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Thursday, February 24, 2011
Outside the Political Junkie Bubble
It's worth giving the full question..."As far as you know, which comes closest to describing the current status of the health reform law that was passed last year?" The choices were "It is still the law of the land" and "It has been repealed and is no longer law," with the rest in either "don't know" or refused to answer. Republicans were twice as likely to believe its been repealed than Democrats (30% of GOP, 12% of Dems).
Remember: if you're reading this blog, odds are good that you're at least in the top 10% of all Americans in political knowledge, and more likely you're in the top 1%. And for those of us in that group, it's hard to imagine just how little the median American knows about the day-to-day events that we pay so much attention to. Even when in some sort of abstract way it makes sense for people to know about politics or public affairs -- for example, it makes sense for Medicare recipients to know how ACA affects them -- they just don't. Sometimes that's because people aren't well-educated enough to feel comfortable reading or even watching the news (and the linked polling shows that college grads do much better on this question, although "some college" respondents actually are more likely to believe inaccurately that ACA has been repealed than are those with no college). But often it's because people have other, more immediate things in their lives to attend to, or they pay attention only occasionally, or they have low tolerance for conflict, or they just don't see any connection between things happening in Washington and their lives.
I've said this before...to get a sense of what politics is like for many Americans, I suggest thinking of something that you do encounter in some way all the time, but that you just have zero interest in. Perhaps sports in general -- or, for sports fans, a major sport that you don't pay any attention to. Perhaps it's current pop music, or HBO shows, or celebrities. Me? NASCAR, the NBA, and any games made since Missile Command and Stargate Defender. The idea is that I actually do encounter and, in a way, retain a fair amount of information about those things in the nature of headlines that I see but skip the stories, or references made in other things I do read or watch, or conversations I've had that veer off in that direction. It's not as if I know absolutely nothing. It's just that the stuff I've heard is not organized at all, and I'm sure I've picked up misinformation along the way, since I don't scrutinize any of it.
Anyway, when you're involved in what's happening in Wisconsin, or Libya, or the budget negotiations in Washington, just keep in mind that most people aren't paying any attention at all.
25 comments:
- AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 4:20 PM
This will soon change for sure. Democracy can't be to leave a paper in a box every 4 years. There are the means, things will change. Like is happening in the Middle East, will happen in the west, just a matter of grade.
If we override the need for leaders and every one must participate (maybe starting per his area/profession) and manage as citizens, this won't happen as involvment would become compulsory.
Warning: this is only a hope. Who knows. - AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 4:36 PM
It really is sad that so many people are not paying attention. Or are they paying attention and so overwhelmed they are rocketed to apathy?
ReplyDelete - nadezhdaFebruary 24, 2011 at 5:44 PM
There's a second issue you've ignored -- where did so many people get the idea that ACA was repealed? I doubt that when the House passed their climate change legislation during the last Congress that a whole bunch of folks thought that climate change had become law of the land.
No, the noise machine and conflict-driven infotainment made a huge rucuus about a meaningless vote in the House. As if the GOP had won a great triumph instead of indulged itself in gesture politics. And then each court decision against the law gets treated as if the Supreme Court itself overturned it, and every court that throws out a challenge to the law gets ignored.
I noted a Chuck Todd tweet that gulped at the ignorance of the public -- but added that the poll said something about the media's glaring failure to inform. I don't know whether the political "press" has lost all ability to examine itself, but if not, it looks like they'd better get started. keep in mind that most people aren't paying any attention at all.
That's without a doubt. It follows that a reasonable, responsible, patriotic politician would sometimes need to say:
"Wait a minute. You, the people, the electorate, are poorly informed. I'm going to vote and act in the way I feel is best for the nation and my constituents, in spite of public opinion."
Yet, according to you Jonathan, that politician is a dangerous politician.I really disagree with the characterization that the ignorance of the public is an "unfortunate reality." People are busy, and it's far from clear that spending more time thinking about politics or policy would make them happier or better off in any way.
There is a consistent tendency of people who are interested in politics to overrate the importance of politics to people's lives. Yes, politics has an important impact on various areas of people's lives. So do medical research, automotive engineering, demographic trends, software design, monetary policy, pedagogical theory, and a million other esoteric subjects that very few people delve very deeply into. We leave those subjects to the experts, just like most people do in the case of politics.
I think the key realization one needs to have is that democracy is a highly functional system of government for reasons that do not require the public to know very much about policy. Democracy is not a good system because it accurately reflects the will of the people, or any other such high school civics claptrap. It is a good system because it reduces corruption, provides strong incentives for policy makers to promote economic growth and avoid costly wars, and allows for the smooth transition of power during the relatively rare times when there is genuine popular discontent.
It's a tedious kind of elitism that chides the average citizen for her ignorance of public policy. I know nothing about how cars work - and yet I depend on a car to take me all kinds of places. When something goes wrong, I leave it to the experts to fix. Most people do the same with politics, and that's totally fine.Made a joke in my first two classes today about the Wisconsin legislature. Crickets chirped. These are college juniors and seniors at a highly ranked school, and their assignment from me for the last six weeks has included following serious blogs and reading about public affairs. (Not that their non-reaction surprised me; hey, I've been in this business for nearly 30 years now.)
The whole ideal of citizens being individually informed about policy, though, is a fairly late development in American history -- it's tied to the Progressive Era, which also gave us our current model of "objective" news media and the conventional wisdom that political parties are bad. I think it was Michael Schudson I learned this from, but it might have been Michael Sandel. Or maybe Bruce Ackerman. [checks Google] It was Schudson:
"Reformers at the end of the l9th century saw little in the parties to recommend them. The Mugwumps sought to make elections 'educational' and the Progressives tried to insulate the independent, rational citizen from the distorting enthusiasms of party. It is to them that we owe the ideal of the informed citizen, not to the founding fathers.
-- Schudson, "Good Citizens and Bad History":
http://frank.mtsu.edu/~seig/paper_m_schudson.htmlI'm between GW/Jeff and the others on this. I realize that life can be very hectic for a lot of people and life doesn't slow down around election time. I also realize that this situation isn't unique to America. Most citizens in all democracies are low information voters, que Churchill's quote about the five minute conversation with the average voter. Still, democracy is supposed to be about the people governing themselves and one would hope for more people to express interests in politics. I also think that such widespread antipathy helps those that would use politics for negative ends like waging unnecessary war or persecuting minorities more than it helps those that weld politics as form of good.
ReplyDeleteIt takes passion to involve yourself with anything. Unless it directly and acutely affects their everyday life, most people remain oblivious to the political scheme of things. Very sad. Especially when you consider how many voters came out during the last presidential election. I'm a huge sports fan... so... wouldn't it be great if we could all get hyped up and throw our support behind some of the pressing issues much like we do the World Cup or the Super Bowl or the NFL mediations or the drama with Carmelo Anthony or the March Madness coming up??
What you said, about the Progressive era. I'm a big Schudson fan, too.
GW, Jeff, Lee, and all those they're disagreeing with,
I think it's important to keep GW's point in mind. After all, in reality policy is far too complex for anyone to master all of it (oh -- you're going to tell me that you know all about Libya, and about Planned Parenthood, and about health care, and about public/private unions -- and that's just some of the issues this week. I certainly don't). It's not bad at all that most of us on most issues either ignore it or follow opinion leadership.
OTOH, I think involvement in politics is good for its own sake, and I think a system that encourages that is a good thing -- as long as it doesn't, unrealistically, depend on it.- bigbadwolfFebruary 24, 2011 at 10:38 PM
perhaps i had missed it before, but you don't care about the nba! i have to lower my overall very high assessment of you :)
ReplyDelete - AnonymousFebruary 24, 2011 at 11:11 PM
"There is a consistent tendency of people who are interested in politics to overrate the importance of politics to people's lives."
Just a nitpick, but isn't this true of every hobby? At least with politics the attempts to justify the interest are a little less silly than, say, a model railroad enthusiast's claims that if everyone had a model railroad the world would be a better place. - AnonymousFebruary 25, 2011 at 3:34 AM
I have a three kids, one college age, one who is 13 and the other who is dev disabled. With the two older kids I routinely have them watch Fox-esp Beck and then other news and we make a game of pointing out the spin. I then typically will actually pull up the actual bills that are being talked about. I know this may sound like abuse, but they view it as a game. Egypt was probably the best example with watching Al Jazerra English versus Fox to show them that they should never take one pundits word as gospel.
ReplyDelete The poll findings about the healthcare repeal are shocking. Healthcare reform isn't just "politics." It's possibly the biggest political debate happening right now... besides, of course, the budget, but isn't it all intertwined? Imagine how little people must know about, say Universal Service Reform.
ReplyDelete- AnonymousFebruary 25, 2011 at 11:18 AM
"It's a tedious kind of elitism that chides the average citizen for her ignorance of public policy. I know nothing about how cars work - and yet I depend on a car to take me all kinds of places"
You are part of the polis. You are not part of the car. Tom raises a good question. I have my own thoughts about it (I think the answer involves strengthening parties and mediating groups in certain ways), but since this thread is probably dying, I'm hoping Jonathan will get us started on that discussion with a further post and perhaps his own comments on it.
ReplyDelete- AnonymousFebruary 25, 2011 at 11:56 PM
A few nights ago I spent a little time surveying the topics that were trending on twitter. In Venezuela, Great Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan, and many others, 'Gadaffi' (in some form) appeared in the top ten. In the US ... Libya was not on the radar. At. all. Your comments would be more reflective of reality if you changed that 'most people' to 'most Americans,' I am sorry to say.
ReplyDelete Sad but true that people are so little informed and misinformed. Much of the misinformation comes from one network and much of the under informed public watch the sensationalized stories about people whom are famous for being famous, train wrecks of famous peoples lives, and reality shows that are not reality. It would be nice if they actually read newspapers online or political blogs but they don't.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to Tom: People will pay attention to politics when realize how important it is to their lives every single day. Politics determines governance in this country, and governance affects every single citizen in a million little ways every day.
It determines the quality of education all children receive and which children receive what quality. (see "Waiting for Superman") It determines how strong roads, dams and bridges are and who gets to do what with how much of our shared natural environment (see Deepwater Horizon). Politics controls the targets, missions and priorities of the military, the intelligence community, the mil-industrial complex all the way on down to your local policeman on the corner (see drug war and Guantanamo Bay). Politics decides who gets a pink slip when the lean times come. (see Wisconsin, Florida, etc.)
And if we improve our politics and turn it to serve the interests of the many rather than the few, we could make our country SOOOO MUCH BETTER to live in for everyone, as well as a much more positive force in the world.
These are kinds of simple truths that, properly communicated (see Jon Stewart), will make average Americans care about politics.


