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Clunkers are in the news as part of the government's weird but popular "Cash for Clunkers" stimulus program. Regardless of its policy merits, I'm pleased not to be in the market for a car right now, buying or selling. For me, anyway, the process is unpleasant – especially getting to the right price, including trade-ins and so forth. Plus clunkers, for now. The price always seems debatable.
Mergers and acquisitions seem a bit like that. As an investor relations person, I'm not part of the negotiating process for corporate deals. Folks who do negotiate the deals earn the big bucks – but that's OK. My job is to communicate a deal once it's done. I've enjoyed strategizing and helping communicate dozens of deals over the years, so I thought I might share a few ideas on M&A communication.
First, one more thought about clunkers: Buyers and sellers have different points of view in negotiating (and then communicating) a transaction. The pattern is so much a part of human nature that deal making spawned an ancient proverb: "'It's no good, it's no good!' says the buyer; then off he goes and boasts about his purchase." The seller, also, has one story in negotiations – "You're looking at an absolute gem!" – and later brags what a great price he got for the old heap.
Please don't think me cynical. It's just that, in communicating an M&A transaction, talking about price is one of the biggest challenges. Is it high, is it low? A windfall for the sellers, a bargain for the buyers? What comparisons can add perspective?
That single number – "How much per share?" – is the most important fact of the whole deal to shareholders of a company that is selling. It's important, too, for shareholders of the buyer. Other questions about the deal, at least among financial audiences, often seek to shed light on whether it's is a good price.
So how do we describe the price being offered or paid in an M&A transaction?
- Realize that communicating a deal is a collaborative effort. Rules often are dictated by the delicate relationship between buyer and seller – and by their lawyers. Both sides have to be able to explain why this is a good deal for them. The lawyers provide cautious language and disclaimers to keep everyone on the right side of securities regulations. How about putting all the parties around a table to hash out key messages for communication? Or connecting the two communication staffs to cooperate on an announcement?
- When a deal is almost ready to announce, the investment banker is a key resource for communicators who are crafting messages. Regardless of how you feel about i-bankers the rest of the time, they know how to sell a deal – and its price. A financial adviser's fairness opinion typically is at the heart of formal communications to shareholders. Look for key messages and words in the presentations used to sell the deal to your board, and go from there.
- Comparisons offer perspective – though picking the right ones can be tricky. The first place everyone looks is the "premium" – what percentage is the offer above the last price at which the target company's stock traded? But that's not the only comparison. A stock's 52-week high is the most common benchmark used in negotiating public-company deals, according to a Harvard B-school study of 7,500 deals cited in the July-August 2009 CFO. If the offer is above the 52-week high, fine; if not, boards are afraid shareholders will balk. Providing the 52-week range is easy and factual.
- Be prepared to discuss valuation measures. Whether or not you use them in a press release or formal presentation, metrics like multiples of EBITDA or book value (picking the right metrics is industry-specific) help tell the story to well-informed investors who already have a sense of what multiples are fair.
- On the buying company's side, consider how the price interacts with hoped-for the synergies, cost savings and strategic quantum-leaps that your CEO will want to discuss. And at least ask the question, "What kind of return do we expect to earn on this investment?" Shareholders like to hear that an acquisition is earnings-neutral, or accretive this year or next. But the bigger question is what's the ROI or ROE we're getting for shareholders' money?
- Talk about timing. Any deal being negotiated now has a lot to do with the stage of the business cycle – prices are depressed, sellers may be more willing because cash (or credit) is running out, and an expected recovery may figure into the buyer's rationale for expecting an economic return. This context is relevant for shareholders on both sides.
All of which brings me to the TV game show "The Price Is Right." You know, the 1950s-style program where contestants try to guess the true value of some consumer item. It's been around so long Bob Barker had to retire, but the show goes on. Its durability, I think, comes from the fact that people enjoy debating prices and values of things. And that's certainly true in the market for stocks of public companies – watch the argument triggered by just about any M&A deal.
In preparing to announce a sale or acquisition, therefore, investor relations people need to take price into consideration as a message. It's a key question in any transaction. And I believe we should try to answer investors' questions, even before they're asked, as proactively and completely as possible.
Those are my ideas. I welcome your M&A insights – just click "Leave a comment."


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Thursday, April 19, 2012
One proud momma
So my oldest came home from school today to share with me her big news. She had straight A's on her mid terms (although that really isn't new) and that she wants to do marching band next year. Yippeee!!!!! I'm super excited for her. Marching band was the highlight of my high school years. I am still close friends with many of the kids I was in band with. I want her to have the same fun experience that I had.
Posted by Holly @ Cat Hair and Glitter at 10:01 PM
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subset: commoncrawl


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Educating the Educator
Krishnamurti suggested that, "Education can be transformed only by educating the educator, and not merely creating a new pattern, a new system of action." Around this challenge for transformation, the programs provide a variety of settings and opportunities to grapple with concrete educational issues and questions.
Starting with the questions that we grapple with in our daily lives, the programme builds on the insights that the apprentices come to from their own deep looking and shared inquiry. We shift from seeking answers to finding key questions that transform the way we see (and respond to) our educational challenges. We will attend to school and classroom activities - and question what we see. We will start from scratch to design teaching and learning environments using dialogues, classroom observation and viewing film clips, role-play, interrogating our own educational narratives, readings, videos, journal writing, nature walks, silence and study time, and designing mini lessons.
Teacher Education Programme at Brockwood
We accept a limited number of Teacher Apprentices to join our Teacher Education Programme for one academic year. The programme starts mid-August every year.
Please contact our Recruiment Coordinator, on firstname.lastname@example.com if you are interested to apply.
Teacher Education Programme in Ojai
An intensive Teacher Education Programme is also held in Ojai. For further information, please visit Ojai Teacher Education Programme website.
These programmes are an invitation to awaken (or renew) a sustained passion for teaching, parenting and education.
These programmes are an invitation to awaken (or renew) a sustained passion for teaching, parenting and education.
Programmes include:
- Educational Conversations
- Workshops
- Presentations
- Book Readings
- Conferences
- Teaching Academies
Who it is for:
- New and experienced teachers
- Parents
- Home schooling parents
- Administrators and policy makers
- Teacher educators
- Curriculum designers
- Educators wishing to start schools
- Students of teaching and education
- Educational researchers
- Educational consultants
These programs are also being conducted internationally in the USA, India, Thailand and other countries.


