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Much like other crossover sensations from the creative world such as design thinking and information design, the visual thinking phenomenon has sustained interest for some time now. From the most staid corporate institutions to the most enlightened young startups, visual thinking techniques are being sought after as part of a new business toolkit in the quest to create "cultures of innovation." Post-its, whiteboards, and flipcharts are infiltrating once stodgy conference rooms and work spaces. Unbridled creativity — not industrial-era efficiency — is the key to better products, smarter services, and increased profit.
But behind the glowing promise of the vizthink movement, a challenge persists for many in the business world: how best to harness the power of visual thinking to achieve real results?
There are already countless answers to that question tied to specific practices. Some would argue that free-form "doodling" (now scientifically proven to aid attention and memory) is integral to more engaging meetings because it ensures participants are actively tracking along with the conversation. Others might champion visual facilitation methods such as graphic recording, the mural-style translation of words to pictures, as the key to making strategy sessions memorable. There's also the smorgasbord of activities known as gamestorming, meant to enrich collaboration by incorporating elements of play into the workplace. But for the beginner unsure of where to get the most value out of visual thinking, the variety of options can be difficult to navigate, and the time and energy it takes to reach a conclusion on one's own can be daunting.
A number of guiding lights provide practical instruction and systems for learning core visual thinking principles, yet there is still room to close the gap between the vision of vizthink and everyday workplace realities.
Thinking First, Visuals Second
It's easy to think that beautifully penned sketchnotes or delightfully illustrated graphic recordings are the hallmark of good visual thinking: they demonstrate great technical skill and creativity, and they certainly appeal to the eye. In reality, they might only succeed at just the visual part while providing little insight or fuel for the thinking part. Quite often, the artistic production of these visual artifacts takes precedence over the process that they support and the outcomes they are meant to deliver. To be blunt, if a visual fails to convey an idea clearly, enhance understanding (for oneself and for a group), inform decisions, or drive toward a goal, then it benefits no one. Visual thinking is more than just drawing for the sake of drawing, capturing something for posterity, or aiding memory. It boosts our capacity to process information and create new knowledge by enabling specific cognitive tasks. In a business context, visual thinking facilitates knowledge work in teams by dissolving communication barriers and allowing many different minds to work together towards a common goal. It is the glue of human collaboration.
Different Modes for Different Goals
At a fundamental level, visual thinking operates in three modes, with corresponding tools and techniques:
Visual thinking is generative — that is, it relies on the output of ideas and content in tangible, visual form. It may sound simplistic, but without the externalization of thought in some representational form — text, drawing, symbol, etc. — visual thinking cannot happen past the mind's eye.
Doodling is the most common generative activity since it channels stream of consciousness thoughts in an unstructured form. The lack of inhibition and freedom to put pen to paper that doodling affords, rather than the quality of visual output, is perhaps of greatest value when solving problems. Related activities such as graphic recording and sketch-noting are also generative in that they convert spoken and written thoughts into pictures, with the intent of making key ideas resonate in memory. Mind mapping and visual brainstorming also fit in this category since they allow many ideas to be generated rapidly.
Visual thinking can also be analytic. It breaks down raw content to uncover patterns and define relationships. Tied to the generative function, analysis cannot occur without something to analyze, such as meeting notes, PowerPoint decks, and other documents.
Analysis seeks to create order and includes non-drawing-based methods that take advantage of spatial relationships. Pinning up, clustering, and color-coding materials are classic ways to organize content into categories for analysis. Visual frameworks such as axis plots, charts, and graphs help capture and distill the findings of analysis into a usable form.
Finally, visual thinking can be synthetic by combining previously disparate or disconnected ideas to create newer and clearer ones. Synthesis typically feeds off of the findings of an analysis and produces tighter pictures of a situation than previously known.
Synthesis can take the form of diagrams, concept sketches, and visual stories, among other methods. Multiple iterations strengthen synthesis: trial and error with different formats, configurations, and graphic approaches ensures that all essential elements of an explanation work together to communicate effectively.
All three modes of visual thinking are essential to problem solving, but I find that the real power of visual thinking lies in the second and third modes. This is where the thinking side of the equation really shines — where "aha" moments happen.
Finding the Right Mode for the Job
With a basic understanding of visual thinking's distinct but related functions, it's easier to diagnose common work situations and take action. Here are six common scenarios and some possible approaches:
Do you need to get a quick grip on a situation?
GENERATE: Draw a very simple picture of what you know and don't know — who's involved, what their roles are, where the situation is happening, etc. Add to the picture as you learn more, even if the picture gets messy. You can take a more considered approach once you know what you're dealing with.
Do you need to dig deeper and learn more?
GENERATE: Ask probing questions to capture as much information as possible verbally, using visual frameworks as needed when words get cumbersome (eg, organizational structures, process flows, etc). Just stick to generating facts without making assumptions or drawing conclusions.
Do you need to sort through research or extract the most essential information from a pile of documents?
ANALYZE: Read through the content in several passes until you see a pattern emerge. Pin up, number, color, stack, label — use whatever means necessary to clearly distinguish one category from another. Track your findings along the way to synthesize later.
Do you need to put all the facts together and see the big picture?
SYNTHESIZE: Explore multiple different ways to put together the key findings from your analysis until the story or message comes through clearly. Aim for balance and visual harmony rather than superfluous detail to refine the picture.
Do you need to come up with ideas for something?
GENERATE: Try visual brainstorming. Take a stack of index cards (or post-its) and draw one idea per card, using only enough visual detail to get the idea across quickly. Go for quantity and pin them up or arrange on a table for analysis only when you've exhausted all possibilities.
Do you need to explain a concept to colleagues?
SYNTHESIZE: Sketch out the three to five important points you want to highlight in your story, then draw and redraw until your pictures are both complete and easy for your audience to understand. Rather than jump to PowerPoint, consider presenting in storyboard format or in a sequence of flipchart drawings. This format saves time and invites additional comments and feedback.
There are many more techniques (and entire systems) available to accomplish the above tasks depending on the situation, time/location constraints, and whether you are working solo or in a group. As a general rule, I find that simpler is always better when it comes to doing visual thinking in a business setting. Setup should be easy, tools and materials should be readily available, and visual methods should maximize inclusion and understanding — always keep everyone engaged and the process flowing. With experience, one comes to realize that almost any challenge can be made manageable with a keen situational awareness, a few workhorse pictographs and frameworks, and a bare-bones toolkit.
Technical note: I've started using Bamboo Paper on my iPad more frequently these days. It's tremendously helpful in creating natural-looking drawings and outputting them digitally. The visuals in this post and the last were created with this method.

