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Saturday night, the Herb'n Homestead in Portland, ME was aglow with the guitar twang and serene singing of acoustic artists Fiona Robins, Sid and Sweatermouth. Rather than standing room only, the intimate setting gave way to friends and fans sitting tightly packed among one another. All in all, impressive music with many new friends made throughout the evening.
Fiona Robins took the seat first and proceeded to captivate the room with a sultry voice and skillful playing. My friends and I were excited to hear Robins play Salmon River, my favorite song of hers thus far. In my humble opinion, she sounded even better at the Homestead (which had surprisingly good acoustics) than she does recorded, which says a lot because her recordings sound pretty smooth to begin with. My attention to the artist was only momentarily broken after each song when the room erupted in applause. At the end of her performance, Fiona took her set in a completely different direction with HORSES, her first foray into punk. This time, instead of clapping alone, the packed room was in an uproar of laughter, applause and cheers of HORSES, HORSES!
Grace Glasson of South Carolina, aka Sweatermouth, eventually took center seat facing a hushed yet eager room. Her voice, while steady and tranquil, easily filled the room and melded well with ukulele interspersed with banjo strumming. Although Glasson's bandcamp is currently exclusive to her unique take on 11 songs holding personal significance to her, Sweatermouth also graced (pun intended) the evening with a touching piece about her travels across the country with a loved one. Amid the bizarre times we live in, there's much solace in a song about the road through the Southern US and all of the laughter that paves the way. I'm personally excited to hear more from Sweatermouth, both covers and originals. It's a thrill to see such talent finding its way to Portland, ME, especially to a place with as much character as the Homestead.
Also, big shout out to Sid. The topics about which she sang varied greatly, from traveling through the desert, to a cryptic yet engaging tune which turned out to be about a simple air conditioner. The common denominator between each song? A charming singing voice and resonant acoustic playing to boot.


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So, I came across this simple, yet kind of fun tool to create a TEXT MESSAGE conversation between two people. (http://www.classtools.net/SMS/)
This is not a send-a-junk-text app or anything. Check out the sample (http://www.classtools.net/SMS/46_PPXJh4) I made (let it load). I was lucky enough to text w/ Cardinal O'Malley about the papal conclave…
Thoughts on how to use this? Have students create a conversation at home w/ a character from a book, a historical figure, even make them humanize something that is non-living - "Hey Mt. Vesuvius – why are you so erupty?" "Well, Kevin, I'm a volcano and this is how I work…"
or even…
"Good Morning, Uncle Pythagoras – I'm still confused about your theorem!"
"Good morning, Kevin, I don't understand what's so tough about this… it's a RELATIONSHIP … In any right-angled triangle, the area of the square whose side is the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares whose sides are the two legs (the two sides that meet at a right angle). I'm SOOOO annoyed with you asking so often"
The possibilities are endless! You are able to get a unique link to share your conversation, so it is easy for students to share them with one another and with you! You can even EMBED the convos!

subset: commoncrawl


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100% All American SEO Writers
American SEO Writers
SEO, or search engine optimization, involves strategies that are crucial for businesses to consider. Avoiding SEO often leads businesses down a destructive path as so many companies employ these strategies on their websites. However, some continue to avoid SEO because they have anxiety about the process. Understanding some of the steps involved with hiring dc seo experts can help companies feel more comfortable and to start walking toward greater levels of corporate success.
Finding an excellent SEO team is going to require that the company establish credentials. They must decide if they want an expert in their niche, how much money they are willing to spend and what their expectations are for the project. Businesses also do not just want to completely abandon successful plans that they have already been implementing, so working with an entity that provides a dc seo free analysis report is wise. This report will help companies to determine if and to what extent SEO strategies they have are successful. Working with the same company that provides the report offers a cohesive experience tailored toward the needs of the business.
Businesses will also work with the dc seo services providers to offer more information about the company. For example, understanding the target audience is crucial when integrating search engine optimization strategies. The keywords and phrases involved need not speak only to the general public, but rather toward the specific individuals who are most likely to seek out the product or services in the first place. When the business provides detailed information about who the members of the target audience are and how they are currently reach out to those individuals.
Working with the SEO company in the long-term is useful for businesses because the professionals will then have the ability to upgrade and maintain the website as is necessary to ensure optimal marketing success. Generally, the best SEO techniques change on a fairly regular basis, and professionals in the field of SEO can work to integrate these new strategies into the websites. Furthermore, establishing a long-term relationship means that the team of experts will know the company and understand its evolving needs. Overall, SEO strategies are important for businesses to implement when they want to stay ahead of the marketing game, and overcoming the fear of a new marketing method is possible when companies take the time to learn a little bit more about search engine optimization.
Fill Out This Easy Form Below & Receive Your Free SEO Report
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text: Benefits & Perks Even More to Love About a Career with CARD CARD offers many additional benefits and perks for our team members. Employees are encouraged to take full advantage – you've earned it! With locations open 7 days a week, CARD offers flexible workdays and hours and a clear career path with tuition assistance for employees who qualify. Find out more about the rewarding job of working with individuals affected by autism and the opportunities for advancement and travel. What We Offer: Competitive hourly rate commensurate with experience Medical, dental and vision insurance for employees who work 30+ hours per week Paid sick days Comprehensive paid initial and ongoing training Travel time pay and mileage reimbursement Opportunities to participate in research Flexible work hours Opportunities to earn credentials to advance your career Board Certified Autism Technician (BCAT) Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) Free Continuing Education to maintain your credential Opportunities for career advancement Educational Assistance Program, Master's in psychology program and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) preparation program US & international travel opportunities Employee discounts for cell phone service, restaurants, retail stores, travel, recreation, and more You will love your new career at CARD. Apply today here. View Available Job Openings Back The Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc. (CARD) is of one of the world's largest and most successful organizations treating children with autism, Asperger's syndrome, PDD-NOS, and related disorders. For over 25 years, CARD has been treating autism using the principles and procedures of ABA which is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the US Surgeon General. Our network of doctoral-level directors and managers, licensed speech pathologists, and highly trained supervisors and therapists is designed to ensure that your child receives the most accurate assessment and the highest quality therapy.


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In just a few steps you can have your logo or design set up on your choice of garment.
We recommend using the Design Builder on a laptop or desktop computer. It may not display correctly on mobile devices.
The first thing you'll see when you navigate to our Design Builder is this menu with three options.
A. This is the option to select if you'd like to upload your own logo. It will take you to a blank shirt where you can create anything you want from scratch.
B. If you dont have a design in mind and you want a little help getting started this is the place to start. There are Design Templates for almost every sport or event.
C. If you've already started a design and want to finish it or make changes this is the where to make that happen. You'll just need your login info to access it.
A. To choose where you want to place your design, click on select print location. Some garments are limited in where a design can be placed.
B. Clicking Upload Image will open a dialogue box where you can choose the file you would like to use for your design.
C. On the right side of the screen you can choose where you would like your print to be. The pink squares show the print area size for each location.
A. The box that appears will have an option to upload from computer or mobile. The most common image files are accepted. When you click the button you will be able to find the file on your computer or device and upload it.
Once uploaded the Design Builder will ask a few question about your design. This is the last step before it will be placed on the garment.
A. Remove white? If your image does not have a transparent background we recommend using remove white background. If you do not want any white in your design use remove all white. Why remove white?
B. The number of colors in the design affects the cost. To minimize cost you can get rid of unnecessary colors. The design builder will automatically combine colors if you chose less than what is in the original design. If an area of the design isn't the color you want you can change it later.
C. Once you're satisfied with the settings clicking continue will bring you back to the designer where you make make adjustments to the size and placement of your logo.You will also be able to see what it will look like on your selected garment.
Now that your design is uploaded, you can make adjustments to make your apparel exactly how you want.
You can choose an element of the design by clicking on it. The blue box shows which element is selected.
A. Click and drag the blue circles to resize the element.
B. Clicking and dragging in the middle of the blue square will allow you to move the design within the print area. (The area outlined by a pink square)
C. If you're happy with with your design you can move on to the next step. If you want to
Now that your design is all set you can save and share it so you can show all of your friends the majestic piece of art you've created.
A. Give your masterpiece a title.
B. If theres something you'd like us to know about your design you can put some notes here. (specific size, color changes, etc.)
C. If you're sending it to someone you can write them a little note. Ask them what they think of your artwork.
Now that we have the design saved and good to go you can send it to your friends or to yourself for safe keeping.
A. Add the emails of the people you'd like to share with. Separate each address by comma. Send it to as many people as you'd like. The more they merrier.
B. If you want to get some like or let people know what you've been up to, you can share it on social media.
C. The last thing to do is click the green button and whoosh, it blasts off into cyberspace.


