text:
Mary Pride
Carole Adams
Ray Andree
Karen Andreola
Frank Armbruster
Dr. David Ayers
Larry Bailey
Lawrence Bangs
Johanna Banham
Lisa and Rhonda Barfield
Peggy Barker
Dr. Kuni Beasley
Jonathan Bechtle
Russ Beck
Alisyn Bennett
Vicki Bentley
Betty Berring
Mary Biever
George Bigham
Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn
Sam Blumenfeld
Lydia Guy Burchett
Charles and Betty Burger
Linda Burklin
Wes Callihan
Holly Capeda
Heather Chapman
Harry Cheney
Clay and Sally Clarkson
Marian Kester Coombs
Deborah Copelin
Lois Corcoran
Cheryl Costello
Martin Cothran
Jim Couch
Lorraine Curry
Michelle Dalrymple
Chris Davis
Ellyn Davis
Kandie Demarest
Tom DeWeese
Joan Donaldson
Richard Driggers
Cathy Duffy
Jonathan English
Carolyn Flanagan
Samuel Francis
Amanda Freitag
Marshall Fritz
Lisa Gard
John Taylor Gatto
Brittany Glenny
Tricia Goyer
Pat Graves
Steve Hake
Ken Ham
Kristin Lee Hamerski
Gregg Harris
Joshua Harris
Laura Harris
Lori Harris
Bob Hazen
Barbara Henderson
Sarah Hensley
Laura Hinely
Fritz Hinrichs
Regina Hogsten
Mercy Howell
Jessica Hulcy
D. Russell Humphries
Nicole Johnson
Elizabeth Kays
Diane Flynn Keith
Stephen Kemp
Rebecca Kenney
Andrew Kern
Chris Klicka
Antony Kolenc
Dr. Jim Kramer
Michele Lee
Steve Leer
Lenora Levia
Ann Lloyd
Diane Lockman
Isabel Lyman
Christina Magnaghi
Michael Maloney
Jason Makansi
Paula Mann
David Marks
Rodney Marshall
Shelly Mathiot
Renee Mathis
Pam Maxey
Theresa May
Kristen West McGuire
Joyce McPherson
Geneva Miller
Katie Michelli
Melissa Morgan
Sarah Morgan
Gretchen Mork
Natalie Muus
Edwin Myers
Naomi Nattress
John Nixdorf
Shelley Noonan
June Oberlander
Joy Pavelski
Mary Pecci
Dennis Peterson
Nikki Pheneger
Dr. Michael Platt
Drue Porter
Bill Pride
Franklin Pride
Joseph Pride
Madeleine Pride
Magda Pride
Mary Pride
Sarah Pride
Theodore Pride
Bob Reith
Michael Reitz
Howard and Susan Richman
Elizabeth Roberts
Dr. Arthur Robinson
Penny Ross
Teresa Schultz-Jones
Rebecca Sealfon
Rob and Cyndy Shearer
Scott Somerville
Bruce Shortt
Gail Small
Elisabeth Snell
Barry Stebbing
Andrew Stone
Alexandra Swann
Benjamin Swann
Joyce Swann
Janis Tatum
Jennifer Thieme
Heather Thompson
Christopher Thorne
Rita Tubbs
Dale Turner
Jamie Turner
Maryann Turner
Janice VanCleave
Brad Voeller
Kathy von Duyke
Steve Wagner
Eric Wallace
Austin Webb
Jeannette Webb
Brenda Weatherly
Natalie Webb
Pat Wesolowski
Carol Wickwire
Peter Williams
Douglas Wilson
Kym Wright
Lisa Yoder
Vivian Young
By Dr. David Ayers
Printed in Practical Homeschooling #6, 1994.
Building Bridges to Business
Businesses spend billions of dollars yearly on education.
Much of that money goes to "business-public school partnerships."
Can businesses be persuaded to invest in homeschools instead?
And do we want them to?
Businesses Are Worried
Businesses are worried. The external pressures of international competition and the internal demands of rapid technological change have made "life-long learning" a matter of survival. They need workers able to continually understand and adopt new facts and ideas--employees who are ready and eager to learn. And they do not seem to be getting them.
Instead, most businessmen are forced to hire high-school students who, claims Edward Hennessy, Jr., CEO of Allied-Signal Corporation, often "can't read their own diplomas." Moreover, their beloved business schools are filled with public school graduates crippled by semi-literacy. These students must be taught basic reading and writing just to get ready for freshman courses--classes which are themselves only the functional equivalent of the 9th or 10th grade classes of thirty years ago.
Business's estimate of today's graduates is low indeed, and getting worse. A Fortune survey of CEOs in 1990 found that 76 percent believed public schools made American workers worse, not better. A survey of human resource officers that same year revealed that 64 percent did not believe public schools were producing competent workers. In 1993, 75 percent of Money readers polled claimed that public schools had low standards. In the pages of the business magazine Challenge, sociologist Amitai Etzioni complained that corporations suffered from an increasingly "poorly-trained work-force, low work ethic, and competitive pressures from countries with superior schools." Business Week reported that only 12 percent of employers thought their recently-hired high school graduates could write well, and only 22 percent felt they had a decent mastery of basic math. Said a business leader quoted in Industry Week: "Employers are talking about the deficiencies of the entering work-force . . . everyone is really becoming alarmed at what the test scores are showing."
Are these businessmen correct? Or is this just "old fogey-ism"--cranky codgers "down" on the young and romantically defensive of the "good old days?" Let's see.
American Education Needs Help
In 1992, the U.S. Department of Education sampled a population of 190 million adult Americans. Their question was simple: are these folks literate? Can they read and comprehend popular books and periodicals? Can they cipher well enough to cope with daily drudgery such as comparing the prices of different-sized containers, figuring out travel minutes based on departure and arrival times, or calculating simple interest?
Madison Avenue ad men drew their own cynical conclusions years ago--these are evident on television and no one doubts what their thoughts are on the matter! But Uncle Sam holds nobler hopes and wanted to see for himself. After all--this population had an average 12.4 years of school. Many had gone to college and held bachelor's degrees. The majority had at least graduated high school, and virtually all the rest had at least an 8th grade education. Theoretically, almost all of them should have possessed basic literacy in math and reading. In fact, if years spent in school counted for anything, this group was the most educated since the founding of our republic!
So what did our friends in Washington D.C. discover about our "educated" masses? They found that, in modern America, years of schooling do not count for anything!
Twenty-two percent couldn't read elementary grade lessons. Another 27 percent did better--they could read at a 4th or 5th grade level, and another 30 percent beyond this could read between the 6th and 8th grade levels. Only about a fifth could handle average high school reading. Of these, only 3.5 percent could read well enough to match college-level demands.
To put that in perspective, this last level had been reached by 20 to 30 percent of American high school students in the 1940s, and is achieved today by 20 to 30 percent of those in the secondary schools of other developed nations. What does that say about most of our current college students?
Asked for the approximate price per ounce of a 20-ounce jar of peanut butter costing $1.99, about half could not give the correct answer! They could not make common budgeting decisions, such as determining if an "economy-sized" product was really a bargain!
Consider that over two-thirds of the training manuals used on jobs in the U.S. today are written at the 9th to 12th grade level. Or that by 1999, 41 percent of all new jobs will require advanced math, language, and reading skills--versus only 22 percent of new jobs today. Compare those needs with the statistics above. Now you know why businesses are wringing their hands over the state of our schools. In fact, 91 percent of CEOs told Fortune in 1990 that their cost for training incoming workers had grown in the past 10 years--mostly to make up for deficiencies in basic areas.
Not only that, these graduates suffer from a notable lack of common courtesy and character. Time magazine reports that many service businesses are turning to retirees just to find employees who are capable of smiling at customers and saying "Thank you." Forbes business magazine complains of a breakdown in discipline, pointing out that Dallas public schools confiscated 150 guns in 1992. Zoraida Bennett, an ex-kindergarten teacher in the Bronx, describes having to train children how to dive on to the floor at the sound of gunfire.
Meanwhile, horror stories abound of teachers trapped spending hours a day in common discipline, while willing students languish bored behind their desks--in "nice" suburban schools.
Business Is Trying to Help, But . . .
It is no wonder, then, that businesses are beginning to get on the bandwagon of school reform. They certainly read a lot about it. A search of a fixed set of major business magazines between 1989 and 1993, from Fortune to Chemical Week, for articles on problems in K-12 education and how they should be addressed, turned up just five articles on the topic in 1989, but 32 in 1993! Most dealt with the effect of school problems upon businesses, and the business world's responsibility to help change things.
Businesses are responding to the call to get involved in education reform. Black Enterprise reported that business projects to help schools grew by 234 percent between 1984 and 1988--from 42,200 projects to 140,800. Personnel magazine claimed that this figure had grown to over 200,000 by 1991. By 1991 Fortune's annual survey of business involvement in education showed 55 corporations giving between 1 and 5 million dollars for K-12 education, and another 21 corporations giving over 5 million. By 1992, 29 companies were giving over 5 million.
Meanwhile, the percentage of top executives who were "very involved" in K-12 initiatives grew from 32 percent in 1990 to 45 percent in 1992, while those "not too involved" dropped from 25 percent to 14 percent.
It is clear that businesses are expressing their anxiety about the state of the American school system in very tangible ways.
Should we be encouraged by all this? Yes and no. On the one hand, businesses have long been the beneficiaries of the training that has been provided to children by others, and it is about time they took their responsibility seriously to participate in educating those who are going to be their future employees. On the other hand, there really is not that much to be happy about in terms of what businesses are actually doing with their resources and time.
Because virtually all the real money and effort is going to public education!
Money In, Garbage Out
Businesses have supported some useful proposals, such as apprenticeships, decreasing the size of school administrations, or increasing computer purchases and usage. But they have also been persuaded to spend their hard-earned cash on many of the same old, tired, statist "solutions" that education radicals have been pushing for years. These include increasing the difficulty and application of teacher certification, more standardized national testing, and outcome-based education--all heavily supported by big business. Many of these could burden or threaten homeschoolers. And none will substantially improve public schools.
We live in a world where forces towards decentralized, market-based solutions are wiping away socialistic, monopolistic, hyper-centralized, bureaucratized institutions every day. In such an era the public schools seem foredoomed to become increasingly unpopular and ineffective--a place where only those with no other choice will go. This is already happening. For example, whether one agrees with vouchers or not, it's hard to ignore the message given by polls that show 70 percent of Americans in 1993 in favor of giving public dollars to parents to spend on private schools. This is hardly a vote of confidence or loyalty to public education. Nor is it so much a plea to "fix" public schools as to promote alternatives to them.
Businesses know this. They are aware of the overall trends towards the market and decentralization and away from government and bureaucracy, as attested by the brisk sales among business leaders of books such as Megatrends which explain these developments. They are also aware of the loss of confidence in public education among their own ranks and the general public. This is explained through statistics presented in a plethora of articles appearing in their own magazines! Thus, it is hard to understand why they are responding to educational failure by dumping more and more valuable resources upon those who are most to blame for it, or adopting their proposed "solutions." After all, the very articles and organizations that describe, and usually encourage, business spending on public education profile statistics which show our public schools to be the highest cost, lowest result educational option in existence! (For detailed facts backing up this statement, see my article in the previous issue of practical homeschooling.)
Business leaders also have no reason to be excited about the values and ideology most educational leaders promote with the money businesses give them. As Forbes pointed out, public education is now 80 percent unionized--even as unions are shrinking in the private sector. Why would corporations want to prop up unions--especially ineffective ones--when their instincts tell them to run from them? The American Federation of Teachers is run by Al Shanker, an old New York City socialist. The NEA--which Forbes accurately called "The National Extortion Association"--actively promotes radical politics and government intervention in every area imaginable, whether it is relevant to education or not. This is all common knowledge. Between them, the AFT and NEA have a stranglehold on public schools and beat down every reform that threatens teacher jobs and their own power, whether it is good for the children or not. So why should businesses continue to support the very structures these groups control?
Businessmen are staring at statistics showing chronic inefficiency, waste, and failure in the public schools--which would lead them to fire the person responsible if he worked for their own company. And they are looking at irrefutable evidence that the last thing public schools need is more money, or more "programs" that have been tried and failed. Then they write million dollar checks to these same institutions and individuals!
It's time for this to change.
Public Schools Are Getting All the Business Money!
I called several major national foundations devoted to developing partnerships between business and education, which specialize in funneling corporate dollars and support towards school reform, to see if perhaps I was wrong about the extent to which corporate help was being directed towards public schools rather than private alternatives. From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to the New American Schools Development Corporation, Business Roundtable, National Alliance of Business, and National Association of Partners in Education, I found that public schools had a total or near-monopoly over the purse-strings and efforts of large companies intent on helping K-12 education.
To be sure, as one foundation director pointed out, some help is certainly devoted to private schools at the local level by smaller companies. This does not show up at the national level or in the business magazines. But the lion's share of business help for education, and almost all the national effort, is directed towards reforming the ailing public school system, not towards developing and encouraging other forms of schooling.
For example, the New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC) is a major business-run group. It was formed to fund George Bush-style school reform, and has a war-chest of over $200 million dollars in corporate grant money. I asked NASDC administrator Nicki Boros if they had any plans to develop projects with private schools. Her reply: no, but maybe they would include some in the future, though they had no concrete plans to do so. This was the story everywhere.
I asked one Business Roundtable leader, "Why do businesses give so much money to a system that is so heavily unionized, that they already admit is not suffering because of lack of funds?" Her answer: "That's a very good question. I don't know the answer to it." This was the best answer I got anywhere.
If private schools are presently out in the cold for big corporate support, homeschoolers are doubly so. This is interesting, in light of well-publicized articles in respected business publications such as the Wall Street Journal and Forbes commending home schooling as a viable option with excellent, even superior, educational results and character building.
Most of the foundations I talked to knew very little about homeschooling, were doing nothing with it at all, and had no plans to do so in the future. When I asked NASDC's Boros if they might consider proposals from homeschool groups in the future, she said, "Homeschooling is not included in any of the design team plans. Sure, we want to encourage 'heavy-duty' parental interaction and involvement in education. But in the school, not at home."
"No Homeschoolers Have Ever Asked Us"
Why is the business world so fixated on public school reform instead of seriously promoting private alternatives? One possibility is that they are trying to address the needs where the majority of kids are. Another is that they view private schools as healthy and want to put their money where it can do the most good, even against their better judgment that donating money to public education is probably just throwing good money after bad. And it also seems likely that, given the public relations value and goals of much corporate giving, companies want to be seen as helping the "community" as a whole, not just a small subset served by private education. Some of the more cynical among us may even say that perhaps corporations don't want people to be too educated.
