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Wine Matcher is an award-winning web-based tool for the fine wine trade. Using it, you can clean and price up to 5,000 lines of data per minute. You can find out more about it here.
Cru World Wine is a global fine wine merchant headquartered in London. Like all merchants, Cru receives wine lists from private clients, negociants and other members of the trade, which they use to source buying opportunities. We spoke with Fine Wine Trader Will Winterton to find out how he and his team have been using Liv-ex's Wine Matcher to sort through lists and act on opportunities faster.
Before Wine Matcher
Each week, the team receives many lists from private clients and the trade. Some of these are very long, containing hundreds of wines.
Valuation data is needed to help inform Cru's offers. Private client lists need to be fully valued. Professional lists, which come with prices, need to be checked against the market to help identify individual opportunities.
"It used to be a manual process", Winterton says, which required him to type in and check every single wine. Due to the volume and length of lists coming through, it wasn't always possible to check through all of them thoroughly.
Getting started with Wine Matcher
Wine Matcher is a browser-based tool, which means that no development is required to get started. All you need to do is log in. Cru were given a demo by their Account Manager and began using it shortly after. "It's easy to use", according to Winterton.
After Wine Matcher
The team at Cru now uploads lists to Wine Matcher, which then returns the Market Price, current bid and offer, and last trade price of each wine. This information helps them to value lists and spot buying opportunities, automating a process that used to be manual.
"I can save a couple of hours on a big list, but it's not just about saving time. It means that I can look at more lists than I could before – more offers, from more people", says Winterton.
"When it comes to private clients, we're now able to respond much more quickly. This is important because private clients are an excellent source of aged wine, and it's rare that we're the only merchant receiving their list. Everyone will go back with a roughly similar bid, so responding quickly gives us an advantage. It's more professional."
"It also helps us make a more accurate bid. We download the last trade, current bid and offer, and Market Prices of each wine. The more data I have at my disposal – particularly transactional prices – the more confident I am. It's a more informed decision"
LWIN Matching
Cru uses LWIN, the Liv-ex Wine Identification Number(s), in place of product codes. Wine Matcher can be used to quickly match lists of wines to LWIN.
"If we are adding a large number of wines to the system, we use Wine Matcher. It allows us to quickly standardise the list, making the upload faster. It reduces admin time."


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This year on March 21st from 9am-11:30am at the NBE gym we will hold our annual Uni-Thon. In addition to an important fundraiser, the
Uni-Thon is a fun time to hang out as club and cheer each other on. To prepare for the Uni-Thon our riders collect donations based on how many laps they are able to ride in the set span of time.
This is our main fundraiser and proceeds go to fund:
On Monday March 2th and 11th we will be handing out collection envelopes to riders to collect pledges and donations. If you are unable to make it to these practices, you can also download the pledge form here and bring it and any donations with you to the Uni-Thon March 21st.
For corporate matching see: Business Donations
For online donations please use the form below. Please enter the rider name for the donation. Also if you are donating to more than one rider, please donate separately for each rider.

subset: commoncrawl


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John Van Der Kallen presented at NSW Parliament House at the launch of the Forests For All: Case for Change event organised by the National Parks Association. The meeting highlighted the NSW government changes in zoning laws which allow clear felling of old growth forest. DEA supports the Forest for all Plan as the way to protect remaining NSW forests.
This event was organised by the National Parks Association and sponsored by Hon Alex Greenwich, independent MP for Sydney. Hon Dawn Walker from the Greens also presented. Hon Liesl Tesch from the Labor party was also present.
The Regional Forestry Agreements (RFAs) are coming to an end. These have dictated how our forests have been used over the last 20 years. The easy position is for the government is to renew the RFAs for another 20 years. However, the RFAs have failed to protect forest, failed to protect biodiversity and have not resulted in a sustainable forestry industry. Currently there are unsustainable timber quotas which will result in further damage to our forests.
In fact, the NSW government is proposing to change the zoning of previously protected forests which will result in clear felling of old growth forest along the NSW coast. They are running out of available forest to maintain the unsustainable timber quotas. The Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals (IOFA) are a disaster. This is Koala habitat. Ironically (and cynically) the NSW government has located $45 million to help protect Koalas. Yet the NSW government is happy to allow 2200 hectares of forest to be cleared each year. That is more than a whole football season of football grounds!
New Laws have now been passed despite huge community opposition to RFAs.
This is from the NPA:
"The maximum size of legal clearfelling in northern NSW under the old IFOA was 2,500m2, or 0.25ha (defined under Australian Group Selection). The new proposals will see a maximum size of 45ha - a 180-fold intensification of logging - throughout a 140,000ha zone with 2,200 hectares allowed to be clearfelled each year. It is not credible to suggest that an escalation of intensity of this magnitude can be driven by anything other than the prioritisation of timber extraction over conservation. This is recognised in several places by the expert panel, for example: "the intensive harvesting zones are being formally introduced to prop up an unsustainable wood supply arrangement at the expense of the environment".
We encourage members to write a quick submission to the NSW government rejecting the new laws and advocating for the NPA Forest For All plan. Submissions can be done here: https://engage.environment.nsw.gov.au/forests
The Forest For All Plan can be found here. It is a well thought out plan that will protect our forests and allow access for all sorts of activities from bush walking to 4WD activities. It has the potential to create more jobs than forestry as well as more money for the government (currently the NSW subsidises the forest industry). Please support this plan as it appears the best way to protect our remaining forests.
All forest and especially old growth forest are essential for our health. They provide clean water and clean air as well as mitigate against the effects of climate change. Forest have been shown to improve our health. They reduce stress, anxiety, pain and blood pressure. They can improve wellbeing as well as our Natural Killer cell numbers (these cells fight off cancer). Many medications are derived from nature and new ones are being found such as a potential therapy for cancer from native truffles! If the current forest is not protected we will loose this precious resource.


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Online porn racks up over a billion in sales. A few (little-known) banks make it happen
Porn buyers spend over a billion dollars a year procuring dirty pictures on the Internet, browsing the offerings of Housewife Harlots, Man Lover, Porky Babes and thousands of other naughty or depraved Web sites.
Hidden behind all that forbidden skin is the engine making Web porn possible: the banks that handle the credit card purchases. They are a secretive lot, mostly unknown for their porn patronage. Among the banks currently or previously facilitating the titillation trade: Minotola National Bank of Vineland, N.J.; Heartland Bank of St. Louis, Mo.; Benchmark Bank of Dallas; Amtrade International Bank of Atlanta; and First Data's First Financial Bank.
The banks' role is revealed in several lawsuits that have roiled the online porn biz. The main driver of two of those legal spats is a firm known mainly to porn peddlers:
Before that Paycom initiated another battle in the same court, suing middleman
Paycom's suit also targets Minotola National Bank, accusing it of "purposefully" bungling the billing for its account. Minotola, with $500 million in assets, characterizes itself as "a legend in hometown banking." It settled the Paycom complaint by returning the $1 million in credit card funds Paycom claimed Minotola was withholding. Beyond the $1 million, says Minotola's attorney, Thomas Robins, in Los Angeles, "Minotola was so clean in all of this that we didn't part with any money."
Robins, acting on behalf of a receiver, has sued a bank in another case related to porn peddling: Heartland Bank and its since spun-off credit card processing unit. The suit was related to Heartland's alleged role in a notorious porn scandal involving the theft of 800,000 credit card numbers from yet another former porn bank--Charter Pacific. The case was dismissed on summary judgment last year.
"We thought we understood what we were getting into, but we didn't," says Robert Carr, chief executive of Heartland Payment Systems, adding that the processor has stopped handling porn purchases altogether. "You're not dealing with the most ethical people in the world."
So why even try it? Because of sexy returns. Heartland was able to charge more than the fees it levied on other merchants--a 3.5% take compared with only as much as 2.25% typically. Paycom in turn charges its porn clients up to 15%. One porn peddler paid $3.6 million to Heartland for handling $72 million in purchases. Paycom, in its suit against IBM and the others, says IBM and the banks took 30 cents per transaction plus up to a 6.5% slice.
But it's an ugly business. PRI had the unenviable task of trying to find banks that would handle Paycom's porn clientele. No sooner did PRI find a bank willing to serve than it claims the bank got fed up with the high incidence of disputed charges and dropped the Paycom account. These "chargebacks" are the bane of the porn trade: Your spouse finds a suspicious charge on the monthly Visa bill, and you deny making the purchase rather than fess up and catch hell.
In such snags, the credit card company usually just wipes off the charge and zings the bank (who zings the merchant) for an outsized processing fine. This is the crux of Paycom's suit against MasterCard, which Paycom accuses of abusing its power to unfairly penalize Internet merchants for chargebacks.
PRI says it first lined up Benchmark Bank of Dallas for Paycom, then landed Amtrade International Bank of Atlanta, which was shut down last fall by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for other reasons. After that deal soured, PRI placed Paycom with Minotola and Banco Uno, a Costa Rican bank. Those deals flopped, too. Paycom, "desperate to find a replacement," then hooked up with Global Payment Systems Ltd. of Britain, PRI says. And because Global did business with IBM, IBM's Danish unit found itself holding $17 million of Paycom's porn loot.
Paycom and PRI agree that IBM held Paycom's money hostage because of a "prior unresolved dispute" with Global, according to PRI. PRI in turn sued Global Payments and settled with a deal to jointly finance a separate lawsuit against IBM. An IBM spokesman declines to comment; an outside lawyer for the computer maker quips that he will "dive for cover" when this story comes out.
Even if it wins its various lawsuits, Paycom and the rest of the Internet porn industry face tough times. Chargebacks and general annoyance with the less savory aspects of the business have prompted credit card companies to crack down on the sex trade. They now force every individual merchant to register directly--and lay bare intimate business details. Paycom's latest bank, First Data's First Financial, recently received notice from Visa that it must identify and report on thousands of independent merchants in its portfolio, not just a porn aggregator such as Paycom.
One Paycom rival, WebsiteBilling, suddenly shut down in May, blaming the Visa crackdown. Besides First Data's bank, just two other banks are known to handle porn in the U.S.: Redwood Empire Bancorp of Santa Rosa, Calif. and Roseville, Calif.-based Humboldt Bancorp's Humboldt Merchant Services unit, which was recently sold to a privately owned bank. The rest of the pleasure underwriters operate overseas.


