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Okay, so I know all of us say we're studying right now…but really, we're not. We're on facebook. So why not take a couple minutes before you get back to work and check out some pictures?
The rest of these were taken in and around Old Montreal and Notre Dame Basilica, Enjoy! And as usual check out the rest of the stream on my flickr!


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Jennifer Sher
Paper Clay, Acrylics, Oil Pastels, Collage
(818) 749-1726
(818) 749-1726
I'm a mother of 3 beautiful girls. I love art and connecting with like-minded individuals. When I discovered Mixed Media ART and I was blown away with this type of art and what you could do by learning how to create it. My intention when creating my handmade mixed media paper clay dolls will reach many places and many people. They will transpire a beautiful healing and uplifting vibration and inspire others. I love looking at them and holding them close to my heart.

subset: commoncrawl


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I have a huuuuuge accessories addiction. Necklaces, shoes, you name it! But my worst addiction is designer bags. I don't know what it is, but believe me, when I was a kid, I told my mom: "Mom, when I'm sixteen-years-old, I'll have my first designer bag and it's gonna be the Louis Vuitton Speedy 30.". And you'll never guess, just before my sixteenth birthday I actually bought it! I remember the face of the man who helped me out in the Louis Vuitton Store: "So you'll turn sixteen next week? And you'll get this as a birthday present from your parents? That's so generous of them.". "No sir, I worked six months for this bag in a supermarket.". When I told him this, he thought I was joking and was waiting for the moment that I'd start roaring with laughter. But it didn't happen, because I was serious as hell. I always dreamed that I'd have a collection of bags that only fits in a closet like Carrie in the Sex and the City movie. But I also wanted to buy it by myself, work for it. So that the bag would be 100% mine! And the moment you buy your 'temporally love of your life' feels so good, because you know that you dropped those pasta sauces and broke your nails for something so beautiful! It was totally worth it!
And then I was lost and couldn't be saved, because the Bayswater from Mulberry was also for years on my list. I worked also six months for that bag in a menswear store. Bags our for me like a photo would be for someone else. I know exactly when I bought it, what the reason was, and what I did to collect the money. My third back was the Ukita bag from Marc by Marc Jacobs. Why this one? I used to stay in the Boston, USA, for three months. I wanted a bag that was some kind of 'photo' for me that reminds me of that time. And of course, Marc Jacobs is an American designer.
But then my parents asked me: "What do you want for your 18th birthday?". It took me one second. Of course my answer was a new bag. So while I was for as well three months in Paris, I wanted to pick a timeless and classic but 'eightteen-years-old girl proof' bag, from a French brand. And there was my Elsie from Chloé. But I also kind of wanted to spoil myself with a bag, so there was Stella.
The next one on my list? The Giant City Tote from Balenciaga probably. But ok, now I have to take a break from this madness. Well, I'll try..
XOXO Maud
Follow me on: Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin' | Pinterest


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Dentist Reston
Our state-of-the-art technologies ensure accuracy, efficiency, and comfort. Our dental equipment is safe, effective, and well-maintained. Some of our dental technologies include those listed below:
Digital X-Rays
Our advanced digital x-rays magnify and enhance your teeth for better diagnosis and treatment. This technology allows us to take images of your teeth and display them on a computer screen quickly and easily.
With digital x-rays, we can view your teeth and surrounding structures with remarkable accuracy. These images provide the information we need to plan your dental treatment.
Digital x-rays require much less radiation than traditional film x-rays. Digital x-rays are a safe and effective dental technology.
Panoramic X-Ray
A Panoramic x-ray machine rotates around your entire head to take a 360-degree view of your teeth, sinuses, and the bone structure of your head and jaws. This provides a more complete image than standard x-rays. Panoramic x-ray imagery is a valuable resource for our doctors to use in diagnosis and treatment planning.
Intra-oral Camera
The intra-oral camera is about the size and shape of a pen. It is used to record images of your teeth, gums, mouth, and tongue from inside your mouth. Due to its small size and sleek design, it is comfortable, easy to use, and able to view a wide range of angles. The intra-oral camera is a safe and effective tool that can be used with patients of every age.
The intra-oral camera is a highly valuable resource for both diagnosis and treatment planning. Each time we use the intra-oral camera, a new disposable cover is employed. This ensures your health and safety at all times. After your exam, images captured by the intra-oral camera may be digitally stored, printed out, or deleted.
Soft Tissue Lasers
With soft tissue lasers at our disposal, we can provide precise high-quality treatments that are relatively pain-free, less invasive, and useful for a wide variety of dental treatments.
A laser is essentially a tiny beam of highly concentrated light. This beam can be used to provide pinpoint accuracy in treatments. Because the laser sterilizes the tissues and seals off blood vessels as it is used, the chance of infection or bleeding following laser treatment is minimal. The soft tissue laser is minimally-invasive, but highly effective.
With the highly versatile soft tissue laser, we can seal nerve endings and blood vessels and treat soft tissues simultaneously. This creates less stress on the gums, which significantly reduces both swelling and bleeding. Moreover, by using the soft tissue laser, we can minimize patients' discomfort both during and after the treatment and even lessens their recovery time.
We uses soft tissue laser technology to provide our patients with precise dental care with a comfortable dental experience.
The Cavitron is a handheld device used in periodontal deep cleaning. While scaling can be completed by hand, the Cavitron uses ultrasonic technology to remove calculus from teeth and gums quickly, gently and effectively.
With the Cavitron, patient and hygienist comfort is increased and time spent scaling and polishing is decreased.
CEREC Same-day Dental Restorations
Optimal Dental Center has integrated the use of CEREC technology to offer same-day dental restorations to our patients. We are committed to providing the most efficient and effective innovations available, and the CEREC is no exception. The patented CEREC CAD/CAM technology designs and crafts high quality, metal-free dental restorations in a single patient visit.
CEREC makes dental restoration effective and efficient. First, any decay is removed from the tooth. Next, we take digital images of the tooth using CEREC's 3D modeling software. This 3D model is viewed on a high definition screen as our expert dentist designs the restoration for a precise fit and aesthetically pleasing look. Once the final design is complete, the CEREC machine crafts the custom restoration from a solid block of ceramic. This creates strong and highly durable restorations. In about 15 minutes, the restoration will be ready for placement. Once bonded in place, it is adjusted and polished for a natural, beautiful look.
Using CEREC, patients can leave an appointment with a brand new restoration. CEREC ends the need for multiple appointments, messy impressions, and weeks of waiting for a lab to make the restoration. Temporary restorations are no longer needed. CEREC is ready the same day.
You may be a candidate for CEREC if you:
- Have been told you need a new crown, inlay, onlay or bridge
- Have a cracked tooth
- Have old failing restorations
- Have had damage or trauma to your tooth
- Are interested in replacing old metal restorations with biocompatible restorations
In general, a CEREC crown appointment can take less than two hours and requires no additional appointments. The 3D imaging technology allows our doctors to design a precise virtual restoration without taking impressions. This allows us to ensure restorations look great, fit perfectly, and can last for years.
Our doctors have the experience and qualifications to care for same day dental restorations. For more information about CEREC or to schedule an appointment, contact Optimal Dental Center.