Perhaps the most likely response is that private schools and homeschools have made little or no effort to get businesses involved in partnerships, while public schools have worked hard at creating and maintaining those partnerships.
Do you know of any state homeschool group, anywhere, that regularly solicits business groups to hear presentations on homeschooling? Does your state group even have a mechanism set up to receive donations from businesses? How about your local support group? Do you know the names of the local business groups? Do you know which homeschoolers in your area own their own businesses? Do you have business owners in your homeschool speakers bureau?
'Nuff said!
Let's consider one example. The National Association of Partners in Education (NAPE) is an organization based in Alexandria, Virginia with affiliate groups in 30 states. They train businesses and educators how to launch and run cooperative efforts in funding projects, how to run apprenticeship programs, and so on. People who call them can get books, tapes, and local contacts to start such business-education partnerships.
While NAPE handles mostly public schools, they have nothing in their charter against private education. They work with all such educators who ask them, and have helped with projects involving private schools. I asked their national representative, Janet Cox, how NAPE would handle initiatives and requests by homeschoolers. Her answer was that, while their materials are "mainstream" and geared to institutionalized schools and districts, they will work without prejudice with homeschool groups, and are willing to train homeschool representatives and leaders at local or national training symposia. However, Janet's next remark was telling: "But no homeschoolers have ever asked us."
Maybe it's time we do so--with NAPE, other such national umbrella organizations, or the businesses and business associations in our own communities.
How Homeschools Can Help Businesses
One thing we should go armed with is the answer to the question: "How can homeschoolers help businesses?" The answers seem obvious to us, but not to them. So let's review them.
First, homeschooling offers a bigger bang-for-the-buck than any other alternative. Having purchased our own resources, most homeschool groups would not wish to depend upon businesses for educational essentials. Rather, they would use the money to help poorer homeschooling families, and to fund useful projects which would be hard or expensive for individual families to do on their own.
Imagine what a public school would do with a $5,000 from National Widgets. It might pay for a few month's lawn care! Now envision that amount of money in the hands of a local homeschool association or cooperative. They could set up the "National Widgets Resource Library" for educational software, expensive audio and video tape series, training seminars, and so on. A support group could use donated space to set up a classroom/library area for group projects, while a public school would have no use for the space. A support group would be thrilled to have National Widgets provide trained widgeteers to lecture kids weekly on the physics of widget-making. The public schools couldn't use the widgeteers unless they were certified teachers. Get the idea?
Homeschools produce superior educational results. We have the statistics to back this up. Some business magazines have even cited them. Why not pull together a nice handout stressing these facts and mail it out to education-minded businesses and associations? "You need highly-trained workers who are prepared for real life-long learning and won't hate doing it? Look no further--homeschooling is where it's at."
One of the biggest areas identified by national associations and business magazines is apprenticeships, which these days are commonly called "school-to-work initiatives." Even the Clinton Administration is pushing this. And why not? Kids get experience and a skill, and business gets experienced, skilled workers. This is "win-win" stuff. Most homeschoolers would welcome good apprenticeships for their kids. And we have the flexibility to strike a bargain to set these up the "old-fashioned" way, between parents,kids, and businessmen, without the need for bureaucratic permission or interference (beyond child-labor laws.) A match made in heaven!
Homeschooling is also far more "business-friendly" than public school. Businesses don't need workers who have been trained to be hostile to business and the free-enterprise system. They need workers who appreciate private property, understand what good it can do when it is properly stewarded--and who want to see it, and the rights associated with it, protected.
Finally, businesses are concerned with their workers' character, or lack of it. From outright criminality and defiance of authority, to bad manners and laziness--businesses are really worried about this. They want workers who don't need to be watched all the time to keep them from stealing or from lying down on the job. Usually, especially in the best jobs, they want self-directed, creative, motivated people who don't need someone to tell them what to do all the time.
Can homeschooling help? The answer is obvious. Just have them meet your children and talk to them. When they're done, let them come to a local homeschool association meeting and observe more homeschooled children. That should do the trick!
Can Businesses Help Homeschools?
All right, so we can do a lot for businesses. Now, how can businesses help homeschoolers? Do we need or want their help?
Certainly we don't need help for our basic educational requirements. We've come too far to depend on others for our texts, curriculum, manipulatives, maps, and so forth. It ought to be absolutely clear to ourselves and others that we do not require outside help to teach our own children with excellence. Public schools might. We don't. But businesses still can, and should, play a vital role in assisting homeschooling.
Here are some possibilities we at practical homeschooling have thought of. If you have ideas or examples to add to these, please let us know!
These are just a few of many possibilities for the effective use of business support for homeschooling. Obviously, the potential is far greater than this. We know that homeschoolers can accomplish great things with modest resources. We've done so for years. Given the support of our business community, we need be limited by nothing but our imaginations.
Businesses need to wake up and smell the coffee so far as the public school system is concerned. Real reform, if it is to positively effect the public schools, ought to focus on building alternatives and competition to the public schools, not giving them more money and more respect.
This means steering more business dollars to private educational alternatives of high quality, to make these less expensive and even better. Such as homeschooling. With increased business support, both financial and political, we have a lot to gain, and nothing to lose. This is an idea too long neglected. Its time has come.
Avoiding Partnership Pitfalls
When you begin looking at the possibility of partnerships with big business, some questions arise. Being successful means real money and big plans--from creating and running thriving urban homeschool resource centers, to building up national organizations of size and power which are capable of negotiating with top executives, to writing (or helping others write) professional proposals, to serving as information clearinghouses and referral agents. In many cases this also means hiring and expanding staff, while establishing standards for those who work for you and for those you strive to help.
Many homeschoolers understandably cringe at all this. Why jump out of the frying pan of public school bureaucracy just to just to create our own private bureaucracy?
Our answer is that we can consciously avoid creating a homeschooling bureaucracy, while still becoming major-league players in the educational world.
Business funding means more resources for poorer homeschool families, and more help for families with less experience. This will mean more new homeschoolers, which will lead in turn to a richer community of fellow laborers and more political clout--not to mention a helpful transformation of the youth in our communities! And resources can be made more widely available which many of us could potentially use, but few of us can afford--from big software libraries and the establishment of many new local homeschool bulletin boards, to more featured speakers and workshops.
Here are some ideas about what we can do to build stronger homeschooling groups, while still keeping them on the leash. Certainly, this list does not exhaust the possibilities--so we'd love to hear from our readers on this one--but it is a start.
Anti-homeschooling forces would pick up on this fast. "Look, they require certification of their own people, so why should it be a problem for us to throw in a few 'reasonable' requirements of our own?"
So we need to avoid offering certification or accreditation, and must certainly not force anyone to partake of certain "benefits" as a prerequisite to participating in organizations we create.
As long as we follow these five guidelines, we should be able to benefit from business partnerships while extending our influence, helping many more families, and maintaining our rights and privileges as homeschoolers.
FEAST has been in existence for about ten years. It provides scholarships and serves as a resource center for homeschoolers. San Antonians can come there to examine and buy curriculum products. Standardized testing is available through FEAST for a price.
FEAST has workshops covering every facet of homeschooling. In addition, they host a homeschool sports-team program and an orchestra. They also organize and run their city's annual homeschool book fair. And they will provide information, help, and referrals to any homeschoolers who call.
The major corporate backing FEAST has attracted makes much of this possible. Substantial funding is provided by James Leininger, a corporate Chief Executive Officer who is also involved in the CEO Foundation--a group that provides money for inner city children to pay for tuition in private schools.
For more information about FEAST, including how they operate and the ways in which they have obtained and kept corporate support, call Ruth Perez. She has a model of business-homeschool partnership to be proud of, and would be happy to speak with you about it.
CWL rose out of homeschooling-parents Philip and Becky Elders' desire in 1988 for a comprehensive library to provide resources for their own family. Their vision has grown to include many more families and many more services. For an annual fee of $25, homeschoolers can borrow from over 6,000 books and other resources. They can also use the Love Box Company gymnasium and swimming pool, and even attend fitness classes at Love! Members receive regular catalogues and updates, as well as a three-ring binder within which to keep them.
All this was made possible by generous grants of space, staff, equipment, and dollars by Becky's father, Robert Love, the owner and CEO of Love Box.
Corporations often have facilities they can share. For example, says Becky, it is not unusual for companies to have good computer facilities with plenty of unused room to accommodate outside users. Love Box shares their computing facilities with CWL--without disruption to either. So be creative!
Becky is quick to point out that she can probably do little to help homeschoolers learn how to appeal to corporations for help "cold," since hers was a unique situation. Not only did she happen to have a father who owned a big company, but Robert Love is not the average corporate CEO! He authored and published a book in 1973 entitled How to Start Your Own School for people who were "fed up with public education" and who wanted to "rescue their children from the evils of public education."
Becky and her father can share how they have dealt with common dilemmas that arise in business-homeschool partnerships because of regulations or other practical obstacles. In Wichita, for example, the zoning commission gave them trouble about creating an educational resource center on an industrial site. This is an issue likely to come up frequently among those seeking to make corporate facilities available to homeschoolers. They partially solved this by making the CWL services available to employees, too--and thus part of Love's "employee relations" program.
If you own a company, or lead a homeschool group, and want to see how a business-homeschool partnership can work, give Becky Elder or Joyce Templeton a call. They'd love to hear from you.
National, Corporate-Backed, School-Reform Organizations
Almost all the large national organizations are focused entirely on public school "reform." There was, however, one excellent possibility I was able to uncover, which functions nationally, and has solid big-business backing.
Janet Cox tells me that NAPE has usually helped with business-school collaboration with the public schools. But they also do projects with private schools. And NAPE is not averse to working with homeschoolers. Cox told me that they haven't done so yet only because "no homeschoolers have asked."
NAPE provides leadership in bringing together educators, businesses, community organizations, and citizen groups who want to work together to help schools. Their database lists interested parties from each of these sectors, around the country. Ask them for help and they may point you to a CEO in your city specifically interested in, say, funding and helping private, radical educational reform. There must be a few Robert Loves in your community!
NAPE has affiliate organizations (for example, the Ohio Association of Partners in Education) in over 30 states. They can refer you to trained NAPE affiliates in your area. And NAPE is backed by about 70 major corporations.
NAPE has tons of experience and training materials to help you set up successful business-education partnerships. These are available to you and to any people you partner with. Their materials are designed for public or private schools, but most of this information would be just as useful to homeschool groups. Available materials include scores of books, pamphlets, and videos--not to mention knick-knacks to use as incentives for people who help you, such as t-shirts, lapel pins, and flags.
Finally, NAPE hosts training seminars all over the country. Get on their mailing list and you, and those you partner with, can attend. Janet says she would love to see homeschoolers represented at NAPE workshops. Why not put this on the calendar of sympathetic business and homeschool leaders in your community?
Join NAPE as a volunteer for $15, or as the leader of an organization for $75. Larger business, community, or educational organizations (such as your regional home school association) can join for $250/year.
Companies Specializing in Grants to Local Educational Initiatives
The most productive approach for homeschoolers is to seek partnerships at the local level with small to mid-sized companies in your own communities. Start with business owners, or those close to them, in your homeschool group. Then get involved with organizations like the Kiwanis, the Lion's Clubs, and the Chamber of Commerce. Big churches with sympathetic pastors can also help you locate sympathetic business leaders.
However, local initiatives do not mean you can't get funds from big companies as well, particularly if you already have the support of area businesses. We at PHS will be compiling a list of large businesses that are "homeschool friendly" over the next months, and will share it with you in a future issue.
A Homeschooler Wins the Heisman
Discover Your Child's Learning Style
Top Jobs for the College Graduate
Saxon Math: Facts vs. Rumors
The Benefits of Cursive Writing
Interview with John Taylor Gatto
The Equal Sign - Symbol, Name, Meaning
What Does My Preschooler Need to Know?
Narration Beats Tests
Patriarchy, Meet Matriarchy
Myth of the Teenager
A Reason for Reading
The Charlotte Mason Approach to Poetry
Start a Nature Notebook
Joyce Swann's Homeschool Tips
Character Matters for Kids
The Benefits of Debate
Don't Give Up on Your Late Bloomers
The Gift of a Mentor
Getting Organized Part 3
Getting Organized Part 1 - Tips & Tricks
AP Courses At Home
Teach Your Children to Work
Laptop Homeschool
Why the Internet will Never Replace Books
I Was an Accelerated Child
How to Win the Geography Bee
Shakespeare Camp
Getting Started in Homeschooling: The First Ten Steps
Critical Thinking and Logic
How to "Bee" a Spelling Success
Art Appreciation the Charlotte Mason Way
University Model Schools
Combining Work and Homeschool
What We Can Learn from the Homeschooled 2002 National Geography Bee Winners
Advanced Math: Trig, PreCalc, and more!
The Charlotte Mason Method
Teaching Blends
Who Needs the Prom?
Classical Education
The History of Public Education
Montessori Language Arts at Home, Part 1
Columbus and the Flat Earth...
Give Yourself a "CLEP Scholarship"
Bears in the House
Can Homeschoolers Participate In Public School Programs?
Phonics the Montessori Way
Montessori Math
Whole-Language Boondoggle
Top Tips for Teaching Toddlers