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Qualities that make the movie Titanic awesome
The other day, my husband said, "Titanic was a really good movie until the boat started to sink." He explained that the handcuffing and stress and insane Billy Zane were over-the-top stressful. But here's why I think the film deserves a special place in cinematic history.
Educational about deep sea exploration/treasure recovery. Now I know that it takes a lot of robots to uncover history beneath the sea, and also to never look for treasure in the obvious places.
Kate Winslett's boobies. Cheers for a somewhat curvaceous babe showing skin for a change.
My Heart Will Go On theme song. Because anything that gives Celine Dion an excuse to showcase her full and fabulous vocal range is all right with me. And also the way she beats her chest ferociously whenever she says "heart."
Respect for elders and the art of circuitous storytelling. The 132-year-old Rose kept the crew riveted with her sharp-as-nails historical-personal yarn for upwards of five hours.
A full life is worth more than a diamond the size of your fist. That settles it: The first chance I get, I'm casting this multimillion dollar jewel I've been holding onto into the ocean.
What do you think? Does the best picture winner of 1997 move you to tears of adoration or despair?
Posted by Erin of The Fierce Beagle
Friday, November 12, 2010
9 comments:
- magnolia said...
now see, if i hadn't graduated from high school in 1998, i might be able to get past all this. but not only was the "titanic" soundtrack the centerpiece of our dance school's spring recital, but "my heart will go on" was our prom theme. it was just. too. much. i can't hear it now without getting itchy. (not that prom wasn't fun - my platonic date and i had a blast.)
- 12 November, 2010
- Laura said...
Oh dear God yes I'm with Magnolia. On top of that, somehow my mother fell in love with that song and would play on repeat at home for HOURS. And THEN, my little sister who was learning to play the French horn decided that would be her song for her solo performance, so she would practice it (badly, I might add), all the damn time.
So, uh, that song makes me want to die. But other than that, I do like the movie.
- 12 November, 2010
- Miss Scarlet said...
I LOVE the movie. I saw it twice in the theatre and many more times since then.
- 12 November, 2010
- Anonymous said...
I LOVED (note the past tense) this movie! I was 8 years old when it came out and saw it 4 times in theaters. However, now that that I am 21 I just cannot sit through the entire thing, it is just way way too long. I would love a shorter version where they just put in the best scenes and cut out the inconsequential things. Oh and the Britney Spears spoof ruined the throwing the diamond over the ship. :(
- 12 November, 2010
- Raquel said...
Kate Winslet's dresses. Gorgeous. And Molly the Unsinkable. I was 7 when this came out so didn't get to see it in the theatres, and then somehow never got around to seeing it until I was 16! I adore it, though.
- 12 November, 2010
- That Kind Of Girl said...
Man, Titanic moves me to tears of disbelief that it came out THIRTEEN YEARS AGO. Seriously?! It's been that long?!
For the record, I watch this every few years and still think it's a pretty fantastic movie. I just love Jack's moxie in the dinner party scene. Still my dream guy, all these years later...
- 12 November, 2010
- Anonymous said...
Completely overrated. And that song is just tired
- 13 November, 2010
- Chels said...
If you can believe it I have never once seen a single frame of this film. I put it down to my rebellious, too cool for school attitude of the late 90's..."what! my friends are seeing this movie repeatedly...Pff not I, I'm way to cool for that kind of malarky" (I'm pretty sure that's how my thought process...pretentious little s%#t I was)
- 14 November, 2010
- Suniverse said...
Love love love Kate Winslet. Actually enjoyed watching the ship sink.
Billy Zane? My daughter and I call him Mr. Plastic Fantastic. He's just . . . weird.
- 15 November, 2010
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Krak Ow.
I am now in Krakow, and I cannot recommend it more. It is so much better than grey, dull, soulless Warsaw, and we've only been here one evening. The only notable thing about Warsaw was the charming American lady in our hostel. She was playing cards with her friend when I asked her if she knew how to play 52 card Pick-up. (She did which is a shame, as I was looking forward to taking the pack and throwing it onto the floor.) She, in turn, asked me if I wanted to be in the Pen Fifteen club. Being bored, I said yes. She then wrote PEN15 on my hand with a biro. It took several showers and several hours to finally rid myself of it.
We left yesterday, having walked to Warszawa Centralna with our gigantic rucksacks looking very actually like tourists. We were both pleased to leave. Monday morning, I spirited off to the Warsaw state archives to get the birth certificate of my Great-Grandfather Yacob Ebolavitch, who was possibly born in the city. I say possibly, because all I have to prove it is the British 1901 census, where it states his parents having come from there. So this was all terribly exciting for me. If anything was going to make me feel special and make this shitty little planet of wankers in cars and imploding banks and Russians seem unworthy of worrying about, it was walking through the chocolate box tourist hell replica of Old Warsaw, negotiating with gruff security, and walking off ten minutes later with a huge piece of my family history.
Unfortunately, nothing works like that. It was more like two hours, and I hadn't reckoned on Polish fucking bureaucracy. I had my passport. They had the documentation I had to fill out and send them via email several days earlier back in London. I signed various bits of paper for no particular reason. The real fun didn't begin until I requested the birth certificate of a Jew over a century ago. No fewer than 6 microfilms had to be requested, which meant 6 forms to fill out. 10 minutes later, they arrived via a gruff Polish lady who seemed to resent having to do stuff for a living. I also caught her staring inquisitively at my hand, which still had a very visible 'Penis' on it. I looped the first microfilm into the large east Berliner machine and immediately realised what a fruitless task I had in store. The every page of the hundreds of ledgers that had been used for the express purpose of recording Jewish births in the centre of Warsaw were there. I wasn't even sure if my great-grandad was born in the centre, or indeed if the family weren't just near it and saying 'Warsaw' just made things easier when talking to British census officials.
Plus it was all in fucking Russian. Poland was effectively owned by the Russian Empire at that time, and it didn't help matters that a) this unintelligable cyrillic script was cursive too, block capitals seeming to have been invented in 1976 and, b) I couldn't actually see any names of any babies. Every paragraph seemed to start off with the same words, making me think that perhaps all every entry said was 'In the city today in the vovidship of Mzwarzwyzcszhazyc was born to Jewish rabbits another bawling infant' and all this was merely evidence of 19th century eastern European pen-pushing.
So I gave up and got the train south. The train journey unsettled me considerably. As I looked out on very British looking green rectangles and trees, and not so British rows of purple root vegetables and flat steppes and stalled tractors and skulls of disused factories and suicidal looking hamlets, it dawned on me that my anonymous Warsawvian family who remained in Poland may have been forced to take this exact train journey down south to that 'A' place.
So that was fun. Nonetheless, Krakow does seem at first light to be wonderful, even if it was raining when we got here. The town square is enormous, apparently the largest in Europe. There is an atmosphere in the air. We actually visited bars and were spoilt for choice - and this was on a rainy Monday. The reason for our rather excessive hangovers was that we had too much fun. We ended up in a charming rustic bar with a lady called Anna who served us too many wodka's to accompany our £1.50 beers. Then the last customer left and it was just the three of us, until I went to the toilet and returned to find the place heaving. I got talking to an attractive lady and her mute friend, both of whom suddenly realised they were talking to me and suddenly bolted for the door.
I don't quite recall how or when we left, or how we came to be watching a mediocre live band in another bar later. We got our first Polish taxi ever last night as, by then, we were totally confused and disorientated and looking for strip clubs. We awoke a short while ago having had a massive 13 hours sleep, our room trashed with clothes and toiletries, and now we're going for a wander.
Martin had just appeared in some distress, complaining that he had 200 Zlotys on him last night, and now he's only got 60. I reminded him that, 140 Zlots being the case, his mammoth evening of dinner an debauchery had cost about 35 pounds. God, I love cheap countries.
8 comments:
- Peach said...
well that's a little better, I was beginning to worry about you from the previous post...
- September 16, 2008 2:41 pm
- Z said...
I thought Krakow was lovely too, but I hesitated to praise it as my idea of a good night out isn't quite the same as yours. The food was fabulous though.
- September 16, 2008 5:52 pm
- The Unbearable Banishment said...
A cheap country? I'm not sure what that feels like. I just returned from London where an ATM withdrawal of 500 pounds equated to 959 U.S. dollars! I was going to kill myself but my wife reminded me that we are on a holiday having fun.
- September 16, 2008 6:05 pm
- Please Don't Eat With Your Mouth Open said...
Krakow's underground bars are the best. I went to a really cool one in the jewish quarter, which was cool until after a few drinks you dared each other to go into the 'themed' dodgy back rooms with no lights, just random strips of material hanging off the ceiling. Weird. At least I think that happened.
- September 16, 2008 8:24 pm
- Quote said...
I think someone funny has hacked your blog.
- September 16, 2008 10:56 pm
- Trixie said...
Sorry... I'm still freaking laughing from the PEN15 trick to read anymore!
- September 17, 2008 1:14 am
- Giggle! said...
HAHAHAH Yeah!!! The PEN15 Too funny!!!
Oh I can't wait for my Hubby to get home so I can do it to him!!!!! xx
- September 17, 2008 6:08 am
- fwengebola said...
Peach ~ It gets worse, love. Don't worry.
Z ~ Am I an alcoholic? I'm an alcoholic, aren't I? That said, it was still pleasant. Enjoyed the food too in a funky little self-service place. No, it wasn't McDonalds.
UB ~ And let's not forget that a monkey will buy you about three beers and a bowl of peas.
PDEWYMO ~ Oh brilliant. Where was that? Any idea? We basically circled all the bars around the square in the JD.
Quote ~ Well it certainly wasn't me.
Trixie ~ The annoying thing was that Pen 15 sounded familiar, but I wasn't sure why.
Giggle ~ And did you? I recommend writing on the forehead with a permanent marker.
- September 25, 2008 6:24 pm


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Harvest time at the Bath farmers market, located along the waterfront park on the Kennebec River, is one of the joys of living in mid-coast Maine. We've been buying all the produce for Coveside Bed & Breakfast at the market since we opened, 16 years ago. In that time the market has grown in size from ten or twelve vendors to several dozen, and the variety has increased dramatically. In addition to nearly a dozen purveyors of fruits and vegetables, nearly all of whom are certified organic, there are several artisan bakers and cheese producers, a fabulous mushroom vendor who sells both farm-raised mushrooms, and wild mushrooms gathered in the mid-coast area. And there is farm-raised beef, lamb, pork, and poultry, farm-fresh eggs, even local wool from both sheep and alpacas. The pictures tell the story of the harvest bounty:
Attractions in Mid-Coast Maine
Georgetown Working League Fair — 100th anniversary
The Georgetown Working League Fair, a staple of Georgetown summers for a century, celebrated its 100th birthday this past Saturday, August 10. The Working League began as a women's group at the First Baptist Church in Georgetown, but has evolved over the years as a service organization devoted to raising money for the betterment of the community. The major fund raisers are the fair — traditionally held on the 2nd Tuesday of August, but moved this year to the second Saturday (a change much debated in the league), and the design and execution of an heirloom quilt, all hand-made by the master quilters of the league.
The fair consists of a large "white elephant" sale (of lightly used toys, nick-nacks, household items, and miscellany), a bountiful luncheon of lobster or chicken salad (served with focaccia, fruit, macaroni salad, blueberry cake, and a drink, all for $12!), an extensive sale of art works by local artists, a kid's tent with face painting, stories, music, and an entertainment tent with music continuing throughout the day.
Proceeds from the money-raising activities of the Working League support scholarships for local students, and grants by the League for various efforts to improve the community.
Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder Restoration Festival
One of the joys of summer in Maine is the number and variety of local festivals, fairs, and community events of every shape and color. We discovered over Memorial Day weekend – a bit of a washout weather-wise – a fair in nearby Damariscotta Mills (just up the river from Damariscotta) held each year to raise money for the restoration of the fish ladder that allows alewives to bypass the dam at the end of Damariscotta Lake and spawn in the upper reaches of the river. Alewives spend most of their lives at sea, but each spring fight their way up coastal rivers to spawn. They are an important part of the ecosystem, providing food for both shore birds and fish, to say nothing of bait for lobstermen. They are also smoked for human consumption (though we understand they are an acquired taste.) The species has been much diminished by the dams along coastal rivers and this fish "ladder," actually a lovely series of rock pools and small falls that the fish can easily negotiate, is an important ecological success.
The three-day festival included music, a pig roast, roasted hot dogs, a beer tent, special "fish eye" ice cream (chocolate with M&Ms) and other homemade deserts. Visitors to the festival are invited to walk up the cascading pools of the fish ladder (which actually runs through the back yards of a number of local families) and watch the fish jump their way to the lake. Here are some pictures of the festivities:
Memorial Day Getaway on the Maine Coast
To celebrate Memorial Day, the opening of our 16th season, and to encourage visitors to experience the Maine coast in the quieter days of early summer, we have put together a irresistible package for a Memorial Day Getaway, good through May 31. For any new bookings in May that include at least three nights at Coveside, we will provide — at no additional charge beyond our low-season room rates — some great additional benefits
- *dinner for two at our favorite Bath restaurant, Solo Bistro.
- *free admission for two at your choice of the Mid-coast's two most popular
attractions, the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath or the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in nearby Boothbay. The Maritime Museum provides a fascinating glimpse into Maine's shipbuilding and seafaring past and present. Admission includes a reduced cost for their popular boat trips on the Kennebec. The Botanical Gardens are the largest in the Northeast and have become Maine's second most popular tourist destination (after Acadia National Park) and a spectacular addition to our area.
- *two decadent lobster rolls at the ever-popular Five Islands Lobster Company, a five-minute walk from Coveside and always on lists of Maine's best lobster wharfs. The view, and the lobster, are the best!
This is a $140 value, at no additional cost! And, of course, our guests always enjoy a complementary gourmet breakfast and free access to our bicycles and canoe.
Click here to check availability and make a reservation.


