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At the 1952 Republican national convention – which nominated General Dwight Eisenhower as its presidential nominee and throughout the subsequent election campaign – Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy delivered speech after speech accusing the incumbent Democratic administration of '20 years of treason'. At the convention itself, McCarthy even claimed he had located a cabin in the north woods where Adlai Stevenson, the Democrats' nominee, had met with Soviet agents to plot America's downfall. The senator's 'years of treason' rhetoric was echoed by other GOP figures including the party's vice-presidential candidate Richard Nixon. They claimed that the Democrats, beginning with the Roosevelt administration, had not only been 'soft on communism' but had permitted Soviet agents to reach positions of influence and power in Washington. In the life and death struggle to defeat the Soviets' designs on America, Republicans cited with approval the work of the FBI under the leadership of J. Edgar Hoover who had been able to unmask communists and Soviet agents throughout the country. The author of a volume, Masters' of Deceit , on the communist menace, Hoover and his agency were often depicted as allies in the struggle to root out clandestine Soviet agents and communist sympathizers operating throughout the country but especially within the outgoing Truman administration.
All this of course is ancient history except to say that there is an odd parallel with the current American political situation. Russia or the ex- Soviet Union is still identified as the source of subversion in American politics, but its apparent collaborators, those involved in their exposure, and the role of the FBI appear upside down. During the McCarthy era, liberals and those on the Left in general worried that the FBI under Hoover had launched unwarranted attacks on individuals who were simply exercising their rights of free expression and association. Congressional committees, such as the House Committee on American Activities (HUAC) and the one in the Senate on Government Operations chaired by Senator McCarthy accused Americans employed in government – and the entertainment industry especially – of betraying the country by providing secret information to the Kremlin and spreading pro-communist propaganda.
Today, for Democrats and liberals more generally, the FBI when it was led by its former director James Comey and the independent Special Counsel Robert Mueller III, a former FBI director, are engaged in vital investigations of Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election on behalf of its winner Donald Trump. Congressional Democrats are now proposing legislation that would protect the Special Counsel from any attempt by Trump to dissolve the agency and weaken the FBI's role in federal law enforcement. During the McCarthy era the playwright Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible, an award-winning play about the Salem witch trials. Miller intended to draw a parallel between witch-hunting in 17th century America and the anti-communist hysteria of the 1950s. Now President Trump and his supporters accuse Mueller and other criminal investigators as engaging in, what else, witch-hunting. In so doing they are seeking to delegitimize the investigations much as Miller did some 60 odd years earlier.
Now that the Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives they are able to appoint the chairs of the various House standing committees, including and especially the committee on Intelligence. The Democratic majority on this committee, under the leadership of its new chair Adam Schiff, is now committed to a thorough investigation of Russian subversion of American democracy. Among other things various GOP operatives have been accused, with some convicted, of serving in effect as Russian agents in the U.S.
A major difference between the two eras is that the Soviets were able to recruit Americans based largely on Marxist-Leninist ideology (although perversely there were stories of two Soviet spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg used some of the money they received from their Soviet handlers to buy new furniture) while today's Russian recruits have been motivated by more pecuniary considerations. In both episodes loyalty to an ulterior ideology or interest has trumped that to their Democratic or Republican opposite numbers.
In the immediate aftermath of the anti-communist witch-hunting of the McCarthy period, the University of Chicago sociologist Edward Shils wrote The Torment of Secrecy (1956) in which he sought to explain what had just occurred in the United States. He compared the American experience with the British one and noted that despite its own retinue of Soviet spies and the presence of a communist party there was nothing approaching American-style witch-hunting in the UK. Parliament did not constitute an "Un-British" activities committee. No politicians sought to win fame and high office by uncovering suspected communists holding public office. Shils' explanation for the difference between the countries stressed the idea that being American was typically more a matter of belief than birth. There were a set of beliefs and values to which Americans were expected to adhere. Support for Marxist-Leninist ones placed the believer outside the pale or 'un-American'.
Shils also considered the matter of secrecy. In the United States, he reasoned, the public had a 'right to know'. Secrecy, public or private, was inherently suspect. Investigations of politicians, government bureaucrats, and virtually everyone in public life was regarded as perfectly natural. In Britain, by contrast, there was no such 'right to know'. Democratic government in the UK emerged from a long tradition of elitism and social hierarchy with government being a preserve of a ruling class.
The striking thing about Shils' observations about the McCarthy era in American politics is how much things have changed. Britons, for better or worse, now have a 'right to know'. Investigations of any and all are now commonplace – an outgrowth of the democratization of the country's culture.
In the United States the public's right to know has become Reductio Ad Absurdum. Leaking information about government operations in Washington has become so commonplace it frequently becomes a competition among officials in Washington over who can get their "secret" accounts out to journalists faster and, consequently, achieve some advantage.
On the other hand, the idea of 'un-American' activities seems to have become a curiosity. None of the figures caught up in the scandals in the Russian efforts to support the 2016 Trump campaign for president has been labelled 'un-American', despite acting to further Russian foreign policy objectives. This difference between the current investigatory frenzy and the anti-communist crusades of the 1950s appears to be based on the absence of ideological considerations, specifically Marxism. Trump and the cast of characters thrown up by the Mueller investigation may be accused of various transgressions, but adherence to some version of Marxism-Leninism is not one of them.
Professor Leonard Weinberg is a Senior Career Fellow at CARR and Foundation Professor of Political Science Emeritus at the University of Nevada. His profile can be found here:
© Leonard Weinberg. Views expressed on this website are individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect that of the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right (CARR). We are pleased to share previously unpublished materials with the community under creative commons license 4.0 (Attribution-NoDerivatives).


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Electricity makes many things possible in our lives but it must be respected and not taken for granted. The safety of our members and employees is a top priority for United Electric Co-op. If you have any questions or concerns pertaining to safety please call (208) 679-2222.
Safety Demonstrations
United Electric's goal is to keep its members and employees safe. Education is the key. Upon request we provide safety demonstrations for schools, civic organizations, and emergency personnel. For information please call (208) 679-2222.
Summer Safety Tips
Work Safely Around Electricity
- Look up and around – always be aware of the location of power lines.
- Be especially careful when working near power lines attached to your house. Keep equipment and yourself at least 10 feet from lines.
- Never trim trees near power lines. If you see a tree growing too near power lines, call (208) 679-2222 to report it.
- Never climb a utility pole and never attach anything to a utility pole.
- If your project includes digging, like building a deck or planting a tree, call Idaho Dig Line at 811 or (800) 342-1585 for underground locates at least two business days before you dig. This prevents the inconvenience of having utilities interrupted and can help you avoid serious injury.
- Electricity and water do not mix! If it's raining or the ground is wet, avoid using electric yard tools.
- Protect outdoor electrical outlets with weatherproof covers and ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). Indoor outlets near water sources should also have GFCIs.
Play Safely Around Electricity
- Stay away from power lines. Always assume they are "live and dangerous".
- Never climb trees near power lines.
- Never touch outdoor wires with any part of your body or other objects.
- Fly kites and model airplanes in large open areas like a park or a field, safely away from trees and overhead power lines. If a kite gets stuck in a tree near power lines, do not climb up to get it. Call (208) 679-2222 for assistance.
- Never go into an electric substation for any reason. Electric substations contain high-voltage equipment that can kill you. Never rescue a pet that goes inside. If a substation needs to be entered call (208) 679-2222.

