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Content App
Ms. Jennifer Smith
Phone: 352-671-4725 Available Hours: 8:15-9AM (M-F) and scheduled appointment
Honors English and Language Arts 8th Grade COURSE DESCRIPTION: Welcome! The purpose of this course is to provide grade 8 students, using texts of high complexity, advanced integrated language arts study in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language for college and career preparation and readiness.
Note for English Honors: Academic rigor is found through the application, analysis, evaluation and creation of complex ideas that are often abstract and multi-faceted, students will be challenged to think and collaborate critically on the content they are learning.
Journalism Course Description: The purpose of this course is to enable students to develop skills in the production of journalism across print, multimedia, web, and broadcast/radio platforms and to become aware of journalism history, careers, ethics use, and management techniques related to the production of journalistic media. Some activities may be required outside of the school day.
Classroom Rules:
RESPECT! Show respect to yourself, others around you and to this school!
- Planner/Agenda notebook
- One small spiral notebooks for Journalism
- One Composition Notebook for English and Honors
- Pens/Pencils
- Three prong folder with pockets (with notebook paper)
- Digital Cameras (if possible. We have cameras, however, it is recommended that when you on a photography location you use your own)-For Journalism
- You will need internet access to work on yearbook and newspaper pages at home in order to meet deadlines-For Journalism
* Please have all your materials with you for every class.
Lab Fee (For Journalism Students Only): $15 will cover DVD copies of your projects throughout the year and print quality photographs as applicable
Grades are determined according to categories with different percentages which are subject to change. If there is a change we will notify everyone in writing.
- Summative Assessment (Tests, Projects, Presentations) – 40%
- Formative Assessments (Class/Daily Assignments, Quizzes, Learning Checks) – 50%
- Homework – 10%
Classroom Procedures/ Citizenship:
- Put away all electronic equipment and food/drinks prior to entering the classroom.
- Enter quietly (sign into your computer on days of computer time).
- Remain in your seat for the entire period unless given permission from the teacher.
- No food or drink is permitted in class.
- Test and quizzes must be made up before or after school unless prearranged by parent contact.
- Bathroom passes are only issued on emergency basis! You must go the bathroom while moving between classes
- No student laptops, cell phone or MP3 players are authorized in class without teacher permission.
- Tardy policy will be in accordance with Code of Student Conduct. When entering tardy, you must sign in and place your pass in the box next to sign in sheet, do not disrupt class.
- You are to remain in your seat until I dismiss you, the Bell does NOT dismiss you!
CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM: WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!! This is a level 2 infraction and you will be sent directly to the Dean!
Disciplinary action: As you already know, some offenses result in an instant referral (ie: cursing directly or indirectly at me, leaving class without a pass, skipping, fighting, etc) For all others:
- Verbal warning
- Conference with you (and coach when applicable) and parent
- Alternative assignment/change of seating arrangement
- Referral


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The PLAY seminar 2018 focuses on the gap between a game and its audience. In a time where games are available in abundance, the problem for the audience is not to find a game to play, but to detect the game that contains the qualities that they would appreciate the most.
On the other hand – as a developer – you can have the feeling that there is an untapped potential audience that is hard to reach in the noise of all the other available options. Seen in this light, launching a game is not necessarily about making the biggest splash, but about targeting, appealing to and reaching your niche in a vast and wide potential audience.
The PLAY ME! seminar takes a kaleidoscopic view on the different stakeholders in bridging the gap between game and audience: publishers, platform owners, curators crowdfunding facilitators, game journalists, and, of course, developers.
Play Me! takes place at the Danish Film Institute November 13 from 1pm to 5:30pm.
Play Me! on Facebook
Sign up
The PLAY seminars
This seminar is the 14th annual PLAY seminar discussing the forefront of game development and gaming culture. It is organized by Creative Europe Denmark, DFI Spilordningen and DADIU

subset: commoncrawl


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LIVE! From My Kickstarter Campaign Video Shoot
Barron Ryan
I'm playing the piano!Read More
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Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on March 28th 2017
Format: ARC, egalley
Source: Publisher Provided
Where to Buy:
Barnes & Noble|Amazon
Add to Goodreads
I received this book/movie for free from the above-listed publisher/studio in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book/movie or the content of my review.
The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of Red Queen. In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place.
Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister's debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family's once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.
Her life might well be over.
In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she's known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can't seem to stop herself from breaking spells.
As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna's unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she's always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.
What I loved most about Blood Rose Rebellion (outside of that stunning cover) was the magic system and the Hungarian inspired lore. This was something different in a genre where everything seems to be the same these days. I liked the idea of a magic reservoir. Any time that magic has a finite or a yin-yang quality it seems much more believable to me. The other thing I enjoyed most in reading this was how Rosalyn brought in 19th century Hungary's history and blended it with a magic system. I swear, there were moments where I thought, wait, did this really happen?
Now this is one of those main-character-doesn't-have-powers tropes, and I think that's what made me a little weary as I read on. I've seen a lot of this before — even the inevitable revolution-against-the-ruling-magical-class idea. Somewhere in the midst of a cool magical system and the different mythology I mentioned above, I got a bit bored. Perhaps it's the lack of tension (or stretching it out too much) in the plot that I tend to pick up on.
Don't get me wrong, there are elements that will pull you into the story. You will keep reading to see what Anna is and how her lack of power fits into her world. Will she change things? Will the class system change? All these questions are there to be answered.
I think if you're in the mood for a Victorian historical setting that's different from the usual Western Europe (okay, the usual United Kingdom one), I would give this story a try. It has all the elements that historical romance readers love plus magic.


text: The white-hot excitement of the American motordrome simply could not sustain and in September, 1914 the last board of the final circular motordrome was nailed in place in Omaha, Nebraska. Racing however, continued to flourish. The small horse tracks that first gave birth to motorcycle racing continued to harbor those bent on speed and victory, evolving into purpose built dirt flat tracks in the mid-teens. These dusty ovals, typically 1/2 to 1 mile in length began popping up at local and state fairgrounds across the country, becoming a staple of motorcycle and automobile racing well into the modern era. The popular endurance and reliability runs of the first decade alsotransformed into flat out, top speed, no-holds-barred endurance races that spanned hundreds of miles either on public road courses like in Savannah and Birmingham, or on the few large speedways like Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Dodge City. This was a period of large scale transition as the increasingly high level of competition in professional racing contributed to an atrophy of American motorcycle manufacturers, leaving those who faired well on the track like Merkel, Thor, Excelsior, and the mighty Indian, king of the motordrome to enjoy a prominent status in the marketplace. Harley-Davidson had built their empire thus far away from the racetrack, but in this era of intensified competition the Milwaukee based motorcycle company turned an interested eye towards racing. Building a factory racing program would require specialized skills so in 1913 Harley brought onboard Bill Ottatway, a talented engineer and tuner from Thor who quickly began developing a racing platform using Harley's 1914 Model 10 production twin. Initially designated the 11K series, Ottaway began testing his new racers over the course of the 1914 season with a handful of unofficial competitors. After a mediocre debut at the 1914 Dodge City 300 Ottaway's machine began to hold its own, capturing a string of regional wins and national victories in Phoenix and Birmingham. Finally, on Thanksgiving Day, 1914, Harley-Davidson fielded their first factory racing team at the Savannah 300 road race and rider Irving Janke placed 3rd. The team expanded for the 1915 racing season, the machines were further refined, and Harley started the season strong with 1st and 2nd place finishes at the Venice 300 on April 4th. By the time of the 1915 Dodge City 300, just one year after the company's initial tests began, the Harley-Davidson factory team made a clean sweep of 1st through 7th places, the only exception being Excelsior's Carl Goudy in 3rd. The motordrome era was over, but as the Golden Age of racing matured a new force emerged, one of American motorcycle racings greatest legacies, the Harley-Davidson factory team.


