text:
Friday, March 14, 2014
I am just nosey...
One of the best things about my job is meeting new people. This week I ran into an interesting fellow who is a vice-president with RBC Royal Bank in the commercial financial section. His name was Pierre Maltais. Of course, I had to ask him about his family name, which is the same as Terry's family. Turns out his Dad is quite the researcher into the family history. He told me all the Maltais in Canada are tied back to two brothers who came from the Normandy region of France back in the 1600s. He said his branch of the family settled in the Saguenay region of Quebec, where they were mostly employed in the logging business. Interesting eh?
Posted by Len at 9:57 AM No comments: Links to this post
Thursday, March 13, 2014
I dress bland ... but more people are doing that now.
I'm a fashion trend setter! Who knew? According to the fashionistas out there, the newest trend in men's fashion is something called Normcore. Apparently it means just plain bland ordinary comfortable clothing. Yup, that's where I am now. Several years ago I had to follow a spiffy dress code and wear suits and ties at work. Not any more. My thing now is clean and plain and comfortable. And yes, I get to wear jeans. I don't worry about that because if I have to go to a special chamber of commerce lunch, I just throw on a blazer. I bought two very ordinary looking cashmere blazers in the past year. One is navy and one is light brown. They're perfect for adding a bit of formality to my everyday casual clothes. The best part is that I dress comfortably. If I have to work in these clothes for 10, 12 or 14 hours a day, I am going to be comfortable!
Posted by Len at 10:02 AM No comments: Links to this post
Sunday, March 02, 2014
Grandma's letter to Jennifer
I am very pleased with myself this weekend. I did some housework. Ha Ha. But more than that I found a letter that Grandma Gillis mailed out more than 30 years ago. The letter was addressed to Jennifer. I thought it was lost, but it was in an old photo album. Jenn was just a child at the time and likely had a hard time reading Grandma's handwriting. The important thing is that it was a letter about our family history and how the Gillis family came over from Morar, on the northwest coast of Scotland. Grandma was a teacher at one time and had a great memory for detail. I remember her with great love and fondness. I have made digital copies of the letter and I will transcribe it into text as well. Grandma signed off the letter with this: "Now my hand is getting tired and you may not be able to make out the writing but try to anyway. Give my love to your Mother & everyone. God Bless You. Will write at Christmas. Bye Bye. Your great grandmother."
Posted by Len at 6:23 PM No comments: Links to this post
Saturday, March 01, 2014
People are getting to be so young!
So here we are in March 2014. This is a bit of a milestone month for me. I will be turning 60. I'm okay with that, but some days I am amazed how young some people are getting. Of course, people don't "get young". It's just that as I go about my day to day work meeting different people in different walks of life, I come upon some very talented and very interesting people ... and they are so YOUNG! It takes everything I have to shake hands with them, instead of giving them a gentle pat on the head, as you might with a child. Well, it's not really like that. But it is how I think sometimes. I ran into one of these people last week, who is so young and fresh-faced you might think he is a teenager. But this fellow is a mining engineer who is in charge of a billion dollar gold mining operation and oversees the jobs of hundreds of people. Sometimes I walk into an office or a building and ask to see the see the boss. Many times I am surprised to find that the "big boss" in these situations is often a young person, younger than my own children. I am confident that I act properly but I sure hope my face or mannerisms don't give anything away. I believe in the idea that in these days of very strict working conditions, you don't get to be the boss unless you have exceedingly good qualifications. That being said, I work in a situation where most of my fellow reporters, colleagues in the news business, are also young. And as expected, they make a lot of rookie mistakes. I don't bother pointing out the mistakes, as I am confident they realize when they have done something wrong. I do however make a point of complimenting them when they do something really well. It sure makes the day go better.
Posted by Len at 9:50 AM No comments: Links to this post
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Media@McGill announces its 2017-2018 theme as Media, Art and Politics.
An exciting fall, 2017 program is being planned; here is what you can look forward to.
September 28, 5:30 p.m.
Film screening presented by Kabane 77: "Donna Haraway: Story Telling for Earthly Survival"
October 25, 5:45 p.m.
Emerging Media Scholars @ McGill: Reem Hilu, Elizabeth Parke and Shirley Roburn

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Word of the Day: Menace
Menace is a verb that means to threaten or to express the intention of inflicting evil or injury. It can also be used as a noun, meaning a threat. It comes from the Latin minae, the projecting (and dangerous) points in the walls of caves.
To put it plainly, distracted driving is a menace to society. (The Economist)
Rustlers are now a growing menace in some parts of rural America, striking in the dead of night and sometimes selling their haul before the rancher or farmer discovers the animals are gone. (USA Today)
Want to improve your English in 5 minutes a day? Click here to subscribe and start receiving our writing tips and exercises via email every day.
Recommended Articles for You
Subscribe to Receive our Articles and Exercises via Email
- You will improve your English in only 5 minutes per day, guaranteed!
- Subscribers get access to our archives with 800+ interactive exercises!
- You'll also get three bonus ebooks completely free!


text:
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court quashed the appeal decision on the Maryland ruling, with the suspension in Hawaii still valid but its days likely numbered.
There were no prominent dissident from the court's resolution to avoid hearing disputes about the travel ban; however Justice Sonia Sotomayor would have left in place exemplar of the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.
Dismissing the cases would allow the court to avoid ruling on hard legal issues, at least for a while. This means that the justices could also dismiss that case, but even if they do, they are probably not done with the issues at the heart of both cases - whether the Trump administration's restrictions on entry into the United States violate the Constitution or exceed the president's authority.
The Supreme Court dismissed a major challenge to President Donald Trump's travel ban on residents of some Muslim-majority countries because of its replacement with a newer version.
The ban's challengers argued that the case against the last version should go forward because numerous same travelers and their families are adversely affected - not just for 90 days, but indefinitely.
A hearing on the ACLU's case is scheduled before a Maryland federal judge on October 17. Succeeding the habitual practice in such cases, The judgment is therefore abdicated and the case is adjourned to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit with directives to disperse as moot the provocation.
Hillary Clinton Finally Spoke Out Against Longtime Donor Harvey Weinstein
As for Obama and his post-White House team, however, no official statement or comment has yet to be publicized. Their courage and the support of others is critical in helping to stop this kind of behavior".
The second ban had prevented travel to the United States from six predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
That action made the court challenge moot, the justices ruled.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which brought the 4th Circuit challenge on behalf of the refugee group, had said charges of anti-Muslim discrimination still applied "despite some new window dressing" - a reference to the addition of North Korea and Venezuela.
However, the original refugee ban is also scheduled to expire soon, no doubt to be replaced by an altered version.
The ban's challengers also argued that the case against the last version should go forward because numerous same travelers in the initial band are being targeted by the new ban, which has an indefinite time frame.


text:
Editor's Note: One of the things I love about collage is that you can take a handful of miscellaneous papers and put them together to create something that's wonderfully cohesive. It may not seem like those papers matter–but they do. It's like meeting someone and immediately having opinions about who she is, if you like her, and if you might have things in common with her. On the outside, you quickly see the final collage of everything that led up to who she is today. It seems simple, but when you look closely, it's complex.
Collage art can involve much more than what you see on the surface, as we see with mixed-media artists such as Elizabeth St. Hilaire. Her final pieces are beautiful to behold, and have layers of meaning. In her newly published book, Painted Paper Art Workshop, Elizabeth shows how she takes bits and pieces of symbolic and sentimental materials and turns them into art that's familiar, and yet new. Here's an overview that I think you'll enjoy. ~Cherie
Three Things to Know Before You Take the Plunge
A guest blog post from artist and author Elizabeth St. Hilaire
My love of collage started with a scrap box of mementos from my childhood. These small sentimental pieces of my past came from my father, who rescued them from the attic about seven years ago. Stuffing these tidbits into a box beneath my bed seemed anticlimactic. I remember standing there after my had father left, looking at the hospital bill from my birth, my Mom's nursing school graduation cards from 1967, and thinking, what should I do with this?
I decided to find a way to incorporate these sentimental papers, notes, and snippets of my family's past into something both memorable and beautiful. Thus was born a representational collage "painting." This piece, Looking in on Jane (above; a portrait of my mother), won Best of Show for the first time at the Orlando Visual Artists League in 2005, and for a second time at the Women's Caucus for Arts Matriarchs and Madonnas exhibit in 2007. The success of this piece plunged me head-first into my love affair with collage.
In my recently published North Light book, Painted Paper Art Workshop, I demonstrate more than 30 techniques that teach you how these papers are born of quality products, found and related materials, and experimentation.
Tips on How to Make Collage Art
1. I use only professional artist colors when painting paper. Some years ago my friend and fellow collage artist Jo Reimer suggested that I try fluid acrylics, since they retain their intensity when watered down. I asked her, "Jo, are they REALLY better? Because they're REALLY expensive." She said, "YES!" and I took her advice. Guess what? They are amazing. You can dilute fluid acrylics, spatter, splash, blot into them, and the color stays very intense. Because the paint is translucent, every layer of patterning and texture is multiplied with the one laid down before it; this is what makes my paper palette perfect.
Recently, I received an email from a former student, Andi, who cc'd our entire class and noted: "Don't buy cheap knock-off supplies and/or equipment. The real stuff will save you time and money in the long run." She was speaking of spending money on Golden fluid acrylics, because in our class she had limited herself to working with craft paints. She was not happy with her results compared to those of the students around her. When Andi returned home, she invested in the recommended paints and said that it had made all the difference.
2. Make it matter. That first collage of my mom incorporated personal ephemera that related to her graduation from nursing school, marriage to my father, and her first-born child, me. I have gone on to use my kids homework and report cards from elementary school, nursery rhymes about animals, and even recipes in my collages. My collages invite the viewer to look, and having looked, to linger. Printed materials and personal ephemera related to the subject matter make my collage work that much more interesting. I liken the viewing experience to an Easter egg hunt; the longer someone lingers, the more fun and magical stuff they find hidden in the details.
3. Don't be afraid to experiment and get creative with unconventional materials. For example, painting your toes and fingers and skittering them across the page offers a direct connection between you and the paper, not to mention some wonderful and organic shapes. Each of your toes and fingers are a different size and shape, and they make for much more interesting patterns than the uniformity of bubble wrap. I utilize these multi-sized spots for many of the animals in my repertoire, including koi fish. (My feature article in The Artist's Magazine, April 2014, was about said koi fish and toe prints). I have also experimented with many items from the hardware store to make interesting impressions on paper, including silicone sink and tub liners, placemats, and mosaic glass tile sheets.
Over the years my technique has evolved as a result of experimentation with a wide variety of hand-painted, handmade, textured, and patterned papers. Layering and weaving, pushing and pulling the colors, patterns, and values makes collage akin to music. I go back and forth, alternating and overlapping until the rhythm creates something I love.
~Elizabeth St. Hilaire, www.paperpaintings.com
For more detailed information on how to paint your own decorative papers and
use them to create a painterly collage, pickup Elizabeth's book,
Painted Paper Art Workshop today!


