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Michael Conroy/Associated Press
It's decision-making time for the NFL's 32 teams.
In advance of free agency next month, decisions have to made in regard to retaining free agents. For restricted free agents, it's a relatively simple (and cheap) proposition. If they've performed well at all, they stay.
For unrestricted free agents, it's another story. For starters, the league's teams have wildly varying resources. The Indianapolis Colts have well over $100 million to spend on free agency, per Over the Cap. The Philadelphia Eagles are over $15 million in the hole.
Then there are the players themselves. Any number of factors can impact the viability of keeping a player around. Ability and performance are big ones, of course. So is the age of the player and his assumed price tag. There are some players teams would love to retain but can't due to the realities of their cap situation.
After taking all of those factors into consideration, though, there's still one player on each team who stands out above the others—a player who each team must prioritize bringing back. A player too valuable to let walk out the door.
The players listed here.
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Ralph Freso/Associated Press
Edge-Rusher Markus Golden
The bad news for the Arizona Cardinals is that the team with the worst record in the NFL in 2018 doesn't have any free agents who are no-brainers to bring back—not after re-upping wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to a one-year deal.
The good news for the Arizona Cardinals is that not being locked into any of the team's in-house free agents offers the team a level of flexibility. There are a great many directions the team could go in when free agency opens.
Still, a strong argument can be made that re-upping edge-rusher Markus Golden is a wise course of action.
Yes, Golden has just 2.5 sacks over the past two years combined. But it wasn't hard to see in 2018 that the ACL tear Golden suffered in 2017 was still a factor.
This is a player who exploded for 51 tackles and 12.5 sacks for the Cardinals in 2016. Now two years removed from his injury, Golden should be 100 percent.
And after a down 2018, Golden's upside may be available at a discount.
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Defensive Tackle Grady Jarrett
Among the NFL's young defensive tackles, there isn't one who has provided his team with more bang for their buck than Atlanta's Grady Jarrett. A fifth-round pick back in 2015, Jarrett topped 50 tackles for the second straight season in 2018, adding six sacks and three forced fumbles. Both were career bests.
And he did that for a salary that was less than $2 million.
The bill for that production (and Jarrett's ascension) has come due now, and Falcons general manager Thomas Dinitroff told Will McFadden of the team's website that Jarrett is the team's No. 1 offseason priority.
"Priority is to jump into focusing on Grady," he said, "and trying to get that taken care of, and then move towards Julio (Jones), of course. And then we have some other guys, and then obviously looking to free agency as well. We just need to start homing in on our finance situation and see where we are."
The Falcons aren't in especially great shape against the cap, but the team has already released veteran cornerback Robert Alford in an effort to free up wiggle room.
Whether it's on a multi-year deal or the franchise tag, a big chunk of that money needs to be earmarked for the Falcons' best defensive lineman.
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Inside Linebacker C.J. Mosley
The Baltimore Ravens have a general manager in Eric DeCosta, and DeCosta's first offseason isn't going to be an easy one. The Ravens possess just under $22 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap, and face a number of free-agent decisions. That's especially true at linebacker, where edge guys Terrell Suggs and Za'Darius Smith and inside 'backer C.J. Mosley could hit the open market.
Per Ryan Mink of the team's website, DeCosta indicated that locking Mosley up is a priority.
"I certainly hope that C.J. is back. I believe in my heart that he will be," DeCosta said. "We're in the business of keeping our good football players. Talent wins in the NFL and he's a Pro Bowl linebacker. So we're going to do what we can to make sure that C.J. is back on the team."
Mosley is indeed a Pro Bowler—four times in five seasons. He's topped 100 total tackles an equal number of times, adding 8.5 sacks, nine interceptions and six forced fumbles.
Mosley's a more proven commodity than Smith, and almost a decade younger than Suggs.
He's an easy call as the most important "keep" of the trio.
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Rich Barnes/Associated Press
Offensive Guard John Miller
A quick glance at the unrestricted free agents for the Buffalo Bills is—let's go with uninspiring.
I'm feeling nice.
The Bills are in great position relative to the salary cap. According to Over the Cap, the Bills have just over $79 million in cap space as things stand right now. Only three teams have more.
But just because Buffalo has the cash doesn't mean the team should spend a ton on the in-house players. The player who will likely command the biggest contract is tackle Jordan Mills, who has started 53 games in four years with the team.
However, Mills has vacillated between adequate and awful over those four years. If the money's right, he's worth bringing back, but some tackle-needy team will more likely than not overpay the 28-year-old.
Let them, and instead re-up right guard John Miller.
The 25-year-old was relegated to a reserve role in 2017, but Miller was back in the starting lineup last season, playing decently in 15 starts.
Go with the younger, cheaper player—and save all that cabbage for the open market.
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Paul Sancya/Associated Press
Offensive Tackle Daryl Williams
There are some positions in the NFL where just about every team in the league is trying to get better every season. Offensive tackle is one of those positions.
As a whole, Carolina's offensive line wasn't terrible in 2018, ranking in the top 11 in both run and pass blocking, per Football Outsiders. But as the season progressed and injuries mounted, that line's level of play slipped.
And the Panthers' season came off the rails.
Daryl Williams was one of the first injuries that hit the Panthers. After serving as one of the best right tackles in the league two years ago, Williams hurt his knee in the season opener, and just like that, his year was over.
Both tackle spots are major question marks for the Panthers this year, and should Williams hit the open market, there will be teams lining up to offer him a big contract—even after last year's injury. Tackles who are 26 years old and have shown the ability to play at a high level don't become available very often.
If the Panthers are smart, Williams won't either.
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Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press
Cornerback Bryce Callahan
Where the Chicago Bears are concerned here, this is an either/or proposition.
Safety Adrian Amos emerged as one of the better players in the NFL at his position in 2018, setting career highs in a number of statistical categories. But Amos also plays a position where the free-agent crop is relatively deep—he'd be much easier to potentially replace than slot corner Bryce Callahan.
Over the last couple of years, Callahan has grown into one of the best in the league at a position that has grown in importance. But Callahan has also missed seven games the last two years and suffered a broken foot last December.
In a perfect world, the Bears would lock up Callahan as early as possible, which would free up the franchise tag to possibly be used on Amos.
Have cake. Eat cake. All are happy. Well, except for Cody Parkey.
But if the Bears have to choose one, the smart play is to hold on to the guy whose hole would be more difficult to fill.
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Linebacker Preston Brown
Preston Brown certainly isn't the biggest name among the Cincinnati Bengals' list of unrestricted free agents—a list that includes offensive tackles Jake Fisher and Cedric Ogbuehi, tight end Tyler Eifert and cornerback Darqueze Dennard.
An argument can be made for retaining at least one of those tackles and Dennard. But those are positions that can command large deals in free agency, the Bengals have a reputation as one of the NFL's more frugal franchises, and Cincy has to look ahead to A.J. Green's new deal in 2020.
In other words, the money needs to be right.
Inside linebacker Preston Brown isn't a world-beater—especially in coverage. After topping 100 stops four straight years in Buffalo, Brown's first season in the Queen City was an injury-shortened disappointment.
But when healthy, Brown's a capable veteran linebacker who remains a force against the run. The Cincinnati linebackers were a nightmare last year, and that position has to be an area of emphasis for the team this offseason.
Bringing back Brown on a short-term deal wouldn't break the bank and will at least give the Bengals something to build around.
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Offensive Tackle Greg Robinson
As Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported, Browns general manager John Dorsey has already stated that the team is interested in re-signing offensive tackle Greg Robinson.
Yes, that Greg Robinson—the former No. 2 overall pick who spent the first four years of his career working his way up "draft busts" lists for the Rams and Lions.
"He's a very young man who has incredible athletic gifts," Dorsey said. "Sometimes you have to be a little patient with guys like that. You have to earn their trust. He did everything he was asked and everything we thought he would since we signed him in late June."
To be fair, Robinson wasn't great in 2018. But he wasn't terrible either—in eight starts, Robinson played easily the best football of his career, and by season's end, he was the starter on Baker Mayfield's blind side.
Even if the Browns take a tackle early in the 2019 draft (as many expect), having an athletic 26-year-old with 56 career starts on the roster isn't a bad idea—and while Robinson isn't going to come as cheaply as he did in 2018, the big man's probably still going to be a relative bargain.
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Ron Jenkins/Associated Press
Defensive End Demarcus Lawrence
You'll notice something as we move further into this piece. There are some big-name edge-rushers potentially set to hit free agency. And just about all of them are the top re-signing priority of their respective teams.
That's certainly the case with Dallas Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. After logging 10.5 sacks while playing under the franchise tag in 2018 (his second straight year of double-digit sacks), Lawrence wants a multi-year megadeal. And according to ESPN's Todd Archer, Jerry Jones appears inclined to give him one.
"Nothing's changed in terms of my opinion," Jones said, "except for the better in terms of what type of player Demarcus Lawrence is for our football team. Certainly a huge priority for us to get him signed. We want to sign him up long term. I think he's going to play this season at 27 and still a young player and still in front of him in terms of him improving and getting better."
A second franchise tag would probably lead to a holdout, so it behooves both player and team to get a deal done here.
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Center Matt Paradis
After a second consecutive year of double-digit losses, Broncos grand poobah John Elway intimated to ESPN's Jeff Legwold that big changes could be coming in the Mile High City.
"We're going to bust our tails to get better, to get back competitive, to get back where we want to be," Elway said. "Our young guys did well this year, we're going to continue to try to do well in the draft, that's key to what we want to do."
That statement, plus reports that the Broncos and center Matt Paradis aren't close on an extension, have led some to speculate that the 29-year-old Paradis could be on his way out of town after an injury-shortened 2018 season.
That would be unwise.
Over the past four seasons, Paradis has been Denver's most reliable lineman. The seven games he missed in 2018 were the first of his career. And of all Denver's free agents up front, he's easily the one most worth retaining.
If the two sides can't agree on a long-term deal, Paradis is just the sort of player who makes for an ideal franchise tag target.
