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I can't stand that word. It gives me anxiety. And I need more anxiety like.....
(can't even think of a good comparison here, because that's how much I don't need more.)
I was driving Crosby home from swimming lessons today and we always take the back route on the way home from swimming lessons so we can see the horses and I caught a glimpse of him in the rearview mirror. He was quiet, because he's always quiet after swimming, eating a sucker, and the wind was blowing his hair because his window was down; better to see the horses like that, and I just had this overwhelming swell of panic about him.....and Georgia too......
Was I soaking them up enough?
Every little subtle thing about them?The way he always smells a little like Chinese food (and I know that sounds bizarre--but I love it so much).
The way he pats my back with his little hand when I hold him.
How he says, "Thank you......so much.'
How Georgia asks me if she can sit on the kitchen counter and talk to me.
How she lets Crosby climb in her side of the car every.time.we.go.anywhere because she knows it makes him happy.
How she is the only person he won't fight about having to hold their hand in a parking lot.
How she is a fiercely loyal girl.
How Crosby says, "Daddy, you're craaaaazy."
How he calls ketchup, kep-itch.
How the two of them beg me to play "It's Raining Tacos" on full blast in the car.
How they can get so wildly insane together and just when I want to lose it, I watch them a second and feel so thankful for them, and how much they love each other, drive each other crazy, the bonds they share, and that they're mine.
And that list is so short. So insufficient. So needing more added to it, because there is so much more. But sometimes in the moment it's hard to recall all the amazing things about your kids and it makes me panic sometimes that I'm missing something, a detail has escaped me that I really wanted to tuck into my heart but now it's gone. And the sadness of that........
So I was thinking the other day about this feeling of scarcity and am I doing enough, being enough, remembering enough as these babies get older and older and I landed on this very simple routine we started in our family about three ago but haven't made it as much of a priority as we're going to.....our three things book. The perfect space to remember and archive forever those small moments that make us who we are. A book that we can look back at and remember.....oh yeah....that was so funny....incredible.....amazing.....significant....
About a three years ago we bought a blank journal and intended to make a list at dinner every night of three things that we were each thankful for from that day. It would be dated so we could skim back through the lists when we wanted to and remember.....all of it.....all that we needed to and wanted to.
Some past entries.
Thankful for:
- 7.28.14 Georgia read a book all on her own.
- 8.1.14 We're running the Color Run tomorrow with good friends.
- 8.5.14 In the summer....kids can eat rice with dinner.....OUTSIDE!
- 11.10.14 AND YOU GUYS---WE DID THIS ONE HOURS BEFORE WE FOUND OUT CROSBY WAS BORN.....Great first parent/teacher conference for G.
- 9.7.15 Georgia & Daddy camped in the basement.
- 12.31.15 Bubbles, the fish, is alive..........still.
- 9.23.16 Georgia got a FISH award at school!!!!
- 5.19.16 Crosby had a great eye appointment and won't need glasses!
- 6.11.17 Chris was home all week and didn't have to travel at all!
And reading through the lists is fun, a glimpse into life then, and things we probably forgot about. And there's an element of relief in reading it because it chronicles all those things I get worried about forgetting.
So I am pledging to make our 'three things book' way more of a habit for our family. Even on really hard and horrible and mean days there are always three things you can find to be thankful for. And besides it being something to bring me peace of mind, I think it's an impactful habit to model for our children; an attitude of ongoing gratitude.
It's easy as moms to get caught up in that scarcity whirlwind when it comes to our kids, and it's not as easy to do something intentional, that is realistic, to combat it.........but this little practice is one way that I've found I can work against that machine. It's not that original or even creative, but when it's done regularly, it can be revolutionary.
So whether it's in the car, at breakfast, before bed, after school....whenever.....I challenge you to create a three things book with your family too! It makes for a really good read.


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At Artina's Jewellery, you will find a large selection of Indigenous and contemporary Canadian bracelets. From beaded bracelets to cuff bracelets and so much more, they come in many different sizes and styles. If you are interested in a piece that is either too small or too large, let us know and we will see if we can have it made for you.
To view charms, visit our pendants page for spirit beads and charm beads. These beads, as well as contemporary Canadian charms we sell in-store, can be worn on a Pandora charm bracelet.
Jewellery is individually handmade and may not look identical to the image.
Interested in a product currently out of stock? Contact us to find out if we can have it made for you!
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subset: commoncrawl


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Trade Center
Building Construction
2010 - 2015
Full project details
The scope of works included providing track work for the conveyor system, three conveyors, a crushing station, a skyline tripper, a stockpile pad, a reclaim tunnel and a rail load-out bin.
Laing O'Rourke self-performed the design and construction of all components, which involved bulk earthworks, rail system construction and integration, signalling and communication, culverts and drainage, remediation works and the installation of coal-handling plant.
An iconic building
The project drew on multidisciplinary strengths across Laing O'Rourke's rail and infrastructure business units.
At its peak, the project employed more than 300 people from Laing O'Rourke, Centennial Coal and partner companies across the design, construction, operations and maintenance phases.
Logistics and DfMA
Through close liaison with the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), Laing O'Rourke negotiated a target incentive mechanism, mitigated interface risks and reduced program inefficiencies.
By providing integrated design and construction services, and preparing concept and preliminary designs and budgets as early as possible, Laing O'Rourke completed the project four months ahead of schedule.


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The Rise of the Have-Nots
By Harold Meyerson
The American middle class has toppled into a world of temporary employment, jobs without benefits, and retirement without security.
10/30/07 "American Prospect" — — Last week over lunch, a friend in his 30s prodded me to explain how my generation, the boomers, had botched so many things. While not exactly conceding that we had, I said that the one thing none of us had anticipated was that America would cease to be a land of broadly shared prosperity. To be born, as I was, in mid-century was to have come of age in a nation in which the level of prosperity continued to rise and the circle of prosperity continued to widen. This was the great given of our youth. If the boomers embraced such causes as civil and social rights and environmentalism, it was partly because the existence and distribution of prosperity seemed to be settled questions.
Nor were we alone in making this mistake. Our parents may have gone through the Depression and could never fully believe, as boomers did, that the good times were here to stay. They remembered busts as well as booms. But the idea that the economy could revert to its pre-New Deal configuration (in which the rich claimed all the wealth the nation created while everyone else just got by), the notion that the middle class might shrink even as the economy grew: Who, among all our generations and political persuasions, expected that?
Yet that's precisely what happened. Median family income over the past quarter-century has stagnated. The economic rewards from increased productivity, which went to working-class as well as wealthy Americans from the 1940s to the '70s, now go exclusively to the rich. The manufacturing jobs that anchored our prosperity were offshored, automated or deunionized; lower-paying service-sector jobs took their place.
It's no great achievement for a people to recognize that their nation's economy has tanked, but recognizing that their nation's class structure has slowly but fundamentally altered is a more challenging task. It's harder still for a people who are conditioned, as Americans are, not to see their nation in terms of class.
Which is why a poll released this month by the Pew Research Center reveals a transformation of Americans' sense of their country and themselves that is startling. Pew asked Americans if their country was divided between haves and have-nots. In 1988, when Gallup asked that question, 26 percent of respondents said yes, while 71 percent said no. In 2001, when Pew asked it, 44 percent said yes and 53 percent said no. But when Pew asked it again this summer, the number of Americans who agreed that we live in a nation divided into haves and have-nots had risen to 48 percent — exactly the same as the number of Americans who disagreed.
Americans' assessment of their own place in the economy has altered, too. In 1988, fully 59 percent identified themselves as haves and just 17 percent as have-nots. By 2001, the haves had dwindled to 52 percent and the have-nots had risen to 32 percent. This summer, just 45 percent of Americans called themselves haves, while 34 percent called themselves have-nots.
These are epochal shifts, of epochal significance. The American middle class has toppled into a world of temporary employment, jobs without benefits, retirement without security. Harder times have come to left and right alike: The percentage of Republicans who call themselves haves has declined by 13 points since 1988; the percentage of Democratic haves has declined by 12 points.
This equality of declining opportunity, however, isn't matched by an equality of perception. The percentage of Democrats who say America is divided between haves and have-nots has risen by 31 points since 1988; the percentage of Republicans, by just 14 points. Indeed, though that 13-point decline in Republicans who call themselves haves has occurred entirely since they were asked that question in 2001, the percentage of Republicans who say we live in a have/have-not nation has actually shrunk by one point since 2001. (It had increased 15 points from 1988 to 2001.) Apparently, so great is Republicans' loyalty to the Bush presidency that they're willing to overlook their own experience. And, in many cases, to attribute the nation's transformation solely to immigration, rather than to the rise of a stateless laissez-faire capitalism over which the American people wield less and less power. Which helps explain why Republican presidential candidates bluster about a fence on the border and have nothing to say about providing health coverage or restoring some power to American workers.
But the big story here isn't Republican denial. It's the shattering of Americans' sense of a common identity in a time when the economy no longer promotes the general welfare. The world the New Deal built has been destroyed, and we are, as we were before the New Deal, two nations.


