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2010: 'Year of the hospital'
City, county announce joint ACH review
By SUSAN LYNN
Register Editor
|Register/Susan Lynn
Iola and Allen County commissioners announced at Thursday's Thrive Allen County banquet that they will take a "hard look" at Allen County Hospital to see if it meets the needs of citizens. Shown here are, from left, City Commissioner Bill Shirley, County Commissioners Gary McIntosh and Dick Works, City Commissioner Craig Abbott and Iola Mayor Bill Maness. Not pictured is County Commissioner Rob Francis, who was absent.
In a show of solidarity about the future of Allen County, Iola city and Allen County commissioners joined their support in taking a "hard look" at Allen County Hospital to see if the structure meets the needs of the future.
The commissioners used Thursday night's Thrive Allen County banquet to announce the joint effort.
"We don't always agree on everything," Dick Works, chairman of the county commission, said of the two governing bodies. "But too often it is forgotten that we do agree on 95 percent" of how best to serve constituents.
Putting the needs of the county hospital on the front burner is necessary, Works said, to ensure its survival.
"We must work aggressively and cooperate as a county if we are going to stop losing our patients to Chanute, Fort Scott, Burlington and Parsons.
"We owe it to the people who came before us, and to our children and grandchildren to quit talking about how things should be and start doing something to effect change.
"2010 is the year of the hospital."
Commissioners, all save Rob Francis, who was out of town, sealed the commitment with a round of handshakes.
The news was greeted with a standing ovation by a crowd of about 300 at Madison Avenue Steaks and Chops. The dinner was the second annual for Thrive Allen County, a relatively new non-profit organization dedicated to improve the health and safety of Allen County residents. The focus of the night was to recognize accomplishments of organizations and communities throughout the county that have partnered with Thrive.
MORAN was the night's big winner for its "dramatic turnaround" as a community, said presenter Alan Weber, a member of the Thrive board of directors.
Over the past year a "small but dedicated group of area residents" worked with Thrive members to bring the town together to achieve three goals: Be designated as a Kansas PRIDE community; establish a swim bus to transport children from the communities of Savonburg, Elsmore, Mildred and Moran to Iola Municipal Pool two days a week; and construct a walking trail.
More than 60 youngsters took advantage of the swim bus to Iola, said Kathy Ward, who accepted the award on behalf of her town.
Moran won "The Donna," named after the late Donna Talkington, who was "a pillar of civic life in Allen County," said Weber.
Bestowing the award for community excellence was "bittersweet," Weber said, because of Talkington's death earlier this year.
Other winners included the after-school program SAFE BASE in the health and wellness category for its dental screenings during enrollment of the county's three school districts.
More than 4,300 dental screenings were conducted this year with more than 600 children referred for follow-up treatments with money provided by the REACH Healthcare Foundation.
The screenings also included checks for head lice and provided kits of school supplies, toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss as well as head lice removal kits for those who needed them.
Elsmore, population 67, won the recreation award for its concerted effort between area citizens, its Ruritan club and members of the Allen County Community College baseball team to secure playground equipment. It's the first time since its elementary school closed in 1994 that the community has had such equipment, now a focal highlight of many gatherings about town.
Iola's Sesquicentennial Committee won the award in the education division for providing a year's worth of educational and cultural programs about the history of Iola. Sesquicentennial volunteers engaged civic groups, non-profits, city government and everyday residents in its efforts to provide new and creative learning opportunities from poetry readings to co-sponsoring the July 4 Charley Melvin Mad Bomber Run for Your Life in which more than 400 registrants participated.
IN ITS FOUR years, Thrive Allen County has grown from a fledgling group of do-gooders to an organization that is making considerable social and economic impact on local communities, said David Toland, Thrive executive director.
Thrive's finances depend largely on grants. Up until this year, the REACH Healthcare Foundation of Kansas City was its primary souce of funding, allowing an annual budget of about $50,000. Today, funding from REACH, the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and the Kansas Healthcare Foundation make up the bulk of the current budget of more than $300,000 — a sixfold increase in one year's time.
"By diversifying our revenue sources we increase the likelihood of withstanding the financial storms that can hit small organizations when a key funder has financial problems of its own," Toland said. "We need to diversify more, but we're headed in the right direction."
That money makes its way through Allen County with programs and partnerships. A $25,000 survey of the health and recreation habits of Allen County residents — funded by the county, city of Iola and USD 257 — has already had a return of $125,000 in investments to the county, Toland said, including projects for the Elm Creek Community Garden, bike routes in Humboldt, and help in securing the Vision Iolan project which will help design uses for lands flooded in 2007 as well as help design walkways and bike paths in Iola.
Thrive's goal of purchasing goods and services from Allen County vendors has pumped $200,000 into the county this year, Toland said.
THRIVE'S GOAL of fostering healthy lifestyles is the linchpin to Allen County's success, said Iola native Richard Zahn.
As a former chief executive officer for a New Jersey-based global pharmaceutical company, Zahn's role as keynote speaker for the banquet was a perfect fit. Zahn said a focus of his career in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals was not so much on health but rather illness and how poor health is costly to a society.
A chain of events can follow if a healthy work force is at its core, Zahn said.
Healthy people make strong workers who drive commercial growth which fosters robust communities. Vibrant communities offer important services such as good medical care and schools which not only make for stronger and smarter people, but also create a solid foundation upon which future generations can build their lives.
"On and on it goes. One factor is connected to the next in an infinite loop. But it all begins with health," Zahn said.
Zahn challenged the audience to think how as a county they could capitalize on Thrive's goals of health and wellness. He put out some suggestions of his own including Allen County becoming a hub for geriatric care as well as for health care in general.
"I can see this place as one day being a model for the nation — where all kids are safe and healthy.
"Can you imagine a magazine article hailing Allen County as the best place for senior citizens in America? I can."
Zahn challenged the audience to consider education as a goal, including becoming a center for literacy or a "Project Graduate" with a goal of a 100-percent high school graduation rate.
Zahn predicted that if communal goals were set, "Allen County could be an example for the entire country: A rural community in America's breadbasket that transformed itself through hard work, a sensible shift in attitudes and behaviors and a commitment to help each other reach goals."
AS ROSY as the year has been, there's every reason to expect an even brighter 2010, Toland said.
The citizens of LaHarpe have started the ball rolling with their own Thrive-based visioning which has already worked to secure the LaHarpe Elementary School for $1 from USD 257 with hopes that it be used in part as a community center.
Mainly through its expertise in grant-writing, Thrive personnel have helped Elm Creek Community Gardens, Big Brothers Big Sisters and all of the county's cities vie for grants.
Thrive also plans to continue its successful Allen County Meltdown which attracted 379 Allen Countians to lose weight over a 12-week period this past spring. The next meltdown starts Jan. 9.
The Charley Melvin Mad Bomber Run For Your Life is also a go for July 10.


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REVIEW: Juicy Chemistry Peppermint and Tea Tree Foot CreamFriday, July 03, 2015
About The Brand:
A Socio –Economic initiative for the cause of Children's Education and Women Empowerment to promote quality products manufactured by Micro, Small and Self-Help Groups in a Not-For-Profit motive to assist women and children attain financial independence, quality education and create opportunity for a respectable livelihood.
About the product:
Made with the goodness of peppermint EO, tea tree EO and oil of magnesium, this nourishing foot cream is a must have for your tired soles. Our cream has anti-fungal properties, as both mint and tea tree help in protecting the feet from odor and infection. Oil of magnesia is great for tired feet and can provide instant relief to aching legs and feet.
Price: INR 500 for 75 gm
Shelf life: Six months from the date of manufacturing
Available here
Ingredients (click the image to enlarge it):
My experience:
Firstly I really like their prompt service, I am assuming Megha handles the customer care by herself so she's very prompt when it comes to answering queries and she did not get tired of answering my unending queries. My order was shipped within 24 hrs of making the payment and I received it on the 6th day and it makes sense since the order was shipped from Coimbatore to Lucknow and it does take very long. My goodies were neatly packed in a sturdy cardboard box.
The foot cream comes in a plastic jar which is sturdy and travel friendly. The cream is thick in texture so there's no chance of spillage. I use the foot cream every day post bath and it keeps my feet moisturized for a good 3-4 hours however it barely does anything to repair cracked heels. It leaves a cooling sensation behind since it contains peppermint EO and it smells strongly of peppermint EO which reminds me of the bubble gum that I used to chew back in the day hehe. Overall, it's a decent foot cream which I would definitely recommend to our readers as it's perfect for summers since the ingredients in it moisturizes the feet and keeps odour at bay.
1. Natural, handmade and cruelty free
2. Contains goodness of peppermint EO and tea tree EO
3. Moisturises and keeps odour at bay
4. Parabens and SLS free
1. Availability, it's not a con for me as I do not mind buying it online though it might be for some.
2. Price. I do find it pricey for the quantity that is being offered.
Will I recommend: Yes there's no harm in trying once.
Until next time,
Disclosure: This product is my own purchase and the views and opinions expressed hereby are strictly unbiased, based on my personal experience.

subset: commoncrawl


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Man accused of disorderly conduct over marijuana cigarette
MIDDLETOWN >> A man was arrested Wednesday after allegedly getting into a fight over a marijuana cigarette.
Tramaine Goforth, 21, of Schaefer Road, Middletown, was charged with possession of less than four ounces of marijuana and disorderly conduct, police said.
A woman told police Goforth attempted to smoke a marijuana cigarette in the kitchen, despite not being allowed to smoke inside the residence.
Goforth allegedly put the cigarette in his mouth and attempted to light it, but the woman made a gesture as if she were going to smack it out of his hand, police said.
He then dropped the cigarette, and it fell between a wall and a treadmill, the woman said. Both parties attempted to reach the cigarette, police said.
The woman tried to stomp on the cigarette, police said, allegedly leading Goforth to assault her.
Eventually, Goforth got the marijuana cigarette, grabbed some of his clothing and left the residence, police said.
The suspect was found, and, upon searching him, police found 1.71 grams of suspected marijuana in his jeans pocket.
He was released in lieu of $5,000 bail and issued a court date of May 17.