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Launch Sequence
2014 - Violin Solo [13:00]
Music for the film Le Voyage dans la Lune by Georges Méliès
Commissioned by Christin Danchi, Violin (Carnegie Mellon University) as part of her "Fiddling with Film" project. Premiered May 4, 2014 at the Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, PA.
Launch Sequence Program Notes
I was delighted when Christin asked me to write a score to debut her "Fiddling with Film" project. She sent me a few ideas for films - and one of them in particular seemed right up my alley - "A Trip to the Moon" by Georges Méliès. As one of the most well-known early films in film history, it has been rated as one of the top 100 films of the twentieth century and in 2002 became recognized as the first UNESCO Heritage Film. One of my favorite aspects of the film is its age; when it was created in 1902, the thought of actually going to the moon was a dream of science fiction, which leads to several unrealistic and almost comical scenes where physics as we know it is thrown out the window (or perhaps hurled into outer space).
I began work by dividing the film into sections and identifying important events and scene changes. I wrote the score more or less chronologically - working through the film one or two sections at a time and making changes to previous parts as necessary. My goal in creating the score was to not only create music to be paired with the film but also to have the music follow a "plot" of its own. For example, some parts of the score directly coordinate with specific actions in the film, other parts are meant to capture a particular mood or character, and some of the music exists solely for the sake of musical argument - that is, developing the notes, motifs, harmonies, patterns, and shapes found within the music itself.
The music leads the listener in and out of the world of twelve-tone writing. Specifically, two rows are used in various combinations to construct the harmony. One row (A-Bb-D-C#-F#-G-B-C-E-F-Eb-Ab), introduced near the beginning, recurs throughout the work in many different inversions and transpositions. I refer to the second row (D-Eb-C-B-F-F#-C#-A-G-E-A#-G#) as the "constellation" row because when its written notes are spaced correctly and connected with lines, its first seven notes form a shape similar to the "Big Dipper" and the final five form a traditional five-pointed star.
I can only hope that in the same way that the travelers in the film explore the unfamiliar, the score will send the listener on a journey to the unknown...and back.


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May 30, 2012 – HP presented a data center architecture that its researchers state will rely on no net energy from the grid and could be combined with predictive analytics and lean power methods to cut power usage by 30 percent.
Ahead of its presentation at an IEEE event, HP Labs on Wednesday released its HP Net-Zero Energy Data Center research. The architecture for the data center features energy and cooling from local renewable sources. It also features power demand management that enables IT workload scheduling reliant on resource availability and data center performance requirements, HP stated in a release on the research. The integration of energy and cooling resources with IT planning is directed by four "modules": predictive analytics software to forecast availability and cost of resources; an optimization algorithm to balance workload scheduling with high-level operational goals; real-time workload and energy management; and a module to identify areas where planning may be out of sync with execution.
HP Labs tested facets of the energy efficiency blueprint at the data center at its Palo Alto headquarters for the research paper, entitled "Towards the Design and Operation of Net-Zero Energy Data Centers." The data center architecture, aligned with other energy management techniques, could cut power usage by 30 percent and costs and power from dependence on the grid by more than 80 percent, HP stated. Cullen Bash, distinguished technologist at HP and interim director of its Sustainable Ecosystems Research Groups at HP Labs, said the data center architecture enables the possibility of reducing environmental strains from increased computing as well as "extend the reach of IT accessibility globally."
Click here for nine ways to cut your data center power usage effectiveness (PUE).
As a whole, data centers have continued to grow in energy consumption, though that percentage increase has declined in recent years. There are also indications that cloud computing and virtualization could cut worldwide data center consumption by up to one-third by 2020.
The data center architecture will be showcased next week at the vendor's biggest annual client event, HP Discover, held in Las Vegas.
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The decline of the UK under Theresa May leads
Few days ago tens of British Muslims killed and injured by a terrorist attack by using a Van car. It happened in Finsbury Park after the British Muslims went their homes from the prayer. the terrorist is a British man who was arrested by the people after he killed and injured many.
By definition and the intention against innocent peaceful citizens this is terrorist attack irrespective of how many one did it. It is a threat to the peace inside London city and the whole UK as the other terrorist attacks happened few days before both in London and other cities.
Before that tens of British Muslims killed in Grenfell Tower fire which might be another terrorist or criminal act.
The UK government should provide protection to its own citizens and the freedom of peaceful worshiper of all kind of sects Muslims, Jewish and Christians and others. failure to do so reflect weakness in the side of the number 10 Downing street government.
In fact Theresa May facing extremely difficult tasks in the face of withdrawal from Europe Union, possible separation of Scotland, the decline in the economy and the living standard in the UK compared to its neighboring Europe, the weakness in the security issues, and many other issues as a result of the above consequences. The best solution is for Teresa May to step down and call for an early election.


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Spotlight on Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni or Programs!
It is with great sadness that we bring our community the news of the passing of longtime BMHS Business Manager, Brother Francis Ellis, C.S.C.
During his time at Bishop McNamara (1989-2005), Brother Francis served as the Business Manager, oversaw the maintenance and facilities staff, and was the administrator of the Brothers' Residence here on campus (now Holy Cross Hall).
After retiring from Bishop McNamara, Brother Francis lived in Columba Hall at the University of Notre Dame where he was a driver for the elderly Brothers in residence and a tour guide for visitors to Notre Dame. He loved to play golf and he loved Notre Dame sports.
The Congregation of Holy Cross Brothers produced a video tribute to Brother Francis at Vimeo - Brother Francis Tribute.
Please pray for the repose of Brother Francis' soul, his family, and for the family of Holy Cross as we mourn his loss.
On Wednesday, September 13, 2017, services for Br. Francis Ellis will be held at the St. Joseph Chapel of Holy Cross College, South Bend, Indiana. Viewing will be from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. followed by Mass.
On Friday, September 15, 2017, a Memorial Service will be held at 7:15 p.m. at the chapel of the St. Joseph Center, Valatie, New York.
The Mass of Christian Burial will then be celebrated on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. followed by interment at the St. Joseph Center cemetery.
Brother Francis Raymond Ellis, CSC
December 23, 1936 - September 9, 2017
Born in New Haven, Connecticut on December 23, 1936, Francis was the second of the four sons of Frank R. Ellis, Detective, and Alma East Ellis, Teacher and Principal. Francis was baptized on January 10, 1937 at St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Connecticut. His early educational experience in New Haven began at Ivy Street Public School and then St. John the Evangelist, where he graduated in 1950. Notre Dame High School, run by the Brothers of Holy Cross, was the next step in his education. He relates that in his senior year he began to think of becoming a Brother because of "the friendly and sincere way the Brothers help and teach others." So, with the encouragement of his mother, he decided to "give it a try." Upon graduating from Notre Dame High School in 1954, he applied and was accepted that June into the candidacy program of the Brothers of Holy Cross at St. Joseph Juniorate in Valatie, New York. He was received into St. Joseph Novitiate, Rolling Prairie, Indiana, on August 15, 1954 and made first profession on August 16, 1955, and final Profession on August 23, 1958.
Leaving Rolling Prairie in August of 1955, Brother Francis began his undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana. He graduated in August of 1958 with a BA degree, upon which he was assigned to teach math and Latin and to coach freshmen football and basketball at Monsignor James Coyle High School in Taunton, Massachusetts. The following year he was assigned to teach at Vincentian Institute in Albany, New York while attending graduate courses at Siena College in Loudonville, New York. In June of 1961, he received a MA degree from Siena College and then went on to teach at Holy Cross High School, Flushing, New York. In 1970, Brother Francis became Principal of Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick, Rhode Island, prior to the Brothers leaving the high school in 1971. Brother Francis then returned to teach and coach at Holy Cross High School in Flushing, New York from 1971 through 1978, when he was appointed Principal of Cardinal Mooney High School in Rochester, New York from 1978 to 1985. Following his role as principal, he enjoyed a renewal program at Sangre de Cristo in Santa Fe, New Mexico and studies at Santa Fe College, Santa Fe, New Mexico and at Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C.
In 1986, Brother Francis was assigned to Notre Dame International School in Rome, Italy to teach math and coach various intramural sports. In 1988, his teaching ministry took him to St. Mary's Seminary in Fort Portal, Uganda. Although he served only one year in Fort Portal, his hospitality made a deep impact as on the many and varied frequent visitors the Brothers' house.
Brother Francis then returned to Notre Dame International School in Rome as a teacher and as the director of the Holy Cross Religious community. He thus finished his overseas ministerial experiences and moved back to the States in 1991, to live at Columbia Hall on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, where he began a Master's of Science in Administration degree at the University. Upon completion of the Master's degree, he was assigned in 1993 as Business Manager at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland. In 1998 he assumed the additional role of Director of the Brothers community.
In 2005 Frank began a sabbatical year at Sangre de Cristo, New Mexico and then at St. Edward's University, Austin, Texas, He then returned to Notre Dame where he resided at Columba Hall and started his ministry at Dujarie House primarily as a "Transportation Coordinator." and his years of experience driving buses for school teams made him well-prepared for driving brothers to various medical appointments and shopping. Frank would often drive the van on a wandering route through the campus of Notre Dame to ensure the brothers were up to date.
Although Frank described himself as semi-retired, he was very active as Assistant Superior at Columba Hall. Besides taking care of the various needs of the Brothers in community there, as well as many of the guests, he was busy attending the various athletic events, lectures and cultural events on the Notre Dame campus, not to mention getting in some swimming at the Rockne Memorial and playing golf - for free at the two university courses.
In April of 2015, at the time of his 60th Jubilee, he related, "I plan to keep doing most of these things for the next decade or so with God's blessings." But, the Lord called him home on Saturday, September 9, 2017. He was not feeling well that morning and at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana a heart problem was detected, but in the midst of preparations for surgery, he passed on to new life.