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Somewhere over this rainbow
Casey Peuser,
Online and Social Media Editor
July 5, 2017
Filed under Arts & Life, Opinion, Showcase
At the risk of fulfilling the stereotype, lately I've found myself identifying with the great Judy Garland in wishing that I, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, was somewhere over the rainbow. By 'rainbow,' I'm referring to LGBTQ Pride. And by 'over,' I mean discouraged by the lack of...
Hayward community marches in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
Daisy Ortiz,
February 1, 2017
Filed under Metro
On the morning of Jan. 16 in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, children, CSUEB students, teens, parents and grandparents gathered in front of Hayward City Hall. Approximately 200 people attended according to board member of the South Hayward Parish, Terri Owens. Many of them chanting "No jus...


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BUSINESS Secretary Peter Mandelson is still waiting for reassurances from Kraft about its plans for chocolate-maker Cadbury, he told the Birmingham Mail.
He said he had not received all the guarantees he hoped for, despite meeting senior managers with the US food giant which now owns Cadbury.
Lord Mandelson spoke to Kraft Chief executive Irene Rosenfeld earlier this month, after it completed its five-month battle to control the Bournville-based firm at the end of January.
He asked for reassurances about Kraft's plans to protect jobs and the firm's heritage – and was told that the total number of manufacturing jobs would not be cut.
But less than two weeks later, Kraft announced it was pressing ahead with plans first drawn up by Cadbury to close the Somerdale factory in Bristol, with the loss of 400 jobs.
Lord Mandelson said he wanted more details about Kraft's plan for manufacturing, and also wanted to know whether it would axe management roles.
He said: "My view of Kraft is that I take at face value their commitment to create, overall, more manufacturing jobs in this country than Cadbury has at the moment.
"They said there would be net growth.
"That doesn't mean to say that every job will be maintained. But overall there will be more jobs in manufacturing than there are at the moment.
"I welcome that. On the other hand, I'm impatient to see more clarity in their plans, more clear-cut decisions, and more specificity about where the jobs are going to be located.
"Secondly, I want to see the brand, management and support, and all the jobs involved in that, staying as much as possible in Britain and not migrating overseas.
"Again, I didn't receive the reassurance I was looking for on that but, equally, Rosenfeld said these would be decisions they would be taking over the next three to six months, not the next three to six days."


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Welcome to Purchasing
The Purchasing department provides quality, timely procurement and contracting support to the campus community in obtaining goods and services necessary to accomplish the University's mission. Purchasing operates a centralized management system which is responsible for all facets of the procurement of quality goods and services. The department also provides oversight for ensuring contracts comply with federal, state and local requirements. If you have any questions that you cannot find the answer to here, please call the Purchasing Department at (360) 650-3340.
How To Buy
See our Page on How to Buy services and products
How to Pay
Pay Directly with a Card
Cards are the preferred method of payment - they're easy to use and require the least paperwork. Great for online purchasing, too.
For Non-Restricted items costing less than $3000 including on-line purchases.
Get the PCard.
Travel Card
For hotels and food when traveling frequently on university business.
Get the Travel Card.
Fuel Card
For buying fuel when traveling on university business by car.
Get the Fuel Card.
Promise to Pay with a Purchase Form
Purchase Orders (POs), in which you ask Purchasing to place the order) are the preferred method in this category. Request a Purchase Form.
But if you've already ordered it, and you have an invoice, you can ask Accounts Payable to pay for it with a form. Request a Purchase Form.
Get Reimbursed
If you've already paid for it out of personal funds, you can get a Reimbursement. Request a Services / Reimbursement Form.
Furniture Procurement Process
The purchasing of furniture for WWU has been greatly streamlined through the use of Western Marketplace and the assistance of an expert designer in Facilities available to you at no charge. Here are a few guidelines to help in the process:
For standard furniture needs - Seating, Tables, Sit-Stand Desks, file cabinets, side chairs, etc. using department budgets:
- Log into the Western Marketplace and shop the three furniture suppliers with whom we have preferential pricing (Commercial Office Interiors, Open Square and Office Depot), excellent warranty (10 yrs on most items) and delivery direct to your office location! There is a range of options and price points to meet any budget needs. Delivery time for most items is 2-3 weeks. Placing your order direct through the Marketplace is a quick and efficient method of getting your order processed.
- If you need help with your furniture selection contact Tristen Graybill, Interior Designer for Facilities Development x3671, she can advise on features and guide you to locations on campus where a recent purchase of a similar item might be available to view.
- If you need help with the Marketplace, contact Karen Silvernale, Procurement Specialist x2314 or Hal Verrell, Asst. Director in Purchasing at x3068.
For custom furniture requests, any office or work area design and construction work, and all other furnishing needs not found or available through the Marketplace,
- Design and selection service is available from Tristen Graybill, Interior Designer for Facilities Development x3671. Tristen works closely with our contracted furniture providers and can assist you and your department to put develop designs and quotes for any size project. She has considerable expertise and is a great asset in helping move your project off the ground. Once your selection is made it still requires a Purchase Requisition to be completed and sent to Purchasing for processing.
For furniture and office equipment that is part of a major renovation or remodeling project, these must be coordinated with Facilities Management and are generally funded under capital budget allocations. A Project Manager will have been assigned to these and you should coordinate with them on your furniture needs.
If you receive furniture that is not what you ordered or is damaged, please contact Purchasing as soon as possible with as much detail about the issue as possible (photos, incorrect model numbers, etc.) so that we can contact the supplier and arrange for the problem to be fixed.
Federal Procurement
**NOTICE: All purchases using federal grant funds should continue to be made in accordance with the procurement requirements of OMB Circular A-110. Western Washington University will comply with OMB Circular A-110 Procurement Standards as defined in Subpart C, Post-Award Requirements, Sections .40 - .48 for all federal grant funded purchases until July 1, 2016.
Effective July 1, 2016, Western Washington University will comply with Procurement Standards as defined in 2 CFR 200 "Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for federal Awards", Subpart D, Sections 200.318 - 200.326, for all federal grant funded procurements.
OMB Uniform Guidance - Overview and Individual Codes Worksheet


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TraceIT LLC
- Computers and software
Every company deserves to afford the technology to run and grow their business. At TraceIT, we enable companies with mobile workforces, such as trucking companies and service companies, to compete with established incumbents in their markets by providing them affordable cloud-based logistics solutions. Order management, dispatch, GPS tracking, workflow management, electronic document capture and storage, electronic signatures, Hours of Service, Electronic Logging Devices, Fleet Management and Driver rating are just a few of the many capabilities provided to our customers without an investment in on-premise hardware and systems. Built around a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and pay for what you use concept, companies can be up an running in minutes without an army of consultants and servers.
Whom to Contact
- William WhiteCofounder/CEOPhone: (214) 495-1921
Located in the Venture Development Center of the UT Dallas Campus.


