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Boston residents remain skeptical of their city's planned bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, according to a poll released Friday.
Only 40% of residents support the idea of hosting the Games, radio station WBUR found. That number remains unchanged from April.
Statewide, support has risen slightly — from 39% to 42% — in recent weeks.
About half of the respondents in the city and throughout Massachusetts oppose hosting the Games. Cost has been the primary concern.
"Despite more than two years of salesmanship from Olympic boosters, Massachusetts voters ... do not trust the boosters to protect scarce tax dollars," a group called No Boston Olympics said in a statement.
Boston 2024 officials said they were encouraged by other results from the poll, though.
Statewide, 63% of respondents said they had not closely followed news of the revised "Bid 2.0," which was released late last month. It includes several changes — including venues spread throughout the state — aimed at spurring interest.
Bid officials hope that as the new proposal becomes more widely known, poll numbers will improve.
There appears to be some wiggle room, with 44% of respondents on both sides of the issue saying they were open to changing their minds.
"Boston 2024 is working hard to ensure that the people of Boston and the commonwealth have accurate information about the proposal ... as well as ample opportunities to voice their opinions and participate in the process," Erin Murphy, the committee's chief operating officer, said in a statement. "We are confident the numbers will continue to trend upward as more residents take a closer look at our plans."
It was last winter that Boston defeated Los Angeles in a close race to be the sole U.S. bidder. Two other candidates — San Francisco and Washington, D.C. — finished farther back in the competition.
With the Boston 2024 campaign struggling all spring, U.S. Olympic Committee officials recently stuck by their choice but warned that they want to see an increase in public support.
Follow David Wharton on Twitter @LATimesWharton


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Assessment criteria and Learning outcomes:
· I can explain how a shadow is formed.
· I know what the words 'transparent', 'opaque' and 'translucent' mean.
· I know why we can see things, like light bulbs, that give out light.
· I can use diagrams and writing to explain how we see things.
· I have experimented with different surfaces to find out which ones reflect light and which ones do this best.
· I can use drawing to show how light is reflected and what happens when the light hits the mirror at a different angle.
· I have watched an eye when it looks at bright light and found out what it does and why.
· I can explain how to change the size or position of the shadow of an object.
· I can suggest ideas to investigate, which are connected with work I have already done on light and shadows.
· I know I must my observations and measurements by repeating them.
· I can write clear accounts and explain my results using my scientific knowledge.
· I can explain the differences between 'shadows' and 'reflections'.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hang it up, take it out. Whether youre headed to a barbecue, going for a bike ride, or hanging out on the patio, the integrated loop lets you hook it, clip it, or grab it. No matter your plans, bring the music with Amazon Tap Sling. One sling, six shades. Available in six brilliant colors - ranging from vibrant to classic. No matter your style, pop your own color with Amazon Tap Sling.
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$4 to $2579


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Politics & Government
Local governments want public notices out of newspapers, and onto their own websites
Newspaper publishers say legislation that recently passed the N.C. Senate would harm "the public's right to know" by moving government notices from published ads to little-viewed corners of local government websites.
Supporters of the bill counter that newspaper classified-ad pages aren't getting many readers either, and that the change could save millions of dollars for counties and municipalities.
Senate Bill 343 passed the Senate last month in a 30-19 vote and is now awaiting a hearing in the House, where prospects for passage are uncertain. It would allow municipal and county governments to publish required public notices on their own websites instead of in newspapers. Those notices include details about public hearings for new developments and opportunities to bid on government contracts.
The local governments could also host other peoples' legal notices on their own websites, charging attorneys and others for legally required announcements about foreclosures, seized property and other proceedings. The revenue from those ads would fund teacher-pay supplements.
Rep. Chuck McGrady, a Hendersonville Republican who's sponsoring an identical bill in the House, says the notices "have little or no value but generate plenty of money for newspapers. I don't think government ought to be in the business of subsidizing pretty much anything."
Opponents of the bill note that newspapers typically have more readers than government websites, meaning that important legal notices there might go unnoticed.
Tammy Dunn, publisher of the Montgomery Herald in rural Montgomery County, said it's "somewhat ludicrous" to suggest that people would check a government website each week to look at notices.
"For a small rural community newspaper, it is a source of income, but more importantly, it is important for the public's right to know," Dunn said.
Dunn's newspaper and website reaches about 316,000 people over a six-month period, while Montgomery County's government website was accessed by about 27,000 people over the same time period, she said, citing data from a records request.
Newspaper websites in urban counties also have more visitors than local government websites. The News & Observer's website has about 3.2 million visitors over a typical three-month period, according to publisher Sara Glines. Wake County's website had about 466,000 visitors last month, and the city of Raleigh's website had 271,000 visitors in April.
"The fact is the local newspaper, with all of our products, reaches far more people in the public than any county website," said Phil Lucey, executive director of the N.C. Press Association.
But McGrady says few newspaper readers seek out the legal notices section, and people with an interest in foreclosures or government contracts will be able to easily access the information on a government website.
"There's a whole range of things that get published, much of which no one but a group of lawyers has interest in," he said.
The legislator pointed out that the current legal notice system was designed long ago to replace a "bulletin board in the courthouse."
"Technology has changed," he said. "We shouldn't be wed to a notice system that was designed a century ago."
Dunn, however, argues that print notices are still needed to reach people in rural communities who lack reliable internet access. "Around here, it $75 (monthly) to have internet access," he said. "It's an affordability issue for citizens."
By contrast, subscriptions to Dunn's weekly paper cost $31 per year. And she says the legal notices are a key component of revenue that funds reporters who keep the community informed about their local government.
"If legal notice advertising was lost, we would probably lose at least one staff person, and smaller newspapers would close," she said.
Counties and cities, however, say the change in legal notices would free up tax revenue for other purposes.
"Our research staff estimates that the statewide cost for counties to publish legal notices is around $1.7 million," said Lacy Pate, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Association of County Commissioners.
The N.C. League of Municipalities estimated in 2013 that cities and towns across the state spend a total of at least $4 million on ads, spokesman Scott Mooneyham said.
Raleigh's city government got an exemption to the legal notice requirement in 2003 from the legislature. But the city still uses newspaper ads for many of its required notices, spokesman John Boyette said.
He said the city's approach differs based on the type of notice. "The city tends to post legal notices for public hearings on its website only, whereby legal notices for land planning and real estate matters tend to be run in the newspaper only," he explained in an email.
To find a list of upcoming public hearings on Raleigh's website, visitors go to the city's homepage, click on "government," then scroll down to the heading "popular pages" and click on "public hearings."
This year's bill doesn't specify how prominent public notices must be when they are placed on a government website.
Not all local governments are supporting the change. Some have passed resolutions opposing the bill, including Montgomery County's board of commissioners.
"The results of placing vital information on stagnant governmental websites is counterintuitive to the intent of the longstanding legislation requiring notification in newspapers, and choosing online publication in lieu of local newspapers is incongruous with the responsibilities and obligations under which public officials are elected," the resolution says.
A separate measure, House Bill 572, is intended as a compromise and has the support of the N.C. Press Association. It would keep current newspaper publication requirements, but the papers would have to post notices on their websites and on a statewide notices website run by the Press Association, and the newspapers would have to offer a discounted rate for notices published more than once.
That competing bill is sponsored by Republican Rep. Stephen Ross of Burlington. House leaders had scheduled an initial committee hearing on it last month, but canceled it when the Senate passed its bill on public notices first. McGrady said he's unsure whether the House will approve the Senate bill in its current form or try to replace it with the Ross proposal.
Asked if a compromise might be possible, McGrady said he's "reaching out to a member of the Press Association in my county to maybe talk about that when I get home next weekend."
Attempts to change the legal notice requirements in previous legislative sessions did not manage to pass both the House and Senate.
Colin Campbell: 919-829-4698, @RaleighReporter
Senate Bill 343: Would allow municipal and county governments to publish required public notices on their own websites instead of in newspapers. The local governments could also host other peoples' legal notices on their own websites, with the revenue going to fund teacher-pay supplements.
House Bill 572: Would keep current newspaper publication requirements, but the papers would have to post notices on their websites and on a statewide notices website run by the N.C. Press Association, and the newspapers would have to offer a discounted rate for notices published more than once.


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25 years ago
october 2, 1991
City of Marion commissioners paid a visit to the building that houses the now defunct power plant Monday afternoon to see if they could determine what should be done with it.
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Vantuyl of Florence announce the engagement of their daughter, Diane, to David Hett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Hett of Marion. The couple plans to exchange wedding vows June 6, 1992.
Norman R. Mueller of Denver has been selected for listing in the national directory of criminal lawyers. He is one of 700 lawyers selected by their peers as one of the best criminal lawyers in the nation. He is the son of Norman and Vivian Mueller of the Canada community.
After a one-year sojourn in Class 2A classification, Marion High School football returns to Class 3A for 1992 and 1993.
Pictured riding in the Old Settlers' Day parade are Jason Summerville and Iris Shanklin who were named Marion High School homecoming king and queen at Friday's football game.
Clifford "Tip" McFadden of Marion continues to be active in sports competition. The 82-year-old horseshoe pitcher entered the Kansas State Tournament at Ottawa and ended up in a four-way tie for first place in H-Class. After a 50-shoe pitch-off, he earned state championship honors with a 98 percent "ringer" score.
The House of Representatives' Interior Committee has approved 27-17 a plan to establish a national monument at the Z-Bar Ranch in Chase County.


