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Google to invest $600M in Lenoir data center
Google plans to invest $600 million and buy renewable energy at massive data center in Lenoir
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Google said Friday it will invest more than $600 million in its North Carolina data center and take part in a new renewable energy program being developed by Duke Energy.
The global technology giant will build a new facility onsite, bringing Google's total investment to more than $1.2 billion at its Caldwell County data center — one of the company's eight massive facilities.
The data center near Lenoir houses computer systems that support Google's Internet search engine and other services such as Gmail and YouTube.
"They are a valuable economic resource in the area and a great example of a company that prioritizes environmental stewardship," Gov. Pat McCrory said.
Google said it is committed to using renewable energy at its data centers — the reason it plans to participate in a new program Duke Energy is developing for large customers that want to buy renewable energy.
Duke Energy said it will make a regulatory filing proposing the program with the North Carolina Utilities Commission in the next 90 days.
"The new renewable energy program under development at Duke Energy will give customers like Google the option of offsetting some or all of their energy consumption with new renewable energy generated in this region," said Duke spokesman Jeff Brooks. "The new rate is voluntary and will be paid for entirely by those who elect to participate in this offering."
Brooks said the new option will not affect other customers' rates.
Gary Demasi, director of Google's infrastructure team, said the company is excited about Duke's plan.
"As more of the world moves online, demand for Google's services continues to grow — and we want our renewable energy options to grow with it," he said. Google said it operates some of the world most efficient data centers, and in 2007 made a voluntary commitment to become carbon neutral.
The pairing of the country's largest electric company with a new-economy juggernaut brings renewable energy further into the business mainstream, said Dan Fogel, a professor of business strategy at Wake Forest University. The proposal helps Duke by building a market for renewable energy that relies less on government incentives or requirements, and helps Google by aligning with other corporate initiatives on clean energy, Fogel said.
"Google, if you think about what their most important resource is, it's energy. It's done a lot of things lately that shows it actually is investing an enormous amount of money in energy solutions," he said. "Without managing energy, it's not going to be able to be effective in the future."
Fogel suspects Google's cooperation will prove to go beyond a buyer-seller relationship with Duke Energy.
But it's no guarantee North Carolina regulators will approve the experiment without knowing how much it will effect household consumers, Fogel said. The state Supreme Court ruled last week the utilities commission needed to reconsider a 7.2 percent Duke Energy rate increase approved last year because the regulators failed to weigh the impact on 1.8 million customers.
Robert Gruber, who heads the Utilities Commission division that represents consumers, said the Public Staff will check that Duke Energy will not shift costs to residential customers.
"Based on what we know, we don't think that's what's intended or would happen," Gruber said. "But if people want to pay more to make a contribution to their environmental footprint, that's fine with us. That's good."
Environmental group Greenpeace praised Google's decision to take part in the new program, saying it "shows what forward-thinking companies can accomplish when they are serious about powering their operations with clean energy."
"Before today, even large energy users in North Carolina were only offered dirty energy by Duke Energy: coal, nuclear and gas," said Greenpeace International senior IT analyst Gary Cook. "In living up to its commitment of powering 100 percent of its operations with renewable energy, Google has given Duke Energy the push it needed to offer a renewable tariff which could finally mean access to clean energy for Duke Energy's customers in North Carolina."
Google's announcement comes as Apple Inc. moves aggressively to power its three U.S. data centers — including in Maiden, about 30 miles from Lenoir — entirely from renewable energy sources.
The technology company is powering its North Carolina data center with a 100-acre solar farm, is building a second solar farm with a similar 20-megawatt output expected to generate power later this year, and has built an onsite 10-MW fuel cell installation that converts methane gas from landfills into stored electricity.
Apple's move to power the North Carolina data center as well as the company's others in California and Oregon with renewable energy followed protests by Greenpeace, which claimed the company was using too much electricity produced by coal.
AP Business Writer Emery P. Dalesio in Raleigh contributed to this report.


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eMarketOrg.com presents Non-woven Table Linen market demand is rising from Residental, Commercial, Industrial and other applications, according to this 2018 research report.
On the basis of attributes such as company overview, recent developments, strategies adopted by the market leaders to ensure growth, sustainability, financial overview and recent developments.
This report provides a detailed analysis of the Non-woven Table Linen market with description of market sizing and growth, segmentation of market by products & services and major markets, top market players etc. The report recapitulates the factors that will be responsible for the growth in the market in the forecasted period.
Request a Sample copy of this report at: https://emarketorg.com/inquire-before-buying/?product-id=169229
Essential points covered in Global Non-woven Table Linen Market2018 Research are:-
- What will the market size and the growth rate be in 2025?
- What are the key factors driving the global Non-woven Table Linen market?
- What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the global Non-woven Table Linen market?
- What are the challenges to market growth?
- Who are the key vendors in the global Non-woven Table Linen market?
- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the global Non-woven Table Linen market?
- What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the global Non-woven Table Linen market?
This independent 116 pages report guarantees you will remain better informed than your competition. With over 133 tables and figures examining the Non-woven Table Linen market, the report gives you a visual, one-stop breakdown of the leading products, submarket and market leader's market revenue forecasts as well as analysis to 2025.
Furthermore, the report provides a detailed analysis of the global Non-woven Table Linen market with analysis of market size by value and volume. Along with this, an analysis of penetration rate and the average revenue generated per user (ARPU) in the market has also been done. The report also includes a detailed analysis of the global Non-woven Table Linen market by countries, comprising of its market by value, volume, and ARPU and penetration rate.
Companies Mentioned are Intexcomfort, Mungo, Jomar, Inc., Linomeda, Pottery Barn, GTex International, L'Ensoleillade, Schweitzer Linen, John England, Abistar Textile and Phoenix Textile Corporation.
Table of Content:
- Non-woven Table Linen Market Overview
- Global Non-woven Table Linen Market Competition by Manufacturers
- Global Non-woven Table Linen Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)
- Global Non-woven Table Linen Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)
- Global Non-woven Table Linen Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type
- Global Non-woven Table Linen Market Analysis by Application
- Global Non-woven Table Linen Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis
- Non-woven Table Linen Manufacturing Cost Analysis
- Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers
- Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders
- Market Effect Factors Analysis
- Global Non-woven Table Linen Market Forecast (2018-2025)
- Research Findings and Conclusion
- Appendix
Browse Full Report at: https://emarketorg.com/pro/world-non-woven-table-linen-market-research-report-2018/
The Non-woven Table Linen market is expected to increase due to growth in GDP per-capita, international tourism, etc. Yet, the market faces some challenges such as, global economic downturn, high probability of terror attack, etc. The global Non-woven Table Linen market is expected to grow at a healthy rate during the forecast period (2018-2025). The growth is expected on account of many factors, such as an increase in disposable income, increasing international inbound and outbound tourism and aging demography.
However, the market also faces some challenges, which includes increase in the number of terror attacks, heavy taxes imposed on the tour operators and seasonality dependence. Digital travel, evolution of eco-tourism and rise of adventure tourism are some of the latest trends in the global Non-woven Table Linen market.
The report provides a basic overview of the Non-woven Table Linen industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. And development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures.
Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. What's more, the Non-woven Table Linen industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.
The research includes historic data from 2014 to 2017 and forecasts until 2025 which makes the reports an invaluable resource for industry executives, marketing, sales and product managers, consultants, analysts, and other people looking for key industry data in readily accessible documents with clearly presented tables and graphs. The report will make detailed analysis mainly on above questions and in-depth research on the development environment, market size, development trend, operation situation and future development trend of Non-woven Table Linen on the basis of stating current situation of the industry in 2018 so as to make comprehensive organization and judgment on the competition situation and development trend of Non-woven Table Linen Market and assist manufacturers and investment organization to better grasp the development course of Non-woven Table Linen Market.
The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors.
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Contact Details:
Ronald Alden