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Do you know about the best Lawyers for Traffic Tickets Pasadena? Here are Monks Law Firm, we understand how clients can make mistakes that have significant repercussions but, we do want to stress the importance of following all traffic laws. For example, did you know 32,155 crashes in Texas occurred in 2016 because drivers failed to control their speed? Ultimately, we want to be apart of the solution in reducing these disturbing numbers within our state.
The Problem
The leading factor to the collisions in Texas is speeding. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TexDot), there are approximately 551,971 crashes reported statewide every year. Furthermore, statistics prove that Houston and its surrounding areas, which includes Pasadena, are the most dangerous areas for driving Texas. For example, Houston and its surrounding areas had the highest reported total of 67,241 crashes in 2017 and over 3,773 people losing their lives in accidents in 2016. Here are some additional disturbing statistics about crashes in Texas:
- One person dies in a crash every two hours and twenty minutes.
- An injury caused by a collision occurs every one minute and fifty-nine seconds.
- A collision occurs every minute.
- TexDot classified 34.27% of traffic fatalities as " Single vehicle, speeding run-off-the-road crashes."
All in all, speeding is not only a problem is a grave issue in the state of Texas abroad.
Lawyers for Traffic Tickets Pasadena
The Pasadena TX Lawyer Speeding Ticket at Monks Law Firm is the winner of approximately 2500 dismissal or not guilty verdict during Pat Monks and Mike Monks' career. We are licensed and qualified to help you in the following areas of law: Driving While Intoxicated, Felonies, Misdemeanor, Drug/Alcohol/Weapons Possession, Wills/Trust/Probate, Speeding Tickets and more. Mike Monks, J.D. graduated from the University of Houston Law Center. He was the first president of the Harris County Municipal Justice Bar Association, and the is the former director of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association. Pat Monks, J.D Graduated from Southern Texas College of Law. He is the past president and founding member of the Municipal Justice Bar Association of Texas and the past president of the Harris County Municipal Justice Bar Association. Currently, he is the president of the Group Legal Services Association which is part of the American Bar Association.
Contact Us Today
With over 40 years of courtroom experience, Monks Law Firm is capable of helping you with your case. Therefore, we want to be your traffic ticket defense team in the courtroom and fight for the best outcome for your situation. Whether you are having legal trouble concerning your driver's license or you suffered a personal injury from a car crash, contact us today so we can help you through this trying journey. For more information about our firm and its services, please contact us at 713.666.6657 or visit our website here to schedule your free consultation We look forward to representing you in court.
Pasadena Historical Facts
- The first settlers of the area now known as Pasadena are the Karankawa, Atakapan, and the Akokisa tribes.
- Pasadena was named after Pasadena, California and founded by J.H. Burnett in 1895. This area is between what is now known as the Houston Ship Channel and the Clear Lake area.
- The city established The Pasadena Independent School District in 1898.
- Even though the city received significant damaged because of the hurricane of 1900, the population continue to grow due to Galveston residents relocating to the mainlands.
The History of the Refineries
- The area grew after World War II because of the development of the petrochemicals and aerospace industries. Sinclair Oil refinery was the first refinery built in 1917. By 1920, many refineries were built in the area.
- The NASA's Johnson Space Center was established new Pasadena in 1963 with the residential community of Clear Lake City and is partially under the jurisdiction of Pasadena.
- The city of Pasadena is the strawberry capital of the world. American Red Cross sent 1.5 million strawberry plants after the hurricane in 1900 to help the residents recover. As a result, the town was named the strawberry capital of the world because of the flourishing plants as they started shipping out approximately 28 carloads of strawberries a day.
Pasadena Today
- Today, Pasadena has a population of 153,520.
- Half Unemployed/ Half Employed. Even though the city has a higher unemployment rate than the nation's average, the residents are typically able to find employment in the fourth largest city in the country (which is in Pasadena's backyard), Houston.
- The City's Grocery Store. Although HEB is one of the various grocery stores you can choose from, HEB is the number one grocery store visit in Pasadena. From groceries to prescription, the residents of the city often visit the local store.
- Pasadena love pets. The organization, Paws in the Park, provide an area for pet owners to let their best friends run free and their natural selves. They offer training classes for dogs, and a shelter to help animals find warm homes.
Pasadena Notable Facts and Events
- Unfortunately, Stinkadena is a common nickname for Pasadena. Initially, the city received the nickname Stinkadena due to the foul smells that often come from the factories and refineries. Although the smell is nowhere as bad as it was years ago, the locals have learned how to disregard the scent. One of the insider jokes the locals might use is "Smell that money!!!"
- The Pasadena Strawberry Festival welcomes more than 50,000 strawberry lovers to the annual event to enjoy the various activities. For example, the event includes a beauty pageant, mud volleyball tournaments, live music, and much more. The event includes a presentation of cutting rows of strawberry shortcakes occurs during the opening night ceremony. After the presentation, the attendants enjoy the taste of the locally made dessert.
- In addition to the Strawberry Festival, Pasadena is home to the 4th Fest. Pasadena has another big festival in the summer called 4th Fest. This event includes a car and truck show, a kid zone, live music, numerous vendors, and an extravagant firework show.
- A Cowboy's Dream. The Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo have been a 65-year tradition in the city. The creation of the event occurred as an effort to assist people in understanding the difference between the life of a real cowboy and a Hollywood cowboy.


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Author(s): Anne Louise MacDonald
Laura is having her first sleepover at Aunt Pat's and everything is different--no light-light, no breakfast cereal, no television and no toys. Even the garden is full of 'yucky' bugs. This sleepover is no fun and Laura wants to go home! Then Laura and her aunt spend the day at the beach and Laura is surprised to discover memories hidden behind simple things--like stones on the beach.


