text:
- Research article
- Open Access
- Open Peer Review
A systematic review of the unit costs of allied health and community services used by older people in Australia
- Inez Farag1Email author,
- Cathie Sherrington1,
- Manuela Ferreira1 and
- Kirsten Howard2
© Farag et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2013
- Received: 4 July 2012
- Accepted: 19 February 2013
- Published: 20 February 2013
An economic evaluation of interventions for older people requires accurate assessment of costing and consideration of both acute and long-term services. Accurate information on the unit cost of allied health and community services is not readily available in Australia however. This systematic review therefore aims to synthesise information available in the literature on the unit costs of allied health and community services that may be utilised by an older person living in Australia.
A comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Google Scholar and Google was undertaken. Specialised economic databases were also reviewed. In addition Australian Government Department websites were inspected. The search identified the cost of specified allied health services including: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics, podiatry, counselling and home nursing. The range of community services included: personal care, meals on wheels, transport costs and domestic services. Where the information was not available, direct contact with service providers was made.
The number of eligible studies included in the qualitative synthesis was fourty-nine. Calculated hourly rates for Australian allied health services were adjusted to be in equivalent currency and were as follows as follows: physiotherapy $157.75, occupational therapy $150.77, dietetics $163.11, psychological services $165.77, community nursing $105.76 and podiatry $129.72.
Utilisation of the Medicare Benefits Scheduled fee as a broad indicator of the costs of services, may lead to underestimation of the real costs of services and therefore to inaccuracies in economic evaluation.
- Unit costs
- Allied health services
- Community services
A fundamental requirement for economic evaluation is accurate assessment of costing [1, 2]. This allows comparative analysis of the impact of an intervention program on the costs of service utilisation and ultimately the accrued cost to benefit ratio [2]. Information on the costs of hospital and medical services is readily available [3]. For example, the costs of injuries that are associated with the most severe mortality, morbidity and hospitalisation have been established using data from hospital databases on cost of hospital admission, cost of ambulance transport, emergency department and medical service utilisation.
An economic evaluation requires more than consideration of the acute or short term provision of services however [4]. The more widespread and longer term consequences of illness, injury and disability, with the follow-on effect of health service use, have to be considered. The difficulty in the use of available data however is that reliance on established fee schedules, for example, the Medicare Benefits Schedule in Australia [5] may not provide an accurate indication of the real cost of providing services in some clinical areas [6]; this may result in serious underestimation of the actual costs of service delivery [7]. In addition for many community services there is no established fee structure and as a result there is great variability in the unit costs that may potentially be used in economic evaluation. To fully appreciate the cost of age-related disease and the cost effectiveness of healthcare programs, information on the cost of the full range of services utilised (including allied health and community services) is required.
The primary purpose of this systematic review, which is the first study of its type in Australia, is to provide a consolidated resource of costs of allied health and community services used by older people in Australia. This will facilitate the inclusion of these costs in future economic evaluations.
Literature search
To identify the unit costs of services a comprehensive search of the databases Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Google Scholar and Google was conducted. In addition specialised economic databases were reviewed and accessed through the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination allowing exposure to relevant databases including Database of Abstracts of Reviews and Effects (DARE) and 11,000 economic evaluations collected in the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (NHSEED). It was considered that the relevant information may also be contained within government departmental literature and as such a search was conducted of Australian Government Department websites, including: NSW Department of Health, Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Veteran's Affairs and the National Health and Medical Research Council. Where insufficient information was available a review of Department of Health websites of other Australian States was to be conducted. The NSW Injury Risk Management Research Centre and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare websites were also searched. The search was to identify cost of specified allied health and community services from 1980 to date. An exception to this rule was applied however, for certain databases such as Google Scholar and Google that yielded large results; to ensure feasibility, the search was limited from 2000 to date.
The allied health services that were investigated included: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics, podiatry, community nursing and counselling. Community services comprised of personal care, meals on wheels, transport services and domestic services including home cleaning, gardening services and general handyman rates. Staff travel was included as it is often a required cost item in economic evaluation. For international data, other allied health services were included, which appeared to be frequently utilised and had available costs reported. Respite care and estimates of family care costs were included as they were considered to be necessary cost items in economic evaluations. Excluded from the systematic review were ambulance, emergency department, time in hospital costs, medical practitioner consultations and residential care facility costs.
Included in the search terms were keywords: unit cost, unit price, schedule of fees, allied health services (range of terms of single professions and combined terms) and community services (range of terms of single services).
In addition the reference lists of retrieved articles were searched.
Inclusion of studies
Included were peer-reviewed published studies or publicly available reports that included an estimate of the unit cost of services. Cost of injury studies and economic analyses associated with randomised controlled trials were included if the content included information on the unit costs of services. Whilst the predominant interest is in the range of services utilised by the "older" population, papers and reports were not excluded if the relevant information on the unit costs related to the provision of similar services to a younger population.
Although the focus of the study was on Australian costs, overseas estimates were also summarised, to complement the Australian data. International costs were converted to 2011 Australian dollars using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) purchasing power parities [8].
Quality of included studies
There was no limitation made or elimination of studies based on study quality as this factor did not impact on the accuracy of the unit costs utilised; often the information on unit costs was contained in the Appendix of relevant papers.
Contact with service providers
Direct contact with providers of domestic, gardening and handyman services in Australia was made to obtain the information on costs that was lacking in the literature. On average ten service providers were contacted from each category (full details of the providers contacted is available on request).
Data extraction
A standardised form was used to extract information from the published manuscripts included in the systematic review (available on request). Extracted information included: study design, cost of range of allied health and community services, source of cost item information, currency and the year of cost collection. Costs that were not relevant to the study were not incorporated. Screening of abstracts and titles and subsequent full text evaluation was conducted by IF; a sample of the manuscripts (10%) were examined by two reviewers (IF, MF). Any disagreements were resolved by consensus; where consensus was not reached, input from a third examiner was sought (CS).
Data synthesis
The studies reported costs in different currencies and different years; this information was standardised by conversion to Australian dollars for the 2011 cost year. The process included conversion to Australian dollars, where necessary, using purchasing power parities [8] and inflation of the values to 2011 prices using the "health price index" [9].
Studies varied in the method of reporting unit costs, some opting to describe the cost per occasion of service [10]; whilst others describe an estimated hourly rate and others still a cost value per minute [11]. For some disciplines, such as physiotherapy and dietetics, an estimated duration was allocated to the occasion of service in some studies [6, 12]. For other disciplines, such as psychological counselling services, sessions were described in terms of "simple" or "complex" interventions [13, 14].
The unit costs of different services from the various studies and government reports were extracted. In addition a conversion to a cost per hour was made, where possible, using the estimated duration of the occasion of service provided. Where a publication provided a cost per occasion of service, this was multiplied by 2.5 (session ranging in time between 20–30 minutes), providing an average of the hourly rate charged.
Overall the methodology and reporting of this study adhere to the PRISMA guidelines for conducting qualitative systematic reviews [15].
Study characteristics
Of the eligible studies 15 were Australian based, 18 were based in the United Kingdom, 9 based in other countries of the European Union, 3 based in the United States, 1 based in Canada, 1 based in Hong Kong and 2 were based in New Zealand.
Of the 15 Australian based studies/reports, seven (47%) were published prior to the year 2000, the first study in 1989 [16] (published in 1996). Many of the Australian studies could be described as descriptive reviews and case studies (n=5), the remainder having the following study design: cost of injury studies (n=3), resource utilisation studies (n=2), economic evaluations (n=2), decision analysis modelling (n=1) and Government Department Schedule of Fees (n=2). Equal number of studies described the unit costs on an hourly basis as per session/visit basis (n=5); whereas at least four distinguished between the cost of an initial consultation and subsequent visits [3, 6, 10, 17]. Several studies included information from local service providers and were specific to a particular environmental context [18, 19]; this affects the ability to generalise the information to an alternate setting. Others derived costs from surveys of private practitioners [6, 17, 20] and here the validity of the cost estimates was influenced by the size of the study.
Most of the economic evaluations retrieved from the specialised databases (n=16) were conducted in the United Kingdom (n=11, 69%); these varied in relation to the comprehensiveness of the economic evaluations conducted. Several studies tended to rely on unit costs on the established work of Curtis & Netten [21].
Unit costs of services in Australia
Unit costs of allied health and community services in Australia
Cost given by individual studies 2011 $AD
Mean (SD), range
Public Hospital Service
$67.94 per hour (12.00) $41.26-$76.10
$28.22 per patient (1.23)
$25.79 per patient (14.16)
$212.19 [18]
Private per visit
$ 63.97per consultation (17.72)
First consultation
$89.29 per consultation (13.89) $69.24-$100.40
Second consultation
$62.39 per consultation (7.4) $51.44-$70.14
Medicare Benefits Schedule
$59.90-Fee $50.95- Rebate [5]
$55.43 per consultation
Special Population Veterans' Affairs
$60.82 per consultation ($60.53-$76.70)
Hourly rate
$157.75 per hour
Percentage difference between the private and the MBS fee
62-89% of the private fee
Fee suggested by professional association (National)
$79.25 (initial consultation) $66.95 (subsequent visits)
Occupational Therapy
Private per visit
$71.30 [23], $76.50 [19], $76.10 [20], $37.81 [25], $69.24 [3] (initial), $55.39 [3] (subsequent)
$64.39 per consultation (15.12) $37.81-$85.80
Medicare Benefits Schedule
$59.90-Fee $50.95- Rebate [5]2
$55.43 per consultation
Special Population Veterans' Affairs
$61.10 (initial & standard) 3
$61.10 per consultation $61.10-$111.25
Group Therapy
$21.95 per person [24]
$21.95 per person
Hourly rate
$150.77 per hour
Percentage difference between the private and the MBS fee
86-146% of the private fee
Fee suggested by professional association (Victoria)
$120.00 per consultation (expected 1 hour duration)
Private per visit