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Rick Scuteri/Associated Press
Edge-Rusher Romeo Okwara
Romeo Okwara is an exception in this piece, in that the 23-year-old is a restricted free agent in 2019.
But with all due respect to whatever's left of Ezekiel Ansah (who some NFL team will probably throw $10 million-plus a season at because nothing makes sense anymore), there isn't a single unrestricted free agent in Detroit who merits "must re-sign" status (or even close).
Okwara's another story.
After two invisible seasons in New York, Okwara was a revelation in Motown last year. Okwara led the Lions with 7.5 sacks, adding 39 stops and a forced fumble.
The best course of action for the Lions would be to make things simple and just sign Okwara to a multi-year extension. It doesn't have to be a knee-buckler—a two- or three-year deal would be a nice reward for Okwara's performance last season.
But if the Lions want to go the thrifty route, it's imperative they hit Okwara with a high tender—as in first-round tender. If they don't, it's just about a certainty that someone's going to sign Okwara to an offer sheet that could involve a bigger raise than the Lions could have given him to start with.
Play this smart, Detroit.
There's a first time for everything.
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Mike Roemer/Associated Press
Cornerback Bashaud Breeland
Back in December, veteran cornerback Bashaud Breeland told Ryan Wood of Packers News that he hoped to return to the team in 2019.
"If I have the opportunity," Breeland said, "I would (like to come back). At this point in time, the Green Bay Packers have first dibs because I'm here. They can make it happen at any moment."
That feeling is likely mutual.
After a freak injury voided his lucrative deal with the Carolina Panthers, Breeland languished on the open market before eventually signing a "prove it" deal with the Packers. Injuries continued to be an issue for the five-year veteran, who played in just seven games for the Pack.
But when he was in the lineup, Breeland provided a steadying veteran presence in Green Bay's young secondary. Capable of playing both inside and out, bringing back Breeland to do the same in 2019 makes a lot of sense for the Packers.
It's also not going to be especially expensive.
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Outside Linebacker Jadeveon Clowney
Back in 2014, Jadeveon Clowney was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. And despite never amassing double-digit sacks in a season, Pro Football Focus and Over the Cap's Jason Fitzgerald have tabbed Clowney as the top potential free agent of 2019.
"Clowney has basically every soft factor going for him when it comes to earning a big salary as a free agent," Fitzgerald said. "His status as a former number 1 draft pick generally puts him in a class by himself. While we can argue statistics and production versus the rest of the edge rushers, his draft grade likely means that there is strong support on 32 teams that he is the best player available and by a wide margin."
Here's the thing, though. While the Texans have other free agents-to-be who were major contributors in 2018 (defensive backs Kareem Jackson and Tyrann Mathieu chief among them), the odds that Clowney gets anywhere near the open market are zero-point-zero percent.
There's just no way that a Texans team with upward of $65 million in cap space is going to let their 2014 No. 1 draft pick get near the door—much less walk through it.
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AJ Mast/Associated Press
Cornerback Pierre Desir
Blue and white's been very kind to Pierre Desir.
The 28-year-old Desir, who was signed by the Colts just before the 2017 season began, made just seven starts over his first three seasons with the Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers. However, Desir blossomed in Indianapolis, making 18 starts over the past two years.
The 2018 season was really Desir's coming-out party. In 16 games (and 12 starts), Desir logged 79 total tackles—nearly as many as his first four seasons combined. As the season progressed and the Colts got hot, Desir became the team's top cornerback, and in two late-season meetings with the Houston Texans, Desir helped limit one of the league's most dangerous wide receivers (DeAndre Hopkins) to nine catches for 73 yards.
Those two performances alone are enough for Desir to get a fat raise.
Should Desir hit the open market, there would be no shortage of suitors for his services after his breakout season. But with an NFL-high $109 million-and-change in cap space, per Over the Cap, there's zero reason for Colts GM Chris Ballard to let that happen.
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Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press
Kicker Josh Lambo
Yes. A kicker.
Hey, they're people, too.
According to Over the Cap, the Jacksonville Jaguars are in one of the worst positions in the NFL relative to the salary cap. In fact, the Jags are one of two teams that presently are in the red—by about $4.3 million.
The Jaguars can create quite a bit of cap space by releasing high-priced vets like quarterback Blake Bortles and defensive tackle Malik Jackson, but where the team's in-house free agents are concerned, frugality is the word of the day.
Fortunately, only two starters for the Jaguars are set to hit free agency—guard A.J. Cann and kicker Josh Lambo. Given Cann's performance last year, there isn't going to be a stampede to re-up the 27-year-old.
However, after an iffy first two seasons with the team, Lambo has become one of the more accurate kickers in the NFL. In each of the past two seasons, Lambo has hit on over 90 percent of his field-goal attempts—including making six of seven attempts from 50 yards or more over that span.
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D. Ross Cameron/Associated Press
Outside Linebacker Dee Ford
The defining moment of Dee Ford's 2018 season is one he'd just as soon forget—a penalty for offsides that negated an interception that would have propelled the Kansas City Chiefs on to Super Bowl LIII.
But the Chiefs would be wise to shake that momentary lapse off and bring Ford back, because the totality of his fifth NFL season tells a much different story.
Playing on the final year of his rookie deal, Ford piled up 13 sacks for the Chiefs in 2018—a career-best and the second-most on the team. The former Auburn star also shattered his career highs in tackles (55) and forced fumbles (seven—tied for most in the NFL).
Per Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride, Chiefs GM Brett Veach has made it clear retaining Ford is a priority.
"Dee's a player that had done so much for us," he said, "in particular, last year, that we're excited about bringing him back."
With the Chiefs switching to a 4-3 base in 2019 under new DC Steve Spagnuolo, the franchise tag makes a ton of sense here—an insurance policy of sorts against Ford struggling in the transition to defensive end.
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Gail Burton/Associated Press
Safety Adrian Phillips
There may not be a player in the NFL who did more to help himself in his contract year than Chargers safety Adrian Phillips.
As Jamie Hoyle wrote for SB Nation, while Phillips may have begun the 2018 season as a relative afterthought, he certainly didn't end it that way.
"Phillips was the Chargers most improved player," he said, "if not the most improved player in the NFL in 2018. The fifth-year defender led the NFL in special teams tackles (19) while finishing among the Bolts' top five defenders in solo tackles (77), assists (29), total tackles (94), and passes defensed (10). Adrian also earned first team All Pro, Pro Bowl and Professional Football Writers of America All-NFL Team honors for his work on special teams. Needless to say, he's going to get paid."
Phillips' value is all the higher given his schematic versatility—in L.A.'s run to the playoffs last year, Phillips spent as much time lined up as a subpackage linebacker as he did as a traditional safety.
If Phillips gets to the open market, his phone is going to ring off the hook. And the last thing the Bolts need is a bidding war.
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Rick Scuteri/Associated Press
Guard Rodger Saffold
The Los Angeles Rams face a number of difficult decisions regarding big-time contributors about to hit free agency—whether it's defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, safety Lamarcus Joyner or offensive guard Rodger Saffold.
The Rams would no doubt like to bring back all three veterans—but with only about $30 million in cap space, that's not an especially realistic option.
Of that trio—and indeed among all of L.A.'s free agents—the most important player to retain is Saffold.
Linemate Austin Blythe told Clarence Dennis of the team's website that he's hopeful the team's longest-tenured player will return for a 10th season.
"[R]odger, he's got a lot of great football in front of him I think, so hopefully it's here with us playing for the Rams," Blythe said. "I'd like to have him back because I look up to how he plays, how he carries himself, so hopefully all five of us are back."
That five might already be four if veteran tackle Andrew Whitworth retires, making it all the more imperative that the Rams try to hold a line responsible for a significant portion of Jared Goff's ascension together as much as possible.
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Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press
Offensive Tackle Ja'Wuan James
As ESPN's Cameron Wolfe reported, Dolphins left tackle Laremy Tunsil is both happy batterymate Ja'Wuan James is about to cash in and worried that the 26-year-old will do so somewhere besides Miami.
"He's huge for us. We are a better team with him. I love playing with him. I hope I can again next year," Tunsil said. "But he definitely has to do what's best for him moneywise, too. I'm excited for him to get this opportunity."
James held up his end of the bargain in his option year in 2018—he was arguably the Dolphins' best offensive lineman. The $64 question is whether a Miami team beginning a ground-up rebuild is willing to commit substantial cap resources to a right tackle.
In a word (well, two words) Miami should—assuming that the two sides can agree on a multi-year pact and avoid the use of a franchise tag that would be upward of $15 million for one season.
Miami has work to do, both in regard to filling holes and in creating room under the salary cap. Letting a quality lineman walk in free agency might save a few bucks, but it doesn't get the Dolphins any closer to contention.
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Paul Sancya/Associated Press
Guard Nick Easton
Nick Easton isn't the biggest name among the Minnesota Vikings' pending free agents in 2019. Or the second-biggest. That would be linebacker Anthony Barr and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, a pair of high-priced good-but-not-great defenders who could be difficult to retain for a team with the third-least cap space in the NFL—under $7 million.
Easton's health is also a question mark, having lost the entirety of the 2018 season to a herniated disk in his neck. That injury was one of the reasons Minnesota's line struggled so badly last year, as the 26-year-old had been penciled in as the starter at left guard.
However, assuming Easton's recovery is on track, the injury could have a silver lining—it's going to depress his contract somewhat.
The Vikings need every dime they can save.
What the Vikings most assuredly do not need is any more problems along an offensive line that's already a looming issue for the franchise in 2019.
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Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Defensive End Trey Flowers
The New England Patriots have players at two of the NFL's premium positions about to hit free agency in left tackle Trent Brown and defensive end Trey Flowers.
However, with Doug Kyed of NESN speculating that the Pats will let Brown test free agency, there's zero question who the team's most important pending free agent is—Flowers, who amassed 57 tackles and 7.5 sacks for the Super Bowl champions in 2018.
The Patriots have a history of letting players just like this walk. Chandler Jones was dealt to Arizona. Jamie Collins was traded to Cleveland. But Kevin Duffy of the Boston Herald believes this time is different.
"Flowers is a much more consistent, well-rounded defensive end than Jones ever was in New England," he wrote. "He plays the run effectively and rushes from the inside on third down. He single-handedly wrecked games against the Packers and Vikings, to name a few."