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USK Penang's Xmas Sketchwalk on Facebook and thought it's a wonderful idea to share sketches in the spirit of Xmas. So I proposed to the Min and Azie that we have a Xmas sketch exchange. I exchanged mine for a beautiful angel by Yen.
|Today's line up; everyone facing a different view.
|Pegs' : Looking at the old Bomba quarters from behind the main streets of Padungan
|Azie's : street furniture of two-storey KMC flats
|Sketches exchanged! Merry Xmas!!!


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Eye donation to research
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Access to better vision for everyone
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All images provided by Shasta Software, developers of
CycliStats™ - Software for Cyclists.
CycliStats - a bicycle ride diary and training log.
Additional photos from the Bicycle Tour of Colorado can be found here:
2001, and
Starting up Slumgullion Pass
WeightWare - Your Personal Health and Weight Management Solution
Copyright ©2004 Shasta Software


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*Disclosure: I created my fresh Dessert Strawberry Salsa as part of a sponsored post for Walmart Produce and Socialstars. All opinions are my own!*
This is an amazing summer fresh Strawberry Salsa! It's a dessert salsa made with fantastic flavors of fresh strawberries, lime, cilantro, dash of brown sugar and almonds for a crunch!
Anyone having a heat wave? …Oh, why am I asking, it's June!
Summer is here, hot weather is here (or for many of us in the South, it's been here since March), summer breaks are here.
Summer also means cookouts, barbecues and lots of grilling. Father's Day is coming up soon and so as Fourth of July. Grills will be busy over the next few weeks and ovens will be less busy at that time. I don't know about you but I am not big on turning on my oven when it's high 90s outside.
When I was still planning a recipe for these beautiful strawberries I picked up at WalMart, I was thinking of anything that would not involve me baking. Even though I love baking, you know that, and I love baking with fresh berries, I wanted to avoid the heat.
I thought about just how many people will be having backyard gatherings and parties during next couple of months and I knew that I needed to make something that would be perfect as a barbecue party dessert. I wanted to highlight strawberries and make them the main focus of this dessert. Strawberry salsa seemed like a great way to go.
This is a very simple salsa with few ingredients but they are all just the right ones. Every one of these ingredients adds a special flavor to the dish and makes each bite explode with fresh flavor in your mouth! This is definitely a make-your-eyes-roll-to-the-back-of-your-head dish!
What makes this dish so special are fresh, beautiful strawberries from WalMart. WalMart carries fresh, farmer picked produce with a 100% money back guarantee. This is great news for me because I normally have to drive for over 40 minutes to get to a nice farmer's market.
Did you know that you could save the recipes to your personal recipe box with the Once you have your favorite recipes in your Recipe Box create a Meal Plan with them and the ingredients will automatically be added to a Grocery List! Don't forget to check deals and coupons!
Dessert Strawberry Salsa
- 1 lb of fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup of chopped almonds
- 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- Zest of 1/2 medium lime
- Juice of one medium lime
- 2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
- Chopped strawberries into small cubes and add them to a mixing bowl.
- Zest half a lime and add zest to the bowl. Roll that lime on the counter with your hand, pressing it lightly. Cut in half and squeeze the lime juice into the bowl (take out the seeds).
- Add sugar, cilantro and almonds.
- Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.
- It's preferable that you make this salsa fresh and serve it the same day that you made it.
Recipe Notes
Recipe from Lyuba @ willcookforsmiles.com All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to share this recipe, please simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.
Make sure you follow me through your favorite blog reader (bloglovin or other), subscribe to e-mail or follow me through social media of your choice to keep up with the recipes!
I will be sharing this recipe at the wonderful blog parties in my party tab , Weekend Potluck, Tip Junkie and Rattlebridge Farm. Swing by and link up your own projects!