subset: commoncrawl


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The giant wind turbines cropping up on ridges, shorelines and other windy locales across the world affect more than the wind—they are also changing local temperatures, notes a new study. That's likely because the enormous blades chop up the incoming wind and thereby more thoroughly mix different layers of the atmosphere. According to temperature readings from one of the oldest wind farms in the U.S., near Palm Springs, Calif., the turbines make it warmer at night and cooler during the day, generally speaking.
"For most regions, the mean temperatures may not change by much because the warming and cooling effects may cancel out," says atmospheric scientist Somnath Baidya Roy of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, co-author of the study published online October 4 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Wind power is on the verge of an explosive growth. It features prominently in the future energy policy of all industrial economies. Hence, we have a unique opportunity to solve a problem even before it becomes a major issue."
Roy and his colleague Justin Traiteur looked at temperature records from the wind farm in San Gorgonio, Calif., between June 18 and August 9, 1989. The summertime records show that nighttime and early morning temperatures remained higher downwind from the wind farm while the rest of the day was cooler.
Plugging such weather data into a regional climate model revealed that the impacts were likely due to the increased mixing of the near-surface and higher-atmosphere air thanks to the wind turbines. The researchers suggest this might have impacts on the agricultural fields over which wind turbines typically tower—for instance, protecting crops from frost. "Orange farmers in Florida use giant fans to protect their crops from frost," Roy notes. "Just like wind turbines, these fans generate turbulence and mixing, producing a warming near the surface at night."
On the other hand, wind turbines also have a habit of icing up and, occasionally, throwing ice under those kinds of frost conditions, says Kathryn McCullough, whose family owns a wind farm and an agricultural farm on the same land in Oregon. "We haven't noticed temperature changes from the towers," she says.
More modern wind farms like the McCulloughs' are quite different from the one studied near Palm Springs. The San Gorgonio wind farm had wind turbines just 23 meters tall with 8.5-meter-long blades and towers spaced roughly 120 meters apart; a modern wind farm employs wind turbines some 90 meters tall with blades as long as 40 meters. "Today's turbines are typically spaced at least five times wider apart," explains Bruce Bailey, president of AWS Truepower of Albany, N.Y., a meteorological and engineering consultant to the wind and solar industries. "It's a different technology in terms of how it's deployed today."
In fact, wind developers already take the temperature effect into account because of the impact of "upstream" turbines buffeting the wind on "downstream" turbines. "This near-surface temperature effect is not something new to us," says Michael Holm, a spokesman for wind-turbine manufacturer Vestas. "Vestas works closely together with our customers to prevent this by identifying the best sites for installing wind turbines as we map multiple weather data, including temperatures."
While meteorological readings are more numerous before a project is built—to ensure that a developer is building each turbine in the right place—one or two meteorological towers are usually left in place to continue measuring wind speeds, temperature and other information, according to Bailey, who has conducted hundreds of such meteorological field campaigns for wind-farm developers. "A lot of projects measure temperature," he notes, though those aren't necessarily ground-level measurements like the ones detailed in this paper. "It's a standard measurement because they need to know the air density to determine the power output of the turbine."
Yet Roy and Traiteur were not able to get any such data, according to Roy. "Wind-farm owner/operators may already have such data, but that is not available in the public domain," he says.
Based on the findings, the researchers suggest either designing wind-turbine rotors to minimize turbulence or siting wind farms where natural atmospheric turbulence is high, such as the U.S. Midwest or large parts of northern Europe and China, to cut down on any surface-temperature impacts, if necessary. Of course, wind farms typically sprout up in exactly such turbulent spots, as that's where the wind is strongest—and it's by capturing the energy in the wind that they create more turbulence in the first place, exactly what wind turbines are designed to do, says Mark Ahlstrom, CEO of WindLogics, a wind analysis and forecasting company.
As for the possibility of larger effects as more and more wind farms are built, Roy, at least, remains skeptical. "In a subsequent study that has been submitted to another journal, we found that these impacts are restricted to a small area around the wind farms," he says, though some modeling studies of wind turbines covering hundreds of thousands of square kilometers suggest such massive wind farms could affect global climate. "I think that these wind farms, especially if they are spaced sufficiently apart, will not have global-scale effects."
Except one: generating electricity by harvesting the wind rather than burning coal or natural gas cuts down on emissions of carbon dioxide—the primary greenhouse gas changing the global climate. Or, as Roy says, "Wind energy is likely to be a part of the solution of the global warming problem."
How Wind Turbines Affect Your (Very) Local Weather
Wind farms can change surface air temperatures in their vicinity
The giant wind turbines cropping up on ridges, shorelines and other windy locales across the world affect more than the wind—they are also changing local temperatures, notes a new study. That's likely because the enormous blades chop up the incoming wind and thereby more thoroughly mix different layers of the atmosphere. According to temperature readings from one of the oldest wind farms in the U.S., near Palm Springs, Calif., the turbines make it warmer at night and cooler during the day, generally speaking.