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Congratulations to Beverly in Utah and Laurie in California. I'll be mailing out your QA issues next week!
Dave and I just returned from a wonderful week in Colorado. I'm anxious to tell you about it and some of what inspired me while there, but while I was gone the new issue of Quilting Arts came in the mail with my article on Ice Dyeing with Resists.
Since I have my own subscription and they send me several extra issues, I'd like to give two copies away. In addition to my article, there is so much to learn and be inspired from this issue. See giveaway information below.
My five-page article lists my steps to using soy wax and Lumi Cleanline Resist with ice dyeing.
Here are some of my fabrics. These first three pieces are using the Lumi Cleanline Resist. It doesn't give a strong a resist due to all of the melted ice water that sits on it, but still gives a nice, almost muted, background. I've used this resist before. You can see how I used it here.
Then we have the soy wax pieces. The first and third pieces are made with potato mashers. The middle piece's design is made with a can dipped in the wax.
But my favorite of all of the soy wax ones was this one. I used a paint brush to apply wax and then ice dyed with Raspberry and Forest Green. I love how the colors broke out so nicely.
Now for the giveaway: All you need to do is comment on this post. Be sure to leave an email for me to get back with you to get your address. I will be picking the winners by random.org. Due to the high costs of postage, this giveaway is only good for those in the US and Canada. Deadline to comment is Friday, September 25.
See you soon with some inspiration from Colorado and some news on my upcoming classes. Thanks for dropping by.

