text: Walleye Jigging Experiments Ryan Haines - March 24, 2014 Jack Nethercutt has three passions — cars, USC football, and walleye fishing. The Chairman of the Board of Merle Norman Cosmetics often is in his Lund 1900 Pro V jigging for walleyes on Lake of the Woods. I had the pleasure of guiding Jack on the Woods from 2007 to 2011. I tried to tempt him into trolling, but I quickly learned he's had his fill of it during his 50-plus years of walleye fishing. So jigging it was, and I realized I had an incredible opportunity.For years, I had been questioning many of the prevalent beliefs about walleye jigging, the first being the singular focus on jig color. When I'm guiding, any angler that begins catching more fish than everyone else in the boat is asked, "What color are you using?" to the exclusion of any other queries. I've always thought that color, while not irrelevant, should be explored after other aspects of presentation, like jigging cadence, depth, speed, and bait appearance. The other belief about jigging that many walleye anglers hold is that you should always use the lightest jig you can get away with. When vertical jigging while guiding, I always use a lighter jig than the guests, based on the theory that if I can feel bottom with a lighter jig, they should be able to maintain bottom contact with a heavier one. At times, however, guests out-fish my lighter finesse approach with the cannonballs that I tied on their lines, making me question whether there are times when a heavier jig yields more fish. As a guide, the problem with answering questions about jig color and size is that anglers are continually caught in a positive feedback loop. If the first three fish of the day are caught on a 1/4-ounce red jig, soon everyone in the boat has one tied on and, to no one's surprise, all the fish that day are caught on 1/4-ounce red jigs. Anglers are hardly to blame for this, as who wants to spend the day fishing with a color that may not be as effective just to conduct an experiment? Well, Jack agreed to do some experimental fishing with me on Lake of the Woods to test jig color and weight.Jig Tests To test jig color and weight, the fishing day was split into morning and afternoon sessions, with about three hours of fishing before and after lunch. Only one variable (color or weight) was tested during a session. For example, during a morning session, if jig weight was being tested, all the jigs were the same color. Anglers had identical rods (6-foot 6-inch medium-light, fast-action spinning), with identical lines (8-pound superline with a 3-foot monofilament leader). One rod was equipped with a 1/8-ounce jig, one with a 1/4-ounce jig, and one with a 3/8-ounce jig. Rods were switched every 10 minutes and the number of walleyes and saugers caught on each jig recorded. Also recorded was the number of walleyes over 19 inches caught on each jig.For the afternoon session on that day, the experiment switched to color, using whichever jig weight had caught the most fish in the morning session. Four colors were tested — white glow, chartreuse, orange, and black — each on the same type of rod and using the same 10-minute rotation. The next morning would be a color-test session, followed by a weight-test session in the afternoon, using whichever color had caught the most fish that morning. The order of each jig color and weight also was rotated during each session to help remove bias inherent in the order of use. The first jig used each day, for example, may be at a disadvantage as the first several minutes of fishing often are spent trying to locate fish. Time spent attending to snags or retying after a broken line wasn't counted in color experiments (the stopwatch was paused), but not weight experiments, as it was felt that the size of the jig could affect the frequency of snags and thus the amount of time spent fishing.I also made attempts early on to try different bait types, but felt that I had to focus on jig weight and color to answer those questions so only minnows were used. As with any experiment in a natural environment, many variables were out of my control, such as wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure, cloud cover, air temperature, water temperature, and depth of the fish. I recorded these observations in my daily log.During the 2009 to 2011 seasons, I collected data for 54 sessions (approximately 162 hours) for the weight experiment and 49 sessions (approximately 147 hours) for the color experiment.Differences in catches were statistically compared by testing whether the frequency of outcomes (the number of fish caught) among the factor being tested (color or weight) is different than what would be expected if there was no effect. For instance, if jigs of two colors caught 125 and 175 walleyes, respectively, is that significantly different than what would be expected if there was no color effect (150 walleyes for each color)? I am indebted in this regard to In-Fisherman Managing Editor Dr. Rob Neumann, who did the statistical analyses and helped interpret the results.Color ResultsFor overall catch, while chartreuse caught the most walleyes and saugers (276), catches were similar to glow (271), orange (269), and black (258), and there was no statistically significant difference in catch among colors. But chartreuse caught 5 more fish than glow and 18 more than black, which may be enough to make a meaningful difference to anglers.A stronger color effect appeared when the analysis was limited to larger walleyes. Chartreuse (16) and orange (15) caught twice as many walleyes over 19 inches long than black (8), with glow intermediate (11). Still, here, the results weren't statistically significant, but a color preference pattern seemed to emerge. Lack of a statistically significant finding could be due to several factors such as small sample size, lack of a color effect, or variability caused by other factors that can't be controlled, like weather, time of day, and amount of light.I ran separate tests to try to remove variability introduced by several other factors: barometric pressure, weather system, time of day, and depth. Surprisingly, there wasn't any statistically significant effect of color in any of these tests, but several patterns are worth discussing. For instance, while chartreuse caught the most fish overall, it was only the case under certain conditions. Sometimes, chartreuse caught the fewest fish.When the barometric pressure was dropping, most fish were caught on chartreuse, followed by glow, black, and orange. When the pressure was stable or increasing, however, most fish were caught on orange. Under high-pressure systems, chartreuse caught the most fish, while most were caught on orange and black under low pressure skies.On overcast days, orange caught the most walleyes, black the fewest. Under sunny skies, orange caught the fewest. Orange caught most in the morning, but catches were almost identical among all the colors. In the afternoon, chartreuse scored highest.Analysis by depth zone revealed the only time black caught the most fish — in depths of 20 to 29 feet. In depths of less than 20 feet, chartreuse caught most of the fish while walleyes bit mostly orange in depths of 30 feet or more. Weight ResultsOverall, walleye catches were significantly different among the three different jig weights, with the 1/4-ounce catching more fish (437) than the 1/8- (362) and 3/8-ounce (320). For walleyes over 19 inches, the 1/4-ounce again led the way with 24 fish, followed by the 3/8- (21) and 1/8-ounce (19).When analyzed separately under different fishing conditions, catches among jig weights were statistically different during decreasing barometric pressure, under high-pressure skies, sunny skies, in the afternoon, in water from 20 to 29 feet deep, and in depths of 30 feet or greater. The 1/8- and 1/4-ounce jig performed better in water less than 20 feet deep. In 20 to 29 feet, the 1/4-ounce jig caught the most fish, followed by the 1/8- and 3/8-ounce. In depths of 30 feet and greater, the 1/4-ounce caught the most followed by the 3/8-ounce, while the 1/8-ounce became more ineffective. Overall, in deeper water, heavier jigs caught more walleyes.It's impossible to conclude that each of these significant factors acts on catches separately, because several or most of the factors are correlated, or interrelated. For example, under high pressure or decreasing pressure on sunny afternoons, you might expect walleyes to be deeper. So, because the 1/4- and 3/8-ounce jig caught more walleyes on sunny days, it may not mean that fish prefer heavier jigs on sunny days, but that sunny days may bring walleyes deeper and that heavier jigs are more effective in deeper water.ConclusionsBased on the results of these experiments, the 1/4-ounce appears to be an ideal weight for vertical jigging where I fish on Lake of the Woods. The 1/4-ounce jig caught the most walleyes and saugers in most comparisons, although 1/8- and 3/8-ounce jigs also became important in certain situations. For example, the 1/8-ounce performed well in water less than 20 feet, while the 3/8-ounce became more effective in deeper water.Jigs lighter or heavier than 1/4-ounce may excel in presentations other than vertical jigging. If casting for walleyes in shallow water, for example, the 1/8-ounce jig may have had been better overall. Also, remember these results are based on conditions I fish on Lake of the Woods. In other waters, the ideal weight for vertical jigging may be lighter or heavier.With only a few exceptions, chartreuse and orange caught the most walleyes and saugers. This is consistent with the science that walleyes see in the red-orange-green portions of the color spectrum, being most sensitive to orange-red. I tended to notice that chartreuse was better for brighter conditions and orange for low-light conditions. Chartreuse caught more fish in every instance where higher levels of light could be found. Conversely, orange jigs caught more fish in lower light conditions. The role of color and what walleyes see is complex and affected by many factors.Never during my three years conducting this experiment was I in the middle of a hot walleye bite and had the bite turn off because I switched color or weight of the jig. I did, however, have fish turn active once I had changed my jigging action or location on a reef. So, if you're vertical jigging using a reasonable jig weight, and the angler in the boat 50 yards away is catching many more fish, your jig box may not be the first place to turn. Other facets of your presentation are important. In this case, being at the right spot.Also consider your jigging cadence, or working action. There are times when any movement of the jig spooks fish, and strolling — holding the bait steady a foot or so off the bottom while the boat slowly moves around the structure — is needed to tempt finicky fish. At times, an aggressive approach, like snapjigging, triggers fish. Experiment with your presentation.I'm grateful to Jack for the opportunity to conduct these experiments and for his patience in having his peaceful days on the water disrupted by a beeping stopwatch every 10 minutes. While I don't share his love of cars, we agree there's no better way to spend a summer day than chasing walleyes on Lake of the Woods.*Ryan Haines, Kenora, Ontario, is an astute angler and a fishery scientist who serves as a consultant on fishery projects. Get Your Fish On. Plan your next fishing and boating adventure here.