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CGF founders and team members are qualified experts in the fields of real estate development, finance, economics, and law. With decades of experience in each of these fields, our team understands that collaboration is the key to successful job-creating development. We venture with public agencies, redevelopment agencies, and private sector entities to identify the best development solution and use a collective approach to generate projects that bridge the desires of the given region and our investors. Our team has maintained an exceptional track record of achieving sustainable development, which ultimately leads to permanent job creation.
Mr. Kosmont is a Principal of the California Golden Fund. He has an extensive track record as a public/private real estate advisor and developer, with expertise in creating and managing real estate transactions, government approvals, negotiations, financing, and project implementation for deals exceeding $10 billion. Mr. Kosmont has managed several projects ranging from large-scale economic development to site-specific real estate strategies. Mr. Kosmont also created the Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey, which is now recognized as the industry standard for comparing city taxes and economic incentives for businesses seeking to relocate or expand. Mr. Kosmont graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) with a Masters in Public Administration and holds a B.A. in Political Science/Economics from the State University of New York at Binghamton, where he graduated with Phi Beta Kappa distinction. Mr. Kosmont is a Licensed Broker, State of California (#01770428). He is also a registered Municipal Advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Mr. Curtis is a principal of the California Golden Fund. Mr. Curtis' professional experience includes 25 years of business and legal experience in the corporate, real estate and land use areas. He has represented owners, managers, investors, pension fund advisors, banks and other lenders, businesses and developers primarily in corporate and transactional and administrative real estate matters, including with respect to the ownership, management, financing and development of hotels, master planned communities, new and existing entertainment venues and commercial and industrial properties. Mr. Curtis was a Partner with Sheppard Mullin Richter and Hampton LLP, where he was the Practice Group Leader for the Real Estate and Land Use Group; and he also served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of a large private real estate holding company. Mr. Curtis holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. He also graduated Cum Laude from Loyola Law School.
Ms. Macy Leung is an Executive Vice President at the California Golden Fund. Previously, she worked with private and public clients in asset valuation, conducted market feasibility studies, compiled economic reports, and conducted architectural project management. Ms. Leung has worked as an economist at a consulting firm at Economics Research Associates, focusing on government and public/partnership projects. Internationally, Ms. Leung served as a development associate at Shui On Land managing a $3.2 billion mixed-use development project in Chongqing, and worked as an analyst at a real estate asset management firm focusing on distressed assets in the US and Asia. Ms. Leung is a graduate of Harvard University with a Masters in Real Estate Finance and Development focusing on Urbanization and Housing. She has a bachelor's degree in Economics from University of California Santa Barbara and a Masters in Architecture from Iowa State University. She currently serves on the Steering Committee for ULI Young Leaders in Los Angeles and is an active board member of International Green Shield.
Mr. Ryan Aubry, LEED, Senior Vice President with Kosmont Companies, has over ten years experience in the detailed analysis of real estate finance, economics and development. He has worked with governmental organizations on planning and development issues relating to infill development, as well as with private developers. He has worked closely with the City of Los Angeles Planning Department, the County of Los Angeles Planning Department, and the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency. Recently he served as a project manager for a development firm focusing on workforce housing in the City of Los Angeles, where he was involved in the development of nine infill condominium and town home projects as well as assisting with acquisition strategies. Mr. Aubry has been involved in the underwriting of many property types including multifamily apartments, retail malls, urban hotels, and residential development. He is adept in using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). He holds a Master's in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California, as well as a Masters degree in Geography from the University of California Santa Barbara. Mr. Aubry is a member of the Urban Land Institute. He is also a registered Municipal Advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Mr. Joseph Dieguez is a Vice President with Kosmont Companies, serving clients primarily through market and financial analyses, project due diligence, government management services and marketing efforts. Mr. Dieguez has served as a senior analyst at a real estate investment, development and finance firm and as an analyst at a financial services management consulting firm, responsible for industry, market, portfolio and property-level research and analysis, negotiations and transaction execution support. He was previously an assistant project manager at a construction management firm, where he assisted with RFQ/P development and project implementation. Mr. Dieguez graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a Real Estate Salesperson licensed by the State of California Department of Real Estate.
Mr. Josh Kreger is a Project Analyst with Kosmont Companies where he focuses on real estate, market studies, land use, economics research and analysis, as well as marketing activities. Prior to joining Kosmont Companies, Mr. Kreger worked for the Los Angeles Department of City Planning where he researched and analyzed zoning code processes and procedures and worked on staff reports related to CRA dissolution, code compliance and RFPs. Prior to the City of Los Angeles, Mr. Kreger worked as a real estate agent in downtown San Diego specializing in residential properties.
Mr Kreger's background includes experience in analyzing complex issues, negotiation, and market analysis. Mr. Kreger holds a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Maryland. He is a licensed Real Estate Salesperson, California Department of Real Estate.
Mrs. Vargas is a Vice President of Legal Affairs for California Golden Fund. Mrs. Vargas' professional experience includes 10 years of experience working in the legal department of Homes Savings of America, FSB and over 15 years of legal experience in the corporate and real estate areas. She has extensive experience as a senior real estate paralegal in all aspects of real estate acquisitions and dispositions and served as a senior real estate paralegal for a large private homebuilder, land developer and commercial real estate company, handling all aspects of complex commercial, land and residential real estate transactions. She has been responsible for the review, analysis and processing of due diligence and entitlement documents for numerous acquisition transactions from inception through closing. Mrs. Vargas received her Certificate of Paralegal Studies from the University of La Verne in 1997.


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Week 5 of the Go Green Get Fit Challenge I decided to spend some time in nature while getting some exercise. My oldest daughter had soccer practice at Commonwealth Park so this was the perfect time to get out in the air with the kids. She could have practice and I can go walk around the pond with my other 3 girls. It was a perfect 75 degree night so I packed a blanket and good old tried and true UNO. Woot!
Look what I found mama!
For you mama!
And this is why we love this park so much. BABY DUCKS!!!! I mean come on?
POOF!! Just like that they are gone. There were about 3 tiny baby ducks doing this over and over again. Who needs TV when you have this? All we needed was popcorn. And then I would throw it out for the ducks instead of eating it. Hoping no one would catch me. No feeding ducks allowed here :( Then I am sad.
And then we were of again. There are several post with doggy bags along the path. One of my girls found this little card. What a lovely gift someone left us.
I just love this. Someone took time out of their life to write this card for others to enjoy. I wonder how many people have read this already and how many will read it. Inspiring for sure!
My personal favorite part of this day was all the trees. My girls run up to them and hug them. I love my little tree hugger girls!
Well I love trees and this. My walking hand in hand with the girls is becoming limited. They are older and don't need me to hold them up very often anymore. I snuck in this picture so don't tell them! What a wonderful night it was. We came back to our blanket and had a hour long UNO game which a 7 year old beat the pants off of me. My days are crazy filled with chores, grocery shopping, being a taxi, and lots of other things all with 4 kids running circles around me. Tonight was so relaxing and it was just what I needed.
It's not too late to join the challenge!
We still have 7 weeks to go!
Join for free and share with me your goals.
Presented by:
... PlanetShoes.com
Media Partner:
Sponsored by:
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|Home :: UK Silver Jewellery News :: Top 5 jewellery gifts for women this Valentines day
UK Silver Jewellery News
Top 5 jewellery gifts for women this Valentines day
1)Round Silver & Turquoise Enamel Flower LocketThere aren't many ladies that can resist the allure of a locket, somewhere they can keep there most treasured photos of their loved ones and this locket is no exception.
We just love this silver locket, its not too big and in your face and has a very delicate design which just oozes femininity with its beautifully enamelled turquoise finish. A very unique piece which steers away from the traditional heart shape of many lockets.
2) Silver Filigree Heart Orb PendantHeart jewellery can be a point of some contention, you either love it or you hate it, that's why we think this piece is the perfect compromise. With its beautiful spherical shape made up of beautiful filigree hearts, this really is an eye catching piece of jewellery. Why no consider buying the matching earrings and earn some extra brownie points. Silver Filigree Heart Orb Drop Earrings
3) Sterling Silver Twist Cuff BangleThere's something implicitly beautiful and elegant about this bangle with its natural curves and polished finish. Its a substantial piece that gives a real feel of quality and luxury without the exorbitant price tag. This one is sure to be a hit with the ladies.
4) Freshwater Pearl Handmade Silver Heart NecklaceIt simply wouldn't be valentines day with out including a piece of heart jewellery. This fabulous necklace also has the added advantage of being handmade, so you can give it secure in the knowledge that no one will ever have on that is exactly identical. If you feeling really cheesy you can tell her you picked it because it unique just like her!
5) Kit Heath Solid Silver Swirl Pendant NecklaceThe elegant necklace is sure to be a big hit, most ladies like to wear big brand names, you can just hear them saying to their friends do you like my necklace its a Kit Heath you know must of cost a fortune, never mind I'm worth it.
Copyright © 2019 The Funky Jewellery Company. Powered by Zen Cart
UK Silver Jewellery is a trading name of The Funky Jewellery Company Limited, a company registered in England and Wales with Company No. 5279497
UK Silver Jewellery is a trading name of The Funky Jewellery Company Limited, a company registered in England and Wales with Company No. 5279497


