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Drum-roll, My fabulous collection in collaboration with Mamas & Papas for all the mini Fifi fans out there has officially launched! My goddaughter Mae Tuzi is doing a wonderful job modelling two of her favorite pieces; the Fifi Lapin neon speckle sweater and the Fifi Lapin silhouette leggings - just perfect for a full day of play ...Or a full day of shopping with Auntie Fifi!
My most loved pieces are most definitely the quilted heirloom jacket and Fifi doll, Oh and the blanket and then there's the polka dot top. Decisions decisions, you's better just go and decide for yourself! Hop over to the Mama's & Papa's website for a closer look.
And if you do decide to treat your little one to some Fifi goodness be sure and send me a picture via my Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
bunny kisses
Fifi Lapin


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Nov 21st, 2012
Patient safety is critical for everyone working in health care, and now the Faculty of Nursing has a group of student volunteers who will be championing the cause.
The faculty recently announced the appointment of its first Patient Safety Champions.
"The program is focused on advancing the understanding of the science of patient safety and quality improvement in our nursing students," said Susan Dennison, a professor in the faculty, who along with colleague Michelle Freeman announced the appointments last week.

subset: commoncrawl


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Geneva Lace Top
In stock, ready to ship!
Store Pickup Available
- Shown in medium
- 19" length (medium)
- Three quarter sleeves
- 100% cotton
Shipping & Returns
We offer FREE shipping on all purchases over $125 and flat rate $6.95 on all other orders!
All orders are processed within 2 to 3 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) after receiving your order confirmation email.
Items can be returned within 14 days of purchase for an exchange or in-store merchandise credit. For an item to qualify for a return, it must be unworn and unwashed, with tags still attached. Read our full Return Policy.
Geneva Lace Top
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Let customers speak for us
from 24 reviewsMy favorite place to shop! Love this boutique for its selection, prices and most importantly, the customer service!
Gina's boutique was amazing! The staff was so helpful, and Gina always makes great recommendations. They always have great selections, perfect for day-to-day or a night out on the town!
Absolutely love Ginas. Always something new, relevant to trends but totally wearable. Whether it's a dress, jeans or leisure outfit I can find something. The organized environment and staff make the experience 5 star!
I love the selection of items that Ginas Boutique carries. Something for everyone and Gina is so helpful!
I love this place always CUTE windo displays, super cute clothes
Bought my first item from Ginas boutique and it came quickly and is adorable!
Best boutique in Grand Rapids! Love everything
Just tonight I was at the Food, Beer and wine festival at Devos Hall and had not just one but five different people come up to me telling me how much they liked my sweater. I just replied, "Gina's Boutique!"


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There was a lot of hububb when the well-known David Chang brought his highly-regarded Momofuku from New York to DC. Momofuku CCDC, along with it's bakery Milk Bar, attracted lines with hours-long waits for its renowned pork buns, ramen, and crack pie.
Somewhat to my own surprise, I resist the hordes, telling myself I'll wait until things settle down. Months pass and I continue to procrastinate. When I'm asked to suggest restaurants for an outing with friends who are like-minded food adventurists/bloggers, I have an aha moment which leads us to Momofuku CCDC. Let the over-ordering commence!
A bowl of spicy cucumbers doesn't seem likely to set the world on fire. But the thickly cut cukes generously tossed with scallions, Togarashi spice, and almonds offer up a lingering pop of flavor. Who knew that cucumbers could be so scintillating!
David Chang's supple buns are notorious. There's a set that encases shrimp with a slathering of zesty mayo and just a touch of cool slaw. Delightful.
Another incorporates crisp and meaty shiitake mushrooms dressed with hoisin sauce, cucumbers, and scallions. Another winner.
I don't expect to be bowled over by strips of fried eggplant. But this dish jolts my taste buds, with just the right balance of spicy and sweet and a crunch that makes my heart beat faster.
My dining companions can't stop raving about ramp noodles. I'm too busy fawning over eggplant, so I mostly miss out on the love fest. Our post-dinner activity is a flurry of tweets speculating on the ingredients. We settle on peas and pickled onions, but are split on whether the topping is bread crumbs or crushed nuts.
Spicy hand cut noodles with fried shallots and beef ragout are luxuriant. A dollop of whipped tofu offers respite from heat-inducing calabrian chili .
There are some appealing options for vegetarians at Momofuku CCDC including cauliflower accented with ramps, peas, radish, and jalapeno. The heat in the dishes here are not distracting or overpowering; it's just enough to be scintillating.
David Chang cares deeply about ramen. We don't want pork, not because we're all Jewish, but because a few of us want to give Momofuku beef noodle soup a try. The soup is heavy on brisket and pepper, evoking more of a Jewish flavor. We've veered away from classical ramen and landed smack into our own tradition.
David Chang puts Momofuku CCDC in the capable hands of Executive Chef Patrick Curran. Curran has been with Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York since 2010, moving to DC to open the City Center location. Curran is currently a semifinalist for Eater Young Guns 2016, which recognizes talented chefs nationwide.
Momofuku CCDC is not the best choice for the spice-adverse diner, but there is an effective way to cool down from boldly seasoned dishes. Milk Bar is right next door, and you don't have to leave your table to order the desserts. Owner Christina Tosi founded Milk Bar as a spin-off of Momofuku. Her most famous creations are cereal milk ice cream, compost cookies, and crack pie. I am a skeptic, having tried each of these desserts in New York and not quite feeling the wow factor. The cereal milk ice cream particularly leaves me cold. But holy cow…popcorn cake with caramel corn and pickled raspberry jam is perfection. The thought of that creamy/crunchy cake with its confluence of buttery, salty, and tangy flavors makes me want to hop in my car this very minute.
There's more to discover at Momofuku CCDC. The Bo Ssäm (ssäm is Korean for enclosed or wrapped) caters to a group of 4-8 people and features a slow cooked pork shoulder. You can also bring a group to indulge in a fried chicken feast, which includes Korean and Southern fried chicken.
Momofuku CCDC opened as a hot restaurant based on David Chang's food world fame. It needs to deliver on more than name recognition in order to stay hot. Judging from the crowded restaurant, the enthusiastic service, and the skillfully prepared food…so far, so good.
Momofuku CCDC, 1090 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Washingtonian review by Todd Kliman
Washingtonian 100 Best Restaurants 2016, #52
Washington Post review by Tom Sietsema: "For the shrimp buns and servers, the wait is worth it"