subset: commoncrawl


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ENHYPEN's Debut Trailer Is Here, And So Are ENGENE's Theories
A new boy group is here to save 2020 with their powerful debut!
At midnight on October 22 (KST), ENHYPEN released their first official teaser video, Debut Trailer 1 : Choose-Chosen.
This cryptic video was directed by Yong Seok Choi of Lumpens, who also directed music videos for BTS, TXT, and GFRIEND.
Each moment of ENHYPEN's debut trailer is filled with hidden messages and symbols that fans are now working to decode.
1st Debut Teaser‼
Trainee – Artist
Failure – Success
Given – Taken
Blood – Light
Us – The Others
Mortal – Immortal#ENHYPEN_DebutTrailer1 #Choose_Chosen @ENHYPEN_members pic.twitter.com/B94nVVPQPA
— ENHYPEN WORLDWIDE (@enhypenworld_) October 21, 2020
The super blood moon urbanization is the sign of the beginning of the end of times…and its often represented as the apocalypse..its basically about their journey guide by astrology, and spiritual symbolism#ENHYPEN#ENHYPEN_DebutTrailer1 #Choose_Chosen @ENHYPEN_members pic.twitter.com/T95lAGyDZe
— 은혜🐆🦊 (@Niki_Squad) October 21, 2020
someone has pointed this out. heeseung is the only one who's not looking at the camera while the other members are. and in the end, he gazed towards it. he's kinda sus 👀#ENHYPEN#ENHYPEN_DebutTrailer1 #Choose_Chosen@ENHYPEN_members pic.twitter.com/JJU7ReYHSm
— shin✨ (@leeheeseungstan) October 21, 2020
Burning rose can be a symbol of love and passion in this world but since it has connection with failure it may symbolize betrayal, premonition of death & bad love that disappeared to form a new life beginning #ENHYPEN#ENHYPEN_DebutTrailer1 #Choose_Chosen @ENHYPEN_members pic.twitter.com/BBu97Cju5V
— 은혜🐆🦊 (@Niki_Squad) October 21, 2020
ENGENEs, I'm already cooking a theory video about #ENHYPEN_DebutTrailer1 for you all, but in the meantime check this out: we have 4 members in the daylight, 2 in the darkness and Niki also in the daylight but the only one indoors 👀🌑🌙#ENHYPHEN #Choose_Chosen @ENHYPEN_members pic.twitter.com/7F1LrDL03I
— BookishTheories 2.0 (@BookishT_S) October 21, 2020
ENHYPEN's members (Jungwoon, Jay, Heesung, Sunoo, Sunghoon, and Ni-Ki) were the top seven finalists in Mnet's K-Pop survival show, I-LAND. They will debut in November under BELIFT LAB, a joint venture between Big Hit Entertainment and CJ ENM.
ENHYPEN And TWICE's Sana Interact With Top Hollywood A-Listers At The Recent Prada Fashion Show
ENHYPEN Are Going Viral For Turning The Streets Of Milan Into A Catwalk — Before The Prada Event Even Happens
"I Hope HYBE Sends SM An Invoice" — Netizens React To ENHYPEN's Bodyguards Keeping NCT Fans In Line At The Airport
ENHYPEN's Sunghoon And Jake Gain Attention For Their Behavior During An Unexpected Interaction With Actress Florence Pugh


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Better Mortgage, a digital mortgage company working to improve access to home financing through transparency, honest guidance, and zero commissions, announced on Monday it has appointed Howard Katzenberg as its new CFO. According to Better Mortgage, Katzenberg was the CFO of small business lending platform OnDeck (NYSE: ONDK), where he joined in 2008 as one of its first employees.
Better Mortgage reported that Katzenberg has spent the entirety of his career focused on innovation within financial services and brings with him a wealth of experience scaling operations of entrepreneurial businesses. He notably joins Better during a period of rapid growth, leveraging his experience to help Better meet increasing customer demand, which has grown 3x year over year as of Q1 2018.
"Katzenberg brings a wealth of experience to his role at Better. Under his financial leadership at OnDeck, he helped grow the firm's revenues over 80% per year, scaled headcount to over 500 employees across three countries, raised over $1 billion in securitization and credit commitments and completed a $230 million initial public offering, one of the biggest IPOs of a venture-backed New York City company."
Better Mortgage added hat Katzenberg will be based out of the New York City office. Under his leadership, the company is planning on building up its west coast offices by hiring new talent to allow the company to support more borrowers across the U.S. by being in two-time zones.


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* Two inside patch pockets on both sides
The wallet comes in Monogram Vernis leather and features a zipper closure. It holds up to eight credit cards with one compartment for small change and four others for bills and documents.