subset: commoncrawl


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One conservative, the other wild and crazy?
These two types worked together all through the 30s and came up with a blended style-the 40s style of pears and spheres and sausages style which is my favorite type of animation.
If you are a young cartoonist (or a geezer who wants to improve his skills) who wants to learn the best way to draw and animate, you should study this approach in its most generic form.
When is "generic" good?
When it is highly skilled as in these Tom and Jerry model sheets below.Generic is good for study.
If you are trying to teach yourself the principles of good cartoon drawing for example, it's best to study bland cartoons that don't have individual style. Strong style will distract your attention away from the underlying principles that are more important.
Disney helped popularize a style in the late 30s that most other studios adopted-the pear shaped, squash and stretch style.
It's not really a "style" though.
It's a drawing method that makes animation fluid and sensible.
It's a collection of principles that everyone in animation used in the 1940s.
It developed out of the rubber-hose style but added some techniques to help smooth out the animation and give it weight.
3-dimensional but cartoony construction:
The characters are rounded and turn in space like real objects.
But unlike real anatomy, the characters are built out of simple shapes-mostly pear-shaped bodies and round or oval heads with sausages for limbs.
In a strange way, they are real because they are 3-dimensional, but they are also cartoony, because they are made up of forms that aren't anatomical.
All the details of the characters wrap around the major forms that the characters are built from.
The eyes obey the perspective and direction of the position of the head, etc. They don't exist on their own planes.
Squash and Stretch:
These 40s characters bend and stretch and squash like soft rubber.
Line of Action:
The poses are usually strong and simple and all the details of the characters flow along the line of action.
Clear Silhouettes:
The poses usually have strong silhouettes-which helps them read, especially when the actions can be so fast.
Organic Forms:
Unlike rubber-hose cartoons which have very simple curves that have the bends right in the middle of the curve, these 40s style characters have more complex flowing curves which makes them feel more organic like skin and guts-although no bones.
The 7 Dwarfs are perfect examples of this style of animation. They are completely generic designs-meaning they really have no design at all-but they do have all the principles that make up the classic cartoon style.
Here's a frame from Chuck Jones' Barbary Coast Bunny, one of my favorite cartoons. The design and style is a more modern 50s approach, yet it still retains all the principles of 40s style cartoons. This type of cartoon is not good for beginning cartoonists and animators to study from, because the shapes are more specific, and they have angles and more complex design elements.
This is much harder to study and grasp than a Tom and Jerry or earlier Disney or Warner Bros. cartoon. It's more interesting graphically for sure, but the more complex design elements will distract you from learning the principles underneath.
Here are some frames from Bob Clampett's Gruesome Twosome. This is a scene by Rod Scribner. It's much more exaggerated than a Tom and Jerry cartoon and has slightly more complex design elements in it.
It's still based on all the same principles though, so once you understand the principles you will be able to then start exploring your own style and variations of designs.
I always recommend to animation students to draw Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig and Tom and Jerry when learning.
They are fairly simple and very rounded.
When you are animating you have to turn out a lot of drawings.
The more complicated the drawing, the longer it will take you to make the animation work.
NEVER use your own character designs when you are learning to animate.
It will slow your progress.
Use characters that were designed by top Hollywood professionals that already work in 3 dimensions and are simple. You will progress much faster that way.
This frame is from Chuck Jones' Elmers' Candid Camera. Jones hasn't developed his strong personal style yet and is just trying to make the characters look solid and move well. This cartoon is a great one to study for rounded smoothly moving characters.
This is from a later Chuck Jones cartoon and is much more complex, but again it still is based on the same principles. It has angles and more complex forms-but the angles are all in sensible places - unlike today's angular cartoons that have arbitrary and inconsistent designs that don't work well for animation. -think MULAN.
That's why the best cartoons to study are the cartoons from the early to mid forties.
They are all very rounded and do not have really distracting angular styles. Study Jones, Clampett, Avery, Disney, Tom and Jerry.
Avoid Freleng and other 40s styles. They are all trying to imitate what the stars were doing but the drawings and animation are much sloppier in the rest of the cartoons being done at the time.
(By "avoid" them I mean, avoid copying them if you are trying to learn to draw good principles. Watch them, because they are all fun, but study from the best!)
Beware of 50s cartoons!
I'm not saying I don't like 50s cartoons-I do, but in order to do those styles well, you need to understand how they came to be.
If you start by drawing angular characters before you understand your principles, you will put the angles all in the wrong places and not have any control over your designs and animation-like most modern cartoons.
Principles are the most important thing!


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Delphinium polycladon; Mountain Marsh Larkspur
Copyright © 2010 Steven Thorsted
Using this photo The thumbnail photo (128x192 pixels) on this page may be freely used for personal or academic purposes without prior permission under the Fair Use provisions of US copyright law as long as the photo is clearly credited with © 2010 Steven Thorsted. For other uses, or if you have questions, contact Steven Thorsted steventhorsted[AT]hotmail.com. (Replace the [AT] with the @ symbol before sending an email.)


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I've reviewed Rick Rack Attack before--back in October I believe--but this time I'm highlighting their gorgeous festive aprons which are perfect for any entertaining you might do this month. Can't you just picture sitting down to a turkey dinner wearing such a lovely item? (they're so pretty I might even have to wear another apron over the top just so it's still looking fresh when I'm ready to serve).
Besides these gorgeous pieces of hostessness, Rick Rack Attack also sells aprons by Jessie Steele and I have to say "steal" is right. Starting at $15 it's a perfect item for your Christmas gift list--just check out this adorable child's "Cupcakes" Apron for the little hostess on your list.
If you're going to be making any cookies or fudge with little ones Rick Rack Attack makes their Vintage Inspired Aprons in child and adult sizes so you can get matching mommy-and-me aprons with girly frills or matching daddy-and-me aprons for a manly barbecue moment.
Rick Rack Attack has been so kind as to offer this weekend's winner their choice of mom-and-me aprons or a set of dad-and-son aprons, either one.
But wait! There's more! Going along with the keeping-it-clean theme is Baby Dipper which is this ingenious little triangular bowl and spoon set that is designed to keep things in the bowl and easy to scoop for little hands learning to use a spoon. A fun gift for any moms with babies out there.
So to enter the contest and win this fun package just follow the instructions below.
Here's how to win:
Before 12 am Monday go to the giveaway entry form on this page and enter your name and email. I will pick one of the names at random, contact the winner via their email and publish the winner's first name and home town in next Tuesday's post. See the bottom of the entry form for more details.
This giveaway is open to all readers! Good luck!
Plus there are lots of giveaways and contests listed on the Message Board and there's a brand new Write-Away Contest topic for the month if you want your shot at a shirt from Peace Love Mom. The theme is "Keeping Warm" and the deadline is the 18th!
Technorati tags: product reviews, giveaways, aprons