It's not going to be easy—it would take just about all of New England's $16.1 million in cap space, per Over the Cap, to keep the 25-year-old Flowers in Beantown.
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Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Running Back Mark Ingram
According to Fox 8 News in New Orleans, the first preference of tailback Mark Ingram is to remain in New Orleans, where he's 89 yards shy of overtaking Deuce McAllister as the team's all-time leading rusher.
That should be the Saints' preference, as well.
Yes, both Ingram's usage and production were down in 2018. With Alvin Kamara taking over a larger role in the offense, Ingram gained just 645 yards on the ground after topping 1,000 each of the last two years. It was Ingram's lowest total since 2013.
But on a per-touch basis, Ingram was still highly effective, averaging 4.7 yards a carry. It marked the fourth straight season that he's averaged over 4.5 yards a pop.
This is going to come down to cold hard cash. If there's a team out there that believes Ingram can function as its bell-cow back, it may offer a contract that will be out of the Saints' price range for a complementary ball-carrier.
But with Ingram set to turn 30 in December, it's equally possible that teams will be skittish about a big payday for the eight-year veteran—which would open the door for the Saints to keep Ingram around as the "Thunder" to offset Kamara's "Lightning."
Don't fix what isn't broken—especially with the Saints hip-deep in win-now mode.
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Safety Landon Collins
During the 2018 season, the narrative surrounding the New York Giants was all about the exploits of rookie tailback Saquon Barkley. The offseason talk will no doubt center on the team's situation at quarterback.
But where free agency is concerned, for Big Blue it's all about safety Landon Collins.
Collins missed four games in 2018 and failed to accrue 100 total tackles for the first time in his career. But over his four years in the NFL, Collins has averaged almost 110 stops a year, he's been named to the Pro Bowl three times (including 2018), and Collins was a First Team All-Pro back in 2016.
Safety isn't exactly a premium position in today's NFL, and with less than $30 million in cap space, per Over the Cap, and multiple needs on both sides of the ball, tying up over $10 million a season in Collins isn't without risk.
But there's a reason why there are umpteen articles out there about Team X making a run at Collins. He's an elite safety.
And you don't let elite talents depart if you can help it.
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Seth Wenig/Associated Press
Kicker Jason Myers
The New York Jets are positioned to be major players in free agency if they choose—only the Indianapolis Colts have more cap space entering free agency.
That war chest puts the Jets in good shape to bring back just about any free agent the team wants. But there are only a few who appear to be no-brainers. The biggest, wide receiver Robby Anderson, is a restricted free agent. Kick returner Andre Roberts will likely be brought back, but at the end of the day, he's a kick returner.
That leaves Pro Bowl kicker Jason Myers.
In a 2018 season that was short on bright spots for Gang Green, Myers was one of the biggest, hitting on a career-best 91.7 percent of his 36 field-goal attempts—including 17-of-19 from 40 yards or more.
The best part is that even elite kickers aren't going to break the bank, which frees up all that cabbage for the Jets to get better when the market opens up.
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D. Ross Cameron/Associated Press
Tight End Jared Cook
The Oakland Raiders have as many holes on the roster as any team in the NFL—maybe more. The Raiders are also well-positioned to patch some of those holes in free agency with over $71 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap.
The best first course of action for new general manager Mike Mayock is to do what he can to prevent the team from springing any more leaks.
And that means bringing back tight end Jared Cook.
For most of his career, Cook's been the definition of a journeyman. But the 31-year-old's 10th season was easily his best—Cook set career highs in catches (68), yardage (896) and touchdowns (six) on his way to the first Pro Bowl of his career.
Cook was by far the Raiders' most reliable pass-catcher in 2018. Frankly, he was the team's most dependable skill-position player, period.
An Oakland team that needs all the help it can get can't afford to lose Cook.
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Matt Rourke/Associated Press
Wide Receiver Golden Tate
The Philadelphia Eagles are in quite the pickle. No team in the league is in worse shape relative to the salary cap than Philadelphia, which presently sits a whopping $16 million and change over the projected salary cap for 2019.
If that wasn't bad enough, the Eagles have a fistful of big-name players set to hit the open market—among them defensive end Brandon Graham, tailback Jay Ajayi, linebacker Jordan Hicks, cornerback Ronald Darby and wide receiver Golden Tate.
It's Tate, who caught 30 passes in eight games after coming over in a midseason trade with the Detroit Lions, who tops the list of players who should be brought back—by process of elimination.
Graham turns 31 in April and only had four sacks last year, but that won't stop him from getting a deal in excess of $12 million a season. Ajayi and Darby are both coming off season-ending injuries. So is Hicks, who has played in just 43 of a possible 64 games over his four seasons in the league.
That leaves Tate, who came on down the stretch last year, as Philly's soundest investment given the team's limited resources.
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Winslow Townson/Associated Press
Guard Ramon Foster
As Joe Ritter reported for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Steelers guard David DeCastro feels that Ramon Foster is a key piece of the Steelers offensive line.
"He's been awesome," DeCastro said. "He's been as steady as ever. He always brings a good laugh to the party, and he gets serious when he needs to be. He does a great job of being that leader in the locker room. He's the guy you see and look up to since I've been here."
It's hard to argue with him. Foster was one of two Pittsburgh linemen who played every offensive snap in 2018. He's also one of four players on Pittsburgh's roster who was there the last time the Steelers played in the Super Bowl.
Granted, at 33, Foster's a lot closer to the end of his career than the beginning. But the former undrafted free agent is a quality starter with 131 starts under his belt and the Steelers' only full-time starter about to hit the open market.
The Steelers need to make a concerted effort to prevent that from happening with a short-term deal.
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Tony Avelar/Associated Press
Kicker Robbie Gould
Yep. Another kicker.
You might be surprised not to see defensive back Jimmie Ward listed here. After all, the 27-year-old is a versatile player who can start in multiple spots in the secondary and just made over $8 million in the option year of his rookie contract.
It won't be any kind of upset to see Ward re-up with the team—defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is a fan, and with over $60 million in cap space, San Francisco can afford him—but he's not the top priority for San Francisco this offseason.
That's veteran kicker Robbie Gould.
Since joining the team prior to the 2017 season, Gould's been about as dependable as you can ask a kicker to be. He's attempted 75 field goals over the last two seasons and missed on just three. He's also hit all six of his field-goal attempts from 50-plus yards.
Kicker might not be a glamour position in the NFL, but having one as reliable and accurate as Gould has been in San Francisco is a real edge.
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Norm Hall/Getty Images
Defensive End Frank Clark
The "Legion of Boom" is a relic of Seattle's golden days now. Most of the members of that vaunted defense have moved to other teams or retired. Earl Thomas will all but certainly be gone soon. That leaves just middle linebacker Bobby Wagner and defensive end Frank Clark, and Clark's about to hit free agency.
The Seahawks can't let the 25-year-old anywhere near the open market.
Over the last three seasons, Clark has been one of the more consistent sack artists in the NFL, posting 32 sacks over that span—including a career-high 13 a year ago.
And as Derek Lewis reported for 247Sports, Clark had that career year while reportedly playing with a torn ligament in his elbow.
"I wouldn't lie to you guys. I played the whole season at 60 percent," Clark said.
Given his age and level of production over the past three years, Clark's in line for a massive payday. Spotrac estimates that a new deal for Clark would average $12 million per season, while Pro Football Focus slots him substantially higher—$17.5 million a year.
The most likely scenario here for 2019 (as with so many players on this list) is the franchise tag and one year of "kick the can."
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Chris O'Meara/Associated Press
Linebacker Kwon Alexander
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are feeling the numbers crunch in 2019. As the Bruce Arians era begins in Tampa, the Buccaneers have 24 pending restricted and unrestricted free agents and only about $8.5 million in cap space.
It's a list that contains some big names, too. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and cornerback Brent Grimes are likely goners. Ditto for left tackle Donovan Smith, who could be set for a monster payday on the open market. Slot receiver Adam Humphries could also be in store for a huge raise after a career year.
However, it's middle linebacker Kwon Alexander who should be the team's first order of business in free agency.
Alexander's last two seasons have been cut short by injuries, including an ACL tear six games into the 2018 season. But the 24-year-old's rehab is reportedly progressing well, and in his last full season with the team in 2016, Alexander ranked fourth in the NFL in total tackles with 145 and led the league with 108 solo stops.
When healthy, Alexander's one of the better young inside linebackers in the game.
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James Kenney/Associated Press
Safety Kenny Vaccaro
Back in 2017, the Tennessee Titans signed veteran safety Johnathan Cyprien to a four-year, $25 million contract. By just about any objective measure, that signing was a mistake—a mistake the Titans can rectify this offseason by cutting Cyprien and saving almost $5 million against the cap.
That move would give the Titans in the neighborhood of $45 million in wiggle room in 2019, but it would also open up a hole at strong safety.
Of course, the Titans already have a replacement available: the player Tennessee signed last year when Cyprien got hurt.
In 13 games for the Titans last year, Kenny Vaccaro racked up 58 stops, adding two sacks, an interception and four passes defensed. The 27-year-old isn't a world-beater in coverage, but he's a stout run-defender who played reasonably well for the Titans in 2018.
Also, re-signing Vaccaro isn't going to be an especially expensive proposition, which would free up that other $40 million-plus to address the pass rush and offensive line.
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Matt Rourke/Associated Press
Outside Linebacker Preston Smith
The Washington Redskins aren't in a great position relative to the salary cap in 2019. According to Over the Cap, Washington has around $17.7 million available, although cuts and/or restructures could free up some more.
That means the team is going to have to be judicious. Even if it wanted to bring everyone back, it's just not economically feasible.
Edge-rusher Preston Smith only had four sacks last year. But the four-year veteran is just 26 years old and has two eight-sack seasons on his resume. That "down" season in 2018 might serve to drive down Smith's asking price a touch, although edge-rushers are a premium position in free agency.
According to ESPN.com's John Keim, there hasn't been much movement on the Smith front. "If they retain Preston Smith," Keim said, "they wouldn't need to seek another starting outside linebacker. But the Redskins have yet to engage in any meaningful contract discussions to bring him back. As of a week ago, there were none."
Washington would be well-advised to change that. Edge-rushers are a premium position for a reason…they aren't easy to replace.


