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Saturday, April 25, 2009
Professionally Administrated Wrecks
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Ok, so it's not horrible, but I do have two issues with it:
First, as submitter Danielle C. points out, the girl is green. "I'm not sure why," she writes, "but I've narrowed it down to either motion sickness or a subtle witch insult."
(Ah, but there is one more possibility, Danielle: She could be an Orion slave girl! Granted, that might be construed as an even bigger insult than the witch thing, but any Trek reference is a good one in my book.)
And secondly, this cake doesn't actually say anything. No "Thanks" or "We appreciate you" or "Today, skip the collating!" - nada. So in essence really all this cake says is "You work here, and we wanted cake." How...touching. I'm sure all the admins working there were inspired to new heights of administrative professionalism. Really.
'Course, considering these next examples I can see the logic behind a writing-less cake:
And Mary Pat, since I know all the glass-half-full people are going to point it out anyway: Those flowers ARE quite pretty, don't you think?
This Wreck, however, has only one redeeming factor:
And that is it's made of chocolate.
Yep, that plastic butterfly makes a heroic effort, but in the end still can't save this squiggly monochromatic mass from the Wreck heap. I can't actually say it's misspelled, though, because every time I try to decipher the squiggles the eyestrain gives me a headache. (And if that's a decorator tactic, it's brilliant. Brilliant, I say!)
85 comments | Post a Comment
- Lady said...
I can't believe how bad the spelling is on that second cake. I can understand the double-f, but no s?
Wonderful post, as usual! - April 25, 2009 at 9:39 AM
- D.B. Echo said...
Don't forget, Enterprise established that the Orion Slave Girls are actually the ones in charge...just like Administrative Professionals!
WVW: trout. Yes, trout. - April 25, 2009 at 9:44 AM
well.. they did put two f's in "professional..." hahah
- April 25, 2009 at 9:49 AM
- Reverend Shari said...
nope, the chocolate cake definitely has two f's in "professional," so the squished font technique did not work. It is chocolate, however.
- April 25, 2009 at 9:50 AM
That definitely says proffesionals. I'm going to go ahead and declare that word misspelled. It's 9:50 am EST.
- April 25, 2009 at 9:50 AM
- sendingtheclowns said...
Holy crap.
Holy, HOLY C-R-A-P CRAP!!!!
That admin being (I remember when they were called "secretaries") is --no question about it--VERY, VERY good at what she does. She is able to conduct business without a single key on her keyboard! Without blinking a pastel eye! She also must be left-handed (or magic) because I don't see a mouse. Her headset is growing straight out of her head. I'm guessing Borg. - April 25, 2009 at 9:52 AM
- Bilby P. Dalgyte said...
Well maybe she was a very bad administrator and so cake was the only way to make up for it? Anyhoo... the chocolate one is um.... very.... brown. Yes... that's not too incriminating. Brown.
- April 25, 2009 at 9:53 AM
- Errick said...
I do think that last one is misspelled. I believe I can see the loops of two consecutive f's.
So can I recommend a new national holiday? "Give A Dictionary To A Bakery Day!" - April 25, 2009 at 9:59 AM
"So, for all you administrative professionals out there who had to order your own cakes last Wednesday, this post is for you."
And that chocolate one doesn't even look that appetizing for being chocolate. - April 25, 2009 at 10:03 AM
- sendingtheclowns said...
I also maintain that anyone who IS one, EMPLOYS one, or is making a cake DEDICATED to one, should at the very least be able to SPELL the damn word "professional" correctly. Crap like this makes my *crabby* cells riot violently in my brain.
Good thing these are funny!
=^><^= - April 25, 2009 at 10:14 AM
I'm baffled. Maybe it's because I am on the other side of the pond. But are you saying that there is a specific day in America where cake is given to secretaries??? Sorry - administrative professionals? An *actual day* like Mothering Sunday or Valentines? I mean, do bosses give their employees cards as well as cake? Or the day off? Wow!
We Brits don't have this. I guess our cynicism is a successful shield against the marketing ploy of greetings card companies . . . or maybe we don't appreciate our 'administrative professionals' enough . . . or maybe we appreciate them *every* day, not just one prescribed to us by Hallmark. . .
And do you celebrate *everyones* jobs? I mean, there are more than 365 professions out there so the cake and card companies must be doing orders every single day of the year and doubling up too, no doubt, at busy times like Christmas . . . Do you have a list of days like this? "Happy Waitressing Day" "Every Best Wish to my local Fishmonger" "Felicitations to you on Bricklayer's Day" . .. that sort of thing.
Wow - no wonder there are so many cake wrecks out there. My horizons are well and truly widened! Thanks! - April 25, 2009 at 10:37 AM
No wonder Admin Asst. are so needed. No one else in the office can figure out how to order a cake. Bless her little green heart.
- April 25, 2009 at 10:43 AM
- Kathy at the Junk Drawer said...
Hilarious commentary! Oh, and I love how they found it necessary to give the green woman, in no uncertain terms, boobs.
- April 25, 2009 at 10:48 AM
JO Uk,
I seriously just had the most fun reading your comment (you sounded just like Q from the Bond films in my head).
But yes, the day is real, and much deserved by those brave souls who slave under tyrannical memo-wielding bosses for a living.
That said, we also have:
Apr 11- Eight-track tape day
Oct 3- Virus Appreciation day
Jan 6- Bean day
But who doesn't love beans?
mmmmmm beeeaaans...
john - April 25, 2009 at 10:52 AM
- Jennie said...
That second cake definitely explains why we need administrative professionals... I mean, proffionals... clearly, the bakery needs to hire one to do their proof reading!
- April 25, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Now why would you treat so poorly the person in the office who is most likely to know all your personal info?
I'm looking forward to the Boss's Day cakes! The difficulty will be trying to differentiate which errors were unintended. - April 25, 2009 at 11:09 AM
- Pam said...
It would be so much simpler if they still called it "Secretaries' Day!"
- April 25, 2009 at 11:14 AM
I think I'm glad we just gave our administrative professional flowers.
- April 25, 2009 at 11:14 AM
John -
I didn't know that we had such arcane holidays. I guess that I need to add those to my calendar!
What does one do to celebrate 8-track day?
Presumably on bean day, you eat them - or is that you don't - you free them?? You're FREE, have cake!
You definitely have cake for Virus appreciation day.
Sadly, I think we have Administrative "Proffional" Day" because they would never get appreciated without it. - April 25, 2009 at 11:25 AM
- Unknown said...
The butterfly looks like it flew into the galaxy..probably sent from the Orion girl.
PS. Professional is the "professional' spelling.;O) LOL - April 25, 2009 at 11:39 AM
- Melissa said...
Maybe with the last two cakes they're trying to make the point that the administrative professionals are the ones that do the proofreading?
- April 25, 2009 at 11:44 AM
- sendingtheclowns said...
john(the hubby of Jen) said...
"... we also have:
Apr 11- Eight-track tape day
Oct 3- Virus Appreciation day
Jan 6- Bean day"
Virus Appreciation day?!
Good Heavens--you weren't making it up!!!
(I Googled it while nibbling on a grain of salt.)
Now there is time to plan accordingly.
For me, that means doing absolutely nothing--but thanks just the same! The world is a better place for having so many Important Days to acknowledge and make cakes for!!
>^~~^< - April 25, 2009 at 11:48 AM
- panda with cookie said...
Perhaps they should have stopped with a simple 'Thanks!' As a former cake decorator, trying to squash the word 'professional' in amongst the flowers is never a good idea.
- April 25, 2009 at 11:56 AM
Ah, John!
Yes, we are all *just* like James Bond characters over in the UK! You've obviously visited our fair shores . . I even have a cat like Q's . . . .
But hey - how's this for wierdness - my birthday is on January 6th and my daughter's name is Bean!! So, now I shall be able to raise another glass in honour of the American Bean Day. How jolly will that be!!!????
Oh, hang on a tick - you're joking, aren't you?
(confused) Aren't you??
(thinking) Oh, any excuse for a cake, it would seem - and I expect beans (in all their variety) would be a particularly easy shape to bodge . . .
(My daughter isn't officially, birth-certificatley called Bean but it's what everyone calls her. My birthday *is* January 6th, just so you remember for next year . . .) - April 25, 2009 at 11:57 AM
- Marie Bayer said...
"That second cake definitely explains why we need administrative professionals... I mean, proffionals... clearly, the bakery needs to hire one to do their proof reading!"