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Lupe Fiasco Quotes About RapQuotes about: Rap
Drugs Fathers Fighting Giving Heart Hip Hop Home Listening Rap Rappers School Songs Terrorism Terrorists Voting War Writing
I was literally told for 'The Show Goes On' that I shouldn't rap too deep. I shouldn't be too lyrical. It just needs to be something easy on the eyes. Like a record company telling Picasso that we don't need these abstract interpretations of life, where people have to sit down and look at it and break it down.
You May Also Like:
Lupe Fiasco
- Born: February 16, 1982
- Occupation: Rapper
- Cite this Page: Citation


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Sixth Grade News
This past Sunday 6th grade briefly reviewed the events we had discussed in our last class and where that left us off. We finished preparing our presentations and got to enjoy three presentations from student groups. The first group presented on Crypto Jews also known as Jews undercover as Christians. This was a very interesting and informative topic, which the students were very interested in. Students asked questions, gave feedback and rephrased some of the key points they had learned about. Then we moved on to a presentation the Inquisition. Although a huge and difficult topic the students demonstrated a depth in knowledge that inspired other classmates to discuss the topic. The last presentation that we had to finish off our class section was on Jewish communities around the world. Three students chose Jewish communities in remote locations around the globe (one of them Uruguay). Students continued to ask great probing questions, like 'how did Jews get to these places and why'. These presentations were all great, so informative and inspiring! I know we all learned a lot from them and I saw all the incredible notes students had jotted down. Looking forward to our next chapters of history.
Leave a Reply.
March 2018


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Designer: Julieta Toledo
A stunning and stylish sterling silver ring by jewelry designer Julieta Toledo featuring two half moon shaped genuine natural grade AAA Dominican Larimar gemstones.
This unique and original ring has been handmade by skilled Taxco, Mexico jewelry artisans using pure 925 Mexican silver.
Ring is completely adjustable to fit any finger size.
The front of the ring measures 1 inch high including both stones.
This product hasn't received any reviews yet. Be the first to review this product!


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The first official wine trip of 2011 took my colleague Susan Thornett and I up north to the Napa Valley. Some of you might recall that just about a year ago, Scott Beckerley and I braved the stormy weather and pouring rain for a trek up to Spring Mountain.
Well this time around the weather was much more amenable to our cause. Sunny skies (at least when we hit 1400 ft. above sea level) and a crisp 60 degrees F or so was just perfect for a wine adventure!
So let's get to it! In the next several weeks we'll take a tour in, around and through the vineyards and wineries that make Howell Mountain such a unique place. We'll be making visits to old school, new school and super new school (you'll see what I mean) wineries:
I'll also introduce you to the growers, winemakers and other Howell Mountain wine folk who so enthusiastically share their passion for the vines and wines of the region.
In order to get you up to speed so that we can hit the ground running, you'll find a couple of handy maps below, as well as some key factoids on the region.
District: Howell Mountain
Region: Napa Valley
A.V.A. granted: 1983 (Napa Valley's first sub-appellation)
Location: On the northeast side of Napa Valley in the Vaca Mountain Range and around the town of Angwin.
Latitude: 38.5 degrees
Elevation: Vineyards lie across the Napa Valley from and above the town of St. Helena. Virtually all of the vineyard sites lie above the fog line, between 1400- 2200 ft. above sea level. Most vineyards are planted at 1800 feet above sea level and on southwest facing slopes.
Climate: Cool days and warm nights, especially compared to the Napa Valley floor. Maritime with significant influence of winds from Pacific Ocean. Mornings are generally warmer than temperatures on the Napa Valley floor, however afternoon temperatures can be cooler due to Pacific maritime influences.
Annual rainfall: 40-50 inches (135cm)
Soil: Shallow soils composed of decomposed volcanic ash, volcanic rock and clay rich in iron provide poor fertility but very good drainage.
Chief Viticultural Hazards: spring frost, Pierce's disease, phylloxera
Principal Varieties:
Predominantly red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Sirah, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Grenache
White: Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
Total area under vine: 600 acres
Winemaking: Various, although leaning more towards traditional winemaking practices. Vinification mostly in stainless steel tanks for red and white wines. Most reds will age in barriques (225L) for 12-20 months. Many wineries do not fine or filter their red wine.
Number of wineries: approximately 30
Useful and important websites:
Howell Mountain Vintners and Growers Association
NEXT: A visit to O'Shaughnessy!


text: Anyone tried to get this to work with their SCLR? I haven't had any success at all. I'm using the 1.2 version and put the .nds and .sc.nds files on my SC and one prodcues two black screens while the other one does two white screens. I've also tried using the super card magic home brew patcher as well to no luck.


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Old Belize, The cucumber Beach Marina, and of course Cucumber Beach itself resides on a patch of coast of Belize City unofficially designated as "Cucumber Beach". This little paradise has an intriguing history. Around the mid 50′s, a Florida vegetable farmer came to Belize with the intention of growing vegetables (among them cucumbers) and exporting them to the U.S.A. in the winter months. He set up farms around the village of Burrell Boom and used this port to package and load vessels bound for the U.S.A., hence the name Cucumber Beach.
Rising 50 feet from the heart of Cucumber Beach is the 90 foot-long water fall which will have you screaming in delight as you tunnel your way into the Caribbean Sea.


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Where'd the Summer Go?
It seems like just yesterday when I started training this year's batch of youth triathletes. Yet I know it wasn't yesterday, because their race is less than two weeks away. Where did the summer go?
Back in Civilization
After a long vacation week, it's time to get back to work. And for the faithful readers anxiously awaiting the Spirit of Racine race report, we start with the picture on the left. It should be noted that it is difficult to see people walking to the start, and impossible to see much beyond that. About the middle of the picture is a bouy that can just barely be made out. And this is around 7:45, almost an hour after the race was supposed to start.
I was speedy in T1 as I went without socks and I had preloaded my drinks onto my bike. Last year, I had the bottles in a cooler with ice. Even though I forgot my gels and had to run back for them, I was way faster than last year.
I blazed through T2 in just over 90 seconds, and started the run in extremely hot conditions. The temperature pushed 90F as the day wore on, and I went through a lot of water for cooling purposes. I struggled on the run and finished with a time of 1:55:59 compared to 1:45:51, last year.
Gone Fishin'
I'll be out and about for the next week, and to the best of my knowledge will have little to no access to E-mail, the Internet, or even my cell phone. Here is the general itinerary:
Busy Bee
With the way I've been posting, it would be reasonable if someone concluded I was in the final weeks before an Ironman. Reasonable, and wrong. While there is the Spirit of Racine half-Ironman next Sunday, it is the rest of life that has kept me hopping the past few weeks.
Tragedy. Again.
Perhaps it's just a bad summer. Perhaps it's just because I pay more attention. Or perhaps these tragedies are receiving more attention so people become better aware.
First, First, First!
Just to belabor the point, this Fourth of July was full of firsts, nearly all of them in the first few hours of the day.
True Evil
NOTE: This post is unrelated to triathlon and is likely to become a rant on society. My first blog was a fairly successful political blog and that part of my nature is taking over for a bit.
Evil Reflections
Allow me to start by stating that Nancy Toby is evil. Not in a dark, scary movie kind of way. In a "make me look at things" way that forces a self-evaluation I'd rather not have done sort of way. All because of a four sentence post.
Well, I'm glad to see the server is finally back in one piece. Apparently, the webhost had some minor problems with their shiny new Seagate drives, yesterday. In a period of about six hours they lost four seperate hard drives. Normally, I'd be amazed at loosing four new drives that quickly. Since I've dealt with Seagate in the past, it's a bit less surprising.
Just who is this Iron Pol?
A former out of shape sailor, who became a marathoner, then a triathlete, Ironman, and ultramarathoner. Now, life has pushed me into short track speed skating. More important than the titles is the lifestyle, and sharing it with others.
September 2016