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• Home • All Products
Retail Price: $345.80
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Abeka homeschool curriculum is engaging, rigorous, practical, and built upon a solid Christian worldview. Teach confidently with this Grade 3 Child Kit (Cursive Edition), which contains the student materials needed to cover reading, language, penmanship, arithmetic, history/geography, and science/health for an entire year of homeschooling.
This kit includes:
Please Note: The answer keys are NOT included in this kit. They can be purchased individually or in the Abeka Grade 3 Homeschool Essential Parent Kit sold-separately
This new 2016 edition now includes the newer version of the 'Cursive Writing Skillbook 3.' Changes to this book include minor color modifications and the addition of some tracing helps This edition does not contain the Character Notebook pages that were previously included; students now instructed to compile their character notebook on notebook paper.
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Mark Newton
Managing Director
Posted on December 9, 2014
Over the last 15 years, the structured products market has seen a great deal of change: through market rises and crashes, major fluctuations in reputation and trust and endless scrutiny and review by the regulator.
Alongside this, the development of digital media has affected the fundamental way products are promoted and literature is distributed. Inevitably, all of this has changed structured products marketing.
Despite all the changes however, we've realised from our 15 years of experience helping clients market more than 800 structured products, that certain marketing principals remain consistently effective.
Commit to a long-term plan
Some financial institutions think they can launch one structured product, see how it does, then decide if they'll launch another. Structured products just don't work that way.
Financial Advisors (FAs) aren't going to spend time getting to know your products just for a single short selling period – it's not worth it. If, however, you show them you've committed to a long-term series of products, FAs can build a sales plan around that.
The same goes for your approach to marketing budgets. It takes time for advisers and investors to become aware and get comfortable with a new series of structured products, so you have to build momentum with your marketing.
Furthermore, there will be sales and marketing requirements, including advertising, web development, PR and lots more beside that will need to sit behind the individual launches and be planned as a continual campaign.
Ad-hoc budgets for ad-hoc products don't translate into successful long-term campaigns
Develop a clear message and brand
You've got your series of products, now you need to market them under the umbrella of a clear brand and message, which help you stand out from the crowd. Work out the brand and the system by which you're going to name, number and differentiate your products.
You shouldn't underestimate the potential of powerful messaging. Many financial institutions assume their credit rating is the be-all and end-all determining their success in the structured products market, but done right, good marketing has proved to be worth more than a good credit rating.
Get your timing and processes organised
Structured products, more so than other financial products, are a deadline driven business and late launches mean lost sales. FAs will lose patience with you if you miss your deadlines as it screws up their own sales plans.
Of course, there are so many legal and compliance issues that getting launched on a deadline date is difficult. The secret is to have everything lined up in advance and streamline the steps that lead up to the launch. This includes marketing, which often comes into the process too late.
Again, it's all about long-term planning and a strict adherence to the timetable you've laid out.
Sort out what marketing resources you need
Creating a realistic timetable relies on a coordinated approach.
Do you need to design a new website? Do you have the contact list sorted for your email blasts and how are you going to manage your contact database? Would direct mail be better than email? What media are you going to use for advertising? Is the design of your literature and application forms easy to template and then replicate and update launch by launch?
There are a lot of moving parts that have to turn together in a structured products marketing campaign and they all have to be considered, decided upon and planned to meet those all-important deadlines.
Make your website beautiful and functional
You know you need a website, but do you really know what it is you want it to do? After all, a good email campaign will only work if you have a good website to lead people to.
You need to think about how people want to receive information, what information needs to be available online and how you want to track what's downloaded or used. Your website needs be the most effective tool you create to communicate with advisers and support their sales.
Whether you're big or small, we've seen these principals hold true. Follow them and you'll be on your way to structured products selling success. Good products help too, of course, but that's your job, not ours!


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Lady Nguyen
cOMMERCIAL iNSURANCE Account Manager
Lady has been in the insurance industry with a focus on Commercial Insurance for the past 5 years. She has an affinity for providing the highest quality customer experience. In her spare time, she plays volleyball competitively in addition to participating in cross fit training. Though she is not a San Diego native, she feels right at home exploring the off beaten path and hiking mountain peaks in and around San Diego.


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Join Teletextile's Reiki Share open to certified practitioners of any lineage. We will begin with a brief meditation and discussion of our Reiki practicies, followed by giving and receiving Reiki in a group setting. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com with questions.
Donations for Host / Space - Bring a Mat, Table or Blanket
Unlimited Thought Life Enrichment Center
7067 San Pedro Avenue, San Antonio, Texas, 78216


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Tucker's Kozy Korner closed for quick makeover on the East Side
Tucker's Kozy Korner, the East Side bar and restaurant institution that dates back to 1948, is making its third operator change in the past 18 months.
San Antonio natives Andrew Lake and Nathan Azar have taken over the property, located at 1388 E. Houston St., and plan to reopen in early December. Lake said they were contacted by landlord Mitch Meyer, who owns the property and the rights to the Tucker's Kozy Korner name, about running the business.
Former tenants Jeff Wayne White and Jenn White opted to cease operations at the end of October because they are weeks away from opening their new restaurant, Eastside Kitchenette, in Government Hill. Prior to the Whites' tenure, Jeret Peña of the Boulevardier Group operated the property for a short time.
RELATED: Longtime San Antonio special occasion dining favorite the Gazebo at Los Patios closing
"Our aspiration is to continue to be good stewards to an iconic neighborhood establishment and really connect with the community," Lake said.
Adrian Sarabia, who used to work stints at Esquire, Paramour and Blue Box, has been hired to be the general manager and is developing a bar program with budget-friendly pricing. There also are plans to have regular Saturday "block parties," themed to special events.
Outside of a thorough scrubbing and a few upgrades to the patio area, Lake said the changeover is mostly a turnkey operation with all permits in place through the landlord. There aren't any plans for major facility upgrades.
The food part of the Tucker's rebranding is still in development, but Lake said to expect a tight menu of "simple, clean bar food with a twist," as well as a weekend brunch offering.
Tucker's Kozy Korner, 1338 E. Houston St. Online: tuckerskozykorner.info. Facebook: tuckerskozykorner1948.
Chuck Blount is a food writer and columnist covering all things grilled and smoked in the San Antonio area. Find his Chuck's Food Shack columns on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com, or read his other coverage on our free site, mySA.com. | email@example.com | Twitter: @chuck_blount | Instagram: @bbqdiver


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Christin and Gareth
We are a husband and wife Wedding Photography duo from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Hi! I'm Christin ( say Christine, its a long story but I'll gladly tell you about it over a cuppa!).
I love capturing details, raw and authentic emotions and I'm happiest photographing in natural light!
My love of capturing moments between people is what got me into wedding photography. I studied Fine and Applied Art, specialising in lens based media at university and I am also a qualified Art teacher. I've been a freelance portrait photographer for over 10 years and after photographing my first wedding in 2015 I was hooked, the fast paced, emotive world of weddings is so very addictive! After losing my dad in 2016, photos have become ever more important to me and taken an even bigger role in my life. I feel incredibly lucky that I get to capture life's moments for others to treasure forever.
When I'm not photographing weddings or rad couples you will find me continuing to follow and adventure with couples as they journey through the next stages in life and grow their families! All things Newborn and Family related are over on www.thesnugsessions.com
Hi! I'm Gareth otherwise referred to as "Mr Beardy".
When not photographing weddings I am the the Display coordinator for Anthropologie. Growing up I always had a camera in my hand as my father owned a photography business, so joining Christin on this adventure was an easy decision. I studied Fine & Applied art at University with Christin specialising in Printmaking ( she actually bought one of my prints 5 Years before we even started dating!). I revel in switching on my super stealth mode to capture all the moments you might have missed out on or not even realised were happening, getting alternative angles and following your partner's journey on the day from prep to throwing shapes on the dance floor.
Since our first date we have pretty much done everything together, working together came really naturally to us and we make a pretty badass team! Occasionally the boss tables are turned and Christin joins Gareth at Wishbonedagger on big advertising builds in Northern Ireland, like the time we spent 5 days in a field building an 8M straw sculpture for Harp Lager! We live in Belfast with our two Maine Coons, Mr Marshall Bravestarr & Zelda Puff ( you can come over and snuggle the kitties if you like!). Creativity runs through our lives with Gareth using his skills to add bespoke pieces to our house and building custom props and furniture for couples on their wedding day, although Christin is still waiting on that wardrobe....
We love a good gin, creative swearing, collecting tattoos, sitting around the fire pit listening to old tunes and letting our hair down when we can. We're big kids at heart and still get excited when one of us brings a kinder egg home! We don't take ourselves too seriously and are big believers in surrounding ourselves in love, positivity and having a good time
Our style of photography comes from the heart and sits in a little pocket between Alternative, Fine Art and Documentary/Lifestyle. Christin focuses on the couple portraits and details, while Gareth revels in the documentary approach to capturing your day. Its honest, authentic and fun with a deep focus on colour and composition. We always like to get a little creative when capturing images so you might find us holding random objects in front of the lens... trust us there is method to the madness! We document your day as it happens naturally, add some creative twists to your portraits and let you get on with having the best day ever.
Check out our best of slideshow below to see what we usually get up to!
We live for the real people. Fun couples who are laid back and don't take themselves too seriously. We love details, alternative venues, rockin' after dos, adventurous couples, tattoos, bearded fellas, geeks, the quiet and the loud, boho babes and couples madly in love with each other who like to go against the rule book.
If you're wildly in love and all about marrying your best friend, don't mind getting your shoes dirty or running barefoot, dancing in the sunset, windswept moments, don't care for stuffy posed photos, like having the craic and ready for throwing some shapes on the dance floor, I think we'll have a blast, lets do this!