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He may not have a Ninja Turtle named after him, but Tiziano Vecellio of Venice — Titian, to English speakers — has a claim to being the most enduringly influential painter of the Renaissance, even more than his Roman contemporaries Michelangelo and Raphael. Something about him drives his fans to excess. Peter Paul Rubens painted nearly two-dozen copies of Titian's work; Anthony van Dyck bought 19 Titians for his own collection. Velazquez and Rembrandt worshipped him. Oscar Wilde called Titian's Assumption of the Virgin "certainly the best picture in Italy." And just a few years ago, then-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown set off a bizarre media uproar after he praised Titian's late work and his political opponents vandalized the painter's Wikipedia entry.
Titian's paintings have been the subject of countless exhibitions and art historical studies, but Sheila Hale's new biography is the first full-length life of the Venetian master since 1877. And it doesn't take long to see why. Although he lived an uncommonly long life, into his mid 80s, it wasn't a very exciting one. He almost never left Venice, where he had no real rivals for artistic supremacy; Tintoretto and Veronese were much younger. His working practice remains unclear, since, as Hale writes, "16th-century writers on art thought it inappropriate to describe the physical act of painting." He was faithful to his first wife, and although he remarried after her death, we don't even know the name of his second spouse. His letters concern mostly dry matters of accounting — "I do not see how I can hope ever to obtain those moneys kindly assigned to me," that sort of thing — and many of those were actually written by secretaries.
Titian's canvases can be sweeping, like The Rape of Europa, or hair-raising, like his late masterpiece The Flaying of Marsyas. His life, however, was the opposite; he was business-minded, stern and deeply identified with the establishment. And at over 800 pages, this biography groans under the weight of Hale's research. Even specialists may not really care just how many ducats Titian received for this or that portrait, or how he got his cousin appointed as a notary at court.
The book perks up when Titian fades into the background and Hale turns her attention to his friends and clients. We follow Philip II, the enterprising Spanish king, for whom Titian paints his disturbingly sexy Danae; Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor who died gazing at Titian's Adoration of the Trinity; Ippolito de Medici, "a swaggering, spoiled, restless young hell-raiser" who, despite his sexual appetite, becomes a cardinal in Rome; and a whole collection of dukes and doges.
Best of all is her study of Pietro Aretino, one of Titian's best friends, an "avaricious, unscrupulous and highly sexed powerbroker" who is most famous today for his pornographic sonnets. (Titian painted three portraits of him, one of which hangs at the Frick Collection in New York.) A much more natural subject for a biography than Titian, Aretino recurs in this book as the consummate Renaissance operator, hustling from the Vatican — where he kisses the feet of Pope Julius III — to the brothels of the Grand Canal. In one letter he praises a famous courtesan for "putting a mask of decency on the face of lust." Not long after that, she was in Titian's studio, where she became the model for his Venus of Urbino, now at the Uffizi in Florence.
Venice in the 16th century was a rollicking boomtown: Intellectually and religiously progressive, it served as a mixing point for immigrants from east and west and was the capital of an expanding empire. A few decades later, Venice's glory days were gone. Hale does an admirable job recapturing the sights and smells of the Most Serene Republic, its traders and patricians, and of showing how the city nurtured one of the greatest painters of Western art history. But the subject of her biography remains beyond her grasp, which is just as well: As she would surely acknowledge, the brilliance of Titian rests not on his correspondence or bank ledgers but on his paintings.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Leaf Compost
Improve Your Soil's Organic Matter with dry Leaf Compost - WEED FREE!
Organic Matter Supplements the Health of Your Soil
Better Lawns with Turf King's Concentrated Leaf Compost with Wood Ash
We are pleased to be offering an organic material application, a new pelletized material that gives the benefits of top dressing without the clumps of material smothering the grass. We believe it to be the one of the most environmentally sound ways to keep lawn soft, lush, safe, healthy and green.
Over time, your lawn's soil can become tired and infertile. Turf King's Leaf Compost dressing program – a fortified mix of leaf compost and wood ash and other micro-nutrients – is designed to reintroduce beneficial nutrients to restore the health of your lawn's soil.
Features and Benefits to Turf:
• Contains granular leaf compost to aid in water retention essential for seed establishment
• Adding leaf compost helps add organic matter to the soil
• Leaf compost can add beneficial microbes to the soil profile
• Wood ash is an excellent source of micro-nutrients, potassium and calcium
• Wood ash can raise the pH of acidic soils
• Wood ash contains most of the essential nutrients plants require
• Excellent for correcting soils that have a low pH as well as a potassium deficiency
Benefits provided to Turf by Organic Matter-All the benefits of added Organic Matter. Our Leaf Compost and Wood Ash Dressing is derived from composted organic matter and is easy to apply with a fertilizer spreader.
- Organic matter is known to increase soil water-holding capacity, resulting in increased drought tolerance and higher irrigation efficiency.
- Organic matter also acts as a food source for increased microbial activity. This reduces thatch problems.
- Boosting Organic matter by 1% can increase drought tolerance by 50%.
- Organic matter increases soil nutrient holding capacity, maximizing plant nutrient uptake.
- Organic matter acts as a chelator (a holder) of nutrients, holding them in the root zone when otherwise they would be leached from the soil.
- A healthier lawn resisting pests and disease results from improved soil
Benefits of a Dry Compost -
- Dry compost solids mean lower rate of application vs. wet compost.
- Granular product allows the use of fertilizer spreader and wide application swath vs. a specialized compost drop spreader or fork and rake.
- Reduced labour, no compost pile in the yard, etc. Is applied with a fertilizer spreader
- No smell when wet because it does not contain animal by-products or manure. Contains little water (10%) vs. regular compost (can be up to 50%).
- Environmentally friendly to your grass.
- Does not contain processed sewage.
- Safe around children and pets.
- Non-polluting, safe around lakes and streams.
- Does NOT contain Weed Seeds.
Where to add Organic Matter as Leaf Compost:
- To stimulate microbial activity where soil health has been compromised by chemical fertilizer and pesticide usage.
- On sandy and low organic matter soils.
- On heavy soils to promote improved tilth.
- At grass seeding for improved establishment.
- Can be applied at any time, spring and/or fall is typical, with aeration is also good.
- Any place where compost is needed to improve the soil Organic Matter status, tilth, water holding capacity and soil quality.
- This product should be used as part of a complete lawn fertility program.
If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:
or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)
If you would like more information, please Contact us
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen
Copyright 2019 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.


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LibriVox recording by Jill Engle
A stray Lamb stood drinking early one morning on the bank of a woodland stream. That very same morning a hungry Wolf came by farther up the stream, hunting for something to eat. He soon got his eyes on the Lamb. As a rule Mr. Wolf snapped up such delicious morsels without making any bones about it, but this Lamb looked so very helpless and innocent that the Wolf felt he ought to have some kind of an excuse for taking its life.
"How dare you paddle around in my stream and stir up all the mud!" he shouted fiercely. "You deserve to be punished severely for your rashness!"
"But, your highness," replied the trembling Lamb, "do not be angry! I cannot possibly muddy the water you are drinking up there. Remember, you are upstream and I am downstream."
"You do muddy it!" retorted the Wolf savagely. "And besides, I have heard that you told lies about me last year!"
"How could I have done so?" pleaded the Lamb. "I wasn't born until this year."
"If it wasn't you, it was your brother!"
"I have no brothers."
"Well, then," snarled the Wolf, "It was someone in your family anyway. But no matter who it was, I do not intend to be talked out of my breakfast."
And without more words the Wolf seized the poor Lamb and carried her off to the forest.
The tyrant can always find an excuse for his tyranny.
The unjust will not listen to the reasoning of the innocent.
Quiz Time


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The main hero of our game is a fun and cheerful panda Teddy. He lives near the forest and the magical New Year's Eve Santa Claus helps with packing gifts, what would he have time to pack all their time and then deliver to the destination. But the evil sorcerer to learn about the help our hero decided to stop in time to get to Santa Claus House. When our hero went on a journey through the magical forest it there already waiting for a variety of evil creatures and placed traps. Now he will have to go through all these dangers and we'll help him in this. Some traps will be fixed, some will move, as you will attack the trolls and goblins. That would not get hit monsters and traps you need to run and jump. If you do not have time to jump over it, our hero will die.
Use mouse on desktop or touch buttons on your mobile device.


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Don't miss your chance to own this priced to sell Kawai Grand! This one is going to go fast!
Price includes matching bench, Free delivery within 300 miles! Call us at 801-266-9550 or visit us (and the piano!) at
The Piano Gallery SuperStore of Murray
5478 South Green Street
(I-15 and 5300 South)
Murray, UT 84123
We have a huge selection of over 200 new and used grand, upright and digital pianos available. Other online sellers are much more expensive than our company. The Piano Gallery stores have been in business for over 30 years serving customers throughout Utah and the intermountain west. Please check out our google reviews and purchase with the utmost confidence!


