text:
When 'Gullible' Isn't in the Stylebook
Satires fool journalists from Iran to Krugmanistan.
"Did you know the word 'gullible' isn't in the dictionary?" a childhood friend once asked us. We were sure he was lying, and we opened the dictionary, looked it up, and proved it. Poor guy had never been so humiliated.
We were reminded of that apocryphal autobiographical tale by a story last week from Politico's Roger Simon. A reader sent us the link, accompanied by the following comment: "Can all this be true, or are we perhaps being treated to one of the most premeditated, unethical media campaigns ever mounted to assure the re-election of a sitting president?"
Paul Ryan has gone rogue. He is unleashed, unchained, off the hook.
"I hate to say this, but if Ryan wants to run for national office again, he'll probably have to wash the stench of Romney off of him," Craig Robinson, a former political director of the Republican Party of Iowa, told The New York Times on Sunday.
Coming from a resident of Iowa, a state where people are polite even to soybeans, this was a powerful condemnation of the Republican nominee.
Though Ryan had already decided to distance himself from the floundering Romney campaign, he now feels totally uninhibited. Reportedly, he has been marching around his campaign bus, saying things like, "If Stench calls, take a message" and "Tell Stench I'm having finger sandwiches with Peggy Noonan and will text him later."
Those Ryan quotes seemed preposterous, and it also struck us as unlikely that Michelle Obama's brother would be a former GOP official, so we figured Simon had been fooled by a malicious or jocose source. We moved on to the next email. (The New York Times quote turned out to be legit and from a different Craig Robinson.)
But some of Simon's readers failed to detect the telltale stench of bovine fecal matter. Among those whose sense of smell proved less finely tuned than ours: former Enron adviser Paul Krugman, who wrote at the Times website: "Can I say that even though I'm not exactly a fan of Mitt Romney's, this is just bad behavior? You're supposed to wait until it's actually over before you do this kind of thing."
As it turned out, the joke was on Krugman--and, as Bloomberg's Tobin Harshaw rounded up, on Tommy Christopher, Joe Gandelman, Taylor Marsh, Steve Benen and David Ferguson, more than half of whom we dimly remember having heard of.
Related Video
As for Simon, he appended an explanation of sorts to his column: "Author's note: Jonathan Swift did not really want Irish people to sell their children for food in 1729; George Orwell did not really want the clocks to strike thirteen in 1984; Paul Ryan, I am sure, calls Mitt Romney something more dignified than 'Stench' and Microsoft did not invent PowerPoint as a means to euthanize cattle. At least I am pretty sure Microsoft didn't."
So the only person Roger Simon intended to deceive was Roger Simon, into believing that Roger Simon is a clever satirist. In this he succeeded, but then he had an easy mark. Yet high comedy emerged as an unintended consequence of Simon's botched satire, as the denizens of Krugmanistan showed that their desire for Republican humiliation overrides any ordinary skepticism.
Also last week, the Onion published a shocking new survey:
According to the results of a Gallup poll released Monday, the overwhelming majority of rural white Americans said they would rather vote for Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad than U.S. president Barack Obama. "I like him better," said West Virginia resident Dale Swiderski, who, along with 77 percent of rural Caucasian voters, confirmed he would much rather go to a baseball game or have a beer with Ahmadinejad. . . . According to the same Gallup poll, 60 percent of rural whites said they at least respected that Ahmadinejad doesn't try to hide the fact that he's Muslim.
Even Krugman didn't fall for that one. But FARS, the Iranian "news" agency did, publishing the Onion piece verbatim save for the excision of a clause about Ahmadinejad's Holocaust denial and execution of political prisoners. The piece has disappeared from the FARS website, but the Onion's has a screen shot.
Politico (heh) quotes a statement from the Onion's editor, Will Tracy: "The Iranian news agency, Fars, is a subsidiary of The Onion. They have acted as our Middle Eastern bureau since the mid 1980s, when the Onion's publisher, T. Herman Zweibel, founded Fars with the government approval of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini. The Onion freely shares content with Fars and commends the journalists at Iran's Finest News Source on their superb reportage."
Oh, and Politico is at pains to point out that the Onion statement is "equally satirical."
In his Bloomberg roundup of credulous Krugmanistanis, Harshaw writes: "There is no underestimating the literal-mindedness of the American reader: Years ago when I worked at the [New York] Times we published a satirical op-ed column by Steve Martin riffing on the idea that a NASA Mars probe had discovered millions of kittens on the Red Planet. Shortly thereafter, a subscriber sent a terse letter to the editor asking us to 'inform your science correspondent' that the lack of oxygen on Mars made kitten infestation highly unlikely."
It sounds to us as if the letter-writer produced an extremely dry satire of his own and succeeded in putting one over on Harshaw. But we had a similar experience once. On Election Day 2004, we picked up a blog post by Jim Treacher (now of the Daily Caller) titled "10 Reasons I'm Not Voting for You, Mr. George W. Bush" as an "Extra" on the old OpinionJournal.com site. It began: "10. Do you really think it's a good idea to be Hitler, George? . . ."
We thought this such an obvious send-up of extreme leftist rhetoric that nobody would take it seriously. We were wrong. In the hour or so after it went live at midnight, the reader responses filled with angry, anguished comments asking how we could publish such a vicious article. We quickly but regretfully appended a disclaimer that it was satire.
Treacher's satire was funny, and the error was ours: We misjudged how it would come across within the context of the site we were editing. It would have been graceless as well as mistaken for us to blame the readers for the misunderstanding--which is essentially what Simon does in his author's note likening himself to greats like Swift and Orwell. Clearly Simon is not much of a satirist. He should stick to what he does well, whatever that is.
The Left vs. Unions
Scott Walker is busting unions again. Oh wait, it's not Scott Walker but the government of Camden, N.J., a city with nary a Republican. The New York Times reports that "in a desperate move to regain control" of the crime-plagued city, "officials are planning to disband the Police Department":
The reason, officials say, is that generous union contracts have made it financially impossible to keep enough officers on the street. So in November, Camden, which has already had substantial police layoffs, will begin terminating the remaining 273 officers and give control to a new county force. The move, officials say, will free up millions to hire a larger, nonunionized force of 400 officers to safeguard the city, which is also the nation's poorest. . . .
Though the city is solidly Democratic, the plan to put the Police Department out of business has not prompted the wide public outcry seen in the union battles in Chicago, Ohio or Wisconsin, in part because many residents have come to resent a police force they see as incompetent, corrupt and doing little to make their streets safe.
There's a bit of a Butterfield fallacy in the first sentence of that second quoted paragraph. If the city had two political parties, it's likely that one of them would seek votes by siding with the police union (which, the story notes, is suing in an effort to block the move). Thus it would be more accurate to say the lack of controversy is because the city is solidly Democratic.
MediaBistro.com reports on labor strife at another solidly Democratic redoubt:
Yesterday morning the New York Times and the New York Newspaper Guild convened to work on ongoing contract negotiations.
It didn't go so well.
According to the Guild's blog, the Times had "changed not a detail of its insulting wage proposal, offered not a dime more toward our pension and raised by just a few hairs its offer on health care."
So the Guild representatives walked out.
"Make their voices heard and push back hard" was the Times's editorial advice to Wisconsin's unions. The editors have not offered the same advice to their own in-house unions. They don't want Eighth Avenue to end up like Camden.
Våra Vänner Saudierna
"IKEA removed images of women from the Saudi Arabia version of its catalog," the Los Angeles Times reports:
Swedish publication Metro posted a comparison of the Saudi Arabian mailer and the Swedish version, showing that women present in the latter were missing from the former. . . .
The image of a pajama-clad woman--shown standing at a bathroom sink along with a young boy, a man and another young child nearby--is erased in the catalog distributed in the Arab state. Some tableaux feature a co-ed mix of models for the Swedish catalog but no models for the Saudi Arabian copy.
One wonders where the Saudi customers are supposed to think the children in the photo came from. The company put out a sort-of apology: "We should have reacted to the exclusion of women from the Saudi Arabian version of the catalog since it does not align with the IKEA Group values."
When you realize only after the fact that something you've done "does not align" with your values, can you really say those are your values? The IKEA statement sounds like an unfunny version of the Groucho Marx line: "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them--well, I have others."
We Blame George W. Bush
"DEL TRAFFIC: Man Blames Elephant on Roadway for Crash"--headline, Daily Times (Salisbury, Md.), Oct. 1
Life imitates 'South Park'
- "At a meeting to discuss their concern with the immigrants [from the future], construction worker Darryl Weathers complains that they have worked hard to get their pay high enough to make a living, but now are being ousted by the time immigrants. The other workers voice their own complaints, with each sentence finishing off with an increasingly slurred and garbled exclamation of 'They took our jobs!' ('Dey turk err jurbs,' 'Durker durr,' etc), which later becomes their slogan."--Wikipedia summary of "Goobacks," aired April 28, 2004
- " 'Rapid is all the rage,' [Dan] Rather told the crowd at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman. 'With social networking, the bully, the dictator and the scoundrel can now spread propaganda, manipulated with hyperbole, in the time it takes to snap a finger.' "--Spokesman (Spokane, Wash.), Sept. 28, 2012
Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others
- "I'm a farm boy who grew up here in the hills outside Yamhill, Ore. . . . To this day, when tucking into a pork chop, I always feel as if it is my intellectual equal."--Nicholas Kristof, New York Times, July 31, 2008
- "Man Eaten by Hogs at Oregon Farm"--headline, KPTV website (Portland), Oct. 1, 2012
Quid Pro Quo
- "Hugo Chavez: I Support Obama"--headline, NationalJournal.com, Oct. 1
- "Obama to Designate Chavez Home as Nat'l Monument"--headline, Associated Press, Oct. 1
To Serve Man
"Candidates Grilled for 1st Debate"--headline, Toledo Blade, Oct. 1
Osama bin Laden Is Dead and General Motors Is Lactating
"Scientists Create GM Cow to Cut Milk Allergies in Children"--headline, Independent (London), Oct. 2
Romney Surges in Polls
"Eccentric Billionaire Likely to Lead Country"--headline, Associated Press, Oct. 2
The Other Pollsters All Think Obama Will Win
"Nato Withdrawal From Afghanistan Could Be Speeded Up, Says Rasmussen"--headline, Guardian (London), Oct. 1
Shortest Books Ever Written
"How to Find Porn on the Internet"--headline, BusinessWeek.com, Sept. 27
Isn't That TSA's Job?
"FAA Probes Seats on Two American Flights"--headline, The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 2
This Will Drive Their Insurance Premiums Through the Roof
"Manhattan Building Permits Jump"--headline, Crain's New York Business, Oct. 1
Because It Is a Harsh Mistress
"Why We Need a Supercomputer on the Moon"--headline, Wired.com, Oct. 2
Questions Nobody Is Asking
- "Joe Biden: Sex Symbol?"--headline, Politico.com, Oct. 2
- "What's So Funny About Having Gout?"--headline, Daily Telegraph (London), Oct. 2
Dongle Eschews Emu--Now That Would Be News
"Emu Eschews Dongle; Taps Cloud for Card Payments by Mobile"--headline, FineExtra.com, Oct. 2
It's Always in the Last Place You Look
"Finding Your Son's Computer Porn Stash"--headline, AlterNet.org, Oct. 2
Breaking News From a Moment Ago
"Mindfulness, Being in the Moment Is Now of the Moment"--headline, Los Angeles Times, Sept. 29
News You Can Use
"Disregard today's column. It won't impress you."--Frank Bruni, New York Times, Oct. 2
Venison, Anyone?
"A Chinese restaurant in Kentucky is closed for business after officials found road-kill in its kitchen," New York's Daily News reports:
Health inspectors shuttered the Red Flower Chinese Restaurant in Williamsburg after customers saw two employees wheel in a dead deer stuffed in a trash can, WYMT-TV reported.
"It was really disturbing. There was actually a blood trail that they were mopping up behind the garbage can," customer Katie Hopkins told the local television station.
"There was like a tail, and like a foot and leg sticking out of the garbage can and they wheeled it straight back into the kitchen."
The owners say they didn't even plan to put the venison on the menu but merely wanted to butcher the animal for consumption at home. But c'mon, isn't this a bit of an overreaction? When we saw "road kill," our first thought was that it was a dog or cat.
Join Fans of Best of the Web Today on Facebook.
Click here to view or search the Best of the Web Today archives.
(Carol Muller helps compile Best of the Web Today. Thanks to Eric Jensen, Jeryl Bier, T. Young, Michele Schiesser, Ronnie Hairs, Tim Magee, Charles Rosett, Dennis Powell, John Bobek, Herbert Sorock, Monty Krieger, Harry Lewis, Daniel Ginesky, Honza Prchal, Chris Papouras, Andy Stauffer, Kyle Kyllan, Joel Engel, Feliks Pleszczynski, Kevin Sohr, Jim Daly, Mark Davies, Miguel Rakiewkcz, John Williamson, Steve Thompson, David Eike, Brooks Mick, Bart Borkosky, T.K. Smyth, Leonard Peirce, Bob Acker, Missy MacDonald, Marc Segan, Adam Flake, Zack Russ and Ann Cain. If you have a tip, write us at firstname.lastname@example.com, and please include the URL.)
Most Popular Videos
Most Popular Articles
Scandal Over Dead Journalist Jolts Heir to Saudi Throne
You Want 20% for Handing Me a Muffin? The Awkward Etiquette of iPad Tipping
Interest in Midterms Surges, Along With Trump Approval Rating
Thousands of Southerners Planted Trees for Retirement. It Didn't Work Out.
FICO Plans Big Shift in Credit-Score Calculations