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Innovative Report on Softball Gloves & Mitts Market 2021 Focusing on Industry Growth and Emerging Trends with Key Vendors like Rawlings, Wilson, Mizuno
Introspective Market Research - Thursday, October 14, 2021.
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Tuva, Land of EaglesThe Foundation's 1993 Expedition to Tuva
By Bill Brunton
© Shamanism, Spring 1994, Vol. 7, No. 1
During a search for possible Living Treasures of Shamanism in the Central Asian republic of Tuva two years ago, Foundation Field Associate Heimo Lappalainen discovered that the prior Communist rule there had outlawed and almost destroyed shamanism, once the proud and flourishing heritage of the Tuvan peoples. Heimo also found that although the number of Tuvan shamans had radically diminished under Soviet rule, now many Tuvans wished to see shamanism restored to their daily lives.
Heimo reviewed the situation with me, and we agreed that he should approach the President of Tuva to learn if there was official interest in having the Foundation help provide encouragement for the revival of shamanism there. He subsequently met with the President, and they agreed that in late June and early July 1993 the Republic of Tuva and the Foundation for Shamanic Studies would co-sponsor a conference as the cooperative vehicle for the rehabilitation of shamanism. The conference was to be officially labeled "scientific," but with the recognition that participants from both sides would primarily be persons who practiced shamanism as well as studied it.
I had hoped to lead the Foundation group and participate in healing work and other collaboration with Tuvan shamans, but prior obligations prevented me from going. The formal leadership of the expedition devolved upon Field Associates Director Bill Brunton, with the important assistance of Heimo Lappalainen. The other participants in the expedition were: FSS Board members Norman Benzie and Mo Maxfield; Field Associates Larry Peters and Tom and Tamia Anderson; and from the Austrian branch of the Foundation, Faculty Member Paul Uccusic, Roswitha Uccusic, and Gabriele Weiss. Accounts of their experiences are included in the following article by Bill Brunton.
Although the Foundation's team was in Tuva for only ten days, its impact was even more than had been hoped. Perhaps it is sufficient simply to note that on the day preceding the departure of the Foundation team, the President of Tuva delayed his own flight to Moscow in order to consult with team members concerning the relative roles of shamanism and Buddhism. He thereupon publicly declared that both would be equally respected in the modern Tuvan Republic.
The work of the Foundation in helping to revive shamanism in Tuva is planned to continue this summer with an expedition headed by Paul Uccusic. Meanwhile, we may have identified a Tuvan who should be honored as a Living Treasure of Shamanism.
I thank the Foundation's members and donors whose support is essential to such achievements as we work together to help restore shamanism to the Planet.
Michael Harner
During the summer of 1993 the Foundation responded to an invitation by the President of Tuva and scholars and shamans from that tiny mountainous country by sending a delegation of ten to attend Tuva's first international conference on shamanism. We were assured that we also would be able to meet and work with local shamans and be taken into the countryside. There, we would meet ordinary Tuvans living in yurts and tending livestock in a picturesque landscape. We were told that there is great interest in reviving shamanism, now that the Communists are no longer in power.
What happened as a result of that invitation is reported in the following pages in the words of those who were there. We hope these words bring you close to the experience of being in this exotic place at the center of Asia as we do this important work.
There is a land called Tuva in the center of Asia where the sight of many soaring eagles wheeling just overhead is not exceptional and where crystal-clear streams rush from surrounding mountains to form one of Siberia's most mighty rivers, the Yenisei. It is a land of taiga forest, high mountains and rolling steppe. The air is so clear that fair-skinned people protect themselves from direct sunlight. Grassy, undulating terrain gives way to sweeping valleys and hills. Their soft emerald glow is dotted here and there by the camps of herdsman and their families, wisps of white smoke rising from the wood stove in each yurt. Rounding a bend or cresting a hill may suddenly reveal a majestic, craggy mountain jutting from a nearly flat valley floor, such as the sacred Bear Mountain, Khaiyrakan. Or, the incredible panorama of a river valley may burst into view with such suddenness that one catches their breath for a moment. There is also the blight of industrial pollution here like an open-pit asbestos mine that looms over a small city in western Tuva; the result of Soviet interests in the area.
Roads and Towns
A narrow two-lane road connects the capital, Kyzyl, with communities to the west, north, and south. But, away from this main artery there are few roads that are more than a track. Virtually the entire eastern half of the country is without roads, access being along rivers or by air in vintage radial-engine biplanes. Except for Kyzyl, with a population in 1989 of 153,000, communities are small. They are typical Russian-style settlements with numerous concrete apartment buildings. Small, unpainted wooden houses with board-fenced yards, a few shops, and some public buildings such as a theater or cultural center are also typical. Kyzyl, with the National Theater and central government, has the most impressive buildings. It also has a monument to the center of Asia, located on the bank of the Yenisei River. Buddhist temples are being rebuilt now that the Soviet period has ended. The current population of this 67,000 square mile country is around 350,000, two-thirds of which is ethnically Tuvan (the rest being mostly Russian). Most Tuvans live in cities, towns and villages.
An Ancient Land
Tuva's cultural history is both rich and deep. It is one that stretches from the Old Stone Age through modern times, involving European and Asian populations. Many peoples comprise the contemporary Tuvan population, and their culture is a composite one blended from their various tribal roots. The predominating language and culture of pre-Soviet Tuva derive from Turkic peoples, mostly pastoral nomads who herded flocks of sheep, cattle, goats, camels (in the south) and yaks (at higher elevations). Horses are the very capable small Asian breed common to this part of the world. Tuvans lived in felt-covered yurts (round structures with conical roofs) which they moved four times each year as they shifted to fresh pastures. In the eastern part of the country, particularly in the northern taiga forests, reindeer breeding and hunting were the mainstays of the economy. A sensitivity for, and deep understanding of, nature was characteristic of Tuvans, who wore up-turned shoes so that they might walk lightly on the earth. Their respect for nature even extended to a reluctance to pick wild flowers. Tillage, though known for much of their history, was always incidental to their economy.
Shamans and Spirits
A significant part of Tuvan respect for nature is expressed through shamanic traditions. All of nature is considered sacred, the fabric of their world view being woven in the sacred thread of their myths. Here, features of the landscape and the creatures inhabiting it are settings and characters in great stories that describe and explain the world. Principal places and characters of this mythic and natural world are Tuva's nine sacred springs, nine sacred mountains, and nine sacred celestial objects; the Sun, Moon and seven stars of the "Great Bear" (the Big Dipper). There are dragons in the sky, sirens who inhabit the steppe, and a sacred flower that has the power to hold strangers together in marriage. Each place in nature has its special spiritual inhabitants. This spiritual aspect of nature is equally as important to Tuvans as are physical attributes. It requires attention from people who are sensitive to, and trained in, relating to this side of nature. These people are the shamans.
The shamans of pre-Soviet Tuva were healers, diviners, and conductors of ritual necessary for Tuvan life. Both men and women became shamans after they were visited with the "shaman's sickness." Often, a shaman interpreted this as invasion by the spirit of a dead shaman. This invading Being, wanted the living person to become a shaman. The onset of this illness was commonly early in life, but also occurred in people more than 40 years of age. If the person ignored the calling, continued sickness or even death occurred. The illness frequently manifested itself as fainting spells, memory loss, or convulsions. Heeding the call resulted in a complete remission of symptoms.
The shamanic vocation often had an hereditary aspect in Tuva, as in much of the rest of Siberia. Relatives watched children carefully for the appearance of characteristics that signaled a new shaman. Training under an existing shaman was necessary, as was a drum, garment, and feather headdress. Relatives were responsible for making the new shaman's equipment. There was a ceremony of investment for the new shaman during which relatives enlivened the new drum (the shaman's horse) by beating it.
Shamans were central to Tuvan society. Not only did they represent their kin and work for them spiritually, but they were respected repositories of important knowledge. They conducted necessary rituals such as the yearly "fire ceremony" and rituals to bless the land and promote fertility. Tuvan shamanic ceremony was quite colorful, with shamans reciting long verses, dancing, and singing to the accompaniment of their drums. They also employed a jew's harp in their performances. Healing work included extraction, removing harmful spirits from places, purification, and soul work involving the transition at death. Their garments were knee-length shirts, upon which were sewn long streamers that represented their spirit helpers (called "snakes"), bells and rods of metal, and metal effigies. Besides their symbolic value, costume decorations moved with the dancing shaman, producing auditory and visual stimulation.
Secrecy, independence, and competition also characterized Tuvan shamans. They were each unique in the way they worked and typically worked alone. Like tribal shamans in other places, they sometimes engaged in competitive struggles with each other.
Shamans were considered very special people, being revered and feared at the same time. When they died, they were not interred like ordinary people, but were placed in open wooden sarcophaguses elevated above the ground by four posts. Here, their bodies lay exposed to the elements while their spirits continued to serve their people. That servitude was, however, frustrated by the forces of history. The living and dead shamans would have to deal with an ambitious state to the north, called Russia.
Please consider joining the Circle and receive the Foundation's journal, the Shamanism Annual as part of your benefits.
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GALESBURG, IL—Area mother of three Mary Kleibert, 54, was once again freaking out for no reason Tuesday, sources within the Kleibert family reported.
"All I did was mention that I had to go to the DMV because my license was going to expire the next day, and mom completely wigged," said Tim Kleibert, 18, the youngest son of the freaking-out woman. "She started totally spazzing, saying, 'What if they're closed? Then what?' and telling me that the police were going to impound my car if I drove it. I was like, 'Mom, relax.'"
Upon learning of her son's 11th-hour license-renewal plan, Kleibert reportedly went seriously buggo, excitedly listing off the various potential problems he obviously hadn't even taken the time to consider.
"What if you don't pass your vision test?" Mary Kleibert asked. "Or what if the DMV paperwork needs more than 24 hours to clear, and you're not eligible to drive until Thursday? Your father can't drive you to work tomorrow, you know: He'll be in Moline all day."
Her breathing rate audibly increasing, Kleibert reminded her son that if his driver's license is invalid, his car insurance policy would be, too. She described such a scenario as one she doesn't "even want to think about."
Over the next five minutes, Kleibert became more agitated, despite her son's repeated assertion that renewing one's license on the last day is not a federal offense or anything.
Tuesday's driver's-license incident is just one of 15 freak-outs to occur in the past month. On Dec. 26, Kleibert went nuts when she discovered that Tim had thrown away the packaging for his new laptop computer. "What if something goes wrong?" Kleibert, near tears, told her son. "You can't just call in the washing-machine repairman to fix it. Don't you care about your things at all?" She then noisily stomped down the basement steps carrying a laundry basket.
Kleibert went similarly hyper last Thursday, when Tim accidentally overslept, leaving him just 25 minutes to get to his job at a local grocery store. He was awakened by Kleibert, who yelled, "It's quarter after! Do you hear me? Quarter after!" Ten minutes later, as Tim pulled out of the driveway, Kleibert stood on the front steps, shouting, "You've got to eat breakfast! You can't just not eat!"
According to husband Gerald Kleibert, 56, no one in the family is safe from the freak-outs, which range in subject from the dangers of mechanical devices to the threat of food poisoning, with special attention given to heat exhaustion, blood clots, and hems. On Dec. 28, Gerald himself prompted his wife to flip out when he forgot to lock the empty house before running out for a newspaper, leaving the door wide open for anyone, in Kliebert's words, to "waltz off with whatever they could carry."
"Boy, oh, boy," Gerald said. "Mary really blew a gasket over that one."
Three days later, Kleibert went into another tizzy upon discovering that Gerald had failed to plan ahead for their nephew's wedding. Too late to request the day off from work, he called in sick with "the flu" in order to attend the event. As a result of her husband's failure to plan ahead, Kleibert nervously watched the door all night, fearful that someone from her husband's workplace would wander into the wedding reception by accident.
The most baffling of Kleibert's outbursts, family members said, are those involving her two eldest children, neither of whom still live at home. Without warning or provocation, Kleibert will fret loudly about Jason, 24, who "insists on flying everywhere" despite all the airplane accidents on the news, and 22-year-old Erin, who just wanders around from one job to another without getting enough protein.
Despite the preponderance of evidence suggesting otherwise, Tim said he maintains hope that when he leaves for college in August, his mother will acknowledge his adult status and not go batshit-loonball on him so much.
"She's a good mom, and I love her," Tim said. "But, man, she seriously needs to learn to chill."


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The Warm Glow of Socialism
December 10, 2010
Well, that was interesting.
One enormous placard read, "We are not your slaves!" An odd sentiment, really, from people so engorged with entitlement they assume an almost aristocratic right to other people's labour and other people's earnings. A more honest placard might have read, "You will pay for things I want or I'll smash up your stuff." But that would sound like extortion more than slavery.
And Tim steers us to The Englishman, who offers a handy summary of the higher education funding debate:
The Question, Punk, Is Do You Think Your Course Is Worth £9000?
If you answer no then there isn't a problem. Do something else.
If you answer yes there isn't one either. Grow up, invest in your future.
Update, via the comments:
It's strange how the protestors are somehow missing the larger issue. The higher education bubble appears unsustainable. This has quite a lot of bearing on assumptions of inter-generational subsidy. For instance, the average lifetime financial return on an arts degree is estimated at around £30,000. Set against the cost of courses, accommodation and lost earnings during the period of study, the net result is most likely a reduction in lifetime earnings. In short, there's no longer a return for the taxpayer and little economic incentive for inter-generational subsidy.
Students first aimed their indignation at Conservative Party offices, to loud and destructive effect. A predictable gesture, certainly, but one that misses a much more pertinent target. The current bubble was inflated largely under New Labour and largely by people sympathetic to the left, with widespread grade inflation, an implausible doubling of first class degrees, insubstantial or disreputable courses, including football studies and pole dancing research, and an arbitrary target of 50% of young people in higher education, supposedly in the name of fairness. Taken together, these factors have had a huge impact on whether higher education is economically sustainable in its current form. The bizarre belief in "degrees for (almost) everyone" comes at a high and unprecedented price. Loans and higher fees follow from that egalitarian conceit. Subsidies and maintenance grants for 2% or 5% is one thing; for 20% or 50% it's something else entirely.
Some view "free" higher education as an entitlement warranting violence. But who's going to pay for this "free" service when its value is increasingly called into question, not least by employers, many of whom point to dramatically lowered standards and ill-prepared graduates? One complaint we hear is that many students will be left with large debt (or theoretical debt) and limited prospects of a suitable job. But if so, doesn't that call into question the value of what's being demanded? In the UK there are currently around 20,000 students of fine art, 10,000 philosophy students and 27,000 enthusiasts of media studies. But is there a corresponding economic need? If the investment of time, effort and (other people's) money doesn't pay off with a lucrative and fascinating career in the private sector, and a return via taxation, then how is the process justified in its present form?
You'd think of spot of protest would be aimed at the egalitarians who devalued the investment and made it all but unworkable.