text:
Saturday, 24 January 2015
Seppelt Drumborg Vineyard Chardonnay 2013
One of my favourite wines tasted last year was the Seppelt St Peter's Grampians Shiraz 2012 which I described as a sexy minx. And this wine ain't far behind. It reminds me of Jason Mraz's song Butterfly amongst other things, 'You make my slacks a little tight," he says. Whoa, I just got a little hot under the collar with excitement there.
Coming off vines planted in 1964, this single vineyard wine has a load of white fleshed peach and a creaminess than crawls through the wine in stealth mode. The fruit, a little tight initially, but unravels slowly supported by balanced oak. I get a sense it has a shy personality wanting to hold itself back a little. Subtle cashews and a squeeze of lemon add some more layers of complexity. It's pure and just feels homely and cosy.
All this for only $40! Top stuff and one I'd definitely buy to cellar for the medium term.
Mraz goes on to say, "You got it all." Yep, this sure does.
Region: Henty
Source: Sample
Follow me @Qwine
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Words that end in afficker
Found 3 words that end in afficker. Browse our Scrabble Word Finder, Words With Friends cheat dictionary, and WordHub word solver to find words that end with afficker. Or use our Unscramble word solver to find your best possible play! Related: Words containing afficker
- Scrabble
- Words With Friends
- WordHub
- Crossword


text:
Brisbane Inner City Apartment Summary: June 2013
Download Your Free PDF Version of The NPR Co.'s Latest Market Summary Here!
Following on from our last article about Brisbane Infill development, this week we have provided a 'Brisbane Inner City Apartment Market Summary' which can be downloaded for free.
The Brisbane inner city area has seen a significant amount of new infill apartment development over the last few years. The Market Summary provides a brief overview of the economic drivers for the Brisbane inner city area as well as a broad look at supply and demand for new inner city apartments. We have also included some information on the rental market in Brisbane CBD and Spring Hill.
For more detailed information regarding the Brisbane Apartment Market or any other property research requirements, please visit our Contact Us page and get in touch with one of our staff.


text:
A defense attorney told a Hockley County jury the illegal actions of sheriff's deputies and the actions of other law enforcement officers to incriminate the county's suspended sheriff should not give cause to remove him from office.
Attorney Rod Hobson stressed Gary Moran, a narcotics officer for the district attorney's office, and others in law enforcement were working together to accuse and include Sheriff David Kinney in a drug conspiracy that involved two of his deputies and their confidential informants.
The jury trial to permanently remove Kinney began Tuesday morning at the Hockley County Courthouse in Levelland.
Former Chief Deputy Gordon Bohannon and deputy Jose Jesus Quintanilla were arrested and indicted last summer for conspiracy to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of meth.
Moran took the stand following Kinney's testimony that began Tuesday morning and described a timeline of events from 2007 to 2009, starting from the arrest of Bobby Froman, founder of the Aces and Eights motorcycle gang, and two others in 2007 for possession of methamphetamine. Froman was arrested again last year and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison earlier this year.
Moran said he knew of and had evidence of Bohannon and Froman collaboration through recorded phone conversations and pictures, but did not tell anyone at the Hockley County sheriff's office because he did not trust anyone, including Kinney.
Moran said he withheld information from Kinney, but often shared details of the ongoing investigation with an unrelated individual, Kevin Davis, who is the current temporary Hockley County sheriff. At the time, Davis was a Medicaid fraud investigator for the attorney general.
While Lubbock prosecuting attorney George Thompson said Kinney should have acted on the rumors he had heard about Bohannon for the last 20 years, Hobson argued that Moran should have done something as well.
Hobson read the transcript of a conversation where Bohannon may have threatened Moran. However, Moran said he thought the former chief deputy was "just mouthing off like he normally does."
On the other hand, Thompson said everything from Kinney's lack of supervision of his deputies and his handling of the sheriff's office proves Kinney's incompetence.
Thompson listed complaints about Kinney's day-to-day operations such as warrants, burglary investigations, possession of sawed-off firearms, fee reports, storage of hazardous materials and the sheriff office's property room. However, Kinney said in all his years as sheriff, neither district attorney Gary Goff or county attorney Christopher Dennis complained about how Kinney ran his office.
When asked to think back on what happened and the decisions he made, Kinney said, "If I knew what I know now, I would have fired Bohannon a long time ago."
Hobson argued the burglary and warrant complaints were brought up only two weeks ago, not in August when Kinney was temporarily suspended.
Kinney said he had followed the law, did not endanger the lives of Hockley County residents and did nothing he should not have done.
The trial will continue Thursday morning.
To comment on this story:
firstname.lastname@example.com l 766-8795
email@example.com l 766-8706
First appeared on lubbockonline.com: 11 p.m. Wednesday.
HOCKLEY COUNTY/Officer Moran testifies he did not tell Kinney about drug conspiracy


text:
Starting a business isn't the easiest thing in the world. This is a big part of the reason why most people never make the attempts to fulfill their dreams of owning there own business. You will need to put in a good amount of time and effort into this in order to find the success that you desire. Will it be worth it? Absolutely! But it's important that you understand what you need to do before you begin.
Another major reason why people never start is because of fear. The fear of losing their investment. This is generally due to a poor choice of product or service. One of the best things that you can do before jumping into anything is research the market and find out what people want. With the help of the internet this is really a simple thing to do. You just need to know what you have to do.
Rule number one is never try to create your own market. It takes millions of dollars to do this, and most of the time it's still impossible. All you need to do is tap into an existing market. They are easy to uncover online.
You will find that there are services that you can use that will help you to find this out without spending a large amount of money. It's highly suggested that you take advantage of them. This one of the most beneficial services for any new or existing business. It's called AskDatabase. You just create a campaign asking questions to your market and getting instant feedback. Of course there is a little more too it than just that. This is the basic information, and to get people to the page you will need to buy Adwords traffic. Visit both askdatabase.com and google.com/adwords to learn more about these services. They are definitely worth the money.


text: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS Everyone has certain basic rights, no matter who is president NOVEMBER 10, 2016 By now everyone knows that Donald Trump has been elected president of the United States and will begin to serve his term in January 2017. No matter who is president, everyone living in the U.S. has certain basic rights under the U.S. Constitution. Undocumented immigrants have these rights, too. It is important that we all assert and protect our basic rights. If you find you have to deal with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other law enforcement officers at home, on the street, or anywhere else, remember that you have the rights described in this factsheet. The factsheet also provides suggestions for what you should do to assert your rights. You have the right to remain silent. You may refuse to speak to immigration officers. Don't answer any questions. You may also say that you want to remain silent. Don't say anything about where you were born or how you entered the U.S. Carry a know-your-rights card and show it if an immigration officer stops you. The card explains that you will remain silent and that you wish to speak with an attorney. Do not open your door. To be allowed to enter your home, ICE must have a warrant signed by a judge. Do not open your door unless an ICE agent shows you a warrant. (They almost never have one.) If an ICE agent wants to show you a warrant, they can hold it against a window or slide it under the door. To be valid, the warrant must have your correct name and address on it. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! If you are stopped by immigration or the police: Hand this card to the officer, and remain silent. The card explains that you are exercising your right to refuse to answer any questions until you have talked with a lawyer. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Please be informed that I am choosing to exercise my right to remain silent and my right to refuse to answer your questions. If I am detained, I request to contact an attorney immediately. I am also exercising my right to refuse to sign anything until I consult with my attorney. Thank you. N A T I O N A L I M M I G R A T I O N L A W C E N T E R | W W W . N I L C . O R G Everyone Has Certain Basic Rights, No Matter Who Is President PAGE 2 of 3 You do not need to open the door to talk with an ICE agent. Once you open the door, it is much harder to refuse to answer questions. You have the right to speak to a lawyer. You can simply say, "I need to speak to my attorney." You may have your lawyer with you if ICE or other law enforcement questions you. Before you sign anything, talk to a lawyer. ICE may try to get you to sign away your right to see a lawyer or a judge. Be sure you understand what a document actually says before you sign it. Always carry with you any valid immigration document you have. For example, if you have a valid work permit or green card, be sure to have it with you in case you need to show it for identification purposes. Do not carry papers from another country with you, such as a foreign passport. Such papers could be used against you in the deportation process. If you are worried ICE will arrest you, let the officer know if you have children. If you are the parent or primary caregiver of a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is under age 18, ICE may "exercise discretion" and let you go. Because Donald Trump has made many anti-immigrant statements, ICE and other law enforcement officers may think they can get away with violating your rights. Sometimes ICE officers lie to people in order to get them to open their doors or sign away their rights. If ICE detains you or you are concerned that they will conduct raids in your area, this is what you can do: Create a safety plan. Memorize the phone number of a friend, family member, or attorney that you can call if you are arrested. If you take care of children or other people, make a plan to have them taken care of if you are detained. Keep important documents such as birth certificates and immigration documents in a safe place where a friend or family member can access them if necessary. Make sure your loved ones know how to find you if you are detained by ICE. They can use ICE's online detainee locator (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/homePage.do) to find an adult who is in immigration custody. Or they can call the local ICE office (https://www.ice.gov/contact/ero). Make sure they have your alien registration number written down, if you have one. N A T I O N A L I M M I G R A T I O N L A W C E N T E R | W W W . N I L C . O R G Everyone Has Certain Basic Rights, No Matter Who Is President PAGE 3 of 3


text:
Pray for my grandson and the whole family
|Submitted By:
|Prayer Request:
|Please pray for my grandson who is 27 years of age. He is depressed and tired. Chronic fatigue syndrome. He has conact with healthcare. Pray for his mother and father too. Pray also for me his grandmother. Pray for forgivness and love in the family.
Thank you in advance.
We live in Oslo, Norway.


