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Court of Chancery of Delaware
May 25, 2018
THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY, ROHM AND HAAS COMPANY, and ROHM AND HAAS CHEMICALS LLC Plaintiffs,v.ORGANIK KIMYA HOLDING A.S., ORGANIK KIMYA SAN. VE TIC. A.S., ORGANIK KIMYA US, INC., ORGANIK KIMYA LUXEMBURG S.A., and ORGANIK KIMYA NETHERLANDS B.V. Defendants.
Submitted: March 9, 2018
D. Smith II and Ryan D. Stottmann, of MORRIS, NICHOLS, ARSHT
& TUNNELL LLP, Wilmington, Delaware; OF COUNSEL: Charles
K. Verhoeven, Raymond N. Nimrod, and James E. Baker, of QUINN
EMANUEL URQUHART & SULLIVAN, LLP, New York, New York,
Attorneys for Plaintiffs.
Kathleen Furey McDonough, John A. Sensing, and Ryan C.
Cicoski, of POTTER ANDERSON & CORROON LLP, Wilmington,
Delaware; OF COUNSEL: J. Robert Robertson and Benjamin Holt,
of HOGAN LOVELLS U.S. LLP, Washington, DC, Attorneys for
GLASSCOCK, Vice Chancellor.
is to paint as lucidity is to legal writing: a quality to be
strived for, if never fully achieved. According to the
Complaint here, the Plaintiffs-The Dow Chemical Company and
its subsidiaries, Rohm and Hass Company and Rohm and Haas
Chemicals LLC-made significant advances in the production of
opaque paint toward the end of the last century, advances
with great commercial value. The Plaintiffs' formula and
techniques are protected as trade secrets. Nonetheless, per
the Plaintiffs, the Defendants, a Turkish chemical company
and its affiliates, managed to hire ex-employees of the
Plaintiffs and, through them, steal the trade secrets, to the
Defendants' benefit and the Plaintiffs' detriment.
Defendants moved to dismiss, on jurisdictional grounds and
for failure to state a claim. I addressed the jurisdictional
issues first, dismissing some of the corporate affiliates of
the Turkish entity, but denying the balance of the
jurisdictional motion.[1] This Memorandum Opinion addresses the
Motion to Dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6). For the reasons that
follow, that Motion is denied.
The Dow Chemical Company is a Delaware corporation
headquartered in Midland, Michigan.[3] Plaintiff Rohm and Haas
Company is also a Delaware corporation; its principal place
of business is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[4]Plaintiff Rohm and
Haas Chemicals LLC is a Delaware limited liability company
headquartered in Philadelphia.[5] In April 2009, Dow acquired Rohm
and Haas.[6] I sometimes refer collectively to the
Plaintiffs as "Dow."
Organik Kimya San. ve Tic. A.S. ("Organik Kimya
Turkey") is a privately held Turkish chemical company
headquartered in Istanbul.[7] Non-parties Aldo Kaslowski, Simone
Kaslowski, and Stefano Kaslowski serve as the sole members of
the Organik Kimya Turkey board.[8]
Organik Kimya US, Inc. is a Delaware corporation
headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts.[9] Organik Kimya
U.S. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Organik Kimya
Turkey.[10] Simone Kaslowski is Organik Kimya
US's president; he and Stefano Kaslowski are its sole
directors.[11] I refer to the Organik Defendants
collectively as "Organik."
Factual Background
The Technology
case stems from Organik's alleged scheme to steal
Dow's trade secrets and other confidential
information.[12] The proprietary information at issue
involves recipes and manufacturing instructions for opaque
and non-opaque polymers.[13]Opaque polymers are a form of emulsion
polymer designed to hide the substrate beneath the surface of
paint.[14] Non-opaque polymers are a different type
of emulsion polymer.[15] As a result of its acquisition of Rohm
and Haas, Dow obtained a substantial portfolio of trade
secrets and other confidential information related to both
opaque and non-opaque polymers.[16]
the late 1970s, Rohm and Haas has developed and refined a
line of opaque polymers under the trade name
ROPAQUE.[17] ROPAQUE polymers consist of hollow
spheres with a water-filled void.[18] When paint containing
ROPAQUE polymers dries, "the water in the void diffuses
through the polymer shell and leaves an air void that
scatters light and facilitates hiding."[19] ROPAQUE was
the first line of polymers to use trapped air to increase
opacity, and over the years it has become increasingly
successful in achieving opacity.[20] For example, the first
generation of ROPAQUE polymers had a "void
fraction" of approximately 20%, but by the mid to late
1990s, scientists at Rohm and Haas had discovered a technique
that allowed them to significantly increase
opacity.[21] That discovery led to the ROPAQUE Ultra
line of polymers, which has dominated the industry since its
introduction in the late 1990s.[22]
ROPAQUE Ultra line of polymers is made using several trade
secrets, which include confidential recipes and manufacturing
instructions.[23] This body of information contains, among
other things, directions regarding the "order of
addition of chemicals, temperature, time and mixing
speed."[24] The trade secrets also cover techniques
used to streamline the process for manufacturing ROPAQUE
polymers- for example, the equipment that should be used to
maximize efficiency in the production process.[25]
All of
these trade secrets have given Dow a leg up on the
competition, and the information they embody is not generally
known to others.[26] Moreover, Dow has taken several steps to
protect the secrecy of its proprietary
information.[27]Specifically, it (i) restricts access to
the trade secrets to employees who have a demonstrated need
for the information, (ii) imposes contractual confidentiality
and non-disclosure obligations on employees with access to
the trade secrets, and (iii) places anonymous identifiers on
certain ingredients used to manufacture opaque polymers
before they are shipped to manufacturing sites.[28]
The Scheme
allegedly stole Dow's trade secrets by hiring several
former Rohm and Haas employees, including Dr. Guillermo
Perez, Leonardo Strozzi, and Dr. Dilip Nene.[29] Before he
became the co-head of Research and Development at Organik,
Dr. Perez had worked at Rohm and Haas for thirteen years; at
the time of his departure, he was the Commercial and
Technical Manager for Emerging Markets for Rohm and
Haas's polymers and resins business.[30] Strozzi
worked at Rohm and Haas for twenty-six years, serving as a
Plant Manager at production facilities in
Italy.[31] In September 2008, Strozzi became the
Plant Manager of Organik's Rotterdam plant.[32]Dr. Nene, who
authored the original manufacturing instructions for ROPAQUE
Ultra, worked at Rohm and Haas for twenty-seven
years.[33] From 2008 to 2013, Dr. Nene performed
consulting services for Organik.[34]
appears to have learned of Organik's scheme through prior
litigation between the parties before the U.S. International
Trade Commission (the "ITC").[35]Dow initially
believed that Organik had infringed its patents related to
ROPAQUE Ultra.[36] In the course of the ITC litigation, Dow
came upon an email between two Organik employees that
suggested Organik had stolen Dow's trade secrets from
ex-Rohm and Haas employees.[37] Specifically, the email's
metadata stated that, "[a]s a result of the recent
meetings held with Dilip Nene, the information obtained about
'seed' and 'opac polymers' are summarized as
follows."[38] Through the ITC litigation, Dow also
learned that Organik had tried to cover its tracks via
spoliation of evidence.[39] One Organik email stated that
"[c]onfidential information related to the consultant
are still recorded here, they were supposed to be erased by
the IT department."[40]
learning of the spoliation, Dow sought a forensic inspection
of Organik's computers and networks.[41] The
Administrative Law Judge (the "ALJ") presiding over
the ITC proceedings granted Dow's request.[42] Yet Organik
continued to engage in spoliation even after the inspection
was ordered.[43] For example, four days before the
scheduled forensic analysis of Dr. Perez's laptop,
Organik overwrote 190 gigabytes of files on the
computer.[44] The day before the inspection, Organik
ran a program that deleted a large portion of the C drive and
all of the D drive on Dr. Perez's laptop.[45] The Complaint
contains several other examples of Organik's destruction
of evidence.[46]
As a
result of this spoliation, the ALJ entered a default judgment
against Organik as to Dow's trade secret
claims.[47] The ALJ found, among other things, that
Organik had "spoliated, or permitted the spoliation, of
massive amounts of evidence prejudicial to Dow's
allegation of trade secret misappropriation in this
investigation."[48] In April 2015, the ITC affirmed the
ALJ's ruling and granted Dow's request for a
twenty-five year exclusion order.[49] That order prohibits
Organik from selling opaque polymers made with Dow's
trade secrets in the United States for a period of
twenty-five years.[50] In February 2017, the United States
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the
ITC's decision.[51]
Organik's efforts to cover its tracks, Dow was able to
uncover significant evidence of trade secret
misappropriation. For instance, forensic analysis of
Strozzi's laptop revealed that several of the storage
devices connected to the computer contained folders called
"R&H."[52] "These folders included hundreds of
filepaths with names that appear to be Dow's highly
confidential and proprietary documents and information,
including . . . manufacturing instructions and recipes for
opaque polymers and other polymers."[53] Dow also
discovered an internal Organik email stating that "[t]he
guy provided free monomer ratios for R&H production
runs."[54] Dow alleged in the ITC proceedings that
"the guy" was Dr. Nene.[55] Moreover, Organik was
required to give Dow the recipes for its OPAC 204x and
ORGAWHITE 2000 products, which were allegedly produced using
Dow's trade secrets.[56] Dow's comparison of those recipes
to its own manufacturing instructions revealed that
Organik's products were made using Dow's trade
manufactures OPAC 204x and ORGAWHITE 2000 in Istanbul and
Rotterdam.[58] But Organik markets, sells, and
distributes these products throughout the world, including in
the United States.[59] Organik's distribution of OPAC 204x
and ORGAWHITE 2000 has harmed Dow, jeopardizing its opaque
and non-opaque polymer business.[60]
This Litigation
commenced this litigation on March 8, 2016. The Complaint
contains six counts. Count I alleges misappropriation of
trade secrets related to Dow's non-opaque and opaque
polymers.[61] Count II alleges conversion resulting
from Organik's theft and use of Dow's confidential
information.[62] Count III alleges unfair competition,
Count IV alleges tortious interference with a prospective
business opportunity, and Count V alleges tortious
interference with contract.[63] Finally, Count VI alleges that
the Defendants were unjustly enriched by their
misappropriation of Dow's proprietary
April 8, 2016, Organik moved to dismiss the Complaint,
arguing that this Court lacked personal jurisdiction over
several Organik entities and that the Complaint failed to
state a claim for relief. I ordered jurisdictional discovery
on June 7, 2016, and on October 19, 2017, I held that
personal jurisdiction was proper over Organik Kimya Turkey,
but not the other foreign Organik entities.[65] I deferred
decision on Organik's remaining arguments for dismissal:
that the Delaware Uniform Trade Secrets Act[66]
("DUTSA") displaces Dow's common law claims,
and that DUTSA does not apply extraterritorially, and is
therefore inapplicable to Dow's allegations of trade
secret misappropriation.[67] I heard oral argument on those issues
on March 9, 2018. This Memorandum Opinion addresses
Organik's remaining arguments for dismissal.
has moved to dismiss the Complaint under Court of Chancery
Rule 12(b)(6). When reviewing such a motion,
(i) all well-pleaded factual allegations are accepted as
true; (ii) even vague allegations are well-pleaded if they
give the opposing party notice of the claim; (iii) the Court
must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the
non-moving party; and (iv) dismissal is inappropriate unless
the plaintiff would not be entitled to recover under any
reasonably conceivable set of circumstances susceptible of
I need
not, however, "accept conclusory allegations unsupported
by specific facts or . . . draw unreasonable inferences in
favor of the non-moving party."[69]
argues that Dow's claim for misappropriation of trade
secrets must be dismissed because DUTSA does not apply
extraterritorially. According to Organik, because the
Complaint does not specifically allege that any relevant
conduct took place in Delaware, the presumption against
extraterritorial application of statutes[70] requires
dismissal of the trade secret claim. I disagree.
is a notice pleading state.[71] Under our pleading rules,
"a plaintiff must put a defendant on fair notice in a
general way of the cause of action asserted, which shifts to
the defendant the burden to determine the details of the
cause of action by way of discovery for the purpose of
raising legal defenses."[72] Thus, to survive a motion to
dismiss, a complaint "need only give 'general notice
of the claim asserted.'"[73] Dismissal is
inappropriate "unless the plaintiff would not be
entitled to recover under any reasonably conceivable set of
circumstances."[74] In line with Delaware's liberal
notice pleading standards, Court of Chancery Rule 8(a)(1)
requires only "a short and plain statement of the claim
showing that the pleader is entitled to
important consequence of Delaware's adoption of notice
pleading is that a plaintiff is not required to plead the
law.[76] "So long as claimant alleges facts
in his description of a series of events from which a [claim]
may reasonably be inferred and makes a specific claim for the
relief he hopes to obtain, he need not announce with any
greater particularity the precise legal theory he is
using."[77] Delaware's approach to this aspect
of pleading mirrors the federal rules, under which "it
is unnecessary to set out a legal theory for the
plaintiff's claim for relief."[78] Indeed,
"[t]here is no penalty for pleading legal theories under
the federal rules except that overpleading might render the
complaint vulnerable to attack by pretrial motion should it
show on its face that no claim for relief
exists."[79] Moreover, under the rules of this Court,
pleading separate counts is required only where doing so
"facilitates the clear presentation of the matters set
forth" and the complaint sets out distinct claims
premised on separate transactions or
extraterritoriality argument founders on these fundamental
principles of notice pleading. Count I of Dow's Complaint
is labeled "Misappropriation of Trade
Secrets."[81] It alleges that Organik, through the
conduct described in the body of the Complaint, has
misappropriated Dow's trade secrets, thereby injuring
Dow. Organik does not argue that the Complaint fails to
allege facts supporting the elements of a claim for trade
secret misappropriation, either under DUTSA or any other
jurisdiction's law. For example, Organik does not suggest
that Dow has failed to allege the existence of a trade
secret, defined by DUTSA as "information" that
"[d]erives independent economic value . . . from not
being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable
by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic
value from its disclosure or use, " and that "[i]s
the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the
circumstances to maintain its secrecy."[82] Nor does
Organik claim that the Complaint fails to allege the
"acqui[sition], use[] or disclos[ure] [of] a trade
secret obtained through improper means."[83]
Organik seizes on paragraph ninety-two of the Complaint,
which alleges that Organik violated DUTSA by misappropriating
Dow's trade secrets. According to Organik, Dow's
citation to DUTSA is fatal to its trade secret claim, because
the Complaint does not describe any Delaware-based conduct,
and DUTSA does not apply extraterritorially. Organik
misstates the inquiry on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion. The question
is not whether the plaintiff has identified the correct legal
theory for obtaining relief on the facts alleged. Indeed, the
plaintiff is not required to cite statutes, caselaw, or any
other legal materials in her pleading.[84] Rather, the
question is whether the complaint alleges facts that
"give general notice of the claim
asserted."[85] Here, the Complaint provides more than
adequate notice of the claim asserted, setting out in
abundant detail (i) Organik's scheme to steal Dow's
intellectual property and (ii) the nature of Dow's trade
extraterritoriality argument is really a choice-of-law
argument in disguise. Organik is correct that, at this stage
of the litigation, it is unclear whether Delaware law applies
to Dow's trade secret claim. In analyzing choice-of-law
issues, Delaware courts apply "the most significant
relationship test from the Restatement (Second) of Conflict[]
of Laws."[86] The Restatement provides that
"[t]he rights and liabilities of the parties with
respect to an issue in tort are determined by the local law
of the state which, with respect to that issue, has the most
significant relationship to the occurrence and the parties
under the principles stated in § 6."[87] The
Restatement further provides four factors to consider in
conducting a choice-of-law analysis in tort cases: "(1)
'where the injury occurred, ' (2) 'where the
conduct causing the injury occurred, ' (3) the
parties' 'domicil, residence, nationality, place of
incorporation and place of business, ' and (4) where the
parties' relationship is centered."[88]
to say, the "most significant relationship" test
entails a fact-intensive inquiry that often is inappropriate
to a motion to dismiss.[89] Here, some of the infringing products
were sold in unspecified locations in the United States, and
some were sold in other parts of the world. Much of the
injury-causing conduct appears to have taken place overseas,
where the infringing goods were manufactured, although some
of the relevant conduct may have occurred in the United
States. The Plaintiffs are all Delaware entities. Dow's
principal place of business is in Michigan, while the Rohm
and Haas entities are headquartered in Pennsylvania. Organik
Kimya Turkey is a Turkish company, and Organik Kimya U.S. is
a Delaware corporation headquartered in Massachusetts.
should be apparent that, at this stage of the litigation, the
choice-of-law question cannot be answered. But that does not
require dismissal of Dow's trade secret claim.
Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have adopted
the Uniform Trade Secrets Act
("UTSA").[90] The various versions of UTSA adopted by
the states differ in several key respects (on which more
below), but Organik has not argued that Dow's Complaint
fails to allege the elements of a claim for trade secret
misappropriation under any state's UTSA, or under the
laws of Massachusetts and New York, the two states that have
yet to adopt the Act.[91]
Dow has
done everything necessary to survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion
on its trade secret claim. Through the detailed allegations
of the Complaint, it has put Organik on "fair notice in
a general way of the cause of action asserted, which shifts
to [Organik] the burden to determine the details of the cause
of action by way of discovery for the purpose of raising
legal defenses."[92] Of course, Organik is free to make
choice-of-law arguments at a later stage of the litigation.
At the pleading stage, however, any choice-of-law concerns
harbored by Organik are not grounds for dismissing the trade
secret misappropriation claim.
seeks dismissal of the remainder of the Complaint on the
ground that Dow's common law claims are preempted by
DUTSA. DUTSA "displaces conflicting tort, restitutionary
and other law of this State providing civil remedies for
misappropriation of a trade secret."[93] But DUTSA
does not preempt "[c]ontractual remedies, whether or not
based upon misappropriation of a trade secret, " and it
does not displace "[o]ther civil remedies that are not
based upon misappropriation of a trade
secret."[94] According to Organik, DUTSA's
preemption provisions compel dismissal of Dow's claims
for conversion, unfair competition, tortious interference
with contract and prospective business relations, and unjust
enrichment. Given the uncertainty as to which
jurisdiction's law applies, however, a ruling on
preemption would be premature at this stage of the
that have adopted UTSA are split on the Act's preemptive
scope.[95]Courts in some jurisdictions have held
that UTSA preempts all common law claims premised on
misappropriation of information-even if that information does
not rise to the level of a trade secret under the
Act.[96] Under this view, "non-trade secret
information is not a protectable class of information and
therefore common law claims that seek to protect it are
preempted."[97] Other courts have taken the opposite
position, holding that "suits concerning confidential
business information that are found not to be trade secrets
are free to proceed on whatever state tort law claim the
plaintiff can make out."[98] In other words, so long as the
information in question is not a trade secret, the plaintiff
can pursue common law claims premised on misappropriation of
that information without running afoul of UTSA's
preemption provisions.[99]
parties argue over which approach Delaware has adopted. Dow
says that DUTSA only preempts common law claims that depend
on establishing the existence of a trade secret. Dow's
reading of DUTSA finds some support in the caselaw. For
example, this Court has declined to hold a conversion claim
preempted under DUTSA on the ground that the claim could
succeed even if no trade secrets were
established.[100] As the Court put it, "[i]f no
trade secret was in fact at issue, . . . a conversion claim
could still exist based on the misappropriation of
confidential information-a finding of a trade secret is not
an essential element of a conversion
claim."[101] Organik, by contrast, argues that
DUTSA preempts all common law claims based on the same facts
alleged in support of a claim for trade secret
misappropriation. Such preemption occurs, according to
Organik, even if the common law claims could be proved
without demonstrating the existence of a trade secret. Like
Dow's interpretation of DUTSA, this view has some support
in the Delaware cases.[102]
Organik has noted, however, it may turn out that Delaware law
does not apply to this case. In my view, that weighs in favor
of deferring any preemption determination until discovery
allows me to conduct a reasoned choice-of-law analysis. A
hypothetical illustrates the wisdom of this approach. Suppose
I adopt Organik's broad reading of DUTSA preemption and
hold that Dow's common law claims are displaced. Suppose
as well that, once discovery concludes, it emerges that
Pennsylvania law governs this dispute.[103]
Pennsylvania courts appear to take a narrow view of UTSA
preemption, holding that the Act does not displace common law
claims premised on theft of information that fails to rise to
the level of a trade secret.[104] Thus, under Pennsylvania
law, it may be inappropriate to dismiss Dow's common law
claims before determining whether Dow can establish the
existence of any trade secrets.[105] In this scenario, I
would have rendered an advisory opinion on the scope of DUTSA
preemption.[106] This Court does not render advisory
the different approaches to UTSA preemption in the
jurisdictions that have adopted the Act, and the uncertainty
as to which state's law applies to this case, I decline
to rule on the preemption question at this juncture. Organik
may raise the issue again via a motion for summary judgment
or at ...
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text:
Other common names: Imperial Scorpion
Scientific name: Pandinus Imperator
The basics:
The Emperor Scorpion is native to Africa and lives on the damp humid floor of the tropical rain forests. They are a forest dweller and like to burrow as well.
Appearance / health:
The Emperor is one of the largest species of scorpion in the world, with adults reaching about 6-8 inches. Young scorpions are white when they are born, but become darker after each molt. Adults are most seen as a glossy black, but some have been known to be dark brown or green. The stinger and claw have also been seen as a reddish color. Despite being near-black in color, the emperor glows a bluish-green when exposed to black lights.
Behavior / temperament:
The Emperor Scorpion is the most docile and easily handled of all the scorpions kept in captivity. It can be corralled to the palm of a your hand without any problem. If grabbed by the tail, they will often rear back and try to pinch. Their pinch is very strong and can be quite painful. Their sting is mild and they don't usually use this type of aggression unless they are pinned or grabbed carelessly. People have compared the sting of this scorpion to the sting of a bee. The sting, although toxic, has varying affects on humans; some report no problems while others suffer severe pain.
One Emperor Scorpion can be housed in a 10 gallon tank. If using a different sized tank, just remember that floor space is more important than height. Substrate should be at least 3 inches deep. Hide spots and rocks may be added as they love to hide.
Enclosures should be kept between 75-85F and humidity should be around 80%. Regular spot cleaning is needed. Substrate may consist of eco earth (bed-a-beast), peat moss, or potting soil. A shallow wide water dish may also be added and cleaned frequently.
A varied diet consisting of crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, and only occasional feedings (once or twice a month) of mice. Variety is best and resembles the diet of this scorpion in the wild and will keep them healthy.
The pectines on the underside of these scorpions can be inspected to give you an idea of your scorpion's sex. Inspect the underside of the scorpion; males have longer combs on their pectines and females have shorter and often fewer combs on their pectines. When placed together, the male quickly grabs a hold of the pincers on the female and begins a shaking action. Then, after a short shoving match, the male deposits a spermatophore onto the substrate and positions the female over the packet of sperm. The female then lowers her abdomen and picks up the spermatophore into her genital opening. The two separate and retreat in opposite directions. After a gestation period of seven months, a litter ranging in size from 15 to 40 young scorpions is produced. The young grow in the mother, are born live, and then will spend most of the time on the mothers back. The mother scorpion feeds her young by killing an insect and leaving it on the floor of their enclosure. The baby scorpions will then climb off the mother's back and feed on the dead insect.
attractive novice scorpions, Underrated Pet, docile scorpions, delightful pet
Care Cage Requirements, allergic reaction
HIGHLY communal species, Offspring cannibalization, nightviewing light bulb, shinny apperance
Our Emperor
When my brother brought our new pet home he definitely didn't know she was pregnant and then a couple weeks later and boom... we had babies. This put a bit of a damper on handling her for quite a while but eventually, we were able to. They don't require a super fancy enclosure but they do need space to burrow in and the temperature needs to be controlled, as well as the humidity. All in all, she was a chill pet, she didn't do much and didn't care to be handled often, mainly just went about her life unbothered by much. They're a nice pet for those who aren't afraid of them and are willing to make sure they have the consitancy they need. .
From Daphne Petty Jan 13 2019 11:29PM
Big, but not so scary
Emperor scorpions are big scorpions, with big claws and tend to look pretty scary (unless you know scorpions). They're not really scary or dangerous, but it's always fun to watch your guests be terrified.
Emperors tolerated handling better than the red claw I had, but only marginally so. Basically, it's a big arachnid, it doesn't want to be petted. They will quickly relax and walk around on your hands and arms, which is kind of surreal the first few times - your body wants to freak out, but your brain knows it's pretty much harmless.
If you're unlucky enough to get stung, it hurts, similar to a bee sting. I found it unpleasant, but nothing a bit of ice and some ibuprofen didn't help. I did learn a valuable lesson about annoying the scorpion though.
They like to burrow, so make sure you have substrate that they can dig in as well as numerous hides. They will ambush crickets and mealworms, which can be interesting to watch.
Be careful about having more than one in a tank, a friend learned that they will kill (and possibly eat) each other.
They are nocturnal, so best for night people like myself. They glow under black light (like most scorpions), which can provide some entertainment..
From NomadMorgan Jul 7 2015 1:43AM
Fred the Scorpion.
My now-husband insisted one day at the mall that he could simply not be happy and complete without a pet scorpion in our little apartment. It was cheap, and I thought would be simple, though I've always been repelled by them. I didn't realize HOW repelled I was by it until he emptied it from the box to the little fish bowl, the way one might shake a happy meal box to get the last fries out, and I cried from disgust. That night, I got up to go to the bathroom. The scorpion. WAS. NOT. IN. THE FISH BOWL. I immediately woke up my husband, got in the bed, and refused to let him back in until he found, and killed, the scorpion. Four hours later, he found it in the closet rummaging around our shoes. He refused to kill it, so we put it back in the fish bowl, and I piled about 10 heavy books on top while we left to go get a plastic container with a lockable lid for it! We did, and Fred (I named in when I realized we wouldn't be getting rid of him) lived in peace in his little cage, without much maintenance, for the rest of the year we lived there. My husband took him out and handled him a few times, and he seemed docile enough...I passed. We also figured out how he got out of the fish bowl...he "stood" up on his little tail, and then used his claws to pull himself over the edge! A terrifying site, but not a problem in his second (lockable, plastic) home. We gave him away when we left the country, but I heard he lived for several more years!.
From SarahDV Oct 18 2015 4:05PM