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First Steps Toward Accountability
I have 2 clients who are focused on "accountability" this year, and it's proving a hard row to hoe for both of them. Why?
Well, first of all, accountability is a somewhat scary term. If someone is saying we need it, then that must mean that we are not being accountable, and that sounds like someone's not happy with people's performance.
Worse, if there's not a way to gauge performance, then people are likely to take a need for accountability as a judgment on their dedication. They'll confuse accountability with work ethic.
It's unfortunate that accountability gets this reaction. In Stage 2 companies, accountability is more about making things that used to be managed intuitively into things that are managed objectively. It does make a judgment about how people are working, but not in the way they think – accountability focuses on working on the right things, not the level of effort.
In fact, most of the time I work on accountability, people have a clearer sense of direction and less stress in their jobs.
I can spend lots of time talking about how to make your organization more accountable, but for now, let me finish by answering the question, "How do you overcome the initial resistance to accountability?"
I recommend 3 steps. First, before you bring up accountability, praise the team's work ethic (assuming it deserves praise…if it doesn't, that's a deeper problem…), so that they know that you know they are dedicated. Second, give them an example of people spending more time in an area than they should. (Serving the bottom 20% of your customer base is a fairly typical area.) Finally, ask the team, "Do you have a way of quickly seeing whether the other people on the Leadership Team are succeeding?" If you don't, then you're probably spending more time than you should simply understanding how you're doing, instead of diving into the issues that will make your business better.
We have a free self-assessment to use to understand the strength and weaknesses of the 'Operating System' that you use to manage your business. If you'd like to assess the current state of your Operating System, click here to download.
Your horizon should drive your strategic planning
One of the first things that I look at when designing a strategic conversation is the horizon in which our decisions will have to produce results.
Sometimes (remember 2008…), the horizon is as short as 3 months.
Sometimes (remember the times before 2008…), the horizon is as long as 5 years.
How do you tell what your strategic horizon should be? I look at 2 factors
- How substantial and dependable are the resources we'll have? The more of a war chest we have to work with, the less we need to worry about short-term needs, and the more we can focus on long-term goals. If we don't have a war chest, then how confident are we that we'll be profitable into the future.
- How healthy is the business model? Are we generating a good profit? If not, that's a sign that we may not be delivering what the market values, or something internally is not working as needed. And it suggests that we'll need to use resources to fix things before we can use them for building things.
Once I've done that assessment, I know whether we need a short-term, medium-term, or long-term discussion.
- Short-term = 0-6 month horizon: tactical initiatives that can capitalize on existing assets, or address existing problems, with the goal of generating revenue or cutting costs. For example, cross-selling to existing customers, or consolidating 2 internal departments whose work has changed.
- Medium-term = 6-18 month horizon: evolutionary initiatives that capitalize on adjacent opportunities and needs – things that are new but close to what we're already doing. For example, selling an existing product into a new (similar) market, or upgrading an antiquated order-management system.
- Long-term = 18-36 month horizon: transformational initiatives driven by a strong internal or external driver but with major work to be done. For example, launching a new product that needs technical development, or expanding the strategic role of a department (we're seeing this a lot in IT departments that are being asked to drive digital transformation).
For most small businesses, most of the time, the strategic horizon is 1-2 years. But the horizon can vary from quarter to quarter. So, as you prepare to talk with your leadership team, take into account the resources you have and the health of your business as you outline the agenda for your strategy meeting.
The importance of framing to strategic planning
Are you in growth mode, or survival mode?
I have some clients who are growing, some who are hanging on – and some who are transitioning from one to the other. Although most businesses would like to be in growth mode, the point isn't to say that one is right and the other is wrong – it's to understand that different situations call for different approaches. And that can be an issue when transitioning from one situation to the other.
I did a chart recently for a client of the differences that their company would see as it switched from survival mode to growth mode. There were 15 different areas that would see changes!
In survival mode, your "strategic horizon" (the timing you take into account when making decisions) is the next quarter. In growth mode, that horizon stretches out to 3 years.
And a lot of areas can be "good enough" in survival mode – but need to be tightened up when growing. Those areas include accountability, processes, and hiring. And the inverse is true, too – things that need to be tightly managed in growth mode should be loosened up in survival mode. (Why would you want less accountability or process? Because that takes time, and in survival mode, that time can be better spent talking with customers.)
When you're having strategic discussions, one of the most important steps is to pick the right "frame" for the discussion. A more tangible way of saying that is, you have to know the right question to ask. This is something that you can do intuitively most of the time. But when companies are going through change, picking the right frame is much harder. And picking the wrong frame can be very costly.
Here's a simple example. I can create a very different conversation, and a very different outcome, if I ask the question, "What should we do more of next year?" rather than, "What do we need to do differently next year?" The first question is appropriate for a company continuing in the same mode it was in the prior year – baked into the question is the idea that we already know the right "model" of how we do things, we just need to pick areas to emphasize. The second question is appropriate for a company in transition – and in that case, doing more of something you're already doing may actually hurt you more than help you.
(And, yes, it often makes sense to ask both of those questions in your annual planning.)
As a leader of strategic discussions, you need to be aware of what frame you're using for each discussion, and you need to build your toolkit of frames, so that you can bring the right one to bear in whatever situation you find yourself in.
Is the answer in the room?
One of the precepts of the EOS program is, "The answer is in the room." It's a phrase that's used to emphasize the importance of discussion in addressing important issues, and I am a full supporter of that idea.
The problem is, the phrase itself is not quite right.
A more accurate phrase would be, "An answer is in the room."
And it's the job of the CEO to know whether it's the answer or an answer that is in the room – whether your team has the right stuff to understand and evaluate the issue and the options for solving it…or not. Because if they don't, but they think they do, then you are wading into dangerous territory.
It's not that dangerous if the issue is minor. But if it's a major strategic decision…having the wrong answer is a big problem.
So, how do you gauge whether you are getting an answer (a poor or bad decision) or the answer (a good decision)? Here are some questions you can ask:
- Have we seen this situation before? Or something similar? Or has someone on our team?
- Can we come up with a list of risks that would make our banker (or some other knowledgeable skeptic) proud for how pessimistic the list makes us appear?
- Can we come up with 3 strong options for handling the situation?
- Is there more than one person who is worried that the answer may not be in the room?
Let me talk more about that last one. The biggest business mistake that I have witnessed was when a client decided that the answer was not in the room for them. They hired me to write a plan for a new initiative, discussed and agreed to the plan as a team…and then 2 weeks later the CEO came up with an alternative "short cut" approach.
That short cut ended up costing the company between $2MM and $10MM, depending on how much you count the indirect impact that decision had. At the time the leadership team was discussing the short cut, there were 3 members of the team who said, "We just paid for a plan, and we all said we liked the plan – why are we not following the plan? Why do we think we have a better answer than the plan now?" (Which is another way of saying, "The answer is not in the room.")
Why did most of the team change their minds? Because the CEO had a long history of running and building the business, and the majority of the leadership team said, "If you think this is the right thing to do, we trust you." What they missed was that the CEO had not pursued a strategy like this before – it was a new area for him, and it was more complicated than anything he'd worked on before.
The team needed to listen to the skeptics more – and there's a lesson there for you, dear CEO, if you find yourself in a similar situation.
If you're a CEO listening to your team debate a topic, you have another role you need to play – you need to raise yourself above the discussion, and look down on it, and critique whether the sophistication of the discussion matches the complexity of the issue and the quantity of the resources you're going to commit to the answer.
Prioritizing priorities – making your strategy better
What do I mean by prioritizing your priorities? Why is it important? Why is it hard?
It's fairly easy for any business to come up with a dozen ideas for improvement – and most businesses wouldn't stop there, generating dozens of possibilities. The challenge for any leadership team is to pick the right priorities to focus extra attention on among all those many options.
It's easy to say, "You should have 3 big rocks that you focus on." It's muuuuch harder to say, "These are the 3 rocks that will give you the best outcome." Why is it harder? Because there are many variables to consider in coming up with the answer. I'll highlight 2 as examples:
- What's the balance between financial outcomes and intangible outcomes? You could work your staff hard for two years, get your financial results up, and then sell your business for great personal gain. But many small companies have more connection to their employees, and so are willing to support work-life balance at the expense of financial performance. In that case, you can't just decide on priorities based on financial ROI.
- What if short-term success and long-term gain are not aligned? Often they aren't! Short-term, it almost never makes sense to upgrade your systems. But if you never upgrade systems, that will eventually undermine your results. How do you balance those competing interests? How do you decide whether long-term payoff is the right thing to aim for now?
So this is a hard task. Why not just avoid it?
Because focus is a key part of success. Spread yourself too thin, and you won't have the energy to see your initiatives through to success. As we all know, juggling 6 balls is far harder than juggling 3 balls.
Although there are tools that can help you prioritize your priorities, this is not something that is driven by tools. A SWOT or Gap analysis will not solve this problem. A 1-page sheet that puts long-term vision, annual goals, and quarterly objectives…will not solve this problem.
The center of this solution is wisdom and judgment. It takes experience, insight, creativity, foresight, and thoughtfulness to prioritize your priorities. Whereas operating a business is more akin to an industrial "assembly line" process, guiding a business is a craft that has as much art as science. That's why venture capital looks foremost at people when considering an investment.