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Anchors | Pumpkin Spiced Pomade
Yes. It is Halloween season, and you can bet your ass that all them brewers are freaking out right now. Honest, I've never been a fan of this holiday -- I'm more of a Thanksgiving person. But there's something about Halloween that gathers candy-fiends and pomade brewers.
Today, we're checking out Anchors Hair Company's special for the holiday season, and no lie -- I'm blown away. Usually, what we get out of a Halloween special is just a re-scented and relabeled pomade. But Ben decided to create a new formula that is fucking amazing. Let's talk about it.
In all truth, the Anchors product line does not receive a lot of love and praise for their design work. But no lie, their font choice works better for this limited edition than the rest of the line up. Also, who did they pull out to do the illustrations? It's very different from my style and preference, but it's very fucking good. The font choice, color choices, and line style in the characters -- they all work very well together.
The Pumpkin Spiced Pomade jar should be noted as a solid design job done right. It may not convey luxury or elegance, but it's as though someone took an Adult Swim feel and make it SFW.
The scent seems to have a pumpkin pie base with stronger cinnamon notes that lack a bite due to a smoothening out with vanilla.
No one can beat water-based pomade from Anchors in regard to their creamy consistency. This one is a little different than Teddy Boy Original and Matte. It has a grip to it that reminded me of what I saw in Suavecito Premium Blends, BUT no where as harsh -- very subtle in fact.
Just like consistency, no one can beat Anchors in this category. Their water-based pomades are far more refine than anything else we've seen -- homebrewed or lab-cooked. It does have a slight grip like I mentioned before. It shouldn't inconvenience you at all, and in truth, you'll be thankful for it later.
Barely above neutral -- makes it a more versatile.
The slickness was dropped in this pomade relative to the other water-based pomades. The grip makes it a slightly drier pomade. You'll soon notice that, though the pomade feels dry, your comb still runs through it pretty smoothly. You can go either way with your pomp: loose or tight. I'd prefer to go with former. This product is NOT a clay, but it is very versatile and you can go either way with it.
I'd say this is the strongest water-based pomade Anchors has released, but I'd still place it between a medium and strong. This label is not known for making heavy or strong pomades, so we should all be grateful they made something even close to strong like this.
Fucking fantastic. Just look.
Relative to their other products like Teddy Boy Original and Matte, it's much more resilient. However, in comparison to other water-based pomades we've used, it's more sensitive to the weather. It has comparable strength to resist movement, but I'd say it's got a weakness against heat. Luckily, it was a slightly cool day today.
Very easy. As long as you've stayed out of the heat, you'll have a good amount of product still in your hair to style with. If you've lost a good amount to the weather, you'll find it easy to recreate shape and form but difficult to get back the volume in a maintainable way.
I almost freaked out for a bit because I thought the pomade had hardened like a gel. It will stiffen a bit, but in no way has it dried out.
Washes out with just water.
I would highly HIGHLY recommend Anchors Pumpkin Spiced Pomade. I came into this review just expected a relabeled pomade, but walked out with mind fucking blown. It's been so long since I've used a pomade that is so clean yet solid in its styling performance. I consider it a must try.
Currently, the pomade is available for pre-order and soon to start shipping on October 4th. Our promo code THEPOMP will work and provide you with a discount on that order.


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For more info go HERE.
In this fun collaboration with PERCEPTION NYC, we worked with CAE (flight simulator manufacturer, facilitator and trainer) to bring an out dated piece of software into an aesthetic visual space, while elevating the functionality and streamlining the usability.
This user experience needed to seamlessly work for veteran instructors (not wanting to learn a brand new system) and newer instructors hungry for a more refined and efficient user experience. In the end, every user was more productive and efficient with their time, allowing CAE to provide extra slots of time for further training of their clients' pilots.
Concept 2:
MAP STYLES to be integrated into UI
CAE Flight Simulation : UI
PERCEPTION OWNERS/ ECD's: Jeremy Lasky / Danny Gonzalez
CREATIVE DIRECTION : John LePore
Concept, Design, Art Direction : Greg Herman


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What It Is About: This was the perfect audio book to start with. It was light-hearted and so easy to listen to. My commutes became one of my favorite parts of the day. Andy kept a diary for one year (September 2013-September 2014) documenting his daily adventures. The book takes the reader on a wild ride following Andy to his job, on his trips, and on all the adventures he has with both his celebrity and non-celebrity friends. Another major aspect of the book is Andy's decision to get a dog that will change his life for both the better and the "doggy" worse.
What I Thought Of It: This was a refreshing change of pace. There was nothing deep about this book, but it was just plain fun to listen to. I laughed out loud many times through the story. It was quite interesting to listen to the life that Andy has in New York, all the friends he hangs out with, and how often he comes in contact with celebrities. His family life (especially his parents) was also interesting to hear about and I realized that no matter how famous a person is, or how many famous people they know, they are still some one's son, brother, and "real person." I enjoyed this audio book so much that I have ordered his first book called Most Talkative that I look forward to listening to after the holiday break.
Who Should Read It: This probably isn't the book that most people who follow this blog will gravitate toward, but if you are looking for something different and just plain fun, then this is the book for you. I can't compare it to the actual book, but the audio book is absolutely great, fun, and completely entertaining. If you have a commute like I do, then this is the story for you. Happy Reading...
Rating: 5 STARS out of 5 Stars


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Read: 2 January 2013 (originally August 2012)
Why: Loved Paige Toon's previous books
Rating: 5 stars
Brief synopsis: When Alice meets Joe on her summer holiday, her family and best friend think its a holiday romance but they feel differently – it's love. Alice is heartbroken when Joe has to flee Dorset suddenly and she goes off to university a shell of her former self. After months of being withdrawn from her fellow students, Alice starts to pick herself up and in no time at all, finds that she's moved in and married Lukas; the gorgeous, rich German. Years later, just as Lukas is pushing Alice to fully commit to him, Joe is back but not quite as she knew him before. Is he worth her marriage?
What I thought: Yet another fantastic heartbreak/torn love story by Paige Toon. I really liked Joseph's character in Baby Be Mine so I was really pleased to see him back and being written about from another perspective.
I thought that the writing in this book was brilliant. The story covers a time span of about 10 years and the writing style across those years subtly matures with the character. 18-year-old Alice is a little naive which I loved! I wasn't overly keen on Lukas as a character though – too controlling for my liking although I did start to come warm to him a little towards the end.
The first time I read this book, I was desperately hoping there would be more of Alice and Joe's story and since then, it has been released! The novella, One Perfect Christmas is available as an e-book now.
Favourite quote:
"'Me and Daddy have willies, don't we?'
'Yes, yes,' the little boy's mother replies quietly, her face turning red as the ears of my other passengers prick up.
'And you and baby Molly have got chinas.'
China? Vagina? Jessie's nickname for me? Everyone laughs, and then – BANG! – I crack my head on the underside of the bridge."