text:
Warrior Crunch | Best tasting protein bar review 2019
In my latest video I worked with Warrior Supplements to find out what makes the best tasting protein bar, and review their Warrior Crunch protein bar!
Cold showers every day for 30 days challenge
So I decided to try taking a cold shower every day for 30 days. I've heard about a lot of potential benefits of having cold showers and cold shower therapy, so I wanted to it for myself.
Getting a low a low body fat percentage and maintaining it | Strive Mindset Ep 3
In this episode of the Strive Mindset Podcast, I'm joined by Matthew Hogan from M1Life. Matt spent 6 months training and dieting to get below 10% body fat, and now maintains a single digit body fat percentage year round.
Josh Brolin | Cable workout and diet for Deadpool 2 transformation
This post covers the details of the Josh Brolin's transformation into Cable for the new Deadpool 2 movie, including his workout/training regime and his diet.
Alicia Vikander training & diet for Tomb Raider 2018
Find out how Alicia gained 12 lbs of muscle and got in amazing shape to play Lara Croft in the 2018 Tomb Raider movie, with help from trainer Magnus Lygdback.
Weight Loss Mini Series – Episode 5 – Final Check in
I've finally made it to the end of the 10 weeks for my weight loss mini series, and overall I'm happy with how it all went and the results. I think I've found what works well for me personally, and this was the easiest weight…
Weight Loss Mini Series – Episode 4 – Supplements
In episode 2 of my weight loss mini series I covered the nutrition protocol I was using, but I didn't mention any of the supplements I used. A couple of people asked what products I use, so I thought I would cover it in a…
Weight Loss Mini Series – Episode 3 – Training
This is episode 3 of my 10-week mini series, covering my weight loss journey to get into shape for my holiday. At this point I am now 7 weeks in, and I'm making good progress. I have lost 11.5 lbs so far (starting weight was…
Weight Loss Mini Series – Episode 2 – Nutrition
It's now been 4 weeks since the first episode of my weight loss mini-series, so it seemed like a good time for an update. First of all, I weighed in at 193 lbs which is a total weight loss of 5 lbs. This is 1.2…
The 4-minute workout that replaces 1 hour in the gym
Recently I was browsing through the trending videos on YouTube, and I came across a video titled "The 4-minute workout that can replace 1 hour in the gym". Assuming that this was just a link bait title that would go on to explain that actually…


text: Life is hard in general, regardless of your background… …For me, social work breathing down my neck, being in a care home, being homeless, experiencing mental health issues, as well as getting in trouble with police, made it extra hard. When I was rebellious, this was a way of preventing me from feeling vulnerable and from feeling emotions which inevitably caused negative effects throughout […] Read more Our wakeup call: A disappointing increase in offence referrals We felt the need to write this blog following the publication of the Scottish Children's Reporters Administration (SCRA) Annual Statistics, which show an increase in the number of offence referrals made for young people. Rather than use the old clichéd disclaimer about statistics, let's say that statistics paint a picture, and it is for us […] Read more Critical Junctures The support I received as a looked after child at home was minimal. I was visited by a community police officer, an earnest young man with no training around youth work, who told me to behave myself once a week for a month or so. On reflection, this may have had a positive impact had […] Read more Pink socks I hate personal disclosures, which is rather unfortunate in this field of work, as we all need them. They remind me of pink socks; a constant reminder of that one time you accidently let a red sock sneak into the washing machine with your white ones. This doesn't make you a bad person. It doesn't […] Read more Dual Diagnosis in Scottish prisons According to statistics published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, mental health issues affect as many as 9 out of 10 prisoners. The Hughes Report quotes that 70% of all prisoners have combined mental health and substance misuse problems, meaning that 70% of prisoners suffer from 'dual diagnosis'. Dual diagnosis is the combination of a […] Read more Blue Sky Thinking In whichever situation you work as a practitioner, when sitting across from a young person who is involved in crime, what are you thinking? Often, our heads are filled up with words such as crime, offender, recidivism, risk, NEET, ACE, ASSET etc. When considering young people's futures, we are often limited to thinking of the […] Read more A Walk Down Their Street For those of you who do not know about 'The Street', then all I can say is you are missing out, and you need to get that sorted. I had been hoping for an opportunity to visit the Street project since I first heard about it three years ago, and a few weeks ago I […] Read more Look, Listen The last few years have been a year of firsts. The first baby boxes. The first independent Root & Branch review of our care system. We're the first country to ban the physical punishment of our children. Latterly, the world's first Year of Young People. I also want this year to have another first. The […] Read more Pigeonholing Article 12 of the UNCRC states that nation states have a duty to listen to the views of young people, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or any other characteristic. In this blog, Lizzie Coutts of Positive Prison? Positive Futures talks about her involvement in a project which aims to support young people with experience of […] Read more Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 … 16 17 18 Next


text:
My daughter's school went into lockdown today after a weapon was apparently found in the high school that shares the middle school building. I drove by to see how serious it was. Not much going on when I arrived. Not sure if it was more active before I arrived. I was just getting ready to pull out to pick up my son at his school when I got pinned in by an ambulance and fire truck...uggghh! So, figured since I was stuck there, I might as well do something useful. This is certainly not much of a news photo...largely because it wasn't much of a news event. Still, it's the first even semi-news photo I've taken in...geez, a while (to be specific) :–)
In the photo are the first two non-official people to leave the building after the lockdown was lifted, along with a Denver police officer in the foreground. Thought I'd share because...well, just because!


text:
Indeed it was!
I was simply browsing the internet one day when I hit a website with a powerful PowerPoint presentation. The presentation was no sales pitch. It was after all a detailed advice on how to transform my life.
The first thought that struck me:
Okay, I will be honest, the first few minutes of the presentation were ingloriously spent laughing at the person who may have made it. The pitch was so convincing that I had felt that I was being brainwashed into the sign up into the software. And I logged out immediately lest I got influenced at all.
But something kept drawing me back to it!
Must be destiny, I realize in the hindsight. There was this thing at the back of my mind that it is after all $250 and even f I happen to lose the money I can easily afford to call it as a learning curve.
So, you realize, I was torn into two. One side of me was being extremely adventurous and asking me to sign up, the consequences of what would be seen later. The other part of me was asking me to keep my guard closely because I was aware in fact about the innumerable scam sites that were out to dupe the naïve traders.
I most definitely didn't want to be one amongst them!
I am quite sporty by nature. And also I have my heart in the right place. So, I am not too drawn to emotions. The moment I started seeing this presentation, it gave me jitters no doubt but I was analyzing it more deeply than what it was on the surface. God forbid, if I had chosen the wrong software and indeed lost y $250, I would not have wanted to sit here holding my head. I'd rather treat it like a learning curve and move on in life! Yes, this is how I have always been.
But I eventually bit the bait:
And I am more glad than sorry about it! Gee! Not that I didn't lose any money but for the amount of money that I earned as profit and the experience that I gathered trading online more than made up for the losses. This is trading and it is fraught with risks. If you are averse to losing then this is not your cup of tea but the fact that you are trading, you understand the caveat that this is a high-risk venture and you cannot cry over something that is over and above your control.
You can continue reading here or follow this link to go to my personal blog on online trading where I tell you my story with pictures of my trading browser and explain the nitty-gritty of online trading. It's simple and it's lucid. So, what are we waiting for?


text:
BERLIN — The European financial crisis has shown signs of reigniting in recent days, sharpening the debate between the champions of austerity and a growing chorus urging more expansionary policies to promote growth.
Even the traditionally hard-line International Monetary Fund called on Tuesday for stronger European nations to ease the fiscal brakes by stretching out budget cuts over a longer period. But if that message was intended foremost for Germany, it seemed destined to fall on deaf ears: with two state elections coming up next month, Chancellor Angela Merkel is unlikely to shift her position, popular with voters, against additional help for the economies of struggling European partners.
"We don't see the need that perhaps other countries see to boost growth through additional increases in expenditures," said a senior official in the German Finance Ministry, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
"Instead, we see quite clearly, and will remind our partners about their responsibilities from Toronto," the official said, referring to commitments made at the Group of 20 summit meeting in June 2010, "to cut their deficits in half and stabilize their debt levels." At the same time, the official said that Germany hoped other countries would join in increasing the International Monetary Fund's resources to help it combat the crisis.
Politics as much as economics is adding to the sense of uncertainty in Europe. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, who is trailing the Socialist candidate François Hollande in the polls before the first round of the presidential election on Sunday, has joined his opponent in promoting pro-growth policies. In Greece, nationalist anti-German fringe parties are gaining strength ahead of next month's parliamentary election.Continue reading the main story
The German state elections may not directly affect the federal government in Berlin, but they distract from Continent-wide concerns and crisis management while thrusting parochial issues to the forefront. The German government does not have a mandate to share further the burden of the common currency on less competitive economies like those of Greece, Portugal, Ireland and, increasingly, Spain and Italy.
What seems certain, however, is that the crisis will continue to fester until new measures are taken to address its root causes. Borrowing costs for struggling southern European countries like Spain and Italy have begun to rise again as the effect of the European Central Bank's injection of about $1.3 trillion in cheap loans into the banking system in December and March has faded much faster than expected. The three-year loans were meant to buy time for struggling governments and financial institutions, but the breathing room appears likely to be measured in months rather than in years.
The recent shift has underscored that there have been no substantive fixes beyond promises by countries to reduce their budget deficits. "It looks like it's coming back with a vengeance, largely because none of the underlying problems have been solved," said Philip Whyte, a senior research fellow at the Center for European Reform.
Mr. Whyte said that despite two years of crisis management, the fundamental structure of the euro zone remained intact, with lower-productivity economies in the south yoked to higher-productivity economies in the north, which prevents the laggards from competing through a currency devaluation.
"The E.C.B. bought time, but what it ended up doing was simply tightening the link between national banks and their sovereigns," Mr. Whyte said. "They made the system more vulnerable if markets started losing faith in debt sustainability in countries like Spain."
Yields on Spain's 10-year bonds climbed above 6 percent on Monday, though they fell slightly on Tuesday after a successful auction of short-term debt by Spain's treasury. Spain has emerged as the central test this year after missing its deficit targets as it slips back into recession. The government in Madrid has had a difficult time reining in spending by the 17 regional governments.
A bailout of Spain would be much costlier than one for smaller economies like those of Greece, Portugal or Ireland, testing the resources of the euro zone countries. Many economists, particularly in the United States, have argued that Spain has to stimulate its economy with additional spending if it hopes to return to economic growth, an argument rejected by the German government.
In an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Tuesday, Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said she was concerned about the health of Spanish banks and warned against slashing spending too quickly. It is not a view shared here in the German capital.
In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Germany's finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, praised Spain for making difficult economic changes. "You don't win back trust overnight," Mr. Schäuble said, adding that Spain was following the right path by cutting spending. German officials have also recommended changes in labor markets as a longer-term strategy to promote growth.
As deficits balloon in countries across Europe, Germany continues to watch its deficits and financing costs fall. In another sign of Germany's recent strength, the Bundesbank said on Tuesday that the country's debt had fallen to 81.2 percent of gross domestic product in 2011, compared with 83 percent in 2010. That is still far above precrisis levels: in 2007, German debt was 65.2 percent of the size of the country's economy.
"The problem with the crisis in Germany is that we know we have a crisis, but we don't feel it," said Eckart D. Stratenschulte, a political scientist and the director of the nonprofit European Academy Berlin.
Even as the European Central Bank loans improved market conditions, European leaders, including Ms. Merkel, were clear that they did not believe that the crisis was over. Many in Germany argue that a sense of crisis — and the elevated borrowing costs that come with it — is necessary to end out-of-control spending in the heavily indebted nations and to push through the economic liberalization they need to restore growth.
But the higher borrowing costs and austerity measures cut into growth, critics say, lowering government revenues in a self-defeating downward spiral and leading to higher interest rates and further budget cuts. "It's concerning that the markets are again running out of patience and driving yields higher," said Thomas Mayer, chief economist at Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt. "That creates further head winds."
The I.M.F. on Tuesday raised its forecast for global growth slightly for the year. In Europe, the fund projected recovery in the second half of 2012, except for Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal, where substantial improvement is not expected until next year.
The crisis, Mr. Mayer said, is like "a manic depressive moving between euphoria and worries, and now we're in the valley of worries again."Continue reading the main story