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Road Burners (Atari Games) Promotional Video from 1999
Road Burners (Atari Games) Promotional Video from 1999
Huh, I've never heard of Road Burners before. I actually went to the KLOV site to check and see if it really came out or if it was a prototype. I would have been all over one of those machines if I had ever seen one in an arcade. But by that time, most arcades were dying off around me, which is why I probably never saw this one. Thanks for the video!
Nz17 (10-31-2018)
Carts with special hardware features:
American Segata Sanshiro / SEGA Saturn tribute videos
Super Gun (NES, NTDEC) Playthrough from Caltron 9-in-1 Prototype
Oct 25, 2019
The Video Game History Foundation
One of the rarest games for the NES! While this "unlicensed" game had a standalone cart release, it's so hard to find that it was actually easier to borrow and digitize a one-of-a-kind "Caltron 9-in-1" prototype to record this footage.


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Out of stock
Teenagers and young adults comprise a growing market for books on witchcraft and magick, yet there has never been a book written specifically for the teen seeker. Now, silver ravenwolf, one of the most well-known wiccans today and the mother of four young witches, gives teens their own handbook on what it takes and what it means to be a witch. Humorous and compassionate, teen witch gives practical advice for dealing with everyday life in a magickal way.


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How to stay safe online
The Click CEOP button (above) is an asset of the National Crime Agency's CEOP Command. The CEOP Command works to protect children from the harm of sexual abuse and exploitation both online and offline.
Internet safety is always high on the agenda at Thistle Hill Academy. We have extensive security measures in place, which are constantly monitored both internally and externally, to prevent our pupils from coming into any potential danger or accessing unsuitable material.
Lessons are taught from EYFS upward explaining and demonstrating how to stay safe when using the internet and working with technology.
Check out National Online Safety's Wake Up Wednesday guides for the latest advice!
Your help is still needed to prevent children accessing inappropriate material at home by way of filters and parental controls. Look below at our extensive list of links and resources for Parents/Carers, Teachers and Young People.
National Agencies and where to report a problem
- Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre CEOP's homepage and report abuse button
- Think U Know – Advice for Parents, Teachers and Young people and teaching resources
- Internet Watch Foundation – Report illegal Content
- UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS)
- Childnet International – Guidance for Parents, Teachers and Young People
- Kent Schools e-Safety Policy Guidance – This guidance and policy template will help schools to discuss the issues and review their e-Safety Policy.
- Internet Matters: www.internetmatters.org
- Lucy Faithfull Foundation: www.lucyfaithfull.org
- NSPCC: www.nspcc.org.uk/onlinesafety
- ChildLine: www.childline.org.uk
- Net Aware: www.net-aware.org.uk
- UK Safer Internet Centre: www.saferinternet.org.uk
Links for Parents/Carers
- Online Safety Booklet – A guide for parents (KS1&KS2)
- A parents' guide to being Share Aware – Helping you to keep your child safe online (KS1&KS2)
- Ask About Games – Advice on computer gaming and how to apply parental controls (KS1&KS2)
- Common Sense Media – Providing unbiased information and trusted advice on media and technology (KS1&KS2)
- NCPCC Net Aware (KS1&KS2)
- Early Years e-safety – help introduce young children to the idea of internet safety (EYFS&KS1)
- Get Safe Online – Advice and guidance on Safety online (KS2)
- Yahoo Safety Tips (KS2)
- TeacherTube – Video Sharing website (KS2)
- Easywhois – Useful website to check who registered/owns a website (KS2)
- All about Explorers – Teaching children to evaluate reliability of online information. (KS2)
- That's Not Cool – advice on digital relations for (KS3/4)
- www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/social-media-guides (KS1&KS2)


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Dunlop Nickel Wound Electric Strings - 9-46
DEN0946A unique combination of crisp highs, aggressive mids, and a focused low end gives Dunlop Electric Guitar Strings a voice all their own. The Dunlop recipe for string-to-string balance and responsiveness produces string sets that are perfect for dynamic lead work, while notes in a chord ring out clearly whether clean or heavily distorted.
This powerful voice is delivered in a low tension string with a smooth tactile feel that breaks in fast and lasts a long time.


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Welcome to the City of Casper, Wyoming
The Fort Caspar Museum Store offers a wide variety of educational products and Wyoming souvenirs. Visitors will find handmade Native American crafts, antique beads, assorted glassware, Wyoming t-shirts, jewelry, posters, children's toys, and novelties. The store also carries more than 900 books related to the history of the American West.
Order over the phone using check or credit card (MasterCard/Visa/Discover are accepted) by calling (307) 235-8462 or contact us by email.
Frontier Crossroads:
The History of Fort Caspar & The Upper Platte Crossing
Published in 1997
The Life & Letters of Caspar Collins
by Alex Service.
Published in 2000
Portraits of the Upper Platte: Biographies of Men & Women Who Made a Difference
By John D. McDermott.
Published in 2013
Natrona County: People, Place & Time
Published in 2011
Selected Items from Our Store
"Casper" from Arcadia Publishing by Con Trumbull & Kem Nicolaysen
The story of Casper is told using over 200 seldom-seen photographs from the collections of Fort Caspar Museum, the Western History Center and private collections.
Published in 2013.
Guinard Bridge Poster
Poster of the William Henry Jackson
painting of the Guinard Bridge as it looked when Jackson crossed the bridge in 1866. Jackson painted the picture in 1924. Poster is 18" x 24"
Mormon Ferry Postcard
Postcard of the "Mormon Ferry"
Painting by Ray Blaha, 1997.
Postcard is: 6 1/4" x 8 1/2"
Mormon Ferry Poster Print or Magnet
Print of the "Mormon Ferry" painting by Ray Blaha, 1997.
$10.00 for print 16.5x23"; a 2 x 3" magnet of the print is $3.95
"Devil's Gate" Limited Edition Print
Print of the Linda Lillegraven's painting of Devil's Gate and the Sweetwater River.
Prints are signed and numbered; the run is limited to 250. 17 1/2" x 24"
Fort Caspar Museum Pin
Size 1 1/4" x 3/4"
Casperopoly Board Game
Produced by the Casper Museum Consortium.
Replica 1860s-era Glass Telegraph Insulators
Hand-blown by a glass artist using an actual 1860s Wade glass insulator in the Fort Caspar Museum's collection as a mold. Produced by the Fort Caspar Museum Association in 2013.
$21.00 each Shipping costs for insulators: We use Priority Mail Flat Rate shipping boxes, so the costs vary by box size.
Fort Caspar Museum
4001 Fort Caspar Rd
Casper, WY 82604
<<< Back to the City of Casper


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Repairs, etc.
Required Contract Items
Contracts - all contracts over $1,000 (One Thousand Dollars) must be in writing.
The law requires the following fourteen items to be included in any contract between a homeowner and a registered home improvement contractor for home improvement work subject to MGL c. 142A:
1. The complete agreement between the contractor and the owner and a clear description of any other documents which are part of the agreement.
2. The full names, federal I.D. number (if applicable), addresses (NOT P.O. Box numbers), of the parties, the contractors registration number, the name(s) of the salesperson(s) involved, if any and the date the contract was executed by the parties.
3. The date on which the work is scheduled to begin and the date the work is scheduled to be substantially completed.
4. A detailed description of the work to be done and the materials to be used.
5. The total amount agreed to be paid for the work to be performed under the contract.
6. A time schedule of payments to be made under the contract and the amount of each payment stated in dollars, including any finance charges. Any deposit required to be paid in advance of the start of the work SHALL NOT exceed one-third of the total contract price or the actual cost of any material or equipment of a special order or custom made nature, which must be ordered in advance of the start of the work to assure that the project will proceed on schedule. No final payment shall be demanded until the contract is completed to the satisfaction of all parties.
7. All parties must sign the contract.
8. A clear and conspicuous notice stating:
a. That all home improvement contractors and subcontractors shall be registered and that any inquiries about a contractor or subcontractor relating to a registration should be directed to:
Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Ten Park Plaza, Suite 5170
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-973-8700
b. The contractor's registration number must be on the first page of the contract.
c. The homeowner's three day cancellation rights under MGL c 93 s 48; MGL c 140D s 10 or MGL c 255D s 14 as may be applicable.
d. All warranties on the owner's rights under the provisions of and MGL c. 142A.
e. In ten point bold type or larger, directly above the space provided for the signature, the following statement:
f. Whether any lien or security interest is on the residence as a consequence of the contract.
9. An enumeration of such other matters upon which the owner and contractor may lawfully agree.
10. Any other provisions otherwise required by the applicable laws of the Commonwealth.
11. Permit Notice: Every contract shall contain a clause informing the owner of the following:
a. any and all necessary construction-related permits;
b. that it shall be the obligation of the contractor to obtain such permits.
c. that owners who secure their own construction-related permits or deal with unregistered contractors shall be excluded from access to the Guarantee Fund.
12. Acceleration of payment: No contract shall contain an acceleration clause under which any part or all of the balance not yet due may be declared due and payable because the holder deems himself to be insecure. However, where the contractor deems himself to be insecure he may require as a prerequisite to continuing said work that the balance of funds due under the contract, which are in possession of the owner, shall be placed in a joint escrow account requiring the signatures of the home improvement contractor and the owner for withdrawal.
13. No work shall begin prior to the signing of the contract and transmittal to the owner of a copy of such contract.
14. Arbitration: If the contractor determines that in the event of a dispute, the contractor wishes the dispute to be settled by arbitration, this fact must be signified on the contract and both the contractor and owner shall sign this clause separately. The following format is acceptable (in 10 point type or larger);
"The contractor and the homeowner hereby mutually agree in advance that in the event that the contractor has a dispute concerning this contract, the contractor may submit such dispute to a private arbitration service which has been approved by the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and the consumer shall be required to submit to such arbitration as provided in MGL c 142A.
NOTICE: The signatures of the parties above apply only to the agreement of the parties to alternate dispute resolution initiated by the contractor. The owner may initiate alternative dispute resolution even where this section is not signed separately by the parties."
For more information please contact HELP staff at 617-730-2752
or visit www.brooklinecan.org and www.mass.gov.
Updated on: 6/21/2011
Support Disclaimer: Inclusion of services on this website does not represent a recommendation from the Brookline Council on Aging, the Brookline Senior Center, or the Brookline Community Aging Network.
Disclaimer: Inclusion of services through this program does not represent a recommendation or guarantee of work performance from the Brookline Council on Aging, the Brookline Senior Center, or the Brookline Community Aging Network. The user of this program therefore agrees to release the above named from any and all liability. The user should make whatever investigation or other resources that they deem necessary or appropriate before hiring or engaging Service Providers.