text:
When's the last time you wished you could push the reset button? We all have dreams of "if I only knew then what I know now . . ." What if you were given the opportunity to reset how you lead in your congregation or how you approach ministry? What reflections would surface and what changes would you make?
Perhaps your changes would reflect the desire for personal growth. You might wish to be more playful, or to practice meditation more regularly, reach scripture with open eyes, or to trust your own instincts more often.
Or maybe your changes would cause you to live and serve differently with the people of your congregation. You might commit to a more life-giving balance between the holy intimacy and the holy distance of your congregational system. Maybe you would exercise more nerve, or delegate more ministry opportunities, or engage more in the public square.
Join Bill Kincaid, interim president of Christian Theological Seminary, for a lunch conversation about how to reflect on these questions and think about how you might "reset" your current approaches. You'll be encouraged to think about how you can make helpful changes for your own sake and the sake of the community you serve.
Kincaid served in pastoral ministry for 25 years before joining the CTS faculty in 2008. Over the last 10 years, he has reflected often on his pastoral ministry and frequently considered what he would do differently if he were to serve as pastor of a congregation in the future.
This luncheon workshop is 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (Eastern time) Thursday, April 19, 2018 in Indianapolis. The cost of the workshop is $10, which includes lunch, conversation and workshops materials.
How can you maximize your learning in this workshop and others? Check out this Center for Congregations article, "Getting the Most from an Education Event."


text:
Feb 24
Multitasking capabilities of Android QuickDesk improves by providing a home screen quickly, which can be accessed at any time by double clicking the Home button. QuickDesk can be opened from anywhere, browsing, reading email, or change the settings. Even during a telephone conversation. QuickDesk can support widgets and shortcuts and with "notification icons ', you can see which applications are running.
Download QuickDesk from AppBrain.


text:
Place the pineapple in a sterile glass jar or bottle. Add sugar to taste, if the fruit is not sweet enough. Pour the vinegar over the fruit.
Cover and store in a cool, dark place for 6 to 14 days, checking for strength of flavor that you like.
Strain through cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter and refrigerate.
c.1996, M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger, all rights reserved
Check Out Our
Get a sneak-peek of the new Food Network recipe page and give us your feedback.See it Now!


text: Kevin is a tall, good looking lad - done quite a lot for us over the time he's been modelling and even bottomed rather well, but today we've got him proving how good he is at fucking another guy - and Jack is our favourite to get it from him! Jack is a cheeky, playful lad - he's grown quite adept at putting other straight lads at ease, and does so with Kevin - stripping off with him and then going down on his hardening cock. Kevin sucks him back, before lubing up Jack's arse and sliding his long hard uncut cock deep in!


text:
They specialize in monogrammed items that are just about the coolest looking things ever….not just mouse pads...but koozies, phone cases, iPad sleeves, dog tags, coasters...and more. There are also tons of prints, colors, designs and and fonts to choose from. So you pick everything yourself (custom, yo!) This is totally up my alley..especially since my craft room/office/fancy room is all color coordinated.
Did I mention the prices are super reasonable? Like…crazy super reasonable! AND..my personalized custom order came in the mail in just a week. This wonderful shop also is giving FREE SHIPPING to Sequins & Scissors readers! So now you gotta get something from them!!!
Click HERE to shop!!! "Sweet Avery Grace" on Etsy