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Tinea Versicolor Skin – A Condition That Affects An Astonishing Six Percent Of Americans.
Human Skin
The human skin is amazing! Did you know that our skin is our heaviest organ at approximately 22 pounds for an average adult? Did you know that every month, the entire outer surface of skin replaces itself? How about that the skin helps to regulate body temperature through approximately 3 million sweat glands, and that the number of germs living per square half-inch on healthy skin is as much as 5000 on the arm, to 5 million in the armpit? And did you know that the skin supports the life of all other body parts and that it prevents germs from entering the body to damage internal organs? Without a doubt, the human skin is vital to our survival. But because the skin is our first line of defense against harmful elements, it's also prone to infection, often revealing itself as a rash like Tinea Versicolor.
What is Tinea Versicolor Skin?
Tinea Versicolor is a fungal infection of the skin. It presents first as small spots on the skin, usually lighter than the rest of the skin, though sometimes the spots will appear darker. The color of these spots varies anywhere from tan to white, hence the term Versicolor, and the spots can grow to be scaly and itchy. Tinea Versicolor usually develops on the chest and back, as well as the neck, shoulders, and upper arms as these areas tend to be oilier than other parts of the body. The spots appear more prominently when the skin is hotter than normal, thus making it easier to detect after a tough workout or day in the sun. They prevent the skin from tanning by producing an acid that shuts down melanin producing cells in the skin under the spotted area. Melanin is a pigment in our skin which primarily determines our skin color. If you have these type of spots on your skin, you may have Tinea Versicolor and should consult a dermatologist.
Why does Tinea Versicolor spread so quickly?
Yeast, which is a type of fungus, thrives on the human skin, partly because of all those sweat glands we mentioned earlier. Yeast grows quickly in hot and humid environments and that overgrowth of yeast can result in Tinea Versicolor. It isn't exactly clear what causes Tinea Versicolor to take hold, but what is known is that this skin rash doesn't have to be permanent, and it is NOT contagious. It can spread quickly on your own skin if left untreated, but it won't spread to another person's skin from yours.
Who is most susceptible to Tinea Versicolor?
Though Tinea Versicolor favors no race or skin tone, it does favor a particular age bracket, specifically teens and young adults. It's believed that younger children and older adults are less prone to Tinea Versicolor because their skin is less oily than that of teens and young adults. That being said, you can carry Tinea Versicolor well into old age if you don't pursue aggressive treatment or skin maintenance. You will also see a higher instance of Tinea Versicolor in athletes who sweat a lot and on people living in tropical environments.
Where on the body is Tinea Versicolor most likely to appear?
As mentioned earlier, Tinea Versicolor thrives in hot, oily, and humid environments, making it most likely to appear on the chest, back, shoulders, and upper arms where sweat and oils are more abundant. Spots can also develop on the neck, and in the creases of the arms at the elbow joint, and the rear creases of the legs at the knee joint. Generally speaking, you would rarely see these spots on the face. Tinea Versicolor and other skin rashes like ringworm are often mistaken for one another, so you should always consult your dermatologist for an accurate diagnosis.
How is Tinea Versicolor diagnosed?
Wood's Lamp
How do you treat Tinea Versicolor?
This fungus is determined! Treating Tinea Versicolor requires a dedicated spirit as there is no instant cure or remedy. It thrives easily on the human skin, for reasons mentioned earlier, and can sink its fungal talons into your skin so tight that you'd swear it was a tattoo. But take heart! Tinea Versicolor can be beaten, or at the very least managed. However, treating this persistent skin disorder requires a long-term regimen that will only pay off if you see it through to the end.
There are numerous ways to treat Tinea Vesicolor, everything from natural home remedies to total skin therapy. What usually produces best results is combining several of these to formulate a regimen or system. For the sake of brevity, we'll look at only a few of these treatment options and confine our terms to a general sense.
Bathing daily will help manage Tinea Versicolor by removing dead cells and yeast from the skin. Exfoliating with a loofah will remove the upper layer of dead skin, which hosts the fungus. Take care, however, to use warm water as opposed to hot water. Hot water rids the skin of all its oil, thus causing the sebaceous glands to secrete excess oil as a countermeasure. And since our fungus feeds on oily skin, hot showers can be counterproductive to treatment.
Topical skin medications and cleansers like creams and lotions, soaps, and medicated shampoos like Selsun Blue are common treatments for Tinea Versicolor. These topical solutions usually contain anti-fungal medications such as pyrithione zinc, selenium sulfide, or ketoconazole. Systematically applying these ointments and shampoos, as directed by most dermatologists, will help keep this fungus under control. Since the fungus tends to reappear when conditions return to hot and humid, a medicated body cleanser could be used once or twice each month to inhibit its reappearance.
Oral medications are also available. In severe cases where the Tinea Versicolor fungus covers much of the body, anti-fungal pills may be prescribed. Like all oral medications, these anti-fungal pills have side effects and should only be used at the direction of your doctor.
Well, we hope this article served you well in your quest for answers about Tinea Versicolor. If you'd like to learn a more detailed approach about treating Tinea Versicolor, go to the treatment section of this website and learn what people are doing to successfully combat this fungal infection.


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Products: Satellite Products
Known for industry changing innovations in Cable TV Trap & Filter technology, Eagle branded products can be found within all major cable television systems around the globe. As a U.S. based manufacturer, the Eagle crest has become synonymous with high quality and on-time delivery among industry insiders.
Contract Manufacturing
Wiring Harnesses
With two surface mount production lines in operation Eagle Comtronics populates thousands of densely populated circuit boards each week. Skilled and highly efficient hand placement assembly technicians complement our placement capabilities.
Our circuit boards are optically inspected and rigorously tested for continuity and performance using appropriate testing procedures to certify circuit functionality to specification.
Eagle Comtronics can populate surface mount circuit boards competitively against offshore manufactures. Circuit boards requiring hand placement in volumes less than 10,000 pieces can be manufactured with comparable associated cost.
Nestled in the proud Up-State New York region, Eagle's surrounding communities have a rich heritage of highly skilled, productive and eager American workers. Eagle Comtronics is known for nimble response, high yield and precise assembly.
Eagle's hand assemblers are skilled in diversified crimping and soldering techniques. Whether building a simplistic or complex wiring assembly, Eagle Comtronics quality standards are second to none.
Each wiring assembly is visually inspected for termination quality and tested for continuity. When appropriate, additional testing procedures are implemented using both in-house and partner firm resources.


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Meet the artistry of one of my favorite local accessories brands, Island girl (yes, Island Girl, that quirky beach shop in D'mall Boracay!) The mother company been in the export business for over 20 years, collaborating and manufacturing collections for various international brands like Miss Sixty, Mango and Parfois and others, and now they're going all-out locally with the Island Girl brand! I got a ton of their beautiful pieces to show you, but let me start with these. Presenting "Festive Geometry" and "Rock Paper Scissors"- love the design names!
Designed, produced and manufactured in sunny Cebu, island girl is the first Philippine brand to offer a COMPLETE range of trendy fashion accessories (earrings, rings, necklaces, belts, bangles, bracelets, and sandals) focused on highlighting the beauty and versatility of NATURAL Philippine MATERIALS as well as LOCAL craftsmanship and ingenuity in a manner that is eco-friendly. NATURAL, HAND-MADE, ECO-FRIENDLY.
The best thing about them? Their prices don't intimidate! Know more about this budding accessory line here! They will soon be accepting orders online, but for the mean time, you can catch them in Manila at:
Trendsetter's Bazaar
Rockwell Tent
Oct 7-9
Prizes await the fashionable shoppers, so dress up with your favorite F/W trends!
Avail the TRENDSETTER entrance ticket at 50% off!
Manila FAME Int'l
SMX Convention Center
Oct 16-19
Global Pinoy Bazaar by Yabang Pinoy
Rockwell Tent
Nov. 5-6
(I'll be giving away 20 tickets for this bazaar on twitter soon, so follow me if you want a chance to win it!)
and lastly, at:
St. James the Great Christmas Bazaar
Cuenca Covered Court
Ayala Alabang Village
Nov 26-30