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The Bison and Elk Jerky and Snack Stick Gift Box from Navarino Valley Elk and Bison Ranch is a delicious assortment of jerky and snack sticks. The gift box contains 3 each of 4-Pack Bison Jerky and 4-Pack Elk Jerky, and 1 each of 4-Pack Bison Snack Sticks and 4-Pack Elk Snack Sticks (3.85 oz each 4 pack). The Bison and Elk Jerky and Snack Stick Gift Box is a perfect gift for the holidays, Father's Day, a birthday, or other special occasion.
Savor some of Wisconsin's delicious jerky and snack sticks made with native bison and elk. Navarino Valley Elk & Bison Ranch brings you this assortment of high quality Bison and Elk products. The animals are farm raised and live in natural open pastures with free-range grazing and without the use of growth hormones or antibiotics. Bison and Elk meat is mild-flavored and tender. It is naturally low in fat, calories, and cholesterol. Shelf stable for up to 1 year. Upon opening, sausage needs to be refrigerated.
Contains: Elk or Bison or Venison, pork, beef, water, dextrose, salt, msg, sugar, spices extractives, black pepper, granulated garlic, Contains Less than 2% sodium nitrite, lactic acid.


text: Sepalcure's combination of love for bass and 90s house acapellas is the culmination of a cathartic two week collaboration between Travis Stewart (Machinedrum) and Praveen Sharma (Praveen & Benoît). Their mix of tribal dub, house and two step beats works equally well for both late nights in the club and rainy, introspective nights at home. Detroit techno chords cut through wooden beats, neon synths and dubbed out atmospherics.


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The other day, a petition from Campaign for America's Future ended up in my in-box. Its subject line read: "Why is Walgreens Moving to Switzerland?" Of course, Walgreens is not moving to Switzerland. My Walgreens still will by around the corner from my house. And most corporate jobs will remain in Chicago. The first line of the e-mail reads: "Walgreens is an American success story. Or, at least, they used to be." Wrong again: it still is, and will remain so even after Walgreens moves its corporate headquarters to Switzerland. It just will not pay taxes in the US anymore. But that, too, is very American. Ever since Ronald Reagan declared the government the enemy of the people, paying taxes no longer is a civic virtue. Avoiding taxation altogether is considered smart because the money would only serve to bloat the government.
The planned move by Walgreens was precipitated by its merger with Alliance Boots, a British drugstore chain. Alliance Boots moved its corporate headquarters to Zug, Switzerland, in 2008 which caused the very same discussion about corporate citizenship in Britain. Alliance Boots never had more than a mailbox in Zug. According to The Guardian, the move comes at a cost of £100 million to the British taxpayer every year. In 2013, the company headquarters were moved to Bern as Alliance Boots already had operations there. While Zug is the quintessential corporate tax haven, the move to Bern, which was missed by Bloomberg News, does little to change the story. A move to Switzerland by the Walgreen Corporation would have similar benefits. A few weeks ago, analysts from UBS, a global bank based in Switzerland, claimed that stocks in the Walgreen Corporation would rise 75 per cent if corporate headquarters were to be moved to Switzerland.
Clearly, Walgreens does not want you to read this. In 1904, Charles Walgreen traveled from his small-town home in Dixon, Illinois, to Chicago and opened a pharmacy and soda fountain. It is the quintessential American success story, but today's corporation has little to do with its humble beginnings. Walgreens want you to believe that they are an American company that pays their taxes, that they are being a good corporate American citizen, and that they live up to their iconic status as a quintessential American corporation. In a wicked way, of course, they are: like so many other American corporations, they are moving their corporate headquarters offshore.
Large corporations are de-nationalized entities which nimbly navigate the global financial and fiscal system while maintaining the fiction of national citizenship for public consumption. Two years ago, Gregory D. Wasson, the chief executive of Walgreen Corporation, sought tax breaks from the state of Illinois the company is still based. At that point, he stated: "We are proud of our Illinois heritage. Just as our stores and pharmacies are health and daily living anchors for the communities we serve, we as a company are now recommitted to serving as an economic anchor for northeastern Illinois." At the time Wasson made this statement, the merger with Alliance Boots was essentially a done deal.
Walgreens is not the first and probably not the last US corporation to move their headquarters overseas for tax reasons. But Walgreens is different in that it is part of daily life in the US. My Walgreens is not just a pharmacy, I go there as well when I am out of dish detergent or beer. When Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon platform which caused the huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, moved its corporate mailbox from Houston to Zug in 2008, nobody took notice. But Walgreens lives off he daily contact with American consumers, and in that it is seen as a quintessentially American brand that cannot be relocated so easily. And herein lies the chance to create public pressure not just to prevent Walgreens from moving to Switzlerland but to expose the fraudulent global scheme of corporate taxation.
So what does Campaign for America's Future want you to do about this? They want you to send them ten bucks so they can "expose this scam, pressure Walgreens to do the right thing, and shut down the tax loophole that allows this to happen." You can also sign their "Tell Walgreens: Don't Desert America" petition. While I cannot argue against closing tax loopholes, this approach is merely cosmetic.
In 1998, the OECD published a report entitled Harmful Tax Competition: An Emerging Global Issue which arrives at the stunningly simple analysis: "Where activities are not in some way proportional to the investment undertaken or income generated, this may indicate a harmful tax practice." Ultimately, the OECD had to abandon its efforts to develop non-abusive global taxation standards due to resistance from the wealthiest countries. The OECD report makes it clear that it is unethical for Swiss cantons (and other entities) to allow foreign corporations to incorporate and that it is harmful for tax jurisdictions where the actual economic activity of these corporations takes place. This practice particularly hurts developing countries, as Nicholas Shaxson argues in Treasure Islands (2012), that as a consequence become more dependent on foreign aid. Yet, fighting individual predatory jurisdictions, like many Swiss cantons, would only be marginally productive as corporations easily can move their mailbox to a different, equally beneficial jurisdiction.
One of the OECD recommendations was that a global standard should be established by which corporations should be taxed where their economic activity is taking place. We need to vigorously push for this standard, and we need to seek a fundamental change in how corporations are taxed globally. Corporations need to be taxed where they are producing goods and services and where they are using the infrastructure, not where they are having their corporate headquarters, i.e. their mailboxes. Such mailbox headquarters create a windfall for the host tax jurisdictions which in turn allows them to drop the corporate tax rates even more to attract even more corporate mailboxes. The Swiss canton of Zug is a textbook example for that.
The only real solution, ultimately, is to end tax competition between jurisdictions. In competitive tax environments, corporations win and taxpayers lose. Corporations and their lawyers always can move more nimbly than politicians and the polities they represent. Corporations can move their mailboxes as they please, pick where they pay taxes, and play tax jurisdictions against each other. Tax jurisdictions cannot move their citizens or their infrastructures. Unless we change the very system of how corporations are taxed, the Walgreens of this world will always have their way and citizens will lose out.