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Spreadsheets can seem like one of the most mystifying pieces of software you'll encounter in your adult life. However, as scary as they can be, you can do an awful lot with just four simple skills.
For the purposes of this article, we'll be focusing on Microsoft Excel, since this is the most widely-used spreadsheet software. However, nearly all of these skills and features are useful in LibreOffice and Google Drive. We'll make notes when necessary to highlight the differences between the suites.
Input Data Easily With Forms
Entering data into a spreadsheet is the starting point for any analysis. While you can type the data you need in manually, forms allow you (or in some cases, others) to quickly enter information line-by-line without much of a fuss.
The Form button has been somewhat buried in Excel 2013, but you can get it back:
- Right-click anywhere on the ribbon interface, and select "Customize the Ribbon".
- In the right-hand pane, choose a section of the Ribbon to add the Forms button to.
- On the left-hand side, choose "Commands Not in the Ribbon" from the drop down.
- In the box below, select "Form…" from the list and click "Add" to place it in the ribbon.
Now that you have the Form button in your ribbon, you can create a data entry form. Start by creating the headers and first row of entries. Once you have your initial set of data in, you can enter in additional rows with the form command. Simply place your cursor in the top-left corner of your data set and click the form button.
The dialog that will appear allows you to enter information on a per-line basis. Fill out the form, press enter and a new line will be created with all the new information.
Create Public-Facing Forms with Google Drive
Google Drive doesn't have quite the same functionality, but it does have its own forms worth noting. You can create a form either directly in Drive or from within a spreadsheet. You'll create questions for users to answer and their responses will populate a sheet. To create a form:
- From within a spreadsheet, click Insert > Form.
- Enter a description at the top of the form.
Enter and modify each question:
- Enter a title in the "Question title" box.
- Choose the Question Type.
- Optional: Choose a form of data validation. You can use this to confirm that data entered adheres to a specific type, such as a number within a set range, or text in the form of an email address.
- Optional: Select "Required question".
Once the form is completed, you can share it publicly or email it to a select group of respondents. All entries will be automatically placed into columns alongside a timestamp indicating when the data was submitted.
Perform Calculations with Functions and Formulas
So you've entered a bunch of data, but now you need to do something with it. Functions and formulas allow you to manipulate data in a spreadsheet. You can perform simple maths, like add up the numbers in a column, get an average, or even work with real-world things like dates or financial calculations.
The various spreadsheet programs all have their own set of functions, and while many of them are shared between the different suites, there are some differences, so be sure to check out the full list for Excel, LibreOffice and Google Drive.
With that in mind, here are a few examples of what you can do.
Perform Basic Maths
At their simplest, functions can perform basic maths using any data you've entered. For example, say you need to add the numbers in two cells together. For that, you'd use the SUM function:
This will add the contents of cells A1 and B1 together. For simple maths, you can also use typical shorthand maths operators like +, -, * and /. For instance, the following will perform the exact same maths as the example above:
You can add up the values in as many cells as you want. You can do this with a colon, like so:
The above function will add together all of the numbers in column A between rows 1 and 10, accounting for negative values. You can find a list of all the maths functions Excel can perform here.
Make Statistical Calculations
You can also perform statistical calculations on a set of data, including calculating averages medians. As an example:
The above function will return the average of all cells between A1 and A10. The various functions include both basic and advanced statistics functions. While not all of them will be useful for the casual spreadsheet enthusiast (yes, we exist), simple functions like AVERAGE and MEDIAN can be really helpful in everyday work.
Format and Calculate Dates and Times
You can also use formulas to manipulate date and time formatted entries. As an example, you can calculate the number of days between two dates with the following function:
Excel also includes a function to return the current date:
This function will put today's date in a cell. You can combine these two functions to create a formula to find out how many days are left until a certain date in the future like so:
There are a number of other date and time functions you can look over here.
Combine Multiple Functions to Create Formulas
As you might have noticed in the last example, you can combine multiple functions to create what's known as a formula. Formulas are, essentially, multiple functions put together in one cell. So, for example, if you wanted to add up the numbers in column A and round them to the nearest whole number, you would use the following formula:
The above formula is made up of two functions: SUM which is being used as an argument for ROUND. In this statement, cells A1 through A10 will be added together first and then the resulting number will be given to the ROUND function to be rounded to the nearest whole number. Formulas can be as simple or as complex as you'd like, though the more elaborate they get, the more intricate their syntax gets. You can read more about how formula syntax works here.
Functions can also be combined with logical functions to create conditional formulas. Building useful formulas is a topic so broad that it could generate its own entire set of articles. Fortunately, our friends at the How-To Geek has an in-depth set of articles on that very subject. You can find the first lesson here.
Sort Data with Filters and Pivot Tables
So you've entered your raw data, made any calculations you need to make, and now it's time to actually interpret it. You have a few options for visualising your data, depending on how you need to use it.
Sort by Column
Sometimes, you may need to sort your data by one of the categories you've entered. Just like your iTunes music library, you can re-order your data by column. To do so:
- Press Ctrl-A to select everything in the sheet.
- Select the Data tab in the Ribbon.
- Click "Sort"
- Choose the Column you want to sort by and what criteria you want to sort with.
- Click OK.
See the above screenshot for example — we've reordered the entire data set by order number, from least to greatest.
Filter Out Duplicate Items
Other times, you may have some duplicate items within a category. In the example above, we have eight entries but only five names. To filter out those duplicates and see all the names we have (as opposed to all the orders), we can use the filtering options under the Data tab in the ribbon. To do so:
- Under Data, click "Advanced" in the Sort & Filter section.
- Select "Copy to another location" for a non-destructive way to pull out specific data (if you want to delete any rows in your spreadsheet that do not have unique data in this column, leave "filter the list, in place" selected.)
- Click the "List range" box and select the column you want to filter.
- Click the "Copy to" box and select the empty cell you want to copy your list of unique data to.
- Ensure "Unique data only" is selected.
- Click OK
This will create a new column that only contains unique data from that range, which is useful for separating out repeated entries.
Create Pivot Tables
When you have hundreds of lines of data, it's nearly impossible to glean any information from it — you need a summary. Pivot tables let you take certain portions of your data and summarise it, so you only see what you want to see.
Take the example below. Say we wanted to see the total amount of money we got from Bob Boberson.
This data is easy enough to look at now, but with dozens or hundreds of transactions, it wouldn't be. So, to see that summary, create a pivot table:
- Create a new sheet, named Sheet 2.
- Under the Insert tab, click Pivot Table.
- Click Sheet 1 and select all populated cells in the sheet.
- Click OK.
- In the right-hand pane, you will be able to drag columns into filtered, column, or rows. For this example, drag "Name" to the Filters section, "Order number" to the Rows section and "Payments" to the Values section.
- This will create a table of all the payments made on each order number. At the top of the pivot table, in the dropdown box, you can select a specific customer to view only their orders.
When we do so, we get this:
With a pivot table, we can easily see all the orders made by Bob Boberson as well as a sum of all the payments he made.
This is just one simple example of how you could use pivot tables — their usage is very broad, and you can use it to summarize just about anything. To create a pivot table in LibreOffice or Google Drive, Head to Data > Pivot Table.
Perform Repetitive Tasks with Macros and Scripts
Working with spreadsheets can get repetitive really quickly. To make some of those repetitive tasks simpler, you can use Excel to record things you do over and over into a macro. Then, any time you need to repeat those tasks, you can use a keyboard shortcut to "play back" the macro and it will do all the busywork for you. For example, say we wanted to change the font of a large group of cells to something very specific, like Arial 12 italicised:
- Under the View tab, click the Macros drop down and select Record Macro.
- Give the macro a name.
- Optional: Assign the macro a keyboard shortcut.
- Click OK
- Click the Home tab.
- Select "Arial" from the font drop down.
- Select 12 from the size drop down.
- Click the italics button.
- Click the Stop button in the bottom-left corner of Excel.
From then on, you will be able to apply the Arial font in a 12pt size with italics by pressing one single keyboard shortcut (the one you assigned in step 3), or by selecting the macro from the View > Macro Library. Obviously, this is a rudimentary example, but you can use the macro feature to record any repetitious tasks. You can similarly record macros in LibreOffice.
In Excel, LibreOffice, and Google Drive, you can create more complex macros and scripts with a little bit of programming savvy (and in fact scripts are the only way to automate tasks in Google Drive using a proprietary scripting format). To get started learning about these, check out the resources below:
- Excel: Work with macros
- LibreOffice: Getting started with macros
- Google Drive: Overview of Google Apps Script
Further Resources
All of these skills are just the tip of the iceberg. Using spreadsheets is a discipline in itself and you can dive much, much deeper into each of these categories if you want. For convenience, here are some resources you can use to learn more about all of these skills and hone your craft:
Forms and Data Entry
Functions and Formulas
How-To Geek School:
- Why Do You Need Formulas and Functions?
- Defining and Creating a Formula
- Relative and Absolute Cell Reference, and Formatting
- Useful Functions You Should Get to Know
- Lookups, Charts, Statistics and Pivot Tables
Filtering and Pivot Tables
- Filtering data in Excel
- Filter data in a range or table (Excel)
- PivotTable reports 101 (Excel)
- Pivot Table (LibreOffice)
- Overview of pivot table reports (Google Drive)
Macros and Scripts


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Today is National Best Friends Day It is a day to celebrate your best friend(s) and let them know what they mean to you.
I think the last time I used the term "best friend" was when I was in college. Now, I am blessed to have people in my life that I refer to as "close" friends instead of "best friends." My "best" friends are my "close" friends.
Whether I have known them for decades or days, they all add something to my life that if they were not here, they would be sorely missed. My "close" friends are small in number, in my opinion, that is as it should be. I don't try to amass close friendships the way people are seeking "likes" on Facebook. True friendships take more time to evolve and grow than Facebook would like us to believe. I have many "acquaintances", but few who I would consider to be "close friends."
My close friends don't pick my brain and then turn a knife in my back for their own benefit. They don't feign liking me one day, and then have nothing to do with me the next. My close friends aren't "yes" people to me or to anyone else. They care enough to not just tell me what I WANT to hear, but often will tell me what I need to hear, even if it is sometimes painful, as I do for them.
My close friends are friends where I never question their motives, I never question my trust for them. My close friendships just ARE. My communication with them is easy, natural, genuine, Those close friendships are sometimes painfully REAL. I am grateful for those friendships.
If I were to be asked to pinpoint when those close friendships evolved, in many instances I wouldn't be able to. Many of my closest friendships were unexpected, oftentimes on the surface they would appear to be "unlikely". To me those are some of my favorite and most cherished friendships.
I am grateful for my close friends, and I deeply love each and every one of them.


