time, so we'd be grateful if you'd include us in those prayers as well.
"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word" (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).


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While there has been a lot written about alkaline diets and the benefit of managing acid and alkaline levels in your body we are firm believers in everything in moderation and not restricting or denying yourself some of life's greatest pleasures (chocolate, pasta, cheese, wine!) we do however love anything that tastes delicious and is great for you. This salad is both of those things and also happens to be packed full of alkaline and antioxidant rich foods. It is great on its own or as a side to steamed fish or chicken. The sourness of the lemon is offset against the delicious sweetness of the raspberries and pomegranate seeds and tartness of the apple cider vinegar. Serves 2-4.
1 lemon (flesh only, cut in to small segments)
1 punnet of fresh raspberries
1/4 cup of whole almonds
500g mixed kale and baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup of pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons of cold pressed olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
To make dressing combine all ingredients and stir well. Set aside. To prepare salad divide leaves equally among plates and top with whole raspberries, almonds and pomegranate seeds. Top with lemon segments and drizzle with dressing. Enjoy!


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We have a warehouse full of spare parts, consumables and accessories for your appliance emergency.
In Stock
Our High Street store houses a large warehouse of spare parts for all appliances. From motors to door handles, we are likely to have your spare part here for immediate collection from the 1000s we have available.
Spares parts are kept on site for:
- Washing machines
- Tumble dryers
- Washer dryers
- Electric cookers
- Gas cookers
- LPG cookers
- Hobs (electric, gas and induction)
- Ovens
- Cooker hoods
- Microwaves
- Dishwashers
- Fridges
- Freezers
- Fridge freezers
- Chest freezers
- Vacuum cleaners
- Toasters
- Kettles
- and much more
Spare Parts Team…
Our in-house spare parts department are on hand to help you with any spare part enquiries and orders, just give us a call with your make and model details and we can check our extensive databases for the correct parts.
Out of Stock Items…
If we do not have the item you need here, we can order it in within 48 hours. Collection from our store is completely free, or for a small postage fee we can send the item directly to you.
Consumable Items…
In-store we have a large range of:
- Vacuum cleaner bags
- Vacuum cleaner filters
- Vacuum cleaner belts
- Appliance bulbs
- Accessories
- Hoses
- Cleaners and descalers
- and much more


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Adler Real Estate AG
Adler Real Estate - Axel Harloff
Adler CEO Axel Harloff said in a statement, "Our purchase is clearly a strategic participation, and in this context we do not want to exclude the possibility of further deepening our cooperation on our path to becoming a leading residential real estate company."
Austrian listed residential property investor has scarcely been out of the headlines these past six months, featuring regularly in these pages as both a takeover candidate and (most recently) as a suitor itself, weighing up and then rejecting tabling a bid for Australian group BGP's German property portfolio.
Each various interruptive event lead to further ructions within conwert after announcing its own plans in March to cut financing costs, reduce vacancies and narrow its investment focus. After shareholders rejected a takeover offer from listed German residential giant Deutsche Wohnen AG in April, management heads rolled – including that of CEO Clemens Schneider, and the shareholder roster got shaken up. Israeli billionaire investor Teddy Sagi became the company's biggest shareholder in May.
Now fast-growing listed German property investor Adler Real Estate has entered the fray, buying the 24.79% of conwert owned by MountainPeak Trading Ltd, the holding company vehicle for Teddy Sagi's stake, for €285m. Adler is now the largest shareholder in conwert.
Adler CEO Axel Harloff said in a statement, "Our purchase is clearly a strategic participation, and in this context we do not want to exclude the possibility of further deepening our cooperation on our path to becoming a leading residential real estate company."
Conwert owns a portfolio of 30,200 assets in Germany and Austria, currently valued at €2.8bn. In Germany alone the conwert portfolio consists of 25,150 residential and commercial units with a current value of about €1.77bn. The residential property portfolios in Germany are located in strong urban markets such as Berlin with more than 5,000 residential units representing an allocated value of about €400m (c.28%), Potsdam with 1,670 units, with a value of €190m, (13%), Leipzig 4,570 units with an value of €245m, (17%), Dresden 580, valued at €37m (3%) as well as in North Rhine-Westphalia with an allocated value of €145m, (10%).
The value of conwert's Austrian portfolio of €4,220 units is about €635m, with more than three-quarters of the assets in Vienna. The goal is to raise the residential quotient to more than 80%, as the mixed nature of residential/commercial has seen investors imputing a discount to the group's NAV.
Over the last three years, the Hamburg-based Adler has grown from almost nothing to becomin an important residential real estate company with more than 50,000 residential units. Adler's portfolios are predominantly located in Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony.
Since June, Adler's shares have been listed in the SDAX, the German share index for small caps. At the end of June 2015, Adler also completed its purchase of fellow-listed residential property company Westgrund AG of Berlin. Conwert's traditional focus on A-locations and Adler's focus on B-locations and privatisations in Berlin via its subsidiary Accentro are given as reasons for the strategic stake.
Adler said it was planning to sell €175m of mandatory convertible bonds to conwert to fund its acquisition of the MountainPeak stake. The bond has a coupon of 0.5% and a conversion price of €16.50 for one Adler share after three years. (The current share price is about €12.70).
Conwert, despite the turbulence of the past months, posted strong first-half figures based on disposals of non-core assets (mainly commercial properties) and improved FFO, leading to EBIT up 30% to €61.5m. Financing costs fell by 14.5%, helping pre-tax profits to jump 12% to €29.2m.


