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It's not easy to build a strong and sustainable business.
That's true whether your business is in construction, retail, food, farming, or any other industry.
It's definitely not easy to build a strong and sustainable business in Joomla. The platform is over 10 years old and the user-base is active, but not growing quickly.
However, over the last two years, we've managed to grow Joomlashack. Our revenues have doubled every six months. This enables us to add more developers and support staff, plus push out frequent product updates. 94% of Joomlashack tickets get a reply inside 3 hours, and 90% of users say the support is "great".
Yes, we have some good extensions and templates, but one thing has made that growth possible: recurring subscriptions.
Some customers are upset about this, so I want to talk through the reasons behind this decision.
Remember when people hated paying anything for open source software?
This is old school, but if you've been around Joomla for a while, you can remember when people hated paying for GPL software.
Back in 2007, there was an enormous controversy about this. Some developers started to build businesses based around GPL software and we interviewed several of them.
Some users were really angry about this commercialization. There were whole sites set up to allow the free distribution of commercial products. Some of these sites still exist in the WordPress space today - you can buy 100's of plugins for a few dollars. (Note: it's strongly recommended to not purchase from these sites, as they often add security exploits into the plugins)
But over time, the majority of customers realized that they needed to support developers. If a developer can work on their products full-time, they produce better work and they're able to hire support staff to answer your questions.
Subscribers help create great products for everyone
Here at Joomlashack, almost all of our products have free versions and we provide support for them. That's only possible because of the support of Pro members. But, we want the most value to be available to our Pro members.
With a subscription, you're able to access new releases and support immediately. We're able to push updates frequently and you get access to our priority support whenever you need it. And it's all at a very low price. Without subscriptions, we'd have to drastically higher our prices.
The future at Joomlashack
Also, looking ahead, we want to make Joomlashack even more useful for you. We want to:
- Give you better products with better features.
- Have your products ready for Joomla 4, on the day it's released.
- Answer 100% of your support tickets within 3 hours.
- Get even closer to 100% customer satisfaction.
But, to make that happen, Joomlashack needs more developers and a bigger support team. To hire extra staff, Joomlashack's business model needs to be more predictable. How can you hire more developers if you can't predict your revenue in 2 or 3 months time? Recurring subscriptions are the only way to be able to accurately predict your revenue.
What if I don't like recurring subscriptions?
That's understandable. We've heard from a good number of customers on this.
If you don't like recurring subscriptions, you can continue using the extension or template even after your subscription expires. Plus, there are no per-site licenses, so you can use one subscription for all your sites.
We also promise to treat you fairly. We're upfront about that fact that we use recurring subscriptions, and always give refunds if you forget to cancel a renewal.
Still, we encourage you to be a subscriber because these extensions and templates require continuous maintenance and development. Our team needs to upgrade the code for every new Joomla version, even the minor ones. We are also constantly updating them to work with other Joomla extensions, to fix bugs, and to meet the needs of third-party services such as Google and Mailchimp.
Your thoughts?
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Whether you're in favor of recurring subscriptions or not, please feel welcome to leave your thoughts in the comments below:
More reading
Quite a few WordPress companies have moved to recurring subscriptions, and explained their thinking:
- Major Pricing Changes At WooThemes
- How to Make Money with WordPress, with Matt Mullenweg
- Should Premium Themes Automatically Renew Licenses? Data from Thousands of Theme Sales
- Pippin's Plugins, after moving to recurring subscriptions
What about Joomla? How can you build your recurring subscription business on a Joomla site? Simple Renew is what we use at OSTraining and Joomlashack.


text: How to win the war against robos Even though robo-advisors are becoming increasingly popular, many advisors insist that clients will still seek a human touch or a real person who can understand the personal nuances of their financial lives. However, one consultant thinks that the threat from robos is not so easy to dismiss, reports Financial Advisor IQ. Citing marketing consultant Marti Barletta, the article said that younger clients are looking for more transparency on the value they get and pay for, and they want some demand of on-demand, channel-agnostic to the information. In addition, there have been indications – most recently from UK market researcher Investment Trends – that older investors are starting to follow the younger generations' lead in terms of expectations and technology adoption. The possibility of a sharp stock-market downturn – which is very real, given that it's been over eight years since the last one – adds to the risk of disaster for the industry. "Any one of these factors can break a market," said Barletta. "Three at once is a perfect storm." Comparing advisors' dismissal of robos with how online travel-booking services were regarded by brick-and-mortar tourist agencies – most of which have closed shop – Barletta said that advisors have to get their heads straight. "They have to stop thinking it's all about the personal touch and being liked and trusted — it's not," she said. "Most people are looking for services delivered on their terms." David Root, head of Pittsburgh-based D.B. Root and Company, favors a middle-ground approach. While changing client expectations and a growing taste for cheap robo-based services will displace many financial advisors with physical offices, he maintains that there will be room for hybrids. Particularly important are young financial advisors who can embrace new tools without giving up the personal touch. "It comes down to a willingness to use technology to our advantage instead of fighting it," said Root. "To me, the best practice of the future will be a harmonious marriage between a trusted advisor and a robo." Related stories: Toronto shines as major global fintech center Wealthsimple announces new pricing structure SHARE

subset: commoncrawl


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Category: Biographies
John Adams by David McCullough
Overview (from Amazon.com) In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot who spared nothing in his zeal for the American Revolution; who rose … Continue reading
Life by Keith Richards
Overview (from Wikipedia) Life is a memoir by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, written with the assistance of journalist James Fox. Published in October 2010, in hardback, audio and e-book formats, the book chronicles Richards' love of music, charting influences … Continue reading
The Kennedy Detail: JFK's Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence by Gerald Blaine
General Overview THE SECRET SERVICE. An elite team of men who share a single mission: to protect the president of the United States. On November 22, 1963, these men failed—and a country would never be the same. Now, for the … Continue reading
James Madison: The Founding Father by Robert Allen Rutland
General Description In this very human portrait of Madison and his role in the early, problem-fraught years of the new republic, University of Virginia professor Rutland, editor of the Madison Papers, not ony depicts him as a fervent patriot, combining … Continue reading
Washington: The Indispensable Man by James Thomas Flexner
General Description (from BN.com) After more than two decades, this dramatic and concise single-volume distillation of James Thomas Flexner's definitive four-volume biography George Washington, which received a Pulitzer Prize citation and a National Book Award for the fourth volume, has … Continue reading
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham
General Description Newsweek editor and bestselling author Meacham (Franklin and Winston) offers a lively take on the seventh president's White House years. We get the Indian fighter and hero of New Orleans facing down South Carolina radicals' efforts to nullify … Continue reading
Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin
General Description (from Amazon.com) Even before the book was out, its juiciest bits were everywhere: Sarah Palin was serene when chosen for V.P. because it was "God's plan." Hillary didn't know if she could control Bill (duh). Elizabeth Edwards was … Continue reading
Churchill by Paul Johnson
From Publisher's Weekly In this enthusiastic yet first-rate biography, veteran British historian Johnson (Modern Times) asserts that Winston Churchill (1874–1965) was the 20th century's most valuable figure: No man did more to preserve freedom and democracy…. An ambitious, world-traveling soldier … Continue reading
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
General Description (from Amazon.com) Franklin's writings span a long and distinguished career of literary, scientific, and political inquiry–the work of a man whose life lasted for nearly all of the 18th century, and whose achievements ranged from inventing the lightning … Continue reading
Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough
Description (from Amazon.com) Mornings on Horseback is the brilliant biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt. Hailed as "a masterpiece" (John A. Gable, Newsday), it is the winner of the Los Angeles Times 1981 Book Prize for Biography and the National … Continue reading


text: 2. Spike Jonze, MJZ By Jh Published on June 01, 2002. As the lead figure in the biggest production company deal of 2001, Spike Jonze's star remains hot with agency producers and creatives. His migration to MJZ - along with Dante Ariola and Kuntz & Maguire - following the collapse of Propaganda and Satellite Films was the major headline of the year, although Jonze's current heat may stand in inverse relation to his availability. At the moment, he's putting the finishing touches on Adaptation, his follow-up, with screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, to the 1999 hit Being John Malkovich and has yet to shoot a spot for his new production company. MJZ chief David Zander says that Jonze is now ready to shoot spots, although it's far from clear how much energy he's prepared to invest in commercials. "There are still agencies I'd like to work with that I haven't worked with before," Jonze told Creativity in February. "But I can't lie. Making movies, you put a lot more of yourself into it. I still like going to make a video or a commercial if it's an idea I'll have fun making." When Jonze does take up the camera for spots and videos, however, the results have been consistently brilliant. The big league debut for the former maker of skateboarding videos, "Guerrilla Tennis," for Wieden & Kennedy and Nike, featured the raucous scene caused when Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi break into a tennis match in the middle of a busy Manhattan intersection. He also heralded the millennium for Nike with the memorably apocalyptic "The Morning After" in which an athlete goes for a morning run, oblivious to the war zone effects of Y2K. His final Satellite spot, "Crazy Legs" for Levi's and TBWA/Chiat/Day, was not only the top choice in an online poll at Levi's website but a clear standout at this year's Super Bowl. His conceptually intriguing videos, for the likes of of Daft Punk, Weezer, Bjork and Fatboy Slim, consistently create a stir. His effort for Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice," starring Christopher Walken, was easily the best video of 2001. Most Popular In this article: Creativity Question


