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We would like to put specific emphasis on the fact that the content you receive from is completely original, and has been written exclusively for your specific needs and requirements. It is a product you have not stolen from anyone but have purchased for a fair price, just like you would buy a meal at a restaurant that was custom-cooked for you and you only. The paper you receive will NEVER be used again or submitted to anybody else. With this firm guarantee in your hands, you have every reason to regard using our service as absolutely safe and secure.
When you buy an essay from us, you are sure to enjoy individual approach because essay help provided by our writers is always customized according to your requirements. You need to specify all the demands for the work and indicate the deadline. Then your helper will start to write an assignment for you. Of course, if you want, you can communicate with your writer using the message board. If you have any recommendations concerning the literature to be used for the research, you are welcome to share it. Need a draft? Your writer will gladly provide it. So, feel free to buy essays online here.


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Beyond the restored exterior of this historic 1865 bluestone building, Victoria Hotel Strathalbyn is a country hotel with a difference offering all the luxuries you'd expect and is only 40 minutes from the Adelaide CBD on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
The Victoria Hotel has unique surroundings offering quality food and wine from our award winning restaurant to modern 3 star AAA rated motel accommodation. Open fires and great country hospitality complete this Fleurieu Peninsula Pub experience to perfection.
Located conveniently in the heart of Strathalbyn, enjoy walks through the Soldiers' Memorial Gardens to the craft and antique shops or visit the acclaimed wineries of Langhorne Creek.
All rooms are modern, self contained and recently refurbished. For packages information, call (08) 8536 2202 or Book Online
Beautiful Food
Award winning Victoria Hotel restaurant chefs create a menu with an emphasis on fresh, local produce ensuring that a variety of traditional Aussie pub meals along with original modern Bistro meals are on offer.
Victoria Bar
Come join the fun at the Cocktail or the Karaoke nights, or simply enjoy the safe environment with friendly staff and great people around the bar area. See What's On at the Victoria Hotel.

subset: commoncrawl


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Through the Triangle LabCal Shakes research and development wingwe experiment with ways to integrate art more deeply into community life. Through a variety of programs, we collaborate with artists and other community-based organizations to discover what happens when the powerful tools of theater artists are mobilized and integrated into broader civic dialogue.
The Triangle Lab is supported by generous grants from The James Irvine Foundation, and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Questions? Contact Director of Artistic Engagement Rebecca Novick at email@example.com.


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4th Crikvart - Street Art Festival
4th Crikvart - Street Art Festival
Crikvart means more. It brings an abundance of joy and unique atmosphere in Crikvenica. Streets, squares, parks and waterfront become a stage for street performers. Acrobats, jugglers, musicians, performers, actors, circus performers, street musicians and singers and various other entertainers will fascinate audiance of all ages with their informal way of artistic expression, impressive skills, acrobatic abilities that amaze and unique way of communication with the audience and will not leave anyone indifferent.
All the beauty of diversity, unusual talents and connecting of different cultures will find themselves in the same place and bring a smile on the faces of every passerby.


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Need designer and developer for Adaptive Portal
Ngân sách $950-1800 USD
One of our client is looking for adaptive portal with charts and dashboard.
38 freelancer đang chào giá trung bình $1319 cho công việc này
Let's discuss more about project to finalise the proper scope with estimated cost and time so ping me over the freelancer chat.....I will share some demo as well for recent works if you want to check. Relevant Skills Thêm
Hi, Read your needs & would like to grab this opportunity. We are a team of 50+ experts & 15+ years of experience with Software Architects, we can definitely deliver it. Relevant Skills and Experience Angular: - htt Thêm
We are a London (Shoreditch) based web development studio. Please get in touch to discuss further. Following are some of our recent projects; [login to view URL] A social media post scheduler and manager Thêm
Designer and developer for Adaptive Portal Relevant Skills and Experience I am good in designer and developer for Adaptive Portal Proposed Milestones $1400 USD - Cost
Hi, We already developed Dashboards for enterprise level company. So we are experts in MEAn stack. Its very easy for us. Relevant Skills and Experience HTML 5, LESS/SASS/SCSS, jQuery, Bootstrap, AngularJs/Angular2, Io Thêm
Hello, My keen eyes on the mobile responsive design and cross browser compatible solution with the pixel perfect design. I have proven hands on the Dashboard design and development. Relevant Skills and Experience Key Thêm
We have gone through your job description and ready to discuss with you further. We are experts in PHP, Codeigniter, CorePHP, Wordpress and Mobile Apps. We have completed many similar projects. Relevant Skills and Exp Thêm
hello i am with 7 years experience in PHP, angular node and mongodb WordPress, WP pluagins,. expertise in the 3rd party API , shopping engines, [login to view URL] [login to view URL] Relevant Skills and Experi Thêm
Hello Sir, We have done several projects like this. We will do your work very well. Relevant Skills and Experience We have a sound and experienced mobile app development team having expertise in Android, IOS, Ionic, Thêm
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The Nemours Diagnostic Referral Service evaluates and treats children with difficult diagnoses and coordinates services for children with complex medical issues who are referred from primary care doctors, the Emergency Department, and other subspecialty areas. Because of their unique expertise, our specialists are often able to provide deeper investigation into the cause of your child's symptoms.
For Appointments: (302) 651-4200
- photo ID
- medical and pharmacy insurance cards
- preferred pharmacy name and phone number
- names and dosage of all medications, including over-the-counter medication, your child is currently taking
- guardianship and custody papers, if a legal guardian rather than a parent accompanies your child
Returning Patients
Returning Patients
- Patient Presents Without Legal Guardian (PDF)
English | Spanish
Note: A parent or legal guardian must be with a child for a first visit.
Resources for Patients & Families
- Insurance We Accept: See accepted insurance, listed by location.
- Pay Your Bill: Use online bill pay or send by mail.
- Financial Assistance: Get help with your child's health care expenses.
- MyNemours: Access your child's medical record online.
The Diagnostic Referral Service at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children is a hospital-based general pediatric practice that evaluates and treats children with difficult diagnoses and coordinates services for children with multiple complex medical issues. They also participate in providing pre- and post-operative care for children undergoing liver transplants.
Your child's referring doctor may request an outpatient visit or seek a consultation while your child is hospitalized. A Diagnostic Referral Service evaluation generally includes an initial detailed assessment, as well as laboratory and imaging studies, if necessary. All findings and recommendations will be communicated to your child's primary care physician or referring doctor. If we feel your child would benefit from the expertise of additional Nemours subspecialists, we will make that referral as well.
The Diagnostic Referral Service physicians' care is enhanced by the use of an electronic medical record that allows all of your child's caregivers to communicate in "real time." This reduces redundancy in testing and other services and keeps all team members up-to-date on your child's condition, progress, and medical management plan. At the same time, it allows your child's doctors to consider best practices gained from Nemours experience and academic literature.


text: 5762463282_74d67a8d19_o Related Tweet Permalink admin Recent PostsOur Biobank cited in cover story of India TodayDr. Jugnu Jain, Director- Apollo Research speaks about Multi-centric breast cancer database, and research initiatives to improve …NIPER Hyderabad Pharma Industry Summit Leave a comment Click here to cancel reply. Name (Required) Email (Required) Website Comment POST COMMENT Notify me of new posts by email.Sign me up for the newsletter!


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July 17, 2012
Posted by Ashley
Tuesday's Tune: The Memories – Baby (You're Totally Crazy)
Click to listen: The Memories – Baby (You're Totally Crazy) You know when you hear songs that apply to certain elements of your life? I love when that happens, don't you? I'm stoked for tonight because my husband and I are hosting a show in our record store! Two radtastic Nashville bands (Paperhead and D. […]


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Professor Green celebrated his recent proposal to Millie Mackintosh by hosting an engagement party in London on Friday night (12Apr13).
The I Need You Tonight hitmaker popped the question to reality TV socialite Millie Mackintosh in Paris, France last month (Mar13), and the couple wasted no time in holding a bash to mark their impending nuptials.
They invited their pals to join them for a party at the U.K. capital's Groucho hotspot, and stars including hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks and Scottish singer Emeli Sande attended the celebration.
The rapper took to his Twitter.com page after the bash to write, "Love to everyone who made this night so special... Couldn't have asked for a better turn out... Thank you!"


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|Home Page | Top Rated Filipina Girls | Newest Filipina Nude Girls | All Filipina Nude Girls
|Busty Asian gets a cummy facial
See more of this Asian babe and thousands more online now at Teen Filipina!
Click stars to rate this girl!
Link to this girl:
|© 2018 Manila Angels - Nude Pictures of Filipina Girls. All Rights Reserved. All models 18 years of age or older at time of photography.