text:
Working capital is the money needed for day-to-day business operations and is often a measure of a business's liquidity, efficiency and financial health.
To ensure your business has adequate working capital, the working capital cycle should be applied. The working capital cycle is the length of time from the purchase of inventory to the receipt of cash from customer sales.
The cycle comprises four elements: cash (funds available), creditors (accounts payable), inventory (stock on hand), and debtors (accounts receivable). Maintaining good cash flow requires control over each component. Ways to improve working capital:
To collect payments from debtors early, consider:
– establishing a credit policy
– invoicing early
– reducing payment terms
– stop supplying credit to debtors that do not pay
– following up on overdue accounts
– offering early settlement discounts
Inventory can tie up a large sum of your working capital; reducing inventory through the just-in-time model can increase efficiency and eliminate waste. The just-in-time inventory model is beneficial as it allows for quick changes to customer needs and frees up working capital to better meet financial obligations.
Managing cash outflows
Managing the money you owe to creditors is just as important as managing your accounts receivable.
To ensure your cash outflow meets your obligations:
– consider early payment discounts
– prioritise suppliers
– ensure the accuracy of invoices before making a payment
– only make payments when they are due
Posted on 6 September '18, under money. No Comments.
When you run your own business, it can be hard to step back and look at the big picture. Failing to do so, however, not only harms your business; it can also make it even harder to sell.
Whether it is failing to track cash flow or not investing correctly in key staff, there are many bad habits that business owners commonly make. Here are the top three:
Using the business as your personal ATM
A common business tax-minimisation strategy is to spend business earnings on personal expenses that are not directly related to the business. The idea behind this strategy is that reducing the earnings will make the business liable for a smaller tax bill at the end of the year. However, the strategy can create complications that cost more in the long run.
For example, when selling the business, the owner will need to convince buyers that the number of expenses claimed should be added back to profits since they are not 'real expenses'.
Not making cash flow king
Many small businesses fail as a result of cash flow issues. Problems with cash flow can be caused by a variety of factors, such as poor debt collection, unfavourable terms negotiated with customers, lazy record-keeping or a lack of regular costing analysis. Failing to manage cash flow hinders an employer's ability to pay employees and meet suppliers' invoices. The business's capacity to meet unexpected debt obligations can also be significantly reduced, resulting in missed opportunities and potentially forcing the closure of business at worst.
Coasting along
Far too many business owners neglect to spend enough time developing formal business, financial and operational plans; instead, they spend each day focusing on their short-term to-do list. These plans, however, are vital in determining whether all the owner's work results in business growth or if they are gaining little return.
Particular objectives need to be mapped out to monitor and measure performance. This allows business owners to identify areas of reduced productivity or activities that generate lower-than-required returns and take appropriate action to rectify this.
Posted on 13 July '18, under money. No Comments.
When the winter season commences, you might notice a spike in your bills. Although, it is no surprise that additional heating and hot water adds up, you may be surprised at how you can reduce these costs with minimal effort.
Consider the following tips to reduce your winter bills and lessen your environmental impact:
Heating and electricity
Instead of turning up the dial on your heating, look to other ways of heating up without using gas or electricity. Simple changes such as dressing warmly, closing the doors of the rooms you are not using and using a door snake can help to avoid the use of unnecessary heating.
You don't need to make big changes to make a difference. Some small changes you can easily implement include taking shorter showers, turning off the tap when brushing your teeth and installing a dual flush for your toilet. Fixing your dripping taps and leaking toilets will also lower your water bill.
Before purchasing new appliances, be sure to check the energy efficiency rating. Switching to energy efficient light bulbs can also reduce your electricity bills. Installing a water efficient shower head and only using the dishwasher and washing machine when full can help to save water. Switching off and unplugging appliances when they are not in use is a good habit to form.
Posted on 15 June '18, under money. No Comments.
When shopping around for a personal loan, it is wise to be conscious of any potential scammers that may try and offer you a deal that sounds too good to be true.
Though a loan may look legitimate from a first glance, there are various tell-tale signs to watch out for to spot a fraudulent loan.
When applying for a loan, be wary if your lender:
– does not evaluate your credit report before approving your loan
– calls or emails you to advise that you are a candidate for a loan
– asks for an initial fee to be wired to a local or international bank account
– offers a low-interest rate
– approves an amount that is higher than you require or applied for
– emails you from a personal email address (i.e., hotmail or gmail)
– sends correspondence using an email address where the company name is misspelt
– gives you an immediate deadline to accept the loan
– has not provided a legitimate address
It is essential to ensure the company you are dealing with is legitimate. Find their number from an independent source and then call them. Never call a number provided in an email as the scam artist may be impersonating a legitimate institution.
To be more adept at identifying a fraudulent loan and to avoid being scammed, never solely rely on the advice of a lender. It is always better to do independent research before you finalise your decision.
Posted on 17 May '18, under money. No Comments.
A personal loan can come in handy if you need some extra cash to fund a purchase, but it may not always be your best option.
Before you sign away, you will need to understand how personal loans work and if they are appropriate for your circumstances.
A personal loan is when a person borrows a set amount of money over a time period, along with interest, fees and charges from a credit provider.
There are generally two types of loans: secured and unsecured. Secured loans are secured by an asset, i.e., a car or home, in the case you would default on the loan. These loans have lower interest rates as the asset could be sold if you cannot repay the loan.
Unsecured loans, on the other hand, are not secured by an asset and therefore generate higher interest rates. A credit provider has the ability to take you to court if you cannot repay the loan.
One of the first things you should check when deciding on a loan is the interest rate. You can calculate how much interest you will pay over the lifetime of the loan by multiplying the annual interest rate by the term of the loan. For example, if you are borrowing $5,000 with an annual interest of 3 per cent over 2 years, you would pay $300 in interest in total.
Another important consideration is fees and charges as these can vary substantially between credit providers. The fees and charges will depend on the amount of money borrowed.
If you plan on making additional payments, you should also check to see if there are any extra fees for doing so.
Before you commit to a loan, shop around for the best deal, ensure that you have read and understood the terms and conditions, and are confident you can make the repayments.
Posted on 18 April '18, under money. No Comments.
Most people, at some stage or another, will need to save money. Whether it is for a large purchase such as a house deposit or money for a rainy day, similar savings principles apply.
Consider the following tips to boost your savings account:
Automate your savings
One of the easiest ways to get into a saving habit is to automate your savings when you get paid. Create an account that is separate from your everyday expenses such as bills and groceries and allocate a set amount to be transferred each payday to this savings account. Having the money in a separate account will help to avoid the temptation of spending your whole pay packet.
Hold onto small cash
Holding onto small cash, i.e., $5 dollar notes, can significantly add up over time. Challenge yourself to keep a hold of small notes or coins left over after running your errands or a night out; you might surprise yourself as to how much you can save with little to no effort.
Save extra sources of cash
Anytime you come across an extra source of money such as a raise, bonus or a tax return, consider banking it. If you have managed to get by on your salary or wage up until now, you can continue to live off the same amount and you will thank yourself later when you can afford that holiday or car, etc.
Posted on 23 March '18, under money. No Comments.
Whenever or however you choose to invest, there will always be risk involved. Luckily, there are strategies you can adopt to manage this risk in the best way possible for you and your investment goals.
Unfortunately, volatility in financial markets can cause an investor to lose their confidence. The Australian Government has provided Australians with a number of tips on how to minimise the risks involved in investing, to ensure they remain confident and their investments stay strong.
Consider the following:
Set goals
Goal setting is particularly important in a volatile market. Without a plan in place, when the market drops, an individual can be quick to panic and pull their money out. Reacting like this can cause you to lose out, so ensuring you have a goal and a plan will help you handle these times, without losing your head.
A profile that is diversified is much more secure in times of market volatility because it is less exposed to the negative impacts of a specific economic event. Investing in a number of different industry sectors, asset classes and even geographic locations will see your portfolio become more diversified.
Stay involved
Knowing what is going on with your investments is important, as a significant loss in one or more of your assets could cause your portfolio to become unbalanced and less secure. You should receive periodic transaction statements that indicate the value of your investments, as well as the fees and taxes paid. Analysing and responding to this will help you stay involved.
Look out for scams
When markets are volatile, investors are more vulnerable and this is the time that scammers will arise and try to take advantage of the situation. Many scammers catch people out by offering something that sounds too good to be true, by saying they are a representative of a well-known company when they aren't, or when they contact you in a way that seems suspicious, like a random phone call or through social media. Scammers may offer you investment options that provide high and quick returns, tax free benefits, no risk or low risk investments or even a discount for investing early before a public float. Be weary of all of these. If you are interested, you should always say you need time to think about it and do your own research before committing.
Financial advisors are there to offer you assistance and to help you make the best possible decisions for your investment portfolio. Find a professional that you feel confident with, and don't hesitate to contact them for help and guidance.
Posted on 23 February '18, under money. No Comments.
Freeing up working capital can help businesses fund growth, reduce debt levels and lower costs. One way to improve working capital is by managing your accounts receivable.
Many businesses fall into the trap of poor accounts receivable management, for various reasons from extending credit to customers, to ignoring payments terms to guarantee a new sale. These behaviours and behaviours like these can quickly cause disastrous effects on your cash flow.
There are a number of strategies you can practice to improve your accounts receivable process, including:
Customer credit approval policies
One great strategy is to create a clear customer credit approval policy before entering into any business deals with a customer. By assigning credit limits, payment terms, discounts and return policies to specific customers, you are protecting yourself from getting caught out. Introduce a system to determine a new customer's creditworthiness, such as background and credit history checks.
Criteria for approving or rejecting requests for credit
Reviewing your credit approval process is an essential component of business, as a customer's financial situation may cause a change to warranting a reviewal of their credit terms.
Sound invoicing procedure
One of the necessary strategies to maximise accounts receivable is to establish a solid invoicing and billing procedure, as generating timely invoices is a major aspect of collecting account receivables on time. Do your research and create a strategy that works best logistically for your business; perhaps it includes a staff member taking on this role, or perhaps you will look for automated options. Sending electronic invoices is ideal as it fast tracks the process due to reduced delivery time.
Efficient collection process
Developing a collection process for all staff to follow will increase efficiency, ultimately resulting in improved management of accounts receivable. You can do this by training all staff on the necessary process for collecting money owed, and train them in how to deal with difficult or non-compliant customers. They should be aware of how to apply discounts, how to negotiate payment plans, and how these aspects should be sufficiently documented.
Posted on 16 February '18, under money. No Comments.
Poor cash flow is one of the biggest reasons why small businesses fail.
A healthy cash flow allows you to operate your business free of hassle; allowing you to pay your staff and bills on time. Having enough working capital to meet your business' needs can help you stay out of debt and in business.
Consider these three tips to improve your business' cash flow:
Create a forecast
Predict your sales and outgoing expenses for the year. You may do this by looking at last year's sales figures and adjust accordingly. When estimating inflow, account for GST rebates, tax refunds, additional equity added to the business via owners, government grants, loans paid back, etc. Calculating outflows means you need to factor in administrative and operative costs. Also, consider expenses such as buying new assets, 'one off' fees, loan repayments and so on.
Reduce overheads
Consider leasing major assets instead of purchasing them to avoid tying up money in assets that will depreciate over time. Look for ways to cut back on spending such as lowering electricity bills and seeking better deals on insurance and internet costs. You may choose to negotiate payment terms with your suppliers, for example, extending your time frame to pay quarterly.
Control your invoicing
Issue invoices on time and be prepared to follow up on them if you are taking cash flow seriously. Send the invoice separate from other documents and make sure it is sent to the right person. For speedy payments, make it easy for customers/clients to pay you by providing multiple payment options. Automate reminders in your accounting software to notify overdue customers.
Posted on 24 January '18, under money. No Comments.
Managing debt in your small business is essential in maintaining the financial health of your business as well as preventing bankruptcy.
Consider the following tips to ensure your small business debts do not spiral out of control:
Reshuffle or remove expenses
Reviewing your expenses is one of the first steps to take when tackling debt. Look at the costs you can cut out and find alternative solutions. Whether this means cancelling unnecessary subscriptions, getting rid of expensive systems or selling assets such as a company car. If you cannot completely cut out costs plan to delay them. For example, take the full amount of time to pay an invoice so you have some extra cash to pay for unexpected expenses.
Increase revenue
Consider incorporating low-cost marketing techniques to generate additional revenue. Create low-cost promotions, such as special discounts for loyal customers, coupons, limited-time sales or offering discount codes in your email marketing for subscribers. Look for opportunities for improvement within your business – there may be an underutilised area that could make more sales and needs heavier promotion.
Prioritise debts
Evaluate all of your debts and prioritise them according to the size of each debt and interest rates. Depending on the debt amount and what types of debt you have acquired, you could either choose to pay off the debt with the highest interest rate first or pay off the smallest debt first. Paying the smaller debts first may help psychologically as you may feel as though you are making progress. However, paying off debts with higher interest rates can help you save money on interest over the long run. Regardless of which option you choose, be sure to continue making the minimum repayments of all your debts.
Talk to creditors
Don't be embarrassed to contact creditors to inform them of your situation. Letting your creditors know your financial situation may put you in a better position to negotiate payment terms and conditions. For instance, if you have debt through a bank you may be able to arrange a hardship plan or consolidate your loans into one single monthly payment and so on.
Posted on 15 December '17, under money. No Comments.« Older Entries


text:
The new site features conversation starters over an interactive golf game with sweeping vistas of animated greens.
Pharmaceutical co Pfizer Canada is reaching out to the Viagra-curious 35-plus male crowd through a new online golf-inspired clubhouse, developed by Montreal-based Twist Image.
'The online world has changed,' says Pfizer Canada brand manager Marc Charbonneau, 'Viagra's website needed to change with it to be more dynamic, useful and engaging for men who are seeking information.'
The revamped Canadian website at Viagra.ca features interactive animation and video that allows visitors to listen in on excerpts of a conversation between a man and his doctor as they play a game of golf, allowing visitors to pick and choose what they'd like to learn about.
'Men are curious about Viagra, but it's hard for them to ask for the information they need,' explains Charbonneau, who led the year-long creation of the new site, with Twist Image. 'We wanted the site to have a relaxed, conversational feel to help alleviate the discomfort some men have when it comes to talking about Viagra, so we set the entire site on the greens,' he says.
Featuring two areas – a public-access clubhouse where visitors can test their trivia knowledge and view the brand's Canadian advertising, and a Viagra users area (accessed by through a special code), where visitors can sign up for relationship advice and review key information, facts and tips.
The site address is currently being featured on Viagra packages and at doctors' offices and pharmacies across Canada.