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As someone who is selfly admitted as "frugal" (and reminded constantly by his friends and family), the question comes up to me is when are you setting yourself up without enough "wiggle room" in your finances. I have my finances balanced so that a certain percent goes to savings, a certain percent goes to mortgage, certain to monthly bills, certain to spending, etc.
By setting an emergency fund up, this allows some wiggle room, so that you may be tight with your weekly spending allowances for yourself, but if something comes up that is unexpected you can still handle it. Also a key to remember for the "frugal" among us, who are frugal because they have to be, rather than that they want to be, is to remember that life always gets easier, especially in a financial sense. There is never any competition between where the average 25 year old and the average 45 year old should be financially. This is the difficulty that some young people have, accepting that things are tough for everyone when they start out and get easier over time.
When I purchased my house, I was literally "house poor". This means that I had a house, and my assets and liabilities were working quite nicely, but I had no disposable income at all. Two years later, because of an increased cash flow based on increases in income, I think to myself "Why didn't I buy a house sooner?", but advice like this is easy to give on the other side. My advice will be to give yourself a plan, and stick to it. I personally revisit my plan every time I get a raise (annually for me) and modify it then, but whenever a significant life event changes things it is time to revisit your plan.
FatcatC commented the other day to me that although my net worth has improved by whatever amount over the last year do I know if that is good or bad or what (because I have nothing to compare it to). My response is that because I am saving at least 10% of my income towards my retirement, am building a emergency fund, and paying off all my debts (plus more than the minimums) that I am doing well for myself and living within my means. Does this mean that my plan is perfect and that it couldn't be improved? Obviously not, because I have nothing to compare it to, but the plan fits my goals and that is enough for me.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
How Tight Is Too Tight?
Labels: philosophy
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In order to keep things in order, here is a list, in order, of absolutely head-scratching PC mods to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, made to order by friend of the site, D. Bethel.
With the firm hold The Elder Scrolls V: Skryim has on many gamers right now, mods are, as expected, a growing population. Many mods are simply trying to improve the gam'es textures or post-processing perfomance, but with every light comes a shadow, and collected below are the five most batshit-crazy mods I could find.
NOTE: all mods are hosted at SkyrimNexus.
5. My Little Dragons (by zdzichorowerzysta)
It's safe to say that My Little Pony had a hipstertacular comeback last year, and I guess it made sense for the bronyverse to infiltrate everybody's favorite new RPG. A popular, horse texture-swapping My Little Pony mod made the rounds on the internet, but the My Little Dragons mod pushes the idea into brilliant - and frightening - new territory.
4. Autotuned Bears (by Snoopey)
There isn't enough that could be said about the brilliance of Skryim's sound design. The game, for instance, has trained me to draw my SuperDeath bow whenever I hear the howl of wolves, because I know that in mere moments I will be descended upon by at least two of those bastards. For all the sublimity that the sound design reaches, this mod tears it down in a hilarious way. Remember this, no matter how stupid bears sound, they are still very dangerous. Do not approach and do not leave "pic-a-nic" baskets unattended.
3. No Spiders (by Luthien Anarion)
Being an arachnophobe (but loving the thrill of murdering a huge fucking spider), I can appreciate where this mod is coming from. However, replacing spiders with bears - bears which descend from the ceiling, no less - I can only believe this mod will give younger players trying to deal with one phobia a completely different and even more irrational fear. And if you don't believe spiders are dangerous, just go to Google's image search and type in "brown recluse bite." I saw it four years ago and I'm still crying.
2. Trolling Trolol Troll (by Tytanis)
Submitted without comment.
1. Macho Dragons (by FancyPantz)
I will admit, I put this in first place only for Mr. Linendoll. Similar to the My Little Dragons mod, this replaces all dragons in Skyrim with Macho Man Randy Savage...of a sort. Like the previous entry, just watch the video and wonder how someone even got this idea to begin with. For the most part, I just wanted this to give Chris nightmares for the rest of his life:
D. Bethel never has time, but when he does, he makes
comics at www.eben07.com.
Follow him on Twitter @DBethel


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Res. Chem. Intermed.
, Vol. 27, No. 4,5, pp. 539–547 (2001)
Relaxation processes using transient grating technique
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600 036, India
Abstract—Transient gratings are produced by placing a sample in the interference region of two
intersecting intense laser beams. The optical constants of the sample change due to the spatially
modulated interference eld. Several interesting phenomena that occur in the excited state of organic
molecules and in semiconductors can be studied by using the transient grating technique. Theoretical
simulations are used as an additional tool to verify some of the experimental results that give signatures
of the technique for standardization of the obtained results. A brief description of these phenomena
along with an example is given here.
Laser induced transient grating (LITG) technique is a powerful tool to investigate
the properties of laser dyes and semiconductor thin lms due to their ability to probe
the excited states [1, 2]. The applications of transient grating include four-wave
mixing, phase conjugation, holography for real time processing of optical elds and
optical imaging.
LITG is produced by placing a sample in the interference region of two inter-
secting intense laser beams. The interference produces a spatially periodic light
intensity distribution, which changes the complex refractive index of the medium
by various resonant or nonresonant mechanisms. The absorption of light by the
molecules leads to a spatially periodic modulation of the excited states. Since the
excited state behaves differently than the ground state, a diffraction grating is pro-
duced due to the spatially modulated excited state density. Laser induced gratings
can be detected by diffraction of a probe beam (derived from the same or another
laser) at the grating. On the other hand, the temporal evolution of the grating can
be probed by a third beam. By measuring the intensity of the diffracted probe beam
with varying delay times, it is possible to calculate the relaxation times.
Depending upon the wavelength the total diffraction ef ciency of the grating has
two components. The rst one is due to the absorption by the medium (amplitude


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Below is a listing of major insurance companies and corporate clients represented by Jones, Flygare, Brown & Wharton, P.C., located in Lubbock, Texas.
Insurance Companies
- Bituminous Casualty Corporation
- Farmers Insurance Group of Companies
- Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Companies
- Travelers Insurance Companies
- State Farm Insurance Companies
Corporate Clients
- Allsup's Convenience Stores, Inc.
- Archer Daniel Midland Co.
- City of Lubbock, Texas
- Covenant Health System
- Koch Industries
- Lee Lewis Construction, Inc.
- Texas Tech University
Contact the Lubbock firm with a history of trying complex cases
Contact the Lubbock office of Jones, Flygare, Brown & Wharton, P.C. for assistance with your legal issues. The attorneys can be reached by phone at 806-765-8851, or contacted online by filling out the intake form on this site.
The office is located across the street from the Lubbock Civic Center and a few blocks from the Lubbock Courthouse. Just off the Marsha Sharp Freeway, it is easily reached by auto or mass transit. A parking lot in front provides ample free parking for visitors. The attorneys work flexible hours by appointment. Personal injury cases are handled on a contingency basis.


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Where Can you Get Hacks?
When you play games online, it is possible to get carried away and play too much! For those people who want to get to the next level of game play or to play to win more money, there is an easy way out – a hack. A lot of hacks are scams (beware the ones who ask for your personal information). However, there are hacks that can let you win and have a great game play while winning too!
Here are a few hacks for online Pocker that you can find after doing a simple Google search or going to specialist websites for this information. Avoid clicking on links that show up while you play your games since these could be a scam.
Websites That Offer Hacks
Usually, online gamers need hacks for multiple games. This could be online-multi-player shooting games or even online gambling games, or even other online games. These games usually have multiple levels and involve extended plays and plenty of time spent online. Some players prefer to spend days and hours playing the game to get ahead and some players want a shortcut.
The hack market exists for those players who want a shortcut and there are plenty of players that this market is thriving! Since there are so many online games for which players need hacks, it is possible to find all the hacks at a centralized space online such as a hacks website or social media account. These are comparatively more trustworthy since they probably have reliable hacks and don't involve your personal information to be shared.
A central site also allows players to choose the kind of hacks they need and customize their game to their needs. This allows players to create an online experience that they are looking for. However, the best option for any player is to exercise caution, since the internet is not exactly filled with people who are looking to offer help and assistance. There are scams and one must be careful about these scams before picking an online hack.…