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Here are some drawings I did of various literary figures, with fun facts about them. You can purchase these drawings in the form of a coloring book at BOOKMACHINE books + zines in Fullerton.
Name: Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), American poet
Fun Fact: He was a major figure in The Beat Generation.
Major Works: Howl, Kaddish
Quote: "America when will you be angelic?"
Name: Anne Lamott (1954-), American novelist
Fun Fact: She has a son named Sam.
Major Works: Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Crooked Little Heart
Quote: "The only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts."
Name: August Strindberg (1849-1912), Swedish playwright
Fun Fact: He wrote 19th century experimental plays and went insane.
Major works: Miss Julie, To Danascus, The Ghost Sonata
Quote: "I dream, therefore I exist."
Name: Billy Collins (1941-), American poet
Fun Fact: He was Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001-2003.
Major Works: Sailing Alone Around the Room, Nine Horses
Quote: "One of these days I'm-a make me a book out of you."
Name: Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986), Argentine writer, librarian
Fun Fact: He was director of the National Public Library in Buenos Aires
Major Works: Ficciones, The Aleph
Quote: "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library. "
Name: Bret Easton Ellis (1964-), American novelist
Fun Fact: Three of his novels (American Psycho, Less Than Zero, and The Rules of Attraction) have been made into movies.
Major Works: see above
Quote: "I'm into, oh murders and executions mostly. It depends."
Names: Charlotte (1816-1855) and Emily (1818-1848) Bronte, British novelists
Fun Fact: They were sisters!
Major Works: Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights
Quote: "Better to be without logic than without feeling."
Name: George Gordon, Lord Byron (1788-1824), British poet
Fun Fact: He was described as "mad, bad and dangerous to know" (he was a badass).
Major Works: "She Walks in Beauty," "When We Two Parted," Manfred, Don Juan
Quote: "Fame is the thirst of youth."
Name: Charles Bukowski (1920-1994), American novelist and poet
Fun Fact: He worked for the Postal Service for 12 years, and hated it.
Major Works: Post Office, Ham on Rye, The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses Over the Fields.
Qhote: "Sometimes you just have to pee in the sink."
Name: Charles Dickens (1812-1870), British novelist
Fun Fact: Many of his novels were first published in serial form, so he was a master of the "cliffhanger", to keep people reading.
Major Works: Great Expectations, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities
Quote: "Charity begins at home, and justice begins next door."
Name: Chuck Palahniuk (1962-), American novelist
Fun Fact: He grew up in a mobile home.
Major Works: Fight Club, Choke, Survivor
Quote: "I used to work in a funeral home to feel good about myself, just the fact that I was breathing."
Name: D.J. Waldie (1948-), American essayist, memoirist
Fun Fact: He has lived his entire life in the same house in Lakewood, CA.
Major Works: Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir, California Romantic
Quote: "Sometimes I think the only real forces are circumstance and grace."
Name: Dave Eggers (1970-), American novelist, memoirist
Fun Fact: He founded McSweeney's, one of the coolest independent publishing houses in the world.
Major Works: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, What is the What
Quote: "We are unusual and tragic and alive."
Name: David Foster Wallace (1962-2008), American novelist, essayist
Not Fun Fact: He committed suicide at age 47.
Major Works: Infinite Jest, Brief Interviews With Hideous Men, Consider the Lobster
Quote: "Getting rid of the pain without addressing the deeper cause would be like shutting off a fire alarm while the fire's still going."
Name: David Sedaris (1956-), American memoirist, humorist
Fun Fact: He is gay.
Major Works: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Naked, Barrel Fever
Quote: "I love things made out of animals. It's just so funny to think of someone saying, 'I need a letter opener. I guess I'll have to kill a deer.'"
Name: Derrick C. Brown (1976-), American poet
Fun Fact: He founded Write Bloody publishing.
Major Works: Born in the Year of the Butterfly Knife, Scandalabra
Quote: "I can not love you until you can love our beautiful waitress in the simple way that I do."
Name: Earl Lovelace (1935-), Trinidadian novelist
Fun Fact: He is from Trinidad.
Major Works: While Gods are Falling, The Wine of Astonishment
Quote: "Out of all the shoulders in the world our shoulders could bear more weight. And out of all the flesh in the world, our flesh could hold more pain, and out of all the hearts in the world our heart could stomach more ache, without breaking or burning or bursting, than any other shoulder or flesh or heart."
Name: Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), American poet
Fun Fact: Most of her poetry was discovered after her death.
Major Works: None of her poems had titles. Editors gave them titles, based on the first line.
Quote: "A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day."
Name: Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), American novelist, short story writer
Fun Fact: His gritty, sparse, journalistic writing style changed American literature in the 20th century.
Major Works: For Whom the Bell Tolls (also a good Metallica song), A Farewell to Arms, The Old Man and the Sea
Quote: "A man's got to take a lot of punishment to write a really funny book."
Name: F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), American novelist
Fun Fact: He coined the term "The Jazz Age."
Major Works: The Great Gatsby, The Beautiful and the Damned
Quote: "Action is character."
Name: Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964), American short story writer, novelist
Fun Fact: She died of lupus at age 39.
Major Works: A Good Man is Hard to Find, Wise Blood, Everything That Rises Must Converge
Quote: "At its best our age is an age of searchers and discoverers, and at its worst, an age that has domesticated despair and learned to live with it happily."
Name: Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881), Russian novelist
Fun Fact: He was exiled in Siberia for four years, for being a part of a revolutionary group in Russia.
Major Works: Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, Notes from Underground
Quote: "If there is no God, everything is permitted."
Name: Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1927-), Colombian novelist
Fun Fact: He popularized a literary style knows as "magical realism."
Major Works: One Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera
Quote: "A man knows when he is growing old because he begins to look like his father."
Name: Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400), British poet
Fun Fact: He helped legitimize English as a language, when the dominant literary languages were French and Latin.
Major Works: The Canterbury Tales
Quote: "Love is blind." (Seriously, he was the first person to write this.)
Name: Gustavo Arellano (1979-), Mexican-American journalist, satirist
Fun Fact: He writes the "Ask a Mexican!" column in OC Weekly
Major Works: Ask a Mexican!, Orange County: A Personal history
Quote: "Of course it's offenseive. That's the "Mexican" that's been in the minds of Americans for many years. By running it week after week, it loses its power."
Name: Harvey Pekar (1939-2010), American comic book writer
Fun Fact: He worked most of his adult life as a file clerk at the Cleveland VA Hospital
Major Works: American Splendor (comic book series)
Quote: "Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff."
Name: Jaime (1959-) and Gilbert (1957-) Hernandez, American comic writer/artists
Fun Fact: These underground comic icons are from Oxnard, CA
Major Works: Love and Rockets (comic series)
Quote: "Comics as art. I do comics as comics, and my opportunity to tell stories. Simple. Basic. Let the characters have the excitement, not the package. That's where I come from."
Name: Homer (around 850 BCE), Greek poet
Fun Fact: He might not have actually existed.
Major Works: The Iliad, the Odyssey
Quote: "Be still my heart; thou hast known worse than this."
Name: Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005), American journalist
Fun Fact: He is credited as the creator of "Gonzo" journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to such a degree that they become central figures in their stories.
Major Works: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hells Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga
Quote: "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."
Name: Jack Kerouac (1922-1969), American poet
Fun Fact: Along with Allen Ginsberg, he was another pioneer of The Beat Generation, badass writers who defied convention, materialism, and apathy.
Major Works: On the Road, The Dharma Bums, Big Sur
Quote: "A pain stabbed my heart as it did every time I saw a girl I loved who was going the opposite direction in this too-big world."
Name: Jamaica Kincaid (1949-), Caribbean novelist and gardener
Fun Fact: She is a convert to Judaism.
Major Works: "Girl", A Small Place, Lucy
Quote: "This is how to bully a man; this is how a man bullies you."
Name: James Joyce (1882-1941), Irish novelist
Fun Fact: He was a pioneer of the "stream-of-consciousness" writing technique."
Major Works: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Dubliners, Ulysses (a tough read), Finnegan's Wake (a near impossible read)
Quote: "And then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will yes."
Name: Jane Austen (1775-1817), British novelist
Fun Fact: She was not widely accepted as a great novelist until the 1940s
Major Works: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma
Quote: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
Name: J.D. Salinger (1919-2010), American novelist, short story writer
Fun Fact: He only published four books in his lifetime.
Major Works: The Catcher in the Rye, Nine Stories, Franny and Zooey
Quote: "Goddam money. It always ends up making you blue as hell."
Name: J.K. Rowling (1965-), British novelist
Fun Fact: The first Harry Potter book was rejected by twelve publishers before it was published.
Major Works: The Harry Potter Series
Quote: "It is our choices... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
Name: J.M. Coetzee (1940-), South Afrrican novelist
Fun Fact: He was at the forfront of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.
Major Works: Waiting for the Barbarians, Disgrace, In the Heart of the Country
Quote: "In order to be cruel we have to close our hearts to the suffering of the other."
Name: John Fante (1909-1983), American novelist
Fun Fact: Charles Bukowski said, "Fante was my god." He was one of the pioneers of the literary movement called "Dirty Realism"
Major Works: Ask the Dust
Quote: "Ask the dust on the road! Ask the Joshua trees standing alone where the Mojave begins. Ask them about Camilla Lopez, and they will whisper her name."
Name: John Keats (1795-1821), British poet
Fun Fact: He died at age 25.
Major Works: "To Autumn," "Ode to a Nightengale," lots of odes.
Quote: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,' - that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
Name: John Steinbeck (1902-1968), American novelist
Fun Fact: In 1960, he traveled across the US in a camper with his poodle Charley.
Major Works: The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, Of Mice and Men
Quote: "If you're in trouble, or hurt or need - go to the poor people. They're the only ones that'll help - the only ones."
Name: Jonathan Saran Foer (1977-), American novelist
Fun Fact: He dropped out of medical school to pursue his career as a writer.
Major Works: Everything is Illuminated, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Quote: "You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness."
Name: J.R.R. Tolkein (1892-1973), British novelist
Fun Fact: He was a professor of literature at Oxford University
Major Works: The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Quote: "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul. (Elvish). One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. (English)"
Name: Junot Diaz (1968-), Dominican-American novelist
Fun Fact: He won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for his first novel.
Major Works: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Drown
Quote: "You really want to know what being an X-Man feels like? Just be a smart bookish boy of color in a contemporary U.S. ghetto. Mamma mia! Like having bat wings or a pair of tentacle growing out of your chest."
Name: Kathleen Norris (1940-), American poet, essayist
Fun Fact: She spent a lot of time in a Benedectine monastery.
Major Works: The Cloister Walk, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography
Quote: "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it."
Name: Kazuo Ishiguro (1954-), Japanese-British novelist
Fun Fact: You know that English movie The Remains of the Day with Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson? He wrote the novel that was based on. That's right, a Japanese guy wrote that.
Major Works: The Remains of the Day, Never Let Me Go
Quote: "All children have to be deceived if they are to grow up without trauma."
Name Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (1922-2007), American novelist
Fun Fact: Vonnegut smoked unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes, a habit he referred to as a "classy way to commit suicide"
Major Works: Slaughterhouse Five, Breakfast of Champions, Cat's Cradle
Quote: "Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John."
Name: Louise Erdrich (1954-), Native American novelist, poet
Fun Fact: She is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of what critic Kenneth Lincoln has called the Native American Renaissance.
Major Works: Love Medicine, The Plague of Doves
Quote: "Columbus only discovered that he was in some new place. He didn't discover America."
Name: Margaret Atwood (1939-), Canadian novelist
Fun Fact: She and her partner Graeme Gibson are the Joint Honourary Presidents of the Rare Bird Club.
Major Works: The Handmaid's Tale, Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature
Quote: "Canada was built on dead beavers."
Name: Marjane Satrapi (1969-), Persian-French graphic novelist
Fun Fact: She grew up in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution in the 1980s.
Major Works: Persepolis
Quote: "The real war is not between the West and the East. The real war is between intelligent and stupid people."
Name: Mark Twain, aka Samuel Clemens (1835-1910), American novelist, humorist
Fun Fact: He was born during a visit by Halley's comet, and died on its return.
Major Works: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Pudd'nhead Wilson
Quote: "A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read."
Name: Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), Spanish novelist
Fun Fact: His book Don Quixote is considered the first modern novel.
Major Works: Don Quixote
Quote: "Too much sanity may be madness and the maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be."
Name: Haruki Murakami (1949-), Japanese novelist
Fun Fact: He is a marathon runner and triathlete.
Major Works: Norwegian Wood, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World
Quote: "Most young people were getting jobs in big companies, becoming company men. I wanted to be individual."
Name: Philip K. Dick (1928-1982), American novelist
Fun Fact: The films Blade Runner, A Scanner Darkly, Total Recall, Minority Report and many others were based on his writings.
Major Works: See above.
Quote: "It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane."
Name: Ray Bradbury (1920-), American novelist and short story writer
Fun Fact: I once met Ray Bradbury at a book signing in Brea.
Major Works: Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man
Quote: "There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them."
Name: R.L. Stine (1943-), American novelist
Fun Fact: He founded the publishing company that publishes his books (Parachute Press).
Major Works: Goosebumps, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room
Quote: "I feel happy to terrify kids."
Name: Roald Dahl (1916-1990), British novelist
Fun Fact: He was also a fighter pilot.
Major Works: James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Danny the Champion of the World
Quote: "A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom."
Name: Salman Rushdie (1947-), British-Indian novelist
Fun Fact: Ayatollah Roholla Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran, issued a fatwa (death threat) against him in 1989, after the publication of The Satanic Verses.
Major Works: Midnight's Children, The Satanic Verses, The Ground Beneath Her Feet.
Quote: "Doubt, it seems to me, is the central condition of a human being in the twentieth century."
Name: Sandra Cisneros (1954-), American novelist
Fun Fact: She is regarded as a key figure in Chicana literature.
Major Works: The House on Mango Street, Woman Hollering Creek, Caramelo
Quote: "In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters. It means sadness, it means waiting."
Name: William Shakespeare (1564-1616), British playwright, poet
Fun Fact: He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language ever.
Major Works: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, etc.
Quote: "To be or not to be, that is the question."
Name: Shel Silverstein (1930-1999), American poet, singer-songwriter
Fun Fact: Playboy published one of his books called Silverstein Around the World.
Major Works: Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, The Giving Tree
Quote: "I know a way to stay friends forever, There's really nothing to it, I tell you what to do, And you do it."
Name: St. Augustine (354-430), Roman theologian, philosopher
Fun Fact: He is the patron saint of brewers, printers, theologians, sore eyes
Major Works: The Confessions, The City of God
Quote: "Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility."
Name: St. Luke (died c. 84), Greco-Syrian physician, writer
Fun Fact: He is credited with writing over half of the New Testament
Major Works: The Gospel According to Luke, The Acts of the Apostles
Quote: "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Name: Stephen King (1947-), American novelist
Fun Fact: He wrote the story that The Shawshank Redemption was based on.
Major Works: Carrie, Misery, The Shinging, On Writing
Quote: "I am the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries."
Name: Stephenie Meyer (1973-), American novelist
Fun Fact: She is not a very good writer.
Major Works: The Twilight Saga
Quote: "I like the night. Without the dark, we'd never see the stars."
Name: Steve Westbrook (1974-), American poet
Fun Fact: He likes to paint sad men with funny hats.
Major Works: Composition & Copyright: Perspectives on Teaching, Text-Making, and Fair Use, "Lost Dutchman, AZ," "Binger, OK"
Quote: "I have a wild brother with an extra nose."
Name: Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), American novelist, poet
Fun Fact: She committed suicide by putting her head in an oven.
Major Works: The Bell Jar, Ariel
Quote: "Kiss me and you will see how important I am."
Name: T.S. Eliot (1888-1965), American poet, literary critic
Fun Fact: Despite his "serious" reputation, he also published a book of humorous illustrated poems called "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats"
Major Works: The Waste Land, Four Quartets, Tradition and the Individual Talent
Quote: "These fragments I have shored against my ruins."
Name: Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), British writer
Fun Fact: She drowned herself by filling her pockets with rocks and walking into a river.
Major Works: To The Lighthouse, Mrs. Dalloway, A Room of One's Own
Quote: "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."
Name: Voltaire (1694-1778), French philosopher, satirist
Fun Fact: He wrote more than 2,000 books and pampllets
Major Works: Candide
Quote: "An ideal form of government is democracy tempered with assassination."
Name: Walt Whitman (1819-1892), American poet
Fun Fact: He was a nurse during the Civil War
Major Works: Leaves of Grass
Quote: "Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes."
Name: William Blake (1757-1827), British poet
Fun Fact: He is also regarded as a great visual artist and printmaker.
Major Works: Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
Quote: "No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings."
Name: William Steig (1907-2003), American children's book author, cartoonist
Fun Fact: He was a regular cartoonist for The New Yorker
Major Works: Shrek!, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Amos and Boris
Quote: "To tell the truth, I don't read children's books. I'm an adult. I just write them."