text:
Do Not BUY "GreenLyte Forskolin" Until You Read This !
- 1 GreenLyte Forskolin Reviews:
- 2 What is GreenLyte Forskolin?
- 3 How Does GreenLyte Forskolin work?
- 4 GreenLyte Forskolin Ingredients.
- 5 GreenLyte Forskolin Side effect and GreenLyte Forskolin Benefits
- 6 GreenLyte Forskolin Pros
- 7 GreenLyte Forskolin Cons
- 8 Do I Advise GreenLyte Forskolin?
- 9 Where to Buy GreenLyte Forskolin?
GreenLyte Forskolin Reviews:
GreenLyte Forskolin: Bulky body weight always creates a problem especially for women out there. It stops attracting the attention of other people living in the society. Unnecessary weight shakes the level of self-confidence, composure and coolness among females due to those redundant fats and excessive calories building in their real body. Women with bulky body type face a lot of social problems and domestic issues which are immeasurable. One of the biggest problems for overweight girls is with their body size at certain boutiques. They cannot do the best body cleansing personally, so they do not look after their personal body care, hygiene and overall fitness level. All such problems are the obstacle for overweight women to enjoy a quality of life themselves. They are in search of the best weight loss remedy in this regard, which can help them in mitigating their excessive weight, without causing any harmful effects to their body, resistant system and overall wellbeing.
Have you ever considered implementing the best weight strategy? What is the most dependable and effective weight loss regime for women out there? If so, then have you ever mulled over applying GreenLyte Forskolin formula for your stable weight loss? GreenLyte Forskolin is amongst the most popular low-fat & slimming brands in the world today, as it is indeed a wholesome product and extracted from all potent, safe and natural Forskolin herbal plants. Is there any positive effect of using this herbal weight loss remedy for customers? Well, there is indeed many significant pros of using this GreenLyte Forskolin supplement particularly for women. This herbal weight loss remedy can be made available to the customers, users and shoppers in form of pills, lending a hand to them in reducing redundant fats and extra calories from their body and improving their holistic fitness. Simply, GreenLyte Forskolin hits hard to speed up metabolism rate of women, lending a hand to them in suppressing appetite and cremating extra calories from their body faster.
What is GreenLyte Forskolin?
When people talk about GreenLyte Forskolin, it is an adherent of Forskolin, as it is one of the most famous, scientifically approved and powerful herbs for healthy weight loss regime of women. The Forskolin herbal constituent can be also used for treating several other types of diseases and syndromes like asthma, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, anxiety, depression and so on. The GreenLyte Forskolin has been gaining a huge recognition and popularity amongst the clusters of juvenile women due to its symbolic ingredients throughout the United States of America.
It is really a magical product for women's healthy weight reduction process. Therefore, with the extensive usage of this fat loss supplement, you can combat against chronic obesity effortlessly. This supplementation process helps obese women in blocking their severe hunger for foods and beverages i.e. junk foods, snack foods, hot & spicy foods, oily & greasy foodstuffs, bakery items, chocolates, cold drinks, etc. In other words, it lends a hand to women in eradicating binge eating habits. Also, it plays a pivotal role in cremating redundant fats and useless calories from their bodies. Hence, GreenLyte Forskolin makes a strong impact to the metabolism, digestive and immune system of women, making them able to lose weight in a balanced way.
How Does GreenLyte Forskolin work?
GreenLyte Forskolin is a well-known and extremely useful herbal weight loss supplement out there today, as this weight loss formula has been crafted by using very high-quality, impressive and clinically proven substance called 'Forskolin', which is the best slimming agent. Reducing excessive fats and high levels of calories considerably, strengthening bones structure and enhancing natural energy levels in the body are the key features of Forskolin. Another significant feature of using Forskolin is that it helps obese men in regenerating new testosterone cells and tissues in their body. As a result, an improved testosterone production in the body helps them to obtain an increased metabolism. This herbal constituent also helps people in transforming their body tone, texture and complexion completely by burning excessive fats and redundant calories from their body.
Most nutritional supplements are made of topnotch quality ingredients, including vitamins, minerals, zinc and nutrients. The GreenLyte Forskolin supplement is manufactured by the weight loss experts after employing the same strategy in a scientifically established laboratory based in USA. The main objective of developing this formula is to make both men and women able to control severe appetite and burn down excessive calories for their balanced weight loss. That's why it stimulates a healthy energy production in your body, making you able to perform acrobatic exercises at gym and enjoy a vigorous lifestyle. The Forskolin is not only useful in your weight reduction processes, but it also controls the levels of cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure in your body. Plus, it helps users to prevent from irritable stomach bowel, asthma, stress, anxiety, mental fatigue and depression.
GreenLyte Forskolin Ingredients.
GreenLyte Forskolin formula has been crafted using 100% potent and herbal ingredients, lending a hand to both men and women in reviving an advanced level of energy, boosting body stamina, mitigating redundant fats & incinerating high calories, manipulating rapid metabolism, balancing cholesterol & high blood pressure volumes in body, regulating sugar levels in body and suppressing appetite. This can only happen due to the extensive usage of GreenLyte Forskolin ingredients for your stable weight loss. Let's continue to read below to know about the most valuable ingredients of this product:
- Green Forskolin – It is an organic blend of herbal plant extracts, lending a hand to the users in boosting their metabolism rate in the body and maintaining their body's internal heat levels. Thus, you will be able to burn more calories from your body instantly.
- Green Tea Extract – The biggest advantage of using green tea extract is to abolish the excessive fats and calories from the body of the users. Green tea extracts not only helps in losing weight faster, but it also aids in making a good impact on your brain, metabolism and digestion function.
- Fenugreek – Generally speaking, fenugreek seeds are useful for both men and women in restoring their metabolic function in a natural manner. This natural constituent increases the heat levels in your body, thereby making you able to lose weight faster than before.
- Garcinia Cambogia – This is such an amazing ingredient for users, because it helps to mitigate their extract body weight after burning the useless calories from their body. Today, Garcinia Cambogia is recognized one of the most effective slimming herbs for weight loss.
- Hydroxycitric Acid – If you are failed to suppress your appetite and terminate persistent calories from your own body, then Hydroxycitric Acid is the best constituent to regulate your weight naturally.
- Cumin Extracts – These herbal extracts and oils are very useful for people in losing their excessive weight and boosting their rapid metabolism, since cumin extract contains antioxidant prosperities itself. It makes a very good impact on the mood of the people.
- Antioxidants – Perhaps, the biggest advantage of antioxidants is that they will eradicate the toxic wastes, infection elements and contagions from the bodies of the users. Thus, they will help users in losing their bulky body weight effectively.
- Vitamins, Minerals & Nutrients – The most significant aspect about these ingredients is that they will fulfill the natural energy levels in the body of the users quickly, thereby making them able to perform healthy exercises at gym and to lose weight in a balanced way.
- Adenyl Cyclase – It is a key enzyme that is able to boost the digestive system in your body. The Adenyl Cyclase enzyme can be found in Forskolin herbal plant, which is a matchless ingredient to help boost your metabolism rate and weight loss process.
- Pomegranate Extract – Finally, GreenLyte Forskolin is crafted after using 95% of natural pomegranate extract in a clinically proven laboratory in USA. The pomegranate extract is extremely useful for you in eradiating toxins from your body, boosting metabolism rate faster, improving liver function rapidly and losing weight naturally.
GreenLyte Forskolin Side effect and GreenLyte Forskolin Benefits
While using GreenLyte Forskolin Weight Loss supplement, both men and women can grab plentiful benefits permanently:
- First of all, GreenLyte Forskolin formula helps customers and users in maintaining a balanced flow of blood in all parts of their body, without causing them any harmful consequences.
- It is pretty useful for males as well as females in maintaining an advanced level of metabolism rate in their body.
- It is greatly useful for you in killing extra fats, redundant calories, bad bacteria production, infections and toxins from your body on the spot.
- It gives you a real strength, energy, stamina and resistance throughout the body.
- It improves the levels of GI tract in human body.
- It creates a strong immune and digestive system in user's body.
- It helps the expected customers, users and shoppers in facilitating their weight loss process naturally.
- It is very advantageous product in controlling blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels in your body.
- It releases the symptoms of asthma as well.
- It releases the signs and symptoms of mental fatigue, anxiety and depression too.
- It makes a vigorous cardiovascular function in human body.
- It builds a strong mental toughness, endurance and motivation levels.
- It mainly helps young girls in developing a hot, sexy and ripped body figure.
- Lastly, GreenLyte Forskolin boosts the self-confidence and self-esteem levels of both men as well as women immediately.
GreenLyte Forskolin Pros
- Regulated flow of blood in human body
- Highly advanced metabolic, immune and digestion functions in body
- Faster removal of unwarranted fats and calories from body
- Elimination of toxins, bad bacteria and poisons from body
- Slimming body figure
- sexier body look
- Controlled blood sugar levels in body
- Controlled blood pressure levels
- Controlled cholesterol levels
- Reduced levels of anxiety
- Regained self-confidence
- Increased exposure
- Advanced cardio and brain functions
- Natural feeling to have a robust and celebrity look
GreenLyte Forskolin Cons
This is a valuable weight product that aims to make you fit and strong both physically as well as mentally. One of the most significant aspects about using GreenLyte Forskolin supplement is that it has 100% pure and lucrative ingredients, helping to both men as well as women in their natural weight loss process, without causing them any harmful consequences on their internal body parts and overall wellbeing. Especially, while using Forskolin formula, you will not experience any contagious element in your body, including fillers, additives, binders, etc. The usage of additive materials will certainly cause a severe harm to human body. So, you do not have to think about this at all. As far as purchasing is concerned, it is only possible for you to snatch this weight loss supplement from its affiliated health website online at a bargain price.
Do I Advise GreenLyte Forskolin?
Hi Guys! I am Angelina Smith working as a housewife and living in beautiful state of Texas. I was very conscious about my growing weight a few years ago. I was used to eating snack food regularly that led me to undergo chronic obesity eventually. I had an enormous craving for junk foods. Suddenly, it converted into binge eating disorder. My body weight was increasing at a rapid pace. I was extremely embarrassed, irritated and depressed due to my rapidly increasing weight. Believe me, obesity shattered my level of self-confidence to a great extent. I had no hope in my life and my lifestyle was totally traumatized. Then, someone told me to try out GreenLyte Forskolin formula for weight reduction process. Believe me, it worked very well for me and that's why I am very happy, pleased and satisfied with life now. GreenLyte Forskolin helped me to lose 6kg weight every month. Those who are undergoing chronic obesity, I would highly recommend them to experience GreenLyte Forskolin for once to lose weight in just 30 days.
Where to Buy GreenLyte Forskolin?
GreenLyte Forskolin is available exclusively on its official website page today. You cannot purchase this product from any offline shopping store, retailers, dealers and distributors. The interested customers can only buy the Best GreenLyte Forskolin from its legally registered website online at a bargain price, offering 90-days money back guarantee and free trial facility for the new customers.