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Where have all the childfree men gone? Now there's a question Pete Seeger didn't think to ask.
It is a question my fearless collaborator and husband Lance has asked. Writer Amanda Marcotte asked it too. Childfree dating sites optimistically assumed childfree men were somewhere out there but, sadly, such sites haven't (yet) managed to find them; instead these sites seem to launch with optimism and even a bit of fanfare and then quietly fade away.
As a sociologist of gender who has interviewed dozens of childfree men and women, I've too wondered about the absence of men from public discussion of the childfree. It's as if we have no idea that the XYs among us play any role in the production or rearing of new humans. Or that they might have something to say about their involvement (or non-involvement) in said activities.
Until recently, scholarly inquiry has matched public discussion in that men who choose not to have kids have been largely absent from studies of the childfree. Thankfully, that's changing. In one recent study, Absent Non-Fathers: Gendered representations of voluntary childlessness in Swedish newspapers, sociologist Helen Peterson searches for signs of childfree men in the media and offers up an analysis of what their absence means.
Who Gets Covered, and How?
Peterson analyzed representations of "voluntary childlessness" (a.k.a., childfree) in Swedish newspapers between 2000 and 2010. She conducted a media frame analysis of all eighteen articles from that period that explicitly include childfree people as narrators in the story. She wanted to discover how the Swedish news media frame the childfree and their lifestyle.
Peterson examined how three categories of childfree "characters" are framed in the news: childfree couples, childfree women, and childfree men.
In contrast to coverage in other nations, Peterson notes that coverage of childfree couples in Sweden frames them as happy and carefree. The Swedish articles also portray childfree couples' relationships to children and parents differently from coverage in the US and UK. Rather than emphasizing conflict between parents and the childfree, Peterson notes that Swedish news presents childfree couples in a sympathetic light.
While childfree couples are framed positively by Swedish media, Peterson found that articles about childfree women were much more somber in tone. Negative stereotypes of selfishness and unnaturalness came up often when an article's focus was on childfree women. For example, in the category of if-I-don't-laugh-I'll-explode, Peterson shares the following quote by philosopher and neuroscientist Germund Hesslow from one such article:
[Women] "must be odd if they feel comfortable with a life without kids. Many women chose careers before children in the 70s. Something they have regretted bitterly."
It appears childfree women the world over get demonized for their choice.
Childfree men, on the other hand, are largely absent from news coverage. Peterson concludes that men's absence "reflects society's expectations of women's and men's different attitudes to children, parenting and sexuality."
Women who don't have children are perceived to be deviating further from some essential component of what makes them women while, for men, the choice not to parent is not framed as a reflection on them as men. In fact, it is not framed at all.
When childfree men are covered, it is as members of heterosexual couples. Even in such stories, men are less visible than women but their mere presence does, says Peterson, have a positive effect on how women are framed.
As Peterson notes, the one thing that allows a childfree woman to be framed in a positive light is the "presence of a man by her side." Unlike much coverage of childfree couples in the US, Peterson finds that heterosexual childfree couples in Sweden "are portrayed as responsible, reflexive and rational." She explains that this framing may be in part due to the fact that although such couples do challenge pronatalist norms, they conform to heteronormative ideals in most other respects.
Peterson concludes with the observation that representations of the childfree in Swedish news media reflect many of the stereotypes about them. While coverage of the childfree may on the one hand offer support and a reference group for other childfree people, Peterson calls for "more nuanced representation of voluntary childlessness," including representation of chlidfree men, in order for stereotypes to really be challenged.


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ENM604 Quality Management
Lead Faculty: Dr. Shekar Viswanathan
Course DescriptionOverview on theories of total quality management required for a successful organization. In addition, key Global Trends, Costs of Poor Quality, and Ethical Dilemmas will be discussed. The concepts related to Six Sigma, Benchmarking, SPC, quality tools, and ISO 9000-2000 will be discussed.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of quality management tools and practices including Six Sigma, Benchmarking, SPC, quality tools, and ISO 9000-2000.
- Summarize skills to implement quality management systems to manage projects/operations successfully.
- Evaluate various factors involved in the practice of implementing total quality management programs.


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See his video
One on Galileo and Astronomy
Another one on space
"By the sweat on our brows, and the strengths of our backs…Gentlemen. Hoist the Colours! And you, madam, I warn you, I know the entire Geneva Convention by heart!"
Trust me.
He was pretty good.
Unfairly Balanced - 26 July 2009 05:38 PMOne on Galileo and Astronomy
Another one on space
You have these two links exactly the same. (And I get a message that they are currently unavailable.)
Attention to detail: An apostrophe is the difference between a company that knows its shit and a company that knows it's shit.


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All transfer course equivalencies are reviewed by academic departments on a regular basis and are subject to modification. Courses not included on a below chart or from a college not listed below are still eligible to transfer, provided they meet all transfer policies. In these cases, courses will be reviewed individually for appropriate Cortland credit. Courses listed with XX course numbers, e.g. MAT 2XX, will transfer as elective credit.
Current SUNY Cortland undergraduate students who wish to register at another college must follow the Permission to Transfer Credit Process and obtain approval for courses from their academic advisor and the Transfer Credit Coordinator in advance of registration at the other college.
Students seeking to complete general education requirements at another SUNY college may search the approved SUNY GE by campus database to choose appropriate courses.
|Adirondack CC
|University at Albany
|Alfred State College
|Binghamton University
|SUNY Brockport
|Broome CC
|Buffalo State College
|University at Buffalo
|SUNY Canton
|Cayuga CC
|Clinton CC
|SUNY Cobleskill
|Columbia-Greene CC
|Corning CC
|SUNY Delhi
|Dutchess CC
|Empire State College
|Erie CC
|Farmingdale State College
|Finger Lakes CC
|SUNY Fredonia
|Fulton-Montgomery CC
|Genesee CC
|Herkimer County CC
|Hudson Valley CC
|SUNY IT Utica
|Jamestown CC
|Jefferson CC
|Mohawk Valley CC
|Monroe CC
|Morrisville State College
|Nassau CC
|SUNY New Paltz
|Niagara County CC
|North Country CC
|Old Westbury
|Onondaga CC
|Orange County CC
|SUNY Oswego
|SUNY Plattsburgh
|SUNY Potsdam
|Purchase College
|Rockland CC
|Schenectady County CC
|Stony Brook University
|Suffolk County CC
|Sullivan County CC
|Tompkins-Cortland CC
|Ulster County CC
|Westchester CC
|Adelphi University
|Canisius College
|Cazenovia College
|Daemen College
|Dowling College
|Hofstra University
|Ithaca College
|Kingsborough CC
|LeMoyne College
|Long Island University
|Nazareth College
|Niagara University
|Sage College
|St. Bonaventure
|St. John Fisher
|St. John's University
|St. Joseph's
|Syracuse University
|Utica College
|Human International Japan
|Japan College of FL
|Osaka College


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Night Shift Sunrise I'm up here Family portrait Wilbur often wondered if he'd been adopted or abdu… Blue eggs Looking for loose change... guns, gems and GM Hey, you following me? I'm walkin' here. On Golden Swan Snowy Egret Homeland Security More Monet they do this because they can, and we can't Mom does half a boardwalk get there faster he danced for me Mine! Mine! Mine! A Norman Rockwell moment woo boo Grooming With Light Dawn's Early Light Garry Owen and Glory getting ready to go to work work and leisure in Tarpon Springs, FL old man and the sea Mixer Also called Iron Heads Tri Color Heron at breakfast still attached to the bird avian collider Tri-color heron in full breeding colors a little morning Monet New Orleans, 7 a.m. serenity Mom's A Taxi Sometimes the Great Blue Dances Welcome to Florida Big Kitty - Florida Panther Dunedin Cemetery - only the best in Living Memoria… image Downing Street Pottery Factory/Museum, Black Prince Rd, London BIG KITTY I'm Piiiinnnkkk!
Posted on 05/30/2013
Photo taken on May 30, 2013
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An original creative work can be protected by registering the work for official copyright protection via the U.S. Copyright Office, or by putting a notice of copyright on the work at the moment of creation. A copyright provides individuals with legal protection in the courts, and protects both published and unpublished works, according to the U.S. Copyright Office.Continue Reading
Copyright protection is available for original works such as books, film scripts, plays, songs, software and architectural drawings. The author of the work owns the copyright automatically. It helps to attach the notice of copyright with a date. Including the date is important. Should a person need to file a court claim to prevent another person or entity from using the work, the date is helpful in proving the work was created before anyone else attempted to claim it.
While it is not necessary to register a work with the U.S. Copyright Office, formal registration typically results in having a certificate of copyright registration from the government. It also creates a public record of the existence of the work. The public record gives the originator an extra level of legal protection. Some individuals believe that mailing an original work to oneself is a way to establish legal copyright. However, it does not provide extra copyright protection.Learn more about Crime


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Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
Be the first NJ.com user to add photos or videos of P & P Liquor Locker
Since 2000, P & P Liquor Locker has been providing Beer (packaged) from Trenton.
P & P Liquor Locker is located at 1335 S Broad St, Trenton, NJ. This location is in the Franklin Park neighborhood. This business specializes in Alcoholic Beverages.