One of the great things about working with Stage 2 companies is that there is usually a strong team operating the business, and any gaps they have in operations can usually be filled with a toolkit from EOS or e-Myth or Rockefeller Rules. Whether they are a strong team leading the business depends a lot on their ability to prioritize their priorities and pick the right things to choose on.
I'll be posting a self-assessment soon for you to gauge how your team is at leading your business. So…well…this is just the placeholder until I get that! But if you're reading this and are interested, send me an email – or give me a call and I'll share what I have in draft form.
"How do you hire?" "We suck"
I got to spend a couple hours talking about hiring last week with Miche Rayment, who runs The Hire Effect and wrote a book by the same name. Since we've both worked with growing companies to define hiring processes and hire key positions, we shared some stories and developed some tools to help people decide how they should approach hiring.
I had the most fun when we were brainstorming what to call the "hiring strategy" of the many companies that, well, don't have a hiring strategy. It went something like this…
"They just decide they're going to hire someone, and start looking, and then find somebody and hire them."
"It's like they just go pull someone in."
"It's like a vacuum. They flip a switch, and then wave around a tube that's sucking in whatever gets near it."
"That's it – it's the Suck Strategy of hiring!"
"How do you hire? We suck! Hahahaha."
That was the most fun part of the conversation. The most interesting to me was when we talked about how much time a company should spend on a hire.
Let's be honest – most companies don't have the flexibility or discipline to go through a highly rigorous process with every hire. (Some hiring guides espouse taking months with each candidate! That is just unrealistic for most companies.) On the other hand, some roles and situations demand a lot of structure and steps in the hiring process.
So, what are the factors that a small company leader should look at to decide how much time to spend on a hire? There are just a few I look at:
- Importance of the role: bigger impact of the role = more time hiring
- Newness of the role: uncertainty of what the role is and what kind of person to hire for it = more time hiring
- Availability of talent: hard to replace a bad hire = more time hiring
- Pace of growth: faster growth = more growth issues coming up faster = more need to hire the right person = more time hiring
- Degree of competition: more competition = higher need to perform = more need to hire a strong performer = more time hiring
There are many situations when a company can just Suck to find an acceptable employee. But if any of the factors I list above apply to you or a position you have available, you should spend the "extra" time in your hiring process to find the right/best person. In those situations, the consequences of hiring are significant.
The High-Potential Talent Stack
I recently gave a webinar for the SPARK.grow program on high-potential employees – how companies can identify, foster, and be attractive to high-potential employees, and how high-potentials can identify, develop, and be attractive to high-potential roles. (The recording of the webinar is here.)
I described a "High-Potential Talent Stack." That stack has 6 levels – the bottom 3 are the factors that enable someone to perform at any job, and the top 3 levels are the factors that enable someone to perform as a leader. I want to describe each level…
Performance – this is how well the person gets work done
Results Focus – this is the ability to not just put in the effort, but to figure out a way to go around roadblocks and keep at a task until you get the result that is needed
Learning – high-potentials are always expanding their toolkit of skills, and learning about the work they do
Investment Thinking – this is the ability to think in terms of Return on Investment
Maturity – high-potentials handle themselves well, in different situations and with different people
Leadership – this is the combination of skills that are needed to get a team to perform at a level and in a direction that they wouldn't get to on their own
This stack is a powerful tool. It shows what a company can look for when hiring new staff, and what they can train and develop to improve their high-potentials – and shows high-potentials what skills to develop for further growth.
Each level of the stack has 3 more specific components. The target is to score a total of 12 or higher when each of those components is rated on a 1-5 scale. Scores of 4-4-4, 5-4-3, or 5-5-2 would all qualify; scores of 5-3-3, 4-4-3, 5-5-1 would not qualify. It's a high hurdle – but the people that meet that standard are often the "10x-ers" – the ones who have 10x the impact on your business than your typical employee.
Almost universally, small businesses underinvest in their high potentials. There's too much potential ROI for you to do that.
Your business model is a depreciating asset
Most people recognize that markets don't stand still. Customers, competitors, and technology are constantly changing.
Although most people recognize that, many don't appreciate the imperative that that dynamic places on them as leaders. The simplest way I've learned to describe that imperative is this…
Your business model is a depreciating asset.
In other words, the way you do business – whether that's how you find customers, how you produce what you offer, how you deliver what you sell – is losing value every day.
Like other depreciating assets you have – your house, car, refrigerator, computer – you have to maintain it simply for it to keep working the way it's supposed to. And you have to more-fundamentally change or replace it on some kind of predictable cycle – 3-4 years for a computer, 5-10 for a refrigerator.
How quickly your business model depreciates is mostly a function of the degree of change in your market. And, since there's more change in every market these days, we all need to put our leadership teams on notice that we're going to have to reinvent our business model sooner than we're used to. Rule of thumb: the cycle is probably half what it used to be. (So if the model used to last 10 years, it's best to plan for it to last 5.)
If your leadership team is skeptical when you tell them this, offer the following true story. I know a smart, tech-savvy teenager who has a nose for online businesses. He found an opportunity last Fall that he liked. Here's how that played out:
- Week 0 – discovered opportunity
- Week 1 – supply chain set up
- Week 2 – open for business
- Week 5 – profits to date: $200K
- Week 11 – profits to date $500K
- Week 13 – rejected offer to purchase business for $100K
- Week 16 – competitors raise cost of advertising to a level that the economics no longer work, business model no longer profitable, business closed
To summarize, that's a business model that was able to net $500K in 4 months – I know $15MM businesses that aren't generating that profit for the year – but whose value depreciated to $0 in that same 4 months.
If you talk about markets changing, it seems like something "out there" that may not impact you. If you talk about your business model depreciating around you week by week, it gets much clearer that you need to act with some urgency.
Sales Enablement, A Love Story
It's Valentine's Day – a day when we celebrate the role that marketing and sales plays in our personal lives. And in honor of Valentine's Day, let's take a look at a new trend in marketing and sales.
Many of my clients love sales and hate marketing. Sales is short-term, tangible, clear – what's not to like about sales?! On the other hand, marketing is long-term, more subtle and intangible, and much less clear. Unfortunately, many business owners never get past that black/white dynamic to see that marketing is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle to grow a business.
Good marketing – at the small/mid-sized business level – has always been about driving revenue – getting more people to buy more, sooner, at higher margins. But that's often overlooked when marketing focuses on tweets and clicks and likes and pretty graphics.
Fortunately, there's a new trend that focuses more on the good kind of marketing – that trend is Sales Enablement.
Sales Enablement is how marketing helps sales – it's the tools, systems, content, and support that salespeople use to engage prospects efficiently. Because there is more competition today than there used to be, businesses cannot afford the inefficiency in the sales process that used to be OK. Marketing brings scale, consistency, and clarity that brings down the costs of making the sale.
At a recent marketing and sales retreat I led, we reviewed a Hubspot video on Sales Enablement. It said that 70% of the buyer's decision is made before they even talk to a salesperson. In other words, most of "sales" actually happens during the phase that is usually handled by marketing.
What does the trend toward Sales Enablement mean for you?
- Most small businesses are overinvesting in salespeople and underinvesting in their marketing.
- Sales needs to describe to marketing what it's hearing from prospects and customers, and what it needs to address buyer concerns.
- Marketing needs to create for sales standardized tools and strong, consistent messages to make the sales process more efficient.
- You need to appreciate what a strong connection there is between educating prospects about their needs, and making sales. Buyers are making their decisions while they're learning…in fact, because of what they are learning.
Sales Enablement can help you generate more revenue more efficiently. If you think your sales and marketing are not keeping up with the times, you should use the topic of Sales Enablement to open a discussion among your leadership team about how your approach could change.
It's light if you use a forklift
I was in a meeting this week with a client, and they were talking about the gigantic case they take to trade shows – which is called "The Coffin" and may have cost an employee a finger (the story wasn't clear and I didn't want to ask). The person who bought it, and still saw it's utility, countered the jokes and jabs by saying, "Well, actually, it's light if you have a forklift." I'm not sure if it was a joke or a legitimate argument, but it got me thinking…
There are a number of pitfalls that will trip up people who don't have a lot of experience with strategic planning. One of the more regular ones – especially in retreats where people are asked to free their thinking – is not taking into account limited resources.
All kinds of amazing things are possible to dream up if you assume you have unlimited time, effort, strength, brainpower, flexibility, etc.
That case is light (if a forklift is available where we're going, and we have the money to pay for it)
That metal is flexible (if we have a sledgehammer and the strength to wield it)
That market is accessible (if we have the VP of Sales who knows the right people and can use their trust to benefit our product)
That new initiative is going to be easy for people to support (if we have a culture that is very adaptive and a leader who consistently pushes it)
Options that look good with unlimited resources often look terrible when limitations come into play. So it's important to take resources – money, bandwidth, expertise, relationships – into account when choosing a strategy.
Overlooking resource constraints is just one form of a broader category that undermines strategy – the hidden assumption.
There's no way to avoid hidden assumptions – we all have them lurking in our blindspots. But there are things you can do in your planning to reduce the likelihood that assumptions will lead you into a bad decision:
- Include people with different perspectives in your discussions – and listen to them all
- Ask, "Why is this a stupid idea?" or "Why would this fail?"
- Think of other decisions that ended badly and were driven by hidden assumptions, and assess if there are similarities
- Clarify the criteria that you use to evaluate your options
One of the things that separates good strategists from poor ones is the ability to see what's missing and hidden. It's a hard skill to develop – it takes knowledge and experience and inquisitiveness and discipline.
But it's a really valuable skill. If you reflect on the worst decisions you've made, they are usually built on top of a hidden assumption that turned out to be way more off base, and way more important, than you'd have imagined…if you'd known to think about it.