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With yesterday being the 58th anniversary of the F-4 Phantom II's maiden flight, here's some interesting trivia. There is actually a continuous line of evolution from the McDonnell F3H Demon to the F-4 Phantom (which was designated F4H when it first flew). This photo is of the full scale mock up of the main missing link that connects the F3H Demon to the F4H Phantom. In 1953, the McDonnell team headed by Herman Barkey was looking at ways of extending the Demon's viability and expanding its versatility. McDonnell had the in house designation F3H-X for the design as it was considered an evolution of the Demon.
F3H-C "Super Demon": This design was first, it was powered by a single J67 engine. The J67 was to be have been a license-built version of the Rolls Royce Olympus. No J67s were ever built in the US and the Navy wasn't keen on an unproven engine.
F3H-E: This was different enough from the Demon that it was given the Model 98A designator. It was also powered by the J67 but had a bigger wing than the Demon and had a level stance on the ground instead of the nose-high stance of the Demon.
Full scale mock up of the F3H-G design (Wikipedia) |
F3H-G (Model 98B): This one had twin J65 engines, a license built British Sapphire engine like that used on the Hawker Hunter. It had lateral intakes that looked more like the Phantoms and exhausts that looked also more like the eventual Phantom design. The Navy was attracted to twin engines for safety. The wing was also further enlarged from the F3H-E. It had four 20mm cannon and had an impressive external stores capability.
F3H-H: This was was the F3H-G but with two of the then-new and promising GE J79 engines.
Model 98C: Delta winged version of the F3H-G/98B with J65 engines.
Model 98D: Delta winged version of the F3H-G/98B with J79 engines.
F3H-J (Model 98E): Similar to the 98C/D, but with an even larger delta wing.
Model 98F: Recon version of the 98C.
Tail section of the F3H-G mockup showing the two different engine sizes- The J79 was on the right side, the J65 was on the left side. (Wikipedia) |
Barkey's team decided the F3H-G/98B was the most promising of the designs and built a full scale mockup, but one side was sized for the J65 engine and the other side sized for the J79 engine. On 19 September 1953 McDonnell submitted the design as an unsolicited proposal to the Navy. Though impressed with the design, the Navy had already ordered the Grumman F11F Tiger and Vought F8U Crusader for its supersonic fighter needs. The Navy, however, encouraged Herman Barkley's team to refine the design to meet an all-weather attack requirement. This design was submitted to the Navy in 1954 and two prototypes were ordered as the AH-1 which had four 20mm cannon and eleven weapons stations.
F4H full scale mock up showing the originally planned trapeze launchers for the Sparrow missiles. (Wikipedia) |
The following year the all-weather attack program was canceled and McDonnell was asked to redesign the AH-1 into a two-seat interceptor with a single centerline station for a 600-gallon fuel tank and AIM-7 Sparrow capability. The J65 engine was dropped from contention when the Chief of Naval Operations selected the J79 engine for the new aircraft which would be designated F4H Phantom II.
And the rest is history!
Further reading:


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Here in the U.S. kids are heading back to school after summer break. I'd like to share a few books about artistic young people to go with the back-to-school theme.
Wingman by Daniel Pinkwater tells the story of a young artistic boy who embarks on imaginative and daring adventures to escape his hostile, hateful elementary school.
Dr. Bird's Advice For Sad Poets by Evan Roskos is the story of an enxious, depressed high-school student who sseeks solace in Walt Whitman, photography, and hugging trees.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is the story of Cath going off to college to become a fiction writer, only to find that making friends, creating, and simply surviving day after day are too much. I especially love the characters in this book. I find a tremendous amount of heart in Rowell's novels.
If you're not into books written for a younger audience, maybe it's a good time to revisit a favorite from years ago. Perhaps a book, album, play, or painting comes to mind that meant a lot to you when you were young. Take a little time to go back to a fond experience to renew yourself.


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Germany is a world leader in renewable energy deployment. Driven by a long-term renewable energy policy that dates back decades and, more recently, a nuclear power phase-out, the country is spearheading a transition to renewables commonly known as the Energiewende (energy transition).
See also: The soaring costs of Germany's nuclear shutdown
For many years, the policy instrument of choice was a feed-in tariff (FIT). It guaranteed a fixed payment for (in most cases) 20 years and priority grid access for renewables. The policy provided high investment certainty and triggered tremendous growth in renewable power generation capacity.
When the initial law was introduced in 1990, the role of renewables in Germany's power mix was negligible. By 2015, renewable electricity made up 32% of consumption and had grown at speed exceeding all expectations. The government repeatedly had to upgrade its targets to keep up with renewables growth.
But a couple of weeks ago, the German government put forward plans to overhaul the Energiewende's flagship policy. The planned reform of the Renewable Energy Sources Act includes a switch from feed-in tariffs to auctions.
Sigmar Gabriel, Energy Minister and party leader of the Social Democrats, hails the reform as a paradigm shift in the way renewables are funded: "More competition, continuous growth with effective steering, restrictions on costs, stakeholder diversity and dovetailing with grid expansion – these are the coordinates for the next phase of the energy transition."
With the reform, the government reiterates previously set goals to increase the share of renewable electricity to 40-45% in 2025, to 55-60% in 2035 and to at least 80% by 2050.
But to keep a steady hand on the rise in renewable power, a "deployment corridor" will set limits on how much renewables capacity may be added per year. These limits are set per technology: For onshore wind, a gross amount of 2,800 megawatts is to be auctioned each year over the next three years (2017, 2018 and 2019), increasing thereafter.
For solar, 600 megawatts will be auctioned each year, and the overall corridor of 2,500 megawatts per year will remain (the remainder being built under FITs). For offshore wind, the overall target is 15,000 megawatts by 2030.
For biomass, 150 megawatts are annually up for auction in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Small renewables installations like rooftop solar will continue to receive feed-in tariffs (with small changes). The government believes this will ensure that citizen cooperatives and project developers remain active in operating small renewables plants.
These limits have been attacked for protecting old coal power plants at the expense of renewables. But the government argues it is making renewables deployment more predictable, thereby facilitating grid expansion and improving planning security for Germany's neighbours and for the energy industry. After all, Chancellor Merkel promised the Energiewende must not destroy German utilities.
Critics argue that the government is putting the brakes on the Energiewende. Green campaigners see the limits for onshore wind power, the most cost-competitive renewable technology, as a sign that the government is trying to slow the rapid growth of renewables.
In light of past growth rates, the concern seems justified. Since 2010, Germany has increased the share of renewables in electricity demand by annually 3.1% on average. If this growth path continued, the country would reach more than 60% renewables by 2025. With the new proposal, however, the government wants to ensure that renewables growth does not exceed its 2025 target of 40% to 45%.
Anna Leidtreiter of the World Future Council expects these changes will fundamentally threaten Germany`s leadership position within energy and climate politics, but also lead to significant job losses and reduce business opportunities for entrepreneurs.
The switch from feed-in tariffs to auctions would weaken investment opportunities for small investors, energy cooperatives, farmers and enterprises, she says. "Citizens are essentially the backbone of the energy transition in Germany. Energy cooperatives alone have invested about 1.3 billion euros (9.5 billion yuan) in RE projects, thus generating revenues for communities, regions and citizens," Leidtreiter argues.
Indeed, the Energiewende has democratised Germany's power sector in the last few decades. Due to its inclusive design, the policy has enabled new stakeholders to enter the market. They have leveraged significant private investment over the past decade.
More than 800 energy cooperatives as well as private investors, farmers, banks and enterprises owned almost 90% of total installed renewables capacity at the end of 2012. In contrast, traditional utilities and energy suppliers invested very little and thus lost market shares.
Up to now, the Renewable Energy Act has been a tremendous success story. As the International Renewable Energy Association (IRENA) says, Germany has shown the world that such a high level of renewables can be integrated without systemic problems, thanks to strong grid infrastructure and cross-border exchange links.
But the Energiewende as we know it is at a crossroads. So far citizens, communities and new investors have been the biggest drivers for the energy transition. If the caps and the switch from feed-in tariffs to auctions are implemented, large corporations will dominate the market.
The reform would exclude many potential investors, including citizens, whose billions of euros would be welcomed to finance the transformation to a low-carbon economy. A recent analysis by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) concludes that more than 30 billion euros a year could be available for investment in the expansion of renewable energy capacity in Germany as long as the country shifts policy effectively to deal with the next phase of the energy transition and keeps investment open.
These concerns are being discussed in Berlin. For international observers, it is important that broad sections of the country know that ownership matters in the energy sector.
The law is expected to be passed before the summer recess by the Bundestag (lower house) and the Bundesrat (upper house). It will be the government's final major piece of energy legislation before the federal elections in 2017. The Energiewende will move forward.
Whether or not the reform puts Germany on track to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2020 in comparison to 1990 remains to be seen. Either way, slowing down renewables growth to protect old coal plants is not what the world expects from a global climate leader. Germany's next government will have to address the challenge of a coal phase-out and how to expand the Energiewende to the heat and transport sector.