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Pew-pew-pew. Pew-pew-pew… that's the gamer's version of "Jingle Bells." From old-school arcading to the best in bundles, we've got all your shoot-'em-up cyber-style needs covered.
Pew-pew-pew. Pew-pew-pew… that's the gamer's version of "Jingle Bells." From old-school arcading to the best in bundles, we've all your shoot-'em-up cyber-style needs covered.
PS Vita Bundles, starting at $249
Sony's latest portable packs one helluva wallop, pumping out incredible graphics and tons of extra functionality for a dual touchscreen mobile gaming console. This holiday brings out the bundles, so you can get a Vita paired with some of the best games out there. Our picks? Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed III, which touts the limited-edition and freaking gorgeous Crystal White Vita, because you're a unique snowflake and everyone should know it.
[pagebreak]Nintendo Wii U, starting at $299
Nintendo's new console gives you an option no matter how you like to play. Good ol' WiiMotes can still be used, but proper gamepads and the new touchscreen controller make this a console for gamers of any age, not just children. Nintendo has wisely targeted the hardcore audience and signed up Activision, Ubisoft, and Warner Bros to deliver killer titles like Black Ops 2, Assassin's Creed III, and Arkham City for the fledgling rig. Add in DVR functionality and improved online play, and it's easy to justify taking the step into the next Nintendo generation.
[pagebreak]Halo 4 XBOX 360 Bundle, $349.99
Take the most badass Xbox 360 available, outfit it to look like ancient alien tech, toss in the biggest Xbox game of the year, and include two matching controllers for good measure. Congratulations, you just joined the rest of us in 2012 and you did it in one fell swoop. And if you're actually buying this for a gamer you love, double congratulations – you're a gift-giving champion.
[pagebreak]Razer Naga Gaming Mouse, $79.99
Razer understands PC gamers and knows that a PC gamer's mouse is as important as a soldier's sidearm (not in the overall scheme of things, but, you know, on a personal level). So they weren't messing around when they crafted the Naga mouse. Heavy-duty wiring, and uber-customizable buttons and layout make this an essential piece of hardware for any PC gamer.
[pagebreak]Gaming T-Shirts, starting at $19.99
Gamer pride is usually pretty strong, but outside of your handle or gamertag or avatar or whatever, it's hard to show that pride in an everyday setting. No more! Thinkgeek's got a huge line of gamer apparel that subtly (or not so subtly, if you're unashamed of your hobby) conveys your affinity for a certain game to other gamers, who will then nod slightly and affirm your life choices. Or shout a string of poorly-spelled obscenities at you, if our experience of online gaming is anything to go by.
[pagebreak]iCade Mobile Gaming System For iPhone, $16.99
Let's be honest, touchscreens just don't satisfy the thumbs like buttons do. Sure, your iPhone makes a great gaming device, but once you've exhausted your patience with Angry Birds, the only way you can relieve that pent-up anger is a button-mashing session. Enter the iCade Mobile system: Slap your iPhone into this accessory and get to pressing. You can feel the anger melt away immediately. WE SAID IMMEDIATELY, DAMN IT!
[pagebreak]Playseat A1GP Gaming Seat + Logitech Driving Force GT Steering Wheel, $488
Gaming chairs are kind of lame and, like your still-in-the-box Star Wars figures, require too much explanation when you're bringing a date back to your place. But driving seats? Driving seats make you a fan of speed and power, and that's sexy (to other gamers, at least. They're still completely repellent to women). And if there just happens to be a top of the line Logitech Gaming Wheel attached to it, well, at least that makes it all worthwhile.
[pagebreak]60 Beats iPad Game Controller, $34.99
Taking the quality control scheme of a PS3 and mashing it into an external controller for your iPad isn't a good idea…it's a great idea. Boasting a huge list of compatible iOS games, the 60 Beats Controller is a huge leap forward in turning your iPad into a full-fledged console. Pair it with an AppleTV and you'll never find yourself waiting for a PS3 update ever again.
[pagebreak]Dreamcade Vision 32, $2,599
Has a gamer saved your life? Pulled you out of a burning car or given you mouth to mouth (that you actually needed)? Here's how you repay them. There's not a gamer on Earth who doesn't dream of having a full upright cabinet at their home that doesn't need quarters and never has a line. That's called gamer heaven, and you could be its St. Peter.
[pagebreak]Roll of Quarters, $10
Arcades might be shutting down across the country, but they'll never take Street Fighter out of your local pizza place or Galaga out of your favorite dive bar. Sure, it's sort of a dick move to give somebody a roll of quarters, but sometimes you're in a pinch and dressing it up the right way can put a smile on the face of any retro gamer. Get creative, cheapskate.
More of the 2012 Maxim Holiday Gift Guide


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Very often when I see Indian dishes they are accompanied by freshly made naan. Naan is a yeast based Indian flat bread that is traditionally baked in a tandoor oven at very high temperatures. I thought that it would be nice to have some freshly made naan as a side for my palak paneer dinner. I have to admit that I had tried to make naan before and it did not work out too well. I baked it in the oven but it baked hard before it got all nice and golden brown so this time I decided to try something different. I figured that I would have more control if I pan fried the naan and since they were brushed with ghee or butter anyways they were all ready for pan frying anyways. The pan fried naan worked out really well! I was able to get the naan nice an golden brown on both sides! The tops and bottoms were also slightly crispy and the insides were nice and light and fluffy and moist and best of all still warm! I cannot believe how good, and addictive, freshly made naan is! I had a hard time resisting just eating my fill of naan despite the fact that the palak paneer was really good as well. I can't wait to make another batch of naan!
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup water (warm)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter or unsalted butter)
- 3 tablespoons yogurt
- * ghee (clarified butter or unsalted butter)
- Mix the yeast and sugar into the warm water in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Add the salt and flour into the liquid followed by the ghee and yogurt and mix until it forms a dough.
- Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover.
- Let it rise for 90 minutes.
- Punch the dough down and knead it for 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough and form balls.
- Roll the balls out.
- Brush both sides with ghee and fry in a pan until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve while still warm.


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See post below for today's Quickie.
The movie "The Number 23" came out today. As with almost every Jim Carrey movie that isn't a comedy (except "Eternal Sunshine"), you could see it coming: Panned.
But it lends itself to an interesting discussion/debate: After Michael Jordan, who is the greatest No. 23 of all time?
Let's look at it two ways: Greatest No. 23 (besides MJ) in ANY sport, and greatest No. 23 in each of the major sports. (For the NBA, obviously, the greatest No. 23 after
My picks:
NBA: LeBron
MLB: Ryne Sandberg
NFL: Uh, Devin Hester?
NHL: Uh, Chris Drury?
College FB or BB: Hmm...
(Interesting trivia: No team in the NFL has ever retired No. 23.)
Have at it, and bonus points for inspired or non-obvious choices.
(Oscar picks coming soon!)