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- Disk Doctors Undelete
- License: Demo
- Price: 49
Disk Doctor's Undelete is the World's most reliable and fastest Undelete Software helps you to quickly recover deleted files from hard drives, flash drives, USB drives, ZIP, SD Cards, MMC, and Firewire drives. It has an important feature which enables preview of files before recovery and supports both NTFS and FAT File System. Recovers files deleted even after you have emptied the Recycle Bin. Recovers files deleted bypassing Recycle Bin. Recovers files deleted using DOS command prompt. Recovers files deleted after pressing Shift+Delete on the keyboard. Recovers files deleted when Move or Cut command have been used. Recovers files deleted by other applications or by viruses. Recovers files deleted before you installed Disk Doctors Undelete
- Publisher: Disk Doctors Data Recovery Software
- Date Released: 23-10-2007
- Download Size: 3164 KB
- Download
- Platform: Win2000, Windows Server, Windows Vista, WinOther


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Top Five Energy Boosters for Dreary Days
1. Be intentional about getting a good night's sleep and, if needed during the day, take a short power nap.That coffee with dessert might have boosted your mood after dinner, but the caffeine likely disrupted your sleep. Lack of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep can make you feel sluggish and less motivated while decreasing your ability to focus. Try to maintain a regular sleep cycle and if your eyelids are dropping during the day, take a short nap. You'll be energized and ready to concentrate after your zzzzzzs!
2. Eat a healthy diet and avoid skipping meals. Missed meals cause our bodies to crave sugar and eat more to resolve our slump than to prevent it. Don't rely on excessive caffeine (over 500mg) and sugar to treat this problem. Their promising energy surge guarantees an energy drop later and you're back where you started. To avoid this crazy cycle, choose nutritious snacks full of fiber and nutrients such as nuts, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and granola bars such as 'Kind' or 'Larabar'.
3. Fill up on water. Even mild dehydration can alter your energy level, mood, and mental well-being. Have a water bottle handy where ever you go. To keep it interesting, add fresh squeezed lemon, lime, or other fresh ingredients.


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there are places I remember in my life…
Well, let the poets cry themselves to sleep. And all their tearful words will turn back into steam. But me I'm a single cell, on a serpent's tongue. There's a muddy field where a garden was, And I'm glad you got away But I'm still stuck out here My clothes are soaking wet From your brother's tears
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HUGE opportunity
villa at the sea…
- in Lumbarda near the marina
- 150 sq. meters of living space
- three bedrooms, two bathroom / WC
- spacious living room with sea view
- indoor and outdoor fireplace
- four terraces
- gardens 360 sq. meters
- parking place
- close to the town center, restaurants, shops
- Energy rating : C
- Ref: 130/43
Living on most islands always are being different than living on a mainland. In any direction eyes of the islanders are always directed towards the sea, to ships coming and going. The hard life of sailors, fishermen, shipbuilders in previous decades, today's generation are replaced with tourist activities, hotels, private bedrooms for guests, restaurants, taverns, nautical ports…
On one of such place on the island of Korčula, overlooking the sailboats' masts and yachts, not far from the beach, several "konoba" – restaurants, village center, we sell this "beauty" – a stone house with a wonderful view on nearly everything related to the sea. In addition, if you have your own boat or yacht, this is the perfect place where you can leave it all year round.
Problems of health are the reason for the emergency sale at a great price which is negotiable. URGENT decision !


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Programme Director
Mr Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral Resources
Mr Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry
Mr Mxolisi Mgojo, President of the Minerals Council South Africa
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is a pleasure for me to join you here today for this critical engagement about a very important sector of the South African economy and the economy of the continent.
It is believed that under current price and cost forecasts, conventional mining (particularly in the gold and platinum sectors) will cease to be economically viable by 2024. In order to remain globally competitive and relevant, South Africa needs to change the way in which it operates. The modernisation of mining, including mechanisation and automation, where the opportunities are said to outweigh the projected challenges, is therefore deemed necessary. This conversion will broadly contribute to the survival of the South African mining industry through the mining of lower grades, as well as deeper resources, thereby extending the life of mines. In addition, the adoption of technological developments and advancements will contribute towards improved health and safety, and facilitate the sector's migration from dangerous, labour-intensive platforms towards the government's goal of zero-harm.
Research has shown that the conversion of gold and platinum mines prolongs their decline. For example, the modernisation of platinum mines could extend the life of mines to 2035, which could be further extended to 2045 with 24/7 mechanisation. Beyond that, deeper resources and greenfields exploration could be accessed using new mining techniques.
Our mining environment is characterised by deep, hard-rock, narrow reefs, which means that we may have to find South African solutions to South African problems, but could also potentially position us to lead technological developments in this regard.
The South African Mining Extraction Research, Development and Innovation (SAMERDI) Strategy provides a roadmap on how to work together to develop technological solutions that will contribute towards the survival of the South African mining industry, by focusing on the following research themes:
- The longevity of current mines.
- Mechanised drilling and blasting.
- 24/7 non-explosive rock-breaking.
- Advanced orebody knowledge.
- Real-time information management systems.
- Successful applications of technology centred around people.While pockets of modernisation occur at various mine levels, a coherent approach is needed to bring together the technical know-how for solution-based research, development and innovation, to position the country to seize the opportunities and breakthroughs presented by the drive for modernisation.
Finding solutions to problems affecting our country and continent requires collaborative research on a national and regional scale. Collaboration between government and industry represent key opportunities for partnering for development, aligned to national goals and strategies. Moreover, it is vital to ensure that research is relevant and aligned to user requirements, as well as sustainable human development.
In September last year, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Mineral Resources and the Department of Trade and Industry, together with the mining sector, launched the Mandela Mining Precinct. The precinct and the activities associated with it represent a pioneer collaboration in mining RDI, as all stakeholders, including government, mining companies and local mining equipment manufacturers, as well as the research community, acknowledge the need for a coherent, collective approach to ensure the long-term sustainability of the sector. It is hoped that this partnership will be the stimulus that drives the transformation of South Africa's comparative advantage in the minerals sector into a competitive one.
The South African government, in partnership with the Minerals Council South Africa and the Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa (MEMSA), is implementing the SAMERDI Strategy, the activities of which are linked to growing the local supply chain of mining capital equipment, and which are coordinated from the Mandela Mining Precinct.
Apart from pursuing a research agenda defined by the mining industry, this partnership will also help to increase gross expenditure on research and development (GERD) as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) towards attaining our target of 1,5%. The SAMERDI Strategy is funded by the DST with in excess of R210 million for the 2017/18 to 2020/21 financial years. The Minerals Council South Africa has contributed more than R33 million for 2018, with an undertaking to determine their financial allocation annually.
While the Mandela Mining Precinct and its associated activities were successfully launched by the Ministers of Science and Technology and Mineral Resources on 14 September 2018, there are still opportunities for strengthening and expanding this partnership. This will involve greater collaboration with and between universities, as well as the inclusion of more universities, particularly historically disadvantaged ones, in the research programme. Similarly, the inclusion of newer, smaller mining companies also needs to be explored.
The DST is committed to this partnership, and is open to more partnerships, provided that the transformation agenda of government is addressed and a rational ratio of funding between partners is maintained, so as to leverage the maximum economic benefit from joint RDI investments for all South Africans.
The modernisation of mining in South Africa will result in a substantial change in the skills profile required by the mines.
While we are cognisant of the change in the kind and level of skills that will be required, we need to define a vision for South Africa's skills development needs, particularly as they relate to high-level skills. Apart from the changes in skills sets and levels that will be required for the mines of the future, the sector needs to be transformed in terms of gender and race. It is anticipated that the SAMERDI Strategy will be used to address this, by increasing the number of women and black researchers and engineers. In addition, it is hoped that the RDI networks with universities will expand to include historically disadvantaged universities, thereby leveraging mining RDI investments to build their capability and capacity.
The DST is committed to developing the mining component of the national system of innovation, and will continue to cultivate an enabling environment and provide resources for science, technology and innovation in support of the development of South Africa, and is open to collaboration and partnerships in order to achieve this.
By working together as government and the private sector, we will ensure that we not only grow the sector, but also continue to deal with the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality. Following the President's investment summit, government is committed to providing the necessary support to the private sector through policies and other means so that we can all grow our economy.
I thank you.


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Pom Pom Crown
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Only 6 items left.
or make 4 interest-free payments of $5.99 AUD fortnightly with More info
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Be the queen of the ball with this delightful crown beautifully decorated with neon, pink and white pom-poms. Pack contains 1 party crown. Pack size: 9 x 4 x 2 inches.


text: I had Lindsay, Rob and Chloe in the studio this week for some acro yoga posing. All three of them were so strong and balanced. Chloe and Rob (www.anahataaacro.com) really do a good job teaching the poses as the go along. I've only edited the one image so far, but there are a lot of good ones.


text: Tony Todd is still angling for a place in the new Candyman. Get a look at the final episodes of Shadowhunters. Now it's Tim Allen's turn to wrap on Toy Story 4. Plus, what's coming on The Orville, how the new Riverdale spinoff will stand apart from its sister show, and what's next on Gotham. Spoilers get!


text: Windsor Air Cleaners & Purifiers There are literally hundreds of air cleaners and purifiers available. Sometimes it can feel like you've just entered a hall of mirrors. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. But don't get caught up in the maze. Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts in Windsor can help you understand differences between each different category of air cleaner, purifier, and filter, how they can help you have the best indoor air quality and make sure it fits your needs. Keep in mind that specific contaminants like microbes, viruses, bacteria, tobacco smoke, pollen, allergens, dust, ash, and dirt particles, are all forces to be reckoned with. For people who suffer from asthma or allergies, going into battle against these enemies with a basic air filter is like defending your home with a squirt gun. You can just hand the keys over and cancel the party you'd planned with your allergist. The worst particles will have a strong impact on the health of you and your family members. A quick solution: a whole-house air purification system is worth looking at. Not only does it attack all three classes of indoor air contaminants, but it has an air filter MERV Rating of 16, removing over 95% of particles down to .3 microns. Forget the squirt gun. Our selection of air cleaners and purifiers is like keeping a personal security detail in your house. The suitable filter for indoor air quality keeps toxins in check, and helps create an environment of health. Look into these air filters, air cleaners and purifiers: HEPA Filters Media Air Cleaners Electronic Air Cleaners Basic Air Cleaners Air Filter MERV Ratings Call Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts in Windsor today at 226-773-3357. Our experts in Windsor offer quality air cleaners and purifiers, knowledge and expert service—for all makes and models, 24 hours a day.