subset: commoncrawl


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Healthy Air Choices for Air Conditioning Heating Systems
Coming Soon for Visitors who have inquiring minds and want to know MORE!
We will have some HEALTHY AIR choices soon. I wanted to get this article published on our blog page first to set a TONE regarding our promotion of clean air devices. Stay tuned for more regarding Whole House Air Cleaning Devices.


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From September 7, 1940, until May 10, 1941, England endured a period known as the Blitz. It is a derivative of the German word Blitzkrieg, "Lightning war."
Germany sent wave upon wave of bombers to bring terror, genuine countrywide terror, to London and all of England.
32,000 people, men, women, and children, died.
87,000 were wounded.
2 million homes were destroyed.
And the Brits survived. (as a side note, we stood by. Sent lots of supplies, but not quite interested in the war, yet.)
From the ashes of that terrible time, the people of England survived.
Julie Andrews, a most gifted voice, sang as merely a child in the shelters as the bombs fell.
Not to minimize the deaths of those in the London Bridge today, but it pales to those who survived the blitz. The Brits understand this. The Brits walked around the police tape on London Bridge as soon as the police allowed them.
They hardly need our President to lecture them about what to do.
I offer this as an apology for the idiocy of our President who misquotes the mayor of London to solidify his own failing agenda.
My favorite quote from our idiot in chief is "'Do you notice we are not having a gun debate right now? That's because they used knives and a truck" leaving out the fact that the "terrorist" had no options because guns are difficult to obtain in England.
Our President decided to deride the Mayor of London by taking a quote out of context to reaffirm the President's idiocy.
Perhaps President Trump might learn something from another Brit he likely admires, Winston Churchill. Mr. Churchill once famously quoted, "Never give up. Never give up. Never give up"
Alas, we have a President who not only is unwilling to face the tough challenges, he is more than willing to let someone else go in our place.


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One of the most common things we hear about a Disney Destination vacation is how expensive it can get. We hate to break it to you, but any vacation can get a little pricey here and there. It's all about the planning and budgeting. There are a few things that you absolutely need to do prior to planning (or having us plan) a vacation. Know your budget. There are one of a kind experiences for vacationers with all types of budgets, but in order to get the best out of your vacation, you have to be comfortable with what you want to spend. PSA: This is for ANY and EVERY vacation destination. We have worked with all types of budgets and boy have our families had a magical time
1. Ask for a cup of water at any location that serves fountain drinks, it's free. In the Florida and California heat, it is important to stay hydrated. Disney is pleased to offer cups of ice water for free to any guest who would like one; they want their guests feeling happy, healthy and hydrated. Saving money on beverages will add up tremendously. Bonus: On super hot and busy days, some quick service locations will also have water stations outside for guests to serve themselves. Please, please, please – treat the self serve locations as you would your own kitchen, so they stay nice and clean for the guests behind you.
2. You might want to consider bringing your own snacks. When you are spending the day walking around, you are bound to want to snack on a little somethin' somethin'. Everywhere you look on Disney property you will find yourself drawn to a Mickey shaped treat. Save some moolah and purchase your snacks prior to stepping foot in the park. Supermarkets and superstores carry snacks from the healthiest of options to the sweetest of choices and even snacks that are Mickey shaped. Preparing in advance by purchasing your snacks prior will not only save you money, but allow you to have a larger option of healthier choices. Personally, we love Mickey shaped veggie chips! Bringing your snacks with you to the park will especially help those that get a little "hangry" when waiting for a parade to begin or standing in line. And yes, we all know someone that had hangry tendencies 😉 That being said, while it is wonderful to save money by bringing snacks, don't forget that Disney has some spectacular treats you will want to try! Save money, but remember to treat yourself on vacation at least once!
3. You may laugh at our next suggestion – share meals (at quick service locations). Guys, isn't fun to try more food rather than eat one meal and feel "too full" that you are donezo for the day? We have saved so much money by splitting our quick service meals and the best part about it is that we are not overly full, but surely satisfied. The BEST quick service meals to share are the gourmet hot dogs from Casey's Corner in the Magic Kingdom as well as the nachos in Mexico! This can get a little tricky for some if you have some picky eaters, like me, but find the options that work for you and your family and share away. Bonus – saving money on sharing might open up the door for an extra Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar!
4. We all know it happens and by "it" we mean rain. If you are traveling to the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, it is bound to rain here and there during your vacation. While Florida rain typically does not last all day, it can put a damper on some of your plans. While those Mickey Mouse ponchos are adorable – they can get pricey, smelly and rip. Buy your rain ponchos before and pack them in your suitcase. You can even find some wonderful online stores that sell them in bulk – which is even better to wear and toss then wear and toss. We're not going to lie, we have done both. We have brought our own rain ponchos, wore them and then trashed them, and we have also purchased those pricey little buggers and last time we checked, they were $9 bucks! Word to the wise, no matter what you tell yourself, a rain poncho is not a souvenir.
5. If you are traveling with little ones, purchase some Disney themed gifts before arriving and hand them out whenever you see fit. You can find anything from plush items and costumes, to t-shirts and jewelry before you leave your home state, so take advantage and save some cash. If your children are older (this category also applies to husbands and dads) you can also give them a budget or allowance of money that they can spend while in the park. This way, they can choose just how much they want that 'must have' item. For me, I'm all about the Minnie Mouse ears and tank tops, oh and Alex and Ani bracelets, I like having my own budget so I can pick and choose the most perfect souvenir! For Bryan, he's all about the t-shirts. As much as he loves all Disney themed t-shirts, he gets a little more excited when he sees Disney Parks Authentic on the tag. Bonus Tip: If you live near a Sam's Club, they sell Disney gift cards at a discounted price. By purchasing discounted Disney gift cards in advance, you are instantly saving yourself some money. The best part about Disney gift cards is that you can use them basically anywhere on Disney property.
6. When the light up cart comes out at the end of the day, the kids (and adults) are going to want to play. Light up items are the easiest to purchase in advance. You can buy packs of glow sticks and even hand-held bubble machines at the Dollar Store. Do it! Don't forget extra batteries, but don't pack them in your carry-on.
7. Shameless plug for the BEST way to save money – use a travel planner (in particular Bryan and Tammi with Ears of Experience, LLC). As travel planners, we can help you budget your trip to your needs. We are also constantly checking for promotions in hopes of applying them to your package. Our services are 100% free when you book a Disney vacation package through us!
We hope we have the opportunity to help you save money on your next Disney Destination vacation!
Your referrals are our most MAGICAL compliments!
Contact us today! email@example.com