text:
Aileen Keays Yeager, M.S., is the Project Manager for the Children with Incarcerated Parents (CIP) Initiative at the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP). As a Project Manager, Mrs. Yeager works closely with leaders of Connecticut's criminal justice agencies, community members, not-for-profits, advocates and legislators to promote effective public policy through research, consultation, project management and program evaluation.
Since 2008, Mrs. Yeager has managed the Institute's CIP Initiative, overseeing several projects related to parental incarceration. This includes supervising the delivery of services to children and families dealing with parental incarceration, as well as the evaluation of these services to determine their effectiveness in alleviating negative consequences of parental incarceration while enhancing the youths' and families' positive attributes. In addition, Mrs. Yeager provides technical assistance to the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System which, through statutory charge, is "dedicated to eliminating racial and ethnic disparity in the criminal justice system." Furthermore, during 2011 to 2013, Mrs. Yeager was a member of the Connecticut Judicial Branch Access to Justice Commission that seeks to support and pursue the Judicial Branch's goal of providing equal access to justice in Connecticut's criminal justice system.
Previous to her employment with the IMRP, Mrs. Yeager worked at the University of New Haven's Crime Victim Study Center while earning her Masters degree in Forensic Science with a concentration in Advanced Investigation. Prior to attending graduate school, Mrs. Yeager worked in the social services field in various capacities, including managing a group home for developmentally disabled adults and another for mentally ill adults. She also worked as a Foster Care Social Worker in Detroit, Michigan as a well as Youth Services Officer at the Connecticut Juvenile Training School. Mrs. Yeager completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice at the University of Connecticut.
In spite of Mrs. Yeager's extensive involvement working on behalf of and with those affected by incarceration, she found herself completely unprepared for the effects of having a loved one incarcerated when it encroached into her life. The experience will forever impact her work for, and with, those affected by incarceration.
Andrew Clark is the Director of the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP) at Central Connecticut State University. Mr. Clark is currently head of the IMRP project team administering competitive grants that aim to provide positive interventions for children of incarcerated parents. In addition, Mr. Clark is Acting Executive Director of the Connecticut Sentencing Commission, which seeks to review current and proposed legislation to promote effective, balanced, and responsible criminal sentencing policies. He is also Project Director for a grant from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration that is being utilized to implement the state's Alvin W. Penn Racial Profiling Law. This project has been titled the Racial Profiling Prohibition Project. Mr. Clark is also assisting in the implementation of the Results First Initiative in CT.
Prior to coming to CCSU, Mr. Clark worked at the Connecticut General Assembly from 1999-2005. He served as clerk of the Appropriations and Transportation Committees, and deputy clerk of the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee.
Amjad Khan is a Financial Analyst at the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP) at Central Connecticut State University. Mr. Khan assists with the financial administration of IMRP grants, contracts and legislative appropriations. Additionally, Mr. Khan oversees data management and entry for the Children with Incarcerated Parents Initiative.
Mr. Khan is originally from Tanzania, East Africa and came to the United States for university. Before graduating from CCSU in 2005, Mr. Khan worked as a Student Worker at CCSU's Grants Office, which maintains revenue and expenditure records for federal, state and local grants and prepares financial reports and statements for all external grant awards. After completing his Bachelors degree, Mr. Khan went on to work for a Manufacturing Company in Istanbul, Turkey and returned to the United States as a permanent resident in October 2008.
Hannah Hurwitz is a Program Administrator at the IMRP assisting with the New Haven youth violence prevention project as well as the Children with Incarcerated parents Initiative.
For the CIP Initiative, Ms. Hurwitz oversees grant-funded programs that involve collaboration between higher education and the broader community for the mutual benefit of participants and children with an incarcerated parent. She also administers IMRP's CIP scholarship program which provides financial support to incoming college or university students that have experienced familial incarceration.
Prior to joining the IMRP, Ms. Hurwitz led CCSU's Office of Community Engagement since August, 2012. Prior to that, she served one year through Americorps VISTA at CCSU and helped to build capacity for Community Central. In both of these roles, Ms. Hurwitz created new relationships with community organizations, residents, faculty, and students. With a focus on the most pressing community issues and student/faculty interest, many people were able to benefit from a wide variety of collaborative and mutually beneficial programs, activities, and events each semester.
In 2012, Ms. Hurwitz received the "Best Non-Arts Organization" award on behalf of Community Central from the Greater New Britain Arts Alliance.
In 2014, Ms. Hurwitz received a Connecticut Higher Education Community Service Award for Faculty/Staff.
James M. Conway, PhD, is a professor of Psychological Science at Central Connecticut State University. He has been head of the evaluation team for the IMRP's Children with Incarcerated Parents Initiative since 2008, evaluating a variety of interventions for CIP. His research is also focused on children of incarcerated parents, e.g., on community-level factors affecting children and families.
Dr. Conway has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from SUNY Binghamton and received his PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Connecticut. He has been on the faculty at CCSU since 1998, and prior to that was on the Psychology faculty at Seton Hall University for six years.


text:
Physically stories, books, poems, and more
8 results
Related Tags:physically, mentally, emotionally, human, hurt, life, pain, 4th, abiodun, abusive, achieve, achiever, achievers, adulterated, airspace, alone, amendment, among, angry, answer, article, bacteria, become, believe, blessed, bone, brake, challenged, characterizes, chest, choice, clinic, collection, complaints, comprises, constitution, context, court, digression, direct, divine, doctors, dot, drug, drunk, emotions, ending, faded, fame, fantasies
Ravenport~the home for the criminally and mentally insane. Some say it might be haunted. Others know the truth. This is the story of Ravenport, when it was alive and well. Where the only thing haunting this building were the people that already lived there. It will tease you. It will… Read More
Tags: paranormal, fiction, murder, mystery, insane, angry, nurses, mad, mentally, doctors, haunted, physically, patients, handicapped
This is a short writing about the con's of having camera's in the urine collection area to watch patients via video surveillance while collecting a urine specimen. I discuss the negative outcomes, the effects on moral of the patient populous and the possible legal ramifications due to 4th amendment violations. Read More
Dont listen to those people who continue to put you down. Listen to those who care and to those who tell you to keep going. You are meant to live and make a change or do something great. Read More
Tags: life, hurt, listen, hear, ending, emotionally, physically
So many individual are willing to become Achievers in life but few realize what and who an Achiever is. Some believe it takes having all the riches and wealth of this world but yet some have all these and achieve nothing in life. What characterizes the life of an Achiever?… Read More
Stella Morph can only go under one category: Physically Challenged. There's a reason why. A reason that no vampire ever imagined to become true. She's not alone, but because of a truly strange prophecy, she's very alone. Read More
Tags: alone, vampires, human, prophecy, physically, challenged, weaklings
Feathery whispers traced patterns on a fleshy mountain, Silent emotions filled with passion Lit up the sounds of lust. Fantasies toyed with reality Physically surpassing spirituality For one moment in time Mortality was meaningless, Purity a matter of choice, Loyalty incoherent words spewed from a drunk, And honour a faded… Read More
manipulation, disfunctional,what is the attraction in these kinf of abusive relationships? Why when we deserve so much more? Read More
Tags: mentally, emotionally, abusive, physically


text:
The following is a report of the event by Bill Wright
"This was the longest standing speed record in Yosemite at 9 years old. I
(Bill Wright) just got off the phone with Hans as he called me. He was in the valley for some of it and videoed some. A bunch of people were watching and 3-4 telescopes were set up to capture the feat. They started around 7:30 a.m. and finished at 11:30 a.m. They passed only one party at the start of the Great Roof. Mark and I watched this party yesterday on Boot Flake when we were sitting in El Cap Meadow hoping to see this feat. We missed the event by one day.
I can't wait to get with Tim when he returns to Colorado. Wow!
Congratulations, Tim and Dean! Hans offered to take the two out to the
Awahnee for dinner tonight. No word if they have accepted yet.
Hans is already plotting an attempt on the record and will need to go for it soon. He needs a lightning fast partner like Dean or Tim or Cedar Wright or... My choice: Jim Herson! Come on, Jim!"
Previous Speed Ascents (from speedclimb.com)
4:22 Peter Croft and Hans Florine. June 1992
16:30 Abby Watkins and Vera Wong. 1996
12:59 Dean Potter - solo. July 1999 (start of EC and HD in a day)
23:+? Lynn Hill. 1994 ( FFA - Fastest Free Ascent)
8:40 Lynn Hill and Hans Florine. July 1992( Fastest Female/Male ascent)
Other Interesting Links:
At speedclimb.com Hans Florine describes the official standard time starts and stops for Yosemite speed-records. He also decsribes the the start/stop times for the Nose.
A short biography of Dean Potter on the Black Diamond web site.
News tip courtesy of Bill Wright and Climbing Boulder.com.


text:
Reposting here!
For me, I love having an older dog. Maybe its because they are so often forgotten in the over populated shelters, or perhaps it is because they need love and attention, like I do. Either way you look at it, as much as I love puppies, they are a lot like having a toddler and honestly I don't have the energy all the time to be watching for every little thing they can and will get into.
Below is a list of reasons why it is an excellent idea to adopt a senior dog.
10 Great Reasons to Open Your Heart to a Senior Pet
Older dogs have manners. Unlike puppies, many grown-up dogs have spent years living with a family and being socialized to life with humans.
They may have received obedience training and respond to commands like Sit, Stay, and Down.
Many are house trained and it takes…
View original post 583 more words


text:
NEW: I've added some cool
wallpaper for you to download!
Hello and welcome to my little shrine to the King of Cool: Tom Jones.
This page was assembled from various other pages on Tom Jones. I can't take credit for writing anything here; I'm just another Tom Jones fan passing the information along. I did create a graphic or two, and scanned in a photo. I honestly can't remember all that places I found this info, or I would offer some links. Way back in 1996 the band I was in wanted to do a Tom Jones medley of She's a Lady/What's New Pussycat/It's Not Unusual, and this was my little way of saying "Thanks Tom for doing some cool stuff!".
I don't have any official contact info, I can't contact Tom for you, and I don't know his manager. If you want information of that nature, please look at the links below (especially the fan sites in the links are). That being said, enjoy the site my friends!
PS - His official website is http://www.tomjones.com and you can get the upcoming tour dates here! For up to date info check out this site - it has info on his new album, etc.