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Eggplant. It's been good to have you through this cruel summer, the hottest and dryest in decades.
Sweet, firm, smooth, full of the flavor of Arabian nights. We did a lot of nice things together, hot things.
But now it's over.
This is the last time. In a short while you will be spongy, seedy and quite frankly, limp. I don't want you in the winter. Please don't call me, I will ignore you. But thank you, you've been nice, lovely actually.
- 5 eggplants (about 2 kg /4 lbs total weight)
- 2 onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 250 gr / 1 cup ricotta
- a handful fresh basil leaves or mint
- 4 tablespoon toasted almonds
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 zucchini
Pierce eggplants several times with a fork and place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven at 220 C (430 ° F) until very soft. Turn them around every 20 min so they cook evenly. Let them cool, peel, chop roughly and transfer in a colander with a weight on top to drain the excess moisture. I bake the eggplants the night before, place them in a colander to drain and finish the dish a day later so the rest of the preparation is quick and convenient.
Chop the onions finely and saute in two tablespoons olive oil until translucent. Add the chopped eggplants and cook uncovered for 10-15 min. This will dry them further and bring out the flavor. Stir occasionally.
Add the minced garlic and torn basil leaves, cook for further 5 min, season with salt and black pepper to taste and let it cool.
Transfer in a food processor, add the ricotta and toasted almonds and puree until smooth.
Just before serving, shred the uncooked zucchini and toss with olive oil, salt and a squirt of lemon juice. Arrange the zucchini shreds in a ring shape on a serving plate.
Pile the eggplant puree in the centre of the zucchini ring, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve with toasted crusty bread, pita or as a side vegetable to roasted meat.
It's great party food, a sort of Italianized baba ganoush that might please even the unlucky few that don't love eggplants. I adore them, in the summer.
Serves 10


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Preorder your Big Boy souvenirs prior to this year's tour stops in your area!
Your use of this link means that you will be leaving the Union Pacific Web site. Links to third party Web sites are provided by Union Pacific as a convenience, and Union Pacific does not control, and has not necessarily reviewed, any third party Web sites or their contents. By providing such links, Union Pacific does not endorse, concur with or make any representations regarding the accuracy of any other Web sites or their contents.


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U.S. and Pakistan Seek to Reinforce an Arbitrary Border
"American and allied forces in Afghanistan are strengthening a layered defense along the border with Pakistan to seize Haqqani network militants as they try to make their way to Kabul to carry out spectacular attacks, according to senior military officers." – New York Times
Okay, New York Times, time for a little geography lesson, with a few bits of history thrown in. Let's start with that old Rand McNally three-dimensional map of the world that formerly graced the walls of grammar schools across the country (I happen to have one in my closet). It has low spots to demonstrate deep-sea trenches and bumps for mountain ranges. Among the biggest set of bumps are the Hindu Kush (the western extension of the Himalayas) that corresponds to the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The highest of those bumps is Mt. Noshaq (24,580 ft).
This is also a very long border, 1,510 miles more or less (more on that later). Think of the distance between Portland, ME and Miami, FL, New York City and Dallas/Fort Worth, or London and Moscow. It is mostly really big bumps (except some lower ones on the western edge of the border), so it is not only long, it contains some of the most formidable terrain on the planet.
In fact, the "official" border is marked from Sikaram Peak to Laman Peak. It is always a bad idea to fight a war where you measure the battlefield by the distance between peaks. If there are general rules of war, certainly one of them is: "Do not fight in places that the Rand McNally three-dimensional map puts lots of bumps."
This is also not a border, in the normal sense of the word, with the striped guardhouses and border checks. For one thing, the Afghans and the Pakistanis had nothing to do with establishing it.
That was done—with considerable mischief in mind—in 1893 by Sir Mortimer Durand, then England's lead colonial officer in India (Pakistan did not yet exist). His plan was to split up the Pashtuns—who have populated the region since at least the fifth century BC—so that they would not constitute a majority in either region. Pashtuns make up about 42 percent of Afghanistan and about 15 percent of Pakistan.
The Pashtuns have never recognized the Durand Line, and neither has the government in Kabul. This makes Pakistan nervous, because aside from India, one of the things Islamabad fears most is ethnic dismemberment: the establishment of an independent Pashtunistan. Pashtuns are among the most hospitable people in the world, but they don't like being invaded or occupied, which no one has successfully managed to do, although many have tried. A 19th-century British general remarked that when one gets ready to invade the area, the first thing to do is plan a line of retreat, the inevitable course followed by all militaries.
So now, let's look at "layered defense along the border," as well as American pressure on the Pakistani military "to cleanse their border of militants." First, from the Pashtuns' point of view, Pakistan's military is just as much a foreign intruder as were the Greeks, Buddhists, Mongols, Muslims, and British, and Islamabad's army would have just about the same level of success as all those other invaders. Second, any attempt to "cleanse" the border would stir up major hostilities among the tribes and clans in both countries and feed Pashtun nationalism, which is exactly what Islamabad does not want to do.
But even if Pakistan was to decide to actually try to "cleanse" the border, Islamabad has neither the manpower nor the money to do so (even if it were possible, which history argues it is not). Pakistan has some 1.4 million men under arms, but only a little over 600,000 of those are regular troops. The rest are reserves or border police and local paramilitaries. And most of those troops have to be kept on the border with India, with which Pakistan has fought three wars.
Pakistan's military is currently engaged both in fighting its own domestic Taliban in South Waziristan and maintaining troops in North Waziristan, but the North West Frontier and Federally Administered Tribal Areas—the part of the world we are talking about—are vast tracts of terrain, and "pacifying" them is quite beyond the capabilities of any army in the world, let alone Pakistan's.
The situation is not much different on the Afghan side of the border. The combined NATO forces are about 132,000, of which 100,000 are Americans (although 4,000 are headed home in the next few months). However, with the exception of the British, Canadians and Australians, most of the allied troops are not involved in active combat, so the actual number of troops available is closer 110,000. And not all of those troops fight. Some drive trucks, some handle supplies and logistics, some man bases. The final number of fighters? Maybe 60,000. The Afghan Army is somewhere between 150,000 and 171,000—the exact number is hard to pin down because so many desert within the first few months—of which only several thousand—two brigades— are capable of fighting on their own. There are also 134,000 Afghan police, but they don't fight. In fact, according to most Afghans, they mostly extort.
You can't put all those U.S., allied, and Afghan troops on the Pakistan border, particularly since the Taliban have spread their attacks to formally "pacified" areas of the country, in the north, east and west. And. in any case, the Afghan Army is still training (although it is curious that while the Taliban soldiers receive virtually no training, they are able to hold their own in battle with the most sophisticated and well-trained military force in the world).
For argument's sake, let's say you could put a mix of 40,000 troops on the border, a border of massive mountains and deep valleys, a border filled with passes, trade routes and goat trails, a border that stretches 1,510 miles. With 20,000 troops, the British Army could not seal the 224-mile border between southern and Northern Ireland.
Since the Haqqanis are Pashtun, they can cross this border virtually anyplace, and, as the last few weeks have illustrated, the Taliban and their allies can strike almost anywhere. The problem with all this nonsense about "thickening the Afghan border" is not the "senior military officials"— generals lie, it's part of their job description—but that the New York Times would print this blather. It is not only silly, it feeds dangerous illusions at a time when clear thinking is called for.
As Gareth Porter of IPS News reports, "The Taliban leadership is ready to negotiate peace with the United States right now if Washington indicates its willingness to provide a timetable for a complete withdrawal." According to Porter, the Taliban are willing to break any ties with al-Qaeda and won't even demand a withdrawal date. The only thing they will insist upon are no U.S. bases. So why isn't the Times reporting this breakthrough instead of peddling foolishness?


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Samples and decants are available in 1ml (filled halfway in a 2ml atomizer), 2ml, 3ml, 5ml, 10ml and 15ml spray atomizers.
Each sample will be clearly labeled, sealed with moisture-proof tape, enclosed in a resealable bag, and mailed in a bubble mailer.
Disclaimer: NorCalScents is not in any way affiliated with this brand or any other perfume brand found on this site. All perfume samples are decanted by hand into glass atomizers from the original fragrances by the original brands. These samples allow you to enjoy small quantities of fragrances before committing to a full sized bottle.