text:
|Agnieszka Radwanska
As to be expected, the big names are dropping like flies in Montreal with Victoria Azarenka joining Maria Sharapova in pulling out from the tournament. This now gives a prime opportunity for Agnieszka Radwanska to claim the number one spot if she can win the title. If she was to do this, I really think it would be bad for the WTA tour having yet another slamless number one.
There have been some shocking results this week and none more so than Roberta Vinci's second round 6-0 6-0 thumping of Ana Ivanovic. I think it was just a bad day at the office, but it will be interesting to see how she responds in Cincinnati. I have been very impressed with the Canadians this week, particularly Eugenie Bouchard who beat Shahar Peer in the first round and showed her terrific potential in a 6-4 6-4 loss to Li Na.
Petra Kvitova is the first player into the quarter-finals following her first top 10 win this year against Marion Bartoli, 6-1 6-1. Many people forget Kvitova's Grand Slam performances this year have included 2 semi-finals and 1 quarter-final; yes she has failed to deliver the big performances, but she must be praised for improving her consistency this year. This could be a great opportunity for her to reach a final in 2012 with Azarenka now out of her section.
You can follow my predictions for WTA Montreal and ATP Toronto

subset: commoncrawl


text: Christine Ann Gojmerac Roelke, 89, of Millington, passed away at home surrounded by her family Monday, Oct. 17, 2016. Mrs. Roelke was born July 18, 1927 in Rib Lake, WI to George, Sr, and Mary Gojmerac. She graduated from Rib Lake High School and then the Business Institute of Milwaukee. She married Leon Roelke on June 18, 1955. She retired at age 70 after holding jobs at PepsiCola Co., Civil Service on NAS Millington, and Southland Park Race Track. She had many hobbies including: rollerskating, where she won multiple competitions at the state, regional, and national levels; cake decorating, where she was well known for her wedding cakes and won many competitions at fairs throughout the region and in Millington; swimming; traveling, and bowling. She was also a very involved parishioner at St. Williams' especially with the Women's Auxiliary cooking and baking for church functions Mrs. Roelke is preceded in death by her husband, Leon; son, Terry Roelke; four brothers; and two sisters. She is survived by her children: Susan of Bolivar, Rick of Millington, Judy of Hawaii, Diane(Keith) of Texas, Sharon(Mike) of Lakeland, Mary(Tom) of Millington, and Thomas(Christy) of Virginia; grandchildren: Mari, Kali, Erika, Corey, Kelsie, Alexis, Talan, Desire', and Minjung Kim; great grandchild, Rhythm; and brother, Walter(Eleanor). Visitation will be Thursday, October 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Northridge Woodhaven Funeral Home with a funeral mass Friday Morning at 11 at St. William's Catholic Church in Millington. There will be a reception immediately following the mass for family and friends. Burial will be Wednesday, October 26 at West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be made to a Catholic Charity or your choice. The family of Christine Roelke would like thank to everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.


text:
What do you need to know about Contract Fundamentals?
Corporate Training for Contract Fundamentals
So many people regularly sign contracts without knowing much about the details of what they're signing. Yes, contracts are necessary and critical to the success of our products and our businesses; sales contracts, Joint Development Agreements (JDAs), Services Agreements, and so many others. Yet, too many business and technical professionals think of them as just legal documents, and not business documents that will define our business relationships down to the finest detail for months and years to come with clients, vendors, re-sellers, joint developers, contractors, employees, universities, and every business relationship in between. We fail to understand and own each provision of the contracts we sign. Why? Because, ultimately, even some of the smartest business and technical leaders don't understand the fundamentals of contracts. They need to. We all need to. Success depends upon it.
Fortunately, we have the perfect training program on the subject of Contract Fundamentals for you. It's fast, engaging, and compelling. Just what you and your team need to know, nothing more. Contact us today to get a demo copy of our content library or explore more about Executive IP's approach to Contract Fundamentals training.


text:
Maisto 1:24 Assembly Line Audi R8 M39510
Product Information
Model kit to build a highly detailed reproduction of the Audi R8 in 1:24 scale size. This Die-cast replica of the German supercar is packed with an astonishing level of detail both inside and out. The cars exterior features every curve, vent and sleek line youd expect to find on the production car. Open the door and youll be treated to a view of the feature packed interior thats just as detailed as the cars beautiful body.
Key Features
- Assembly Die-cast kit Audi R8 V10
- 1:24 scale kit
- Electrostatic paint finish
- Opening doors, bonnet and boot
- Highly detailed interior


text:
1 of 12
Paper Bag Animal Puppets
These handmade toys and games are meant for little hands to enjoy -- but children can lend a hand with the construction, too.
Kids don't need to pull any strings to find puppets eager to put on a show. In fact, they can make the chatty creatures themselves with paper.
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Matchbox Guitar
All your young rockstar needs to jam on this guitar is a small matchbox, cardboard, and rubber bands.
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Cardboard Tube Space Ship
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to build one of these spacecrafts. All you'll need is cardboard, glue, tape, and a big dose of aeronautic creativity.
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Matching Memory Game
Keep kids entertained for hours with this colorful memory game -- complete with a custom holding case.
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Papier-Mache Pull Toys
Engage toddlers and young children for hours with these painted, papier-mache pull toy animals.
Swipe here for next slide
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Piggy Bottle Bank
This little piggy (bank) started off at the market as a bleach bottle, but now it serves as a container for kids' pocket change.
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Shoe Box Banjo
Help your budding musician create a banjo using a shoe box, mailing tube, pencils, and rubber bands.
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Shadow Puppets
Captivate little ones with these easy-to-make polar bear and muskox shadow puppets.
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Canvas Checkerboard
Kids who make their own portable checkerboard will have a game to play almost anywhere.
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Bottle Cap Tambourine
Flattened metal bottle caps become music makers when affixed to paper plates.
Swipe here for next slide
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Hopscotch Mat
Clear some floor space and roll out an indoor hopscotch mat made of canvas.
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Play Tables
Let kids help design and paint playscapes -- city, country, and home -- for their homemade play table.


text:
Behind The Scenes With Cardinals Pitcher Trevor Rosenthal
Rain sprinkled outside as we set up our July cover shoot in Ballpark Village's Budweiser Brew House with photographer Attilio D'Agostino and Fashion Editor, Sarah Stallmann. When our cover star arrived in jeans and casually strolled into the Brew House, an onlooker may have mistaken him for an everyday St. Louisan and not a pitching powerhouse on the verge of baseball stardom.
Read on for a behind the scenes look at our cover star, young Cardinals pitcher Trevor Rosenthal. Cardinals Nation TV was also on the scene to capture the video below, of our pre-shoot prep process.
Styling a baseball player has its unique challenges, "The key to wardrobe in the shoot with Trevor was the color palette. I had to be aware of the background that we were shooting against in the Budweiser Lounge, as well as pick a collection that would complement Trevor's blond hair and athletic build. The most important aspect for me was to help him stand out as a fashionable male and allow people to really see the personality beyond the Cardinals uniform," recalls Stallmann.
Rosenthal chatted with writer Amy De La Hunt, while D'Agostino perfected the lighting for his first shots.
The teamed moved quickly around the Budweiser Lounge, setting up equipment and preparing the space. Rosenthal was quick with a smile and tossed a ball around between shots, while De La Hunt quizzed him about life as a closer.
Shortly after the above shot was taken, the room was filled with the loud siren of a fire alarm. We were all ushered into the street with a crowd of Cardinal fans, but Rosenthal remained unruffled. Perhaps saving games in front of 40,000 fans on any given evening prepares one for surprises. He made jokes and chatted with Executive Editor Jennifer Dulin Wiley about his new daughter, Chloe, while we waited for the all clear.
While shooting, Stallmann and Wiley looked on as D'Agostino made adjustments for his final shot that would soon be on the cover of ALIVE. Even after hours of shooting, the handsome Rosenthal was happy, humble and thoughtful. As we wrapped up, he thanked the crew and hurried next door to Busch Stadium to get in some batting practice and go to work!
Don't miss the cover story with Rosenthal in our July issue of ALIVE. Subscribe to ALIVE Insider and have behind the scenes, celebrity coverage delivered right to your inbox.
All photos by Rachel Brandt


text:
23 Sep 2016
"I thought of a look that was strong and structured, elegant and futuristic, that would truly highlight the joyful Missoni Spring/Summer 2017 Collection" says Paul Hanlon, Moroccanoil's leading hairstylist.
To create extra shine on the girls hair he used a touch of Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine, £9.65, and for a smooth sleek finish and superior hold he sprayed the style with Luminous Hairspray Extra Hold, £17.25.
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text:
As most of you will have already heard and seen, there has been a surfing tragedy on our coastline down in Cornwall.
It goes without saying this is very sad news indeed, and a harsh reminder how this crazy pastime that we all love with a passion, can take us at a moments notice.
If you are down for the half term week, please remember to take care and respect the sea at all times.
This link is worth a once over if your not sure about rips and the such-like…