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Let's just come out with it: Email is becoming less effective for marketers. It might not be dead yet, but it's not exactly the shiny new channel it used to be. Just think about your own inbox -- how many marketing emails are you subscribed to that you delete without opening? We thought so.
It was with this in mind that we started experimenting with messenger apps. Facebook Messenger boasts 1.2 billion monthly users -- clearly there's appetite for the channel. Could this be a replacement for email? We decided to find out.
Here are three ways we've experimented with using Facebook Messenger instead of email in our marketing, along with early results (Spoiler: Get excited).
#1: Using Facebook Messenger as a Content Delivery Channel
Our demand gen team sends out emails on a regular basis featuring new content offers our audience might be interested in. These content offers are typically gated behind a lead form. After completing the form, the prospect is able to access the content immediately, and we also send an email with a PDF copy attached for easy reference later on.
For those keeping track, email is used twice here: first to promote the offer, second to deliver the content. We wanted to cut out one of these email touchpoints, so we decided to send the following offer promotion email as a test:
We gave readers two options: to submit the form and receive the content immediately and via email -- the traditional way -- or to skip the form and get immediate access to the content in Facebook Messenger instead. Approximately 20% chose this latter option.
We then sent regular Messenger broadcasts to the people who had opted in, suppressed them from email sends, and studied their behavior.
After four weeks, the engagement metrics of the two channels showed a clear winner.
The Facebook Messenger broadcasts had an average open rate of 80% and average CTR of 13%. That was 242% and 609% better than our email controls, respectively.
Takeaway for marketers: As a content delivery and consumption channel, Facebook Messenger delivers in terms of engagement.
#2: Getting Event Attendees to Participate Through Facebook Messenger
Have you ever tried to send an email to event attendees with important information? If so, I'm guessing you didn't see great open or clickthrough rates. When people attend a conference or another type of in-person event, they're typically off email and in learning and networking mode.
But they do have their phones on them -- to check the agenda, answer texts and calls from other people on site, and follow live social streams. We hypothesized that Facebook Messenger might be a better way to get event attendees' attention during our Grow With HubSpot Melbourne event. We decided to include a link to Facebook Messenger in our attendance confirmation emails, as well as place physical Facebook Messenger scan codes on seats at the event. Attendees could simply scan to start receiving real-time information and updates via the app instead of email.
We tried two primary use cases:
1) Sales bot. If attendees confirmed their attendance inside Messenger, we set up a bot that would send an automated message on behalf of their local sales rep. The message contained a HubSpot Meetings tool link to the rep's calendar in case the attendee wanted to set up time onsite.
The results for this use case on the day of the event:
The raw number of meetings booked isn't astronomical, but the percentage by enrolled attendees is significantly higher than similar messaging via email. That percentage increases when we add in the number of meetings booked before the day of the event as well as afterwards. It's also worth considering that these meetings -- with highly qualified prospects -- wouldn't have happened if not for our Messenger usage.
2) Real time NPS. We asked attendees to rate their experience at GwH Melbourne via Messenger.
The response rate was significantly higher than email controls.
Some other event use cases we've been trying out and that you might consider taking for a test drive:
- View the event agenda in Messenger
- Submit questions to a panel
- Access the slides once the conference is over
Takeaway for marketers: Instead of using email to communicate with attendees onsite or direct them to take a specific action, try Facebook Messenger instead. One of Messenger's greatest strengths is how it seamlessly connects offline and online engagement.
#3: Using Facebook Messenger in Place of Forms
Our team has a set budget for Facebook ads every month, which we typically use for lead generation. Our ads generally feature a piece of content interesting to our target audience. When someone clicks, they are taken to a landing page with a form. Filling out the form gives them access to the content immediately, and also triggers a follow up email with a PDF version attached.
This experience is less than ideal since the person has to leave Facebook to receive their content. We started thinking -- what if the entire process, click to content delivery, happened in Facebook?
We tested out a path that used Facebook Messenger for the "form," as well as the delivery mechanism. When someone clicked the ad, a bot would ask them the questions usually contained in our form:
Once the questions had all been answered, the bot then provided a link to the content within the message.
The results here were even better than we anticipated. We saw a staggering 477% reduction in our cost per lead, while lead quality only slightly decreased.
Takeaway for marketers: It might take a little muscle to build a Facebook Messenger bot to collect lead information, but the effort is well worth it. Use Facebook ads plus Messenger as a powerful one-two punch.
We're big believers in the power of Facebook Messenger and other messaging apps. Next up for us is a similar content delivery test in our North American market, studying how the order of questions impacts Facebook Messenger "form" completion rate, and creating a more seamless sync between the app and our HubSpot portal.
Have you been testing Facebook Messenger in your marketing? If so, what results have you seen? Share your experiments and insights with us in the comments below.

subset: commoncrawl


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It was a parade 3,000 years in the making.
On Saturday, Cairo's roads temporarily closed for a procession of mummies that paraded through the streets as 22 royal mummies and 17 royal sarcophagi were being transferred between museums in the city.
According to Egyptian reports, the parade continued along the Nile River.
Among the mummies include kings Ramses II, Seti I, and Tuthmose III.
According to CNN, the parade included fireworks, artillery salutes, and hand-drawn chariots and choirs in tow.
The museum opened to the public the day after the parade, CNN reported.