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Stanton, DE (SportsNetwork.com) - An evenly matched field of eight 3-year-old fillies will do battle Saturday in the $300,000 Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park.
Joint Return, trained by John Servis for Main Line Racing Stable, is the 5-2 morning line favorite for the 1 1/16-mile stakes and will start from post 4 with Kendrick Carmouche riding.
The filly won the Our Mims Stakes at Delaware Park on June 4. She circled the field in winning the mile event by 1 1/4 lengths over Image of Anna.
"I will always try to take advantage of getting a race over the track," said Servis, who won the Delaware Oaks in 2001 with Zonk. "The Our Mims worked out pretty good for us. If I did not use the race, and it was a little quick back, I would be sitting on six weeks between races and the Oaks would be her first time over the track, so the Our Mims helped us in a lot of ways. It got a race into her before the Oaks and she got a race over the track."
Early this year, Joint Return won the Busher Stakes at Aqueduct along with the Calder Oaks. She finished fifth in the Gulfstream Park Oaks and fourth in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico on May 16.
Joint Return has a career mark of five wins from eight starts for $228,154.
The 7-2 second choice is Fortune Pearl, trained by Graham Motion for owner Zanim Meahjohn. The filly will be ridden by Trevor McCarthy from the outside post.
Third in the Black-Eyed Susan, Fortune Pearl will be making her first start at Delaware Park in the Oaks.
"The Delaware Oaks has been the target race since the Black-Eyed Susan," said Motion, who won the Delaware Oaks in 2000 with Sincerely. "She ran a big race in the Black-Eyed Susan and she has trained at Delaware with this race in mind. I thought it was important for her to be there training on the surface every day. I think that could help her chances. She has been a little bit of a surprise and she has been working well, so we are pretty excited about her."
Fortune Pearl won a 1 1/16-mile allowance race by 2 1/4 lengths at Pimlico on May 2. She has earnings of $92,547 with two wins, two seconds and a third in six lifetime starts.
Trainer Richard Violette will start 9-2 co-third pick Image of Anna in the Oaks for The Elkstone Group. The filly will break from post 6 with Daniel Centeno again in the saddle.
Image of Anna set most of the pace in the Our Mims Stakes before being passed by Joint Return and finishing second. She finished 11th in the Black-Eyed Susan and has won two of six career starts for $92,667.
Also at 9-2 in the program is trainer Kelly Breen's Lady Paradime. The chestnut filly, owned by Triple Crowns Farm, will be ridden by Victor Carrasco from post 2.
Lady Paradime is coming off an 11th-place finish in the Acorn Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day and has three wins in seven starts for $91,887.
Here is the field for the Delaware Oaks in post position order: Pixie Dust, Alex Cintron, 10-1; Lady Paradime, Victor Carrasco, 9/2; Honey's Ryan, Kerwin Clark, 12-1; Joint Return, Kendrick Carmouche, 5/2; Aibhilin, Edwin Rivera, 15-1; Image of Anna, Daniel Centeno, 9/2; Vero Amore, Frankie Pennington, 5-1 and Fortune Pearl, Trevor McCarthy, 7/2.
The Delaware Oaks has an approximate post time of 5:15 p.m. ET.


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I am having one of those days where you just cannot get started or finished. I went to a group I belong to last night knitty hope it is a group of girls from church that I meet up with to do knitting. Last night I took my card making stuff and made 3 of my xmas cards for the kids. I came home and wanted to stay up so missed out on sleep. My camera broke this morning too. I went to see if I could get a new one and forgot my cash card. A comedy of errors I think!!!
I made this one for Just Magnolia a fab sketch from Mina. I used my frostie with snowflake stamp from The glitter pot. I used some Doodlebug Paper Plus Value Pack - Winter Kit papers also from the there. I had to make an easel card as I am totally addicted to them. I found a really good way to make one from any size card or tailor made card size. I will do a tutorial once my new camera is purchased so please keep your eyes peeled.
Stamps - Frosty with snowflake by Magnolia
Papers - Doodlebug Paper plus value pack winter kit
medium - promarkers
embellishments - ribbon, button and from stash
Punch - woodware snowflake punch
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
5 comments:
- Lynda said...
I love it! and that snowman is just adorable. I might just be looking out for him now!
Love Lynda xxx
- Wednesday, November 18, 2009
- Lorraine A said...
Oh Pascale this is just stunning ! I love this snowman ,,, very cute and the papers and colours you used are perfect ! :-)
Lols x x x
- Wednesday, November 18, 2009
- Lil Daffodil said...
Hi Pascale,
This is a stunning wee snowman. Beautiful card. Gorgeous.
Fiona x
- Wednesday, November 18, 2009
- Biscuitlid said...
lovely wintery card, so cute holding the snowflake
- Wednesday, November 18, 2009
- cabio's craft corner said...
Cute and precious card. The snowman image us do sweet!
- Friday, November 20, 2009
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Greg Imlay is Marketing Director for DirectFED Payment Solutions. He has more than a decade of experience in the payments industry and I've asked him to help us understand the importance of depositing checks – from your office desk – instead of at the bank.
Mention a check processing service to the average business, and they often say "we're
happy with the way we're handling checks already." But explain some of the costs –
both obvious and hidden – and they're likely to be more interested.
Remote Deposit Capture (RDC) is a relatively new and useful technology that offers
significant advantages over "business as usual" with regard to check processing.
Remote Deposit Capture allows businesses to accurately scan the checks they receive
from their customers directly into their computers and uploads the images and related
data to a secure Internet destination. From there, they get routed through the Federal
Reserve check clearing system, and the funds are credited to the appropriate bank account – generally overnight.
Why This Matters
Businesses no longer need to take the time to send staff to the bank to make
deposits. RDC eliminates the need for the checks to be transported to the bank.
This reduction of the transportation time from the total processing lifecycle of a
check can allow your staff to better spend time attending to customers or solving
other issues
Accelerated Clearing Times
Business owners gain overnight credit for deposits. Fast cash flow is always
important, but especially when banks perform account analysis, where
uncollected funds cost more by reducing earnings.
Lower bank fees. Generally, banks charge $0.10 or more for each check
deposited. For businesses that use RDC services, banks typically charge less than
$0.03 each.
Faster notification about returns for Non Sufficient Funds (NSFs) – generally
within 24 hours. This allows businesses to minimize risk, and can improve their
chances of collecting through an alternative form of payment.
Improved Availability
RDC gives businesses and merchants a wider selection of banks. With RDC,
businesses have the opportunity to open accounts with banks outside of their local
neighborhoods. This is especially important for certain "high risk" businesses
that have trouble finding a local bank willing to take them on.
With RDC systems like Skyline's DirectFED Payment Solutions, business owners
have an archive of check images which is both easy to use and fully encrypted to
maintain confidentiality.
Consolidation of Banking Relationships
No longer does a business need to have the local bank around the corner to make check
deposits. With an RDC solution, there are no longer boundaries. The combination of
business portability and competition between banks for deposits can prove to be a bonus
for merchants.
RDC systems simplify accounting by allowing consolidation of banking
relationships. Multi-location businesses often keep multiple bank accounts so
each location may maintain individual relationships with their local bank. This
creates more confusion with reconciling of accounts and other accounting tasks.
With RDC, remote locations can still scan checks and deposit them to one single
bank account no matter what the volume of deposits are.
Evaluating an RDC system
In finding RDC systems that serve all their needs, businesses should consider all of the
factors of the service to ensure that they are getting the best solution for their business.
Make sure the software is easy to use and processes quickly.
Be wary of companies that attempt to sell larger scanners than necessary. Also,
make sure that the scanner is large enough to handle the business needs (i.e.
companies that accept a large number of checks need larger scanners).
Companies like DirectFED Payment Solutions are flexible, allowing business
owners to choose from more than 70 different brands and models of scanners.
Engage in a product demonstration to receive proper instruction on procedures.
What is the rate of misreads for the company's software and hardware? The lower
the number, the more efficient your scanning operation will be. It's important to
remember that any scanner can occasionally misread checks, but some RDC
companies sell products with higher misread rates than others.
As more banks begin to use image exchange for clearing, as well as other Check-21
enabled products from the Federal Reserve and others, clearing capabilities and success rates will improve even further. In 2005, the Fed indicated they return less than half of 1% (0.005%) of items due to poor image quality.
Latest posts by Ramon Ray (see all)
- Wix Launches Simple Marketing Automation for Growing Businesses – Wix Ascend - December 11, 2018
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Jesus Turns Water Into Wine
The miracle of Jesus turning water into wine is more than an entertaining bible story.
Performing miracles proves that Jesus is the Son of God. It shows us that God can change anything into something else. And, it is a testament to the importance of a mother's faith in her child.
Let's take a look at how Jesus turned water into wine with fresh eyes and a new perspective.