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Love Letters
◆ ◆ ◆
"I absolutely LOVED shooting with Hayley. I'm always anxious about doing shoots, never keen to be photographed, but she immediately had me feeling relaxed and confident and I had SO much fun. She was professional, fun, kind and caring. She sent me a proof sheet really quickly, advised me a little with choosing the pics and very quickly edited my final pics. I'll definitely shoot with her again when I need new photos - these blew me away! Highly recommend."
Henrietta Meire (Actress and Voiceover Artist)
"I commissioned Hayley for a set of headshots for my stand-up comedy. Not only was I delighted with the results but the shoot itself was fun and relaxed. Hayley did a great job of putting me at ease in order to get the best range of shots. Highly recommended!"
Nick Kirk (Comedian)
"These are the best headshots I've ever gotten, and the most painless too. Hayley is easy-going and her professional performing experience informs how she puts you at ease and helps guide you through the process. She knows musicians pretty well too btw if you're not an actor"
Hugo Pierre Martin (Actor & Voiceover Artist)
"Hayley is great! A true artist with a great eye. My headshots turned out way better then I could have hoped for. The best part was how comfortable she made me feel during the session which is essential when having your pic taken."
Jay Green (Actor Musician)
Hayley is great! She has a lovely set up, and is really good at making you feel comfortable. Also, she works quickly and efficiently, getting a wide variety of shots to fulfill your needs. She worked with me before the shoot to identify the exact look we were going for, and that helped us get it right quickly during the shoot, allowing us time to experiment with other options too. Tip top!
Jack Turner (Actor)
"Hayley Samartin creates a photo session that is carefully tailored to the needs of her clients. Her calm work-flow combined with her obvious creativity and wry sense of humor puts the client at ease immediately, and makes for a highly enjoyable, yet results-oriented, session. Hayley is an international photographer whose unique perspective captures the essence of her subject, providing a unique and professional finished product. Whether for headshots or portraits, Hayley's work is wonderful. Highly recommend."
Adam Croasdell (Actor)
"This Photographer knows her stuff!!!. You can see she's passionate not only about what she does but also making sure you feel as comfortable as possible so she can get the best shot ever. Win Win Win.
I've used Hayley for a number of shoots now and I will absolutely use her again. My agent can be fussy especially when you don't use one of the 'listed' photographers and they loved my shots.
The Nitty Gritty, parking is easy, her delivery is quick and her rates are super competitive. I think you get a way better product that most importantly looks like you. Unlike some of those high end photographers that make you look 'too' good and they don't capture your essence. Hayley WILL capture the real, the gorgeous, the vulnerable and the honest in you. She also does some lovely editorial shoots, for those instagrammers out there that need food for there feed.
Amber Geneva (Actress, Model, Producer)
"Hayley is amazing and a pure joy to work with! As a fantastic actor herself, she knows first hand what actors need in a headshot to book the job. Always prepared, she'll work and PLAY with you to get what you need in a way that lets your unique essence shine through.
She understands lighting in such an integral way that my skin looked like moonlight! Always get compliments on the headshots and editorials I shot with her. Can't wait for my next!
Highest recommendations."
Amy Walker (Actress & Artist)
"Hayley is super talented; I've had many headshot sessions before and I find them Uniquely uncomfortable; I just want to hide and die. It's testament to Hayley's skills with people, coaching actors to get the right thought behind the eyes at the same time as the perfect lighting, that I ended up with a killer set of headshots that I use again and again. She also took the cover pic for a poster of my new show which is on revolve above the box office at the festival theatre in Edinburgh. It needed to really arrest and bring in the crowds from the image alone. She has an artist's eye, a buddha's patience a wizard's technical skill with light. Thank you Hayley!"
Mary Jane Wells (Actress, Writer & Voiceover Artist)
"Fantastic experience, focused, energized photographer whom you can feel completely relaxed with. Such a fun shoot and I am so happy with these unique and original shots! Awesome. Highly recommend."
Nicola Buck (Actress & Writer)
"Hayley was so much fun to shoot with. She created a very relaxed and comfortable environment and really captured the essence of what I wanted to portray in my headshots. Not only is she a talented photographer and actress but she's also a great human being with amazing energy. She went above and beyond by quickly getting me the images so I could have them ready for an upcoming casting. It was a great experience shooting with Hayley and I look forward to seeing her again when I need a refresh!"
Jeremy Black (Actor)
"I have never enjoyed getting my headshot taken, and often end up with very unnatural pictures! During my shoot with Hayley, I was suddenly aware that I hadn't thought about 'posing' once! Hayley has such a lovely way of coaxing you out of your shell so that you can just get on with being yourself! These pictures are my favorite! Thank you, Hayley!"
Georgia Dolenz (Actress & Writer)
"Hayley puts the fun back into the photo session experience!
She made me feel completely at ease from the very beginning, meaning we could use the time we had, to get 'the' shot rather than wasting time easing into it.
With that, in addition to her clear passion for what she does and fun, high energy, I was able to remain energized and enjoy the whole experience!
You're in safe hands!"
Joanne McCallin (Actress, Presenter & Photographer)
"Working with Hayley is the easiest fun one can have and it shows in her photographs. I don't know which of her talents is greater: getting her clients to feel comfortable and confident or capturing those moments. Her headshots were the most fun, the most affordable and the most profitable business purchase I've made yet!"
Adam Ceschin (Actor & Writer)
"Hayley was the PERFECT photographer for me. I was a rookie actor just new to the city and she made me feel great. Most actors are comfortable when they're moving around a stage or set but put them in front of the camera and we have no idea what to do. (I hope that's not just me.) Hayley did everything right to make me feel relaxed and always knew just what to say and do to get me out of that deer-in-headlights zone. After Hayley's done taking your picture you'll be relieved to find that a great headshot could come to you so easily and that's because of Hayley's charm behind the lens."
Emma Kennedy (Actress & Stand Up)


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2009 was hardly the year of the Internet but some movies continued the theme that swept the world in 1994, busted in 2000, and slowly became something each and every American couldn't live without.
Two Journalists Released from North Korea "State of Play"
Furthering the status of online journalism as posed by Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams in "State of Play," in early 2009, are two American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Ling and Lee were detained by North Korean soldiers near the country's border with China, in March 2009. Inadvertently bringing credibility to the title "online journalist." State of Play was the first movie I can remember that legitimized online journalism while at the same time illustrating how archaic Newspapers really are.
Julie & Julia: Out with the Old, and In with the New
The 2009 blog hit, Julie & Julia, promoted bloggers to the status of Internet Celebrities continuing the phenomanon that built billions of blogs (thanks to Meryl Streep and Amy Adams). Blogs are still a staple in the world of Internet news. A trend that took early 2009 was hyper-local blogging coined by search marketings own Matt McGee. Hyper-Local Blogging has caught on like wildfire with Newspaper Conglomerates that are losing readers by the second to online news sources. Maybe Hearst and Knight Ridder can stop the newspaper ship from capsizing (like the Titanic)?
Funny People and Myspace, A Perfect Combination
Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen put a smile back on your face when you think about MySpace. The fledgling online music destination, owned by Fox Interactive, is resurrected, if only for a moment, against its online rival Facebook. "F*** Facebook, In the Face!" as Seth Rogen says on stage to a crowd of MySpace employees. MySpace changes guard with a new CEO, Owen Van Natta of Facebook fame, in an effort to once again rain supreme in a battle of Iron Chef's (off on a tangent, sorry!). Funny People gets two funny thumbs way up, MySpace not so much.
Paranormal Activity: Ouija would be Proud
Paranormal Activity is the best use of the Internet to promote a movie virally. Blair Witch Project, I mean, Paranormal Activity is another in the "is it real or is it fake" independent movies, shot by a camcorder (or a new iPhone 3GS?). With a gross revenue of $1 million (making Mr. Evil proud) and a production cost of $15,000, and a Ouija Board for $19.99, this makes the list of the top 10 most scarily profitable movies (mou..ha..ha).