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Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (also known as simply The Three Musketeers) is a direct-to-video animated film adaptation of the novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, père. As the title suggests, it features Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy as the three musketeers.
The movie opens with Troubadour, a French-speaking turtle who loves songs, reminding a television-show narrator that he had promised Troubadour one of his songs would be used in the show that day. The narrator silently breaks his promise and walks away from Troubadour. He does not look where he is going and falls in a hole in the floor as the show is about to begin. Consequently, Troubadour is ushered in to tell the audience the story at the last minute, and he chooses his comic book of The Three Musketeers.
"Our story begins in the gutter", he says, where Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Mickey's dog Pluto are street urchins, who, while being robbed by masked bandits (played by the Beagle Boys) and are saved by the Royal Musketeers, Athos, Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnan. Afterward, Athos gives his hat to Mickey as a souvenir. The urchins are inspired to be great musketeers some day. Years later, the three are working as janitors in the palace, still dreaming of becoming musketeers, despite their flaws: Donald is a "coward" (who turns into a chicken whenever he is frightened), Goofy is a "doofus", and Mickey is "just too small", according to Captain Pete of the Royal Musketeers. This leaves the three downhearted.
Meanwhile, Minnie Mouse, princess of France, and her lady-in-waiting, Daisy Duck, are in a palace discussing Minnie's obsession with finding her "one true love". Daisy says that she must marry someone who is of royal blood, and Minnie insists that she cannot marry someone she does not love. Minnie says she will know that he is "the one" when he makes her laugh. Minnie then takes a walk in the palace garden and barely escapes with her life when the Beagle Boys attempt to drop a safe on her.
The Beagles run to tell their boss, Captain Pete, that they were not successful in dropping the safe on Minnie. Pete gets upset, because the assignment was to kidnap the princess and keep her "safe" before the opera The Pirates of Penzance, which is when he plans to take over the kingdom. (This is accompanied by a running gag: whenever Pete mentions the opera, a poster of the opera is shown, and an excerpt of the chorus of "With cat-like tread", from that opera, can be heard.) Just then, Pete's lieutenant, Clarabelle Cow, tells Pete that Princess Minnie requests his presence. Pete goes to the princess, who tells him angrily that she wants musketeer bodyguards. Pete, knowing that skilled musketeers would jeopardize his kidnap plans, appoints Mickey, Donald, and Goofy to protect her, knowing that they will be easy to get rid of. He then went to the janitor room, telling Mickey, Donald and Goofy that they passed his test and have what it takes to become musketeers.
When the three "musketeers" meet Princess Minnie after strangling a suit of armor, she instantly falls in love with Mickey. The boys are so caught up wanting to make a good first impression that when Daisy comes in with a tray of cheese for Minnie and they see the accompanying knife, they tackle Daisy, mistakening her for a villain.
While Minnie and Daisy, protected by Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, go on a journey. They are ambushed by the Beagle Boys. Donald hides and is eventually thrown off the carriage, and Goofy is easily defeated, leaving Mickey to fight the intruders. Mickey is also defeated, leaving the three heroes stranded. Mickey encourages his friends not to lose hope and they rush to rescue Minnie and Daisy. At the entrance to a tall tower where they are unable to open the door, Goofy tells his fellow musketeers to stand back so he can break down the door, but Mickey sees a push sign on the door and opens it before he can stop, which sends Goofy rolling past the Beagle Boys and out of the tower. Outside, Goofy bounces off a tree, gets kicked by a cow and is thrown by a windmill back into the tower, and goes rolling past the Beagle Boys again. The trio catch up and fight the Beagle Boys (in which Donald runs off during the fight). When Mickey and Goofy are trapped with the Beagle Boys, Goofy sees his shape in the window behind them and gets the idea to do the same thing again with Mickey and they manage to knock the Beagles out of the tower and rescue Minnie and Daisy. After Mickey unties Minnie and makes her laugh, the two fall in love as they return to Paris.
Pete is furious that the Beagle Boys failed in their task and realizes that the three protagonists are more of a threat than he originally anticipated. He then plans to get rid of them one by one. While on night duty, Goofy is lured away from the palace by Clarabelle (who uses a shadow puppet of Mickey). The Beagle Boys appear before Donald, capture him, and Pete tries to do away with him, but he escapes and tells the whole story to Mickey (who doesn't believe him at first) before running off, leaving Mickey by himself. Mickey is then captured by Pete, who chains him up in a dungeon in Mont Saint-Michel that will flood when the tide comes in.
Meanwhile, Clarabelle is about to throw a chained up Goofy to his death off a bridge. Goofy flirts with her, and wins her heart with his "numbskull charm." She pulls him up and they kiss, but the bridge they're on breaks. The two plummet towards the river, but land on Donald's boat instead and survived. Goofy and Donald head for Mont Saint-Michel and he tries to convince Donald that they have to save Mickey but he is too scared to try after seeing a scary face (seen when the lighting strikes) on the mountain. A denigrating song by Troubadour, however, makes him change his mind and they rescue their friend just in time by pulling the chain holding him out of the wall. Outside the Paris Opéra, Minnie is captured by the Beagle Boys and the smallest one poses as her, announcing to the public that she is handing the crown over to a gleeful Pete. Mickey, Donald and Goofy arrive and battle Pete and the Beagle Boys onstage, finally defeating them and saving the Princess (though what became of the villains is unknown). Mickey and Minnie finally declare their love for one another, as do the others. Mickey, Donald and Goofy are dubbed royal musketeers.
Voice cast
- Wayne Allwine as Mickey Mouse
- Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck
- Bill Farmer as Goofy Goof, Pluto
- Russi Taylor as Minnie Mouse
- Tress MacNeille as Daisy Duck
- Jim Cummings as Peg Leg Pete
- April Winchell as Clarabelle Cow
- Jeff Bennett and Maurice LaMarche as The Beagle Boys
- Rob Paulsen as The Troubadour
Other Media
In promotion of the original video release, Gemstone Publishing put out a 32-page comic book adaptation.
Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers also served as a world in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, making it the first production by Disneytoon Studios to be represented in the series. This world is known as the Country of the Musketeers. Mickey, Donald and Goofy (Musketeers outfit) was appears as the mobile game Disney Tsum Tsum. Mickey (Musketeer outfit) was appears as playable in Disney Cubes Play.
Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers was re-released as a 10th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy on August 12, 2014.
See also
- The Three Musketeers (Disney's Wonderful World of Reading)
- Mickey, Donald and Goofy: The Three Musketeers (Graphic Novel)
- Mickey, Donald and Goofy: The Three Musketeers (Kodansha)
- Mickey, Donald and Goofy: The Three Musketeers (soundtrack)
|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).


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Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
The next leg of our trip after our week long jaunt in Ireland was beautiful Switzerland. We started in the little town of Bad Ragaz for Phil's work and then spent the rest of the time visiting family throughout Switzerland. Bad Ragaz is a popular spa and health resort destination, and interestingly, the setting for … Continue reading Bad Ragaz, Switzerland


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For that reason, we are pleased to announce the August 2007, update of the LD Advocates Guide, developed by the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) and made possible by a grant from Schwab Learning.
NCLD's mission is to increase public awareness of LD as well as provide national leadership in shaping public policy. The LD Advocates Guide:
- Clearly explains how best to engage policymakers and the media on issues affecting the LD community
- Provides a primer on key issues affecting the fields of LD and special education
Even if you can spare just a few minutes a week, this FREE downloadable guide tells you how to make the needs of kids with learning disabilities visible and compelling to lawmakers and others in your community. Sample this valuable advocacy tool by downloading one of the chapters below:
- A Message from NCLD
- Getting Started
- Talking about LD
- Working with Policymakers
- Working with the Media
- Profiles in Advocacy
- Glossary of Terms
- Additional Resources
Or, to download your free copy of the entire LD Advocates Guide, please visit the National Center for Learning Disabilities website.
The above article is from SchwabLearning.com. It is important information that I thought was worth sharing.


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For more information contact our Youth Director, Zane Balmer
Youth Ministry at WBC ("Encounter") is focused on partnering with parents in the discipleship of 6th-12th graders, providing a Gospel-centered and Christ-focused fellowship within the wider WBC community. Our aim is for students to come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and for believing students to mature in Him. Encounter offers opportunities for students to grow in Christ through service, missions and evangelism, and ministry.
Youth Sunday School
Zane's office
Sunday mornings
Youth Group
Gym and Loft
5:00-7:00 PM (optional hangout with leaders until 8:00 PM)
Sunday evenings
Events Calendar 2020
A Semester Event Calendar is available at the front desk during office hours.


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By 'work-life balance', we mean the equilibrium needed between a worker's work and personal life. It suggests that the demands of an employee's social, professional and family lives are equal.
The right balance is essential to maintaining the health and well-being of your employees. A positive balance can improve productivity, morale and engagement just as a negative one contributes to an increase in retention rates, absenteeism and stress.
Employers have only recently started to realise the importance of balancing both lives and the difference it makes to the workforce and to their overall objectives.
Our friends over at Peninsula have sent us across this piece, examining the importance and benefits of promoting a positive work-life balance. They also offer some tips on how employers can encourage a healthy balance between both.
The benefits of a healthy work-life balance
There are numerous advantages of having a healthy balance between work and personal life. We'll break this down into the benefits for the employer and the employee.
Benefits of work-life balance to the organisation include:
- Reduced absences.
- Improvements to morale.
- Increased productivity and engagement.
- Recognition as a business that values employees and their well-being.
- Reduced retention and by extension reduction in costs related to recruiting new employees.
Benefits of work-life balance to staff members include:
- Happier and engaged.
- More productive at work.
- More likely to stay at a company that values them.
- Fewer instances of stress and extreme pressure.
- Increased loyalty which means they're more likely to stay longer at the company.
Tips for promoting a healthy work-life balance
To promote a healthy balance, you need to be able to recognise what a poor work-life balance looks like.
Some tell-tale signs include:
- A decrease in productivity.
- High levels of absences.
- Increased stress.
The measures you take to create a healthy work-life balance will depend on the type of organisation, its operational requirements and the needs of your employees.
General tips that can apply to any business:
Flexible working: Inform employees of their right to request flexible working. There are different types including part-time, flexi-time and job sharing. This way your staff have the chance to fit other commitments and activities around their work commitments.
Outsourcing: Consider outsourcing the nonessential elements of your business. This frees you up to focus on core activities within your organisation and reduces the pressure on your employees. For example, you can outsource office admin, data entry and secretarial work to virtual assistants freeing you and your staff up to do what you do best.
Physical and mental well-being: There are things you can do as an employer to help your workers maintain healthy lifestyles. From subsidised gym memberships to fresh fruit days, yoga classes and more. You can also consider investing in programmes that offer counselling services for stress, depression and other mental health issues.
Practice what you preach: Finally, it's one thing to talk the talk but you also need to be seen walking the walk. Encourage managers and supervisors to socialise with colleagues and lead the charge creating boundaries between their work life and home life.