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Interested in getting into the fast-expanding world of childcare and pre-school education business? Sunflower
Childcare Group will provide the expertise of setting-up, operations, management as well as training to help you get a head-start. We welcome dedicated entrepreneurs or companies, both locally and within the region to join sunflower Childcare as our valued franchisee. We will work hand-in-hand with each franchisee to run their individual centre and provide hands-on coaching to help them become better providers of child-care services
Sunflower Childcare Group Pte Ltd
Tel: +65-6260 0231
Email: email@example.com
Website: www.sunflowerkid.com
Franchise Fees: SGD65,000
Royalty: 5%
Initial Capital: SGD350,000 to SGD500,000


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Name brands schmame brands!
Say that 5 times fast.
I used to be so much more into name brands. Not so much anymore.
I mean don't get me wrong I never turn down a Prada gift, a surprise box of Cole Haan shoes and I still love my Louis Vuitton purse. In fact today I switched back to it because my cute $45 purse is at the doctor for a repair that will probably cost me $12. Hmmm funny my LV has never needed a doctor visit?!
But.....name brands are not where my money goes anymore. If it does, it's only because time has proven that the extra money for the quality and durability is way worth it over a cheaper option - like shoes! Sometimes you just gotta do it.
P.S. I don't often get Prada gifts - just FYI in case you were wondering what kind of peeps I hang around. They aren't the Prada gift giving type of peeps but neither am I so we're even! :)
But these name brands have something in common - EVERYONE recognizes them even if you don't spend money on them - well some of them ;).
So are you a name brand freak? How much of one are ya? I challenge your little sweet self to this Brand Quiz. Try it out and go ahead brag your score on back!
Don't worry this is one of the easiest ones :). Have fun!!
I have all the answers - cuz some of you just might be begging me for them.
But a warning - it will cost you a latte....or two!


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Interview Prep
International interviews vary from nation to nation, culture to culture. It would be literally impossible to list all the nuances for each country here. Before applying and interviewing with any international organization students must research to ensure their resume, cover letter and interview techniques are in line with the country of focus. Also that they are aware of any cultural differences in the job/internship application process.
One of the best resources available is GoinGlobal which is on The Center for Career Development's Career Resources on-line Guide. Click on the country in which you are seeking to work and scroll down to the sections on resumes, cover letters, interviewing and cultural advice.


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A "New" German?
The participation of the American basketball player Chris Kaman in the Beijing Olympics as a member of the German basketball squad has caused some eyebrows to be raised. How could someone who has never lived in Germany, does not speak German, and whose only connection to the country consists of some ancestors who emigrated nearly a century ago be eligible for German citizenship? See my new article on World Politics Review here.
- August 15th, 2008