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ryu Soo Young And Park Han Byul In Final Talks To Unite For New Drama
Ryu Soo Young may be starring in a new drama!
On November 6, there were reports that Ryu Soo Young will be appearing in MBC's new weekend drama "I Love You When I'm Sad" (literal title). This will be the actor's first drama since SBS's "The Good Witch" which ended in May.
In response to the reports, Ryu Soo Young's agency Fly Up Entertainment stated, "Ryu Soo Young is currently in the final stages of talks for 'I Love You When I'm Sad' (literal title). His appearance has not yet been finalized."
"I Love You When I'm Sad" is a melodrama about a woman who's being chased, a man who's chasing her, and a man who hides her. It's a remake of the 1999 Japanese TBS drama "Beautiful Person" (literal title) by Nojima Shinji. After consulting with TBS, MBC is currently working to produce the drama with the goal of airing it next February.
Ryu Soo Young has been offered the role of Yoon Ma Ri's husband Kang In Wook, who is the heir to a conglomerate and president of a construction company. On the surface, he has a handsome face and high-level qualifications, but he's a secretive person with inner pain behind his perfect appearance. He's also obsessed with his wife and has violent tendencies.
Unlike his kind characters in past projects, Ryu Soo Young will transform into a cold-hearted man. Park Han Byul is currently in talks to play Yoon Ma Ri and Ji Hyun Woo is in talks to portray On Ji Sung, who gives Yoon Ma Ri all of his love.
"I Love You When I'm Sad" is scheduled to air in February 2019 as the follow-up to "A Promise With God" (literal title). In the meantime, check out Ryu Soo Young in "The Good Witch" below!