text: Brand MarketingHilton Eyes 3 Agencies for Its Hampton Creative AccountWinner will succeed Young & RubicamBy Andrew McMains|July 17, 2014ShareBy Andrew McMains|July 17, 2014Share Hilton is in the late stages of a creative review of its Hampton properties, with three agencies preparing for final presentations. The finalists are Cramer-Krasselt in Chicago, david&goliath in El Segundo, Calif. and GSD&M in Austin, Texas, according to Dan Pearlman, CEO of Bob Wolf Partners/TPG, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based consultancy that's managing the search. The assignment involves creating ads for Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites and Hampton by Hilton that will run in key markets for the chain, including the U.S., Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region. Global media spending is estimated at more than $30 million. The winner will succeed Young & Rubicam in Chicago, the brand's lead agency since 2011. Y&R defended but failed to reach the final round. Before Y&R, the lead shop was Draftfcb. Hilton executives initially considered more than a dozen agencies and later narrowed the field to six and then three, according to Pearlman. Not in play are media, digital and public relations responsibilities, which remain at OMD in Los Angeles, iCrossing in New York and Dallas and Emanate in New York, respectively. Hilton plans to select an agency by the end of next month. Sharehttp://adweek.it/1mRtXit copy Adweek Adweek


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There is a widespread consensus that the decade we've just brought to a close was singularly disastrous for the country: the list of scandals, crises and crimes is so long that events that in another context would stand out as genuine lowlights–Enron and Arthur Andersen's collapse, the 2003 Northeast blackout, the unsolved(!) anthrax attacks–are mere afterthoughts. We still don't have a definitive name for this era, though Paul Krugman's 2003 book The Great Unraveling captures well the sense of slow, inexorable dissolution; and the final crisis of the era, what we call the Great Recession, similarly expresses the sense that even our disasters aren't quite epic enough to be cataclysmic. But as a character in Tracy Letts's 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, August: Osage County, says, "Dissipation is actually much worse than cataclysm."
American progressives were the first to identify that something was deeply wrong with the direction the country was heading in and the first to provide a working hypothesis for the cause: George W. Bush. During the initial wave of antiwar mobilization, in 2002, much of the ire focused on Bush himself. But as the decade stretched on, the causal account of the country's problems grew outward in concentric circles: from Bush to his administration (most significantly, Cheney) to the Republican Party to–finally (and not inaccurately)–the entire project of conservative governance.
As much of the country came to share some version of this view (tenuously, but share it they did), the result was a series of Democratic electoral sweeps and a generation of Americans, the Millennials, with more liberal views than any of their elder cohorts. But it always seemed possible that the sheer reactionary insanity of the Bush administration would have a conservatizing effect on the American polity. Because things had gone so wrong, it was a more than natural reaction to long for the good old days; the Clinton years, characterized by deregulation and bubbles, seemed tantalizingly placid and prosperous in retrospect. The atavistic imperialism of the Bush administration had a way of making the pre-Bush foreign policy of soft imperialism and subtle bullying look positively saintly.
Toward the end of the decade, as the establishment definitively rebuked Bush and sought to distance itself from his failures, the big-tent center-left coalition took on an influential constituency–the Colin Powells and Warren Buffetts–who didn't want reform so much as they wanted restoration. This was reflected in a strange internal tension in the Obama campaign rhetoric that simultaneously promised both: change you can believe in and, as Obama said at a March 2008 appearance in Pennsylvania, a foreign policy that is "actually a return to the traditional bipartisan realistic policy of George Bush's father."


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Archaeology Trail is a 0.3 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Hurricane, Utah that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and birding and is best used from March until October.
kid friendly
nature trips
wild flowers
no dogs
Short, but steep. Starts across from the entrance to the visitor center parking lot. Climbs to the outlines of several prehistoric buildings. Trailside exhibits. The Archaeology Trail is a short trail that leads to exhibits of prehistoric buildings. There are some low angle views of surrounding mountains.
Nice moderate mid level view. Nothing over the top stunning, except a few mule deer. Is a nice short hike to wind down a long day.
Wouldn't take the time to do. It was very hot. And the "ruins" at the top were a unkept information board and some black plastic tarp. The view at the top was the watchman campground and the visitor center parking lot.
Good little hike if you have small kids..
Terry M.
If you're in the parking lot by the visitor's center it's worth taking the few minutes to climb this hill for the view. I wouldn't make a special trip though.
Short but very steep up to some ruins. There are a few informational boards along the way. The top of this trail gives some amazing views of the park.


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In the USA, there was the famous (infamous?) Trail of Tears in 1838 occurring with the Native American population.
From Wikipedia:
The Trail of Tears was the forced relocation and movement of Native Americans from their homelands to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) in the Western United States. The phrase originated from a description of the removal of the Choctaw Nation in 1831. Many Native Americans suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation while en route to their destinations, and many died, including, for example, 4,000 of the 15,000 relocated Cherokee. Thousands of enslaved and free African-Americans (as slaves accompanying their Native American slaveowners and as former runaway slaves that were assisted by, assimilated by, or married to members of the tribes) accompanied the removed nations on the Trail of Tears.In 1831, the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole (sometimes collectively referred to as the Five Civilized Tribes) were living as autonomous nations in what would be called the American Deep South. The process of cultural transformation (proposed by George Washington and Henry Knox) was gaining momentum, especially among the Cherokee and Choctaw. Andrew Jackson was the first U.S. President to implement removal of the Native Americans with the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. In 1831 the Choctaw were the first to be removed, and they became the model for all other removals. After the Choctaw, the Seminole were removed in 1832, the Creek in 1834, then the Chickasaw in 1837, and finally the Cherokee in 1838.


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this is a bit late since the equestrian style came up a while ago, but then again, I've always loved anything that has to do with horses, I just never thought to blog about it.
The riding top hat:
I love it, i love it!! Then again I love top hats period. Though, this one ( I found at an equestrian site) is the perfect top hat, It has a short top, so its more wearable than a tall top. The hat also has a curved brim, so its not to harsh, AND it had a friggin bow on the back, though in this pic, its not so visible. I can already imagine myself wearing it ( without the built in helmet of course). I would seriosuly wear it with every outfit, and not care that i get dirty stares, but this hat is over 150 bucks...sooo not so afordable. :(
The riding coat:
This coat looks sort of like a normal coat, but i feel it looks so much nicer than any reagular coat. The way if wraps on the body, and the length, the buttons, the sleeves, the color, the COLLAR! everything about it, I love. The waist looks so incredibly flattering, and the hem just perks a little, i love it!!
The riding boot:
This is really the perfect boot to walk around in, Its flat and tall and the curve at the top is so understated pretty! needless to say, I'm in love.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
I'm obsessed with..vol.2
1 comment:
- VanityTreasure said...
I love this look too! It looks super smart :)
- September 30, 2008 at 6:28 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Bill Webb
Executive Director
Bill Webb has served as Executive Director of the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) since 1995. In his capacity as Executive Director, Bill works closely with members of Congress and fire service leaders on developing federal legislation and enhancing federal programs designed to improve the readiness of our nation's fire and emergency services.
A writer and speaker, Bill has traveled throughout the country speaking at major conferences and trade shows. His written work has covered a broad range of first responder issues and has been featured in major fire service publications. In addition, he has served on a number of panels and testified before commissions and panels including the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Before joining CFSI, Bill worked for the Firefighter Combat Challenge as the project manager for the competition. A former member of the first Bush administration, he served as a special assistant to cabinet secretaries at the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, preparing briefings and accompanying the secretaries as a personal travel aide. Bill is an honorary member of the Vienna, Virginia Volunteer Fire Department, the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association, and the International Association of Fire Fighter' Local 36. He also serves on the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Board of Directors. He and his wife, Katie, reside in Vienna, Virginia with their three children.
Sean Carroll
Director of Government Affairs
Sean Carroll is the Director of Government Affairs for the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), a position he has held since joining the Institute in 2002. As the Director of Government Affairs, Sean is responsible for tracking all federal legislation and programs relating to the fire and emergency services, maintaining communications with members of Congress and federal officials, and designing educational programs targeting Capitol Hill and the White House. Sean also coordinates the activities of CFSI's National Advisory Committee, a coalition of over 40 national fire and emergency services organization. Before joining CFSI, Sean worked for United States Senator Susan M. Collins (R-ME) as her Director of Constituent Services. A native of Gray, Maine, Sean received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Maine in 1998.
Steven Tramel
Development Manager
Steven Tramel is the Development Manager for the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI). His primary responsibility is to manage all fundraising programs, including the annual National Fire and Emergency Services Symposium and Dinner Program, while performing office administrative duties. A native of Florida, Steven earned a B.A.S Degree in Organizational Management of Public Safety from Indian River State College and his M.P.A from Bellevue University. During that time he worked as a representative for a property management company. Before joining CFSI, he served as an intern in the offices of House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-07).