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While you are on our website, we automatically track information related to your use of the Website. This information may include, among other things: URL tracking information; user's browser; user's IP address; files downloaded or viewed by the user and user's path through the website; date, time and frequency of accessing the website; and length of time spent reviewing certain features. We also may track usage through cookies. A cookie is a small data file written to a user's hard drive. Cookies may be used to, among other things, allow automated login and may contain information such as a login ID or other information about preferences or Internet use. If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your Web browser.
How ASP Uses Information Collected
ASP uses the information collected about you in order to provide the services you have requested, to process your payment transactions (including authorization, clearing, chargebacks and other related dispute resolution activities), maintain our accounts and records, to conduct risk assessment, verify identity, assist our business customers in compliance with federal laws and regulations, for analysis of costs and charges in relation to our products and services, to comply with tax, legal or regulatory obligations, and for any purpose to which you consent or that is permitted by applicable law.
Additionally, ASP may use the information collected about you to respond to your requests for information or questions, to improve our marketing and promotional efforts, to statistically analyze usage of our website, to improve our content and offerings on the website, to improve and evaluate our products and services, and to customize the content and layout of the website.
We may also use the information we collect through our services for the purposes of promoting ASP's products or services, or if we think a third-party product or service may be of interest to you, we may arrange to extend select special offers for that third party's products and services to you or permit third parties to send their own direct marketing to you.
We also may use the information in other ways for which we provide specific notice at the time of collection.
ASP stores personal information only for as long as it is necessary for the fulfillment of the purpose for which the personal information was collected, unless otherwise required or authorized by applicable law. For example, we retain your transaction history and may retain certain identification information to comply with rules relating to payment transactions. We take measures to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information if required by law or if the personal information is no longer required for the purpose for which we collected it.
If you apply for a position with ASP through this website, we will use your information to evaluate your candidacy and may use your name, username, and email address to contact you regarding any positions for which you have applied or regarding other opportunities at ASP or our subsidiaries or affiliates in which we think you might be interested. If you are applying from outside of the United States, your information will be transferred to the United States for consideration.
ASP may use your personal information to generate non-personal, summarized, derived, anonymized or aggregated information (i.e., volumes, totals, averages, etc.). This policy does not restrict ASP's use or sharing of any such non-personal information.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Fair Credit Reporting
Certain ASP companies are regulated by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and companion state laws. Your personal information may be provided to us by credit grantors and other institutions with whom you deal, and who are responsible for obtaining your consent in order to provide your information to us.
All such credit information collected and provided about you is provided in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We may contact any user of our credit services for audit and verification purposes in order to comply with laws and regulations governing the credit reporting industry. For example, we may institute random confirmations to ensure that credit checks have been are authorized and are used only for a permissible purpose.
If you request an investigation of an item that you believe to be inaccurate or incomplete on your Central Credit report, all information relevant to your request will be provided to the credit grantor and/or data supplier for investigation purposes in compliance with the FCRA.
Disclosure of Information Collected
ASP is not in the business of selling personally identifiable information to others; however, ASP does or may share or disclose information you provide us to other companies and people with your consent or under the circumstances described below.
ASP may analyze or disclose aggregated information that does not identify our users to third parties for marketing and promotional or other purposes.
We also share user information with our subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners, and service providers. Examples of disclosure to our service providers are to companies that perform services on our behalf, such as the credit reporting agencies from which we obtain your credit report(s), credit card processors, and other service providers including mailing, customer service, marketing, collections, information technology and/or data hosting or processing services.
These third parties may provide you information, products, or services on our behalf or to help us provide our customers with better products and services.
We may also share limited personal information with these third parties (e.g. contact information) to permit them to send their own direct marketing to you. California and Canadian users may opt out of such sharing via the option provided below.
As we continue to develop our business, we might sell or buy assets. In such transactions, user information generally is one of the transferred business assets. Also, if all or substantially all the assets of ASP or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates assets were acquired, user information would be one of the transferred assets. We do not offer for sale personally identifiable information other than in connection with business-related transfers. We will comply with jurisdiction specific requirements regarding the transfer of personal information in the context of business transactions.
ASP reserves the right to disclose user or visitor information when we have reason to believe that the law requires it or that disclosing this information is necessary in response to a court order or a request for cooperation from a regulatory, law enforcement or other government agency; to establish or exercise our legal rights or for the protection of our assets (e.g. collection of overdue accounts); to defend legal claims; in connection with audits or for purposes of detecting or preventing fraud; as necessary to meet legal, regulatory, industry self-regulatory bodies, insurance, audit or security requirements; or as otherwise required or permitted by applicable laws and/or regulations; or to identify, contact, or bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury to or interference with (either intentionally or unintentionally) ASP's rights or property, other users, or anyone else who could be harmed by such activities or to prevent such activities.
Our Relationship with Affiliate Companies and Service Providers (Including Disclosures and Transfers)
Subject to your consent if required by law, we may appoint a service provider or an affiliate company to process personal information in a service provider role for and on our behalf. In most cases, we will remain responsible for that company's processing of your personal information pursuant to applicable data privacy laws. To the extent required by law and the Privacy Shield practices, ASP will enter into contracts with such service providers and/or affiliates, obligating them to provide at least the same level of protection as is set forth in this policy.
If we ever were to engage in any onward transfers of your data with third parties for a purpose other than which it was originally collected or subsequently authorized, we will provide you with an opt-out choice to limit the use and disclosure of your personal data.
We also may be required to disclose an individual's personal information in response to a lawful request by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements.
ASP's accountability for personal data that it receives under the Privacy Shield and subsequently transfers to a third party is described in the Privacy Shield Principles. In particular, we remain responsible and liable under the Privacy Shield Principles if third-party agents that it engages to process the personal data on its behalf do so in a manner inconsistent with the Principles, unless ASP proves that it is not responsible for the event giving rise to the damage.
ASP uses reasonable security measures to safeguard the confidentiality of information that it collects. We restrict access to nonpublic personal information about you to those of our employees, affiliates, and service providers who need to know that information. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards designed to protect your nonpublic personal information against accidental, unlawful or unauthorized destruction, loss, alteration, access, disclosure or use.
International Users
This website is hosted on a server in the United States. All information collected by ASP from this website and our services will be gathered, stored, used, and otherwise processed in the United States, including information from users outside the United States. By accessing this website and using our services, you consent to the transfer to and use of your information in the United States in accordance with this policy and applicable law.
We may transfer the personal information we collect about you when providing you with services, to recipients in countries other than the country in which the information was originally collected, including to the United States, where we are headquartered. Those countries may not have the same data protection laws as the country in which you initially provided the information. When we transfer your information to other countries, we will protect that information as described in this Privacy Policy or as otherwise disclosed to you at the time the data is collected (e.g. via a program specific privacy notice provided to you at sign up, and from time to time). You understand and agree that while in the United States or foreign jurisdictions, your personal information may be accessible to law enforcement or other governmental authorities or bodies.
The relevant ASP subsidiary in your country will be responsible under applicable privacy laws to the extent it uses your personal information for its own purposes.
ASP complies with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of personal information transferred from the European Union to the United States. ASP has certified to the Department of Commerce that it adheres to the Privacy Shield Principles. If there is any conflict between the terms in this privacy policy and the Privacy Shield Principles, the Privacy Shield Principles shall govern. To learn more about the Privacy Shield program, and to view our certification, please visit https://www.privacyshield.gov/
We sometimes need to share the personal information we process with the individual themself and also with other organizations. Where this is necessary, we are required to comply with all aspects of applicable law.
We commit to comply with the Data Protection Act (DPA) in the EU, and the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC), as applicable. We will handle any complaints or requests for access to or correction of personal information, including, without limitation, human resources data transferred from the EU and Switzerland, in accordance with our obligations under the DPA or the FDPIC, as applicable. All complaints are taken seriously and will be assessed by appropriate personnel with the aim of resolving any issue in a timely and efficient manner and in accordance with the DPA or the FDPIC, as applicable, and ASP commits to comply with the advice given by such authorities.
California and Canadian Users –Opt Out
If you are a California or Canadian resident, you may ask us to refrain from sharing your personal information with certain of our affiliates and other third parties for their marketing purposes by contacting us as provided in the "How To Contact Us" section below. Canadian residents can opt out of secondary marketing uses of your personal information by ASP or our business partners by contacting us at the address provided.
Google Analytics
This Website uses Google analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google"). Google analytics uses its own cookies to help us analyze how you and other users use this website. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website (which may include your IP address, the internet browser and language you use, preferences, the date and hour of your access to the web page and the websites you access after visiting this website) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of this website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full array of features on the website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.
To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics, visit Google Analytics at: https://analytics.google.com
Managing Your Preferences
By using our services and providing us or our business customers with personal information, we will assume that you consent to our collection, use and disclosure of such personal information for the purposes identified or described in this privacy statement.
You can choose not to provide personal information to ASP by refraining from conducting payment transactions. You also may refrain from submitting information directly to us.
To the extent provided by applicable law, you may withdraw any consent you previously provided to us, or object at any time on legitimate grounds, to the processing of your personal information. We will apply your preferences going forward. In some circumstances, withdrawing your consent to ASP's use or disclosure of your personal information will mean that you cannot take advantage of certain ASP products or services. If you do not wish to receive offers of products or services we feel you may have an interest in, you can at any time tell us not to send you marketing communications by contacting ASP as provided in the "How To Contact Us" section below.
Obtaining Copies of or Access to Your Personal Information and Updating Us
Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to: obtain confirmation that we hold personal information about you, request access to and receive information about the personal information we maintain about you, receive copies of the personal information we maintain about you, update and correct inaccuracies in your personal information, object to the processing of your personal information, and have the information blocked, anonymized or deleted, as appropriate. The right to access personal information may be limited in some circumstances by local law requirements. To exercise these rights, please contact us as set forth below.
How to Contact Us
If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, our privacy practices or if you would like us to update information or preferences you provided to us, you may e-mail us at: firstname.lastname@example.com; or write to us at:
Attn: Privacy Office
3636 Bee Cave Rd.
Austin, TX 78746
This website is not intended for use by children. We do not knowingly solicit or collect any personal information about children under the age of 18 or market to them. Please do not use this website if you are under the age of 18.
ASP Offerings are designed to avoid the collection and use of "personal information" as defined in the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA") from children under 13 other than for support of internal operations. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are under 13, you may not register for an account or otherwise provide any personal information to us.
ASP respects the privacy of parents and children and is committed to complying with COPPA. If a parent believes that his or her child has submitted personal information to ASP, he or she can contact us as provided in the contact section. We will take steps to promptly delete the information upon learning that it relates to a child under the age of 13. We recognize the importance of safeguarding the privacy of children and encourage parents to check and monitor their children's use of online activities regularly.
ASP commits to resolve complaints about our collection or use of your personal information. If you have questions or complaints regarding our privacy policy or practices, you should first contact ASP's Privacy Office by using the contact details provided in the "How To Contact Us" section above. If we fall short of your expectations in processing your personal information or you wish to make a complaint about our privacy practices, please tell us because it gives us an opportunity to fix the problem. To assist us in responding to your request, please give full details of the issue. We attempt to review and respond to all complaints within a reasonable time.
Please note that if your complaint is not resolved through these channels, under limited circumstances, a binding arbitration option may be available before a Privacy Shield Panel.
ASP is subject to the investigatory and enforcement powers of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under the Privacy Shield Framework.
In the UK, unresolved complaints can be sent to the Information Commissioner's Office by calling 0303 123 1113 or by visiting: https://ico.org.uk/concerns/
EU residents have the option of filing complaints directly with their local DPA, which will work with the Department of Commerce and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and resolve complaints. In the event your complaint is unresolved by all other available mechanisms, you may have the right to invoke binding arbitration before a Privacy Shield Panel, in accordance with procedures designated by the Department of Commerce and the European Commission.
Canadian residents have the option of filing a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, by contacting:
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Place de Ville
112 Kent Street, 3rd floor
Ottawa, Ontario
On Website and Third Parties
This policy only addresses the use and disclosure of information ASP collects on this website and through our services. ASP does not control and is not responsible for the privacy practices of other website or third parties to whom you may link from our site.
This Privacy Policy is subject to the terms of the applicable Terms and Conditions of Use with respect to any services you obtain from us. ASP reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes to this Policy will be posted to this page as soon as reasonably possible and will become effective immediately. Therefore, please check this page periodically. Use of the website and our services constitutes consent to use of your information in accordance the Privacy Policy then in effect.