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Menu ≡
Tai Chi
Wednesdays, Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 at 9 a.m.
Interested in trying a new healthy outdoor activity? Doug Ebeling, volunteer Tai Chi instructor, leads this class based on the 24-step Yang form of T'ai Chi. The one-hour class includes low-impact stretching, breathing, and range of motion exercises held in the outdoor classroom near the Nature Center.
FlyingWILD Workshop
Saturday, Aug. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This companion to ProjectWILD highlights bird education and conservation through hands-on lessons, activities, and stewardship projects. TEEAC and CEU credited. This class is for both formal and non-formal educators. A $20 fee for materials. Reservations required https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=2e51e1.
Second Saturday Settlers: Homestead Fun
Saturday, Aug. 12 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Join Jones Park staff and volunteers for an afternoon of family fun. Sample homemade ice cream, enjoy watermelon, play horseshoes and other old-fashioned games, and see examples of early Texas settler life through demonstrations.
Second Sunday Pickers
Sunday, Aug. 13 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Sing or strum along with the Second Sunday Pickers as they bring the Nature Center to life with acoustic music, including country-and-western, bluegrass, folk, gospel, Cajun, and blues. Visitors of all ages are welcome to listen, sing along, or bring an instrument to join in the fun.
Reptiles and Amphibians of Harris County
Saturday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m.
Join a staff naturalist to learn about the variety of reptiles and amphibians that are common to our area. This interactive presentation will include live specimens and information on how to identify the most common species and the benefits they provide to us and their habitats.
Reptile Open House
Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 19 and 20 from 1 to 4 p.m.
From the largest pythons to the smallest frogs and everything in between, the Nature Center will be filled with reptiles and amphibians from around the world. Jones Park staff and volunteers will be on site to discuss and educate visitors about these amazing creatures.
TPWD Hunter Education Certification
Saturday, Aug. 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This one-day course covers the requirements for Texas Parks & Wildlife Hunter Education, which is required of every hunter born on or after Sept. 2, 1971. Materials fee: $15 in cash. Registration required: https://tpwd.elementlms.com/course/hunter-education-classroom-course-211/.
With leadership from Commissioner R. Jack Cagle, Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center is a Harris County Precinct 4 facility located at 20634 Kenswick Drive in Humble. All programs are free of charge and open to the public. Harris County Precinct 4 programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, sex, religion, national origin, or physical ability. Jesse Jones Park Volunteers (JJPV) welcomes applications from interested participants. For more information about the park or any of the activities and programs offered, please call 281-446-8588 or visit www.hcp4.net/community/parks/jones.
E-mail Commissioner Cagle
Find employment opportunities
Find new resident information
Make a reservation at a park
Recycle in Precinct 4
Submit a service/maintenance request
Commissioners' Court Agenda
Election Information
Free Prescription Discount Card Program
Harris County Burn Ban Update
Harris County's Official Web site
Harris County Transit
Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Redistricting Map
Texas Legislature
Public Dumpster Form
Harris County Precinct 4
1001 Preston, Suite 950
Houston, Texas 77002
713-755-8801 Fax


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Anyone who has to speak in public regularly would benefit from watching Rush Hill, one of the Newport Beach City Council candidates.
At Wednesday night's candidate forum at the new OASIS Senior Center in Corona del Mar, Hill took a swipe at Costa Mesa. And I didn't care, in part, because he was right.
Along with Councilwoman Leslie Daigle and her challenger, Mark Tabbert, Hill was one of three candidates at the forum. There were supposed to be four, but for a reason that wasn't disclosed, Ed Reno was absent. He later said he was double-booked.


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albinism(redirected from Albinism, ocular)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical.
Related to Albinism, ocular: Oculocutaneous albinism, ocular migraine, ocular albinism type 1, ocular albinism type 2
The state of having colorless chromatophores, which results in the absence of pigmentation in animals that are normally pigmented.
A hereditary, metabolic disorder transmitted as an autosomal recessive and characterized by the inability to form melanin in the skin, hair, and eyes due to tyrosinase deficiency.


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'Cooties' – Review
'Cooties' – Review
By Lynn Sorel
Rating: 9 out of 10
Synopsis: A mysterious virus hits an isolated elementary school, transforming the kids into a feral swarm of mass savages. An unlikely hero must lead a motley band of teachers in the fight of their lives.
Our Thoughts: 'Cootie's begins in a rather grotesque manner, with the processing of chicken nuggets, from an apparent diseased chicken, which end up on the children's plates at the elementary school in the town of "Fort Chicken," ironically enough.
The story centers around Clint Hudson, a struggling writer who is substitute teaching summer school in his hometown. The outbreak takes off fast, starting with a little girl in his class, who is teased relentlessly as the students assume that her blisters are "cooties". The virus spreads by both bite and scratching, turning innocent children into blood thirsty zombies in a matter of seconds.
The comedy of 'Cooties' is satire mixed with 80's homage, and a dash of political commentary. The characters range from red neck gym teacher Wade, to the man-hater Rebekkah, and my favorite, the creepy science/biology teacher Doug. Some self-awareness of the film is even thrown in, with a Hobbit joke about Elijah Wood's character Clint. All of the acting is excellent, which is exactly what you would expect from an a semi-all star cast that includes Elijah Wood, Alison Pill, Rainn Wilson, Jack McBrayer. However, screenwriter Leigh Whannell stands out as the hilariously creepy teacher Doug.
The gore is top notch, the zombies are vicious and this movie is a hilarious new addition to the zombie genre. For horror fans who have seen it all, as most of you are if you're on our website, 'Cooties' is a refreshingly original film that you won't want to miss!


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Yvonne Mes - Children's Author and Illustrator
Yvonne Mes is a children's author/ illustrator and devourer of books. She writes and illustrates picture books, short stories and junior novels.
Her stories expand perspectives.
Her picture book, Meet Sidney Nolan (illustrated by Sandra Eterovic), was published by Random House Australia in October 2015 and her picture book Oliver's Grumbles (illustrated by Giuseppe Poli), has been re-released in 2017 by Yellow Brick Books. Her stories are published in The School Magazine, as part of anthologies, on Kindergo and had her story 'A Starry Christmas' animated on Brisbane City Hall for two weeks.
Yvonne is president of Book Links QLD (Inc.) and coordinates Write Links, the Brisbane children's writers and illustrators group.
Yvonne is an engaging speaker at schools and writer's festivals and runs workshops on writing for young and old.
Yvonne has two decades experience working with children of all ages, abilities, many cultures and in various settings.
She has a Bachelor of Children's Services, qualification in Professional Children's Writing, Visual Arts and Crafts and Training and Assessment.
She is a member of Book Links, SCBWI, IBBY, CBCA Qld, ASA and the QWC.
Yvonne grew up in Amsterdam but has made her home in Australia. Her three sons make sure she is never lost for inspiration.


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The AODA
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
- Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation. O. Reg. 191/11 (as of 1 July 2016, Customer Service Standards embedded within)
Ontario Human Rights Code
The primacy of the Code is enshrined within the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The requirements set out in the standards are not a replacement or substitution for the requirements established under the Code.
For further information and training, we recommend visiting the Ontario Human Rights Commission's Human Rights 101 online module and Disability and Human Rights resource.
University of Toronto Governing Council Policies
- Academic Accommodation for Students
- Accommodation for Employees with Disabilities: UofT Guidelines
- Employment Equity Policy, 28 March 1991 (PDF Document)
- Statement of Commitment Regarding Persons with Disabilities, 1 November 2004 (PDF Document)
- Statement on Equity Diversity and Excellence, 14 December 2006 (PDF Document)
- Statement on Human Rights, 12 July 2012 (PDF Document)


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Granular-Fill Dam Protected by PVC Membraneby Lawrence W. Gubbe, (A.M.ASCE), Vice-Pres.; Barr Engrg. Co., Minneapolis, Minn.,
Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1977, Vol. 47, Issue 9, Pg. 72-75
Document Type: Feature article
The design and construction of the Minorca Tailings Basin Starter Dam sets a precedent for the use of plastic membrane for seepage control in the construction of earth fill dams where more conventional methods of seepage control may not be economical. The dam is unique in that it is constructed entirely of granular fill placed in zones of varying gradations within the embankment. Seepage through the embankment is controlled by a 20 mil (.51 m) membrane placed on the upstream side of the embankment and covered with a protective layer of granular fill. It is believed that this is the first application of a PVC membrane for a project of this kind.
Subject Headings: Construction methods | Earthfill dams | Seepage | Granular materials | Dams | Membranes | Infrastructure construction | Fills
Services: Buy this book/Buy this article
Return to search


text: Has anyone tried using a freelance website to hire someone to get sales for your affiliate programs or leads? I was browsing get a freelancer.com and had the idea. Just wondering if anyone tried this before. Like post an ad for example saying "I need 50 debt leads for this website" and you can pay the person like half of whatever the affiliate commission you get is. What would be a good method to go about this?


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IslandGirl sent this one over:
Mad Gringo laughed. That's all. We won't be changing our Hawaiian shirt labels any time soon.
Go slow.
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The comments to this entry are closed.


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All items are covered by a one year, manufacturer's warranty. The manufacturer guarantees that their products will be free from defects in material and workmanship for one year from the date of its original purchase.
If you believe your Tutto is defective, please contact us explaining the defect. Depending on the nature of the defect, we and/or the manufacturer will either repair or replace the product without charge and will advise of what further steps need to be taken to have such repair and replacement take place and where to send the product. Of course, this commitment does not cover normal wear and tear, misuse or neglect, or damage by common carrier.