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Christina Aguilera and fiancé Matt Rutler just welcomed their first child into the world — a baby girl Us Weekly has confirmed. The Grammy Award-winning songstress gave birth at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles yesterday.
The happy couple announced the pregnancy in February, a little over a week after revealing their engagement. In March, Aguilera and Rutler divulged that they would be having a little girl.
At her baby shower in Los Angeles on July 12th, Aguilera was a vision in a white lattice-print maxi dress with gauzy long sleeves. She completed her look with soft wavy hair, accented by an ethereal flower crown featuring greenery, cream roses, and dusty miller. Rutler was also in attendance and the couple couldn't have looked more in love as he was spotted kissing his fiancée's baby bump.
See More: Was Christina Aguilera Test Driving Her Wedding-Day Look at Her Baby Shower?
"Everybody gave toasts and Christina gave a speech about how she felt so much love," a guest told People. "She thanked everyone for supporting her and said how excited she was to have a baby girl. It was a really sweet night." The Midsummer Night's Dream-themed party was co-ed and brimmed over with Moroccan pillow seating, string lights, and romantic candlelight.
Aguilera also posed nude for V Magazine and said of the moment and her pregnancy, "As a woman, I'm proud to embrace my body through all stages of life, staying fearless and confident in surrendering to the unknowns the future has in store". She described this time in her life as "incredible" and "magical".
Aguilera is already the proud mother of 6-year-old son Max who she shares with ex-husband Jordan Bratman. This is Rutler's first child.
Congrats to the happy couple!


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Daily Download: Marcin "Capofamiglia"
Marcin Czubala has spent the last decade putting his classical music training to good use, letting the rigor of study enhance his skills as an important electronic artist in the Polish underground music scene. His time spent at Kurczewski music school is evident on "Capofamiglia." The beats are intricately laced over one another with a meticulousness most don't have the patience for, and subtle bleeps and tweaks blossom throughout the music.
Download this song as an MP3, or preview a week's worth of tracks at the XLR8R Podcast. Subscribe using iTunes, or with an RSS reader of your choice.


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In "Why Can't I Loose Weight? part 1" I discussed the 4 big questions that should be addressed if you are struggling to loose weight, focussing on the first 2. 1. Are you exercising enough or doing the proper types of exercise and intensity? 2. […]Read More »
A recent study in the June issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that 11% of the tested 123 high school and college football players qualified as having metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a disease that is comprised of a number of […]Read More »
Achieving better sleep can often be a simple matter though it never seems so at first. The video below will lay some simple techniques that can help you achieve quality sleep without medication.Read More »
Are you a diet soda drinker? Do you ever wonder if it really is better than regular? Many of us turn to diet soda to get our taste of "fizzy" without all of the nasty calories in regular soda. After taking a quick glimpse […]Read More »
With so many supplements out there, how do you know what the best ones are? The are almost impossible to keep up with. Over the next several months I will outline what I believe to be the best supplements for noticeable results. Resveratrol is one […]Read More »
Are you doing everything that you need to stay healthy? As more and more information emerges about the health benefits of Vitamin D, it is slowly working its way up to being one of the, if not the most important thing that you can do […]Read More »
Several studies report a link between CRP and frequency of both dental visits, as well as flossing. CRP is strongly associated with your risk for cardiovascular disease but previous studies have not established a solid link between dental hygiene and your risk of heart disease. […]Read More »


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3 tablespoons butter
250ml white sugar
500ml hot milk
5ml vanilla essence
Heat the butter, salt and sugar to a light brown syrup.
Add the milk gradually, and heat, stirring to dissolve any lumps. Allow to cool, flavour with vanilla essence and serve hot.
Makes 625ml.
Serve with caramelized fruit, baked or steamed pudding.
To join for English Recipes only send a message to: firstname.lastname@example.com
Or visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/english_recipes
Om aan te sluit vir Resepte in Afrikaans en Engels stuur 'n e-pos aan: email@example.com
Of besoek: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/resepte
If you join the Afrikaans groups, you will receive the English e-mails as well.
No need to join both groups.


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:/ :'(
I just realised something awful.
I've lost both my Socket BT and my AG06 (I kept them together)
I think I'm gonna cry. But first, I need to find a way to replace them. The socket card is easy. . but the camera? Do normal PPC CF cameras work at all?


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In more ways than one, Lore Master Xan is the true ruler of Terros Secundus, able to influence the Arch Chancellor's thoughts, decisions and judgements. Whereas the Lore Masters – and by default, the Lore Keepers – have based their religious faith on real events, time has slowly eroded the truth, leaving only a twisted (and toxic) husk in its wake. It may occur that Kelvin has a better grasp on past events than even Lore Master Xan, making him not only a threat, but a target of the DiSaurian ruling body.
[[city]], [[state]] [[zip]]
Date: [[date]]
Time: [[time]]


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Brand of chic knitwear for woman, including elegant knitted dresses, sweaters, and T-shirts, enriched by beautiful colorful printed patterns, especially in the spring-summer collection. All clothes are entirely made in Italy using the best materials. Private Label available
Manufacturers of a wide range of knitwear, man, women, midium high quality, both in basic that in fantasy. We manufacture garments, very well treated in value for quality/price. Italian production makes use the best fibers and accessories. We work primarily on planned, and we have a great experience for Private Label.