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Who is Robin Hood? Only the sexiest man in literature! The legend of Robin Hood has been captured and recaptured, interpreted again and again with Robin Hood films, TV shows, games, and other media. Robin Hood has been around for so long that he's fallen into our arsenal of fairy tales, and of course, Disney's Robin Hood helped with that.
It's not just physical attractiveness that makes a man sexy. We ladies want men who are passionate about their dreams, mentally and physically strong in times of adversity, and committed to doing the right thing, no matter what. And, the roguish appearance doesn't hurt of course!
Even though Robin Hood legends are just that–legends–and there is little evidence to support Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men ever existing, we don't have to examine the texts and interpretations of the Robin Hood legends very long to determine why he is the sexiest man in literature.
#1: Robin Hood is Compassionate, Even to his Rivals
In Robin Hood and the Potter, Robin Hood is impersonating a potter in Nottingham, and meets the sheriff. Robin Hood shows the sheriff how he can shoot and the sheriff asks if he knows Robin Hood. Robin Hood, presumably amused that the sheriff didn't recognize him, tells the sheriff that he will take the sheriff to Robin Hood the next day. The sheriff agrees and invites Robin Hood to his house for supper, and to stay the night.
The next morning, Robin Hood leads the sheriff into the woods, and the sheriff is surrounded by Robin Hood's Merry Men. But because of the hospitality the sheriff's wife had shown Robin Hood while in Nottingham, Robin Hood decides to let the sheriff live:
Nere for the loffe of yowre weyffe,
Off more sorow scholde yow seyng.
Basically: If not for the love of your wife, of more sorrow should you sing.
Then when the sheriff goes home to his wife, she lols because Robin Hood tricked him out of everything he had but his white horse. LOL. That sheriff be dumbs.
In addition, sometimes when a rival bests him or his rival's skill matches his own, he invites him to join his band. This is the case in Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar.
#2 Robin Hood's bros have got his back.
Notably, Little John. In modern media, he's often portrayed as a lovable buffoon, but in the old texts, Little John is actually pretty fierce:
Litul John callid up the jayler,
And bade hym rise anon;
He seyd Robyn Hode had brokyn the prison,
And out of hit was gon.
The porter rose anon sertan,
As sone as he herd John calle;
Litul John was redy with a swerd,
And bare hym throw to the walle.
"Now wil I be jayler," seid Litul John,
And toke the keyes in honde;
He toke the way to Robyn Hode,
And sone he hym unbonde.
NOW I WILL BE JAILER. I feel like you could put that on a t-shirt. Tots stealing that idea.
The above excerpt is from Robin Hood and the Monk. Little John is rescuing Robin Hood from jail. Robin Hood had been captured because one morning he'd gone to church to pray, but the monk at the church told the sheriff that Robin Hood was there, and had him arrested. Little John hears this news, kills the monk who betrayed him, and hurries to the jail to set Robin Hood free.
You might be thinking: Little John seems to be way more badass in this story. Yes, Robin Hood getting overwhelmed by guards and getting captured is not his finest moment. But the fact that Little John would do this for him shows the loyalty instilled in the band of Merry Men. While Little John and Robin Hood don't always get along, they're still besties, and they'd do anything for each other. Knowing that your man has got friends that support him goes a long way.
#3 Robin Hood is a giver.
Yes, Robin Hood's thing is that he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. This idea didn't actually integrate into the literature and ballads until the 17th century, but all around, he's willing to help out whenever someone is in need. His karma usually comes back to him threefold and saves his life.
In Robin Hood and Queen Katherine, the queen summons Robin Hood and asks him to compete in an archery contest so that she can win a bet. He gladly does so, and wins.
In Robin Hood and the Bishop, an old woman exchanges her clothing with Robin Hood so that he can escape a treacherous bishop. She does this because he had given her shoes and socks on a previous occasion.
In another ballad called The Noble Fisherman, Robin Hood decides to go to sea (just because!) under the name of Simon. An old woman hires him on her boat, but he turns out to be a lousy fisherman and the rest of her crew makes fun of him. When French pirates attack the ship, Robin Hood springs into action and kills all of the pirates. He searches the ship and finds a sizeable treasure. He offers to share half of it with the fishermen–even though they'd done nothing but belittle him the whole time. In the end, they tell him that he can have the treasure.
#4 Robin Hood Knows How to Make the Best of Any Situation
Robin Hood is constantly getting himself into trouble. But does he complain? No. He finds a solution, and often he does it with a smile.
In Robin Hood's Delight, he finds himself in some trouble with three foresters. They fight, and Robin Hood is not winning. He can't even use his horn to summon the rest of his band. Instead, Robin Hood uses his good-natured wit to convince the foresters to drink with him at a local inn instead of killing him. Luckily, they agree, and they all go and get drunk together!
#5 Robin Hood, as a character, is romanceable.
True that Robin Hood is technically "taken" in that his heart is "traditionally" devoted to Maid Marian, it's very easy to envision yourself being whisked away by a daring, witty rogue, whether he is Robin Hood or a man in his image.
Maid Marian wasn't always the main lady in Robin Hood's life. In fact she was associated with May Day celebrations–as was Robin Hood (in many stories, he must compete in May Day archery competitions). In the old ballads, Robin Hood usually doesn't have a lady in his life.
In other words, ladies, original Robin Hood is single! ^_^
But not always. In one ballad that describes Robin Hood's upbringing, there is a character named Clorinda, a shepherdess, who Robin Hood romances and then eventually, marries.
'By the faith of my body,' said bold Robin Hood,
'I never saw woman like thee;
And comst thou from east, ay, or comst thou from west,
Thou needst not beg venison of me.
Robin Hood knows how to treat a lady. In Robin Hood's Death, he goes to be bled by a prioress, but she betrays him and gives him mortal wounds. Little John begs to avenge him, but Robin Hood refuses, because he says he would never hurt a lady.
Bonus Reason Why I Love Robin Hood!
Okay, so Disney's Robin Hood was definitely not the sexiest portrayal of Robin Hood, nor was it even the best Robin Hood story ever, but just listen to Brian Bedford, the guy who voices Robin Hood. I love his voice!
The Violet Fox is a female Robin Hood.
Kiera Driscoll is known as The Violet Fox on the streets of the fantasy world known as Marlenia. She steals food and supplies from Marlenian merchants and shares them with her people, the Freetors, who are forced to live underground. Want to read more? Check it out here.
Robin Hood is the classic outlaw, and was roguing it up before any of you other bad boys. Do you love Robin Hood? Who is your favourite rogue?
[author] [author_image timthumb='on']https://www.faeryinkpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ZM3_5616.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Clare C. Marshall grew up in rural Nova Scotia with very little television and dial up internet, and yet, she turned out okay. She is a full time freelance editor, designer, and web manager. When she's not doing that, she's writing and publishing her own books. When she's not writing, she enjoys playing the fiddle and making silly noises at cats.[/author_info] [/author]