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There's your job, and then there's how you go about doing your job. While your position itself (and how well it fits with your expertise and passion) certainly plays a role in your career success, your routines and rituals in the office can also affect your happiness and productivity.
This includes what you do before and after work, as well as during your workdays.
Here are seven daily habits that, if practiced regularly, can boost your success at work:
1. Focus on strengths, not weaknesses.
Sometimes, in an effort to be perfect, we channel valuable time and energy into trying to get good at things that aren't part of our natural aptitude. Charlotte Crivelli, co-founder of Klick Communications, believes this is a mistake. "At my company, we instill a culture that people should work on tasks that use their core strengths," she says. "We don't believe in wasting people's time getting them to improve their weaknesses. Someone else will be strong where they are weak, and it's my job to ensure everyone is working on what energizes them and not what depletes them." To take this advice to heart, make a habit of prioritizing as many of your truest skill sets as possible on a daily basis.
2. Work how you work best.
On a related note, not everyone works equally well in identical settings. While you may not have an option to work behind closed doors if your company favors an open floor plan, there are work habits you can develop to play to your strengths and improve your focus. A recent survey by office furniture company Turnstone found that 32 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds prefer working individually in a lounge setting over a traditional work environment.
If your company doesn't provide your ideal space, think about simple changes you can make to your daily work environment. "Not everyone works the same way, so don't feel restricted by the space that you're in," says Brian Shapland, general manager at Turnstone. "If you need to do head-down work, use headphones, or find a secluded area in the office to set up shop. If you need to be inspired, seek out a collaborative space so you can bounce ideas off of co-workers."
3. Control your attitude.
The mood you bring to work can affect not only your own morale and work performance, but also that of those around you. Therefore, another healthy habit to practice daily is taking control of your mental attitude. "An old saying goes: 'The city of happiness is in the state of mind,'" says Karla Brandau, CEO of Workplace Power Institute. "To enjoy more satisfaction at work, it is important to regularly check your viewpoint, because negativity can dominate your life, which depresses not only your mind, spirit and body but your productivity level."
An additional strategy for attitude adjustment is to practice being where you are at work rather than thinking about outside relationships and personal challenges. "If you are physically at work and are focusing on other life issues, then you aren't mentally at work," says Mike Rodriguez, professional speaker, training expert and author. "This means you cannot perform in an effective manner."
4. Make better eating choices.
How you fuel your body before, during and even after work can have significant repercussions on your ability to perform at your best.
Kristen Smith, a registered dietitian based in Atlanta, recommends that employees start by establishing a meal schedule and planning meals that will be eaten at work. "You may need to pack a meal or snack to ensure you do not go a substantial time without eating," she says.
Here's what else she recommends for optimal workplace nutrition: eating a meal within one hour of waking and continuing eating snacks or meals every three to four hours thereafter; including a low-calorie, protein-rich food in your first meal of the day, such as eggs or Greek yogurt; staying hydrated by drinking at least four to six cups of non-sugary beverages at work; and avoiding caffeine several hours prior to the end of your workday to allow for adequate sleep when you leave the office.
5. Do one good deed.
While taking care of your own physical and mental needs at work, keep in mind that a habit of doing something nice for a colleague can make you feel even better. Studies have shown that a little altruism goes a long way. A 2012 study by Wall Street Journal (Europe) and iOpener Institute for People and Performance revealed that happier workers help their colleagues 33 percent more than their least happy colleagues.
"We've all experienced the boost that happens when we lend a helping hand to someone else, and this pay-it-forward principle holds true in the workplace," says Melody Wilding, licensed therapist and workplace psychology expert. "Whether it's taking on some simple tasks for an overwhelmed colleague or grabbing an extra coffee to give away in the morning, giving back to your team is a surefire happiness hack."
6. Don't dwell.
Your after-work habits help set the tone for your next day in the office, so it's important to get them right. When you have a bad day at work, you may find yourself replaying the events of the day over and over in your mind on your commute home.
Paula Thompson, founder of Foresight Coaching & Consulting, points out that mentally imagining conversations that did not go well activates the same biochemical and hormonal processes in your body as when the event originally occurred. "You are literally physically recreating the event in your body, keeping your stress hormones high," she says. "If you find yourself dwelling, allow yourself 10 minutes to purposefully replay the event in your mind, identify what you can learn from the experience, and then close the flashback and move on."
7. Establish an evening reflection ritual.
A related habit that can help you kick the tendency to dwell on what didn't go well is to establish an evening reflection ritual.
Before you pack up to leave the office each evening, Wilding recommends taking the time to review three things that went well during the day or that you feel grateful about. "This little ritual — no matter how tough the day was — can become something to look forward to and help you end each day on a positive note," Wilding says. "Even better, this steers your brain toward habitual, positive, growth-oriented thinking. As you work to identify three things you're grateful for — don't cheat and settle for two! — you're training your brain to see opportunity in challenging circumstances, rather than allowing it to get stuck in a pattern of negativity."