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NBA moves All Star Game 2017 from Charlotte
The 2017 NBA All-Star Game was given to the city of Charlotte in North Carolina, the home of the Charlotte Hornets franchise, on 22 June 2015. Just over a year later, in a statement made on Thursday, the NBA decided to move the game and all the events that go with it, with New Orleans currently (at the time of writing) the favorite to host the festivities.
The league added that it hoped to return to Charlotte in 2019, thereby merely rescheduling the game rather than actually moving it.
The reason for the move was North Carolina's controversial House Bill 2. The NBA statement read:
While we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state, and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2.
North Carolina's governor Pat McCrory said that "American families should be on notice that the selective corporate elite are imposing their political will on communities in which they do business, thus bypassing the democratic and legal process."
The law that has prompted this decision goes by the cumbersome title of "An Act to Provide for Single-sex Multiple Occupancy Bathroom and Changing Facilities in Schools and Public Agencies and to Create Statewide Consistency in Regulation of Employment and Public Accommodations. The bill, in full, can be read here.
North Carolina's state legislature convened on 23 March, a special session, in order to pass the law. It was passed and signed that same night by Governor McCrory. A month previously, the city of Charlotte had passed an ordinance, with a 7-4 majority on the city council, that prevented businesses from discriminating against LGBT customers. The most controversial part of the bill allowed transgender people to use the public restroom appropriate to the gender which they identified with. North Carolina state law does not permit pre-operative transgender people to use bathrooms in this manner and HB2 established that individual cities cannot establish a different standard.
Let's be quite frank about this: the NBA has not taken the All Star Game from Charlotte because it objects to the law; it has done so because it knows that it is not good business to be seen to even associate with the North Carolinian law. In doing so, however, they follow several other businesses who have decided to shun the state. Paypal reneged on their deal to expand into Charlotte, a move that would have created over 400 jobs. Deutsche Bank will no longer expand their Cary, NC offices, at the cost of 250 jobs. Concerts and shows by artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Nick Jonas, Maroon 5 and Cirque du Soleil have all been cancelled. Duke and the US men's national team coach Mike Krzyzewski called the law 'embarrassing'.
Six states have issued a ban on employees making non-essential travel to North Carolina.The British Foreign Office has issued a travel advisory to their LGBT employees warning them about travel to North Carolina and Mississippi.
It is estimated that HB2 has, to date, lost North Carolina some $40m of revenue and up to $80m in investments and visitor spending.
The NBA follows the NFL in attempting to force the hand of states who create what is perceived to be oppressive legislation. In 2014, the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act permitted companies to discriminate in terms of the people they did business with. The problem was that they were due to host the Superbowl and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell happens to have a sibling who is gay. Earlier this year, a similar bill was passed in Georgia, another state with an NFL team and aspirations of hosting a Superbowl – the 2014 event was estimated to have benefited Phoenix to the tune of $720m. In both cases, the Governor of the state (both Republicans, much like McCrory), vetoed the bills in question.
Now that the NBA has acted, the question of whether or not the NC legislature will act remains. Does the NBA, whose most famous son just happens to be a North Carolina resident, UNC alum and the owner of the Hornets franchise, have the same political power as the NFL?
For the most part, players have stated their support for the NBA's decision, though reigning MVP Steph Curry did make some pointedly vague comments about the bill when asked a few months ago, stating that "While I don't know enough about the North Carolina law to comment more fully, no one should be discriminated against". Whether he meant the LGBT community or those seeking legislative means of opposing them was unclear.
The US Department of Justice is in the process of suing Governor McCrory, arguing that the bill violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Violence Against Women Act.
NC State Senator Jeff Jackson took to twitter and the "Crying Jordan" meme generator to give us his take on the announcement:


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Renegade Smith - Brass McDivven Stubby
McDivven Stubby Drip Tip from Renegeade Smith in the US. Wide mouth for easy dripping with a curved inside wall to help guide your juice to the atomizer.
E Juice | E Liquid | Vape Starter Kits | E Juice subscriptionIMPORTANT: The products sold on EraVape.com website are intended for adults ONLY! By entering EraVape.com, you certify that you are of legal smoking age, at least 21 years old.


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3 Easy Ways To Care For Your Skin This Summer
After a few months of cool air, summer has come once again. While it's generally fun, the heat can take a toll on your body. Especially on the skin. That's why we've put together some tips for summer skin care.
Because your skin is the most exposed part of your body, it's going to take the brunt of the sun and the dryness or humidity. You'll have to take extra precautions to keep it from getting too damaged.
Of course, you'll have to tailor your routine, but there are still basics that can help in the long run.
Tip #1: Stay hydrated.
Because it's summer, dehydration is almost a given. As long as it's hot, you'll sweat and it'll take a toll on your body. You'll risk having a heatstroke, feel exhausted easily, and your skin will start drying up and lose its elasticity.
Make sure to drink enough water—preferably more than 8 glasses—and replace any electrolytes you lose. A water container will come in handy for those times you have to brave the heat. While an insulated jug is better at keeping your water colder for a longer period of time, any will do.
Tip #2: Adapt to your environment.
In the Philippines, hot weather can either be dry or humid, and your body may react differently depending on which one.
When the air is dry, water is likely to leave your body, leaving your skin flaky. You'll need to apply moisturizer or any moisturizing lotion, especially to your elbows, knees, knuckles, and any other spots you feel need attention. Use lip balm to prevent chapping on your lips.
You will also need to exfoliate to remove dead skin cells that prevent your skin from absorbing more of the products. Finally, if you're feeling particularly dry, try using a facial mist: they leave your skin fresh without creating films that block pores.
On the other hand, humidity can leave your face oilier, making you more prone to breakouts. Dirt and grime stick to the oil so you need to use a gentle cleanser to remove that without taking off a layer of skin.
If your skin is oily, you might want to use a face mask to really get rid of remaining dirt. Finally, apply moisturizer, but try not to put too much on the T-zone (it's the area going from your nose to your forehead).
Tip #3: Protect your skin and deal with any damage.
Summer is a great time to chill, but skin damage can take the fun out of the break.
Always wear sunscreen, and pay attention to areas that are frequently exposed like your nose, neck, and even your arms. Choose the waterproof and long-lasting kinds, but always re-apply as needed. There are even products you can apply to your scalp to keep it healthy despite the sun.
The other part of preventing damage is wearing the right clothes. Wear a cap to keep your face under the shade and sunglasses with UV protection. If you wear eyeglasses, ask stores if they can give lenses to block the rays.
If you do suffer from damage, use soothing balms or creams—preferably those with aloe vera—to heal your skin.
We hope you find our simple yet effective summer skin care tips useful. Do you have your own tips you'd like to share? Comment away! 🙂