Wouldn't that be proff reading? - April 25, 2009 at 12:00 PM
- Hyena Overlord said...
#3...Happy Administrative Punishment Day?
After clowns in icing and bondage on a cake nothing will ever be right in the world.
wv...erget: the cake wrecks equivilent of this...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egret. - April 25, 2009 at 12:10 PM
- Yota Armai said...
You guys missed my favorite non-holiday holiday. International Talk Like a Pirate Day on Sept. 19th.
Arrr! Now hoist the main sail me hearties and make haste! For there be cake wrecks in these waters! - April 25, 2009 at 12:10 PM
- Sihaya said...
"his Wreck, however, has only one redeeming factor: And that is it's made of chocolate."
If you look closely at the chunk that's missing from the cake, you'll see that it's white on the inside. It's a sad sad wreck both inside and out. - April 25, 2009 at 12:17 PM
- Tom and Erin said...
Okay, does anyone else see the pinkness bleeding on the bottom of that first cake? Is that from the pepto-pink border or just a strange choice of airbrushing?
- April 25, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Oh no, Pam, nothing would be simplified; we'd be awash in cakes celbrating Secretarys Day or Secretarie's Day or Secatarrys Day or Secrete Aries Day.
- April 25, 2009 at 12:27 PM
- sendingtheclowns said...
Heh heh...so very, vairy, varrie true!
What you said would be innevitible, inedibitle, inevatabel...
a sure thing.
I see you've been around this block a time or two, yes? - April 25, 2009 at 1:05 PM
- Christine said...
The orion slave girl actually seems to be wearing a Starfleet uniform as well (admitedly, one thats been through the wash a few too amny times)
- April 25, 2009 at 1:06 PM
- Unknown said...
"So, for all you administrative professionals out there who had to order your own cakes last Wednesday, this post is for you."
Yes, that was me. Not a cake, per se, but I was asked to send a building-wide email thanking our administrative assistants for all they do. It made me want to write, "And you know they're the ones who do all the work around here when they are the ones sending this email!" - April 25, 2009 at 1:08 PM
- MeghanJG said...
The best part about it is if it were the administrative "proffesional" her/himself who had ordered that cake, they'd would have been looked down upon for the misspelling. (Take it from an actual administrative professional.)
And Cake #3 is the most "got milk" moment I've seen on your site to date. - April 25, 2009 at 1:20 PM
If you're going to misspell ANYBODY's cake, it should not be the administrative professional. Many would send it back, edited in red icing. (speaking from past experience here.)
- April 25, 2009 at 1:50 PM
Oh the irony from Jo UK, a post about incorrect spelling and she has managed to completely booboo on the word weirdness.
Darn it. - April 25, 2009 at 2:36 PM
- GJC said...
Actually the Green Orion Slave Profffesssional looks to me a lot like Courtney Love, perchance after an extended mid-90's bender.
(WV: "cotab"--the medically-approved version of whatever it is Green Courtney was on when she modelled for that pic.) - April 25, 2009 at 2:37 PM
I just thought the "girl" on cake #1 was green due to political correctness. After all, if you have several Administrative Professionals of various ethnics around, you don't want to pick just one to honor on a cake.
Or maybe ...
I was going to reference Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage here with his description of the green-complected Mildred, but she's a waitress--which may have something to do with serving cake...
This site is doing strange things to my mind.
WV Serfu Mildred asked "May I serfu some cake?" - April 25, 2009 at 2:51 PM
And do you celebrate *everyones* jobs? I mean, there are more than 365 professions out there so the cake and card companies must be doing orders every single day of the year and doubling up too, no doubt, at busy times like Christmas . . . Do you have a list of days like this? "Happy Waitressing Day" "Every Best Wish to my local Fishmonger" "Felicitations to you on Bricklayer's Day" . .. that sort of thing.
I teach 7 and 8 year olds. Each morning our journal entry is a wierd fact or holiday for that date. Yes, you will be surprised how many obsure holidays we have, many of which have been cited by Acts of Congress. Yes, we can't balance the budget, but we can proclaim Jell-o Week or Pancake Day. I will abstain from the Larry Craig Make a New Friend in the Bathroom Day or Buy a Seat from Blagojevich "Senate Seat" Sale Day. - April 25, 2009 at 2:54 PM
to: john(the hubby of Jen)-
There is an excuse for a cake (wreck or not) any day of the year. Just consult:
for the celebration of the day, week or month. - April 25, 2009 at 2:56 PM
Girl looks like the hulk to me.
- April 25, 2009 at 3:37 PM
The last cake is definitely misspelled, I can read "Proffesio-al", and I have no idea what it is between the o and the a, but it's definitely not an n.
I believe the green girl is just being very, very sick... of her job.
Aren't there any cakes celebrating Towel Day today? That's something that really deserves a cake. - April 25, 2009 at 4:04 PM
What about Earth Day cakes? Are there none of those?
- April 25, 2009 at 4:18 PM
- ~ L. K. said...
I can't WAIT for Oct 3!!!
What a WONDERFUL day. I should order a professional cake. (Granted I could probably do a better job--or at least a more entertaining one.) - April 25, 2009 at 4:19 PM
- Jerri at Simply Sweet Home said...
Hi. I just found you. This is such a funny and interesting concept for a blog!
- April 25, 2009 at 4:25 PM
- Susan said...
>This Wreck, however, has only one redeeming factor:<
No, two! It has chocolate AND sprinkles! - April 25, 2009 at 4:26 PM
"You work here, and we wanted cake" is a sentiment I'll second any time. ;)
- April 25, 2009 at 5:00 PM
- IHateToast said...
That explains the gift on my desk when I returned to work on Thursday.
So this crossed the other pond. I'm in Australia. - April 25, 2009 at 5:17 PM
- funtime42 said...
And that's why I bought our admin support staff ice cream sundaes instead!
- April 25, 2009 at 5:22 PM
- KidsCakes said...
Hmmmm - Anyone decorating cakes should be required to keep a dictionary on hand - and required to USE it...lol.
Julie from
Kids Party Supplies and Kids Cakes - April 25, 2009 at 5:43 PM
I was supposed to get a cake?! I had no idea. I feel so left out. On the other hand someone did walk into my office on Thursday and ask "Why are there so many flowers on your desk. Is someone sick?"
- April 25, 2009 at 6:17 PM
- Kristin aka Trekkie Gal said...
I thought Orion slave girl before I read it. :D Although that shouldn't surprise you given one of my names.
And I think the 3rd cake is misspelled - it looks like 2 F's in professional, just like the second one. - April 25, 2009 at 6:32 PM
Ha. When I worked as an AA, I got flowers and a card *and* taken out to lunch at a very exclusive restaurant. I was told I deserved it for being the best assistant she'd ever had. 2 months later, I was let go. Shrug. She had issues. And I got 4 months off with unemployment, thanks to her!
- April 25, 2009 at 6:41 PM
Back when I was an Administrative Assistant (it was called a legal secretary back then!) I was taken to lunch at an expensive restaurant, had a few beer with my meal and followed it all up with a fabulous chocolate fondue. I really thought it was a bonus at the time...I had no idea I was supposed to have CAKE!! WTF? I got totally ripped off!!!
- April 25, 2009 at 7:53 PM
- Unknown said...
The Orion Slave Girl in the cake #1? Could also be a WITCH!
- April 25, 2009 at 9:07 PM
- Etiquette Bitch said...
hilarious. reminded me of my days as an admin -- i hated Admin. Proffinal's week/day/whatever. I was forced-*forced*-to have lunch out with my boss and another admin with whom I hated working. I would have much preferred one of these wrecks.
- April 25, 2009 at 9:53 PM
- Whitney G said...
I think the first lady is actually She-Hulk.
- April 25, 2009 at 11:07 PM
I can't believe you can't read this cake. It obviously says Happy Adminisistutive proffuneol Day. Simple.
- April 26, 2009 at 12:21 AM
What is that last cake's icing made out of? It almost looks glowy....which is kinda cool....
- April 26, 2009 at 12:38 AM
- Pilgrim said...
Happy Proffional Day everyone!
- April 26, 2009 at 1:08 AM
On the third cake (and I can't believe no one else has commented on this...) besides the misspellings, and the butterfly... there are two plastic flowers. One in the upper left and one int eh lower right, barely hanging on over the cut area.
And? The frosting might be chocolate, but like another commenter pointed out, that last one is white on the inside. Bah!