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The alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) have been the cause of much debate in the legal community during the past several years. Some law firms and attorneys have been very vocal proponents of implementing them or entirely switching to AFAs whereas others, who seem to be the majority, still feel uncertain if AFAs will help their bottom line or reduce their profitability.
One thing is certain, alternative fee agreements are here to stay since more and more clients, both large and small, are starting to proactively ask for the cost predictability, certainty, and transparency which they provide.
Our goal with this comprehensive article is to explain exactly what AFAs are, and what AFAs are not. Also, we will give an overview of the main types used, as well as the examples of law firms that have successfully implemented AFAs in practice.
What Does an Alternative Fee Arrangement Mean?
In the simplest terms Alternative or Special Fee Arrangements are agreements between a law firm and a client to provide compensation to the firm based on a structure other than hourly billing.
According to the American Bar Association:
"AFAs are not about charging more than what an hourly rate might be — they are about charging an appropriate fee based on what value the client receives and how that client perceives value. Alternative billing should be based on what is fair and reasonable both to the client and the lawyer. Keeping track of time should be the lawyer's measure of cost, not necessarily a measure of the value he or she is providing the clients in their legal needs."
On the other hand, AFAs are also not about charging less than the hourly equivalent. If a client perceives a greater value for you finishing a work in one hour, than, say in 3 hours, who is to say your urgent work should not be priced higher than what would you ordinary price for the 3 hrs of work?
Value, it is in the eye of the beholder.
What Is and What Is Not an Alternative Fee?
There is definitely some confusion around what are and what are not alternative fee arrangements. Often law firms provide variations of the billable hour that are simply packaged in a different way.
One example is when you offer a subscription service. If a client is offered an annual or a monthly subscription with defined number of hours this can still be considered an hourly-based service. A true alternative fee arrangement is for example packaging the service as a product – delivering 3 documents drafts for $500 regardless of your time and efforts invested in the legal task.
Types of Alternative Fee Arrangements
Fixed or Flat Fee
This is the simplest method of alternative pricing, it means charging for a predefined service at a fixed or flat rate. This fee might be negotiated for the whole service or just part of it. Great example is contract drafting, since some contracts are based on a template charging for the time it takes to complete it is pointless, so instead the lawyer charges a fixed fee of X dollars.
Contingent or Success Fee
Based on the results achieved, this fee requires a clear agreement as to what the desired results will be and what will not be covered under the fee arrangement. A common example in litigation might be a personal injury case based on a recovery. A common example in transactional work might be a success fee upon the closing of an offering or the funding of a loan.
Task or Unit-Based Billing
In this arrangement, identified tasks or components of the transaction are used to measure the fee. This arrangement may also be used in complex litigation or transactional matters where budgeting is required by the client.
Percentage Fee
Unlike a contingency fee, a percentage fee is based on a schedule of fees related to the amount involved in the matter being handled. The amount may be predetermined, such as a percentage of a loan amount being negotiated or the value of real estate being purchased, or it may be based on the amount of a bond issue. The percentage rate may be consistent or graduated.
Retrospective Fee Based on Value
This is different from most AFAs in that the exact amount of the fee is not known to either the lawyer or the client until the matter is concluded. The fee agreement should set forth the factors that would be considered in setting the final fee and in some instances a minimum or a maximum fee may be outlined in the engagement agreement.
Statutory or Other Scheduled Fee Systems
In some instances, the amount to be paid for legal services is spelled out in some statutory enactments, scheduled for prepaid legal service plans or by purchasers of legal services on a volume basis. Sometimes these are imposed, sometimes they are negotiated. Some reflect government-imposed social policies. Examples are social security cases, prepaid legal, insurance subrogation and uncontested foreclosures.
Hybrid Fee Arrangements
Blended Hourly Rate
In this hybrid of the hourly rate system, instead of specific hourly rates for individual fee chargers, one rate is applied to all hours billed on a matter regardless of whether it's for a partner, associate or paralegal. This is often used in larger firms, where it has been negotiated as a fee arrangement by a corporate client.
Fee Collars
This means hourly rates with maximum and minimum fees quoted.
Fixed Fee Plus Hourly
A portion of the matter may be charged on a fixed or flat-fee basis, and a portion charged on an hourly rate basis, because parts of the engagement cannot easily be defined. In an estate planning matter, for example, documentation may be based on a fixed fee, while client meetings are based on an hourly fee.
Fixed Fee Plus Success Fee
This hybrid is used when the firm has a good understanding of the services required and the client and the lawyer are willing to share in the risks associated with the matter. An example might be a securities offering where a fixed fee is charged for the documentation and a success fee is charged if the offering closes.
Hourly Rate Plus Contingency
By combining hourly billing and a contingency factor the client and lawyer are sharing risks. Since a portion of the fee will be hourly (possibly at a reduced rate), the lawyer is guaranteed a minimum amount. An example might be a reduced hourly rate in litigation with a lower percentage contingency fee upon success.
Advantages of Alternative Fee Arrangements
Before we make the case that AFAs can provide significant advantage to your law firm we should mention the interesting results of Law Firms in Transition 2015: An Altman Weil Flash Survey. According to most lawyers, Alternative Fee Arrangements are here to stay – 81% of the surveyed people agreed that the increase of non-hourly billing methods is a permanent trend.
So how can a law firm take advantage of this trend and how can these alternative agreements be beneficial to the bottom line of your practice?
Advantage 1: Increased Profitability
Even though most middle and large law firms acknowledge the need of implementing alternative fee arrangements to be competitive, the majority do it reactively, only if a client asks for them.
However, most firms don't have established process in calculating the value of their services in alternative means. When asked about profitability of the alternative fee arrangements compared to the standard hourly based billing the results are clear:
Conclusion: AFAs can increase profitability, but only if a law firm puts time and efforts in developing them!
Advantage 2: Delighted Clients
Client satisfaction is rarely the top factor that law firms aim for, but it is essential for creating long term and profitable relationships. Two things can be singled out as the main factors that can help increase their satisfaction from your service:
- Predictability in legal costs which will help them create more accurate budgets and plan for costs in advance
- Reduce misunderstandings and disputes over legal fees and costs
Another proof for clients' love for non-hourly billing is shown in the image above. It is part of a whole infographic made by the Firmex virtual data room 62% of the surveyed reported increase in AFAs' growth. They say clients, not law firms are leading the adoption of alternative fee arrangements. The answers in the survey were given from general counsels and chief legal officers.
For more ways to develop great relationships with your clients you can get a digital edition of "Between Mediocrity & Success: A Lawyer's Guide" where 25 of the world's best legal consultants have shared their opinion and advice on improving your legal practice.
Examples in the Practice:
Moores was one of the most popular Australian law firms to get behind AFAs. Their take on it – Moores Agreed Pricing (or MAP) is based on pre-negotiated fixed fees.
"The benefit of agreed pricing is that the client is not the only one taking the risk of how long it is going to take. In the old model, however long it took was how much they had to pay. Alternative fee arrangements are a way of sharing that risk." ~ Libby Klein, Principal
"We wanted to change to a new way of doing business, because we want to have long-term relationships who are the right fit for us." ~ David Wells, Managing Principal
According to Moores agreed pricing benefit both the client and their firm:
- Certainty – you know the cost upfront.
- Simplicity – pre-agreed pricing means no more trawling through complex itemised accounts.
- Clarity – you know what we're going to do, what we're advising on and our process and timing.
Valorem Law Group
Patrick Lamb is one of the most vocal supporters of AFAs. As one of the founders of Valorem Law Group, he has helped establish a company that is reaping the benefits of being one of the first to use Alternative Fee Arrangements to the fullest:
Service Guarantee – we can't guarantee outcomes but like price, the quality of our service is another thing we can guarantee up front. If you think the quality of our service didn't match what was agreed, let us know and tell us how you think that should be reflected in the price you pay.
"When you pay your lawyers for the time it takes them to do something, you get what you pay for – hours. In the meantime, you deter innovation and efficiency and incentivize complexity and redundancy."
"Every case and every client is different. That's why we customize our non-hourly fee arrangements at the beginning to make sure our fee is tied to achieving your end goal."
Bowen Buchbinder Vilensky
There are many challenges when setting the fixed fee pricing for a client. Experience and detailed history of matters are essential part of the decision making process. But there are certain steps an attorney can go through to help them calculate the fixed fee. The experience of Bowen Buchbinder Vilensky has taught them what are the essential questions:
- How unique and complex are the legal issues?
- What knowledge, skills and experience are required?
- Which lawyers will be assigned to the case?
- What outcomes are you seeking and the difficulty of achieving them?
- What is in dispute and what is at stake?
- What risks are involved – both for you and us?
- What will the case demand in terms of meetings, documentation, and communication of all kinds?
- How urgent is your case compared with other work we are already handling?
Carlton Fields Jorden Burt
Carlton Fields Jorden Burt provide several great examples from their practice on how they structured and set the alternative fee agreements depending on the different circumstances of the matters and their experience.
In one case they handled massive regulatory litigation by using a fixed fee, specifying the attorneys authorized to work on the matter before hand. If any other team member was needed to contribute they would charge standard hourly rates. From their prior experience, they knew how long the matter would run, and so were able to "cost out" the engagement by determining the opportunity cost for the dedicated lawyers' time for the agreement's duration.
By capping the number of individuals committed to the file, they capped both their cost in handling the file, and the client's fees. Using a dedicated team that learned the case inside and out, helped them avoid duplicated efforts and other inefficiencies. For more examples you can visit their website.
The partners at WilmerHale argue that historical data should always provide the starting point for setting up fixed fees. Both firms and corporations should have detailed information on the past cost of different kinds of matters. They can use data-mining and analysis to determine reasonable ranges of cost for a wide variety of legal services. These services range from the simple to the complex:
- A single project involving expertise and the lawyer's judgment, but not much risk. For example – writing a handbook, creating form contracts or developing a compliance training program;
- A repeating, routine tasks that again involve expertise and the lawyer's judgment, but not much risk. Examples in this case are filing of patent, monitoring compliance with regulatory permits or handling routine labor matters;
- More complex matters that involve judgment, expertise, and risk. Good examples are a series of venture capital financings or more complex multi party contracts for capital equipment sales;
- A one-off, highly complex, high-risk matter – the transaction to double the company's size with a target in similar lines of business or a patent-defense action in China.
You can read the full article published in Corporate Counsel magazine for more detailed explanation and why law firms must develop project management capacity.
Riverview Law
The desire to provide their clients with budget certainty is what has driven Riverview Law to create a fixed priced model for their services. Riverview Law has been consistently putting the client and the value their provide first, turning the traditional billable hour model on its head.
In this brilliant article, Andy Daws, Riverview Law's Vice President for North America, answers the five questions about fixed fees that everyone has in mind, but is too afraid to ask. For more detailed answers we urge you to go visit the article, here are the short answers:
Question: How on earth can you make money with fixed fees?
Answer: Transfers the emphasis from inputs (hours) and overheads to outputs and value and put the client at the center of the equation.
Question: Aren't clients suspicious about it?
Answer: Yes, but if you align your business model to clients' best interests and then offer fixed fees, that same suspicion doesn't exist.
Question: What happens if you miscalculate?
Answer: You take it on the chin, in the context of a long-term business relationship, figure out what you can learn from the experience and move on.
Question: How can you possibly know if you're making or losing money if you don't have billable hours to track?
Answer: It requires a bold decision and nothing short of reinvention in most cases. We're simply looking at the teams' activities from an entirely different perspective — a business perspective, focused on outputs and value.
Question: Can you do this for litigation, too?
Answer: Yes, but It all comes back to the business model and the data.
Marque Lawyers
The Marque lawyers believe that the pricing should be individual and tailored to each client's needs. They have a range of pricing models, such as:
- retainers – this type of pricing model offers a fixed monthly fee under either a global retainer covering all the legal work or a specific retainer covering identified aspects of the work. The retainer fee gives a budget certainty and is calculated to equate the value provided.
- fixed and capped fees – the Marque lawyers will quote and stick to a fixed fee for any transaction, litigation or other piece of legal work at your request. Alternatively, they will quote a capped fee which they'll not exceed
- litigation – alternatives to time-costing
- litigation retainer: During the preparation phase of the litigation, Marque lawyers charge a fixed monthly retainer. In periods when nothing happens (e.g. when waiting for a hearing day), the firm doesn't charge its clients at all during these months.
- fixed fee litigation: the firm charges a fixed fee for the litigation matter, which is payable regardless of the outcome. This may be attractive in cases where there is a high likelihood that they will "go all the way" (i.e. to a final hearing).
- event costed litigation: fixed fees for specified stages of the litigation matter as it progresses (e.g. preparing pleadings, discovery, evidence, hearing).
Radiant Law
Radiant Law also provide fixed price for each project they do. The law firm will agree a price with the client for a clearly defined scope of work. If the client then decides to materially change this scope of work, Radiant Law will agree a reasonable revised price with their client in advance.
On Radiant Law's website you can find two great case studies in which they explain the process of setting fixed fees.
In the first case they spent 3 months working closely with a client to analyse the root causes of their capacity constraints and designed and implemented a number of bespoke products to support them. Before starting the work they created a number of distinct fixed-priced work categories and matters were allocated to these categories depending on the value, complexity and legal risks associated with the deal. This helped them allocate the most appropriate resources to each matter.
In the second case study they helped a SaaS sales team streamline the process of closing contracts. The charge a monthly retainer for this service which helped the client calculate their legal costs for the year in advance.
To Sum It up: Alternative Fees Are Here to Stay
Alternative fee arrangements are a substantial part of the change, spreading in the legal industry. The forward-thinking law firms already offer them to clients, and benefit from the usage. Modern law firms believe the new way of exceptional client service and profitable law practice, is bound with alternative pricing methods.
If you're wondering are these pricing changes sticking around, take a look at the image above. 80% of the asked firms think that non-hourly billing pricing types are going to be prominent part of the future of law. The alternatives to the hourly model are definitely here to stay.
Meanwhile, we'll be glad if you share what do you think about the current and future state of alternative fees in the comments below!
Want to manage your alternative pricing seamlessly? Click on the button below and one of our account executives will reach you out and show you how you can leverage new pricing models to benefit your law firm!
Altman Weil / http://www.altmanweil.com/LFiT2015/ / http://www.altmanweil.com/LFiT2012/
Moores / http://www.moores.com.au/agreed-pricing
Valorem Law Group / http://www.valoremlaw.com/what-is-revolutionary
Bowen Buchbinder Vilensky ("BBV") / http://www.bbvlegal.com.au/fixed-fee-pricing.html
Carlton Fields Jorden Burt / http://www.cfjblaw.com/afas-business-solutions/
WilmerHale / https://www.wilmerhale.com/about/alternative_fee_arrangements/
Riverview Law / http://www.riverviewlaw.com/our-approach/
Marque Lawyers / http://www.marquelawyers.com.au/the-difference/how-we-charge/
Radiant Law / http://www.radiantlaw.com/about-us/
Firmex / http://www.firmex.com/thedealroom/alternative-fee-arrangements-the-facts-behind-the-buzz/
Online Paralegal Degree Center / http://www.online-paralegal-degree.org/law-future/
Infographic Directory / http://infographic-directory.com/2013/07/30/all-rise-a-case-against-hourly-billing-legal-fees
American Bar Association / http://www.americanbar.org/publications/law_practice_magazine/2011/september_october/alternative_fee_arrangements.html