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 Business Quick Tips April 2009 Vol 5 No# 42
1. Are you a leader or follower?
2. What people really want
4. Can you name the new book?
5. Travel Schedule
Debbiespeaks Website | Business
Books | http://www.successis.co.nz/newsletter/sign-up.htm QuickTips Sign-up
 1. Are you a leader or follower?
You know the Internet has made marketing more visual. Consider this. The Britians Got Talent singer Susan Boyle got over 100 million views of her Idol song, 20 million viewed Obama's inaugural speech, most TV commercials are put on YouTube and much more – does a paper brochure still stand the test of time?
I made the move this week, putting a video brochure on the website, on my blog, on Linked In as well as on YouTube which hosts the video (and foots the bill for the bandwidth required from viewing it). However, doing a straight video is not enough. If you look at any other speakers video, it's the same old boring little person on the stage, a male voice over, thunderous applause – all about them. I did something very different. If you're curious, have a look because it leads into the next article on using humour to be more successful.
Get to the video via the image at right (no graphic showing?) or see the unique way it displays on the www.debbiespeaks.co.nz website.
By the way, if you like it (or don't) let me know please Video feedback
2. What people really want
I guarantee that if you add a bit of humour into a presentation. a report, memo or conversation, it will make you more memorable and persuasive. In this modern age of information overload, instant gratification and Twitter, humour works wonders.
Humor to fit your persona.
If you are not naturally funny, you'll crumble at the thought of adding it. I've read umpteen books on the how-to but as my daughter Samantha said in an exasperated breath (as I stopped to look through yet one more book) "What's the point mom�
You can know the various ways that books tell you how you can be more funny or write funny lines, but if it's not naturally in your personality, the how-to won't put ideas in your head. Here are a few tips on how even the most serious can get that smile. Easy Humor Adds
Funny graphics. Laughing at yourself works, poking fun at your oddities or shortcomings. Highlight the things your kids tease you about. Another area to exploit is problems in common with your listening or audience. Throw in something (unexpected) about the partner, pets, teens….
I used to show a picture of our six children, then launch in straight to the business point of not treating customers the same. Now I ask first "why did I show you this picture†After a pregnant pause I answer my question with "To make you feel real sorry for me.†Instant laughter. Then I launch into the business point. This builds empathy, but does not detract from the business message about to come.
When giving examples, work in threes. Have the third one unexpected and funny. For example "Have you ever heard something life changing? Will you marry me, the job is yours. Shoes, 50% offâ€. This last line is good when there are a lot of females in the audience.
Unexpected funny graphics are an easy way to add a laugh. Go directly to Google images www.google.com/images. You can hone your search by content and image size. When you find the image you want, don't select it from the thumbnails you see. Click to go to the original source where you'll get the proper image itself (vs. the Google small thumbnail).
Adding the word cartoon to your search in images will give you exactly that – only the cartoons.
Tip: Larger sized images are better for print and presentations.
 3. Two great computer tips
One of the great pains of a dbase in Excel is getting rid of doubles. It can take hours and hours – or if you watch this video it's one click (Excel 2007; or just a few more in Excel 2003 and prior) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET9Y8sJRH0I
Did you know that simply by holding down the control key you can click and select from different parts of a document, file, worksheet and make changes to them all at once? Have a look.
By the way, This link will take you to 26 Hewlett Packard Videos (as well as Chinese and Korean versions).
 4. Can you help name a new book?I'm 7/10ths thought completing the manuscript for a new d atabase m arketing book. The first half is strategy. The second is screen shot computer tips on how to automate the cleaning, fixing, adding and merging of your customer information for use.
Superb Tips and Tricks For Managing Your Customer Information.
The person that comes up with a great title will get five copies of the book upon printing by Penguin.
 5.Debbie's travels Would you like to meet? Do you require staff training or have a networking event? Look below for when I'm in your area.
Simply contact me now by email or fill in the speaking quote form The topic and presentation page has been updated for 2009 if you 're interested. Topic page on the website
|6-7 August
|Perth Australia
|30-31 July
|Sydney Australia
|23-24 July
|Melbourne Australia
|16-17 July
|Brisbane Australia
|9-10 July
|Adelaide Australia
|29-30 May
|Alice Springs Australia
|20-21 May
|Auckland New Zealand
|19 May
|Queenstown New Zealand
|11 May
|Rotorua New Zealand
the last Issue of Business Quick Tips
No more? Here's the politically correct yada yada yada "Debbie, no more communications please, unsubscribe here
Published by href="http://www.successis.co.nz" target="_blank">SuccessIS. Debbie
Mayo-Smith International Motivational Business Speaker and Author,
35 Chelmsford Ave, Glendowie, Auckland NZ. Phone 64 9 575 5359.
Copyright 2009 SuccesslS. All rights reserved. SuccessIS
is committed to protecting your privacy.
you provide to us.


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A retard's guide to e-commerce
Working for a company that doesn't survive based on the Internet is becoming more unique. Most companies that aren't failing don't survive entirely on the Internet for income, which might be a good thing. For those on the web that succeed, there's no question that they are hoping to brand something different that makes them the next Facebook or MySpace or Retard Empire.
The problem with a lot of ideas is that they are kept in the minds of the holder and never released to spew out all over the place and coat their juices onto unsuspecting potential
victims customers.
So what should you do if you have an idea but don't have the proper tools currently at your disposal to subject humanity to your wisdom?
Of course I have a solution for this situation, Storesonline Ecommerce Opportunity!
According to the Storesonline Ecommerce Opportunity they are dedicated to the small business owner, so maybe they are dedicated specifically to you. Though I'm not sure what they would do for you, since the only links on their site that work are to nearly 3-dozen sites that they are trying to link exchange with, while only having one other functional link on their web page, which is a Google search referral box. Of course, this is a great idea if they themselves are a small business owner and they are trying to get business based on web searches.
Overall, I would like to sign up and see what Storesonline Ecommerce Opportunity could do for Retard Empire, but I have no way of finding out today.
Hello Quality – hello Storesonline!
Change… to Storesonline today!


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Everything You Need To Know Who Are We...
The Basis of Our Faith
1. The unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Godhead. 2. The sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgment. 3. The divine inspiration and the entire trustworthiness of the Holy Scriptures, as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. 4. The universal sinfulness and guilt of all men since the fall, rendering them subject to God's wrath and condemnation. 5. Redemption from the guilt, penalty, dominion and pollution of sin, solely through the sacrificial death (as our Representative and Substitute) of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God. 6. The bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and His ascension to the right hand of God the Father. 7. The presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the work of regeneration. 8. The justification of the sinner by the grace of God through faith alone. 9. The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer. 10. The one Holy Universal Church which is the Body of Christ and to which all true believers belong. 11. The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
IFES and IVCF's Brief History
The Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship is a movement of the Holy Spirit of God among the undergraduate and graduates of the world. During the 18th Century, at the time when his spiritual life was very low, Charles Simeon, a fellow at King's College of Cambridge, England was converted. For 50 years thereafter, he ministered both in Holy Trinity Church and among the students. In 1848, the Cambridge Union for Private Prayer was formed, and 1862, twenty undergraduates met in a room behind a bookshop for prayer. This daily prayer meeting has gone on almost unabated until today! It led to special evangelistic meetings and the formation of the Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union (CICCU) in 1877. In 1882, D.L. Moody was invited from America by Kynaton Studd, captain of the Cricket Club, for a university mission. In 1884, England to become missionaries to China. Moody later invited Studd to America and after the famous Haystack Prayer Meeting, the Student Volunteer Movement (SVM) grew rapidly. Through its influence, many were led to overseas missionary service. A CICCU man later sat down with John R. Mott in Trinity College to write a memorial for the bishop on "The Evangelization of this World in This Generation". At about this time, Norman Grubb had the vision of the "Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship", which would link evangelical movements in different universities. By 1930, under the leadership of Douglas Johnson, groups were established in almost all the British universities. In 1928, Dr. Howard Guinness was sent to Canada in answer to an urgent request for a similar movement among students there. Later on, he went to Australia and New Zealand and started the work in these countries also. In 1939, Mr. C. Stacey Woods, then General Secretary of IVCF-Canada, was invited to start the work in the USA. In Asia, evangelical student witness began in India. Professor Enoch, active for many years with SCM, became dissatisfied with the inroads of liberal theology and formed and evangelical witness. Thus, the Union of Evangelical Students in India (UESI) began. Also, as a result of student revival in Chinese universities, the IVCF of China was formed in 1945-1946 and grew rapidly until the Communist took over the country. In 1947, delegates from many countries met in Boston to forge a constitution for the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) which now has more than 130 member movements all over the world. The IVCF of the Philippines started in 1953 with the arrival in Manila of IFES staffworker Gwen Wong. The concept of a student-led movement was then new in the country. Student Initiative and leadership were not easy to develop considering the relative youth of the Filipino student and his background of authoritarian parents, church and school. At first, there were only about 15 students who really showed interest in witnessing to fellow students. The work began with early Morning Prayer meetings. Later, Saturday afternoons were devoted to prayer and discussion and occasional evangelistic meetings. A small core of students formed the "Timothy club" that regularly met for prayer and Bible study and engaged in personal witnessing. By 1954, student had started meetings ran by themselves in their own campuses. The first campus meeting were in the University of the Philippines - Diliman and University of the East followed by those in the National University, Far Eastern University and M.L. Quezon University. Some met in restaurants, other in classrooms, and some on campus grounds. Meanwhile, Peter Kemary, an alumnus of the British IVCF and executive and an executive of Shell Oil Philippines started work among Christian graduates. This group, started in 1953, was the start of the Graduated Christian Fellowship. It provided strong prayer support and encouragement for the infant student movement and held its first national conference in Kawayan Camp in 1959. The first week-long conference in the country was held in 1956 and was attended by students from different colleges and universities in Manila. Tomasa Francisco was appointed as the first Filipino staffworker. She began work with high school students, and laid the foundation for the Inter-School Christian Fellowship. Mary Beaton, another IFES staffworker, arrived to help in the development of the work. Workshops were held on Saturday afternoons, an effective method of Bible study (OIA) was taught, and student initiative was encourage. In 1959, IVCF was no longer dependent upon outside Bible teachers, and there finally emerged a true student movement. By 1957, some of the members of the IVCF groups had graduated from their universities. They returned to their provinces and encourages undergraduates to form their own groups So the work started in Cebu and Davao. During this period, contacts were made to start work in Iloilo. As the leadership of the on-campus groups shifted to students, the need for training conferences grew. A 24-hectare mountaintop forest land in Negros was donated by a Christian family for a campsite. IVCF alumni, friends, other member movements of IFES and IFES itself gave sacrificially to prepare this site for the holding of training conferences. Sheldon Whitney, a young agriculture graduate from the USA, spent one whole year at what was to e known as Kawayan Campus, putting up the cabins and preparing the place. The first month-long conference was held there in April 1958. To accommodate the growing number of students who needed leadership training every year, KC was split into two in 1972: one in Luzon, the other in the original campus. On June 19, 1959 IVCF-Philippines became truly indigenous. The leadership and financial responsibility was turned over to the nationals. Gwen Wong and Mary Beaton said their farewell, their task in the Philippines have been finished. Ephraim Orteza, appointed staffworker in 1957, became the first Filipino General Secretary. Tomasa Francisco, Emmanuel Pizana, and Leticia Abakan served with him as staffworkers. The new Board of Directors, chaired by Ruben Orteza, launched out in faith by approving a P500.00 monthly budget. When the worker was nationalized in 1959, many predicted that it would fold up in a couple of years. But through 40 years of student ministry, IVCF has reached thousands of Filipino students with the gospel of Jesus Christ and nurtured them in the Christian life. It has evolved into a student and graduate movement as students of yesterday became IVCF graduate movers of today. As late s 1990, IVCF chapters exist in 78 universities and colleges and 65 high school nationwide. Nurses and graduate groups are also growing. Increasingly, the Filipino students realize that IVCF is their own movement and that they are expected to take full responsibility. IVCF has always been a movement of the Holy Spirit among students. It started as a result movement --- a prayer meeting, a student mission, a missionary outreach --- and will remain a student movement. By God's Grace, it has spread to the four corners of the globe, making disciples of all nations as a member of the church of Christ. Moving onward in its desire to equip servant-leaders for Christ, IVCF-Philippines is now a full-fledged national movement. But Inter-Varsity is not only the men and women in the office; It is not only the staffworkers; It is not the Board of Directors, Inter-Varsity is God calling children to proclaim the gospel to the student world and to all men. Inter-Varsity is you!
Sower Campus Club-IVCF's Brief History
Last 1997, the Sower Campus Club was informally organized through the joint effort of the officers and advisers of the UCCP's (United Church of Christ in he Philippines) NEDDA (North Eastern Davao District Assembly; now dissolved and has returned to the mother conference, NDDC or North Davao District Conference). There has been many campus outreaches, namely: Saint Mary's College, UM Tagum College, Davao National High School and Tagum National High School. It also reached the two subdivisions, Maximo Village and Erlynville Subdivision. The main activity was the Bible Study fellowship that later known to be as what 'Cell Grouping' did. The group was then verbally affiliated to Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. Later, the group was hurtfully disorganized but continually endured its basic mission, that is, to sow the seeds of salvation. Informal gatherings and fellowships of few members, officers and advisers were then the best strategy and the last recourse. On October 1999, few months after the recovery from spiritual bankrupcy, Darby Aspacio, together with other church-mates (including Trichel Divine Estanilla), have participated the CYLC (Church Youth Leadership Camp) of IVCF-Southern Mindanao at Camp Mariano, Barrio 8, Koronadal, South Cotabato. He, then, reclaimed the eagerness to serve the Lord and decided to work with the IVCF. Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship was so familiar to him for it was repeatedly introduced by his two church Ate's; Evie Cervantes and Hazel Eugenio, who have participated the Kawayan Camp '99. At UM Tagum College, he, a working student, basically faced his routine activities, thus, didn't give time for what he have decided. But the God of Heavens used Grace Tropico's (CYLC Staff) letter to wake him up on the early days of February 2000. He, then realized, thus; begun to initiate such informal orientations. Then, a cell group was born on February 02, 2000 consisting of 12 students. The members decided to meet every Wednesday at high noon to 1:00 o'clock in the afternoon. On the other hand Trichel Divine Estanilla, a CYLC camper, held a group on February 09, consisting of 6 students. As the activities navigate, Darby's group increased from 12 to 17 members. Aside from the regular weekly meeting, there have been big group activities. First activity was on March 08, 2000 at Darby's residence, where the whole group viewed "The Thief in the Night". Darby Aspacio and Evie Cervantes facilitated the discussions and internalization. The second activity, "ONE-DAY AFFAIR: Just for HIM", was held on March 22, 2000 at Trichel Divine's residence where the group experienced different reactions from the films "Distant Thunder", "The Image of the Beast", and "Never Ashamed". On the first semester of school year 2000-2001, Mrs. Guadalupe De Leon, Mrs. Rosario Abanales and Mrs. Aireen San Jose, UM Tagum College Faculty members, accepted the position of being the advisers of the movement. The club was formally recognized by the institution last August 05, 2000 as it appeared on the college school paper "Collegium". Afterwards, Marites Mayangos, Trichel Divine Estanilla, Darby Aspacio and Jill Nervida have attended the Southern Mindanao LC-DC (Leadership Camp/ Discipleship Camp) at Southern Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary, Puan, Davao City last October 22-27, 2000. The pioneering president, Darby Aspacio, has graduated last November 13, 2000 and then, appointed Marites Mayangos to the replace the latter vacant position. Including the appointment letter were Jill Nervida replacing Ranniel Raga, who has also graduated, and Trichel Divine Estanilla replacing Maricel Villas, who stopped her studies, for the Internal VP and PIO respectively. Months passed, it has been discovered that IVCF in UM Tagum College has existed in 1980's. Therefore, this club is called a "re-pioneering" IVCF.