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Formations of, Acquisitions by, and Mergers of Bank Holding Companies, 27685-27686 [2015-11639]
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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 93 (Thursday, May 14, 2015)] [Notices] [Pages 27685-27686] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2015-11639] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Formations of, Acquisitions by, and Mergers of Bank Holding Companies The companies listed in this notice have applied to the Board for approval, pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1841 et seq.) (BHC Act), Regulation Y (12 CFR part 225), and all other applicable statutes and regulations to become a bank holding company and/or to acquire the assets or the ownership of, control of, or the power to vote shares of a bank or bank holding company and all of the banks and nonbanking companies owned by the bank holding company, including the companies listed below. The applications listed below, as well as other related filings required by the Board, are available for immediate inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank indicated. The applications will also be available for inspection at the offices of the Board of Governors. Interested persons may express their views in writing on the standards enumerated in the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1842(c)). If the proposal also involves the acquisition of a nonbanking company, the review also includes whether the acquisition of the nonbanking company complies with the standards in section 4 of the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1843). Unless otherwise noted, nonbanking activities will be conducted throughout the United States. Unless otherwise noted, comments regarding each of these applications [[Page 27686]] must be received at the Reserve Bank indicated or the offices of the Board of Governors not later than June 8, 2015. A. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (Dennis Denney, Assistant Vice President) 1 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, Missouri 64198-0001: 1. Commerce Bancorp, Inc., Duncan, Oklahoma; to acquire 100 percent of the voting shares of Anadarko Bank and Trust Company, Anadarko, Oklahoma. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, May 11, 2015. Michael J. Lewandowski, Associate Secretary of the Board. [FR Doc. 2015-11639 Filed 5-13-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6210-01-P
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Created in 1828, Bureau Veritas is a global leader in Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC), delivering high quality services to help clients meet the growing challenges of quality, safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.
As a trusted partner, Bureau Veritas offers innovative solutions that go beyond simple compliance with regulations and standards, reducing risk, improving performance and promoting sustainable development.
Bureau Veritas core values include integrity and ethics, impartial counsel and validation, customer focus and safety at work. Bureau Veritas is recognized and accredited by major national and international organizations.


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We repipe residential homes and multi-family complexes with high quality copper piping and PEX tubing. Lifetime warranty included.
"The only reason this review is for 5 stars is because it is the highest number of stars Yelp will allow me to use. Our representative, Dale, walked us through every step of the process, provided competitive pricing, and a total home repipe in one day."
Andy P. | Roseville, CA
"The only reason this review is for 5 stars is because it is the highest number of stars Yelp will allow me to use. Our representative, Dale, walked us through every step of the process, provided competitive pricing, and a total home repipe in one day."
Andy P. | Roseville, CA
Our passion for perfection continues to serve our customers year after year.
Our expertise shows in every repipe we do and is with you every step of the way.
We offer no interest for 12 months if paid in full. Click here for more information.
Our work is 100% guaranteed for life, and we are also fully licensed in California.
Repipe now & save big: there has never been a better time for a whole-home repipe
Save 20% and get a permanent solution to recurring leaks, low water pressure, and rusty water
With more than 75,000 successful repipes in the past 30 years, no company has more expertise and experience than Repipe Specialists.
We make the process of repiping your home fast – we complete most repipes in 1-2 days – and affordable. In addition to our flexible financing options, we are also offering 20% off your whole home repipe.
Why Repipe Your Home?
Corroded, Rusty Pipes
Recurring Leaks
Low Water Pressure
Rusty Water
New High Quality Pipes!
No More Leaks!
Great Water Pressure!
Clean, Clear Water
Corroded, Rusty Pipes
New High Quality Pipes!
Recurring Leaks
No More Leaks!
Low Water Pressure
Great Water Pressure!
Rusty Water
Clean, Clear Water
Nationally recognized. Locally rooted.
Send us a Message
Contact us by phone or email with any questions, or to schedule a no-obligation in-home (or remote) consultation with one of our Estimators.
By Phone
Call 916-848-2062 to schedule an estimate. If you reach our answering service, please leave a message: we return calls in the order they are received.
By Email
Messages sent using the form on this site, go directly to our email, which we check regularly.
Company & License Information
Repipe Specialists
CA License #1088254 C-36 Plumbing Contractor
What our customers say about us.
"We were lucky to find Repipe Specialists. They sent out a dream team of plumbers that not only repiped our 3000 sq ft house but did such a fantastic job that the disruption to our lives was minimal."
"Repiping is a big job. We were very pleased with Repipe Specialists. They provided us, up front, all the information about what was going to happen and when. They arrived on time for the repiping and immediately got to work. First they spent a fair amount of time covering everything and laying down drop cloths through out the house. They completed the work in one day. The leader and his associates were very friendly and helpful. I was amazed on how neat they were and they cleaned up very thoroughly. The next two days was the repairing of the walls and ceiling. These guys were amazing. They repaired all the cutouts and matched the texture of the walls perfectly. They also covered everything and hung plastic all around to protect the furniture and other things. We were very impressed with these guys. All in all, we were very pleased with Repipe Specialists and would highly recommend them."
"The only reason this review is for 5 stars is because it is the highest number of stars Yelp will allow me to use. Repiping a 2500 sq ft home is a big undertaking. Once we discovered a leak and realized we were going to need to replace all the pipes in our home we were overwhelmed and nervous at the prospect. Repipe Specialists made the entire process as smooth and stress free as possible. Our representative, Dale, walked us through every step of the process, provided competitive pricing, and a total home repipe in one day. Baldo and his team arrived early, spent a considerable amount of time prepping our home for the work, and cleaned up and wiped everything down once their work was completed. Baldo and his repipe team were fantastic! Friendly, polite, efficient, we really can't say enough wonderful things about them. And we were so impressed that Juan and the drywall team were equally wonderful. They were friendly, polite, efficient and finished in a single day. Even more impressive, Dale, our Repipe Specialist was in touch with us for every step of the process. He continually checked in to ensure things were going well and to see if there was anything else he could do to make the process easier. I would highly recommend Repipe Specialists to anyone needing repipe services."
"I contracted with Repipe Specialists of the Bay Area for a house repiping. They were on time, and completed each task (repiping, wall/ceiling repair) within a single day. I have hot showers again, as well as more water pressure. They consulted with me about each outdoor faucet and what to do with them. They also explained all my piping options (and made a good case for going with PEX). My experience with them was excellent."
"Repipe Specialists was very professional, has good financing option to replay cost and work crew is quick and know what they are doing."
"I just had my mobile home repiped. And the repipe specialist set me up with good plumbers who cared about my needs. The job was done in 1 day. Thank you, Repipe specialists! Debbie"
These are the primary reasons our customers opted for a whole-house repipe:
Note: data from our 2020 Q1-Q2 post-repipe customer surveys, 898 responses received.
Pipe & Slab Leaks
44% of our customers chose a whole-house repipe as the permanent solution for their water leak problems.
Preventive Maintenance
21% of our customers chose to repipe as a precautionary, preventive measure.
Low Water Pressure
18% listed low water pressure as the primary reason they opted for a repipe.
Rusty or Discolored Water
17% chose a repipe, so they could again enjoy clean, free-flowing fresh water.
Our One Stop Repipe™ process has been developed and refined with over 75,000 home repipe installations.
This means a quick, convenient, and efficient repipe process for you.
How it works:
- Contact us to setup an initial consult and free, no-obligation estimate.
- An Estimator will visit your home (at your option, this can be done remotely), inspect and review your plumbing, discuss options, and provide you with a fixed-price quote.
- Upon acceptance of our quote, a member of our scheduling staff will contact you to find a convenient day to perform your repipe.
- We will pull any required permits on your behalf.
- The actual repipe by your repiping team usually takes 1-2 days.
- We coordinate required inspections and permit signoffs.
- The drywall team will patch walls (if you've chosen this to be included).
- A member of our customer service staff will provide you with your Lifetime Warranty Certificate.
Expert Repiping at an Affordable Cost
Since our founding in 1991, we've been completing residential and multi-family building repipes to the highest standard.
With over 75,000 repipes completed, we've perfected our One Stop Repipe™ process: providing you with a high quality and convenient repipe experience while offering significant savings compared to traditional plumbers - plus, our work is guaranteed for life.
Our Advantage: Think National, Be Local
We aim to provide a personal experience to customers in each of our regional territories, while leveraging our national scale to buy materials in bulk - offering direct savings to the customer.
To do this, we've entered into long term partnerships with local, carefully-vetted, independent repipe crews. On average, our local crews have been with us for 15 years. Our local Certified Installers come with a wealth of knowledge and are hand selected before going through comprehensive online learning programs cultivated from 25 years of best practices along with immersive on-site training.
These crews operate under our contractor licence and general liability insurance. Repipe Specialists is fully licensed in all states in which we operate. CA License #1088254, C-36 Plumbing Contractor.
For your repipe, we'll also provide you with an on-site manager to be your main point of contact for any on-the-day queries. They'll lead the project, and ensure everything runs smoothly.
Professional Call Center & Scheduling Staff
Our headquarters hosts our exceptional, helpful and friendly scheduling associates and operations staff. As a team, they will provide you with a responsive and convenient overall experience: from initial contact, to scheduling and any required follow-up care.
Scheduling Associate
Get Started With Your Free Estimate
Give us a call and we'll connect you to one of our friendly and local estimators. We offer both in-home and virtual consultations. Our estimators will review repiping options with you and answer any questions you may have - ending with a fixed-price quote.
Repipe Consultant - Sacramento
Yes, financing is available with approved credit. Be sure to ask about our current nothing down, zero interest, no payments for 12 or 18 months promotion.
We also accept all major credit cards, as well as checks.
Yes, our work is 100% guaranteed for life.
As our name implies, we are repiping specialists; and that's all we do!
After a repipe, you will have:
- No more leaks!
- Excellent water pressure throughout your home
- Clean water that actually looks like water
- High-quality plumbing for decades
- The ability to shower without ensuring that no one else in the house flushes the toilet
- Peace of mind that your plumbing is the best it can be
- A positive selling point for your home
No. Our technicians are trained to keep your home clean and neat while also protecting your floors and furnishings. Plus, we fully clean our job sites after each day.
This depends on the size of the job and the materials you want to use, but the majority of our repiping jobs fall between $4,500 and $15,000. Our quotes include the cost of patching walls, pulling permits, passing inspection, and a lifetime warranty.
Contact us to schedule a free, no obligation estimate from one of our Customer Estimators.
We replace existing fresh hot and cold water piping in residential homes, as well as in multi-family complexes.
We perform repipes with the highest quality, made-in-the-USA PEX tubing and Grade L copper pipes.
Repiping services we do not offer:
- Wastewater piping
- Gas piping
- Irrigation systems
- Epoxy pipe lining (we believe that pipe replacement is a superior solution vs lining old pipes with epoxy)
- General plumbing services
Often, we are able to complete a home repipe in a single day with the city inspection and wall patching following right behind. Your water will be off during the middle of the day while we are repiping your home, but you will always have water by the end of the day.
Yes, we are a fully licensed contractor in each state that we operate in.
We only use the best PEX tubing and copper pipes, both made right here in the USA! Our Estimators will help you choose which material is best for you. Whichever you choose, they both come with lifetime warranties.
We use the Uponor PEX system of tubing and components. Unquestionably the best engineered PEX system on the market. There are no chemicals, glues or solvents in PEX. The PEX system is also entirely lead-free.
PEX is superior in quality, comes with a lifetime guarantee and provides the cleanest water supply for you and your family.
Copper quality varies dramatically. We only use Grade L, American-made copper pipes. They are, by far, the highest in quality and are manufactured to a precise, uniform standard. We are able to offer a lifetime guarantee because we use materials that are built to last.