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Prasarita Padottanasana
Definition - What does Prasarita Padottanasana mean?
Prasarita padottanasana is a half-inverted yoga pose that boosts confidence and reduces depression. The name is derived from the Sanskrit prasarita, meaning "extended," pada, meaning "foot," utta, meaning "intense," and asana, meaning "pose."
To enter this asana, step the legs about two to three feet apart. Feet should stay parallel with the toes turned slightly inward. The body bends forward at the hips, stretching the spine. The hands are placed on the floor in line with the feet, then the elbows bend so the torso and head can lower into a full forward bend. If possible, the crown of the head can rest on the floor.
Prasarita padottanasana is commonly referred to as wide-legged forward bend in English.
Yogapedia explains Prasarita Padottanasana
There are many spiritual benefits to this asana. It energizes the first three chakras: muladhara (root), svadisthana (spleen or sacral) and manipura (solar plexus or navel). Opening these chakras helps promote a sense of stability, productivity and self-acceptance.
It is also good to practice mula bandha (root lock) and uddiyana bandha (upward abdominal lock) in this asana. Engaging mula bandha and the root chakra symbolizes spiritual potential/energy. Practicing uddiyana bandha helps lead that energy upward and aids the practitioner in controlling the body and its strength.
Although it requires a lot of work and flexibility to learn this pose, it eventually becomes a resting pose. It is a preparatory pose for sirsasana (headstand) and sometimes is even practiced as its alternative. This asana brings a sense of calmness to the body and mind and has a cooling effect on the brain.
During These Times of Stress and Uncertainty Your Doshas May Be Unbalanced.
To help you bring attention to your doshas and to identify what your predominant dosha is, we created the following quiz.
Try not to stress over every question, but simply answer based off your intuition. After all, you know yourself better than anyone else.


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Content warning: This page contains:
As a writer and reader, I'm always searching for the alternative history of my lineage. I imagine them as fragments in the path I wasn't guided down, the one which I still could and will walk down. Coming into a relationship with other queer Asian American speculative poets like Margaret Rhee has meant discovering another entry point—a writing and reading which has been there all along and which I was missing.
—Ching-In Chen
Content warning:
This page contains:
A Feminist Legacy
"SF is the only genre of literature in which it's possible for a writer to explore the question of what this world would be like if you could get rid of [X], where [X] is filled in with any of the multitude of real world facts that constrain and oppress women."
—Suzette Haden Elgin
When re-envisioning the world, poetry and science fiction have been tools for feminist writers and readers to re-imagine. When the two intersect, science fiction poetry is a potent means of transformative vision. As feminist linguist and science fiction writer Suzette Haden Elgin writes, science fiction is a genre of literature in which feminists can address and transform "real world facts" that are oppressive to women. In 1978, science fiction Native Tongue series author Elgin worked to gather science fiction poets for the first time, founded the Science Fiction Poetry Association, and helped define the often marginalized genre today. The organization, renamed the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association is still active, and the threads of feminism within the field of science fiction poetry still have the remnants of the forebear's vision.
Feminist writers such as Elgin and our recently passed Ursula K. Le Guin may be known for their fiction, but they were poets as well. As feminists, we cannot underestimate poetry as a tool. Poets such as Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, and Gloria Anzaldua have written poetry that is taught still in feminist classrooms as standard curriculum. I also think of poets such as Ching-In Chen, Christopher Soto, and Duriel Harris, who offer us new political visions in our contemporary moment. Poetry has always been an important tool of the feminist movement, shedding needed light on the creative visions of cis women, nonbinary people, and transgender poets. Science fiction poetry offers an inherent intersectionality as a genre that includes the fantastic such as aliens, monsters, robots, and magic, along with political interventions of poetry.
In my recently published poetry collection, Love, Robot, I offer an imaginary world where robots and humans fall in and out of love. While my other poetry and academic writing draws explicitly from identity such as race, gender, and sexuality, my robot poems are seemingly devoid of race. However, in many ways, I consider my science fiction poems addressing gender, race, and sexuality, even if not overtly. I found science fiction was a powerful tool to write about questions of intimacy, desire, and difference. Through writing my collection, I also realized feminism helped me find my way to science fiction in a gradual way. I have always been interested in science fiction; however, due to my own identity markers, science fiction didn't feel like a home. I never felt writing about these imaginative far-off places or creating my own worlds was a viable option for me. As I wrote more science fiction poetry, I began to learn more about the feminist genealogies and community which secured my interests and affiliation. While I didn't earnestly seek feminist science fiction poetry, it seemed to find me.
I was already finishing up the final revisions of Love, Robot when I began teaching at the University of Oregon in the Gender and Women's Studies department. In a serendipitous way, the campus held the archives of James Tiptree Jr. the pseudonym of Alice Bradley Sheldon, who by necessity, because of her gender, wrote under a male name in the male-dominated field of science fiction. That year, my department hosted the James Tiptree Jr. Symposium on the intersection of science fiction and feminism. The symposium would honor science fiction author and poet Ursula K. Le Guin. Magically, I was tasked to drive the late Ms. Le Guin to and from the symposium. As one would expect, Le Guin was incredibly illuminating, charming, and magical in every way. Meeting Le Guin, and learning further of her science fiction poetry transformed the way I felt about science fiction.
Like Le Guin's poetry and Elgin's founding of the SFPA, feminism has been central in SF poetry. For example, feminist SF poetry collections such as The Moment of Change: An Anthology of Feminist Speculative Poetry, edited by Rose Lemberg and published by feminist SF Aqueduct Press, offer new visions of the genre. Additionally, Goblin Fruit: A Quarterly Journal of Fantastical Poetry, named after Christina Rosetti's 1930's feminist science fiction poem "Goblin Market," is a SF poetry online journal edited by Amal El-Mohtar and Caitlyn Paxson.
However, for many science fiction poets, the genre was not an immediate find, and instead a gradual discovery by way of feminism opening the door. My experience was certainly a serendipitous and gradual discovery. While writing is often a solidary activity, it is collective too, and I decided to ask other feminist poets to understand this shared experience. Poets such as Jeannine Hall Gailey, Jenna Le, Susan Rosen Kindred, and Nisi Shawl have been formative poets for me, and they agreed to share their reflections through a feminist exchange of questions and answers. These inspiring poets share their stories of coming into science fiction poetry through feminism. For Jeannine Hall Gailey, two-time winner of the Elgin award and author of The Robot Scientist's Daughter, and other collections, a feminist was one of her early mentors: "I have to say that reading Elgin's biography originally reminded me of one of my early mentors, Colleen J. McElroy, who was a professor with a Ph.D. in Ethnolinguistics (Elgin was a linguist), and who often delved into mythology in her own books of poetry. She was also an outspoken feminist and gave me much needed advice when I first started taking my life as a poet more seriously. I think she is one of the reasons I felt strong enough to write the first book I did."
Gailey and others echo my experience of a gradual discovery of science fiction poetry as a genre. Sally Rosen Kindred of Book of Asters shares, "The poetry I wrote was feminist, but it almost never occurred to me to write science fiction poetry. I'm not sure I knew that existed." However, as she discovered science fiction journals online, and was writing poems about the " apocalypse and magic and fairy tales and outer space," she shares, "I realized I could be a part of it as a writer as well as a reader." For Gailey, she says her first collection, Becoming the Villainess, was a story of female empowerment through a science fiction lens: "I didn't find out there was a science fiction poetry community until after I published my first book!" However, the existence of science fiction poetry offers a connection to feminism. Jenna Le, author of the Elgin second-place winner, A History of the Cetacean American Diaspora shares, "I definitely identify as a feminist...In my work, I especially enjoy centering women characters who have been a bit roughed up by their life experiences: proudly un-beautiful, shamelessly strange women who embrace their 'hunger, rebellion, and rage' (to repurpose Matthew Arnold's backhanded phrase), thwarting societal expectations that women be passive, lovely, and innocent."
Nisi Shawl, author of the science fiction Nebula-nominated Everfair, and one of the founders of the Carl Brandon Society, which aims to increase racial and ethnic diversity. Shawl says, "Because science fiction poetry is itself intersectional by nature, I'd think there'd be a great affinity for those sorts of issues in this format. Also, because poetry's directness and power of impact, it should have a huge effect on how inclusivity and intersectionalities of all sorts are represented and perceived." Shawl's powerful poetry and science fiction have long addressed issues of race and racism in science fiction. In particular, her poem in A Moment of Change, "Transbluency: An Antiprojection Chant" ends with an incredible line about color: "Until I am no longer your shadow, no more the rag you clean with. Until I am my own new color, my own whole cloth." As Shawl writes, "That poem, 'Transbluency,' came out of my very real experience in the 70s and early 80s; so many encounters threw me because the men and whites and white men I interacted with assumed entirely different things about me than I knew to be true. It got very tiring to have jerks condescendingly explain the definition of ichthyology to me, for example."
In 2014, the late Le Guin was awarded the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. In her acceptance speech, Le Guin powerfully spoke about justice, as well as the treatment of science fiction writers in the awards system. Le Guin attests: "And I rejoice at accepting it for, and sharing it with, all the writers who were excluded from literature for so long, my fellow authors of fantasy and science fiction—writers of the imagination, who for the last 50 years watched the beautiful awards go to the so-called realists." In her speech, Le Guin speaks about the politics of literary awards that have largely not recognized science fiction writers. Of course, science fiction has its own system of recognition—the Nebulas, for example, and the Science Fiction Poetry Association's Elgin Award. However, the demarcation between science fiction and "realists" speaks to a marginality within national literary awards. While intersectional by nature, this very intersection also may keep science fiction poetry at the margins. As Gailey observes, "I want to see a speculative book of poetry win the same literary honors as 'normal' writing."
Yet, it is the lack of recognition in mainstream literature that shapes the community oriented and generous spirit that characterizes the science fiction poetry community. As Kindred attests, "I've been consistently impressed by the lack of hierarchy when I encounter science fiction poets…Perhaps in part because the academic system dominates the genre less, there is mostly shared passion for the work, and an authentic desire to lift each other up. Jeannine Hall Gailey is a great example of this attitude; she is an enormously talented, visionary poet, and also a terrific literary community-builder." I have to echo Kindred's observations on Jeannine. I met Kindred after Gailey invited me to be on a science fiction women's poetry panel at AWP, which included Nancy Hightower and Lesley Wheeler. Kindred, Gailey, and others shared a sense of solidarity with their writing that I appreciated and believed in. I met Shawl at the Tiptree Symposium at UO, and Le through social media when both of our collections were finalists for the Elgin Award last year. I have found the feminist SF community to be one that is generous, supportive, radical, non-hierarchical, and inspiring.
The Science Fiction Poetry Association founded by Elgin still reverberates with feminism, and I wondered why. I reached out to poet Bryan Thao Worra as the current Science Fiction Poetry Association President for his thoughts on feminism and women. His vision includes women in the leadership process as well, and he shares, "I've tried to be proactive and clear on my support of women in the leadership and decision-making processes of the organization, consulting both officers and community members at large around the world." The leadership of Worra and others signals the commitment of the SFPA to foster marginalized voices in science fiction poetry.
The Future
While I am not certain what the future of science fiction poetry looks like, the current visions, writing, and community offer fantastic possibilities. As Shawl writes, "It will go on. It will perhaps come more and more to depend on live performance and audience interaction as part of magic's resurgence." In many ways, every poem can be considered mythic, but science fiction poetry may have magical powers. As Shawl reflects on her poem "Transbluency," "I wrote the poem as a cleansing tool, a healing chant."
Like Shawl, I believe in the power of the poem, and utilizing science fiction poetry as feminist defense seems in line within Elgin's legacy. The intersection of science fiction and poetry is a location where feminist movement can happen. Writers such as Ursula Le Guin and Suzette Elgin offered not only feminist possibilities, but worlds through their visions of science fiction poetry today.
As Elgin writes, "If you could get rid of [X], where [X] is filled in with any of the multitude of real world facts that constrain and oppress women," and I think often of the ways women and nonbinary people have utilized poetry and science fiction in order to heal, transform, and change. Of remaking that X. Maybe the X is like a cross-stitch, that traditional woman-centered art. Sew x-shaped stitches onto your fabric surface to remap a new picture.
New lines/new patterns into new futures.