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Below is a list of frequently asked questions. If you have any question and you'd like to see answer please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com
Q.) Why do I have to work 500 hours to qualify for a monthly pension?
A.) It is the eligibility rule of the Plan.
Q) When am I eligible to apply for termination benefits?
A) A member of the Multi Sector Pension Plan who is under the age of 55, leaves his/her job or terminates from employment and does not contribute to the Plan for more than 24 months is considered terminated from the Plan. At that point the Fund Office issues a termination statement package to the Plan member.
Q) Why do I have to wait 24 months after my termination or resignation date?
A) According to Plan Rules & Regulations, all former participants of the Multi Sector Pension Plan remain a member of the Plan for 24 months after termination of employment before they can receive termination benefits.
Q) Can I apply for termination benefits after reaching at the age of 55 years?
A) No. Vested Plan members are not eligible for termination options after reaching age 55. They are eligible for retirement options when they reach retirement age.
Q) Why did I not receive a termination benefit statement package after the 24 months Break In Service from my termination date?
A) There are various reasons for not receiving your termination benefit statement package even after the 24 months time frame has passed. The common reasons are as follows:
i) In many cases participating employers do not send the termination information to inform the Fund Office of the date you stopped working.
ii) The Fund Office does not have your current address on file and the package has been sent to an old address.
Q) How long does it take to process termination benefits?
A) The Fund Office normally processes termination benefit cheques every two – three weeks after receiving your completed application and supporting documents.
Q) Do I have a limited time frame to submit and apply for my termination benefits?
A) Once you are terminated from the Plan after the 24 months Break In Service, you will receive a Termination Statement and a set of application forms for completion. You have 60 days from the date of the Termination Statement to return the completed forms and supporting documents to the Fund Office. If your application and supporting documents are not received in the Fund Office by the specified time frame, your benefit will be deferred until retirement.
Q) Can I defer my termination benefits?
A) As a vested member you can decide to leave your termination benefits in the Plan and defer payment until you plan to retire after age 55.
Q) What is a Break in Service?
A) Normally, when no contributions are made to the Plan on behalf of a participant for a period of 24 continuous months, a Participant incurs a Break in Service. At this time his or her status as a Participant in the Plan terminates. If a Participant is on a workers compensation leave, approved leave of absence or on layoff and subject to recall or maternity leave, the Participant will be excluded from this rule.
Q) What is Commuted Value?
A) The term "Commuted Value" is used to describe the current value of a pension accumulated at the time of a Participant's termination of participation in the Plan, calculated according to the rules of the Plan and the regulations of the Pension Benefits Act by using a formula. It is the lump sum amount required today to provide the accrued monthly pension calculated at age 65.
Q) Do I have to pay any fee to receive termination benefits?
A) There is no administration fee to receive termination benefit payments.
Q) What is the tax implication to cash or transfer termination benefits?
A) Termination benefits are taxable when paid to an individual. There is no tax implication if the benefit is transferred to another registered retirement investment vehicle.
Q) Does the law protect my benefits?
A) The Multi-Sector Pension Plan is expected to operate indefinitely. However, if for some unlikely reason it is terminated, your pension benefits will be administered as outlined by the applicable Provincial or Federal legislation.
Q) I was not married when I joined the Pension Plan. Why do I need Marriage Certificate to receive a termination benefit?
A) A Marriage Certificate is required to substantiate the proof of your change of family name (for female participant) when you apply for the termination benefits under the married name.
Q) Why do I have to provide Divorce or Separation Documents to receive termination benefits?
A) By law your spouse has a right to a share at your pension benefits earned during the period of the marriage. The Fund Office requires a divorce or separation documents to verify settlement of the spouse's rights and to protect itself from any future claim.
Q) What happens if I do not have the required Proof of Age documents?
A) Plan members sometimes may not have all the Proof of Age documents required for the completion of the application process. A Sworn Affidavit (statutory declaration under oath) document may be provided in this case. Please refer to the list of acceptable Proof of Age documents enclosed with your termination package.
Q.) What is a death benefit?
A.) The Death Benefit is a benefit provided by the Plan in the event of your death. Your Spouse, named Beneficiary or Estate will be eligible for that benefit if you die prior to retirement.
Q.) Who is entitled to receive a death benefit?
A.) A Death Benefit is paid to either the Spouse of the former participant, a designated Beneficiary or the Estate.
Q.) Can a Death Benefit be transferred to an RRSP?
A.) Your spouse can transfer the Death benefit to an RRSP.
Q.) Why does the Fund Office need a completed Declaration of Martial Status in order for benefits to be paid out?
A.) A completed Declaration of Martial Status form is required to confirm the marital status of the applicant.
Q.) When a participant is on an authorized education, WSIB, sick or maternity/parental leave does the Break in Service Rule of the Plan apply?
A.) No, the Break in Service rule does not apply in these circumstances.


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Travel Tip #3 – Tips When Flying With Babies
Flying with babies, especially for first time parents, can be a challenge, and even seasoned parents agree that this will need extra attention to detail, and here are the top 5 things you should take note of.
1. Pack What You Need and Then Some: The last thing you want to happen when you've got a delayed flight is to end up in the airport with a crying baby on a wet diaper screaming for milk and you don't have any. So never mind that you've got heavier and bulkier bags, be sure to pack enough for what you need and then some.
2. Bring Both Toys and Treats: You want to keep your little luggage preoccupied during the flight and save yourself the embarrassment of getting the cold stare from all the other passengers because you have a baby throwing a tantrum on your lap.
3. Buy Extra Legroom: If you can afford it, extra legroom really helps if you have a lap child, and it gives more space to store your diaper bag.
4. Charge Your Gadgets: You may survive a flight with your phone dead but a fully charged phone or ipad will go a long way in keeping the tiny tot preoccupied.
5. Make Accommodation for Airport Drop Off and Pick Up: Riding a Taxi or commuting by train or bus can be taxing for a little traveler so it is best to keep them comfortable at all times. Get a chauffeur service that cares for your tiny tots by making the necessary effort to prepare a car seat. Complete your travel plans, book with Gr8Limo now!


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A warm welcome from South West Wales Faculty. We are a group of volunteer RCGP members who provide local networking, education and support for members in the area. We cover Swansea in the south, up to Aberystwyth in the north and Builth Wells in the east, supporting over 530 members, Fellows, Associates and Associates in Training. The Faculty has a particular interest in supporting our members' CPD and professional development and provide a range of education courses, tailored to local needs, as well as bursaries and awards to support and recognise innovation and development.
We meet four times per year in February, June, September and November to progress our local engagement activities and discuss issues pertinent to our members, which are then fed back to Welsh Council and College Council. Local members are very welcome to attend Board meetings and participate in these discussions – we are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help us develop our local engagement programme and to raise awareness of the demographic issues and needs of GPs and patients alike. If you would like to find out more about the Faculty and your local GP network we would be delighted to hear from you.
We provide education courses and networking events throughout the region and many of these events contribute to CPD and professional development. If you have ideas or suggestions for what would benefit the membership locally please contact the Faculty - your views are important.
View all learning and social events in South West Wales
Read our blog to find out more about our key projects, local events and highlights of our work.
Dr Will Mackintosh. Chair
Dr Mark Vaughan. Provost
We rely on members to play an active role locally, promoting the College aims and objectives. It is essential to raise and maintain awareness of demographic issues and needs of GPs and patients alike, and develop initiatives to support these.
If you would like to find out more about becoming involved with the faculty we would be delighted to hear from you.
The next Board Meeting will take place February 2020. Please contact the Faculty Office for the details if you wish to join the meeting.
All members are invited to attend board meetings. If you would like to discuss any item covered or would like an item to be considered at a future meeting, please contact us.
Details of forthcoming events and educational courses can be accessed via the upcoming events box on the right.
The RCGP Wales Advocate Programme commenced in October 2017. There are seven experienced GPs acting as Advocates supporting the work of the College in Wales and helping to identify and develop strategic healthcare planning at LHB level. The GPs are available to support Health Boards providing a link to wider networks and sharing expertise and advice to inform service development. They work at both cluster and management level and are able to access examples of good practice in patient safety and quality, and access established networks and resources to share expertise and offer problem-solving advice. They are a valuable resource for NHS Wales.
Please find training videos from the Cancer Study Day held in association with Macmillan Cancer Support:
We are always striving to provide events and activities that are of benefit to members locally. Your views are important to us, so if you have any ideas or suggestions for future initiatives, or feedback on the services you have received from us, please contact us.
Details of forthcoming South West Wales Faculty meetings, social events and educational courses can be accessed via the Upcoming Events box on the right.
We have a Faculty Fellowship committee to consider and support the nomination process. If you wish to join the Fellowship committee or know of a GP who would be suitable for a nomination please contact us.
The All Wales Mentoring scheme aims to provide confidential support to newly qualified GPs. If you would like further details please contact email@example.com
The Faculty is pleased to provide tickets and £250 towards travel and accomodation for 2 students, 2 AiTs and 1 First5 GP to attend the annual conference which is takes place 24-26 October at ACC Liverpool. Annual Conference Bursary winners for 2019 were Lisa-Jayne Edwards, Erwin Tse Sak Kwun, Stuart Kyle and Anwen Davies.
Student Prize
Kelsey Rowsell was the 2019 winner of the Student Prize.
Access our AiT Handbook [PDF] which has everything you need to know as a Trainee from the very start of your training.
Starting out as a newly qualified GP is exciting - the start if a stimulating and rewarding career. But it can also be tough. Overwhelmed, unsupported, isolated: these are words sometimes mentioned by those who have left their training posts and starting out as independent general practitioners. What should be the beginning of an inspirational and fulfilling journey can be tainted by clinical uncertainty, time pressures and a lack of sense of direction.
RCGP South West Wales Faculty
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The internet is a social platform. Follow us!!
Marketing is about more than single, solitary interactions —
It's about building a complete customer experience.
For most of us, the hardest part about growing our business is knowing where to begin. If you were like me, I had dozens of questions running through my mind, or you may be like several of my friends who were not even sure what questions to ask.
Our Guided Marketing Plan is a great way to begin your marketing. Entrepreneurs and small businesses often feel that they can't afford to hire marketing support. Often they end up running their marketing without a plan using a trial and error method, which ends up expensive and with poor return on investment. At ShelleRae Creative we believe a marketing plan that highlights a combination of proximity, social and referral, and active local community marketing are most effective in reaching your business goals.
Our Guided Marketing Plan helps you place structure around the things you are passionate about: the growth of your business, creative ways to reach your audience, exploring new ideas, and increasing business skills. Set your business up for success, for growth and give yourself peace of mind.
Our Guided Marketing Plan provides coaching, tips, resources, and guided support to help you reach your business goals.