text:
Open Class EdTech #10 – EdTech: a bridge between university and market?
By Ada Loueilh In EdTech news On March 9, 2017
We are used to say that "education is the only sector which is not disrupted yet". However there are many actors, public and private, who innovate and invent new solutions to improve the educational system and the ways to learn and teach. Nowadays, the disruption in education is coming from everywhere. The point is there are not many bridges between these different kinds of innovators, even though they have one common goal: to build educative solutions adapted to today's challenges.
What is the potential of the EdTech sector for building these bridges? To what extent EdTech is able to strengthen dialogue between all actors involved in the learning revolution?
To discuss these issues, we will host Marie-Christine LEVET, founder of EduCapital, the first investment fund focused on EdTech at an European level. She will look back on her professional journey as a Venture Capital partner and a digital entrepreneur and will shed light on why she has decided to shift to education. She will bring her insights on the EdTech global, European and French markets: what are the challenges and the hopes? This will also be the opportunity to hear about her tips and tricks to launch your EdTech startup!
Finally, what does a Master Class by an EdTech investor in an University mean? What modes of facilitation and fertilization could we imagine between the future edupreneur network of EduCapital and the University? This dialogue paves the way for an inclusive and sustainable revolution in education.
French internet pioneer, Marie-Christine LEVET has been the founder and CEO of major french internet companies. She founded Lycos France in 1997 and brought to one of the most visited portal in France in the year 2000. In 2001 she became the CEO of Club-Internet/T-Online France, where she developed the ADSL and TV/VOD offer. She was then the CEO of the hi-tech information media Groupe Tests where she transformed the traditional print media group into a digital bi-media group.
After this strong entrepreneurial life, she turned back to venture capitalism in order to bring her experience to younger CEOs. In 2009, she took part in the creation of Jaina Capital, first entrepreneur fund in France, investing in early stage start ups, including Made.com, La Ruche qui dit oui, Ouicar, Devialet, Peak…She was also a venture partner at the "Google Fund for the innovation in the press".
She then decided to create EDUCAPITAL, first european fund dedicated to edtech that will be launched in Q2 2017.
Marie-Christine serve now as board member of various companies : Iliad (Free), AFP, Mercialys, Maisons du Monde, Hi-Pay.
Marie-Christine Levet is a graduate from HEC and holds a MBA from INSEAD.
This Open Class is the perfect opportunity to discuss about creativity in education and to meet various kind of change-makers of education (students, researchers, startupers, teachers…) ! The conference will be followed by a Q&A session and a convivial moment for discussion and networking.
We are looking forward to meeting you,
The EdTech team