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ASO 2018 update: the step by step guide to improve your ASO in 2018. In average we increase the organic downloads by 100% in the App Store, in Google Play similar. With millions of apps in the app stores it is still possible to rank your app without spending millions of $. Do ASO right and you app will rank!
In this page we will help you to understand how the different points are connected and work with you on a 25 points aso checklist 2018 to get instant results and higher downloads.
Agenda ASO 2018 update
- What is App Store Optimization ASO 2018?
- The ASO factors based on our ASO checklist
- ASO Tools 2018: How to conduct a App Market Research in 2018?
- ASO differences Google Play versus App Store 2018
- How to increase your organic (free) downloads in 2018?
- App keywords optimization in 2018
- App keywords research in 2018
- Are reviews and ratings important in the ASO 2018?
- Mobile App A/B testing 2018 – new features!
- Publishing an app without budget in 2018
- Publishing an app with budget in 2018
- App Store Optimization (ASO) Workshop 2018 / App Store Optimization course 2018
It is still similar to 2017 :_). ASO 2018 update: improving all aspects of your App for Google Play and App Store (and yes, there are important differences). There are a lot of aspects working together to get a app to the Top10 in it's category:
We have managed over 100+ apps and have 1000+ keywords worldwide in Top10 in Google Play and App Store. Every week there is an update for a nex client or existing customer. Why? You should adapt your app keywords every 4 weeks to rank higher! ASO update 2018 works.
For our customers we typically manage to get instant results in terms of more keyword rankings which lead to more organic downloads. But it does not stop there. Downloads are only one part of the game, you want to earn MONEY! So we will help you to improve and market your app on the long run.
The ASO factors in 2018:
What do you need to cover if you want to optimize your app position in the app stores? And be beware of the differences in Google Play and App Store.
ASO factors in 2018 that are easy to change:
- Find the right App Keywords in 2018 (different strategy in Google Play and App Store)
- Put the App Keywords in the right place
- Optimize the App Title with your new 2018 app keywords
- Optimize the App Subtitle with your new 2018 app keywords
- Marketing message: Promotional Text (iOS only)
- App description in 2018
- Showcase your app's unique selling points in attractive Screenshots
- Design a clear App Icon, adapt to 2018 design trends
- Build a App Preview Video to convince potential users
- Find the right App Category
- Optimize the App's price
- Minimize your app's size
- Localize your app to have more downloads and revenue
- build a SEO optimized landing page / small website for your app using SEO 2018
And there are some more factors that have an impact on the ranking of your app (Google Play and App Store work in a different way here):
Additional ASO factors 2018 to have in mind :
- Total number of downloads is still an important factor
- Download velocity (how many downloads your App did have in last days, weeks, in total
- App Updates have an impact on visibility, update every 4 weeks
- App Ratings have a strong impact on ranking and conversion rates
- Reviews have a strong impact on ranking and conversion rates
- Active Users in 2018 are becoming a more and more important ranking factor
- De-Installs in 2018 are becoming a more and more important ranking factor
- Build a GoToMarket Strategy for App Launch that includes Social Media, Traffic to your apps website, eMail, Referrals
- SEO Aspects and Social Signs: yes, SEO does have an impact mainly on Google Play
- Mobile App A/B Tests to validate that you showcase the right thing to your users
- …
How to conduct App Market Research in 2018?
Some new tools emerged, but in the end it is the similar as before. Four App Store Optimization ASO in 2018 you need to identify your competition, and even better if you can name your competition in the mobile app space. After you know with whom you compete, you can choose several free tools to get real world numbers on them. And yes, do this. You will learn funny things on what works and what not. And do not forget to talk about DOWNLOADs. It does not matter to rank number 1 for a keyword that has no downloads.
Relevant ASO Tools in 2018 for keywords, market, reviews are:
- AppTweak for keywords and Apple Search ads (our personal choice)
- TheTool (with updated Google Play downloads
- AppAnnie
- SensorTower (nice if you have only 1 app)
- Google Search Console
- Google Keyword planner
- SEMRush (keywords)
- MOZ (keywords)
- …
There are some new ASO Tools that have a nice value proposals, check out:
- AppFollow (manage your App review process)
- ASOMaker
- Keywordtool.io
- …
Both lists are incomplete, but finally we tend to work with tools that we know.
ASO differences Google Play versus App Store in 2018
Let's put it straight, if you have done the ASO 2018 fine for the APP Store, you would probably get some results on Google Play. And vice versa. BUT you would miss 50% of possible organic downloads.
You can apply findings from the market research on Google Play to App Store and market research on App Store to Google Play. But you still need to add some more details to reach the full potential of both stores.
The main differences ASO differences Google Play and App Store in 2018 are:
- the way the search engine works (in iOS it basically takes keywords from title, subtitle and keywords list with a different rating factor while in Google Play you have Title, Subtitle and description for the keywords and some SEO tactics)
- How the overall ranking is calculated … total downloads, download velocity, ratings, reviews are important on both App Stores
- Google Play takes into account a bunch of more factors like social signs and SEO factors, active users, de-install rate …
- …
How to increase your organic (free) downloads in 2018?
- Build a fantastic app MVP that solves a user problem / demand with 2018 design
- Run A/B Tests already in the design phase
- choose the right category for you
- work on Icon, Screenshots, preview videos and A/B test them
- find the right mix for Title, Subtitle, Keywords (brand versus ASO)
- add a budget for the App GoLive
- Publish the app using the right App marketing Mix
- Listen to your users and adapt the app
- ask your happy! users for a rating / review
- …
Follow our ASO 2018 update guide and you will rock the ranking charts. This sounds like a lot of steps, but you want to get more free downloads! There are more factors, eg app revenue (IAP or Paid) have a hugh impact on the organic ranking. Most clients come to us when the app is ready to publish or when the app is published and does not get relevant downloads. But sorry, this is to late. You need to prepare before Go-Live as the first 2 weeks of your app live has a lasting effect on your app standing. A new app is like a pregnancy, once the baby is out, you need to have everything in place to grow it.
Reviews and ratings for App ranking in 2018?
Reviews and Ratings have 2 major impacts:
- a customer that compares 2 apps will always tend the the app with more good ratings
- Ratings have a important impact on your ranking in Google Play and AppStore
Having this in mind, you have to work on your reviews and ratings. Ask your users for a feedback when he is happy (eg just bought the app or managed a level up). There is a native review request in iOS that boost the number of the reviews. Implement it!
And if your ranking is below 4 in either stores, you need to act! In iOS you can reset your ranking and start from scratch (but you will loose ranking compared to your competition if you start from 0). In Google Play in 2018 you just need to work on it. If the ranking is really low and you have a low number of downloads, take this app out and publish a new app!.
A/B testing in 2018!
A funny thought, everybody knows about Mobile App A/B testing in 2018 but we know only a small number of app publishers that use this in their design process or once the app is published. You can A/B test everything: Icon, screenshots, app screens, push notification … put on a assumption and test against it. You know nothing John Snow :_) until you have tested it out. And you can now even integrate your Facebook ads with a specific onboarding process following
Tools that help you in the design process and review user feedback in the design process:
Tools to test and publish apps with a low budget:
Use the test features in Google Play to validate icon, screenshots, title, subtitle, texts …. Run the tests minimum 2 weeks. Test only against an assumption and make sure not to mix several changes in the test. We have learned that the same test can give you different results :_).
One free tool to test how Push Message are working with a strong A/B test functionality is OneSignal. In Google Firebase this can be done also for free with limited number of active users.
Tools to test and publish apps if you have budget and really want to earn money:
- LeanPlum (In App Screens and Messaging)
- Swrve (In App Screens and Messaging)
- Localytics (application analytics)
- AppSee (User recordings!)
- Delta DNA
- …
and countless Marketing analytics providers to track where your downloads come from like:
How does this fit together?
Publish an App in 2018 without budget:
A low invest approach is to build the best app using free tools as above and publish it using the ASO 2018 update strategy above. See downloads rolling in, take the user feedback in reviews and ratings serious to change and update your app. Update the ASO every 4 weeks until you have a good organic download rate. Try to understand what your user is doing in the app and add more value using free tools. Work with free tools like onesignal to send push message to activate users. Play around with price schemes to see if you can earn money.
Publish an app in 2018 with budget:
If you review the apps that really earn money like Calm.com or Hooked or many others they have one thing in common. The really know what their users are and how to communicate with them. They follow the trends of ASO 2018 update. And this is not only because they have more and bright stuff working on it. NO. They use the right tools to get new users (eg manage your paid and organic downloads with AppFlyer and you can measure which keywords bring you the best users). The use tools like LeanPlum to understand what users are doing and send different users groups automatic multi-channel messages in different stages of the app use. And they can change the look and feel of their app (like User Onboarding or SignUp or Purchase) and test several scenarios. Like this they learn and are getting better and better. But all this does not work, if your app has no value or a terrible design.
But back to the beginning, You still want to double your downloads, right?
Like our customer Kids Safe Video Plyer – From 50 to 500 organic downloads a day.
Want to see where your app stands with the ASO update 2018? Book our ASO analysis and get 10 suggestion how to improve your app for more downloads and even 5 backlinks!http://leverage-iq.com/product/in-depth-app-aso-analysis-app-store-google-play/
More about App Store Optimization:


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HTC is working on a smaller, cheaper version of its latest flagship phone, the HTC One.
The news comes from anonymous tech reporter EvLeaks, who is consistently accurate when it comes to gadget leaks.
The new phone is codenamed the M4, according to EvLeaks, but will likely carry the "One" branding when it launches at the end of the second quarter this year.
The M4 looks nearly identical to the One, but it'll be a bit smaller with a 4.3-inch display. (The One has a 4.7-inch display.) It'll also have a slower processor and less memory.
The HTC One is widely regarded as the best Android phone you can buy today. It has a sleek unibody metal construction and a very sharp display that can play full HD video.