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For historical reasons, deadlines are reckoned in semesters (regular academic terms). One year equals two regular terms, and the deadline clock does not advance during the summer. Thus, for example, a student whose prelim deadline is recorded as Spring 2018 will actually have until the last day before Fall 2018 to meet this requirement.
Initial deadlines are set during the first GAC meeting. Exceptions must be petitioned by the student to the GAC Chair before the deadline has elapsed.
Three years (6 regular terms) from time of entry are allotted for finishing the qualifying process.
A later extension of one regular term to complete the breadth requirement may be granted to students who have passed the qualifying exam, provided the student commits to a concrete plan for completing the breadth requirement by the extended deadline, and the dissertation advisor is supportive.
Students who believe their situation warrants additional time should consult with the GAC Chair during their initial GAC meeting.
The number of regular terms initially allotted for finishing the preliminary process is two more than for the qualifying process.
If the student is granted an extension to the qualifying deadline, the preliminary deadline is also automatically extended.
A further extension of up to two regular terms may be granted provided the student commits to a concrete plan for completing the preliminary process by the extended deadline, and the dissertation advisor is supportive, confirms willingness to direct the student towards the PhD degree, and states that the student is making good progress towards that degree.
The deadline for finishing the final process is initially set to 10 regular terms (5 years) after passing the preliminary examination.
In order to receive an extension, a student may be required to take another preliminary examination.
Deadline extension for childbirth and adoption
A graduate student in good standing may request a deadline extension of one regular term when he or she experiences childbirth or adoption. The extension does not extend the funding guarantee by the Department.
The extension is available for each birth or adoption, to each parent, both males and females, and without regard to sexual orientation.
To obtain the extension, the student must email the GAC Chair and the dissertation advisor (if any) within 12 months of the date of birth or adoption. The GAC Chair checks that the conditions are met and, if so, automatically grants the extension.
For the purposes of this regulation, graduate students are considered in good standing if they are not dismissed, suspended, or on probation, and if they did not fail the conditions for satisfactory academic progress for the term prior to the child birth or adoption.


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A popular, longtime Chicago TV sports anchor will issue a public apology Wednesday night after he used a graphic about suicide regarding Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.
Mark Giangreco of ABC 7 News said he regretted the graphic used during Tuesday night's broadcast, which showed a picture of Cutler with the caption: "Cut him or cut your wrists." Giangreco made no mention of suicide during the segment, but did say it was time for Cutler and team leadership to go.
Viewers hammered the station after the segment for insensitivity.
Giangreco agreed.
"My remarks were inappropriate, and I deeply regret and apologize for this incident," Giangreco said in a statement. "I will be issuing an on-air apology in this evening's newscast."
Cutler has been hot and cold all season, but he was blasted by fans after one of the worst performances in his career Sunday in a 31-15 loss to the New Orleans Saints, who intercepted three of his passes and sacked him seven times.
Cutler's lack of emotion -- not uncommon for the veteran -- was fuel to irate fans' fire.
Follow Ryan Parker for breaking news at @theryanparker and on Facebook.


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Google Claims It Is Legally Untouchable Outside US
September 23, 2013
Suddenly, Google's actions in Europe make a lot more sense. ZDNet reports on a recent claim from the company in, "Google: We Are Above UK Privacy Laws." This is an interesting development in our increasingly globalized, digital society.
At the heart of the matter is a legal action brought forth by a group of British users of Apple's Safari browser, who charge Google with illegally tracking them online. The company doesn't bother to deny the allegations, but does insist it cannot be prosecuted outside its home country. As for U.S. officials, the FTC already found that Google did, indeed, circumvent Safari privacy settings. The write-up explains:
"The FTC charged Google with placing advertising tracking cookies on computers and devices without authorization. The firm was fined $22.5m by authorities in the United States after the FTC's ruling. In response to the campaign group's allegations, the search engine giant says in legal filings that as an American firm, British privacy laws do not apply, and so the matter cannot be brought to a U.K. court. . . . The tech giant does not believe the case is of a serious nature, and according to the claimants, said 'the browsing habits of internet users are not protected as personal information, even when they potentially concern their physical health or sexuality.'"
To the cynical (or realistic) among us, this stance comes as no surprise. Still, seeing it in print is a little startling, as a few claimants quoted in the article attest. On the heels of Google's recent "admission" about privacy expectations within Gmail (prompting outrage at many news outlets but given some perspective here), this assertion does nothing to help Google's reputation on confidentiality.
For those of us who approach the Internet with the idea that nothing that traverses it is truly private, Google's position on privacy is a shruggable revelation. This stance on international prosecution, though, is intriguing; I am curious to see where it will lead.
Cynthia Murrell, September 23, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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USGTC Camp Owner Mike Jacobson with Staff
"Our greatest joy is seeing children and staff having fun learning in a healthy environment, while participating in the sport they love. Our goal each summer is to provide the finest camp facility, staff, program and food. We enjoy living in the housing complex with our campers, directors and staff. It's a lot of fun and it's the best way to oversee all aspects of our camp program."
Michael and Susan Jacobson
The Jacobson family has been conducting camps since 1969. Michael and Susan are members of the American Camping Association and Industrial Members of USA Gymnastics. Together, they started the first Special Olympics gymnastics team on Cape Cod.
Michael is a former Penn State NCAA National All Around Champion, Athlete of the Year and a former international competitor. In 1969, as a head coach, his University of Iowa men's team won the NCAA Championships.
USGTC Brings you the best!
Some former USGTC Olympic and World Championship staff
Aly Raisman, John Orozco, Chellsie Memmel, Carly Patterson, Alicia Sacramone, Bela Karolyi, Tim Daggett, Marian Dragulescu, Peter Kormann, Nastia Liukin, Blaine Wilson, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Lilia Podkopayeva, George Hery, Dominique Dawes, Amanda Bordan, Richard Maijs, Bob Stout, Annia Hatch, Robert Zsentes, Jim Cuhane, Abie Grossfeld, Svetlana Boguinskaia, Steve McCain, Steve Nunno, Alex Toumilovich, Agnes Keleti, John Roethlesberger, Peter Kormann, Kim Zmeskal, Kip Simon, Kerri Strug, Adrean Radoi, Sorin & Teodora Cepoi, Dorel Marin, Vanessa Atler, Phoebe Mills, Vasile Ciona, Tibi Szentes, Hana Ricna, Mihai Bagiu, Vladimir Novikov, Deyan Yordanov, Levon Karakanyan, Brandy Johnson, Rhonda Faehn, Kip Simon, Dave Thor, John Crosby.
"My daughter was ready to quite gymnastics before she went to USGTC. Your staff was the best of all the other camps she has attended over the past five years. All your required classes and open workouts sure paid off. Although she is shy, she made lots of friends and enjoyed being in many of the Recreation contests. She went back to her gym and was excited to show her coaches what she learned. USGTC awakened her love for gymnastics."
Mrs. Jay, Boston, MA


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Wessex FM News
£3.5 Million Contract For Dorset Firm
10:48am 11th November 2014
A Dorset company have been awarded a £3.5 Million contract to protect the UK from torpedoes!
ATLAS ELECTRONIK UK Ltd. (AEUK) in Winfrith will be providing the Ministry of Defence with research into a future torpedo counter-measure system for surface ships and submarines.
The contract, from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, runs for the next three years.
AEUK will be leading a team which is supported by its partners BAE Systems, Babcock Defence Systems Technology, BMT Defence Services and Ultra Electronics Sonar Systems to provide Underwater Countermeasure advice, modelling and advanced concepts.
Antoni Mazur, Managing Director for AEUK said, "Winning this multi-million pound contract is another significant milestone for AEUK, this will ensure we continue to be at the forefront of torpedo defence system development."
Sign up for the latest local news direct to your inbox