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Child Life Program
Helping you and your child cope with their hospital stay
We know that being in the hospital can be a stressful experience for you and your family. The Child Life program is dedicated to easing this stress by providing activities that support your child's development and ability to cope with their hospital experience through play, education, and expressive activities.
Child Life Specialists are members of the healthcare team that promote healthy development and coping through play, education, and expressive activities for children and their families in healthcare settings. Child Life Specialists are Bachelor or Masters prepared in Child Development or a related field. They are professionally certified and maintain certification through a governing body called the Child Life Council.
During your child's stay at Doernbecher, you and your child have access to a wide range of activities, including:
We also provide guidance for family members on:
- Preparing your child for surgery
- Supporting your child during medical procedures
- Giving support to siblings


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TORONTO, March 24, 2009 — Royal Bank of Canada
(RY on TSX and NYSE) today announced a domestic public offering
of $200 million of Non-Cumulative, 5 year rate reset Preferred
Shares Series AV.
The bank will issue 8 million Preferred Shares Series AV
priced at $25 per share and holders will be entitled to receive
non-cumulative quarterly fixed dividend for the initial period
ending August 24, 2014 in the amount of $1.5625 per share,
to yield
6.25 per cent annually. The bank has granted the Underwriters
an option, exercisable in whole or in part, to purchase up
to an additional 3.0 million Preferred Shares at the same
offering price.
Subject to regulatory approval, on or after August 24, 2014,
the bank may redeem the Preferred Shares Series AV in whole
or in part at par. Thereafter, the dividend rate will reset
every five years at a rate equal to 4.42 per cent over the
5-year Government of Canada bond yield. Holders of Preferred
Shares Series AV will, subject to certain conditions, have
the right to convert all or any part of their shares to non-cumulative
floating rate preferred shares Series AW (the "Preferred
Shares Series AW") on August 24, 2014 and on August 24
every five years thereafter.
Holders of the Preferred Shares Series AW will be entitled
to receive a non-cumulative quarterly floating dividend at
a rate equal to the 3-month Government of Canada Treasury
Bill yield plus 4.42 per cent. Holders of Preferred Shares
Series AW will, subject to certain conditions, have the right
to convert all or any part of their shares to Preferred Shares
Series AV on August 24, 2019 and on August 24 every five years
The offering will be underwritten by a syndicate led by RBC
Capital Markets. The expected closing date is April 1, 2009.
We routinely undertake funding transactions to maintain strong
capital ratios and a cost effective capital structure. Net
proceeds from this transaction will be used for general business
- 30 -
For further information, please contact:
Investor Contact:
James Colburn, Investor Relations, (416) 955-7808
Media Contact:
Stephanie Lu, Media Relations, (416) 974-5506
Or visit the site: http://www.rbc.com/investorrelations
Royal Bank of Canada Website, © 1995-
Privacy & Security | Legal | Accessibility


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Why use Uber Cash?
Plan ahead
Set a budget and stick to it. Uber Cash lets you select an amount to pre-pay for your upcoming rides and orders.
Pay now, relax later
Uber Cash helps you plan ahead and prepay for your upcoming Uber purchases. This way, you have an easy payments experience.
No expiration dates
Purchased funds never expire. Use them for food, airport rides, bikes, and more.
More ways to pay for Uber
Now there are even more ways to add funds to your Uber Cash balance. Choose your preferred payment method and enjoy hassle-free, automatic payments on every trip.
Pay with SafetyPay
Pay with PagoEfectivo
Pay with a debit or credit card
Convenience, automated
Opt for auto-refill and lock in your savings. Auto-refill adds your pre-selected amount whenever your balance drops below $10.*
Top questions from riders
- What can I use Uber Cash to pay for?
Uber Cash can be used to pay for rides, orders with Uber Eats, and JUMP bikes and scooters.
- How can I add funds to Uber Cash?
You can use almost any payment method, including credit cards, debit cards, Venmo, and PayPal, to add funds. In Brazil, you can add funds at more than 280,000 retail points of sale all over the country, including bancas and lotericas.
- Besides adding funds myself, are there other ways to receive Uber Cash?
Yes, you can receive Uber Cash through the Uber Rewards program, customer support, gift cards, and more.
- Can I use my Uber Cash balance in other countries?
For now, you can only use your Uber Cash balance in the country where it was purchased.
- Can I pay for Uber with cash?
Yes, you can pay with cash. Before requesting a ride, go to the Payment section in the app and select Cash. At the end of your trip, pay cash directly to your driver. This is available in select markets.
*Visit the Payment menu in the Uber app to change your refill settings or turn off auto-refill anytime.


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Industry: Other provincial and territorial public administration
581 Red River Road, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 1H4
ServiceOntario is an access point for services provided by the Ontario government, including Ontario health insurance, vehicle registration, and business name registration.
We are collecting data to better understand who is looking for work and what kind of opportunities jobseekers are searching for. This data is completely anonymous and non-personally identifiable.
Your Age:


text:
Welcome to JaZazzy, customized gifts for all!
*FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $125 *Exceptions apply
You have %itemCount% in your cart.
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Please select your size for women's or mens product.
All of our Women's High-Top Shoes are custom-made-to-order and handcrafted to the highest quality standards.
Please allow 3-7 days to receive a tracking number while your order is hand-crafted, packaged and shipped from our facility. Estimated shipping time is 7-10 days.
We source designers, artists, POD, manufacturers from around the world to bring our customers the best products on the web. Each item is chosen or designed with you in mind. Trends, fashion, or products that just make you look and feel good. It's our pleasure to serve you.
We produce the best products possible. Each item is produced/crafted separately. We ship directly from our global partners in the USA, Great Britain, European Union, South America, Africa and Asia.
Developed by the JaZazzy Web team. ©2023
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text:
A new round of antivirus testing found some products fail to detect malware that tries to infect a computer via a different attack vector, such as through a local network fileshare or a USB drive.
The tests, conducted by NSS Labs, sought to find out how effective security products are at detecting malware from various attack vectors. Malware can be delivered to a computer via rigged websites, e-mail attachments and USB flash drives, among other ways.
Although drive-by downloads remain the most common attack vector, about 15 percent of attacks are delivered via e-mail with a malicious attachments, such as a PDF document.
Many security products allow users to download all of their e-mail to their inbox by default and not scan it, even if it contains malware.
"Surprisingly, many products tested did not remove malware from the inbox by default," according to the report, titled "Socially-engineered Malware Via Multiple Attack Vectors."
Of the 10 products tested, the average protection rate was just 36 percent. NSS Labs said that if a company runs a centralized, server-based security product that is integrated with the e-mail servers, such as Microsoft's Exchange or IBM's Lotus Notes, the malware may be removed before it reaches an end user.
But NSS Labs did find that those products that did not scan e-mail before it arrived in an inbox would scan it if the user decided to save the attachment. That improved the average protection rate, which measured 74 percent, NSS Labs said.
Another possible infection vector is file servers, commonly used in organizations to allow access to documents among users. But those files servers can become repositories for malware, allowing bad programs to proliferate among a high number of users.
"While file servers should have their own anti-malware scanning, this often is not the case, and users must rely on local anti-malware security products to detect the downloaded files," the report said.
About 70 percent of the malware was caught by the 10 products when downloaded from a file server, NSS Labs found.
The strongest aspect of most endpoint antivirus products is their ability to block malware as it is executed and quarantine it. NSS Labs found that even if malware did make it on a PC, most products performed well at containing it.
"Every vendor product, with the exception of Panda, blocked more malware during execution than by analyzing the entry vectors," according to NSS Labs. "Trend Micro, McAfee and Sophos lead the group."
But one attack vendor where most security companies are still lacking is detecting malicious payloads that are written only to memory, also known as single-use malware. Malware can, for example, masquerade as a permitted DLL (Dynamic Link Library), which skirts around DEP (Data Execution Prevention) security features in OSes.
"This type of attack circumvents protections that lack behavioral analysis for these attacks," NSS Labs wrote. Only three products from Kaspersky, McAfee and Sophos have features to protect against that style of attack.
NSS Labs, which does not accept money from vendors for its testing, is selling the report on its website for US$995.
Send news tips and comments to email@example.com