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Amanda's SD Show Calendar 3/7-3-13
So it's another Monda night and I've just realized that I'm going to SXSW with Kristen in a week. A week! This is my first time going and I feel horribly unprepared. I just feel mildly overwhelmed but I know I'm going to have a blast!!!
In the meantime, we have tons of music to look forward to this way. I like to think of it as a nice little kickoff 🙂
Monday: Tragic Tantrum Cabaret @ Casbah @9 $10
AND: Jamuel Saxon @ Tin Can Alehouse $8
Tuesday: Everest and Red Cortez @ Casbah @9 $8
Wednesday: Centerlight Pop @ Casbah @9 $6
AND: White Apple Tree @ Soda Bar @9 $8 adv/$10 day of
AND: The Midwinters @ Ruby Room @9
Thursday: Louis XIV with Lesands and Hot Moon @ Fluxx @9 $18
AND: Fever Sleeves @ Soda Bar @9 $8
AND: New Mexico @ Tin Can Alehouse $5
AND: Little White Teeth @ Casbah @9 $8 adv/$10 day of
Friday: Jay Nash and Joey Ryan @ Anthology @930 $12
AND: Tapedeck Mountain @ Casbah @9 $12
AND: Jake Newton @ Lestats @9
AND: Unwritten Law Performance and CD listening party @ House of Blues SD @730 $17.41-$27.41
Saturday: Or The Whale @ Soda Bar @ 9 $12
AND: Josh Damigo Night @ Lestats
AND: San Diego IndieFest @ Promenade Liberty Station @1130 $25
Sunday: Wendy Bailey @ Ruby Room @9
AND: San Diego IndieFest
Keep in Mind:
March 18th- A Scribe Amidst the Lions @ Casbah
March 20th- Devo @ Belly Up
March 24th- Kevin Martin and Fierce Creatures @ Ruby Room
March 29th- Fitz and the Tantrums @ Belly Up
April 3rd- A Rocket to the Moon, Valencia, and Anarbor @ Soma @630 $13 adv.
April 8th- Rise Against w/Bad Religion @ RIMAC Arena- UCSD
April 9th- Pete Yorn @ House of Blues
May 3rd- James Blunt @ Humphreys
May 6th- Chris Cornell @ Humphreys
May 6th- Fleet Foxes @ Spreckles Theater


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Is it safe to stay in hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Is it safe to stay in hotels during the pandemic?
In a recent travel update, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes it clear: Staying home is the best way to protect yourself against the coronavirus.
If you do travel, the CDC says, sharing a rental home with people from your own household is safer than staying with friends or family who aren't from your household or staying at a hotel where you would encounter more people. The riskiest option, it says, is a hostel or other dorm-like lodging with shared sleeping areas.
Try to find a rental that guarantees a 72-hour buffer between guests, says Dr. Natascha Tuznik, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, Davis. Airbnb will require hosts to commit to enhanced cleaning by Nov. 20. That includes scrubbing floors and other surfaces with soap and water; washing linens on high heat; disinfecting high-touch items like door knobs; and ventilating rooms.
An "occupied" signs hangs in a closed hotel in Salzburg amid the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic on Nov. 2, 2020. (Photo by BARBARA GINDL/APA/AFP via Getty Images)
Rentals might also have more access to fresh air than hotel rooms, Tuznik said. But she said there have been very few reported coronavirus outbreaks connected to hotels.
If you stay at a hotel, check to see what safety steps it's taking. Many hotels have adopted enhanced cleaning procedures, for example, and are encouraging social distancing in common areas.
You can also use disinfectant wipes to clean the surfaces that are most touched, like light switches and faucets, Tuznik said. And consider omitting housekeeping services to ensure fewer people enter the room.
Outside the room, experts suggest avoiding common areas and taking the stairs instead of the elevator if you can.


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Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Council eyes wind power
Credit: By Diane Chiddister, The Yellow Springs News, ysnews.com 26 April 2012 ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
At their April 16 meeting, Village Council members heard a presentation from Eric Lloyd of AMP, the municipal electric cooperative, regarding the Blue Creek Wind Energy Project, a new wind farm in northwest Ohio. AMP is recommending that Yellow Springs become a subscriber to the farm, and add wind to its renewable energy portfolio.
However, the Village's two energy consultants, Courtney and Associates and Sawvel and Associates, have both recommended that the Village turn down the wind option. According to a letter to Council from Courtney, within a few years the Village's energy portfolio will be about 89 percent renewables, and it's considered good practice to leave 5 to 10 percent of the portfolio for purchases from the energy market, to take advantage of price and demand fluctuations. Because the wind farm subscription would not leave room for market purchases, Courtney recommended against the move.
The topic was discussion only, with Council members and Village Energy Board rep Jerry Papania stating that more study on the wind option is needed. Council members also requested clarification on the Village energy portfolio's renewable energy components. While Courtney forecasts that 89 percent of the portfolio will be renewables by 2016, Sawvel identified only 65 percent of the portfolio as renewables at that time.
If the Village is interested in the wind farm, however, it will need to act soon, according to Lloyd, as subscriptions to the wind farm are due on June 1.
For the past several years, Village Council has emphasized its interest in using renewables as much as possible for Village electric needs. In that time, the Village has signed onto several renewable projects, including hydro projects on the Ohio River and landfill gas. It also last year committed to a Solarvision/Melink/Yellow Springs Renewable Energy Project solar farm in Yellow Springs, although that project has yet to be fully funded.
According to a Courtney graph of the Village's power supply portfolio in 2016, the Village will then have 60 percent of its energy sourced from hydro projects, 20 percent from landfill gas, 9 percent from solar, and 8 percent from natural gas, with 3 percent purchased from the energy market.
"Considering that approximately 97 percent of the Village's projected 2016 energy needs are to be supplied by current committed resources, we do not recommend participation in the Wind Project," the Courtney letter stated. Should the Village decide to participate, Courtney recommended that it purchase no more than 200 kilowatts of energy, or 2 percent of the Village's projected needs.
AMP was recommending that the Village subscribe for 300 kW of wind power. The wind farm, located in Van West and Paulding counties, began construction in 2010 and last month became operable. The farm is owned by Iberdrola Renewables, a subsidiary of Iberdrola S.A., one of Spain's largest electric utilities, according to the Sawvel letter. The company owns 44 wind farms and is experienced in the industry, according to Lloyd.
While in the past, wind has most often been considered an intermittent energy source due to its variable nature, the AMP project's wind energy is considered a baseload source of power, meaning it is available on a steady basis, Lloyd said. While it's impossible to predict when and how forcefully the wind will blow, improved technology has allowed wind to have a capacity factor of about 35 percent, which means it generates energy about 35 percent of the time, according to Lloyd.
If the Village signs on to the wind farm, the commitment would be a power purchase agreement only, which means the Village would only be responsible for power generated and not construction costs, according to Lloyd. The contract would be a 10-year agreement.
Council members expressed interest in using wind as a renewable source, and agreed to study the proposal further.
"What we're trying to do is get a portfolio that's as sustainable as we can get," Rick Walkey said.
Other items on Council's April 16 agenda will be in next week's News.
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe "fair use" as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar "fair dealing" provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
Wind Watch relies entirely on User Contributions |
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What matters
UNHCR's main objectives in Ethiopia were to provide international protection and material assistance to mainly Sudanese, Eritrean and Somali refugees; to promote the voluntary repatriation of 14,000 Sudanese refugees; to assist the Government with the rehabilitation of infrastructure and environment in and around refugee camps; to promote the well-being of the most vulnerable refugees and to pursue resettlement as a durable solution for urban and camp-based refugees.
- UNHCR has provided international protection and assistance to over 100,000 Sudanese, Somali and Eritrean refugees.
- Aisha camp was closed after over 4,100 Somali refugees returned to Somaliland and some 1,800 Ethiopian individuals of Somali ethnic origin returned to their areas of origin.
- In early 2005, some 9,600 Sudanese Anuak refugees who had left Fugnido camp following inter-ethnic violence in late 2002 returned to the camp and were assisted by UNHCR in Ethiopia.
- The Government of Ethiopia and UNHCR reached an agreement on the issuing of identity cards to refugees and asylum-seekers. As a result, all urban refugees and asylum-seekers received identity cards.
- Over 1,200 refugees were resettled in other countries.
- Some 1.64 million seedlings were planted in refugee affected areas, some 450 hectares of land were reforested in all camps and 42 kilometres of terraces and check dams were constructed to contain soil erosion and gully formation.