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Thane bishop's faith in eco-friendly ways helps cut power use at church
From installing a big fan to a biogas plant, energy efficient ways of Father Allwyn D'Silva set an examplemumbai Updated: Mar 14, 2017 14:05 IST
St John the Baptist Church at Thane has shown the most energy efficient way to pray by using a large fan – equivalent to 10 household fans – that ensures 30% reduction in electricity consumption and cools a church that has an attendence of 1,000 people on Sundays.
Auxiliary bishop Father Allwyn D'Silva, as the parish priest of the 500-year-old church and manager of St John the Baptist School, set up the fan along with a number of environment friendly initiatives ranging from solar power, rain water harvesting, recycling organic waste to installing LED lights at the church grounds.
Over the past two decades, he has been trying to reduce the impact of global warming through several awareness initiatives, environmental education at schools and published academic papers to make the parish eco-friendly. D'Silva is also the head of the Archdiocesan Office for Environment, and secretary for the Federation of Asian Bishops (FABC) Climate Change Desk.
"Climate change is rooted in faith, because to care for creation is to manifest one's love for the creator. The more we care for creation, the more spiritual we become," he said. "Uncertainty looms over weather, floods and rising temperatures and that has already damaged a lot. So a lot of steps need to be taken to do something about it not only in India but globally."
On Thursday, the World Meteorological Organisation declared 2016 as the hottest year with the global averaged temperature about 1.1 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial period.
D'Silva urges the Catholic Church, which has nearly 500,000 members in Mumbai, almost 4% of the city's population, to take climate change seriously. "This is a crisis that affects the future generations. If we have been handed over a beautiful world by our forefathers, it is our moral obligation to hand the same over to our next generation," he said.
In 2012, he formed the parish environment club that introduced a biogas plant at the church ground. Daily kitchen waste amounting to 20kg, leftovers from weddings, and waste from a local vegetable market is all converted into cooking gas through a biogas plant. During the same year, a rooftop solar system with nine panels was set up at the school that powers lights and fans in every classroom, staff rooms and principal's office.
After the restoration of the church in 2015 and the setting up of the Johannine Centre (church office), rainwater harvesting program was setup that saved 2 lakh litres of water over the past two monsoons.
"It is an integrated system that can automatically switch to the grid. The move reduced our electricity bill by 40%," said Father Michael Pinto, principal, St John the Baptist School. "People learnt from Fr Allwyn about eco-spirituality – faith combined with the concept to protect the environment. His efforts have created a lot of awareness among students through faith and practical examples."
A visiting professor at St Pius College, a seminary in Goregaon, D'Silva started an 'eco-club' in 2012 that manages a garden with 26 species of 3,000 trees, 15 species of butterflies, 22 species of birds and seven species of insects and reptiles on campus. Additionally, his efforts gave way to a kitchen garden and a rainwater harvesting project at Our Lady of Nazareth High School, Bhayander (West).
"Fr Allwyn is one of the first green voices in the city and recognised India's environmental crisis long before anybody else. While such issues are being raised over the past few years, he's brought environmental problems to the fore for over two decades ago," said Father Savio Silviera, environmentalist and director, NGO GreenLine.
"The efforts by Fr Allwyn D'Silva are highly commendable. Such initiatives have far more impact within communities since the information is being disseminated through religion. He is setting an example not only for the church but for followers of other religions as well," said Satish Gavai, principal secretary, state environment department.
Also read
Green Heroes: 86-year-old from Mumbai helps society save 40% on water and power bills
Milk and honey: Meet Mumbai's resident bee-keeper
First Published: Jan 23, 2017 09:06 IST


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Be honest with clients about campaign's purpose and value
Out of the Box Blog | 24 September 2012
Summer Saturday mornings in our house are spent at my son's cricket game, which means four glorious hours of working my way through the newspaper from cover to cover. (This is the highlight; after seven years, I still have no idea what is going on in the field.)
The only interruption is the need to look up occasionally, say "good job," and clap at some particularly capable piece of fielding or batting. (I confess I just follow the other parents in this regard.)
But what I love about the morning is how the newspapers are divided up and shared across the parents and the conversations about what we have read. You cannot read an iPad at the cricket. You cannot see the screen in the glare of the sun, for one thing, nor can you divide up the sections and physically share them around.
But I found myself deeply annoyed recently as I scoured the weekend cinema listings. Hubby and I thought we might check out a movie. We knew what we wanted to see and, as there were several full-page ads from local cinemas, it seemed a straightforward piece of planning: Identify cinema playing our movie, work out the time, nice night out.
One of the major cinema chains has decided to go down a new path of "branding" advertising. This involves listing all the movies that are playing at a particular cinema and insisting you go online to find out the screening time.
The advertisement was the same size (a full page) as its competitors. It had an identical "module" for each of the multiple cinemas in the chain, and it promoted heavily with symbols flagging 3-D and special wrap-around screens. But where its competitors listed the times the movies were playing, it offered "stylish" white space.
This ad said to consumers: "We've got all the movies you want to see at a cinema near you in the most modern and fabulously fitted-out environments. But we're not going to tell you when they're on. You have to go out of your way to find that out yourself. Download our app."
So what did I do? I turned the page — and went with their competitor. Because while downloading their app might have been a good idea and allowed me to move across to booking a ticket, it was not possible in full sun and that wasn't the problem I needed solved. I just wanted to know which cinema I should choose based on knowledge of what time the movie was screening. By not providing me with that information, they prompted me to choose the provider that did.
And that is telling on lots of levels.
What outraged me was the question of who let that ad run? Who was the ad rep who said, "Sure, I think short-changing your customers is a great plan! It will grow your online traffic."
In all seriousness, when did our sales skills become so poor that we let a client confuse the value of a retail campaign with the execution of branding marketing? Or is the issue that we really don't know the difference ourselves or the parts of our newspapers in print or online where the different categories play out the strongest?
What kind of conversation will the ad rep managing this client have at renewal time when the client claims that newspapers are a dead medium because their cinema traffic has gone backward?
Are we so scared today that we might not hit our monthly target that we won't give clients the value of quality advice, instead blaming long-term decline on new media stealing market share, when in reality it's poor advice that's the culprit?
What is the level of understanding in our industry about the value of our products as retail environments versus branding? Or do we just create the content and let the client work that out (the hard way) because it's not our problem?
Have we become so sycophantic as an industry that we will let our clients try any lame-brained idea, because they're the ones with the money and, therefore, the power?
While our journalism strives to reveal inequities and stupidities and fight for the underdog, it is possible the real crisis in our industry is the disconnect between that approach to content and the approach of advertising, where sales teams are busy telling emperors their new outfits are fabulous.
Is it any wonder, then, that we are failing to prove our value to the market? Do we even know what that value is ourselves?
After years of cynicism — like most journalists — about the value of motivational texts, I'm now convinced by my studies of the value of leadership inspiration, analysis, and ongoing learning.
As such, I've been following the blogs of Robin Sharma, leadership consultant and author of management best-sellers "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" and "The Leader Who Had No Title."
Sharma is a big fan of lists, and I'm sure he won't mind, but I've picked the eyes out of several of his blogs to pull out the advice on this issue that I think newspaper companies most need to hear.
- Take care of your relationships and the money will take care of itself. Understand that relationships are not created by ringing a client and asking if they'd like to book their space again. They are built through respect, quality advice, and robust communication.
- The purpose of work is to help people. The other rewards are inevitable by products of this singular focus. Remember when journalism used to be about saving the world, not about producing a print edition? Likewise, there were times when the purpose of advertising was not to hit a sales target, but to help business people we knew get results and grow their success. Getting back to helping people will save our industry faster than worrying about saving it.
- The fears you run from run you. It's time to stop being frightened and just do what we know has to be done to save our industry and the mastheads we love, regardless of how much we don't want to do it or think we can avoid it. We cannot. At the moment, being fearful that we are in a dying industry is creating an industry that is dying fearfully.
- The most dangerous place is in your safety zone. We know this. The times when the rivers of gold flowed through our businesses will be looked upon as the days when newspapers were at their worst for creativity and responsiveness. It was the time of dumbing down of our business skills because it made us complacent and lazy.
- The conversations you are most resisting are the conversations you need to be having. There should be a new rule across all our businesses at the moment. The more awkward the call or the meeting feels, the more essential it is that you have it. And it's absolutely OK to confess that you don't know the answer when you go into that call, but be open to working it out collaboratively. Being vulnerable opens the gate for creativity.
- You become your excuses. The behaviour that we are currently claiming is "fair and reasonable" under the circumstances is preventing us from seeing the real solutions.
- Small, daily, seemingly insignificant improvements and innovations lead to staggering achievements over time. For newspapers, being responsible enough to tell a valued retail client that their attempts at branding are badly executed might just be the one small thing that creates a butterfly effect for the better in our industry.