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Check out my personal essay, "Bed of Roses," which is included in this caregiving anthology published by the The Feminist Press. This collection shares hearbreaking, yet lovely, essays about daughters caring for aging or terminally ill mothers. Anyone coping with the death or illness of a parent will find strength and comfort in this compassionate collection.
This is the Way We Say Goodbye is available for purchase here: http://www.feministpress.org/books/way-we-say-goodbye


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by Bryce Benlon
DHTV had the home-field advantage on Friday as we had yet another successful screening of "Town Teams: Bigger Than Baseball" directed by our own Mark Honer.
The Watkins Museum of History (Lawrence, KS) was proud to screen the documentary, while to DHTV Digital, it's yet another home run. Fans got to take the pitching mound as they threw questions to Honer, who continues to hit 'em outa the park. (Can we get away with any more baseball puns, here?)


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(San Tan Valley, AZ)
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Carrie is ditching prom for a few nights out with Allentown audiences.
"Carrie: The Musical" opens 7:30 p.m. Friday at Civic Theatre. Additional performances will be held 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13-15 and Oct. 20-22; 2 p.m. Oct. 16 and 23.
"Carrie: The Musical" is based on Stephen King's 1974 novel "Carrie," which in turn inspired the 1976 horror film of the same name. Carrie was remade in 2013 and starred Chloe Grace Moretz in the title role.
The plot revolves around a shy, sheltered and friendless 17-year-old high school girl who uses her telekinetic powers to take revenge on her bullying classmates.
Opening weekend and Thursday tickets cost $30, $28 for students and seniors. Tickets cost $33 and $31 for all other show dates.


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oh. my. GOD. please read elise a. miller's ENTIRE blog. she has said SO much of what is floating through my head about having a primal-esque diet, deep nutrition, having everyone around you believe in it, and pregnancy. wow. she rocks my socks. period.
oh my gosh, i'm such a dork for feeling giddy about this! a little backstory: my husband and i take new chapter vitamins. just read through their website and you'll find they're miles above normal vitamins. i especially love how they say their vitamins are "supplemental food" instead of a "food supplement". very big distinction there. i'm also big on taking some sort of fish oil supplement since omega oils are amazing for EVERYTHING. i ordered new chapter's WholeOmega fish oil only to find out that it contains sunflower oil 😦 that's BAD oil (it's a vegetable oil). and if you know about vegetable oils (read deep nutrition for starters), you know that you DO NOT want to ingest them in any shape or form. i'm sad about the WholeOmega fish oil because i really like the fact that they used WILD salmon (instead of the farmed variety).
as i started searching for a fish oil supplement without vegetable oils, i realized that they may not exist! i'm still looking, but then i got an idea 🙂 why not ask my hero herself Dr. Cate Shanahan, author of deep nutrition? i didn't think she would respond since she's writing her next book and currently moving across the country, but i thought "what the heck?"
so i went to drcate.com and submitted a comment under her latest post:
i'm extremely excited at the prospect of having a recipe book to accompany all of the teachings in Deep Nutrition! best of luck with your move. i am curious about your take on supplements, namely fish oils. i take NewChapter vitamins which i love. but after i received their WholeOmega fish oil i found that it contained sunflower oil. my subsequent searches show that vegetable oils are so common! i was wondering if you supplement with fish oil and if so, which kind do you use? if not, is there a vegetable oil-free wild-fish oil that you know of? thanks!
and she responded today!!!!
I am not good at supplement recommendations because there are so many brands and its so hard to find out exactly what's in them and I just don't have the time, Sorry!
I can tell you that raw cream from pastured cows contains as much omega-3 as most fish, and it has the added benefit of CLA which fish oil does not have.
Also, as long as you get the secret-trans fat/MegaTrans fat out of your diet, you (adults) can elongate short chain omega 3 from flax/walnuts and ordinary raw seeds into long chain.
i'm WAAAAAY too excited about this! i re-read the section in her book about MegaTrans just last night which is such a weird coincidence. since i can't buy raw dairy in my state, i'll just stick to keeping the MegaTrans away and keep eating my flax and nuts! golly, her science-speak makes me smile.
yesterday, i traveled approximately 40 minutes and found a publix…the closest one to my small town. you would have thought i found a Whole Foods store. i went minorly berzerk. yes, i brought a cooler with me in the car in case i had to carry back some precious cargo. and it was the case. check out my loot:
they had real *WILD* salmon. not the horrible farmed kind (in which they're fed CoRn). obviously, it's more expensive. however, i recognize that i'm paying more because i'm getting more nutrition and i'm supporting fishing instead of mass farming. and because i pay more, i make sure i eat every bit 🙂
they also had grass-fed ground beef!! it also came organic, but i didn't buy it because it was just WAY too expensive. i'm going to have to work out a plan so i'll be prepared to buy it organic in the future. apparently, living healthy also makes me more creative and frugal. for now, i bought 3 pounds of the non-organic grass-fed beef 🙂
and then i found my beloved stonyfield organic yogurt made with WHOLE MILK!! none of this zero fat or low fat nonsense. when you get rid of sugar, you need to eat full healthy fat to keep satisfied. and i'm not going to even get into what amazing feats fat performs in our bodies. sugar? nada, no nutritional value. even worse, it acts like a poison. i'm literally treating this yogurt like gold.
and here we have my much coveted almond butter. i eat peanut butter multiple times a day…on everything, even a spoon. but i have been hard pressed to find almond butter at my local grocery store. i should say REAL almond butter, because my local store has almond butter full of sugar and hydrogenated oils…gross. i found this variety which has an ingredient listing of ALMONDS and SALT. please and thank you.
and last but not least, wine! i'm slowly becoming a wine lover…my tastes are developing. i'm moving from whites to reds. the other night i had a glass of MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir at a restaurant and loooved it. my palate has REALLY changed since i cleaned up my eating habits. i used to think red wines tasted SO bitter but this Pinot Noir tasted like a glass full of berries. it was so rich and smooth. but it was one of the most expensive wines on the restaurant list so i knew i wouldn't be able to find it at my local grocer. but i *hoped* publix would have it. this place cannot let a girl down 🙂
i also went to Target and found a much neglected dr. bronner's section at the bottom of a cosmetics shelf. i got the castile soap in almond (smells sooooo good) and 3 bottles of hand sanitizer (for those times i can't get to soap and water) all the items were noted "temporary price cut" or "clearance". so a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do 🙂
mama's rules
i saw my mom the other day and she wanted me to come up with a menu plan that she could follow all week. she's basically on the verge of diabetes and i was thrilled she reached out to me at all. then i realized that what she needed was not a menu plan (it's like giving a fish to a hungry man instead of teaching him to fish), but a small list of rules to help her navigate the menu waters on her own. this way, she'll be able to recognize trends on her own. it's way better to have an understanding of something than to just blindly do it because you're told.
anyway, after brainstorming for a long time and trying to make some rules that would be basic and simple but encompass most rules i believe in, i came up with this:
hi mama!
i know you wanted me to write you a menu to get healthy, but this list of rules to follow will be much more helpful. you have to make big changes to your habits but i've tried to make it as easy as possible for you to start. follow these steps and once you become comfortable with them, you can move on to some more i'll give you.
- CUT OUT ALL WHITE SUGAR. this includes anything that is made with sugar. the easiest thing to do would be to stop getting dessert. start READING INGREDIENT LABELS. if it has sugar in it, put it back! anything that ends in "-ose" (dextrose, fructose, sucrose, glucose…) is a sugar.
you can still have fake sugar (splenda and truvia are best) while you're getting used to this. and you can still have carbs (whole wheat breads and pastas) and fruits (which have natural sugar).
- CUT OUT "HYDROGENATED" and "PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED" oils. when you read the ingredients, if you see anything that says "hydrogenated" PUT IT BACK.
- GET EXERCISE. keep hiking with dad. and when you go shopping anywhere, park far away and WALK. you don't have to go to a gym or have fancy equipment. if you can break a sweat at least once a day, then that is a great start. oh, and you can try the ZUMBA dvds i got you 🙂
you'll find out that you can't buy a lot of processed foods because they almost always contain sugar and hydrogenated oils as their main ingredients.
here's something fun: go to the peanut butter aisle. get a jar of JIF and a jar of SMUCKERS peanut butter and look at their ingredients. you'll find the JIF has sugar, hydrogenated oils, and some other things you can't pronounce. SMUCKERS has peanuts and salt (that's REAL peanut butter). when the oil separates and sits on top, that's GOOD and it means it's a REAL food. hydrogenated oils keep the oil from separating so JIF looks prettier (but it also poisons us).
even though you are going to cut out sugar and hydrogenated oils, this is what you need to replace them with (and eat a lot of it!):
REAL BUTTER (absolutely NO margarine–it's hydrogenated oil)
FULL FAT milk, cheese, and yogurt
* when you can, make sure to get these dairy products ORGANIC.
obviously, i'll want her to cut out all artificial sweeteners. getting rid of sweets will reprogram your taste receptors to become more sensitive to naturally occurring sugars. studies (and real life) show our bodies react to sugar like a drug. the more we eat, the more we need to get our "fix" (you slowly increase sugar consumption to maintain the same level of sweetness you taste). for someone like my mom (who hoards splenda packets and adds no less than 2 to her (already) sweet tea) i figured i wouldn't take away fake sugar and carbs just yet. if i did that, she might decide being diabetic isn't so bad!
yum yum yogurt shop
i currently live in a super tiny town. i moved to this tiny town last year from another tiny town. in my old town, they have a natural foods shop called "act natural" that i visited for items not carried at wal-mart (this was during my short-lived healthy kick. it's sticking this time!). so i held out hope that my current, seemingly smaller town would have a little health foods store i could keep in business.
i recently found a gem by the name of yum yum. even though everyone seems to go there for the sugary self-serve yogurt, yum yum can count on me to stalk the shelves of overlooked healthy items.
after reading so many healthy lifestyle blogs that talked about ezekiel bread, chia seeds, nut butters, almond flours, and so much more i realized i might be ordering all my food online :(. when i finally stopped by yum yum, i almost had a seizure. it's definitely small, but it has VARIETY. i found all sort of flours, chia seeds, body products, tahini, you name it. i was in heaven. HOWEVER, i did not know exactly how heavenly this place is until i finally made it towards the back of the store where they have one fridge and one freezer section. they. have. ezekiel. bread. i almost cried. they even have ezekiel hamburger and hot dog buns. i had no need for bread at the time, but i bought a loaf because i was afraid the stockpile would vanish as soon as i turned around.
if you've read deep nutrition, you'll know all about how sprouted grains are better for you than plain whole grains. the act of sprouting the grain releases bound up nutrition that would normally pass right through us. since carbs are such empty calories, why not go sprouted and get more nutritional bang for your buck? and this bread tastes so hearty and satisfying. i mainly got it so i wouldn't have to make my husband go cold-turkey off the carbs. little does he know, i'm slowly weaning him off carbs 🙂 not completely, but it needs to not be the staple in our diet that it has been. when we get the urge, i know i can quickly grab some ezekiel at yum yum!
one last thing, i tasted kombucha juice for the first time. and wow, did it suck. i've been dying to try it forever (not even really knowing what it is). i scooped it up when i saw it and before my first sip i read the label. and it scared me. it says "organic, raw, probiotic green tea". so it's got microbes and it's fermented. sounds gross. in the words of my husband: whoa, this junk smells like vinegar. i forced a few gulps since it was $4.00 and figured i got enough probiotics in my system to do some good…then it got trashed.
face follow-up
i made good on my promise. i pulverized my quick-cooking oats in my blender and got a nice powder (to use in my oatmeal/baking soda/water face cleanser). MUCH better result when washing my face 🙂 so much easier and less messy to use. i'm still impressed by how well my skin is responding to such a basic and inexpensive cleansing routine.
i then got it in my head to grind up some almonds since they make for a good exfoliant:
so i threw the ground almonds out and decided that i would use flax meal instead–>this was genius.
i did do something right when i made parmesan crisps to eat with vegetable soup i made using my homemade chicken stock:
oatmeal–in your face!
i got so excited about my coconut oil revelation that i scoured the web last night to find foods i could use to cleanse my face. i basically came up with an oatmeal and baking soda (wonder material again!) scrub/mask. my attempt was meager. most information i came across suggested ground oatmeal but it was late and i had already cleaned and shut down the kitchen for the night. so i didn't want to bring out my blender to pulverize some oatmeal. i decided to use oatmeal with the smallest pieces, which is quick-cooking (and yes, i have quick-cooking, regular rolled, and steel cut).
i made a paste at the sink of a lil oatmeal, a lil baking soda, and some water. then scrub scrub scrub. it smelled great but kept falling off my face in chunks (you know, due to the chunky oatmeal) which was a little cumbersome and messy. so today i'll be pulverizing some oatmeal 🙂 my skin surprisingly felt incredibly clean afterwards and i was so excited to be doing something kind to my skin (and INEXPENSIVE).
but it doesn't stop there! as if i can't tout it enough: in deep nutrition dr. cate suggests that "as good as modern cosmetics may be, they lack the secret ingredient of their aboriginal counterparts: probiotics." after finding some information that supports yogurt as a great face mask, i was completely convinced that the tub o' probiotics in my fridge was going on my face. and on it went and happy was i.
i believe the probiotics will also help with acne since these microbes work with our bodies to destroy bacteria that may cause us harm. they want us healthy because it keeps them healthy 🙂 i think after a week of doing the oatmeal/baking soda/yogurt routine i'll chuck the proactiv cleanser (so long as things keep going smoothly) and be completely free of those harsh synthetics.
it makes me shake my head to realize that the most beneficial things i can put on my skin were already sitting in my pantry and fridge. no $60 spent on a special tube of something-or-other. talk about multipurposeness!
i do want to point out that i believe this new face cleansing routine is working because i'm also eating a very whole, unprocessed, organic diet with lots of fats, grass-fed cage-free meats and eggs. and also more veggies than i've ever consumed in my life and almost no sugar (basically i'm getting i wallop of nutrition i never got before). only when i started noticing my skin behaving better from my diet did i dare venture to use natural ingredients on my face.
fyi: coconut oil is an AWESOME makeup remover.