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(01) In the beginning, I had the idea to do a book about lettering and settle my mind on it. Then I put the idea in the back of my head and keep it there for about half a year.
(02) At some point I muster the courage to research which other books are already out there. After 20 minutes on Amazon I'm like: "Okay, yeah, that's enough, I am already overwhelmed."
(03) The dashed line means: I'm continuing to do nothing, but still think about the book for almost another year.
(04) Finally, I begin to talk about the idea with some friends and colleagues. They all like it.
(05) A coincidental conversation with the colleague of a publisher friend at the Frankfurt Book Fair:
"Hi, I'm Chris Campe, I'm a graphic designer and I specialize in hand drawn letters."
"Oh – lettering, we're planning to do a book on that some time soon!"
"Oh, great! Can I please be the author?"
This finally made me write up a ten page concept for the book.
(06) I discuss the concept with the publisher, we can't quite agree on the type of book and on the conditions.
(07) I take my book proposal to another publisher, but they are already working on a handlettering book.
(08) The next publisher is interested. I suggested a casual 96 pages book with lots of d.i.y. projects, but they say: "There are already too many books like that out there, let's make this serious and tackle the topic with more depth on 160 pages."
(09) It's the early summer. The contract has been signed for two months, the project is official and to be published the following spring. I still haven't really started working on it. As soon as I finally begin, I realize that I don't actually know enough about lettering to write a 160 page book about it. I tell the publisher I'll need more time, but they basically say: "We will help you as much as we can, but we can't give you more time. This book needs to come out next spring."
(10) So I continue up and down the serpentines of research. Freaking out along the way, lots of tears, but little by little the details of the content and the book design take shape.
(11) About at this point I think I am pretty sure which information needs to go into the book and how I will present it. So I draw the first of many, many, many lettering examples.
(12) In the fall there is time pressure, doubt and exasperation. More tears, too. Somewhere in this I have the incredibly brilliant idea to get help and find someone to fact check at least the chapter with all the typography basics. Since I want the texts to be well written and fun, I also ask a few friends to follow along and read and comment on the writing.
(13) Two months away from the absolute final deadline, the winter feels like walking through a tunnel in a huge dark mountain. Chapters are being thrown out and rearranged. Every once in a while I have another nice idea for another little problem in the book that still needed solving and I get excited about that. So in the dark mountain there are a few little lights of hope.
(14) When I come out of the mountain in early January the road is rocky but the horizon is clear. Now it's just a ton of work, but at least it's clear what needs to be done.
(15) At the end of January I'm done. Both with the book and in terms of energy. The "Handbook Handlettering" came out just six weeks later and I would have loved to have a book release party. But I was so exhausted, I couldn't even think about it. That's why to me TYPO this year has been like a huge party for my book. All the positive feedback I got at the conference returned some of the energy that went into making the handbook.
This book making process might just be an example of extreme procrastination and bad time management. Because I did everything myself – the concept, the book design, the writing, the drawings and the photos – it often felt like trying to find a way through utter chaos. Creative chaos, yes, but still a quite unsettling disarray. I told my best friend "This is the most challenging book project I have ever worked on!" but she just said "No. The others were just the same."
Either way, at the end of this journey I had created a pretty profound and well structured book on lettering, which is – as people keep telling me now – really helpful for them and even fun to read. There is nothing more rewarding than that.


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Online ordering has revolutionized the way business is done across the world. Where people once were limited to physical retail shopping or catalogs to browse and select products, the internet has extended the consumer's reach to all corners of the globe.
Of course, even as online shopping offers convenience and variety, it can be difficult to get a complete read on a product that you're just looking at through digital imagery instead of in person.
With Rada Cutlery's online size comparison chart, that has changed. The chart features our entire line of cutlery and utensils, with measurements that let you know exactly how long each piece is. Kitchen knife comparison has never been easier!
Links handily allow you to read more on each item's webpage, but that's not even the best part. The page features images of each item that the user can move around with the click of a mouse, enabling you to effectively compare all of the cutlery and utensils. This innovative system allows you to examine what pieces would work best for you.
Here are a few examples of how the size comparison chart could be useful:
- A cook with smaller hands decides she wants a paring knife that's small, but large enough to easily cut potatoes. After comparing the Granny Paring, the Regular Paring, and the Heavy Duty Paring, she chooses the Regular Paring, feeling it strikes the perfect balance between size and functionality.
- A customer is reviewing different Rada gift sets as a special present for their spouse. She is able to arrange all of any particular set's items together for a clear look at the size of everything, as well as easily being able to visit each item's webpage to read the product description, eventually deciding on the diverse Starter Gift Set.
- A steak aficionado is looking for a new set of steak knives. He compares the Rada Serrated Steak with the Utility/Steak, concluding that he would prefer the one with serrated blade and slightly shorter blade.
- A devoted home cook wants a big knife to chop large quantities of vegetables. After comparing the Tomato Slicer, Cook's Knife, and the French Chef, the home cook decides on the French Chef, being impressed with its large size.
Check out the Rada Knife Size Comparison Chart and see how useful it is!
Hollow-Ground Blades for Superior Quality
Unlike most kitchen knives, Rada's knife blade are hollow ground. Hollow grinding is a labor-intensive method of manufacture that pays off as the blades are made easier to sharpen. The hollow grinding also ensures that the cutlery is equally useful and functional for both left and right-handed cooks, as the blades don't want to wander or cut either in or out.
Each knife blade is constructed from surgical-quality steel and is hand-sharpened for a razor edge. And if your Rada knives eventually could use a sharpening, the hollow-ground production will ensure that it's an easy task. All Rada knives and utensils come with a Lifetime Guarantee!
Check out this page that shows you how the care and skill of Rada's workers makes our products so remarkable!
Handle Choice: Silver Aluminum or Black Stainless Steel Resin?
Rada Cutlery's knives and kitchen utensils each come in two different varieties. First, there's our standard silver aluminum handles for which our cutlery is most commonly recognized. Then there's the black stainless steel resin handles, which have a handle with a different look and feel but come with identical high quality and incredible durability.
Which style of Rada product you prefer is purely a matter of personal taste. The black handles are dishwasher safe, though we recommend hand-washing and prompt drying as the ideal way to clean the aluminum-handled cutlery and utensils.
Whatever you decide, both kinds of knives and utensils are made to Rada Cutlery's stratospheric standards of quality, and all come with a Lifetime Guarantee!
Serrated or Straight-Edge Knives: The Choice is Yours!
Many of Rada's knives, such as the Serrated Paring or Serrated Steak, feature a serrated blade. This means that they have tiny grooves that aid in saw-like cutting. Our wildly popular Tomato Slicer is serrated, while other items such as the Party Spreader feature serrations for cutting softer foods such as bread. Our serrated knives never need sharpening and are great for right and left-handed cooks!
American-Made Products!
Unlike other companies, Rada Cutlery doesn't just pay lip service to American industry. We're based out of Waverly, Iowa, in the heart of the Midwest, and everything we've sold since our founding in 1948 has been completely made in the USA. Every Rada Cutlery product is made entirely in the USA, and always will be.
Our products combine the unmatched skill of American workers with jaw-droppingly good prices made possible by cutting out the middlemen. Whether you're buying, selling, or using Rada products, you can do so with the knowledge that they're American made. We're so proud of our cutlery and utensils that each and everyone one comes with a Lifetime Guarantee, so when you get Rada, it's for life.
Watch this factory tour video to learn more about what makes our American-made products so remarkable!
Fundraise with Rada Cutlery!
Rada Cutlery is the fundraising partner of choice for tens of thousands of nonprofit groups each year, and with good reason. Since 1948, Rada has made its extensive catalog of amazing cutlery and kitchen utensils available to groups raising funds for worthy causes.
Fundraising sales earn an astounding 40% average profit for the group, while Rada's stellar customer service ensures that the fundraising process is made as smooth as possible. Three different sales methods, including catalog, event, and online, ensure that your group can reach its maximum fundraising potential. Churches, schools, sports teams, civic organizations, charities, and more get exactly where they need to be by partnering with Rada!
Visit our website to see about starting your group's successful Rada Cutlery fundraiser!
Keep Your Knives in Cutting Trim!
The Rada Quick Edge Knife Sharpener is your ticket to cutlery that is razor sharp at all times! This simple yet effective tool allows you to easily sharpen knives simply by running the blade in-between the device's steel wheels. It requires no electricity to operate and is small enough that many, such as hunters and fishermen, keep one in their vehicle. With this you'll be able to keep your all of your cutlery sharp indefinitely!
Visit our online Rada Kitchen Store to have one or more Rada Quick Edge Knife Sharpeners delivered to your home!