text:
Dating in Elk River | Elk River Dating | Elk River Dating Site | Elk River Dating Sites | Dating Elk River | Elk River Date | Elk River, Minnesota
Elk River Dating
Spice up your love life by meeting sexy people who are looking for no strings attached relationships right in Elk River.
Browse Minnesota dating including Elk River and nearby cities, Otsego, Dayton, Nowthen, Albertville, Ramsey, Saint Michael, Rogers, Big Lake, Zimmerman, Monticello, Hanover, Anoka, Saint Francis, Champlin, Oak Grove, Andover, West Coon Rapids, Corcoran, Osseo, Greenfield, Ham Lake, Becker, Rockford, Maple Grove, East Bethel.
We keep profiles anonymous and no payment is ever required.
Signup for Free to see more Dating in Elk River or search through more cities in Minnesota Dating.
Results are based on a radius search of Elk River, Minnesota with a city centre lookup of:
19078 Elk Lake Rd NW
Elk River, Minnesota
United States


text:
Since the legalisation of "jailbreaking" iPhones across the pond, a flood of attention has been placed on the serious security hole that enabled the process in the first place, but Apple said a fix is on the way.
All of Apple's devices based on a variant of the iOS operating system, which includes the iPhone along with the iPad and iPod Touch, are currently vulnerable in a way that allows users to install unauthorised software on them.
However, the flaw has raised fears that malicious coders looking to steal data from iPhones could employ similar techniques.
The exploit preys on the fact that the iPhone's native web browser will automatically open any PDF document at which it is pointed, allowing hackers to embed code into the file which can crack open the multiple layers of security once a foothold within the device is established.
Security expert Charlie Miller said in an interview with CNET: "Basically, the way the iPhone is made to be secure is through several layers of defence, so even if someone were to compromise your web browser, it limits what they can do."
He explained that jailbreaking could override the iPhone's defences once the PDF exploit was complete.
Apple has been quick to confirm that a fix for the issue is already being worked on, but it has kept quiet over just when it will actually release the update containing the fix.
Until then, the iPhone and other iOS devices remain vulnerable to attacks.


text:
Understanding Facilitation
This module makes the case for developing facilitation skills. Whenever organizations and community groups come together to plan, solve problems, or make decisions, a good facilitator can ensure the process will be effective and efficient. This module explains the role of a facilitator, describes the 10 principles of effective facilitation, relates how the characteristics of good coaching tools and strategies can be effective for facilitators, and provides facilitators with tools to lead change.
- Stages and Tasks of Facilitation
- Clarifying Your Role
- Sample Facilitator Position Description
- Ten Principles of Effective Facilitation
- Facilitation Observation Tool
- Evaluating Yourself as a Facilitator
- Coaching
- Reflection Tool: Improving Your Coaching
- Reflection Tool: Planning Coaching Strategies
- Reflection Tool: Reaching Your Coaching Goals
- GAPS Model: A Tool for Coaching
- Leading Change
- Leading Change: Attitude Assessment
- Leading Change: The Eight-Stage Change Process
- Finding More Resources
- U-FACILITATE and University of Illinois Extension Programming
Facilitation Roles
The dictionary defines facilitate as to free from difficulties or obstacles; make easier, aid, assist. That is the role of the facilitatorto design and manage a process that helps a group accomplish its work while minimizing problems within the group.
There are several stages of facilitation and tasks that must be accomplished during each stage. These include pre-work, opening the meeting or event, facilitating the meeting, closing the meeting, and following up with planners.
Facilitating a meeting is different from leading a monthly organizational meeting using parliamentary procedure. Clarifying your role is very important. The facilitator is a neutral guide who takes an active role in guiding the process while adhering to principles of effective facilitation. Such a neutral person is usually someone from outside the group and may show no vested interest in the out come. A good facilitator guides the process.
Principles of Effective Facilitation
The facilitator and group members share responsibility for progressing toward the goals of the group. The facilitator serves as a guide to the group. Key principles of quality facilitation include believing that groups can make good decisions, ensuring participation, convening people as a neutral guide, sharing a sense of group goals, using effective processes, utilizing diversity and wisdom, improving continuously, working together with trust, progressing toward goals, and learning from experiences.
One excellent way to improve skills as a facilitator is to observe another facilitator in action. An observation worksheet that lists the key facilitation elements for rating is included in this section.
Evaluating yourself as a facilitator is important to continuous improvement of the group and the facilitator. Several questions are included that may be used verbally or prepared as a worksheet for group input.
Facilitators often coach others to enhance their participation in the work that needs to be done. A coach works one-on-one with individuals and with the group to draw on individual strengths and develop the competencies they will need to be effective in the future. Coaches provide both support and challenge. More about coaching, and worksheets for reflection, are included in this section. The GAPS model (a tool for coaching) is included as a worksheet. It helps a facilitator become aware of the persons goals, the persons abilities, how others see the person, and what others expect of the person.
Leading Change
A common role of facilitators is that of change agent. Understanding the nature of leading change can help a facilitator become more helpful to groups. This is especially important if you are invited to work with a change initiative during tense times. Worksheets are included in this section to assess your groups present attitudes and facilitate a change using an eight-step process.


text:
Taz V1264 Cube Jar - 500 ml
Double the convenience of storing food with the TAZ Cube Jar. This utilitarian jar keeps any food items fresh for long hours. The jar has a compact design that makes it easy to handle. Made from premium grade materials, it is highly durable and provides reliable usage. TAZ is a renowned brand that manufactures quality kitchen items and home appliances that provide utility along with style. The products from TAZ are sure to enhance the appeal of your space without compromising on functionality.
We Also Recommend


text:
Hotel Nachiappa Palace - Other Classified Ads in Karaikudi
Welcome To Hotel Nachiappa Palace, Karaikudi
Welcome to Hotel Nachiappa Palace - a luxurious inn, your home away home, comfort, cost effective hotel service in Karaikudi.
Ours is a well facilitated hotel with A/C and Non A/C Rooms. All kinds of accommodation and lodging services are available under one roof. We request you and your prestigious guests, to visit our Hotel which might enable us to provide good service with pleasant experience. We feel happy to welcome you. Enjoy the pleasure in our service.
Customers of Hotel Nachiappa Palace are not merely customers. They receive the hospitality service and approach of graciousness as if towards guests at home.
For more details on Lodging service please visit our Accommodation services
For booking rooms and reservations Contact Hotel Nachiappa Palace, Karaikudi
No. 4, Subramaniyapuram 1st Street
Business Spotlight
Picture Perfect Cooperative Living


text:
Nature on Display
The Northwest Florida Waterways section of the museum was not only eye-catching and interesting but also really engaging and dynamic. This expansive and interesting exhibit brings to life the large and beautiful trees of Northwest Florida. Being able to stand amidst the trees is a great way to experience the ecosystem and learning about the environment. The display was incredibly impactful and carried a lot of information.
Nature and Ethics
This exhibit about the benefits of preservation and specifically about seepage bog's effects on the environment. These panels called for our protection, and the adjacent three-dimensional depiction of such a bog brought the ecosystem to life and made it, and the problem of its conservation, real and personal for the visitor. The info-panels in conjunction with the environmental display made for a fantastic impact.
Nature and the Human Spirit
Nature and the circle of life are eternal. Butterflies are a perfect representation of that metamorphosis and that circle of life, death, and growth. The natural beauty of the world can be found there as well, it is a simple and elegant pleasure in watching the butterflies, and they encourage us to stop and experience the forest around us in a way that we would otherwise pass through. To pay attention to and inspect every leaf, branch, and rock for the possibility that there may be another butterfly there. Another small spot of beauty and magic in an otherwise ordinary world. But while searching for these beautiful creatures, we come to find that the world around us is not bland at all. There are other beautiful things around us, our surroundings themselves are beautiful. Such is life.
All Me :)