$60.89 [6]
$60.89 per consultation
First consultation
$93.72 per consultation (16.18)
Second consultation
$61.71 [17]
$61.71 per consultation
Medicare Benefits Schedule
$59.90 - Fee $50.95- Rebate [5]
$55.43 per consultation
Special Population Veterans' Affairs
$85.30 (initial), $61.10 (standard) [24]4
$73.20 per consultation
Hourly rate
$182.66 [7]
$163.11 per hour
Percentage difference between the private and the MBS fee
53-91% of the private fee
Fee suggested by professional association
Private practitioner survey $70-$130 per hour
Psychological Services
Private per visit
$93.56 [23]
$93.56 per consultation
Medicare Benefits Schedule
$59.90- Fee $50.95- Rebate [5]5
$55.43 per consultation
Special Population Veterans' Affairs
$69.35 (20–50 minutes) 6
$97.90 (50 + minutes)
$146.90 (90 + minutes)
Clinical Psychology
$97.90 (30–50 minutes) 7
$143.70 (50 + minutes)
$215.60 (90 + minutes
Hourly rate
Percentage difference between the private and the MBS fee
59% of the private fee
Fee suggested by professional association
$222.00 per one hour consultation
Community Nursing
Private per visit
$56.09 per consultation (25.85)
Per hour
$60.19 per hour (27.93)
Special Population Veterans' Affairs
Average 8
$40.47 ($37.65- $43.28) -20 minute visit
Hourly rate
$105.76 per hour
Percentage difference between the private and the MBS fee
80-118% of the private fee
Fee suggested by professional association
No recommended fee by association Private agencies $46.94-$69.40 per hour
Private per visit
$22.95 [20]
$22.95 per consultation
First consultation
$66.85 [17]
$66.85 per consultation
Second consultation
$61.71 [17]
$61.71 per consultation
Medicare Benefits Schedule
$59.90- Fee $50.95- Rebate [5]
$55.43 per consultation
Special Population Veterans' Affairs
$61.10 (standard) [24]9
$61.10 per consultation
Hourly rate
Percentage difference between the private and the MBS fee
79-92% of the private fee
Fee suggested by professional association
Based on market demand ($60-$70 per consultation)
Staff travel
0.38c per km [19], 0.73c per km [26], 0.69c per km (0.63c per km- 0.75c per km) 11
0.60c per km (0.17)
Community Services
Personal care
$36.40 per hour (9.6)
Meals on wheels
$11.10 per meal (7.71)
Patient transport
$6.56 per trip (council/hospital provided) [20], $18.22 per trip [16]
$12.39 per trip (8.25)
Domestic services
Domestic care rates per hour 12
$39.07 (Monday-Friday)
$48.52 (Saturday)
$57.31 (Sunday)
Gardening $52.26 ($30.00-$60.00) per service (10 providers)
Handyman rates $50.80 ($40-$80.30) per service (10 providers)
An average duration per occasion of service has been clarified for the disciplines of physiotherapy and dietetics [5, 6, 24] and is estimated to be between 20–30 minutes; but is less clear for other disciplines. Session duration appears to have an impact on the service costs [5, 24] whether this is expressed in terms of the time taken per session as for physiotherapy or in the complexity of the intervention required, as for counselling [14].
The Medicare Benefits Schedule fee is lower than the private set fee for most disciplines. The percentage discrepancy between the MBS fee and the private fee is greatest for psychological services at 59% and lowest for community nursing 80-118% (Table 1). There is indication however of flexibility in fee structure in the private setting to accommodate special populations, including clientele of the Department of Veterans' Affairs and those supported by the Medicare Benefits Scheme.
There are other factors that impact on costing. Public hospital services, for example, are generally costed at a lower rate in comparison to private practitioner fees [18, 20]. For some disciplines specialist qualifications are compensated at a higher rate by the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) whereas for nursing services, cost is dependent on the complexity of services provided [24]. There has been a steady increase in the cost of service delivery for all allied health services. The percentage increase in physiotherapy being an increase of 4.00% during 2011–2012, in comparison to an increase of 2.6% during 2010-2011 [27]. Most of the professional associations choose not to become involved in fee setting (Dietitians Association of Australia) but do provide members with information on average fees charged by private practitioners of their discipline (Table 1). The Australian Psychological Society produces a schedule of recommended fees for psychological services [28].
Patient transport costs were dependent on subsidy from local or health services [20]. Domestic services, including home cleaning, gardening and handyman services are greatly influenced by the time of service delivery, with higher rates charged for work conducted on Saturday and Sunday.
International unit costs of services
Unit costs of allied health and community services in selected countries
Cost given by individual studies 2011 $AD
Mean (SD), range
United Kingdom
$94.57 per consultation (23.59) $77.89-$111.25
Home care
$19.16 [31], $44.23 [32], $17.75 [33], $24.31 [34], $27.72 [35]
$26.63 per hour (13.04) $17.75- $44.23
$43.11 per consultation (12.92) $28.70-$53.67
$135.67 [32]
$135.67 per consultation
Home nursing
$46.62 [32], $34.50 [33], $55.89 [37], $112.42 [38], $38.69 [34], $41.28 [39]
$54.90 per consultation (29.13) $34.50-$112.42
$24.29 [35], $41.97 [40], $26.58 [39]2, $48.13 [41], $64.23 [42]3, $35.16 [43], $34.31[12]4, $54.00 [44]
(NHS) $41.08 per consultation (13.77) $24.29-$64.23
$62.48 per hour [21]
(NHS) $62.48 per hour
$104.14 [42]5, $45.40 [34], $34.22 [21]6, $45.34 [12], $106.97 [32], $104.27 [41], $83.30 [21]7
(Private) $74.81 per consultation (32.19) $34.22-$104.14
$161.39 [37]
(Private) $161.39 per hour
Occupational Therapy
$106.97 [32], $24.29 [35], $45.32 [34] $547.88 [45] per day,
$58.86 per consultation (42.97) $24.29-$106.97
Social Work
$247.58 per consultation (43.88)
Speech Pathology
$43.82 [34]
$43.82 per consultation
$97.77 per hour (1.94)
$7.85 per meal (2.82)
Family care
$26.78 [34]
$26.78 per hour
Respite care
$145.25 per day (98.28) $63.57-$254.32
Home care
$41.07 per consultation (12.59) $25.67-$55.21
$60.15 [49]
$60.15 per hour
Home Nursing
$35.05 [50], $80.20 [49], $137.95 [46], $65.87 [51], $151.64 [47]
$94.14 per consultation (49.27 $35.05-$151.64
$66.23 per consultation (25.93) $36.75 -$85.49
$70.16 per hour – public (22.48) $50.13-$94.47
Occupational Therapy
$96.78 per consultation (3.27)
$58.00 per hour- public (11.13) $50.13-$65.87
Staff travel
0.37c per km (.01) 0.36-0.38c per km
$14.03 [49]
$14.03 per meal
$54.13 [49]
$54.13 per hour
United States
$179.40 [14] per occasion of service
$179.40 per consultation
Home care
$10.36 [54] per hour
$10.36 per hour
Home nursing
$35.00 [54] per hour
$35.00 per hour
$32.96 [54] per occasion of service
$32.96 per consultation
Social work
$26.04 [54] per hour
$26.04 per hour
Family care
$14.53 per hour (8.32) $8.64-$20.41
Home care
$26.53 [56]
$26.53 per hour
Home nursing
$67.56 [56]
$67.56 per consultation
$111.21 [56]
$111.21 per consultation
Occupational Therapy
$138.32 [56]
$138.32 per consultation
Hong Kong
Home nursing
$65.11 [57]
$65.11 per consultation -public
New Zealand
Home nursing
$20.80 [58]
$20.80 per hour
$24.22 [58]
$24.22 per hour
Occupational Therapy
$27.85 [59]
$27.85 per consultation-public
Staff travel
0.74c per km (.06) (0.69-0.78)c per km
The costs of allied health and community services are a significant component of the total cost of illness, injury and disability for the older person [56] and often these costs are overlooked in economic evaluation. Accurate estimation of the unit costs of services specific to the nature and type of service provided, for example whether it is a group service, first consultation or provided by the public health sector, allows for a more precise calculations of the costs incurred.
The results of this review suggest variability in the cost structure of allied health services in Australia. Whilst the Medicare Benefits Schedule fee is at the lower end of the fee structure with noted discrepancies in the percentage differences between the differing disciplines, there is suggestion of flexibility within the private health sector to cater for special populations [17]. Nevertheless reliance on the fee established by the Medicare Benefits Scheme in estimation of the costs of allied health services in economic evaluation may lead to a serious underestimation of the cost of services, with sometimes as much as double the cost being charged, in the private sector, for a particular service [7].
The results of this review also suggest a link between the time spent by the practitioner and the costs of the services provided. Whilst, often this is expressed in terms of session duration, it may also be reflected in the setting where service provision occurs; for example, outreach physiotherapy services.
There was little information available in the literature on the cost of domestic services including home cleaning, garden maintenance or handyman activities. Contact with service providers indicated that the cost is highly dependent on the time of service provision. Whilst many were prepared to offer a range of the costs and averages of the cost of service have been provided, most stipulated that they would prefer to give a quote estimate when they actually value the work required in the job.
The differences in the cost of services between countries may be attributed to the societal value attributed to particular disciplines and the historical development of the health care system in each country. There is some similarity between the United Kingdom and Australia in the costs of some of the allied health services but the contribution of disciplines has evolved and developed to varying extents in the different communities, with a slightly different focus in terms of particular discipline intervention. An example of this is in the United Kingdom, which tends to highly value the cost of social work services in comparison to the United States, which places a significantly lower hourly rate [11, 32, 54].
The following limitations have to be considered for this review. Our aim was to specifically synthesise information on costs of allied health and community services in the Australian context, so necessarily, our review has focussed on Australia. For many of the services in the US, Canada, countries of the European Union and New Zealand only peer-reviewed literature sources have been included, whereas for Australia a more comprehensive search has been conducted to include Government reports and established scheduled fee documents.
It should be acknowledged that some smaller studies relied on reported cost estimates from a limited group of service providers in their local setting. This has an impact on the validity of the cost estimates. In addition, where the costs reported were specific to a particular environmental context, there is impact on the ability to generalise the information gathered.
The comprehensiveness of the economic evaluations also varied. This it was felt did not markedly impact on the accuracy of the unit costs reported, as many studies referred to pre-established unit costs of services that were derived from alternate sources, external to the actual study.
Further research is recommended to explore the difference in the fees charged across different regions in Australia and to determine the impact of setting and workforce supply issues on the cost structure of services.
Economic evaluations require consideration of the costs of total health service use. Accurate estimation of the range of allied health and community services is essential in determining the cost-effectiveness of intervention and prevention programmes. Utilisation of Government established fee schedules as a broad indicator of the cost of services may lead to underestimation of the real costs of services and therefore to inaccuracies in economic evaluation.
CS and MF receive salary support from the NHMRC. IF is supported by a scholarship funded by the NHMRC.
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- The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/13/69/prepub
Pre-publication history
This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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Hello everyone,
Although my nickname is madyjune, my friends prefer to call me Mady. I am from Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar.
I am one of the earliest Myanmar blogger, but also the laziest so I don't update much. I used to write both in English & Myanmar, but now I only write in English.
I like watching Korean dramas so I had spent most of my times discussing about Kdramas in Bagan Net Forum & Native Myanmar Forum. So people nicknamed me Drama Queen. Now, I don't watch Kdramas that much anymore mostly because I am choosy and I only watch those with high ratings or good plots.
I also like watching Japanese dramas.
Besides, watching dramas and movies, I like to read English novels. I rarely read Myanmar novels because there are too many English novels to choose from.
People assume that I try a lot to be good at English. Actually, I barely pick up my books unless I have to. I only read books, listen to songs, and watch movies and tv series. That's my way of keeping in touch with English 🙂
Right now, I'm attending M.A (English) course and working as a part-time assistant teacher on the weekends.