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Life is a Game of Cards: What's in Your Hand Nancy McKinney?
3 Tips to Filming ETs and Ghosts
Your Life and Purpose Revealed on Living Well Talk Radio Network.
May 21, 2014
Guest: Nancy McKinney
Have you ever had that 'funny-feeling' that you were not alone but could see nothing around you?
What if…you were not alone but could not see the entity in your midst because it was on a different frequency or existing simultaneously on a parallel universe? And what if it could see you while you were blind to its presence?
My radio show guest last night on Your Life and Purpose Revealed had an answer.
"Always carry a small camera with you and when you get the feeling that something is there, you know, when your hair on your arm stands up and you get that fight-or-flight feeling but can see nothing, snap a picture. Your instincts will point the camera in the right direction. You will be amazed at what you will pick up on the camera lens that you could not see with your naked eye."
Nancy McKinney has the unique talent of capturing orbs, UFO's, and other entities in photographs. She does this with her camera and without the help of any 'aps' current available on many smart phone cameras. She uses a small regular camera and always has it ready for use in her purse.
When we are traveling my husband will say, "Come on! We've got to go." But I will know something alive but undetectable to the human eye is watching us. So I'll snap a picture and there it will be. He knows now that when I am standing still I 'feel something" and will wait for me to grab the entity on camera."
When I asked her how she knew where to look or how she knew something was there she answered, "We innately know. We were born with the instinct of knowing when we are being watched."
So, the next time you get that "tingly feeling all over" take out your nifty little camera and take a shot. You may be amazed at what you catch.
Here are 3 tips to catch the unexpected on your camera:
1.) Always carry your camera with you.
2.) don't worry about focusing the lens. Just point and shoot.
3.) If you feel like something is watching you, it probably is. Take a picture of it. That will be your validation.
See her photos on her website at www.InterdimensionalPhotography.com
As is our custom, the second half of the show was dedicated to your life and purpose reveled by another means: Live Psychic Readings.
Our callers got informative readings from all 3 psychics.
To listen to the entire show for more fascinating live reading information and conversation Click on the link below:
Kathleen (Kat) O'Keefe-Kanavos used her unique system of converting caller's birthdates into playing cards and then into their Personal Tarot card for this lifetime.
Suzanne Strisower used her Runes of the Four Realms to help callers identify their purpose in life.
Our guest psychic, Athena Kolinski unique system of using the 22 Major Arcana Tarot Cards answers personal questions from the callers.
The goal of these readings is to give callers insight into their personality and how to understand and overcome the challenges they face in their daily lives.
The link to the show will give more detail and an in-depth reading to the cards and questions below. Click here.
In order to respect the privacy of callers, we only used the first names they gave us and their area code so they may identify themselves in the cards below.
Isn't it interesting how the questions and concerns of the callers are reflected in their cards.
Rita (area code 562)
Her Playing card is Ten of Hearts.
Birth Tarot Card was Ten Of Cups.
Rita called in regarding her relationship with her husband of 26 years. She is afraid he is signing papers to give all their money to his parents after his death. Her question and concern: "Am I going to get divorced at 65 years of age? This is my nightmare. What do you see for me?"
It is not surprising that Rita has marriage concerns. As a Heart/Cup she concerned with love and happiness. Rita is the Contentment Card. Her main goal in life is contentment, especially in relationships.
Vince (310) area code
DOB August 10
Playing Card is Three of Diamonds.
Birth Tarot Card is Three of Pentacles.
Vince called for career advice. "I'm out of work and went for an interview. What do you see in the cards for me?"
As a Pentacle, Vince is concerned with money and wealth.
He is the GAIN in Finances card. And, he is the architect of his own future. He has the capability to manifest his financial security. He must combine his "three" Id, Ego and Super Ego to build his dream job. United he will succeed.
The card synchronicity tonight was Pentacles. Out of 8 reading we had 6 Pentacles. It is very common for cards from the same suite to call in together from different parts of the country or world. It is validation of our connection by the Universal Oneness of existence.
Our lives are reflected in the stars which are a part of our Astrological Sign that is connected to our Personal Tarot Card, all of which will be a constant in this lifetime.
Bio: Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos is an International Bestselling Author who believes dreams can diagnose your life. Did you have a déjà vu or did a dream come true? Kat survived 3 cancers diagnosed by her dreams. Inspirational speaker, Cape Women Online Magazine & Wellness Women 40 & Beyond columnist, & R.A.Bloch Cancer Foundation Hotline Counselor & Mentor; Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos hosts a weekly web-radio show Your Life & Purpose Revealed, has been featured on radio, in magazines & newspapers, appeared on Every Way Woman TV, & Waking Universe TV documentary. SURVIVING CANCERLAND: Intuitive Aspects of Healing is her first of three book on waking up to dreams that diagnose life. Learn more @ http://SurvivingCancerLand.com/ & Amazon Book Link: http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Cancerland-Kathleen-OKeefe-Kanavos/dp/1879384965/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t


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SARASOTA, Fla. -- Big Ben is at it again.
Ben McDonald, the Orioles' 6-foot-7 pitcher and resident alligator catcher, brought a live pair of shoes into the clubhouse before yesterday's workout.
"Can I bring a gator into the clubhouse?" McDonald asked assistant trainer Jamie Reed. Or, at least, words to that effect.


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Let me first say that video games based off movies most times don't play well. So I knew it was an uphill battle with developer Double Helix in EA's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. A few of the games qualities stand out but not many. The classic G.I. Joe theme song is mixed in throughout the game along with the vast array of playable characters give this game a challenge on who to use and when. But will these points make you feel like an American Hero?
Plethora of Joe's. In single player mode, you begin with a third-person view controlling one of 3 classes. Your choices are Commando (great at close range), Heavy Weapons (long range), and Soldier (a mixture of the two.) Starting off with Duke and Scarlet you play in Contra style gameplay. No not side-scrolling, but more of a hold the "shoot" button down and move around in linear levels destroying enemies and bases along the way. Or dare I say a 3-D version of Smash TV for the NES without the fun part. Throughout the story mode,you rack up battle points and use them to unlock additional characters. With up to 12 different players, find the right mixture of two is the key.
Checkpoints, not really. Ok, my main gripe with this game is the lack of "checkpoints" in Advanced and Hardcore. It seems like developer Double Helix wants to re-invent the wheel and change what we gamers know about checkpoints. Simply put, their checkpoints don't reload your player after a death. I found this very annoying because even after attaining a "checkpoint", I knew if I died I would have to restart the entire level over again. So, let me give you their terminology of checkpoints, they are load points for the next section of the level. Which happens after you beat it, argh. Was my message clear with the amount of times I said "checkpoints" above… good!
Weapons are half the battle. Each character will have their own "Special Attack" that can only be used after picking up medallions. If playing solo be sure to switch characters after 3 collected medallions if not the extras will not count after the third which means it's a waste. Jeez, they couldn't make the medallion invisible somehow to the player with 3 already??? Continuing on foot, after you get a certain amount of kills your G.I. Joe icon will fill up with yellow. Once it fills up to the max, you will be able to unleash a "Yo! Joe" which is sort of like eating a super pellet in Pac-Man. Nothing can hurt you, and you will be god-like for the duration of the theme song… A Real American Hero!!!
Vehicle Control, how so? One of the stronger arsenal's in the game, is the ability to jump into a tank/armor vehicle and obliterate things. But can anyone explain to me the vehicle mechanics? Half the time, I didn't know if I was shooting ot accelerating because I was afraid the stop pressing 3 buttons at once. KISS, Keep it Simple Stupid!
Stay Clear of these Cobras. I try to find the positives and negative in every game I review. Unfortunately fans of the 80's cartoon classics will find very little positives in G.I. Joe. I will say, I enjoyed how this third person shooter based on the Summer Movie tried to break the mold of games by introducing a new blend of cinematics from the movie and added original gameplay, but this is not the right time or place and it's repetitiveness outweighed the originality. Consider G.I. Joe your summer girlfriend. She looks good in a bathing suit and everyone talks about her all summer long, but unwrapped and come September you will forget about her. Ok, back to my gaming Pro vs. Cons…
Unlockable playable characters
Gameplay within the first hour
Repetitive Gameplay
Camera Angles
Feel free to forget about purchasing this game anytime soon. With the price tag set for $59.99, what you get is about $12.65 worth of enjoyment. I'd rather take the butchers word for it ~ Tommy Boy quote. If you have a twin who also likes to play the same crappy game you do, you two may find yourself in the $9.99 isle for the co-op portion in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. With that said, this should be called "G.I. No Go: Another Wayans Brother flop".


text: Hey everybody, I helped out @TeamWaffles make some graphics for a giveaway they are doing in the snowboarding community. It doesn't seem to be doing that well so there is pretty much a free snowboard up for grabs. You might want to think about joining the snowboarding community if you want to get in on that prize. Here's the link to @TeamWaffles' card: http://www.vingle.net/posts/579744-WIN-A-FREE-SNOWBOARD


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With the Metfone C-League suspended due to national team duties in the Philippines, Phnom Penh Crown FC conducted a three-day tour of the Northwest provinces over the weekend as part of their Community and Fan Engagement Program.
The senior and junior Academy teams visited four provinces in total, dealing out a string of defeats to the best sides the region has to offer.
On Friday morning, the seniors beat Ponley Town FC of Kampong Chhnang 3-1 with goals from Hong Pheng, Bin Thierry and Nelson Oladiji.
In the afternoon, they shifted to Pursat to hammer Ratanakea FC 3-0 thanks to a brace from Oladiji and another goal by Bin Thierry.
The Academy team also won 3-0 against Pursat Youth Team.
Saturday saw the seniors dispatch local champions Black Eagle FC of Poipet 3-1 on the tiny Don Bosco pitch.
Oladiji was yet again on the scoresheet, as were team-mates Men Seyha and Pheak Rady. Meanwhile, the Academy boys downed Blooming FC 4-1.
Sunday's matches were by far the most one-sided, with the first team crushing Thaneakea Srov FC, who will compete in the Division A1 playoffs this season, 8-0 through strikes from Nelson Oladiji, Chhom Pisa and Hong Pheng, as well as a hat-trick by Leng Makara and a double by Ly Morslim.
Cambodia's best ladies team, the Mighty Girls, were shown no mercy by the Academy boys in a 14-0 rout.
To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Riley at [email protected]


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When I discovered this wedding photo booth, I just SMILED! This is the type of fun and eccentricity that is adorable and totally in vogue for the do-it-yourself wedding or the BoHo chic or Bespoke type wedding. I love the mix of wood finishes and the black board effect.
That light up sign, "Photo Booth" is so special. I love it. Wish I could have seen this in the twilight with it all lit up! Don't you?!


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Add to favorite posts
This is something I come back to every so often when I feel that my creativity has become dull. The masterful Bruce Lee demonstrates in the ever classic student-teacher scenario that we cannot let our minds alone dictate our actions.
"We need emotional content"
Hell yea we do. How often are we doing things with a complete lack of heart these days? Things get too comfortable and become routine. Sooner or later we end up just "going through the motions". Our actions need to mean something again. Our art has to be our expression.