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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
Women and girls in Turkana and Samburu counties, northern Kenya, face huge and complex disadvantages in their day-to-day lives. Communities in these arid, remote places are affected by high levels of poverty, hunger, and disease, and extremely limited access to basic welfare or education services. Communications and transportation infrastructure are similarly inadequate, and there is little evidence for effective local governance. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by all these issues, partly as the result of highly patriarchal values (particularly in traditional rural communities).
Pragya sims to with women, girls and local health workers to enhance capacity for providing appropriate, peer-led maternal and reproductive health support, advice, surveillance and referral services for ending violence against women. It seeks to engage with women, girls, men and boys living in rural communities to enhance knowledge of maternal and reproductive health risk, causes and nature of gender based violence and discrimination and build increased levels of sensitivity and constuctive dialogue around gender equity issues.
Success story
The Laikipia, Samburu and Turkana counties are underdeveloped semi-arid and arid lands in Northern Kenya. The frequent...Read Story
Women and girls in Kenya and particularly among the remote and chronically poor communities that Pragya works with, experience multiple disadvantages. They are disproportionately affected by poverty, suffer deeper levels of hunger and malnutrition, along with lower access to healthcare (even sexual and reproductive care) and education, and frequent gender-based violence and discrimination as a result of the prevalent patriarchal societies and practices. Culturally sanctioned violence persists in families, even including female genital mutilation, while atrocities on women and girls in the public sphere are also common. Although women carry significant part of the family's livelihood related workload as well as the burden of household chores, they have little control on the family's assets or finances.
Gender sensitivity is entrenched across the spectrum of Pragya's work. We work to help promote a more equitable society for women and girls, though a combination of measures encompassing women's economic independence, promotion of girls' educational participation, community sensitivity training on gender issues, awareness raising on human rights and the law. Some of the ways gender equality is woven into our projects include:
· Our work cultivating medicinal plants in Kakamega county is aimed predominantly at women's economic empowerment, with between 75-100% of beneficiaries being women. The cultivation of medicinal plants requires significantly less land than other cash or traditional food crops grown in the region, and otherwise unusable plots of land can be used for the purpose, and so the project is well suited to women who typically have less access to land than men.
· We run gender-sensitivity training in schools, and through our Education Resource Centres we deliver gender-sensitive educational material addressing subjects such as healthcare for adolescent girls and human rights and legal issues pertinent to women and girls.
· Our water projects are designed with women's empowerment and equality in mind. Women in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) of central and northern Kenya are traditionally responsible for household water collection and management. With climate change bringing ever greater levels of water stress to the region, the burden and drudgery for women correspondingly increases as they are forced to cover greater distances to collect water, exposing them to risks associated with longer journeys. Additionally, water stress drives inter-community conflict, which disproportionately impacts women and children.
· Following extensive field research and analysis, we designed an innovative model of maternal and reproductive healthcare for neglected last mile populations, anchored around a network of women's peer support groups. The project is designed to reduce the high maternal mortality rates in the ASALs, providing as support network for pregnant women and new mothers, raising awareness on critical needs surrounding maternal and reproductive health, and addressing social norms that negatively impact women's health.
Taken together, these projects are challenging the multiple disadvantages and abuses suffered by women and girls in Kenya's remote rural communities.
Pragya's intervention/s towards Empowering Women has been/ is being carried out in all areas of Pragya's operation, including the counties of Kakamega, Laikipia, Samburu and Turkana.