subset: commoncrawl


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Former Florida governor Jeb Bush isn't running for something. That might have allowed him a degree of candor that current officials and candidates don't enjoy. But in a breakfast this morning in Tampa with journalists from The Post and Bloomberg News, he also showed that, in many ways, he stands head and shoulders — and quite apart — from fellow Republicans.
Bush is known, as his brother was, for his devotion to resolving the illegal immigration problem and making the GOP a more inclusive party. Asked about the party's gap with the Democrats among Hispanic voters, he said, "I think the gap can narrow, and I think it will narrow, as people get to know Mitt Romney. I'm always amazed at how, for normal people, how little they know about our candidates until like a night like tonight or the debates."
In part, the GOP's path to Hispanic voters runs through issues unrelated to immigration. As Bush said, Immigration "is down the list [of issues Hispanic voters care about] — about the same place it is for everybody else, maybe a little bit higher, but significantly lower than the economy, jobs, education, deficit, debt, health care. Those are the issues that American voters say are the most important ones. But it's a gateway issue, because it's an issue that allows you — if you have shown some sensitivity — it allows you to be heard.".
For Bush, the equation is simple. He was candid that his view is not the mainstream position within the Republican Party. Asked about his support for the Dream Act, Bush answered: "I think to use the power of the presidency effectively, you don't have to use it for cynical reasons, and you don't have to use it beyond what your power — what the Constitution allows. But having a solution to the fact that we have all of these young people, many of whom are making great contributions, don't have a connection to their parents' former country — yeah, of course I'm for it. You know, but then again, I'm — you know, I'm not running for anything and I can speak my mind."
I asked Bush about what a Republican education policy should look like, given the party's aversion to federal control. On higher education, he plunged right in, urging that we look anew at the entire student-loan system: "[W]hat we've done is, we've raised tuition. It's been financed, by and large, by the federal government. Local government, state governments, as well, but mostly federal. And then we just put this load on unemployed graduates and those that don't graduate. Those are the ones that Paul Ryan talked about — that are in their pajamas in their parents' guest room looking at the faded Obama posters. So we're financing this off the backs of people that aren't getting a bang for their buck. And this is a place I know that Governor Romney believes there has to be change. And where the federal government can play a useful role of providing education opportunities, but not at the expense of an unreformed higher education system."
His idea is to use student loan monies to force reform upon higher education: He would say that "your university is not qualified to receive student loans, the benefit of student loans, if they don't have performance criteria attached to it, that your graduation rate goes up . . . [So] require productivity gains. Require professors to teach. Require completion rates. Require that there's counseling for students so they don't change their degrees four times. Require the process to work more productively."
On K-12 education, he had some praise for President Obama's education secretary. He urged more of the same: "[T]he president can be a partner. Here — this is a place where, of all the policy areas, I think President Obama deserves some recognition for having a different approach than at least what I expected. He appointed a good education secretary, who's worked across the aisle politically, and I think that could be expanded with stronger partnerships, more waivers that allow for meaningful reform."
Bush is nevertheless an enthusiastic partisan, hopeful that Obama will be tossed out. He had an interesting take on Romney's so-called likability problem: "[I]t's not a bad thing to be reserved and humble and charitable and disciplined and hardworking. It's being strangely viewed kind of as a defect in politics today, because we all have to be more Clinton-esque, I guess, and show our frailties in ways that people can relate to, because we're all imperfect under God's watchful eye."
And he forcefully argued that Obama has failed to lead and bring in the opposition to solve our biggest issues. He told the journalists: "He didn't win the election saying, 'I'm a doctrinaire, hard-core ideologue. Vote for me.' He won the election because he said that we can do things differently and we can find common ground. The old way's bad, and we need to find a new way of doing things, and he — he violated his own mandate by moving in a completely different direction."
Bush also painted Obama as a weak leader — who "outsourced" the stimulus and health care to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (R-Calif.) — lacking the skill himself to forge deals. The need to bring party leaders together can't be accomplished by Obama, Bush says: "I'm convinced it's not going to happen with Barack Obama as president."
Bush is a successful two-term governor, with a record of reform and a inclusive attitude when it comes to courting voters and governing. If in the future he decides to return to the political arena, the country and the GOP would be well served.