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Our team of certified fitness specialists offers an array of services to help you use your workout time both effectively and efficiently. We provide numerous specialized programs, including:
Seasonal workshops and sport clinics held by personal trainers also available:
For more information, or to sign up for personal training, please contact our Fitness Manager, Brian Balkam, at (847) 535-7621 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Try this eight-week, high-intensity team workout with the personal trainer of your choice! more >


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ICT Literacy
Australia has one of the highest rates of technology take up in education, compared to other countries, according to the OECD (4). Information and communications technology (ICT) enables access to information and also collaboration in convenient and affordable ways which are very useful in education. In the same way that educators need to understand book literacy, so too, an understanding of ICT Literacy is essential in education. ICT has become a foundation for building knowledge.
In 2005, the ministers of education throughout Australia commissioned a report about ICT Literacy achievement in schools. That research was undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and was repeated in 2008 and again in 2011. The value of comparisons across the three cycles of the evaluation is invaluable in one of the rare studies of its kind. The reportNational Assessment Program - ICT Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report (0) uses detailed proficiency levels to innovatively assess the levels of ICT Literacy from a representative sample of over 5,000 year 6 and over 5,000 year 10 Australian students.
A scale developed for use with the assessment tasks is mapped to the proficiency levels allowing comparisons of ICT Literacy to be made across the years 2005, 2008 and 2011. In addition, comparisons can also be made between the ICT Literacy proficiency of year 6 students and year 10 students because the reporting scale is linked. The report National Assessment Program - ICT Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report (0) confirms much of the educational research about the uses of ICT by students as well as the many equity factors that can make a difference. Those factors include gender, location, and parents' occupation and educational attainment.
National Assessment Program - ICT Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report (0) found that 62% of year six students had attained the expected ICT Literacy proficiency level and that there had been a significant increase over the period. The percentage of year 10 student who attained the ICT proficiency level was 65% which had not varied significantly over the period.
Two major effects on the attainment of student ICT Literacy proficiency were reported: 'parental occupation and education' and 'there is also a substantial gap in ICT literacy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students' (p. xxiii). The frequency of computer use by Indigenous students at home and at school was significantly less for Indigenous students than for non-Indigenous students (p. 75).
Another student background characteristic that was found to make a difference was location. 'There was also evidence of differences in ICT literacy among geographic locations' (p. 102). Students in metropolitan areas scored higher on average than those in provincial areas whereas students in remote areas scored lowest. Computer use at home and at school was also noted. 'For both Year 6 and Year 10 there has been an increase in the frequency with which computers are used at home and at school, and their experience of using computers, but only among Year 6 students has that greater familiarity been accompanied by improved ICT literacy' (p. 104).
The findings on gender differences are worth noting. In the words of the report, 'Consistent with the pattern observed in 2008, females recorded higher levels of ICT literacy than males. Even though females expressed lower levels of interest and enjoyment than males in computing, they expressed similar levels of confidence in their ability to carry out ICT-based tasks without assistance and they achieved higher scores on ICT Literacy than males' (p. xxiii).
This outstanding report about ICT Literacy assessment and achievement over three testing cycles in 2005, 2008 and 2011, with the development of ICT Literacy proficiency levels for school students, is unique. Its innovative assessment tasks that could not possibly be done by pencil-and-paper testing have unearthed a mountain of valuable data about ICT Literacy proficiency and the factors that affect student attainment of ICT Literacy.
National Assessment Program - ICT Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report (0) has an excellent short summary at the beginning for time poor readers although the full report should be read because of its high quality, the findings, and the inclusion of the proficiency levels and innovative online assessment tasks.
Gerry White is Principal Research Fellow: Teaching & Learning using Digital Technologies, Australian Council for Educational Research
This article was first published on the Digital Education Research Network (DERN)
Read the full article on DERN (free registration required)
Image: Flickr / h.koppdelaney


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... The great Terry O'Quinn has successfully found new digs after the demolishing of 666 Park Avenue. The Lost star is joining Fox's drama pilot Gang Related. He replaces the recently departed Tom Berenger as the San Francisco police chief whose department gets infiltrated by an undercover gang member. I was pretty high on Berenger in this role, but O'Quinn is more than just a consolation prize. [Deadline Hollywood]
... Christina Ricci is no longer NBC's Girlfriend in a Coma. The Pan Am actress was set to star in the comedy pilot, about a woman who wakes up after almost two decades in a coma to find out she has a 17-year-old daughter, but left after the table read. Miranda Cosgrove was cast as the daughter, presumably partly because of her somewhat similar look to Ricci. Well now what is the show going to do? [Zap2It]
... Showtime's new series Ray Donovan, starring Liev Schrieber as the titular Hollywood "fixer" (a.k.a. a guy who gets rid of dead tranny hookers), is adding some star power. Venerable acting legend James Woods–yes, he of the famous high school–will join the series as Patrick Sullivan, a man with a history with the Donovan family. [Showtime via press release]
... Former Greek star Spencer Grammer (Kelsey's daughter) is going big-time, nabbing the female lead opposite Blair Underwood in the NBC drama pilot Ironside. The cop show is a remake of the 1967 series and stars Underwood as a witty, wheelchair-bound detective who doesn't need functioning legs to clean up the streets. Grammer will play a fellow detective who gets too close to the criminals she grew up with and now I just pictured Spencer Grammer growing up around criminals and I'm like, "Whaaaaa?" [Deadline Hollywood]
... A&E's Bates Motel debuted well for the network last night, grabbing three million viewers. More importantly (sorry, very young and somewhat old people), the 1.6 million viewers in the 18-49 demographic represent the network's best tally in that demo. I'm pretty lukewarm on the series so far, and Noel's review of the premiere pretty much matches my thoughts. [A&E via press release]
... Hey, fair maidens of Westeros! Richard Madden, better known as Robb Stark from HBO's Game of Thrones, is headed North of The Wall! In this case, The Wall is Canada. Madden will star in Discovery's scripted series Klondike, about a bunch of gold diggers who head to Canada in the 1890s. Tim Blake Nelson (Chaos) will also star. [TV Line]
... People who got talents: NBC has announced that the eighth season of America's Got Talent will premiere on Tuesday, June 4 at 9pm with a two-hour episode. The reality show's Wednesday airings will begin July 10. This season, Heidi Klum and Spice Girl Mel B. join Howard Stern and Howie Mandel at the judges' table. [NBC via press release]
... A solemn farewell to producer/writer Henry Bromell, who passed away of a heart attack at the age of 65. Bromell's credits include Homicide: Life on the Street, Rubicon (where he served as showrunner), and Homeland, where his writing credits include the outstanding episode "Q&A." [HitFix]


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Collins files for mayor; Schreck, Smith join Evenson in council race
Benson City Council Member Teri Collins, who is currently in the second year of her first four-year council term, has filed for mayor.
Mark Schreck, Larry Smith and incumbent Jack Evenson have filed for the two open seats on the council. Evenson is completing his fourth year on the council and is seeking re-election to a second term.
Not seeking re-election to the council are Mayor Gary Landmark and Council Member Stephanie Heinzig. Filings opened Aug. 1 and remain open until Tuesday, Aug. 15, at 5 p.m.
If Collins is elected mayor, she will continue to serve in her city council seat until Jan. 2 when she is sworn in as mayor. At that point, there would be a vacancy on the council. The city council would then decide whether to conduct a special election to fill the seat or it could appoint someone to fill the remaining two years.
If Collins loses the mayoral election, she would continue to serve as a member of the council for the remaining two years in her term.
The fifth member of the council is Lucas Olson who won his seat in a special election Jan. 10 to complete the three years left in Jonathon Pogge-Weaver's term. Pogge-Weaver had been elected to a four-year term on the council in November 2015, but resigned his seat in October 2016 when his family moved to Carroll, Iowa.
In a very low turnout election, Olson received 95 votes beating out three challengers. Brad Johnson received 47 votes, Mike Fugleberg 42 and Smith 37.
Schreck is the owner of Benson Body. He served 10 years as the Benson's fire chief before stepping down from the position earlier this year. He continues on the fire department where he is in his 36th year. He joined the department in January 1981.
Smith, a local businessman, has made unsuccessful runs for both the city council and the District 777 Board of Education in the past couple years.
Benson's City Council meets the first and third Monday of the month with meetings generally lasting between a half hour and one-and-a-half hours. Members of the council also serve on advisory boards and commissions that include the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, the Economic Development Authority, the Swift County-Benson Health Services governing board, the Park Board, Planning Commission, Cemetery Board and Airport Commission.
To continue following this story, and to keep up on all the latest news, subscribe to the Swift County Monitor-News print edition or our PDF internet edition. Call 320-843-4111 and you can get all the local news and sports delivered to you!


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helen's wine bar at your home or venue! Please see different options below and email
email@example.com to curate your experience further.
Drop-Off Wine Bar
Everything comes to you: a curated selection of wine based on your preferences, a dope chill bucket, wine glasses & ice all brought to your house or venue. We set everything up, open the wine and then pass the host with the most baton off to you. BALLER Move!!! Starting at $350, price varies dependent on guest count & wine selection.
Wine Bar + Somm
A killer helen's wine bar set up consisting of wine, chill vessel, ice, wine glasses plus a fun & knowledgeable somm to pour wine and give information about each bottle. Starting at $600, price varies depending on duration, guest count & wine selection.
helen's x Son of a Gun
Love wine but want to mix in a few spirits? This is the bar for you! Killer wine selection, spirits or specialty cocktails (or both!), fresh juices, homemade syrups, garnishes and loads of good vibes! Starting at $600, price varies dependent on duration, guest count & beverage selection.
Did we mention we can bring food too? Let's bring Jon & Vinny's to you.