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While we were browsing the meat section at Cold Storage, I spotted a striploin roll and was instantly drawn to it. But the price was surprisingly 3 times what we usually pay for our roasting joint! After a brief discussion with the butcher we deduced it was a different cut than our usual and since it was Christmas, we decided to splurge and get it anyway as a treat.
The Christmas Menu that I created
The recommended cooking time on the packaging was 5 minutes per 100g of meat in a preheated oven at 180°C. And the result was a gorgeous medium rare beef. Instead of slicing it thinly like we usually do, we sliced the meat in 1/3 inch thickness. The extra we paid for the striploin was justified as I felt the meat was much more tender and also juicier.
Best of all, I had very satisfied dinner guests who couldn't stop gushing about the meal... what more could I ask for?
Our Christmas Dinner spread
Hubby carving the meat. I hoped the meat was cooked to medium rare doneness
Medium rare it was!
Roast potatoes (recipe here)
Steamed carrots and brocolli
I ♥ brussel sprouts but they're so expensive here in KL!
Our delicious roast dinner
What's Christmas without some champagne? A little Christmas "spirit"
My favorite bubbly, Moet & Chandon.
Santa wants a piece of the Moet action too
For my recipe on how to cook roast beef, click here.
We were hoping that there would be some leftovers so Hubby could make stovies the following day, but the beef was so good, it all ended up in our tummy! Btw, I will be posting the recipe for our Christmas dessert, tiramisu, in the New Year.
Thank you for following my blog and for all your encouraging comments throughout the year.
Thank you for following my blog and for all your encouraging comments throughout the year.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! See you in 2011. xoxo


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3 Key Initiatives from Australia's Climate Change Policy
This piece was co-written with Jenna Blumenthal, an intern with WRI's Climate and Energy Program.
Australia is a major nation to watch when it comes to curbing climate change. The country made an international commitment to reduce its GHG emissions by 5 to 25 percent from 2000 levels by 2020. How Australia achieves these reductions can provide lessons on how other countries around the world can pursue their own climate change mitigation plans.
WRI's Open Climate Network and Australia's The Climate Institute (TCI) recently analyzed Australia's climate change plan, which includes a mix of policies to reduce emissions (check out the working paper here). We found that three initiatives stand out in terms of their potential to significantly reduce GHG emissions: a carbon pricing mechanism, a Renewable Energy Target (RET), and the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI).
1) The Carbon Pricing Mechanism
The carbon pricing mechanism is the primary instrument for meeting Australia's emissions reduction goals. Established by the federal Clean Energy Act 2011, the carbon price is applied to roughly 60 percent of the country's emissions. Set as a fixed fee per metric ton for the first few years of operation (around $A 23-25), the mechanism will shortly transform into a cap-and-trade system linked to the European Union emissions trading scheme (ETS) and, to a lesser extent, the Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism. The government recently advanced the date of this transition from 2015 to 2014; experts do not expect this to have a material impact on Australia's ability to achieve its target. Government revenue from selling carbon permits will be invested in clean energy and low-carbon technologies. Revenue from the carbon pricing mechanism will also be provided as compensation to households for possible increases in the cost of goods and services as a result of the carbon price.
It is widely expected that the price on carbon permits in Australia will be influenced by permit prices in the larger European market, and hence, by policy developments in the EU rather than in Australia. This is likely to affect the degree to which emissions reductions are achieved in Australia. For example, low prices in the EU trading scheme could encourage polluters in Australia to purchase EU permits instead of reducing their emissions domestically. On the other hand, if the Australian government were to aim higher than the minimum 5 percent target, it can do this without affecting the permit price. Given that international permit prices are projected to remain fairly low for the rest of the decade, Australia could achieve the top of its current target range for very little extra cost.
2) The Renewable Energy Target
The federally mandated Renewable Energy Target is the principal driver of investment in renewable energy in Australia. The Large-Scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) requires utilities to generate 41,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) from renewable sources by 2020. The Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) targets households and is expected to account for at least 4,000 GWh by 2020. The RET has mobilized $A 18 billion in renewable energy investments since 2001. It contributed to an additional 3.5 percent of renewable electricity generation in 2011, and projections show that the RET could help renewables gain more than 20 percent of the market share. Government estimates indicate that the RET is likely to reduce annual emissions by nearly 30 Mt CO₂e, which would be equivalent to 6 percent of net emissions in 2020 under the 5 percent target and 7 percent under the 25 percent target.
3) Carbon Farming Initiative
A voluntary carbon offset scheme, known as the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI), provides farmers and land managers the opportunity to earn carbon credits through carbon sequestration projects. These credits are eligible for use within the Australian ETS. Although only modest reductions are expected from the CFI in the short- to medium-term as eligible methodologies are developed and tested, over the long-term, the initiative is expected to increase the adoption of low-emissions technologies in the land use sector and produce significant GHG reductions. Several activities and technologies have already been implemented, such as reforestation and the destruction of methane generated from manure. Other major policies related to agriculture and forestry include state-based land-clearing laws, which have the potential to advance or undermine emission reductions, depending on whether restrictions on land clearing are enforced or relaxed.
Policy Recommendations for Australia
Australia is expected to reduce emissions within its target range by 2020 if the country's Clean Energy Act 2011 and related legislation remain intact. But the country has the opportunity to go even further.
For example, to improve its domestic emissions-reduction efforts through the carbon pricing mechanism, Australia could further restrict the purchase of international emission permits. In terms of renewable energy, the country must ensure that the RET is enforced in the face of recent lobbying efforts to decrease the target. Countries that take a comprehensive and sustained approach to renewables policies have enjoyed greater benefits from the clean energy economy. Leaders should also focus greater attention on emissions reductions through energy efficiency improvements via such tools as the fuel economy, emission standards for passenger vehicles, and a nationally consistent energy efficiency obligation for electricity and gas suppliers. Finally, recent relaxation of land-clearing laws in the state of Queensland poses a threat to Australia's domestic abatement. State and federal governments should make every effort to prevent land clearing from undermining the country's GHG-reduction objectives.
Watching—and Learning—from Australia
Australia is part of a growing number of key regions and countries acting to reduce their GHG emissions—including the EU, United States, and China. As Australia gears up for its federal election later this year, the country has the opportunity to set a powerful example for other nations by moving forward with ambitious mitigation strategies and making efforts to strengthen them. As Australia has learned from other countries' experiences in setting up market mechanisms for carbon reduction, the international community should continue to keep an eye on the Australian experience, track its performance, and build on its successes.
- LEARN MORE: Find out more about greenhouse gas mitigation in Australia by downloading the Open Climate Network's latest working paper. The paper is part of a series that examines the climate mitigation policy landscape within developed and developing countries—including the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union. Working papers on China, Brazil, and India are forthcoming. Learn more about the Open Climate Network's analysis.