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Welcome back to another episode of the RUL Podcast! This week we talk about World of Warcraft: Legion, Zombi, Rare Replay, Halo MCC, and Destiny's TKK and Gjallarhorn Day, and more! As always hosted by Nevin Douglas and co-hosted/produced by Chief Canuck featuring Greenskull and Spartan as our guests.
Subscribe to the podcast over on iTunes! Here's the Podcast's RSS Feed!
- Greenskull's Rainbow 6 Siege Shout casting Event in Calgary and Vancouver
- World of Warcraft: Legion Announcement Trailer
- Zombi for PC, Xbox One, and PS4 – Remake of 2012's ZombiU from the WiiU
- Rare Replay Impressions
- Xbox Feedback – Backwards Compatibility List – Vote for your favourite X360 titles
- Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- Destiny Gjallarhorn Day
- Destiny Year 2 Content and The Taken King News
- Halo Wars 2 Announcement
- Halo TV Show Still Happening
- X15: Xbox Canada Event – The Halo Five Event
- ReadyUpLive Pax Prime Party
- ReadyUpLive Forum Post of the Week – Are Achievements Important To You?
Hope you enjoyed, see you next time! #RULPodcast


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Thanks for hosting me for the Fall #RomanticTravel Exchange.
One of my favorite places for a romantic vacation is Lake George, N.Y. My family used to vacation there every summer when I was growing up, and my husband and I have continued the tradition. Which is why I've set the first Love at Lake George Novel, A Taming Season, right there!
A Taming Season: A Love at Lake George Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy Link: http://amzn.to/1UwbK9d
Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/1RCcQeU
Before she can move on, help other women, Zoe needs to heal herself. Her Cinderella life shattered three years ago one fateful night, leaving her a young widow, scarred inside and out. In an attempt to reclaim her life, bury her demons, and save her job, Zoe sets out for picturesque Lake George to claim the treasured family cottage she recently inherited. The place where she found happiness—before. Reboot, restore to an earlier time.
What she finds is a rundown shack.
The neighboring resort mogul, Jason Rolland, whisks in to her rescue, insisting Zoe stay at his upscale Lakeview Lodge. The wealthy, handsome, star of his own radio show, Jason's Lair, he's a terminal bachelor. But Jason figures he might use the gifts God gave him to convince the sexy redheaded stranger to give up the crumbling eye-sore next door. A challenge he's definitely up for. He's been trying to buy the cabin—and demolish it—for years: the last reminder of his own tragic, childhood memories.
Zoe can't deny her attraction to the tall, dark-haired Jason with his pool-water blue eyes. Definitely fling material—if she can just get past those flashbacks from the night everything changed. And the knowledge that when it comes to happy-ever-after, you usually don't get a second chance. Hardly possible with the Tiger of Jason's Lair.
What Jason doesn't figure on is Zoe's charms melting his emotional armor. But with his reputation, can he ever win her heart? Can a tiger really change his stripes? Or will their pasts come back to bite them both?
Even from twenty feet away, Jason caught the flare of anger in Zoe's eyes.
"So you took her right of way and forced her out. Leaving her—and now me—with a worthless piece of land."
He tipped back his head and squinted, studying her.
Not such a soft, vulnerable little thing after all. This one has a streak of wildcat, though quite ingeniously disguised.
"It's not exactly worthless." He spat the four words out, one at a time. "And I didn't take Delia's right of way, Ms. Anderson. I purchased it, fair and legal."
Zoe stalked back, stopping inches away and glaring up at him. She folded her arms across her chest. The action pushed her freckled cleavage into view.
He couldn't help it. He was a man, after all. His eyes sometimes had a mind all their own. They strayed down toward those luscious looking, speckled mounds. He also couldn't help the corner of his mouth twitching, just once.
Yup. Spotted mountain wildcat.
She caught him. When he lifted his gaze, her gold-flecked, green eyes had darkened to flint. She made a dangerous, guttural sound as her fisted hands dropped to her sides.
"My attorney," she said, stomping past him, "will be the one to determine exactly how fair and legal."
Author Bio:
Claire writes emotional romance. Her heroes are hot, her heroines strong and brave: a combination lighting the spark to fan the flames of your most intense romantic fantasies. Claire's characters are human—they make mistakes, get clumsy sometimes, and they're not too proud to laugh at themselves and each other.
She writes in contemporary and paranormal romance, as well as women's fiction. Claire's books are like a thrill ride at a theme park. Whether it's spooky-scary, angst-ridden relationships filled with gut-wrenching turmoil, silly chuckle moments, or face-fanning sex, Claire guarantees to take you on an emotionally intense romantic journey.
Thanks for sharing. Lake Charles sounds like a great place to visit,


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John Wilkes Booth won't kill you, despite being a band that shares it's name with the infamous assassin of Abraham Lincoln, but they may come close if they don't kill each other first. This Long Island band have riffs-a-plenty and with a wailing vocal reminiscent of Soundgarden's Chris Cornell (he's seriously good!) you'll only have to wait a short time into the opening track "From the North" from their latest full length release "Useless Lucy" to see what they are capable of.
I got a chance to spend some time with Harry, John Wilkes Booth's bass player, discussing a wide variety of things such as:
- the effects of having an historic and often hated (with every reason to be) figure as a band name
- pondered the demise of each band member
- in-fighting and personality clashes
- band name wars
- accidentally blowing the real Batman's cover (we are so, so sorry!)
These guys are a passionate bunch of dudes who make awesome music for the sheer love of it. And they're damned good too! Bonus!
Their music is available (often for free) at bandcamp - https://johnwilkesbooth.bandcamp.com/


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Gahan Wilson's New Website
The one-and-only Gahan Wilson has a new website (this news courtesy of Comics DC's Mike Rhode, as is the Mimi Pond post below). Link here
A Mimi Pond Interview
From Paste, August 22, 2017 — "The Customer Is Always Wrong's Mimi Pond On Turning Diner Drama into Period Piece Drama" — this interview In conjunction with the release of her new book.
Link here to Ms. Pond's website
New Case For Pencils with Jeremy Nguyen
Jeremy Nguyen is next up on Jane Mattimoe's always interesting Case For Pencils blog.
Link here to Mr. Nguyen's website


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Conversations with my boys
On the drive home…
Jeje: "My tummy is speaking to me."
Mom-Mom: "Why is your tummy speaking to you?"
Jeje: "My tummy is speaking 'cause I am hungry."
Conversations with my boys
During their morning's bubble bath, the boys and I were having fun with animal sounds…
Me: "Jeje, what sound does a duck make?"
Jediah: "Quack! QUACK!"
Me: "And what sound does a baby duckling make?"
Tiriel: "GA-GA GOO-GOO QUACK! QUACK!!"
Conversations with my boys
Me (presenting two small, non-pricky cacti to the boys): "Here are your baby plants for agriculture. Now you have to take care of them!"
Tiriel: "I want to give it milkie and rock it in the hammock!"
After my explanations about baby plants needing water and sunlight to grow big and strong (note I carelessly did not explain that plants need to stay still), the determined little one still managed to sneak baby cactus away to rock it in the hammock. And of course, baby cactus fell off the hammock and out the pot, and Dr. Mummy was left to clean up most of the mess and fix baby cactus' boo-boos…
Conversations with my boys
Me: "Ok, so because we're doing things that start with the letter 'B', let's go bathe in your blue bathtubs, with blue waters and bubbles, using water balloons!"
Jediah: "Yah!"
A very random Tiriel wiggles and declares: "Uh hmmm, and I have a BIG head!"
Conversations with my boys
Hurricane Jediah, now in his terrible twos took his box of raisins and scattered it into his alphabet soup which he then poured unto his table. He was promptly buckled into the naughty chair and was left to contemplate his demeanour…
Me: "Jeje, are you going to be a good boy now?"
Jediah: "No, I am not."
Me: "Why not?"
Jediah: "Because I am not a boy, I am a baby!"
Conversations with my boys
The following act of high treason occurred during a puppet show staged at home behind a couch. The brilliant show featured an eclectic cast of characters including the Frog Prince, Cookie Monster, and two audience members Tiriel and Jediah.
Act 14, Scene 7: Enter Tiriel who gives the poor and perpetually hungry Cookie Monster some cookies from the royal kitchen.
Frog Prince: "Tiriel, for your act of kindness towards Cookie Monster, I will make you a Prince."
Tiriel: "No. You will make me King and you will buy me a crown."
Jediah: "Yeah, me too!"
And so began the reign of King Tiriel and his little brother Jediah (also a King).
Conversations with my boys
Me: (Pointing to Rico, one of the Penguins of Madagascar) "Gigi, what's that?"
Jediah: (Pausing with a determined little frown) "Panda chicken."
And thus it came to pass that the then one year old, through his impressive skill of association, aptly coined a new name for the little flightless bird (previously classified the Penguin specie of the Aves Spheniscidae family).
Conversations with my boys
Me: "Tiri, what do you want to eat—macaroni and cheese?"
Tiriel: "No."
Me: "Do you want spaghetti?"
Tiriel: "No."
Me: "Noodles?"
Tiriel: "No."
Me: "Wantons?"
Tiriel: "No."
Me: "Popcorn chicken?"
Tiriel: "No."
Me: "So what do you want to eat?"
Tiriel: "Tiri want to eat dinosaurs…"
And so began the age of the Tirisaur—ultimate carnivore and dinobal (eater of fellow dinosaurs) — or at least potato wedges shaped, amateurishly by mummy, like dinosaurs…
Conversations with my boys
Narrator on a musical/story CD: "Where do you think the dinosaurs went?"
Tiriel: "They got lost."
Me: "How did they get lost?"
Tiriel: "They went for a walk and disappeared."