text:
May 17, 2003
I was looking forward to the lunar eclipse that happened last night, but clouds rolled in during the day here in North Carolina and there was nothing for me to see at night. So, I had to think back to the two most memorable lunar sights I've witnessed: as a kid in Idaho, I joined my family one night to watch as a full moon turned blood red (a sign of end times, thought some, but luckily no); 10 years later, I said goodbye to Erin at Chicago's Midway airport as she returned to college and I prepared to move to Hawaii, and as I walked out to the car on this stormy night, the clouds parted to give me a clear glimpse of a large, yellowish full moon, which I naturally took to be a good sign that I'd see Erin again.
Nick called tonight, in the truck with the rest of the Payson Hotshots as they drove to a fire in southern Arizona. Nick got the word that his team of wild-fire fighters was being mobilized just 10 minutes before Dad, Dot and Grandma Zuiker pulled into Payson to pay him a visit and buy him dinner. Sounds as if the visit was cut short and dinner didn't happen. I've asked both Dad and Nick to post an audioblog (see the example below) so we can hear there reports directly.
One of the books I've added to my summer reading list is Conrad's Heart of Darkness. I stopped into one of Carrboro's used book stores and found a copy for 54 cents.
Anton Zuiker ☄
© 2000 Zuiker Chronicles Publishing, LLC


text:
Ribosomes perform their role in transla- tion in the cytoplasm, but ribosome assem- bly occurs predominantly in a specialized
nuclear compartment, the nucleolus (1–4). The
construction of ribosomes follows an ordered
assembly of ~80 ribosomal proteins (r-proteins)
and four ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) into a small
(40S) and large (60S) ribosomal subunit. This
process is spatially and temporally coordinated,
starting with cotranscriptional assembly of a first
preribosomal particle (90S) in the nucleolus that
is subsequently separated into pre-40S and pre-
60S ribosomes, which follow independent processing and maturation steps before export into
the cytoplasm (5–8). R-proteins are synthesized
in the cytoplasm and are imported into the nucleus by nuclear import receptors of the importin-b/karyopherin family (9, 10). These transport
receptors recognize different types of nuclear localization sequences (NLSs), and hence a number of import receptors have been implicated in
decoding NLSs of r-proteins in a redundant way
(9, 11). After nuclear import and before incorporation into nascent ribosomes, r-proteins are
released from the transport receptor by its interaction with RanGTP (12). At present, it is
thought that each r-protein is individually transported into the nucleus by its import receptor.
However, a number of r-proteins form functional
clusters on the ribosomal surface or assemble
1Biochemie-Zentrum der Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer
Feld 328, Heidelberg D-69120, Germany. 2Unit of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin
du Musée 10, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland. 3Biomolecular
Networks Laboratories, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka
565-0871, Japan.
*These authors contributed equally to this work.
†To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
firstname.lastname@example.com (D.K.); email@example.com.
de (I.S.); email@example.com (E.H.)
at distinct temporal or spatial entry points during ribosome formation (13–15), thus raising
the possibility of coordinated nuclear import and
assembly of r-proteins.
One such pair of functionally related r-proteins
is Rpl5 and Rpl11, which are close to each other
on the mature 60S subunit and bind to opposite
sites on the 5S rRNA (Fig. 1A) (13). 5S rRNA
transport has been extensively studied in the
Xenopus oocyte system. However, this is a special case because 5S rRNA is exported into the
cytoplasm for storage, either with ribosomal protein L5 [5S ribonucleoprotein (RNP)] or transcription factor IIIA (7S RNP) (16, 17). In contrast,
5S rRNA export may not occur in somatic cells,
and only a few studies have addressed 5S RNP
biogenesis in this case. One of these investigations reported that yeast Rpl5 and Rpl11 form a
ribonucleoprotein particle with the 5S rRNA
that could be incorporated with the aid of two
biogenesis factors, Rpf2 and Rrs1, into pre-60S
ribosomes (18). However, it is not known how
Rpl5 and Rpl11 enter the nucleus and whether
this is coordinated with their assembly onto the
5S rRNA. We performed tandem affinity purification (TAP) of TAP-tagged Saccharomyces
cerevisiae Rpl5 and observed coenrichment of
Rpl11 and the uncharacterized yeast protein
Ydl063c (Fig. 1B, lane 1). Ydl063c, which we
named Syo1 (for synchronized import or briefly symportin), is present in all eukaryotes, including the eukaryotic thermophile Chaetomium
thermophilum and Homo sapiens. Reciprocal tagging of Syo1 with Flag–tobacco etch virus–protein
A and subsequent affinity purification revealed
copurification of Rpl5 and Rpl11, but not other
r-proteins (Fig. 1B, lane 2).


text:
SpeedRunners has been around for ages, but this month it was released free with Xbox Games with Gold. What a decision, what a game. Even if this wasn't free, I'd be recommend picking it up. SpeedRunners is a 4 player runner (unsurprisingly…) in which you try and leave your competitors lagging behind until they are eliminated by the screen border. When it's down to the last 2 players, the screen itself begins to shrink until one runner is victorious. There are also ability pickups to turn the tide of the race as well as environmental hazards looking to trip you up. The campaign mode allows you to unlock some additional characters and gives you a good feel of the maps, along with a fair few achievements. Below is a video of some 3-4 player games, even with BASE playing from the West Coast of the USA, the netcode holds up pretty well. SpeedRunners is free until the end of June, go and download it!
Cheeseball trolling ho!