text:
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
An Ohio mother of two was sentenced to 10 days in jail and placed on three years probation after sending her kids to a school district in which they did not live. Kelley Williams-Bolar was sentenced by Judge Patricia Cosgrove on Tuesday and will begin serving her sentence immediately.
The jury deliberated for seven hours and the courtroom was packed as the sentence was handed down. She was convicted on two counts of tampering with court records after registering her two girls as living with Williams Bolar's father when they actually lived with her. The family lived in the housing projects in Akron, Ohio, and the father's address was in nearby Copley Township.
Additionally, Williams-Bolar's father, Edward L. Williams, was charged with a fourth-degree felony of grand theft, in which he and his daughter are charged with defrauding the school system for two years of educational services for their girls. The court determined that sending their children to the wrong school was worth $30,500 in tuition.
When I read about this case, a few thoughts went through my mind. First, it's clear that the court is trying to make Kelley Williams-Bolar into an example. Even the judge in the case, Patricia Cosgrove, said that her sentence was appropriate ''so that others who think they might defraud the school system perhaps will think twice.''
Secondly, it's interesting how courts find it convenient to make someone into an example when they happen to be poor and black. I'd love to see how they prosecute wealthy white women who commit the same offense. Oh, I forgot: Most wealthy white women don't have to send their kids to the schools located near the projects.
Third, I'm not sure why the court is treating this law-abiding mom like a thug who ran into a building with a shotgun and robbed the district of $30,000. Instead, they could simply subtract the amount it costs for her kids to go to the second school from the amount that would be spent for them to attend the first one. I'm sure the difference would still be substantial, since American educational apartheid dictates that schools in poorer neighborhoods are of significantly less quality than other schools. The racial divisions within American schools are nothing less than a blatant and consistent human rights violation and should certainly be treated as such.
A final interesting blow by Judge Cosgrove that reflects the experience of marginalized African Americans in the criminal justice system relates to Williams-Bolar's quest to obtain a teaching degree. The single mother was in school studying to become a teacher so that she could create a better life for her girls. But that won't happen for her family now, given that the judge has all but shut the door on her chance to fulfill her dream:
''Because of the felony conviction, you will not be allowed to get your teaching degree under Ohio law as it stands today,'' the judge said. ''The court's taking into consideration that is also a punishment that you will have to serve.''
This case is a textbook example of everything that remains racially wrong with America's educational, economic and criminal justice systems. Let's start from the top: Had Ms. Williams-Bolar been white, she likely would never have been prosecuted for this crime in the first place (I'd love for them to show me a white woman in that area who's gone to jail for the same crime). She also is statistically not as likely to be living in a housing project with the need to break an unjust law in order to create a better life for her daughters. Being black is also correlated with the fact that Williams-Bolar likely didn't have the resources to hire the kinds of attorneys who could get her out of this mess (since the average black family's wealth is roughly 1/10 that of white families). Finally, economic inequality is impactful here because that's the reason that Williams-Bolar's school district likely has fewer resources than the school she chose for her kids. In other words, black people have been historically robbed of our economic opportunities, leading to a two-tiered reality that we are then imprisoned for attempting to alleviate. That, my friends, is American Racism 101.
This case is also an example of how racial-inequality created during slavery and Jim Crow continues to cripple our nation to this day. There is no logical reason on earth why this mother of two should be dehumanized by going to jail and be left permanently marginalized from future economic and educational opportunities. Even if you believe in the laws that keep poor kids trapped in underperforming schools, the idea that this woman should be sent to jail for demanding educational access is simply ridiculous.


text:
Show Description
>Bhojpuri music is a genre of Hindi music that originated in the Bhojpuri-speaking regions of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is known for its lively, upbeat rhythms and catchy melodies, and is a popular form of entertainment at weddings and other celebrations.
One classic Bhojpuri song that is sure to get everyone on the dance floor is "Kabhi Up Kabhi Down " This upbeat track, sung byAnkush Raja, Mamta Rautis a fan favorite at parties and events. The catchy lyrics, which talk about the joys of enjoying the dance, are sure to have you singing along in no time. The song also features playful, energetic instrumentation, including fast-paced drums and horns, which add to its lively vibe.
In addition to its infectious beats and catchy lyrics, "Kabhi Up Kabhi Down " also has a fun, light-hearted music video that perfectly captures the spirit of the song. The video, which has garnered millions of views on YouTube, features Singh and a group of friends having a blast at a colorful outdoor party. With its vibrant visuals and energetic choreography, the video is sure to put a smile on your face and get your feet moving. Whether you're a fan of Bhojpuri music or just looking for a fun, energetic song to add to your playlist, "Kabhi Up Kabhi Down " is definitely worth a listen.
This content is being used for the purpose of education and commentary, and is protected under fair use laws. It is not intended to infringe upon the copyright of the original work or its copyright holder. If you are the copyright holder and believe that your work has been used unfairly, please contact us and we will be happy to resolve the issue.


text:
Study Demonstrates Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation Offers More Cost-Effective OAB Treatment Than Sacral Nerve Stimulation
06 Dec, 2012, 07:00 ET
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Uroplasty, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPI), a medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets innovative proprietary products for the treatment of voiding dysfunctions, today highlighted results of a study that compared the cost effectiveness of neuromodulation therapies for Overactive Bladder (OAB) patients over two years of treatment. The study compared percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) delivered via Uroplasty's Urgent® PC Neuromodulation System versus sacral nerve stimulation (SNS). The article, "Costs of Neuromodulation Therapies for Overactive Bladder: Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation Versus Sacral Nerve Stimulation," will be published in the January 2013 edition of The Journal of Urology. An abstract is now available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2012.08.085.
The study used average Medicare national reimbursement amounts for the cost evaluation of these two neuromodulation therapies with clinically comparable outcomes. The initial cost of PTNS therapy was $1,773 for 12 weekly treatments compared to $1,857 for the SNS test stimulation. Over two years, the cumulative discounted costs for PTNS therapy were estimated to be $3,850 compared to the SNS implant at $14,160. Under a wide variety of conditions, PTNS remained significantly less costly than SNS over two years of therapy for those patients with OAB refractory to conservative and drug therapy.
Melissa Martinson, PhD, lead author of the study stated, "This study demonstrates significant cost savings to the healthcare system when PTNS is used instead of SNS. In our current U.S. healthcare climate, maintaining the quality of care while also controlling costs is a central objective. We believe that studies like this can contribute to attaining that goal."
"This study demonstrates that PTNS remains a better value than SNS for OAB therapy for those patients who progress to neuromodulation therapy to treat their OAB symptoms," said Dave Kaysen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Uroplasty, Inc. "By demonstrating the cost over two years of SNS treatment for 100 patients was $1.4 million compared to approximately $385,000 for PTNS, we believe this study will interest payers who are now more attuned to comparative effectiveness research to determine the most cost-effective OAB care algorithm."
About the Urgent® PC Neuromodulation System
The Urgent PC Neuromodulation System is proprietary, minimally invasive, percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) device designed for office-based treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) and the associated symptoms of urinary urgency, urinary frequency and urge incontinence.
About Uroplasty, Inc.
Uroplasty, Inc., headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, with wholly-owned subsidiaries in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom is a global medical company committed to offering transformative treatment options to specialty physicians. Our products are designed to help providers change the lives of their voiding dysfunction patients and strengthen the efficiency of their practices. Our focus is the continued commercialization of our Urgent® PC Neuromodulation System, the only FDA-cleared system that delivers percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) for the office-based treatment of overactive bladder and associated symptoms of urgency, frequency and urge incontinence. We also offer Macroplastique®, an injectable urethral bulking agent for the treatment of adult female stress urinary incontinence primarily due to intrinsic sphincter deficiency. For more information on the company and its products, please visit Uroplasty, Inc. at www.uroplasty.com.
Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect our best estimates regarding future events and financial performance. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our anticipated results. We discuss in detail the factors that may affect the achievement of our forward-looking statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. In particular, we cannot be certain that the rate of reimbursement for PTNS treatments will be adequate to justify the cost of our product, that other Medicare carriers or private payers will provide coverage for this treatment, or that any of the other risks identified in our 10-K will not adversely affect our expectations as described in these forward-looking statements.
For Further Information:
Uroplasty, Inc.
David Kaysen, President and CEO, or
Medi Jiwani, Vice President, CFO, Treasurer
EVC Group
Doug Sherk/Jenifer Kirtland
(Investors), 415.896.6820
Chris Gale (Media), 646.201.5431
SOURCE Uroplasty, Inc.