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I have loved using the EcoBrow Defining Wax in shade Penelope (unfortunately, this is hard to find in the UK). However, you do need to use a separate brush and spend a little bit of time when applying this.
I have recently finished Pacifica's Stunning Brows clear brow gel and found it a quick way to make my eyebrows look groomed. Although I used this until the end (always a good sign), I felt it could have done with a little more 'hold' power. On the lookout for a replacement, I decided to give this Jane Iredale Purebrow Brow Gel in Brunette a go.
The finish this gives, is a combination between both the Eco Brow defining wax and the Pacifica brow gel. Unlike the Pacifica brow gel which is clear (I believe there are colour options available for this), this is in shade Brunette, which matches my dark brows really well.
You need to use a light hand (I have been making sure most of the product is off the wand before using) and has a great 'hold' to it, keeping my brows in shape for most of the day. My brows naturally want to migrate south, so it is important for me to use something that keeps them in place throughout the day.
I should also mention that the brush on the 'wand' is pretty large for a brow product, so perhaps not for those with sparse brows.
Although there are times when I like nothing more than spending time applying my makeup, there are also many days where I just want to spend five minutes before leaving the house and this is where a product like this comes in to play. I can't remember the last time I used my EcoBrow, reaching for this Jane Iredale Purebrow Brow Gel instead. I'm tempted to pick this up in clear too, as I do have to be a little careful when applying this to make sure the colour goes on my brows and not the skin around it. With the clear gel, I really could just swipe and go!
Have you used any of the Jane Iredale brow products? I've heard good things about the Great Shape Eyebrow Kit.


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Cassie Cruz is getting some Sun on her sexy body but she does head indoors to suck, fuck and get cummed on!
Category: Pictures
Cassie Cruz The Naughty Maid Takes It All Off!
Cassie Cruz on duty in her sexy uniform dusting off the mirror!
Cassie Cruz bends over and shows off her hot ass upskirt!
Cassie Cruz starts stripping with a naughty look on her face!
Cassie Cruz shows off her sexy tits while stripping down!
Cassie Cruz pulls up her sexy fishnet stockings!
Cassie Cruz with her stockings around her ancles playing with her pussy!
Cassie Cruz spreads her ass cheeks open with a naughty smile on her face!
Cassie Cruz on all fours showing off her sexy ass and pussy! Just watch Cassie getting that sexy slit soaking wet as she caresses her sexy naked body in front of the camera!
Cassie Cruz Strips Out Of Her Tiny Bikini!
Cassie Cruz with a bright naughty smile on her pretty face!
Cassie Cruz pulls her dress up with a naughty look in her eyes!
Cassie Cruz looks over her shoulder while showing off that ass!
Cassie Cruz licks her delicious lips while showing off her hot tits!
Cassie Cruz strips topless and shows off her small titties!
Cassie Cruz swinging her hips while stripping out of her bikini bottom!
Cassie Cruz looks over her shoulder while showing off her ass and pussy!
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Cassie Cruz fills up her pussy with a pretty big sex toy!
Cassie Cruz gets her sexy frame in the back yard and shows us her new bikini and what is underneath it!