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Well, folks, looks like winter is on it's way into our lives early this year and with the data showing on the DEYO winter map [above image] better get prepared soon as possible. I've been trying to prepare here in the Oklahoma Mountain Gateway as much as possible last few weeks, but times are tough, prices are higher and fewer items available. Recently got a little firewood stacked, checking house for winter heating….! Weather report says a cold front coming thru area tomorrow, Wednesday with some storms, wind, rain….! I sure hope the Deyo forecast map is wrong because it has ICE over my area, more ice than snow!
I wanted to remind everyone that matches that work are necessary prep item and was just at the Mena, Arkansas Wal-Mart which had restocked the Coleman Camp Matches [above] and this is an excellent buy. A number of match boxes {strike anywhere} sealed in plastic and the perfect 'put-back' item. After the last post on this a number emailed me that this item had been over-looked and time to buy was NOW! This is beginning of deer season in the local area, so good time to get this item from the store. The match is simple but very effective way to start your cooking fires or warming fires.
Some have asked me to post a BOOK that I was impressed with as I read a lot, really do enjoy reading! OK ~ Just started this new book [image above] entitled: SURVIVORS, a novel of the coming collapse, by James Wesley Rawles. This book is new and was out this October 4, 2011 [release date] Amazon http://amazon.com and is over-whelming in the fashion of recent novel: ONE SECOND AFTER…! This is a similar story line, but with more up-to-date characters worldwide, such as soldiers & family overseas as the terrible COLLAPSE begins to happen in USA & Worldwide…! This book presents major problems in the collapse and some solutions to live or survive such. Haven't finished reading but is excellent story & reality about to come…! The author, James Wesley Rawles has a BLOG at http://survivalblog.com and points at family preps in tough times……for SURVIVAL!
Stan & Holly Deyo has important news reports up for Tuesday, October 11, 2011 on their website http://standeyo.com including: [1] Volcano Erupts Close to Spanish Canary Island [2] El Hierro Officials Concerned Over Island Bulge [3] The Volcano Went Into the Sea – the Next 24 Hours Critical [4] Spanish Town Evacuated Because of Volcano Threat AND many other news reports at the DEYO website http://standeyo.com ….
AND do not over-look this very interesting NEWS story today on the DEYO website for those who want to know ~ "Earthquake Swarm at Hoover Dam Being Covered Up?"…! http://standeyo.com ….
Recently, Red Elk, of Washington State has been building EMERGENCY SHELTERS for the coming collapse and has sent out data, photos [one above shelter by Red Elk] and any information he could to help people have some type shelter in a terrible time to come as Red Elk has warned…! Red Elk has warned this time is upon us and also warned ICE ! But the most recent warning from Red Elk was of WAR ~ Coming to USA Soil! Now, at the moment Red Elk's website is DOWN and haven't had email from him in days, however; soon as he's back up, will post his website for anyone wanting his data…? SOON!
OK, folks, many earthquakes, volcano activity, cosmic troubles, trouble in USA and actually worldwide – WATCHING and will write another blog as have time….!
Thanks for listening,
Larry W. Taylor
EMAIL: email@example.com
Larry's BLOG http://larrywtaylor.org


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Partnership Culture Is Best For Success
Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 Share
Certain workplace culture characteristics consistently bring about higher financial performance, according to a study done by one researcher. Organizational psychologist Dr. Richard Petronio surveyed 200,000 employees at 50 companies in a cross-section of industries -- high-tech, health care, insurance, transportation, manufacturing, finance, services and retail.
The study identified the workplace culture characteristics that correlate with financial success. It categorized five major types of employer-employee culture styles: Entrepreneurial ("leader-follower"), Paternal ("parent-child"), Mechanical ("machine-part"), Exploitive ("master-slave") and Partnership ("partner-partner").
Although many companies aspire to an entrepreneurial style, the study found the partnership style is the one where employers outperform.
Certain employers consistently surpassed others financially -- even in bad economic times. The study investigated whether there were factors in the employers' cultures that brought about the success or whether success brought about a certain culture.
Petronio found that the highest-performing employers had the following culture characteristics:
Strong system of employee rights.
Empowered, responsible employees.
Equal application of personnel policies across the organization.
Shared rewards when the company is profitable.
Extremely open cultures.
Management perceived as fair, credible, trustworthy and sincerely concerned about employees.
High sense of employee identity with the employer and its products or services.
Valued tenure of employees.
Good teamwork.
Employees treated with high respect and fairness.
The study found about a 0.65 correlation between the presence of these characteristics and business performance. (A perfect correlation would be 1.0.) As the presence of these characteristics increased, there was a significant increase in profitability.
In companies with a partnership-style culture, these characteristics were also common but were lacking in the others. "It's clear that certain things in the workplace culture lead to higher profits, and other things don't have an effect," Petronio concluded. "We hardly ever found a correlation between pay and benefits and job satisfaction. On the other hand, management's credibility is almost always predictive of high business performance."
Posted in Tax And Accounting Topics For Business
Disclaimer: The information contained in Dulin, Ward & DeWald's blog is provided for general educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or legal advice on any subject matter. Before taking any action based on this information, we strongly encourage you to consult competent legal, accounting or other professional advice about your specific situation. Questions on blog posts may be submitted to your DWD representative.