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One of my Facebook friends raised the subject of remembering tunes, which led me to another thought: how do we learn tunes quickly?
A seasoned bass player might not even know the tune you're hearing him play. I used to go watch Bob Cranshaw play obscure tunes all night with Jimmy Rowles – nobody, I mean NOBODY knew all these tunes, except longtime singers' accompanist/musical maestro Rowles. The thing about watching Bob Cranshaw was, you couldn't tell if he knew a tune or not.
Many years ago I had a gig with the pianist Sy Johnson, playing for the great Helen Humes. I was really green at the time, and didn't know anything to speak of; as Michael Moore said once. "a bassist is supposed to know all the tunes, but never gets to call any of them." Yep, that's my experience. You're lucky if they even tell you the key… Lately, though, I've been running into friendlier types and more collegial atmospheres, but in the old days, look out. On this gig with Sy, he was friendly enough and "cleared" the tunes with me before we did our 2 warmup songs before Helen came out for those sets at Gulliver's in West Patterson, NJ, "back in the day," as they say…. Friendly, that is, until I thanked him for doing so. Suddenly, I guess, he perceived the opportunity to teach the green kid a lesson…
The next set he played tunes I never heard before, in front of a roomful of patrons on a busy weekend, back in the days before the internet when people used to go out. I choked.
Enter the lesson. After the set, in response to my visible discomfort, he suggested:
"If you don't know the root, play something in an upper register. You're never more than a step away from a chord tone. As soon as you "hear" the chord tone (identify the chord!), resolve the note you played, whatever it was, and see if you can't get a low-register root in there before the end of the bar. Then, remember it. Think of the tune in sections, like a puzzle, and remember what goes where." Now, this is great advice, and exactly how you do it. Sometimes there's a hint in the melody or in some leading thing the pianist might hint at that will get you to the root on time, but—this is the most important part of the lesson—it can be done. You can do it. Many progressions appear again and again in tunes from all eras, and ultimately the question becomes "what goes where?"
On the subject of remembering, and instant analysis, here's another little story I witnessed:
Eddie Gomez was playing duo with some pianist (how's that for a change? Instead of "I forget who the bass player was," I'm saying "I forget who the piano player was!") who put an original tune in front of him on the 2 AM set at Bradley's. Eddie picked up the sheet, studied it intently for maybe 20 seconds, then turned it over and played the song as if he had written it. Now THAT's memorizing!


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Roast: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring meat to room temperature by removing it from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before roasting. Using a paring knife, poke small holes in the meat and insert the garlic into them. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste. Place the roast in a large roasting pan, bone side down. Roast for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and continue to roast for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes for medium-rare doneness. Remove meat to a carving board and let rest. Place roasting pan on top of stove over high heat. Add the wine and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits and reduce. Add stock and reduce by half, season with salt and pepper. Slice beef and drizzle with some of the sauce.
Potatoes: Slice the potatoes and cut them into 1/8-inch slices. Then cut the slices into long strips 1/8-inch wide. Heat oil to 375 degrees F. Add them in batches, separating them when they hit the oil. Fry until golden brown, remove and drain on paper towels and salt liberally.
Dip: Heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk and cook until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the blue cheese and cook until the cheese has melted. Season with cayenne and salt. Pour into ramekins and serve with the fries.
Toss vegetables with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill until tender.
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LSU Football: Is There Any More Doubting the Tigers?October 9, 2011
A lot of people had their doubts about the 2011 LSU Tigers.
Whether it was the back-and-forth rumors about a Les Miles departure, or the suspension of quarterback Jordan Jefferson and the promotion of Jarrett Lee to replace him, or the overall play of the defense, many were wondering how they could have even be ranked in the top five heading into the season.
Well, it looks as though there should be a lot less doubting about LSU after it throttled a battered Florida team 41-11 in Tiger Stadium on Saturday.
In a game where people began to doubt what LSU would do at quarterback with the return of Jefferson, Lee showed his poise and confidence by going 7-of-10 for 154 yards and a touchdown. However, the story was the rest of the LSU team that showed there is more to the team than its quarterback situation. Running back Spencer Ware had two rushing touchdowns to go along with 100-plus rushing yards, Alfred Blue had 70 yards to go along with a rushing touchdown and Jefferson saw limited action but managed a short touchdown pass to Mitch Joseph.
The stingy LSU defense held the Florida Gators, who were forced to their third-string quarterback in Jacoby Brissett, to only 11 points, and continued to shine as one of the best defenses in the entire SEC. LSU is playing some of the best football right now and is in perfect control of its own destiny to the BCS National Championship. And the Tigers have done it all with a second-string quarterback and a physical, hard-nosed defense.
At this point in the season, there should be very few who should continue to doubt what LSU is fully capable of. The Tigers showed plenty of it to all of Gator nation, who aren't likely to forget it anytime soon.


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The Prehistoric ManThe Prehistoric Man (1908) Theatrical Cartoon by Dave Koch
This page has been viewed 5 times this month, and 932 times total.
- Theatrical FilmTheatrical
- Traditional Animation
- Urban Trading Company
- Cartoon Characters: Artist, Prehistoric Ogre, Prehistoric Animal.
- Directed By Walter R. Booth.
- Produced By Charles Urban.
- Animated By Walter R. Booth.
- Written By Walter R. Booth.
- Originally Released in Sep, 1908 (Estimate).
- Originally Released Theatrically.
- Black & White
- United Kingdom
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Silent film.
Combined animation and live action. The drawings morphed into real-life actors after "coming to life."
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If you're a walker and you've been pacing along doing 10,000 steps -- around an hour and a half of walking -- almost every day, we have good news: you're slashing your risk for dementia, cardio problems and mobility issues.
Drs. Oz and Roizen: Walk this way, live longer
If you're a walker and you've been pacing along doing 10,000 steps — around an hour and a half of walking — almost every day, we have good news (you're slashing your risk for dementia, cardio problems and mobility issues), followed by even better news (read on).
But if you haven't joined the millions of North Americans who purposefully stride through parks, along city streets and in malls every day, don't lose heart (that's something we want to help you protect!). If you start to put one foot in front of the other, you'll not only discover that walking is fun and relieves stress, but as you head toward a much younger RealAge, you'll cut your risk of premature death by up to 50 per cent! So, here's how to get started and how to measure the health benefits you gain.
Step One:Assess your current walking pace for 1/4 mile on a local running track or a treadmill. Your first "pace off" should be untimed; instead, monitor how your effort feels. On a scale of 1 to 10 — 1 being "I'm barely moving," and 10 being "I'm breathing hard and sweating" — aim for about a 7. It should feel a little challenging, but you can talk comfortably and are breathing more deeply than normal. If that's too intense, dial it back to a 6.
Step Two:Walk as quickly as you comfortably can on a treadmill or a track for six timed minutes. Check your distance. Then multiply it times 10. That'll give you an estimate of your speed and how far you can go in an hour (m.p.h.). Depending on your age, how tall you are, how much you weigh and the terrain you're walking, a normal walking pace varies between 3 and 3.5 miles per hour. From there you can build more speed and intensity.
Step Three:Step it up three times a week for 20 minutes. Do a steady-pace walk on other days. Here's the drill: Warm up for five minutes. Then move at your regular pace for about a minute, followed by a 20- to 30-second burst of faster walking. Repeat this pattern (we call it interval training) for 20 minutes; cool down for five minutes. As you become stronger, try equal-length bursts of fast- and regular-pace activity.
The Benefits:Pushing yourself even for short intervals of time during a workout burns more calories and more fat, improves blood sugar levels and enhances heart and blood vessel functioning. A livelier tempo also invites the power plants inside every cell in your body (mitochondria) to work smarter, so you're more energetic.
An important new study tracked the walking speed and health of almost 39,000 walkers. It found that those with the very slowest speed had the worst health results. But if you're a slow walker and you're willing to step it up, you don't need to worry! We loved learning from this study that bumping up your speed just a little bit has huge health benefits: Folks in the second-slowest walking group — in some cases they walked just a minute faster per mile than the slowest strollers — reduced their added risk of early death by more than 50 per cent! Plus, moving faster by just 60 seconds also translated into a two per cent to six per cent lower risk for diabetes, dementia, heart disease, high blood pressure and heart attacks.
As you get stronger and faster, the benefits pile up! In the study, the fastest walkers were 44 per cent less likely to meet an early end compared with those who took 24 minutes or more to cover a mile (2.5 m.p.h.). So grab a walking partner (both of you stay motivated) and a pedometer (it lets you see your progress) and put on those walking shoes (get fitted at a store where they know about foot fall and how to make sure you're injury free)! You'll walk your way into a longer life, a happier outlook and a better body (always fun!).
Mehmet Oz, MD, is host of The Dr. Oz Show, and Mike Roizen, MD, is chief wellness officer and chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into The Dr. Oz Show or visit