(Great blog, Jen, been reading you since I found you on SGC Sweets day.) - April 26, 2009 at 4:02 AM
...Does that second one actually say "Proffional?"
I'm hoping that I'm reading it wrong. And yet, I know in my heart that they did, in fact, spell it like that. - April 26, 2009 at 4:07 AM
I'm from the UK too and I haven't laughed so hard since I found this site. All my friends now tune in for the latest wrecks too. From Babymischief.
- April 26, 2009 at 4:12 AM
"Ann-Marie said...
Oh the irony from Jo UK, a post about incorrect spelling and she has managed to completely booboo on the word weirdness."
It was a typo, probably as a result of my fast yet fat little fingers being used to the 'i-before-e' combination, even though my brain (you see, I could have said brian there, just to confuse you further) actually knows how to spell the word.
Thankfully, I am neither an Administrative Professional, nor a pedant who searches forums for typographical errors . . .
(Word verification = 'syclogst' which, I believe, would be what your local cake-wrecker would ice onto some luridly coloured and overly floral cake on the day when one has recognise the hard work by one's shrink - "Happy Syclogst Day!"
(oh, and before Ann-Marie pipes up again, here in the UK, we have a 'u' in 'coloured' and use the 'ise' rather that 'ize' at the end of words . . ) - April 26, 2009 at 5:02 AM
- g said...
I just saw a sign for a tarot reader who who said that she sells incents and will help with all your probleems. I didn't take her up on it as she couldn't even manage her own spelling problem.
- April 26, 2009 at 8:13 AM
- Erica said...
Great minds think alike. Upon seeing that last one I thought, 'Well, at least it's chocolate...' and then read your comment about it. LOL
In slightly un-related wreck news, my hubs once bought me a beautifully designed birthday cake. With brown icing. And no, it wasn't chocolate. Just brown. WTF is up with that?
WV: biess 'I am biessed against brown icing that is not chocolate.' - April 26, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Did yuo konw taht acrcdording to a Hvarard stduy dnoe qutie a whlie aog, teh vsat mairojty of litraete hamun binegs cna raed a sneetnce ealisy eevn wehn lal teh letetrs aer ni teh wnorg oedrr?
Cool right? I prefer to think you were simply testing this theory with your spelling gaffe.
On another note, I think you should be an author. You may not think you'll have anything interesting to write about, but I am confident it will be written well and with a certain sass and vigor which you seem to possess in abundance.
Just a thought...
john - April 26, 2009 at 10:43 AM
I am pretty sure that last cake is decorated in spray cheese. Nearly positive.
- April 26, 2009 at 4:07 PM
- Sarahie said...
The chocolate cake would definitely help! I'm guessing the problem was that the administrative professionals didn't order their own cakes and this was the best the rest of the staff could do without them! So, really, it's a hidden compliment!
- April 26, 2009 at 9:40 PM
- NaomiKnight said...
I have to throw in that the chocolate cake has the WORST attempt at cake border piping I have EVER seen, and I have seen a lot of cakes!
Since I've been taking cake decorating courses and learned how cakes actually should be done, these wrecks hurt my eyes even more, lol. - April 26, 2009 at 11:43 PM
My mom, who is the admin. asst. to a fire chief and his two deputies, informed me that the lady on the cake was green because it was Earth Day, as well as being Administrative Professionals Day. Interesting theory; let's hope the decorator actually put that much thought into the cake.
- April 27, 2009 at 4:20 AM
- TheAmber said...
I am so very disappointed in my fellow Trekkers on here. The Administrative Professional on the first cake is obviously a Caucasoid Vulcan. Their copper based blood gives lighter skinned Vulcans a green tinge.
- April 27, 2009 at 8:53 AM
- Miranda said...
Well, there's no Copy Editors' Day yet, but all in all, I'm gonna say I'm okay with that.
I asked Mr. Gothboy to pick up a couple of cake mixes at the store and he got Betty Crocker instead of Duncan Hines. rarrrrr. - April 27, 2009 at 9:50 AM
- Miranda said...
errm, umm, I hate to disappoint. Witches do not have green skin. *looks down at white-white self* But we do have a predilection for cakes and ale. (usually mead, actually.) So if you're up for a Witches' Day, I'd like dark chocolate and either a glass of mead or a Guinness. XD *slurp*
- April 27, 2009 at 9:58 AM
If Jen can take a "Trek" reference out of this cake, I CAN'T WAIT to check the blog when the new movie comes out this spring!
- April 27, 2009 at 12:10 PM
- Nina said...
Will there be virus-shaped cakes on Virus Day? Chocolate Ebola? Fondant HIV? Well, I ain't going to buy just any old virus-cake. Gotta be a nice dangerous virus. :)Just a thought...
Nina - April 27, 2009 at 5:52 PM
At least 'Secretary Day' is easier to spell...
- April 28, 2009 at 2:34 AM
When I worked for a city government they had a press conference to announce the arrival of new garbage trucks. The mayor put on a hard hat and threw out the ceremonial first bag of trash then he rode on the little ledge on the back of the truck (around the block). They asked all of the employees in the building to come to the lobby to hear the speech and show up in the news footage . They has punch and cake - a big chocolate sheet cake decorated with the logo -a stylized image of the trash hauler that was on the uniforms of the department. Underneath this image on the cake in large letters was BUREAU OF SOLID WASTE . Yum, appetizing!
- April 29, 2009 at 12:35 AM
The bakery would make it "Secretary's Day". On administrative professionals day in our office (large accounting firm) everyone who is in Internal Firm Services (i.e not an accountant) got invited to a breakfast which was served to us by partners wearing aprons. They even came around to warm up our coffee too many times like annoying wservers who were trying too hard.
- April 29, 2009 at 12:50 AM
- A.G. said...
OMG! NAOMI! -squeee-
...sorry. -cough- Old friend, haven't seen her in a while. lol - April 29, 2009 at 10:14 PM
- Bethie said...
When I saw the first cake I immediately thought of Scooby-doo. She looks like she belongs on an episode with those meddling kids chasing behind her. Maybe, she is the secretary to the Hanna Barbera studios.
- May 1, 2009 at 9:17 AM
- Miss G said...
Obviously, that green secretary on the first cake is a zombie. Duh. :)
- May 7, 2009 at 4:09 AM
- Just Us said...
I like how you can hear the little wheels turning in the cake decorator's head for the second cake. "Proffes - oh, I'm not gonna have enough room - maybe I can convert that 'es' into 'io' - Proffional! Meh, good enough."
- June 17, 2009 at 2:51 PM
I like the red splotch on the bottom of the first cake. Maybe the cake is saying, "You work here and wanted cake. Don't hurt us"?
- May 30, 2010 at 10:40 PM
- Cupcakes Lady said...
Hilarious commentary. Love how they found it necessary to give the green woman boobs. Funny Stuff! xx
- October 13, 2010 at 11:37 AM
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Billy Crystal isn't happy about turning 65, but at least he's finding a way to laugh about it. His new memoir — Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? — is on the best-seller list, and he'll be back on Broadway in November.
Crystal got his start in standup comedy, and in 1977 he landed a leading role in the sitcom Soap — playing one of the first openly gay characters on TV. In 1984 he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live and went on to star in the films When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers and Analyze This. He's hosted the Oscars more times than anyone except Bob Hope. In 2007 he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. His autobiographical one-man show 700 Sundays won a Tony in 2005 and reopens on Broadway in November.
Interview Highlights
On how his show business family brought him to comedy early
[I did impressions] of relatives because I heard so many different sounds. You know, my dad was in the music business and of course my uncle was a giant [music producer], but my dad in particular had the house filled with these Dixieland jazz stars — really the best of them, Henry "Red" Allen, Willie "Lion" Smith, Buster Bailey, Cutty Cutshall, Tyree Glenn, Zutty Singleton, these are big names in the Dixieland world. It was mostly African-American [musicians] and my Jewish Eastern European relatives.
The house as I say ... smelled of brisket and bourbon, so you could hear that. I started imitating them. Phrases came out of that, "Can't you dig that?" "I knew that you would." We were at [Passover] Seders and they were confused with the bitter herbs, "Do we smoke these or do we do we dip them in salt water?" "We dip them in salt water, well that's gonna kill the vibrancy of the weed, you know." So that's what I was around. So I would imitate them. That's where it all started.
On losing his father at age 15
At the time it was devastating, of course. My two older brothers were both out of the house and in college, and I was left alone with [my mom] and we developed this incredible bond where I could not let her get too sad, [even] when I felt it in myself. It was a hard thing to juggle. I never felt like I could have a weak moment, I had to always be there for her and keep her up. ...