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Joel Kovel
In 1936, Kovel was born in Brooklyn, New York to "an immigrant Ukrainian-Jewish family." He received his B.S. Summa cum laude from Yale University in 1957. In 1961 he received his M.D. from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and in 1977 was a graduate of the Psychoanalytic Institute, Downstate Medical Center Institute, Brooklyn, New York.
From 1977 till 1983 he was Director of Residency Training, Department of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (where he was also Professor of Psychiatry from 1979-1986). From 1980 to 1985, he was an Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at the New School for Social Research and from 1986-7 a Visiting Professor of Political Science and Communications, University of California, San Diego. He also held short-term positions as a Visiting Lecturer at San Diego State University in the spring of 1990 and another Visiting Professor position at UCSD in Winter 1993.[1]
In 1988, Kovel was appointed Alger Hiss Chair of Social Studies, a non-tenured position, at Bard College. In February 2009, he was informed that his position would not be renewed after the contract ended on June 20, 2009 and that he would be moved to "emeritus" status at that time.[2] Kovel argued in a letter sent to the faculty of Bard College that his contract was not renewed due to his political views.[3] He reiterated his argument in a statement posted on his official website that the "termination of service is prejudicial and motivated neither by intellectual nor pedagogic considerations, but by political values, principally stemming from differences between myself and the Bard administration on the issue of Zionism".[2] The college president, Leon Botstein, responded in a letter sent directly to Kovel by arguing that his termination was not political but part of a larger move by Bard to reduce part-time faculty. Botstein stated: "To take what is self-evidently a result of economic constraint and turn it into a trumped-up case of prejudice and political victimization insults not only your intelligence but the intelligence of your readers."[3] While Kovel called his dismissal illegitimate and vowed to fight the decision, he did leave Bard permanently per the university's decision in 2009.
By the late 1980s, he became involved with the Environmental movement. He then had a brief career with the Green Party of the US, under which he ran for the U.S. Senate in 1998 and "sought the party's presidential nomination in Denver in 2000."
Kovel's works include White Racism (1971) (nominated for a National Book Award), A Complete Guide to Therapy (1979), The Age of Desire (1982), Against the State of Nuclear Terror (1982), In Nicaragua (1986), The Radical Spirit: Essays on Psychoanalysis and Society (1988), History and Spirit (1991), Red Hunting in the Promised Land (1994), The Enemy of Nature (2002), and Overcoming Zionism (2007). He is the Editor-In-Chief of Capitalism, Nature, Socialism.


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Read this: Radio Today - Global Radio to take LBC national on D1
Summary: The station will position itself as the first ever national full news talk commercial radio station, complete with current features including Call Clegg, in which this news was first announced to London. From February 11th 2014 Global is investing further in digital radio, and in speech radio, to create the UKs first national commercial news talk radio station, giving listeners across the whole of the UK a voice and a forum to engage in the issues that matter to them. - radiotoday.co.ukRead full article: Radio Today - Global Radio to take LBC…
Lots more recommendations to read at Trends - ukfree.tv.
Summaries are done by Clipped-Your articles and documents summarized.
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Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Dangerous Neighbors
by Beth Kephart
No current Talk conversations about this book.
Set against the backdrop of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Katherine cannot forgive herself when her beloved twin sister Anna dies, and she feels that her only course of action is to follow suit. Told in flashbacks, the sisters' relationship is sorely tested when Anna falls in love with a "baker's boy". Family dynamics are explored--the twins' mother's obsession with women's rights and progress, the father's aloofness, class distinction....
Descriptive, evocative, but I preferred Undercover much more.
Wow! Even though I'm not a fan of historical fiction, the cover (isn't it gorgeous?) and synopsis of this book grabbed my attention. I went back and forth trying to decide whether to give it a try or not. I really thought it sounded good, but it was a historical fiction. Finally I said go for it, and am so glad I did.
The book started out interesting, and just kept getting better. The writing made me feel like I was there with Katherine and Anna. I could see the way Philadelphia looked during that time period, and everything became real to me. I felt sad when they did, and happy when they did.
I loved all the descriptions of the everyday items that are so different than what we have now. All the characters had different relationships with each other, which I loved.
One of the things that happened between Katherine and a girl she just met would never happen today, and I loved reading how life was back then, when those things could, and did, happen.
This is a quick read at only 192 pages, but it is packed with everything it needs to keep you glued to the pages. This was my first Kephart book, but it won't be my last.
This was a National Book Award Finalist and I'm left shaking my head regarding the rules set forth for this accolade.
Two sisters are very close. When one dies in a tragic ice skating accident, the other is left with severe guilt, grief and angst.
The pace is boringly slow. The chapters switch from present to past tense. The backdrop of the Philadelphia Centennial fair of 1876 seemed uninteresting.
The good news is I only paid .20 for this book yesterday and it will quickly be given back to the library wherein another unsuspecting reader will be lured by the price and a description on the back cover that sounds like a promising read.
At times, when I'm reading one of Beth Kephart's novels, I find myself distracted by the gorgeous phrasing and richly described settings and characters. It's easy to find oneself swept away by the beautiful writing, but I always remind myself to go beyond that aspect Kephart's novels because the writing isn't meant to distract readers from a mediocre tale: Kephart is a thought-provoking storyteller as well.
DANGEROUS NEIGHBORS is a slim volume, but the I felt Katherine and Anna's story fit well within its covers. This novel is not for readers who favor action and a quickly paced story. At all. The story begins slowly and continues at a leisurely pace, meandering between past and present.
I found Katherine's relationship with her sister, Anna, and her father interesting. There isn't very much dialogue in the novel, but each interaction holds weight and meaning and I found myself analyzing the words exchanged and considering how Katherine would have reacted and felt. The flashbacks, to me, held the most meaning, as they were the only time readers are able to observe Katherine and Anna's interaction. I couldn't help imagining Katherine collecting these memories like a crow collects shiny baubles, though many of the memories lacked the luster of happiness.
Kephart tells her characters' stories with a delicate hand and deposits them carefully into the reader's heart. DANGEROUS NEIGHBORS, with it's beautiful language and acute heartache, is no exception.
Beth Kephart is perhaps best known for the poetical uses to which she puts the prose in her stories for young adults. This has bothered me a bit in the past, because I never thought teens spoke in that way. (Although I have to admit, I follow the author's blog, and she definitely "speaks" in a poetic way, and I have no doubt imagining that she always has!) In this book, the story is told in the third person, and thus the poetical nature of her writing does not seem inappropriate, although, for me, it does serve a distancing function. I am too often taken out of the story to admire the pretty prose.
Dangerous Neighbors takes place in1876, during the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. [The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.] The main protagonist, Katherine, age 17, has decided to end her life by leaping from one of the Centennial buildings. She has never adjusted to the fact that her twin sister Anna died in a skating accident the previous winter. Katherine thought she should have been looking out for Anna, just like she had done her whole life. She cannot forgive herself and no longer wants to live with the guilt and pain.
The twins' relationship had been defined by Anna's recklessness and Katherine's caretaking. But when Anna took up with Bennett, a baker's son (not even a good match for a banker's daughter!) Katherine felt no longer needed, and withdrew from Anna. She was jealous and resentful: "She imagined Anna confiding in Bennett, tracing out a future. She saw now how Anna's dreams were filled with marzipan and apricot kernels, how they were pierced by a boy whose eyes were sky – changeable and cloud-swept."
And it's not only that. Since Katherine has been defined by her role as responsible for Anna, if she cannot be that, who can she be? Who is she now and what can she give?
Evaluation: The pictures evoked of the Centennial are vivid treats for the senses. She describes Operti's Tropical Garden for example as "...an aromatic cove of high skies and blooms. Gas lanterns float like kites overhead. Potted trees shadow the paths. There are the bright flags of celosia and astilbe, the yellow sleeves of forsythia forced well past their season, begonias the color of dandelions and fire, and in the midst of it all, the orchestra stage. On every wall, frescoes, and in the very back someone has painted a rock cliff of schist and granite, then turned some sort of spigot on, so that water, real water, cascades down."
The book is full of such descriptions. When Katherine stands at the top of the Main Exhibition Hall, she looks out below her:
"There's a jam of horses, hackneys, four-in-hands, gigs, streetcars at the corner near the Trans-Continental. There's a passel of balloons, the coming and going and stopping of seersucker and serge, of uniforms and skullcaps, of licorice-colored satchels and mahogany canes, of a pale wooden crate of bright yellow flowers, an island unto itself."
These are beautiful passages, but they pack no emotional heft. Instead, they pull me away from the story. Compare, for example, how another very lyrical writer, Michael Chabon, in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, evokes the sights and sounds of a world's fair but uses it to convey the emotional state of the protagonist. In this scene, Sammy is walking on the grounds of the old 1939 fair in New York:
"It made his heart ache to look around the vast expanse of the fairground that, not very long ago, had swarmed with flags and women's hats and people being whizzed around in jitneys, and see only a vista of mud and tarpaulins and blowing newspaper, broken up here and there by the spindly stump of a capped stanchion, a fire hydrant, or the bare trees that flanked the empty avenues and promenades. The candy-colored pavilions and exhibit halls, fitted out with Saturn rings, lightning bolts, shark's fins, golden grilles, and honeycombs, the Italian pavilion with its entire façade dissolving in a perpetual cascade of water, the gigantic cash register, the austere and sinuous temples of the Detroit gods, the fountains, the pylons and sundials, the statues of George Washington and Freedom of Speech and Truth Showing the Way to Freedom had been peeled, stripped, prized apart, knocked down, bulldozed into piles, loaded onto truck beds, dumped into barges, towed out past the mouth of the harbor, and sent to the bottom of the sea. It made him sad… because he had so loved the Fair, and seeing it this way, he felt in his heart what he had known all along, that, like childhood, the Fair was over, and he would never be able to visit again." (Michael Chabon, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay)
Other reviewers have written that they wished the book were longer, because we don't get enough of the plot. I think this is because the author too infrequently blends the poetry into the story.
Nevertheless, her books are always a treat; I wouldn't think of passing one up.
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Confessions of a WVO Tenderfoot…
I have learned a lot about waste vegetable oil in the last year. From designing our system, implementing it, troubleshooting it, to actually using it. There has been one thing that has caused many hours of head scratching and deep thought. Read further to learn how this $25 part cost us $100's in diesel fuel…
Shortly after we began using our WVO system, we started to notice an issue. For a reason unknown to us, after about 10 miles on the highway, when driving on WVO, our bus would begin to slow down. It seemed as though it was starving for fuel. City driving was fine. We went through our system multiple times, perused the internet forums, asked questions to our WVO-using friends, and even talked with Leon of WVO Designs. Many possibilities went through our heads. Maybe we had a restrictions from a fuel line that was too small? Perhaps our valves were bad (we actually replaced the ones we had because of this and a leakage issue)?!? Maybe our tank wasn't vented (nope… tried that)?!? I never thought it was our filters, because we hadn't run enough WVO yet (less than 100 gallons).
We found a workaround. When the bus would slow down, we'd have to quickly switch our fuel valve to the diesel tank, run diesel for a few seconds, and switch back. Over many highway miles (trips to Indiana, Illinois, across Michigan), this cost us $100's in diesel fuel that we would not have used otherwise had our WVO system been running optimally.
This weekend, while in Chicago, I had an epiphany. The Prefilter!!! When we built the system, we put a prefilter on it, to catch any gunk that came out of the military aluminum fuel tank we bought. It cost only $25 and would save us some hassles, right?!? I took it off and went to clean it. Even without the filter on it (which was clogged), I could hardly blow through it. I couldn't imagine our engine sucking fuel from the back of the 34 ft. bus to the engine in the front. It was very RESTRICTIVE. I couldn't believe it. I took it off and hoped for the best.
For the 200 miles of highway from Illinois back home to Michigan, I didn't have to switch once. We drove home, for free, for the first time. It was a great feeling. It resulted in multiple cheers from Nancy and I. Our diesel tank never moved from the red… it was nearly empty when we left Chicago.
We can now leave Michigan with confidence in our WVO system in a few short days, when we hit the road for the summer in Two Birds.