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What began as an experimental music project between two college friends has transformed into an opportunity for Rites of Ash's lead guitarist Ken "Lazzo" Lasso to pursue his "first and true love."
Rites of Ash, a Virginia-based band, is savvy to the realm of professional music-making. The group has released four full-length studio albums, three music videos, and has been featured on more than 10 MTV programs, including The Real World and Pimp My Ride. In 2014 they won Best Electronica Album at the Washington Area Wammy Awards and were nominated for Modern Rock Group this year.
Lazzo, co-founder of the band, sat down with The Writer's Bloc during spring break to discuss the formation and creative energy of Rites from its origins as a college rock band to its present state.
Q: I guess we could start with the band's beginning; how it was formed, when, that sort of thing.
A: I started the band when I was at Christopher Newport University in 2004. I started the band as kind of an experimental project with my friend, Adam. I was very interested, and got turned on as it were, from Nine Inch Nails and Stabbing Westward – kind of industrial rock music. I liked kind of a combination of acoustic and electronic elements. So we started messing around with stuff like that […] I guess initially it was more of industrial rock, not so much pop rock, which is what it is now. So he and I worked on it.
Then, [Adam] ended up transferring so it was just me – kind of a solo thing for a year. Then I wrote the first album, that was never officially released, called Enter the Evil System, [which was] more of a politically-motivated album, what with the war in Iraq, and everything going on over there.
It was kind of a protest album.
2005 was when I graduated and I was coming back up to live here in D.C. and I wanted to get musicians to start the project and get the band going. So I put an ad on Myspace, that's how old I am [laughs], and I got a response from the singer, Alex [Like]. He and I have been working together ever since, the very beginning. He and I have gone through different members throughout the years, but it's always been Alex and me.
Q: So you hooked up with Alex. How about the rest of your band? How did they all get into this? Was it more of a progressive thing?
A: Yes.
So, without going into too much detail, we went through different members throughout the years. Different drummers, and just for a matter of […] whether the direction we wanted to go in wasn't working for them or whatever, it wasn't working, we just kind of parted our ways for different people. So initially, when we had our first album, Beautiful Illusions, in 2006 – that was our first official release as the band – it was just three of us: Alex, Fester (he's our [former] drummer) and then me. But, over the years, the most recent lineup … I'm trying to think how that happened … magic, really.
Q: That's often the only explanation.
A: Yeah, I don't know.
We needed […] Toni [Fisher], the female singer. Alex, he works his day job as a nurse at a hospital. Toni was in there with a relative and they started talking, and he was like, "Oh, you're a singer, great."
And I'm on vacation and he sends me a picture of her and I'm like, "Oh that's awesome, let's have her on a track." So we have her on She's Out For Blood, that EP we came out with in 2012. And we had her on one song.
Then we did a show at Jammin' Java, and we had her come up on stage and sing with us and we were like, "Oh, this is awesome." So, we had her come on a couple more songs and she ended up being part of the band.
And a guy in the audience that night – we'd never had a keyboard player, everything was kind of backtracked – so a guy in the audience, Tuomas Easton, he was in the audience and he was goes, "Wow, you guys are awesome, I'd love to play with you."
So, it was just a matter of chance. And he's a virtuoso on keyboards. Classically trained, he can hear by ear – he can play anything. So […] he became our "keytarist."
Q: Ah, yes, I saw that instrument in some of your videos. Now, what did you study when you were in school? What music, or something else?
A: No, it was a side thing. It was always a passion of mine. But, I studied political science actually.
Q: Hence the politically-driven first album?
A: Exactly.
Then, I ended up getting my masters in public policy from George Mason [University]. I love politics and government and things like that. But, music's always been my first and true love.
Q: So, this may be an annoying question, I don't know. But I'm going to ask it anyways. So, "Rites of Ash," where did that band name come from?
A: Ah, what an annoying question [laughter].
It's a good question, too. Over the years I've tried to develop an actual reason of what it means … we don't really know what it means. Like, Nine Inch Nails. I think that came about, if I'm not mistaken – in stores they have eight inch nails and ten inch nails, and they were like, nine inch nails? Okay, that's cool. And that was it … it sounds cool, it sounds good, it looks awesome.
So for Rites of Ash, I think it was Adam, my friend in college, who came up with it. He was a philosophy major. And it had something to do with rites of passage … rites, like religious rites. And ash. He said something like, "Ash was the son of Cain, from Cain and Abel." It was something like that. I don't think I've ever looked into it. So it's some spiritual thing. And it just sounds neat. That's about it.
Q: So, let's talk about your music. It's got this kind of dark, electric feel to it. How would you categorize it yourself?
A: That's something we've had a hard time doing in the entire career of the band. It's one of the things that makes it difficult for us, with the sound you described and what we actually describe ourselves as being, as far as radio airplay goes. Because, certain stations play indie alternative, or its modern pop, or rock. We're kind of all those things and it's hard, finding our nitsch. Currently I think its electronic pop/hard rock.
Q: I'm not sure if you personally write the music or if you do it collectively, or what that process is. But where do you find that a lot of your inspiration is drawn from?
A: I couldn't tell you.
I really don't know. It can be a really numinous experience, at times. Sometimes it just hits you. Obviously the earlier stuff that you listen to is a lot darker, and I guess a lot more representative of what I was listening to – a lot of Marilyn Manson and stuff like that … I guess we're always kind of a product of what turns us on at the moment, and I think that's what we're doing now.
We've never changed our sound just to change it, or changed it to fit in somewhere. The last record is what we were inspired by. I do not remember [what the band was listening to at the time.] But I can say my influences were all over the place. I grew up – my parents raised me right listening to '60s Motown and things like that. In high school I got into Metallica and I was like "Woah, what's this stuff?" So I started learning how to play that on guitar and discovering industrial rock. But in high school I also listened to a lot of Christian music. So I was listening to everything from Christian music, like Jars of Clay, to Marilyn Manson.
Q: So no wonder your band has that versatility.
A: That's kind of the thing. And as the song fits. We write what we like.
Q: How about lyricism?
A: I can't speak too much to the lyrics, but I can say that they are definitely very important. Alex is brilliant as far as his lyrics. Even though a lot of them sound poppy, if you read, there's a lot of emotion and heartbreak in there. It's real. Even if it's like a, "Hey girl, da da da …" that's not what it really means.
Like "Molly." It's a double entendre.
It's not supposed to be just about a girl named Molly, but drugs and drug culture.
Q: So for your early music you had said that you focused a lot on political commentary. Would you say that your band's music focuses on any certain subject matter?
A: I'd say mostly it's relationships. You know, write what you know, write what you're feeling. We never try to write … well, except for that first album, although, I guess, that's what I was feeling.
You know, America was gearing up for war, the world was, and I was one of the few dissenters, trying, against all odds, to stop the war, but it wasn't successful. But, you write what you feel, and Alex writes what he feels and he's incredibly heartfelt in everything in his life.
A lot of relationships, heartache, you know, we all go through that. And the pain, it really comes through a lot.
Not that his life is miserable or painful [laughter] at all. He has a very good life. But I guess, that's his therapy. Everyone has their ways of dealing with things. And he's very positive and happy. But when it comes to his lyrics, you hear them and you're like, "Wow, dude, I had no idea that that affected you so much."
Q: So, what sort of things have you been doing as a band? I saw some of your music videos. I've read about some things you've done with MTV. I don't know if you want to talk a little bit about some of those sort of things?
A: Over the years we've had a lot of licensing deals with MTV, we've had our music played on a lot of their shows. We haven't done a big tour or anything, but we've played some good shows. We played the Dew Tour up in Ocean City [in 2013] […] so they have a huge beach festival, we're playing on this huge stage at the beach, there are amps going behind us. It's live on ESPN so they have all the ramps. It's a great event, lot of great energy.
We got to play before some good acts.
Q: Where do you usually play your shows?
A: We've been holding back on our show schedule, we're working on some new music right now. Always working. But, mostly throughout D.C. – anywhere and everywhere kind of.
Schedule-wise, we've been offered to play at 9:30 [Club] before, but […] when they ask you to play usually it's like two weeks out and stuff. [We had] bad luck. The last three times we had a show like a week before and we want to make sure we bring a lot of people, so it was just bad timing. So, we've never played there before, but we've played just about everywhere else. DC9 … [the] State Theatre, Jammin' Java [in Alexandria, Va.]
Q: So for the gigs you got with MTV or the Dew Tour, how did those opportunities arise?
A: As with a lot of things in this business, I think a lot of it's about being in the right place at the right time.
In the Myspace days, they were going to film [The Real World: D.C.] So they hit us up on Myspace. They always try find local groups to play music for the show, which is a great idea.
So they found us then and were like, "Hey we'd like you to play some music," and we were like "Okay, great," and we got a contact with a guy at [the production company] Bunim/Murray […]
So that's how we got on that show.
And then he ended up getting hired by MTV and we had that contact get carried over to MTV and he was like, "How about all these other shows?" So, you develop your Rolodex …
Do you know what a Rolodex is?
Q: Yeah, kinda.
A: [laughter]
Q: So, what are you guys doing now? What are you working on? Any big plans?
A: Right now, we're kind of regrouping our lives and reworking stuff.
We're working on new music.
We have a few great songs that we're going to market and pitch. We're trying to get some placements on a couple of new TV shows […] some songs we were working on a while ago that we're going to re-release.
One of the songs we're working on right now is from the period right after the album Like Venom, and the She's Out For Blood EP, when Toni Fisher joined.
It was just Alex and me, and we did a demo CD that we sold at shows.
On that demo CD, was a song called City Sleeps Six Feet Deep. It's about zombies and some kind of hard-hitting stuff. It didn't fit on the stuff we've put out since so we sort of put it on the shelf.
But we re-recorded it, and we were like, "You know this is a pretty good song," and everyone loves those zombie shows, like The Walking Dead, so we were like "Hey, great."
So that's what we're kind of working on – getting a placement there.
Q: With The Walking Dead?
A: With The Walking Dead or, they just announced a spin-off show of The Walking Dead that they're going to do, so that got me thinking. That'd be awesome.
That would be awesome.
Daphne Pellegrino is a sophomore journalism major and can be reached at email@example.com.


text: From the Fundació Catalunya Europa, we continue our dedication to the study of good governance practices. In the past, we have analyzed the concepts of integrity and transparency, as well as the financing of political parties and their level of internal democracy. In 2017, we will analyze institutions such as ours; think tanks and their financing of political ideas.


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September 18, 2019 – On Tuesday, September 17, 2019, deputies from the Nevada County Sheriff's Office, personnel from Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) and personnel from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, escorted scientists from the California Water Resource Board to a property in the 18000 block of Jackass Flats Road in the North San Juan area of the County of Nevada.
Deputies had been investigating a large scale cannabis grow, which appeared to have significant negative impact to the surrounding forest lands and watershed – it appears seasonal runoff from this property has the potential to enter the South fork of the Yuba River below Edwards Crossing via Spring Creek.
In addition to what appears to be an illegal cannabis cultivation operation, our investigation is focusing on the overall negative impact to our county's natural resources from large areas of unpermitted grading, several structures which have been erected without permits, and the use of chemical fertilizers – County Code Enforcement officers were present to help in this endeavor. We contacted three parties on the property, and believe several other parties fled upon our arrival.
An environmental impact report will be forthcoming, and will assist us when directing our final report to the district attorney for criminal charges against the land owner.
During the investigation yesterday several environmental violations were noted and a total of 3877 marijuana plants were seized; there were no state or local cannabis permits associated with this property.


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Nail Charms & NeonFriday, March 21, 2014nail a college drop out
Yesterday was the first day of spring, but that meant absolutely nothing here in Western NY. The temp was in the thirties and in between me getting to work and going across the street for lunch it had rained, stopped, snowed, stopped, and snowed again. But my nails were so hot my fingers could've sworn it was summer! You ready?
I laid down a base color of OPI My Vampire is Buff--my favorite OPI shade by the way--to start. Next, for my thumb, index, and pinky I carefully placed some striping tape and sponged a gradient over all of it.
these full-nail nail charms from Born Pretty Store.
10 comments
- NailmatticMarch 21, 2014 at 9:31 AM
cute cute cute, love the color and accessories :)ReplyDelete
This gradient is to die for!! I have Gamma but now I NEED Lament and Optimist!ReplyDelete
Wow, these are beautiful pieces! I love it with the gradient and the colors you matched them with! Perfection!!ReplyDelete
Beautiful mani. These Illamasqua polishes are gorgeous!!ReplyDelete
thank you! i'm hoping these nails will bring about warmer weather lol.ReplyDelete
optimist was on my wishlist for awhile and i finally pulled the trigger and bought it as a xmas gift to myself.ReplyDelete
thank you! i thought the charms would like wierd b/c they are shorter than my nailsReplyDelete
Thank you! Illamasqua is my fav luxury brand!ReplyDelete
- Candace Miranda PrescottMarch 26, 2014 at 10:50 PM
Love this mani !!ReplyDelete