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Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the country and the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry in the central and southern parts of the archipelago. It has five-star hotels, (The Agency Cebu Hotel and Casino), white sand beaches, world-class golf courses, convention centers, and shopping malls.
The only thing more beautiful than this lush paradise are the Women, Beautiful, Educated, and looking for Love! If you have ever dreamed about a trip to the Philippines, then you have to include the exotic Island of Cebu. The UK-based Condenast Travellers Magazine named Cebu the 7th best island destination in the Indian Ocean-Asia region.
Be sure to join in every Wednesday 9:30 PM to 10:30 PM Eastern Time for our Asian Conference Call. Get your chance to talk to our Philippines office each week! Our office manager will be there to answer your questions, along with interested ladies, concerning their culture and country, and the entire Singles Tour experience. Don't miss out; talk with different available women every week!
Participation is easy and FREE (normal long distance charges will apply). Simply call 1-(209) 689-0007 and when prompted enter conference code 103766 Once you have joined the conference simply press 5* to join the conversation!
I hope you are doing fine and that your business is good. I know the economy here in the USA is terrible at this time and that maybe will affect your client numbers. I hope not , But here is the 'FINAL PRODUCT' of what you and others helped accomplish for us. Noime and I were married Oct, 5th in the church here in Athens,Texas.We wanted to send you a photo for your records. Yes you may use it in anything you want as far as advertising for your company.William & Noime Miole Keyworth
I found my new wife to be. She was one that I had been emailing for a few months. But seeing her in person sealed the deal for me. She in fact ,got up and sang a song to me at one of the socials. they were nice enough to allow her to sing and she brought the house down,,They said that they would get her a dvd of her performance, that was so thoughtful. soon as we marry,.. I am taking her to "Nashville" ,She was great.. You were right, about my worries of using the wheelchair due to my recent surgery, It was no problem. the girls looked right past that and looked at the man.. I never felt out of place These ladies really were the best and you should be proud of your organization , The hotel was as nice as any hotel in Vegas that I have stayed at ,and thats the truth.. They charged us for every little thing ,except maybe for the "air" we breathed , but that is their culture and we adapted . the service and food was impeccable. a real first class place to stay. If I could. I would go back tomorrow John. Thank you for a great experience and the little promo that they asked me to do on tape, was sincere and true and I meant every word of this. Anonymous
This experience was truly overwhelming! One of the best investments I ever made in myself, in my life and its quality! Thank you for providing such a powerful life changing service. You and your staff are impacting the future of so many people in a profoundly positive way that your name and deeds will live on for generations. I will be in contact with you and your staff as I pursue my goal, either for assistance with wedding and visa or with my continual such. You know what, y'all fill like family! Wilford L
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Proudly presented by A Foreign Affair