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Fairy Magic
Fairy Magic
Added Mar 14, 2007 | Fairy Magic | Story & Poem | Magic 4 Kids | 124,658 Reads
Fairy magic? Isn't that just for homosexuals and weak willed new age mommas? Well ... yes and no.
Certainly, the "fluffy bunny" school of esotericism and magic tends to congregate round the cute little pixies and fairies, and yes, they do go off with the fairies into Disney land. That's true. But it is also true that magic is LIGHT and joyful in essence; and that most people who take magic seriously, take it way TOO seriously - and make it dour, miserable and unhappy as a result.
The truth is that the more serious you are about magic, the more you need to watch this tendency to get bogged down in furious concentration, knitted brows and hard work.
The sparkle of a bit of Fairy Magic can be a breath of fresh air, lift your magic right up and brighten you and your day. That can only be for the best! So here is a story to start this topic off and I look forward to adding to this section to remind us all that magic is LIGHT - it sings, and dances, and yet it is still the most powerful force in the universe, indeed.
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At a IFA 2015 press discussion today, Acer denounced a series of new devices, including a gaming smartphone and a Predator 8 gaming tablet. The association has also launched a few new entrance to mid-range smartphones. First up, let's speak about a Acer Predator 8 GT-810 gaming tablet. The gaming …Read More »
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2018 Car Benefit Policies Around the World
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Aging Asian Workforces Most Vulnerable to Workplace Automation According to Marsh & McLennan Companies' Global Risk Center Report
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Watch the latest OC FastStats market update. Share this information with your clients via your website or social media.
News and Information to Keep You a Step Ahead!
Watch the latest OC FastStats market update. Share this information with your clients via your website or social media.
The Huntington Beach Preview Meeting will be dark this Friday, May 22; however, the Canyon Area Preview Meeting will still be held this Friday. OCAR's offices will be closed on Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day. Have a happy and safe holiday weekend.
Make sure you're up-to-date on the latest CRMLS Rules and Regulations, like this one:
It is a violation for any agent or broker to distribute flyers or create other printed materials displaying the address and/or price of any listing(s) with an MLS status of ACTIVE, BACKUP, HOLD, or PENDING that are not the listing(s) of that agent or broker unless prior written consent has been obtained from the listing broker. "Screen Shots" or other materials printed from IDX or VOW displays are included in this violation. Rule 12.8
Check them out now...
Voting Begins May 11 at 8 am
There are five (5) three-year and one (1) one-year Director positions open for the 2016-2018 Orange County Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors. OCAR REALTORS® may vote for up to six candidates, but may cast no more than one vote per candidate.
Voting will conclude on Tuesday, May 26 at 5:00 pm.
Option 1: Online
Shortly after the election opens, OCAR REALTOR® members should have received their voting email with the subject line: IMPORTANT OCAR VOTING ID – Do Not Delete. This email contains the access link to the secure voting website, your Voting ID, and your personalized Voting Code. You must open the email to vote.
If you cannot locate this email, you may request that it be resent.
Option 2: In Person
You may opt to cast a paper ballot at either OCAR office in lieu of voting online. Only OCAR REALTORS® are eligible to vote.
This violation occurs when a listing is not entered into the MLS in a timely manner and the listing broker did not previously file an MLS Exclusion Form with the MLS/Association.
How to Avoid: To help avoid this violation, you must enter a listing into the MLS within two business days of either (1) the listing contract date, or (2) the date the seller's signature was obtained on the listing agreement.
If a seller wants their property listed on the MLS, but the property is not ready for any showings, it is recommended that the property be entered into the MLS and placed in the Hold status. If a seller does not want their listing on the MLS or wishes to withhold their listing from the MLS, the listing broker must obtain a seller-signed MLS Exclusion Form and submit that documentation to the MLS/Association within two business days of the listing contract date. The most common MLS Exclusion Form is the C.A.R. SELM Form, which is available through zipForm®.
Penalties: Violation warning, $250 fine, or $500 fine per offense.
(Rules Section: 7.8 and 7.9)
An Auto Sold violation occurs when a listing is automatically changed to the Sold status by the MLS system (appears as S* or Closed Sale*), which is a result of not manually updating a listing in the Pending/Backup status. An Auto Sold listing is considered an Inaccurate Information violation, because the listing is closed and displays estimated or unconfirmed sales information.
How to Avoid: To help avoid an Auto Sold violation, you must properly manage your listings in the Pending/Backup status. When a listing is changed to the Pending/Backup status, you are required to enter an estimated close of escrow date ("Estimated COE date"), as well as estimated sales information. Within two business days of your Estimated COE date, you must either (1) extend your Estimated COE date if escrow has been delayed, (2) update your listing to the appropriate status if a status change occurred, or (3) confirm the sales information and manually update the listing to Sold.
Courtesy notices are sent by email 14 days prior to, 7 days prior to, 1 day prior to, and on the day of your Estimated COE Date, as reminders to manually update your listing. Click here for more information on how to help avoid an Auto Sold violation.
Penalties: Violation warning, $100 fine, or $300 fine per offense.
(Rules Section: 8.3)
A No Photo violation occurs when a listing has been on the MLS for more than five calendar days and at least one exterior structural photo of the property has not been added to the listing.
How to Avoid: To help avoid a No Photo violation, you must add at least one photo of the exterior structure of the listed property within five calendar days of entering a listing into the MLS. An exterior structural photo must be added to a listing within five calendar days, regardless of the listing status. If a property is sold within five calendar days of entering the listing into the MLS, it is important that you add at least one exterior structural photo prior to closing the listing. This photo requirement does not apply to (1) Land/Lot listings, or (2) listings that are Canceled within five calendar days of entry.
Penalties: Violation warning, $100 fine, or $300 fine per offense.
(Rules Section: 11.5)
The Property Description, Driving Directions, List Price Includes, and List Price Excludes fields are considered public remarks fields. A Misuse of Public Remarks violation occurs when prohibited information or verbiage is placed in any public remarks field.
How to Avoid: To help avoid a Misuse of Public Remarks violation, it is important that the remarks in the Property Description field are limited to the physical and aesthetic characteristics of the property. Information in the Driving Directions field should be limited to directional information which assists in finding the physical location of the property. Information in the Listing Price Includes/Excludes fields should be limited to a description of which items are included or excluded from the sale. Agent/Brokerage information or contact information, open house information, showing instructions, information about the occupancy of the property, and information directed towards other real estate professionals is prohibited in any public remarks field.
Penalties: Violation warning, $100 fine, or $300 fine per offense.
(Rules Section: 12.5)
An Inaccurate Status violation occurs when either a listing status change is not made in a timely manner, or when a listing is not listed in the correct listing status.
How to Avoid: To help avoid an Inaccurate Status violation, it is important that the status of your listing reflects the appropriate listing status definition:
Please note that all status changes must be made within two business days of the date that the change in listing status occurs. When making a status change or otherwise updating your listing, it is important to review the remarks on your listing and make sure your remarks do not contradict or conflict with your listing status.
Penalties: Violation warning, $100 fine, or $300 fine per offense.
(Rules Section: 8.3, 10.1, and 10.2)
Source: CRMLS. If you questions about any of this information, please email email@example.com.
Nearly a decade since the start of the foreclosure crisis, formerly distressed homeowners with restored credit are re-entering the housing market, but damaged credit profiles and lender overlays will greatly restrict the overall share of those eligible to buy, according to new research from the National Association of Realtors®. California, Florida and Arizona are expected to see the largest share of return buyers within the next decade.
NAR analyzed the nearly 9.3 million homeowners that underwent a foreclosure, received a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, or short sold between 2006 and 2014 to estimate the amount of creditworthy borrowers expected to re-enter the housing market as a return buyer in upcoming years.
The findings reveal nearly a million of these former owners have likely already purchased a home again, and an additional 1.5 million are likely to become eligible and purchase over the next five years, representing an additional source of buyer demand for the housing market. However, because of low credit quality, millions more will not be able to re-enter in the coming decade.
(Source: National Association of REALTORS®)
OCAR is excited to announce the debut of OC FastStats reports for the city of Long Beach and MLS areas within Long Beach.
Watch (and share) our latest OC FastStats Monthly Market Update:
How do I know what my broker has chosen?
What was the reason for this change in Matrix?
Does the Broker need to opt in before the agent can make modifications?
Will existing listings be sent to Zillow or do I need to re-input into Matrix?
Do we need to do this for every listing or just once?
Where/how do I find my office ID?
Why is this in add/edit under Roster?
What property types will be syndicated to Zillow/Trulia?
Is there a cost?
How often does Zillow/Trulia refresh data?
There are five (5) three-year and one (1) one-year Director positions open for the 2016-2018 Orange County Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors. Voting will begin on Monday, May 11 at 8:00 am and will conclude on Tuesday, May 26 at 5:00 pm. OCAR REALTORS® may vote for up to six candidates but may cast no more than one vote per candidate.
Shortly after the election opens, OCAR REALTOR® members will receive their voting email with the subject line: IMPORTANT OCAR VOTING ID – Do Not Delete. This email contains the access link to the secure voting website, your Voting ID, and your personalized Voting Code.
The voting website is different than www.OCAR.org and is only accessible via your voting email.
As in previous elections, you may opt to cast a paper ballot at either OCAR office in lieu of voting online. Only OCAR REALTORS® are eligible to vote.
This is a great opportunity to discuss preparedness with your clients and prospects--let your "farm" know how to get ready for an earthquake.
The American Red Cross has a checklist (in both English and Spanish) to get you started. Download it here.
Other items to consider when preparing your home and family (source: "Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country"):
As previously announced, on April 7, 2015, ListHub will no longer distribute listings to Zillow or Trulia. CRMLS has entered into an agreement with the Zillow Group to preserve the ability for our brokers to continue to send their data directly to Zillow and Trulia without interruption.
CRMLS will only send listing data to Zillow and Trulia if a broker "opts-in" to do so.
Please note, on April 7, 2015 the following options will be available:
On April 7, 2015 ensure you log in to Matrix and take the following steps to manage your syndication options:
CRMLS recommends that all Brokers review their Manage Syndication page on April 7 to ensure that their choice is accurately reflected.
Agents, please note: if your Broker has not yet opted-in OR has chosen to opt-in without giving agents the ability to choose their own syndication, you will NOT have access to the "Manage Syndication" link in Matrix.
If and when your Broker has "opted-in" to syndication, you may take the following steps to manage your syndication options:
For clarification of your Broker's syndication choices, please contact your managing Broker directly.
Important Flood Insurance Changes