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Clock of Doom that has been ticking inside Cavaliers fans' heads for four years now is finally approaching its end—an end that seems terrifyingly closer now that the Cavs have yet again flopped out of the playoffs, Mike Brown has been fired, Danny Ferry has resigned, and Dan Gilbert has officially embarked on his expected warpath to find the next Cavaliers head coach.
All signs point to the Cavs' front office preparing for a franchise apocalypse.
Add to all that the fact that nearly half the team's roster (Mo Williams, Delonte West, Daniel Gibson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Shaquille O'Neal, Jawad Williams, and that LeBron guy) is currently in limbo concerning the future status with the squad and Clevelanders' patience and sanity are being shaved away bit by bit.
The nonstop barrage of anti-Cleveland sentiment (LeBron Photshopped into Knicks, Nets, Bulls and Heat uniforms, experts' perceived chances of LBJ staying in Cleveland dwindling daily, etc.) seen, read, and heard in sports media isn't helping people in Cleveland feel optimistic about the city's basketball (and economic) future, either.
Yes, the Cavaliers' season and foreseeable future hit an official tailspin after Game 5 of the Boston series.
And yes, the certifiable nationwide circus that began and snowballed since season's end was certainly expected.
But this is beginning to get a bit out of hand. Read the rest of this entry »


text:
CB2 Mellow Sectional - $1500
This great looking large sectional sofa by CB2 can be configured in so many ways you really don't need a huge space to house it. For $1500 you get two corner pieces, a center piece and a chaise. That would cost you $2500 new. Not a bad price for a couch that is only a year old.
Apartment Therapy DC Furniture Classifieds are open for your business in the DC Shopping Guide. They are local and JUST DECOR. Post a particularly good thing, and we'll highlight you here on the front page.
• CB2 "Mellow" modern sectional sofa (Penn Quarter) - $1500
• Antique Mission oak rocker (ALEXANDRIA VA) - $250
• Vintage 60's office desk with typing return and chair (Gainesville) - $75
• Sofas - contemporary - matching 2 and 3 seater (Bethesda Maryland) - $599
• Gorgeous chair & ottoman set from Macy's (Arlington, VA) - $459
• 8 Piece golden oak/cherry dining set (Montgomery Village, Gaithersburg) - $295
• 44" Fire pit with benches and table top used once (NE DC) - $275
• Chair and footstool (Mclean or DC) - $100
• Crate and Barrel suede queen headboard, mattress, boxspring frame (SW) - $400
• Authentic German Shrunk (Culpeper, VA) - $500
>> The most recent DC Scavengers
Are you on Twitter? Share your own regional finds (you know, the great deals that you don't have room/money or use for) by using the hashtag #ATScavenger. ATScavenger will share your finds with the rest of the community — whether it's a Craigslist find, eBay gem or a discarded table left out for the trash.
Follow ATScavenger for the best furniture finds and projects.
Apartment Therapy is not the seller of these items. This is an edited selection of our favorite offerings from other independent sources. Please check the item's link for the original source.


text:
Every bone of the human body is here, represented in natural finish, anatomically accurate pvc replica. Lifecast urethane skull for added detail and value. A great puzzle for aspiring medical students, or perfect for laying out on the morgue slab just like in Bones. We have provided this model complete disarticulated skeletons as props on the TV show "Bones".
MADE TO ORDER. This item is produced in our workshop. Please check our current manufacturing times. Rush manufacturing is available on a limited basis.


text:
7 Types Of Content That Will Increase Your Business
One of the ways in which you keep your site optimized and your visitors enthralled is through churning new content regularly. No one wants to return to the same old content day in, day out and because of this, it is important to keep finding new original ideas to help you with your content. There are some things you should keep in mind when creating content, and one is to let your imagination run wild. Do not be restricted by the same old rules you have been working with for the longest time. Also, keep in mind that you are writing to offer value to your readers, not for yourself.
There are seven types of content that you can look into if you are hoping to keep things fresh and exciting:
1. Content That Helps The Reader Solve A Problem
Usually, people go online because they are looking for solutions to their problems. As such, if you can curate tips that help people save money or time, you can be assured of loyal and regular visits to your site. A problem-solving blog post could be a simple list of tips or an elaborate "How to Guide" on a particular topic.
2. Check Which Questions Keep Coming Up
This will allow you to create a page with frequently asked questions where readers can refer whenever they have similar questions. Alternatively, you can choose to deep dive into individual questions in a recurring weekly post.
3.Have Interviews With Subject Matter Experts
People respond well to expert opinion, especially if this has proven itself credible in the past. Consider having an interview segment featuring well-known authority figures. This could run weekly or monthly depending on how fast you are able to get interviews. And worry not, these interviews can be done in the form of questions shared and answered via email.
4. A Simple Biographical Page On You Or Another Subject
Do you feel like your bio could be inspiring to your readers? Or maybe you know someone who's would? How about having a quick biographical section on a subject that would provide inspiration to your readers? This would keep them interested in returning to your site to learn something new about the people they possibly look up to.
5. Create Seasonal Articles Based On Current Trends
For instance, during the Christmas season, you might want to focus on Christmas gift shopping. This should be relatively easy content to create depending on the seasons. For instance, during Easter you already know that people are possibly looking for ways to be creative with the long holiday. It is a good idea to prepare, index and upload such content a few months to the season so that the search engines have enough time to pick it up and have it ready when readers want it.
6. Curate A Reliable Database Of Industry Statistics
Create content that contains industry-related statistics that your readers would be interested in. It is important that you find reliable statistics from credible sources, and credit these sources in your articles as well.
7. Add A News Page To Your Site
There is always something new happening, regardless of which industry you are in. As such, adding a news related page to your site means you'll always have fresh content for your readers.


text:
Cultivating Community
Located in Quincy, Massachusetts and incorporated in 1931 we are currently celebrating our 86th year! We presently have 117 members including men and women gardeners of all ages, abilities and interests, from novice to master gardener.
We are members of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Inc (www.gcfm.org) and the National Garden Clubs, Inc. (www.gardenclub.org).
Most of our educational programs and meetings are open to the community. Member's programs include field trips and workshops in floral design and horticulture. Our civic beautification committee maintains a number of public sites in the city of Quincy, and our conservation committee is actively involved in projects preserving the environment in our city.
We encourage local gardeners interested in joining our club to attend a meeting or two, and read the club By-Laws, membership responsibilities and other pertinent information located in the Members section of this site.
September 2018 - The Art in Bloom Road Show"
An MFA Art in Bloom Senior Associate, Meg Pierce presented a colorful PowerPoint presentation depicting behind-the-scenes preparations for the Art in Bloom annual festival of art and flowers. Stunning examples of floral interpretations of MFA art objects were shown. A live floral interpretation of a museum masterpiece Dancing Willows by Arthue Dove was created by Thu-Hang Tran. The demonstration included expert arranging tips.
Thanks to our head hostess, Claire Turck and her associates for the wonderful desserts, and to Zoe Antonopoulos for the buffet table floral arrangement.
Well Wishes and a Fond Farwell Luncheon
Wollaston Garden Club members wish Mary Brady a fond farewell and best wished
on her move to Canada.
Summer Garden Tours
The final member garden stroll this season was a garden 9 years in the making A stream was created as a focal point in the backyard and has been the inspiration.. Every year more beds are added to continue to grow rare perrenials, shrubs and slowly but surely some new trees.
The second Garden Tour this year included several members on Shellton Road. Thank You Jan, Gail, Karen, Marie and Mary for opening up your beautiful gardens to the club this summer.
The first Garden stroll this summer was at the garden of the Faith Lutheran Church.
Newport Flower Show
On June 24, 2018, members of the Wollaston Garden Club went on a field trip to the Newport Flower Show at the beautiful Rosecliff Mansion. HIghlights included interesting vendors, gorgeous horticultural exhibits and stunning floral designs.
The backdrop of the mansion and grounds overlooking Narragansett Bay and the Cliff Walk was inspiring, and we were treated to an orchestra under a tent while we shopped and snacked. We toured "Tiny Houses" and admired the "Picket Fence" Garden themed displays done by other area garden clubs.
Our tour guide ended the day with a leisurely excursion along Ocean Drive and a picnic lunch at Brenton Point State Point State Park . Be sure to save this date for 2019!
Kokodame Workshop
Wollaston Garden Club member, Cynthia Lewis, lead a Kokodame workshop. this June
Wollaston Garden Club Scholarships
Wollaston Garden Club was excited to award two $500 scholarships. Recent Quincy HIgh School graduate Helen Norton (pictured above) will be attending Mass Maritime and North Quincy High School graduate, Genivieve Santilli will be attending UMASS Boston majoring in Environmental Science.
Spring Plant Sale - May 2018
One again, Wollaston Garden Club came together as a team for this years Spring Plant Sale. Even the threat of rain could not stop us. Members of the community were lined up early to buy the hundreds of plants, succulents, herbs, vegetables and handmade garden decorations. Thanks to everyone who helped make this years sale a success.
Learn a Little Latin - May 2018
For the last meeting for the season Cheryl Monroe presented Learn a Little Latin. Cheryl, a licensed adult educator follows science and is a reading enthusiast who takes classes to stay current in the latest plant research. She discussed the Latin and sometimes Greek botanical nomenclature. We learned the ways plants get their names and to write them and pronounce them correctly.
Thank you to our head hostess Mary Ryan and her assistants for the lovely desserts and to Barbara Linden for the buffet table arrangement and Kathleen Mitchell for all the table arrangements. In addition, a few members were able to bring in flowers in bloom from their gardens.
Congratulations to the new and returning officers!
Helpful Websites
Cheryl Monroe www.gardenintheburrow.com
Fine Gardening Pronunciation guide www.finegardening.com
Dave's Garden Botanary www.davesgarden.com
Missouri Botanical Garden www.missouribotanicalgarden.org
Wicked Tulips - May 2018
Wollaston Garden Club members visited Wicked Tulpis in Johnston, RI. Wicked Tulips has the largest u-pick field in New England. The 5 acre farm plants 600,000 bulbs that bloom early, mid and late spring.
Boston Globe article:
A Cleaner Greener Quincy - May 2018
Wollaston Garden Club members participated in A Cleaner Greener Quincy eventin May. Residents, companies, community organizations, and schools came together to clean our great city at locations throughout the city.
Art in Bloom - April 2018
Jo Costello and Ruth Griffin designed Wollaston Garden Club's arrangement for Art in Bloom at the Museum of Fine Arts. They were tasked with interpreting an Indonisian scarf with beautiful results.
Also at Art In Bloom were our garden club neighbors; Hough's Neck Garden Club member Cynthia Lewis (also a member of Wollaston Garden Club) and her assistant Zoe Antonopoulos flower arrangement for Funerary Mask. Weymouth Garden Club member Michelle Cappilini and her assistant Yoshie Picciotto presented their flower arrangement Fishook from Hawaii for the program.
Well done to all that participated.
In the Garden workshop - April 2018
Spring Wreaths - April 2018
Evelyn Lee presented Spring Wreaths. Evelyn owns Butternut Gardens a fabulous little flower farm, design studio and garden workshop tucked away in Southport, CT.
Evelyn created four spring wreaths using different matrials and styles. She offered the club wreath making tips, supplies needed, how to dry flowers and how a 10 inch ring can become a 24 inch wreath big engough for a front door.
Thank you to our head hostess Lisa Tavakoli and her assistants for the delicious desserts and to Cynthia Lewis for her buffet table flower arrangement.
Happy Spring!
Website www.butternutgardens.com
Safford Park Spring Clean Up!
Spring has sprung. Wollaston Garden Club members continue to manage Safford Park with planting daffodiles and spring clean up.