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The Jungle Book is Disney's upcoming live-action remake of the 1967 animated film of the same name. This, of course, is not a surprise due to the successes of Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent. And with 2015's live-action Cinderella being such a big hit, remaking the last film Walt Disney ever produced was inevitable.
You may not remember this (I certainly didn't), but Disney already did a live-action remake for this movie in 1994. It borrowed stories from both The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, and it was actually well-received by both audiences and critics. Yet many people still scolded the film for veering so far away from Kipling's original stories, not that the animated film did a good job of this.
There was also an animated Jungle Book sequel made by DisneyToon (they make the majority of Disney's direct-to-video movies) in 2003. I've never seen it, and I honestly don't intend to anytime soon. For context, this is the studio that brought us Planes and Planes: Fire and Rescue.
Oh, and I guess I have to mention that the first Jungle Book movie ever came out in the 1940s, decades before Disney got to work on it. Also, an unrelated movie called Jungle Book: Origins will be coming out in 2017, and it's being made by Andy Serkis and Warner Bros. We honestly don't have time to get into that, but I will mention that it has a stellar cast.
Now, we have the first teaser trailer for Disney's next retelling of The Jungle Book, and it provides a lot of information that will intrigue longtime fans of the story. Even if you're not very interested in the Jungle Book franchise, I think you'll still find something unique to latch onto as we learn more about this movie. It's the first Disney remake I've come across that seems like it could bring something new to the original story.
Sure, Maleficent and Alice and Wonderland already tried this by extending their stories and putting more emphasis on the villains. And they're not terrible movies or anything. My only issue with them, honestly, is that they feel like unnecessary accessories to an animated movie that's already great.
But with The Jungle Book, we have a source material that has so much potential as a live-action movie with updated special effects. It will be a visual spectacle just to see these complex animal characters coming to life on the big screen. And since The Jungle Book hasn't been retold thousands of times over the years (ahem, Cinderella), this new movie will hopefully feel fresh for many people who see it.
Here's the trailer below, and I encourage you to watch it at least twice. Afterward, we'll discuss.
OK, so to start things off, let's talk about the cast.
Jon Favreau, the director of Iron Man, is helming the film and will probably make a cameo at some point. Mowgli is being played by a newcomer named Neel Sethi, and like the original animated film, he'll be raised by a family of wolves.
Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) will voice the alpha male, Akela. Lupita Nyong'o (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) will voice of the mother wolf, Raksha. And the panther, Bagheera, will be voiced by Ben Kingsley (pretty much every movie you've ever seen).
Bill Murray is voicing Baloo in this film (yes, that's the song he's whistling at the end), and Idris Elba is voicing Shere Khan. When I first heard that Scarlett Johansson would voice the seductively dangerous snake, Kaa, I was less than excited, but she kills it in this trailer as the narrator. And of course, Christopher Walken will be handling the voice of King Louie.
I was hoping that this new movie would borrow more from Kipling's work, and I think this might be the case in some ways. Naturally, Disney is maintaining a lot of what made the original animated film so well-liked, but they seem to be adding some of the darker material that got cut from the original. Pirates of the Caribbean proved that Disney has room for darker and more epic movies, and I hope they apply that here.
So, how is this new film like the old one?
Kaa the snake will apparently be more of a villain who wants to eat Mowgli, at least at first. In the book, she actually saves Mowgli from the Bandar-log after he gets kidnapped, which could also happen here. Pretty much everything related to the Bandar-log and King Louie in this trailer looks more like the animated movie, instead of the book.
Baby Mowgli is found by Bagheera instead of the wolves, just like in the animated movie. And that last scene with Mowgli and Baloo floating down the river is clearly an homage to the 1967 film.
But something from the book that appears to be happening in this trailer is Mowgli stealing the "red flower" from the village. He runs across the bridge holding fire, as instructed by King Louie. This could mean that he's going to fight Shere Khan with the red flower, which is straight out of Compton-er-the book. Toward the end of the trailer, you can see a glimpse of this fight.
It also looks like the film is adding something that neither the book or movie did, which is a fight between Bagheera, Shere Khan, and Baloo. I have absolutely no idea where this is going, so I'm excited to see it go down in the film. It's the natural progression of the story when you think about it, at least before Mowgli gets his chance to face Shere Khan on his own. Or it could mean that he's not fighting the tiger alone.
Finally, I want to point out that the look of many of these characters is coming from the book, which is a great thing. This includes Baloo, who is now a brown bear instead of the bluish grey bear from the movie. And Hathi, the old elephant, appears more like the domineering and wise character that the Kipling story portrays. He's not supposed to be comic relief, like we see in the 1967 film, which I think they added because they already had so many know-it-all animals running around in the script.
Like I said before, the movie is so far coming off as darker and more epic than the animated film. That said, some people who've seen footage of the movie at D23 claim that it's actually light-hearted, so this trailer might be a little misleading. Whether that's a good or bad thing is up to you.
I don't know how I feel about this film yet. On the one hand, it's cool to see that they're breaking away from the music numbers and treating the source material more seriously. But I'm worried this will take away what people loved about the classic film in the first place. I guess we'll have to trust that Disney can surprise us once again with something that fits comfortably in the middle.
The Jungle Book opens in theaters, April 2016.
I'm Jon and thanks for reading this. You can subscribe to my posts by clicking "Follow" in the right sidebar. Or just say hey on Twitter! @JonNegroni


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Foster Farms shut down its main chicken processing facility in Livingston on Tuesday evening amid a coronavirus outbreak that health officials say has claimed the lives of at least eight workers.
About 1,400 employees were sent home with pay until at least Monday, Sept. 7, according to a statement by the company. They will be tested twice during the shutdown. However, the complex employs around 3,700 people, and the other facilities will continue to run this week.
"It is important to recognize that the Merced Public Health Order permits the continued operation of these other facilities," Heidi White, senior vice president of Fineman PR, told The Bee.
The other facilities will also undergo two rounds of testing, Foster Farms said in a statement.
"In totality, all full time employees, part time employees, inclusive of cleaning crews, will have been tested and cleared for return to work as of September 7. Foster Farms will continue to regularly test its Livingston Poultry Complex to ensure that the prevalence of COVID-19 remains mitigated," the statement reads.
Bill Mattos, president of the California Poultry Federation, who toured the plant last week with the state treasurer, said the other buildings that will remain open include the packaging facility, the administration building, and storage, where packages are sent before loading them onto trucks.
Mattos said the plant supplies between 50 and 60% of the chicken in California. So when news first surfaced of a shutdown, his phone started ringing "off the hook," he said. But consumers shouldn't worry about the supply chain, Mattos assured, because of the closure's short time span.
"I don't know that you'll see a lot of disruption unless something doesn't work this week, and they have to reopen later," he said.
Foster Farms statement
In a statement released Aug. 30, the company said they had tested 2,900 workers since Aug. 12, "resulting in a less than 1% positive rate."
They agreed, however, with the Merced County Health Hepartment "that additional testing is required."
In the initial shutdown order, health department officials said they attempted to curb the Livingston outbreak several times to no avail. According to the letter, the county issued several testing directives, backed by the state health department, that went unmet.
In late July, the facility had tested less than 10% of the employees in the department hardest hit by the virus — fewer than 100 employees total. Over a quarter of those employees tested positive. But Foster Farms took another three weeks before testing more department employees, county officials have said in statements to the company.
At least 392 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at the plant, and at least eight workers have died in Merced County.
United Farm Workers threaten boycott
United Farm Workers on Monday raised the specter of a boycott of Foster Farms among workers and activists if their demands were not met.
The farmworker union represents about 2,000 Foster Farms Livingston employees. They have been in ongoing labor contract negotiations with Foster Farms since Sept. 2019, according to Foster Farms.
Among their demands, the union has asked Foster Farms to shut down its entire Livingston facility; test all workers and produce public results on an ongoing basis; provide paid leave while the plant is closed and quarantine pay to those sick with the virus, and provide hazard pay and free masks and face shields.
The union also demanded the company sign a contract with them that includes a health and safety committee to protect all workers.
In their response, Foster Farms said they did not believe "that misinformation that is the product of a labor dispute should be allowed to detract from our current COVID-19 protection efforts, and we remain open to entering into productive discussions with the union."
In response to a request to clarify what was meant by misinformation, White, from Foster Farms, referred us to "the full list of COVID-19 protections for employees that Foster Farms has had in place at Livingston and companywide since March."
According to the company, they have followed CDC guidelines since March. They have provided company-purchased masks and face shields, social distancing measures, work station dividers, temperature monitoring, and comprehensive testing, and a deep cleaning program.
Manuela Tobias is a reporter with The Fresno Bee. This article is part of The California Divide, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequity and economic survival in California.