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The choices for how to get from the airport in Antigua (ANU) to your resort are
One of things most travellers consider when deciding upon a destination for their next trip is what the flight to that place entails. One big key for UK visitors to Antigua is a direct flight.
There are many questions that surround this particular issue, so


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e-Learn- a Responsive One Page WordPress Theme built with Bootstrap framework. Flat colors, clean and modern design made for online training and education Theme has a universal design, it thought every detail and animation effect. Its just as easy to customize to fit your needs, replace images and texts. e-Learn with Five versions. You can freely choose according to their own. The WordPress theme is responsive, you can view it also in the mobile/tablets devices and it looks very in more devices. What are you waiting anymore let experience " e-learn " our theme.
One Click Demo Importer
With demo data importer, you'll be set up and ready to customize your site in minutes.
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Our theme provides very easy and comprehensive set of theme options that will help you configure and modify the things around your website more easily.
600+ Google Fonts
Change the look and feel of your website with the included custom Google Font options. Use our theme option panel to change the fonts for your body, header, heading, menu …
Main Features:


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The days are starting to lengthen – and we are beginning to see a few more bright, sunny days on the island. These days of clear, blue skies and straw coloured sunshine, when the sun is still low in the sky, produce amazing shadows which accentuate the colours and textures of the landscape.
Longer Days


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Micro Molding
MES designs, manufactures and assembles state of the are dust-speck sized micro molded parts and features with sub-micron tolerances, from initial concept to full CAD models.
We work in a variety of fields with expertise in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
From napkin sketch to full CAD models, MES designs, manufactures, and assembles state of the art dust-specked sized micro molded parts and features. Concepts are provided to our clients comparing manufacturability and pros and cons in cost, scalability, quality, and handling/assembly. Examples of MES micro sized medical and drug delivery devices:
- Drug Compounded Polymer Stents, Anchors, Needles, and Sheaths
- Disposable Dry Powder Inhalers
- Diabetic Pumps with onboard micro valves
- Hydrogel, and collagen implants
- Micro Aspirators
- Neurosurgical coil assemblies
- Transdermal patches and drug well arrays
- Silicone micro intraocular implants
- Bio-Resorbable Polymer Implants


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Android Lags iOS in Mobile Advertising Revenues
Android may be gaining marketshare, now powering 33 percent of U.S. smartphones, but it is behind iOS in mobile advertising revenues, according to Millennial Media. iOS-based applications account for 47 percent of Millennial revenues in March of 2011, with Android close behind at 36 percent. However, Android is ahead of iOS in mobile ad impressions. Find out more about this interesting trend after the cut.
The numbers are almost flipped for mobile ad impressions, with Android at 48 percent, and iOS at 31 percent. This would seem to indicate that ads on Android cost less per impression, and are not considered as valuable to advertisers as iOS ads. By far, the most impressions are on smartphones, at 64 percent, with feature phones accounting for 19 percent of impressions.
And mobile games are also a hot property for advertisers, accounting for 37 percent of all ad revenues.
Both Android and iOS are growing fast, with Apple impressions growing 29 percent month over month, and Android growing 23 percent month over month.
You can download the full report here.
[via Fierce Mobile Content]


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Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
GreenForest Management Inc. staff is experienced in the development and long-term implementation of ISO 14001:2004 compliant Environmental Management Systems. The development of a comprehensive Environmental Management System (EMS) requires the identification and synthesis of all requirements into standard operating procedures for operations, and for monitoring and reporting mechanisms that are easily understood by all individuals within the scope of implementation. EMS development consists of the following:
- Development & Implementation of ISO 14001 Compliant Environmental Management Systems
- Risk Assessment and Identification of Significant Environmental Aspects
- Legal Requirement Identification
- Development of Environmental Policies, Environmental Management Programs
- Development of Standard Operating Procedures, Training Packages & Communication Tools
- Internal & External Audit Preparation, Support & Action Planning