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Looking through the photos of my homemade bread, cakes, cookies and tarts, I realised that I have made lots of stuff over the past 12 months. Without this blog, I would never ever be able to document the joy and pleasure that I have experienced over the year.
I have never known that home baking can bring so much nice feelings throughout the entire process. I treasure the peaceful and serene moments when I go about the preparation...be it whisking a bowl of egg whites...or working hard on a lump of wet and sticky dough. I enjoy each 'aroma therapy' session when the cake is baking in the oven while I went about doing my other daunting chores. What a bliss to be wrapped around with the sweet scent emitting from the oven...be it coming from the chocolate, banana, vanilla or lavender...but of course, there's always the occasional burning smell which would send me dashing into the kitchen ;'p
It brings me immense satisfaction whenever the cake came out nice and fluffy...or that loaf of bread turn out a perfect square when I slide open the lid of the pullman tin. Not forgetting the excitement when I unmold a chiffon cake; and the overwhelming stress of having to swipe the palette knife over and over and over again to make the frosting appear as smooth as possible on a birthday cake. I guess the most rewarding part of the whole process is the great pleasure it brings when I see my loved ones wolfing down my 'labour of love'.
Even failures or kitchen disasters of any kind, have taught me several good lessons...although I have to confess, it takes more than a day for me to get over the great sense of disappointment from any failed attempts.
To mark the occasion, I have compiled my baking repertoire into a little slide show. I find this the best way to condense a selection of some of the better cakes & bakes that I have done over the past year...into a one minute video clip.
My heartfelt thanks to everyone who has dropped by this blog, especially to all those who have taken the time to leave behind their encouraging words and lovely comments. I also appreciate readers who have asked me questions...I try my best knowledge to answer them...and it is through the process of finding out the right answers, it has widen my knowledge and insights into the world of baking. Since it is the season of giving, I have decided to send a little gift to a fellow blogger pal. It is a small way to show my appreciation, and I hope I will be able to do the same thing next year.
And here's to another wonderful year of baking and blogging!
Happy New Year!!!