text: Home » Home » Woodland Wren Woodland Wren$89.00 The Woodland Wren Plaque is made from rust-free cast aluminum. Available in just one size and only for wall mounting. Personalize 1 or 2 lines. Measures 15.5″ wide x 10 " tall. DELIVERY: Usually ships from MI in approximately 10 business days. $ Select Color * Select Option Antique Brass Antique Copper Black with Gold Black with Silver Black with White Bronze with Gold Dark Blue with Gold Dark Blue with Silver Green with Gold Green with Silver Oil Rubbed Bronze Pewter with Silver Red with Gold Red with Silver Taupe with Ivory White with Black White with Gold Select Number of Lines * Select Option 1 Line Sign 2 Line Sign House Number (Up to five 3 inch numbers max.) * Street Name (Up to seventeen 1.25 inch characters max.) * Woodland Wren quantity Add to cart SKU: WH-WoWren Categories: Whitehall Wall Signs, Woodland Plaques Description Color Options Gallery Product Video Description The Woodland Wren Plaque is made from rust-free cast aluminum. Available in just one size and only for wall mounting. Available in all Whitehall color combinations. The Woodland Series of plaques depict outdoor scenes and celebrate the beauty of nature. Like all Whitehall Products plaques, the Woodland Wren Plaque is individually hand cast from aluminum. They are available painted in all the color combinations shown in the Color Options Gallery below. WOODLAND WREN: $89.00 – This plaque is 15.5″ wide x 10 " tall. – This one-line plaque holds up to five 3″ numbers. DELIVERY: Usually ships from MI in approximately 10 business days. Color Options GalleryWe don't have photos of every Whitehall sign in all the different colors, so instead we offer the gallery below to display each of the color combinations available. Whitehall Products Main Color ChartWhitehall Products Color: Antique BrassWhitehall Products Color: Antique CopperWhitehall Products Color: Black with GoldWhitehall Products Color: Black with SilverWhitehall Products Color: Black with WhiteWhitehall Products Color: Blue with GoldWhitehall Products Color: Blue with GoldWhitehall Products Color: Blue with SilverWhitehall Products Color: Bronze with GoldWhitehall Products Color: Green with GoldWhitehall Products Color: Green with SilverWhitehall Products Color: Oil Rubbed BronzeWhitehall Products Color: Pewter with SilverWhitehall Products Color: Red with GoldWhitehall Products Color: Red with SilverWhitehall Products Color: Taupe with IvoryWhitehall Products Color: White with BlackWhitehall Products Color: White with GoldWhitehall Products Color Comparison PREVNEXT Product Video