text:
At Warble Entertainment Agency we have spent years seeking out the best Spanish Guitarists in the UK who are available to perform for weddings and events in Leicestershire and the East Midlands.
Many of our customers who are interested in these Leicestershire musicians and bands are also prone to booking Mariachi Bands, Irish, Ceilidh and Barndance Bands, Country and Hoedown Bands, Medieval Musicians, Latin and Salsa Bands, Steel Bands, Indian, Asian and Bollywood Bands and Pipers.
We also book a wide range of more traditional Function Bands for weddings and events in Leicestershire, such as Rock and Pop Cover Bands, Wedding Bands, Tribute Bands and Singers, Party Bands, Solo and Duo Acts, Soul Bands and Motown Bands, Acoustic Bands, Jazz and Swing Bands.
Furthermore, as a perfect compliment to your wedding or event, why not also check out our fantastic Leicestershire entertainer options: Caricaturists, Magicians, Singing Waiters, Fire Performers, Lookalikes, Dancers, DJs.
Whatever style of band, music or entertainer you want to hire you are sure to find it on the Warble website. Be sure to also check out the wedding entertainment, corporate entertainment and party ideas and Christmas entertainment pages for unique, fun and alternative entertainment ideas.


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Vergennes high school principal leaves helm
By ANDY KIRKALDY
VERGENNES — After three years at Vergennes Union High School, VUHS co-principal Manya Bouteneff will leave this summer to take over the principalship at Fox Meadow Elementary School in her hometown of Scarsdale, N.Y.
Bouteneff, who will sign her new contract on Wednesday, attended the school from kindergarten through sixth grade, and her son went to Fox Meadow for two years before she moved away.
Bouteneff said the facts that she still has family in the Scarsdale area and that she will be heading her old school played roles in her decision to apply to be the Fox Meadow principal.
"It has the sentimental attraction to me," said Bouteneff, who added that while writing her application for the post she had the sense of "being transported to those hallways … There's a definite full-sensory memory of all of that."
Bouteneff came to VUHS in 2003, when she was hired as the VUHS assistant principal. Her job description changed twice: In 2004 she was asked to focus on the VUHS middle school, and a year ago she became the VUHS co-principal with Edwin Webbley, with her primary duty oversight of grades seven through nine.
Addison Northwest Supervisory Union Superintendent Tom O'Brien said Bouteneff, a 1981 graduate of Trinity College who this spring earned her Ph.D. in education from Columbia University, has earned the opportunity to run a school on a solo basis.
"It's unfortunate for us to see her go. But I support her," O'Brien said. "I'm glad for her."
Bouteneff, a Middlebury resident who also has a master's degree from the University of Vermont, came to VUHS from Brandon's Neshobe School after serving for a year as its interim principal and for four years as its assistant principal. She also taught French language and culture at Middlebury Union Middle School and Mary Hogan Elementary School, a position shared between the two schools.
Before then Bouteneff taught French at Orwell Village School; French at a New Rochelle, N.Y., high school; and French and English in the Republic of Djibouti in Africa.
As well as for reasons of family and sentiment, Bouteneff said she was lured to Scarsdale by the chance to work at a high-performing school with an ethnically diverse student body.
"It's very different from the schools I've worked in, and loved working in, in Vermont, and that will provide new challenges," she said.
She said she valued her stay at VUHS, and believes her work to install a new "expeditionary learning" program in the middle school will help its students in the years to come.
Bouteneff said the school experimented with that approach this year, and that the teachers agreed to adopt it for next year at a late-May meeting. The cornerstones of expeditionary learning, she said, are a narrowed focus on parts of curriculum that still allows students to meet state standards for achievement, and a hands-on element that results in teams of students creating "authentic products."
For example, one team studied history and science by looking at adolescence both through history and the physical changes adolescents go through. That effort will produce a booklet that will be distributed to local pediatricians' offices, she said.
In the future, VUHS middle school students, she said, could study the history and science of Lake Champlain with field trips to take water samples and visit historic sites, with the products being a brochure for visitors.
"You're really conducting an expedition into what they're learning," said Bouteneff.
Bouteneff said when she arrived at Vergennes she and teachers were seeing a "growing disengagement" among students, and she praised "the incredible willingness of the staff to take on the challenge" of new teaching tactics to excite students about what they are learning.
O'Brien praised Bouteneff's effort to bring "cohesion" to the curriculum and staff of the VUHS middle school grades.
"There's a great sense of team among the teachers at the middle school level, and that has spilled over into the entire program and opportunities for the kids," he said.
Looking ahead to the future at VUHS, O'Brien said he and board members plan on maintaining the co-principal system at VUHS.
"We've said the position will remain open until a qualified candidate is found," he said.
However, the timing of Bouteneff's resignation will give VUHS little time to mount a full search and hire a new co-principal before the beginning of the next school year. O'Brien said it is "late in the game," and that at some point he may have to look to an interim solution.
"If we don't find someone by Aug. 1, I'll look at an alternative," he said.
Bouteneff said she has a difficult task ahead of her, also.
"I've had a lot of wonderful experiences here," she said. "It's hard to think about leaving."
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How to Choose an Administrative Consultant
7 Steps to Finding the Perfect Fit
As a savvy business owner, you know you can't do everything yourself. Whether you're capable or not, you understand that your time is best spent on activities that grow your business and generate revenue. By taking certain administrative tasks and functions off your plate each month and allowing an Administrative Consultant to handle them instead, you free yourself to focus on just those roles that are the best use of your time and energy as the CEO in your business.
Administrative Consultants are THE administrative experts. They specialize in providing clients with ongoing administrative support in one-on-one, collaborative relationships. But how do you determine who is truly skilled, qualified and committed to their own business and yours? Below are some practical points to consider and questions to ask as you go about the selection process.
You can tell a lot about a business by simply taking a look around their office. It is neat and tidy or messy and unkempt? Is it inviting with helpful, welcoming touches or is the client's comfort only an afterthought in an uptight, impersonal atmosphere? Since Administrative Consultants run their businesses virtually, their websites become their virtual "office" so consider these questions as you take a look around:
- Is the site hosted on their own domain or a freebie service?
- Is it well-designed or at least well organized and coherent?
- Does it look like they care about their "office" appearance and regularly attend to it?
- Does it present a polished, credible business image that instills your trust?
- Was there some thought put into providing you with helpful information and resources or is it all about them and not you?
If the Administrative Consultant didn't care enough about investing in her own business and presenting you with a professional image, how serious can she be about your business?
An Administrative Consultant's website, marketing materials, business processes and interactions with you should all be active demonstrations of the skill, competence and professionalism you are seeking. For example, a website can yield critical clues as to the Administrative Consultant's skills and competence. If the site is littered with typos, misspelling, sloppy writing and improper grammar, punctuation and formatting, don't expect that she is going to provide you with any greater skill or attention to detail should you decide to work together.
Experience & Commitment
You want to look for an Administrative Consultant who is actually IN business to best serve your needs and expectations. If an Administrative Consultant only freelances or dabbles in this work on the side, that lack of business commitment can definitely cause you many headaches, wasted time and an all-around unsatisfactory experience. This is often manifested as longer turn-around times, lack of continuity, poor communication, conflicting priorities, interrupted progress, and long or inconvenient periods of unavailability.
Likewise, anyone can slap up a website and call themselves an Administrative Consultant. However, the only thing that qualifies someone for this kind of business is actual skills and experience gained in the real world workforce. Unless you enjoy being someone's guinea pig, beware of anyone who has no background or experience in administrative support. Some questions to ask include:
- How long has she been in business?
- What was her background prior to opening her business?
- Does she view her business as a chosen profession she is committed to for the long-haul, or is it something she is only doing on the side to earn a little extra money?
- Does she have well-thought out policies and business standards that will support you in working and communicating together effectively?
Testimonials are an Administrative Consultant's "references," and a successful, experienced Administrative Consultant will have a few of these on her website. Once you are in active consultation, she may also be willing to provide you with the names and contact information of happy clients who would be willing to speak with you.
Of course, there are lots of accomplished Administrative Consultants who might be new in business, but not new in their expertise. Keep an open mind toward the Administrative Consultant who is still in the stage of obtaining clients and testimonials if all other indications point to her being well-qualified and great to work with.
Most Administrative Consultants provide a complimentary consultation as this is a vital part of the process in determining a mutually beneficial fit. You naturally want to find someone you can work with well and who offers a professional level of skill and service. Once you find a site that instills confidence and piques your interest, simply follow whatever instructions are provided to get your consultation scheduled.
Look for an Administrative Consultant who gives some indication that she will be professional, responsive and easy to work with. In making contact, take note of these clues:
- Does she respond to your inquiries in a timely manner?
- Does she answer the phone professionally?
- If she uses a service, are the messages handled professionally?
- Is she on time and prepared when you meet for the consultation?
- Does she follow-through exactly as promised?
How well the Administrative Consultant guides you through her consultation process can tell you a lot about what it will be like to work with her. Not only do you want someone who is masterfully skilled and can provide superior service, you also want someone who demonstrates excellent business sense, especially since she will be instrumental in helping you in your business. During the consultation, information you should expect her to cover with you include:
- Significant time asking about your needs, goals and challenges.
- A clear overview of how she works with clients and what her values and expectations are for working together.
- What support she provides (as well as what she doesn't).
- Her support plan recommendations (or how that will proceed).
- A discussion about fees.
- What the next step is.
During the consultation, listen for cues that tell you this is someone upon whom you can depend. How professionally the Administrative Consultant handles her own business correlates directly with how well she will handle your work and business relationship. Some things you should pay attention to include:
- Does she appropriately take the lead in guiding you through her consultation? If not, that may mean a lot of hand holding and a lack of initiative in the future.
- Does she ask lots of questions about you and your business? Are those questions smart and purposeful? This demonstrates an expert's understanding that this information must be obtained before she can determine how she can help.
- Is she confident and articulate? This tends to indicate someone who is competent, knowledgeable and will be proactive in supporting you.
- Does she inspire feelings of comfort and trust? Listen to your gut.
- Do you feel a good connection and chemistry? You have to fit together well on a personal level before anything will work at the business level.
- Is she an engaged and active listener? If not, ask yourself if someone who interrupts often and doesn't listen well is someone you would enjoy working with.
Administrative support is an ongoing collaboration, a "partnership" so to speak. That means it's a two-way relationship. And you naturally want to find someone with some chemistry whose personality and style is compatible with yours.
For this reason, many Administrative Consultants provide an "About the Owner" or "Meet Me" page on their website as a way to share important aspects of themselves with prospective clients. It's intended to provide you with a little glimpse into their personality, life and belief systems with regard to their work and supporting clients.
This information can be helpful in determining whether you share similar values and sensibilities and want to talk further with a particular Administrative Consultant. Since you will be choosing each other, make an equal effort to get to know the Administrative Consultant by reading that page.
Administrative Consultants generally charge anywhere from $35 - $100 per hour, although many who only work with clients on monthly retainer offer a simple monthly fee for a package of support instead of charging by the hour.
This is not the type of service you want to price shop — it's too important of a role. Certainly, we all are interested in getting the best value we can. But we've all heard the saying "you get what you pay for," and this is very true in the Administrative Consulting profession as well.
Take yourself for example — you know you aren't the cheapest, and you wouldn't want to be. You know that delivering quality and expertise comes at a price, but the value of that caliber of service extends far beyond mere dollars, and, in turn, saves your clients money.
You know this. And the same is true with Administrative Consultants.
You will find Administrative Consultants who charge very little—so little, in fact, that they can't possibly be running a profitable, sustainable practice, one that's going to be around long enough for you to depend on. Inappropriately low rates also signal a lack of business sense, which most often translates to poor quality, and lack of skill and experience. The consequence of hiring an Administrative Consultant who falls in this category is that your investment in her is unstable and ever at risk.
Administrative Consultants who don't price their services profitably quickly begin to fail their clients. In their last gasps, they may end up taking on a day-job or more clients than they can handle just to break even, becoming overwhelmed in the process. To cope, they might turn to subcontracting much of your work out to others which typically results in longer turn-around times, less availability, and inconsistent service, delivery and quality of work.
You want ability. You want someone you can work with well. You want great customer service. You want your work cared for by the person you intentionally chose to handle it. And you want someone who is going to stick around.
So look for quality and value—it's an investment that will literally put money back in your pocket.
So How Do You Get There?
You start by seeking the service of an administrative expert, of course! Find an Administrative Consultant today and go from struggling by yourself to getting things done and enjoying