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Wikipedia: " The Apple Store is a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc., dealing in computers and consumer electronics. As of July 2011, Apple had opened over 330 stores worldwide.
Store openings have become special events among avid Mac users. Opening day attracts thousands of customers who line up early in the morning or even the night before. The first thousand customers receive a free T-shirt bearing the store's name. Most high-profile stores have more shirts and additional prizes: 1,500 free T-shirts were given away at the Buchanan Street opening in Glasgow; 2,000 free T-shirts at the West 14th Street store in New York City; 2,500 free "Bondi Blue" shirts at the Sydney, Australia store opening; and 5,000 free "La Pyramide Inversée" shirts for the Paris opening fitted in pyramidal boxes. Other attractions include discounts and the so-called "lucky bags" at flagship store openings. The store in Eldon Square Shopping Centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, opened on the 16 February 2010, gave away 1500 free T-shirts, and proved to be one of the most popular stores on the opening day of the 2010 extension of the shopping centre. The flagship store in Shanghai gave away 5,000 unique commemorative T-shirts and free One-to-One memberships for the first 1,000 Mac purchases."
Hamburg: Second largest city of Germany, situated in the north at the river Elbe, because of the seaport well known as a city of merchants. Because of the nearby sea, you will always have some fresh breeze while you are walking through the streets with nice private town-houses or while you are floating along aboard an "Alsterdampfer" on the river Alster.


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Barnes & Noble Logs 2Q Net Profit on Nook Strength
Carried by sales of its Nook e-reader, Barnes & Noble (NYSE:BKS) topped Wall Street's expectations on Thursday by swinging back into the black in its fiscal second quarter.
Shares of the bookseller gained almost 1% in response to the net profit, but the gains were limited as sales trailed forecasts from analysts.
New York-based Barnes & Noble said it earned $2.2 million last quarter, compared with a loss of $6.6 million the year before.
Including preferred dividend impacts, the company actually lost 4 cents a share, compared with a deeper loss of 17 cents a share in the year-earlier period. Analysts had been calling for a loss of 6 cents a share.
Revenue slipped 0.4% to $1.88 billion, narrowly missing the Street's view of $1.91 billion. Gross margins expanded to 25.5% from 24.9%.
Nook's results were boosted by a 5.6% jump in Nook sales to $160.3 million. Digital content sales soared 38% year-over-year. Yet the division's EBITDA losses inched up 1% to $51.4 million.
Barnes & Noble also said its Nook unit sales doubled over the four-day Black Friday weekend across all channels thanks to deep discounts, especially at Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) and Target (NYSE:TGT).
"We expect our two highly acclaimed new NOOK products, and our Microsoft partnership on Windows 8 to further fuel the growth of our digital business, and are encouraged by the promising start to the holidays in our retail and digital businesses," Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch said in a statement.
College revenue gained 0.4% last quarter at Barnes & Noble to $773 million, while retail sales dropped 2.9% to $996 million.
Shares of Barnes & Noble picked up 0.62% to $16.15 ahead of the opening bell on Thursday. The stock has gained almost 11% so far this year.


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What's for dinner? I cringe when I get asked that question. I always get my act together, but typically that question is asked the moment I step in the door after a chaotic day. There's typically a few hungry people just staring at me waiting for me to answer. That's when the stopwatch starts. That 30-minute countdown to get something on the table.
It can be hard to menu plan for a typical week as my week typically shifts from day to day and the schedule is always changing. Working full-time during the day, combined with the kids' busy after-school plans, means that I'm typically getting home at 5:30 or 6 in the evening. So I get it. The kids are validly hungry.
Those same kids though are pretty critical about dinner options and their appetites for flavor change on day to day. So it's always a gamble whether or not they'll like what I'm about to prepare. I get excited if I get some input from the kids when it comes to the menu planning.
When my older daughter, my pickiest eater, called me in the middle of the day and asked if we could pretty please have some ravioli for dinner tonight, it didn't matter that I hadn't a clue what ingredients I had in my house, I would try to figure out some way to oblige.
I do typically try to have some cheese ravioli in my freezer though. It's a great shortcut to have ready to go. In moments like this, I would typically just toss the simple ravioli with a simple doctored up jar of marinara sauce, but I wanted to do something different this time. I had all these good intentions for specific ravioli accompaniments, but quickly learned that my fridge wasn't as stocked as I wanted it. But I did have sweet peppers sitting in my fridge that needed to get used up. Alas, my family doesn't like sauteed or cooked peppers. But maybe I could do something else with them.
I decided to roast the peppers. I threw the papers on a foil lined baking sheet and a broiled them, turning them every so often so they were charred all over. Next, I peeled off the outer char layer.
Afterwards, I tossed them in my Vitamix along with some fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, and lemon. I love using my Vitamix. It takes like 30 seconds to do anything in there.
Next, I sauteed up some onion and garlic and I added the sauce mixture into the onion mixture. To that mixture, I stirred in some ricotta cheese and a little bit of veggie broth to thin the mixture a little. I then tossed the cooked ravioli into the sauce. Stirring well. And done. I served the ravioli with a spinach salad and everyone was happy. My picky family members who typically aren't pepper fans loved the sauce. Dinner was served. And it took less than 30 minutes.
The best thing about this sauce? It can be used on anything. Try it on veggies. Try it on grilled chicken. This flavorful sauce is perfect for anything that needs a boost. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
- Frozen Cheese Ravioli
- 20 Assorted Sweet Baby Peppers or 2 regular size red, yellow or orange bell peppers
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- ½ tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp. ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup veggie broth
- additional salt and pepper as needed
- Cook the ravioli according to the directions on the package, drain and set aside.
- Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and place the peppers on it. Set your oven to broil and broil the peppers for about 8-10 minutes, turning the peppers every couple of minutes for even charring.
- Once the peppers are charred on all sides, transfer them to a large glass bowl and tightly cover with foil. Let sit for a few minutes.
- After about five minutes, remove the foil cover. Remove the skin from the peppers - it should have detached a bit. Slice open the peppers and remove any stems or seeds.
- Transfer seeded peppers to a blender or food processor. Add in the oil, basil, lemon juice, garlic clove, salt and pepper. Blend until pureed.
- Heat up a large saute pan with olive oil. Add in chopped onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent.
- Pour in pepper sauce mixture. Stir in ricotta cheese and broth.
- Stir completely. Toss in pasta and let it absorb some of the sauce.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve and enjoy!


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There is nothing worse than wearing a product that wipes off in the rain. That's why we love, love, love waterproof makeup, and that is why we're letting you know these absolute must have items that you absolutely need to keep a fresh face all day, not matter what!
From your face to your lips to the obvious, your eyes, these products are the ideal waterproof items you'll want in your bag at all times.
The most known waterproof product is mascara, so let's start with that. Sound good, it is, just like this Yves Saint Laurent Everlong lengthening waterproof mascara. It can be described as a revolutionary mascara with a modern designed brush, this will give an instant and long lasting lengthening effect while keeping your lashes waterproof!
Something you may not be keen on is a waterproof or long lasting powder. Christian Dior's Dior Skin forever compact leaves your face flawless and moist, a makeup inspired by nano-technology. It's waterproof(which is so awesome) and it's long wearing. You'll want to have this compact with you at all times, anywhere you go!
A lip stain that lasts? They're supposed to be never do, but this Laura Mercier does, it's true! This hybrid of a stain and gloss formula offers the confort and sheen of a gloss but is long wearing. With quick application and a clear glass pot packaging, this is an essential for the summer and can easily be put on with a lib brush or even your finger tips!
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The UN has launched a new app to empower migrants in Africa
The United Nations International Orgnasation for Migration (IOM) has launched a mobile app called MigApp to empower migrants in East and the Horn of Africa.
MigApp is a mobile tool that collates relevant, updated and practical information as well as IOM services. The app utilised current technology and the widespread use of mobile phones among migrants in East and the Horn of Africa.
Alex Dougan, IOM's MigApp Project Manager, said:
"We developed MigApp to help migrants make informed decisions throughout their migration journey. It provides a secure, reliable information for a safe journey and allows sharing of location with loved ones"
The app has been launched in Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Djibouti, South Sudan and Somalia. The use of mobiles in these countries is high so the introduction of MigApp presents a secure, objective and convenient way for migrants to access information.
Migration has been increasing around the world as political instability, drought and economic challenges continue to drive large amounts of people away from their homes to search for better lives.
The IOM hopes that MigApp will make migration safer whilst also providing access to their essential services. The app provides users with information on travel and health, helps to identify a secure place to save valuable documents and enabled them to share their location with friends and family.
Migrants can often result to seeking help from unauthorised agencies for quick answers to their migration questions as there is an absence of a practical and central port containing essential information.
MigApp aims to reduce the misinformation migrants are often presented with by providing information on visas, health and travel regulations; alerts on global incidents arising from conflict or natural disasters; and contacts of counter-trafficking hotlines around the world. The app will consolidate key services and make them directly available to a wider group.
Migrants who are already using IOM programmes will also be introduced to the app.
The app will enable the IOM to capture and analyse migrations trends across different countries, regions and on a global scale. This represents an exciting opportunity for IOM to develop its existing programmes to be more informed and proactive in their response to migration.
The use of technology for development will be a key discussion point at this years Aid and Development Africa Summit taking place on 27-28 February in Nairobi.
If you'd like to stay informed on the latest updates in aid and development, please sign up to the AIDF newsletter.
Photo credit: International Orgnasation for Migration