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Helping customers strengthen their cyber defences
Swift's Customer Security Programme (CSP) helps financial institutions ensure their defences against cyberattacks are up to date and effective, to protect the integrity of the wider financial network. Users compare the security measures they have implemented with those detailed in the Customer Security Controls Framework (CSCF), before attesting their level of compliance annually.
With solid attestation and compliance rates, the CSP reflects a community of highly engaged users committed to stopping cyberattacks in their tracks. And, as the cyber threat landscape evolves, so too does the CSP.
Effective each year as from July, Swift issues an updated version of the CSCF and you need to support your attestation with an independent assessment.
As this is an assessment and not a full audit, it is not as expensive and takes less time, the magnitude of the task is reduced. The assessment can be conducted by internal teams such as the Compliance Office, Risk Office or Internal Audit. The deadline for attestation, and independent assessment, is 31 December.
Find out more about the Swift Customer Security Programme Assessor Certification and the new Directory.
Secure and protect
Securing your local Swift-related infrastructure, policies and practices, are critical to avoid cyber related fraud.
Prevent and detect
Managing security risk in your interactions and relationships with your counterparties is vital.
Share and prepare
Cyber-attacks on one company in one location can easily be replicated. Be prepared.
Reinforce the security of global banking system
The mandatory set of security controls establish a baseline for the entire community. They need to be implemented by all users.
Attest to increase community transparency
Every Swift user has to submit a Security Attestation, showing compliance levels with the controls.
Better manage counterparty risk
Manage and monitor counterparty risk and implement additional protective measures for your core payments systems.
Enhance the accuracy of your attestation
Attest your level of compliance though an independent assessment.
Attest and view counterparty attestations
Submit your attestation and check the compliance status of your counterparties
Payments risk management tools
Discover how Daily Validation Reports and Swift's Payment Control Service help you manage security risks.
Enhance the effectiveness and reliability of assessments
Swift CSP Assessor Certification and Swift CSP Certified Assessors
Find external support
Consult a list of providers to support you in meeting the security controls
Explore our training material
Access a library of CSP-related trainings that complements the Swift User Handbook.
Know more about CSP
Access a list of CSP-related content, such as factsheets, quarterly updates and videos of key Sibos sessions.
Log in to the CSP applications and portals
Find the dedicated login links to KYC-SA application, Attestation support page and ISAC portal


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ECCS'14 will be a major international conference and event in the area of complex systems and interdisciplinary science in general. It will offer unique opportunities to study novel scientific approaches in a multitude of application areas.
The conference will cover a broad range of subjects on all aspects of Complex Systems, as reflected by the following conference tracks:
- Foundations of Complex Systems
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Infrastructures, Planning and Environment
- Biological Complexity
- Language, Linguistics Cognition and Social Systems
- Economics and Finance
Download ECCS14 flyer and ECCS14 poster
Download the Map of Lucca with all the ECCS14 locations


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South Carolina & New Jersey
Our Promise to You
Satisfaction Guarantee
Creating beautiful products and making our wonderful customers happy is our top priority! If you're not 100% happy with your purchase, let us know, and we'll make it right.
Original Artwork
Our products are available through Compass Rose Studio only. All designs and illustrations are original creations of the artist, Amy Mac, and you won't find them anywhere else.
Made in America
All artwork is produced with love and attention to the smallest details in our Southern California studio. Our highly-skilled printer/bindery is located in Northern California.