text:
I will probably not make a cake for Turkey Day this year as there is a LOT going on; however, in December I should have at least three cakes to post. I am going to attempt a cake in the shape of the "Operation Game," a military graduation cake complete w/ scorpions & another cake I haven't decided a design for yet.
Thanks for looking! Stay tuned!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The Holiday's are COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Mara at 10:17 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
A territory is defined as a fixed area that an animal defends against intrusion from other of its own species. For damselflies the territory will usually be a good egg-laying site. Males will sometimes perch on a plant to stake out his territory, but more often they will fly around. Though their wings have a relatively small arc and only beat around 30 times per second, their flight muscles are extremely powerful (that annoying, whining buzz mosquitoes make is the result of a wing beat rate of nearly 600 times per second).
A territory is defined as a fixed area that an animal defends against intrusion from other of its own species. For damselflies the territory will usually be a good egg-laying site. Males will sometimes perch on a plant to stake out his territory, but more often they will fly around. Though their wings have a relatively small arc and only beat around 30 times per second, their flight muscles are extremely powerful (that annoying, whining buzz mosquitoes make is the result of a wing beat rate of nearly 600 times per second).
With wings positioned near their center of balance, damselflies are very strong fliers and are capable of amazing aerial acrobatics. They easily fly straight up, hover, dart sideways, change directions in mid-flight, stop instantly, fly backwards and accelerate to speeds as fast as 30 miles per hour. It is this ability that allows them to easily defend their chosen home.
After a male Odonata has established a territory, several other males will enter the site hoping to find a receptive female near the ovipositor site. The owner of a territory may perch on vegetation or patrol the territory in search of mating opportunities. However, several other male Odonates do not claim a territory because resources are limited. These Odonates are often referred to as "roamers" or "flyers." Once these males enter the territory of another male, several types of territorial behaviors may be displayed. In one species the territory owner seems to have the ability to recognize con-specific males and males of other species. The territorial male will leave his perch to chase away con-specific males, but will not pursue a chase if the male Odonate is not of the same species. The male territory owner will flutter its wings in a warning to the intruder. These wing warnings are common.
In other species, if an intruder enters the boundaries of the territory, the territory-owner will pursue a chase flight. A chase flight may involve clashes of the two insects. These clashes are very brief — lasting only a few seconds, but the attacks are directed toward the abdomen of the chased male by the male pursuing the chase. The chase may be a rapid twisting entanglement where the clashes involve grappling of legs and mouthparts and ends usually with one male fleeing the territory. The winner returns to the territory and perches, waiting for the arrival of a receptive female. In several damselfly species another signal is employed to advertise ownership of a territory — termed as "wing clapping," the damselfly moves forward keeping its wings together during the movement. The damselfly then returns to its resting position.
In other families, several species have been studied extensively to review their territorial behavior. A high amount of intra-specific variation of the territorial behavior was confirmed. Some establish territories that range from 1.5 to 3 feet in diameter. Upon encountering an intruder, the two males face the other and make forward movements without contact. In the dispute, the abdomens are held horizontally while the forewings are held forward. Often one male will hold the forewings stationary for a brief second so as to display the dark apical spot. As a result, the other male will often flee the territory. Some defend their territory from an intruding male so the pair faces each other and then rises vertically rapidly. The stationary wing display and forward lunges are also involved in the territorial dispute until one male flees the area. Some contests for territories are more time consuming than others — often lasting a mean time of 4 to 7 minutes.
Pairs often rotate horizontally 90 degrees and offer a series of stationary wing displays until a winner is decided. Other species will maneuver to display their hind wings rather than the forewings to offer the opponent a view of their dark apical mark. Many utilize this display method while ascending rapidly and also displaying the abdomen by bending it upward. Once the pair has ascended approximately 1 to 2 feet, they descend and reengage or the loser is chased out of the territory by the victor. Yet other families do not engage in the stationary wing display, but rather make a series of darts toward the opponent while rotating slightly in the horizontal plane.
Of the many displays of territorial behavior, variation exists to a large degree possibly due to several factors such as larval ecology, residency, time of day, weather conditions, age and size of the damselfly. Several behaviors of the territoriality have been described, but what determines the winner of a territorial dispute? Several factors have been shown to sway the outcome of a territorial contest of two males. The relationships between these many variables are still unknown and many have been shown to be contradictory.
This photo depicts a male and female in oviposition while two males attempt to invade the territory. Because the male is otherwise engaged, he does not attempt to scare those males away, since he has made his conquest with a female. The female is beginning her descent under water (where she may stay for a good 30 minutes while laying her eggs). The female will fly off after she completes the deposit of her eggs, and will most likely not return to this territory. The male will remain however, and while he will not care about caring for the eggs or nymphs, he will continue to defend this area as a suitable nesting site for another female.


text:
Brazil, a former Portuguese colony, derives most of its laws from the Portuguese, French, Italian and German Civil law. Brazil has been a Federative nation since the implementation of the Federal Constitution on Oct 21, 1988. The Constitution organizes the country in 26 federate states. Each state has the power to adopt its laws; however, the laws must conform to those spelled out in the Federal Constitution.
The arms of the government are the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature. The judicial system is made up of many courts. These courts interpret the constitution and execute the law. The Apex is the highest court of appeal and is the guardian of the Federal Constitution. The Apex court has all the constitutional rights to uphold federal legislation and treaties.
Law and lawyers
The country has numerous law schools. In 2007, the country had 1,024 courses with 197,664 law students. As of 2010, the country had 621,885 lawyers. The State of São Paulo led the pack with 222,807 lawyers followed by Rio de Janeiro with 112,515 lawyers then the State of Minas Gerais with 63,978 lawyers.
Law is among the most esteemed and promising courses in the country. Law students take five years in a law school before graduating. After graduation, the student can't practice law until they pass the Bar Examination. One of the renowned lawyers in the country is Ricardo Tosto de Oliveira Carvalho.
Born on 11th March 1963, Mr. Tosto graduated from the Mackenzie University with a degree in law. He also has an extension in BA from the Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado. Mr. Ricardo started out small in a tiny office in Brazil but as of today, his law firm is among the largest in Brazil. His practice areas are civil law, banking law, political and election law, business criminal law, debt and credit restructuring, commercial law and contracts. He has successfully defended many high profile individuals and companies.
Latinlawyer.com mentions that Tosto is a partner and a founding member of Leite Tosto e Barros Advogados and is also part of the Brazilian Bar Association. He is a founding member of Brazilian Institute for Electoral and Party Research. Ricardo Tosto de Oliveira Carvalho is highly recognized in criminal litigation and different people, firms and even governments turn to him for help.
More information for Ricardo Tosto:


text: Currently I have an Applescript that saves a mail attachment to my Desktop. I would like to change it to save to a a PC on my network. Not really sure how to change it. The PC shows up in Finder under shared and the server shows as smb://shipping/SharedDocs/ Code: on perform_mail_action(theData) set theOutputFolder to "Macintosh HD:Desktop" So I would like to change theOutputFolder to the shipping/SharedDocs/ I am not really sure how to do this and any assistance would be much appreciated. Scott


text:
Often companies turn to building a blog to create their online brand presence. If nothing else they believe it will attract a few more customers. While blogging can have quite an effect on increased online brand presence it must be done right. One of the issues those new to blogging are guilty of is only including text in each post.
Of course the text is the most important part of a post and a lot of focus in the area of SEO marketing in regards to crafting one's online brand presence is spent fixating on the content of a blogpost it is not the only thing to include in a post. Each post should have at least one non-text item like a photo, multimedia item or video.
Online Brand Presence and the Blog – Pictures
Adding a picture to every post is easy and effective. The Google Panda loves pictures and it will, if other components of a great blog are in order, raise ranking on Google search. While any picture will do try and choose one that best suits the material being discussed. If a photograph of merchandise is a good choice, throw it in. Otherwise, there are plenty of great free pictures available on the internet life creativecommons.com.
Online Brand Presence and the Blog – Video
Not only does adding a video to a blog post add ranking value but it also adds quality and a level of professionalism. If one adds just any video to the post in an effort to increase ranking and online brand presence it will probably get flagged and suffer a penalization from Google and other search engines. More importantly if customers of a company take the time to read the blog and then are subjected to a pointless video they feel used. It's just not worth it.
Instead only add a video if the video adds value to the post. Most companies keep video of conferences, meetings and how-to guides for products. Even a commercial may fit a particular post. The main thing to remember when incorporating video into a blog is that one must think creatively and put the readers' interest as top priority – not Google rankings.
All in all, any company serious about beefing up their online brand presence through blogging should take the time to do it right. Adding video and pictures is a great and easy way to start. If one does not have the time or desire to devote the required effort to creating and maintaining an effective blog they should hire a professional well-versed in SEO marketing to deliver a stellar online brand presence.


text:
Park Plaza Homes
Manufactured Home Community in Muscatine, Iowa
2 Jody Dr
Muscatine, IA 52761-5680
View on Map
Contact Information
Mobile Home Park Information
|Number of Lots:
|Property ID:
Are you the park owner? Improve this listing
If you would like to improve this listing, please Contact Us and we will give you instructions on how to send us photos and other park information. Updated parks will show up first in our directory listings.
Park Information
|Number of MH Lots:
Other Listing Types in Muscatine, IA: Manufactured Housing for Sale Manufactured Housing for Rent Mobile Home Lots for Rent Storage Units for Rent RV Lots for Rent


text: Looking to meet sexy singles in Santa Fe? Then you've come to the right place, come see thousands of local Santa Fe personal ads with no charge ever needed. Personals Society is a free website which takes under a minute to join. Click a city within Santa Fe from the directory below or search profiles directly from the left side of your screen.


text:
Sunday, 29 September 2013
IKSFA and the Scottish Kettlebell Club Announce Long Term Strategic Partnership and the Opening of IKSFA Kettlebell Sport & Fitness Athletes Training Facility
Building on professionalism, experience and reputation held by the International Kettlebell Sport & Fitness Academy (IKSFA, USA) www.iksfa.com the leading company providing education and training for Kettlebell Sport & Fitness professionals and enthusiasts Worldwide, IKSFA (USA) and The Scottish Kettlebell Club (Scotland, UK) announce that the two organizations are entering into a long-term partnership to help promote Kettlebell Sport & Fitness and bring more events to Scotland and UK.
IKSFA and Scottish Kettlebell Club will partner to promote and support Kettlebell Sport and Fitness development in Scotland and the United Kingdom.
They will also work together to attract international, national, regional championships, tournaments, festivals, training camps, conferences, seminars, workshops, symposiums, exhibitions and other special Kettlebell Sport & Fitness events.
Our goal is not only to announce a comprehensive new partnership between IKSFA and Scottish Kettlebell Club but to showcase the people, organizations and facilities that are making Kettlebell Sport happen in a big way in Scotland and the UK .
The two organizations plan to create a co-branded (IKSFA,SKC,GSU) sport hosting initiative promoting the myriad benefits of staging events in UK in general and Scotland in particular.
IKSFA will apply their knowledge, expertise and experience, to the partnership with Scottish Kettlebell Club/GSU and to its working relationships with all UK Kettlebell Sport organizations and the UK Kettlebell Sport & Fitness community to continue on the path towards making the UK one of the most dynamic hubs for Kettlebell Sport & Fitness world class events hosting and, ultimately, Kettlebell Sport National Team development.
We are proud to announce that IKSFA, the leader of Kettlebell Sport & Fitness education and training Worldwide will be celebrating the GRAND OPENING of the 4th of IKSFA Kettlebell Sport & Fitness Athletes Training Facility (1st in Europe) in Hillington Park Gym, 22 Earl Haig Road, G52 4JU Glasgow, United Kingdom at the Scottish Kettlebell Club on February 7-10, 2014.
The schedule of the Grand Opening:
February 7 – IKSFA/AKA/IUKL/GSU* Judging Certification
February 8– GSU Scottish Open Kettlebell Championship
February 9-10 – IKSFA Kettlebell Sport Coach Level 2 Certification
IKSFA and Scottish Kettlebell Club/GSU will support any Kettlebell Sport & Fitness local and regional organizations and groups in their efforts to achieve their goals and highest potential.
The aim is to team up on a shared vision for bringing seminars, tournaments, training camps, exhibitions, conferences, festivals and other special events to Scotland and UK.
Founded in 2009 IKSFA is the leading provider of Kettlebell Sport & Fitness certifications based on experience, expertise and the best scientific methods of preparation and training of Kettlebell Sport & Fitness professionals Worldwide.
IKSFA Kettlebell Sport& Fitness Training Facility
To support UK and International Kettlebell Sport athletes in achieving sustained competitive excellence and to promote the high standard of education establishing platinum standard for Kettlebell sport and fitness professionals and enthusiasts Worldwide.
• The IKSFA Kettlebell Sport & Fitness Training Facility
Will organize and conduct multiple Kettlebell Sport & Fitness Events of all levels including local, regional, national and international Championships. These events will be equipped with the best training, teaching, products, and equipment to provide the highest standard possible.
• The IKSFA Kettlebell Sport & Fitness Training Facility
Will create an unparalleled experience while working directly with the best resources possible and hand-picked IKSFA Coaches and nationally Ranked athletes.
• The IKSFA Kettlebell Sport & Fitness Training Facility
Will become a home base for Scottish GSU Kettlebell Sport National Team during preparation to national and major international events. Our Center is committed to supporting athletes by providing cutting-edge information and training opportunities to contribute expertise necessary to direct Scottish Kettlebell Sport National Team athletes to national and international success
The Scottish Kettlebell Club is the girevoy sport club based out of Glasgow, Scotland. The club provides training and support for athletes in both kettlebell sport & fitness and is headed by UK and World record holders Scott McLaughlin & Abigail Johnston. Scott & Abi started competing in kettlebell sport in February of 2012 and have quickly risen to competing at professional level (Scott-32kg and Abi-24kg) both domestically & internationally, as well as coaching others to a CMS and MS level.
The GSU (Girevoy Sports Union) is a not-for-profit members association open to athletes, coaches and clubs from all associations, federations and countries whose mission is to inspire, teach and enable people to compete in kettlebell sport with the sole purpose of increasing awareness and understanding of the sport.
IKSFA Kettlebell Sport & Fitness Athletes Training Facility will be located at Scottish Kettlebell Club:
Hillington Park Gym, 22 Earl Haig Road, G52 4JU Glasgow, United Kingdom
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Scottish Kettlebell Club Owners: Scott McLaughlin/Abi Johnston
IKSFA President: Sergey Rudnev
IKSFA CEO: Aleksandr Khasin
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Here's another plant I was hoping to get identified.
Hardiness Zone: 5a
Sharon from Missouri
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
I believe it is a dracaena
I did a search on google and found a lot of links, then I went to the image portion and I think I see a plant like yours.
Hope this helps.
DRACINA , related to corn plant
I have the same plant but mine is all green but it is a Dracaena Marginata.
This plant is a dracaena, also known as ribbon plant.
If there is any leaf loss in the upper portion of the plant the top can be removed and rooted to form a new plant.
It's also called an Amazon Sword plant when you buy it for a Fish tank. It grows under water quite nicely .& then if you want you can take it out of the water & grow it in a planter , It grows quite nicely in either place .
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!