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Genesys RF/Microwave Synthesis and Simulation Software
Genesys is an affordable, accurate, easy-to-use RF and microwave circuit synthesis and simulation tool created for the circuit board and subsystem designer. Automatic circuit synthesis of matching networks, filters, oscillators, mixers, transmission lines, PLL and signal routing structures enable engineers without prior expertise to design these components quickly.
The Genesys synthesis collection is consistently the best selling bundle because no other equivalent capabilities are available in the market at such an affordable price. As a proven safe investment with an installed base of over 5,000 satisfied designers, Genesys literally pays for itself within the first year of deployment by eliminating wasteful hardware iterations through automated circuit synthesis and accurate design.
Key Benefits of Genesys
- Industry's widest coverage of automated RF & microwave filter, matching and circuit synthesis
- RF system analysis and frequency planning with interactive root-cause problem identification
- Linear and nonlinear RF circuit simulators with optimization and statistical analysis for high-performance and high-yield designs
- 3D-planar EM simulator for analyzing printed circuit board and antenna layout to reduce board turns
- 3X more affordable than competitive products that offer less capablity
Learn about Genesys
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By Product Category
- W1338BP Genesys Core, Synthesis, Circuit, System, Modulated RF, EM Bundle (19)
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1-25 of 129
|Keysight Technologies EDA Software "Startup Program" for Young Companies
The Keysight EDA Software "Startup Program" for Young Companies is a promotion.
Promotional Materials 2019-05-22
|Keysight EEsof EDA Newsletter - Product and Application News
Keep tabs on the latest product and application news and review the archives of the Keysight EEsof EDA Newsletter.
Newsletter 2019-04-09
|Improved Data Sharing Across Product Development Workflow Would Improve Time to Market
Keysight Survey Reveals Improved Data Sharing Across the Entire Product Development Workflow Would Improve Time to Market for Electronic Devices.
Press Materials 2019-04-08
|Importing a MATLAB Waveform into Genesys
This application note shows you the quick and easy process of importing a MATLAB waveform into Genesys.
Application Note 2019-03-11
|Making Better Models with User Data
This paper details the process of combining MATLAB and the RF System analysis to improve the accuracy of simulations via personalized models.
Application Note 2019-03-05
|The Future of Design and Simulation Workflows
While design engineers are facing many challenges, the most pressing are in the areas of data sharing and analysis. This report underscores the need for a new way to connect design and test data across the workflow.
Application Note 2019-02-22
|Genesys 2018 Release Notes
Information about the Genesys 2018 release.
Release Notes 2018-07-31
|Genesys 2018 Documentation
Genesys 2018 Documentation
User Manual 2018-07-31
|Genesys - Brochure
Genesys color brochure and configuration guide. Provides information to help with purchasing decisions and justifications.
Brochure 2018-05-21
|Genesys Synthesis Bundle W1322B Time-Based to Perpetual Ownership Affordable and Easy to Purchase
Learn about the Genesys Systhesis Time-Based to Perpetual Ownership Credit Card Purchase Promotion.
Promotional Materials 2017-08-30
|Advanced Design System - Brochure
This Brochure highlights the features of Keysight EEsof EDA's Advanced Design System (ADS); the industry's premier RF, Microwave and High-Speed Design platform.
Brochure 2017-07-28
|Genesys Platform Operating System Roadmap
Keysight EEsof EDA Genesys RF and Microwave Design Software platform support roadmap.
Selection Guide 2017-04-25
|Keysight EEsof EDA Premier Communications Design Software
Keysight EEsof EDA premier communications design software product overview brochure.
Brochure 2017-01-24
|Synthesis Made Easy With Keysight Genesys
Learn how to quickly design many different RF circuits with various topologies in these short tutorial videos. These step-by-step tutorials walk you through the steps to accelerate your routine design tasks from hours to minutes with automatic RF circuit and system synthesis tools.
Demo 2016-12-01
|Direct-Synthesis Software Approach Facilitates Filter Design
This Microwaves & RF article discusses how Genesys software can be used to design filters with the direct-synthesis technique. A lowpass filter example is presented to illustrate the software's capabilities.
Article 2016-11-28
|Unlocking Millimeter Wave Insights
It is easy to underestimate the challenges at millimeter-wave frequencies, and this amplifies the importance of integrated tools for design, simulation, measurement, and analysis. Learn more about how Keysight is taking the mystique out of millimeter waves and unlocking new insights.
Demo 2016-09-30
|Genesys S/Filter Software Synthesizes Custom RF, MW and Analog Filters for Realization
This white paper describes direct filter synthesis capabilities in Keysight Genesys S/Filter design software used to realize custom filter response.
Application Note 2016-09-23
|How to Design Custom RF, Microwave and Analog Filters
This video shows a custom filter design technique based on Direct or Exact Synthesis in which the filter response is first shaped and customized to meet specifications before a suitable topology is extracted and transformed for the most economical realization.
How-To Video 2016-09-01
|The Modelithics COMPLETE Library v16.2 for Keysight Technologies' Genesys RF Simulation Tool
Modelithics, Inc. announces the latest version of The Modelithics® COMPLETE Library, version 16.2, for use with the Keysight EEsof EDA Genesys RF simulation and synthesis software.
Press Materials 2016-09-01
|Equipping for employment with Keysight Technologies
Cardiff University's School of Engineering to collaborate with Keysight Technologies to increase the range of hardware utilized by students and prepare them for a career in industry. US-based Keysight will provide students full access to industry-leading software tools such as Advanced Design System (ADS), SystemVue, EMPro, Genesys, IC-CAP, and GoldenGate.
Press Materials 2016-08-30
|Follow Keysight EEsof EDA on Twitter!
Twitter enables you to keep current on news and updates with Keysight EEsof through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?
Newsletter 2016-07-14
|IMS-MTT 2016 from Keysight EEsof EDA
Highlights from Keysight EEsof EDA on the show floor at IMS-MTT 2016 in San Francisco, CA on May 22-26, 2016.
Demo 2016-06-05
|Analog Devices Sys-Parameter Library for Keysight's Genesys Software Significantly Eases RF Design
Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) announces the release of an extensive RF amplifier library of Sys-Parameters models for Keysight Technologies, Inc.'s Genesys RF simulation and synthesis software.
Press Materials 2016-03-17
|Genesys Overview
Genesys continues to offer the industry's most powerful RF circuit and system synthesis capabilities in an affordable, accurate and easy-to-use simulation software that you've come to love. Keysight Sys-Parameters provide breakthrough convenience in using component datasheet parameters such as amplifier P1dB, IP3, gain and noise figure over frequency, temperature and bias for simulation without the need to create custom files and equations.
Demo 2016-02-11
|Genesys 2015.08 Release Notes
Information about the Genesys 2015.08
Release Notes 2016-01-28
What's New
Training & Events
Innovations in EDA Webcast Library
Genesys IMS 2011 MTT User Workshop: RF/MW Engineering Through Design Automation
Keysight EEsof EDA Customer Education and Services
Related Industries & Technologies
RF & Microwave Board Design
RF & Microwave Board DesignRF & Microwave Design


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Anger in Mexico's sugar cane fields
Farmers in Mexico's sugar cane fields are fuming as the U.S. and Mexico hold trade talks facing a Monday deadline to change a trade agreement. Fred Katayama reports.
Farmers in Mexico's sugar cane fields are fuming as the U.S. and Mexico hold trade talks. Negotiators face a Monday deadline to change an agreement that set a price floor and quotas on Mexican sugar. President Donald Trump has criticized the NAFTA free trade pact as unfair to American workers, while U.S. sugar refiners charge the agreement has failed to stop dumping of what they see as subsidized exports. Samuel Montes produces sugar cane in Zacatepec, Mexico. SOUNDBITE; SAMUEL MONTES, SUGAR CANE PRODUCER, (ENGLISH VOICEOVER) SAYING: "It is going to cause very strong social conflict throughout the country with all the mills." Narciso Hernandez is upset at his own government. SOUNDBITE: NARCISO HERNANDEZ, SUGAR CANE PRODUCER, (ENGLISH VOICEOVER), SAYING: "What's happening with the government? They haven't look at our sector in the fields responsibly. They don't want to understand that everything comes from the field so that we can live." Anger in the agricultural sector is further eroding support for Mexico's ruling party. Mexico's economy minister Ildefonso Guajardo. SOUNDBITE: ILDEFONSO GUAJARDO, ECONOMY MINISTER, MEXICO, (ENGLISH VOICEOVER) SAYING: "It's not time to start making early or speculative decisions. It is time to continue to pull for a constructive solution." All this comes as a leftist nationalist makes inroads ahead of a presidential election next year.


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What Did That Westwood Home Sell For At 1557 Kelton Ave?
Posted by Scott McIntosh Labels: Fairburn Elementary, fixer, Sold, South Of Wilshire, Teardown, Westwood Agent, westwood homes, Westwood Real Estate, Westwood Realtor
The Westwood home at 1557 Kelton Ave, LA CA 90024 lasted 3 weeks on the market before accepting an offer on 1/19/14. This home on Kelton, just south of Wilshire, came on the market a few days before New Years Eve for a very ambitious $1,699,000. Had this been a redone home head to toe, that number would have been attainable considering the location and size. However, this home looked to be in very poor condition with an odd floorplan. There were two bedrooms downstairs, with one being more of a den and 2 bedrooms upstairs that had more of an "un-permitted" look to them. All the finishes were vintage 40's and potentially the systems as well. But just a few weeks into the listing, a buyer swooped in and paid a big $1.5m number for this heavy project or teardown home. While the buyer only paid ~88% of the asking price, which is almost unheard of in Westwood where the average is closer to ~100% of the asking price, I believe $1.5m was still a big number for this home. It will be interesting to see if this is torn down for a new project or just gutted and remodeled.
This Westwood home at 1557 Kelton Ave closed on 2/21/14 for 11.7% under the asking price at $1,500,000 |$592 $/sf|. According to the MLS, the home is a 4 bed / 2 bath, 2,534 sq ft home on a 6,704 sq ft lot.
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What Did That Westwood Home Sell For At 1557 Kelton Ave?
Scott McIntosh
Fairburn Elementary|fixer|Sold|South Of Wilshire|Teardown|Westwood Agent|westwood homes|Westwood Real Estate|Westwood Realtor|
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Louisiana pecans may be smaller this year because of the drought, but the quality should be good.
The 2011 drought caused some trees to shed nuts in August. Yield will be affected statewide, but particularly in northwest Louisiana where the drought was more extreme.
"Nuts that stayed on the trees are smaller than they normally would be," said Randy Sanderlin, LSU AgCenter pecan specialist. "Pecans need moisture, and it was dry all year long. But the nuts that stayed on the trees appear to be well filled with kernel.
Sanderlin predicts 35,000 pounds of pecans will be harvested at the LSU AgCenter Pecan Research and Extension Station. "That's a little less than 1,000 pounds per acre. The drought will cost us 5,000 pounds in yield."
Sanderlin estimates a yield of 10 million pounds of pecans this year in Louisiana, which he calls a slightly less than average crop. "We usually average about 14 million to 15 million."
In 2010, Louisiana harvested approximately 20 million pounds, although the yield was expected to be about 13 million pounds.
"Basically, every pecan was harvested – from backyard trees to orchards," Sanderlin said.
He predicts that's what will happen this year, too. "Every tree that has a pecan on it will get harvested. Everybody is looking for pecans. Prices are high because China is paying more than top dollar."
Prices for the past two years have been double what they are typically. The price is usually $1 to $1.20 per pound and now is $3 per pound, mainly due to demand from China.
The Pecan Station is not conducting retail sales this year for the first time since 1973. "Pecans will be custom-harvested and sold wholesale rather than to the public as we have done for almost 40 years."
Sanderlin said scab disease and insects were generally not a problem this year because of the drought.