According to OCAR Affiliate Ryan Ramirez, flood insurance is changing and changing in a big way.
REALTORS® are advised when showing or listing new property to order a flood determination report from their preferred lender or insurance agent to find out what flood insurance zone a property lies in so they can ascertain all costs associated with the transaction before entering into escrow.
Home owners must pay upfront to obtain flood insurance and requisite certificate says Aaron Rosen, another OCAR Affiliate member. In general, Rosen explains that if it's an FHA-insured mortgage or government loan, the FEMA flood insurance policy is what is needed. Private insurance will not be accepted.
The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 was passed by Congress and signed by the president in 2012. The changes of this act were designed to make the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) more financially stable.
As a result of the passing of this act, homeowners and business owners will see a substantial rate increase across, particularly in high risk zones such as flood zone A & B. In addition to the rate increase, homes in flood zone A & B built before 1975 will be required to purchase an elevation certificate before binding coverage.
There are a number of additional changes and provisions that have been implemented as well:
April 2015 changes to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are results of the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act (HFIAA) and the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (Biggert-Waters).
1. Implementation of the first annual rate change that sets rates using rate increase limitations set by HFIAA, for individual premiums and rate classes:
2. Increasing the Reserve Fund assessments required by Biggert-Waters
3. Implementation of the annual surcharges required by HFIAA
This congress-mandated surcharge, the probation surcharge, and the Federal Policy Fee (FPF) are not considered premiums and, therefore, are not subject to the premium rate increase limitations.
4. Guidance on substantially damaged and substantially improved structures and additional rating guidance on Pre-Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) structures
5. Implementation of a new procedure for Properties Newly Mapped into the Special Flood Hazard Area and existing Preferred Risk Policy Eligibility Extension (PRP EE) policies
6. Federal Policy Fee (FPF):
RCBAP (Residential Condominium Building Association Policies):
7. New deductible options:
Increased optional deductible of $10,000 for residential properties (created to help reduce premiums as a result of HFIAA)
New minimum deductibles for PRP and MPPP policies will be $1,000 for both building and contents if the building coverage is less than or equal to $100,000 and $1,250 if building coverage is over $100,000, regardless of the insured building's construction date compared to the initial FIRM date. PRP and MPPP contents-only policies will have a $1,000 minimum deductible
Click here to read a detailed summary of April 1, 2015 changes. For specific questions about coverage, it may be best to contact your insurance agent.
FEMA has put together a series of short videos to help explain these changes, which may be viewed here.
The Huntington Beach and Canyon Area Preview Meetings will be dark on Friday, April 3. Meetings will resume the following Friday on April 10.
REALTORS® in Orange County who represent sellers and buyers of homes in the communities of Ladera Ranch, Talega, and San Clemente should understand the "community enhancement fee" required to be paid at the time of close of any escrow or purchase.
Often described as a "lifestyle" fee, these private transfer fee obligations are a recorded covenant running with the land obligation of the sellers. Payment of this fee obligation is according to a recorded covenant and cannot be avoided.
Such recorded community enhancement fees commonly have language such as: "By its acceptance of a deed with respect to any residential Unit (as such term is defined above), the Owner of such Unit is hereby deemed to acknowledge and agree to the requirement that any Owner transferring title to such Unit shall pay to the Association a Community Enhancement Fee in an amount not to exceed one-fourth of one percent (0.25%) of the gross sale price of the Unit. By its acceptance of a deed with respect to any residential Unit (as such term is defined above), the Owner of such Unit is hereby deemed to acknowledge and agree to the requirement that any owner transferring title to such Unit shall pay to the Association such Community Enhancement Fee. Certain exemptions apply."
So even though FHA and government-backed loans have been made by lenders in these communities for more than 10 years, HUD has recently said that such government-backed loans are no longer authorized where there are required private transfer fees.
HUD (U.S. Housing and Urban Development) representatives have recently said: "Ladera Ranch is one of many master planned communities where mandatory private transfer or other transfer fees are required upon each conveyance of the property. This includes single-family dwellings, townhouses, PUDs, MH and condos. Per the regulation at § 203.41, private transfer or other transfer fees are not authorized. This rule was promulgated in 1994 and announced via Mortgagee Letter 04-02 and, according to HUD, the "requirements of the rule are still applicable."
So despite HUD not enforcing its own regulation after more than 10 years in Ladera Ranch and Talega, such purchase money loans will no longer be insured or purchased by HUD. And unless it backs off on its declining to authorize loans where such private transfer fees are required, FHA mortgage insurance will no longer be available.
HUD representatives said further: "The rule has been in effect since 1994 with limited or no compliance with the requirements therein. Mortgagees should be aware of FHA requirements, including this rule – required per FHA policy guidelines - and the loan transactions should not be scheduled for escrow." Moreover, "Sellers should not keep buyer deposits on FHA transactions where the reason for the loan denial is not based on borrower ineligibility of these fees upon conveyance."
FHA will not likely publish any official notice of this change. There are condominium projects still showing as approved on the HUD website. However, as condominium project approvals expire, FHA could deny their application for re-certification.
If you have questions about this change of government regulation enforcement or if you want to express your own opinion, you may contact HUD:
Emails and phone messages will be responded to during normal hours of operation, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday on all non-Federal holidays.
California Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. ("CRMLS") has entered into an agreement with the Zillow Group (which is made up of Zillow and Trulia) for a broker directed feed of data.
On April 7, 2015, Zillow and Trulia will stop working with ListHub—meaning brokers will be without a mechanism to send their listings to these websites. By entering into this Agreement, CRMLS is preserving the ability for our brokers to direct their data to Zillow and Trulia without interruption.
Many questions have arisen about the Agreement, but it is critical that you understand the following facts:
1. CRMLS will only send listing data to Zillow and Trulia if a broker "opts-in" and requests that the broker's listings be sent. No other listings will be provided.
2. Brokers will be able to "opt-in" and "opt-out" of sending their listings to Zillow and Trulia using an easy-to-use feature within the Matrix MLS software beginning on April 7.
3. Brokers and Agents will receive top attribution when their listings appear on Zillow and Trulia.
4. Listing agents will be designated as the "Listing Agent" when their listings appear on these websites.
5. Broker and Agent website links uploaded to Zillow and Trulia will hyperlink back to the broker's and agent's websites directly.
6. Brokers and Agents may, at their option, upload free of charge, business contact information to Zillow and Trulia so that it is readily available to the public.
7. Zillow and Trulia will be able to pull broker "opted-in" data every fifteen minutes, but no less frequently than 1 time per day, keeping listings more up-to-date.
CRMLS' Board of Directors approved this Agreement so that our brokers' businesses are not disrupted on April 7, and to ensure that brokers who syndicate through CRMLS will have the best listing data protection available to them.
Information on how to opt-in or opt-out will be provided through a CRMLS eConnect email in the upcoming weeks. OCAR will re-post that information when it's distributed.
C.A.R. today issued the following statement on a report titled, "California's High Housing Costs: Causes and Consequences," released this week by California's Legislative Analyst's Office:
"The Legislative Analyst's Office report on housing is completely on target. California's high cost of housing is putting the squeeze on the state's residents and making it difficult to attain the American Dream or just keep a roof over their heads," said C.A.R. President Chris Kutzkey.
The report found that California's high housing costs make the state a less attractive place to call home, making it more difficult for companies to hire and retain qualified employees, likely preventing the state's economy from meeting its full potential. Housing has long been more expensive than most of the rest of the country – about 2 ½ times the average national home price, while California's average monthly rent, $1,240, is about 50 percent higher than the average U.S. rent, according to the report.
The California Environmental Quality Act is a significant factor in inhibiting developers from increasing the supply of housing and building higher density housing, according to the report. Local governments must conduct a detailed review of the potential environmental effects of new housing construction prior to approving it.
(Source: California Association of REALTORS®)
OCAR REALTORS®, you're invited to this informative and engaging session with C.A.R. Assistant General Counsel, Neil Kalin.
Thursday, April 16 from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
UCI Student Center, A, 311 W Peltason Dr, Irvine, 92697
Pacific Ballroom C
$45 - Open to OCAR REALTORS® only. Your paid registration proceeds will go toward the REALTOR® Action Fund.
Advanced, paid registration is required by April 13 at 5:00 PM. Ways to register:
Please contact Community Affairs Administrator, Dirissy Doan.
Political contributions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal and state income tax purposes. Contributions to the REALTOR® Action Fund are voluntary, and the amounts above are only guidelines; you may give more, less or nothing at all. Failure to contribute will not affect an individual's membership status in the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.). Contributions will be allocated among three of C.A.R.'s political action committees (PACs), according to different formulas approved by C.A.R. for personal and corporate contributions. These PACs are: CREPAC (supports state and local candidates); CREPAC/Federal (supports federal candidates); and CREIEC (makes independent expenditures in support of or opposition to candidates). C.A.R. also sponsors IMPAC which supports local and state ballot measures and other issues that impact real property in California. The allocation formula may change including re-designating a portion to IMPAC.
While much of the country remains in a winter freeze, Orange County, and in particular its home sales market, is red hot! Could this be the end of a 7-year home sale downturn marked by underwater values and slumping sales? February sales data and recent improvements in the job market suggest that is indeed the case.
Watch our latest OC FastStats Update
Despite the economic and financial challenges young adults have braved since the recession, the millennial generation represented the largest share of recent buyers, according to the 2015 National Association of Realtors® Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends study, which evaluates the generational differences of recent home buyers and sellers.
The survey additionally found that an overwhelming majority of buyers search for homes online and then purchase their home through a real estate agent, with millennials using agents the most.
zipForm® Plus is a free California Association of REALTOR® benefit. Each year, in order to continue using the product, you need to renew the software license by accepting the license agreement. During the month of March, you will be notified inside zipForm® to renew. Follow the simple instructions below:
Renewing zipForm® Plus (online)
1. Log in to your zipForm® via www.car.org
2. Click "Renew Now"
3. Read through the license agreement in its entirety. If you choose to accept the License Agreement, click "Yes"
4. A confirmation screen will appear after agreeing to the License Agreement, click on the "Exit Order" button
5. A log out redirect screen will appear, click"Ok" and it will redirect you to www.car.org
6. Log in to your zipForm® via www.car.org