text:
The Awards
What it's all about
Our Judges
Winners Gallery
2018 Winners Gallery
2017 Winners Gallery
2016 Winners Gallery
2015 Winners Gallery
2014 Winners Gallery
2013 Winners Gallery
2012 Winners Gallery
2011 Winners Gallery
2010 Winners Gallery
2009 Winners Gallery
2008 Winners Gallery
Onecard Insights On Demand
Gold - Affinity ID, Progressive Enterprises
TVNZ's Olympics Website Campaign
Gold - Saatchi & Saatchi, Saatchi DGS, TVNZ
ChildFund: Making Donating More Appealing
Gold - Twenty, ChildFund New Zealand
Customer Spend Patterns
Gold - Proximity iD, Progressive Enterprises
Fold Campaign
Winner - Colenso BBDO/AIM Proximity, Vodafone New Zealand
Equal Winner - AIM Proximity, Air New Zealand
My Greatest Feat
Gold - Rapp, McDonalds
No One Will Know You Are Gone
Winner - Rapp, Telecom
OpenCall 07
Winner - AIM Proximity, New Zealand Post
Perpetual Card
Winner - Rapp
SPCA - A Very Silent Night
Winner - DraftFCB, SPCA Auckland
The Lowdown
Equal Winner - DraftFCB, Ministry of Health
The Nestle Good Times CRM Programme
Winner - Ogilvy, Nestle New Zealand
Yellow Number One Campaign
Winner - AIM Proximity, Yellow Pages Group™
BMW X6 Getting Porsche Drivers to change religion
Gold - DraftFCB, BMW New Zealand
Immigration NZ's MAGNET Programme
Gold - Rapport Advertising and Marketing, Department of Labour
Kustom Konnections New Connections
Gold - Lowe Rivet, Genesis Energy
Meridian Crusader
Gold - Federation, Meridian Energy
Microsoft Security 'Virus'
Gold - Y&R, Microsoft NZ
Royal New Zealand Air Force Recruitment Viral
Gold - AIM Proximity, Royal New Zealand Air Force
SPCA - A Very Silent Night
Gold - DraftFCB, SPCA Auckland
The Lowdown
Gold - DraftFCB, Ministry of Health
My Greatest Feat
Winner - Rapp, McDonalds
SUBCARD™ Loyalty Programme
Gold - justONE, SUBWAY Restaurants
Perpetual Card
Winner - Rapp
Onecard Insights on Demand
Gold - Affinity ID, Progressive Enterprises
Onecard Insights On Demand
Nexus Supreme Winner - Affinity ID, Progressive Enterprises
SUBCARD™ Loyalty Programme
RSVP Grand Prix - justONE, SUBWAY Restaurants
Meridian Crusader
RSVP Customer Retention Gold
Other Awards
Meridian Energy
Entrant Credits
Sharon Henderson, Murray Reid, Duncan Wilson, Jo Tacon
Nominee Credits
Entry Rationale
Meridian Energy is a major New Zealand electricity supplier with Christchurch being one of its core markets of medium-to-high value customers. Competitor Contact Energy was aggressively door-to-door selling to Meridian customers with a sharp pricing offer that did not include GST. Rather than hitting back on price and risking a price war, a daring retention campaign was launched that turned the spotlight on 'dodgy pricing offers', using a humorous public awareness approach through press, radio and statement inserts. The results were spectacular – customer churn dropped sharply over the six weeks by an average of 40% for the campaign period, while new customers acquired actually increased sharply.
Copyright © Marketing Association


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The Warwick Valley Central School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and takes pride in the services provided to students and the community. The district is continually seeking dynamic and creative individuals to contribute to the team effort in providing students with a quality educational program.
Administrative and teaching positions posted on OLAS
Warwick posts administrative and teaching positions on the Online Application System for Educators (OLAS) website, which requires an online application.
Support Staff openings
Non-Instructional positions
In addition to being posted online, below, openings are posted in every building. All letters of interest must be received in the District Office by regular mail or in person by the close of business on the date indicated on the posting.
Non-instructional employment opportunities
The Warwick Valley Central School District does not discriminate in its employment and admission to programs and activities as applicable, on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, economic status, marital status, veterans' status, political affiliation, domestic victim status, use of a guide dog, hearing dog or service dog, disability, or other classifications protected under federal or state law, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The designated district compliance officers will coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act, and the New York State Human Rights Law.
The Warwick Valley Central School District's Compliance Officers are Cindy Leandro, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, and Compliance Officer for Employees, Visitors and Volunteers (Title VI, VII, IX/Section 504 & ADA Compliance Officer) and Meghan McGourty, Director of Special Education, and Compliance Officer for Students (Title VI, IX/Section 504 & ADA Compliance Officer), P.O. Box 595, Warwick, NY 10990-0595, phone (845) 987-3000, Ext. 10522. Complaints may also be filed with the Office for Civil Rights, New York Office, U.S. Department of Education, 32 Old Slip, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10005-2500, phone (646) 428-3800, fax (646) 428-3843, email: email@example.com.
Warwick Valley Central School District
Notice of Employment under Section 211: 2017-2018
On October 9, 2017 the Warwick Valley Central School District Board of Education approved the appointment of Beatrice Cubero-Velez as a .6 Foreign Language Teacher (Spanish) for the 2017-2018 school year at an annual salary of $52,213. Other benefits include 2 ½ personal days and 10 ½ sick days. In accordance with Section 211 of Retirement and Social Security Law and Sec. 80-5.5 of Commissioner's Regulations, Ms. Cubero-Velez has the right to receive a pension while so employed.