text:
We are a group of medical laboratory scientists around the world, we are here to help people clear confusion before going to the doctor's office.
All information have written in this website are:
From laboratory professionals who are engaged in everyday processing of clinical data and deal with patients like you, having said that, be reassured.
Aren't instead of the doctor consultation.
For people understanding and not enough for medical students.
If you're a colleague just come to your most relevant and growing community where you can enhance your knowledge of laboratory science with real cases.


text: I had a blast photographing Rachel and Connor's wedding on Saturday. Hands down, they were one of the most positive, kind, encouraging couples I've ever photographed. They kept their spirits up after hours in the hot sun and truly enjoyed their entire wedding day. I LOVE to see a bride and groom relaxed and happy, thrilled to simply be beside their Person. It's fantastic. So thanks, Rachel and Connor, for being truly beautiful, inside and out <3 If you're in the market for a photographer for your own wedding check out more of my work here! Then head on over to my contact page to shoot me a message :)


text:
Free Delivery Over £25
Low Price Guarantee
Toys From Only 25p
Product Info >
Name: PAW PATROL STICKER FUN
PoundToy Price: £1
Delivery: £2.99 - Free UK Delivery on all orders over £25
Age Suitability: 3+
Go completely Paw Patrol mad and put stickers everywhere with this Paw Patrol Sticker Fun set. Add some colour and fun to any craft project to create amazing Paw Patrol scenes and pictures. These sticker sheets feature all your favourite characters, perfect for fans of the hit Paw Patrol TV show to put on books, pencil cases, drawings and accessories. The sticker set also includes Marshall, Chase and Rubble bookmarks! For children aged 3 and above.
- Paw Patrol Stickers
- 5 sticker sheets
- Go online and print off your own paw patrol picture
- Includes bookmarks


text:
Job seekers can find their way to employment through the local network of Workforce Solutions Alamo Career Centers, which offer a wide array of no-cost workforce services. Whether jobseekers are unemployed and looking to reconnect to the workplace or employed and looking for a career change, the Workforce Solutions Alamo Career Centers have something for everyone.
Job seeker services include:
Each Career Center features a self-service resource room with everything needed for a successful job search. Here job seekers will find up-to-date job postings, access to computers and the Internet, resume-writing software, copiers, printers and telephones. They can create a resume, print it and fax it to potential employers.
Below, you will find an interactive map that includes all career center locations within the Workforce Solutions Alamo Board region. Place the cursor over each career center location for more information.
Address: 221 Friendship Lane
City: Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
Phone: 830.481.0088
Fax: 830.257.3181
Hours: Tues:9-4 , closed for lunch from 12-1 & W:1-4
Get A Map
Address: 702 Buck Creek
City: Bandera, Texas 78003
Phone: 830.796.6164
Fax: 830.796.7387
Hours:Mon, Tues, Wed 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., office will be closed from 12-1 p.m. for lunch
Get A Map
Address: 1700 Sidney Baker, Suite 500
City: Kerrville, TX 78028
Phone: 830.257.3171
Fax: 830.257.3181
Hours: M-F:8-5 Get A Map
Address: 402 Carter Street
City: Hondo, TX 78861
Phone: 830.426.8111
Fax: 830.426.3611
Hours: MF:8-5
Get A Map
Address: 1500 E. Court Street, Suite 444
City: Seguin, Texas 78155
Phone: 830.379.4244
Fax: 830.379.3102
Hours: M-F:8-5
Get A Map
Address: 1411 Bensdale
City: Pleasanton, TX 78064
Phone: 830.569.4702
Fax: 830.281.6629
Hours: M-F:8-5
Get A Map
Address: 1414 E. Blanco, Ste. 10A
City: Boerne, TX 78006
Phone: 830.249.9229
Fax: 830.249.2993
Hours: M-F:8-5, closed from 12-1 for lunch
Get A Map
Address: 107 E. Hackberry
City: Pearsall, TX 78061
Phone: 830.334.4464
Fax: 830.334.4644
Hours: M-F:8-5
Get A Map
Address: 1106 10th Street, Ste. C
City: Floresville, TX 78114
Phone: 830.393.0405
Fax: 830.393.0502
Hours: M-F:8-5
Get A Map
Address: 491 N. Sunset Strip #107
City: Kenedy, TX 78119
Phone: 830.583.3332 Fax: 830.583.9118
Hours:M-F:8-5, closed 12-1 for lunch
Get A Map
Address: 183 IH 35 South
City: New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: 830.629.2010
Fax: 830.624.1926
Hours: M-F:8-5
Get A Map
Address: TBD
City: Tilden, TX
Phone: TBD
Fax: TBD
Hours: TBD
Get A Map


text:
Great article ..
Courtesy Prof Edward Hess, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, US.
Helps to understand what we usually call by innovation, why innovation is not that common and why people are afraid of applying innovation in their work environments.
The author from Uty of Virginia Darden School of Business tells that by removing the fear of failure and looking at failures as learning opportunities,by instilling a culture of "idea meritocracy", an innovation environment can be created in organisations.
Idea meritocracy means ideas are discussed for their merit and not on who raised it. This was considered to be one of the reasons for the success of ISRO as has been mentioned by one of their senior scientists, P. Kunhikrishnan, while giving a talk at Alliance University, Bangalore.
As Prof Hess mentions, humility, empathy and devaluation of the heirarchical rank were critical to making the new culture of innovation to work in an organisation. Creating the right organisational environment, which fosters critical thinking, innovative thinking irrespective of the heirarchy is crucial to success of an innovation programme.