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Raven's Blood
Moon Virus (Book 1)
Cassandra Lawson
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: 03/25/2014
Number of pages: 300
Word Count: 85,088
Following the death of her wood nymph mother at the hands of vampires, Raven worked hard to build a life for herself in one of the few remaining human settlements. Her life takes a frightening turn when she finds herself an unwilling guest in a vampire settlement, but things are not anything like she expected them to be. Still, she cannot help but feel that her attraction to the vampire leader is a betrayal to her mother's memory and her human friends.
From the moment Connor first laid eyes on Raven she has thrown his entire world off-balance. In order to prove his strength as a leader, he has no choice but to take her up on her offer to trade her freedom for that of her human friends. Having begun his life as a slave, he has no interest in keeping the wood nymph captive. As a man, he has no desire to feel this overwhelming attraction to a woman who hates him and his kind.
As Raven spends more time with the vampires, her feelings for Connor grow even stronger and Connor finds that she may be the one thing he cannot live without. Unfortunately, a new danger emerges that could threaten the survival of vampires and humans alike. As Connor struggles to unravel the mystery of the attacks from a new species of vampire, a madman will go to any lengths to get Raven's blood.
Raven's Blood Playlist
Raven's Blood Playlist
I have always been a bit of a rocker. For that reason, I wanted to share some of the songs that I listened to while writing Raven's Blood. Since Raven's Blood is set in Oakland, Alameda, and San Ramon, I decided to limit my playlist to San Francisco Bay Area musicians.
Connor was shocked when Raven took off. She skipped the overgrown trail and headed straight into the trees. He followed her, awed by her graceful movements. If he'd been human, he never would have been able to keep up with her. With each step she seemed to gain strength.
Connor finally caught her arm. "Slow down some, little nymph."
"Why?" she asked with a radiant smile. "Are you having trouble keeping up with me?"
Connor stepped in closer to her body and leaned in until she was trapped against a tree by his much larger body. Her gasp made him smile. She had obviously noticed his erection pressed against her belly. "Vampires get excited by the chase," he said. "It weakens my self-control."
Her eyes widened. "I thought you said you didn't want an unwilling partner."
"I don't," he said. "That's why I would have to lay you down on the ground and lick every inch of your sweet body until you begged me to take you."
Her pulse quickened and Connor couldn't resist the temptation to lean forward and run his tongue across it. That made him even harder and he hadn't thought that was possible.
Damn, but she seemed to be considering letting him do it. The green tint to her cheeks deepened. Never in a million years would he have guessed that green tinted flesh would be a turn-on. This hadn't happened before so he assumed it had something to do with her proximity to nature. He suddenly wondered if other parts of her body flushed green when she was excited. Damn, he really would love to strip her naked and find out.
Finally, she let out a shaky breath. "Sorry, I'll move slower."
He released her and adjusted his jeans. "We need to stop for a minute so I can get things under control," he said.
"I'm sorry," she said nervously. "I wasn't trying to do that to you."
"You never are," he said mostly to himself.
Raven's Blood Cookies
I love to bake and I am always experimenting with new cookie recipes. Okay, I also love eating cookies. As a busy mom and author, some days I need a simple recipe to satisfy my cookie cravings. This recipe requires very little effort but results in a cookie that is chewy on the outside with a moist cakey center.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 18-20 minutes
Makes: 22-24 cookies
Preheat: 350ºF (175ºC).
Chocolate Cookie Base
1/2 cup butter softened
1 box of chocolate cake mix
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips
- Mix butter until it has a nice creamy consistency, around 5 minutes.
- Add cake mix, egg, egg yolk, oil and vanilla extract.
- Mix until well-blended.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Form balls of dough and drop on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place about 1 inch apart.
- Press down on center of balls with a spoon to make an indent.
Red Velvet Center
1/2 cup butter softened
1 box of red velvet cake mix
2 eggs
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- Mix butter until it has a nice creamy consistency, around 5 minutes.
- Add cake mix, eggs and oil.
- Mix until well blended.
- Form smaller balls of dough and then drop them in the indents on the chocolate base.
- There will be extra red velvet dough.
- I recommend forming balls of dough, dropping them on the cookie sheet and sprinkling powdered sugar on top.
Bake cookies for 18-20 minutes. Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cassandra Lawson is an author and homeschooling mother of three from the San Francisco Bay area. She has always had a very active imagination and loves making up stories. When she is not writing she enjoys baking, spending time with her family, listening to music, or curling up with a good book.
to be added...


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"Prior to having the glasses, when reading for information I would have to use a highlighter pen to follow the lines. I could only read for 1.5 hours before becoming very tired and no more than two 1.5 hour sessions in the day. When driving I would have to have a passenger route finding for me or I would get lost on new routes regularly.
After getting the glasses a lot has changed. Any new learning is deeper and better understood. Previously it would be like skipping stones on water, I would know something but I could not retain the route I used to get there. Now it is like building a bridge. The stress levels are reduced because I am not using as much effort to concentrate on tasks, I am more creative and flexible in any approaches to work, relying less on notes and routine to get me through the day. The tinted glasses have completely changed the way I organise and live my life."
"Dear Ruth and the team,
This is a poor attempt at a huge thank you for changing my life. From a very early in my life I was not confident at school and my father became increasingly frustrated with my poor school reports. All my life I felt inferior and thick' or 'stupid' because I could not do the things others could. I tried my best to describe to people what was happening and that words moved and the brightness of paper hurt. I was deemed unruly and making up pathetic excuses. Thus I became a rebel!
It was not until I was 21 and at college training as a chef that I discovered that I had a 'real' problem. While asked in class to measure out ingredients I found I could not multiply the amounts or read the recipe properly, so I improvised. My tutor noticed of course and asked me why, it was then I was tested for Dyslexia. The next change in my life was when I was 40 and I visited Ruth for the first time after researching on the internet problems with Dyslexia and eye sight.
I had been to opticians before and had been prescribed glasses but always felt that they were not doing much for me. After visiting with Ruth I left the shop feeling for the first time in my life I was not odd 'thick' or 'stupid'. The glasses that I had been prescribed worked wonders for me and over the last two years have given me confidence in my work and my life. I have just had my second visit and this time Ruth has suggested tinted lenses for Meares-Irlen Syndrome, I am very excited and can't wait to have a new pair with the tints. At last, at age 42, I can be confident that I am not 'thick' or 'stupid' and that I do have a very real issue. This will of course have a huge impact on my daily life both at work and at home.
I can highly recommend (and will) Ruth as she is a very enthusiastic person who takes great pride in her work and gives her all when helping people. She is simply a wonderful woman. Thank you Ruth and the team for changing my life."
Dear Ruth
The glasses arrived today, and after a little hesitation and minor panic on my part, were pretty much an instant success! The minor panic came when Anton put them on for the first time and immediately said: "Everything is red."
(OH, NO!) He took them off again and went on "everything is red, but even more red with them on." Since red is more or less synonymous with brown or black within blue cone monochromacy, I took it to mean things were a bit darker. (PHEW!). He then went on to say my face looked different. (What now???). ~ looked bigger (Oh, phew, again … ) The biggest miracle of all is that, as you and Alex predicted they would, they stay put once they are on. It was great fun seeing Anton in all sorts of contortions attempting to look over or under them. He gave up soon enough!
Then I noticed he was doing the same thing again as he did when he'd got his very first pair, the clear ones: he was noticing that he was seeing things he hadn't realised before, details, like the little holes over the speaker part of the television, and also (I'm less happy to admit) he pointed out the wrinkles on my forehead … He even asked for a duster, because he saw some dust on the telly! This just illustrates quite how little the pair he was using before were helping him! When asked which he preferred, he was very clear this new pair was his preference.
The most wonderful confirmation of how right these are for him came at bedtime. He has a very dimmed nightlight on his bedside cabinet, yet he asked to have his glasses on to "read" his books. That has NEVER happened before.
We're certainly off to a good start. I haw a feeling we're going to be in for few more discoveries and surprises in the coming days … We can't thank you enough! This could mean such a tum-around, it's like a whole new world is opening up for our little boy, when quite rightly you pointed out how much there already was to celebrate.
"I am now 12 years old, and up to now life has been terrible. I have found it impossible to read. All my friends seem to manage, but for me it just doesn't happen The words moved about and got all jumbled. People would make fun of me and call me names, I felt stupid and worthless. I was made to sit at an exam paper for 90 minutes trying to make out at least one question, but none of it made any sense to me. Frustrated attempts were making me sick and dizzy. It was affecting my health and I started having fits, bad headaches and migraines. There was a sense of hopelessness and loss. I was scared of going to school but was dragged there, often in tears, pleading 'Please don't make me go!'
My eyes went over the words but they would disappear and move. I honestly thought it was some magic power in me making them do this, and this made me feel like I had some supernatural powers within me and I was therefore not normal. I didn't want to be different so I refused the Special Needs corner. I felt I was putting maximum effort in for no reward, so I lost the will to try and considered ending everything.
I came to see Ruth in April 2010 and she found some spectacles which helped to stop some of the wobble. Better still we made a reading aid out of some orange overlay and black card which has stopped the words from moving about. AT LAST!! My self confidence is returning, I am participating in sports once more – I came 11th out of 70 runners – and can feel my self confidence growing. My teachers are amazed. My mother is amazed and I feel a massive difference on the inside.
Ruth says she can put a tint in my spectacles, but I am not ready for this yet as it may attract attention. It would look fine on anyone else, but it is not for me as I don't want to stand out from the crowd. Perhaps I can start to catch up with my education."
Dear Ruth
I just wanted to write and thank you now I have finished the eye training course. I came to you to learn how I could focus properly and understand my eyes better. To start with I had to learn how my eyes worked by doing the exercises you gave me to do every week. At first I thought the sessions were not working and it really was wasting my time, but eventually after practicing nearly every night or when ever I could, my eyes worked a lot better and I started to understand how I could make my eyes focus quicker, without my glasses (bifocals). At the end of the sessions I can focus quicker without using my glasses. The sessions helped my eyes learn how to look near and far with ease, walk a bug up and down the string at a speed I wanted it to go, with only me controlling it and not my eyes controlling the bug. I was able to increase my time on the flippers dramatically over the course of sessions and lastly I managed to see in to an Inter Free Space and the results were amazing. From not been able to see into one before to actually seeing one clearly was fantastic.
Now with the knowledge of what I know I can keep my eyes in focus on my own but if I need to I can go back to the exercises I have learned and be able to keep my eyes working properly.
This has been beneficial to me and I have enjoyed the sessions partly because I wanted to set myself a challenge of making my eyes work. In the Easter holidays I even read a book from start to finish as my eye focus is now much better. Also at college I can focus on the white board more clearly too and I am not so tired.
Thank you.