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Source: Link
MOLT, THÉODORE-FRÉDÉRIC, teacher, author, organist, composer, inventor, and music dealer; b. c. 1795 in what is now the Federal Republic of Germany; d. 16 Nov. 1856 in Burlington, Vt.
Théodore-Frédéric Molt's childhood and formative years are mentioned in an article written by historian John K. Converse for The Vermont historical gazetteer in 1868. According to Converse, who was associated with him for more than 20 years, Molt received a sound basic schooling in the humanities and mathematics. It is believed that, shortly after he entered university, he was conscripted into Napoleon's army, serving as accountant and assistant paymaster in his regiment, and was a bystander at the slaughter on the day of the decisive battle at Waterloo. On his return to his native land he is said to have decided to devote himself to music; apparently he had learned the rudiments in his childhood from his father and an elder brother.
Having pursued the study of music with the most eminent German masters, Molt came to Quebec late in the spring of 1822. He immediately announced that he would be available as a teacher of piano and music at the residence of Fred Hund on Rue Saint-Jean. The concerts given at the Union Hotel on 4 March and 26 Aug. 1824 by some of the young girls studying with him were a measure of his success in teaching. Reporting on the first concert, the Quebec Gazette noted that he had founded the Juvenile Harmonic Society. On 13 March 1823 Molt had contracted a marriage with Henriette, the daughter of Frédéric-Henri Glackmeyer*, a prominent musician at Quebec. They were to have at least nine children, only four of whom survived to adulthood.
In June 1825 Molt auctioned off his musical instruments and furniture and returned to Europe. During his stay of about a year he met such musical figures as Ignaz Moscheles, Karl Czerny, and, more important, Ludwig van Beethoven, and possibly Franz Schubert. On his return to Lower Canada the following year Molt claimed to have been their pupil. That Molt could have received lessons from all these prestigious musicians in such a short period is open to doubt. Whatever the case, his connections with Beethoven were more those of an admirer of the master's works than those of a pupil, and earned the "teacher of music at Quebec in America," as Molt called himself, the few bars of a canon on the words "Freu Dich des Lebens," written 16 Dec. 1825.
Molt returned to Quebec at the beginning of June 1826 and resumed work as a music teacher. Two years later he published at Quebec a pedagogical work entitled Elementary treatise on music, more particularly adapted to the piano forte and dedicated to his pupils. This bilingual theoretical work, the first of its kind printed in Lower Canada, showed his concern for imparting the latest knowledge and principles in an "absolutely simple and familiar" style. The originality of this teaching method stemmed from its approach, which was to engage the student in "joining theory to practice."
In 1833, a year after inventing a teaching instrument called a chromatometer, which Helmut Kallmann describes as one of the first such devices to be patented in Lower Canada, Molt left Quebec for Burlington, Vt. After a difficult start he was hired in May 1835 as a music teacher at the Burlington Female Seminary, recently founded by Converse. According to Converse, Molt spent 10 to 12 hours daily at that institution on private lessons, but was still able to find time to compose music for publication. Thus it may well have been there that Molt wrote his works for piano, in particular Post horn waltz with variations, and his pieces for voice and piano, which were published at Philadelphia, undated, after 1833.
In the summer of 1837 Molt left Vermont for Montreal. Between August and November of that year he put an announcement in La Minerve informing "the ladies and gentlemen of Montreal that he has taken up residence in that city and that he most respectfully offers them his services as teacher of pianoforte, organ and violin, teacher of singing and teacher of thorough bass." The announcement also says that "his plan of instruction on the pianoforte and on the organ is at once new and the result of several years' close study of the needs of the pupil; Mr. Molt, through his courses of instruction, can complete in half the time that is generally presumed necessary the entire education of a pupil."
It is not known how long Molt remained in Montreal, but he does not seem to have succeeded in making a name there. That he shortly returned to Burlington cannot be ruled out in the light of a letter written there on 6 July 1841 but unsigned, which was sent by Ludger Duvernay to Louis Perrault*. The writer of the letter had been invited by Molt to "go into partnership with him to publish a monthly musical journal, containing accompaniments to sacred music as sung in churches in the United States." This project had evidently come to nothing, for in May 1841 Molt was back in Quebec.
In November, after six months' satisfactory service, the fabrique of Notre-Dame engaged Molt on the basis of his offer "to play the organ and form a permanent choir . . . for an annual salary of 100 pounds current." The contract further stipulated that he was responsible for tuning the reed-stops of the organ and "preparing and supplying at his own expense all the books, exercise books or sheets of music and song which he needs," these to be subsequently given to the fabrique. During the following years Molt looked after arranging and copying pieces of music – he estimated in 1846 that he had done some "6,000 sheets." Furthermore, in 1844 and 1845 he published two instalments of a work he had compiled and arranged, Lyre sainte: recueil de cantiques, hymnes, motets, &c. He also brought out at Quebec in 1845 Traité élémentaire de musique vocale, an 89-page manual dealing with fundamental concepts of music theory, sol-fa, and vocal technique.
Molt attracted public attention through his participation in the Saint-Jean-Baptiste celebrations, probably in 1847, as a choir director, and on this occasion received a silver snuff-box. The compilation of La lyre canadienne: répertoire des meilleures chansons et romances du jour, published anonymously that year, can also plausibly be attributed to him. It is known that as early as 1842 Molt had toyed with "publishing some time a collection of selected songs with music," and in a desire to stress the Canadian aspect of his book had invited all and sundry to supply him with songs or "newly composed couplets of Canadian origin." For the period 25 July 1847 to 25 March 1849 the Séminaire de Québec possesses various receipts which show that Molt was then teaching singing at the Petit Séminaire de Québec. Since the "lay choir" which he had contracted to direct in 1841 consisted largely of pupils from that institution, it is probable that he had begun to teach there that year.
A series of disappointments as well as manœuvres behind his back and a feeling of generally being misunderstood were, however, to prevent Molt from carrying on with his work. In July 1845 his creditors demanded that he transfer up to £84 of his earnings at the church. A week before the last payment was due, his wife and two of his sons, Frédéric-Félix and Adolphe-Alphonse, perished when the Théâtre Saint-Louis went up in flames on 12 June 1846. Finally, two years later, the churchwardens, who had in their possession a letter from Marie-Hippolyte-Antoine Dessane* with an offer to serve as organist, used what they described as Molt's excessive "indifference in executing the duties of his office," and the parishioners' dissatisfaction with him, as an excuse to dismiss him from his post. In fact, his discharge may have been prompted more by his marriage with Harriett Cowan on 14 June 1848 in the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Trinity at Quebec, which ran counter to the spirit of the churchwardens' resolutions on the qualifications and duties of organist and chapel master as set out in a document dated 1837.
These events drove Molt away from Quebec, and around the middle of 1849 he moved back to Burlington with his family. During the last years of his life, as well as teaching at the Burlington Female Seminary he published a New and original method for the pianoforte, 51 progressive lessons, and The pupil's guide and young teacher's manual, or the elements of piano forte playing; an announcement that they were for sale by subscription appeared in 1854. However, Molt apparently did not break all ties with his first adopted city, since, according to the musician and journalist Nazaire Levasseur*, his name appeared in 1855 on the list of members of the Société Harmonique de Québec. Molt died at Burlington on 16 Nov. 1856, at the age of 61.
In his career, Théodore-Frédéric Molt concentrated on a professional standard of instruction in music that was marked especially by clarity, simplicity, and a methodical approach. This was the field of endeavour in which he most clearly distinguished himself, amongst such musicians as Frédéric-Henri Glackmeyer, John Chrisostomus Brauneis*, Jean-Chrysostome Brauneis*, and others with whom he maintained close relations during the first half of the 19th century in Lower Canada. Hence he himself liked to be thought of as a music teacher. At the end of his life, after more than 30 years of teaching in North America, Molt could take pride in his many pupils now dispersed throughout Lower Canada, some of whom had already assumed their master's role.
Théodore-Frédéric Molt is the author of several works on teaching methods in music, the principal ones being Elementary treatise on music, more particularly adapted to the piano forte (Quebec, 1828); Traité élémentaire de musique vocale (Québec, 1845); New and original method for the pianoforte (Burlington, Vt., n.d.); 51 progressive lessons (Burlington, n.d.); The pupil's guide and young teacher's manual, or the elements of the pianoforte playing (Burlington, 1854). He also compiled and arranged two instalments of Lyre sainte: recueil de cantiques, hymnes, motets, &c. (Québec, 1844–45). He composed a number of works for the piano, principally songs and dances, and did more than 6,000 arrangements and harmonizations of sacred music; of these there remain fewer than 200 organ accompaniments for various liturgical pieces, inscribed in two manuscript notebooks at the National Library of Canada, and the 19 canticles, hymns, and motets included in Lyre sainte. The compilation of La lyre canadienne: répertoire des meilleures chansons et romances du jour, published anonymously at Quebec in 1847, can also be attributed to him.
ANQ-Q, CE1-1, 4 juin 1824, 16 juill. 1833; CE1-61, 14 juin 1848; CE1-66, 13 mars 1823; CN1-265, 5 nov. 1841, 11 juill. 1845, 14 avril 1846; P-68, no.510. AP, Notre-Dame de Québec, Livres des délibérations de la fabrique, 1837–48. ASQ, Fonds Plante, no.22; Polygraphie, XXVI: 21, 50; Séminaire, 218, nos.603–4. Journal de l'Instruction publique (Québec et Montréal), 3 (1859): 17. Piano music I, ed. Elaine Keillor (Ottawa, 1983). Le Canadien, 3, 24 mars 1845; 15 juin 1846. Mélanges religieux, feuilleton, 4 févr. 1842. La Minerve, 21 août 1837, 3 déc. 1856. Quebec Gazette, 21 April 1823; 18 March, 15 July, 2 Sept., 9 Dec. 1824; 13 June 1825. Quebec Mercury, 21 June 1822. Catalogue of Canadian composers, ed. Helmut Kallmann (2nd ed., Toronto, 1952; repr. St Clair Shores, Mich., 1972), 176. Encyclopedia of music in Canada (Kallmann et al.). The Vermont historical gazetteer: a magazine, embracing a history of each town, civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, ed. A. M. Hemenway (3v., Burlington, 1868), 1: 531–34. Willy Amtmann, La musique au Quebec, 1600–1875, Michelle Pharand, trad. (Montréal, 1976), 294, 376–81. H.-J.-J.-B. Chouinard, Fête nationale des Canadiens-Français célébrée à Québec en 1880: histoire, discours, rapports . . . (4v., Québec, 1881–1903), 4: 521–22. Helmut Kallmann, A history of music in Canada, 1534–1914 (Toronto and London, 1960), 79–82, 138. Thayer's life of Beethoven, ed. Elliot Forbes (2nd ed., 2v., Princeton, N.J., 1964), 2: 969–71. Helmut Kallmann, "Beethoven and Canada: a miscellany," Les Cahiers canadiens de musique (Montréal), 2 (1971): 107. Nazaire LeVasseur, "Musique et musiciens à Québec: souvenirs d'un amateur," La Musique (Québec), 1 (1919): 26, 52, 98, 110, 126. "Le recueil de cantiques de Molt," BRH, 46 (1940): 168. P.-G. Roy, "Le théâtre Saint-Louis, à Québec," BRH, 42 (1936): 174–88.
Lucien Poirier, "MOLT, THÉODORE-FRÉDÉRIC," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 8, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed July 25, 2024, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/molt_theodore_frederic_8E.html.
Permalink: | https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/molt_theodore_frederic_8E.html |
Author of Article: | Lucien Poirier |
Title of Article: | MOLT, THÉODORE-FRÉDÉRIC |
Publication Name: | Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 8 |
Publisher: | University of Toronto/Université Laval |
Year of publication: | 1985 |
Year of revision: | 1985 |
Access Date: | July 25, 2024 |