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A friend invited me to accompany them to the 2nd Anniversary Celebrations of Lord of the Drinks CP… I was initially a bit hesitant, as I was still in recovery mode from my illness.
However, the fact that this is a project of one of my oldest & dearest Friends, priyank sukhija, whose PR is handled by another very old & dear Friend, Veta Ratra, eventually persuaded me.
And I was supremely glad that I did do so because the Evening turned out to be a Culinary Delight!
In the Starters the Arbi Tuk (355/=++) & the BBQ Dhokla Chaat (385/=++) were two of the most innovative dishes I had seen in recent times.
The Ajwaini Tempura Prawns (695/=++) made my heart sing, while the Chicken Thai Herbs Dim Sums (435/=++) did a dance on my tongue.
When Ambika wanted Pasta then the Truffled Mac & Cheese (525/=++) was pronounced to be really good. I wanted to try the Batter Amritsar Mini Fish Steak (595/=++) which truly delighted not just me, but also my young friends who dug into the Crispy French Fries that accompanied the fish… A Superb twist to the traditional Fish and Chips!
Karan said "Yaar, bus karo tum log" and then proceeded to polish off the Mutton In The Curry (575/=++) with the accompanying Lachha Parantha, without offering either of us so much as a bite!!
While all this gastronomic extravaganza was being dished out, I was daintily 😂😂sipping a Calypso Coffee (425/=++) while the others knocked back their Sangrias (535/=++) and Cosmopolitans (495/=++).
Now it came to Dessert Time and Ambika chose the Blueberry French Toast (325/=++) which she pronounced a signal failure!!
To make her happy again the Manager brought her a Classic Jar Of Tiramisu (325/=++) and she happily dug in, of course with some help from us 😊😊.
Fully Fed Up as we were, we made a very significant decision… It is time, we agreed, to revive The Writers Collective Of India – our Group and The Writers Collective Of India – our Page…. Balley Balley ji!!
So, Folks, take it from us….. Follow our Ordering Pattern at LOD and YOU can't go wrong!
Ik Gul Yaad Rakhna…. Saadhey Naal Raho Gey Taan Aish Karo Gey…


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The Louvre outdoor post is IP44 rated, and fitted with vandal resistant diffusers making it suitable for front gardens and commercial properties. Matching products available.
** Covid-19 Update – During this time we would ask our customers to please bear with us, our delivery times may be slightly extended. We will do our best to keep you up to date with the progress with your order.**
Lighting stock levels fluctuate, all products are on our website are subject to availability.
*Standard Free Delivery - 3-7 working days (sometimes may take slightly longer) please bear in mind our working hours are Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.30pm.
**All Products from Searchlight Brand will take longer - 10-12 working days due to Covid-19 staff restrictions**
*Express Delivery Charge - 1-3 working days (not including the day you order) **if multiple brands are ordered we will contact you regarding the logistics of express delivery**
Please do not book an electrician, if you require the goods in a set time frame call us to get a better indication for the delivery.


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'Scream Queens' Is Definitely Going To Be Stylish
In the sea of highly-anticipated, darkly comedic television series set on a college campus lies Ryan Murphy's Scream Queens. (Okay, so maybe it's the only one.) Set to air in September on FOX, the show is already taking on-screen fashion to the next level. From A-line minis to cropped fur jackets to thigh-high stockings and a slurry of pastels, think Clueless meets American Horror Story: Coven. That pretty much sums up the Scream Queens' fashion frenzy. To make matters even better, the women who will be rocking the hottest fashion on TV since Gossip Girl are none other than Lea Michele, Ariana Grande, Abigail Breslin, Emma Roberts, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Leading lady Emma Roberts has showed us plenty of attitude and style in American Horror Story, and from what Scream Queens teasers show us, her character Chanel has some seriously good style. While there are a few photos of Ariana Grande and Lea Michele on set circling through the Internet as well, I can only imagine what the two divas will be dressed in. Ariana, known for her coquettish style, is sure to turn heads. And although the photos of Lea Michele's character seem a bit more conservative, I bet her character will be anything but.
The teen slasher thing is a bit frightening for my taste, but I can't wait to be scared silly by the perfectly primped cast. Scroll down to see some of the fashionable reasons why I can't wait to watch Scream Queens:
1. The Leading Lady
When Madison died in American Horror Story: Coven, who would have known she'd come back to life as Chanel in Scream Queens? Unlike Madison, Chanel has a penchant for pastels and mini tote bags.
2. The Boys
The teen girl inside of me can't wait to see Nick Jonas on the show!
3. The Makeovers
Or, in this case, make-unders. Lea Michele channels '80s fashion for her role in the teen slasher show.
4. The Diva
While she originally got her start acting on Nickelodeon, I can't wait to see Ariana Grande return to the TV screen in a more mature role.
5. The Shoes
The first look of the cast's fancy footwear is pretty spectacular. Ariana Grande's platform Mary Jane's are to die for!
6. The Accessories
Like Gossip Girl, Scream Queen's accessories are nothing short of fabulous.
7. The Hair
So far we have only seen a few shots of the cast's hair, but the perfectly polished 'dos are sure to inspire some Pinterest tutorials.
Images: FOX; emmaroberts, msleamichele/Instagram; MrRPMurphy/Twitter; Giphy (1)


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ENIGMA IN Innovative DEMOCRACY0
ENIGMA IN Innovative DEMOCRACY
Democracy is definitely a contentious subject both in regional and global limitations. Democracy involves the guidance by your regulations and involvement of individuals is important of nationwide benefits. Modern marketplace lacks political uniformity inside the perception that some suggests take hold of democratic values although some are strictly autocratic.writing an essay Noorani, Blencowe, and Brigstocke claim that in nearly either styles of governing administration have a variety of benefits to their sides, it is actually value noting that democracy, especially the fashionable sort of democracy, has several fundamental troubles. These issues have added significantly in to the inefficiencies that modern-day democracies have. Perhaps bureaucracy is the biggest reason modern democratic nations have was unsuccessful in particular industries of governance. Benoist estimates Winston Churchill with his Residence of Commons dialog in November 1947, "Democracy may be the toughest way of government, with the exception of for anyone other types which have been tried every so often." This newspaper follows Winston Churchill's famed insurance quote is talking over your situation with advanced democracy.
Benoist state governments that democracy is definitely a assure of your freedoms and protection under the law of the locals within the democratic jurisdiction. In different democratic our society, everybody includes a constitutional correctly not only to take part in vital federal final choice-producing systems and also to look for the upcoming commander. Most of the time, democratic government authorities embrace normal elections and referenda as a part of people participation in functioning the supervision. As opposed to autocratic authorities like monarch societies, almost all their very own way in a democratic authorities as you move the minorities have their own way. It means that whichever verdict most reigns in will bring the same day regardless how contentious it may possibly be. Possibly the tyrannical area of a democratic world is the reason why prepared Winston Churchill's 1947 price quote. Cutting-edge democracy is probably an alternative sort of oppression wherein the largest percentage will have the constitutional straight to oppress the minority. In almost every society, the minority teams consist of the somewhat insecure consumers, who can not beat because of their legal rights. Considering the fact that modern-day democracy fails to accommodate how a concern of your minorities' questions, it is an unjust way of federal government. Only those who could afford to marshal nearly all on their aspect can transform the politics, spiritual, and socio-ethnic tutorials. Furthermore, nearly all can transport the day even whether they have an illegitimate plan.
In accordance with Noorani, Blencowe, and Brigstocke, innovative democracy mementos political reflection over it supports market progression. As transparency and much better governance dominate at a democratic modern culture, people today usually tend to review virtually every developmental place hence stagnating economic advancement. In autocratic government authorities, business leaders incorporate the use of their abilities to put into practice developmental plans regardless if these types of initiatives are given the vast majority criticisms. Benoist clearly shows that contemporary democratic nations have a very good significant issue in terms of their economic and governmental priorities are worried. As Winston Churchill insinuated, advanced democracy is a great one only in a number of evolved nations around the world exactly where there are labored in the past, and bad for creating locations.
Benoist implies that the achievement of democracy does not necessarily mean the liberalization of the nation. Democracy and liberty are two primary factors that spell out the governmental and sociable adulthood when a area. Additionally, democracy has experienced unwanted has an effect on on specific European countries in the past despite the great intent. On the flip side, autocracy spent some time working well for quite a few improving countries, especially in Africa and Asian countries. Truly Benoist insists, "Democratic regimes can be regimes of oppression, colonialism, and terror at times" although totalitarian regimes can favour the personal-global financial and spiritual ties within the our society. To summarize, democracy is just like it assists a majority of those without having limiting the worries of the minority groupings. Modern day democracy has unsuccessful on this detail given that some democratic regimes are already the cause of oppression and inequality. Since innovative democracy presents liberty to every single guy in just a sure jurisdiction, it actually is quite likely that a the greater part do not enjoy the nationwide preferences at cardiovascular system when evolving their democratic liberties. It implies which the contemporary democracy generally is a method of injustice to substandard along with the minority. For this reason, modern-day democracy could not function in places that it really has never ever been tested previous to such as some Oriental regions.