text:
Today, IT departments are looking for Enterprise print management solutions that can overcome the challenges above for both front-end printing and back-end printing environments. Front-end printing refers to when users go through a standard Windows print experience and they can choose printers/preferences. Back-end printing is when users go through a print experience dictated by the application software where they have limited or no choice of printers and preferences.
Your browser is not supported.
This website will not run properly on this browser. To use the site, update to one of these modern browsers:
Google Chrome › Recommended


text:
4:35 pm
September 2, 2011
Core of Corruption is a documentary film series which details a comprehensive investigation into clandestine intelligence operations and conspiracies. The project is surfacing exclusive whistle blowers, insiders and critical evidence for the very first time. Over 2,000 hours of credible network news clips have been surfaced for this ground breaking event, most of which have never been seen since they aired and have never been available on the internet. Some of the video news segments for this project, when requested from the networks, were denied access to and corporate representatives would say that the information sought does not exist or has been misplaced. Someone doesn't want the public to see these stories, that when put together, establish a conspiracy of the magnitude that could change the way one views the world. Countless millions of people are being manipulated and lied to by a network of individuals within government that work on behalf of private interests. The individuals were involved in the
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... tion+movie
Most Users Ever Online: 288
Currently Online:
39 Guest(s)
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
greeney2: 10313
bionic: 9870
Lashmar: 5289
tigger: 4576
rath: 4297
DIss0n80r: 4161
sandra: 3858
frrostedman: 3815
Wing-Zero: 3278
Tairaa: 2842
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 2
Members: 24838
Moderators: 0
Admins: 2
Forum Stats:
Groups: 8
Forums: 31
Topics: 9102
Posts: 124411
Newest Members:Cynthia, JAMES, besthomefurniturebrands, hendersontillman, Ken, Wayne Walker, dat2509, gunnar, william wallace, Jan
Administrators: John Greenewald: 640, blackvault: 1776


text:
Kusina De Manila, a Goat-To Restaurant/
Adobong kambing . . . papaitan . . . kalderetang kambing . . . kilawing kambing . . . How can anybody resist? You can Google the entire world, and you will never find a restaurant like this!
Kapampangans are renowned for being great cooks in the Philippines. But when it comes to goat dishes, the Michelin star goes to Ilocanos—hands down! How can the Kapampangans object? The bragging rights belong to Ilocanos because they originated delicious goat dishes in the Philippines. They are pros in every itty-bitty molecule that the almighty goat has to offer.
Goat dishes are popular among Ilocanos. But they are usually served on special occasions, like parties. The availability of goat dishes in beer houses and roadside restaurants in the Philippines reinforces the idea that goat dishes are ordinary. But why not celebrate the ordinary? Kusina De Manila then is a trailblazer in elevating goat dishes to a fine-dining experience.
When you enter Kusina De Manila, you are transported to an elegant ambience. There are murals depicting Philippine scenery, and live music is in the air.
Owners Winston and Mary Sevilla have always dreamt of having a presentable Filipino restaurant. They also realized that to bring in customers, appearance is insufficient unless the food is delightful.
"We decided to establish the restaurant in our own neighborhood," Winston tells me. "In that way, we can have Kusina De Manila as an extension of our home."
The live music enhances the dining experience at Kusina De Manila. What gave the Sevillas the idea of live music? "My mother-in-law, Guia Yapyangco Sevilla, owned a music school on the second floor before we established the restaurant," Mary explains. So, it was natural that the restaurant became an extension of the school. That also explains why we have talents for live music." In addition, their daughters, Natasha and Natalie, play violin and piano, respectively.
Red-snapper delight and bangus sisig are also popular dishes at Kusina De Manila. But who is the behind the culinary delights, especially the scrumptious goat dishes?
An Ilocano—of course! Chef Niel Salvatera, who is originally from San Fernando, La Union, mastered the art of cooking on the job. And to think, he only knew how to cook survival Filipino foods when he left the Philippines. "I learned how to cook from my mother," he recalls. "I cooked adobo and pinakbet—nothing special. Being in the culinary world never entered my mind."
Pure serendipity brought him to where he is now! His first job on a cruise ship was as a galley cleaner. After a week, he moved up to being a prep cook. Then, assistant cook, third cook . . . He was assigned in the soup-and-vegetable section, cold section, grill section, et cetera . . . et cetera . . .
In the U. S., Salvatera worked in hotels, resorts, restaurants, including a Filipino restaurant in Chicago.
Now, Kusina De Manila is his world, and he will not stop at achieving excellence. He observes customers and listens to their comments. "I can't say our Filipino dishes are virtually authentic," he elaborates. "We make modifications as needed." Taste is acquired. The bitterness and sourness in pinapaitan, for example, can intimidate the uninitiated. As such, it is the role of Salvatera to make it inviting, if not appealing.
Kusina De Manila offers the best in food, service and atmosphere. The dining experience is superlative! And Chef Niel Salvatera is there to make it happen. So come on in!
For Kusina De Manila's Goat Papaitan recipe, please visit:
The author wishes to thank Almira Astudillo Gilles, Ph.D., for her assistance in the interview.
Kusina De Manila
632 West Algonquin Road, Suite 100-101
Des Plaines, IL 60016
Tel. (847) 378-8838
Website : www.kusinademanila.com
E-mail address: firstname.lastname@example.com
Rey E. de la Cruz, Ed.D., Positively Filipino correspondent, writes from Chicagoland when he is not loving the arts and traveling. He is the author of the children's book, Ballesteros on My Mind: My Hometown in the Philippines, which also has Ilocano, Spanish, and Tagalog versions.
More articles from Rey E. de la Cruz


text:
Pedro Salinas Brito, 44
Pedro Salinas Brito, a 44-year-old Latino, was fatally shot by a security guard on Monday, Oct. 1, in the 400 block of West Lumber Street in Lancaster, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.
Brito and another man walked into a video gaming business around 12:45 a.m. wearing dark masks and wielding hatchets, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Scott Hoglund.
The business' licensed security guard believed they were planning a robbery, Hoglund said, and "in fear of his life" he fired his weapon, striking Brito.
The other robber then fled, Hoglund said.
Brito was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:05 a.m., according to coroner's records. The cause of death was listed as multiple gunshot wounds.
Hoglund said the security guard was questioned but not detained or arrested. No one else was injured, he said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.


text:
Tupelo in Lee County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
Battle of Tupelo
The Western Campaign, 1864
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Location. 34° 15.336′ N, 88° 44.207′ W. Marker is in Tupelo, Mississippi, in Lee County. Marker is at the intersection of West Main Street (U.S. 278) and Monument Drive, on the right when traveling east on West Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Tupelo MS 38804, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow Battle of Tupelo (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle of Ackia (approx. 0.9 miles away); Lee County Library (approx. 1½ miles away); Robins Field / High School Football During Segregation (approx. 1.6 miles away); Chickasaw Village Site (approx. 1.6 miles away); In Commemoration of Hernando De Soto (approx. 1.6 miles away); Tupelo Baptist Church / Kind Treatment for the Wounded (approx. 1.6 miles away); First Presbyterian Church (USA) (approx. 1.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tupelo.
Regarding Battle of Tupelo. Tupelo National Battlefield (NB) is a one-acre monument located on Main Street, Tupelo, Mississippi. Main Street in Tupelo is also known as Highway 6 and Highway 278. Tupelo NB sits on the south side of Main Street on the west side of Tupelo. Exit off the Natchez Trace Parkway onto Highway 6 (near Milepost 260), head east, into Tupelo. Travel one mile east and find Tupelo NB on the right side of Main Street. There is limited parking available adjacent to the monument.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Battle of Tupelo by Markers.
Also see . . .
1. Tupelo Battlefield. National Park Service (Submitted on March 31, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)
2. The Battle of Tupelo,. Fought within the limits of the modern city of Tupelo, the critical engagement helped assure the success of Sherman's Atlanta Campaign by diverting the attention of the Confederacy's "Wizard of the Saddle," Nathan Bedford Forrest. (Submitted on January 21, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)
Additional keywords. USCT, U.S. Colored Troops
Categories. • War, US Civil •
More. Search the internet for Battle of Tupelo.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on March 31, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,877 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on March 30, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 2, 3. submitted on July 24, 2015, by Karl Stelly of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 4. submitted on September 27, 2015, by Brandon Fletcher of Chattanooga, Tennessee. 5. submitted on June 18, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.


text:
Sun quincunx Mercury
Difficult communication
You two have likely found that you're at odds in the way you think, communicate and approach life in general. You're just such different people, with personality traits that seem to be in conflict. You naturally possess a more forceful, dominant personality than your partner, and could find their more introverted or cautious approach to life to be a hindrance to your naturally high energy.
They could feel overwhelmed by your seemingly aggressive communication style, and might respond by retreating into a protective shell that cuts off any possibility for understanding. It's likely that you're both more attuned to the differences between you than the similarities, and to the qualities you don't like in one another rather than the qualities you respect or appreciate. This is simply a natural, if unfortunate, focus for you two. But this relationship between you could also have an overall positive effect -- it forces you to examine your own natures and make conscious changes in the ways you meet the world. For example, you, who are the more dominant partner, could learn that your style of communication really is sometimes too harsh or aggressive for more sensitive types, and could learn to tone it down; and your more reserved partner could learn to broaden their mind and assert their personality in a more positive way.


text: Amanda and Mike are two of the coolest people you will ever meet. As soon as we met, we instantly clicked! I am very happy to call them my friends now, which is one thing I love about doing what I do. I love shooting couples and developing a beautiful new friendship! I had the privilege of shooting their wedding just a few weeks ago in Wilmington. Those photos will be coming to the blog soon! In the meantime, enjoy these lovely engagement photos!