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There's a new focus on diversity and inclusion, especially in the workplace, schools and other organizations. One simple step we can all take to create a more inclusive atmosphere is to pronounce people's names correctly.
If you have a common name, you probably haven't given this much thought until now. But for many others, especially those who don't have white or Anglo-Saxon sounding names, having to introduce themselves can be difficult if it's not a welcoming environment.
Ruchika Tulshyan is the founder of Candour, an inclusion strategy firm. She says learning people's names and how they identify has always been important.
"Getting people's names right is one of the most simplest, yet one of the most profound ways we can ensure people feel welcomed. Like they're seen, like they're heard, like they're valued," said Tulshyan.
Mispronouncing names can have some negative effects, especially if it begins early in life. For many, it starts when they're in grade school.
"Research has shown that when students have their names mispronounced by teachers, they start to feel a whole bunch of shame about their cultural background. Some of them even feel disassociated with their cultural background," said Tulshyan.
There still hasn't been enough research to show what the effects are in people's adult life, but there have been studies about how this affects job seekers.
A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that applicants with African American names need to send out 15 resumes in order to get just one callback. That's compared to applicants with white names, who only needed to send out 10.
It can be difficult to correct someone if they're saying your name wrong. Tulshyan recommends gently correcting someone without making a big deal, and if you are meeting someone for the first time, simply ask them to pronounce their name.
"Once they pronounce it, there's no need to get into a big discussion about what's their name, what's the origin of their name," said Tulshyan.
If it's outside of work or in a more casual setting, it may be okay to ask about someone's name if they are already sharing some information with you.


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Climate Change Diplomacy: Negotiating Effectively Under the UNFCCC
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of 21st century diplomacy and international governance. Given the many different stakeholders and communities who have roles to play, it is a contemporary challenge with regard to its demand on interdisciplinary knowledge, skills and languages, and the personal capacities needed to combine these so as to make diplomatic sense and success. Competing interests, political tensions, and challenges of the world today, such as the economic recession and competing development priorities, mean that negotiation deadlocks are rife and ways to overcome them are becoming more and more challenging to find.
This online course will develop participants' understanding of the climate change policy framework, by building an appreciation of the science, causes and impacts of climate change, the history of the policy making process and the UNFCCC framework, and will also consider the pertinent challenges currently facing diplomats and international decision makers in making progress with what is currently on the negotiating table. The course will take a close look at the negotiations to-date. The course will take a close look at gender in the negotiations and also the specific interests of parties who are most vulnerable to impacts of climate change.
At the end of this course, participants should be able to:
- Describe climate change science and the observed and projected impacts of climate change;
- Track and explain the international climate change policy framework, including the climate change negotiations to date under the UNFCCC;
- Define both climate change mitigation and adaptation;
- Analyze international considerations for climate change decision-making;
- Appraise the key issues in the ongoing international climate change negotiations,and how to build and move forward from COP22 and prepare for COP23.
The course content will include the following one-week modules:
1. Understanding Climate Change and Global Vulnerabilities
2. Introduction to Climate Change Diplomacy
3. Implementation, Compliance and Enforcement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto its Protocol
4. Mitigating Climate Change
5. Adapting to Climate Change
6. International Considerations for Climate Change Decision Making- International Climate Financing and Technology Transfer
7. Capacity Building, Education, Research
8. Progressing Towards Future Climate Agreements
e-Learning:The course is internet-based, moderated by senior international experts, asynchronous, and places emphasis on online discussions and self-paced learning. The participants will be primarily responsible for their own learning over the eight-week span of the course. The estimated workload is 56 hours.
The course will consist of the following components:
• Compulsory and optional reading material, intended to teach the basic concepts and principles of the lesson's subject-matter;
• External links to additional books, articles, documents, and websites related to the lessons;
• Quizzes and case studies at the end of each module. To be eligible for the course certificate, a passing grade of 80% on both quizzes and case studies is required;
• A Community Discussion Board will be available for participants to post questions or comments visible to the instructor and other participants. This discussion board will be moderated by the course director and UNITAR.
The course targets mid to senior-level government officers in ministries preparing for and/or taking part in conferences in relation to climate change as well as staff of intergovernmental / nongovernmental organizations. It also targets entry-level and mid-career diplomats working in a multilateral setting. Private sector specialists and students whose work or studies are related to this subject are also encouraged to apply.
The course fee is 800 USD. We highly encourage credit card payments. You will receive an invoice by email after registration.
Registration will be closed as soon as the course is full and your place will be secured once your payment is confirmed.
General Requirements
- Have a good command of the English language
- Be computer literate
Technical Requirements
UNITAR recommends the following as a minimum in hardware and software to take our e-Learning courses. Please consult your Network Administrator or Systems person to ensure that you have the following:
- Platform: Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, ME, XP or superior; MacOS 9 or MacOS X; Linux
- Hardware: 64 MB of RAM, 1 GB of free disk space
- Software:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader (click here to download for free)
- Adobe Flash Player (click here to download for free)
- Microsoft Office (Windows or Mac) or Open Office (click here to download for free)
- Browser: Internet Explorer 7 or higher (click here to download for free); it works better with Firefox 3.6 or higher (click here to download for free)