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Documents? Check. Photo and music libraries? Check. Drivers? Better double-check. Even if you're religious about backing up important data, I'll wager you never thought to back up all your drivers.
That's an oversight. After all, if your system ever suffers a major meltdown, you'll need mouse, printer, video, and other drivers to get everything up and running again. And take it from me: driver discs always go missing when you need them the most.
Double Driver 4.0 makes fast and easy work of saving all your drivers. The utility scans your system, automatically detects and selects those drivers that aren't native (i.e. part of the operating system), and lets you back them up to any kind of storage: a USB drive, a network folder, etc.
I particularly like the choice of output options. You can save the drivers in a structured folder (meaning each driver gets its own sub-folder), a compressed folder (good if you're saving to, say, a space-challenged flash drive), or a self-executable file (which will automatically restore every driver when you run it).
Double Driver also lets you print a list of your installed drivers and/or save the list as a text file. Both could come in mighty handy if you ever lose the backup itself.
What I like best about Double Driver, apart from it being free, is that it's a portable application. There's nothing to install; it can run just as easily from a flash drive as it can from your desktop.
Ultimately, this is one of those must-have (and must-use) utilities. Take three minutes and make a driver backup. The system you save could be your own.


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Observers of America's Iran policy might be forgiven for doubting the sincerity of those Washington hawks who constantly plea that they both support the Iranian people and hope to avoid launching a war against them. That's because the hawks—in the think tank and lobbying worlds, and especially on Capitol Hill—keep pressing forward with measures that would greatly reduce the possibility of avoiding said war. Yesterday, the House passed yet another round of sanctions against Iran. This comes against the backdrop of a presumed new push for diplomacy as Hassan Rowhani, Iran's moderate president-elect, assembles an administration that looks to move forward with campaign promises he made to the Iranian people, including "peace and reconciliation" with the world and "transparency"—though not capitulation—on the nuclear program. He's also, relatedly, promised to ease Iran's economic crises, which arose due in large part to sanctions against the nuclear program.
The effort to dismiss Iran's elections as unimportant—despite millions of Iranians' willingness to come out and vote for Rowhani—and forge ahead with sanctions stem largely from efforts backed by the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The latest sanctions bill, the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act , which passed the House 400 to 20 last night, would impose the as yet toughest measures to date, just days before Rowhani's inauguration. With AIPAC backing, the bill got 376 co-sponsors before Rowhani's election. Some 80 of those were among the 131 members who signed a letter pushing diplomacy and urging restraint—but that letter took no positions on new sanctions. In another letter yesterday, 16 members of Congress urged that the bill be delayed on the grounds that it would be "counterproductive and irresponsible to vote on this measure before Iran's new president is inaugurated." The 16 called for the bill to be revamped to strengthen presidential waivers to sanctions and make clear it doesn't authorize the use of force.
Why not pass sanctions now? A deal would require compromise on both sides, and the bill harms the chance of building confidence on the Iranian side that the Americans have interest in anything other than regime change. The Iranians "have a strong case to make that they can't trust us," the Iran expert Gary Sick told the New York Times. "What the Congress is trying to do is confirm that." The latest effort even strips presidential waivers, hardly the kind of flexibility needed if Barack Obama, faced with the prospect of a real agreement, wanted to roll back sanctions in exchange for Iranian cooperation. It's not that diplomacy will definitely work; it's that if these hawks have their way, it definitely won't.Signatories of the most recent letter rose yesterday in objection, for now, at least, to new sanctions. "This bill empowers the very hardliners that are the problem," said Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA). Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) plead: "Don't undercut our President if there's some daylight. Don't poke the Iranian people in the eye." And Rep. Jim McDermott laid out an impassioned—and eminently reasonable—case for postponing the vote. "I'm standing here asking, What's the rush? For the first time in years, a moderate is about to be sworn in in Iran," he said. "We could come back after our vacation and deal with this if we need to." He added that he was on the floor when sanctions were piled on Iraq: "We've seen this movie before." He noted that hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children perished due to sanctions. "Did it change? No, we went to war with them."
Those in favor of the bill gave various reasons for supporting it. Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) basically said no deal could be struck until there was regime change in Iran. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) said Rowhani's "actions must speak louder than his words"—a curious take before the president-elect has even ascended to his office. Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) insisted, contra all evidence, "This new so-called president of Iran is no different than Ahmadinejad"—referring to the outgoing hard-line two-termer Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The bill's author, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), closed the floor debate with this accusation: Rowhani "was at the table when Iran masterminded the '94 bombing of the Jewish center in Buenos Aires. He was the individual who gave the order, and boasted of it." That charge had its origins in a right-wing blogpost, citing the pro-war pundit Reuel Marc Gerecht, that alleged Rowhani knew of the plot, not that he ordered it. That report remains uncorrected after it was thoroughly debunked by no less of an authority than the aggressive Argentine prosecutor in the case.
Can there be any doubt about wherefrom this hawkish push emanates? Supporters of the new sanctions, almost to a woman, cited Israel's security. Not only is AIPAC directly involved with this and a handful of other efforts that many judge would stymie diplomacy, but other right-wing pro-israel groups like the Israel Project—which held a Congressional briefing yesterday with three Members of Congress who support the new sanctions, including the two authors—and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies have relentlessly press for tougher measures while making no hint that they foresee any sort of avenue for diplomacy at all. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, in the words of the New York Times, been publicly "increas(ing) pressure" on America to take a more hard-line Iran stance, and his supporters in Washington have been happily obliging. But no matter the prime mover behind them, these policies will end badly, by making available neither to the U.S. nor Iran a way to back-off the current trajectory, one that, if Barack Obama's pledges of prevention are to be believed, will lead to war.
The Obama administration got it right last year when then-U.N. ambassador Susan Rice said diplomacy remained the "best and most permanent way" to stop Iran from getting nukes. The experts agree, noting that an attack would not only chance regional war, but would yield merely a delay in the program and likely spur Iran to harden its position on a weapons program (despite proclamations by Congress—most recently in a letter reportedly drafted by AIPAC lobbyists—American intelligence agencies don't think Iran has taken a final decision to build a bomb). Perhaps the most comprehensive way out for America was laid out this month in a New York Review of Books article by Ambassadors William Luers and Tom Pickering, along with MIT expert Jim Walsh. "If the United States is to reach an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program, Washington will have to develop new approaches to thinking about Iran," they wrote. "There is yet time for diplomacy, but the longer real negotiations are delayed, the greater is the risk of conflict in the increasingly violent environment of the Middle East." The Obama administration and Washington policy-makers would do well to hear these elder statesmen's voices over the constant din of Netanyahu and his Stateside allies.