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Holmwood lead girls 4x400m
ST ANDREW, Jamaica — Defending champions Holmwood Technical had the fastest time in this morning's qualifying heats of the high school girls 4x400m at the 42nd Gibson/McCook Relays at the national stadium.
Holmwood Technical won their heat in 3 minutes 40.52 seconds, well ahead of the next best team Hydel who won their heat in 3:42.45 seconds with Vere Technical High, the record holders, next fastest with 3:43.00 seconds.
St Jago High ran 3:43.69 seconds while Petersfield who were second to Hydel had the sixth best time over all in 3:44.59 seconds followed by The Queens School- 3:34.58 seconds and St Andrew High- 3:45.87 seconds.
Paul Reid
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Sell My Pharmacy
Selling your pharmacy for top-dollar takes expert planning. PRS will create a clear picture of how to prepare and plan for selling a pharmacy as well as provide the knowledge to help make changes to increase the value of your pharmacy. Since 1982 PRS has helped thousands of independent pharmacies just like yours; Selling a pharmacy shouldn't be a nightmare and with us, it isn't.
From pre-planning and finding a buyer through transfer and final closing, you're not alone. Let's sell your pharmacy.
PRS offers three services for Sellers: The first is the Seller Prep Plan that will ascertain a pharmacy's current operations, analyzing how to make improvements that will normalize the potential selling price and provide maximum value to the owner. Next, is the Seller/Buyer Offering Plan that will match the interest of potential buyers to owners interested in selling their pharmacy using a customized, focused marketing plan and PRS's extensive network of buyers and contacts. Finally, upon the sale of a pharmacy, PRS provides the expertise and support to plan and execute all aspects of the transfer of pharmacy ownership by way of the Closing and Transfer Plan.
Here are the details:
The Seller Prep Plan – We take the time to learn everything possible about your pharmacy and location. We will present you with a list of information we need to properly evaluate your current operation and provide our staff what they need to analyze how to improve operations to maximize the selling price. You would be amazed what a few operational tweaks can do for the value of your pharmacy.
We will then put together a customized "Seller Prep Plan". Once the pharmacy is ready to sell for top dollar, we move on to the next step.
The Seller/Buyer Offering Plan – Some would refer to this as a brokerage service, but it is so much more. We prepare a "Seller Marketing Plan" with customized marketing pieces that profile the highlights of your pharmacy, its community location, quality of life as well as basic financial data. These pieces are designed to entice potential buyers to inquire for more information about your pharmacy and is distributed to potential buyers in our extensive database. A more detailed marketing and financial package is prepared for those buyers who have been pre-qualified and have a signed Confidentiality/Non Disclosure Agreement with us. We then:
- Present your business to pre-qualified buyers, answer questions, negotiate on your behalf
- Prepare offers for your review
- Once you are satisfied with the offer and a deal has been reached, we work to ensure experienced professionals are engaged throughout the closing and transfer process – accountants, attorneys, bankers.
The Closing and Transfer Plan – Perhaps you have a buyer already and just need assistance on the ownership transfer or after we sell your pharmacy, you want to retain us to handle the transfer process. PRS advises sellers and their representatives how to transition smoothly to the new owner in accordance with current rules and regulations.
We are more than just your typical "brokers." We are pharmacists and pharmacy experts that can assist throughout the selling process. Remember, each of the above Plans is available separately or as a package. You decide what best fits your needs and we will custom tailor a Plan just for you.
Confidentiality is rule one at PRS; we never share your desire to sell with anyone without your permission. And, yes, that includes your wholesaler and buying group.Let's Get Started
If you've ever thought to yourself "I want to sell my pharmacy but I don't know how," PRS has a solution for you!


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I like you, a shop here in Minneapolis that sells handmade goods from local and regional artists had copies of this print in their shop recently:
I've always loved this print because it's so true – there's nothing that a lemon bar can't fix. That and because my absolute favorite VVG recipe from Grandma has always been lemon bars. Life hasn't been giving me many lemons to speak of lately, but that didn't stop me from making three batches of these to celebrate the end of the spring semester. I brought them in for one my classes this semester and promised my students that I would post the recipe. It's a little late in coming to them, and to you, but I hope you'll all enjoy some lemon bars soon!
Lemon Bars
1 c. butter
2 c. sifted flour
1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar
4 eggs
2 c. sugar (you can reduce this by half and still be adequately sugared up, I promise)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Preheat oven to 350˚. Cream butter. Add flour and powdered sugar and mix. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9″ x 13″ pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
Combine well beaten eggs, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Mix together baking powder and flour and add to egg mixture and mix well. Spread on the hot crust layer. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar.


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Over the past couple of years, we've seen the real estate market change quite a bit. It has gone from bad to worse, but has rebounded quite nicely in recent years. Home prices are up, multiple bids are reality again and the industry has changed in many others ways, as well, including fraud.
Mortgage fraud is down over 5% this year, according to CoreLogic MarketPulse. Another interesting part of this report is the tendency fraud is taking. It has turned into more of an income-based fraud, which changes the ability to repay the mortgage, in the eyes of the lender.
Due to the collapse, new legislation was put in place making it a law that sub-prime lenders have to verify the ability of an applicant to repay the loan, if the loan is through Fannie Mae, FHA, VA or Freddie Mac. This is due to a huge issue that factored into the collapse, which were stated income loans.
Stated income loans were originally designed to give the small business owner the ability to get a mortgage based on their credit and the income they said they made. However, with the sales pressure account executives faced and consumers looking for any way possible to get the house they want stated income loans started to serve another purpose.
When a borrower was unable to obtain a mortgage, due to their income, account executives could use the stated income program to get them approved. The problem with this, it doesn't allow mortgage companies to turn down a loan a borrower cannot afford.
Another issue that contributed to the collapse was the high debt-to-income ratios used to approve mortgage. In January, a new debt-to-income ratio will go into effect dropping the current ceiling from 55% to 43%. This will make it harder for borrowers to get approved for mortgages they cannot afford.
The bottom line, if you lie about your income and use a stated income mortgage, it can hurt you in the long run. Basically, you will run the risk of being approved for a mortgage you cannot afford.