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If you work on the trading floor of an investment bank, 2018 has included some of the best and some of the worst of times. Or at least this looks like the case if you work for J.P. Morgan. The U.S. bank just released its 10Q filing showing gains and losses in its markets division for the first half of the year. They reveal that 2018 has been a wild ride.
As the chart below shows, January 2018 was an exceptional month for J.P. Morgan's trading business. The bank made a trading profit on every day but one and there were two days when trading profits exceeded $100m. When volatility spiked in February, however, January's big profits turned to big losses and the U.S. bank's traders have never quite recovered their stride. Early June was good. Late June was…patchy.
Source: efinancial careers


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Shot My First Wedding (Photography) + Updates
This has been a really busy week.
Got several articles out for BTCManager, it's been a busy week with the ICE announcing their new Digital Asset Exchange Bakkt.
My most viral article was one talking about Blockchain tech and AI, as Spiros Margaris picked it up and tweeted it out.
Check out the article, the link is here.
Other updates for this week include the finalization of my relationship podcast. It should be out not far too long after this post goes live, so stay tuned for that.
I shot my first wedding today as well. Well not really.
Typically, I shoot video weddings and take some photos when I have some spare time for portfolio work or IG.
But today was the first time I was hired for photo, and I shot it solo. The results weren't half bad, and you can check out the album here.
If you're interested in booking me for photo/video work, you can contact me here or through my photo website.
School starts in a week from the time of of me writing this blog post too. Back to Troy University in 7 days. Crazy how fast this summer went. The plan for next week when I get to Troy is to make some kind of college related podcast and keep the commitment of one at least a week. Exciting times!


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Dora, the director, has trained with the expert hairdressers in both Sydney and Europe. Working in well renowned salons, she has worked her way up to being a hair salon owner for 5 years now. She is a very passionate and dedicated hair stylist, with the aim of always making the hair salon customers very happy through the professional care offered by hairdressers.
Our hair salon has attracted a team of specialist local and internationally trained hairdressers, who together offer our hair salon clients a truly unique experience.
Our team is composed of highly skilled stylists and hairdressers who specialise in foiling, balayage and the latest color techniques. Our hairdressers offer precision cutting and styling, keeping our clients up to date and on trend. We also offer the latest in human hair extensions from Europe, Keratin hair treatment and Japanese hair straightening, so our hair salon can accommodate the clients every need.
Our aim is to be the best hairdresser in Sydney you ever had …
We are using full range of L'oreal colours (including no-ammonia INOA colour). Our stylist are L'oreal trained.
We are Kerastase exclusive retailer.
Also our Manager is certified Kerastase Master Ambassador, so rest assure that you are being served the best of ways.
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Our reputation is based on promoting top naturalist guides...
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Conveyancing Solicitors South Kensington - Get a Quote for Conveyancing in South Kensington
We think conveyancing should not be tiring. Fridaysmove's nationwide network of conveyancing solicitors deliver an unbeatable service at best-value solicitors' fees.
Your fixed fee South Kensington quote clearly states the fees due on completion. In addition, a flexible No Completion, No Fee guarantee is included with every Fridaysmove quote, at no extra cost.
Get a conveyancing quote for your home move online now, or call one of our conveyancing team on 0330 660 0286.
Cheap South Kensington house conveyancing
When searching for cheap conveyancing in South Kensington you are advised to always get other quotes. Also, don't forget to examine the terms of engagement for any terms .
We only ever work with the most affordable SRA-regulated conveyancing lawyers in Kensington And Chelsea. Furthermore, in addition to our cheap fees, service standards are first rate and recommended by our customers.
Faster Conveyancing
Our solicitors in South Kensington can drive your sale or purchase through to completion. This means that they will actively engage with other parties to reduce communication delays. Choosing a fast solicitor will be one step towards improving the chance your home move will complete faster. However there is a range of steps you can follow to fast-track the move:
- Quickly turnaround your identification quickly
- In the case of leaseholds, collect management information as early as possible
- If you are buying, send any specific questions you have to your solicitor as soon as you can
You can potentially shave a week or more off the conveyancing process with these suggestions.
No Completion, No Fee Conveyancing in South Kensington
It can be exceedingly alarming when a transaction collapses before completion.
With the Fridaysmove no completion no fee guarantee, clients need not pay for any solicitors fees if your house move fails to go ahead.
Your South Kensington solicitors deposit will be offset against another property sale or purchase and you will only have to pay for any third party disbursements, such as environmental searches.
The Myth of Local Solicitors vs. Online Conveyancing
In fact, speed or cost have little to do with whether or not a conveyancer markets their services on the Internet.
Our national network of property lawyers deliver the benefits of both approaches, the ease of a local office, and lower fees.
Remortgage Legal Work
Remortgage specialists who work with Fridaysmove work on behalf of home owners who intend to remortgage their home.
Our South Kensington conveyancing solicitors can act on behalf of all major building societies and lenders. Thanks to their communicative and proactive attitude, our solicitors should process completions can happen sooner.
Tips on comparing South Kensington solicitors conveyancing feesLegal costs for buyers and sellers break down into two individual parts referred to as fees and disbursements.
conveyancing fees are the amounts that the buyer or seller pays to the South Kensington solicitor for the legal work.
Legal disbursements, for example flat or maisonette indemnity insurance or an Energy Report - Commercial, are just third party costs sustained by the South Kensington conveyancing solicitor and paid by the customer at the end.
It is very important that to investigate the conveyancing lawyers contractual terms when comparing South Kensington solicitors conveyancing fees.
Conveyancing for New Build Homes in South Kensington
New build buyers will frequently be expected to exchange contracts before building work on the property is finished.
Conveyancing for new build houses and flats is quite distinct from buying an existing house or flat.
Kensington And Chelsea House Prices
|Average House Price (£ s)
|May 2004
|502, 685
|May 2005
|526, 234
|May 2006
|579, 378
|May 2007
|735, 533
|May 2008
|837, 545
|May 2009
|705, 198
|May 2010
|857, 670
|May 2011
|917, 258
|May 2012
|1, 037, 904
|May 2013
|1, 124, 001
In September 2019, 1,711 trusted us in Greater London and the UK
We are a specialist group of property lawyers based across England and Wales. Recent clients :
- Leasehold Purchase on Marlborough, Walton Street, London, SW3, £499,000
- Leasehold Purchase on Egerton Gardens, Knightsbridge, London, SW3, £405,000
- Freehold Purchase on Elystan Place, London, SW3, £915,000
- Leasehold Purchase on Top Floor Flat, Cornwall Gardens, London, SW7, £1,330,000


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Whether you're going around the block or across the country, GoPetFriendly.com is here to make it easy for you to find pet friendly things to do and places to stay with your best friend.
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25 Foothill Street
Lebanon, NH
Call to book 603.448.5000
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Rochester, NH
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77 Farmington Road
Rochester, NH
Call to book 160.399.41175


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Bright Morning
by Connor Garvey
The Portland Phoenix
"Connor Garvey continues to surprise me. That's a good thing. A very good thing"
No Depression
"Connor Garvey is not only a consummate performer - he is a refreshingly unique songwriter...Recommended"
MarySue Twohy (Program Director SiriusXM The Village)
2014 Kerrville New Folk Winner
2014 Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Singer Songwriter Showcase Winner
2014 Falcon Ridge Folk Fest "Most Wanted Artist"
2014 Solarfest Singer Songwriter Showcase Winner
2014 Nominee for Male Performer of The Year - New England Music Awards
It takes a certain performer to be deemed "a folk legend in the making" or for greats like David Wilcox and Vance Gilbert to remark "the acoustic tradition is in the right hands." It is this quality, this spark, that is simultaneously fresh and classic, that sets Connor Garvey apart on stage and on his newest release, Meteors & Beating Hearts.
Garvey's 6th and strongest album yet highlights the richness and enchantment of an established songwriter, the depth of an ever expanding perspective on the world, the comfort of a pure voice, and the confidence of a seasoned band. It is sure to build upon the successes of his 2009 release Constancy of Stars which landed him in the top 6 new Singer Songwriters on SiriusXM's The Coffeehouse and the 2011 release Where Ocean Meets Land that climbed high on the National Triple-A charts most adds list.
Meteors & Beating Hearts has all the elements to make it feel like an authentic Connor Garvey record. The grooves are groovier, the emotions are broader AND deeper, the sound is cleaner, the production is tastier. All of this is built upon road seasoned songs already favorites to many fans. The music draws us in but it's the lyrics that keep us engaged.
Bright Morning, Real Old, Bite That Tastes Good, and Ride It Out get our toes tapping while Willow, Tattered Shirt, Meteor, and Old House send us deeper into an emotional journey through longing, hope, and the seeking of security in an unstable world. Crowd favorites like the jazzy Spark and energetic Charlie add breadth to the record that strikes a wonderful balance of consistent tone and presence with diversity and intrigue.
Garvey didn't have to look far for musicians on this record as the same team that he recorded Where Ocean Meets Land (2011) with, which garnered wonderful support across the country (and beyond), is also the band that's been playing together ever since. Colin Winsor on bass, Dan Boyden on drums & percussion, & Pete Morse on electric guitar form the backbone of the band with wonderful musical hues added by Sara Hallie Richardson (vocals) and the always amazing Tom Murphy on mandolin. The result of the years of creating music together shines through on the ability to bring the true song to life in a way that leaves room to breath and space to imagine.
The album was engineered and mixed by Pete Morse at Red Vault Recording in Portland, ME (Putnam Smith, Pete Kilpatrick) & Mastered with Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering in Boston, MA (Bon Iver, Josh Ritter, Andrew Bird...). The album is represented and distributed by Mishara Music (Barnaby Bright, Peter Bradley Adams, Caitlin Canty).