text:
In my Garden of Eden, liberties are not cherry-picked, pro-choice is applied to everything, and nothing is an absolute. Absolutely nothing ...
Saturday, July 01, 2006
On second thought...
I don't want to hear it; I really don't. And please, spare me the "I told you so"s. My white flag has risen above the smoldering ruins on my lone pathetic single non-poli-rant. I've capitulated to the vortex... I feel like Pacino in Godfather 3 ("... Just when I thought I was out,... they pull me back in....")... clenched fists and everything.
In our last episode our caped (yours truly) crusader was planning a 2-month boycott of anything having to do with politics (at least as to themes having to do with election-end of things). Some of you were pretty prophetic in your comments. Politics is everywhere. It permeates from the pop and culture worlds all the way to the business and Washington centers of gravity. Even the first launch in my post-politik planetoid was filled with indirect political nuances, full-on political comments referring to recent events,.... heck, my posting even pulled a decades-old (it seems) pissing contest between Daddio and Kevronius into my freakin' orbit... Yep, slingin' mouth-ful o' mortars from San Francisco to the Ozarks and back again.... ~just lovely~...
So now that I am doing away with that dumb-ass declaration, let me give you a bit of what I've been thinking about lately...
Observation 1: Eveybody is still pissed, that's the good news, so nothing new there. I keep wondering to whom the rants are directed towards, their own brethren?, their own choir?, ...themselves?. But now that I have had 8 days of detox I can just read, smile and roar in my best Jackie Gleason-like yuks. Its amazing how fast your humor comes back if you get away for a spell. The one thing I would really did, really appreciate, is anyone creative enough to come up with a different angle of anti-Bush rants.... or maybe a different take. You know what I mean?... some real juicy-non-acidic way to make me go "hmmmmm, THAT is different". But its all the same: "Look what Bush did now!", "Just when you think you have seen it all.....", "How can this administration not be impeached", "Another example of the vile corruption of His Emperor, Herr Bush"....... (ahhh... it's so good to be swimming amongst the vermin-talk again, can you smell me from there?)
Observation 2: I found myself agreeing with many a liberal rant. I'm not kiddin'. Not because I had a blood transfusion during my brief exile, or because of a mind-meld from the local Democratic party office,.. but because there are some very, VERY good writers out there in the left commuter lanes that have found that magical touch of expressing their ideas "in a language that we can easily understand" (thanks to Malcolm X for the para-phrased quote). One gets use to bopping around the usual suspects of blogs for entertainment and mental dueling; and all of us being "usual suspects" I should humbly and respectfully salute us all. But ever so often, BAM!; you just find a nugget of a blogger who really gets it; who really understands the paradox of what Marshall McLuhan said when he uttered "The medium is the message". Its easy to write with piss and vinegar. It takes basic writing skills (5th grade-level or just grunts for that matter), a pc with minimum RAM, a topic that really gets your nipples to DEFCON 5 perkiness, and you're good to go! No editor to guide you, and no moral compass to correct your deviances of logic or otherwise. But that -even in it's best example-, is clinically lazy in its end result. You may get a short term rise to your psycho-vent, or 12 quick comments within 15 minutes that gums up your ego, but in the end, its just that, a piss and vinegar rant that may or may not do anything other than having the effects of a cigarette after sex (if you smoke that is..). Having a blog is like having a car. The fact that you own one does not mean you know how to maintain the damn thing; much less drive it. Then again, the Federalist Papers were full of piss and vinegar (albeit a nicer bouquet) so my comment does not condemn this practice or marginalize the authors of such styles..., I only offer my sole view on the action.
.... I will share my newly found mental-plankton in a future "my favorite blogs part 2".
Observation 3: The posting ideas you get from staying away from politics is really amazing. Everybody should try it. Here is a brief example of the 6 I have in various stages of completion:
1) A piece on Goya, famous Spanish painter (and my Dad's favorite).
2) Another on the Monaco Principality and why its so "quaint"
3) A take on TV culture,... and why I think it has hosed us all.
4) The differences between being a "boob man" of a "butt man" (I know, its sophomoric but I can't be held accountable for my own morass, can I?) and why it reflects on our own parenting.
5) A delectable list of the stupidest blogs you may ever get to see,... and why they are so cool.
6) Why men are so phony when it comes to the way they show love (ok, not ALL men....)
Coda: Let me finish on a serious note (shocking). I started my new job as a senior manager for a large non-profit organization that provides both rental and affordable housing opportunities for the poor, transitional families, ex-convicts and the homeless. We also provide special finance programs to purchase homes we build ourselves in depravated areas...., I have to admit I thought long about making this move. I was doing very well working in market-rate construction/consulting companies for years. My last interview with this new company was the clincher. A politically conservative Manager (admittedly so) and his liberal-as-Jane Fonda co-manager looked at me in the eye and said: ~~"We have found a way to merge a brand of self-reliance and responsibility compassion, with the usual littany of entitlement grants available to everybody in the business. We've made it do-able, efficient and non-political. We've done with private business and government grants what government itself doesn't dare do,... what do you say?"~~ Imagine that, I thought....I said yes.
This libertarian man is going to work on the noblest thing I've ever done. I have no clue if my views on life will change or whether my credo will be shattered to smithereens once the reality of life at the disenfranchised level looks at me in the eye.... but I really feel good about this. I hope I am not disappointed at the changes to come....
19 comments:
- KEvron said...
"pissing contest between Daddio and Kevronius"
heh! what can i say? i'm tenacious.
you know, you wouldn't believe how a good flame war can get the creative juices flowing. breaks up the routine.
- 7/01/2006
- betmo said...
"We have found a way to merge a brand of self-reliance and responsibility compassion, with the usual littany of entitlement grants available to everybody in the business. We've made it do-able, efficient and non-political. We've done with private business and government grants what government itself doesn't dare do,... what do you say?"
can somebody give me an amen?! congrats! as to the rest of your fine post- i won't say i told you so :) i personally write about things that interest me- and hopefully the folks who visit are interested too. i know what you mean about bush bashing- and you know why whether you agree with me or not- however, i would expand that to the left bashers as well. fyi- we are not crazy moonbats folks. some of us admittedly are- but not most of us. i will end by saying- welcome back tp! i look forward to reading all of your pieces- especially the boob/bum thing :)
- 7/02/2006
- Truth-Pain said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- 7/02/2006
- Truth-Pain said...
That has truth to it. Sometimes, in order to make a quick exit from the "blah's" one needs a good hearty mental volley with an opposition to get you rolling again.
Girlfriend!, If all the blogs were as definitive, well thought-out, informative and would try to be balanced as yours is, I would never have written observations 1 and 2. But as KEvron says, we all need some pee and vinegar to get our juices flowing, so all in all it is not a bad thing at the end.
I think some of the left lets the message get caught in styles that are confused for hatred etc (but the right does it too, no?). I personally try to read into the rant,.. but I know first hand that many people don't even try to understand the posting and just focus on the tone of things. But that is their loss as well. If they are so sensitive as to not undestand that passion carries expressions of such feelings, then they are wasting their time reading in the first place.
Thanks for the words :)
- 7/02/2006
Every time I have come to your site I am surprised at the variety of rants you have. Great, great stuff. My son is reading with me and he is laughing like I have not seen him do so in months. Thanks for this fine posting.
- 7/02/2006
- Obob said...
I went from bartending in wealthy suburbs to teaching inner city, for the money of course ;). Actually I still bartend on the side to help out the in-laws and get maybe break up a bar fight. But you will see things differently with the change in professional scenery as you made.
Your political views may harden or get tweaked here and there. But you will may realize one important thing, what have you done with your life? Are serving the greater good or yourself? I cannot praise enough what you are doing, sometimes everyone needs a boost in life to get over the hump.
But watch out for those who will take advantage of you. They wear many disguises and prey on your weaknesses and strengths.
Good Luck
- 7/02/2006
- Rosemary said...
I feel cheated. I smoke, but I'm not married. (No sex, for those who don't know what that means. lol)
Cool new job. If you need any help, I used to be homeless. I can help you buck-up. :)
- 7/02/2006
- Always On Watch said...
Its amazing how fast your humor comes back if you get away for a spell.
I know the feeling!
Best wishes with your new endeavor. Change can be refreshing, though long-held ideas might be challenged in the face of reality.
- 7/02/2006
- sappho said...
Great post!
I do admit I am guilty of the regular Bush-bashing, but keeping with the theme of politics the man always gives me material to do so!
I wish you luck with your new job, which sounds great! Pretty cool that the manager & co-manager are from such opposite sides of the spectrum. I am sure you will learn alot. Share with us as you learn.
- 7/02/2006
- Laurie said...
Studies have shown that Bush-bashing is 10 times more addictive than crack, and you know what they say about crack--you don't ever get off of that shit. We laugh in the face of interventions.
- 7/02/2006
- Truth-Pain said...
Obob: Thanks for the good wishes. The funny thing is that I find even my friends of similar political dogma wear many disguises depending no the agenda of the moment,... hmm.. i smell another posting....
Rosemary: I promise to knock on your door if I get caught in a rut over there, thanks for stopping by:)
- 7/03/2006
- Truth-Pain said...
Sappho: Thanks. I have been there 2 weeks and am loving the new ways to get stressed :)
As to the anti-Bush rants?... the more I think about it it boils down to this. Some blogs are not after winning hearts and minds. At least not in my view. They are there to reflect one's own frustrations no matter who the audience may be. And this is an American tradition in the most sacred of orders.
Other blogs (and Betmo's comes to mind), not only rant, but they cajole you with alternative thought not necessarily of their own, their blog-rolls have (gasp!!) opposing view opinions. They not only spew the rhetoric, but have the pragmatism to say "ok now that I'm done ranting, here are alternatives and or solutions"...
But it takes the work of hours and days to keep just one posting in that manner, much less the whole blog.
I think we all serve a purpose. Whenever I want to see what the left is pissed about? I head over to yours, Blue Gals or Quaker's. In 4 minutes of just reading the headers I am informed. If I want to get deeper in the rant then I read the full postings. If I want to go to a mental smorgasboard, I go to Betmo's or Mustang's or Publius.. or re-read some of my own (just kidding):) They may not all give me my kool aid of preference, but they don't just drink they own either.
Love the pic of Bush in the diapers by the way :)
- 7/03/2006
- Truth-Pain said...
Laurie: Welcome to casa de Truth-pain, a place where your opinions are at the mercy of both my delete button and my friends ginsu-knived rhetoric :)
I agree that it is addictive to comment on the POTUS (and no people, that is not latin for weed). To me it serves no purpose but to bore me out of my mind but like you said, we all have our vices. Smoke to your hearts content.
- 7/03/2006
- betmo said...
at this point bush bashing is moot because 1) he is a lame duck and we are stuck with him 2) my personal opinion is that cheney is really in charge and 3) he is really better off going to graceland than actually trying to stay anywhere in the loop these days. i look at him as a mere speech giver and when you look at him that way- he is actually sympathetic. there is very little in his administration that says that he has ever been in charge of anything. he was hired on because of the name and the fact that he looks like poppa bush- the oil connections didn't hurt either. i am working on a post- as my journey is taking me- uncovering evidence to back up my claim- so hopefully it will be the next one. in the meantime- go for the jugular with cheney and rummy- but be gentle with our poor georgie bush.
tp- i am glad that you were ready to get back into the fray- it was quiet without you. keep it coming! ;)
- 7/03/2006
- D.Daddio Al-Ozarka said...
Good post, T-P!
Just remember--this will not be the last time you decide to ATTEMPT to extracate yourself from the fray! And it will not be the last time you eagerly jump back in feeling refreshed and revived!
You have to face frustration and satisfaction like the tops and valleys of waves on a storm-tossed sea in this here blogosphere!
Laurie, it's the blogosphere that's addicting! Each person just chooses a different form of poison! LOL!
What's amazing is that among all the sparring and food-fighting, every now and then a real debate actually takes place on someone's blog or another.
That's what keeps us coming back for more!
- 7/03/2006
- Truth-Pain said...
Betmo: Great points as always. The Demos think they are running against Bush in 06' and 08'... it makes me woozy thinking what the hell Carville and Co. are thinking over there. I can guarantee you that the day the Demos eliminate any Bush-talk from their venacular they will give the indys a good alternative of thought, and people like me will actually pay attention. The more they talk about Bush, the more apparent it becomes that they have nothing else to talk about,.. and that is really to bad.
- 7/03/2006
- KEvron said...
"The Demos think they are running against Bush in 06' and 08'"
rightwing rhetoric; dems know precisely against whom they are running. expect the wins to excede losses (still the minority, though).
"it makes me woozy thinking what the hell Carville and Co. are thinking over there."
i don't mean to be pendantic, but from carville's homepage:
"we no longer handle political consulting and have not taken any domestic client since president clinton in 1992...."
i think the site needs a little updating, though, as he did, at the last minute, agree to consult on kerry's '04 run, but his contribution was rather limited.
he's just a talking head these days.
"I can guarantee you that the day the Demos eliminate any Bush-talk from their venacular they will give the indys a good alternative of thought, and people like me will actually pay attention."
it's your prerogative to deafen yourself to dems for whatever reason, but we can both agree that "actually paying attention" is always the better course. if one is to stay informed.
"The more they talk about Bush, the more apparent it becomes that they have nothing else to talk about,.. and that is really to bad.""
two points, here:
one - legislative incumbants are elected on voting record. i would think, with chimpco's numbers as low as they've been, that associating their opponents' records with unpopular admin policies would be a good stragtegy, and
two - bit of a false dilemma there. their anti-bush rhetoric does not preclude a lack of iniative.
i gotta tell you, this sounds to me like personal inclination affecting perception. could you provide some examples of anti-bush rhetoric on the part of the dem candidates?
- 7/05/2006
- Truth-Pain said...
You may be right as far as the Demos knowing whom they are running against,... and my comment was not the exclusive territory of righ-wing rhetoric. I've heard that from left-leaning bloggers themselves.
I actually love Carville, that man is as funny as they come,... oddly enough its his wife I can't stand,... she being the conservative. I am very familiar with her work as Cheney's chief of Staff... I just don't think she is that bright.
I don't mean to say I am locking my receptors to the Democratic Bull-horn, but I don't really need for them to tell me what Bush has done wrong (although some may), I am the first one to maul his butt for his many errors of Governance. But in listening to the Demos, I would like more detail as to what substantive policy they would inject diferent from Messrs. Bush and Cheney,...but none of them want to waste their bullets until the fall. Too bad for me...
Chimpco?... Ha~!.. nice bomb. I may have to use that (much to the chagrin of my Rebublican buddies.
As to your last point. I have to dis-agree. I really don't have ANY inclination or appreciation for the Man's style, politics, or reasoning. As to what is the anti-Bush rhetoric?... Maybe I mis-spoke or used the wrong word. My point was simply "kill the Bush talk, and your message will be un-varnished, keep mixing the comparisons and (to me) the message is confused with potical gotcha' games.
Simply my perceptions Kev, not objective by any mode of measurement.
- 7/05/2006
- Publius said...
I have seen both kinds of disenfranchised, those who deserve a better lot in life and those who are exactly where they belong and have no excuse other than their own behavior. At the same time I have been lucky enough to see those who have wealth and deserve every penny and those who have made a deal with the devil for which they will be paying for all eternity. Problem is that the bad apples always ruin the bunch. But, glad to see you are back, I try to take some time off here and again too for a day or so, but there is so much out there that gets me going it is hard to stay away and sometimes there is so much out there that is causes a self-imposed inertia than prevents me from finding any one point to make.
- 7/06/2006