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Steve Martin and Del McCoury Honored at 2011 Bluegrass Awards
The leading names of the Bluegrass genre gathered on Thursday for the 22nd annual International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, handing out honors to legends (including Del McCoury, who entered the Bluegrass Hall of Fame) and "newer" artists like Steve Martin, who took home the Entertainer of the Year award for his second full-length album of bluegrass instrumentals.
Martin, who made his banjo-playing skills a part of his act during his years on the stand-up circuit, flashed his wry sense of humor during his acceptance speech, quipping, "I want to thank the other nominees — and thank them for losing." Martin later turned serious for a moment, saying, "We're really, really honored to win this award tonight."
Last week's ceremony celebrated the 100th anniversary of Bill Monroe's birth — which made it all the more fitting that Del McCoury, who recently released a Monroe tribute album, was part of this year's inductees to the Bluegrass Hall of Fame.
2011 International Bluegrass Awards Winners:
Hall of Fame Inductees
Del McCoury, George Shuffler
Entertainer of the Year
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers
Vocal Group of the Year
The Gibson Brothers
Instrumental Group of the Year
The Boxcars
Male Vocalist of the Year
Russell Moore
Female Vocalist of the Year
Dale Ann Bradley
Emerging Artist of the Year
The Boxcars
Album of the Year
'Help My Brother' by the Gibson Brothers (artists), Eric and Leigh Gibson and Mike Barber (producers), Compass (label)
Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year
'Goin' Up Dry Branch,' Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper (artist), Buddy Spicher and Jimmy Martin (songwriters), Jeff White and Michael Cleveland (producers), Rounder (label)
Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year
'Prayer Bells of Heaven' by J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson and Paul Williams (artists), Ben Isaacs (producer), Mountain Home (label)
Song of the Year
'Trains I Missed,' Balsam Range (artists); Walt Wilkins, Gilles Godard and Nicole Witt (songwriters)
Recorded Event of the Year
'Prayer Bells of Heaven' by J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson and Paul Williams (artists); Ben Isaacs (producer); Mountain Home (label)
Banjo Player of the Year
Kristin Scott Benson and Ron Stewart (tie)
Guitar Player of the Year
Bryan Sutton
Fiddle Player of the Year
Michael Cleveland
Bass Player of the Year
Marshall Wilborn
Mandolin Player of the Year
Adam Steffey
Dobro Player of the Year
Rob Ickes
Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients
Greg Cahill, Bill Knowlton, Lilly Pavlak, Geoff Stelling, Roland White
Broadcaster of the Year
Katy Daley, WAMU Bluegrass Country
Print Media Person of the Year
Juli Thanki, Engine145.com
Bluegrass Event of the Year
Silver Dollar City's Bluegrass and BBQ Festival; Branson, Mo.
Best Graphic Design
Ricardo Alessio and Erica Harris (designer and artist); Abigail Washburn (artist); Rounder (label)
Best Liner Notes
Colin Escott (writer), 'A Mother's Prayer,' Ralph Stanley (artist); Rebel (label)


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Reading 1 2 Sm18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30–19:3
Absalom unexpectedly came up against David's servants.
He was mounted on a mule,
and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth,
his hair caught fast in the tree.
He hung between heaven and earth
while the mule he had been riding ran off.
Someone saw this and reported to Joab
that he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.
And taking three pikes in hand,
he thrust for the heart of Absalom,
still hanging from the tree alive.
Now David was sitting between the two gates,
and a lookout went up to the roof of the gate above the city wall,
where he looked about and saw a man running all alone.
The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said,
"If he is alone, he has good news to report."
The king said, "Step aside and remain in attendance here."
So he stepped aside and remained there.
When the Cushite messenger came in, he said,
"Let my lord the king receive the good news
that this day the LORD has taken your part,
freeing you from the grasp of all who rebelled against you."
But the king asked the Cushite, "Is young Absalom safe?"
The Cushite replied, "May the enemies of my lord the king
and all who rebel against you with evil intent
be as that young man!"
The king was shaken,
and went up to the room over the city gate to weep.
He said as he wept,
"My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom!
If only I had died instead of you,
Absalom, my son, my son!"
Joab was told that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom;
and that day's victory was turned into mourning for the whole army
when they heard that the king was grieving for his son.
Responsorial Psalm PS 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (1a) Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Listen, Lord, and answer me.
Alleluia MT 8:17
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mk 5:21-43
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat
to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
"My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live."
He went off with him
and a large crowd followed him.
There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.
She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
But his disciples said to him,
"You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, Who touched me?"
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."
While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said,
"Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?"
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
"Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
"Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep."
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child's father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,"
which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.


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This website privacy statement details our approach to the collection and use of personal information for visitors to any of our websites. This includes individual academy websites. We are committed to the principles of data protection legislation and will therefore only collect, store and process information which is necessary for you to benefit from our on-line presence.
Purpose of this notice
This notice tells you
- what information we might collect about you, both identifiable and personally non-identifiable, during a visit to our websites or when you use our online tools, including those designed for online learning and staff recruitment
- how we might use that information
- what information of yours we might legitimately share with other organisations
- your choices about the information you give us.
What this notice does not cover
There are often links on our websites to external organisations, such as the Department for Education or services provided by external contractors. Please note that each of these websites will have its own privacy policy and that any information you provide having followed a link from our websites to their will be subject to their rules and not ours.
Our commitment
We are committed to only collecting information which is necessary and to keeping that information safe. Please let us know if you have any concerns about how we do this.
Storing cookies, analytics and personal information
Cookies are small pieces of data that our websites transfer to the user's computer hard drive when you visit them. Our websites use only 'session cookies', which are erased when you close your web browser. Session cookies do not collect information from your computer. They also do not personally identify you.
You can change the way in which your browser uses cookies in the browser's settings.
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When you visit our websites we will collect and process the following information, for our own use only:
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Edited by Loren Wiseman
Cover art by Jesse DeGraff 8 two-sided map sheets, one sheet of Cardboard Heroes miniatures. The Assault Cutter is an armored, reinforced version of the Modular Cutter, popular in military applications. This package includes 8 two-sided maps . . . hexes on one side and squares on the other, to fit any campaign! Included are the cutter itself and seven modules: boarding, ECM, fighter, Marine command, Marine firebase, medevac, and sensor. Also included is a sheet of full-color Cardboard Heroes miniatures to crew the cutter, including a Rampart fighter for the fighter module.
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Oxi-Thyme SE is now helping businesses in 19 States establish Disinfecting Protocols that keep staff and patrons safe
ST. AUGUSTINE, FL, October 23, 2020 /Neptune100/ — Oxi-Thyme SE (OTSE) enters into disinfecting contracts with Entertainment Factory, Excess Studios, and Anastasi Group providing disinfecting equipment and products for all productions through 2021.
Oxi-Thyme SE is providing businesses with the equipment, EPA registered disinfectants, and training needed to disinfect their facilities with their existing staff. This process has provided companies of all sizes extreme savings over traditional disinfecting methods and services. OTSE uses EPA registered, disinfectants designed to be sprayed in a ULV or HVLP which atomizes the disinfectant. This process allows the disinfectant to cover more area with less product, while also cutting the application times associated with spray and wipe disinfectants. Today, OTSE is proud to announce its partnership with Entertainment Factory, Excess Studios, and The Anastasi Group to bring our disinfecting experience and products to Hollywood and the filming industry!
Amber Prevatt, OTSE President, stated "There are too many companies out there preying on businesses who just want to open up and return to work. They are charging outrageous prices for services that could be performed by the business for much less. OTSE focuses on providing the equipment, EPA registered disinfectants, and training needed for a business to take matters into their own hands." Oxi-Thyme SE will operate their west coast hub out of Entertainment Factory's upcoming studio, Excess Studios. Rick Finkelstein, Entertainment Factory's CEO and lead producer will be their contact person/liaison to the Film and Entertainment Industries. According to Finkelstein, "The Film and Entertainment Industry needs a company that performs and cares about people, and Oxi-Thyme SE is that company." Rick and Entertainment Factory will not only use Oxi-Thyme to disinfect their Indie Film Productions, but Excess Studios will be able to provide the service for all productions within the studio. Jackson Prevatt, OTSE VP, stated "We are very excited to see Entertainment Factory's upcoming releases "Camp Twilight" and "Killer Rose", and look forward to bringing our disinfecting experience to similar projects in 2020-21."
The Anastasi Group, and Len Davies, are bringing America back to life with COVID Safer Zones. Anastasi Group is a network of professionals whose primary focus is to implement real solutions to test for the virus and keep our gathering spaces safer in order to get the world back up and running from the set-back of COVID-19. According to Mr. Davies "The protocol and commonsense approach that we use will guarantee that we get through this pandemic safely."
Oxi-Thyme SE is proud to partner in this great endeavor and lends our equipment and EPA registered disinfectants to the fight. Anastasi works directly with companies to provide onsite Covid-19 testing for staff and will be using Oxi-Thyme SE equipment and disinfecting products to disinfect their facilities after each use, as well as Entertainment Factory and Excess Studio using Oxi-Thyme to ensure a safe filming facility.
OTSE is excited to be working with such talented companies in creating a safe environment for Hollywood to get back to filming!
Oxi-Thyme South East
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.oxithyme.com