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"A gathered skirt is just about the most useful skirt you could have . . . it's becoming . . . it mixes with all your blouses and sweaters . . . A beginner should make it in about four hours. As you get more experienced, it will take even less time." - VoNBBS
This skirt took me, um, longer than four hours. In fact, my husband turned to me last night and said, "Are you still working on that?" The reason for this was two-fold: 1) I kept messing up. And 2) I was really really good about following the directions. I basted by hand! I made gathering stitches by hand! And - you're not going to believe this - I overcasted all the seam allowances by hand. It was terrible. It took forever.
Here's a view of the inside:
The gathering was the part that kept tripping me up. Seriously, if you're going to gather with taffeta and then baste it to a waistband, I really recommend doing all the basting by hand. Seriously. I basted it to the waistband (the first time) by machine, and it was a sorry sight. The gathers were all uneven and crazy-looking. I had to rip it all out and redo it by hand.
But anyway. This skirt is extremely fun to wear. Because of the stiffness of the taffeta, it stands out as though I were wearing a crinoline.
Besides using a different fabric than the one recommended, I also did my usual alteration of shortening from tea length to knee length. Also, for once I actually had to make a vintage pattern smaller instead of larger. Doris was a wee bit more voluptuous than I, so I took 3 inches out of the waistband pattern piece by slashing and overlapping. I left the skirt piece the same size since it was just going to get gathered anyway.
One thing I've been doing with my VoNBBS projects is to use the same color seam binding on all my hems. This has gotten me to think of the garments as part of an integrated collection. I like it.
Here are inside views of three of the garments, so you can see the seam binding:
VoNBBS closed the instructions for this pattern with the following directives:
"Press skirt on wrong side. Now, turn to right side and - quick! - freshen your makeup, slip into a sweater or blouse - then, your skirt - and show the world what you made - and at such a saving!"Thanks, VoNBBS! Next up is the "bonus project" from the book - the backless halter dress featured on the pattern envelope above.


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Limited-Time Offer: Up to 75% Off Coursera Plus!
7000+ certificate courses from Google, Microsoft, IBM, and many more.
The purpose of this course is to summarize new directions in Chinese history and social science produced by the creation and analysis of big historical datasets based on newly opened Chinese archival holdings, and to organize this knowledge in a framework that encourages learning about China in comparative perspective.
Our course demonstrates how a new scholarship of discovery is redefining what is singular about modern China and modern Chinese history. Current understandings of human history and social theory are based largely on Western experience or on non-Western experience seen through a Western lens. This course offers alternative perspectives derived from Chinese experience over the last three centuries. We present specific case studies of this new scholarship of discovery divided into two stand-alone parts, which means that students can take any part without prior or subsequent attendance of the other part.
Part 1 (this course) focuses on comparative inequality and opportunity and addresses two related questions 'Who rises to the top?' and 'Who gets what?'.
Part 2 (https://www.coursera.org/learn/understanding-china-history-part-2) turns to an arguably even more important question 'Who are we?' as seen through the framework of comparative population behavior - mortality, marriage, and reproduction – and their interaction with economic conditions and human values. We do so because mortality and reproduction are fundamental and universal, because they differ historically just as radically between China and the West as patterns of inequality and opportunity, and because these differences demonstrate the mutability of human behavior and values.
Course Overview video: https://youtu.be/dzUPRyJ4ETk