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In the search market, Google is the unquestionable leader. It leads not only in market share but also in technology. However, even Google has some limitations. Googlebot doesn't interact with your website like a normal user would, and this may prevent it from discovering some of your content, particularly if it's dependent on JavaScript.
One solution is to present crawlers with a pre-rendered version of the HTML file instead of the JavaScript code. This technique is not considered cloaking and is allowed by Google.
In order to do that, we have to be able to detect whether a request is made by a user or a bot. To learn more about search-friendly JavaScript delivery, you can watch this Google I/O '18 presentation.
Let's start with some basics.
What are Crawlers?
If you're seeking a way to detect and verify crawlers, you probably already know what they are. Nonetheless, crawlers (called spiders sometimes) are computer programs (bots) that crawl the web. In other words, they visit webpages, find links to further pages, and visit them, too. Often they map content that they find to use later for search purposes (indexing), or help developers diagnose issues with their websites.
Why Would Anyone Want to Detect Them?
If you own a website and would like to be visible in search results, for example, Google search results, you need to be visited by its crawlers first. They have to be able to crawl through your site and index your content.
If you find SEO problems on your website, checking server logs for Googlebot requests may be one of the steps you'd need to take in order to diagnose the issues.
Wonder how to perform server log analysis? Take advantage of our server log analysis services or check out this brilliant article by Kamila Spodymek!
There are also more specific purposes. For example, you might be legally forced to restrict access to your site in some countries. While blocking users you should allow access for search bots from that country, especially if that country happens to be the USA (Googlebot crawls mostly from the US).
As stated in the beginning, the ever-growing usage of JavaScript on the web is certainly beneficial to users, but rendering JS is a challenge for search engines.
Read our ultimate guide to JavaScript SEO to find out.
Wondering how does Google see your JavaScript-based website?
Read our ultimate guide to JavaScript SEO to find out.
If your website is not properly handled by bots, or your content changes frequently, you should render your pages dynamically, and serve rendered HTML to crawlers instead of JavaScript code.
Obviously, in order to do so, you have to know if a request was made by a real user, or by a crawler.
User Agent detection – Hello, my Name is Googlebot
When you're browsing the web, you might sometimes feel anonymous. Your browser, however, never does. Every request it makes has to be signed with its name, called User Agent.
For example, that's the User Agent of a Chrome browser: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/67.0.3396.79 Safari/537.36.
Bots also have unique User Agents, for example, the following name belongs to the desktop version of Googlebot: Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Googlebot/2.1; +http://www.google.com/bot.html)
Couldn't they Just Lie?
A true Googlebot will not be deceptive and will introduce itself with its true name.
However, there are other bots that might be harmful that will introduce themselves with Googlebot's name. Some browsers can also change the User Agent.
For example, you can fake Googlebot hits using the Google Chrome Inspect tool. We SEOs also often visit pages, or even crawl whole sites, introducing ourselves as Googlebot for diagnostics purposes.
However, if you're looking for a way to detect all requests from a specific bot, and you don't mind including requests from sources that lie about their identity, the User Agent detection method is the easiest and fastest to implement.
When to validate crawler request
Before I explain how to validate crawler requests, let's backtrack a little bit and explore scenarios in which you should do it.
- The first scenario that we'll explore is server logs analysis. You surely don't want that pesky scraper that visited your site to show as Googlebot in your logs. Imagine that for some reason, part of your site is not indexed because it's blocked by robots.txt, but in your logs, you could see hits to that part made by a scraper that doesn't give a damn about robots.txt. How are you going to establish if the true Googlebot was able to access these pages or not if you don't filter that scraper out?
- Another situation you really want to avoid is serving scrapers with a pre-rendered version of your site. This is harmful in two ways. First: pre-rendering costs the server processing time. This cost is not negligible, and a lot of requests can hurt your performance significantly! You want to do the hard work of rendering only for crawlers that you care about. Second: rendering JavaScript can be difficult. If those bothersome scrapers will get non-rendered JavaScript, there is a great chance that some of them will be unable to steal your content.
Struggling with rendering issues? Go for Rendering SEO services to address any bottlenecks limiting your search visibility.
Struggling with rendering issues?
Go for Rendering SEO services to address any bottlenecks limiting your search visibility.
Verification Method
If you need to verify a request's source properly, you need to check the IP address from which the request was made.
Lying about that is difficult. One can use a DNS proxy server and hide the true IP, but that will reveal the proxy's IP, which can be identified. If you are able to identify requests that originate from the crawler's IP range, you are set.
There are two methods of verifying the IP:
- Some search engines provide IP lists or ranges. You can verify the crawler by matching its IP with the provided list.
- You can perform a DNS look up to connect the IP address to the domain name.
Ok, now let's get to the meat.
IP Lists and Ranges
As stated above, some popular search engine crawlers provide static IP lists or ranges. The advantage of comparing the crawlers' IP address with the list is the fact that you can do it automatically. It's especially useful for a large-scale check.
Unfortunately, the IP list may change in the future. In this case, comparing the IP with the list won't be sufficient.
Some of the search engines that provide the IP lists include: :
Twitter and Facebook let you download their current IP lists by running the following Bash commands.
|whois -h whois.radb.net — '-i origin AS32934' | grep ^route
|whois -h whois.radb.net — '-i origin AS13414' | grep ^route
Bash is a Linux command line environment, which you can simulate on Windows using CygWin.
DNS Lookup
For bots that don't provide official IP lists, you'll have to perform a DNS lookup in order to check their origin. This method is also necessary in case the IP addresses change in the future.
DNS lookup is a method of connecting a domain to an IP address. As an example, I'll show you how to detect Googlebot, but the procedure for other crawlers is identical. You'll need to start with a request IP address, and then try to determine its origin domain.
The first step in the process is called reverse DNS lookup, in which you're going to ask the server to introduce itself with the domain name.
If you're using Windows Command Prompt, you are going to use the nslookup command. On Linux the equivalent command is host.
Evaluate the nslookup command with the request IP and read the domain name. It has to end with the correct domain. The correct domain for Googlebot is .googlebot.com.
It's not enough to search the name for that string. To ensure proper verification, it has to be on the very end! For example, a domain named googlebot.com.imascam.se definitely doesn't belong to a valid Googlebot (I've just made it up).
How to be 100% Sure?
There is a way to cheat this method. One can set up a redirect from their scam server to the valid Googlebot server. In this case, if you ask the server for its name, you'll get the proper Googlebot domain!
In order to rule that possibility out, you have to ask the domain name for its IP address. You can do that using the very same command, but this time with the domain's name instead of IP address.
If the IP address from the response matches the IP of the request, you're set. You've validated a true Googlebot! Here's a list of popular crawlers' domains:
|Service Name
|Domain name
A small bonus: in the case of Bing, you can verify the IP directly on this page but you cannot automate the verification process, as it's human-only.
You should remember that the published IP ranges may change in the future. Such a list will surely survive in some server configurations, making them vulnerable to deception in the future.
Nonetheless, you shouldn't use the lookup method for every request! That will kill your Time to First Byte (TTFB), and ultimately slow down your website. What you want to do instead is to create a temporary IP whitelist.
The basic idea is when you get a request from Googlebot's user agent, you check your whitelist first. If it's on the list, you know it's a valid Googlebot.
In cases where it's coming from an IP address that's not on the whitelist, you'd want to do the nslookup. If the address is verified positively, it enters the whitelist.
Keep in mind that the whitelist is temporary. You should periodically remove or re-check all the IP addresses. If you're getting a lot of false requests, you might want to think also about a blacklist to rule out such requests without doing the DNS lookup.
Below you'll find a simple diagram that represents the idea described above.
Here's what you can do now: Still unsure of dropping us a line? Read how technical SEO services can help you improve your website.
Here's what you can do now:
Still unsure of dropping us a line? Read how technical SEO services can help you improve your website.
Before you jump into implementing these solutions, ask yourself what you really need. If you need to detect bots and don't mind false positives, then go for the simplest User Agent detection. However, when you're looking for certainty, you'll need to develop the DNS lookup procedure.
While doing so, keep in mind that you really want to avoid increasing your server response time, which DNS lookup will certainly do. Implement some method of caching the lookup results, but don't hold them for too long, because IP addresses of search engine bots may change.
Hi! I'm Bartosz, founder and Head of SEO @ Onely. Thank you for trusting us with your valuable time and I hope that you found the answers to your questions in this blogpost.
In case you are still wondering how to exactly move forward with fixing your website Technical SEO – check out our services page and schedule a free discovery call where we will do all the heavylifting for you.
Hope to talk to you soon!