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I feel so behind. I know I'm really not, but I can't help but feel that way. There's so much to be thinking about and testing out, and I don't feel like I'm doing enough.
I haven't really done any experimentation with my on course nutrition – I've just been popping a gel here and there and drinking some water. With no real rhyme or reason to it. In my marathons, I used to be much more structured with my nutrition. But now with the ironman, when it's so much more important, I haven't figured out my plan yet. I just feel like my bikes and runs haven't been long enough to deal with it yet. My longest run to date has been 14 miles (this past weekend), and my longest bike has been 40 miles.
Which brings me to my next part where I feel behind… I feel like my bikes have been waaaaaay too short. I've been listening to one of my audiobooks lately ("You are an Ironman" by Jacques Steinberg), and I've been enjoying it a lot. However, it keeps talking about the people in the book doing centuries right around this point in their training. My training plan (Beginner Triathlete iron distance plan) doesn't have me doing any century rides until five weeks from now – which is just a few weeks before race day. So again, I'm not really behind, but I can't help but doubt the plan – which I know is normal. Everyone always says to just stick with the plan and trust it to get you through race day. That doesn't stop those nagging feelings of doubt though.
So while I'm really enjoying the audiobook, it keeps making me feel unprepared. I need to start experimenting with my nutrition and coming up with a structured plan for it. I also need to start coming up with an actual race plan. I've never really needed one before. For marathons, I just run and roll with the (inevitable) punches. That works alright for shorter tris, but it won't work so well for the full iron.
On a positive note, I did an hour and a half on the trainer tonight and I feel like my bike is getting stronger. I used to fight to keep a 15 mph average on the trainer, and tonight I averaged 17.8 mph. Even if that's not totally accurate (there's usually some variation between trainer and road), it's improvement!
This week is a bike focus week, so I have a four hour ride this weekend. If I can maintain a 15 mph average on that ride, that will get me to 60 miles, which would be great.
Two weeks from now I have my first half iron distance tri. I think that will be a strange mix of reassuring and terrifying. While it will be nice to have a half for a benchmark, and get a chance to test out preliminary race and nutrition plans, I imagine it will also be scary to think – "I have to do DOUBLE that?" The one thing I have going on my favor with that is that the half iron course is very hilly – compared to the full iron course, which is just about flat as flat can be. The effort I spend on the hills in the half will get me much further than 56 miles in the full.
Oh my goodness. I just counted. As of tomorrow morning, it's 71 days until race day. When did that happen???
On a totally unrelated note – this Olympic BMX biking is crazy. I would hurt myself.


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Knowledge Translation and Evidence-Based Healthcare for the Present and Future of Paediatrics
By: Andrew Tomayer, CPDSN Data Analyst, CAPHC
Evidence shapes paediatrics and the overall healthcare system, leading to advances in both practice and technology. Difficulties in implementing these possible advancements to healthcare come after one understands the benefits of a specific intervention, with effective translation of that knowledge to others.
The benefits of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), or aspirin, in reducing the risk of a heart attack has been known since the 1950s, yet Dr. Lawrence Craven's theory on its antithrombotic effects would not be reviewed in a formal clinical trial until 1989, over 40 years since his initial observations (and over 30 years since his death in 1957) [1]. Considering the amount of time from initial observations to formal clinical trials to using ASA as a commonly prescribed practice, we can see the issues with not just collecting relevant information that could improve healthcare but also the need to effectively and proficiently share evidence and knowledge with others.
The world of medicine has moved far from its long-gone roots of trial and error to the evidence-driven methods of today. Research needs evidence to support findings of studies, allowing the current state of knowledge to become more valid or create a solid basis for other, more efficient methods. Today, knowledge translation has become a science, grounded in research and established methodologies. Paediatric health centres in Canada need to implement strategies and supports to help their clinicians adopt the best knowledge and apply it to their practice.
To hear more on the importance of this topic, join Stephanie Glegg of Sunny Hill Health Centre and CHILD-BRIGHT's Knowledge Translation Committee for the 2018 Valentine's Day edition of CAPHC Presents! with her presentation:
What have we tried? What works? A Canadian environmental scan of organizational supports for moving evidence into action in pediatrics.
Presented by Stephanie Glegg
Wednesday February 14, 2018, 11:00-12:00 EST
1. Miner, J. and Hoffhines, A. (2007) The Discovery of Aspirin's Antithrombotic Effects. Texas Heart Institute Journal (2007;34): 179-186. Available from:


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"A society of people who are responsible for their own health and able to gather or grow their own medicines is a hard society to rule. These days, we are dependent on the power structure of industrial health care and medical specialization: the secret society of the doctors, the white male dominated medical schools, the corporate decision makers with their toxic big pharmacuticals and inconsiderate greed. The dependance on western medicine is one more thing keeping us tied to the state and unable to rebel with all our hearts or even evision without such oppression. With a new system of healing, based on self-knowledge and community based herbal wisdom, we will be that much more free.
Offering a real alternative health care system will help the returning to an anarcho-primitivst, earth centered way of life. There is a false security in the men with the big machine, appearing ready to put you back together again (only if you have enough money, that is). What is ignored is the fact that industrial society causes most of the dis-eases that people fear. Living free on a healing earth while surrounded by true community and eating real food will prove to be better medicine than anything you can buy."
Laurel Luddite