text:
I am doing just that. The only problem you will have with this platform is if you try to scalp the 4 digit quotes. Except that, I have tried every other strategies including the use of two EAs. No issues.
Is anybody on this thread able to withdraw a bonus from profiforex? I want to get the 500% bonus
I am yet to test the bonus. As a new trader with this broker, there is alot to test. Actually, I automatically have a funded account after a 5th position on the demo contest… :59:
I never opened an account with a broker but when trading using forex robot does not run at all
I have withdrawn a few bonus up to 200 bucks. I accumulated for up to 2 weeks. You should understand that bonus is not available for withdraw the instant you get it. It is give to you as you trade, more like you are being given some money for each trade that you make. You have to go to the bonus section after login in to be able to convert the bonus into your main account balance, and from there you can withdraw it.
Tested my first robot on this broker mt4. It ran smoothly. Don't run a scalping EA it is not allowed.
What is the name of your robot? and how is it working out for you
I once used this OWL robot on free testing, worked good for a while but started recorded some loss. I had to remove it completely. Do you mind sharing your experience with your EA?
It is called signal step. I bought it last year and installed it on the Profiforex mt4. It trades only the EURUSD, USDJPY and GBPUSD major pairs. Its performance has dropped over the past few months and I am looking for a replacement. I would not recommend it for now.
I have tried to find information on the OWL robot you mentioned, but nothing. I only found OWL for binary option signal. Can I get a link or where I can see the OWL you speak of?
I am not able to get you a link because I don't recall the forum anymore. I got it from a guy on one of these Robot forums. He wanted volunteers to test the EA. I still have the raw file, I can send to you if you want it.
You should check out the new ECN spreads, they are so low compared to other spreads. I have been monitoring how much the spreads expands during news releases or spikes, it does not widen. I was trading the GBPUSD during the time Fed spoke about interest rate hike last month, and USD went on a short rally, the spreads was still on 0.6. It is really low.
Hello, I think I need help with investing on PAMM account. It seems like profiforex offers this because I see a watch list on my dashboard after login in. But there is no instruction on how to invest or follow a trader. Does anyone have an idea or has been able to invest?
I have seen this too, but was not interested in investing at that time. I think should contact customer care and ask all the right questions before putting your money. From the trader monitor I can some guys are controlling huge amount of money up $300k in one account.
That link is no long available from my end. There was a time I invested, but I was not making much profit so I withdraw my capital plus profit and I decided to trade by myself. Now I don't see the link to invest anymore. Maybe it has been moved to a different page. You should ask online support if you are serious about it.
My personal recommendation is to stay away from Seychelles. I come from the brokerage industry and there are reasons why we stay away from such countries when opening a brokerage. Your money deserves better protection.
Look for more heavily regulated brokers, it may be tougher at the start but over the long run, you will greatly benefit.
Profiforex does not pay interest to me. Unless you are talking about Swap, don't expect to be paid interest for keeping money on your account. Some brokers do pay interest on accounts but that is when the account is not in use.
I joined the contest but do not know the rules yet. Is anyone participating in these contests?
Check the Menu. The rules are there on the contest page. I participated twice in this contest. Once you win a price, you are not allowed to participate again using that same account.
I have a profiforex micro account with some funds in it. Is it possible to convert a micro account to a standard account? Share how to if anyone of you has done it. I need to trade in standard lots or else open a new account and transfer funds
It is not possible to convert a micro account to a standard account. The best thing for you to do is open a new standard account and transfer the funds from your micro account it. Check the withdraw page and select from the payment options "Account to account transfer". Should be easy
The beginner's guide to FX trading


text:
The Most Disregarded Fact Regarding Free of charge Website Exposed
Ultimately you won't have to post with your about your internet site again. You will also require a lot of website hosting so that you can `rent' space on the web. If you're trying to establish a bit of small business web-site, a web-based photography profile or even just a personal blog, almost anyone will discover how to produce a completely free site utilizing simple Internet capabilities.
Many create a web site, and wonder ways to utilize it. A website is a rather important marketing and advertising tool for any home based or perhaps small company. Apart from the top five sites listed above, a few couple additional trustworthy sites which likewise supply cost-free web forms.
Your Website The cornerstone for your internet business is definitely your site. This website also will have as much as 100 absolutely free email accounts that can use the website's domain name. When you have finished working on your site, Workplace Live instantly updates the net edition belonging to the website. Building your private internet dating webpage is a fantastic approach to acquire an additional money online.
If you've at any time wondered how you can earn a website from scratch without needing the internet growth skills to do it, you'll be very happy to know that together with the tools readily available nowadays, it's totally feasible quite easy to accomplish. If your site is completely custom the simplest thing to do is by using a File Copy Protocol program and physically download your site to your COMPUTER. All sites look (more or less) the exact same in a cell variation. Websites, that happen to be utilized to advertise and focus on companies and the services and products they provide, are now outnumbered by personal sites, which can be hosted and maintained without cost by numerous domains. You'll be able for you to create this sort of websites to focus on the particular words and offer inlinks to the main site. You can decide to start out with a free or low-cost website out of a corporation which features everything rookies will need to start off.
If you're likely to build a site for your company, you might have already been prompted to take the least expensive route and go for pre-built web page or web page templates. The only ways to create a fresh website free of charge is to use a current domain. Then you certainly will need to learn how to monetize your web blog. A website is merely one of the best marketing tools that you're competent to get to your small business. Building a site has to have a high level of technical understanding, and you should become adept at encoding languages. And so you're finally ready to start a site for your organization! There are sure sites which request money in in an attempt to supply job which actually authentic small enterprise choice in any respect.
A couple of years earlier, people who desired to create a webpage had two options. It has the unrealistic the moment folks declare they want a site, but they shouldn't devote any cash on it. A website is the face of your organization in the digital world apart from to make it is presence believed on the internet, but you have to properly maximize it. Every websites happen to be constructed employing templates as well as some site writing tools and packages consist of templates. With a completely free internet site builder, that you simply in a position to make a fully functional site, though you will not likely have access to any kind of premium features. Instead, you can find how to produce a completely free web page with a completely free site constructor that offers you your have URL and hosts your web sites for you. Although building your personal free web page could be the ideal means of showing and conveying your identity, appropriate jbs.jpn.com warning is essential to make certain that you find the absolute most out of your funds.
Related Posts
About Author
Samihah is the personal makeup artist for Hijablicious, helps on our shoots and makes sure our models are looking beautiful. A headhunter by day, she also runs her own makeup company specialising in bridal and party makeup. She will be bringing you reviews of various beauty products and treatments as well as advice, tips and step-by-step pictorials.View all Samihah posts.


text:
Enjoy night slides with Slide the City
The event is designed to be a fun family-oriented event within a carnival-like atmosphere making the event a must for families to bond and spend time with their loved ones. There will be other game activities such as The Bull Ride, The Resistance Stretch, Gladiator Joust and Dunk a Friend. Food enthusiasts will also have a great time there with many choices of food to choose from as there will also be a number of food trucks parked there throughout the event to fill all your gastronomic needs!


text:
Lent 2018
This Lent let us open our hearts to God and welcome Him in. We don't change our hearts, it is God who changes our hearts, but He needs our permission and we need to make space for Him.
Regular Lenten Prayer Opportunites
Weekend and Daily Mass Schedule (Click here)
Mondays: 9:00 am Stations of the Cross
Tuesdays: 5:30 pm Mass
Fridays: 9:00 am -12:00 pm, Exposition; 5:30 pm Mass
Holy Week Services
Holy Thursday, March 29 7:00 pm
Good Friday, March 30 7:00 pm
Easter Vigil, March 31 8:00 pm
Easter Sunday, April 1 8:00 & 10:30 am (Church & Social Hall)
Upcoming Lenten Friday Events
March 23: Stations of the Cross 6:00 pm; Fish Fry 5:00 -7:00 pm
This year we will focus on giving to the hungry. Students in Faith Formation classes will be encouraged to bring donations to class; all other parishioners are encouraged to place your donations in the heart shaped box on the table in the gathering space. Our collection this year will be divided 50/50 — 50% will stay here in Ankeny and be given to Love Lunches (a program to feed children and families during the summer) and 50% will be used more globally to support Bread for the World (read more at www.bread.org and be ready to write letters in support of feeding the hungry on March 3 & 4).
Lenten Disciplines of Fasting and Abstinence
It is Lent, and as Catholics we look forward to the feast of Easter and the great 50-day celebration of Easter. However, to truly enjoy something, like a feast, we need to feel hungry. If we are full, then we cannot enjoy that meal to which we are looking forward. This in a nutshell is our Catholic understanding of fast and abstinence. We associate ourselves with the suffering Christ in his 40-day fast in the desert before his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. During the season of Lent, we spiritually give up something that we like. Then on Easter when we celebrate with the entire church the great feast of the resurrection of Christ and our Lenten fast is broken, we also celebrate with a family Easter meal with those we love. Christ loves us more than we may imagine. That is why he suffered.
Therefore, here are the rules for fasting and abstinence on Ash Wednesday & Good Friday: Fasting consists of eating only one meal, with the possibility of two smaller snacks that do not add up to a single full meal. Catholics in good health ages 18-59 are required to fast and to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and to abstain from meat all other Fridays in Lent. Youth 13 & older are to abstain from meat on these days.
Abstinence from meat on Fridays: Canon 1251 specifies that Catholics refrain from eating meat on all Fridays, as an act of penitence. In the US, Catholics are permitted to substitute another penance outside of the season of Lent. During Lent, however, all Catholics are obliged not to eat meat on Fridays.
Communal Reconciliation Services in the Des Moines Area
List-- there is also a time for Individual Reconciliation on Tuesday, March 27, 6:15 pm at OLIH
Praying for Others
Have you prayed for anyone this Lent? Sent them a note to let them know?
Prepare your heart for Lent
Making room for God and granting Him permission to clean our hearts is where the three spiritual practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving help us to do some spring cleaning so that God has room to work. Each week during Lent there will be a new bulletin insert to assist you in focusing on ways to open your hearts, individually and communally, to the work that God is doing in you!