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In Sarasota County, FL, there is a housing crisis where some landlords have not been paid back rent by tenants due to the mandated eviction moratorium in Florida, specifically Sarasota County.
Sarasota County, Florida: Landlord and Tenant Housing Rental Stats
The Sarasota County, FL residential population is 434,006 as recorded by the Census Bureau for Sarasota County, FL in 2020.
Total housing units for Sarasota County, FL are 249,415 (as of 2019). The owner-occupied housing unit rate is 76.20%, with a median value of owner-occupied housing units at $269,300. The median selected monthly owner costs (with a mortgage) is $1,507, and those median selected monthly owner costs (without a mortgage) is $586.
For tenants paying rent, the median gross rent (from 2015 to 2019) has averaged $1,342 in Sarasota County, FL.
New home construction in Sarasota County, FL saw building permits rise to 4,437 in 2020.
Overall, Sarasota County, FL has a median household income (in 2019 dollars) of $64,644.
How Federal Rental Assistance Works in Sarasota County, FL to Help Landlords
For Sarasota County, FL landlords, you may think of Sarasota County, FL rental assistance as help for renters.
Right now, most federal emergency rental assistance programs accept applications from Sarasota County, FL landlords. Where Sarasota County, FL renters can apply, they often need the landlord's help to complete the process and make payments directly to the landlord or property owner in Sarasota County, FL.
Nationwide, state and local programs are taking applications from renters and landlords to distribute money from the U.S. Department of Treasury's Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program in their own communities.
Sarasota County, Florida's Emergency Rental Assistance Program
In Sarasota County, FL, the main rental assistance program for helping landlords and tenants is called:
Sarasota County, Florida's Emergency Rental Assistance Program
How Do I Apply for Emergency Rental Assistance in Sarasota County, FL?
You apply through your Sarasota County, FL local emergency rental assistance (ERA) program. Each local program has some flexibility in how they set up policies and procedures to suit the needs of their local community.
For example, in some areas, you can apply for rental assistance yourself. In other areas, landlords need to submit an application first.
What Does Sarasota County, Florida Emergency Rental Assistance Cover?
The federal ERA Program allows Sarasota County, FL local programs to cover rent, utilities, and home energy costs. This includes electricity, gas, fuel oil, water and sewer, and trash removal. If your landlord normally pays for utilities or home energy costs, these are counted as part of your rent.
Sarasota County, FL rental assistance may also cover:
• Reasonable late fees (if not included in your rental or utility debt)
• Internet service to your home
• Moving expenses and other rental-related fees (such as security deposits, application fees, or screening fees) for families who have to move
Some programs may also provide housing counseling, case management, legal representation, and other housing stability services.
Can I Get Help with The Cost of Moving to a New Home in Sarasota County, FL?
The federal ERA Program allows local programs to help with moving expenses, security deposits, rental applications or screening fees.
How Much Sarasota County, FL Financial Help Can I Get?
The federal ERA Program allows local programs to receive up to 18 months of help with rent, including overdue rent, back to March 13, 2020, if the money is available.
If you have overdue rent, the money must go toward rent that you owe, first. Sarasota County, FL local programs may be able to help with future rent. In addition, you may get help with your future rent payments, up to 3 months at a time. But this depends on your local program.
Ask your Sarasota County, FL local program about the total amount of help available to you.
Do I Have to Be Behind on Rent to Get Help in Sarasota County, FL?
You don't have to be behind on rent to get assistance. Some programs offer help with future rent. However, if you have overdue rent, the money you get must go toward rent that you owe before it can be used for future rent.
Can Sarasota County, FL Rental Assistance Cover the Cost of a Hotel or Motel Room?
Yes. If your household is eligible for emergency rental assistance, local programs may cover the cost of a Florida hotel or motel room if:
• You had to move out of your home and you don't have a permanent home elsewhere
• You can provide hotel or motel bills or other evidence of your stay, and
• Your local program follows the rules for this emergency rental assistance
If emergency rental assistance is not available to help cover these costs, you can also ask for help under the HUD Emergency Solutions Grant program. Visit Benefits.gov for more information about Emergency Solutions Grants. You may also be able to find help at DisasterAssistance.gov.
Am I Eligible for Emergency Rental Assistance in Sarasota County, Florida?
To be eligible for help covering your rent, you must have an agreement to pay rent for your home or mobile home lot. You don't necessarily need to have a signed lease, and your home could be an apartment, house, mobile home, or other place.
These three statements also need to be true:
1. At least one member of your household has:
• Qualified for unemployment or should qualify
• Lost income
• Owed large expenses, OR
• Had other financial hardships
2. Your household income is below a certain amount, based on where you live
3. At least one member of your household is experiencing housing instability, which means they are at risk of becoming homeless or would have trouble finding a stable place to live
Where Can I Find Out If My Household Qualifies for Sarasota County, FL Rental Help?
Eligibility is based on a renter household's financial situation and housing needs. If you're a landlord, eligibility is based on your tenant's household needs.
Federal rules allow local rental assistance programs to cover rent or utilities for low-income families. This generally includes renter households with income up to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with adjustments for family size.
Local emergency rental assistance programs must prioritize applications for renter households with income below 50% of the AMI and households with a worker who has been unemployed for at least 90 days before applying. This means that your Sarasota County, FL local program can set lower income limits to make sure the neediest households get help first. Your local program should let you know how their system for prioritizing applications works.
I Own My Home in Sarasota County, FL. Can I Get Help to Cover My Mortgage, Utility, or Energy Costs?
Money from the federal ERA Program is for renters only. But money from the Homeowner Assistance Fund created under the American Rescue Plan Act may also be available. If you're experiencing hardship as a homeowner, visit our Help for homeowners page to learn about your options.
How Can I Show That I Am Eligible in Sarasota County, Florida?
Eligibility is based on a Sarasota County, FL renter household's financial situation and housing needs.
When you apply for emergency rental help, you will be asked to show that your income is eligible and that you're experiencing housing instability. If you're a Sarasota County, FL landlord, eligibility is based on your tenant's household needs, and you'll be asked to show that your tenant's household is eligible for assistance.
You must sign a written statement that the information in your application is correct and complete, and that you will use the emergency rental assistance for the costs it is meant to cover.
What Kind of Proof Can I Use to Show My Income in Sarasota County, FL?
Sarasota County, FL local programs have different requirements. They may ask you for a written statement. Or they can ask you to show your income with other documents (for example, unemployment benefits documents, pay stubs, tax documents, a statement from an employer, etc.).
If it's hard for you to show income or job loss, or if you have a special situation, Sarasota County, FL local programs may let you write out your own statement about your income.
• If your Sarasota County, FL household has no income, or if your employer's offices have closed, it may be difficult to prove your household income.
• If you have a disability, don't have access to technology, or have other special needs, a Sarasota County, FL local program may be flexible about the proof they require.
If they do rely on your written statement, the Sarasota County, FL program you apply to needs to review your household income again every three months to make sure you remain eligible.
• Sarasota County, FL local programs might also rely on a caseworker or other professional who knows about your situation to certify that your income qualifies for emergency rental assistance.
• Sarasota County, FL programs have to make sure they are complying with their own eligibility policies and procedures.
• They must also have reasonable procedures in place to prevent fraud.
What Can I Use to Show Sarasota County, FL Housing Instability?
To show Sarasota County, FL housing instability, you may need to sign a written statement. You might also be asked to show:
• A past due utility or rent bill or Florida eviction notice.
• Proof that you live in Sarasota County, FL unsafe or unhealthy living conditions.
• Other proof that the Sarasota County, FL program asks you for.
Sarasota County, FL programs can make their own rules for determining if you're living in unsafe or unhealthy conditions and what proof to accept.
How Can I Show Where I Live and How Much Rent I Agreed to Pay in Sarasota County, FL?
When you apply for emergency Sarasota County, FL rental help, be ready to show an agreement signed by you and your Sarasota County, FL landlord that shows where you live and your rental payment amount.
If you don't have a signed Sarasota County, FL rental agreement or lease, Sarasota County, FL local programs may accept proof of your address and a written statement about your rent, such as:
• Proof that you paid utilities for your Sarasota County, FL home or apartment unit (like a water bill)
• A statement from your Sarasota County, FL landlord, or
• Other reasonable proof as requested
You may also be able to show your Sarasota County, FL rental payment amount with:
• Bank statements
• Check stubs
• Other paperwork that shows regular rent payments, or
• Other reasonable proof as requested
If you give a written statement, Sarasota County, FL local programs may require you to certify that you did not receive – and don't expect to get – help from a different source to cover the same rental costs. For instance, if your rent is subsidized by a federal agency like the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), you can't get help from your Sarasota County, FL local program to cover the federally subsidized portion of your rent. But you can get help to cover the part of the rent that you are responsible for.
How Can I Show That I Owe Money for Utility or Home Energy Costs in Sarasota County, FL?
If you apply for help with utilities, be ready to show a bill, invoice, or proof of payment to the utility company or home energy service provider. Sarasota County, FL rental assistance can't be used to cover any utilities and home energy costs that your landlord normally pays for.
Will My Sarasota County, Florida Local Program Send the Rental Assistance to Me or to My Landlord or Utility Provider?
It depends on how your Sarasota County, FL local program works.
In some cases, the Sarasota County, FL program may contact your landlord or utility provider and ask them to accept Sarasota County, FL emergency rental assistance to pay off what you owe. If they do not agree, or if they do not respond within seven days (or within five days, if the program contacts your landlord by phone, text, or e-mail), your Sarasota County, FL local program may be able to give the money to you. Then you must use the money to pay the landlord or utility yourself.
In other cases, your Sarasota County, FL local program might give you the money right away, without first contacting your landlord. Either way, you must then use the money to pay what you owe.
Starting May 7, 2021, landlords who accept direct payments of future rent are not allowed to evict you for not paying rent during the period covered by the Sarasota County, FL rental assistance. When programs make direct payments to landlords to cover back rent, guidance strongly encourages them to prohibit eviction for 30 to 90 days after the period covered by rental assistance.
Sarasota County, Florida Special Living Situations
Find out if Sarasota County, FL emergency rental assistance applies to your special situation.
I Was Living Somewhere Else, Earlier in The Pandemic.
It doesn't matter how long you have been living in your current Sarasota County, FL rental home. If you meet the requirements, Sarasota County, FL emergency rental assistance is available to help you with housing costs that you cannot afford as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I Receive a Federal Rent Subsidy.
If your Sarasota County, FL income has changed, you might qualify for lower rent. Or, you might qualify for a hardship exemption that allows you to skip one or more rent payments. Ask for "income recertification" through your Public Housing Agency (PHA) or landlord. Do this as soon as possible. The change in rent could apply to unpaid rent.
If you receive a federal rent subsidy, such as a Housing Choice Voucher, Project-Based Rental Assistance, or Public Housing, you may still qualify for Sarasota County, FL assistance with the rent or utilities that you are responsible for paying.
I Live in a Manufactured or Mobile Home.
If you live in an Sarasota County, FL manufactured home or mobile home, you can get rental help. You can also get help with rent for the lot that your home sits on, even if you own your manufactured home. Like other Sarasota County, FL renters, you may also qualify for help with utilities or other housing-related expenses.
I Am a Tribal Member Living on Non-Tribal Lands, or a Non-Tribal Member Living on Tribal Lands.
A Tribal member living outside Tribal lands can receive Sarasota County, FL emergency rental help funds from their Tribe or Tribally Designated Housing Entity (TDHE), as long as you are not already receiving assistance from another Tribe or TDHE, or from a state or local government.
I Have a "Rent-To-Own" Agreement with My Landlord.
You can get Sarasota County, FL emergency rental help even if you have a "rent-to-own" agreement with your landlord, as long as:
• You haven't signed or co-signed a mortgage for the Sarasota County, FL property that you are renting-to-own
• You haven't exercised an option to purchase the Sarasota County, FL property
I Live in a Houseboat.
Sarasota County, FL rental assistance can also be used to cover mooring fees.
Are You a Landlord or Rental Property Owner in Sarasota County, Florida?
Have You Suffered Lost Rental Income from the Eviction Moratorium in Sarasota County, Florida?
Sarasota County, Florida Rental Property Landlords: How to Increase Your Existing SBA EIDL Loan
Did you already receive a Florida SBA EIDL Loan for your Sarasota County Rental Properties?
We can assist Landlords and Investment Property Owners in requesting additional SBA EIDL loan funds through the increase request and loan modification process in Sarasota County, FL.
Landlords and Property Owners in Sarasota County, FL can schedule a free Disaster Loan Consultation to see if we may be able to help your Rental Property Management Business with the SBA Increase Request Process in Sarasota County, FL.
Sarasota County, Florida Landlords: How to Overcome an SBA EIDL Loan Denial
Has your Florida SBA EIDL loan been denied for your Sarasota County, FL rental property?
We can assist you in filing for an SBA EIDL loan reconsideration appeal for your Rental Property Entities and Investment Property Portfolio in Sarasota County, FL.
Landlords and Property Owners in Florida can schedule a free Disaster Loan Consultation to see if we may be able to help your Rental Property Management Business with the SBA Loan Reconsideration Process in Sarasota County, FL.
If you are a Florida Renter or Tenant, forward this article to your Landlord in Sarasota County, FL.
Cover Image Credit: 123RF.com / Snowing / Disaster Loan Advisors.