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Koloa Ho'opio Cocktail
Created by Keoki's Paradise Mixologists — Kauai, Hawaii
6 Basil Leaves
2 Limes, Squeezed
3 Pineapple Chunks
3 oz. Pineapple Juice
½ oz. Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
1 ½ oz. Koloa Spice Rum
Muddle the basil and pineapple chunks in a cocktail shaker. Add juices and rum. Shake and strain over ice into a hurricane glass. Garnish with a sugar cane stick.


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It is interesting, sometimes when I am faced with scheduled miles on a training plan and I just want to crawl in to bed and ignore it . . . but then I've got nothing planned and want to go run and run and run. Hmmm, on second thought, maybe I should just throw training plans out the window all together! Ha.
It was mostly a great week on the workout front, though. Will probably end up finding a nice groove just before being hit with my girls' winter break!
Sunday: Rest
Monday: Yoga
Tuesday: 3 Mile Run
So this is where I started pushing it too much. I didn't think I was going to have time for a run this day so when I unexpectedly had half an hour free, I jumped on it. After stepping out the door I decided I felt good enough to do my own personal version of speed work. There is a three mile out-and-back run from my house that is flat and goes through a few stoplights. The goal is to cover the 3 miles in under 30 minutes without stopping my watch (so, the longer I am stuck at stoplights the faster I have to run!). I ended up running in about 27:30, which was fun and also, BY FAR the fastest I have run in what felt like forever.
In hindsight, pushing myself that hard right now is not in my best interest-- so luckily it won't happen again for a while.
Wednesday: Strength Workout
Sarah and I met at her gym and did a killer leg workout from her trainer. Short and intense. Perfect! The last time we did this workout my buns were so sore the next day, it is a good one! Lunges with kettle bells, squats, double leg presses, single leg presses, glute bridges and then some overhead tricep extensions for good measure.
Thursday: 7.75 Mile Run
I woke up and felt like running a certain route around my neighborhood. It ended being the farthest I had run on pavement in several months (I think!). I felt just fine on the run, which included an almost mile long hill right in the beginning, but was flat the rest of the way. It wasn't a particularly speedy run (about 10 min/miles), but running on roads typically means faster pace than trails, so it was quicker than I was used to.
Later that day, however, my legs felt like I pushed them through a tough half marathon. I was so very sore, which seemed really unusual given the length of my earlier run. I'm not sure if it was too much, too soon after the marathon, or the pounding on the pavement, or still being tired from the strength workout the day before . . . anyways, it kind of sucked.
Friday: Yoga
Lots of hamstring stretching, was was perfect for how terrible my right hamstring has been feeling lately.
Saturday: 5 Mile Run
I met the High Heel Running Group at Cougar and originally planned on doing 7 miles. Then I realized it would likely be better for my body to just stick to 5 and call it good. It was a great run, I made a new friend and we took it nice and slow and chatted the whole time.


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Jet-Ski Fuel
Showing: all
Choose a Category
SBT Carb Parts & Rebuild Kits SBT Rotary Valve Parts for Sea-Doo SBT Reed Sets SBT Fuel Injectors/Filters SBT Fuel / Primer Line NGK Spark Plugs SBT Primer Kits
Overhaul your complete fuel delivery system with quality SBT parts. We carry jet ski carburetor rebuild kits for Mikuni and Keihin. We carry the components throughout the fuel delivery and air delivery systems to restore your jet ski's performance. Reeds, spark plugs, fuel line, Marine Stabil - SBT carries all the parts you need to rebuild your PWC.
SBT carries a wide variety of parts for your intake and fuel system needs, including:
- Jet Ski Starters & Bendix: SBT's brand new High Torque starters are a drop in replacement for your tired or broken jet ski starter. Every starter carries a one-year warranty against manufacturer's defect.
- Carburetor Rebuild Kits: SBT offers the full line up of Mikuni and Keihin carburetor rebuild kits.
- Sea-Doo Rotary Valve Parts and Reed Sets: Intake air regulation devices vary by manufacturer and model. SBT carries replacements for both rotary valves and the more common reed kits for most jet ski models.
- Fuel/Primer Line: SBT carries ethanol resistant fuel and primer lines. With today's gas having up to 10% ethanol, replacing your degrading fuel lines with the right material is vitally important. We have both 1/4" and 1/8- fuel lines.
- Stabil - Marine grade Stabil is available. Specially formulated for the high water and ethanol environment of boats and jet skis, adding Marine Stabil to every tank will help keep your fuel system clean and sludge free!
- Spark Plugs - SBT carries NKG spark plugs for all your PWC needs. Check our application guides for the right spark plug for your machine.