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It was only about an hour and a half's drive from Antwerp to Ghent. It was odd that we couldn't find an open cafe or bakery on the way at 9am. We arrived at the campsite in Blaermoersen, an area by a canal with large sporting complexes nearby.
It was a well run, leafy campsite and we were there by 10am. We took the bus into the old historical centre – the 'Korenmarkt' and found a hairdresser to do the needful (as they say in India) for Maurice and me.
We had looked at the weather forecast and saw that the following day was going to be a rainy one so we spent the rest of the day
exploring the city (having been given a good map with a walking guide). In between we sampled one sort of famous Belgian waffles (a crisp affair with icing sugar – and apparently the tourist version with fresh fruit and cream). It was from the oldest establishment making waffles called "Max"and the price definately reflected this. It wasn't our cup of tea so to speak but at least we had sampled them. The Liege waffles were denser and not crispy and they were more to our liking.
We wore good walking shoes as much of the city is made up of cobblestones, albeit rectangular ones but still not comfortable on which to walk.
It was a fine day and there were many tourists in the city and sitting along the waterways which gave it a festival like atmosphere.
To make the most of the day we walked our feet off and ended up at Citadel Park to the south of the city where I sampled another of the beers from one of the 1000 breweries in Belgium. We couldn't visit the city's tallest building the "book tower" which houses 46kms of books as it was being renovated. Before the renovation they had to move the books so excavated three floors underground to house them. The city pavillion in the centre was a contemporary structure with the bell tower on one side and St Nicholas' church on the other. All throughout the city centre and along the canals were many medieval streetscapes.
We happened to meet up again with a lovely Romanian, Alin who we met on our walking tour of Antwerp. We caught the tram back to the city centre and made our way back exhausted to the campsite about 7pm while it was still light.
We were on the money as the following day it started to pour before we got up and continued for most of the day so it was a relaxing one with me doing the washing and Maurice washing all the van windows and sitting in the cafe which had some strange fare – dagsoep, spaghetti scampi curry and toast kaanibal garni. We had a snack of fries and I tried another blond beer.
We had a bit of a drama in the campsite one night. We were woken by a lot of noise around midnight. A large tree branch had partially fallen near our next door neighbours and they had called emergency services who set up their floodlights and used a long ladder and a chainsaw to cut down the offending
branch. We didn't get a lot of sleep that night.


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Medical & Health Care Facilities
Always Open
About Us
The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano is ranked fifth in the nation for heart valve surgery and the sixth largest cardiac surgery center in the United States* today. Consumers can find information about the hospital's high quality standards through websites such as Hospital Compare. The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano opened in January 2007 with 86 physician partners and now has 135 physician partners. (*Source: MedAssets Performance Management Solutions, Inc.)
3 for 3 – The Society of Thoracic Surgeons' (STS) prestigious three-star rating – the highest rating possible – was awarded for quality in all three categories1 the STS analyzes. This recognition places The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano in the top one percent of the 1,000 heart surgery programs nationwide measured by the STS, a world leader in promoting the best outcomes in heart surgery.
1 of 34 – One of only 34 hospitals in Texas to earn re-designation as a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses' Credentialing Center (ANCC), an affiliate of the American Nurses Association, awarded to hospitals that satisfy a set of criteria designed to measure the strength and quality of their nursing.
1 out of every 4 – The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano has the number 1 heart surgery program, performing one out of every four heart surgeries done by the 38 programs in the DFW Metroplex.
Video Media
Rep/Contact Info
Deborah Bray
- Phone: (469) 814-3504
Lynn Clark
Executive Assistant to Mark Valentine, President
- Phone: (469) 814-3503
Eleanor A. Huff
Vice President, CV Service Line Operations
- Phone: (469) 814-3504
Ms. Liz Kluever
Physician Liaison
- Phone: (469) 814-3509
Bryan Nichols
Chief Financial Officer
- Phone: (469) 814-3500
Mr. Christopher Rodriguez
Director for Business Development
- Phone: (469) 814-3500


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KEY WEST, Fla. Greg Smith of Canyon, Texas, caught a 26.125-inch permit on fly to win the 2008 Del Brown Invitational Permit Tournament honoring late angling legend Del Brown. Smith earned the title of grand champion angler fishing with Captain Scott Collins of Marathon, Fla.
Smith caught his permit about 10 miles west of Key West.
"It was a difficult series of days because the weather was really calm," said Smith, who was competing in the tournament for his second year. "We got lucky and got near some fish willing to eat."
Collins was named the tournament's grand champion guide.
"If he can win with me, that says a lot about him," said Smith of his guide's prowess. "I'm just the knucklehead on the bow facing forward."
Jack Noll of Montauk, N.Y., caught a 25.5-inch permit to earn the title of runner-up grand champion. He was guided by Captain Jeffrey Cardenas of Key West.
Chase Wise of Boca Grande, Fla., was named the first runner-up angler with a 19.25-inch permit. He fished with Captain Bryan Holeman of Key West.
Permit enthusiasts on 17 boats fished the tournament named for Brown, an internationally acclaimed angler who caught more than 500 permit during his lifetime and died in 2003.


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If you cancel within 48 hours, you're eligible have a full refund. Rush fees, however, are not refundable for cancellations.
Sometimes the lists available have a limited number of cell phone numbers. If we aren't able to get textable cell phones for more than 75% of the number of estimated contacts ordered, we will only charge you for the pricing tier that best aligns with the number of contacts we were actually able to text.
For orders under an estimated 500 textable contacts we aren't able to provide any price adjustments, but we will let you know the number of textable cell phones so that you can decide if you want to proceed or cancel the order for a full refund.


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Restoring an Old Collector Car That Could Contain Asbestos Materials
The collector car you are restoring in your garage could have hidden asbestos materials.
In every neighborhood there is that person who has a passion for vintage car restoration. To a collector they are a diamond in the ruff tucked away while slowly being transformed into a dream car. How many times have you seen a beautiful Chevelle, Ford Custom, gorgeous T-Bird or Dodge Roadrunner driving down the road. Those cars have hundreds of man hours of labor, turning them into the dream machines you see at shows. Many of these collector cars were restored and worked on in home garages.
Most people are unaware that old cars may contain dangerous asbestos parts and materials. You may have heard over the years that asbestos was common in brake-pads. Not only was it common in brake pads and linings but in clutch pads, various gaskets and heat protection materials.
It's impossible to tell if a brake, engine part or material contains asbestos just by looking at it. Therefore, auto mechanics and do-it-yourself auto enthusiasts should proceed as if they do.
Other Automotive Parts and Materials That Could Contain Asbestos Included:
Brake Pads and Components – One of the most common parts that had asbestos was the old brake shoes, pads, and rotors. Asbestos was considered the perfect material due to the high amount of friction used while braking which released a great deal of heat.
Clutches – Clutches, like brakes, are built to withstand a great deal of friction and grinding. An ideal place to find asbestos which would protect the part against excessive wear.
Hood-liners – Located under your hood, asbestos was used in the material to keep the hood cool and to protect the outside paint from engine heat damage.
Gasket Material – Asbestos was used in gasket materials in automobile hoses (especially those connected to engine blocks), main engine gaskets, head gaskets, header gaskets and other engine parts designed to increase durability and prevent heat transfer.
Valve Rings – Each cylinder has the intake and exhaust valve seals; the cylinders and pistons contain the seal rings which prevent the engine from leaking oil and losing it's performance could contain asbestos materials.
Heat Seals – Heat seals were common in engines and bodies to protect against heat transfer like those used in the catalysis converters to control pollution.
Packing – Asbestos packing was used in areas like piston rings which help reduce wear on the cylinders and engine components.
Other Engine Components – The older engine release a great deal of heat especially the high performance engines. Asbestos was used in various components to protect the parts from breakage or heat related issues.
Body Construction – Asbestos was used for durability purposes in fiberglass and plastic compounds like those found in air-conditioning housing unites.
Insulation Materials – Commonly used in the engine firewall between the engine compartment and interior to keep temperatures comfortable for the occupants.
Automobile Undercoating – Some car enthusiasts like to detail the undercarriage of the car, which may start with scraping the old undercoating off that could contain asbestos.
If you are not sure if the car part or material you are about to handle has asbestos play it safe and assume it does.
Related Asbestos Posts:
Asbestos in Exterior Building Products
Asbestos in Incandescent Light Fixtures
Asbestos Found In Main Living Areas
Regulations For Removal Of Asbestos
Electrical Switches and Panels Containing Asbestos
30 Potential Sources of Asbestos in Your Home
Asbestos in Stucco and Plaster
Hot Air Furnace Contain Asbestos
The Stutters team follows a strict procedure when working with asbestos and is an environmentally friendly company.
Step one: Stutters employees will set up a containment area by using poly to seal in the contaminants.
Step two: Our crews suit up and wear special breathing equipment to carry out the removal process.
Step three: We then purify the air with HEPA filters before it goes back into the environment.
We are on call 24 hours a day & 365 days a year to better serve you. Call Toll Free 1-877-763-1540


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The internationally-celebrated travel writer Dervla Murphy has been confirmed for the second Write By The Sea 2017 Literary Festival set to take place in Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford from Saturday, September 30, to Sunday, October 1, after an opening reception on Friday, September 29 at the Stella Maris Centre in Kilmore Quay.
Murphy, who lives in Lismore, Co Waterford, will be interviewed on the stage at the Stella Maris Centre by best-selling author Jackie Hayden at 4 pm on Saturday, September 30. The doyenne of travel writers has written over 20 books about her various adventures that began fifty years ago when she cycled from Dunkirk in France through the Middle East To Delphi in India. They will be joined by Belfast-based travel writer Geoff Hill who has circumnavigated the globe on his trusty motorcycle.
Contributors to this year's festival will include noted novelists Donal Ryan and Cat Hogan, poets Thomas McCarthy and Joe Neal, internationally-renowned playwright Billy Roche, travel writer Geoff Hill, Marcus Connaughton of RTE, Sarah Webb (children's fiction author), John Curran (editor of the award-winning Agatha Christie's Complete Secret Notebooks), and novelist Peter Murphy, while Jackie Hayden will talk about music journalism. Other contributors are yet to be confirmed.
At least two of the writers will have new works published before the Festival, including Cat Hogan's second novel There Was A Crooked Man, and Joe Neal's fifth collection The Next Blue Note.
Write By The Sea 2017 will feature over 20 different events, from workshops to interviews and talks. Full details of the programme and booking facilities are available on www.writebythesea.ie and tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite for €28 for a day ticket or €45 for a week-end ticket. Early bird week-end tickets are available until Friday, June 30 for €40.
The Write By The Sea 2017 committee have expressed their gratitude to their sponsors and to Wexford County Council, Wexford Arts Centre and the Arts Council for their generous support.
For further information contact: email@example.com