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A Castle for All Seasons
Amidst craggy mountains, the first silhouettes of a monumental castle arise. A line of traders twists its way to the gate; and the hustle and bustle attracts many people in the hope of getting wages and victuals. The area is crammed with market booths; the magnificent castle is being enlarged around them.
Each player is a builder who, round for round, is able to use different
character cards tactically. The constructing of this castle always culminates in an exciting final scoring. The player to produce the most victory points in the end deserves the protection of the castle and wins the game.
more information at the Board Game Geek website
Customer Raves - Write your own Rave about this game!
(Click on a person's name or game group to see other raves by the same person or group.
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NMSU physics graduate students have a wide variety of research options to choose from.
The Physics Department at NMSU is Pleased to Announce:
Starting in Spring 2012, the Department is offering a new program of a professional science Master's degree:
Master of Science in Physics with Concentration in Space Physics. The new program will appear in the 2012-2013 catalog.
The degree requirements and program description can be found here.


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DC: Play Arts Kai Action Figures: Harley Quinnn (Variant Edition)
HARLEY QUINN dons a harlequin costume, to show her love for THE JOKER, also known as the "Clown Prince of Crime."
- More Below…
Product Description
- Brand
- Play Arts Kai
- Cat No.
- 3226674
- 4988601321327
- Height
- 25.4cm (10in)
- Manufacturer
- Square Enix
- Material
- Plastic
- Packaging
- Boxed
- Series
- Batman
- Types
- Action Figures
- Toys
- Universe
HARLEY QUINN dons a harlequin costume, to show her love for THE JOKER, also known as the "Clown Prince of Crime."
With this iteration, we emphasized her powerful and voluptuous, yet lithe, physique to recreate her uniquely demented cuteness. Special care was put into the paintwork, from the asymmetry of contrasting red and blue, to a variety of differing textures even within the same color range, to bring out the overall vividness of her bewitching personality.
The collector is able to recreate dynamic combat scenes with the giant mallet accessory and the wide range of motion in her arms.
Customer Reviews
There aren't any reviews published for this product yet, why not be the first to write one?Write your own review.


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Our Databases Network
Our system bundles information about drugs and active ingredients for different sectors.
Data Services
Do you need customised extracts out of our drug dictionaries? Let us create your individual data download.
Qualified Partners
Thanks to our first class data suppliers, we proudly guarantee the quality and up-to-dateness of the data.
DACON provides drug database service for medical professionals in its platform pharmazie.com
DACON Fact Sheet for Download
The service provider in the drug information area is DACON GmbH which was founded in 1989. Nowadays DACON GmbH operates pharmazie.com – one of the largest German / English-language database networks in the medical-pharmaceutical sector. The system gathers information about drugs and active ingredients from 25+ databases and 50+ countries as well as about 1,700 medication-relevant diagnoses.
The supply of medicines to the population faces a particular challenge: countless drugs and active ingredients can unfold unpredictable interactions when combined. Furthermore, multiple revenues from drugs may contain similar substances or substances with similar effects. Only a database that gathers as much information as possible available on the pharmaceutical market and enables automatic comparison of the data can ensure optimal supply.
In addition to drug information such as interactions or intolerances, pharmazie.com includes the patient´s parameters in the consultation support assessment ("Clinical Decision Support"). Such parameters are among other gender and age as well as existing allergies and illnesses. By means of the traffic light display ("C A V E-Check"), the Drug Databases give the go-ahead or warn if necessary of interactions and risks. In this way, it supports particularly the medication safety in a matter of seconds.
List of all Drug Databases in pharmazie.com
Transparency List AVWG
The Transparency List AVWG (AVWG Arzneimittelversorgungs Wirtschaftlichkeitsgesetz) compares prices of original generics and reimported products,
Swiss PHARMINDEX Identa
With the images in the Pharmindex Identa, you can quickly identify Swiss packages, tablets, capsules and other medicines sold in the Swiss market.
Swiss Drug Dictionary PHARMINDEX HCI
This database contains information about Swiss drugs, homeopathic and biological remedies stored in the PHARMINDEX HCI Database.
Rehadat Assistive Products Germany
13000 German assistive products and 2.500 manufacturers, images and dimensions of assistive products for an easy identification.
PharMonitor Germany
567.083 Packages price changes monitoring with new drugs alert for the German Market in your personal Pharmonitor report every 2 weeks.
Marketing Authorisation Holder Drug Dictionaries
124.000 + original pharmaceutical products and generics available in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and 50+ countries.
The google-like pharmaceutical search engine supplied by pharmazie.com
GERMAN SPCs ROTE LISTE
Short Products´Characteristics (SPCs) and legal data on human finished medicinal products available in Germany and certain medical devices including EU approvals.
GERMAN Gelbe Liste Identa
Online drug discovery and identification tool. Quickly identify 4,780 tablets, capsules and others and check for divisibility.
German Drug Interactions ABDA Database
Lists interactions among German drugs, substances and foodation for German drugs stored in the ABDA Database.
GERMAN Drug Dictionary Gelbe Liste
Structured information on 140,153 German drugs, homeopathic and biological remedies including the ATC Code.
GERMAN Drug Dictionary "ROTE LISTE"
Brief information on human finished medicinal products available in Germany and certain medical devices including EU approvals.
Drug Pricing Germany Tool
580,622 Packages and prices ( including wholesale prices and all economic data) for all drugs sold in pharmacies in Germany. Updated twice a month. Includes price comparison and price history back until November 2003
Drug Pricing Germany Plus V
Plus V assists providers of Assistive Products in the often very complicated and time-consuming price determination. Plus V includes 259,889 prices related to the products and the patients´ Health Insurance Company
Drug Pricing Germany Plus H3
3,468 Milligram prices of German parenteral solutions in accordance with Appendix 3 of Price Listing of Substances and Preparations
DACON Pharmaceutical Links
References to further information on the Internet such as to the pharmaceutical product´s homepage
DACON Nutrition Information
Nutrition tips for certain risk factors (e.g. high blood pressure) with suggestions for further reading
DACON List Marketing Authorisation Holders
List of 2,345 Marketing Authorisation Holders with Address, contact details, email, phone number, link to active ingredients and drugs registered worldwide.
Austrian Drug Interactions AUSTRIA CODEX
1,129 Interactions among Austrian drugs, substances and nutrition of drugs stored in the Austria Codex Database.
AUSTRIAN Drug Dictionary Austria Codex
This database contains information about Austrian drugs, homeopathic and biological remedies stored in the Austria Codex Database.
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Dictionary
Structured data from 47,000 active ingredients and excipients in drugs worldwide
ABDA Database Recent News
15,423 News Releases from German Drug Commissions as well as information on changes in drug prices, new products and food supplements.
ABDA Database German SmPC Drug Dictionary
58.000 Authorised original pharmaceutical products and generics with their legal information such as SmPC, Leaflet and structured information.
ABDA Database CAVE
1,871 medical interventions and ICD Codes relevant to drug medication. CAVE checks medication safety on: contraindication, side effect, allergy, age, gender, interaction and double medication.
ABDA Database Archive
244,520 German Drugs taken off the market and deleted from the ABDA Database after their approval expired
ABDA Database Active Ingredients Dossiers
Dossiers on active ingredients and excipients in drugs worldwide with pharmacological and toxicological details.


text: I just recently bought the R4 card at a webshop and since the latest firmware works, I assume it's the real deal. But I just read on this site that the R4 card is outdated and the manufacturer dropped the support for this card. Since when has it been like that and will that also mean that there will be no more firmware updates? The last one was back in april 2008 so I was wondering. I thank you in advance for answering my question(s).


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More than 30 scholarships are available for the 2017-2018 academic year in the Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation Health Care Scholarship Program. Students are encouraged to apply in the following categories:
Priority will be given to hospital employees, particularly in Kansas regions experiencing shortages. Our thanks to the Kansas Association of Health Care Executives and the Kansas Hospital Human Resources Association for partnering with KHERF to administer their scholarship programs. KHERF relies on you to forward this invitation to anyone you know in Kansas who is pursuing a health care degree or new certificate. Applications are on the KHERF website at www.kherf.org. Please help us find the best candidates!


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Most Mennonites have traditionally supported pacifism and non-resistance instead of war. In the past, Mennonites have died instead of betraying these principles. At other times, they left everything they owned to move to a different country to keep their faith. In times of peace and prosperity, however, Mennonites did not have to actively practice these values. At the start of the Second World War in 1939, young Mennonite men were tested for the first time. Would they join the army to defend the country that had given them shelter and protection? Or would they remain true to their centuries-old faith?
Although some choose to join the army, most decided to become conscientious objectors. For them, this experience strengthened their faith and turned out to be a time of personal transformation. This was the case for Ben Bergen.
The conscientious objector experience changed my life. Camp experience has broadened my understanding of other denominations, their teachings and beliefs. I learned to show more patience and to cooperate with my fellow man.
Cornelius Dueck also sees the CO experience as pivotal in his life.
s I look back, this experience was a turning point in my life. I got to know Christian fellows from other districts and backgrounds. Many of us had the same goal in life: to live for Jesus Christ and to prepare for eternity. One thing that I appreciate tremendously was, that we had ministers at camp to help us, give guidance, and preach the Word of God… These ministers were willing to give of their time to help us. It has been a highlight for me spiritually. From a self-centered, self-righteous life, it changed to a more broad outlook on life, and accepting my fellow brethren even though they did not speak, think, and do exactly as I did. I realized that God looks at the heart and not at the outward appearance. This led me to have high regard for all believers and our church.
David Jantzi felt his time as a CO was important in his life. While he injured his leg at the camp the experience gave him more understanding of others. He also experienced God at the camp.
J.W. Nickel, who served in the CO camps as a worker and as a religious director, gave this evaluation of the experience.
What did camp life do for the conscientious objectors? For one thing, it taught those, who because of previous isolated church life held the members of another denomination in narrow esteem, to respect and love their brothers…. Through discussion and observation these men had a wonderful opportunity to free themselves of denominational bigotry. By the same means, they arrived at destinations in their spiritual development in which they experienced in a broader way what their religious leaders and teachers at home had often only hinted at and some had in vain attempted to instill. [Toews, 103]