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President Obama Closed Two-Day ASEAN Summit With News Conference
Posted on · The president addressed nominating a new Supreme Court justice and Republican opposition to any nomination.
Posted on · The president addressed nominating a new Supreme Court justice and Republican opposition to any nomination.
Posted on · We learn about Houston's Cactus Music from owner Quinn Bishop. He says Cactus Music aims to be a destination for lovers of music — both live and recorded.
Posted on · We explore how where we live might affect what we decide to do for a living – does growing up in Greater Houston mean you're more likely to steer towards certain industries for a career? Or away from others? Are we "pre-ordained" to end up in certain walks of life? We'll welcome your thoughts.
Posted on · More than 30 years ago, Houston's Black Heritage Society, after being approached by Martin Luther King, Sr., wanted to find a way to memorialize Martin Luther King, Jr. in the city. While they wanted a statue, they ended up settling for a live oak tree on MLK Boulevard. That set in motion a series of […]
Posted on · If youâve ever driven by Mandell Park in Montrose on a Sunday afternoon, you might have come across some âBattle Gamers,â more commonly referred to as LARPers â or âlive action role players.â This particular group refers to itself as The Far Haradrim of Houston. We sent Houston Mattersâ Conner Clifton out to meet them. […]
Posted on · The public radio science show RadioLab brings its live stage show "Apocalyptical" to Houston Wednesday night at 8 at Jesse H. Jones Hall. Craig Cohen talks to the show's hosts, Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, prior to their Houston gig.
Posted on · Violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti, with pianist Rick Rowley, plays the Humoresque, Op. 37, by Swedish composer Laura Netzel (1839-1927) during a live segment in the Geary Performance Studio for The Front Row.
Posted on · Clarinetist Hakan Rosengren and pianist Rick Rowley, in the Geary Performance Studio for a live segment on The Front Row, play Bohuslav Martinu's Sonatina (H. 356).
Posted on · Check out Classical 91.7's Facebook page for details on how to win 2 tickets to see the Metropolitan Opera's "Das Rheingold" at the Edward's Marq-E tonight at 6:30. This last minute give-away ends at 4pm today! Go to www.facebook.com/classical917 or https://apps.facebook.com/easypromos/register/35848 for more!
Posted on · 15-year-old pianist Esther Liao plays Chopin's "Winter Wind" étude (Op. 25, no. 11) in the Geary Performance Studio previewing her appearance on NPR's From the Top.
Posted on · 16-year-old cellist Charles Seo plays the 3rd of Robert Schumann's Three Fantasy Pieces, Op. 73, in the Geary Performance Studio with pianist Esther Liao previewing his appearance on NPR's From the Top.
Posted on · Rene Casarsa's Tango Time quartet play Osvaldo Pugliese's "Recuerdo" in the Geary Performance Studio during a segment for The Front Row.
Posted on · A quartet of singers from Houston Baptist University's production of Alice Parker's "backyard opera," The Family Reunion, perform "A Long Time Ago" in the Geary Performance Studio.
Posted on · The Catalyst Quartet, in town for an SPA Young Concert Artists Series performance, play the final movement of Alberto Ginastera's String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26, marked "Furioso," in the Geary Performance Studio during a live segment on The Front Row.
Posted on · Violinist Matthew Detrick of the Apollo Chamber Players plays a "zortziko," a traditional Basque folk melody, in Houston Public Media's Geary Performance Studio during a segment the ensemble recorded for The Front Row, Houston Public Radio's daily arts show.


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UPDATE #2: Additional Deals posted below! UPDATE #1: Nikon EXTENDED the Bundles Rebates to December 13, 2014. Additional deals added below too. ___ As usual, every year the BEST time to get the LOWEST prices is buying on Black Friday & Cyber Monday. This post will be constantly UPDATED! Check the links below. List of […]
Tag Archives: D610
UPDATE #2: Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals on Nikon GEAR
November 18, 2014
Update #11: GREAT HOLIDAY DEALS – Last chance!
December 11, 2013
– UPDATE – December 31, 2013: Last few days for Canon Rebates Did you know that sometimes best offers come AFTER Black Friday / Cyber Monday? Check by yourself! There is a ton of GREAT DEALS on Photography, Audio, Video and Computers currently available for limited time at B&H Photo. We will update this post […]


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Sustainable. Ethical.
From day one, KonaCoco has been driven by purpose. Today, we're proud to offer you a wonderful personalised shopping experience in our showroom, as well as a beautiful online shopping destination to enjoy from the comfort of your own home. With a keen eye for quality and detail and a focus on sustainable and ethical production at our core, you can trust that every piece has been created with the greatest care.
I'm Jessica Broughton, the founder of KonaCoco. I founded the company in 2018, after spotting a significant gap in the Asian fashion industry. Inspired to fill this void with something stylish and sustainable, I decided to spread my creative wings by creating the KonaCoco label - a destination for eclectic, flattering, stand-out styles, tailored specially for year-round tropical climates. I'm so proud of what KonaCoco has become. Find out more about my journey.