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On this website you will find a variety of photos / information about broadcast-radio-technic-hobby.
I repair or revise Audio and Broadcast (Processing) equipment.
Orban Optimod, CRL, Texar-Genter Prism, Aphex, Inovonics, Warsanis, Eela , Studer and Dateq mixing tables, Behringer, Philips MFB boxes and additional brands present on this site, including tube amplifiers! In addition, retrofit/reverse engineering of/or Orban modules, Aphex, Texar/Clark and various PA/guitar amplifier modules!! I'm also producing PCB's for depotted modules, machinery and the automotive.
Monisound is a service center for Refurbishing and Repair of analog audio and broadcast processing, Orban Optimod FM / AM / HF and CRL Systems . If you have any questions about technical issues you can contact me at any time.
From ESPN to the BBC, ORBAN products are at work in radio and television stations around the world. Designing audio products for the challanges of broadcasting has kept Orban busy, and succesful, for over thirty years.
Orban is the worldwide market leader in Audio Processing FM, AM, TV or internet for every application a processor.
If you want to buy a new Orban Optimod processor you can click on the picture below.


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(BPT) – For those who are living with lupus, daily activities can be a struggle and life can become inconsistent. While many people are experiencing debilitating symptoms, from the outside, many of those with lupus don't "look sick."
Lupus, "the great imitator" as it is often called, disguises itself to look like other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, diabetes, Lyme disease, various blood disorders, a thyroid problem or any number of other heart, lung, muscle or bone diseases. Because of this, lupus is commonly misdiagnosed.
More than 1 million people in the United States have lupus and those who understand their condition know the daily struggles that come with having this disease. If you are unfamiliar with lupus, it's important to learn the specifics of this devastating disease as well as the research currently underway to develop options that are safe and effective for people with lupus.
* What is lupus? Lupus, otherwise known as systemic lupus erythematosus, is a long-term, autoimmune disorder that affects the skin, joints, kidneys, brain and other organ systems. While every patient experiences symptoms differently, symptoms such as extreme fatigue, headaches, fever, painful joints, anemia, chest pain, hair loss, abnormal blood clotting or other symptoms are common. These symptoms may come and go and can change throughout the course of the disease.
* Who is at risk for lupus? Lupus can affect any person at any age but it most often affects women between the ages of 15 and 45. Additionally, African American, Hispanic and Asian women have a higher risk of developing lupus.
* How is it diagnosed? There is no single test to diagnose lupus. It may take many months or even years for a doctor to diagnose lupus. A variety of laboratory tests are used to detect and monitor physical changes or conditions that may appear as a result of lupus. Each test helps doctors determine whether a lupus diagnosis is right.
* How is lupus treated? There currently is no cure for lupus. In fact, over the last 50 years only one medication has been approved to treat this disease. While many drugs exist that reduce the signs and symptoms of lupus, these drugs carry side effects of their own, many of them serious, including damage to the body's organs with prolonged use. Treatment plans are created to prevent and treat flares, the reoccurrence of symptoms, and also reduce organ damage.
* What is being done to find future treatment options? Physicians nationwide are participating in a clinical research study called the EMBODY Program to help advance lupus research. This global clinical research study is being conducted to assess the safety and effectiveness of an investigational medication called epratuzumab in people with lupus. Epratuzumab is being evaluated to see if it can help prevent the immune system from attacking healthy tissue, help reduce the level of inflammation and improve the symptoms associated with lupus.
* How can I learn more about this study? To take part you must be 18 years of age or older, diagnosed with lupus and not pregnant or nursing. You can learn more at rethinklupus.com or by calling 855-60-LUPUS.


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Hats Off!
Party Invitation
$132.00 for 100
$132.00 for 100
Klarna available at checkout
Paper thickness
*This only applies to the main invitation, all other items will use standard card stock by default.
Due to the personalized nature of these products, we don't typically accept returns. However, if you're not 100% happy with your order, get in touch within 30 days of your order date and we'll sort it.
Party Invitation
Modern, floral, vintage, we've got party invitation styles to suit everyone's vibe. We're proud to print on beautifully textured Mohawk paper – it's all about creating something for your lovely guests to treasure forever. Did we mention they're customizable too?
The details
5" x 7"
Paper quality
Single thickness:
Warm-white Mohawk paper with a matte eggshell finish
Double thickness:
Ultra-white cover convertible multiloft
Envelope options
Plain white envelopes are free and included. Or you can upgrade to one of our custom colored options and add free recipient addressing! Find out more!


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Dental Veneers
Veneers are a natural-looking cosmetic treatment that can provide a dramatic smile makeover. Veneers can be applied to one or several teeth for any of the following aesthetic reasons:
- Correct gaps between the teeth
- Correct uneven lengths
- Correct slightly misaligned teeth
- Correct discoloration
- Restore chipped teeth
- Correct teeth that are slightly crooked
- Change the size or shape
Veneers cover the front of the tooth surface and slightly wrap around the sides and biting edge of the tooth. In most cases, each tooth receiving a veneer will be carefully prepped prior to the veneer fabrication and placement. This preparation involves removing a thin (usually less than one millimeter) layer of enamel from the natural tooth in the areas that will be covered by the veneer. This allows the veneer to fit seamlessly with the contours of the natural tooth. The veneers are attached using a thin but strong bonding material. The material hardens when cured by a specialized light.
There are several types of veneers:
Porcelain Veneers – Porcelain veneers are the longest-lasting and most aesthetically-pleasing type of veneer. They are created in a lab to the exact specifications of the dentist and mimic the look of natural enamel, using multiple thin layers of porcelain. The size, color, shape, and fit are fully customized.
Composite Veneers – Made using composite resin, these may be made in the dental office or in a dental lab and are less expensive than porcelain veneers. They can alter the appearance of tooth color, size, or shape and can be an effective solution for less extensive cosmetic improvements. They are fully customized as are the porcelain veneers, but the composite material is somewhat susceptible to staining and does not last as long as porcelain.
Instant Veneers – Prefabricated resin veneers are not customized to the shape and fit of your tooth but they do come in many different sizes and shapes. The doctor will help patients select the color and shape that is best suited to their smile and overall coloring. Because there are fewer appointments and no lab fees, this solution is much more affordable than porcelain or composite veneers and can often be done in just one visit. Instant veneers do offer some stain resistance but do not provide the same quality, durability, or appearance as porcelain veneers.
Back to General Dental Services