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Imported: 13 Feb '17 | Published: 10 Feb '15
USPTO - Utility Patents
Noise reduction circuitry for a communication apparatus can apply different noise reduction transfer functions, depending on whether a listening device is connected to the apparatus. If no listening device is connected, the noise reduction transfer function can be adapted for use with microphones (12) and speakers (28) that form an integral part of the communication apparatus, which may be a cellular telephone. If a listening device is connected, the noise reduction transfer function can be adapted for use with microphones (12) and speakers (28) that form a part of the listening device. This allows the noise reduction circuitry to provide improved noise reduction performance.
The present invention relates to ambient noise-reduction systems for communications apparatus such as cellular phone handsets, walkie-talkies or the like, and it relates more especially to systems for handsets that are capable of being used both with and without listening devices such as earphones, headphones or headsets. That is, the user of the apparatus may choose, at any given time, to listen directly to the internal loudspeaker provided in the apparatus, or to listen using a wired or wireless listening device connected temporarily to the handset.
It has been proposed to provide ambient noise reduction in a cellular phone handset, by providing a signal processing device that receives a signal derived from detected ambient noise, and generates a sound that tends to cancel the effect of the ambient noise at the ear of the user.
It has now been recognized that, if ambient noise reduction is to be provided in a communications apparatus that can be listed to either directly by means of an internal loudspeaker or by means of a separate listening device, the ambient noise reduction must take account of the fact that the use of the separate listening device changes the sound environment, in terms both of the degree of exposure to ambient noise and of the noise-sensing and signal-processing approaches needed to reduce the ambient noise as perceived by the user.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided noise reduction circuitry, comprising:
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communications apparatus, comprising:
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a listening device, comprising means for identifying the listening device to a distinguishing device provided on a communications apparatus.
Thus, one embodiment of the invention can provide a cellular telephone handset provided with a loudspeaker means mounted internally thereof and further comprising an ambient noise-reduction system; wherein the said system comprises at least one local sound sensor means for sensing ambient noise received at said handset and for developing first electrical signals indicative of the sensed ambient noise, and signal processing means for operating upon said first electrical signals in accordance with a first processing mode to develop processed first signals for application to said internal loudspeaker means in a sense tending to reduce said ambient noise as perceived by a user of the handset; and wherein the handset further comprises receptor means adapted to removably receive a connector device for temporarily connecting said handset to at least one earphone or headphone having loudspeaker means directly associated therewith, connection sensor means for detecting the connection of said connector device to said receptor means and at least one further sound sensor means for sensing ambient noise received at said at least one earphone or headphone and for developing second electrical signals indicative of the ambient noise sensed by said further sound sensor means; the handset comprising means responsive to said detection by the connection sensor means for causing said processing means to operate upon said second electrical signals in accordance with a second processing mode, different from the first, to develop processed second signals for application to the loudspeaker means associated with said at least one earphone or headphone in a sense tending to reduce said ambient noise as perceived by a user of the handset with said at least one earphone or headphone.
In preferred embodiments of the invention, the signal processing means, whether operating in the first or the second mode, is provided by a processing unit within the handset.
In some preferred embodiments, the said processing unit comprises, or is incorporated within, a central processing unit (CPU) of the handset itself.
In other preferred embodiments, the said processing unit is separate from the handset CPU and comprises a dedicated integrated circuit (digital or analogue), or a discrete analogue circuit.
In still further preferred embodiments of the invention, the handset incorporates identifier means associated with the connection sensor means for distinguishing between at least two different types of earphone or headphone connectable to said handset, and further means for causing said processing means to operate upon second electrical signals provided to the handset in accordance with a processing mode dedicated to the type of earphone or headphone for the time being identified by said identifier means as being connected to said handset.
The identifier means preferably responds to a connector coding applied to earphones or headphones by their manufacturers.
Preferably, the connector coding comprises a digital numeric coding.
In some preferred embodiments, the handset comprises first and second relatively movable portions; the first portion presenting a keypad for use in operating the cellular telephone and a speech microphone into which the user may speak, and the second portion containing the internal loudspeaker means and the local sound sensor means.
In such embodiments it is preferred that the second portion further contains a screen to display operating information for said handset.
The second portion may be rendered movable in any convenient manner with respect to the first portion. In preferred embodiments, however, the first and second portions are hinged to one another ("clam-shell" style), to provide a "flip-up" configuration for the handset, or one portion is slidable with respect to the other to provide a "slider" configuration.
In any event, the local sound sensor means preferably comprises at least one ambient microphone disposed to receive ambient noise incident upon the handset. The ambient microphone is preferably mounted internally of said handset and provided with an inlet port through which said ambient noise can enter.
Further preferably, the siting and/or the configuration of said inlet port and/or of an acoustical conduit linking said port to said ambient microphone is adapted to render said ambient microphone preferentially sensitive to said ambient noise rather than the user's speech.
Existing ambient noise-reduction systems are based on one or the other of two entirely different basic systems, namely "feedback" and "feed-forward". These two systems are described in more detail in our UK patent application GB 2436657A.
The present invention is applicable to both feedback and feed-forward noise-reduction systems, but will be described hereinafter in the feed-forward context, which is depicted in FIG. 1 in its most basic form, without any signal-processing. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, the ambient acoustic noise that occurs around an individual who is listening to a listening device in the form of an earphone, or headphone, (referred to hereafter as an "e/h phone") 10 is detected by at least one microphone 12 on, or inside, the housing 14 of the e/h phone 10. This signal is electronically inverted in a pre-amplifier and inverter circuit 16 and added, by means of an adding circuit 18, to the desired e/h phone drive signal (e.g. a music or speech signal which is input on line 20 and fed to adding circuit 18 by way of a buffer amplifier 22).
This creates a signal for application, via line 24 and a drive amplifier 26, to the loudspeaker 28 of the e/h phone 10. The drive signal applied to the loudspeaker 28 thus includes not only the desired drive component received on line 20, but also a noise reduction component which, ideally, once converted into an acoustical signal by the loudspeaker 28, is equal in magnitude, but opposite in polarity, to the direct incoming ambient acoustic noise signal, adjacent to the e/h phone loudspeaker outlet port within the cavity between the e/h phone shell 14 and the outer ear 30. Consequently, destructive wave interference occurs between the incoming acoustic noise and its inverse, generated via the loudspeaker 28 of the e/h phone 10, such that the ambient acoustic noise level perceived by the listener is reduced.
For effective feed-forward ambient noise-reduction, the frequency-dependent amplitude and phase characteristics of the generated acoustical reduction signal should closely match those of the incoming ambient noise signal at the eardrum of the listener. It has been found that surprisingly tight matching tolerances are needed for even relatively modest amounts of noise-reduction. For example, if a reduction of 65% (−9 dB) is to be achieved, then, assuming perfect phase matching, the amplitude of the generated acoustical reduction signal must be matched to that of the incoming ambient noise signal within ±3 dB. Similarly, even if the amplitudes are perfectly matched, the relative phase of the signals must lie within ±20° (0.35 radian).
However, although the external ambient noise signal is the common source of both the directly incoming noise signal at the ear and its synthesised noise-reduction counterpart supplied by way of components 12, 16, 18, 26 and 28, both of these signals are modified considerably and differently by their respective acoustical and electrical pathways to the eardrum. Provided that these differences are not excessive, it is possible to introduce electronic signal-processing, to compensate for the differences and re-align the amplitude and phase characteristics of the (synthesised) reduction signal sufficiently with those of the incoming ambient noise signal. This signal-processing is conveniently introduced as a serial stage 32 in the electronic pathway from the one or more external microphones 12 to the e/h phone loudspeaker 28, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, wherein features common to FIG. 1 carry the same reference numbers.
These various primary signal pathways are depicted physically in FIG. 2, and in block schematic form in FIG. 3. Each signal pathway has a respective transfer function comprising both a frequency-dependent amplitude characteristic and an associated frequency-dependent phase characteristic. There are four of these primary transfer functions, as follows.
1: Ambient-to-Ear [AE]
This represents the acoustical leakage pathway by which external ambient noise signals reach the ear, and includes transmission around and through the ear-pad and e/h phone casing 14.
2: Ambient-to-Microphone(s) [AM]
This represents the acoustoelectric response of the external microphone (or microphones) 12 as deployed in their operational mode, which includes local acoustical effects (for example, of the listener's head).
3: Driver-to-Ear [DE]
This represents the electroacoustical couple between the e/h phone's driver unit (a small, high-compliance loudspeaker 28) and the eardrum of the listener. This is strongly influenced by the nature of the acoustical load that it drives, a key feature of which is the acoustical leakage pathway (item 1, above) between the driver-to-ear cavity and the external ambient.
4: Electronic Amplification [A]
This is the electrical transfer function of the amplifier 16. Although it is commonplace to provide an amplifier having a "flat" (i.e. relatively constant) amplitude characteristic as a function of frequency, it is usually necessary or convenient in practice to incorporate one or more AC coupling stages, and these behave as first-order low-cut (high-pass) filters. It is important to take account of this.
Knowledge of these transfer functions allows the desired signal processing transfer function to be derived. Specifically, the signal processing transfer function should be such that the product of the Ambient-to-Microphone(s), the electrical transfer function of the amplifier, the signal processing transfer function, and the Driver-to-Ear transfer function is equal to the inverse of the Ambient-to-Ear transfer function.
Although FIG. 2 shows the sound reaching the ear of the listener through an earphone, it will be apparent that the same principle applies to the case where the user is listening through a communications apparatus such as a cellular phone handset, or a walkie-talkie, or the like.
However, it will also be appreciated from the foregoing that the transfer functions defined above, and thus the signal processing which they demand, will differ significantly between, on the one hand, a situation in which a user listens directly to the in-built loudspeaker of a cell-phone handset and, on the other hand, a situation in which the user listens through e/h phones. The present invention addresses that issue, based on the recognition of the tight matching tolerances that are needed for successful noise reduction.
It is also the case that the derived signal-processing characteristics, being critically dependent on the specific acoustical and electrical properties of each different e/h phone type, are specific to each particular e/h phone system. Different e/h phone types thus ideally require different signal processing parameters, and some embodiments of the invention address that issue too.
The present invention thus provides, in one embodiment now to be described, noise reduction circuitry for an apparatus such a cellular phone handset, with means for switching automatically between two distinct modes of operation—an "Internal" mode and an "External" mode—such that ambient noise-reduction can be provided via transducer means that are either internal to the handset, or which (as when using e/h phones) are provided separately and are external to the handset, with the necessary noise-reduction signal processing in each case being provided. This noise reduction circuitry can be provided either in the central processing unit (CPU) of the handset itself, or, preferably, as a separate, dedicated integrated circuit (digital or analogue), or a discrete analogue circuit.
As described earlier, recent improvements in multiple-microphone and signal-processing technology now enable ambient noise-reduction to be incorporated into a cellular phone handset such that ambient noise reduction at the ear of the listener can be achieved. An example of this was disclosed for example in our aforementioned UK patent application No. GB 2436657; FIG. 14 of which shows a handset featuring a triple microphone array. A two-microphone version of this is shown (by way of example only) in FIGS. 4 to 7 hereof, to which reference will now be made.
In this example, the microphones 40 and 42 (see FIGS. 5 to 7) are internally mounted in the handset, and communicate with the ambient environment by way of respective inlet ports, one of which is shown at 41 in FIG. 4; the site of the inlet port for the other microphone being indicated by the arrow 43. Thus it will be appreciated that the inlet ports are symmetrically sited on opposite sides of a "flip-up" portion 44 of the hand set 46.
A display screen 45 is also provided on the "flip-up" portion 44 of the hand set 46.
Although FIG. 4 shows one example of possible positions for the microphone inlet ports 41, 43, other siting arrangements may be made for the inlet ports if desired, however, and moreover active surfaces of the microphones 40 and 42 may be directly exposed at a surface of the handset if desired.
In any event it is preferred that the siting of the microphones 40 and 42, and/or the siting and configuration of any inlet ports and/or acoustical conduits linking inlet ports to the microphones are designed to render the microphones 40 and 42 preferentially sensitive to ambient noise rather than the user's speech.
The two microphones, 40 and 42 are thus arranged to generate a signal representative of the ambient noise incoming to the ear of the user. From that signal, a noise-reduction signal is generated and transmitted from the microspeaker outlet port 48, held close to the ear of the user, thus affording a degree of active noise-reduction.
This configuration is shown in block diagrammatic form in FIG. 5, in which signals from the two microphones 40 and 42 on the "flip-up" portion 44 of the handset 46 feed into an interface "A" module 50 which contains the necessary microphone-biasing voltage sources and buffer pre-amplifiers for amplifying the low-level microphone signals such that they are suitable for driving into subsequent signal-processing stages. Interface "A" module 50 also contains a drive amplifier suitable for driving the handset microspeaker 28 (sometimes termed "receiver") adjacent the outlet port 48 which of course, in use, is held close to the user's ear.
In use, the signals from microphones 40 and 42 are fed via the interface "A" module 50 into an audio processing module 52 that is capable, under the influence of a controller 54, of implementing various signal-processing tasks, such as high- and low-pass filtering, band-pass filtering, level control and the like. The audio processing module 52 and controller 54 are incorporated within the handset 44, and can be provided within the central processing unit (CPU) of the handset, or may for example be provided as a separate, dedicated integrated-circuit (digital or analogue), or as a discrete analogue circuit. After appropriate signal-processing, the noise-reduction signal is fed to the internal loudspeaker 28 via the "A" interface 50, thereby generating an acoustic noise-reduction signal at the ear of the user. This mode of operation can conveniently be termed the "internal" mode of operation.
Cell-phone handsets are, as has been said, often used with e/h phones, such as in-ear phones, (so-called "ear-buds"), either for reasons of privacy or for better signal-to-noise performance, or as part of a "hands-free" arrangement, and, as explained previously, it is an aim of the invention to provide ambient noise-reduction for these situations, too. Although it is possible to obtain self-contained noise-reducing ear-bud type earphones, these require their own battery supply and electronic circuitry, thus incurring additional expense for the user, and being bulkier, heavier and less convenient in use. It is therefore advantageous to integrate the noise-reduction signal-processing into the handset unit, using the handset's power supply. This is less bulky, less expensive and much more convenient for the user, and simply requires that the ear-buds each bear an integral microphone with suitable connection means.
However, the signal-processing characteristics are critically dependent on the acoustic properties of the ear-bud (or other e/h phone) arrangements, and these parameters very greatly. Different signal-processing schemes are required for the internal mode (FIG. 5) and for ear-bud (or other e/h phone) use (external mode). Indeed, different types of ear-buds (or other e/h phones), having differences in their acoustical properties owing to differences in their internal volumes, driver units and acoustical leakages, require different electronic signal-processing schemes, featuring different filter characteristics.
This example of the invention provides a communications apparatus in the form of a cellular phone handset, which includes automatic switching means for detecting the use of external ear-buds, and for switching the noise-reduction configuration either to an external mode, when the ear-buds are in use, or to an internal mode, when the ear-buds are not in use (i.e. when they are unplugged). This embodiment of the invention also provides for detecting and identifying a variety of different types of external ear-bud, and for automatically switching the signal-processing into to an appropriate configuration according to pre-stored filter characteristics associated with a range of ear-bud types. Thus a given manufacturer's handset can be used with a range of ear-buds, including those made by other manufacturers, and the user is thereby not restricted to a single ear-bud type.
FIG. 6 shows a simplified block diagram of such a switching configuration, in which, for clarity, the individual signal pathways are shown, rather than all of the individual electrical connections; for example, the microphone and loudspeaker connections are shown as single, signal pathways rather than electrical pairs. It can be seen that the integral microphones 40 and 42 and loudspeaker 28 of the handset 46 are still connected via "A" interface 50 (internal mode). In addition, there is now provided an external receptor 60, fitted with connector detection means 76, into which external e/h phones comprising, in this example, ear-buds 62, 63 can be plugged, said ear-buds each containing a respective microspeaker 64, 65, and a respective integral microphone 66, 67, for detecting ambient noise. The external receptor 60 is connected to interface "B" 70 (external mode), which contains the necessary microphone-biasing voltage sources and buffer pre-amplifiers for amplifying the low-level signals from microphones 66 and 67, such that they are suitable for driving into subsequent signal-processing stages. Interface "B" module 70 also contains a two-channel drive amplifier suitable for driving the ear-bud microspeakers 64 and 65.
Interfaces "A" 50 and "B" 70 are both connected via a bus-selection switch 72 to the audio processing module 52, such that the latter receives signals from, and transmits signals to, either the internal or external transducers, determined by control means 74 which is connected to the external connector-detection means 76, such that when an ear-bud connector is inserted into receptor 60, then interface "B" (external mode) 70 is selected, and when no connector is inserted into receptor 60, the system reverts to select interface "A" (internal mode) 50. The processing implemented by the module 52 is determined either by the internal processing controller 54 or an external processing controller 56, depending upon the control exerted by control means 74 upon a software switching system 58; the setting of control means 74 in turn being determined by whether or not the external connector 60 is being used to support connections to e/h phones such as 62, 63. It will thus be appreciated that different noise-reduction processing is implemented automatically, depending upon whether the user is employing the internal speaker 28 of the handset 46, or is instead using external e/h phones 62, 63.
The plug-detection means 76 can be implemented in various ways, but one convenient technique involves the provision of a connector pin in the receptor 60, which can be conveniently configured as a handset multi-way socket; the connector pin being connected to a "pull-up" resistor (i.e. biased to a power supply voltage source via a current-limiting resistor), and arranging that a corresponding conductor in a multi-way plug connector, adapted for insertion into the multi-way socket of receptor 60, is connected to electrical ground, such that when the plug is inserted into the multi-way socket, the voltage on the connector pin becomes "low" (0 V), rather than its default "high" value (the power supply voltage). This voltage change is then detected by the controller module, which then: (a) selects the appropriate (internal or external) interface for connection to the audio processing module; and (b) selects the appropriate signal-processing scheme. The latter can be implemented either as a software switch, where a digital signal-processing means is provided, or as a hardware switch or switches, where an analogue signal-processing scheme is used.
FIG. 6 shows the noise reduction circuitry having the interface "A" 50, the interface "B" 70, the audio processing module 52, the internal processing controller 54, the external processing controller 56, the software switching system 58, the bus-selection switch 72, and the control means 74 as separate components. However, some or all of these components can conveniently be provided in a single integrated circuit. For example, the noise reduction circuitry can be provided in the form of an integrated circuit with a first input, for connection to the microphones 40, 42, and a corresponding output for connection to the speaker 28; and a second input, for connection to the microphones 66, 67, and a corresponding output for the speakers 64, 65. The integrated circuit can then receive an input, for example from the socket detection block 76, for determining whether a microphone is connected to the second input.
In this case, the noise reduction circuitry is adapted to generate a noise cancellation signal by applying a first transfer function to the signals received from the first input when it is determined that no microphone is connected to the second input, and is adapted to generate a noise cancellation signal by applying a second transfer function to the signals received from the microphone connected to the second input when it is determined that such a second microphone is connected to the second input. The second transfer function is different from the first transfer function.
As described above, it is also advantageous (though not essential) to provide the option to cope with a variety of differing ear-bud or other e/h phone types. The signal-processing characteristics for a range of differing e/h phone types can be stored as preset parameters within the handset, such that the actual type of e/h phone in use can be identified mechanically and/or electronically and the appropriate signal-processing parameters selected for use with them.
Such an identification procedure is shown in FIG. 7, which depicts a pair of noise-reducing ear-buds 62, 63, each bearing a microspeaker 64, 65 respectively, and a microphone 66, 67 respectively, and which is shown plugged in to the multi-way socket comprising connector 60 of the handset 46. The identification is, in this example, achieved by providing several dedicated conductors to serve as a digital binary coding byte, in which the individual conductors are connected to ground according to their code number, and used with a "pull-up" detection arrangement similar to that described above.
For example, pins 3, 4 and 5 of connector 60 serve this function in the arrangement of FIG. 7, in which pin 3 represents the most significant bit (MSB) and pin 5 represents the least significant bit (LSB) of a 3-bit binary word. It is shown that pins 4 and 5 are grounded, thus corresponding to the decimal number 4 (binary 100), and hence when this plug is inserted into the connector 60, the controller means selects External mode, and also the signal processing scheme for ear-bud Type 4 (of 8). The default ear-bud processing scheme is initially set to be that of the ear-buds which are supplied with the handset, but can be reset to another choice by the user.
In this illustrated embodiment, the identification mechanism allows the ear-buds to be identified by a distinguishing device provided on a cellular phone handset. However, the same mechanism would allow the ear-buds, or other listening device, to be identified by any apparatus (for example, a portable music player) to which they are connected.
The identification mechanism may identify the listening device as a particular model, or may identify the listening device less precisely, for example as a member of a group of listening devices having particular characteristics that require a particular noise reduction transfer function.
As an alternative, the signal processing scheme may be user selectable or user adjustable. In this case, a user interface may be provided by means of the display screen 45, allowing the user to select a desired input by means of keys or via a touch screen, or in any other convenient way.
Thus, when using a listening device, in the form of headphones, earphones or earbuds, or the like, which may be connected by means of a plug and socket arrangement or via a short-range wireless connection such as Bluetooth or another such protocol, the user may select a suitable noise reduction transfer function. The user may be able to select one available noise reduction transfer function that differs from the noise reduction transfer function that has been designed for use with the microphone(s) and speaker(s) of the handset apparatus itself. Alternatively, the user may be able to select from multiple available noise reduction transfer functions, each of which is suitable for use with a particular model or class of listening device.
Additional user enhancements can be used in conjunction with the switching scheme, as have been disclosed previously, including the use of user-selectable noise-reduction transfer functions, for use in different ambient noise conditions, such as on a train, or on an aeroplane. Moreover, the ambient noise-reduction effect may be faded up and down according to various external stimuli, as described in GB 2436657, such as excessive ambient noise (above a threshold level), the detection of music playback, and also physical head-movement of the listener. A valuable enhancement for cell-phone usage is the incorporation of noise-reduction level management triggered by an incoming telephone call, such that if, during music playback via ear-buds with ambient noise-reduction switched on, an incoming call occurs, it triggers a sequence in which the noise-reduction fades down so as to make the user more aware of the external world, thus contributing to the alerting function.
Further, the noise reduction transfer function may be adjustable by the user. For example, it is known that components such as microphones and speakers in apparatus such as cellular phone handsets have relatively wide tolerances, and thus the optimum noise reduction transfer function can vary quite markedly from one apparatus to another. In order to provide the best possible noise reduction performance for such apparatus, the user interface described above may allow the user to select or adjust a noise reduction transfer function.
It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim, "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality, and a single feature or other unit may fulfill the functions of several units recited in the claims. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed so as to limit their scope.