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The Nation: Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson
Press Release – The Nation
Marama Davidson has renewed the Green Party call for a warrant of fitness on rental homes, saying if rental properties do not meet the standards outlined in the healthy homes legislation, they should not be rented. "We think that right at …On Newshub Nation: Lisa Owen interviews Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson
• Marama Davidson has renewed the Green Party call for a warrant of fitness on rental homes, saying if rental properties do not meet the standards outlined in the healthy homes legislation, they should not be rented. "We think that right at the get-go, people even looking for a home should be able to be assured in this country that your home to rent will be up to a certain standard."
• She says she does not know what it would cost for people to be involved in such a scheme but it "costs us to have unhealthy homes".
Lisa Owen: The Greens have had a seat at the table for almost a year. For the first time they are part of the government but that brings with it – the c-word, compromise. How many policy dead rats do they have to swallow to stay there – and is it worth it? Greens co-leader Marama Davidson joins me now. Morena.
Marama Davidson: Kia ora, Lisa.
So, you're renewing calls today for a rental warrant of fitness for home. So that would mean independent inspectors go in there, and they enforce it. I'm wondering, how would this be different from the gains that we're going to get from the Healthy Homes legislation?
We need to make sure that this is enforced, so it's all good and well having minimum standards which we absolutely welcome and support. What we need for that to work is actually having put in place an enforcement regime to make sure that we've got people who can rent houses without having to have the burden of having to make complaints for damp, mouldy, cold homes or homes that are in disrepair, which is currently what happens at the moment. A lot of that burden is on tenants, and that's a high threshold to be able to get some action on fixing up homes.
So to be clear, if you do not pass your warrant of fitness, you won't be allowed to rent out your house?
Yes, absolutely. We think that right at the get-go, people even looking for a home should be able to be assured in this country that your home to rent will be up to a certain standard.
How much is that going to cost people to be involved in a scheme like that?
So, we don't have the figures yet, but it costs us to have unhealthy homes. For example, over 40,000 admissions to children hospital during the winter just from homes that are in bad condition and are unsafe, unwarm, draughty and mouldy.
Winston Peters said this week that we've got 50,000 homeless people, so do you imagine that this, if it were to be adopted as policy, would rule out a chunk of rental properties, and you would end up with more people with nowhere to live?
So, there's absolutely no excuse for this country to accept that we can rent out homes that are unfit for purpose. We need to change our culture and our understanding. Renting needs to be seen as a first-class option, not a second-class option in this country – more and more people are renting – at the same time as ensuring that we've got a strong state-housing building programme, emergency housing to deal and help deal with our homeless people, as well as the social services. All of those things need to be done, and we must no longer let people get away with renting properties that are unhealthy.
Okay. So this is a Green policy, yes?
It has been for a long time, warrant of fitness.
Yes. Absolutely. You floated it during the election campaign as well. So what support do you have from Labour and New Zealand First?
So, I think that Labour and New Zealand First have also been very mindful that things have to change when it comes to renting out homes that are just unfit. So Greens will continue to lead and champion on an enforcement regime for making sure that warrant of fitness is a strong consideration. Labour are aware of our policy, New Zealand First also. And we'll make sure that we are at the front line of pushing this.
Yeah, but being aware doesn't mean they're going to be voting for it, and it's just a pipe dream unless you can get them on board. So do you have the numbers or not?
So, this is us making an announcement that this is something we'll call for. We've discussed with Labour that this is something that we're going to be really strong on. MMP and the way that we work things out together [means we are] coming from sometimes different places across the three parties, and then we work things out, and the Greens are going to be a really strong voice for a warrant of fitness.
Okay. Well, I want to move on, but what you're suggesting there is compromising and bargaining, basically, to get what you want. So let's talk about some other areas where that might be happening. Earlier this week there seemed to be some confusion over the refugee quota. Did you think that this government was going to double the refugee quota to 1500? Was that your impression?
It's not inside our confidence and supply Agreement, and I understand it's not part of the Coalition Agreement, but it is something that we very much have an understanding that is something that we can do.
I understand that, but what I'm asking was, what was your impression? Were you under the impression that this would happen under this government, the doubling of the refugee quota?
Certainly, we're aware that Labour are in support of doubling the quota. And also it's not a surprise where New Zealand First have a slightly different approach. But we would like to see us do more for international obligations. We can take more people here. And what's happening on Manus and Nauru is unacceptable, for children, for human beings. So I understand where, again, we're three different parties, we'll work through this issue. And again, the Greens will proudly keep championing increasing and doubling our refugee quota.
So, Labour is the senior party in this government, and Winston Peters said, basically, not on his watch are you going to get a doubling of the quota. And later, the PM seemed to fall into line and say it's not government policy. So is Mr Peters the person who's driving the agenda for this government?
I don't think Mr Peters campaigned on ending oil exploration, for example. That was a massive win for the Greens. We've campaigned on that forever. So, again, we're three parties working through, which I understand that a lot of people understand. We bring different flavours and viewpoints to the government; we push that through. And Mr Peters is one perspective; we're another. And I'm really proud of the things that we've been able to achieve as the Green Party.
Okay, I get that, but you still haven't been particularly clear about whether you were under the impression this was actually going to happen, the 1500. Were you? Did you personally think that was going to be doubled to 1500?
I do think it's something we should be doing, absolutely.
Again, not the question. It's whether you were under the impression that that was going to happen.
I think that there's an understanding that this should happen. But again, Lisa, I'm being very upfront when I say it's not in our confidence-and-supply, and it's not in the coalition. So there was always that understanding there.
As co-leader, you said that you would be building up communication with NZ First. So I'm wondering – did Winston Peters let you know ahead of time that he was going to be making the comments about refugee numbers?
No, but again, I'm not surprised that this is their position. That isn't a massive secret. And Mr Peters can obviously say and do what they will do. The Greens, also, will continue to push for increasing and doubling our refugee quota, and we will work that through, and that's what we continue to do in this government. And that's why we've also been achieving incredible wins for the people, for our planet, for our rivers, and that's part of just an ordinary day in business.
So it came as a total surprise to you that he was going to make those comments in the context that he made them? At a high-profile event, where, obviously, refugee quotas and the conditions of asylum seekers was front and foremost, he decided to drop those comments. You were oblivious to the fact that that was going to happen?
We weren't aware of that, and he took an opportunity, and that's his right. We all have the right to be able to do that as independent parties. And simply, the Greens will be strong in continuing to say, 'Well, we want to push this through if we possibly can.'
So, in terms of building that relationship and communication that you said you were going to do when you got the co-leadership, when did you last catch up with Winston Peters?
Oh, we had fish and chips between the Greens and NZ First, I think, just in the last dinner sitting. So we do speak directly to each other and obviously are achieving things and wins that we agree on. This is one issue that there is a distinct difference. This is one issue, but alongside so many of the wins that the Greens have been able… Department of Conservation – a massive injection…
And I want to talk about some of that later. But you've described Labour and NZ First as your friends. Friends tell each other when they're going to do stuff like this, don't they?
Not sure if I'd describe us as friends. We are in a partnership.
Well, you did. You said, 'We, the Greens, are so proud to stand with our friends in Labour and NZ First.' Friends tell each other when they're going to do things like this, don't they?
Yes, and so, you know, we have our independent positions. We'll keep working, and we do communicate on the things that we need to be making progress on.
So in terms of your independent positions, then, the Greens are committed to welfare reform. Dropping sanctions is part of your confidence agreement with Labour. After a year in office, still, there are 1700 kids who are missing out, because, in some cases, their mother's – mainly their mother's – benefit is being docked for not naming the father. So when are these so-called 'excessive sanctions' going to be dropped?
So, it's incredible that we've got the expert advisory group. Again, that's Green helping to push that through. And again, we're going to stay very clear that we want to see an overhaul and make sure that Work and Income is a place that actually looks after people rather than punishes people. And so that's work in progress. And I'm really proud of the work that Jan Logie is leading that through…
So you can't put a date on when you're going to achieve that?
So that's work. So again, bringing three parties along and bringing people along with us is really important, massive undertaking, huge undertaking. And so some solid work is happening to push that through as well.
But Carmel Sepuloni, the minister for that particular area, social welfare, she said in a letter to a particular interest group that they would remove the sanctions as early as possible. She also reiterated that they would wipe debt from emergency accommodation benefits. But none of that has happened. So it's in your confidence-and-supply agreement to deal with this. If you don't get those sanctions dropped by next budget, will you have failed?
Not at all, because this is a whole-term project across all of the 20 priorities in our confidence-and-supply agreement. We've got to deliver that this term. And that's our priority. We are committed to delivering on what we said we would do. The work is absolutely going ahead to push that through, and campaigning with communities, campaigning to be able to have a nationwide understanding that this needs to change, is also important.
I suppose the perception that some people may have is that you are waiting for your social welfare reform. You have had to swallow the dead rat of the waka-jumping legislation. You had to also suck up the fact that Eugenie Sage had to sign off on a deal for water-bottling that effectively is in direct contradiction of every principle that you have as Greens. How many of those dead rats do you have to eat before you get sick to your stomach?
So, with the reality of eight MPs in this partnership with government, I'm incredibly proud, Lisa, and a little bit, maybe, bewildered by some of the narrative that we're not achieving. Because people in communities, people out there know that the end to oil was fantastic; that a massive injection into Department of Conservation funding was huge; that phasing out plastic bags – my goodness, people wanted that; making sure that we've got public transport investment.
It is coming from inside your own party. We have spoken to people within your own party who are concerned about some of the gains that you are not getting.
Yeah, and of course, there are compromises. And that is a reality. And all three parties have had to make those. We come out with something that is quite representative in the end of where the three independent parties working together can come to for New Zealanders.
Because in recent times, there seems to be a number of announcements that reflect New Zealand First policy — a back down on the three strikes legislation — you know, they've got a harder line than you guys on justice reform; the Regional Development Fund — every week, there is money being handed out under that; Winston Peters' $30 million for all-weather racing tracks. He seems to be getting his way. And New Zealand First seem to be getting their way all the time.
Are you comfortable with where you're fitting in this relationship?
I'm really proud of— You can't even fiscally quantify an end to offshore oil exploration and drilling. You can't quantify the protection for domestic violence work in workplaces. Some of those things— So many of those things you cannot quantify — transport, $16.9 million massive injection into public transport—
Are you being treated as an equal partner in this relationship? Because some critics might look at it and say, 'Well, actually, the tail is wagging the dog'.
And all I can continue to keep saying is the incredible wins that we're really proud of. Yes, there are compromises for all three political parties, but the wins in insulation, housing, environmental, conservation, drilling, the workplace protections, plastic bags phasing out, just as a small example of what we're really proud— and extending insulation of houses. These things make a difference for people every single day, and they're only a small example of what we've done just in a year and what we've got more to do.
So there are other things in your confidence-and-supply agreement that are yet to be achieved — quite a few things. And as co-leader, you said without a ministerial portfolio, you were going to ensure delivery of that agreement. So you're a third of the way through the term. How much of that agreement have you delivered?
Oh, so we've started—
As a percentage. Do you know?
No. So we've started on all of it. It's 'go' on every single of those 20 priorities. Some we've already delivered — the ones that I've been outlining. And we've got work happening for the rest. And, you know, that's quite ordinary and quite normal. And we're making progress every single day. And we know that the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern signed up to make transformational changes, because what is happening in New Zealand and the world is an outcome of the economic system which has trampled over people and our planet for far too long. And those are the changes that the Green Party will continue to make. Our role in this government is to ensure that we transform our economic system to uphold also the wellbeing of people, rivers, soil and our climate as part of what we need to do.
I understand that, but this is a conversation about how much— how big the gains you are getting and whether you're being treated as an equal partner. In terms of the things that you're concentrating on, how is the campaign going to reclaim the C word?
Is that cows or…? There was no campaign. What I am happy about and will keep standing by is rejecting the incredible hatred, death threats and rape threats that are aimed at women — particularly, brown women and women of colour, but women — in public. That is not acceptable that that word and many other words can be used at us in a way to try and silence us and to stop us from doing our job.
Was that a diversion? Should you be focusing more on core business of the Green Party?
So standing up against abuse towards women is, and always has been, a core business of the Green Party. We know that we are a strong feminist party. We always have been. And that will remain part of our important work.
Do you think that the ministerial workload that your co-leader is facing means that the Green Party is losing traction when it comes to your identity in this government and building on its base?
Our party, our members, voted for us to go into a confidence-and-supply agreement and voted for us to have these ministers. They are doing incredible work. The wellbeing indicators that Minister James Shaw is leading to change the way we measure the success, how we are doing as a country, is transformational, incredible work that I'm really proud of. He's leading the carbon zero work, making sure that we've got a solid plan to address the very real issue of climate destruction in our country and in the world. I'm incredibly proud of the ministerial portfolios that all of our ministers are leading. And the membership gave me a mandate as a non-executive member to also keep our differentiation and claiming the wins that we are getting in government here on the table as well.
Okay, we need to leave it there. Thanks for joining me this morning. Marama Davidson, the co-leader of the Green Party.
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