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The Apache Thrift documentation has now moved to the Apache Thrift website. The wiki will continue to be available and will be used for collaborative development on new documentation prior to it moving to the website.
Apache Thrift Wiki
Apache Thrift is a software framework for scalable cross-language services development. Apache Thrift allows you to define data types and service interfaces in a simple definition file. Taking that file as input, the compiler generates code to be used to easily build RPC clients and servers that communicate seamlessly across programming languages.
Getting Started
- Read the Thrift Whitepaper to understand the overall concepts and design
- ThriftFeatures - What can and can't you do with Apache Thrift
- LanguageSupport - Thrift has generators for C++, C#, Erlang, Haskell, Java, Objective C/Cocoa, OCaml, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, and Squeak
- ThriftRequirements - Dependencies to build and run Thrift
- ThriftInstallation - Building and installing Thrift
- ThriftInstallationWin32 - Building and installing Thrift on Microsoft Windows
- ThriftInstallationMacOSX - Building and installing Thrift on MacOS X
- Get help and discuss on the mailing lists or IrcChannel
- Read the FAQ
- ThriftTypes - the Thrift type system
- ThriftIDL - the Apache Thrift interface definition language
- ThriftGeneration - how to generate code for your language
- ThriftUsage - examples showing how to use the generated code
- Tutorial - The tutorial, more recent version is within source
- Thrift & Eclipse & JUnit with TServlet - Using Eclipse to run a few basic examples then testing them
How to use this site
A Wiki is a collaborative site, anyone can contribute and share:
- Edit any page by pressing <<GetText(Edit)>> at the top or the bottom of the page
Create a link to another page with joined capitalized words (like [WikiSandBox]) or with
["quoted words in brackets"]
- Search for page titles or text within pages using the search box at the top of any page
- See HelpForBeginners to get you going, HelpContents for all help pages.
Interesting starting points:
- RecentChanges: see where people are currently working
- WikiSandBox: feel free to change this page and experiment with editing
- FindPage: search or browse the database in various ways
- SyntaxReference: quick access to wiki syntax
- SiteNavigation: get an overview over this site and what it contains


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Make Your Mark With Stickers!
There is something special about stickers that make people smile. Maybe it's the nostalgic feeling of collecting them as a child, the appreciation for the artistic creativity; whatever the reason, we just know people of all ages LOVE LOVE LOVE STICKERS! Did you know there is an enormous international sticker trading community? STICKERHEADS around the world COLLECT & TRADE stickers all the time. This activity is not limited to borders or oceans - it's an international sticker trading craze. If you give-away your sticker it is possible your brand will circle the globe without the use of the INTERNET! It's true!
Excellent Promotional Investment
Stickers are powerful promotional tools that make a statement. They speak for themselves. They are bold and mobile. People collect them, share them, place them on cell phones, laptops, cars, bikes and bus benches. STICKERS are traded, photographed and circulated through countless forms of social media. One sticker can be seen by millions of people for the cost of a quarter. All you need to do is get it out there.
Branding, Branding, Branding
Stickers create curiosity. Using stickers to BRAND your company or product is a smart way to PROMOTE. Stickers MOBILIZE YOUR BRAND in very intimate ways because people come in contact with them, carry them, peel them and stick them to objects that belong to them. When people use your stickers they identify with your message, BRAND and concept. Branding with stickers connects you to your fans and customers.