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ATLANTA -- Home Depot sent a note a few months ago to the companies that supply the 176,000 products it sells, inviting them to make a pitch to have their products included in its new Eco Options marketing campaign.
More than 60,000 products -- far more than obvious candidates like organic gardening products and high-efficiency lightbulbs -- suddenly developed environmental star power.
Plastic-handled paint brushes were touted as nature-friendly because they were not made of wood. Wood-handled paint brushes were promoted as better for the planet because they were not made of plastic.
An electric chainsaw? Green, because it was not gas-powered. A bug zapper? Ditto, because it was not a poisonous spray. Manufacturers of paint thinners, electrical screwdrivers and interior overhead lights claimed similar bragging rights simply because their plastic or cardboard packaging was recyclable.
''In somebody's mind, the products they were selling us were environmentally friendly,'' said Ron Jarvis, a Home Depot senior vice president who oversees the Eco Options program.
But not in his mind.
''Most of what you see today in the green movement is voodoo marketing,'' he added. ''If they say their product makes the sky bluer and the grass greener, that's just not good enough.''
By the standards of Mr. Jarvis -- who fertilizes his own home garden with a liquefied worm waste product packaged in recycled soda bottles and fills his swimming pool with salt water to avoid putting chlorine into the environment -- only 2,500 of the products made the cut.
Even at that number, some environmentalists say that Home Depot is being too inclusive. In the process, they say, it is engaging in its own kind of overstated marketing, posing as green even as it continues to sell powerful pesticides and polluting lawnmowers.
Green, after all, has become the new ''new and improved,'' a label so widely used that many environmental groups, while lauding the heightened interest of consumers, now dismiss many of the efforts as greenwash.
''Everybody is in a mad scramble to say how green they are,'' said Jim O'Donnell, manager of the Sierra Club Stock Fund, which handles $50 million in a portfolio of companies it considers environmentally friendly. He added that he was hopeful the product greening would become more meaningful over time.
One reason for the scramble is that there are few verifiable or certified standards to substantiate claims. Crest has introduced a toothpaste containing green tea extract and natural mint, sold under the ''Nature's Expressions'' label, even though it contains artificial ingredients like most toothpastes. Raid sells a wasp and hornet killer in a green can marked ''Green Options'' with ''Natural Clove Scent.''
''You almost have to be a scientist with a lab to decipher the dizzying array of claims,'' said Robyn Griggs Lawrence, editor in chief for Natural Home magazine. ''It's hard to get information on what makes a product green.''
Few people know that better than Mr. Jarvis of Home Depot, the nation's second-largest retailer behind Wal-Mart.
The products he has accepted for the Eco Options promotion include solar-powered landscape lighting, biodegradable peat pots and paints that discharge fewer pollutants.
But he has often gone back to suppliers and independent testers for clarification and new testing on products. Sometimes he requests product improvements, since Home Depot ultimately wants to sell about 6,000 products under the Eco Options program. (The suppliers have an incentive to meet his requests: sales of products in the Eco Options program have gone up an average of about 10 percent since the program began in April.)
Home Depot executives acknowledge that they are navigating largely uncharted waters because the government and private-company certifications that do exist on environmental impact tend to be narrowly focused.
It took weeks, for instance, to choose among a multitude of paint toxicity standards that local governments have set around the country. (Home Depot said it chose the strictest standard, set in Southern California.)
For now, most Eco Options products rely on independent certifications like Energy Star, which measure energy efficiency and is run by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.
Even though Energy Star is a widely accepted barometer for how much electricity a refrigerator or washing machine uses, it does not measure other factors, like how much energy was used to make the appliance in the first place or whether the manufacturer used recycled materials and encouraged its product to be recycled at the end of its life.
Home Depot is working with Scientific Certification Systems, a private company based in Emeryville, Calif., that audits and certifies company claims, to develop new broad-based standards. They will grade a product based on its environmental record over its entire life cycle -- including the sustainability of its production process, its efficiency and longevity and how it can be recycled when it is no longer useful.
But until some kind of standard can be worked out, Mr. Jarvis and his team are forced to work their way through the thicket of claims.
They are currently considering a rug that is made out of corn fiber instead of nylon, one that the manufacturer is heralding as a natural, earth-friendly product. Corn is natural, Mr. Jarvis acknowledged, but he said he was concerned about the buildup of phosphates in the Gulf of Mexico coming off the Mississippi River from corn farming, as well as the fuel it takes to run the tractors in corn fields and to transport the corn.
''When you look at the entire life cycle, nylon could have less of an environmental impact,'' he said.
Teimeiko Fletcher, an environmental marketing manager at Home Depot, walked into Mr. Jarvis's office on a recent day with a thick folder of products that manufacturers wanted to be included in the Eco Options program.
Mr. Jarvis liked a dimmer made by Lutron that promised 5 percent energy savings, but asked that the Environmental Protection Agency be consulted for verification. He was impressed by a claim by E-3 that a spark plug for lawn and garden products would lower carbon dioxide emissions by 7 percent, but he asked Ms. Fletcher to find out if other spark plugs on the market could do better.
One manufacturer said its asphalt roofing was environmentally friendly because it could be placed over existing roofing, thereby limiting overloading of landfills.
Mr. Jarvis said he was not impressed, even though Home Depot already sells the product. ''Wood shingles would be better, as long as it comes from sustainable forestry,'' he noted.
Skeptics say Home Depot is also attempting to give itself a green patina, endorsing products that may not be all they are cracked up to be while continuing to sell lawnmowers, toxic pesticides and inefficient light bulbs.
Urvashi Rangan, a senior environmental health scientist at Consumer Reports, complained of one store where Eco Options signs were placed haphazardly around toxic bee and hornet insecticides.
''If they really wanted to promote sustainability, they would discontinue their products with the least green attributes,'' said Garvin Jabusch, a partner at Green Alfa Advisors, which directs investors on how to invest in a sustainable economy. ''Manufacturers would stop making them on the spot.''
Mr. Jarvis says many manufacturers have expressed a willingness to work with Home Depot to improve their products to earn the Eco Options label. ''The manufacturers are seeing the green ship leave the port,'' he said ''and they don't want to be left on the dock.''
Correction: July 27, 2007, Friday Credits for two pictures on June 25 with a front-page article about Home Depot's efforts to identify environmentally sound products misspelled the given name and surname of the photographer. She is Hiroko Masuike, not Hiroku Masuiki.