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Event date
*Prof. Kinoshita has had to cancel her visit to Rhodes due to severe flooding and mudslides in Santa Cruz, CA.* Sharon Kinoshita, Professor and Chair of Literature at UC-Santa Cruz, will speak on "Marco Polo and the Global Middle Ages."
Prof. Kinoshita's current work is primarily focused in Medieval Mediterranean Studies. With Brian Catlos (Religious Studies, Colorado-Boulder and History, UCSC), she co-directs the UCSC Center for Mediterranean Studies as well as the University of California Multicampus Research Project Initiative in Mediterranean Studies (http://mediterraneanseminar.org). Her work in this area includes two book manuscripts in progress. Paying Tribute: Old French Literature and the Medieval Culture of Empire studies vernacular French representations of and interactions with an imperial culture, distinct from that of post-Carolingian Europe, shared by Latin Christian, Byzantine, and Muslim courts. Medieval Mediterranean Literature explores new approaches to canonical and non-canonical medieval texts in the historical context of the high and late medieval Mediterranean, c. 1100-1400. In the field of Old French Literature, Prof. Kinoshita has recently co-authored books on Chretien de Troyes and Marie de France. She is currently working on a translation of and monograph on Marco Polo.


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D&H recently launched its vendor-based Specialist Team, an in-house team focused on helping specialty retailers and dealers integrate products or answer questions on various technologies, including VoIP, servers and digital signage in the small- and medium-size business market. As part of the program, customers can long on to dandh.com for email access to product specialists dedicated to Cisco, Intel, Lenovo and HP. The distributor has also broadened its channel support services by increasing customer credit lines to more than $25 million over the year; offering $100 VISA gift cards to new D&H customers who make a first-time $1,000 purchase within 30 days of
D and H Distributing
D&H's Mid-Atlantic Fall Tech Show at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, Pa., was expected to draw about 128 manufacturer exhibitors and roughly 1,000 consumer electronics and PC dealers, as well as custom installers. Here's the first part of our slideshow.
D&H Distributing announced this week that it will offer purchasing incentives and sales resources to dealers for the holidays. The distributor also announced that it has proclaimed November Digital Holiday Focus Month, featuring incentives as well as special pricing on various CE products. Products such as GPS units, LCD TVs, home theater systems as well as small appliances will be featured as part of the month, from manufacturers including Garmin, Haier, Logitech, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung Sony and others. "Although there've been a lot of grumblings about the economy, home entertainment has been a real bright spot, and that's typical for tough times.,"
D&H Distributing said Monday that it will host its Mid-Atlantic Fall Technology Show on Oct. 7 in Hershey, Pa. Featuring more than 160 manufacturers and 128 exhibitors at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, the event will also feature eight seminars from industry leaders. Among the top exhibitors at the event will be Logitech, Nokia, Panasonic, Russound and Samsung, while up-and-comers such as Anchor Bay, MAGIX Entertainment and Visual Land will also appear. In addition, seminars will be presented by Cisco, Intel, Logitech, Microsoft and others, as well as CEA market research director Kory Bockman. "This is the second year of our
D&H Distributing said Monday that its booth at next month's CEDIA Expo will feature company representatives explaining how custom installers can improve their business. The booth, #536 on the show floor, will feature advice on installers can improve incremental revenues, as well as sell niche market products. Featured at D&H's booth will be products from Microsoft, Pure Digital and Toshiba Consumer Products, as well as Anchor Bay Technologies, Corinex, Gyration and Hauppauge Computer Works. "The value of new capabilities can't be underestimated when it comes to making the installer stand out among the competition," D&H's vice president of purchasing, Rob Eby, said
D&H Distributing said this week that it has begun carrying products in several lines of "emerging technologies." These include such categories as voice-activated GPS, HDTV tuners and converters, plug-in home automation devices and others. Specific products coming from D&H in the second half of this year include the Garmin Nuvi 880 GPS unit, Gefen's high-end connectivity products, the Echostar DTVPal from Sling Media, HDHomeRun, the LocalCast device from ZeeVee, and home automation products from ZWave. "The market never gets tired of developing new ways to transfer digital content from location to location, whether that's from room to room within the home, from
D&H Distributing recently hosted close to 1,000 dealers, custom installers and computer resellers at its Mid-Atlantic Summer Technology Show in Hershey, Pa. To see a full slideshow of the event at Dealerscope.com, click here.
The D&H Mid-Atlantic Technology Show
Despite the increase in fuel and overall shipping costs, D&H Distributing will continue to offer customers free shipping and competitive pricing by consolidating product shipments, negotiating the best shipping rates with its suppliers, and creating more efficiencies in-house and within its supply chain "We can only control what's in our power," said Dan Schwab, co-president of the Harrisburg, Pa., distributor when asked how it will protect customers from any major price increases spurred by inflation. "That includes giving our customers the best margin opportunities and providing them with the emerging technologies that help differentiate their businesses and drive traffic." Schwab spoke from D&H's
D&H Distributing said this week that they will begin carrying the Eseries line of business smartphones from Nokia. D&H had already carried the company's Nseries line, among other products. The distributor also said it has gained exclusive rights to the company's new Nokia 500 Auto Navigation device, which is set to launch in the U.S. this month. "D&H's distribution of the Nokia Nseries has proven to be very successful, and we're excited to add the business-oriented Eseries and the Nokia 500 Auto Navigation to our lineup," Rob Eby, D&H's vice president of purchasing, said as part of the announcement. What do