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Return to study ST001414 main page
MB Sample ID: SA116144
Local Sample ID: | 101-1 3 9_17_1 |
Subject ID: | SU001488 |
Subject Type: | Bacteria |
Subject Species: | Pseudomonas aeruginosa |
Taxonomy ID: | 287 |
Cell Biosource Or Supplier: | Seattle Children's Hospital Cystic Fibrosis Isolate Core |
Select appropriate tab below to view additional metadata details:
Treatment ID: | TR001503 |
Treatment Summary: | Liquid cultures of lysogeny broth (Lennox) were inoculated with P. aeruginosa from pure glycerol stocks and incubated aerobically at 37 degrees Celsius for 24 hours in triplicate. Cultures were centrifuged through a 0.2 µm filter to remove cells, and filtrates were transferred to GC headspace vials. |


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C-4 Swim Jig - Ice Blue
Meet our new line of C-4 Swim Jigs. A well balanced swim jig head design that pulls in a straight line plus when twitched acts like a dying bait-fish. This jig is Guaranteed to blow up the competition. Quit wasting time fishing and start catching.


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EL MONTE – The city's El Monte Gateway project is centered on the idea of a transit-friendly village of homes and businesses adjacent to the 10 freeway. And now part of that development might be a brand new city civic center.
The City Council and staff are throwing the idea around, with some saying that it would be a nice amenity for residents, who would be able to shop and access city services all in one area.
The civic center could include other public agencies, such as the fire department, and private agencies like the University of La Verne. Officials are still in talks to see the feasibility of other entities sharing the space.
"I think it's a great opportunity to continue down this road of exploring this possibility," Mayor Andre Quintero said. "Obviously the numbers have to make sense. But that's prime real estate next to the freeway."


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Rise and shine folks – it's gonna be a glorious day today!
Join the MD crew as they ease you into your morning with the smoothest selections going on our early morning daily show.
So, whether you're fresh outta bed, or snoozing that pesky alarm for some extra zzz's, kick back and Wake Up with Melodic Distraction!


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BeerBooks.com Findany book on beer!
... See shipping rates for this item ... Email a friend about this item ... Link to this page
More Information...
Publisher: Savory House Press, 2006. Soft Cover, 296 pages, 4.25 x 8.50. Item #1432
The most comprehensive guide to ales and lagers sold in the United States: More than 2,700 beers are described and rated, based on hundreds of thousands of reviews on RateBeer.com, the country's foremost beer judging website.
Ben Franklin's adage that "beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy," has never been truer. The last 20 years has seen a renaissance of artisan brewing in the United States that not only has matched European legacy styles in quality but gone beyond them in sheer creativity.
Unfortunately, many Americans still don't realize just how good beer can taste. Those who've heard are faced with far too many choices from upwards of 1,400 domestic breweries, not to mention quality imports, a chore made all the more difficult by the millions spent on advertising by the country's large industrial producers.
Finally, a book cuts through the cacophony. By using The Beer Guide by RateBeer.com, Americans will never order a disappointing ale or lager again. The reviews are based on tens of thousands of ratings by lovers of full-flavored beers. A consensus score of one to five stars reflects the vast RateBeer.com community's take on foreign and domestic suds sold in the United States. No other guide has covered so many ales and lagers – more than 2,700. Descriptions by Rate.Beer's 30,000 members were painstakingly selected by the website's long-time editor, Josh Oakes.
Included are handy food-to-beer and beer-to-food pairing guides by award- winning beer writer Stan Hieronymus, along with a glossary explaining the characteristics major beer styles.
Drinkers of craft brews have known for years what's only now being discovered by the general public that beer often complements food better than do many wines. Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver has won numerous challenges in his pairing matchoffs with chefs predisposed toward wine.
No other guide comes close to covering so many beers. And it's value priced, and sized, to fit any pocket book. The Beer Guide is perfect for the beer geeks on anyone's gift list.
Copyright 2000-2019 BeerBooks.com, LLC. All rights reserved. BeerBooks.com is a registered trademark.


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Ford Mustang Stripe Touch Up Paint
Find Touch Up Paint for Ford Mustang Stripe
PaintScratch sells Ford Mustang Stripe touch up paint for the years listed in the table. Click your Ford Mustang Stripe year to see available touch up paint colors.
We guarantee Ford Mustang Stripe touch up paint will match the original factory color chip on Ford 's manufactured after 1996.
Touch Up Paint for Ford Mustang Stripe
Order Ford Mustang Stripe paint pens, brush cap bottles, and spray cans from our secure online store. For small Mustang Stripe scratches, the paint pen works well. For slightly larger Ford Mustang Stripe scratches and chips, a brush bottle is best. For larger paint repairs, a Ford Mustang Stripe spray paint can will deliver best results.
Helpful Resources for Your Ford Mustang Stripe Paint Repair
- Touch Up Paint Videos - Watch and learn how to apply touch up paint to your Ford Mustang Stripe.
- How To Apply Touch Up Paint - Detailed instructions for using automotive paint on your Ford Mustang Stripe.
Find Your Mustang Stripe Color & Paint Code
Ford makes it fairly easy to find the color code. It is always on the drivers door jamb. Ford color codes are simple - just two digits which can be numbers and letters. The illustration below is based on the a typical Ford color ID tag and shows where to find a Ford color code.
Ford Paint Code Location:
In the example above, the color code is "PM" which corresponds to Bright Calypso Metallic Clearcoat. Not too hard, right?
Pre 1970 Fords can be problematic though. Ford was calling different paint colors the exact same name so a Ocean Blue in 1966 was completely different from an Ocean Blue in 1967. Different color code too.
Typical color code format for Ford
In our example plate above, the code is PM which corresponds to our:
Bright Calypso Metallic Clearcoat PM/M6599.
However, you will rarely ever see the M6599 part.
You will typically just see PM. The color plate above shows Exterior Paint
Colors but often the color plate will show EX PT (for
Exterior Paint, but I bet you knew this already??) and then above or below
this, you will see the color code. To make matters just a tad confusing,
sometimes the actual color is embossed on the plate right in the middle and not where one
would expect it.
We get lots of emails from customers thinking their color code is LX3 which would
make sense given the location!
PM Bright Calypso Metallic Clearcoat.
Two Tone Combination
Ford has many two tone combinations for some cars. Two tones are two
different colors on your car. Ford did not do a great job with two
tone color coding and often the secondary color information is just
missing so this makes it impossible to know without borrowing a color book
from us what colors you actually have.
Same Color Code, Different Name
Ford, like all manufacturers, uses the exact same color across many
models and then will have a different color name for each model. It's the
same paint! This is why the color code is so important to order
the correct paint.
For example, PM/M6599 above we call Bright Calypso Metallic Clearcoat. It could also be called Bright Green Clearcoat, Speed Green Clearcoat, etc. depending on what the marketing department decided to call it.