text:
Jim Parsons is on the hunt for his fourth Best Comedy Actor Emmy for playing Dr. Sheldon Cooper in CBS's "The Big Bang Theory." He previously won this category in 2010, 2011, and 2013. Including his nomination this year for Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actor for "The Normal Heart," this is his seventh career nomination.
Jim Parsons 'astounded' at Emmys for 'Big Bang'
and 'intensity' of 'The Normal Heart' (Exclusive Video)
SYNOPSIS: Parsons's episode submission, "The Relationship Diremption," opens with Sheldon wondering if he has wasted his life; many sciences are having huge breakthroughs, but his field of study, string theory, hasn't achieved any major advances. The next morning, Penny (Kaley Cuoco) reassures Sheldon by telling him that what he's going through is like how her past relationships have ended.
Sheldon takes that advice to heart, and after reading through several issues of "Cosmo," he decides to approach ending his study of string theory as if it were a breakup. He begins gathering his belongings related to string theory to throw away and even changes his hairstyle, which Amy (Mayim Bialik) thinks is too sexy for him.
Emmy nominee Mayim Bialik on 'Big Bang Theory' kiss with Jim Parsons (Exclusive Video)
To celebrate the new chapter of his life, Penny proposes a toast, but Sheldon gets drunk and needs Amy to help him back to his room. The next morning, Sheldon awakes to discover that while he was drunk he had read parts of a textbook on geology, a field he'd dismissed as "the Kardashians of science," and had drunk-dialed Stephen Hawking several times. Sheldon considers the previous night's embarrassment, and we cut to Hawking's office, where we hear the drunken messages Sheldon left for the famous physicist.
Can Jim Parsons join the company of Carroll O'Connor ("All in the Family") and Kelsey Grammer ("Frasier") as only the third man to win Best Comedy Actor four times for the same role? Let's look at the pros and cons:
Sheldon gets drunk, as he did in his winning episodes in 2010 and 2013. Plus, his performance has by far the most laughs of all the nominees in this category.
There's definitely empathy for Sheldon in this episode. You feel for him as he decides to leave behind the field of study that he has devoted most of his life to.
The comedy branch loves repeat winners. In the past 25 years we've seen Kelsey Grammer, Candice Bergen ("Murphy Brown"), Helen Hunt ("Mad About You"), John Lithgow ("3rd Rock From the Sun"), David Hyde Pierce ("Frasier"), Tony Shalhoub ("Monk"), and Brad Garrett and Doris Roberts ("Everybody Loves Raymond") win three or more trophies.
If Emmy voters are aware of history, they might want to spread the wealth rather than give Parsons a fourth.
The judging panel may feel Parsons has been sufficiently rewarded for playing these neuroses.
Follow Gold Derby on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, iTunes and YouTube
Parsons is currently in first place in our predictions with odds of 27/20. Do you agree with our assessment of the Comedy Actor race? Make your predictions below.


text:
More reviews from LxL, because music nerds love to review stuff.
Yeasayer – Fragrant World
Released: 08/21/12
When I first heard Yeasayer's debut album, All Hour Cymbals, it quickly became my favorite of 2007. The compelling melodies, the daring experimentation, and the combination of so many different styles of music made it completely mind-blowing.
Then came the follow-up album, Odd Blood, which showed the band turning the corner from world music exploration to electro pop. I found some light within the darkness with songs like "The Children," but with such pitiful songs as "Ambling Amp," I was ultimately disappointed.
I had heard a few tracks from Fragrant World last year when Yeasayer rolled through Denver, and I wasn't impressed. I tried to listen to the album without any predetermined bias of what Yeasayer should sound like, but still found the album coming up short. It doesn't have any clear direction, and at times, seems like a thin-sounding chaotic jumble.
The album starts out promising enough with "Fingers Never Bleed," a mysterious track that harnesses their ability to craft catchy pop melodies. Once the album delves into "Longevity," the question arises as to where the LP is going? Is it an electro pop album? Is it a psychedelic, experimental freak out? After many listens, I still don't know.
"Blue Paper" commences with a cheesy synth line that sounds like it should be part of an 80's action movie soundtrack. I can see that playing while Arnold Schwarzenegger kills someone in Total Recall, and then throws in a terrifically awesome one-liner like, "Consider that a divorce."
"Henrietta" begins strong enough, but the chorus becomes far too repetitive. "Devil & The Deed," like "Reagan's Bones" and "Demon Road," is directionless and boring, with oddly placed synth sounds and poor lyrics.
"No Bones" has a nice range of timbres, but at times has the tendency to sound like keyboard tinkering. "Damaged Goods" goes back to the 80's action movie theme, but this time it's at the climax of the movie, where Arnie realizes he can't act.
"Folk Hero Shtick," the weakest track on the album, is a chaotic disaster. I can only assume that one was crafted after the band smoked a bunch of pot, munched some Funyuns, and fell asleep on the couch in front of Different Strokes reruns.
The album closes with the surprisingly great "Glass of the Microscope." The song finally ties the multiple themes and ideas together into a cohesive order, and highlights Yeasayer's strengths in melody, experimentation, and multiple genres.
Unfortunately, one song can't save the album, which overall is directionless and uninspired. I appreciate they're ambition, as they don't hold back from throwing anything and everything in a song. Yet with all that goes into a song, there must be some sort of cohesion. Sure the tracks will grow on you, because the psychedelic chaos is combined with danceable beats and catchy melodies. I can only hope that Yeasayer will reach their potential and once again and be something great, but with Fragrant World, it's clear that they have a long way to go.
2/5 – Plain Vanilla