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It's Written in the Stars...READ! – October 7-13
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Florida Trade & Logistics Institute
Learn About Our International Policy See the Latest on Imports & Exports in Florida
The Florida Chamber is committed to connecting Florida's business community to global opportunities and leveraging resources and investments to maintain and expand Florida's position as an international trade leader. The Chamber has established the Florida Trade & logistics Institute to help coordinate implementation of the recommendations from the Florida Trade & Logistics Study 2.0; to convene statewide and regional events to inform elected officials and other public, private , and civic leaders about the importance of trade, logistics, manufacturing, and value-added services to Florida's economy; to release a regular "Florida Trade & Logistics Report Card" to monitor Florida's progress toward its global vision; to conduct ongoing research studies; and to serve as a resource advisor, and collaborate with the public and private stakeholders as they consider policies, plans, and programs related to trade and logistics.
In order to become the number one state in the nation for innovation and economic development, we must continue to attract and retain high-skilled talent, target growing industries and continue to work toward the recommendations set forth in the Florida Chamber Foundation's Trade and Logistics 2.0 (TL2) report.
Florida Chamber Trade & Logistics Institute Steering Committee
Rob Palmer, AICP CTLRS&H
- JAXPORT: Eric Green, CEO
- Port Everglades: Steven Cernak, Chief Executive & Port Director
- Port Panama City: Wayne Stubbs, Executive Director
- Port Tampa Bay: Paul Anderson, President & CEO
- Port Canaveral: Captain John Murray, CEO
- CSX: Bob O'Malley, Resident VP
- Florida East Coast Railway: Bob Ledoux, Sr. Vice President
- Norfolk Southern: Conner Poe, Government Relations
- Genesee & Wyoming Railroad: Joe Arbona, Assistant Vice President
Private Sector
- Walmart e-Commerce: Toby Gray, General Manager
- Beall's, Inc.: Frank Casaine, VP Outlet Distribution
- Weyerhaeuser: Rose Fagler, Economic Development Manager
Affiliated Organizations/Partners
- Florida Trucking Association: Ken Armstrong, President & CEO
- Floridians for Better Transportation: Sally Patrenos, President
- Florida Ports Council: Doug Wheeler, President & CEO
State/Regional/Local Partners
- FDOT Central Office – Rail/Freight: Rickey Fitzgerald, Manager Freight & Multimodal Operations
- FDOT Central Office – Freight/Modes: Gerard O'Rourke, Administrator Freight, Logistics and Passenger Operations
- FDOT Central Office – Leadership: Tom Byron, Assistant Secretary Intermodal Systems Development
- University of North Florida: Robert Frankel, PhD, Director Transportation & Logistics Flagship Program
- Florida Polytechnic University: Dean Bushey, PhD Director Autonomous Systems
- Florida Atlantic University: Evangelos Kaiser, Ph.D., Director and Principal Investigator Freight Mobility Research Institute
Florida Chamber of Commerce
- Dan Tapia
Manager International Strategy & Policy
- Alice Ancona
Director, International Trade


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This is my soul sister Nina! She's one AWESOME interior designer, one of the funnest surf buddies and one of my best friends. We discovered each other a few years ago and have become inseparable since. We are too alike!
Here are her nine current obsessions :)
- learning how to noseride effortlessy (or at least looking like I'm not trying)
- Japanese subway tile for my projects. It's sooooo hard to look for it in Manila!
- To bangs or not to bangs?
- the FANTASTIC windows at Bergdorf-Goodman located at 5th Ave in NYC. (more photos here)
- Snowflakes cupcakes that i plan to bake/ give away for Christmas. I hope it happens!
- the body of Behati Prinsloo! she's been a regular desktop wallpaper, alternating between kassia meador & beyonce for thin-spiration!
- the monochromatic wardrobe palette of Karen Walker
- The hypnotic & captivating (well, at least for me) art of Nena Saguil
- and of course, i obsess about my Takayama because I'm always counting the days til I get to ride & play w/ it again in the ocean! :-)
check out nina's blog!


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I will be starting tomorrow. I purchased a kettle bell today and I have prepared a weeks worth of veggies and have my beans cooking in the crockpot for the week. I am excited. I am 42 years old. I lost 110 lbs in 2005/6 and 50 lbs have crept back on. I want them gone. I worked really hard to lose the 110 and I want an easier way. I am out of shape and want to feel and look better. I was inspired by the woman that sounded just like me that used the kettle bell and diet routine. So I am making two small changes to start for the first few weeks. I made an account on
1. I am sticking to the slow carb meal plan. (my family will eat what I cook or fend for themselves. Photo Journaling the food I eat on MealLogger. I have invited my friends, daughter and sister to join in with me.
2. I will use the kettle bell swing workout on Mondays and Fridays.
I will take my photos and measurements and post them tomorrow on my start date.


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Do more of what you love.
Be your most authentic self.
Make a greater impact on the world.
Are you doing what you love? We all have a calling, or a purpose, maybe even more than one. I believe that our purpose is not just what we are here to do on this planet, it is who we are.
I help heart-centered professionals and entrepreneurs to take their life and their life's work to the next level. If you already love what you do, I'll support you through the next evolution of your career or business. If you want to love what you do, I can help you find clarity of purpose and begin a new chapter.
I am a consultant, a guide and a mentor. My approach empowers you to find your own answers, create your unique path and facilitate the healing you need most. I help you tap in to your inner wisdom using various techniques, including mentoring conversations, Hypnotherapy and Past Life Regression Therapy. These are powerful, life-changing tools and I am grateful to be able to share them.
work with me
Learn about my approach and the programs I offer to help you live a life you love.
get started
Book your free phone consultation and begin your life-changing journey today!


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Grant for Langley Park transit center
Plans to build a transit center in Langley Park to serve bus riders in Montgomery and Prince George's counties got a boost Tuesday when members of Maryland's congressional delegation announced a $818,300 federal grant to design and build the center.
The transit center, which the Maryland Transit Administration plans to build at the northwest corner of University Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue in the Langley/Takoma Park area, would be designed to offer a comfortable shelter where bus passengers could wait out of the weather and a safer place for them to transfer between buses. About a dozen bus routes converge in that area, serving about 30,000 residents, state officials said. The highly congested area also has a high concentration of pedestrian accidents and fatalities.
The transit center also would be a major stop on the state's planned Purple Line light rail line between Bethesda and New Carrollton.
-- Katherine Shaver
Washington Post editors
| September 21, 2010; 4:17 PM ET
Categories: Maryland
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Another accommodation for illegals.
Posted by: postisarag | September 21, 2010 4:43 PM | Report abuse
So little Tijuana gets a better bus stop.
But seriously, that area is a total cluster-f***. I avoid it like the plague even though I live only a few miles from it. You have whole families of illegals just running across the 6 lanes of traffic, complete congestion from those who can't operate a vehicle on the American side of the road, and the MS-13 used car lot (the service road on 193 between the main road and the apartments.)
Posted by: ericroks | September 21, 2010 5:38 PM | Report abuse
Pork plain and simple.
Vote out the congressman who appropriated this.
Posted by: pooooop423 | September 21, 2010 6:25 PM | Report abuse
The comments to this entry are closed.