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dehumidifier 1: Dehumidifier project
I recently finished building the frame of a shed, and covered it with temporary cladding (MDF and plastic) to protect it during the winter until I have more time and money next year to continue with it.
There is a small lake starting to grow in the shed. I don't think it's coming up from underneath the soil, and the door end of the shed is covered in plastic to stop rain coming in, so I think the lake is forming from condensation. The air in the shed is basically dumping water on the inner walls of the shed and that water is then rolling down and converging in a large pool.
Because the shed was being built to house a lab, I had planned on building a dehumidifier at some point anyway (I like to build things, even if it might be easy to buy them), but this is encouraging me to get on with it now and build it early.
So over the last week, I bought a half-kilogram (500g) of desiccant crystals, which just arrived, and I've started designing the machine.
I'm using the idea of a "desiccant wheel" – a constantly turning wheel where most of it is adsorbing water, and the final part is being dried of its water and regenerated, with the water being blown out as damp air, and either collected in a jar, or dumped outside (what I'll be doing).
I designed a small wheel last night and started it printing. It's 60mm in radius (12cm diameter), so really small for this purpose, but as this is my first time making a dehumidifier, I want to make something small and test it, before making a bigger one.
You can see from the image that the wheel is segmented into six parts. The idea is that the wheel will revolve about once an hour, with each segment getting about ten minutes of that hour with hot air being blown through it while cold air is blowing through the rest.
Heat encourages desiccant crystals to dry, with the collected water evaporating and making the hot air damp. That hot air will be blown into a tube that leads outside the shed. Eventually, I may use the water for an indoor gardening setup, but for now, I'll just get rid of it.
The 5 remaining segments will have cold air blowing through them, with the dampness in that air being adsorbed onto the surface of the crystals, getting those crystals ready for their next ten minute session in the hot air drying part.
I'm waiting now for the heating element to arrive so I can design the fan section and the electronics to keep the temperature constant.
When the hardware is finished, I'll then need to start testing it with different temperatures, different fan speeds, different wheel speeds, to see how to get the most moisture out as quickly as possible.
I'll put my design up on Thingiverse as soon as I'm finished and have a working system, and may even start selling prints if this works out.
I'm thinking that I may have two versions – one which is tuned so you just turn it on and it gets to work, and another which is smart enough to measure relative humidity and work towards a specified value.


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Good leaders know they need to continuously learn. But great leaders know when to unlearn the past to succeed in the future.Barry O'Reilly, Founder and CEO of ExecCap and Co-Author of Lean Enterprise
This month's Mind the Product Leadership meetup in London was treated to a talk by business advisor and entrepreneur Barry O'Reilly. Here's what we learned about unlearning the past from a lively discussion with Barry, Anna Kuriakose (Chief Product Officer at TotallyMoney), Reshma Shaikh (VP of Strategy and Operations for Springer Nature), and Glenn Morgan (Head of Digital at International Airlines Group).
The Romans had the Right Idea
Whenever the Romans encountered a culture that had a better version of one of their capabilities, they assimilated it. They gave up their own practices when they found better ones… a good model for successful organisations and practitioners to follow.
Genuine Understanding Recognises What Information is Obsolete
Many companies have tried to turn themselves into "learning organisations". Most think this means driving their employees continually to improve their understanding in areas of practice. Many miss the capability to drop ideas which are no longer valid.
Disruption Applies to People, not Organisations
If your company is holding on to what made you successful in the past, then you will struggle with any significant shift in context. Any change needs to happen within the leadership team in order to be adopted by the rest of the organisation. The leadership team needs to shift their mental models and 'unlearn' what they have seen work in the past in order for everyone to work in a new way.
Create a Cycle of Unlearning
While it's difficult to learn new things, this is not the most limiting factor holding back higher performance. People get stuck trying to unlearn the behaviour that has previously made them successful. If you're stuck trying to solve a problem but not finding a solution, then maybe you need to look at the foundations on which you're trying to build a solution.
Barry's top tips for starting this cycle of unlearning:
- Think big, but start small – little behaviour experiments are easier to start but can end up having a big impact for you, both personally and across your organisation.
- Courage over comfort – it requires a lot of humility to be brave and look at yourself to see if your world view could be the issue, but it is the only approach that yields results.
- Scale safely – start small so you can recover from mistakes in a way that instills and develops psychological safety in your team. It will mean that long-term change is possible across large numbers of people.
Humility is Hard for Organisations to Embrace
There's no corporate language for organisational humility. Products have to be bold and proven solutions to problems, rather than ideas which are being developed and could fail. Mistakes can often be completely out of your control, but you still need to take responsibility for them. This can lead to defensiveness, rather than an investigation of could be done better. Organisations that can embrace and investigate their failures will find it easier to identify and address their shortcomings ahead of their competitors.
Preconceived Ideas are the Hardest to Shift, but Your Customers can Help
We all have concepts that we hold dear, and they're the ones that need the most work to be unlearned. If you can test your assumptions by putting your ideas in front your customers at pace and regularly, you will quickly identify which ones need to be retired.
Graduates Have Plenty to Unlearn too
Schools haven't changed the way they approach education in hundreds of years. Critical thinking and the ability to flex your approach are not taught as standard, but are skills picked up through experience. Don't be afraid to tell your new star hire that their bright new ideas might need to be rethought.
Don't Make big Changes, try Tiny Tweaks
We try to avoid big, risky releases when we build products. We need the same approach when changing behaviours – small tweaks to how you operate are much easier to recover from if they go wrong, rather than big, noisy, shifts.
Let People Come to Their own Conclusions
Ask people to paint a picture of what they think the solution to a problem is using their own preconceptions, then you can help them to see the gaps in their argument. From here, you can more easily ask them to iterate on a new approach.
Shock the System, and Start With a Clean Slate
If your organisation has tried to change, but isn't seeing results, you might need to employ radical tactics. If your leadership understands the scale of the problem they face, they will stop believing they're too safe to be disrupted. Start by shocking people, by showing them the people looking to take their business over. You're then likely to have some difficult and depressing conversations – but exciting ideas are the other side of this.
Measures of Success Change as Companies Grow
When someone starts a company, it's all about how much output they can create from their limited resource. As businesses scale, these same founders need to unlearn this approach and focus on how much impact they can generate. It's not about their own execution any more, it's about the orchestration of others to achieve an impact. Some suggest you throw out every single leadership process each time you double in size.
If People Feel out of Control, They Never Feel Safe
Working in organisations with close founder relationships can be very difficult. When founders realise their organisations have changed, they no longer feel in control of something they care deeply about. If you want them to unlearn how to approach this, you must give them the information they need in order to see what the new world could look like.
If You're Making Changes, Prepare for the Worst
A lot of successful change comes after a crisis. If you are looking at how to set up a new type of working, then keep an eye out for opportunities which can help drive your approach. If you can be the person who comes to a group of leaders with options for a way forward, then you'll be in a strong position to drive change.
For more from Barry about how high-performance organisations innovate at scale, watch his closing keynote from MTPCon London 2017. Curious to Unlearn more? Check out Barry's new book, Unlearn: Let Go of Past Success to Achieve Extraordinary Results