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- Welcome
- News
- Values
- Publications
- Geof Cox's Blog
- Britain's Fat Fight: the 'elephant in the room' (no pun intended)...
- Happy Xmas 2017
- The dark side of the social enterprise boom...
- What would a social enterprise economy look like?
- Social Enterprise Law in South Eastern Europe
- Where does social enterprise fit in postcapitalism?
- Can social enterprise save public services?
- Greece, France - making enterprise more social...
- Small is the new big!
- Social impact is no longer an option for big brands
- What on earth is Social Enterprise UK doing?
- Asset Based Strategy Matrix
- Copyright infringement is NOT theft
- Impact2 Social Enterprise Conference
- Not So Grim Up North
- CASE's 30th Birthday
- Guardian Blog
- The Senscot Bulletin
- The Performance of Socially Responsible Investment
- Social Investment – or the Emperor's New Clothes
- Such a definitions mess that NOBODY can now clear it up?
- Social Enterprise Mark... or Social Enterprise Brand?
- Why social enterprise needs its own approach to intellectual property rights
- Does the social enterprise movement lack leadership?
- Business models based on greed and exploitation
- Not many jokes...
- NHS Social Enterprise Spin-outs - the real story
- Will tendering ever work for social enterprise?
- Learning from the Open Source Movement
- The Guardian & Social Enterprise
- The focus on a few kinds of social enterprise is blinding us to a bigger picture
- What do social enterprise and chocolate have in common?
- From Albania Again
- Guardian Social Enterprise Summit
- A conflict common to many co-operatives...
- Social Enterprise in Albania
- 2010 social enterprise visit to Russia - 1
- Day 2 in Rybinsk: -18°c
- Post 3 from Russia - Back to Moscow
- A typical question...
- Sounding like David Cameron...
- Do structures stymie social enterprise?
- 'Right to Request' tender collapses
- The number of 'social enterprises' just doesn't add up
- Social Firms Conference
- What is it, exactly, we're doing with Social Firms?
- Social Firms UK Annual Conference
- Social Firms and the CIC Consultation
- What is social enterprise?
- Social Enterprise in Russia – Week 1 - Moscow, Schekino and Kaluga
- Social Enterprise in Russia – Week 2 - Rybinsk
- Social Enterprise in Russia – Week 2 - Vyshniy Volochek & Ostashkov
- Social Enterprise in Russia – Week 3 - Moscow & Aleksin
- Ostashkov Conference, October 2008
- Selected old blog entries
- Social Enterprise Transformation
- Public Service Transformation
- Eastern Europe & Eurasia
- Associates and trusted partners
Geof Cox's Blog
Social Firms and the CIC Consultation
Having recently drafted a response on behalf of Social Firms UK to the April consultation on amendments to the CIC Regulations, I'm now thinking about the June consultation on the dividend and interest caps.
While the credit crunch has certainly revealed a problem with tying the caps too closely to Base Rate, my main concern is that from the point of view of Social Firms this consultation in fact asks the wrong questions about the dividend and interest caps.
Social Firms create jobs for people with disabilities and other severe disadvantages in finding employment. In doing so they tackle some of the most intractable cases of social exclusion, for example of people with mental health problems or learning disabilities. Their workers often have high support needs, and for this reason Social Firms often need an element of grant funding, at least at start-up, while still aiming to fulfill their social inclusion mission by becoming financially sustainable from trading alone.
The CIC form was a godsend to Social Firms, precisely because it combines an asset lock – which reassures grant funders - with normal commercial operation. The weakness of the CIC form lies in it's treatment of stakeholders.
The limitation of the Share CIC form for Social Firms, in particular, is that it does not allow the reward of the 'sweat equity' of the founders or on-going workers in the way that an ordinary share company could. Thus while the limitation on dividends is essential for outside investors (to reassure grant funders and therefore maintain the fundamental strength of the CIC form), we do not feel this should apply to shares held by or on behalf of emloyees – many of whom already experience the most severe financial exclusion.
Ostashkov Conference
19/10/2008 Moscow
Today I had one of those Kafka-esque comic experiences that really bring home what it means to deal with Russian officialdom. Having paid the entrance fee into the Pushkin Fine Art Museum (which is by the way absolutely wonderful – best experience in Moscow yet) I was asked to leave my bag in the cloakroom. Fair enough of course – but when I went to the cloakroom the official in charge insisted it was full. I could neither go into the museum nor back out (without losing the entrance fee)! I tried to suggest to the official in charge of bags that he could put my bag on the top of the rack and write a note of where it was as a 'check' for me - a common sense idea that was unfortunately far beyond my knowledge of Russian and his willingness to bend the rules. It is quite probable, of course, that as so often in such situations in Russia the solution lay in my wallet – but how do you know? and how do you know how much? Fortunately somebody came in to retrieve their bag at the vital moment – I put mine in the free space and the newcomer gave his bag-check directly to me.
I'm just back in Moscow after nearly a week out in Ostashkov, between Moscow and St.Petersburg, where I've been leading a training conference for 30 or so people mainly from NGOs interested in social enterprise. A number of the Oxfam Russia staff were there and this gave me a chance to explore further the whole context – political, economic, social and cultural – for social enterprise development in Russia. I was in particular able to talk this time with Sergey Zhidkikh, the Russian (but fluent English-speaking) Programme Manager and Nicholas Colloff, the English-of-Russian-origin (but certainly not fluent Russian-speaking) Country Manager. It was a humbling experience, partly because these two men are exemplary in their knowledge, skills and humanity, and partly because the barriers to social enterprise development are so big.
Perhaps the biggest cultural difference is that - as Sergey put it - "in Russia power is personal". What is and is not possible – let alone optimal – in terms of social enterprise or almost any other kind of development cannot really be taught – it has to be negotiated with local officials etc. There is enormous complexity in the legal/financial environment – and many uncertainties and undecidables in areas such as tax liability and contracting – and of course this complexity and uncertainty is just how the petty-powerful like it. Since what would in our society be the bastions of transparency and accountability – the free media and independent courts – are in Russia also subject to this personal power ethos, there is little choice at the moment other than to go along with it.
Added to this problem of course is the simple lack of economic activity (outside of big cities - which are booming). Any social enterprise idea that involves tapping into local disbursable incomes will struggle in rural or small-town Russia, where poverty is pervasive and where of course Oxfam is working. Most of the ideas I want to work on next year in fact depend on a 'fair trade' business model (products made in disadvantaged local communities sold at a premium into sympathetic markets hundreds of miles away).
On the positive side, however, there are many social forces that favour social enterprise in Russia -
- the natural sympathy many people feel (arising perhaps directly out of their recent bitter experience of transition from soviet to cowboy economy) with the idea of doing business in a way that includes and cares for disadvantaged people, and respects other social and cultural values
- the ability of social enterprise to address precisely many of the social and economic problems faced by disadvantaged communities in Russia - and at the same time build the capacity and independence of civil society in a way that grant or government funding cannot
- specific commercial opportunities for social enterprise arising out of the way the Russian economy is developing, for example in market niches outside big cities which are not attractive to big business nor possible for local individual entrepreneurs (the 'fair trade' business model is an example of this but there are others around specific services).
Social Enterprise in Russia – Week 3 - Moscow & Aleksin
If you want to read from the start of my July in Russia experiences please start from Social Enterprise in Russia – Week 1 - Moscow, Schekino and Kaluga
My last weekend in Moscow (until October) turned out beautifully: still hot and sunny, but a gentle fresh breeze took the temperature down a little – to the high twenties rather than the mid thirties – and cleared the air.
The weekend highlight was the modern Tretyakov gallery – I finally understood socialist realism as something more than what I think Adorno called 'boy meets tractor' art. Right next to what is I guess the most famous architectural model in the world – Tatlin's Monument to the Third International – was the gallery shop: a few books and cards half-displayed behind counter and glass. This is Russia's equivalent to the Tate gallery – where I'm sure there would be half the floor devoted to sales. Later in the Oxfam office Sergey told me that the government (the Tretyakov is a state gallery) had been advised by top gallery consultants from the west on just such social enterprise, but they couldn't get a big sales floor past the middle level bureaucrats. I left the Tetyakov with 2 10-rouble postcards and wondered outside through the labyrinth of street artists painting portraits and selling picturesque landscapes, and thought about the commodification of art. Maybe the beaurocrats got it right after all...
Our last journey was to Aleksin. Southwest out of Moscow the countryside gradually becomes more like Britain – no hedges or stone walls, but bigger fields on rolling hills, sometimes even separated by lines of trees that if you're feeling a little homesick might just be mistaken for hedges.
Victor saved the best of his mini-guide to Russian food and drink to the last: in Aleksin we stayed in a log cabin and cooked 'shashlyk' over an open fire. Victor's friend Sasha brought his 12-string guitar and played 'chanson' – a French name for a uniquely Russian style, music shot through with minor chords and words of loss, remembered home and family, doomed love. All westerners here must at some time think about what Anna calls – with some irony – 'the mysterious Russian soul'. The sentimentality and nostalgia of these songs is clearly part of the Russian experience – natural enough perhaps for people who have suffered such huge dislocations over many generations. Sasha handed me the guitar and, although not used to a 12-string I managed to play a couple of western pop songs in major keys. Only afterwards did it occur to me that they were about individuals remaining strong in the face of minor difficulties like the end of a 'so-so' love affair. Sasha – who has lived in the frozen north, served in the soviet navy, been sent to prison and is now a lawyer – might, had he understood the words, have thought 'so what?'
The next day in Aleksin we met 2 more projects centred on children: a school social enterprise at Comprehensive School No.11, and a chldren's television production company (all jobs done by and for the children). At the back of School No.11 they have preserved a bullet and shell marked wall as a memorial of the Second World War – what the Russians call The Great Patriotic War. The German army reached the river at Aleksin and either deliberately or accidentally shelled the school. When asked recently to photograph the most important places in their town the schoolchildren came here first. I grew up in a time when the shadow of the Second World War loomed large in Britain, but I find it hard to conceive, let alone communicate its significance for Russians. We sometimes complain about the American film industry's portrayal of the War as won by the Americans, but we hardly think about the Russians. Looked at from here, however, it seems very much like a War between Russia and Germany, with a few skirmishes involving other nations around the edges. One in three of all the people killed in the Second World War was a Russian. In the battle of Kursk the Germans lost more tanks than in the whole of the rest of the War put together.
I was never moved, or much interested, in the big military parades in Red Square, but that of 1941 certainly was dramatic – the Red Army went straight from Red Square to the front, which at the time was only a few miles away on the outskirts of Moscow. They held the line, and then slowly pushed it back all the 1000 miles to Berlin. Russians can indeed be over indulgent to the point of tastelessness – just look at the confection of St.Basil's Cathedral on Red Square – but they do understatement pretty well too. The tomb of the unknown warrior in the Alexander Gardens under the Kremlin wall is a simple flat stone slab draped with a bronze flag, at the end of a long row of sombre stones each carved just with the name of a city that was attacked but did not fall to the German Army.
So the Aleksin schoolchildren each May still lay flowers by an ordinary brick wall, pock-marked by bullets and shells over 60 years ago.
Social Enterprise in Russia – Week 2 - Vyshniy Volochek & Ostashkov
We received a wonderful welcome in Vyshniy Volochek, especially from Vladimir Samuipov, the deputy mayor and celebrated local historian and writer, who presented us with both a copy of his latest book, on Pushkin's brief stay in the Tver region, and a bottle of the unique herbal liqueur 'Tverskaya' (ТΒΕΡСКАЯ). A man of culture and taste!
While Rybinsk wants to become a 'social town', both Vyshniy Volochek and Ostashkov are targeting tourism. The local authority in Vyshniy Volochek wants to explore setting up a social enterprise travel agency, and those at the meeting were very interested in my ad lib case study of Travel Matters in Surrey (if they contact you Peter it's my fault!). There is tourism potential. Both Vyshniy Volochek and Ostashkov are close to beautiful countryside and have interesting historic connections and buildings; Vyshniy Volochek is at the centre of a big canal system and Ostashkov by the side of a picturesque lake and famous monastery. The first target is domestic tourism, and indeed I fear there are still some major barriers for foreign visitors. Russia is still not that easy to get into, or stay in. There is red tape (although according to The Moscow Times the visa regime with EU countries might be loosened within 3 years) as well as a number of other difficulties to negotiate. Moreover, the legacy of soviet town planning and the collapse of the economy in the 1990s makes many places fundamentally unsuited to visitors – for example facilities in towns such as hotels, shops, bars, library, etc may not be clustered around a 'town centre' but spread out across different neighbourhoods – quite convenient if you're planning a town around the needs of ordinary residents but not necessarily very market- or visitor-friendly. Moreover, a lot of infrastructure outside Moscow – roads, buildings, etc – has gone pretty much unmaintained since the 1980s.