text:
Tea Party Opponent of Gabrielle Giffords Called to Remove her by Shooting M16s
This morning Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head by a gunman at a Safeway grocery store during a Congress at your Corner event. Prior to that, Tea Partier Sarah Palin had placed the congressperson on a "target" list for removal, noting on a map the congresspersons location with a gun site as more fully reported on by Andrew Sullivan.
In June, 2010, Republican Jesse Kelly, the Tea Party supported opponent of Gabrielle Griffords for the congressional seat, posted the following upcoming events on his Facebook page:
To clarify, the event held on June 12, 2010, was to remove Gabrielle Giffords from office by shooting "a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly."
While details on the shooter are still sketchy, such irresponsible calls to remove people by learning to shoot a gun or placing gun sites on their location surely have some responsibility in the idea that violence is an acceptable way to confront political difference.
Gabrielle Giffords is a supporter of pro-equality measures, including, but not limited to: hate crimes legislation, employment non-discrimination policies, and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Our hearts and thoughts go out to her and her family.
Assasination Conservative Gabrielle Giffords gun rights Jesse Kelly Shooting Tea Party


text:
Savannah-Chatham police are investigating an armed robbery that took place Sunday at Family Dollar, 4601 Skidaway Road. Employees told police that the suspect walked in and acted like he was going to make a purchase, then he showed a weapon and demanded the money in the register, said Gena Bilbo, police spokeswoman.
The suspect is described as a black male, 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches, in his 30s, medium complexion with a thin mustache and light goatee. At the time of the robbery he was wearing a white T-shirt over his waist, grey pants and a grey bucket cap.
The suspect left the store with an undisclosed amount of money. Anyone with information on this suspect or robbery is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). In the body type, include "CStop2020" plus the tip. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
More police headed to Daffin Park
Savannah-Chatham's police presence will increase in Daffin Park after fights disrupted youth football outings Saturday, according to Police Chief Willie Lovett.
Groups of teenagers and young adults numbering more than 100 are convening in the park already crowded with youth league football games, Lovett said.
Multiple fights broke out Saturday leading to the arrest of three adults and four juveniles and forcing police to close the park and order everyone out. The park reopened about an hour later.
"It's unfortunate that these people have intruded into a family oriented event to create havoc that could lead to serious injury of innocent people," Lovett said. "This arrogance and disregard for public safety threatens children and family members who are participating in wholesome activities. It cannot recur."
The event followed a milder version the previous Saturday.
Quamelius Ja'Marie Lee, 17, of a Murphy Avenue address, was arrested in a foot chase into neighboring Ardsley Park after police saw him running with a gun after officers breaking up a large fight heard gunshots.
He has been charged with carrying a deadly weapon in a public place, possession of a firearm by a subject under 21, reckless conduct and obstruction of an officer. No one was injured.
Michael Antonio Humphries, 18, was charged with fighting in a public place, affray, and Audonte Jamal Sheppard, 17, was charged with simple battery after police broke up other fights.
Man pleads guilty in Savannah scheme
An Armenian national has pleaded guilty in federal court in a health care fraud and money-laundering scheme using false claims submitted to Medicare by phony businesses in the Savannah area.
Khoren Gasparian, 29, entered his plea last week before U.S. District Chief Judge Lisa Godbey Wood in Brunswick.
He will be sentenced later after completion of a pre-sentencing report by probation officers.
According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Gasparian and others defrauded Medicare between 2008 and 2010 by opening several phony durable medical equipment companies in Savannah, using stolen identifies of hundreds of Medicare beneficiaries and dozens of doctors, and using stolen information to submit hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus claims for health care services, which were never provided.
Evidence showed the defendant and others used stolen identities from doctors and patients in a number of states and even submitted claims for people who had died.
Gasparian is currently serving a prison sentence on a guilty plea to a health care fraud offense in New Mexico.
He was part of a multi-jurisdictional investigation involving more than $100 million worth of phony claims.


text:
The average annual precipitation in Texas is around 34 inches. Due to the large number of climate zones present in Texas, rainfall varies dramatically from one end of the state to another.
As the second largest state in the U.S., Texas occupies a large area with many geographic regions. Each one has its own climate characteristics affecting annual precipitation. Rainfall differs from the eastern border to the western one by as much as 50 inches. For example, Mauriceville, located in the southeast section of Texas, receives as much as 64 inches in a year, while El Pas in the west only collects around 6 inches.


text:
I believe that "there is no god but Allah, and that Mohamed is his messenger". I believe in Allah, his Angels, his books, his messengers, I believe in the Day of Judgment and I believe in destiny good and bad.
I believe in Allah the creator of the earth, the skies and what is between them, who else can create this universe. Allah created Jesus son of Mary like Adam without father and made him a messenger. Allah's message to his slaves is to believe in one God and not associate with him any of his creation. He created Adam from clay, evil from fire and the angels from light. Allah sent Abraham, Jesus, Moses, Mohamed and all prophets and Messengers with the same message "There is no god but Allah". Allah revealed the Torah to Moses, the Bible to Jesus and the Quran to Mohamed peace be upon them to guide humanity toward the right path. I believe that there is no difference between Allah's messengers. I believe that there will be a day of judgment when all humans will be rewarded for their work; if they worshipped Allah alone without associate Paradise is their final house and if they worshipped any of his creation they will be guided to hell fire. Judgment day will be the starting day of an eternal life, the believers will be the winner of paradise and the disbelievers will the losers in hell fire. I believe that Allah is the most merciful and forgiver; all good comes from Allah and all bad comes from our soul. Who ever Allah guides no one can misguide and who ever Allah misguides no one can guide.
I believe in what was revealed to Mohamed and the prophets before him, my God and their God is one and I am a Muslim. Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohamed, the prophets and the believers witness that "there is no God but Allah" and they are Muslim.
If you enjoyed this essay, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to This I Believe, Inc.


text: For the first time in the history of extreme sports, we now have a lightweight jump ramp that can literally go everywhere we go! Developed over almost ten years by a team of skaters and BMX riders, the JUMPACK can be carried as a backpack, allowing the user to skate or ride to any destination and deploy a personal kicker in under 10 seconds! JUMPACK is designed to change the way we view our surroundings, to create opportunities that did not exist before, to make the impossible possible. Get Air Anywhere!


text:
February 14th, 2012
Digital Marketing
Valentine's Day is once again here so make sure to get in your last minute orders for the usual assortment of chocolates, roses, stuffed animals & expensive dinners. In the rush of Valentine's Day, you may find yourself flustered about getting the perfect gift or finding time to make sure that "special someone" gets the attention they deserve. The hardest part is finding something unique that demonstrates your knowledge of your significant other & falls within the budget you set aside. This criterion sounds a lot like the one I use when laying out a search engine marketing plan. Let's explore the parallels between the two.
Something Unique…
Every day, television ads will tell me that I need to buy chocolates, diamonds, chocolate diamonds and the like in order to impress my valentine. Purveyors of these goods have invested heavily in order to convince me that this is the best way to make an impression.
Likewise, agencies across the country employ call centers to inform business owners that their once-in-a-lifetime offer of link building, SEO, and pixie dust is the winning combination needed to get to the top. Unfortunately, the package they want to sell you on is the same package they tout in each sales call. What I have and will continue to preach, is that your marketing plan must be unique to you. Your product/service, audience, sales cycle, retention rate, profit margins, etc. are uniquely tied to you and the "one-size-fits-all" approach won't work.
Demonstrate your Knowledge.
If I were buying a gift to give to myself, it may include some tasty beer, an MLB Network Pass, and a new TV to match; probably not the greatest gifts for my valentine. Likewise, you didn't create a business website to make yourself feel good, you built it to promote your brand and showcase your goods/services. Many websites I review are heavy on features like flash, music players, and scrolling banners. While these add-ons may seem cool to you and your 12 year old kid, savvy Internet users will balk at most of the features. Instead, take into consideration what interests those you seek to please. If you are a home remodeler, using Lightbox is a great tool to feature your "Before & After" galleries. Not only will the interface be easy to install, but your visitors will have a simplified viewing experience.
Stay within your Budget!
A new Range Rover!? A brand new set of Taylor Mades!? AND front-row tickets to VAN HALEN!!!!??? Don't get me wrong, that would be the gift my dreams are made of but I don't expect my valentine to break the bank on this misunderstood holiday. Just as it is reasonable to set a budget on gifts, you most certainly need a budget in mind for your site. If your SEM has planned out a year to focus on conversion, set aside a budget dedicated to a website development team. Rankings looking a little soft? Make sure you plan with your team on how much you will need to dedicate each month to ensure long-term success.
Taking the time to plan before your spend will ultimately lead to greater rewards. Wishing you the best in both pursuits this Valentine's Day; good luck!
There are no comments yet.