I'd try to make her laugh, and try to do things with her. ... She is the greatest hero I'll ever know because she kept us all together, she made sure we all graduated college. She always believed in us no matter what we do. My older brother Joel became an art teacher; my brother Rip ultimately became a television producer and singer and actor himself.
For me, it was always, "Whatever you want to do, I'm there for you." I never stopped believing in us and I never felt like I was wanting for anything, except for my father, and that was not going to be. I describe in the book [that] I don't think I ever felt young again in that way. I never felt I had my 15, 16, 17 kind of years the way I maybe should have. It's a huge dent in you that it's hard to knock out and make it all smooth again.
On his early standup days opening for Sammy Davis Jr., who used to lie to the audience about their relationship
I have 40-something intros [that Davis Jr. did]; all are different, none of them happened. And it was hilarious. ... [He did it] because it was show business. Because I think he thought he was doing a good thing for me and for him. He created this whole wonderful fantasy world for the two of us that was part of the show. I was OK with it. I thought it was really fascinating.
I loved him. Every time I was with Sammy it was like going to the show business museum because the stories were so extraordinary, and I didn't care if they were true or not after a while. ... I don't know if he really got high with Humphrey Bogart or not. It didn't matter because he was painting these fantastic pictures.
On playing Jodie, one of the first openly gay characters on television, in the show Soap in the late '70s and early '80s
We were in front of a live audience and I would be acting with the man who was playing my lover, and we used those words, and the audience would titter and laugh, and make me uncomfortable doing the scenes. ... I wanted to sort of stop and yell at them, "What's so funny? What's the matter with you people? Grow up!" It made me very self-conscious at times.
I think back to what we did and the things we talked about, all these years ago, and I'm so proud of what we did. I think it was in the third season Jodie was confused about his sexuality and he has a one-night stand with a woman and she gets pregnant and has a baby. ... Now I have to raise this little girl and so we go to court [to determine] who is going to get custody of the child. ABC did a poll and the poll at that time said 3 to 1 that the country wanted Jodie to get the baby. And I thought, "OK, we did good here."
On hosting the Oscars
I love doing it because I love the danger of it and you have to come through and think on your feet. That's why that show, no matter who hosts it, it really should be a fast-thinking comedian who is really quick on their feet that can handle situations that happen, or somebody with that kind of mentality that can capitalize on something.
On his proudest Oscar moment
I was introducing [director and producer] Hal Roach — Mr. Roach was 100 years old, he was one of the fathers of early days in films, he put Laurel with Hardy, he created the Our Gang kids, and all these silent movies he did — he was a giant. I think it was his 100th birthday and he was just supposed to take a bow. So I'm at center stage and I say, "Ladies and Gentlemen, one of the fathers of this industry, he's 100 years old, Mr. Hal Roach." Big hand, he stands up. And he starts talking and he has no microphone. ... And it's getting restless in the audience and they're all looking at me going, "What are you gonna say?" And I see the red light is right on me, and I looked at the audience and lines are flying through my head and one settled like a slot machine, three cherries, and I said, "Ladies and Gentleman, it's only fitting because he got his start in silent films." It took the pressure away, and that's one time I will pat myself on the back.
Copyright 2023 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.

subset: commoncrawl


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Premium Country Pubs was launched in 2003 when we opened The Cock Inn, based in Wishaw, and we haven't looked back since! There are now over 127 pubs across the UK, from Edinburgh to Bournemouth, and we continue to deliver great food and drinks to our guests.
We've stayed true to our original beliefs and ideals, with a never-ending desire to make the great British pub experience special for both our teams and guests each and every day.
Our vision is to be renowned for being the best destination pubs for people with great taste, and we work tirelessly to ensure that we stay ahead of the curve.
We're innovative with our design, and continuously review our seasonal menus, wine lists, and cocktail offers to ensure that we have the very best products for each of our guests.
We're passionate about our people, and invest greatly in their development. We offer extensive online training programmes, as well as culinary and front of house apprenticeships; the sky's the limit with Premium Country Pubs.
We're proud of our area management team, and many key figures in our support team, who've all developed through the company, and understand what it takes to be a great manager and leader in our businesses. We're certain that there's no better place to work, develop, and prosper.


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Do deer eat boxwood shrubs? Are marigolds deer-resistant? If they live nearby, these questions arise with regularity when adding to an existing garden or beginning anew. While your yard will never be 100% deer-proof, you can spend less time worrying about your plants becoming sustenance for these animals when you order deer-resistant shrubs from the impressive lineup at Nature Hills Nursery.
Browse only for the deer-resistant bushes for your planting zone using our USDA zone filters, choose sun exposure levels, or narrow the options by color and other options.
Family owned and operated since 2001, Nature Hills Nursery prides itself on meeting the needs of customers with an ever-growing collection of online plants backed by our product guarantee and protected by Plant Sentry™. Look through our helpful blog on deer-resistant plants, or browse our other options below:
All of our shrubs and plants are delivered safely to your home with instructions on planting, care and storage, so you can order knowing you'll have exactly what you need.
You have a wide range of options for shrubs that deer won't bother. Here are a couple of our most popular evergreens:
Enjoy colorful blooms and pleasant fragrances with these customer favorites:
Charles Joly Lilac: These magenta flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, all while giving off a sweet aroma. They flourish in full sun in zones 3 through 7 and are disease resistant.
In most cases, the smell, taste, or texture of a plant is what makes deer avoid eating it. For example, the flowering Black Knight Butterfly Bush tastes terrible to deer and lures in butterflies as its namesake. As for scent, the strong aromas of certain flowering shrubs will be off-putting to deer and lend an inviting fragrance to your garden.our garden.


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015 - QUIVIRA BASIN, CA Status:DECOMMISSIONED Notice:07/07/1981 Station decommissioned | Data set: |
This form is used to query the wave data contained in CDIP's 'parameter' database. It can be used to calculate average (mean) data stream values over different time periods, and it can be used to identify the extreme values - maximums and minimums - that have been recorded. The initial timespan below is pre-set to the timespan of the data for this station. You may also check the "Availability" link in the left-hand menu.


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So, on the day when an asteroid the size of an office building buzzed the planet, there's this unsettling news:
"A meteor streaked across the sky above Russia's Ural Mountains on Friday morning, causing sharp explosions and injuring [hundreds of] people, many of them hurt by broken glass. At least three people were reported hospitalized in serious condition." (The Associated Press)
But scientists at the European Space Agency report on their Twitter page that:
"ESA experts confirm *no* link between #meteor incidents in #Russia & #Asteroid #2012DA14 Earth flyby of tonight #SSA #NEO"
The sounds and sights from Russia, though, may make you want to look up around 2:24 p.m. ET today, when asteroid 2012 DA14 is due to slip by "only" 17,000 miles above us.
Russia Today has collected videos showing what it looked like as the meteor came roaring in. And there are many such videos being shared on Reddit.
According to The New York Times:
"Yelena Smirnykh, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Emergency Situations, told Ekho Moskvy radio that she believed the meteorite broke apart and fell in several places. Another government expert, who spoke to Moscow FM radio station, said he believed it may have been a bolide, a type of fireball meteor that explodes in the earth's atmosphere because of its composition or angle of entry and can be observed from the ground."
Update at 12:55 p.m. ET. Meteor Was "Once In A Century" Event:
NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce tells our Newscast desk that "scientists only have preliminary information on the Russian fireball so far, but what they do have suggests that it was historic. Paul Chodas of the Near Earth Object office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory says, "it was indeed a large fireball, probably the largest fireball since the Tunguska event that hit Siberia in 1908."
Chodas also says the object that fell to Earth today was probably about 50 feet across before it hit the atmosphere.
As Nell has previously reported, the Tunguska event "leveled millions of trees in an area of more than 820 square miles."
Update at 12:35 p.m. ET. One-Third The Size Of Asteroid:
NASA tweets that: "#RussianMeteor was 15 meters in size prior to the Earth's atmosphere, larger than 1 over Indonesia on Oct. 8, 2009 & 1/3rd size of #2012DA14."
Update at 11:25 a.m. ET. NASA Camera Is Tracking Asteroid:
The NASA JPL Live webcast of 2012 DA14's approach is streaming here.