In Ostashkov we met more disharmony with the local authority – indeed it seemed between local and district authorities. Two enterprises that had formerly held contracts with the local authority to offer 50% discounts to pensioners and disabled people had just had these contracts withdrawn. One of these – which undertakes shoe and other small repairs – also employs 3 disabled people (out of 5 staff) and has continued to offer 10% discounts at it's own expense. Clearly this is a social firm. They have 2 clear business planning needs:
- they have unused space in their building, which might be used to generate more income, and
- they need to update their equipment.
They will talk to Oxfam about a two-stage investment, first help with business planning and then, if appropriate, investment in modernisation. I wonder if any UK Social Firm would be interested in twinning with them?
We also met in Ostashkov with the head of the residential unit for 2-8 year old children. There are 70 children living there, who were either abandoned or 'taken into care'. Over 90% have some kind of disability or illness; many have HIV/AIDS. Having found that attempts to place children with foster families often came undone, Oxfam is assisting them to develop a new approach, which has some elements in common with that of the big North East & Yorkshire social enterprise Team Fostering: careful selection and thorough training of foster parents, and on-going support. In the Russian context this means that foster parents actually become employees of the residential home, with contracts clearly specifying who-does-what (basically the foster parents look after the child and bring them up, but the residential unit deals with medical and legal issues).
Again, the number of abandoned or abused children reflects on the economic collapse of the 1990s, from which small towns like Ostashkov are finding it hard to recover. Of the 25,000 townspeople, 9000 (36%) are pensioners; and 10% of the others are disabled. About a third of the population live below the official poverty line.
One Ostashkov project I'm particularly interested in is being developed by a local school, Gymnasium No.2: a shop or merchandising arrangement in a proposed new tourist information centre, selling souvenirs made by the schoolchildren. In the UK I'm working with Susan Priestley on a big school social enterprise project – addressing the relationship between educational and enterprise priorities in ventures that aim to both provide trade and business training and real jobs for students who might otherwise leave without a progression route (most of the schools we are dealing with are special schools, or are located in areas of high and multi-generational unemployment, so this is a real issue). Again I'm hoping for some transnational linking of the projects!
My ears also pricked up when I heard that Ostashkov has the infrastructure for district heating. It was switched off last year seemingly for lack of funds, then the price hiked beyond the reach of most people. Now it's shrouded in uncertainty because of the prospect of a natural gas connection for the town. Russia has of course plentiful natural oil and gas – but I know some environmentalists who would give their eye teeth for a ready-made district heating infrastructure – especially amidst huge areas of forest. In the short term, and locally, I've no doubt that it makes narrow financial sense to burn gas – but surely from a global perspective it cannot be the best option...
Social Enterprise in Russia – Week 2 - Rybinsk
Victor, my interpreter Anna, and I, have driven hundreds of miles through the Russian countryside, between Rybinsk, Vyshniy Volochek and Ostashkov. The countryside in this part of central Russia is mainly silver birch forest, but you pass also many clearings - very occasionally cultivated fields, but mainly wildflower meadows. These are very beautiful to look at, though not so nice at this time of year to actually be in – like most usually cold places the sudden summer heat teams with insects. Little of the land is used except for haymaking and gathering wild food – babooshkas sit patiently by the roadside selling mushrooms, blackberries, and what not. The climate simply won't support most agriculture - even pasture animals are hard to keep. When you get up close the grass is thin and scrubby, the land is covered in snow for 5 or 6 months of the year, and the summer is suddenly very hot
Even more occasionally you pass untidy villages – clusters of little wooden dachas with beautifully carved and fretted windows, usually just off the road. Often, some of the dachas are abandoned – indeed some whole villages are abandoned – another reason for the lack of agriculture and the return of formerly cultivated fields to meadows. Russia's population is shrinking by about a million a year, and with Moscow and a few other cities growing like topsy the countryside seems to be emptying fast. I was puzzled at first by the reaction of those Russians who find out I have 4 children, but soon discovered that it is normal for families to have just one child here, and 3 children makes you officially a Big Family (of which more below).
Social Enterprise in Russia – Week 1 - Moscow, Schekino and Kaluga
Oxfam have asked me to advise them on how social enterprise development might contribute to the anti-poverty programme they are currently running in Russia. I'm now sitting outside the Metropol Hotel just beside Red Square – quite appropriately (for a social enterprise blog) between the Marx Monument and the GUM department store (which has become a cathedral to capitalism) – trying to make sense of my first week here.
What can you say to people about setting up social enterprise in a country where any one of over 90 government agencies can inspect your premises at any time... where most of the inspectors aren't paid enough to live on, so whatever their personal morality they have to supplement their income somehow... and where 80% of the wealth of the world's largest country is concentrated in it's capital city - and outside Moscow almost everybody has only just enough money to live on?
If you've ever done any grassroots community work anywhere you would recognise Alla Novikova. She is the kind of middle-aged woman that is often at the centre of vibrant community groups. Well turned out, both sceptical and full of hope, first to speak up for others, yet clearly herself the heart and soul of the organisation. Her life experience has left her equally at home making policy or tea. Alla is chair of the Schekino branch of the All Russia Society of Disabled People. You might notice the missing finger lost in a train accident back in Soviet times, when she was 25, newly married with a new baby. You probably won't notice, because she'll be wearing trousers, that the train also took her leg. Alla knows what it's like to be disabled in a workers' state, where workers are supposed to be strong.
Alla took us to meet a disabled artist,
Viacheslav, down a dirt road on the edge of town to the little wooden house which he shares with his wife, her mother and her daughter (his first wife having left with his own children when he was disabled in a car accident - at just 19). I know you will have seen before - or can imagine - the living conditions of very poor people. In Russia it is estimated that welfare benefits provide between 10 and 50% of what you need to survive. But it wasn't how little Viacheslav's family had, or the bits of their house that were indeed falling apart that really moved me, but the immaculate upkeep of everything in the little house and garden that they could do for themselves. I remember many years ago visiting the Pennywell estate northeast of Newcastle, just after it had been torn apart by riots. There again it wasn't the abandoned or burnt out houses that struck me most forcibly, but one house alone in a row all burnt out or clad in metal 'systems' against the chaos, one immaculate house and old-fashioned front garden neatly kept, with bright bedding plants and fresh dug earth. I imagined an elderly couple, locking their door every evening not knowing what fresh chaos might overtake their old street in the night.
The artist showed me paintings he had done on scraps of wood when he could not afford paper. But here's the point: they really were good. I've seen a lot of work over the years that has come out of 'therapeutic' art and craft activities, and I am not naïve or sentimental about this. Moreover, today I took a special interest in the work on display at the Izmaylovo Art Market here in Moscow – and Viacheslav's work is better than most of the stuff I've seen. In any other country it would be a simple matter to set up a social enterprise to distribute and sell such work, carefully selected across small town Russia and sold in Moscow. Will it be simple here?
The scope of my work for Oxfam does not yet extend to development. I'm currently working with Victor Glushkov, a lanky Russian microfinance (and single malt) specialist here in the Oxfam Moscow office, just assessing the barriers and opportunities for social enterprise development and organising a 3-day conference in October to explore the possibilities. But we are already talking to a new Russian organisation that has some funds, and wants to focus on social enterprise development. I hope we have the basis for a partnership that can put together an application for a larger scale development project.
If you can help, please contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
So far the field research has been only in Schekino and Kaluga; next week I'll be travelling to Rybinsk, Vyshniy Volochek and Ostashkov, and the week after to Aleksin then back to Sheremetyevo. I'll try to post here my further thoughts as I go, though internet access is not always straightforward...
Social Firms UK Annual Conference
Social Firms UK is to be congratulated on another excellent annual conference this week. I am however unsure about one aspect: the decision to lobby for a waiver of PAYE and NI for any company that employs more than 25% disabled staff. Clearly this would be of enormous help to Social Firms, while at the same time could surely not be seen as special treatment since it would be open to any business. There is, however, always a price to pay for tax concessions – for example in greater regulation – somebody else deciding what 'disabled' means, and maybe changing their mind every other year.
Moreover, there is a danger here that goes right to the heart of the Social Firms movement, and for me this was reinforced by the emphasis several of the conference speakers placed on 'getting to scale'.
Running a Social Firm now is really hard. The essence of the business problem is that Social Firms have higher staff support and supervision costs than their competitors – they must have, or their disabled staff could in fact work in open employment with its often minimal levels of support. It's an extreme version of the old problem: how does the good employer compete with the bad? The rather crazy Social Firm business proposition is to go into the market place with automatically higher costs and try to compete! In fact, of course, Social Firms have all kinds of ingenious ways of solving this fundamental business problem, such as running 2 businesses, say a travel agency and a training provider, which can cross subsidise each other within the shell of a larger enterprise. Tax concessions would make life so much easier - except that it is the very difficulty of the business model, the commitment to both people and to business, and the humanity and imagination and creativity that it requires, that make Social Firms such unique and fulfilling workplaces.
Social Firms are, you see, not just about creating jobs for disabled and disadvantaged people; they're not even just about the whole list of very laudable values and achievements around enterprise and empowerment that all good Social Firms strive for. They are also, crucially, experiments in a whole new way of doing business, of people relating to each other in the workplace; of challenging the alienation that is still what work means to most people.
The danger is that tax concessions will, precisely, focus exclusively on the creation of poor quality jobs; that exploitative commercial operators will move in, or, more likely, those big empire-building charities that can be just as... well... corporate.
Perhaps it's because I've just read Paul Kingsnorth's book Real England – an elegy for the individualistic and local and quirky – including many businesses rooted in alternative values and lifestyles - that are fast disappearing under the bland and multinational and corporate. Perhaps it is better to have any job – even if it's not much fun – than no job at all. Perhaps it's just because I like all those crazy characters you meet at Social Firms conferences (like the guy who's recruitment strategy was to phone his local job centre and ask them to send down all the people they thought would never find a job – they sent 16 - he hired them all).
But to me, these individualistic and radical alternatives to normal business practice are at the very heart of the Social Firms movement. Of course we should try to reach and help more people, but I wonder if tax concessions and 'getting to scale' will really mean quantity at the expense of some of the very human qualities of the wonderful Social Firms we have now.
What is social enterprise?
Why is it that the most intense discussion at every social enterprise event is still around defining social enterprise? Even though everyone purports to be tired of the subject and sees the need to move on?
At the recent Inspiring Rural Communities - the National Rural Social Enterprise Conference I attended the workshop on Developing a UK Social Enterprise Research Programme and witnessed again the core problem with this definition issue:
social enterprise is an activity - a verb - not a thing, so it eludes any attempt to to pin it down to any particular kind of structure or business form
Interestingly, the workshop facilitator's proposed working definition was in fact verbal - doing business not primarily for profit - but when I pointed this out in the workshop the immediate response from somebody was 'but by that definition Tescos could be a social enterprise' - back again immediately to the illusion that social enterprise is something you are not something you do!