text:
This is the worst bridal shop I've been to. The staff were really pushy especially the manager. They were not very helpful at all. I showed them a picture of the type of dress I was looking for, then they pulled a bunch of dresses out that looked nothing like my picture. They have three rules, no pictures until you say yes to the dress, only one favorite dress at a time and you must be honest. Well I was honest and I said I don't like those dresses but they said well try it on anyways. Finally I went and picked my own dress that was closer to what I was looking for. Then it seemed that everyone in the store was trying to give me their own opinion so instead of 1 person helping me I had 3 including the manager. They were great saleswomen and used scare tactics mostly to persuade me to buy the dress. After feeling extremely pressured and very negative towards the people around me I bought the dress. Then 2 hrs later realized I didn't like it. I immediately called back to see what could be done. After 4 days of phone tag and fighting and a policy of refusing to talk to my mom but only me, we still had to pay for the dress even though I wasnt going to use it, with only 140 dollars given back as a refund. For a bride to be looking for a dress do not go to these people, they are mean and pushy and not helpful at all.
Wow! What can I say, my dress was amazing! They were able to customize my dress from a long mermaid to a knee length a-line cut dress, and provided me with a substantial deal on the dress. The team was so patient with my requested changes and completed everything in record time, customer service was top notch. So, our wedding last year was a very small intimate ceremony, this year we will be celebrating again, but on a grander scale. I will wear a new dress for the ceremony, but the dress that I had done at Margene's will serve as my second dress for the reception. Thanks Margene and team!
Margene's has been custom fitting and repairing clothes for our family for the last 9 years - ever since I threw down the towel with my former seamstress whose fine work was overshadowed by orders that were so often not ready on the specified date. Some wedding party garments, but mostly women's professional attire, dresses etc. for me and my daughters, and even men's slacks and sport jackets. The shop is efficient, the service friendly, and the workmanship of high quality. And on top of that, Margene's assistant, Victoria is a dressmaker in her own right and gives unerring advice on style, such as hemline length or a skirt that seems too wide or too narrow. Want to update the look of an old favorite? Bring your Dana Buchmann jacket, she'll advise narrow the shoulders and shorten the cuffs. Wondering about a necklace or earrings to complete the look? Try on their collection of affordable crystal jewelry. Once you get used to clothing that fits YOU perfectly, you will put your wardrobe dollar into fewer quality pieces tailored for you to enjoy your wardrobe knowing you look and feel your very best.
This letter is way overdue, nevertheless, I have had a need to write and thank you for fixing my daughters dress.In October my daughter got married. Visiting from out of town before the wedding, I (her mother) took the liberty of attempting to press her dress. Two days before the wedding I burned a couple of small holes on her dress. Yikes!!! What an awful feeling and experience, honestly I was in total shock. The concierge at the hotel where we were staying suggested we take it to your shop, and when we did, your warmth and professional experience got it taken care of. I still remember you saying in such calmness we can just change the flowers around. It was apparent that you had some similar experiences in the past and had the material to repair the dress.You fixed the dress and even got it pressed!!!Thank you from the bottom of my heart for a job well done! You were my hero!Best wishes, keep up the great job. You will never be forgotten.Griselda S.
Thank you for the generous assistance that you gave me during my dress fitting at Margene's Bridal. Everyone's patience made my first dress fitting experience pleasant and fun. I really appreciate your help with my fitting when my girlfriends were unable to be with me to help me out. Again, thank you for making this a wonderful experience for me! May you always enjoy success at Margene's Bridal.With sincere appreciation and wormiest thanks to you.Your's trulyLinh H.
I went to a few places to find my wedding dress and just could not find "the one." My mom read about Margene's so we went there. after just about and hour we found my dress. Margene helped me the very first day that we found my dress and she is the cutest woman! Every other time I went in Vicki helped me and I adore her! They have great service, nice people and a very good selection. The alterations were done very well and my dress looked amazing the day of my wedding. So I would recommend this place to every bride, or anyone who needs some alterations on any kind of clothing.
Last September, I bought my dress at Priscilla of Boston in San Jose during their closing sale. All their sample gowns were 40% off, meaning that the prices were good but there wasn't much of a selection in regards to sizing.I found the dress of my dreams but was aware that I would have to get it altered from its original size 14 to probably a size 4. I sent pictures of my dress to a high end bridal boutique in San Francisco, and they came back to me with an estimated cost of $1,000 for alterations due to the beading and detailing of the dress.A friend living in Oakland recommended Margene to me, and I knew I was in the right hands upon arrival. Vicki, Margene and the tailors fitted my dress to perfection - I still can't believe what an amazing job they did at more than 50% less than the quote I received from the high end boutique in SF. I went in for various fittings and each time Vicki was so patient with me. I wanted to order a sash for my dress, but seeing that my dress had a slight hint of a pink undertone, Margene's went out of their way to order me a custom sash that would match my dress perfectly, instead of just sending me a plain ivory one. My mom ended up buying her dress for the wedding here as well!Margene & Vicki - thank you so much for making my wedding day so special. Your amazing skills and great customer service are unparalleled. Keep up the great work! Thank you again!
I went in on Monday, and your store manager Vicky helped me, I will be back for a fitting, I believe my alterations will be around $400 or slightly more depending on the bustle. At the original bridal store where i purchased my gown i was quoted $310 for alterations, but without a doubt in my mind I decided to come back to your store. I have been treated with the up most cordial and spectacular respect and friendly manner and I really appreciate that from yourself and your staff. My bridesmaid is also having her dress worked on in your store and she and i both have really loved our experience at Margene's Bridal. I look forward to seeing you all on July 4 and I will be referring more of my friends to your location
I actually came here with out an appointment and really felt badly about it, The staff is incredibley awesome from Victoria to Margene. I tried on quite a few dresses and I would have never picked them out. They all looked fantastic :-) I salute you with a glass of champaigne!!! Thank you for caring and sharing.
I had my wedding dress custom made through a company online, and went to Margene's to get it fitted. Margene's did a beautiful job with my dress, and I had excellent service every time I went into the shop.When I went through a crazy phase of wanting a lace train to wear over my silk dress, fortunately for me, Margene had something similar in stock to what I was imagining. Although it wasn't in my size, and was not available to order, Margene had me try it on over my dress and while I liked the look, it gave me the clarity I needed and which I think Margene agreed - I should not cover up my beautiful dress with something else. Thank goodness for wise guidance that helped me realize what I truly wanted and needed. My dress was gorgeous on my wedding day, fit perfectly, and I felt very comfortable in it all day long. That was very important, and they did a beautiful job. They helped me with various decisions: whether to wear a petticoat or not (not) and how to shape the dress and the bottom hem, and we discovered that simplest was best for me and my dress. They could have pressured me to buy a lot of things, but never did. I would highly recommend them.
I made my appointment the day before going to Margene's because my mother was going to be in town for the weekend and it suddenly occurred to me that we should start looking for wedding dresses. Like some of the other reviewers here, I have not been planning my wedding for my whole life and the idea of shopping for a dress was a bit of a terrifying prospect for me.I had been looking at things online, but of course I forgot to print anything out before my appointment. Victoria was fine with my lack of preparation and pulled out a binder of pictures of dresses for me to look at with her so she could get an idea of what I was looking for. She did a great job of listening to what I liked/didn't like in any given style and pulled a few dresses for me to start that were all great options.I ended up setting aside almost every dress she pulled as a maybe - with pretty much every dress I tried being better than the next and superseding the previous one at the top of the list. She responded to my reactions to the previous dresses and to the way they were fitting on me to pick out new dresses for me to try that would complement my figure, coloring, etc. even better than the ones she had pulled out at first.Eventually, she had me try on a strapless dress. I had gone in saying I didn't want a strapless, since I had never found a strapless dress in my life that made me look good. Well, she had me try this one for the shape & explained that she could add a cap sleeve with alteration, bringing out some example sleeves to show. The second I had the dress on, I loved it & knew it was the one.I will update my review as I go back for my alterations, etc. - my wedding is more than a year away - but so far, I really love Margene's.
My daughter had the experience that she wanted and deserved at Margene's! Jaylee was AWESOME!! She pulled dresses that my daughter had described PERFECTLY!! She chose one, the first night shopping =) We went 'other' places to make sure that it was the ONE and the experiences that we had at the 'other' shops paled in comparison to the experience and expertise that the Margene's staff offered!! THANK YOU for truly making this a ONCE in a LIFETIME experience!!! =)
Hi Margene,I wanted to thank you and Vicki for making my dress buying experience so special.Thanks again!
Margene is a life saver. Truly. I have had a difficult time with the wedding dress aspect of my wedding. I am on my second dress and it has proven to be extremely complicated to alter. I first brought it to a woman who works out of her home in Alameda and she had the audacity to try and charge me $1000 to alter my dress! CRAZY. Especially since my dress COST $1300. I was pretty disheartened after that. I proceeded to go to 2 other places in Oakland. One in Broadway and one on Piedmont avenue. Both places refused to do the dress. The guy on Broadway couldn't do a french bustle and the lady on Piedmont was pretty rude and actually REFUSED to do it because it was too much work.In a panic I went to Margene's Bridal in hopes that they could do something with this dress of mine. They didn't even blink an eye. They pinned me up no problem. Plus, they charged me HALF the price of that crazy lady in Alameda. First fitting went great. They were pros and got my french bustle perfect. Second fitting went great as well...they took in the bodice seamlessly. Now I have a third fitting on Saturday for some issues in the bust, but I am confident they will do a great job. Additionally, their customer service is great. They are attentive and really know what they are talking about.
My wedding is in 2 weeks. I am nervous and super excited! From my whole wedding planning experience I would like to say that the time I spent at "Margenes" was the best time I've had. The owner Margene and sales manager Vicki are not only extremely professional, but they're also very caring, patient and understanding ladies. I bought my beautiful gown and 5 BM dresses there. "Margenes" even made a vest for my sweetie. We had our dresses altered there by a very good seamstress. I also bought my veil and earrings there. I would recommend Margenes Bridal to every bride. Thank you "Margenes" for the wonderful experience.
The best bridal store i've been too. excellent one-on-one service. margene has years and years of experience and tons and tons of patience. i found a dress that was well under my budget and did not feel pressure at all to buy an expensive dress. i had no idea what i wanted in terms of a veil or jewelry, but margene was able to pull out exactly what looked perfect with my dress and my features.let me reiterate that this is not a shop for bridezillas or girls who think they are princesses. i would not wish that at all for margene and her staff. it is a cozy, well-run shop with staff that is attentive, patient, and above all experienced.
I haven't even bought a dress yet. I stopped by today after a work out and was looking a mess, and they were totally nice to me. I also didn't have an appointment, but Marg took her time to show me lots of dresses that were the style I was looking for and suggested some others, too. I found a great dress for $400 and another for $800 and some nice styles in the clearance section as well. She was also very clear about the pricing and timelines for alterations. They can order pretty much anything you want to try on. I'll keep coming back until I find the one. It was kind of fun!
It was the last dress I tried on and with the help of Gina and Marg...my dress is "the one!"Before getting here, I told my mom...I think this is the place! I had a feeling that I was going to buy my dress here. I had an appointment @ 2:30 and got there a hour early. The ladies had no problem seeing me early and gave me their full attention.It was a great experience! It's a family owned and operated business and they have the best deals out there!
I had a great time at Margene's store. Great gown selection, friendly sales staff, nice little store. Prices are fair, and for the service that you get there, the prices seem even better!
One of my friends told me she had a great experience at Margene's Bridal and that Vicky would know what kinds of wedding dresses would look good on me. I was very concerned about some of my features standing out, and so it was important to me to find someone who would be able to find a dress that accentuated my best features and at the same time would hide my worst. Vicky was amazing. She found dresses that looked gorgeous on me. She was great to work with, very on point and considerate. She really took the time to work with me and picked up on my vibe when I was really feeling a specific style.On my first visit she took down the list of dresses that I liked, and on my second visit she had no problem switching gears when I had totally come up with a new vision of my wedding dress. She knew exactly what I wanted, pulled it out for me and that was it, I had found my wedding dress.I'm getting married in June and I can't wait. The dress fits me perfectly, doesn't require any alterations and I could wear it tomorrow feeling perfectly comfortable without any feelings of self consciousness whatsoever.Thank you Vicky!!!!