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It is Monday again! And today I'll be sharing 5 new tips you can use to start the week right. This week I am focusing on the content we create on Social Media, because content is King! The better the content, the more likely people will follow you and do business with you. 1. Content … Continue reading Top 5 Content Tips to increase your Social Media Traffic and Engagement
Tag: marketing
8 Ways to make money with Social Media
For many of us, Social Media is just a hobby to stay in contact with friends and family and get daily inspirations from people we don't know from all over the world. Others have turned their hobby into a full-time career. It sounds a little bit too good to be true right? In this post … Continue reading 8 Ways to make money with Social Media
Key characteristics of Successful Social Influencers
Social Media Marketing success these days is not defined by the number of followers you have but merely by the amount of engagement you have with your public. Social Media is called "Social" for a reason. People are craving social engagement and an easy way is via the online platforms. As a Social Influencer you … Continue reading Key characteristics of Successful Social Influencers
Top 5 tips to create meaningful connections on Social Media
Every Monday I'll be sharing 5 new tips you can use to start the week right. This week I am focusing on the connections we make on Social Media, because that's where it all starts. The better the connection with your audience, the more likely they are to take advice from you or buy your … Continue reading Top 5 tips to create meaningful connections on Social Media
How the Instagram algorithm actually works
Since 2016 the Instagram algorithm was introduced and it changed the whole Social Media game. The idea of the algorithm is that you are supposed to "see the posts that really matter to you". Back in the day you would see all posts in chronological order and now it is based on ranking. You will … Continue reading How the Instagram algorithm actually works
How to become a Successful Social Media Influencer
Social media has become the cornerstone for a new wave of digital entrepreneurs. People cannot go anywhere without being exposed to Social Media and the new way of Marketing. Millennials are taking advantage of the giant that Social Media has become and create a massive amounts of money to live the life they have always dreamed of, … Continue reading How to become a Successful Social Media Influencer
Top Ways Guest Blogging Can Grow Your Online Audience
One of the single most important ways for you to grow your blog audience and increase traffic to your website is guest blogging. Guest blogging has become an excellent way for businesses to connect with new readers and get your name out. There are three reasons why guest blogging is such a crucial strategy for … Continue reading Top Ways Guest Blogging Can Grow Your Online Audience
5 Ways to Boost Your Social Media Traffic Immediately
Building web traffic through your social media platforms is a lot like a city planner knowing how to get traffic in and out of a city efficiently. Getting people to your website through engagement on social media can be tricky, especially if you have a limited budget and are already trying to utilize paid advertising. … Continue reading 5 Ways to Boost Your Social Media Traffic Immediately
How to get paid for promoting your favourite eBay product
eBay has 1.1 Billion listings that you can offer your audience. You can get paid for sharing eBay listings that you love. The more purchases there are made, the more you'll get paid. But how do you start? As a social influencer or a blogger you a have a follower and reader base and are showing … Continue reading How to get paid for promoting your favourite eBay product


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Henkel Consumer Goods, Inc
Terry Hartlage, Plant Manager
"Henkel began working with CTC Manufacturing in 2011, utilizing their services to apply overwraps on our Dial Complete bottles. Engaging CTC has enabled us to increase efficiency and drive bottom line cost savings for our organization. We have continued to expand our volume of work to CTC over the years with enhanced positive business results. By working with CTC, Henkel is pleased to be part of providing increased opportunities for adults with disabilities in the Hazleton Area. The quality, performance and delivery on commitments has been outstanding. Thanks to our arrangement, both businesses have benefitted!"
Weiler Corporation
Deidra Mader, Buyer/Planner
"We were looking for another supplier to help us with packaging our product and CTC Manufacturing's name came up. We went for a visit and were very happy with what we saw and started doing business with them. CTC Manufacturing went from just packaging our product to cutting and bundling fill material for us as well. Doing business with CTC Manufacturing has made it easier for the Weiler Corporation to be able to utilize our employees in other areas of the business. I personally have been to CTC Manufacturing several times and everyone was wonderful. We have a great working relationship. CTC Manufacturing does a fantastic job and takes pride in what they do for Weiler and that means so much to us. I would tell anyone that's considering working with CTC Manufacturing that they are a great team to work with and you won't be disappointed."
Malhame Vestment Company
Rolly DeVore, Malhame Representative
"We began working with CTC over a decade ago. The initial hope was that they would be able to handle just our overflow work during peak season. Since that time, they have grown to be our main source of contract sewing. They have a tremendously skilled workforce that, at every corner, have met or exceeded our expectations. Everything we have given them, they have done exceptionally well. The have quality management, a responsive workforce and deliver a high quality product on time. What more could you ask for?!"


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Most parents read a bedtime story to their children during the toddler and early years. It is part of the regular nightly routine, and helps with the transition from active play to quiet, restful time. It also provides an opportunity to snuggle and allows parents an escape from the pressures of the day into the land of make-believe and Dr. Seuss.
As kids transition from pre-school to school age, parents go from reading to their children, to reading with them. I have a wonderful memory of Becca, 5 years old, standing over Chrissy in her crib, reading The Foot Book by Dr Seuss, a favourite at the time.
In elementary school, we continue to encourage our kids to read and help them fill out their scholastic book orders. We spend time reviewing their book report choices and continually help expand their reading interests.
But what happens when they reach the teen years? We seem to think our jobs are done. Far from it. Read the rest of this entry »


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Multi-media project for the Dutch Parliament during the elections.
The Dutch Parliament (Tweede Kamer) has 150 members and is chosen every four years by the Dutch public. The MP's represent the voices of the Dutch people which is a great responsibility. But to whom did we give our vote? Who are they, what are their motives? How do we get to know them better? This is a multi media project to stimulate transparency in an open democracy and uses visual communication as a means to involve people and visitors. The heart of the concept is a grid that will continuously reshape by selecting different options.


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Lesson Details
- Levels Taught:
- Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
You will learn about shape, form, light & shadow, color, tonal value, composition and much more - at your own pace, with careful consideration and understanding of your personal needs and creative goals.
C J teaches
- Teaches students:
- Ages 10+ and special needs
- Teaching since:
- 1999
C J Elsip is an internationally emerging Fine Artist with a uniquely distinctive style of work. Her highly intuitive use of colour and form resonates on the canvas, creating powerful, vibrant oil paintings which emanate with an exquisite sense of light, depth and dramatic presence.
Welcoming students of all ages and abilities, the artist combines a versatile, inspirational and intuitive approach with an extensive variety of effective drawing and painting techniques, encouraging you to stretch the boundaries of both creative medium and mind to discover, explore and develop your own personal, creative language.
Through hands on demonstration and individual guidance, discover time-honored, traditional and experimental drawing and painting techniques as you are guided on a fascinating creative journey of light, color, composition and depth.
Fine ArtistSep 1995 - Present
BA Hons Fine ArtSep 1991 - Jun 1996
Art & Design BTEC DipSep 1989 - Jul 1990
Photos & Videos
8 ReviewsWrite a Review
CJ was great! She was very patient with my granddaughters, and really gave them a wonderful lesson. Their completed artwork was fantastic! I would highly recommend CJ as a very talented artist and excellent teacher.
Even in the first hour-long lesson, CJ was able to show me basic drawing techniques that will be really helpful as I continue to work on my skills. She was helpful and friendly and we had a great time!
It is hard to get a lot out of a lesson doing it remotely. And in one hour! She was wonderful but I think I would like to try lessons either in a group setting or individual face to face. That way she could help me correct mistakes as I go.
1st session went very well and provided a solid plan.
C.J. Has so much to teach and knows how to step back and let someone learn and do. I perfectly enjoyed this lesson!
Carol has really helped me broaden my painting horizons, not just through learning new techniques, but also in just viewing art. I can now look at a painting in a gallery, know how it was created, and create something of my own based on what I see. She taught me so much in just a short time and has continued to be supportive of my work. Carol is truly a world-class instructor and artist.+ Read More
I've been a hobby painter for years, not knowing what the actual methods were to paint. It was fun, but I wanted to learn some "real" techniques to take my painting to the next level. After viewing CJ's work, I was interested in what she could teach me. After the first lesson I was painting WAY BEYOND anything I had ever painted before. With some simple tools, tricks, and methods - I had a whole new set of skills to apply right away. Carol is extremely patient, and is always encouraging. Even with I thought what I wasn't doing, she pointed out moments and sections that I should repeat and do more of. In the end, my new creations were amazing, and I would recommend CJ to anybody wanting to take their painting to the next step on the masters path. She's the real deal. 7 out of 5 stars for this master instructor.+ Read More


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Today marks the last day of no classes. The last day of no worries, no stress, no deadlines, no papers. As I sit at my desk looking over syllabi and jotting down due dates and reading assignments, I am overwhelmed but a fair bit of excitement has come over me as well. Excitement because I know I can accomplish the on-coming challenges and finish the semester knowing I gave it everything I had. Excitement for everything new I'll learn and understand. Excitement knowing that I'm one step closer on this journey. I am looking forward to my involvement with the Geography Club which I was elected an office in October 2016 and my hopeful enrollment in the Lloyd International Honors College. I've been bouncing ideas off of friends for a research project in the Honors College but within the next few weeks I should be meeting with Dr. Tolbert, the liaison to the Honors program in the History Department. With potentially three more semesters at UNC-G, it won't be long until I'm applying to graduate school and packing up and moving somewhere else. To where exactly, I won't know for another year or so but I have a few schools I'd like to end up in mind. But that's a post for another day. I'll just leave all of you, my readers, sitting on the edge of your seat, racking your brain wondering where. Until next time!
Last Day of Freedom