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Police say a 15-year-old girl was drunk when she came to pick her older brother up from a Winthrop Harbor bar because he was too intoxicated to drive himself home.
The girl, from Park City, was pulled over Monday night and told officers she was heading to the bar to give her 23-year-old brother a ride home from the bar, the Lake County News-Sun reported.
She was charged with DUI after registering a 0.139 blood-alcohol content level, and was also cited for not having a driver's license, illegal transportation of alcohol and illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor, police said.


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Published: 2008/06/03
by Annabel Lukins
It's June 1, I am sitting in my back yard in Boulder, the sun is shining on a beautiful early summer day, and after a great talk with my editor Dean, I am 100% inspired to write a column about what I have been up to since I deserted all of you after my heart-filled piece about my wedding -almost 9 months ago.
First of all, let it be known, I am totally in love with my husband. Marriage has been the craziest undertaking ever and I truly believe that it's more work than I had imagined, yet worth every up and down.
Now, where did I leave off? Right after our return from a 10-day honeymoon in Maui I pressed the "go" button for work and didn't turn it off until mid-March.
Caribbean Holidaze in December, was up next, and boywhat a slam-dunk that was. 5 days and nights under gorgeous Jamaican skies, the Biscuits, Umphrey's, Keller, the Duo, 800 fans, and about 60 of us staff, broke new grounds in musical perfection. We charted two all-inclusive resorts in Runaway Bay, built a professional size stage on the beach, and lived in paradise for a week. Shows were only at night. Daytime was spent in the ocean, the pool, playing golf, tennis , celebrating the Holidaze, or sleeping in. I only wish you all could come this year, but we sold out immediately!
Right after Jamaica was Jam Cruise 6. And yes, I may say this every time, but BEST ONE YET. Not only were we sold out in June, but also the event was the smoothest ever on board. It was seamless (ok despite a few seasick people), from the moment we boarded to the time we arrived back in Florida. And since I feel we are like a well-oiled machine after six cruises, the fans and the musicians have more fun too. Don't forget, Jam Cruise 7 is announced and we are on sale June 4. Here are some of my super sassy photos from January.
No rest for this little girl, Langerado was in March, only two months away. With over 100 bands to advance and a team of 18 to manage, I had my hands full! We hosted 25,000 people a day, campers far as the eye could see, we all "followed the lines going South" and returned back to Big Cypressattempting to create magic once again. Now, in the history of life experiences, Phish at Big Cypress wins hands down (actually, I wrote that in the beginning of my "Union & Reunion" column). So going back there to run Langerado was a dream come true.
So, how did it go, you are thinking? Well, it was one of the most challenging but rewarding experiences I've ever had. But at the end of the day, it was a huge success. Plus, hanging with the Beastie Boys, escorting Sammy Bush around, & having Phix dedicate Destiny Unbound to me, made it ALLLLL worth it. See, you may not think so because I get to hang out with all these cool musicians, but my job is harder than most any out there. I have to maintain composure, leadership, professionalism, enthusiasm and so much more under the most extreme times of pressure. And I do my best to accomplish that, even if it means sacrificing my own needs. Butwhen I get the most important Phish song I never heard sung for me by the best Phish tribute band ever AT Big Cypress, and I get to spend an hour talking about NYC with the Beastie Boys, I get back to why I love this so much and why it's ok to work as hard as I do. I am truly humbled to lead such a life.
OK before I jump to April, I need to pause and introduce Charlie. I'm such a control freak and my friends tease me all the time. At my bachelorette party, I told the girls that my plan was: Cat Kid Dog Kid. Six months into the marriage, one of my best friends Nina looked at her watch, looked at me and said "well you better get on that cat!"
So one afternoon in February, we went to the Humane Society, and there we found "Fritz." He was this tiny little 8-week old tabby who cried and cried until someone held him. We took him home and knew we had found our kitty. Thing was, we didn't love the name. So one day I was video chatting with my 3-year old niece Bailey and showed her the cat. "What's his name?" She asked. "I don't know, Bailey, what should we name him?" "Charlie," she sheepishly replied in the cutest voice ever! "PERFECT," I said to her. Then I asked my sister, "Who the hell is Charlie," as I had never heard Bailey use that name. "Oh, he's some boy she has a crush on at school." I thought it was the best name possible. So Charlie has been a member of the Stelling family ever since then and we absolutely love him. I only bring it to your attention because HE IS ADORABLE and has also taken up a ton of my free time (i.e. "play with me momma or I will bite you.)
Off to April..FINALLY VACATION!!!! I needed a break SOOO badly no phones, no computers, nothing, just nature.Costa Rica was high on my "list" of places to visit so when my dear friend Amy decided to get married there, I planned a whole weeks worth's of activities. People, listen up, GO TO COSTA RICA. It was fabulous, wonderful, delightful, and beautiful. Everyone should now put on their "bucket list," go face to face with a white-faced monkey in the Costa Rican jungle.
Now, I know you all think I am crazy anyway, here's REAL crazy with a hint of SUPERIOR planning. Upon arrival back into the Denver Airport, I dropped Peter off at his car and drove myself to City Park in Denver where I was the official "speaker" liaison for Green Apple. It was so fun to get there, bound with energy and a knock-out tan, telling everyone I had just gotten off the plane from Costa Rica and was excited to be there. Along with taking care of the mayor of Denver, a powerful congresswoman, and a very rich and cool man from JPMorgan Chase, I ran around on a PERFECT sunny day hanging with the Neville Brothers, Rose Hill Drive and a bunch of Colorado music biz peeps.
May merits a HOORAY for an outstanding month. The snow had melted, the lilacs were out, the warm weather was here and THE JAMMYS WERE ON.SO ON! I went back to visit friends and family in NYC for a week. My sister is pregnant so that was cool to rub the belly, mom made me bagels with lox and cream cheese every morning and my dad took me to see the best musical I've ever seenand I recommend it to everyone_Passing Strange_, I ran in Central Park, taking in the luscious smells of the cherry blossoms, and shopped till I dropped. But what I really want to tell you about was the Jammys.
The Jammys have been running since 2000 with only one year off. I was only an observer for the first two years at Irving Plaza, but at Roseland Ballroom in 2002, I won a Jammy and spent the night wrangling Trey, Robert Randolph and stressing about making an acceptance speech in front of 3000 people.
Since then, I have been a talent coordinator for the event, managing a team of artist wranglers and basically having a blast running around backstage. This year, as you know, Phish was given the lifetime achievement award.we got the band back together. I managed a kick-ass team of women that got every artist to where they needed to be, but my main role was to see that Phish was happy. And I couldn't have been more grateful that nightfor the band that changed my life that I got to take care of, for the awards show that changed my life that I got to work for, for the scene that embraced me the very first time I saw a Dead show, for all the friends and colleagues I have developed and nurtured over the years, so many of them present that night. The Jammys were, and will always remain (despite the announcement that this would be the last one), one of the most unique and special events ever to grace our community.
Are you exhausted yet from my 2008 recap??? It's almost over and of COURSE it has to end with my annual Memorial Day participation in the Bolder Boulder, a 10K race that over 60,000 people take part in. I love it, I love it, I love to run, the event is such a blast and I never thought that running 6.2 miles would be so much fun. My time: was 59:36.72. Under an hour baby, hell yeah. What a way to ring in the summer.
That's it, everyone. I took months and months off from updating you, only to hit you with a multi-adventurous return. Bonnaroo is next, and you know I love to take photos there so expect to hear from me in less than a month. And just so you hold me to it, here is my summer schedule: June Bonnaroo, July Rothbury August Lollapalooza. There, you've got me for at LEAST 3 more months!