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A Thriving Birth Story
Disclaimer: this post describes a natural birth, so while I won't be including every gory detail, it's still not the G-rated version... so if you aren't familiar/comfortable with birth stories please proceed with caution!
|My birth affirmations - some are from HB but some are from elsewhere. I had been listening to the HB ones for weeks leading up to the 'big day' but it helped to have them printed out and included in my birth binder (yes I'm that crazy).
|My birth preference sheet, I think the staff appreciated having all this information upfront and in one place!
I did start to get a little worried that the contractions were SO intense but I wasn't feeling that urge to push, like I've heard so many women describe. That was when my glorious midwife decided I should just try pushing anyway. I ended up pushing for 3.5 hours, which is about an hour longer than I "should've" been allowed to push before getting a c-section. My contractions were pretty far apart at that point (about 6 minutes), which is what made it take so long although I was able to sleep between each one. BK wasn't in distress, and I was making progress, so my midwife blessedly wanted to stick to my birth plan as much as we could. I was so grateful that she did, and of course when I heard whispers of a c-section I went into high gear to get BK out! I wasn't going to go through 22 hours of labor only to get cut open if I could help it!!!
The pushing part actually felt better than just sitting around breathing through contractions - I was putting those contractions to work finally and I think that was a relief. There was some pressure when he finally emerged, but honestly it wasn't as bad as those last few contractions. I had a 2nd degree tear because his little shoulder got stuck, and some hemorrhaging which was quickly taken care of with meds... but there were a few other "after care" procedures that were a little unexpected! Things you wish people told you before you got pregnant (if you are curious about the specifics, shoot us an email and I'd be happy to go into much more detail)...
Of course nothing compared to holding little BK in my arms after all of that effort. When they handed him to me as he was born, I remember thinking "holy crap he is big" but he was just 7 lbs 14 oz, which is still pretty average. I had to tickle his feet to get him to cry really hard, to make sure his lungs were clear and healthy. Otherwise we just stared at each other. I also hadn't committed to a name yet, because I needed to meet him first, so while I looked at him I asked TH "does he look like a Braden? I think he does". TH agreed.
|Just minutes old!
I am very proud of myself for going au-natural. My doula said I did a fantastic job, and while I'm not sure I believe her (I'm trying Marilee!!!) I do feel like I really can accomplish anything. It was the hardest thing I've ever gone through, physically, but I did it, and I really wish more women would believe in themselves and give it a try! I can't emphasize how helpful hiring a doula was, especially for my first baby. My recovery has been pretty easy too, which I feel like is thanks to going without meds. Stitches in my hoo-ha are never fun but I think I've already healed up and it's only been 4 weeks (they say it takes 6).
Of course, how can this end result be anything but extremely blissful...


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Client Tara Books
Design Laura Nogueira
Merit - 3x3 International Illustration Awards 2016
The Kadar are a small tribal community in South India. Even though they no longer live deep in the forest they still walk its paths every day. This book is a tribute to their ways of living and understanding.
The narrative follows a young urban visitor, who sets out to explore the forest with the help of a group of tribal elders. Together, they meander along a network of old paths that gradually turn into unforgettable stories and memory trails.
The book is publsihed in both English and Tamil language editions, selected images are also available as screen-prints from Tara Books.


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text:
Image taken from Flickr.com, taken by Sou Patinador
Well, as I promised, here's part two of chroma keying. Seeing as I've learned most of the stuff I've learned about chroma key off the web, there's really no point in trying to explain it when I can just direct you to articles and video that would explain 10 times better than I could. It also saves me the work of writing out a bunch of stuff, so that's nice. Anyways, here are some of the links I've found during my research.
The Art of Keying
This here is a really nice article on chroma keying by fxguide called the Art of Keying. It has more information than I really want to know about the subject at the moment. It tells about the process, how it works, why you use blue and green, and much more. So if you want to learn more about what chroma key is exactly and some other odds and ends about it, check out this article.
You Tube Video 1
This is a good video done by Mark Apsolon on Youtube.com that covers chroma key nicely. He explains a little bit about chroma key, tells you where you can get the supplies to make one, some common errors people do and how to prevent them, and a number of other things. Below is his description of the video.
"This is a new updated video that goes into more detail about chroma key (green screen). We go over what chroma key is and how it works, chroma key muslins (cheap and expensive) and how to light your green screen background.
This is a two part video and one of a series of how to video production training videos."
You Tube Video 2
This is another good video by Mark Apsolon. He talks about some different chroma key materials and how to set them up and stuff. His description is below.
"In this part one of a three part tutorial we show a basic chroma key setup with lighting and chroma key backgrounds (plastic, muslins, Chroma key suit and paint). I tell you where I found affordable green screen Chroma key products on my search of the web."
Tube Tape
Last but not least is a place you can buy some chroma keying materials - Tube Tape. Just check out some of their stuff yourself by viewing their site.
And that's all I really have for you. These materials should give you a nice start on chroma keying, what it's about, and how to do it. If you want to learn more, just search and I'm sure you'll find lots more stuff out there.


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NEW YORK and PITTSBURGH, Aug. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- UpPrize has named Conversant Labs, Marinus Analytics and PHRQL as the winners of BNY Mellon's $1 million Social Innovation Challenge. The winning ideas will expand digital access for visually-impaired people, help government agencies fight human trafficking, and ensure poor families have access to healthier foods. UpPrize, a unique collaboration between BNY Mellon, the BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania and The Forbes Funds, combines impact investing with a research-based social innovation challenge.
The first-place prize is a combination of a $200,000 investment and $200,000 in grants. Each runner-up prize is an investment of $150,000, plus a grant of $50,000. All three UpPrize challenge winners, as well as the competition's five other finalists received two months of personalized support during the competition, including $10,000 seed grants. In total, the BNY Mellon Social Innovation Challenge has awarded approximately $1 million in investments, grants and technical assistance.
UpPrize was developed to bridge the gap between the nonprofit and entrepreneurial communities as well as to increase the supply of investment-ready solutions targeted to address critical social challenges.
"We believe social finance investments are key to enabling positive change in society, and this year have formalized a firm-wide effort to help investors in their pursuit of social finance opportunities," said Don Heberle, president, BNY Mellon of Pennsylvania. "UpPrize, the BNY Mellon social innovation challenge, encourages impact investing activity in southwestern Pennsylvania, a region that's home to a robust nonprofit community and a growing technology sector. It links the private sector with the Pittsburgh region's nonprofits to identify breakthrough innovations that address critical needs and service gaps, while also producing meaningful and measurable financial benefits."
First-place winner Conversant Labs is led by Chris Maury, an entrepreneur who founded the company when he received a diagnosis of a degenerative eye disease. Conversant seeks to dramatically improve the quality of life for the visually impaired. The company's most recent application, "Say Shopping," has been licensed by a well-known national retailer as its exclusive voice-enabled retail app.
Second-place winner Marinus Analytics, led by Carnegie Mellon University alumna Emily Kennedy, has created a crime-fighting tool that enables law enforcement agencies, criminal intelligence centers, and victim services organizations to fight human trafficking through investigative, machine learning software and big data technology. Kennedy is actively exploring this technology for use in other areas of law enforcement, including the online resale of counterfeit goods.
Rounding out the top three, PHRQL (pronounced "freckle") brings its health and nutrition-based educational tool for grocery store consumers in 16 states to the food pantry, where choices take on added significance and consequence. A food pantry may be a family's only meal. For at-risk populations, PHRQL's tool has the potential to educate families and reduce emergency healthcare costs.
"Our top finishers represent the creative and passionate teams of Pittsburgh-area entrepreneurs who are working to solve some of the most pressing social issues in our communities," said Kenya Boswell, president, BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania. "We are proud to support and invest in these innovators as they partner with local nonprofits to deliver even stronger social and financial returns."
The UpPrize challenges were the product of months of research with more than 150 local nonprofit practitioners. All of the UpPrize finalists worked closely with at least one regional nonprofit as showcased during the final pitch event made live before an audience of more than 350 innovators, investors and entrepreneurs gathered for the UpPrize finale event at the New Hazlett Theater in Pittsburgh's historic North Side. UpPrize finalists met a rigorous set of criteria that assessed both the feasibility of the business model and the social impact potential of the product. The winners of the UpPrize were determined by a panel of judges who evaluated the finalists' ideas to determine prize funding, which included a combination of investments and grants to bring their products to market.
"UpPrize connects innovators to this market of service providers who are hungry for innovation that will enable them to accomplish their missions more effectively and with even greater impact," said Kate Dewey, president of The Forbes Funds.
UpPrize received more than 100 applications from talented Pittsburgh-area entrepreneurs. Leading up to the selection of the eight finalists, 20 semi-finalists met with the Challenge's judges and advisers for in-person interviews. UpPrize judges and advisers represent local and national experts from a variety of sectors including government, for-profit, nonprofit and investment communities.
"UpPrize is truly a community endeavor," said Matt Zieger, vice-president of The Forbes Funds. "We have been humbled by the generous support we've received, specifically from our advisory team, as well as number of other partners. Pittsburgh has all the pieces needed to be a national leader in socially-focused innovation, and UpPrize demonstrates the social impact potential of these groups when they come together."
To learn more about the UpPrize winners and the overall competition, visit UpPrize.org.
BNY Mellon offers a wide range of products and services that help mainstream investors meet their return/risk goals while considering the environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact of their investments. Learn more about social finance at BNY Mellon, bnymellon.com/socialfinance.
BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment management and investment services in 35 countries and more than 100 markets. As of June 30, 2015, BNY Mellon had $28.6 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $1.7 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation BK, -0.09% Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com. Follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon or visit our newsroom at www.bnymellon.com/newsroom for the latest company news.
The Forbes Funds builds the management capacity and impact of community-based nonprofits individually and collectively. A supporting organization of the Pittsburgh Foundation, The Forbes Funds has more than 30 years of experience in providing technical assistance, research, and leadership to advance a more effective and sustainable nonprofit sector. Additional information is available at forbesfunds.org, or on Twitter @theforbesfunds and @UpPrize.
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Room 4 Touch Tour
A Touch Tour consisting of nine ancient Egyptian sculptures is available for visually impaired visitors to Room 4. Supporting information for the Touch Tour is available in the following formats:
- Large print
- Tactile drawings with Braille information
- Audio on your own smart phone or tablet
- As a Guided Touch Tour (advanced booking only)
Touch tour objects display this symbol
Visitors wishing to use the Touch Tour should go to the Information Desk in the Great Court where you can collect Touch Tour identification, large print and Braille books.
The audio-descriptive guide can be downloaded below, along with the contents for the large print guide and the tactile drawings and Braille book. Please note: audio information is only available on your own smartphone, tablet or MP3 Player.
To book a Guided Touch Tour, email email@example.com at least 4 weeks in advance of your visit with the following information:
- Your contact details
- The number of blind / partially sighted people in your party and the number of sighted people (if applicable).
- Your preferred date and time. Please note that we currently offer Guided Touch Tours for individuals and small groups on Mondays at 15.30, Wednesdays at 10.00, Fridays at 18.00 and Saturdays at 10.00.
- If you want to request a booking for a larger group we may be able to accommodate alternative timeslots.
Download Braille book with raised drawings
Using a mobile or tablet device?
Add the Touch Tour to your iTunes/media player
Touch tour objects display this symbol