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Conveyancing Solicitors Edgware - Get a Quote for Conveyancing in Edgware
Fridaysmove feel the conveyancing process doesn't need to be nerve-racking. In Edgware, North London, and across the UK, buyers, sellers and investors choose Fridaysmove on the basis of an unbeatable service and unbeatably low fees.
Fridaysmove never lure in clients with misleading estimates, and never charge you with hidden, additional charges in the terms and conditions. For a standard sale or purchase, your fixed fee Edgware quote clearly states the fees payable when you move. No Completion, No Fee protection is also included with every Fridaysmove quote.
You can get a fixed fee conveyancing quote for a move, or, if you wish, contact a conveyancing advisor on 0330 660 0286.
Cheap Edgware property conveyancing
If you are trying to find cheap conveyancing solicitors in Edgware ensure that you obtain a minimum of 3 solicitors quotes. Moreover it is critical to carefully read the formal fine print for hidden solicitors fees, such as fees for postage, photocopying & phone calls, which can add to the legal fees.
We use low cost SRA-regulated conveyancers in North London. Furthermore, in addition to our cheap fees, service levels are without compromise and highly recommended.
Advice for completing conveyancing sooner
Our conveyancing solicitors can drive your transaction through to completion by chasing the other parties, including search providers and managing agents. Instructing a proactive conveyancing lawyer is the first step towards improving the likelihood of your home move completing sooner, however there are numerous things you can also do personally to accelerate your move:
- If you are selling, respond to any queries as soon as possible
- If you are buying, send specific questions to your solicitor as soon as you can
- Request that your solicitor order searches as early as possible
If you are selling, some of these can be completed even before you accept an offer. This could easily cut a week or two off your transaction.
No Completion, No Fee Conveyancing in Edgware
If a purchase or sale falls through at the last minute it can be decidedly upsetting. Countless reasons can culminate in the buying or selling process falling through such as the sale property being repossessed or a poor HomeBuyer Report.
With the Fridaysmove no completion no fee assurance, you will not have to pay any legal fees should your house move fails to proceed.
Any deposit will be offset against your alternative property or sale and you will only have to cover any third party disbursements, for instance searches for example.
Online Edgware Conveyancing
Communication, cost or speed have little to do with whether a solicitor markets their services online.
Although some buyers and sellers like to see their solicitor, it is not necessary. A dedicated, communicative conveyancing lawyer should often complete your conveyancing faster than one who requires you to come to their office.
Remortgage Conveyancing in Edgware
Remortgage experts that Fridaysmove work with take care of the necessary work on behalf of home owners planning to remortgage their house.
Our Edgware conveyancers will be able to act for major lenders and building societies throughout England and Wales.
Compare Edgware solicitors conveyancing feesLegal charges for Edgware home buyers and sellers are divided into fees and disbursements.
Conveyancing disbursements, e.g. good leasehold indemnity insurance or ground rent service charge, are basically third party costs sustained by the Edgware solicitor on your behalf. Solicitors conveyancing fees are the sums that the customer pays to the Edgware solicitor for handling the conveyancing process.
It is of paramount importance to always read the conveyancing solicitors fine print when comparing Edgware solicitors conveyancing fees. Hidden charges can increase the bill. Look out for things like specific fees for preparation or approval of a key undertaking.
Conveyancing for a New Build Property in Edgware
If buying a new build property, buyers will generally expect to exchange and commit to buy the property before the building work is completed. There are unique pros and cons when considering newly built houses and flats. Pros include that 'new home' feeling, whereas cons include mortgage difficulties, particularly if construction is delayed.
If purchasing a newly built flat or house you should search for reviews and other information on your builder. By selecting a solicitor as soon as possible, you will increase the likelihood of a less-stressful new build purchase.
Harrow House Prices
|Average House Price (£ s)
|May 2004
|252, 504
|May 2005
|257, 511
|May 2006
|263, 022
|May 2007
|285, 821
|May 2008
|301, 213
|May 2009
|254, 058
|May 2010
|286, 611
|May 2011
|294, 109
|May 2012
|293, 521
|May 2013
|305, 270
Our conveyancing solicitors helped more than 1700 clients in Greater London and across the country in September 2019
We are an established network of conveyancers with over 70 offices across the country.
Recent clients include:
- Purchase on Orchestra Court, Symphony Close, Edgware And Parking Space, HA8, £190,000
- Freehold Sale on Briar Walk, Edgware, HA8, £280,000
- Share of Freehold Sale on Gresham Rd, Edgware, HA8, £190,000
- Freehold Purchase on Methuen Road, Edgware, HA8, £397,500


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We all know the Most Valuable Player in sports is the team member who excels or 'performs best' in a particular game or series of games, thus gaining the title of MVP. When BOLD! determines we're going to take on a client or a project, it is with the sincere expectation we're going to do everything possible to provide that value.
We do that, in part, by taking a MVP approach in our software development, that is, the Minimum Viable Product. A software solution built to be a streamlined, functioning version of an app or technology platform that performs, provides value and with enough features and benefits that early adoptors grasp the concept and can embrace it.
Once deployed and available, additional development may continue with which to further expand or extend the app's capabilities, but done so in partnership with these early users in something like a meta beta. Although focused in scope, the slimmer MVP still offers value and functionality in the product it delivers; it's the process that allows more rapid deployment, hence increasing value to the client by offering feedback from their market earlier.
Technopedia explains an MVP's three key characteristics:
- It has enough value that people are willing to use it or buy it initially.
- It demonstrates enough future benefit to retain early adopters.
- It provides a feedback loop to guide future development https://www.techopedia.com/definition/27809/minimum-viable-product-mvp
The standards underlying MVP were communicated in a book published by Eric Reis, called "The Lean Startup" which, here at BOLD! Technologies, we've had a great deal of experience helping to facilitate from a development perspective, i.e. startups. http://theleanstartup.com/principles
One of the greatest challenges we often face with new concepts and startups is helping define the objective, refine expectations and focus on scale.
We're just as excited as any group of creative forward thinking innovators when it comes to new apps and technology, but experience has taught us that biting off more than you can chew can sometimes result in choking. We love to work with clients with a novel idea, a reasonable budget and timeline, willingness to stay current and involved in the development process and then BOLD! can deliver brilliantly against those mutually agreed upon expectations.
The principles of Minimum Viable Product in a development context apply equally well to projects for mature companies as they do for startups. Whether the process enables the technological platform on which you're building a new business, or you are a more mature organization looking for team augmentation, whether the project is a foundation or a stepping stone, this strategic approach to development moves the idea to deployment more rapidly, and with greater operational efficiencies.
BOLD! Technologies may be relatively small and agile, but we are innovators precisely because our size enables a smart and nimble approach to any project. From prototype to finished product, partner with BOLD! and expect more value from your MVP.


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MUMBAI: In the wake of the alleged multi-million fraud involving celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi and his family, the scam-hit Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Tuesday appointed AK Pradhan as the Group Chief Risk Officer.
Earlier today, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said PNB has informed the agency has detected a further scam of Rs 1,251 crore in respect to Gitanjali Gems.
"PNB has informed us that further scam of Rs 1,251 crore has been detected in respect to Gitanjali Gems. CBI is now probing Rs 12,636 crore which is (Nirav and Gitanjali) PNB scam, up from Rs 11,421 crore," said CBI.
In a related development, PNB's former managing director Usha Ananthasubramanian was questioned today in Mumbai. The two serving General Managers were also called for questioning.
The Executive Director of ICICI bank NS Kannan was called for questioning in connection with the PNB fraud. Kannan is the leader of the consortium of the bank that lent money to Gitanjali Group.
Earlier this month, it had emerged that the fraudulently issued Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) from Brady Road branch in Mumbai of PNB were issued in favour of Hong Kong branches of Allahabad Bank and Axis Bank. These letters helped facilitate Rs 280.7 crore fraud by jewellery designer Nirav Modi and his maternal uncle Mehul Choksi.
As per the FIR lodged with the CBI, Shetty and Kharat had transmitted SWIFT instructions to the above-mentioned banks for raising buyers credit and for funding the Nostro accounts of PNB, without due procedure. The LoUs were issued on behalf of Diamond R US, Solar Exports, Stellar Diamonds.