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Editorial: President Trump is sabotaging the Affordable Care Act
So it's all the more galling that the Trump administration — with assistance from Congress — is making a concerted effort to undermine the act's viability and effectiveness.
The Trump administration announced last week that it was cutting grants to nonprofit organizations that help people get health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. It's the second round of such cuts in the past two years, a total reduction of 80 percent.
Since 2013, nonprofit organizations have trained insurance counselors to help consumers buy health insurance that fits their needs on the Affordable Care Act's exchanges. The reason their work is critical is the simple fact that buying health insurance on a market exchange is complicated, and getting the right insurance can be a life-or-death matter for people with pre-existing conditions or other health troubles.
The Trump administration says it wants more grant money to go to insurance brokers and agents instead. The administration is also directing counselors to help people enroll in plans that don't meet the consumer protection standards of the Affordable Care Act.
The announcement came just three days after the administration suspended a program that helps stabilize health insurance marketplaces by paying billions of dollars to insurers that enroll large numbers of sick people. These "risk adjustment" payments ensure that insurers enroll everyone who wants to buy insurance, instead of returning to the bad old days of cherry-picking only the youngest, healthiest consumers.
Taken together, these two actions represent a concerted attempt to reduce consumer choice and raise prices in the health insurance market.
Health care seekers will start to see the impact soon. Some states are projecting very large premium increases for 2019. (Maryland, for example, is proposing a 30.2 percent increase in individual rates.)
California is more fortunate than most states. Thanks in part to its investments in outreach and patient guidance, Covered California, our state marketplace, has more stable rates and a healthier risk pool than the national average.
But the latest attempts to undermine the Affordable Care Act spell trouble. There are real lives and real illnesses behind every number and every regulation.
The Trump administration needs to stop meddling with the act, restore the funding it needs to function properly, and allow every American to access care they can afford.
This commentary is from The Chronicle's editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.