text: Please note that our catalog only lists songs that we've set up within our system; not every track from an album is displayed. You may request a song that's not in our catalog by using our request form.Other songs from Four Days AwayThe EndThis WildernessOther songs from John Mark Nelson89.3 In-Studio PerformanceA Place Of My OwnBoyControlDream Last NightHoles in Our SkinIn-Studio Performance Recorded on August 6, 2015In-Studio Performance Recorded on July 2, 2012In-Studio Performance Recorded on June 30, 2014ReminisceShorebirdWhat Did I Find?You Are TiredGood to Be HomeGood To Be HomeHideaway EPBrightI'm Not AfraidAfter All I've DoneControlDream Last NightI'll Give You MoreMinnesota Beatle Project Vol. 4A Day In The LifeRecorded Live at The Current's 8th Birthday PartyHomeRain Comes DownReminisceSilent Night (Single)Silent NightSings The MoonAll You AreBoyBoyShorebirdThe Moon And The StarsStick Together (Single)Stick TogetherStill HereIn Your SailboatTaylors FallsThe Moon And The Stars (Single)The Moon And The StarsThe One Time Of Year (Single)The One Time Of YearTo Believe (Single)To BelieveWaiting and WaitingBeating In My HeartHomeRain Comes DownReminisceWhat Did I Find?You Are the One (Single)You Are The One


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Some companies are learning that supporting hyper-partisan groups can backfire when their customers find out about it. In recent weeks a number of companies are trying to distance themselves from the partisan, right-wing group ALEC before their brands become as damaged as Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.
ALEC, The American Legislative Exchange Council, is a shady, hyper-partisan, state-based lobbying group that was able to wield power by staying under the radar. Recently the Trayvon Martin shooting case exposed how ALEC helped push through a dangerous "shoot first" law in Florida. Now people are learning that ALEC is also getting state laws passed that limit the voting rights of minorities, limit the power of working people to negotiate for better wages and limit the power of citizens to fight for cleaner environment. So now the big corporations supporting ALEC risk being seen as fighting people's efforts to have a better life, and their brands are at risk.
(Please visit Alex Exposed for more information. See alsoAtlantic: Exposing ALEC: How Conservative-Backed State Laws Are All Connected)
Komen Foundation's Serious Brand Damage
A few months ago, in a move to please the conservative right, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® foundation pulled funding from Planned Parenthood. How'd that work out for them? Komen's "brand equity" dropped 21 percent, one of the most dramatic plummets in brand-equity ever.
How far a drop was this? Komen was ranked among the top two. This year it ranked No. 56. That's a drop of 54 spots. The value of the Komen brand is ruined. The Komen executives behind the Planned Parenthood decision were forced out.
Harris Interactive: Scandal Rocks America's Support for Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, According to 23rd Annual Harris Poll EquiTrend® Study,
Based on findings reported in the 2012 Harris Poll® EquiTrend® study, Susan G. Komen's current brand equity score of 55.1 represents a 21% drop in brand equity over the prior year ─ a historic drop in the study's 23-year history, surpassed only by Fannie Mae in 2009.
From "Gold Standard" to "Trailing the Pack"
Since its inclusion in the EquiTrend survey in 2008, Susan G. Komen has consistently rated as either the first or second most equitable non-profit organization in its category. This year, SGK fell 54 spots to 56th place out of 79 non-profit brands surveyed.
If you are a corporate executive, numbers like that are terrifying. This is a completely ruined brand, and it only took a few weeks to get there after people heard about their association with the partisan right. This is what happens to a brand when it is caught associating with the likes of ALEC.
Corporations Leaving ALEC
Now that people are finding out what ALEC is doing, some of the big corporations that fund them are dropping out to protect their brands. In recent weeks Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Wendy's, Intuit, Mars, Kraft Foods, and PepsiCo made their escape. Their business depends on people having positive feelings about their brands, so they dare not risk a Komen-style brand crash.
The NY Times, in an editorial, Embarrassed by Bad Laws,
The council, known as ALEC, has since become better known, with news organizations alerting the public to the damage it has caused: voter ID laws that marginalize minorities and the elderly, antiunion bills that hurt the middle class and the dismantling of protective environmental regulations.
… In recent weeks, McDonald's, Wendy's, Intuit, Mars, Kraft Foods, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have stopped supporting the group, responding to pressure from activists and consumers who have formed a grass-roots counterweight to corporate treasuries. That pressure is likely to continue as long as state lawmakers are more responsive to the needs of big donors than the public interest.
But there is a long list of companies that are still supporting this partisan, anti-citizen organization.
When Coca-Cola left ALEC, Richard (RJ) Eskow explained, in Good Guys Win One: With ALEC, Things Go Better Without Coke,
Score one for the good guys: After being pressured by Color of Change and other progressive groups, Coca-Cola has left ALEC – the cynical corporate coalition that has pushed a bevy of anti-democratic, anti-middle class, and anti-consumer initiatives.
Now that Coke's come around, next up is Walmart. Their response on the ALEC issue was equivocal and unacceptable. And the issue needs to be raised directly and firmly with the other companies that back the organization – a list that includes AT&T, Bayer, ExxonMobil, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Foods, Pfizer, and UPS.
[. . .]
No Defense
It's true that ALEC is like the United States Chamber of Commerce, in that many of its member companies don't realize what it really stands for. But the ones who have consciences (or understand the power of consumer anger) will eventually respond, just as they have for the Chamber. (Many leading corporations have left that organization as it moves to the extreme right.)
Richard concluded with the point I wanted to make here, so I'll let him say it:
Heads up, Walmart. Know who does a lot of shopping in your stores? People who have been victimized by ALEC policies: Poor people, minorities, and people who are working more and earning less. They're getting wise, they're getting angry – and they're getting involved.
Companies: you are risking ruining your brands by associating with partisan, right-wing groups like ALEC. Executives: needless ot say, you are risking your careers if you are funding ALEC or any other partisan, right-wing lobbying groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, even Heritage Foundation.
This post originally appeared at Campaign for America's Future (CAF) at their Blog for OurFuture. I am a Fellow with CAF.
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