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Benefiting from over 30 years' experience, Fitzwilliam Institute's Online Diploma in Marketing for the Leisure and Entertainment Industries course features:
Introduction to the basic principles of marketing; Definition of marketing; The marketing process; Understanding customers and the marketplace; Marketing strategy; Managing relationships; The changing market.
The importance of planning within business; Planning questions; The marketing planning process; The business mission; The business portfolio; Marketing audit; SWOT analysis; Marketing objectives; Partnering to build customer relationships; Marketing strategy and the marketing mix; Benefits and problems with marketing planning; Minimising marketing planning problems.
The companies' microenvironments; the companies' macroenvironment; Economic environment; Natural environment; Political and social environment; Technological environment; Cultural environment; Responding to the environment.
Definition of marketing information systems; The value of marketing research; Conducting market research; Types of marketing research; The marketing research process; Ethical issues in marketing research.
The relevance of consumer behaviour to marketing; Who buys?; The consumer decision-making process (How people buy); The marketing implications of the consumer decision-making process; Types of buying decision behaviour; Evaluation of high- versus low-involvement situations; Choice criteria; Influences on consumer behaviour.
Difference between consumer markets and business markets; Characteristics of business buying; The decision-making process for organisational products; Influences on business buyers; Purchasing practice developments; Managing relationships; Government markets; Institutional markets.
What is market segmentation and why do it?; How consumer markets are segmented; Segmenting business markets; Segmenting international markets; Target marketing; Target marketing strategies; Differentiation and positioning.
Definition of a product ; Product and service decisions; Branding; Packaging; Building strong brands; Labelling; New Product Development; Managing new-product development; Product Life Cycle Strategies.
Nature and characteristics of services; Managing customer relationships; Managing service quality; Managing service productivity; Managing service staff; The services marketing mix; Strategies for service companies; Marketing for non-profit organisations.
Pricing Decisions: What is a price; Setting the right price; Considerations affecting pricing decisions. Pricing Strategy: New-product strategies; Product mix pricing strategies; Price-adjustment strategies; Price changes; Public policy and pricing
Advertising: The role of advertising; Integrating marketing communications; The communication process; Advertising strategy; Campaign development; Ethical issues in advertising Personal Selling and Sales Management: What is personal selling?; Factors affecting sales; The personal selling process; Sale management; Ethical issues in sales management and personal selling. Direct Marketing: Definition of direct marketing; The growth of direct marketing activity; Database marketing; Customer relationship marketing; Managing a direct marketing campaign; Media choices; Ethical issues in direct marketing. Sales promotion: Definition of sales promotion types of sales promotion; Ethical issues in sales promotion Online Marketing: Marketing and the internet; Online marketing domains; Setting up an online marketing presence. Public Relations and publicity Sponsorship Exhibitions Product Placement
The Importance of marketing channels; Channel behaviour; Channel organisation; Channel design decisions; Management decisions; Distribution decisions; Marketing Logistics.
Role of retailers; Types of retailers; Retail Marketing decisions.
What wholesaling includes; Types of Wholesalers; Wholesaler marketing decisions.
The importance of competitor analysis; Identifying competitors; Analysing competitors objectives, capabilities, strategies and strengths and weaknesses and reactions; Who to avoid and who to attack?; Competitive Intelligence System.
How to design a strategy to gain competitive advantage; Competitive strategies; Competitive positions; Market leader strategies; Market follower strategies; Market challenger strategies; Market niche strategies; How to balance competitor tracking and caring for customer needs.
Reasons why companies go global; Deciding which markets to enter; How to enter a foreign market; How to develop an international marketing strategy; International marketing mix decisions; Organising for international operations.
Definition of sustainable marketing; The importance of green marketing; Social criticisms of marketing; Environmentalism; Consumerism; Principles of sustainable marketing; Marketing ethics.
Relationship between implementation, marketing strategy and performance; Stages experienced after disruptive change; Barriers to implementation; Forms of resistance; Implementation Strategies; Tactics to triumph over resistance; Organisational structures; Marketing control systems.
Experiential Objects, Live Brand Experiences, Your Brand becoming the Experience, Mark of the Brand, The Experience as the Brand; the Brand as the Experience, Creating positive word-of-mouth, Making friends with your Brand.
Framework for Managing Consumer Experiences, Experiential Marketing Framework, Strategic Experiential Models, What is an Experience, Experiences as Typologies of the mind, Strategic underpinning of Experiential Marking, Types of Experiences: Sense, Feel, Think, Act, and Relate.
Authentic Campaigns, Guerrilla Marketing, Buzz Marketing, Brand Ambassadors, Brand Evangelists, The Flash Mob, Promotional Techniques, Promotional laws (generic) and codes of practice.
Experiential Marketing's place in the Marketing Mix, How is Experiential Marketing used in Campaigns, Elements of an Experiential Marketing Campaign, Experiential Objectives, Identify Target Markets, Selection of Live Media types, Cycle of the project, Strategy Development.
Doing Business on the Internet, The Benefits on Online Marketing, Online Marketing Planning, Key Concepts in Internet Technology, Business Models on the Internet, Online Market Research.
Hits, Page View Analytics, Recording Visitor Statistics, Time of Visit, Keyword Phrase Used, IP Address Information, Arrival and Exit Pages, Logfile versus Page Tagging, Click Tracks and Google Analytics, Benefits of Web Analytics.
RSS Feeds, Public Relations Writing, Articles and Press Releases, Web Public Relations Campaign Management, Articles and Print Media, Press Release Writing, Successful Article Writing, Effective Press Releases, Media Outlets, Outsourcing, Dealing with Distribution Companies, Frequency of Press Releases and RSS Feeds.
Introduction to Search Engine Optimisation: How people search the web, Determining your objectives and defining your site audience, Planning your SEO campaign, Keyword Generation, Adding Content and Meta Tags, Link Building, Developing an SEO Friendly Website, Optimising your site for Major Search Engines, Submitting your website URL to Search Engines, Local Business Listings, Pay Per Click and Google AdWords, Measuring your results - Web Metrics, Things to that might adversely affect your SEO, Working with SEO Plug-Ins
What is e-commerce?; Definitions; Advantages of e-commerce; Limitations of e-commerce; The 1st and 2nd waves of e-commerce; Categories of e-commerce; Methods of accepting payments online; Working with PayPal; Electronic Wallets; Metered Payments; Off the shelf e-commerce solutions.
What is HTML?; The structure of a HTML web page; Introduction to HTML Tags; The html, head, body and title Tags; Creating a basic HTML web page; Working with text; Basic formatting - the bold, italic and underline Tags; Other formatting Tags - the paragraph Tag and the Heading Tags; HTML Attributes; Working with Hyperlinks; Using colour in a web page; Working with Images; Formatting images for the web; HTML Lists - ordered Lists, Unordered Lists and Definition Lists; Creating Tables in HTML; Formatting Tables.
What is XHTML?; Why XHTML is important; Differences between HTML and XHTML.
What is CSS?; How does CSS work?; The three types of Cascading Style Sheets - In-Line CSS, Internal CSS and External CSS; Examples of formatting using CSS; Linking a web page to an external CSS page; Formatting the page with CSS; Font and Text formatting; Working with Links.
Sponsorship, Internal PR functions, Corporate Image, Press and Broadcast Media Relations, Client Relationships, Internal PR, Commissioning and Briefing Photographers, Supplying Material to the Press/Getting Material onto TV and Radio, Organising Seminars, Exhibitions and Conferences, Audio/Visual Aids, Writing Skills (Press Releases, Writing Feature Articles for the Press, In-house Journals and Newsletters), Crisis Management, Corporate Advertising, Brochures and Printing.
Blogs, Microblogs, Chatrooms, Delicious, Email, Flickr, Twitter, Instant messaging, Message Boards, Mobile Internet , New Media Releases, Online Conferencing, Online Surveys, Pay per click, Podcasts, RSS, Search Engines, SEO, Social Networking Service Sites, Video Sharing, Virtual worlds, VoIP, Wiki and Widgets.
Commercial Implications of the Internet, Social Interaction with the Internet, Web 2.0 and its Implications, Internet Convergence, the Network Effect, Internet Information Exchange, Internet Audience Size and Exposure, Internet Culture and Communication, Transparency and the Internet.
PR tactics, Optimising your Campaign, the Google Factor, SEO Tactics, SEO Guidelines, Factors influencing SEO, on-page and off-page SEO, CMS, Link Building. Link Building guidelines.
Local versus Global Communication, Landscaping Platforms, Channels and context, Online PR Organisational Analysis and Segmentation, Developing Online PR Strategies, Online PR Tactics and SEO considerations, Online PR Planning, Managing Online PR Risk and Opportunities.
Internet influence on News, Internet Journalists, Economics of Online News Production, Internet Critics and other influences, the PR Practitioner as an Online Publisher, Ethical Internet PR, Truthfulness and Duty of Care, Online Ethics, Debate, Guidelines and Best Practice. Monitoring and Evaluation of Social Media Discourse, Trends and Value. Policy Influences, corporate speak. Implications of Social Media for Corporate Social Responsibility.
Preparation and Research, Speech Content, Subject Matter and Objectives, Speech Delivery and Variety, Body Language, Eye Contact, etc., Presentation Aids e.g. Visuals, etc., Management of Locations and Audiences, Presentation Structure.
The project is an important part of the course. Each course participant is given a project brief. Participants are asked at the end of the course to produce a Marketing Proposal with their recommendations to the examiners. This gives participants the opportunity to use the knowledge they have obtained during the course in a focused way and develops proposal-writing and creative skills.
Online Lecture Modules, Subject Expert Feedback Sessions after each Module, practical case studies, end of module assignments. etc.
Fitzwilliam Institute Group maintains a panel of qualified Subject Experts.
Graduates from this programme will find the course very beneficial in terms of supporting their primary career and also providing a platform for new opportunities in the Marketing, Advertising, PR and E-Commerce sectors. The course also provides an excellent foundation for those who wish to pursue further study with any of the professional bodies or academic institutions.
Anyone working in Marketing, in an entry or support position, or those who wish to make a career change to Marketing. The course will also benefit anyone who has marketing as part of their job specification.
Successful candidates are awarded the Diploma in Marketing for the Leisure & Entertainment Industries at Pass, Credit or Distinction level. This course is certified by the Institute of Commercial Management and is both industry and internationally recognised in over 140 different countries worldwide.
On successful completion of this course you will receive a Professional Diploma qualification that is certified and awarded by the ICM (Institute of Commercial Management).
The Institute of Commercial Management was founded in 1979 and is one of the leading Professional Examination and Certification Bodies in the world today. Fitzwilliam Institute have developed and provided practical skills training courses in liaison with the Institute of Commercial Management qualifications and certifications framework for over 25 years. The Institute of Commercial Management certifications and continual professional development training awards are recognised by leading industries, bodies and professions.
Duration: You will have full access to online resources and subject expert support for 6 months. However, you can complete the course in as little as 3 - 4 months, by dedicating 6-8 hours of study per week.
Course Fees: 995.00 EUR
To secure your place on the course the full fee is required. All fees must be paid in full before the course begins. Please note, the full course fees are inclusive of all course materials and certification costs.
Enrolment intake is strictly limited on this course. Early application is advised. Places are allocated on a first come first served basis.
We want to make education easy and enjoyable for you. At Fitzwilliam Institute, we offer a range of finance options to suit your needs.
You can buy now and pay later with humm - humm provides a simple application process, simple terms and conditions, up to 36 monthly payments. With low-interest rates.
Fitzwilliam Institute closes on Bank Holidays and for a number of days at Christmas and New Year. Fitzwilliam Institute reserves the right to postpone, cancel or alter courses without notice or to change any of the details in this brochure. Fees are not refundable unless the course is cancelled by Fitzwilliam Institute. Distance Learning courses are provided by Fitzwilliam Institute BGLS Ltd.
Year on year, we have the pleasure of training students from top Ireland and international companies. See where our most recent students come from and find out what they have to say.