text:
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text:
A Bad Taste of Cuba
by Shervin Saedinia
The day the staff arrived in Cuba, we decided to eat at our hotel's villa restaurant. Since my only association with Cuban food was Versailles, a wonderful Cuban restaurant in Los Angeles, I was expecting mind-blowing food. Since I wasn't very hungry, I decided to share a pulled pork dish and some rice and beans with Tony Chavira, Gilda Haas and Gary Phillips. As a starter, the waitress brought us chicharrón (fried pork skin) and plantain chips. Though I didn't fancy the chicharrón (since all I could taste was oil), the plantain chips were very good, much like the packaged ones I buy from Trader Joe's. The main dish of pulled pork finally came out and I was very disappointed: it was overcooked and there wasn't very much flavor. Even the beans didn't taste like anything and completely lacked seasoning. Could it be that the chef had just prepared our dish too quickly and forgot to add a couple spices? As I looked around the restaurant, the rest of my colleagues seemed relatively content, yet I didn't hear anyone boast about their meal.
The more meals I ate at various restaurants, the more it began to dawn on me: food in Cuba is not very good (and I'm being nice). Not a place I recommend, folks, especially if you are a lover of yummy food. Whatever we tried, whether it was something as ordinary as bread, or any kind of prepared meat dish, something was always missing from (or wrong with) each meal. The food was overcooked, too salty, underseasoned, dry, oily, or the wrong combination of ingredients.
I knew when we arrived that Cuban exports mostly consist of sugar, tobacco, seafood, and rum, and that most of Cuban imports are canned vegetables, ice cream, rice, beans, and powdered milk. I found it sad that Cubans rely on rice and beans as the staple foods of their culture and still have to import them. You never would have thought, right? You also wouldn't think that these products would play such a major role in their diet after all these years, if they had to import such a large quantity of them, but they may be so ingrained in the culture (and so easy to ship compared to more perishable foods) that the people don't even think twice about changing their eating patterns. At least beans and rice were consistent everywhere (although they were consistently bland). This was also the first time I had ever tried powdered milk and, let me tell you, it triggered my gag reflex.
they screwed up rabbit too
What's worse is that even if you tried to eat something Cuba exported (such as the seafood), it would somehow taste worse in Cuba than the place it was being exported to. I tried eating shrimp at a jazz club one night. Tony and I ordered the same plate: three different variations of shrimp ... fried shrimp, a shrimp scampi, and shrimp marinated in a mayonnaise-mustard concoction. The fried shrimp tasted like old oil you knew was probably used 10 times more than it should have been, but when food is rationed you may use oil until it turns dark brown. The shrimp scampi tasted like a stick of butter, and you can't really go wrong when something tastes exactly like butter. The problem is that I could have been eating a dog and I wouldn't have known the difference. The taste of butter was so overwhelming that it made me want to chug a couple liters of water right after (which I did). Last but not least, we came to that lovely dish of creamy shrimp. Tony was smart and steered clear of this fare. I felt bad and didn't want to offend the waiter (who highly recommended the dish), so I slowly ate it. Every bite seemed to make me heat up, and instead of looking forward to the next bite, I began to dread it. Why I kept eating it, don't ask ... honestly, I don't even remember. Needless to say, I was sick the next two days. Folks, this is one of Cuba's top three exports. I'm just saying.
As for their imports, there is a reason that Nestle Ice Cream has a stranglehold on their snacking market. My first Cuban run-in with ice cream was at that infamous jazz club, when Tony kept trying to push the pineapple ice cream on me. I had one bite and looked at him with eyes that asked, "Do you have any taste? Are you so drunk that you lost all your senses?" Clearly he was. It was awful. Now, if you know me, you would also know that I am a lover of all ice creams, expensive or cheap: gelatos, yogurts, sorbets, sherbets, soy products, popsicles ... you name it, I love it. If it's cold and sweet, it's just my thing. I'd never met an ice cream I didn't like.
the authorities care about your dining experience
Until the day finally came: Tony and I were walking down Calle Obispo and saw a soft serve stand which seemed very popular with the locals. We decided to give it a shot because it looked pretty darn good. One lick and I knew I was done with it. Looking for an opportunity to throw it away, I turned to see Tony eating it somehow. That man has a stomach of steel, I tell you! I was so disappointed that I felt devastated. How can you screw one of the most delicious things on the face of the earth? Well, clearly they found a way.
As we kept walking, Tony suggested that I eat a Nestle ice cream bar, but I was so disappointed that I actually thought twice about it (something that would never happen anywhere else in the world). I didn't have high expectations as I opened the wrapper, but I have to tell you ... that ice cream bar was the best thing I ate on the whole trip. Meanwhile, Tony had somehow managed to finish his "ice cream." I offered him a bite of my Nestle bar. The minute his mouth touched that delicious frozen slice of heaven, his eyes shot open as though he suddenly remembered what real ice cream tasted like. Lucky for me, I had never forgotten.
There was an ongoing theme as we ate at each restaurant: we could not expect the thing we wanted on the menu to be available, even if it seemed like a popular dish. There were several instances where we became excited about eating something possibly delicious, only for the waiter to inform us that it didn't exist anymore. There was one night in particular (the night I finally recovered from being food poisoned) where Tony and I both wanted to eat chicken. Of course, the restaurant only had one of these dishes. I asked the waitress if it would be possible to split the chicken dish, but she regretted to inform us that it was just too small. Well, that was anything but the truth. I was shocked when my meal came out and I had a ten pound beast of a bird, stuffed with rice, in front of me. Only after I had taken a picture of it for comedy's sake (I wanted to tell the tale of the ginormous Cuban chicken) did I realize how it was prepared. Apparently, it had been boiled at a ridiculous temperature, then buttered and torched to make it seem like it had color and flavor. It definitely had color (in uneven amounts; the camera exposed the different pigmentations), but no flavor whatsoever.
the ginormous chicken
At this point, you might be thinking, "This chick, what is she doing eating this thing after having been food poisoned?" and I would answer "What choice did I have? I was starving, cut me some slack! So what if the bread that looked like it was toasted was actually stale? And so what if our asparagus salad was only made of canned asparagus cut into the shape of elongated embryos? I was hungry!"
In the end, I came to a simple conclusion: just don't eat the food in Cuba. Instead, you should drink mojitos and smoke Cohibas until you are sick of both these things. Then move on to daiquiris and Monte Cristos. When you get sick of that, move on to Cuba Libres and Partagas. And then after that, leave the country, go to Versailles and get yourself some real Cuban food, the way Cuban food should really taste.
Shervin turning down ice cream? Really? Wow, it must have been bad. It's okay Sherv, let's go grab some "good" ice cream, on me…any kind you like!2010-04-20 by Shahla
The ice cream story makes me think of you and Tony in a gray-toned world until Tony bites into the Nestle bar, causing the world to suddenly turn to color.2010-04-20 by Wayne
LOL. I've never seen such a nasty looking piece of chicken in my life! I would've stuck w/ the nestle bars the whole time2010-04-20 by Maryam
Saedinia's report reminded me of the worst Chinese food I ever had. It was in an ordinary-looking restaurant in Worcester, Massachusetts. I should have been suspicious when I saw that I was the only customer and the food server was Caucasian. She brought me a plate of gray guck that obviously came from a can.
This story would have been more interesting if Saedinia had exercised more than her taste buds. Why not come up with a theory of how a place with traditionally delicious cuisine (as devoured at the Versailles restaurant in Culver City) has degenerated to the one she experienced? Government mismanagement? A CIA plot? All the qualified cooks choosing to flee the country? Come on, think of something.
Typical American tourist,complaining about everything,no wonder "Y'all" are so loved around the world.2010-04-21 by Juanito
Actually, it sucks to say but the food WAS pretty bad. A lot of it has to do with the fact that Cuba exports so much of its produce for cash elsewhere and imports its dry produce from elsewhere, but it also has to do with the fact that there's too much of a time delay between when food is brought from the farm to your plate in the cities, and that simply has to do with the structure of their government-run food distribution.
But thanks for the generalization, Juanito.2010-04-21 by Tony Chavira
I would have to agree with the author. Having been there a few times my self, I found it was better to be hungry and not eat something suspect. I had a constant uneasy stomach for most of the trip. There were a few "restaurants" that are run out of houses that had some locally caught fish (I presume) that hadn't gone bad yet. I didn't taste bad, but it was still lacking.2010-04-21 by Randy
Cuban restaurant fare seems to have gone downhill since my 8-day People To People tour in December 2000, when I found the hotel and restaurant food to be good. Especially I was surprised at the quality of cheese. I kept turning over the bricks to see whether they really came from France. Later learned of Cuba's long history of excellent dairy products. Most delicious of all was the guava at breakfast. That said, I do realize that the state and collective farm approach to agriculture is the usual abject communist failure in terms of production, resulting in 70% of the island's being imported during 2009.2010-04-22 by Steve Marquardt
You should have eaten in folks homes or at the Paladares (are they still around)? The only place we had good food was in the CASA PARTICULARES we stayed in….2010-04-22 by Judy
I have been to Cuba numerous times in the last 15 years. I always stay a "casas particulares", renting rooms in peoples homes for $20 a day. The families you stay with also will provide meals and in most cases the meals are excellent, much better than most restaurants. I have found the best places to eat are along the coast away from Havana, where you can get excellent seafood. I found the article very elitist and hinting at "ugly Americanism".2010-04-25 by Robert Annable
we just returned from Cuba last week (August 2010) and i have to agree with Shervin in all regards. It is an emotional experience to go to Cuba on many levels. I was moved by the music there, whether it was great jazz or just the small groups in cafes and bars. I was moved by the poverty of housing while some government offices were renovated and beautifully kept.People were outgoing, warm and generous, except for our particular hostess, who was an exception.
We paid $30.00 per night for two to stay within a family house and $5.00 each for breakfast. Omelet and fruit every morning was fine.
As newbies to Cuba we started out eating out at the Hotel Nacional which was expensive for food that was very basic (chicken beans and rice) and ordinary. Over $45.00 with drinks and tips. i couldnt eat it all. It began to turn my stomach.
We stated to realise that 5 days was going to cost much more cash than we had so we began to explore al types of food providers. Many of the government restaurants would look inviting from afar but on closer inspection, upholstery would be filthy dirty. We found one fairy decent paldares in 19th st which we only discovered while walking into town.
We had many talks with Cubans and Cuban expats who all said the same thing: there's no accountability. People are very concerned that Cuba has plateaued in terms of technology, that people are not benefitting, that so many do rely on tips from tourists to supplement their basic income. So many restrictions.
For a country that has a perfect climate to grow and to provide an array of fresh healthy vegetables and fruit all year round we were generally amazed to find a lack of knowledge of a healthy food diet, no homegrown vegetables in back yards and limited supply in restaurants. The reliance is not meat, rice and beans. And the icecream which is almost like a national treasure is really a mark of the "good life" which Cubans are expected to tolerate.
I find the fact the author is recommending people not visit Cuba because of her own limited experience of the food - honestly, because of the food alone? - offensive. I lived in Cuba for most of a year and yes, a lot of the time I was disappointed with the food but eating in people's homes, I had some of the most unexpectedly wholesome and delicious meals. If you go to Cuba, expand your horizons, try to exist in that space, eat as the Cubans eat and not pass every meal in restaurants which the average Cuban wouldn't frequent, comparing everything to an essentially American restaurant where you ate "real Cuban food, the way Cuban food should really taste". The tone of this article was indeed curiously ugly…2011-07-26 by Lannie


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Microtis parviflora R.Br. 1810 Photo courtesy of Cathy Powers and her AUSTRALIAN TERRESTRIAL ORCHIDS OTHER FLORA & FAUNA BANJORAH Website
Flower Closeup
Plant and Flowers in situ, Victoria Australia Photo courtesy of Colin Rowan and his Orchid Website
to EARLY
Common Name The Small Flowered Microtis - The Slender Onion Orchid
Flower Size 1/8" [3 mm]
Found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and New Zealand in coastal to lowland open grassland, clay banks, Kauri Forest and roadsides in dry to moist soils at elevations of 50 to 1300 meters as a medium sized, deciduous, cool to cold growing terrestrial with a single tubular leaf and blooms in the spring and early summer on an erect, 20" [50 cm] tall, many [10 to 80] flowered raceme.
This species is often found in conjunction with ants and may benefit from their presence.
This species is often refered to being a synonym of M unifolia but I have left them separate for now.
Synonyms Microtis benthamiana Rchb.f. 1871; Microtis bipulvinaris Nicholls 1949; Microtis holmesii Nicholls 1949; Microtis javanica Rchb.f. 1857
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1857 M javanica; Die Orchideen #1 1-4 tafel 1&2 Rudolph Schlechter 1971 drawing column only; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 6 321 - 384 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1975 drawing ok; Orchid Australia Vol 11 No 2 1999 photo; Genera Orchidacearum Vol 2 Part One Pridgeon, Cribb, Chase and Rasmussen 2001 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 8 2004; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006 photo ok; The Native Orchids of New Zealand, A Colour Field Guide Scanlen & St George 2010 photo fide;


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Today we had an ice day so we stayed home and did a lot of crafts! I saw this cute Santa ornament on Pinterest so I recreated it with the help of my girls.
You will need
1/2 cup – salt
1/2 cup – flour
1/4 cup – water
Mix all together and make a ball of dough (you may need a little more water). If it gets too wet use some flour.
After you make your ornament, make sure you put a hole in the ornament so you can use some ribbon to hang your ornament. Next, put it in the oven (170-200 degrees) for 3 hours.
My ball of dough.
My helpers.
Making a handprint.
We did two handprint ornaments and one family thumbprint ornament.
After the ornaments cool, it is time to paint. I used craft paint to paint my design.
After the paint dried, I used a clear coat varnish to seal the ornaments.
Categories: Uncategorized


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Style# 1284139
Style# 1284139
Size Guide
Product Actions
Additional Information
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Built to last and to be worn year-round, this soft, yet durable cotton canvas pant with workwear features and stretch may motivate you to work—or relax.
- 98% cotton with 2% stretch spandex for mobility
- Workwear detailing and a clean design
- Cotton herringbone tape inside waistband for comfort and good looks
- Zip fly with metal button closure
- Crotch gusset for easy movement
- Double-layer back leg hem for durability
- Two front hand pockets with rivet reinforcements; coin pocket
- Two back pockets; back welt pocket
- Inseam: R: 32 in.
- Slim fit has a more modern cut and simple design
- Leg opening: 15 1/4 in.
- Imported
Print this tab
Miscellaneous Attributes
- Country of Origin: Imported
- Best For: Casual, Hiking, Traveling
- Clothing Type: Pants
- Fabric: Blend
- Features: Breathable
- Fit: Slim
- Inseam: Regular
- Material: Blend
- Clothing Type: Pants
Tech Specs
- Gender: Men's


text: If I could spend my day doing what I love, it would consist of running, yoga, climbing, backpacking and cooking amazing healthy meals. Cooking vegan has introduced me to a new world of tastes, flavors and how to be extremely creative in the kitchen. Over the past several months, I've discovered amazing recipes that are filled with nutrients and I'd love to share them with other people who also care about what they put into their body. Stay tuned for some great recipes!