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A fanbase is a small-but-passionate group of your kind of people.
They tend to share similar beliefs, experiences, and, in the case of UI Stencils, professions.
Jay Dokken is the founder of UI Stencils, tools and accessories for software planning and design.
In this episode of Shopify Masters, you'll learn how having a dedicated tribe helped earn sales from the onset of his business.
Listen to Shopify Masters below…
You have to be continually refreshing your product line, adding new products, taking away the old products that don't sell. That's really important.
Tune in to learn
- What dedicated fans can do for your business.
- How to cultivate your relationship with your fanbase.
- Why you're doing things right if you have products that are falling flat.
Show Notes
Store: UI Stencils
Social Profiles: Facebook,Twitter,Instagram
Recommendations: Mention, OrderCup, Slack, Mailchimp
Felix: Today I'm joined by Jay Dawkin from Uistencils.com. That's the letter U, the letter I, S-T-E-N-C-I-L-S.com. UI Stencils sells tools and accessories for software planning and design. Was started in 2007 and based out of Denver, Colorado. Welcome Jay.
Jay: Thanks for having me Felix.
Felix: Excited to have you on. Tell us a bit more about these tools and accessories that you guys create and sell.
Jay: Basically when you're designing an app or you're designing a website oftentimes the best way to get started is with a pencil and paper. There's something very natural and very fast about using a pencil and paper. It also puts your mind in a certain space where you can think about ideas a little differently than if you were to start on a computer.
Felix: Makes sense. Did these tools exist that you guys sale, did they exist before you guys came along?
Jay: No. That's an interesting question. We pretty much invented the market for this type of thing. I think that's a really important point to where our success comes from. Is we were the first people to think of the idea and expand upon it. That allowed us to really gain momentum and go from there.
Felix: Just to give the audience a little bit more of a visual, essentially what you guys sell I guess in the name UI Stencils, you sell a bunch of other things too. But what I think makes you guys or made you guys popular were these stencils. I'm looking at one now. The iPhone stencil kit. There's an object that looks just like an iPhone and a bunch of I guess, different icons that are valuable for people to sign onto to use as a stencil. It makes it a lot easier to design like you're saying, applications or a website. Just kind of give people a visual of that.
What's your background? Are you guys designers, software developers? How did you get into this?
Jay: For I guess up until a year ago I was a web designer, app designer UX person. I ran my own web design company with a partner in Seattle called Design Commission. We helped a lot of companies, a lot of start up companies. There's a big tech community in Seattle. A lot of money and a lot of venture capital to create software, create apps, create companies around ideas. This idea, UI Stencils, was an off shoot out of that where one year we were trying to think of a good Christmas gift to send our clients. We put together a website like design your own website kit. It included a drawing stencil and a pad and a pencil. We got a fair bit of response from that. People were into it and liked the idea. Then I think maybe a year later the iPhone essentially opened up their app store to developers. We released an iPhone version at the same time the Apple development conference was happening. That just went viral. It pretty much shot us into the stratosphere with the amount of sales and the amount of interest. We had to go down to the post office and buy ten thousand dollars worth of stamps kind of thing to get all the orders out. We didn't know what we were doing. The rest is history. That gave us the push that we needed as a business I guess.
Felix: You guys had this idea for a gift to give to your clients. When did it start becoming more of a business where you wanted to sell this to other people then just as a gift for your clients?
Jay: Yeah. It really happened naturally out of demand. I can say I'm pretty sure we had the initial website stencil kit for sale online. We were getting some sales but things didn't really start taking off until the iPhone stencil kit essentially happened. Does that answer your question?
Felix: Yeah. I want to learn more about this virality that happened because you launched this product.
Jay: I think the lesson there is timing. It was one of when to release something. In our case there was a little bit of luck but if you can time it in the right way, you can ride that ripple effect of what's happening. I think that there is something to be said about releasing something at the right time.
Felix: Say a little more about this. How do you know looking back on it, how did you … if you could reverse engineer I guess the timing of your launch, how would you recognize when you should be launching something? How do you know how to time it correctly?
Jay: In our case this product specifically was catering developers who were making apps for the app store. We launched it at the same time the App developer conference was happening. I think that it had a snowball effect because of that. If you're creating a line of swimsuits, the fashion industry obviously knows when t release things. That could be one example. Paying attention to when to put something out there.
Felix: For your case, you also still have to obviously releasing something at the right time can help you ride the wave. But you also have to I guess catch that wave too right? You have to do some of the initial grunt work to get this going, to promote it yourself. What did you guys do to kick off this viral product?
Jay: It was completely out of our hands. We did very little in terms of marketing or getting the word out there. Basically the reason it became viral is how everybody else responded to it. Everybody was posting about it. Everybody was sharing it. Everybody, there's this almost frenetic atmosphere in the product and this really unbelievable response that people had. We didn't have to do anything. It automatically became viral.
Felix: Right. Have you been able to repeat this success, maybe not to the same degree, but have you been able to either launch products or release videos or anything like that, that have been able to catch on virally?
Jay: Yeah. I think it's very difficult to repeat that. There are definitely products we release that people respond to more than others. Part of it, in our case, is how useful something is. If we release a product and people can really understand the value and the dream that it brings, then it tends to do a lot better. I don't know if that makes sense.
Felix: Can you elaborate on that? I definitely get what you're saying about how if people can immediately see the value of a product that you're putting out there, they're going to respond much more favorably and I think also lines up your product launch for more likelihood of going viral. Does that mean you have to do a better job communicated or messaging your product? What does it mean to make your product much more recognizable for its value?
Jay: I think in our case it has to do with two things. One is the design of the product itself. This is really important and it's almost the most important aspect of getting traction with a product. The other aspect of this all is how somebody perceives that it will add value to what it is that they're doing. If somebody thinks that this is really going to enable them to take the next step with their idea or this is really going to push them further in what it is that they're doing, then the product is a success. It's the combination of those two things that really sell products essentially.
Felix: I like that. That if the product enables your target customer to take the next step, it makes it a much more valuable product because it's almost like they are trying to cross this gap, trying to cross this [inaudible 12:17] and then you come along and say here's the bridge to get there is such a media kind of click in their head. I need this product. This product is valuable because I'm facing a problem that's right in my face that I need a solution for. That makes a lot of sense. Does that mean that you need to spend a lot of time … how do you catch people at that opportunity? Is there a way to keep your product top of mind so that when they do run into this situation where they have a problem that your product can solve, they know to go to you immediately?
Jay: Yeah. I think it's lately it's the type of thing where somebody is interested in user experience or somebody is trying to learn about app development or somebody wants to start a business or wants to build an app and they're not quite sure where to get started. They start to search, there's lots of blog posts that mention us. There's other people in the industry and in social media who continue to write about us and that sort of thing. That's where it comes from.
Felix: I see. You're almost a recommended product for a lot of people that are seeking out this, I guess they're almost beginners. They are beginners in the beginner stages of starting company, getting more into US, getting more into design, getting more into developing software or applications and they're probably out in the internet looking up for ways to do it. Then your product is recommended. Is that what usually is that happened with discover?
Jay: Yeah. There are beginners for sure but there are also professionals who continue to use our products and reorder our pads that they like and some of our other products. It can be used with both beginners and experts. Basically the value of our products is with early stages of an idea. You have an idea, you want to iterate on it, you want to prototype things, think about how screens fit together, how flows fit together, think about how you might structure something in a really quick manner. That's where our tools come in. Both beginners and professionals find value in that.
Felix: Do you actively try to get blogs or sites to mention or recommend your product? How do you stay at the forefront of the list of recommendations that blogs put out?
Jay: We should be doing more of that for sure. It's the type of thing where we don't reach out as such as we should. We have satisfied customers talking about us. We have people in the industry who are writing certain topical articles about the best practices in UX and they write about us.
Felix: When they do write about you, do you reach out to them? Do you try to start up some kind of relationship? I'm just trying to get a better idea, how do …
Jay: I think you got a great point there. It's important that you write somebody back and you're like hey thanks for mentioning us in your blog post. That's important. It's something that is hard to do. It's like flossing your teeth or whatever in my case, where you got to get in the habit of doing. I've never … for some reason or another I've never been the type of person that sends out thank you cards for stuff. That's important. My old business partner was great at that. He sends out thank you cards and it makes a huge difference. It makes a big impression. I think that for sure that's important to do.
Felix: I'm not sure if you're familiar with this service called mention, mention.net. I've used it before and it's a great way for … it's essentially a Google alert but maybe even better because it might keep track of things like social media as well and keeps track of anyone that mentions your brand, your website, and it's a great way to not have to actively search out your name or your mentions yourself. They let you know when something comes up so it's a cool service for that. This was an idea born out of just a gift that you wanted to give to clients. It became much more in demand. People were asking where I can buy this or how can they get more. What was the next step? How did you … assuming you were still working it was in some kind of agency that you worked at or you owned? When did UI Stencils become more of a real independent thing of its own?
Jay: I would say 2008 we built a brand around it and launched an eCommerce store and then got serious about launching new products.
Felix: 2008, this is only a year after that initial success of grass roots success, even more organic than anything. You wanted to get more serious about it. Did you then start approaching … how did you get these things made? Were you approaching manufacturers and producers at scale?
Jay: Yeah. Part of the idea was we knew about this manufacturing process. I'm an arm chair industrial designer I guess. I knew about this industrial process. That's when we reached out to a manufacturer kind of thing.
Felix: Gotcha. What did you get made first? Was it just this iPhone kit that you had created or did you guys already have additional products lined up by the time you wanted to launch the eCommerce store?
Jay: We started with a website version that looks a lot different than what's up there now. It was made out of stainless steel, the same material. Then we slowly got into pads like sketch pads. Then we started offering other accessories that people might use when they're in these early stages of thinking about idea. Then things like branded t-shirts and books and other stencils. Then we released some clear versions of the stencils.
Felix: When you had this eCommerce store did you have a strategy to market or to get more traffic to the store? Were you still living off that virality of the initial products?
Jay: We were living the virality of it. It's the type of thing where you get a certain traction with the virality.
Felix: It's a hard word.
Jay: Yeah, that is a tricky one. Then you feed off it in different ways. You reach out to people, you start developing more relationships based on that. It definitely had a lot to do with the initial kick that we got in the business.
Felix: You mentioned you started reaching out to people, I'm assuming these are people writing abut you. I'm just trying to get a better understanding of how do you keep this buzz going after that initial kick off like you said. What were you guys doing?
Jay: I think of the reasons for that is there's a dedicate group of people who were really interested in what we were doing. If you can cultivate that somehow, that's going to be your best method for growth. I heard a talk one time but this speaker was talking about developing your tribe or cultivating your tribe of people. That's really what you want to pay close attention to. In our case it's a very niche tribe. It was easy to identify who is going to find a lot of value out of what we're doing.
Felix: I like that you find this core group of people, core group of I guess champions of your brand of your company. By making them happy they go out and spread the word for you essentially. How were able to identify this core group of people and how were you able to reach them?
Jay: They identified us and they wrote about us and they shared it with other people who were also interested in us.
Felix: Did you know that this tribe or these kinds of people existed prior to them starting to write about you?
Jay: Not to this extent. We did not fully understand the extent of how there was this mad rush to develop apps and this is the early days of mobile app development. I think even before the Android app store so Apple was just opening up their app store. That's what set things off.
Felix: What do you do to cultivate this relationship? You've identified or they have identified you. They start writing about you. How do you keep them happy and keep them interested in writing more and more about you because I'm assuming there's only so much to write about one particular company. How do you keep them writing about you or keep your company on top of their minds?