Update at 9:50 a.m. ET. NASA Scientist Concurs; No Connection To Asteroid:
"The meteor explosion over Russia ... was not caused by an asteroid zooming close by the Earth today (Feb.15), a NASA scientist says. NASA asteroid expert Don Yeomans, head of the agency's Near-Earth Object Program Office, told SPACE.com that the object which exploded over a thinly inhabited stretch of eastern Europe today was most likely an exploding fireball known as a bolide."
Update at 9:15 a.m. ET. Report Of 950 Seeking Medical Attention:
Russia Today writes that "around 950 people have sought medical attention in Chelyabinsk alone because of the disaster, the region's governor Mikhail Yurevich told RIA Novosti. Over 110 of them have been hospitalized and two of them are in heavy condition. Among the injured there are 159 children, [the] Emergency ministry reported."
Update at 8 a.m. ET. Sound:
We've added an audio player above that has a short sound clip from The Associated Press. You can hear the sonic booms, followed by the sounds of breaking glass and car alarms.
As for the asteroid fly-by, since it's around 2:24 p.m. ET the daylight over North America will keep those of us in the U.S. from seeing anything (we all hope). NASA, though, plans to have live commentary on its website and hopes to have "live or near real-time views of the asteroid from observatories in Australia, weather permitting."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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5 Situations When You Need Lock Repair Services
Like every other thing in our day to day lives, locks are no exception to maintenance and repair. Even the best quality locks with premium fittings, will eventually wear and tear and need repair or replacement. There are situations like broken keys lodged into the lock, asking for immediate lock replacements. Otherwise, locks can act a bit scruffy and give signs that it will need a repair soon. This can happen because of being exposed to pressure and weather elements, or because of age. Whatever be the reason, a lock repair service becomes important in such scenarios. It is wise to call in a locksmith once your lock starts showing signs of malfunction. Pittsburgh Express Locksmith is a leading locksmith providing lock repair services in Pittsburgh, PA. We list you the top 5 reasons when you need a lock repair. Don't delay if you find any of them remotely resonating with your home or business establishment's locks.
- Broken key situation
Broken key situations are more common than you would think. Broken keys are common in lock out situations leaving you stranded outside your home or apartment. A key can break due to many reasons. Mostly, it is because the key has undergone wear and tear with a long period of use. It has been subjected to continuous pressure while locking and unlocking. Ultimately, a key breaks when it has become fragile. This leaves a tricky situation. You should never try to open a door by yourself in such cases as it can cause further damage to the lock. Your first action should be to get in touch with a professional locksmith who can reach you at the earliest. Broken pieces lodged inside the lock require expertise and skill for removal. The locksmith can use methods such as lubrication and key-extraction tools to safely remove the broken pieces. They will also ensure that the lock has not got damaged due to the broken pieces. So, in such situations, do contact a lock repair services in Pittsburgh, PA to solve the situation.
2. Stuck deadbolt situation
A malfunctioning deadbolt in your door lock is a sure-shot sign for the time to call for lock repairing. A deadbolt malfunction happens when the internal parts are misaligned. The deadbolt does not fit or strike the strike plate causing the problem. A locksmith will able to fix this by realigning and securing the deadbolt with the strike plate. This is a common issue and a locksmith can help you out easily. So, when your deadbolt locks are getting stuck while operation, there's a high chance that there's an internal misalignment of the parts.
3. Complete turning of lock cylinders
If the lock cylinders turn entirely while you unlock the door, it's a clear sign for malfunction. Lock cylinders are held in place by setscrews, so that it will become fixed after a certain length of turning. When the lock cylinders malfunction it is because the setscrews are not working properly. Either they are broken or they have become loose. The screws need to be replaced or tightened for the lock to function properly again. This is also not a grave problem and can be fixed quite easily by a trained locksmith. It's best to let a locksmith fix this instead of you trying to do something about it by yourself. Although the situation may seem easy to fix, an unprofessional handling may result in more damage and cause permanent damage to the lock. So, if you find your lock cylinders not working properly, contact a lock repair services in Pittsburgh, PA.
4. Slow moving door lock
An interrupted or slow-moving door lock could be early signals for a broken lock in the near future. There can be several reasons to the slow movement of a lock. There are tiny bits and precision parts that work together in the operation of a lock. With time and use, a lot of corrosion happens which is a natural occurrence. This can make a lock slow. Extreme cold weathers can cause the lock to freeze. A frozen lock can also get stuck or move slowly. A hot blower can help you in such situations. However, if the slow lock is owing to internal mechanics, it's best to seek the help of a locksmith. The locksmith will check your lock and do the needful. Sometimes the deposition of dirt can make the parts grimy and work slowly. A cleaning of parts and oiling will be a suitable fix in such cases.
5. Misaligned latch
A misaligned latch is a common lock malfunction in exterior doors. It mostly happens as a result of weather stripping. The locksmith simply has to move back the stripping a little bit in the door frame and the problem gets solved. It's an easy fix for an experienced locksmith, and requires less efforts than you'd actually think. So instead of trying to get it fixed with some of your ingenious solutions, it's better to save your time by calling in a locksmith.
A stitch in time saves a nine and a timely inspection by a locksmith saves you the trouble of handling a malfunctioning lock. Do you think your lock is showing future signs of repair? Then think no further. Get in touch with Pittsburgh Express Locksmith for lock repair services in Pittsburgh, PA. Pick up your phone and dial 412-387-9443 for connecting to the best locksmith services in your locality!


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About Cetera Advisor Networks
My independent business model ensures I have the autonomy and discretion to put you at the center of all investment strategies and business decisions. Just as I stand behind you to help you pursue your financial dreams, I have teams standing behind me and supporting my business. These firms also strengthen my relationship with you by providing the resources I need to better serve you. I think it's important for you to know who these partners are and why I have chosen to work with them.
My Broker-Dealer: Cetera Advisor Networks
I am affiliated with Cetera Advisor Networks, one of the premier broker-dealers in the industry. As my broker-dealer, they are responsible for executing trades on your behalf. Like all broker-dealers, they must undergo regular auditing, and are required to meet specific net capital requirements to ensure it can meet its obligations to investors like you.
But their support for our relationship goes well beyond its function as trade executor. My affiliation means that I am not held to a sales quota or tied to selling only proprietary products. I have the independence and freedom to recommend the financial solutions that best suit your needs, ensuring your objectives are what drive all decisions, while their network of people and resources help us pursue your unique goals and vision for the future.
Their Parent Company: Cetera Financial Group
As the second largest independent financial advisor network in the nation by number of advisors and a leading provider of investment programs to financial institutions, Cetera Financial Group provides award-winning wealth management and advisory platforms, comprehensive broker-dealer and registered investment adviser services, and innovative technology to its family of broker-dealer firms nationwide.
Through those firms, Cetera Financial Group offers the stability of a large and well-capitalized broker-dealer and registered investment adviser, while serving independent and institutions-based financial advisors in a way that is customized to their individual needs. Cetera Financial Group is committed to helping advisors grow their businesses and strengthen their relationships with their investor clients. All of Cetera Financial Group's broker-dealer firms are members of FINRA/SIPC.
Our Custodian: Pershing
While Cetera Advisor Networks helps supervise and facilitate the trading for your investments, those assets are held by Pershing LLC.
Pershing LLC is a subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, the nation's oldest continuously operating bank, and one of the world's leading providers of securities services. Pershing custodies brokerage accounts for Cetera Advisor Networks, including brokerage accounts with IRAs, and provides related administrative services, including settlement of purchases, tax and account record keeping, monthly statements, confidentiality and data integration.
Like Cetera Advisor Networks, Pershing must meet certain net capital requirements, and is subject to regular audits, both internally and by independent firms, to ensure the appropriate handling, segregation and protection of investors' assets.
My Most Important Connection: With You
While the firms behind me play important roles in my day-to-day servicing of your needs, the most important relationship I have is undoubtedly with you. I work with these firms to make it easier for me to work for you. Anytime you would like more information about the above firms, please do not hesitate to ask. I want you to feel confident that you understand, to your satisfaction, how we work with and through these firms, why I have chosen to work with Cetera Advisor Networks, and the absolute priority both Cetera Advisor Networks and I place on my relationship with you.


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- Dimensions: Length: 94cm x Width: 220cm x Height: 72cm.
- Material: Beach wood structure, upholstered in high density foam.
- Cleaning instructions: Spot Clean only.