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PPC Adwords- London - £50k
- Recruiter
- Location
- London (Greater)
- Salary
- £50k
- Posted
- 01 May 2018
- Closing date
- 01 Jun 2018
- Industry
- Media, Advertising, Digital media
- Job function
- Marketing & PR
- Job level
- Management
- Hours
- Full time
- Contract
- Permanent
- Listing type
- Job vacancy
Title of the job - Performance/Digital Marketing Manager (Display, PPC, PPL, and paid social)
Department / Unit: Marketing
Reporting: Head of Demand Generation
Mission of the job:
We are our client.
Ever dialed in to a web conference? Answered a call from a ride-sharing app? Connected with your relatives abroad through Skype? Then there's a good chance you've seen (or heard) Our client's services in action without even realizing it.
Our client's marketing team is looking for a talented performance marketer focused on using data to develop strategy, drive campaign planning and execution to achieve performance goals at scale.
You're passionate about all things growth. You have quantitative and technical data analysis skills, and think strategically about learning and measurement frameworks, digital marketing channels and customer acquisition. On the one hand - you're a thoughtful thinker who likes to analyze results and deliver actionable business intelligence and insights. On the other – you are a creative problem solver.
- Location : London
- Geographical coverage: Global
- Subordinates directly supervised: NA
Principal Responsibilities
Key responsibilities
- Own and hands-on run inbound lead generation through digital channels
- Develop and run large-scale paid SEM, and display campaigns, on Google, Linkedin in addition to retargeting campaigns and PPL ABM campaigns.
- Hourly, and daily Analyze campaign results to identify issues and improve campaign performance
- Expand and optimize key words and Geo strategy for SEM
- Initiate and optimize digital marketing display campaigns working with copywriter and designer to execute campaigns in a timely manner.
- Leverage data to understand the conversion and engagement funnel, and drive campaign design to continuously optimize key performance metricsacross all digital growth initiatives
- Establish deep understanding of customer segments that's informed by data and used to connect the right message to the right customer at the right time
- Develop hypotheses and analyze findings to recommend solutions that optimize growth channels, funnel conversion, and lower overall acquisition costs while driving scale
- Own campaigns tracking and optimization: Build and improve performance dashboards and reports, on Zoho reports (Salesforce alternative) visualization.
- Test and optimize Landing pages.
- Conduct on going discussion with sales team to identify the target audience profile and optimize keyword pool
- Identify ABM marketing and PPL partners and optimize ABM / PPL campaigns.
- Respond quickly to changing online marketing trends to capitalize on new opportunities
- Initiate new and creative ideas on how to continue scaling and reach new audiences
- Experience of managing multiple PPC campaigns simultaneously
- Excellent knowledge of the complete digital marketing mix
- Maintenance and monitoring of keyword bids, account daily and monthly budget caps, impression share, quality score and other important account metrics
- Keep pace with search engine and PPC industry trends and developments.
- Become a pillar of the demand generation team, proactively initiate digital marketing activities and work closely with team to execute effectively to meet company goals.
- At least 2 years of experience in performance marketing, including hands on PPC, display and PPL / ABM marketing experience
- Demonstrable impact on business growth via paid advertising channels
- Excellent analytical, organisational, project management and time management skills
- Creative, Adaptable, growth hacker at heart – constantly looking for new ways to generate more demand via paid advertising and search channels
- Tech geek – loves technology, enjoys experimenting with new platforms and solutions to maximize paid advertising efficiencies
- High levels of integrity, autonomy, and self-motivation
- Passion for digital marketing
- Excellent knowledge of online marketing and a good understanding of key PPC, PPL, paid social, and display challenges
- Advanced Excel skills with strong focus on correlating data sets and commercial forecasting
- Razor-sharp attention to detail
- Ability to meet deadlines and multitask in a fast-paced, ever changing, dynamic working environment
- A proven track record of identifying business opportunities and problem solving
- Proactive, Outside the box thinker, can successful handle ambiguous tasks
- Make-things-happen attitude


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That's a lot of knickknacks and doodads.
Earlier this month, Etsy reported that it had $1 billion in gross material sales in its latest quarter, ended Dec. 31.
That is the first time that the online craft marketplace has passed that milestone.
Jewelry has traditionally been the site's largest category: At press time, 9.7 million jewelry items were listed on the site.
Overall sales for the fourth quarter were $1.02 billion, a 17.8 percent jump from the $865 million logged in the fourth quarter of 2016. Sales for the full year 2017 came in at $3.2 billion, a 14.5 percent jump from the $2.8 billion recorded the year before.
The company also said it had 1.9 million active sellers last year, as well as 33 million active buyers.
"In a sea of sameness, Etsy stands for something special, and the world needs that now more than ever," CEO Josh Silverman told analysts in a conference call following the release of its financial results, according to a SeekingAlpha transcript.
On the same call, chief financial officer Rachel Glaser said the company had just had "one of the best-ever holiday seasons for our sellers."
Part of the reason, Silverman admitted, was the site shifted its strategy somewhat and became more promotion-oriented last holiday.
"Most e-commerce sites in the holiday season are running cyber sales, and in the past we have not," he told analysts. "So this year, we ran a cyber sale and that puts us on equal footing with all of the other e-commerce players.… People coming to Etsy expecting to find deals do, in fact, find deals."
Etsy also used artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance the site's search functions, he said.
Silverman, the former CEO of Skype took over the Brooklyn, New York-based company in May 2017. The company first went public in 2015.
Etsy's success has led e-commerce giant Amazon to start a competing site, Amazon Handmade.
(Etsy logo courtesy of Wikipedia)


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The same central vacuum wall inlet plates are used in most homes by most vacuum brands, with a few exceptions (Vacuflo series 4940, some Kenmore, and some Vacumaid and Filtex). All inlets have low voltage, but not all have 110 volts. To determine if your inlets have high voltage, look at your inlets and check to see if there are two small holes 3/8" apart, either above or below the main hole.
Parts for central vacuum inlets are not available, but replacing the entire wall plate is not difficult. Watch the video for do-it-yourself instructions.
Your beautiful home and pleasant vacuum experience depend on vacuum wall functional plates. Don't let a broken dirty vacuum inlet ruin the day. Check out the variety of colors and styles that are all interchangeable and ready to be on your wall today!
Replace your vacuum wall oulet with a more durable style such as ones that open fully up, down, or to the side. These are available in Basic or Electric versions.Variety of colors and styles. Click here if you have the electric two pin contact inlets.
WallyFlex is a helpful addition to any central vacuum system. With a hose that stretches 14 feet, there will be no need to use your long central vacuum hose for quick clean-ups in certain areas such as the kitchen, garage, bathroom, and laundry room. WallyFlex is easy to install as it fits into a standard inlet backing plate.
WallyFlex Stretch Hose Inlet
Often referred to as a toe-kick sweep and found in kitchens, bathrooms, and mudrooms, VacPan is down right convenient. Simply sweep and engage the suction with a kick. Takes a bit more effort to install but is a favorite central vac feature.
VacPan & VacuSweep