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Bulletin Issues
Current Issue
Past issues of the Bulletin are available here, or through the ASIS&T Digital Library.
Please tell us what you think of this issue! Feedback
Bulletin, December 2010/January 2011
Case Study: Developing a SharePoint 2010 Strategy. . . or How Setting It Up and "Getting It Out There" Is Not a Strategy
by Jeff Carr
Why does an organization use SharePoint [1]? On the surface this question might seem relatively simple. In all likelihood, if youre using SharePoint, you are able to list a handful of reasons off the top of your head that include everything from business collaboration and document management to business intelligence and enterprise search. However, if you take a moment to look past the functional capabilities of the product itself and step back to carefully consider exactly why you are employing it, what might the answer be then? If a detailed and specific reason is not immediately apparent this hesitation should be cause for concern.
The Technology First Approach
A common approach for many organizations has been technology-centered design that is, start with the technology and push off the gathering and documenting of requirements until later, if at all. It is often left up to the folks responsible for the IT function to set up SharePoint and get it out there. As business users slowly become aware of its existence, a site or two are often provided for them to play around with. Initial sites are then followed by a few more and even more after that, and in what seems like the blink of the eye, an assortment of individuals and groups from across the organization have started to turn on various bits of functionality and deploy the product in a haphazard and confusing way.
SharePoint is a technology designed to remove management of the information environment from IT and place it into the hands of users. The problem lies in the fact that many organizations lack standard ways of managing content, and therefore granting permission and managing the site are often dropped into the lap of a single or small group of uninformed individuals. These people, along with the end users themselves, are for the most part unfamiliar with standard practices in information architecture, content management, taxonomy and metadata.
Before long, the effort required to support and manage growth of the platform dramatically increases as it rapidly evolves into a highly decentralized and ungoverned proliferation of sites, sub-sites, lists and libraries. Before you know it, this organically growing, highly complex and convoluted structure decreases the efficiency of the business users. The lack of consistency and integration leads to a fragmented and frustrating user experience that is compounded by an explosion of content as more business units come online.
An absence of ownership of information architecture leads to numerous issues related to findability. Users are forced to turn to search as a primary form of information seeking, but an absence of standardized content enrichment processes leads to a degradation of the out-of-the-box search experience. Simply put, a lack of strategy, process and governance around content management means that search doesnt work. Third party add-ons and custom solutions often appear throughout the environment in an effort to overcome these issues, and in the end, what youre left with is a complex and fragmented data repository with increasing operational costs.
Seven Key Components of a Successful Strategy
As a result of this situation, organizations are now faced with significant challenges in trying to rein in the proliferation and establish a more disciplined foundation. Many are faced with a need to re-architect their SharePoint environments in a way that better aggregates the results of the proliferation into a more cohesive experience that aligns with and supports strategic objectives.
If you find yourself in the group considering a move to the newest release of the product, now is an opportune time to pause and be sure that your SharePoint 2010 strategy includes the following seven key components:
1. Purpose. Strategic objectives must be identified and clearly defined in conjunction with key executives and stakeholders. These individuals are responsible for articulating the overall vision and ensuring the direction chosen is tied back to organizational goals. Without their buy-in and ongoing support in the form of time, budget and dedicated resource allocation, the chances of success for the platform are dramatically reduced.
Arriving at a common purpose is oftentimes difficult so a recommended approach is to conduct an executive workshop to do the following:
- Identify key descriptors for the system in both the current environment (what is it now) and the future (what it need to be).
- Develop a roadmap based on gaps identified, including quantitative benchmarks from which future successes can be measured.
- Create a Vision statement for SharePoint outlining in detail overall purpose and intention.
2. Governance. Governance comprises the policies, processes, standards, models, roles and responsibilities that ensure successful management of the platform across the enterprise. More informally, its all the things required to make it work, as well as the glue that holds it all together. Because of SharePoints inherent nature to decentralize away from IT, stronger governance processes are required to make it a success.
An advisory council comprising cross-departmental representation is required, and must include active participation from the executive stakeholders who contributed to development of the overall vision. Subcommittees and working groups for specific areas like technology, information architecture, training and education need to be tasked with implementation, operation and enforcement, as successful governance requires accountability.
3. People & Objectives. It is essential to identify the audiences that have a stake in the environment. Its important to fully understand who they are and what tasks they are required to accomplish. What are the key business processes and how will the technology be designed to support them?
Strategy defines your approach to completing the following activities:
- Identifying all the people and groups required to participate in the environment.
- Determining the existing pain points along with potential solutions.
- Developing use cases and user scenarios to capture business processes and common interactions.
- Documenting opportunities for active and passive personalization that also include the serendipitous discovery of information.
4. Requirements & Analysis. The formal gathering of requirements, taken directly from users and captured in their own words includes an assessment of the current environment in the form of stakeholder interviews, core team working sessions, end user surveys and heuristic evaluations These activities combine to identify whats working and whats not along with desired improvements in the form of features and functionality. Requirements must be analyzed, categorized, prioritized and ultimately tied back to the purpose.
5. Information Architecture. Information architecture defines the approach to two key areas: information organization and access. Prior to implementation of site structures, navigational schemes and search interfaces, its crucial that you develop comprehensive content models, which require clear understanding of the types and volume of content that exist. To do so you must define methods for completing the following:
- Content audits and inventories that identify volume, ownership, responsibility and overall scope of the problem.
- Identification of key global content types that have organizational value along with standard definitions for each. For example, defining and obtaining acceptance with respect to what constitutes a procedure.
- Documentation of information lifecycles that address all aspects of management from creation to disposition.
- Development of metadata schemas, plan groups and term sets as a basis for content enrichment, including the definition of a standard set of fields applied to all documents.
- Design of workflow to automate all or portions of key business processes.
- Design of standardized publishing models outlining levels of organizational autonomy (centralization vs. decentralization).
- Establishment of consistent naming conventions along with a set of editorial guidelines.
- Site-map development to determine the logical hierarchy of site collections, sub-sites, lists and libraries.
Performing this analysis sets the foundation for the design of wireframes illustrating innovative access mechanisms that are consistent and standardized and provide a multi-faceted approach to information findability.
6. Technology. Technological considerations include coverage for the installation, configuration and maintenance of both hardware and software along with application integration between the SharePoint environment and other enterprise systems. They also include identification of third-party add-ons and custom development necessary to meet high priority requirements. The technology attribute of the overall strategy is, for the most part, the only piece that should be fully owned by IT.
7. Maintenance & Enhancement. How will you address improvements to the environment as business needs evolve? To do so, it will be important to ensure the availability of metrics from which benchmarks and end user satisfaction can be measured. Metrics, which must be tied back to the overall purpose, can be captured in the form of search and web analytics as well as through periodic qualitative measures indicating user satisfaction. New initiatives identified by business users need also relate back to the strategic objectives.
Pulling It All Together
The formal definition of an overall strategy for SharePoint that begins with an executive vision and proceeds to outline a clear set of business goals is the best method for enabling achievement of long-term objectives. Governance is a fundamental element of success and often finds its biggest challenges in changes to organizational culture. While difficult, this transformation is needed for growth. A cultural evolution will be required but can be made easier through strategies that address the socialization of business objectives as well as communication and training initiatives that assist with influencing user adoption. Without a strong governance model, even the best-designed environments are sure to fail.
A well-designed SharePoint implementation will be constructed from the perspective of the end user and will streamline business processes by providing a place for teams to perform their work more effectively, enabling the capture and dissemination of organizational memory and ultimately connecting people with the right content (or the right person) in the right context at the right time.
Without the development of a formal strategy in each of the areas identified, future opportunities will be limited as a result of the lack of the foundational capabilities that have not been established over time. Inevitably, starting with the technology itself will result in longer-term challenges and, potentially, failure from a lack of user adoption. Without careful planning your SharePoint environment will end up evolving into nothing more than a complex file share on the web, but one that is significantly more difficult to use and much more costly to maintain than it would have been without Sharepoint.
Resource Cited in Article
[1] Sharepoint: http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/Pages/default.aspx.
Jeff Carr is an information architect and search consultant with Earley & Associates, Inc. Jeff has built a strong multidisciplinary foundation in the areas of search engine marketing, information architecture, web analytics, project management, business analysis and web development. He has been responsible for the strategy, development and implementation of numerous successful web-based initiatives both large and small. He can be reached at jeff<at>earley.com.
Articles in this Issue
ASIS&T 2010 Award of Merit Acceptance Speech
Information Architecture in Virtual Worlds
What's the Buzz about Content Strategy?
Understanding the Discipline of Web Content Strategy
Case Study: Developing a SharePoint 2010 Strategy... or How Setting It Up and "Getting It Out There" Is Not a Strategy
Developing a Content Maintenance and Governance Strategy
An Intelligent Content Strategy for the Enterprise
Student Column: Where's Your Next Great Idea Coming From: Interdisciplinarity, Innovation and InfoCamp
IA Column: Good News for U.S. Citizens