Payment Options For Fabrics
- Prepayment is required via credit card / debit card
Payment Options For Ready Products
- Cash on delivery (cash only)or
- Credit Card / Debit Card : MasterCard and VISA
1- Fabrics are non refundable and non exchangeable as the product type is a raw material and it can not be returned to its original condition as we cut the fabrics based on the length needed. However you can request a sample before placing your order via contact us page.
Please note that by placing an order you agree to the above terms of sale.
*Actual Fabric colors may vary. This is due to computer monitors displaying colors differently and everyone can see these colors differently. We try extremely hard to ensure our photos are as life-like as possible, but please understand the actual color may vary slightly from your monitor.
*The above policy does not apply on any faulty fabric.
2- Any other ready product can be exchanged or refunded within 14 days of your purchase via our contact us page. Please note that during sale periods exchange or refund can only take place within 7 days of your purchase.
* Shipping charges are non refundable, additional return charges may be applied.
* The product should be in the original packaging.
* The refund will be made via the same payment method used to make the purchase, and will be received within 14 - 20 days.
OPTION 1: Exchange or refund from your home
Step 1: Contact us via:
- Contact Us form: click here
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/incaeg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/incaeg
Step 2: Send us a picture of the received product and your order number.
*Note: Our office hours are 9 am - 5 pm on weekdays. All inquiries will be attended to within 2 working days.
OPTION 2: Exchange or refund via one of our stores
You can refund or exchange your purchase via one of our physical stores.
Step 1: Take your item to your nearest store with a copy of your receipt or your confirmation email.
Step 2: A store representative will check the item
Step 3: If the item is in its original condition you can exchange it instantly. If you wish to refund it the refund will be received with the same payment method within 7-14 days.


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The Difference Between Mulching Blades and High-Lift Blades
Mower blade terminology can be a little confusing. Local colloquialisms and engineering terminology (such as "3-in-1" or "high-lift") have also contributed to this confusion.
Essentially there are only TWO basic styles of mowing blades used or approved for use on our current products:
1) The standard style of mowing blade is essentially designed for cutting grass and effectively discharging the clippings out from the deck to fall onto the lawn, or to be captured in a grass collection system. Standard blades are also referred to as "2-in-1" (discharging & bagging) or "high-lift" blades (because they are designed to create a higher-lifting airflow).
2) Mulching blades generally have a more curved style surface and frequently include extra cutting surfaces along the blade edges. These blades may also come in a "+" design (which is actually two individual blades arranged in a perpendicular fashion to enhance mulching). The "+" blades are usually found on older style mowers; newer ones utilize blades with more advanced mulching technology.
Mulching blades may also be referred to as "3-in-1" (mulching, discharging & bagging) or "all-purpose" blades.
Bear in mind that the re-circulating airflow design of 3/1 blades makes them less efficient at discharging grass clippings than a standard 2/1 blade. As with most all-purpose tools, there is some give and take as opposed to using a tool designed for a more specific purpose.
If you're experiencing less-than-desired cutting or discharging performance with a 3/1 blade, you may want to check into using a 2/1 blade. Conversely, if you're using a 2/1 blade and want to mulch clippings, you should see about the availability of mulching blades or a mulching kit.*
The type of blade installed on a new mower is a decision the retailer makes for each model of mower, based on the expected needs of most customers. If you're unsure of which blade is on a particular model, inspect the blade. Cub Cadet Genuine Factory Parts blades have part numbers stamped into them. Then compare these part numbers with the unit's Operator's Manual or Parts List.
It is true there are many other styles of blades available. But since we don't manufacture or recommend using these other aftermarket styles, we will leave them out of this discussion. Should you want more information on special application or aftermarket blades, you should contact the companies that make these products. NOTE: Customers using non-O.E.M. blades do so at their own risk. The use of unapproved (non-O.E.M.) blades may void any or all of the mower and engine factory warranties.
* MULCHING KITS - These generally consist of mulching blades and a mulching plug (which closes off the discharge opening to keep the clippings contained under the deck for re-cutting) plus any necessary hardware for installation. Please check with your parts distributor regarding the contents of a particular mulching kit.


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Getting caught in a fight between two important allies is not where a president locked in a tight re-election race would willingly choose to be.
But that's where President Obama is today as he attempts for now to stay above the fray pitting the striking Chicago teachers against Mayor Rahm Emanuel who, in an earlier incarnation, was Obama's White House chief of staff.
The Chicago teachers' union is part of a key Democratic constituency, organized labor, which the Obama campaign is counting on mobilizing for its all-important get-out-the-vote activities in the battleground states.
If the president were to wade into the fight on Emanuel's side, he would risk alienating teachers and other union members in swing states. Not good if you're a president relying on many of those teachers and other union members to knock on doors and make phone calls.
But then, not only is Emanuel a former top Obama aide; just last week it was announced that he would be taking on the new role of buttonholing Democratic millionaires and billionaires to raise big money for a pro-Obama superPAC, Priorities USA.
All that helps explain why, when asked Monday if the president had an official reaction to the strike in Obama's very pro-union hometown, White House press secretary Jay Carney basically said, "no."
CARNEY: "Well, I'm sure he's aware of it. I know he's aware of it. But I haven't spoken with him about it, so I can't speak for his reaction. I can tell you that as a — more broadly, that our principal concern is for the students, and his principal concern is for the students and families who are affected by the situation. And we hope that both sides are able to come together to settle this quickly and in the best interests of Chicago's students."
On Tuesday, Education Secretary Arne Duncan echoed Carney in a statement:
"I hope that the parties will come together to settle this quickly and get our kids back in the classroom. I'm confident that both sides have the best interests of the students at heart, and that they can collaborate at the bargaining table — as teachers and school districts have done all over the country — to reach a solution that puts kids first."
With Obama suddenly caught between two allies, presidential nominee Mitt Romney and other Republicans have tried to add to his discomfort. They've alleged that his relative silence amounts to tacit agreement with the teachers' union and disagreement with Emanuel.
In a news release Monday, for instance, Romney said:
"I am disappointed by the decision of the Chicago Teachers Union to turn its back on not only a city negotiating in good faith but also the hundreds of thousands of children relying on the city's public schools to provide them a safe place to receive a strong education. Teachers unions have too often made plain that their interests conflict with those of our children, and today we are seeing one of the clearest examples yet. President Obama has chosen his side in this fight, sending his Vice President last year to assure the nation's largest teachers union that 'you should have no doubt about my affection for you and the President's commitment to you.' I choose to side with the parents and students depending on public schools to give them the skills to succeed, and my plan for education reform will do exactly that."
Romney portrayed himself as siding with Emanuel, something his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, did much more explicitly when he said, as reported by NBC Chicago:
RYAN: "I've known Rahm Emanuel for years. He's a former colleague of mine. Rahm and I have not agreed on every issue or on a lot of issues, but Mayor Emanuel is right today in saying that this teachers' union strike is unnecessary and wrong. We know that Rahm is not going to support our campaign, but on this issue and this day we stand with Mayor Rahm Emanuel."
There was irony, of course, in Romney and Ryan backing Emanuel as though he were Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin or Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, who have become heroes in Republican circles for taking stands against public-employee unions.
Romney's effort to use the teachers' strike to portray Obama as marching in lockstep with organized labor faces a potential headwind, which is that Obama has done anything but align with teachers on their issues.
Obama and Duncan have embraced reforms that aren't exactly popular with teachers, changes embodied in the president's Race to the Top initiative.
The administration's support for using students' standardized test results to evaluate teachers and for the firing of failing teachers haven't endeared him to members of the National Education Association or the American Federation of Teachers. Those, by the way, are some of the same issues at the heart of the current Chicago dispute.
But the disagreements many public-school teachers have with Obama pale compared with those they generally have with Republican politicians, though it's important to remember that many public-school teachers are themselves Republicans.
In any event, indications are that despite his advocacy of controversial reforms, Obama can count on the support of the majority of teachers represented by unions.
As Harley Shaiken, a University of California, Berkeley, scholar, told NPR's Brian Naylor in an interview for All Things Considered:
SHAIKEN: "I think all sides in the Democratic fold understand the stakes in the November election. So I think the teachers, whatever the outcome in Chicago, will work very hard for the president's re-election."
But the Obama administration and his Chicago-based re-election campaign are clearly trying to minimize the risks of offending teachers and union members generally by carefully navigating the tricky waters between Emanuel and the striking teachers.
Meanwhile, it's possible that Emanuel's standoff with the teachers could wind up helping Obama by underscoring the very real differences that exist between the teachers' unions and the Obamians.
Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.