Jay: It's hard. I think one of the things that is really important for us is to continue to develop new products that meet the needs of this audience. If you're just sitting back and doing a whole bunch of marketing, even in content marketing I don't think would continue to sell old products. You have to be continually refreshing your product line, adding new products, taking away the old products that don't sell. That's really important.
Felix: It's almost like you have this engine now that exists but you have to keep on feeding it with fuel. The best way to do is just more products, not to create more content yourself. You have to give them more things to get excited about because they don't get excited about the same old things over and over again. I think that brings us to an important topic, which is product development for you guys. You mentioned earlier that there are some products that you release that just don't respond as well as others. Some respond way better than others. How does that affect your process when you go into deciding what kind of products to develop next?
Jay: That's a good question. I think you don't really know what people are going to respond to. You can take educated guesses but you don't have a hundred percent certainty that something is going to be a success. I've always liked this idea of having a shot gun approach to releasing products where you try your darnedest to make something useful, put something together that you think people will respond to. Then releasing a whole bunch of different ideas and seeing what's going to sell well overtime, what's going to shrivel up and die, then you take away the ones that done do so well. Then you continue to refine and maybe release new versions of the ones that do well.
Felix: I like that thought about how you don't know so just get out there and try it. This shot gun approach to releasing products it can get expensive right? It can get expensive in your actual monetary investment, get expensive in the time and energy put into it. How far along do you go when you do release a product? Do you actually produce everything and get it out into a form that can be shipped to customers before you have an idea if it's going to be a hot or not product?
Jay: We create the product before we start selling it. We have a stock of product in hand before we sell it. Was that your … I'm sorry.
Felix: I guess I was trying to understand if you don't know until you try to sell a product whether it's going to be successful or not, it seems like it could be very expensive to go through that entire design, all that. Do you actually go through everything before you have any idea if it's going to be successful or not?
Jay: Yeah. I think a couple of things there. One, there's always this balance between cost and quality and design. Really as an entrepreneur you need to be good at both because if you make the product too fast or too cheap that's not good. At the same time, if you spend too much in design or too much time thinking about it then that's not good either. Striking that balance is key for sure.
Felix: What kind of questions do you ask yourself when you're trying to figure out if you might be spending too much time on one versus the other on cost versus design?
Jay: It's a gut feel. I'm a designer by trade. I naturally like noodling ideas and taking my time and thinking about the details there. I'm leaning towards, I naturally lean towards that side of things. I think I'm also a very frugal person I would say. It's important that when it comes time to manufacture something or ship something I'm doing it in the most efficient manner.
Felix: Do you have to make these hard decisions then on saving the cast, saving the time, at the expense of the design or I don't want to say necessarily the quality, but at the expense of the design?
Jay: You know our situation it's so … I guess one aspect of what we do is the products are pretty simple. It's not like we're creating a piece of electronics hardware where we have to coordinate a whole supply chain of different ship manufacturer and PCB board guy and assembly plant. We're not doing that and that might be a little different ball game.
Felix: I guess I was trying … because you were mentioning this balance between cost versus design. I think a lot of entrepreneurs go through this too where they have this ideal vision of their product in their head and then once it hits the very hard wall of reality when they go to the manufacturer and realize how much time, how much money it's going to cost to get them to realize that dream, I'm sure you go through this process too when you have to compare your dream versus the reality. How do you make those decisions?
Jay: You got to move forward. You got to push forward. As long as you have a vision in place, anything is possible. It's not getting hung up on stuff thinking of different solutions. One material is not working then try something else. If one guy is going to take six months to do something, then you got to find a different supplier. You got to keep moving forward.
Felix: Stay flexible. If you can't stay flexible, then you can't move forward. That makes sense. This tribe that you have are I'm assuming very vocal when they give you feedback as well, do you listen to everything that they say? If they want a specific product from you, do you immediately go out and make it? How do you take feedback from your most vocal and dedicated customers?
Jay: We love feedback. We get emails all the time regarding different things, different ideas. Some are really great. Some you have to take with a grain of salt but all feedback is good. Anytime somebody takes the time to send you feedback you should definitely pay close attention to that for sure.
Felix: How do you determine if feedback is feedback that you would take versus feedback that you take with a grain of salt?
Jay: I have a certain opinion about how things should be done and how the design process goes when people are using our tools. A lot of it is based on simply my experience. There's nobody else here really to collaborate with or determine whether that feedback makes sense or not. When this whole business was with the design studio, up until a year and a half ago or so, it was great having a team of people there to run ideas off of and get feedback on and help shape the feedback and help maybe one aspect of the feedback is good. You take that part of it but you leave the rest. It helps out a team of people around for sure.
Felix: When it comes to your tribe, like I was saying earlier they're usually very vocal and passionate and with that kind of passion you can also trigger them in the opposite direction. Have you guys ever done anything that's not necessarily upset your tribe but that maybe they didn't like as much as you would've thought?
Jay: Yeah. We've released products in the past where it's just crickets kind of thing. We think it's a good idea but nobody else responds to it. For sure, that happens all the time. I would say that's a mark of you're doing things right because if that's not happening then you're not releasing enough products.
Felix: Makes sense. When you do come across that you released and let's say it doesn't do as well as your other products, but it's still selling, it's still profitable, you're not losing money on holding the inventory or selling the inventory, do you keep it in your catalog or do you cut it out if it's not a roaring success?
Jay: What I generally do is I keep it up there. We get rid of product that doesn't sell. Sometimes we sponsor conferences or programs that need some product or would find some product useful. We'll send out stuff that isn't selling too well to them but then usually what happens with those types of products is I leave it up on the site but it's not linked in any way, so links still get spread throughout the web and a lot of people find our website through old products or through outdated products. Those links stay up.
Felix: Gotcha. It wouldn't be easy to navigate to it from your homepage but if someone had the link to it they could still get to it. The reason why you have that is because that link might exist somewhere on some other site and you want people to find your actual site through that product page even though it's not as a successful product. That makes a lot of sense. You shouldn't burn those bridges even if the product isn't as successful because you could get that residual traffic to it. You mentioned something to me I think in our pre interview questions, which is about how you like the idea of having a design driven business and how you like to think about ways to fuse design when creating a successful business. Can you speak more about this?
Jay: My background is in product design, development, app design, digital product designs. We're talking about web apps and mobile apps and the marketing sites that come along with that and branding. I'm a big proponent of really letting the product speak for itself and letting the product be your number one kind of marketing method or tool. I'm a big believer in spending a lot of time up front to essentially set things on the right path. It has a lot to do with product design and development. By being a design driven business, you're investing in product design. Whatever it is that you're doing, if it's digital, if it's physical, if you're selling clothes, if you're selling potted plants, make sure that what you're doing it is really design orientated. I guess you're investing enough time in the design of your product.
Felix: That means you're saying that don't take the shortcuts especially if what's your competing on is design. Don't take shortcuts on the design early on just to get to market faster. Is that what you're getting at?
Jay: Yeah. I would go so far as to say if you're not the designer yourself, be initially involved in the design process. Get to know how the design process works, how best to leverage that process. It has huge ramifications for your business, your brand, and ultimately your success.
Felix: For people that aren't designers like you're talking about but do work with designers. Let's say they have a fashion brand or maybe they have a t-shirt brand and they don't have a design bone in their body but want to be in this industry and they're working with designer. What do you find as a designer yourself? What do you find is the best way for a non designer person to work with a designer?
Jay: I think it's important for those types of people to really align themselves with a designer or creative person or somebody that is visually oriented. This person should be on their pay roll or be their best friend or be very close to the business, be a partner in the business, that type of thing.
Felix: I see. If you're not a designer but you work with the designer, not only should you be involved more into the design side, you need to bring the designer more into your side into maybe the business side of your brand.
Jay: Totally. Totally. Just infuse them together. The closer that you can get and the more synergy that you can create between the business and the design side the more successful you'll be.
Felix: That's a great point because a lot of times when people are talking about working with designers they think of them as just an employee, someone that they have tasks for and then ship it out, throw it over the wall, and wait for them to finish it up and throw it back over the wall. That doesn't work nearly as well as you're saying, which is to bring them into the business. Make it more of a two way conversation rather than just a one way from the non designer over to the designer. That's a great point. I want to talk a little bit and go back a little bit and talk about the manufacturing of this product. This is a product that is not like crazy complicated but does seem like there is not that much room for errors or I guess it doesn't allow a lot of tolerance on this product because there's small icons. These stencils need to be exact to make it actually work with during the design phase. What has been the manufacturing experience been like for you to find a manufacturer and work with them to create a product like this?
Jay: It's been all right. We actually had a manufacturer for a long time in Seattle. Their place burnt down actually. We had to find another manufacturer for them. We're fortunate that our stencils are made by a very reliable partner I guess and manufacturer. They have a very rigid process in place. There's reliability there. Not everything you do is that way. Not everybody takes quality as seriously. Some of our products are made in China and it's very difficult to ensure a certain level of quality to communicate that you want things done in a certain way. There's a lot of nuance involved. Sometimes it's a challenge for sure.
Felix: Definitely makes sene. You mentioned that at one point this was in the lifetime of this business, it was mostly in a part of the design agency but now about a year and a half later it's independent unit. Way less people that are now working on this. I'm assuming you … what's the team like? Is it multiple people still? What's the make up of the team?
Jay: It's just me and my wife Dorothy. She handles all the fulfillment in customer service. She ships the product, she orders more product when we run out. Then I'm more on the product design, marketing, photography side of things. That's the break up of the work.
Felix: Gotcha. What about any tools or apps or services that you rely on to run your business?
Jay: What do we use? Order Cup for fulfillment in Shopify. That's an app on Shopify. We use … what else is important? That's about it. Don and I use slack for just messaging each other. Photoshop is key for doing stuff. Taking photos, putting up photos. Mail chimp for sending out mail, email, newsletters. What else do we use? That's pretty standard fair.
Felix: For your shipping you said, which app did you say you use?
Jay: It's called Order Cup.
Felix: Order Cup, okay.
Jay: I think a lot of people use Ship Station. Is that Ship Station?
Felix: Yeah, that's definitely a popular one. Cool. UIStencils.com, again is a website. Where do you want to see the business be this time next year? What kind of goals do you have for the business?
Jay: I'd like to keep growing it. I think I have a list that's a mile long that contains product ideas and things I want to do. It's just a matter of crossing those off the list and getting those done. I hope to broaden the appeal of what we're doing. I think a lot of people just see us as doing these stencils but we are offering a lot more things on our site. A lot more products. If we can steer the store in the direction of being a general resource and supply for app designers and developers and start up companies and that type of thing, that would be great. It's a tricky thing to try to expand beyond what you're known for. It's like being typecast as an actor.
Felix: Awesome. Thanks so much for your time Jay. UIStencils.com, again is a website. Anywhere else you recommend the listeners go and check out if they want to follow along with what you guys are releasing, what you guys are up to?
Jay: Follow us on Twitter.com/UIStencils and also Instagram. You can follow us on Instagram. We hae newsletter sign up on our site. You can stay up to date with new products and promotions. There's a download in our blog or if you go down the footer there's a download section and you can download some free tablet files that you can print out and use for sketching your ideas on our site. That's a good way to get started and then maybe order some of our products.
Felix: Awesome. Thank you again for your time Jay.
Jay: Thank you Felix. I appreciate it.
Felix: Here's a sneak peek for what's in store for the next Shopify Masters episode.
Speaker 3: In terms of how we communicate through influencers really what we do is I would email them early on and say, we have this product, we love your hair, we'd love to give you some. We'd love to have you try it. Here's how to use it and hers what it is.
Felix: Thanks of listening to Shopify Masters, the eCommerce marketing podcast for ambitious entrepreneurs. To start your store today, visit Shopify.com/masters to claim your extended 30 day free trial.


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