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The New York Yankees on Thursday have gone to a seventh year on their offer to Cliff Lee, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney and ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand.
Sources told ESPNNewYork.com and ESPN.com that the original offer to Lee was for six years and $140 million. Another source briefed on the talks told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that the new offer is for less than the average ($23.3 million per year) of the original six-year offer.
SI.com first reported that the Yankees added a seventh year to their offer.
Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers stepped up their efforts for Lee, presenting a variety of increased offers to the free-agent pitcher in a face-to-face meeting in Little Rock, Ark., on Thursday.
"We reaffirmed our commitment to fielding a championship-caliber team and conveyed a menu of multiple offers which represented a substantial additional commitment for both years and dollars in an attempt to land his services," Rangers general managing partner and CEO Chuck Greenberg said Thursday night, though he wouldn't say whether the offers were for six years or more. He added that no timetable for making a decision was discussed during the meeting, which included assistant GM Thad Levine and co-chairman of the board Ray Davis, along with Lee, his wife, Kristen, and agent Darek Braunecker.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, reached at his office Friday afternoon, said nothing had changed since the Yankees presented Lee and Braunecker with their offer earlier in the week.
"The ball's in their court,'' Cashman said. "I have had no response to the offer we made other than, 'We'll get back to you.' We're in the same spot we were in yesterday.''
Rangers president Nolan Ryan was told of the Yankees' going to seven years on ESPN's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" earlier Thursday.
"We have to be concerned about that because seven years for any contract is really stretching it out," he said. "And I don't know how you predict how anyone is performing six or seven years from now."
Ryan didn't say that seven years exceeded the Rangers' limit, but he did say: "Everything has a ceiling that they have to understand what it is. And it doesn't make economic sense after a certain threshold."
Ryan was asked to gauge his team's chances in light of the development.
"Well, you know, if the reports that are coming out are true, obviously that makes it more challenging for us," he said.
Appearing on the "Ben and Skin Show" on ESPN Radio in Dallas, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels declined to say whether the Rangers would go to a seven-year offer.
"We've always planned on putting our best foot forward," he said.
Daniels wasn't shocked by the Yankees' reported offer.
"You look at the marketplace and you know what's been done before, so you know that could be a possibility," he said.
While admitting that the team is "willing to take on a level of risk that we wouldn't for another player," Daniels said the Rangers "also don't want to do something that's not in our best interests long-term."
Cashman said at the winter meetings in Florida on Wednesday that the team had made a formal offer to Lee, but Thursday wouldn't reveal details of the Yankees' plans.
"We will do what makes sense for us," Cashman said, adding that he had spoken to Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner on Wednesday night.
Cashman said he was leaving the winter meetings and had no plans to make a detour to Arkansas to visit Lee and Braunecker. He said he is more than willing to meet with Lee again, if necessary.
To get some perspective on what Lee stands to earn, the $140 million, six-year offer falls between the contracts of the New York Mets' Johan Santana (6 years, $137.5 million) and the Yankees' CC Sabathia (7 years, $161 million).
The Yankees may eventually be willing to go to $25 million per season for Lee, according to a baseball official. With the Red Sox reportedly coming to terms with free-agent outfielder Carl Crawford, Lee's camp has even more leverage to get to $25 million per season and possibly seven years. The Yankees had been hesitant to offer Lee seven years.
"You scratch your head with some of the contracts we're giving out this week," Ryan said.
Lee remains the Yankees' No. 1 target. On Wednesday, Yankees manager Joe Girardi called him the "complete package."
"Cliff Lee has been the prize of this offseason and we will continue to pursue him," Girardi said.
Braunecker said Wednesday that one club is no longer involved in the Lee sweepstakes. He wouldn't say which team had been eliminated.
Ryan told ESPNDallas.com on Wednesday night that the Rangers had asked Braunecker to let them know what it will take to sign Lee. Ryan had expected it to take six years to sign Lee, and the club was considering doing that.
Braunecker said Thursday that he didn't appreciate that approach.
"We have no interest in participating in the unconventional negotiating style the club has requested," Braunecker told ESPN.com. "For the player to submit an offer to the club ... that's not the way the process works."
By Thursday afternoon, the Rangers had shifted gears and presented Braunecker and Lee with several different offers.
"You have to adapt to changing circumstances," Greenberg said. "When we heard late last night of the Carl Crawford signing, it didn't take too much analysis to figure out what the impact of that might be on our prospective competitors. As soon as we heard of that signing, we realized it was important we go to Little Rock and do it today, so we did so."
Greenberg said tactics change all the time based on circumstances.
"Early in the day we thought one avenue was the best and that changed," Greenberg said. "We adapted accordingly."
The Los Angeles Angels also have reached out to representatives for the free-agent left-hander, a source told Crasnick.
Greenberg said the Rangers' overall goal won't change whether Lee signs or not. And he made it clear that signing Lee would not handcuff the club from putting together a roster that can compete for championships.
"We certainly have a feel for where the market has gone," Greenberg said. "We've put a series of alternatives together for them that we think are highly competitive.
"The ball is in their court. We've given them a considerable amount to reflect upon. We want them to take it in. They need to digest it and decide where they go next."
Information from ESPNDallas.com's Richard Durrett, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark and Jerry Crasnick and ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand was used in this report.


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4 Tips on How to Pitch a Reporter
The pen is powerless without an audience. Matching media outlet to story idea is a critical skill for startups, and the subject of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism's crash course, "Pitches & Pitchers." BINJ traced the path of a successful pitch through the journalistic ecosystem Wednesday night at Workbar, dishing an insider's perspective on getting published.
As gatekeepers of powerful information, the BINJ perspective on pitching is like priceless advice from your crush's best friend. In a nutshell, startups should find their media outlet, craft a pitch, then follow up. This blueprint of "How to Pitch a Reporter" was the main thrust of the talk, but the dance between pitcher and publication is far more than a business transaction. BINJ founder Chris Faraone led off the night with one of his more emphatic points: "Everything we are talking about tonight is about building relationships."
Identifying the right media opportunity means picking the right person at the right publication. Here is where a little legwork separates the successful from the lazy. "There's like 40 cat magazines out there, and Cat Fancy is just the tip of the iceberg," Faraone half-joked before breaking down an approach. "Pitch something in ten different ways. The founder of your company- Where'd they go to school? Do they have an alumni magazine? Most people never think about those." Stressing the importance of scouting the outlets, he suggested making a ranking, like applying for college, with dream publications, reaches, and fall-backs.
It's also important to tailor the pitch to the outlet with appropriate age, demographic, and sections for your product. He continued, "It's bad to get a story we just wouldn't cover, but it's also bad to get a good pitch in a way we wouldn't cover it. The pitcher should go online to see what the publication is covering." While the best pitches were wedded to the theme and tone of the target publication, he offered that the savvy pitcher could even give (and get) a little flexibility. "You can shoehorn something in. Find an angle to get it in there.
"Then, instead of emailing everybody on the masthead, better to email ten people you have a relationship with."
So, how does one go about building this kind of relationship from scratch? And should you seek out an editor or a reporter?
BINJ Projects Coordinator Emily Hopkins weighed in, "It's probably better to go to the reporter and have them sell the story to the editor. We are not hard to find. We're out all the time."
"We are egomaniacs," confessed Faraone. "We like seeing our name in the paper." Then he suggested following the "rule of seven," borrowed from classic salesmanship. "No deal is ever happening until there have been seven interactions. Handshake, that's one. Follow on Instagram, two. Get followed back, three. See them at an event…" Steered away from a shotgun approach to blast emails, young startups were encouraged to engage with publications more personally.
"Instead of sending your pitch far away, send it to the local guy they have in your city. How do you know this? Well, do your homework. 'Stringer.' It's another name for freelancers, but all big publications have people in Boston. Now you need to find out who edits these sections- email, find out in a million ways."
Though not a word had been said yet about the content of the pitch, there was some good news. "You are now 80% of the way there, seriously."
Call or email? BINJ says email.
Thus we broach the subject of subject lines. As email's way of making a first impression, some of the worst ones stick out like hangnails in a handshake. They say nothing and pretend like they're important, or they've gone sneaky by faking the look of a reply email, typing "RE:" in the subject line manually. Unanimous opinion ranked this move low enough to cast doubt on one's soul.
For best results, pitches should borrow a trick from paper newspapers: putting the biggest news "above the fold." If you can focus the most attention-grabbing bit into a subject line that doesn't break, you've written a good subject line. Cliffhangers and "time sensitive" subject lines were like informational hail-Marys that absolutely needed to deliver, else fail completely. The bottom line: make your subject line enticing, but honest.
Don't pretend to be a journalist. "Fake content and pilfered writing" are as loathed as they are easily spotted. Instead, Hopkins suggested a different approach.
"Better to do it short and sweet. Distill it. Use bullet points, and have a maximum of 200 words. If you have more, use links or an attachment." Within this context, she recommended establishing the tone and newsworthiness of the product. A savvy pitcher should get familiar with the target publication's editorial calendar and past articles. To know where your pitch might fit, find out what has been covered recently, and what's on tap. Anything less than a sincerely researched pitch will be promptly sniffed out as a waste of time.
"If you take nothing else out of this session," she wrapped up, "it's that you should think like a publisher."
About the Author: Dave Gentry is a fan of progress and recess. He believes in old English, new fortune cookies and he answers to #davertido.
About Workbar:
Workbar operates coworking locations throughout greater Boston (Boston Back Bay, Boston South Station, Burlington, Cambridge, Arlington, Brighton, Danvers, Norwood, Salem) and several other partner locations throughout the state. Want to keep up with the world of Workbar? Subscribe to our mailing list for the most up-to-date information about our upcoming events and community news. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.