text:
I am trying to build a search form that loops through my data, searching for what would be a wide variety of criteria. I want to include "AND/OR" operators but I cannot discern a logical way of approaching this. Here is what the search box would look like, but how would I go about looping through each line to search my data by the given criteria?
Criteria to loop through:
Firstname = John
Firstname = Paul
Lastname = Smith
So, basically I would like to loop through my data and find anyone named John Smith or Paul Smith.
Here is some futile attempt at doing this:
Also, the "=" operator is subject to change. It could be something like this as well:Code:For Each strLine As String In TextBox2.Text.Split(vbNewLine) Dim SearchFor As String = strLine.ToString If SearchFor = vbLf & "AND" Or SearchFor = vbLf & "OR" Then End If For Each dr As DataRow MyDataTable.Rows If MyDataTable.Rows(RowNumber)(ColumnName) = ItemToFind Then End If Next Next
RecordNumber > 1000
RecordNumber < 2000


text:
Former NCAA and NBA Players Playing for $1 Million in "The Basketball Tournament"
Want to build a basketball team and compete in a basketball tournament with a first prize of $1,000,000? Well, thanks to a basketball tournament called (cleverly enough) "The Basketball Tournament," you can. Applications are free and anyone 18 or older (willing to forgo their amateur status) can sign up. Teams can have 7-12 players plus one general manager, one coach, and one booster who promotes the team on social media.
Of course, there is just one small catch. While literally anyone can sign a team up for The Basketball Tournament, or TBT for short, the final field of 97 teams will be decided by online fan voting. The 18 teams with the most votes in each of four regions—Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia—will get in automatically. Then an additional six teams in each region with a minimum of 100 votes will get at-large bids.
What that means is that teams with famous people as players, coaches, GMs, and boosters will get in. Your team of buddies from high school will not…unless you're brilliant at social media marketing and/or you are playing for a cause and have a major charity as a booster.
TBT began last year with a field of 55 teams featuring a bunch of former college players competing for a prize of $500,000. It was won by a team made up of former Notre Dame players called The Fighting Alumni. This year the prize is doubled, and in addition to alumni from Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Maryland, Georgetown, Temple, Princeton, and Ole Miss, TBT will also feature over 40 former NBA players like Nate Robinson, Brian "White Mamba" Scalabrine, Jason Williams, Dahntay Jones, and Smush Parker.
NBA players cannot play for contractual reasons, of course. But they can serve as GMs, coaches, and boosters. And some of them are, including Matt Bonner, Nick Young, and not-yet-drafted Frank Kaminsky.
Sounds cool, right? Like, you kinda want to watch it, don't you? Well you can watch it on ESPN and ESPNU starting July 10.
For more details and a full rundown of the schedule, click here.
Hat Tip – [Basketball Insiders]


text:
Granting you give ever wanted to place a bet on a sporting event, but were confused by all the talk of best odds, stylus spreads, bookies… relax. We'll deceive you ready to join the action. At highest glance the temporal of sports betting can seem to be a complex one, but it's not as daunting because it may first appear.
The main object of sports betting is to beat the 'Oddsmakers' and win portion money. Additionally, placing a bet on your favorite sport miracle makes the game heady and more enjoyable.
There are many types of bets you can place. Vbet Bookmaking Company offers the world's biggest live betting line-up on more than 40 different sports. Find your favorite bet now and use your sport knowledge to institute the win near sports betting. Place your bets on football, tennis, basketball oppositely any other sport of your choice.
Go to www.vbet.com, click on the "sports" above, will your favorite sport, then choose the athletics event you want and do your bets. Enjoy historical sport events with Vbet!
Many betting guides are included as part of the online sportsbook experience. After all, it is certainly in the oddsmaker's best interest to give you with sports betting help whether you fool need because that will make you a more comfortable et alii more frequent punter. Some of these services will really be a sport maker in your wagering experience.
The sports specific betting guides typically include an explanation of the types of bets, the major tournaments, and the cynosure players. This discretion ensure that you are well-grounded before you start wagering. You may also find that the player profiles help you connect more completely with the nuances of your favorite teams performance patterns. The betting degree guides will also keep you from making costly errors as you wager.


text:
Invest in Youth
Invest in Youth is the Champaign Family YMCA's financial assistance program that provides membership assistance to youth and families in our community who demonstrate financial need. Our goal is to not turn away any youth or family for their inability to pay, and to provide a safe place where they are supervised by positive role models. Thanks to the generosity of people like you, we were able to provide scholarships to over 300 children and families in 2016.
Each year the Y holds a silent auction to raise funds for our Invest in Youth scholarship program. Every dollar raised by this event goes directly toward membership assistance for Champaign County families in need. The auction is typically held in Novermber to provide an opportunity for our supporters to bid on items for holiday gift giving. We invite local businesses and individuals to donate items to the auction - typically gift certificates or baskets, tickets to sporting events, toys, bicycles, handmade items, and much more - to help us continue with our mission of developing strong kids, strong families, and strong communities.
This year's Invest in Youth Silent Auction will take place Nov 4th - 19th in the Y Main Lobby. For more information, click here. To print an auction Donation Form, click here.


text:
The Asterisk War is an anime I've yet to watch but heard decent things about and Phoenix Festa, the dating sim and fighting game hybrid recently released for Vita, was my first experience with the series.
It's not particularly an outstanding game but I had a lot of fun with it, repetition and all. You can choose to play as the series' main character Ayato Amagiri or create your own character, but either way you'll be training to compete in the Phoenix Festa with your aim being to win it – the story is pretty thin but the character interaction is nice, and it'll be the dating element that might grab you more so than the action! You'll grow closer to girls from the series such as Julis and Claudia and eventually pick one of the several girls to be your fighting partner in the tournament, and who you pick changes which ending you get. It really is repetitive with training being as simple as choosing which stat to level up and voila, it's levelled up. This eats at your life bar so you need to rest to regain health and improve your character's condition, and interspersed with training are duels and social events.
Other than the two differing story modes, there's also a gallery where you can rewatch events and a battle mode where you can play as most of the characters seen in the story along with your own created characters. The combat itself is simple with the square button being your light attack and triangle being your strong attack, and you can guard and dash too. There are special moves but overall the combat is lacking, battles are brief but the repetition here really settles in quickly. You can either aim to destroy your opponent's badge or wittle down their health bar, but going for the health bar is the easier option of the two as the badge requires your more powerful moves to not be blocked or dodged which happened a lot to me. The combat works, it's just very simple and I can't see myself going for the 'fight 300 battles' trophy!
Visually the 2D artwork is stunning and the CG images are equally as gorgeous, but the 3D models and battle arenas are barren and rough around the edges, and it's clear that the visuals and dating elements got much more focus than the combat did in every aspect. I enjoy the character design and Claudia quickly became my favourite character in the game. The in-game gallery is odd in the way that if you want to view a specific piece of artwork, then you have to replay that entire scene to get there rather than just having the option to view images individually. It's not a bad looking game by any means, but the 3D visuals do leave much to be desired.
Unsurprisingly, there's only a Japanese voice-over and no English dub which, as usual, I have no issue with and I tended to skip most voices as I would read the chunks of text so quickly. I have no problem with the quality of the voice-acting and, presumably, the anime voice cast reprise their roles here which should make fans happy. The soundtrack does the job by having more simple melodies playing for the dating and social aspect of the game, and more upbeat music for the combat although I can't say I'll find myself listening to any of these tracks outside of the game and I haven't found any of them to be particularly memorable, although they're completely fine and set the tone of the game well.
A.W: Phoenix Festa is something I'm happy to see come West and I'll definitely check the anime out sometime as I've liked the characters and setting of the series, although the game is something I'd only recommend to fans. You can play this game without being a fan however as it seems to be a standalone story and, of course, you can create your own character which has nothing to do with the overall series. I've had fun with it and might return to it once I've watched the anime, but otherwise I'm not in a rush to pick it up again. A.W: Phoenix Festa is a game that's neither great or awful, and happens to fall simply on average but fans will get more out of it than non-fans, of course.


text:
Talking Points
Latest News
Dirk Franciscus "Danny" Blind (Dutch pronunciation: [dɪrk frɑnˈsɪskəz ˈdɛni blɪnt]; born 1 August 1961) is a Dutch retired international football player and current coach. He played as a defender for Sparta Rotterdam, Ajax and the Netherlands national team. He currently works as head coach of the Netherlands national team, succeeding Guus Hiddink on 1 August 2015 after Hiddink's contract was terminated.
Blind was born in Oost-Souburg, Netherlands. He is one of the two Dutch players, together with Arnold Mühren, to have won all UEFA club competitions.Close


text:
Want to learn more about the latest treatment options to help you look your very best? Then you've come to the right place. On this page you can easily find all the posts on our site related to the specific procedure or procedures you are considering. Procedures are arranged by breast, body, and facial cosmetic surgery, along with medical spa treatments.
If you aren't quite sure which procedure is best for you, first take some time to browse by concern to find information on the treatment options available for your specific cosmetic concern.


text:
ENFIELD — Justin Smith just wanted something to drink when he stopped at the Dairy Mart on Route 5 Saturday afternoon. He ended up saving a man's life.
When Smith, an 18-year-old Fermi High School student, pulled into the parking lot about 4 p.m., Steven Przeracki was already unconscious, lying on the ground, bleeding from the back of his head.


text:
Infrastructure Services
Tamdown is a market leading provider of infrastructure services for residential, commercial and public sector developments in London and the South East.
We cover a wide range of expertise including Earthworks, Roads & Sewers and Section 278 works. Customers return to us again and again due to our strong reputation for quality and on-time delivery.
Get in touch to discuss your specific requirements and how we can support your project.


text:
Paalakaayalu is a Andhra savory recipe. These are made with rice flour and few spices and taste utterly delicious. They can be had as a evening snack with some tea or enjoy them as is. Printable Recipe: http://www.sruthiskitchen.com/2012/10/24/paalakayalu-crispy-rice-balls/ Follow me on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shruthiskitchen?ref=hl
Get more recipes and cooking tips
in your inbox
It's FREE!!!
Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting recipes and cooking tips to your email inbox.
Thank you for subscribing.
Something went wrong.
Category: Videos