text:
The last great Will Ferrell comedy was "Step Brothers." It now feels like a prophetic statement on today's epidemic of stay-at-home millennials, except "Step Brothers" was released 10 years before this disconcerting phenomenon.
Oddly enough, ever since "Step Brothers," things have drastically changed in Ferrell's career. The comedown has been rather harsh with "Land of the Lost," "Anchorman 2" "Get Hard" "Daddy's Home" (which I kinda liked) "Daddy's Home 2," "The Campaign," "Casa de mi Padre," and "The House" (which I kinda also liked) almost all bombing critically and commercially. Maybe one, or some, of these will have a shelf life like Ferrell classics such as "Old School," "Anchorman" and "Step Brothers" did back in the 2000s, but don't bet the farm on it.
And so, here we have this latest Ferrell endeavor. Starring himself and John C. Reilly, "Holmes and Watson" is a comedic take on the famed detective duo. The below trailer paints a rather infantile proposition for the viewer, but it does carry the luxury of having Reilly and Ferrel's usually killer chemistry once again on the screen. The jokes in the trailer aren't that funny, however, you'd think that maybe, just maybe, they're saving the good stuff for the actual movie. Ok, maybe I'm being a little optimistic here, but who knows, right?


text:
Environmental aspects of dredging course held at HR Wallingford on 18-19th June 2014
On the 18th and 19th June, 2014, the IADC/CEDA "Environmental Aspects of Dredging" Course was hosted by HR Wallingford at their headquarters in Howbery Park, Wallingford, UK. With a total of 27 delegates attending from France, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Qatar, Ireland and Colombia, the presentations and workshops forming the course were the scene of much lively debate.
Course leaders, Nick Bray from HR Wallingford and Frans Uelman from Boskalis, said, they "were hugely impressed by the attitude and enthusiasm shown by the workshop groups in fulfilling and presenting their various tasks, as well as producing intelligent and searching questions during the lectures".
The good "chemistry" between lecturers and speakers were further emphasized by Noemi von Meijenfeldt (Witteveen+Bos), one of the participants from the Netherlands who said: "I really enjoyed the course and was very impressed by the speakers. The fact that they illustrated so much of what they told with real life examples from the field made it very interesting. I further enjoyed the informal atmosphere that made stimulated people to interact with one and other."
The attendees, who represented a good mix of contractors, consultants, specialist scientists, clients and regulators, took good opportunity to continue the discussion during the coffee breaks and the mid-course dinner, hosted by HR Wallingford at a local hotel. All in all it was a very successful and enjoyable event.
Pictured above: Attendees to the Environmental Aspects of Dredging Course in Wallingford
The high resolution image can be downloaded from here. It will be available until one month after the date of posting.


text:
cook your yummys the night before and carry them the next day in the same container! betties echo black crockpot carrier lets you get it there in style!
sku: WS-CPC-98294
individual monogramming pieces must be added to cart 1 at a time. if you would like different monogramming on the same product you must order them individually.
if you select monogramming and have a quantity of 3 bags for that monogramming - all 3 bags will be monogrammed with the same text.
note - personalization will be stitched exactly as typed and with thread color chosen. personalized items cannot be returned or exchanged. please check your order carefully before submitting.


text:
The 71st EE British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) took place this evening(February 18th) at the Royal Albert Hall in London. For the most, everyone in attendance wore black in support of the #TimesUp movement. To see all of the celeb looks, click HERE and continue below for the wrap-up.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw looked simply beautiful wearing a Vintage CARDINALI black & silver beaded floor length dress. For the most part, Gugu is almost always wearing her natural curls but she opted for soft side parted straight tresses. EFFY studs, MELINDA MARIA & GRAZLIEA GEMS rings and minimal make-up finished up her look.
Letitia Wright wore a black velvet embellished GUCCI floor length dress with a belted waist. I think she could have done without the belt but she does look lovely.
Salma Hayek also wore GUCCI. Her black floor length, floral embellished v-neck dress was styled simply with a black velvet clutch. Center part curls and pink lips finished up her look.
Angelina Jolie wore a custom black velvet RALPH & RUSSO COUTURE off-the-shoulder gown with a train detail and matching shawl. A pulled back bun sparkly earrings and black pumps finished up her look.
Octavia Spencer ditched her go to designer Tadashi Shoji for a custom SACHIN & BABI black sequin tulle layered gown with a sheer yoke. A complimentary beauty look & statement jewelry finished up her look.
Rebecca Ferguson worked her baby bump in a STELLA MCCARTNEY black & white panel cape dress styled with black sandals. This was a great look for the mom to be.
Caitriona Balfe wore a black belted THE ROW RESORT 2018 pleated dress with an off-the-shoulder detail. I actually really like this. She pulls off the loose shape well and the tie waist helped. A short layered cut with bangs and black sandals finished up her look.
Karen Gillan showed some legs in a black long sleeve VERA WANG hi-lo hem dress with a sheer black yoke. An EDIE PARKER clutch, JIMMY CHOO sandals, NORMAN SILVERMAN jewelry and straight off-the-shoulder tresses finished up her look.
Rachel Weisz wore shimmery purple THE VAMPIRE'S WIFE floor length dress with puffy, three quarter ruffle sleeves and a two tier ruffle hem. Berry lips and side parted waves finished up her look.
Helena Bonham Carter wore a black draped VIVIENNE WESTWOOD dress which is a signature silhouette by the designer. With the exception of her pumps, I like her look along with the playful bag that she is carrying.
Natalie Dormer wore a black off-the-shoulder ALBERTA FERRETTI gown with sheer black cape sleeves and a choker detail. Side swept curls and minimal make-up finished up her look.
Sally Hawkins shimmered in a RALPH & RUSSO black sequin & sheer panel dress with a crossover bodice. While I like the dress the fit is off.
Credit: InstarImages


text:
American Express (NYSE:AXP) recently launched Amex Express Checkout, which is a new method of checking out at participating merchants similar to PayPal's (NASDAQ:PYPL) online checkout product. While Express Checkout does have certain advantages over PayPal, whether or not it's a legitimate competitive threat to the payments giant is another matter. Here's what you should know about American Express' new product, and if it could have an impact on PayPal.
What is Amex Express Checkout?
Amex Express Checkout is a new way for the company's card members to pay for goods and services on the websites of participating retailers. On these merchants' websites, an "Amex Express Checkout" button will be among the payment choices listed, similar to the one pictured below:
After choosing Amex Express Checkout as the payment option, cardholders simply enter their username and password from their existing American Express account and choose the card they'd like to pay with. American Express then securely fills in all of the checkout fields with the account holder's information. The account information is transmitted to the merchant using a token, which American Express claims makes Amex Express Checkout safer than traditional online checkout methods.
Initially, Amex Express Checkout is available at seven merchants: BarkBox, Burberry, Ledbury, Newegg, Sabon, Ticketmaster, Warby Parker, and The Wall Street Journal. There are plans to add at least 10 more merchants in the coming months, and American Express is working with Stripe to allow merchants using that payment platform to enable Amex Express Checkout for their customers.
Some advantages over PayPal, but not much of a threat
Amex Express Checkout does have advantages over PayPal, mainly having to do with its integration into existing account information. There is no need for cardholders to sign up for any new payment accounts, or give credit card information to a third party -- most existing American Express cardholders already have login credentials they can use with Amex Express Checkout.
However, there are some downsides as well. Amex Express Checkout only works with charge or credit cards -- American Express' prepaid cards aren't eligible. The limited availability on merchants' websites (at least in the beginning) will make it tough to take a real bite out of PayPal's market -- the seven merchants that use Amex Express Checkout to process online checkouts pales in comparison to PayPal's vast reach. More than eight million businesses -- mostly online -- use PayPal to process credit card transactions.
More importantly, keep in mind that Amex Express Checkout isn't the first product of its kind. Visa and MasterCard launched Visa Checkout and MasterPass, respectively, in 2014, and both checkout options have built a pretty widespread presence in e-commerce. In fact, MasterPass is featured on thousands of merchants' websites. Additionally, Google offers a "buy with Google" feature for online shopping, which allows customers to pay using their Google Wallet.
Many merchants use several of these options, in addition to their traditional checkout methods. For example, this is a screenshot of Newegg's checkout options:
Even though all of these other checkout options have been on the market for quite some time, PayPal has continued to grow and prosper. In fact, the company added 19 million active customers in 2014, and grew impressively in terms of transaction volume, revenue, and cash flow.
PayPal's brand recognition and massive customer base of 165 million active users gives it a strong competitive advantage over these other products. Customers trust PayPal, and don't necessarily feel the need to create new payment accounts or consider the use of new options such as Amex's new feature.
In addition to its online checkout offerings, PayPal has massive growth opportunities in other areas of e-commerce, including peer-to-peer payments, lending, mobile payments, and in-store payments. According to PayPal's latest investor presentation, online and mobile payments are expected to grow into a $25 trillion addressable marketplace, so there's plenty of opportunity for all of these companies to thrive.
Could boost American Express' revenue
To sum it up, Amex Express Checkout could provide a nice boost to American Express' bottom line, especially if it ends up being picked up by lots of businesses. Making American Express an easier and more secure way to pay could entice cardholders to use their Amex cards more often, which would lead to increased income for the company. However, PayPal has a massive head start, and since other competitors with a larger presence than Amex Express Checkout haven't been able to derail PayPal's growth, it's unlikely that American Express' offering is going to have a different impact.