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Many of us have been ingrained since birth with the idea that being your own boss and determining your own destiny is a fundamental part of achieving the American Dream. After all, taking risks and being entrepreneurial can yield great rewards.
Of course, building a business is easier said than done. Furthermore, even the most prosperous ventures have some disadvantages. Chief among them is that most small business owners have a lion's share of their personal net worth tied up in the value of the companies they have built -- possibly creating considerable risk in both the short (business failure) and long term (liquidation).
Indeed, while the U.S. economy has improved in recent years, the number of willing and able buyers of small to midsize businesses has cratered dramatically since the halcyon days nearly a decade ago, just before the financial crisis. As a result, a number of otherwise successful entrepreneurs looking to sell their businesses have been put in a precarious spot.
A capable and conscientious advisor, however, can support small business clients by helping eligible entrepreneurs establish an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, often referred to as an ESOP -- essentially a trust fund set up by the owner, who then distributes new shares of company stock to their own employees.
Prime candidates for ESOPs have company payrolls of $800,000 or more, a five-year history of profit, a market value of at least $3 million, and must be filed with the IRS as either sub chapter S or C corporations. And as with any venture, its important for advisors to perform the proper due diligence, consulting with a plan advisor to ensure the most advantaged program possible for the widest possible net of employees -- not to mention to the small business owner.
Over the years, ESOPs have proven especially adept at generating income and monetizing value for the business owner in the short term, while also helping to nurture truly institutional, resilient enterprises that are built to last the test of time. Beyond the surface advantages, though, additional benefits of ESOPs encompass the following:
- Advantageous tax implications: There are numerous tax benefits for both the owner and the employees. Sellers, for instance, can roll sale proceeds into an IRA or a host of qualified publicly traded securities, perhaps providing a vehicle to avoid significant tax liability. Companies, for their part, are able to deduct contributions to the ESOP trust fund from their corporate income taxes. Therefore, if 70% of the firm's workforce participates, they could wipe out 70% of the corporate income tax bill, enhancing cash flow for business investment considerably.
- More stable, efficient workplace: Employees that have a financial stake in a business are more loyal and work harder to achieve firm-wide success, which creates a culture based on collaboration and teamwork.
- Confidence for departing owners: Historically, a well-conceived ESOP has been shown to significantly increase the chances that the business will have a buyer -- and perhaps most importantly in light of the current environment, one that will pay market value (determined by a third-party appraiser). Owners can train, develop and prepare their successors, while still generating income and preserving the internal culture of the firm.
By the same token, there are a few pitfalls associated with setting up an ESOP that advisors should keep in mind:
- Share dilution and volatility: When new shares are issued within a company plan, the existing shares immediately lose value, since the total value of the ESOP remains unchanged -- although for profitable businesses with a history of growth, the devaluation is sometimes offset by future gains. Also, because the value of the shares is based entirely on the fortunes of the company, they are extremely volatile investments. A well-diversified IRA, 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan can serve a suitable counterbalance.
- High administration fees: ESOP set-up costs are $50,000 or more, depending on the size of the business, with yearly maintenance fees exceeding $10,000.
- Not all small businesses are eligible: As mentioned above, only sub chapter C and S corporations are eligible. Professional corporations, partnerships, LLCs and sole proprietorships are not.
While ESOPs should not be considered a panacea for all small business owners, used effectively in the right circumstances they can be an effective vehicle in driving productivity and growth.
Meanwhile, it is becoming apparent that advisors looking to be all things to all people will likely have trouble adapting to the emerging trends within the financial service space. Advisors, therefore, that can add a specialized set of services to their clients -- such as becoming ESOP experts -- will offer tremendous value relative to their competition.
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Originally posted by Agent008
This is terrible!
Leave the hackers alone all they are trying to do is protect you from your own government that is trying to kill you!
Wake up man!!
Know your enemy.
Originally posted by thesmokingman
Wow! This is a HUGE arrest.


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Va Bene is the perfect place to enjoy a true Italian meal. All of our food is prepared to order using the finest fresh produce and ingredients, many of which are specially imported from Italy.
Our restaurant is situated in Hagley (near Stourbridge) and it's an ideal place for your birthday parties, weddings and any other special occasion. Please contact us with your requirements.
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Our signature dish is "Tagliatelle Jaco", which consists of strips of smoked salmon, mushrooms, garlic, shallots and asparagus in a cream sauce with a dash of tomato, and finally last but not least, our homemade "Tiramisu pick me up"... Buon appetito!
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© Copyright Va Bene 2011. All rights reserved.


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In case you missed our live video streaming of the event, here it is:
Now in its 14th year, the UC Berkeley Startup Competition provides entrepreneurs with the best possible resources — including education, networking, team creation, mentorship and new venture financing — to help turn innovative ideas into real businesses. Audience members at the Finals participated in the selection of the People's Choice Award and the Elevator Pitch Award, which carried a $5,000 and $1,000 prize respectively.
See more Berkeley Entrepreneur Forum videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/UCBerkeleyHaas