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(04.01.2016) – What a year it's been…in fact what a big past few months we have had since the 2015 World Championships!
The Aussie Sharks have just wrapped up their Test Series with Italy, including another stunning Water Polo by the Sea event which was on the back of a Test Series vs Japan in November. The team under Coach Fatovic is looking to maximise the international competition as we head towards Rio, some 215 odd days away.
The Aussie Stingers have been in solid training since September under the guidance of Greg McFadden, including a Test Series vs Japan on home soil followed by a successful trip to Rio and the USA, claiming multiple wins against the current World Champions and bringing home Gold from the Rio test event.
Throw in the start of the 2015/16 National League season, women's Tokyo Development Tour and junior state and national camps around the corner to kick off 2016, and fair to say our national players have got a jump on next year's international season.
Water Polo Australia also held a ´Rio 2016 Family and Friends´ event, in conjunction with the AOC's ASPIRE initiative designed to inform and prepare our prospective athletes, coaches and support staff for the Games. It was an outstanding success with over 30 family and friends representing 23 athletes turning out and building on the ´one team´ philosophy. It is our intention to keep the momentum going into the new year as the Games draw closer.
Away from the pool and our national teams is where some big movement has occurred, as well with numerous stakeholder engagement and planning workshops held to map out where we head into the future, both in the lead up to and, more poignantly, post-Rio 2016 towards Tokyo 2020 and beyond. WPA has worked closely with the AIS, State Institute and Academies of Sport as well as our State Associations to define what our vision for the future will be, and the key performance and strategic shifts required to become the best water polo nation in the world.
As we head into 2016 we will continue the consultation and discussions with stakeholders to come up with a solidified plan for implementation and leverage partnerships to increase investment and resources for the sport and HP program. I have mentioned in the #1 Post previously that change is coming, and while we have made some changes in the past 12 months, more will be required to align our collective efforts in the pursuit of excellence.
One key area of focus will be on coaching and ensuring we have the best quality coaches working down the pathway impacting on our junior development. On this note I'd like to announce and congratulate the respective national junior coaches recently appointed for 2016;
- B97 – Head Coach – Tim Hamill and Assistant Coach – Vedran Cirkovic
- B98 – Head Coach – Andrei Kovalenko and Assistant Coach Matt Turnbull
- B00 – Head Coach – Andrew Yanitsas and Assistant Coach – Andras Jo Kovacs
- B01 – Head Coach – Dmitry Gorshkov and Assistant Coach – Damian Kelly
- B99/00 – Head Coach – Chris Wybrow and Assistant Coach – TBD
- B97 – Head Coach – Predrag Mihailovic and Assistant Coach Georgina Kovacs
- B98 – Head Coach – Predrag Mihailovic and Assistant Coach Bec Rippon
- B00 – Head Coach – Arjan Vos and Assistant Coach Dusan Damjanovic and another TBD
Thank you to those coaches who expressed an interest, we look forward to engaging you in alternative ways during 2016 as we build our coaching talent pool.
2015 has been fantastic for water polo in this country with many new and exciting developments across many facets. As it draws to a close I'd like to thank our national coaches, support staff and, most importantly, athletes for their efforts and those that encourage and support their love of the game.
Next year is a big one to say the least. It is, on one hand, when four years of blood, sweat, tears and many sacrifices are put on the line at the Rio Olympic Games. On the other, it is just another step in the road of our evolution and progress both domestically and on the world stage.
Wherever your passion lies, we want you with us on the journey so that we can share in the excitement and growth together, because something tells me we are ultimately just fans of the game and the green and gold.
I hope everybody had a great Christmas and New year with family and friends and until next time…be your best!
Tom Hill
Manager, High Performance
Water Polo Australia
About our contributors
Tom Hill
Tom Hill as High Performance Manager has led the WPA High Performance Program since the beginning of 2012. From playing AFL football and coaching junior talent programs to sports administration at state associations, state institutes, universities and national level. Hill's experience extends to a variety of stakeholders. He also has an academic background in Business, Sport Management and Sport Law.
Greg McFadden
Greg McFadden is the National Head Coach of the women's water polo team, the Aussie Stingers. McFadden has been in charge of the Stingers since 2005 leading the team to Bronze medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, Gold at the 2006 World Cup and Silver at the 2010, 2014 World Cups adding to Silver at the 2013 World Championships. McFadden represented Australia at the 1992 Olympic Games as part of our most successful men's team which finished fifth.
Elvis Fatovic
Elvis Fatovic is the National Head Coach of the men's water polo team, The Aussie Sharks. Hailing from Croatia, Fatovic has been in charge of the Sharks since the beginning of 2013 and thus far led the Sharks to their top performances in a decade at the 2013 World Championships and 2014 World Cup. Fatovic is regarded as one of the best left headers in Croatian water polo history, and competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. Fatovic won the 2012 Olympic Games Gold medal with Croatia as an assistant coach to Ratko Rudic.


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Social Tips and Tricks from the Top 10 U.S. Media Publishers
Top media publishing brands like Complex, National Geographic (which passed the 1 billion mark in Instagram Likes earlier this year), and Maxim are the best in breed when it comes to filling their massive social audiences' feeds with alluring content that keeps 'em coming back for more.
Shareablee recently conducted research to find out who the most engaging U.S. media publishers were during the month of August.
Social Tips and Tricks from the Top 10 U.S. Media Publishers
Here are the high-level stats you need to know:
1. The top U.S. media publishers the study focused on — including National Geographic, Bleacher Report, Buzzfeed, Hollywood Life, Complex, People, and Playboy — generated 1.5 billion total social actions.
2. 729 million of those social actions came from Instagram, making this the first time that social interactions on Instagram have surpassed Facebook.
3. The media publishing industry represents 31% of all actions taken on content published by brands in August.
But what can your brand learn tactically from the success of top media publishers on social?
Find Your Kanye
Of the top ten, Complex saw the highest growth in engagement at 16%, jumping to number seven from number nine in July 2015, driven by a 73% increase in Likes and comments on Instagram.
Could it have something to do with Kanye?
40% of Complex's top-performing posts on Instagram in August included images of Kanye.
These images weren't Complex-centric or taken at Complex-sponsored events — they simply featured the man himself in both formal and more playful, behind-the-scenes moments.
Who is your industry/audience's Kanye? And how can you play the Instagram "long game" by feeding Instagram users' desire for content which entertains but doesn't make your brand the focus?
Reliably Good Content = More Followers
National Geographic ranked number one for Instagram engagement, as well as total actions across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
I ran our Instagram Account Report to find out which kinds of posts National Geographic drove the most engagement for the media brand during this time period.
The results didn't differ from the results I reported on in my last post about National Geographic on Instagram (spoiler alert: adorable animals and awe-inspiring landscapes taken by photographers with their own massive social followings FTW), but what is attention-grabbing is the impact that reliably high-quality content can have on follower count.
National Geographic drove 3 million in follower growth in August alone.
This is during a time period when National Geographic's average engagement per post on Instagram is over 386k.
That's no coincidence: although we don't know whether National Geographic is spending ad dollars on Instagram to help drive these gigantic numbers, we do know that by building a reputation for solid, consistent content — not just flash-in-the-pan engagement-driving posts sandwiched by unworthy content — National Geographic is showing up on Instagram's Discover feature, picking up strong press and word-of-mouth awareness about its Instagram presence, and generating follower and engagement growth which makes most other media brands turn green with envy.
Social Users Want to Be Entertained
One thing holds true for social users across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube: they come to these networks for entertainment first and foremost, whether that comes in the form of the Entertainment category itself or Fashion & Style. Stories in these realms catch the most buzz.
However, the fastest growing categories by total social engagement for August were Men's Interest (+30%), Auto (+7%) and Travel (7%).
Maxim had the highest growth in the Men's Interest category at 77%.
In the Automotive category, Autoweek and Motor Trend Magazine saw the highest growth rates at 64% and 51%, respectively.
Midwest Living and Coastal Living had the highest growth for the Travel category at 15% and 14%, respectively.
Barstool Sports saw the highest growth of any publisher in August at 125 percent.
Want an Even Bigger Picture?
Click below to download our 2015 State of Social Marketing Report, which includes everything from major social network stats, to vertical-by-vertical breakdowns, to real survey data from hard-working social marketers about what their biggest challenges are and what the social org looks like in 2015.
Lucy Hitz
I'm the Head of Marketing Communications here at Simply Measured, where I'm responsible for our content program, social media marketing, PR, and comarketing ventures. I love yoga, The X-Files, peaty scotch, hiking, and poetry. If I were a social media channel, I'd want to be Instagram, but I think I'm Twitter.
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