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Southern Open and Junior Olympics
I'm back!!! I've been away for a week coaching at the Southern Open and Junior Olympics in Houston. Both were held in the same huge hall at George R. Brown Convention Center, with the Southern Open on Saturday and Sunday, the Junior Olympics Mon-Wed. While I coached a number of Maryland players, I was there mostly to coach John and Nathan Hsu.
Here are complete results for the Southern Open (release on "Southern Open" in the drop box). I coached Nathan Hsu and Yahao Zhang as they pulled off several upsets to win Open Doubles, defeating the U.S. Open Over 40 Doubles Champions Viktor Subonj and Niraj Oak in the final. The standout tactic was how effective they were serving simple no-spin serves disguised as backspin. (This is a standard tactics in singles and especially doubles.) Tactically, Nathan played mostly control while Yahao put the ball away, though Nathan ripped a lot of backhand loops as well. Topping that off Nathan's brother John and father Hans won Under 3600 Doubles over a rather large field.
Jim Butler dominated to win Open Singles as he continues his comeback from nearly a decade off. Now 41 and a member of the U.S. Table Tennis Hall of Fame, he's in the mix as a contender to win Men's Singles at this year's USA Nationals, with his dominant serves and backhand.
In the Junior Olympics, the best match of the tournament might have been Nathan Hsu versus Andrew Chen in the final of Division A. (On the first day players are put in divisions based on rating, so it's essentially rating events, with Division A essentially Open Singles for all players. On the second day they get into age specific events.) Both played looping forehands, but on the backhand it was a contrast in styles, with Nathan all-out looping everything against Andrew's blocking and hitting pips-out backhand. Nathan won the first two. Down 2-10 in the third, he scored five in a row, forcing Andrew to take his timeout. In the fourth, Nathan was up match point, and he led 9-8 in the fifth before Andrew finally won.
We weren't the only events held in the huge hall. We also shared it with sports stacking, wrestling, weight lifting, and Tae Kwon Do. The sports stacking, where they rapid-fire stack and unstuck cups, was especially fun to watch. Here's a video.
I managed to convince at least two kids that they used to have younger events at the Junior Olympics, and that I was once the U.S. Boys' Under 2 Gold Medalist. I also explained to a set of parents after their son won a game that without my coaching the opponent would have scored twice as many points. Their son had just won 11-1. (And on the way home I introduced our players to "Airport Ping-Pong" - see segment blow.)
The players in the Junior Olympics were probably 90% Chinese, a huge increase from the last time I went. I started coaching there in the 1980s and went nearly every year until around 2005 or so. It used to be something like 60% Chinese. It's also become more regionalized, as the large majority of players were local Texas juniors. MDTTC used to send 30 or so players every year, but this year we only had nine (including two Virginia players who train at MDTTC). California only had two. Here is the state-by-state breakdown of entries, from an Excel file from a few days before the tournament:
I was quite happy with the running and officiating at the tournament. They even did something that often doesn't happen - they enforced the hidden serve rule. Twice I asked referee Scott Ryan to watch the serve of a player, and each time he agreed the serve was hidden, and sent out an umpire (I believe Ken Potts in both cases) who called the serve. In both cases the player didn't complain, and simply began to serve legally.
On Monday night someone broke into Director John Miller's car and stole his computer, printouts, his glasses, and lots of other stuff. This could have created havoc, but John stayed up all night with a borrowed computer and recreated the entire tournament from scratch. Though he had to squint all day at the computer screen (often staring from a few inches away), he managed to keep the tournament running successfully the rest of the way. No results were lost, though he said he'd have a lot of tedious re-entering to do.
Here are complete Results of the 2012 Junior Olympics. (Ignore the links for Saturday and Sunday, which are mistaken repeats of other results and should be taken down soon.) MDTTC won a bunch of medals, even though we only had a small contingent this year. MDTTC winners were:
Now the down side.
And so we had at least two Chinese Province Players, now professional coaches in the U.S., who looked in their mid-twenties, playing in and dominating the U.S. Junior Olympics. Several Chinese told me they knew of the Under 18 Singles, Doubles, and Team winner as a Chinese Province Player they said was 24 years old, but of course there's no way to prove it. (In China I'm told all you do is pay a fee and fill out a form and you can get a birth certificate with whatever age you put down. This is very different from the U.S., where we expect birth certificates to be accurate.) Finally, someone pulled me aside and assured me the player wasn't 24, he was "only 21." And that's who beat Nathan Hsu in the semifinals of Under 18 Singles.
The tournament referee said he had already contacted the people running the tournament next year to warn them of the problem. I think the only solution is to go back to citizens only in the U.S. Junior Olympics. Who knows, maybe these older-looking Chinese Province Players/Professional Coaches playing in the U.S. Junior Olympics really are the age they say they are, but there's no way of knowing.
Airport Ping-Pong
On the flight back from the Junior Olympics on Wednesday night our flight at Houston International Airport was delayed four hours. So how did we pass the time? Airport Ping-Pong! Here's the video (1:42) of Nathan Hsu, Lilly Lin (righty) and Amy Lu (lefty) hitting on the airport lounge tables, which we positioned about four feet apart. (I'm the ballboy on the left.) We played for over an hour. I hit with Nathan for fifteen minutes at the end (lot of vicious countering, looping, and lobbing), and I might be able to get some footage of that up later.
I've been away. Did an Olympics happen? I'm guessing there's been coverage somewhere else.
Baltimore Sun and Gazette Articles
While I was away coaching at the Southern Open and Junior Olympics, the Baltimore Sun and local Gazette Newspapers both ran recent articles on the Maryland Table Tennis Center. Here is the Baltimore Sun article that features U.S. Open Boys' 11 & Under Champion Derek Nie, and here is the Gazette article (where it quotes me as saying San Francisco is a hotbed for table tennis, when I said the Bay Area near San Francisco). The print editions also have pictures. The Washington Post also has a feature on us, most likely coming out next week.
Google Table Tennis Logos
Yesterday, for the third time, Google had a table tennis Google Doodle (that's what they call it) as their logo. They did the same thing for the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, doing one for each sport. Here are the three table tennis logos:
Forehand Smash
Here's a short video (0:48) from 2011 U.S. Men's Singles Champion Peter Li giving a tip on the forehand smash.
Panda Ping-Pong
Here's a hilarious video (5:03) of the folks at PingSkills training a Panda (someone in a Panda suit) to be an Olympic Table Tennis player.
Non-Table Tennis - Leashing the Muse and The Haunts of Albert Einstein
I just sold another story, this time the fantasy story "Leashing the Muse" to Space and Time Magazine. It's the story of an English professor (modeled on Tim Boggan) who is disgusted with the poor work his students are turning in. And then, due to global warming, the muse Polyhymnia (the muse of sacred song, oratory, lyric, singing and rhetoric, and the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyn) is released from where she had been imprisoned in arctic ice for thousands of years by Zeus for criticizing his poetry. She decides her mission is to turn all written work into masterpieces, whether it be Milton, a newspaper articles, or a how-to manuals. When any three-year-old with a crayon can write masterpieces, nothing stands out anymore, and so there are no more masterpieces. It's up to our English professor to capture the muse and convince her to stop - and it'll take a powerful story-generating computer (fifty billion stories per second) to do so.
World Weaver Press has also announced the table of contents for its new anthology, "Specter Spectacular: 13 Ghostly Tales," which includes my humorous ghost story "The Haunts of Albert Einstein," which deals with Einstein's problems with bickering physicists and the paparazzi in the afterlife.
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Walmart is the largest retail retail store in the US. It has in excess of 3, 700 stores countrywide and many others internationally. Regardless of these beneficial final results, there is a require for injection of new strategies in purchase to assure that the retail huge sustains its position as a industry leader. The essay seeks to take a look at its marketing techniques in the existing and doable techniques to assure long term advancement. (MSNBC, 2007b)
Walmart Strategic business aims and goals
Walmart has often aimed at rising profits as a result of its pleasant selling prices. This image has caught with the enterprise for a quite extended time. Not only is the enterprise connected with minimal selling prices, but it has a wide range of objects under one particular roof. These qualities favor the rural clientele.
The enterprise is driven by a motivation to business excellence. This is observed by the excellent of treatment accorded to customers the moment they report to their retail stores. This is ensured by the participation of staff in this business goal. The enterprise has cultivated a tradition of perfection in that they often want to be on leading. The Walmart marketing supervisor has mentioned that Walmart's main business objective is to assure that their profits are often rising. It is one particular detail to get to the leading but remaining there is distinctive. The enterprise makes sure their advancement charge does not stagnate. Other corporations normally do the job on rising their efficiency and the moment they have attained people targets, they pick to unwind. Nevertheless, this does not utilize to Walmart the enterprise makes sure that they often search for ways of sustaining their competitive gain.
The Firm is driven by the pursuance of technological enhancements. This is attained as a result of the use of new systems in provider delivery. Creativeness and innovation is an additional business objective for the enterprise. By way of the endeavours of their staff, the enterprise aims at protecting their industry positions by brainstorming and wanting for new ways of attracting potential clients. (MSNBC, 2007b)
The Firm also values currently being regarded as as a strategic community spouse. The company's mission is 'saving dollars to dwell better'. This is an image that the enterprise has worked on quite very well. Numerous people today look at Walmart as a client pleasant retailer. The enterprise has cultivating this image as a result of a quantity of ways. First of all, as a result of their client pleasant selling prices, as a result of their satisfactory shopper provider, and also as a result of their advantage as a one particular end browsing centre.
Walmart employs the part of availability as an additional business objective. The Firm has opened up a series of locations in distinctive sections of the state. This suggests that customers are not inconvenienced when making an attempt to track down them. Also, it gets to be quite difficult to dismiss the retail store when one particular can see it in practically all sections of the state. This part of availability is one particular of the causes why the enterprise has done quite very well in the earlier. (MSNBC, 2007b)
Examining Walmart's situation
Walmart is dealing with attacks from a selection of stakeholders in the retail field. For occasion Trade unions, human rights corporations and former staff. these teams have all accused the retailer of abusing its employee's rights. They assert that Walmart discourages its staff from collaborating in trade unions. Worker rights teams argue that the company's enumeration offer does not reflect the rich earnings margins that the enterprise enjoys at this time. In the year 2006, Maryland legislature passed a regulation that would power Walmart to spend a specified volume on health insurance. Nevertheless, this regulation was reversed by a federal courtroom. Also, some teams have been formed to especially give anti-Walmart remarks. For occasion WakeupWalmart protesters assert that Walmart's commercials on their company accountability endeavours reveal that Walmart desires to idiot the eyes of the American general public. These types of an image could hurt the company's general public relations and this could drive away sure precious clients.
The enterprise has expanded speedily in excess of the earlier years. With its 3 thousand 7 thousand retail chains found in the US, the retailer has saturated the industry. It is difficult to get to a sure city without having locating a Walmart retail store. This suggests that the enterprise may possibly facial area serious obstacles in its expansion techniques. It would hence be intelligent for the state to look at other sections of the environment these kinds of as China and India. Nevertheless, endeavours to replicate this good results in other international locations have not bore fruit as the state has not done quite very well in South Korea after recording minimal earnings for a when, the enterprise was forced to close its subsidiary in Germany. The enterprise experienced to promote this subsidiary at a toss away price tag in purchase to stay forward. Therefore, expansion techniques require to be done systematically (MSNBC, 2006)
The corporation is also faced with the problem of consistently attracting clients into its stores. Clients have currently determined on what they want to acquire in Walmart and it is difficult to convince others to be part of in. This is the cause why the company's client website traffic has been lessening in 2007. The enterprise has attained saturated levels in the US industry and it is difficult to convince other folks to continue with the enterprise. (MSNBC, 2006)
Walmart is faced with the problem of generating its stores much more handy. The company's representatives asserted that they could look at lessening the dimensions of their stores in the long term simply because it is difficult to navigate the stores for just one particular individual product. There is a require for the enterprise to improve its image from its substantial rural base into more compact, city and much more handy stores. The company's main rivals have currently embraced this thought as Tesco of the Uk has tiny stores specializing in unique goods. (MSNBC, 2006)
Strategic aims for Walmart's long term advancement
Walmart needs to goal exterior markets. Nevertheless, the enterprise ought to improve its industry entry approaches. It ought to target on customizing its business goals in just each state.
The retail huge needs to make product excellent as element its main business strategy. High-quality in this regard refers to both the shopper provider and the character of the goods in its stores.
The enterprise needs to enhance an image of a community primarily based corporation. This suggests that its employee methods ought to be increased and it ought to also keep its minimal price tag featuring. (MSNBC, 2007a)
Strategic marketing program marketing goals, focusing on and positioning
The Firm needs to improve its marketing goals in these kinds of a way that they can draw in a distinctive industry segment. In the earlier, the enterprise has been connected with the middle class or minimal-earnings earners. Affluent clients are inclined to shy away from the retail huge owing to the false impression that Walmart's goods are of lower excellent. Most of them use the retail store for pharmaceutical and grocery browsing and pay out no consideration to the stores when it comes to other selections. The Firm has experimented with to establish this thought in the earlier. In the year 2006, the enterprise opened up stores with this objective in brain. They stocked a extensive selection of subtle goods these kinds of as jewellery, electronics, a sushi bar and a wide range of electronics. The affluent industry is vital in the company's endeavours to protected new markets simply because they have saturated recent kinds. Just about all middle class buyers prefer Walmart. Therefore, in purchase to sustain its position, the enterprise needs to evaluate what rivals are accomplishing to increase profits. Focus on – Walmart's rival – has managed to draw in affluent individuals. Therefore, Walmart have to test and give these buyers a cause for browsing at the enterprise. Affluent buyers respect excellent and require to be assured that they can obtain it at Walmart. The cause why the enterprise unsuccessful in its 2006 endeavours to goal these clients is simply because it went about implementing this goal in the mistaken way. First of all, the enterprise needs to strengthen the visual appeal of their stores as a result of inventive retail store shows. This is specially essential for stores allocated in affluent neighborhoods.
Walmart needs to do the job on the excellent of its objects. Some of the affluent individuals consider that Walmart has unsuccessful in this regard. In occasions the place the perceptions about the enterprise are entirely mistaken, then the enterprise can strengthen this image by marketing its goods in a distinctive way. They could communicate about the excellent of their objects with individual emphasis on items that affluent personnel prefer. Nevertheless, the enterprise ought to be quite very careful about the kind of goods they pick to promote. In the year 2006, the enterprise wished to stick to their rival- Target's product portfolio. Nevertheless, this did not do the job quite very well simply because they experimented with which includes designer labels in their clothing segment. This is a quite tricky product to promote and could not necessarily give beneficial responses. Designer objects fluctuate from time to time and it could be difficult for the enterprise to continue to keep up with the traits. It would have been wiser if the enterprise caught with electronic objects as these are fewer prone to improve. Also, the enterprise needs to make this transition gradually. All successful business people agree that there is no require to improve a successful crew. Therefore, even if Walmart programs on focusing on people affluent individuals. They have to assure that these modifications do not scare away recent clients. Walmart ought to do a extensive industry investigation to obtain out the most appropriate method of attracting these clients. Other retail stores that have built a identify for themselves among the these affluent buyers have been functioning on this image for centuries. Therefore, Walmart ought to not think about that they could do this right away. (MSNBC, 2007b)
Also, the enterprise ought to venture into other international locations. Regardless of the simple fact that the enterprise has done quite badly internationally: it closes one particular in just about every 3 stores abroad, there is require to grow operations. Due to the fact the enterprise has attained saturated levels domestically, then there is a require to tap some of the internationally assets. First of all, the enterprise ought to exercise a large amount of selectivity ahead of picking out a individual state. Aspect of the cause why the South Korean outlet experienced to be closed was that the enterprise continue to applied the very same marketing techniques applicable in the US. Unique international locations have distinctive tastes, the company's method of preserving dollars to dwell superior could not be feasible all over the place. The enterprise ought to not enter international markets instantly. It could collaborate with area leaders in people respective international locations in purchase to do the job with a successful formula. Alternatively, the enterprise ought to exam an international industry by beginning with much less and more compact stores. If the response is great then it could continue to grow. International locations picked out for expansion ought to be economically protected. Therefore, rising the quantity of stores in China and India is almost certainly a great plan. Nevertheless, this ought to be done gradually and after extensive investigate. (Pallavi, 2007)
Promoting program
The enterprise ought to not abandon its plan of attracting the affluent client. Nevertheless, this ought to be done sequentially the Firm experienced launched Metro seven stalls in 1,five hundred stores. These stores available jewellery, high-priced wine and other high-priced commodities. The cause why this did not do the job quite very well was that the improve was launched instead greatly. The enterprise ought to introduce high-priced goods only in stores found in affluent neighborhoods. (Pallavi, 2007)
Also, the enterprise needs to exercise selectivity in the sorts of goods picked out. The enterprise ought to stay away from designer outfits or organic foods simply because these did not generate great final results in the earlier. The target ought to be on electronics.
The enterprise needs to inject much more creativeness in its product offerings. It indicated this as a result of its partnership arrangement with Canopy furnishings. All through the month of March this year, the enterprise launched a selection of furnishings objects from Canopy and it is quite optimistic that this would do very well. The enterprise ought to stick to these kinds of an approach. For occasion, the enterprise ought to spouse with other manufacturers for household objects and electronic corporations. By securing very well-recognized suppliers, the corporation can offer superior excellent goods as a result attracting the eye of the affluent clients who are specially interested in these objects.
Due to the fact the Firm has currently saturated the area industry, then the target ought to be on international markets. Nevertheless, entry into people international markets ought to be done tactfully. Walmart ought to pick economically protected international locations. The stores uncovered in these regions require to be found strategically. (Pallavi, 2007)
The pricing part of Walmart's marketing combine is element of the cause why the enterprise has done so very well so much this is its successful formula. The enterprise ought to keep their minimal pricing techniques but they ought to merge this with product decisions. They require to strengthen on the excellent of provider and their objects in purchase to make themselves much more appropriate in this circumstance.
One particular of the most notable promotional techniques in Walmart is the use of general public relations. The enterprise takes element in charitable situations and has promoted alone as a community primarily based institution. Nevertheless, there have been a quantity of accusations in the media that Walmart exploits its staff. The enterprise has experienced to grapple with lawsuits centering on this poor image. The enterprise has currently embarked on this program by marketing the enterprise as a fair employer it provides its staff with a great health insurance pan. The following concerns have been highlighted in an advertisement posted in support of Walmart's company accountability
- The retailer is the nation's largest employer
- Its features affordable wellness programs starting from $ 23
- The enterprise contributes close to 245 million dollars in charitable situations every year(MSNBC, 2007a)
As a substitute of applying commercials these kinds of as the one particular shown higher than, Walmart ought to put much more energy in increasing their workers administration policies. The problem with these kinds of commercials is that they acquire so extended to improve client belief. As a make a difference of simple fact, they could engrain destructive perceptions simply because clients will see that the enterprise desires to strengthen a tarnished image. As a substitute of shelling out millions on these kinds of commercials, the enterprise could immediate people funds to strengthen their reward programs. A great employer does not require to advertise their work methods as they will communicate for themselves. The enterprise ought to increase its health insurance programs simply because other corporations offer superior wellness systems still they get paid fewer than Walmart. This will go a extended way in increasing enterprise image. (MSNBC, 2007a)
In line with this argument, the Firm require not convince the general public that its staff are basically delighted to do the job for the enterprise. These employee viewpoints ought to not be communicated to the general public. Walmart asserted that, it has been uncovered that a whooping eighty one particular % of the company's workers would suggest one particular of their pals to become Walmart staff. This sort of approach will not do the job for the enterprise simply because the enterprise is adopting a defensive method. The accusations built from the enterprise could be embraced and turned from the counter accusers by increasing organizational policies.
Last of all, the enterprise ought to embrace the plan of healthcare facility partnerships for its retail clinics. The enterprise currently declared that it programs on increasing the quantity of in-retail store clinics from fifty five to a whooping four hundred by the year 2010. Although it could be a great plan in alone (presented the simple fact that Walmart will be boosting its company image as a enterprise that cares for the community), there is continue to area for enhancement. Walmart has been in the news for a quantity of mistaken causes. One particular of the accusations labeled from the retail huge is the simple fact that their employee health insurance programs do not match their status as industry leaders. Therefore, the enterprise needs to search for ways of increasing this image as a result of a quantity of avenues. First of all, they could offer their staff accessibility to the in-dwelling clinics. This will go extended way in boosting their work methods. (Pamela Lewis Dolan, 2008)
Walmart has done a large amount in the earlier in purchase to protected its position as a retail industry leader. These incorporate featuring minimal selling prices, featuring great shopper provider and constant innovation. Nevertheless, currently the enterprise has grappled with minimal shopper website traffic. Market saturation in the middle earnings industry segment, poor international efficiency and undesirable general public relations as a result of their employee methods. The enterprise ought to adopt the following techniques in purchase to assure long term advancement adopt penetrative techniques international markets, introduce great product deals for goods favored by affluent clients and strengthen health insurance programs in just the enterprise. These will go a extended way in sustaining the company's positions as the US's retail leader. (Pallavi, 2007)
MSNBC (2006): Wal-Mart turns consideration to upscale buyers, The Connected Push
MSNBC (2007a):Wal-Mart to air adverts countering assault, The Connected Push
Pallavi Gogoi (2007): Wal-Mart goes overseas for advancement The McGraw-Hill Organizations
MSNBC (2007b): Wal-Mart considers not-so-Super centers, The Connected Push
Pamela Lewis Dolan(2008): Wal-Mart companions with hospitals to speedily grow in-retail store clinics, retrieved from
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/02/twenty five/bil10225.htm accessed on ninth July