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• Read Time 10 min
Nailing the Customer Handoff Between Sales and Customer Success
The handoff of a new customer between Sales and Customer Success is a critical moment in the customer lifecycle. But for many organizations, this transfer of customer knowledge is a disorganized mess, lacking clear requirements and fraught with tension or even downright distrust between the two teams involved. But it doesn't need to be this way – and for the sake of your customers, it shouldn't be this way.
Earlier this week we hosted a well attended webinar on – "How to Nail the Customer Handoff between Sales and Customer Success". If you missed it, no worries. You can view the webinar on-demand here.
In this session, Abby Hammer and Casey Altieri from ChurnZero shared tips to clarify and strengthen your knowledge transfers from Sales to CS. While working with Customer Success teams of all types and sizes, Casey and Abby have seen a lot of tactics that work – and a lot of tactics that don't. They shared their top tips for consistently successful handoffs and building trust between your Sales and CS teams.
The audience also participated in a really informative Q&A session, that we wanted to re-share with you here.
Webinar Q&A Recap
- Abby Hammer, VP of Products & Customer Success, ChurnZero
- Casey Altieri, Lead Sales Executive, ChurnZero
Q: Should Sales reps be paired with individuals Customer Success reps for all their deals? On one hand, you may build relationships and teamwork between the Salesperson and the CSM. On the other hand, it may cause other issues. What are your thoughts on different pairing methods?
Abby: Yeah, you know this is interesting, because this is something we've actually talked about even here at ChurnZero. I think there is a lot of positive that can come from pairing because, you do get to build that relationship. You really do become a team. I think it gets challenging the more and more customers you have. So, I think it's ideal in Enterprise situations, maybe some Mid-Market, but if you are dealing with a high volume of customers, it gets harder to match that up. It also means you're going to have some challenges around making sure that – 1 or 2 CSMs, are maybe paired with more effective Sales members so they are not getting overrun from a workload perspective. So, I think it could be interesting to do with a subset of your customers. Maybe your higher paying customers because, those are the ones that you're most interested in making sure have a very smooth experience.
Casey: I think it's tricky to do in practice because some Sales reps are going to sell more than others and then next thing you know you have a Customer Success rep with 12 accounts versus the Customer Success rep with 35 accounts. Of course, it also gets to the point where the Customer Success rep can't take on any more accounts and the Sales rep is going to continue to be selling. So, I think that's tricky but what I think is good is, maybe assigning a Sales rep to a team of Customers Success Managers, a group of four or five. So, you're taking a little bit of the variability out of it. Where before you don't know if it's the Sales rep or the CSM who's at fault for that renewal, because It's just one of each. But, if you start adding more and more people in and you say, okay every single one of this Sales agent's deals are churning then, you know, it's a Sales rep issue. Versus if you notice okay, these three Customer Success reps are easily renewing these deals and upselling them versus this fourth one isn't. Then, you have a little bit clearer of a picture of success. So, I think maybe spread it out a little bit. But the concept of it I think makes a lot of sense so that you are actively tying that accountability back to a real person.
Abby: And if you can't go one-to-one the other ideas is – if you have clear cuts on your customers like maybe support, or several clearly defined verticals, it can be interesting to have Salespeople and CS people to form around a single vertical. Because, then they get to know the use cases and the needs of that vertical well and that's going to help the relationship between the Sales rep and the CSM.
Q: How early in the sales process should Customer Success get involved? Is there a certain opportunity stage? Or is it when the Sales rep starts hearing certain questions or objections? What are your thoughts?
Casey: It should be farther along in the Sales process. We don't want Customer Success reps doing the entire job of the Sales reps. So, it should be the last call before close. This is something that's going to move it across the line. Usually that's at maybe the proposal stage or a little bit before the proposal stage, where we're talking about the real-applications of actually getting them up and running.
Abby: Since we want to make sure that we don't have CS people trying to do CS and Sales that's why it's really important to invest in those feedback loops we talked about. So that Sales can do all of that qualification, and can do it well, ad can do it consistently. So, by the time the CS rep is coming in, It's not to solve major – is this even possible questions, it's rather to just clear up some last details, build some of that relationship, as opposed to really actually closing the deal.
Q: What specific questions do you recommend asking or answering in handoffs notes?
Abby: Hmm so not to wiggle out of this one, I can offer a few things, but that is challenging to give very specific questions because, I think it's going to vary a lot between the products that you support (or products), and the services that you offer. Broad strokes – I think the big things we need to be focused on are – Why did the customer buy? Why are they spending money? What do they hope to accomplish? Are there timelines associated with what they hope to accomplish? So, when we think about what is the outcome that they're looking for, everything that we're asking should be focused around that because, that's what the Sales rep should be asking and that's what CS is going to be gunning towards and focused on.
Casey: Yeah, I think that's exactly right. Define success in those handoff notes. And I also think it's valuable to put in other information, like personality notes, so that you can understand – this person likes to be called or be emailed, they work these hours – you really focus on that sort of thing. So, that whenever you get on and you already know as a Customer Success rep that this person you're going to be dealing with is a little bit more contentious and you can come in understanding that. We don't want to just put in fact-based information about the customer and their size and their software and so forth.
Q: Would you be inclined to hold the Sales reps commission until the customer is on-boarded fully or like six months into their contract, or something like that?
Abby: Casey and I are laughing because he and I talk about this all the time. We have slightly different opinions on it, which is probably not surprising to anybody. You know, Casey certainly brought up that compensation is a way to influence behavior. At the risk of being too mean, Sales people are often coin-operated. So, in my experience, tying it to money, is a really meaningful way to influence behavior. Now whether that's holding their commission, I think that's hard because we don't want to discourage a Sales rep from trying to close a deal. But maybe it comes more in the form of a bonus or maybe you get a good chunk of your commission, you don't get all of it until you're all the way through. The one caveat I put on that, is if you have any sort of pilot or opt-outs or anything like that – the Sales reps commission should be on the line in the same way, with that date, until the deal is really closed.
Casey: Yeah, I agree on the final part. I think it's impossible to hold the Sales reps Commission back until somebody's been fully on-boarded or implemented and that's for a variety of reasons. One, is from a hiring perspective. It's going to be mere impossible to hire with them understanding that compensation plan. So just growing the team is going to be difficult. But beyond that, it's really difficult to say- Sales, you did a great job selling this deal, now it's out of your hands and you have to wait six months to see if the Customer Success rep was successful in converting. Because, they could have been a great fit customer that was a layup that ended up just falling apart down the line. So, I think it's a great idea to hold them responsible. I don't know if withholding commission is something that would work in reality though.
Abby: in general, I think maybe the compromise is something like a bonus. You get your commission, but then if that customer stays, even better if they expand, then – okay let's reward the rep for finding a good fit customer. Also reward the CS rep for getting them on-boarded well and making them successful.
Casey: Yeah, and I think that's a great point. Maybe knock a point off of the commission immediately upon sell and then give an additional two points upon renewal. Something along those lines that would keep them involved all the way through.
Q: What strategies would you recommend using when customers will not "let go" of their Salesperson after the handoff?
Abby: That's an interesting one. What I think can help there is again introducing CS earlier in the process. So, a lot of times, you see the instinct to cling to a Salesperson because, they know that person is the person they've heard yeses from. They like what they're getting there. So, bringing in a Customer Success rep earlier, making sure that that customer feels comfortable before the Sales rep walks out is really important. Now on the other side of that there does have to be a cut-off. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a customer doesn't get their way on something that then they go back and tattle to their Sales rep. As a CS leader of our team I'd like to step in – like hey, you're working with us now. If you have problems, you escalate through our Customer Success. I'm happy to help with those things. But you know, once that transition is made the Sales rep no longer has the same influence that they had before.
Casey: Usually that means that there were mismanaged expectations and it really comes back to the Sales rep setting proper expectations. What that likely means is that during the entire sales process, the Sales rep was a yes man, or a yes woman, only ever saying yes, we can do this, yes, we can do that. And then they get to the Customer Success rep and they're like, whoa slow down just a little bit. Then they're going to come back to the Sales rep and start communicating with them because that's where it was easy. And that's where they were getting the answers that they wanted. So really, it all comes back to making sure that during that sales process the entire thing is transparent and you're actually saying what you can be doing on the back end. So, we really need to align Sales and CS all the way through and then we'll see those people clinging to the Sales are up a little bit less because, the Customer Success rep is going to be saying exactly thing that the Sales rep is saying.
Q: Should there ever be accounts categorized as "no expectations for renewal" where the CSM shouldn't be held accountable for that account in their number?
Abby: I'm going to say yes. Now exactly how you go about that is a separate thing. It can't just be you know, well, I raise my hand and say I shouldn't be accountable for this. No, you must have rules and processes and procedures for what would qualify an account to even be consideration to not be included. But certainly, I think just about every Customer Success Manager has been in the scenario where, they've done the best that they can and for a lot of reasons things did not work out. And what we want to make sure is that especially if we're not aligning Sales, you know It can be their crushing for CS to always feel that. It can have a little bit of a reprieve to have a means to at least vouch for the fact that something shouldn't be on your plate. Now you certainly don't want to make too heavy of a habit of that because that just encourages people to look for excuses as opposed to look for solutions. So, you have to be careful with the balance there. But I think it does make sense in certain scenarios, on a case-by-case basis, being able to pull things out of your book.
Casey: Yeah, and this is something that you just want to make sure doesn't get out of hand. For example, you get into things like this company went out of business, this company was acquired, this was a bad fit customer, this was a stretch-fit customer that I'm pretending is a bad fit customer. You really need to make sure you have set processes in place. Otherwise next thing, you know out of the 20 accounts that you're supposed to renew in that month, you have four that you actually have to and that just isn't the way that you want to do it. So, the answer is there is going to be that systematic churn that you can't avoid. I think Abby and I agree on this that they should have the ability to mark some accounts that shouldn't count against them. You just have to make sure it's very process-oriented.
Abby: And remember, quite frankly there's going to be a lot of customers that a CS person is like I don't feel like it's fair for me to have them and they're still going to be in their book. That's just the reality of the situation. But that's part of the reason that when you comp your CS people they have some sort of goal that they're trying to meet. So, maybe the goal isn't 100 percent, it's 95 percent or it's 90 percent. And there's going to be some recognition of the fact that perfection may not be possible. But, we certainly still want them, gunning as hard as they can towards it.
Stay turned more more ChurnZero webinars to come.
Customer Success Around the Web
- Customer Success Metrics and KPIs that Matter to Investors – Customer Success is key to growing your SaaS business. That's why investors care about your Customer Success metrics (and more).
- Tying Training to Customer Success – Find out how Customer Education influences Customer Success.
- 6 Tips to Learn how to Upsell and Cross-sell – Learn what it means to upsell and cross-sell and how to earn more revenue and loyalty from your existing customers.