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This past December, the Umma hosted an incredibly thought provoking and sober exhibit named "What Were you Wearing." It aimed to raise awareness about sexual assault on college campuses and the ways in which sexual assault is addressed. While "What Were You Wearing" was only shown for a single day, I have no doubt that it impacted many students all across campus with its powerful message. Just as the exhibit itself featured clearly displayed content warning signs, this post also comes with a content warning, as the topic of sexual assault and and images of clothing worn during instances of sexual assault will follow.
The venue for this show was nothing less than perfect. With the well lit and simplistic layout of the exhibit being surrounded on three sides by large glass walls, it was clearly visible to passersby's, inviting them into a light space within the darkness of campus. Even without actively stepping inside the Umma, students were able to participate in the exhibit to a certain degree by viewing it through the glass. Additionally those who spreading word of the exhibit through word of mouth, making others aware of the exhibition even after the single day that it was displayed. What stood out to me the most was the clothes themselves, featuring trendy brands and styles and casual wear that I see daily walking around campus. This drove home the fact that sexual assault can happen to anyone, wearing any possible item of clothing. Below are some images from the exhibit and the clothing on display.
During the brief amount of time I myself was present at the exhibit, there was a constant stream of people trickling into the commons, hushed voices and quiet footsteps showing a shared sense of solemnity regarding the serious nature of the exhibit. The visitors formed a sort of slowly moving conveyor belt and were able to quickly walk through the exhibit, shuffling along and taking everything in in about 10-15 minutes at max. Despite not being very large, the exhibit was extremely powerful, and the fact that it takes such a short amount of time to take in ensures that many people can see and experience the pieces.
When I asked about being able to possibly document the event for this very post, I was told by one of the coordinators that while I absolutely was allowed to further share the story they were trying to tell, he wanted me to make sure to put a trigger warning before I posted any of the details or stories from the exhibit themselves. I appreciate the level of concern and respect shown by the coordinators and think that it came across well in the exhibit itself, with warnings posted on either side as shown at the top of this post.


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Anika apprehends Chandigarh Open Golf ChampionshipOctober 26, 2018, Noida, Chandigarh
14 yr old Anika Verma of Noida Golf Course has clinched the top spot in Chandigarh Open Golf Championship. The championship marks its end on Thursday, Anika took just 213 strokes to complete the offered 54 holes target.
Impressive performance shown by Noida girl has named her the overall champion of the golf league. Anika formed the lead in the Golf Championship on the very first two days.
Anika represented Uttar Pradesh team in the golf championship and defeated Delhi's golfer in the final.
Next in line Anika will take part in the Singa Cup and it will be a crucial tournament.


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Microsoft Bookings is an incredible new scheduling tool available with certain plans for Office 365. Simply put, this tool was built for businesses who depend on scheduling appointments with their customers. Examples of where this tool is a perfect fit is for an accounting office, a hair stylist, a dog groomer, an auto mechanic shop, a dentist office, etc. More information about the tool and additional applications is available here.
This article is part of a blog series created to help anyone setup a Microsoft Bookings company site. I have created these to offer step by step setup guidance complete with screen pictures of nearly every step. An index of these blogs is below:
Microsoft Bookings Blog Series: How to Setup A Microsoft Bookings Site
Microsoft Bookings Blog Series: Customize Your Site (this blog)
Many more to come….
In this blog, I show the steps to customize your Microsoft Bookings site. In a second section, I show steps to create and edit each of the services your company offers. When setup, customers can sign up for a service you define, during business hours you define, and receive multiple email reminders that you can setup.
How to Customize Your Microsoft Bookings Information
Once the Microsoft Bookings site is created, it is time to customize it for your business. Below is a step by step guide with examples to follow.
With your Microsoft Office 365 tenant now setup, you will need to logon to the administrative portal at https://portal.office.com. The administrator name and password is the unique Office 365 tenant you chose at the initial setup of Office 365:
Name: firstname.lastname@example.com
Password: the password you chose for this administrator account
Once logged into the Office 365 portal, click on the application "waffle" area on the upper left screen.
In the applications area, locate the icon that looks like the one below called Bookings. Click on it to open the Microsoft Bookings.
Let's begin by clicking on "Business Information"
In Business Information, you can customize the following fields to get started:
- Business Name: If you need to change your business name, this is the location to do so.
- Business Address: Enter your business address
- Business Phone Number: Enter your business main telephone number
- Send Customer Replies: If you would like a different email address defined, change it here.
- Business Website: Enter the www.businesswebsite.com address of your company
Currency: Change your local currency here
Adjust your Business Hours using this area. All hours are in your locally defined time zone.
Give your business its own look by using your custom logo. One the bottom of the business information screen is an option to upload an image file.
Define Business Services:
- Click on the Services area in the left side
2. Let's begin by editing the Initial Consult service that was automatically created. Click on the Initial Consult service to edit the details.
3. With the Initial Consult opened, let's turn this into our first service option for our Auto Mechanic Shop. Let's use a simple example of setting up our first service to be an Oil Change. This service will take 30 minutes to perform.
Change the Service Name to be: Oil Change
Edit the Description to be: This is a full oil change that includes an oil filter change. We offer regular oil, a synthetic blend, or full synthetic oil change option. Oil prices depend on type of oil requested.
Change the Default Location to read Our Office Location. Or, you can enter you own address. Notice when you enter Our Office location or your own street address that a map starts to appear. This is a great feature that will show customers your exact location.
4. Let's continue to make changes to the Oil Change service as we scroll further down the screen.
- Leave Hours at 0 and change Minutes to be 30.
- Select the option to enable the Buffer time your customers can't book. We are going to enable this option because it takes us about five minutes to clean up our oil changing area after each oil change.
- Define the buffer time to be After 5 minutes.
- Set the default price to be Price Varies (depending on the type of oil requested)
5. Now let's add an option to send your customer a reminder about their upcoming service. This is a great option to use to help remind your customers to come in for their appointment.
- Define the Email Reminder to be one week
- Send reminder to Customer
- Change the Reminder message to send to be: A reminder that you have a scheduled oil change coming up in one week.
- Click Save when done
6. Let's now add another email reminder. Why not add another reminder the day before the appointment! Click on the option to add another email reminder.
- Define the Email Reminder to be one day
- Send reminder to Customer
- Keep the default Reminder message to send
- Click Save when done
Note: Additional reminders can be set for a variety of times to notify your customers of their upcoming appointments.
7. You can now define some additional settings of the service. By default the two checkboxes in the screen capture below are checked to enable both options. These both take default policy settings and apply them to this service. Or, you can uncheck the "Use the default scheduling policy" and then adjust options just for this service.
8. With the settings now defined for the Oil Change service, click on Save at the top of the options list.
9. Notice on the left side of the Oil Change service that you can assign specific staff personnel to this service. Choose your name as the Staff person assigned to perform this service in this example. In our case of the Auto Mechanic shop example, let's say this is for a large shop and you have a team of newer/learning employees assigned to do oil changes. In this field you can assign them to this specific task. This is important because as you get further into scheduling services and staff members, you can start running reports on popular/nonpopular services and who is available for other tasks. This data is very easy to research and will help you further refine your business and staff.
In this blog, I have shown you how to define your business hours, upload a company logo, setup/define your company's services that a customer can schedule, define your company location, and setup reminder emails to send to customers of upcoming appointments. As you can see, Microsoft Bookings is an incredibly flexible service.


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Interior Renderings Services New York
An interior of something provides an outstanding view of the eyes of the one who sees it. The human eyes naturally, get attracted always only to the beautiful and tends to neglect the things that are quite ugly. Here, there is a distinction, if something is beautiful to someone, need not be beautiful for everyone. We have a saying, "beauty is in the eyes of the viewer!" Irrespective of the place, irrespective of the size, there is nothing in this world that cannot be beautified. Ugliness can easily be replaced if something beautiful with creativity is applied. Beauty comes naturally if the thoughts that are related to the view are changed or altered in spite of having an ugliness.
In the U.S. the interior designer, decorator or design professional everyone would like to create Extraordinary yet Powerful interior design, to achieve this, designing beautiful interior design projects and giving them the creative visuals for any given site, should be the foremost task. Creativity is driven by thinking patterns. Think the Design in a different way and perceive an approach that nobody can even imagine. This will enhance the interiors of it. Vrender knows this very well and is keen on providing most creative and outstanding Interior Designs and 3D Interior Rendering services. We have our own studio in the USA, which is capable enough to do any design task and can provide best interior design for home, room interior design, and 3D Interior Designs, living room design, bedroom designs, and also the architectural rendering services.
Interior Design Services Firm
We here in New York being the design studio and having expertise in making realistic and the technically advanced 3D Architectural Rendering and 3D Interior Design Services provide the best in class design materials and create a most gigantic use of the white space. This makes our designs not only look good but also makes them functional for anyone to dwell in.
Vrender Company is a trustworthy name in the stream of designing and amongst top-known architects and builders. Our Rendering is as good as any realistic as it has to be and as expected by the client. British buildings are the architectural resources that have been created with the psychology that they shall outlast over years. So, the Interior Designs should also be of the same quality. That's what we do here at our own 3D Interior Design Studio. Our Studio Offering Services Is 3D Walkthrough and 3D Exterior Rendering, 3D Floor Plan, 3D Interior Photorealistic Renderings, 3D Interior Modeling, CGI Firms.
The 3D Interior Design created by our artists is very useful in almost all the categories of the artwork of manufacturing industries, commercial, residential and also private/public properties.
Vrender Company 2019.
- Best 3D Animation and Rendering Service for Architects, Realtors and Home Builders - October 24, 2021
- 3D Walkthrough and Flythrough Architectural Animation – How It Works - September 15, 2021
- 3D Architectural Animation Services - June 29, 2021