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Hear every detail of your music every time you tune in with the Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic. They offer pro audio performance and impressive sound isolation, and convenient buttons let you adjust the volume, control music and video playback and even answer or end calls on your iPhone.
Rediscover your music.
Put on the Apple In-Ear Headphones, select your favorite track, and hear musical details you never knew existed. It's almost like you're experiencing your music for the first time.
Two drivers in each earpiece.
Each earpiece contains two separate high-performance drivers — a woofer and a tweeter — resulting in rich, detailed, and accurate sound reproduction and amazing bass response for all types of music.
Impressive sound isolation.
Choose from three sizes of soft, silicone ear tips for a comfortable, stable fit. When inserted in your ear, they create a seal that blocks outside noise so you can get the most from your music.
Take control.
The control capsule located on the cable of the right earpiece includes a microphone and three buttons. Here's what you can do with this convenient remote:*
- Adjust volume by pressing the + and - buttons.
- Control music and video playback — including play/pause and next/previous — by pressing the center button.
- Record voice memos on supported devices.
- Answer and end calls.
Steel mesh caps for protection.
Stainless steel mesh caps protect the precision acoustic components from dust and debris. You can remove the caps for cleaning or replace them with an extra set that's included in the box.
What's in the Box
- Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic
- Carrying case
- Three sets of silicone ear tips (small, medium, large)
- Two replacement mesh caps
Technical Specifications
- Frequency response: 5Hz to 21kHz
- Impedance (at 100Hz): 23 ohms
- Sensitivity (at 100Hz): 109 dB SPL/mW
- Drivers: Custom two-way balanced armature (woofer and tweeter in each earpiece)
Length and Weight
- Cable length: 1065 mm from audio jack to splitter; 330 mm to earpiece
- Weight: 0.4 ounce (10.2 grams)
- Four-conductor 3.5 mm audio jack
Compatibility Information
The remote and mic are supported only by iPod nano (4th generation), iPod classic (120GB), iPod touch (2nd generation), and iPhone 3G S. The remote is supported by iPod shuffle (3rd generation). Audio is supported by all iPod models.
Requires software version 1.0.3 for iPod nano (4th generation), 2.0.1 for iPod classic (120GB), and 2.2 or later for iPod touch (2nd generation).
But you can buy it at Amazon or Apple Store , this is where we took description from.


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OIL PAINTINGS BY GENRE - Figure Compositions
The term "figurative art" is often taken to mean art which represents the human figure, or even an animal figure, and, though this is often the case, it is not necessarily so. In this genre you will be able to find paintings, representing complex figurative compositions by the Most Famous Artist in this field - Rembrandt, Rubens, Michelangelo, Bouguereau and others, whose paintings still enchant us with their complex structure and color arrangement.
Browse Artists Alphabetically by Name
Oil paintings, entirely hand painted on canvas, available at different sizes. If you want the reproduction at your own custom size or the painting you are looking for is not listed in the Catalogue, please contact us and we will make it available for ordering online within 24 hours.


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Mini Witches Hat Stamp & Cutter
Mini Witches Hat Stamp & Cutter
Regular price
Regular price
Sale price
Unit price
Mini Witches Hat Stamp & Cutter
Approx. Size :
5cm - Widest Width Point
3.8cm - Widest Height Point
Care Instructions
Care Instructions
Due to the delicate nature of our products, we suggest always handling with care as our cutters particularly have been created with a sharp edge to ensure you get the best cut possible.
After using our Cutters/Stamps, please wash in warm water only with detergent and leave to air dry.
DO NOT PLACE IN DISHWASHER as this will ruin/distort the cutters/stamps.
Store in cool place out of direct sunlight.


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Face-Off: Dead Space 2
Margin of terror.
Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | |
Disc Size | 6.3GB (disc one), 6.4GB (disc two) | 13.8GB (inc Extraction at 3.46GB) |
Install | 6.3GB (disc one), 6.4GB (disc two) | - |
Surround Support | Dolby Digital | Dolby Digital, 5.1LPCM, 7.1LPCM |
We've been producing Face-Off features for almost four years now. In that time we've seen many releases with massive technical differences that impact the gameplay experience, and we've waded through hundreds of titles where one platform may have marginal technical advantages over the other. However, it's rare that a game comes along where Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions are so close that it is almost impossible to tell the two apart visually.
Burnout Paradise was such a game, as was its unofficial successor, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. So was Visceral Games' enjoyable, if limited, Dante's Inferno. Dead Space 2, though, is the latest and perhaps greatest example of cross-platform conformity we've seen with Xbox 360, PS3 and indeed PC all providing the same, utterly brilliant experience.
Comparison assets demonstrate just how close these games look. There are actually two galleries to peruse this time around - a dual-format PS3 and 360 selection along with a triple-format offering that also includes the PC game. To begin with though, let's take a look at the two console versions.
There's a similar setup to the original Dead Space here: both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game feature a native 720p framebuffer but no anti-aliasing. While there are some noticeable "jaggies", the muted colour scheme of the game, combined with the nature of its incredible lighting, mean that the overall quality of the presentation is excellent.
Anti-aliasing doesn't play nicely with a fully deferred rendering setup and that's exactly what Dead Space and its sequel use. Traditional "forward" renderers have some serious issues when they reach a certain amount of dynamic lights in any given scene: the deferred approach means that hundreds of light sources can come into play.
While many games use this technique (or a light pre-pass variant as seen in Blur or GTA IV to name but two), Dead Space is a series where dynamic light and shadow are utterly crucial to the design of the game and how it plays. Without deferred rendering, Dead Space simply wouldn't be the same game. The sequel ups the ante significantly, with a significantly more varied range of environments, not to mention much more colour.
The first Dead Space was an accomplished cross-platform project, but there were some areas where we could see inexplicable drops in frame-rate on PlayStation 3. Clearly Visceral is pushing its tech still further with the new game, so how do the two console releases stack up from a performance standpoint? Pre-Christmas, our PS3/360 demo showdown suggested that aside from some minor frame-rate fluctuations which were almost unnoticeable the human eye, the two games were indeed virtually interchangeable.
Now, with the full game in our possession, we can run more analyses, starting with a comparison of exact like-for-like scenes. This test allows us to see how the rendering engine copes from a performance standpoint when the exact same load is being placed on both systems.
There's nothing here aside from the odd, unnoticeable dip in performance that suggests that one version of Dead Space 2 has any kind of tangible advantage over the other. Engine tests like these can be revealing, but it is also fair to say that in these situations the game designers have complete control over what is happening on-screen and can optimise accordingly. It is also the case sometimes that assets used in cut-scenes are pared down in-game (see Resident Evil 5, where we counted at least three Chris Redfield models) or where effects such as shadow quality are beefed up.
Our second test is to select clips from the same area of the game on both platforms. While we don't get the respective engines processing the exact same scenes as in the previous video, over the course of the analysis we get a decent view of the overall run of play - this is probably more important to the average gamer.
Another test successfully aced. Again we see minor frame-rate differences, but nothing that can actually separate the two versions of the game: Dead Space 2 looks the same, it plays the same. You can buy either release safe in the knowledge that you're getting a magnificent game.
There are other differences, however. From a packaging perspective, the PS3 release ships on just one Blu-ray disc, while the Xbox 360 game comes on two discs. In the past we've seen that this is often to accommodate video sequences, but throughout our run on Dead Space 2 it became clear that FMV was very thin on the ground: Visceral needed that space for pure game assets. As it happens, the actual impact of the disc-swapping is minimal should you choose to buy the game on Xbox 360. Dead Space 2 is a linear experience, so you just need to swap discs during chapter seven.
Similar to Medal of Honor, the PS3 package does include a bonus freebie though - one that is of much more worth than the somewhat disappointing remastering of Medal of Honor: Frontline HD. The on-rails shooter, Dead Space Extraction, rated at 8/10 in its Wii incarnation is included for free. It's an excellent bonus - and a treat for PlayStation Move owners. While its visuals don't quite compare to the opulence seen in Dead Space and its sequel, it still scales up fairly nicely to HD resolution.
Returning to Dead Space 2, PlayStation 3 also benefits from enhanced surround sound options, with uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1 options available. This is a game whose atmosphere is enormously improved with a good surround sound setup, and while the 360's mix is still sensational, there is an added sense of depth to the aural experience by using PS3's HDMI 1.3 audio options.
Clearly then, with all these incidental factors added into the equation, the PlayStation 3 version of the game is looking like a tempting proposition. However, there is still the PC release to factor in as well.