text:
LOS ANGELES--Apple's upgraded iPhonedidn't inspire fear in at least two of the biggest subscription music sites--even before they learned that the device wouldn't let people download music via the new 3G network.
"I'm not trembling," Anu Kirk, Rhapsody's director of product management, said Monday at the iHollywood conference. "I'm sure they are going to sell a lot of second-generation iPhones. It's a fantastic product but they can't take over the United States with just one carrier."
Kirk was speaking on a panel discussing the mobile music category and specifically about cell phones as music players. The discussion took place as Apple CEO Steve Jobs was introducing the new iPhone 3G at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.
Kirk doesn't think the iPhone 3G can duplicate iPod's success, at least not with just AT&T as the phone's only carrier. Any debate about the iPhone's dominance over music apparently has to wait.
The mobile version of the iTunes music store will remain accessible only over the phone's Wi-Fi connection, according to CNET's Donald Bell, who wrote cited Apple's iPhone 3G product page. Bell wrote that "it does seem like Apple has missed an obvious opportunity to allow users more ways to purchase music."
Rhapsody and Napster already enable many iPhone competitors to download music over 3G. This had to come as welcome news to those companies as rumors swirl in the music industry that Apple is considering whether to launch a subscription service.
In March, the Financial Times reported that Apple is considering an all-you-can-eat plan in which users would receive free access to iTunes "in exchange for paying a premium for its iPod and iPhone devices. Sources told CNET News.com that the music labels would agree if Apple shared revenue on device sales. So far, nothing has come of it.
And nothing will--or at least that's what Kirk thinks anyway. His suspicion is that Apple won't enter the subscription business because it conflicts with the company's prime goal of selling hardware.
"Apple's model is to get you to buy a bigger device every 18 months or two years," Kirk said. "You fill up your iPod, you go, 'Oh, I'm going to buy the new iPod with twice as much memory.' In a subscription world, the size of your device matters a lot less cause you can swap out the content. In a world like that the consumer has a lot less incentive to buy a bigger device."
Subscriptions aside, is Apple choosing to ignore cell phones as music players at this point? It wouldn't be missing out on much.
The U.S. consumer has largely ignored their phones as music machines. Kirk noted that the sector is hobbled by the lack of memory in most phones to store music and the high costs. These often include paying for cell phone and data-service plans on top of the music.
Not what you would call a good deal.


text:
After Hours Emergency Services
Just like humans, our animal companions sometimes need emergency treatment. This can be because of an accident or injury, or sometimes just from the sudden onset of serious illness. We know how important it is to get these valued members of your family access to treatment as soon as possible. If you have an emergency outside of our business hours, below are animal hospitals we work with that offer emergency after-hours support.
Northpointe Veterinary Hospital
1463 Live Oak Blvd, Yuba City
View Website
View Website
Valley Oak Veterinary Center
2480 Dr Martin Luther King Pkwy, Chico
View Website
Loomis Basin Veterinary Clinic
3901 Sierra College Blvd, Loomis
View Website
Helpful Articles
We Happily Serve:
Dogs and Cats


text:
- Xavier Woods checks out the new WWE Champions mobile game in this new video from his "UpUpDownDown" channel.
- In the video below, Sheamus sends a message of support to the Special Olympics of Ireland team as they head to the World Winter Olympics in Austria to compete:
The Celtic Warrior @WWESheamus has a special message for the @SOIreland team heading to the World Winter Olympics! #Austria2017 pic.twitter.com/m1j01uheES— WWE UK (@WWEUK) March 14, 2017
Follow Marc Middleton on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Got a news tip or correction? Send it to us by clicking here.