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3 cups bread flour
1- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 pouch rapid rise yeast
3 egg yolks
3/4 cups evaporated milk or fresh milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup water
extra flour for kneading
1/3 cup softened butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 tsp vanilla
In a bowl, mix and combine all filling. Set Aside.
Stir and dissolve yeast in warm water (110-115 degrees F). Let it sit for five to ten minutes. Set aside for awhile.
In a another bowl, mix milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks and salt. Combine it well and add the yeast water. Gradually add flour and mix well to make a stiff dough. Dough should be slightly stiff and elastic. Add the remaining flour in portion and check the consistency first before adding all the remaining.
On a flat working table, dust it with flour and knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth & elastic.
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for at least an hour. (Away from air or keep it inside a turned off oven or a cabinet)
After an hour and dough has risen, place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use a dough slicer to divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each part until it forms into a log. Cut each log into equal pieces.
Using a rolling pin, flatten each dough until it stretches into an elongated triangular shape. Spread your filling then roll up.
Cover the dough with bread crumbs and place on lightly greased bakin tray. Let it stand again, cover the tray with a damp cloth and let it rise for an additional 20-30 minutes.
Prepare your oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Serve hot. Enjoy!
Source: Mamas Guide


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get on over to the spectacular
San Ramon's 9th Emergency Preparedness Fair
Saturday, Sept 24
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
San Ramon Central Park & Community Center
This great event is all about families & personal preparedness! Give-aways! Food Trucks! Learn how to use a AED and fire-extinguisher! Plus:
- see demo of a Jaws of Life, from the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District,
- see Bomb Squad demo
- witness Camp Parks 352nd Military Medical Brigade display,
- check out San Ramon and Danville Police K-9 Dog Demos
- tour the Kids Fire Safety House – to learn all about fire safety in the home
- gather ideas for your own home emergency kit
- fingerprint your child
- test your child's car seat (10 a.m. and noon)
and more. For more information on the Fair or on how you can BeReady, visit BeReadySRV.org


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From AFAD spectator to AFAD chairman
(Features ~ 09/03/14)
When Ted Thompson and his family first moved to Mountain Home, they were quickly introduced to the community's largest annual observance. When they attended their first Air Force Appreciation Day celebration, Thompson never guessed he would one day lead the effort...
Pat Dinwiddie
(Obituary ~ 09/03/14)
Patricia Dolores Dinwiddie was born on Feb. 13, 1930, in Tacoma, Wash., to Steven and Ellie McCormick. She died in Boise, Idaho on Aug. 24, 2014, at the age of 84, following complications of surgery. Pat's childhood was spent living in various cities in Washington before the family moved to Los Angeles, where she attended Immaculate Heart High School...
City mulls increase to water, wastewater fees
(Local News ~ 09/03/14)
Water and sewer rates in Mountain Home could increase soon by 4 percent each after the city council took a preliminary vote in favor of raising the fees during a public meeting Aug. 25. According to city clerk Nina Patterson, the revised water rates would increase from $16.10 to $16.75 for the first 5,000 gallons customers use each month. The charge for those using more than 5,000 gallons per month would climb from 96 cents to $1 for each additional 1,000 gallons that people use...
Stories from Wednesday, September 3, 2014
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Frequently Asked Questions
Hi there!
You'll no doubt have lots of questions when planning your wedding, it can be a bit of a minefield. Here's a few of the questions I get asked regularly.
If you can't find the answers you're looking for feel free to email me via the Contact Form or firstname.lastname@example.com and i'll be more than happy to talk through your questions.
What areas do you cover?
I am based in Lancashire, with a home studio and office in Accrington. I offer wedding photography across the whole of Lancashire, Manchester and the North West. I have a passport and i'm more than happy to travel anywhere in the world, for a lot less than you may think! I love travelling so if you're planning an overseas wedding get in touch, and if its on my 'bucket list' I may just bite your hand off!
What is your style?
Couples book me because they love the modern, fresh and natural images. If i had to put a label on it i would say I am a Documentary Style Wedding Photographer, but who cares about labels, you like what you like!
I am very relaxed, so if you have an exhaustive tick-list of required shots that you'd like me to go through, I'm probably not the one for you. Why? Because i'll miss all the spontaneous outbursts of laughter, your nanna shaking it on the dance floor or your dad tearing up as he sees you in your wedding dress. Its all about the real, natural moments for me.
How many images will I get from my Wedding?
Around 400+. I don't have limit the number of photos you receive but equally I don't release anything to you that doesn't match up to my super high standards. I want you to relive your day, only this time it'll be even better. You'll see the pulled faces after a jagerbomb at the bar, the heartfelt hugs as family see each other again for the first time in donkeys years, all here for your wedding.
What if you break a leg/get seriously ill?
Well first of all, I don't take part in any adventure sports. Phew! I take good care of myself and consider myself fit and healthy but we all know that sometimes we get sick and it can be beyond our control. I have an amazing network of professional wedding photographers and in the event of serious illness i would be able to ask them to help.
What is an Engagement Session?
Engagement Sessions are really just a practice before the big day. A chance to get to know each other and see how i do things. You'll be reassured that photography can be a fun addition to your day, so that you can relax and enjoy your wedding knowing that i'll blend in and be just like an old friend. You'll also get some lovely photos to keep.
Could we meet you before booking?
You most certainly can. I meet couples at the Dunkelhalgh Hotel in Accrington, not far from where i live. But if you're unable to get there, don't worry, we can chat on the phone or Skype, I would love to hear all about your plans!
Can we get a bespoke/shorter package?
I do offer shorter/bespoke packages for some quieter dates such as winter/mon-thu weddings so if you're looking for something smaller just get in touch and tell me about your plans and i'll see what i can do.
Do you do Albums?
Yes. And i absolutely love them. All albums are completely bespoke and designed to tell the story of your day perfectly, as you remember it. You can choose from two types of book with a range of options to suit your wedding. I have a range of Samples you can look though or just get in touch for more information.
Do you have insurance?
Yes. I am fully insured. I have full public liability and professional indemnity insurance, it may sound really boring but it's very important to check this with any photographer you consider booking.
Are you fully trained?
Whilst many Wedding Photographers are self taught, I'm a bit of a geek so after setting up Delicious Photography many moons ago, I went to Uni and got a First Class Honours Degree in Photographic Media.
How do i book?
I take a £395 booking fee to secure the date. If you are ready to book, i'll just ask for a few details so that i can send over a contract for you to sign along with details of how to pay the booking fee.