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Source: ATO – Changes to deductions for non-compliant payments to workers
The rules for claiming deductions for payments to workers are changing.
From 1 July 2019, you can only claim deductions for payments made to your workers where you have met the pay as you go (PAYG) withholding obligation for that payment. This change is part of the government response to recommendations from the Black Economy Taskforce.
Where the PAYG withholding rules require an amount to be withheld, you must:
- withhold the amount from the payment before you pay your worker
- report that amount to us.
You won't lose your deduction if you:
- withhold an incorrect amount by mistake – to minimise any penalties you can correct your mistake by lodging a voluntary disclosure in the approved form
- withhold the correct amount but made a mistake when reporting – correct your mistake as soon as possible.
If there is a withholding or reporting requirement and no amount is withheld or reported to us, you will lose your deduction unless you make a voluntary disclosure in the approved form before we let you know we've begun an examination of your affairs.


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Pentagon policies on religion in the ranks filed court papers Thursday alleging that an Air Force recruiter in New Mexico was asked "to use Jesus Christ as a recruiting tool."
Michael "Mikey" Weinstein, a 1977 graduate of the Air Force Academy, filed suit against the Air Force in federal court in Albuquerque last October. Weinstein and four other plaintiffs allege illegal proselytizing by evangelical Christian chaplains, officers and cadets at the Air Force Academy and throughout the service.
The plaintiffs - including one of Weinstein's sons who is an Air Force officer - filed a motion Thursday to amend the lawsuit, challenging the Air Force's "interim guidelines" on religious expression issued last month.
The latest filing seeks to add another plaintiff, Master Sgt. Phillip Burleigh of Alamogordo, N.M., a 24-year veteran. It alleges that Burleigh, an Air Force Reserve recruiter at Holloman Air Force Base, "has been subjected to regular and persistent proselytizing by his superior officers" against his will and "in violation of his constitutional rights."
Burleigh could not be reached for comment. The filing says his problems began in 1997 with "aggressive proselytizing" by his supervisor and lower performance ratings than colleagues who attended prayer groups and church.
Pentagon spokeswoman Jean Schaefer wouldn't comment on the filing, but said the Air Force is "committed to having an environment for everyone to practice or not practice their faith."
The 12-page court filing says guest speakers at conventions of Air Force recruiters in 2003 and 2005 told Burleigh and other recruiters that "they needed to accept Jesus Christ in order to perform their job duties" and "to use faith in Jesus Christ while recruiting."
"It's absolutely horrifying that the Air Force has been trying to force its recruiters to use the gospel of Jesus Christ as a recruiting tool," said Weinstein, who is Jewish. "There's no wall left between church and state in the Air Force."
Weinstein took on the military last year after a Pentagon task force cleared the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs of "overt religious discrimination" but noted insensitivity toward cadets of non-Christian faiths. Weinstein has a second son who is a cadet there.
Complaints of religious intolerance, conversion attempts and favoritism for "born again" Christian cadets had first surfaced in a 2004 campus survey and in criticism in a Yale Divinity School study of chaplain practices at the academy.
The controversy led the Air Force to issue four-page guidelines last August for "free exercise of religion" throughout the service. It also instituted religious sensitivity training for the academy's cadets and staff.
Members of Congress and some Christian groups objected that the guidelines were too restrictive. They said the rules violated constitutional guarantees of free exercise of religion and discriminated against evangelicals, who consider spreading their faith a requirement of Christianity.
A national petition drive and a congressional letter to President Bush sought guarantees that chaplains could pray at military gatherings "in Jesus' name," not just with non-sectarian words.
In February, the Pentagon shortened the guidelines to one page and eased some restrictions on chaplains. Evangelical groups praised the change as restoring freedom of religion for believers.
Critics, including Weinstein and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the revision doesn't give non-believers freedom from religion.