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Can Depression Be Successfully Treated? Yes, it can. A person's depression is highly treatable when he or she receives competent care. It is critical for people who suspect that they or a family member may be suffering from depression seek care from a licensed mental health professional who has training and experience in helping people recover from depression. Simply put, people with depression who do not seek help suffer needlessly. …Read More
Tag Archives: Treatment


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Kelzi Bartholomaei discovered Mother Hubbard's Cafe 30 years ago the same way most people did: cheap breakfast. For under a buck - coffee not included - diners could get two eggs, hash browns and toast.
But since she bought the eatery in 2010, the early-bird breakfast special - $4.50 including coffee - has become the least interesting thing on the menu.
Folks now come to the small diner in the center of the Grant-Stone Shopping Center for Bartholomaei's savory green-corn waffles served on a bed of roasted green chiles, or an omelet fat with lightly sautéed spinach and mushrooms, bacon, red onion and farmer's cheese. For the truly adventurous: the vegetarian Rojos omelet with nopale cactus, roasted green chiles, red chiles and seasonal squash.
In three short years, the classic Tucson greasy spoon that once celebrated its canned corned-beef-hash-and-eggs plate has established a reputation for scratch-made Native American comfort food that verges on fine dining.
Bartholomaei has infused her menu with the type of fresh fare she learned how to make from her grandmother, who taught her the traditional dishes she'd learned in Mexico.
Rave reviews online include this posting from John M. on Yelp: "I was thinking frybread and mutton stew, but that's not what you'll find. Instead, the menu is mostly a gourmet take on traditional American diner fare with a lot of flavors borrowed from pre-Columbian Mexico. What this translates to is eggs, waffles, and so on, but made with unusual ingredients like blue corn, buckwheat, green chiles, agave nectar, etc. You'll also find more cosmopolitan items like eggs Benedict made with eggplant and pesto."
Last Thursday morning, a dozen diners filled a few tables in the cramped dining room, where Day of the Dead artwork by renowned Southwest artist Teresa Villegas grace walls painted in bright yellow and terra cotta red. As one table of diners left another table filled.
Server Lori Coker glided around the dining room refilling mugs with coffee from Café Aqui, a micro-roasting company based in South Tucson.
She greeted every diner with an invitation to "sit where you want."
In the kitchen, head cook Brett Rucker had just enough room to turn around.
He flipped an omelet on the flattop, then turned around to dress it with chopped scallions and cremé fraiche stored in a minifridge on the other side.
One of eight full-time employees, he's been at the restaurant a year. He said he loves the challenge of the sizable menu and making nearly everything - from the waffle batter to the hollandaise sauce on the eggs Benedict - to order from scratch.
It didn't used to be that way under Mother Hubbard's previous owners.
Bartholomaei bought the restaurant from Cal Fisher, who was owner No. 5 or 6, she said. He told her he was turning 70. No one in his family had made it to 70, and he surely did not want to spend life after 70 slinging hash browns and flipping eggs.
The timing was perfect; Bartholomaei had stepped away from a 30-year career in landscape architecture to spend more time with her family and was looking for a way to return to cooking.
"I'm not the kind of person who can just sit around," she said.
She had applied for a couple of cooking jobs without success. And then came along the idea of buying Mother Hubbard's.
"I was actually kind of excited about it. I thought, well, if I can't get hired, I will just buy my job," she said.
Bartholomaei had never set out to become a cook, much less own a restaurant.
She grew up in Detroit, where her family had immigrated from Mexico to work on the assembly lines.
"I grew up in the heydays of Motown and the auto industry," said Bartholomaei, whose long, gray hair hints that she is north of 50.
She also grew up in the kitchen with her grandmother, who made everything from scratch using ingredients picked or bought that day.
Bartholomaei carries that tradition with her into the crowded produce aisles of El Super on Tucson's south side on Wednesdays, when the market rolls back prices on fresh vegetables and fruit.
By the time she got there last week, shoppers crammed four to five deep into the tight aisles.
She grabbed a cart and joined the throng, inching her way toward a bin overflowing with bright red apples. Half the apples she bagged were for Mother Hubbard's; the others were headed to the Tucson Girls Chorus summer music camp with her daughter, Olivia, who turns 14 next week.
"I make two meals for the girls (music camp)," she explained.
Bartholomaei had worked as a short-order cook as a teenager, but aspired to a future in the fine arts.
She sang in music theater and dreamed of creating glass art after seeing works by pioneering glass artist Harvey Littleton at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
"Detroit has the largest public art museum," she explained. "It was the first city to institute public art education."
There was a hitch to her plans: Bartholomaei was dyslexic and couldn't read.
"I tried college, but I flunked out," she said, sorting through the pile of jicamas until she found one she liked.
She used her fallback plan and worked in restaurants for four years until a friend urged her to reconsider college. It was the mid-1970s and affirmative action in college admissions allowed applicants' racial and ethnic backgrounds to be taken into account to promote campus diversity, she said.
She applied to the University of Wisconsin's glass art program then spent the next four years working around her disability.
"Any time there was anything to do with reading, I would look at the pictures, memorize the lectures and put two and two together and figure it out," she said. "Sometimes I would have friends read for me. And I would ask the professor if I could do something other than a report."
Along the way, she became fascinated with landscape architecture. She learned she could get a double major by adding one semester to her college career.
But again, there was a hitch: While her arts teachers allowed her to skip the reports, the architecture department didn't. She ultimately finished that degree several years later after teaching herself to read.
Bartholomaei supported herself through college by cooking in restaurants throughout Madison, Wis. Her last job was at a French restaurant.
She said she passed up a chance to cook in New York to pursue a career in landscape architecture and spent 28 years in the field, designing water features -think cascading fountains, ponds and the like - throughout the U.S., Asia and Europe.
She made Arizona her home base, settling in Phoenix in the early 1980s and moving to Tucson in 1993 with Tucson glass artist Debra May. The couple married in Mexico 17 years ago, Bartholomaei said.
She left the field seven years ago to spend more time with her and May's daughter.
"I didn't want to be away from home when she was singing in the Girls Chorus or registering for high school," she said as she wheeled her cart filled with bags of produce to the checkout.
A couple of more stops at Tucson farmers markets and produce vendors, including a small south-side stand for fresh corn, and it was back to the restaurant.
While innovative chefs draw a buzz by opening eateries in Tucson's downtown and the Foothills, Bartholomaei has quietly and steadily transformed Mother Hubbard's from its diner-dive reputation into one of the area's most inventive kitchens.
It's tucked in the The Grant-Stone Shopping Center, which is anchored by the Grantstone Asian Supermarket. The area has seen better days. Road construction snarls the corner; drivers navigate traffic cones to maneuver their way into the parking lot.
"I was naive enough to think that 15 minutes after I started cooking my own dishes everybody would come," Bartholomaei said recently, sitting at a table in the back of the restaurant where a chalkboard is filled with the day's scratch-made offerings.
"It really has taken these last two years to build up the momentum to get past the legacy that Mother Hubbard's had."
She waited nine months to roll out her own menu.
"What I'm trying to do is use the foods that are indigenous to the New World, and I'm blending that with the native techniques," she explained.
That means using a variety of chiles - jalapeño, habaneros, anaheims, ghost, scotch bonnets, ancho and chipotle among them - and interesting spice combinations such as the concoction she blends into the chorizo to give it more of a Portuguese-style sweetness and the Thai pickling spices she uses to brine her house-made corned beef.
"If you're looking for a New York-style corned beef in the Jewish-Poland tradition, that's not our corned beef," she said.
That corned beef was the first creation she rolled out, offering it alongside the canned variety that longtime regulars revered.
"They hated it," she said of the initial reaction. "When you go to a diner there are certain foods that just resonate."
She kept the canned version on the menu until just a few months ago.
With every new introduction - including replacing the frozen chicken-fried steak with her freshly made version - she faced a mini-revolt from die-hard Mother Hubbard's fans. Some of them left and never returned.
That has opened the door for new faces who appreciate what Bartholomaei is trying to do.
These days, more diners order specialty waffles over the ubiquitous buttermilk - about 200 orders a week compared with 50. And more people are spending the extra buck for agave nectar instead of table syrup.
The restaurant also is mostly gluten-free, adhering to the Native American traditions that aside from flour tortillas and some pastries rely very little on wheat.
Retired Tucson teacher Gary Svenson had not been to Mother Hubbard's in years when he stopped by for breakfast last Thursday.
"I came here the first time with a girlfriend 40 years ago," he said after finishing a vegetarian omelet. "It was just eggs and toast back then. It was good, but this is much better."
"Tucson is a fringe area. It's not quite Mexican; it's not quite American," he added, calling Mother Hubbard's a perfect fit for Tucson. "We need more places like this."
Bartholomaei is rolling out a more streamlined menu this month. Aside from the early-bird special that first brought her through the doors, she has erased all memory of the Mother Hubbard's that came before her.
"Every day is a new day," she said. "I get to make it up as I go along."
If you go
Mother Hubbard's Cafe
14 W. Grant Road, at North Stone Avenue.
• Hours: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.
• Details: 623-7976 or motherhubbardscafe.com
Did you know?
Mother Hubbard's Cafe opened in 1973 and became a neighborhood institution famous for its early-bird breakfast special of two eggs with hash browns and toast for 79 cents - a price that stayed that low through the early 1990s, when it was raised to just under $2. The price has gone up recently to just more than $4 when you add a cup of coffee.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at firstname.lastname@example.com or 573-4642.