text:
Add an address to see restaurantsin your area.
Let's make it a party!
Includes Caesar salad for (2), house bread, choice of (2) sides, and choice of dessert for sharing.
Jalapeño, cherry, pepperoncini.
Grilled sourdough, red wine demi-glace, Parmesan.
Horseradish cocktail sauce.
Sweet corn, traditional tartar.
Tempura fried bites. Served with sriracha aioli.
Applewood smoked bacon, tomato, house-made blue cheese dressing.
Garlic croutons, Parmesan crisp
Herb oil and blue cheese dressing.
Horseradish cream, natural jus, steak fries.
Lettuce, pickles, cheese, house-made special sauce.
Lettuce, tomato, remoulade, and french fries.
Your choice of size.
(14 oz.)
(22 oz.)
(14 oz.) New York strip.
(7 oz.) Lump crab, bearnaise, and asparagus.
(16 oz.) Mushrooms and caramelized onions.
Gouda, creamy mustard sauce, and mashed potatoes.
(14 oz.) New York Strip, mushrooms, dijon, and worcestershire.
Pan-seared, mustard beurre blanc, shaved Brussels sprouts and bacon sauté.
Dashi broth, miso butter, seasonal vegetables.
Grape tomatoes, spinach, fresh linguine, white wine garlic sauce.
Served with fries.
Your choice of drink.
Your choice of regular or decaf.
Your choice of salad, side, and entree. Served with crème brulee.
Enter your phone number to send the link right to your phone!