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'Treecycling' a year-round service in Whitfield County/
By Erin Fuchs
Chattanooga Times Dalton Bureau
DALTON, Ga. -- Still hanging on to that old Christmas tree?
Whitfield County will recycle those pines and firs for free -- even if you hold off until spring, according to recycling educator Bridget Sanford.
"This gives residents the opportunity to do the environmentally conscious thing with their trees," said Ms. Sanford, who works with the Dalton-Whitfield Regional Solid Waste Management Authority.
On Saturday, Keep Dalton/Whitfield Beautiful hosted its Bring One for the Chipper event.
Residents brought their Christmas trees -- stripped of lights, ornaments and tinsel. The evergreens were then fed into a giant chipper, which ground the trees into soil-enriching mulch. That mulch, in turn, is free to residents who want to use it.
But Saturday wasn't the only day for treecycling. Georgia banned yard waste from public landfills in 1996. To encourage residents not to break the law, Whitfield County has four year-round drop-off points for brush and lawn trimmings.
"If they have a tree that falls in their yard, it can be brought throughout the year," Ms. Sanford said.
Some residents didn't realize they could bring in their trees before the Chipper event.
"We had three dead, brown trees show up, and it was where people had held on to them for the year," Ms. Sanford said.
Free mulch has been in high demand. For information on picking up mulch, call the Waste Management Authority at (706) 277-2545.
More than 6,000 tons of mulch was given to county residents in 2007, Ms. Sanford said.
"This year, we actually ran out of mulch a couple times," she said.
The historic drought, and an outdoor watering ban in much of North Georgia, has underscored the importance of mulching, according to many gardening experts. Mulching helps retain moisture.
But Howard Burnett, a retired forester and Dalton resident, cautions against over-mulching.
"When people think of mulch, they think more is better. Two to four inches of mulch is plenty," Mr. Burnett said. "You want to keep moisture in, but you don't want to keep oxygen out."


text: Christina on Maxim Cover BTS Edit Sep 25 Christina is STUNNING so this BTS video for Maxim was a walk in the park. This is her third cover for the magazine and we have literally watched her transition into a woman. Genie in a Bottle to Stripped to the World Hunger Relief


text: Emma and David's wedding ceremony was one of the most touching ceremonies I have seen. Emma's twin sister Felicity walked her down the aisle and gave the most heart warming speech, their personalised wedding vows brought everybody to tears, and the entire day was so full of love and celebration. Everyone around them adores them as a couple, and it would be pretty hard not to because they are incredible people. They are genuine, welcoming, calm, huge hearted and super good looking, and it was such a huge honour to be a part of their beautiful wedding. Their wedding was held at Mali Brae Farm in Moss Vale, the florals were by the very talented team at Merci Bouquet, and their flawless makeup was by Nikita Lauren. I hope in these photos I have captured at least half of the happiness and love that was felt every second of this special day. Holly Xx


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You are here
Fine Choice Foods Ltd.
Over the last decade, the popularity of Asian-inspired foods has soared in North America. Once a niche business, the Asian foods market is now one of the most prevalent – and fastest growing – segments in the food industry. In Richmond, British Columbia, Fine Choice Foods Ltd. has had a strong presence in this market for nearly 30 years.
The family-owned company has made a name in quality, authentic Asian staples such as its famous hand-rolled spring rolls, Gow Jee (Chinese dumplings), traditional Gyoza, wontons and more. "As Asian food products have become staples that consumers are incorporating into their weekly meal rotation, we've experienced significant growth," says Emily Tang, manager of sales and marketing for Fine Choice Foods. "And for us, the way the market continues to move, there's a huge opportunity for more growth."
Based in Richmond, Fine Choice Foods supplies to all major retailers in Canada and increasingly, the U.S. The company has undergone considerable expansion. "In 2012 we doubled the size of our processing facility, moving from 25,000 square feet to more than 50,000 square feet," notes Tang. "This state-of-the-art facility, including increased automation, has allowed us to keep up volume-wise with demand."
Niche business to mainstream market
A lot has changed for the company first formed by Charles and Christina Lui, president and general manager, who are still actively involved. "It's been an interesting evolution, because when we started about 30 years ago, the Asian foods market was more of a niche business," explains Tang.
Fine Choice Foods started out as a small retail store on Cambie Street in Vancouver in 1986. The original Fine Choice Foods store sold frozen Dim Sum and sauces before the burgeoning market really began to take off. "When we started, Gow Jee were the specialty, along with spring rolls," says Tang. "Today, our No. 1 seller is vegetable spring rolls, followed by Gyozas."
"The word 'Gyoza' actually comes from the Chinese word Jiao Zi," explains Tang. "Today, what many Chinese families eat is Jiao Zi, but popular culture knows of the food as Gyoza."
Today, Jiao Zi or Gyoza are enjoyed by millions of Chinese families, as well as Canadians and U.S. consumers. Fine Choice Food's brand, Sum-m! Gyoza dumplings are made from the same traditional recipe used by many Chinese families.
Available in chicken, vegetable and pork, these dumplings are a versatile food. "Gyoza can be steamed, pan fried, boiled or served in soup, making for a quick and healthy lunch or dinner," says Tang.
Quality and quantity
After several decades, locations and expansions, Fine Choice Foods remains a national leader, recognized for manufacturing the highest quality, authentic spring rolls and dumplings. "Over the years, the Asian population in British Columbia has climbed and throughout Canada, which has helped to fuel some of our growth," says Tang. "We're moving more volume now because more people are looking for the product and our growth has been very steady over the last five years."
Tang says it's about finding a happy medium – producing enough to meet demand, but holding onto the quality that Fine Choice Foods is known for. "Although we have increased automation in the plant to increase production, all of our spring rolls are still rolled by hand," she says. "This gives our spring rolls a much more light and crispy texture than machine-rolled products."
Fine Choice Foods understands a quality end product starts with the right basic ingredients. Cabbage, carrots, pork or chicken – the company is doing everything it can to go direct to the source.
"We're not here to create that filler type of product; we strive for the highest quality, authentic items that customers can really taste the difference in," says Tang. "This starts with using local ingredients when possible and working with regional farmers and producers to source supplies."
"We do not add MSG to our Sum-m! line and all of the products are trans-fat free," adds Tang. "We do not add artificial ingredients or a preservative in our products because we feel this is what produces the most flavorful product possible."
Focusing on sustainable manufacturing practices
Not only is Fine Choice Foods working on decreasing its ingredient footprint, the company has also made great strides in sustainable manufacturing, working to save energy, reduce waste and recycle more than most operations. "We've worked with industry partners at BC Hydro and recently installed various technologies to reduce our electrical consumption by 384,000 kilowatts a year - enough to power 35 homes for an entire year," says Tang. Fine Choice Foods accomplished this initiative by installing energy efficient lighting, heat recovery ventilators, higher rated insulation and computer-controlled refrigeration.
The company also participates in a recycling program in cooperation with a local Return-It depot. All recycled beverage containers are collected on a biweekly basis and recycled. "As a proud Multi-Material B.C. steward, we are also taking steps to assume full responsibility for the end-of-life management of our packaging and printed paper," says Tang.
Fine Choice Foods also recycles 100 percent of its frying oil. "Our partner filters, sterilizes and processes the oil to make feed fat, which is used as an energy ingredient in animal feed and commercially-approved biodiesel, a cleaner-burning alternative fuel," adds Tang.
In terms of plant waste, Fine Choice Food's long-term goal is to have zero waste ending up in the landfill. "It seems like a lofty goal, but we like the challenge and working with like-minded partners to make it happen," says Tang.
By making greater use of every ounce of raw material, using more efficient packaging and using recycled and renewable materials, Fine Choice foods is a step closer to eliminating landfill waste. All of these efforts have led to Fine Choice Foods recently being honored with a Sustainability Award at Food Pro West, the annual British Columbia food processors convention.
"Our greatest challenge in this growth pattern is maintaining a competitive edge by doing the volume the market demands while holding on to quality standards and keeping things as sustainable as possible," expresses Tang. "We refuse to sacrifice quality and food safety to do more volume. In fact, our facility, which is now Safe Quality Food Institute [SQF] Level II, is soon to be SQF Level III in terms of food safety."
For the last 30 years, Fine Choice Foods Ltd. has set the standard in the burgeoning Asian foods market – spring rolls, dumplings, Gyoza, wontons and more – customers can rely on the family's promise to create the most flavorful, authentic product.