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Dead Man Down Trailer: I Think I've Seen This One Before
By Steven Lloyd Wilson | Trailers | January 2, 2013 |
By Steven Lloyd Wilson | Trailers | January 2, 2013 |
There is a shortage of solid R-rated action movies these days. Back in the good old days, when grown-ups still went to theaters, those were one of your standbys. Dark shots, brooding protagonists, a few gun fights, some blood, and the obligatory second act sex scene before bodies really start falling. Now the default movie is PG-13 and most darkness got subcontracted out to HBO. It only makes sense. Once we could get that sort of entertainment on our big screens, why in the world would we go to a strip mall and stand in line with teenagers?
So, credit where it is due, but Dead Man Down doesn't exactly light any other fires. Here's the plot summary:
Following the cinematic phenomenon The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, acclaimed filmmaker Niels Arden Oplev and brooding beauty Noomi Rapace reunite for another thrilling tale of vengeance. Colin Farrell joins the prestigious team as brave enforcer Victor, right hand man to an underground crime lord in New York. He seeks to avenge the death of his wife and daughter caused by his boss. When his employer is threatened by a mysterious killer, Victor also becomes detective. Victor is seduced and blackmailed by Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), a victim turned avenger whose intense chemistry leads them spiraling into payback delivered in violent catharsis. FilmDistrict will release Dead Man Down in limited theaters on March 8th this winter.
It's not like I need a color-by-numbers plot, but that summary tries to cram way too much complexity into its few sentences. Here's the trailer, which seems to make more sense:
I'm pretty sure that Colin Farrell has made this film before. He's a good actor when he lands in good films, but I swear that every other film he makes is this exact movie. Personally, I think that he peaked in "Scrubs":


text: DigitalFavorite Authors, No eBooksBy Craig Morgan Teicher|March 25, 2010 ShareBy Craig Morgan Teicher|March 25, 2010 ShareeBookNewser needs your help. We want to compile a long, expandable list of great authors who don't have eBooks available. Let's tell publishers, agents, and authors that we want their eBooks.Who are your favorite writers–in any genre–whose works aren't available in eBook form? Let us know in the comments below or by emailing using the anonymous tips box in the upper right corner. Then we'll add your authors to our list, which we'll post shortly. No need to include your name with your list–we won't post it.Looking forward to hearing from you. Sharehttp://adweek.it/2kO524O copy Adweek Adweek


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May – Optimal communication
Taureans will have their birthdays before May 20th, so congratulations on that. As everyone knows, when Taureans celebrate their birthdays they don't skimp on the food or the drinks. The sun will be delivering plenty of energy and vitality to Taureans, which they can use to take on new projects. Anything you start now will likely come to a good conclusion thanks to the sun, as long as you work hard.
Mercury in a neutral position
Mercury will begin the month in Aries which is a neutral position. This means you won't be receiving much support from Mercury, but you won't be facing any obstacles either. It all depends on how you handle things. On May 16th Mercury will be moving into Taurus, meaning this will be the best time of the year in terms of career and communication. You will have a clear mind, a good sense of time, and you'll be able to express yourself very well. This would also be an excellent time to apply for a new job if you're looking for one.
A time for personal initiative
Venus will be in Gemini for the first half of the month. This is a semi-sextile aspect, which means you won't be receiving much support, but also won't see any obstacles from Venus either. Everything depends on how much personal initiative you show. In terms of love (and art), you can still do the same things you could if conditions were better - from enjoying tender emotions to reaching new high points in your relationships. After May 19th it will be in Cancer, which means this will be another great time for love, friendship, and family.
Average performer or high achiever?
Mars will also be forming a semi-sextile aspect for the entire month. This means it will be on the same level as Venus, and both planets will be appealing to your own personal initiative. Venus will also help you achieve good results. However, if you don't work hard during this time then you'll only be mediocre. Of course, there's a time and place for being average sometimes.
Jupiter could continue to bring good opportunities in all areas of your life, so look out!
However, as it is in an oppositional position, you should consider carefully whether these opportunities are truly realistic – or even utopic, as the planets are expressly warning you against overestimating yourself.
Saturn will continue to have a stabilizing effect on Taureans. Whoever works hard now will reap the rewards later. During this time, you might face so many obligations you really don't know how you'll handle them all. Unfortunately, that's just how Saturn is. It's all about obligations. And that's Saturn's good side!
Individual detailled horoscopes
What are the stars telling about your life?
- Future Forecast 2018 (Jan.-Dez. 18)
- Future Forecast 12 Months (any start date)
- Solar Return Report (12 months starting at a birthday)
- Natal Report & Birth Chart
By the way: If you buy a premium horoscope and create an user account, you will see no ads our website.
You might be interested in:
- Zodiac Sign Taurus
- Daily Horoscope Taurus
- Weekly Horoscope Taurus
- Monthly Horoscopes 2018
- Which zodiac signs are a perfect love match?


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Simplified Chinese : Support
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Too many churches use their website, app, and media to reach and educate folks who already are a part of their church. This is an important part of your ministries media efforts, but it is not the only part. In today's culture your website is your biggest doorway to reach people that don't now anything about your ministry. With combined SEO and PPC efforts you can make sure that your website is noticed when visitors are looking at their options online.
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The Birds sent out a press release today with information about 2018 training camp.
Most notably, two of the sessions will be open to fans, as described below:
The Eagles will also host two public practices at Lincoln Financial Field: Sunday, August 5 beginning at 7:00 pm (Military Appreciation Night presented by Dietz & Watson) and Saturday, August 11 beginning at 10:00 am (Family Day). The practices will be free of charge and open to the public. Fans interested in attending must reserve tickets in advance. In addition to a full team practice, there will be a number of free activities for fans to enjoy throughout the day, including face painting, alumni autographs, green screen photos and more. Parking for the event is also free.
Public Practice Ticket Information:
This year, general admission tickets will be required for entry into the stadium. Attendees must reserve a ticket ahead of time with a limit of six per household. Tickets can be reserved beginning at 10 am on Wednesday, July 18 by visiting www.ticketmaster.com. Seating at Lincoln Financial Field will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Players report for camp on Wednesday, July 25th and the first full team practice will take place on Thursday, the 26th.
In addition to the public sessions, other practices will be open to "select fans including season ticket members, charitable organizations and corporate partners."
Exact dates and times for training and media availability will be announced later, but right now the Eagles are not scheduled to practice on the following days:
- Monday, July 30
- Saturday, August 4
- Friday, August 10.
The preseason schedule begins on Thursday, August 9th at home against the Steelers. Training camp officially ends on Tuesday, August 14.
#EaglesCamp details have been announced, and Coach Pederson is ready to go. #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/oeT3BrFRby
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) July 11, 2018


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Army veterans protest outside Pakistan HC over Kulbhushan Jadhav death sentence
| Updated: Aug 23, 2017 11:20 IST
New Delhi [India], Apr. 12 (ANI): Army veterans staged a protest on Wednesday outside the Pakistan High Commission over Islamabad's decision to sentence former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav to death "We have given memorandum to Pakistan against the death sentence given to Jadhav. He has been framed. This kind of inhuman and illegal activity is completely unacceptable," an army official told ANI. Another veteran said, "I request the Government of India to retaliate and challenge Pakistan by convicting Kashmiri terrorists through military court instead of civil court. This would be the best way to end terrorism and make Pakistan realize that they have been torturing an innocent." (ANI)


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How To Respond When Asked To Trade Services Do you ever struggle with how to respond when asked to trade services? Is trading services a normal business practice for you? Many people absolutely refuse to trade services. They even feel offended when people ask. Whereas othersRead more →
Reviews & Testimonials – How & When To Ask Reviews & testimonials, do you feel confident in how and when to ask for them? It can be a crucial part of business building so being prepared with how and when to ask is beneficial. Asking forRead more →
The Assumptive Close Selling Technique The assumptive close selling technique, have you heard of it? Do you know when to use it? How about when not to use it? There are situations where using the assumptive close technique will ruin your chances of earning the business. UnderstandingRead more →
Are You Penny Wise & Pound Foolish? Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you fully intended to buy something only to find you didn't have enough cash on you to make the purchase and the store didn't accept credit cards? Maybe you left theRead more →
Are You Inadvertently Talking Down To Clients? Is there anything worse than someone who wants to sell you something as coming off as condescending? Let's face it; nobody appreciates being talked down too. It's a huge rapport breaker, and if you're anything like me, people who come offRead more →
Never Dread Following Up Again How good are you at following up with prospects? When you meet someone and take their business card, do you immediately reach out to them once you're back at your office? Or are you like the rest of us and the businessRead more →
Nobody Wants To Be Sold To This Way When's the last time your phone rang and when you picked up you heard a pre-recorded message "selling" you on who to vote for, what service to sign up for, etc. Did you listen to the end? Were youRead more →


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