text:
I have a few subcompositions that I've created and added to my own node library. If I'm interested in sharing some of these, along with example compositions, is it appropriate to send them along as potential additions to the Node Gallery, or is that space reserved for nodes created using the SDK?
Sure, subcompositions could
Submitted by Jaymie (@jstrecker)
Sure, subcompositions could go in the Node Gallery. The Node Gallery is for generally useful building blocks, and there's no reason those couldn't be implemented as subcompositions.


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Hello everyone, if you have a desire to travel outside, Chengdu is a place you can take into consideration. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province, which locate in the Chengdu plain, in south west of China. If you are travelling here, you will feel a happy life style of Chengdu people who are famous for their leisure life. Okay, let Miracle Mandarin show you around.
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Do you want to know more about China? Welcome to visit our web site: www.miraclemandarin.com


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French grocery brand, Carrefour – operated in the region by Majid Al Futtaim – is highlighting International Plastic Bag Free Day on July 3, 2019, to encourage customers to shop with reusable bags and decrease their reliance on single-use plastic bags.
Customers bringing their own reusable bags at all 31 Carrefour hypermarkets across the country will be gifted a foldable canvas bag or juco bag from its 'Connecting with Nature' range, which retail at AED9 and AED10, respectively. Similar initiatives run last year witnessed a near ten-fold increase in the number of customers buying reusable bags.
Carrefour is also offering customers at its Mall of the Emirates store free monogramming on the purchase of a reusable foldable canvas bag on July 3. Customers can have the name or initials of their choice monogrammed on to their newly-purchased bags free of charge.
As an added incentive, Carrefour customers shopping with reusable bags will be able to take advantage of fully operational dedicated counters for reusable bags across all hypermarkets, which will save them time at the final stage of their shopping.
"Sustainability is at the heart of what we do at both Carrefour and Majid Al Futtaim, and we are setting ourselves ambitious targets to reduce single-use plastic usage. We aim to inspire customers through our initiatives to contribute to a greener earth while we continue to create great moments for everyone everyday," says Philippe Peguilhan, country manager at Carrefour UAE at Majid Al Futtaim Retail.
Carrefour was the first retailer in the UAE to sell reusable shopping bags, having launched its now iconic 'starfish' bag in 2007. Since then, Carrefour has consistently encouraged all customers to re-evaluate their usage of single-use plastic bags and consider how they can opt for more sustainable alternatives.


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Our Office Cleaning Division Our Window Cleaning Division
Our office cleaning division prides itself on delivering exceptionally high standards in all our contracts and we understand all our customer needs and requirements and strive for improvement on a daily basis.
We recognise that cleaning can be a sore point with many
companies/organisations and that standards can slip after the 'honeymoon' period, we endeavour to ensure that this does not happen by having a robust management structure, working supervisors and a strong pool of inducted staff who cover sickness and holidays.
Our management structure is complimented by an effective and up to date audit system and H&S/environmental policy which contribute's to all contracts being managed professionally and to a very high standard.
We acknowledge that there will be issues and mistakes and our success is built on our attitude, enthusiasm and willingness to 'go the extra mile' to rectify all problems as they arise.
No issue is too small and every comment is treated the same in that we listen, we act and we deliver on our promises.
To offer the complete service United Cleaning also offers a unique window cleaning service for houses, townhouses, offices, factories, shops and showrooms.
At United Cleaning we offer High-Rise Window Cleaning Services that are designed to meet your cleaning needs.
High-Rise Window Cleaning Services that include:
Ground Level Window Cleaning Services that Include:


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Success in crowdfunding comes in different shapes and sizes. It could be successfully distributing thousands of products or finally having enough money to make that documentary that you've been working tirelessly on. Either way, a successful crowdfunded project comes down to a few key elements. Here are some useful tips to help your crowdfunding project become a success.
This cannot be understated. You need to effectively promote your project. You cannot rely on visitors to your crowdfunding platform alone. You need to be proactively seeking out new funders. One of the best ways to do this is through social media.
You should have social media accounts for all the major contenders such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google Plus. This way you can link directly to your crowdfunding project and allow people to share your project with others. Social media is also great for once you have been funded to show the progress of your project and interact with your community through the entire process.
You should also have a website.
This is where you can post about the process of your project and again link directly to your crowdfunding page. It is another place where people can learn about you and works great when combined with your social media accounts, too.
Effectively researching is key to success in any field. It can make or break your crowdfunded project. Firstly you need to research if there is even a market for whatever you have decided to do, and whether you will be successfully crowdfunded. The last thing you want is to put a great deal of time, effort and money preparing to be crowdfunded only to realise there isn't a market or space in the market for you. Secondly, you will want to research the best way to complete your project. Whether this is looking into the best way to get 10,000 board games printed or if a company like NorthernMat can provide you with the right kinds of timber. Researching thoroughly will form the basis for the plan of how you will execute your project, and poor research can lead to errors, unhappy customers or for the entire crowdfunding to be a failure.
Reduce costs
This ties into research, but it is so important that is deserves its own heading. If you manage to get crowdfunded, then that's great, but you need to ensure that you can actually complete the orders. This is especially true if you are providing some kind of product.
For example, there was an incident where a Kickstarter was so successful that he almost triple his asking figure. However, it wasn't all good news as this now meant that he had to contend with a massive amount of distribution that he hadn't expect and the whole thing ended up costing him his house.
Small extra expenses can add up to a lot if you are shipping thousands of a product.
Everything needs to be planned and organized before the project goes live and you need to do everything you can to keep your costs down to a minimum because every unnecessary expense eats away at your profits and if they build up they have the potential to use up all of your funding.