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August 20, 2008 Bali, Indonesia
RESOLUTION ON THE SETHUSAMUDRAM SHIP CANAL PROJECT, GULF OF MANNAR & PALK BAY, India and Sri Lanka
http://www.sangam.org/articles/view2/print.php?uid=677 Geopolitical perspective and security in the Indian Ocean: Sethusamuderam Project: Reasons for the Construction of the Canal and its Economic & Environmental Impact on Sri Lanka by Donald Jayantha Gnanakone
Adopted by the Fifth Meeting of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (Bali, 20-23 August 2008)
Recognizing that the waters of the Gulf of Mannar, including Palk Strait, Palk Bay, and Adam's Bridge, provide critical habitats such as extensive seagrass beds and coral reefs which support regionally important concentrations of endangered and threatened migratory marine wildlife, including four species of marine turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea, Caretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata, Chelonia mydas, Marine Mammals such as Dugong (Dugong dugong), Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus), Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus), Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus), Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis), Bryde's Whale (Balaenoptera edeni), Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macro), Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (Sousa chinensis), Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris),Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis), Bottle-nosed Dolphin (Tursiops truncates), False Killer Whale Pseudorca crassidens,- Whale Shark, (Rhincodon typus) and birds – Spot billed pelican, Oriental darter, Lesser flamingo, White ibis and Painted stork.
(Bird List from Dr. Balachander of the Bombay Natural History Society who is based in the region- these are near threatened IUCN status)
Ceteaceans in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar (From "A Catalogue of Indian Marine Mammal Records" by Kumaran Sathasivam 2004)
Acknowledging that this project area has unique historic, cultural and economic importance to the people from India and Sri Lanka, in addition to providing essential living marine resources for more than 500,000 fishersfolk in India and Sri Lanka;
Concerned that the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP), will involve dredging and maintaining a 89 km long channel, which will be 300 meters wide and 12 meters deep in 3 segments across the Gulf of Mannar to allow passage of ships up to 30,000 DWT which will unquestionably cause changes to the sediment flow, oceanographic parameters, nutrient cycles and irreversible damage to critical marine habitats, endangered and migratory species, within the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. The globally significant and endemic species of this biodiverse region stands threatened.
Conscious that the proposed project will be within 6km of India's first and largest Biosphere Reserve, which is internationally recognized within the framework of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
Recalling that Biosphere Reserves are nominated by national governments under the UNESCO's MAB Programme to "reduce biodiversity loss; improve livelihoods and enhance social, economic and cultural conditions for environmental sustainability".
Aware that various documents fundamental for the justification of the SSCP, such as the EIA report, Detailed Project Report, Technical Feasibility and the Economic Analysis report, have been criticised by several experts in environmental science, earth sciences, oceanography, geology, naval hydrography, marine biology, environmental policy, law, economics, and maritime navigation who have concluded that the environmental and social impacts on the biodiversity of the region, including endangered or threatened migratory species and their habitats as well as the financial viability of the project have not been adequately assessed or predicted.
Further acknowledging that analyses of the project by economic, shipping and marine navigation experts conclude that previous cost-benefit analyses and financial feasibility studies have not adequately or accurately forecast the costs to potential SSCP users, thereby questioning the project's economic viability;
Concerned that this project will have severe, deleterious impacts on the above mentioned endangered and threatened migratory species and their habitats, local marine and coastal biodiversity, fisheries and marine related livelihoods of communities in the region of Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar;
Recognizing the strong public opinion and opposition against this project from local fisher communities as well as civil society due to its implications on the environment, ecology and the local livelihood as articulated in the prayers of the petitions being heard in the Supreme Court of India [Special Leave Petitions (SLP) (Civil) Nos. 19176 of 2005 and SLP (Civil) 20758 of 2005];
The Signatory States to the IOSEA Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding
Urge that a comprehensive regional environmental impact assessment study be carried out by an independent agency to determine the likely impacts of the project on the environment within the contiguous marine and terrestrial territories of India and Sri Lanka, including all endangered and threatened migratory species and their habitats, and a report prepared for public consultation in India, Sri Lanka, and other States likely to be affected before any further construction activities related to the SSCP are taken forward;
Urge that a comprehensive and independent economic and financial feasibility analysis be carried out by an independent agency any further construction activities related to the SSCP are taken forward;
Urge that these analyses take into account views and opinions of various relevant inter-governmental bodies and agencies, including, but not limited to, CMS, UNESCO, UNEP, FAO and IMO, and also take into account written statements from various community institutions (such as village committees, traditional panchayats and gram panchayats) of each coastal village in the area of influence on the project;
Urge that the above documents are translated into the local languages and disseminated to communities and civil society for public consultation and for the purpose of conducting fresh public hearings in India and Sri Lanka on the SSCP to assess the full environmental and economic implications of the project.
Dear all,
Please find the above draft resolution on proposed Sethusamudram Canal which will be adopted by the Fifth Meeting of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (Bali, 20-23 August 2008). For Sri Lankan conservationists and politicians, this document may be with great importance.
Kind regards
Thushan Kapurusinghe
Project Leader - Turtle Conservation Project (TCP)
Marine Turtle Specialist - IUCN/SSC-MTSG
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Scrap Setu Project, Pachauri committee: Signatory states of IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU
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A video from design firm To-Fu lists an array of methods you can use to keep your imagination nimble.
To most people in a communications-related profession, being creative is second nature. It's staying creative that can be a challenge.
The video below from Japanese design firm To-Fu highlights 29 techniques you can try to get the creative juices flowing. I've tried some of these techniques myself, and I have to give credit to No. 7, singing in the shower, for getting me started on some fantastic days.
[RELATED: Master the art of creating and curating great content—join us at NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC, May 12-14!]
See the rest for yourself (and maybe even give them a try):
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For the first time, more than half of Americans age 65 and older are using the internet, reports Pew Research Center, which conducted a survey of more than 2,000 American seniors.
The survey found that 53 percent of older Americans either browse the net or use email. And while this number pales in comparison to younger demographics (93 percent of Millennials and 89 percent of Gen Xers are online), the trend shouldn't be dismissed. "After several years of very little growth among this group, these gains are significant," says Kathryn Zickuhr and Mary Madden of Pew, who summarized the report.
According to the survey, email remains the dominant platform among seniors who regularly use the web, with 86 percent having an account and 48 percent logging on daily. The popularity of sites like Facebook is also growing among seniors, with 34 percent logging onto social networks and 18 percent doing so "on a typical day."
American seniors are also becoming more mobile – in the technological sense. The survey found that 69 percent of older Americans report owning a cellphone, compared with 57 percent two years ago. The study did not differentiate between feature and smart phones.
Pew's data, combined with the 2011 census finding that the U.S. median age has risen to 37.2, indicates that the 65+ online crowd only stands to grow.
What does this trend mean for marketers and the brands they represent?
Forrester Research concludes that older people are more likely to be referred to products by traditional media (TV, radio) and rely on personal emails to direct them to sites. In other words, older Americans are late adopters and more cautious.
But it might be wiser to focus on the data. As CBC radio host Terry O'Reilly points out in a podcast on ageism in advertising, seniors spend more money than any other demographic in nearly every category. That's even true of tech, according to a 2010 report by Forrester.
As internet adoption rates climb along with the proliferation of mobile devices, expect to see advertising campaigns begin treating seniors as target audiences rather than awkward afterthoughts. The only question is when marketers will wise up.
In the meantime, here are a couple of examples of how marketing to seniors can be done effectively and with respect:
This iPad 2 ad focuses on function rather than "gadget fetish," says Todd Wasserman in a Mashable article about marketing to seniors. It's effective because the ad combines an older narrator with shots of the endless applications that iPads have, while avoiding the trope of featuring grey-haired people enjoying their twilight years.
Earlier this year Kraft launched its "Old Birds New Tweets" campaign in celebration of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese's 75th Anniversary. While not aimed directly at seniors, the campaign does embrace all the stereotypes of older people and technology in an overtly playful manner. What do you think, does Kraft pull it off? Let us know in the comments below.


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Today marks an important day in company history as we officially cut the ribbon on our new corporate headquarters. We're excited to add so many new jobs the local and state economy.
Denver, Colorado (PRWEB) February 05, 2016
Avitus Group, a company that helps simplify, strengthen and grow other businesses by taking responsibility for necessary, yet burdensome administrative tasks, like payroll, accounting and taxes, marked the opening of its new Aurora Corporate Headquarters with an official ribbon cutting and champagne toast ceremony February 4, 2016. Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan led the toast and Aurora Chamber of Commerce President/CEO, Kevin Hougen led the ribbon cutting. The event was packed with more than 100 attendees from the business community, including multiple local and state dignitaries.
"Today marks an important day in our company history as we open our corporate headquarters in Aurora," says Avitus Group CEO and Chairman of the Board, Willie Chrans. "Avitus Group exists to help businesses simplify, strengthen and grow. Today, our business is growing. We are one of the top co-employers in our industry nationwide, and our growth projections have us hiring an estimated 500 internal staff members in this corporate office in the next decade to keep up with our growth."
Avitus Group has 10 regional offices located throughout the United States, serving clients nationwide and worldwide. Company officials say growth plans, in addition to hiring efforts at the new corporate headquarters in Aurora, include maximizing hiring efforts in regional offices as well, particularly the company's Billings, Montana Operations Center, which currently employs 158.
"We are investing in our future, and that means investing in all of the local communities we call home. Each city is critically important to our overall growth plans and ability to serve our clients. In Billings for example, we've recently added more square footage to accommodate plans to hire an additional 80 staff in the near future. In Aurora, the hiring is already underway, and we're excited to add so many new jobs to the local economies across the United States," says Avitus Group Public Relations Manager, Dianne Parker.
Internally, Avitus Group has 262 employees across the U.S. Currently, 32 of those are located in the Colorado market, with 10 new hires set to join the team by the end of February. Chrans addressed Colorado staff members at the ribbon cutting event, announcing they will be joined by an additional 40-50 employees by this time next year and some 40-50 more each year after that for the foreseeable future.
"This means opportunities for advancement within the company for you, as well as good-paying jobs for those who are out there looking for employment," commented Chrans.
Avitus Group's Corporate Headquarters is located in one of Aurora's most prominent and visible buildings along the I-225 corridor, Cherry Creek Place. February 1st, following a custom build out of the office space, employees moved into 3131 S. Vaughn Way, Suite 400. The prime office space boasts 11,000+ square feet with room to nearly double the square footage by 2018. Members of the business community toured the new space during the ribbon cutting event, and speakers included: Avitus Group CEO & Chairman of the Board, Willie Chrans; President Avitus Payroll Services, Inc. & President Avitus Business Services, Inc., Ken Balster; President Avitus, Inc, Don Reile; Aurora Mayor, Steve Hogan; Director of Business Development for the Aurora Economic Development Council, Yuriy Gorlov; Chief of Staff for Colorado Congressman Mike Coffman, Ben Stein; Regional Director for U.S. Senator Cory Gardner, Annie Larson; Aurora Chamber of Commerce President/CEO, Kevin Hougen and Business Liaison for U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Derek Dash.
"It is exciting to see the support pour out from the Colorado business community. From several high-ranking local and state officials, to our outstanding clients and association partners. Colorado is committed to us, and we want Colorado to know we're committed to helping businesses simplify, strengthen and grow, which in turn will help grow the local and state economy," says Avitus Group, Inc. President, Don Reile. "We're excited about what's ahead in Colorado, and at all of our regional offices across the U.S. as our company grows and expands."
Avitus Group wrapped up the official ribbon cutting ceremony with a check presentation to the Rocky Mountain Honor Flight organization. President of Avitus Payroll Services & Avitus Business Services, Ken Balster, who is a Navy veteran, announced the company's support for veterans. Balster kicked off the company's Colorado 2016 giving campaign by sending 3 WWII veterans on the next (May, 2016) honor flight to D.C. to see their memorial. He also announced the company's involvement with the Warrior to Work Program, as well as additional veteran hiring efforts in Colorado.
"Thank you to the Rocky Mountain Honor Flight for all the exceptional work you do to make the state of Colorado a better place to live for our veterans. You give so much, and the recipients of your program have given so much. This is the least we can do to support the communities that support our business," commented Balster.
Avitus Group is a worldwide company that simplifies, strengthens and grows businesses by providing 'back office' support (Payroll, accounting, taxes, recruiting, information technology, etc.). When a business uses Avitus Group, all of the necessary yet burdensome functions of the business become Avitus Group's responsibility, so the business can focus on what it does best. Avitus Group serves clients nationwide through regional office locations from coast to coast. The company also serves international clients through partner locations in Europe, Canada, China, England, India, Japan and Singapore.