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Free Fight
"Everybody has a tough story to tell; I achieved a dream fighting in the WEC since 2008 and then fighting in the UFC now, and the path to get here wasn't quick and easy…"
Back in the day in Brazil, the term Christ Fighter of MMA led you to only one name, UFC, Pancrase, PRIDE and K-1 veteran Ebenezer Fontes Braga.
Trying to spread the word of his Christian faith at the same time as he was winning fights in high-profile competitions, Braga was one of the most unique fighters competing at the end of the 90s and in the beginning of the new millennium. He had a small problem though; how to explain to the members of his church that his work was based on fighting people professionally.
Now time has passed, and after Braga's retirement six years ago, it opened the door for another athlete with the same intentions. Diego 'The Gun' Nunes - who faces former featherweight WEC champion Mike Brown in the preliminaries of UFC 125 on January 1st - started his MMA career in 2004, filling the space that appeared after the retirement of 'Pitbull' Braga. However, to reach the levels of his evangelic colleague, Nunes had to pass through a lot of tests until he began squaring off with the best in the best organization. Eleven fights later he did, getting into WEC unbeaten, but when asked if he walked the same road Braga did when in front of his church, Nunes smiles and shakes his head positively.
"In the very beginning of my career, mainly when I lived in the inland of Rio Grande do Sul, where the people are more reserved, they asked me to change my job, talking only about violence and that I won't have success doing that," he said. "But I grew in spite of this aversion, keeping my idea of fighting and spreading the word of Jesus Christ intact in order to make the sport of MMA recognized in the environment I'm in, the church."
Step by step, Nunes convinced people that what he chose as a profession wasn't blasphemy to his beliefs. However, he couldn't forget about training hard in order to put together a stellar career, and the native of Caxias do Sul city smashed opponents in the Southeast and South of Brazil as he looked to make his jump to the next level - fighting internationally.
"The Gun" did it too, with a quickness and ferocity that earned him his moniker. But he likes to tell the people who watched his previous 16 fights (mainly his first 11) and said that things have happened too fast in his life, as in his fights, that isn't the case. And for a guy who lived in four different cities (his homeland, Florianopolis, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) and left his parents' house early, traveling on Christmas day, and fighting on the first day of 2011 and against a former WEC champ is not a problem.
"Everybody has a tough story to tell; I achieved a dream fighting in the WEC since 2008 and then fighting in the UFC now, and the path to get here wasn't quick and easy…" an emotional Nunes says. "On many occasions I didn't have a place to sleep, or food to eat and I still kept fighting, and thank God now I'm in the UFC, I'm a Nova Uniao representative and I can provide what I couldn't have before to my wife. The suffering was a challenge to surpass, so I can deal with later celebrations for Christmas and the New Year (laughs)."
Nunes' international career began a little over two years ago, and the 28-year old Brazilian has compiled a 4-1 record inside the cage battling against the likes of Cole Province, Rafael Dias, L.C. Davis (his lone defeat), Raphael Assuncao and Tyler Toner. These fights, along with his stint in the Vado-Dela Riva Gym and with Team Nogueira and his current squad, the ultra-competent Nova Uniao, helped "The Gun" to become the fighter he is now, and a UFC featherweight. But leading up to Saturday's bout, he recalls that one moment that he didn't participate in directly that is one of his keys to making him more confident against Brown.
"The way Jose Aldo beat him, it was spectacular and it motivated me a lot. Perhaps if it didn't happen I'd be more anxious to fight Brown. But instead, it worked like a fuel and showed me the road to beat him," Nunes says. "I know this is a different situation and he's going to fight me differently than he fought Aldo - but I think that was very positive for me."
Talking to Nunes is typically like this. He gets motivation from where we don't see, he thinks of the past to get stronger for the present and future, and he looks at the next steps on his journey with a boy's innocence while still not looking past his next opponent, one he needs to take seriously.
"I'm training very hard here without free time during the weekends, I am pushing my limits and Brown is the perfect guy for my UFC debut," he says. "I didn't have easy fights, and if I'm going to take on the former WEC champ, this is good for my career. I fought three times in the last six months and I know this is audacious, but after beating Brown I'd like to face Chad Mendes next."


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1. In the 19th century
, new reproductive technologies dramatically altered the possibilites of the printed page. What changes in the use of type and images were made possible by color lithographic reproduction, and how did artists such as Jules Chret or Henri de Touluse-Lautrec use lithography to make printing more painterly?
2. Graphics played a vital role in encouraging participation in World War I, and also in the Dadists' revolt against militarism and nationalism. Discuss how governments used graphics to persuade citizens to enlist to fight to give money to the war effort. What were some of the techniques used to demonize the enemy, make war seem heroic and/or to personalize the conflict. Also discuss how Dada collage artists used fragments of commercial graohics agains the dominant culture, and how radical typography became an expression of opposition and disgust
Sample Answer
Compelling correspondence is essential to the achievement all things considered but since of the changing idea of the present working environments, successful correspondence turns out to be more troublesome, and because of the numerous impediments that will permit beneficiaries to acknowledge the plan of the sender It is restricted. Misguided judgments.In spite of the fact that correspondence inside the association is rarely completely open, numerous straightforward arrangements can be executed to advance the effect of these hindrances.
Concerning specific contextual analysis, two significant correspondence standards, correspondence channel determination and commotion are self-evident. This course presents the standards of correspondence, the act of general correspondence, and different speculations to all the more likely comprehend the correspondence exchanges experienced in regular daily existence. The standards and practices that you learn in this course give the premise to additionally learning and correspondence.
This course starts with an outline of the correspondence cycle, the method of reasoning and hypothesis. In resulting modules of the course, we will look at explicit use of relational connections in close to home and expert life. These incorporate relational correspondence, bunch correspondence and dynamic, authoritative correspondence in the work environment or relational correspondence. Rule of Business Communication In request to make correspondence viable, it is important to follow a few rules and standards. Seven of them are fundamental and applicable, and these are clear, finished, brief, obliging, right, thought to be, concrete. These standards are frequently called 7C for business correspondence. The subtleties of these correspondence standards are examined underneath: Politeness Principle: When conveying, we should build up a cordial relationship with every individual who sends data to us.
To be inviting and polite is indistinguishable, and politeness requires an insightful and amicable activity against others. Axioms are notable that gracious "pay of graciousness is the main thing to win everything". Correspondence staff ought to consistently remember this. The accompanying standards may assist with improving courtesy:Preliminary considering correspondence with family All glad families have the mystery of progress. This achievement originates from a strong establishment of closeness and closeness. Indeed, through private correspondence these cozy family connections become all the more intently. Correspondence is the foundation of different affiliations, building solid partners of obedient devotion, improving family way of life, and assisting with accomplishing satisfaction (Gosche, p. 1). In any case, so as to keep up an amicable relationship, a few families experienced tumultuous encounters. Correspondence in the family is an intricate and alluring marvel. Correspondence between families isn't restricted to single messages between families or verbal correspondence.
It is a unique cycle that oversees force, closeness and limits, cohesiveness and flexibility of route frameworks, and makes pictures, topics, stories, ceremonies, rules, jobs, making implications, making a feeling of family life An intelligent cycle that makes a model. This model has passed ages. Notwithstanding the view as a family and family automatic framework, one of the greatest exploration establishments in between family correspondence centers around a family correspondence model. Family correspondence model (FCP) hypothesis clarifies why families impart in their own specific manner dependent on one another 's psychological direction. Early FCP research established in media research is keen on how families handle broad communications data. Family correspondence was perceived as an exceptional scholastic exploration field by the National Communications Association in 1989. Family correspondence researchers were at first impacted by family research, social brain science, and relational hypothesis, before long built up the hypothesis and began research in a family framework zeroed in on a significant job. Until 2001, the primary issue of the Family Communication Research Journal, Family Communication Magazine, was given. Family correspondence is more than the field of correspondence analysts in the family. Examination on family correspondence is normally done by individuals in brain science, humanism, and family research, to give some examples models. However, as the popular family correspondence researcher Leslie Baxter stated, it is the focal point of this intelligent semantic creation measure making the grant of family correspondence special. In the field of in-home correspondence, correspondence is normally not founded on autonomous messages from one sender to one beneficiary, yet dependent on the dynamic interdependency of data shared among families It is conceptualized. The focal point of this methodology is on the shared trait of semantic development inside family frameworks. As such, producing doesn't happen in vacuum, however it happens in a wide scope of ages and social exchange.