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College can see thrilling and intimidating. It is a special time in your life, but the anticipation can cause fear. College does not have to be stressful. Learning about what lies ahead is a great way to alleviate your concerns before you hit campus. The following article can help.
Have a good supply of toiletries on hand. When you don't have enough, you'll run out in a hurry. You should buy plenty of the essentials.
Create a list of items that you are going to need to bring along to college. Being ready for school is key. You might not be able to get things from your parents if you are going to school far away from home.
Set realistic goals when you schedule you work and classes. If mornings are tough for you, a morning class might be a terrible idea. Pay attention to when you feel the most energetic, and schedule your classes around that when you can.
Your college might have a course in study skills if you need help. Studying for college is much different than high school, which might impact your grades. A study skills class can help you succeed in your college classes.
Be sure to eat well while in college. There is no myth behind the freshman 15. Make sure to eat healthy. Resist the temptation to grab junk food from a vending machine or go on a late-night pizza binge. Although this may see seem like a quick and affordable solution, the pounds can slowly start to creep up on you. Also, you won't be receiving the energy that you need in order to perform at your best in class.
College should be less intimidating now that you read this article. It's clear that almost anybody can graduate if they use the proper tools and plan properly. Use the things you learned here and you may end up being at the top of your class! Best wishes to you in pursuing your degree.
Capstone College
HVAC Training Pasadena, Ca
Call Today: (626) 486-1000 – Capstone College
Monday through Friday: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm: Call for Night Class Hours
1200 N Fair Oaks Ave #32, Pasadena, CA 91103


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My coaching services have been temporarily discontinued at this time. Please contact me if you have additional questions or need a referral.
From the beat of your heart to the routine of your day, life is filled with rhythm. It can be halting and haphazard, or it can be purposeful and forward-moving. I find the practice of rhythm, both in music and in life, to be a beautiful metaphor for finding proper alignment between desires and actions. Finding your rhythm of life and moving through it at your proper tempo is what inspires me to offer my unique services.
Rhythm will be our metaphor for a life lived purposely and passionately, a perfect balance between inspiration and perspiration, pleasure and self-mastery. We will begin with a free 30-minute consultation where you will explain your biggest challenges and those obstacles that have hindered you. Together, we'll discover those elements of your life that are not working in proper time with the rest of you. Then we'll develop a plan for bringing everything together into balance. Whether you're actively dating, looking to deepen or solve problems in your current relationship, or feeling stuck in your career and looking to move forward, we'll come up with a plan for finding creative solutions and a rhythm of life that works for you.


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Abstract: A photocrosslinkable polyphosphazene was used for molecular imprinting. We synthesized polyphosphazene (3) having urea groups for complexation with N-carbobenzyloxyglycin (Z-Gly-OH, template) and chalcone groups for cross-linking reaction. As substituents, 4-hydroxychalcone (1) and N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-N'-ethylurea (2) were prepared. Choloro groups of poly(dichlorophosphazene) were replaced by the sequential treatment with sodium salts of compounds I and 2, and trifluoroethanol. The template molecule was complexed with the urea groups on the polymer chains via hydrogen bonding. A thin polymer film was prepared by casting a solution of the complex of polymer 3 and the template in dimethylformamide on a quartz cell and irradiated with 365 nm UV light to yield a cross-linked film with a thickness of about 16 mu m. The template molecules in the film were removed by Soxhlet extraction with methanol/acetic acid. The control polymer film was prepared in the same manner for the preparation of the imprinted polymer film, except that the template and triethylamine were omitted. In the rebinding test, the imprinted film exhibited much higher recognition ability for the template than the control polymer. We also investigated the specific recognition ability of the imprinted polymer for the template and its structural analogues. The rebinding tests were conducted using Z-Glu-OH, Z-Asp((OBu)-Bu-t)-OH, and Z-Glu-OMe. The imprinted film showed higher specific recognition ability for the template and the lowest response for Z-Asp((OBu)-Bu-t)-OH
Template and target information: N-carbobenzyloxyglycine, Z-Gly-OH
Author keywords: molecular imprinting, polyphosphazene, photocross-linking, amino acid


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Brazilian midfielder, Everton Luiz, left the soccer field in tears after opposition fans jeered him with monkey noises throughout the entire game in Serbia.
His team, Partizan Belgrade, won the match 1-0 against FK Rad but I am sure any elation related to the win was killed by the absolutely disgraceful racist bullying.
At one point the game was even stopped so a banner that was insulting against Luiz could be removed, warnings were also issued to the racist chanters over the PA system to no avail.
The Independent reported:
Luiz appeared to make a gesture to the Rad supporters after the final whistle, which sparked small scuffles in the stands and arguments between his fellow players on the pitch.
The former Lugano and St Gallen midfielder then left the field of play in a clear state of distress.
After the match, he told reporters: "I've been suffering racist abuse during the entire 90 minutes and also was upset by the home players, who supported that. They were all attacking me."
"I want to forget this as soon as possible. I love Serbia and the people here, that is why I cried. But please say no to racism."
Luiz's manager, Marko Nikolic, called for Serbia's football authorities to discipline Rad's supporters, but did not condone his player's reaction to the abuse.
He said: "Everton should not have reacted but something provoked his outburst, didn't it?
"Both sides in the incident should be punished. These things happen in football but it is now up to the authorities to sanction the offenders. It's a return to the reality of Serbian football."
However, Marko Nikolic, has also previously been involved in a racists scandal after he called a player at his previous club a "black idiot" for spending too long celebrating a late equaliser!
He was dismissed from that previous position and faced a 7 match ban.
Personally I have spent a fair bit of time in Easter Europe and experienced the disgusting racism towards black people at the hands of nasty, uneducated and frustrated peoples…. however there are also many fighting back against this disgusting rise of the far-right that goes hand in hand with this behavior.
Story details sourced from The Independent.
PUBLIC NOTE: The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of the Urban Intellectuals, affiliates or partners.


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Vintage Hairstyles
When you think of vintage hairstyles, old movies and iconic celebrities that we still love and adore today such as Audrey Heburn, Rita Hayworth, Louise Brooks, Mia Farrow, Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Twiggy and Farah Fawcett come to mind.
It's a trend that is increasingly popular especially with brides, so we couldn't resist putting a little something together about vintage hairstyles to perhaps help you along with the planning of your vintage wedding.
There are a great deal of vintage hairstyles you can choose from today. With the internet, you can find easy to do hairstyles - with a couple of pins, rollers and some gel, you can go a long way.
We decided to scour the net and see what other brides have been up to. We found some amazing shots and beautiful ideas for your wedding!
Original images and their credits available on Pinterest


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People often talk about what is their favorite season is, but when I'm asked I have difficulties deciding. I know I don't like really cold, cold or hot, hot. Most likely the best answer I can give is, I like late summer to autumn, the best. As I left my house this morning and drove to church I got thinking about how beautiful all the wildflowers are, which is why I like this time of year. Last summer I let my "Queen Anne's Lace" go to seed resulting in a beautiful crop this year. I have lovely Black-eyed Susan cultivated the same way. Even though I have a background in horticulture, I don't like gardening as a rule. I prefer natural beauty over cultivated to be perfectly honest. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a well groomed and maintained formal garden, but there is nothing like a field of Indian paintbrush, Queen Anne's lace or Lupine to brighten the cloudiest of days.
Last weekend I went to the town recycling center with my mom. While there she discovered this lovely little plant growing in gravel beside a dumpster, and made me dig it up so she could take it home to her garden. She later found out it was called "butter & eggs." What is so intriguing about this plant is that where it was, it was considered a weed, however when planted in my mother's garden it became a plant of honor. Many years ago the nurseryman I worked for taught me his definition of a weed; it's a "plant out of place." Given the right location a plant of no distinction will be venerated by a gardener. Grass is detested in a garden, a scourge; however I went to college with people who were majoring in the cultivation and care of grass for lawns and golf courses. People spend lots of money every year on grass seed and fertilizer; not to mention "lawn weed killer." Dandelions are one of those "weeds" people fight with in their lawns, yet how many children have brightened their mother's day by bringing them a cheery bouquet of those yellow sunbursts. I remember my father on his hands & knees picking dandelion greens for dinner with his pocket knife, yum. There's a robust crop of violets in my lawn that greet me in the spring with lovely lavender blossoms.
It's all about time and place, how many noted Americans had humble starts? Abe Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Sacajawea, and Rosa Parks: all common folk until they were in the right place and have been given a place of honor in American History. You ever feel like a weed? Just remember, in someone's garden you are a plant of great honor, even though you may feel out of place.