Standards are rules end up being followed when performing work to agree to a given objective. Hierarchical achievement relies significantly upon compelling correspondence. So as to successfully impart, it is important to follow a few standards and rules. Coming up next are rules to guarantee powerful correspondence: clearness: lucidity of data is a significant guideline of correspondence. For beneficiaries to know the message plainly, the messages ought to be sorted out in a basic language. To guarantee that beneficiaries can without much of a stretch comprehend the importance of the message, the sender needs to impart unmistakably and unhesitatingly so the beneficiary can plainly and unquestionably comprehend the data.>


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Socialize and exercise each week with the 55+ Friday Club. Each program includes stretching and light exercises followed by educational opportunities, games, or activity to stretch the mind as well.
Due to COVID-19, 55+ Friday Club is meeting outdoors under The Commons Pavilion, weather permitting. Must bring own camp chair and wear mask.


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All the big car rental brands = easy price comparison
On your next trip to Palm Beach, don't build your exploring around public transportation schedules. Instead, rent a car in Palm Beach and venture out whenever and wherever you like.
Whether you're visiting for business or leisure, picking up a cheap rental car in Palm Beach will help you see things at your own pace. Visit various attractions and go sightseeing at will instead of forking out money on rideshares or figuring out which bus or train connections you'll need to make. You can even go on a road trip and see what the area around Palm Beach has to offer.
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Whether you're collecting customer feedback, performing employee evaluations, or planning an event, the first step toward creating an effective survey is to brush up on the basics of survey science. Check out our resources for online survey tips and best practices to make sure your next survey is a success!
To keep your survey on the right track, here's our top 10 tips and tricks:
What does a clear, attainable goal look like? Let's use an example. Say you want to understand why customers are leaving your business at a high clip. Instead of a goal like: "I want to better understand customer satisfaction." Your goal should be something like: "I want to understand the key factors that are leading our customers to leave—whether these reasons are caused by internal or external forces."
Once you've come up with your goal, you can use it as a reference to prioritize the top questions you want to ask.
Treat your survey like a conversation.
Would you start any exchange by asking someone how old they are? Probably not. Instead, you'd engage in small talk first, and gradually move on to more personal topics. Similarly, keep your early set of questions light and straightforward, and then slowly move towards more personal questions (often taking the form of demographic questions).
Send your survey to a large or small group of people with our online Audience panel.
In most cases, your respondents are doing you a favor by taking your survey. What better way to respect their time than by not taking up too much of it? You'll be rewarded with a higher completion rate as well as more thoughtful responses for the questions you end up including.
What do we mean by closed-ended questions? We're talking about questions that use pre-populated answer choices for the respondent to choose from—like multiple choice or checkbox questions. These questions are easier for respondents to answer and provide you with quantitative data to use in your analysis.
Open-ended questions (also known as free response questions) ask the respondent for feedback in their own words. Since open-ended questions can take much longer to answer, try to only include 1-2 of them at the end of your survey.
If you're keen on getting a lot of responses, an incentive in some form can prove helpful. Potential incentives range from entering respondents into a sweepstakes drawing to giving respondents a gift card if they answer all of your questions. To learn more about the different types of incentives you can use, and how to make the best use of them, check out this article.
In other words, try not to put your own opinion into the question prompt. Doing so can influence the responses in a way that doesn't reflect respondents' true experiences.
For example, instead of asking: "How helpful or unhelpful were our friendly customer service representatives?" Ask: "How helpful or unhelpful were our customer service representatives?"
Using answer choices that lean a certain way can result in respondents providing inauthentic feedback.
Let's revisit our prompt: "How helpful or unhelpful were our customer service representatives?"
Here's how a set of unbalanced answer choices (that lean towards being too positive) can look for that question:
a. Very helpful
b. Helpful
c. Neither helpful nor unhelpful
And here's how they'd look once balanced:
a. Very helpful
b. Helpful
c. Neither helpful nor unhelpful
d. Unhelpful
e. Very unhelpful
Absolutes use words like "every," "always," "all," in the question prompt. And, essentially, they make the respondent either agree or disagree with a strongly worded question without allowing for more nuanced opinions.
For instance, take the question:
"Do you always eat breakfast?"
a. Yes
b. No
Your respondents might eat breakfast most of the time, half of the time, or on occasion, but you wouldn't know the difference once the responses come back.
Double-barreled questions are when you ask for feedback on two separate things within a single question.
Here's an example:
"How would you rate the quality of our product and support?"
How would the respondent answer this question? Would they address the quality of the product? The quality of support? Maybe they'd skip the question or (worse) leave your survey altogether.
You can fix a double-barreled question by either choosing one thing to ask or by breaking the question up into 2 separate ones.
Imagine sending your survey only to realize that you forgot to add a question. Or that you didn't include a few essential answer choices for one of the questions you asked. In either case, you'll probably end up being frustrated and get results that fall short of what you need.
To prevent any mishaps in your survey design, preview your survey. Even better, share it with others so they can catch any mistakes you might not find on your own.
Looking for more best practices in writing your survey? We've got plenty of resources that can help turn you into a survey pro!
Once you've written your clear, well-formatted survey, it's time to get people to take it. But where do you begin? You know who you want to take your survey, but how do you get it to them?
To make sure your data to be statistically significant, you first need to figure out how many people should take your survey–and what you can do to get a representative sample of the population. In order to reach the right people, you'll also need to choose the appropriate survey mode (phone poll, paper questionnaire, in-person interview, or online survey) for your target population.
But wait! Before you send your survey, take it for a test drive. Make sure your questions are clear and that skip logic, question randomization, and the overall design are in working order. Send your survey to a friend—or do a practice run with real respondents in your target population—for a smarter approach to collecting survey data.
To test your survey, share it with others, and ultimately send it, you'll need to create it in SurveyMonkey, first. See how below!
Here are more guidelines for collecting the data you need:
Success! You've got survey results. Now what? Because you need quality data to make accurate assessments and predictions, make sure the data you have is reliable, then slice and dice it to develop insights.
Were all your respondents completing your survey? Did they skip enough questions to taint your results? Did they really try to answer, or did they satisfice by picking easy but inaccurate answers? Look for irregularities to make sure your results are accurate.
Then try to answer the questions you had when you started the survey. Do text analysis to draw conclusions from open ended questions where people gave written answers. Filter and cross-tabulate your results to understand how different segments (like women and men) answered your survey.
And once you've found the data you're looking for, find an effective way to present it. Whether you're writing a big report that will inform your company's marketing strategy, or fishing for Facebook likes with fun survey results, you want your report to be accurate and well-informed. Avoid analysis pitfalls like generalizing or misrepresenting the data–and consider alternate explanations for why respondents answered the way they did.
Finally, you'll want to keep track of your process–from start to finish–so people can replicate your survey in the future. Repeat your survey to perform longitudinal analysis (or benchmarking) and see changes in people's responses over time.
Sounds like a lot, right? Try diving into these articles to get all the answers about, well, how to get answers:
And for all you visual learners out there, this video can help:
Our powerful online survey tools make it easy to create surveys, collect responses, and turn your data into insights. To get started today, take the tour or sign up!
Discover our toolkits, designed to help you leverage feedback in your role or industry.
Learn how to create better web forms that enhance the user experience and drive conversions with this article from SurveyMonkey.
Best practice guide to create surveys with AI, templates, or by scratch.
Need a winning customer survey email? Discover effective survey email templates to engage your audience, boost response rates, and gain valuable insights.


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Once SSL Support is enabled for your Web Hosting Order, you would be able to:
install a Digital Certificate on this website: A Digital Certificate allows you to establish your credentials when doing business or other transactions on the web.
A dedicated IP is not required for installing an SSL certificate on your Shared Hosting package since Server Name Indication (SNI) is supported on our servers.
Digital Certificate
A Digital Certificate is provided by a reputed third party provider (Certifying Authority, or CA). You need to:
Generate a CSR, or a Certificate Signing Request from your Control Panel.
Submit the CSR to the Certifying Authority (CA) from whom you wish to purchase the certificate.
Get the certificate issued by your CA, and submit the same for your website from your Control Panel.
What is Server Name Indication?
Server Name Indication (SNI) support allows you to host multiple SSL certificates for different domains on the same IP address. Users who are on shared servers that support SNI can install their own certificates without a dedicated IP address.
SNI indicates which hostname is being contacted by the browser at the beginning of the 'handshake' process. This allows a server to connect multiple SSL Certificates to one IP address.