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We jokingly deemed this years Craftcation 'year of the washi tape'. If you attended the Craftcation Conference 2014 a few weeks ago, you totally know why. Delilah and I (along with the help of our awesome staff and volunteers) covered pretty much everything at Craftcation with Scotch Expressions washi tape. Scotch (one of our conference […]
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Meditative Tuesday
4 comments
<3 in high school everyone thought i was the happiest person. truthfully i was dealing with my mom's mental illness and it was one of the hardest times for me. She eventually left me before prom and high school graduation (she went to Korea to seek "answers" and my dad was already in Korea as he was relocated for work reasons) and I have never felt so alone. My closest girlfriends didn't even know but one of them found out and they all came to visit me. Even then I didn't really cry and put on a brave face and they all remarked how they had no clue. Years later when I got older I no longer had a poker face and I learned to talk about things that were difficult and hard. But I learned that some people misinterpreted or began to lecture or say things that made me feel worse. Now I have a close group of people who I go to.. I learned that it's a wonderful thing to have trusted confidants.. <3ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you for sharing this tough part of your life. I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you to be away from them during your teenage years. You're right, something very important is to be surrounded by authentic and supportive people dear to us who we can trust and who truly want the best for us.Delete
People who really care about you will never think it an inconvenience when you confide in them. I really hope you will open up more because it's so hard to keep everything in.ReplyDeleteReplies
I totally agree. I am glad I found a circle of friends here too that I can trust. That has been one of the challenges moving. Luckily, the online world makes it easier to connect to friends no matter where they are geographically.Delete


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Everything's up t'date in Kansas City
By Diogenes (articles ) | Dec 08, 2004
The National Catholic Reporter begs to announce that it is celebrating its 40th Anniversary (to put that span in perspective for younger readers, the latex prophylactic -- so beloved of the NCR -- was a device largely associated with heterosexual intercourse back when the romance began). How times change!
To mark the occasion, the NCR board honored Jesuit Fr. Robert Drinan for "a career of service to the church and the wider human family." Honors were also bestowed on the National Review Board ... for "dedication, courageous work and outstanding lay leadership," and on Bishop Raymond J. Boland, leader of the Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., diocese since 1993, for his pastoral leadership.
Fr. Drinan's service to the "wider" human family will be best known for his efforts to make that family narrower through government funded abortion-on-demand. Beginning with Drinan's first run for Congress the NCR tirelessly shilled for him, and in 1996 printed his column in favor of sustaining Clinton's veto -- yes, you read that right -- of a bill banning Partial Birth Abortion: "It does not make sense for a federal law ... to enter into such a complicated area of specialized professional and ethical issues." Thanks, Bob!
And then there's the NCR's tame bishop, Raymond J. Boland. The "pastoral leadership" for which he is commended is that of an ostrich with its head planted firmly in the sand. Emblematic, and far from unique, is the response he gave the Kansas City Star's Judy Thomas when she asked about gay priests with AIDS:
"I would never ask a priest how he got [AIDS]," he told Thomas, "just like nobody asked me two years ago how I got cancer of the colon. But I would provide for him. I would not write him off and say, 'Because you've got AIDS and because there are doubts about how one can acquire it, therefore you're not a good priest'."
Boland also volunteered the opinion that AIDS deaths teach us that priests are "human." Pastoral leadership at its finest.
The NCR's third honorand, the NRB, excoriated bishops for precisely the kind of three-monkey apathy for which Boland might serve as the poster boy. But from the outset of his tenure in KC, Boland took a hands-off approach to the NCR, and its publishers surely feel the inconsistency and the mahogany wall-plaque are a small price to pay for a decade of episcopal inertness.
Between Boland's leadership and Drinan's work to expand the readership base, I think we can confidently predict that the NCR will enjoy the prosperity expected of any association enamoured of PBA, nonoxynol-9, and the Barney Frank method of birth control. And, after all, they've taught us that bishops are "human."
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Posted by: -
Dec. 08, 2004 1:11 PM ET USA
Boland's Balloons for Bozos. Trademark pending. I will license this catchphrase for Diogenes' use in a future polemic at no additional charge. No need to thank me. Alliteration is my hobby.
Posted by: -
Dec. 08, 2004 9:33 AM ET USA
I always thought that Bishops were charged with teaching (what Christ taught the apostles), governing, and sanctifying. I don't see Pastoral Leadership in the bunch. And what does pastoral mean. At one time it referred to herding a flock of sheep, as in leading them to streams and green pastures, keeping them out of harm's way, and fending off the wolves. In the modern diocese, it is more like the bishop sitting down with the wolves, letting them decide by majority vote what's for dinner.


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9. Marita's Bargain
KIPP – Knowledge is Power Program
KIPP academy – poorest neighborhoods in New York city. Chosen by lottery.
"SSLANT" – Smile, Sit up, Listen, Ask questions, nod when being spoken to, and track with your eyes.
No exaggeration to say that ten years into its existence, KIPP has become one of the most desirable public schools in New York City and famous for its mathematics.
"Relation of Education to Insanity", – "over-study"
"Education lays the foundation of a large portion of the causes of mental disorder"
"Not infrequently is health itself destroyed by over-stimulation the mind"
Summer vacation – California Achievement Test – reading scores – socioeconomic class – low, middle, high.
(After return from summer vacation) 5th grade: Low – 461, Middle – 497, High – 534.
Achievement gap: kids don't have same inherent ability to learn as children from more privileged backgrounds. Some way our schools are failing poor children.
School-year gains – whole year test result
Low – 189, Middle – 214, High – 184
Reading score changes during Summer vacation:
Low – 0.26, Middle – 7.09, High – 52.49
When it comes to reading skills, poor kids learn nothing when school is not in session. Result of differences in the way privileged kids learn while they are not in school also.
Students in Asia don't have long summer vacations.
KIPP schools set out to solve by decided to bring the lessons of the rice paddy to the American inner city.
KIPP school – 7.25 AM – 5 PM and then sports or homework clubs (7 PM).
Saturdays – 9 – 1
Summer – 8 – 2 ( extra 3 weeks of school in July)
Students working on single problem for 20 mins, methodically, carefully, working his way not just the answer, but also the question of whether there was more than one way to get the answer.
What that extra time does is allow for a more relaxed atmosphere. Extended amount of time gives you the chance as a teacher to explain things, and more time for the kids to sit and digest everything that's going on – to review, to do things at a slower pace. Extra time gave them chance to make Math meaningful.
A 5th grade girl cried every Saturday, that she was horrible in math. Huge tears and tears. She just e-mailed us a couple weeks ago. She's is in college now. She's an accounting major.
Story of miracle school transforms losers into winners, of course too familiar, It's the stuff of inspirational books and sentimental Hollywood movies. But KIPP is a good deal less glamorous than that.
KIPP students – wake up 5:45 and go to bed by 11PM after finishing the homework's.
We believe children should have time to play and dream and sleep. But for poor students, there community does not give her what she needs. (Facility to learn, resources etc,.)
So what does she have to do? Give up her evenings and weekends and friends – all elements of her old world – and replace them with KIPP.
Outliers are those who have been given opportunities.
KIPP students doesn't need a brand-new school with acres of playing fields and facilities. They doesn't need a laptop, a smaller class, a teacher with Ph.D, or a bigger apartment. She doesn't need a higher IQ. All those things would be nice, of course. But they miss the point. They just needed a chance.
10. A Jamaican Story
Daisy Donald – schoolteacher Jamica, twins daughter Faith and Joyce. When Donald was told that he had fathered twins, he sank down on his knees and surrendered responsibility for their lives over to God.
Joyce went to private high school and university in London and fell in love with Graham. They had three sons and built a beautiful house on a hill. Graham's last name is Gladwell, my father and Joyce is my mother.
My mother's path of success isn't true and not a lie.
In 1935 when my mother were four. William M. MacMillan visited Jamica and deeply concern about social problems. No public high schools or universities. They need to go extra classes with head teacher and somehow find their way to private school and university to US or England. But scholarships were few and far between and cost of private schooling was prohibitive for all but a privileged few.
MacMillan wrote and published his book about it and Jamica problems. Then British government took it seriously and proposed scholarship to go to private schools from 1941.
My mother and twin sat for exam the following year. My aunt awarded scholarship and my mother was not.
My grandmother was steadfast, sent both to school(without money to pay for next term) and prayed and at end of first term one of other girls won two scholarships and second one gave to my mother.
For university, "Centenary" – hundered years of slavery in Jamaica, one scholarship each year of whole island to top boy or girl alternative year. That year was girls and my aunt got it.My mother was not. My grandmother borrowed money from Chinese shop which is huge amount and sent them both to London.
History about Jamaica, British slavery. buying slaves and relationship with them – mulatto – getting privileged than black. Same time in America you should not have relation ship with slave.
About color issues, about his great great great grandfather bought his great.. grandmother and son mulatto and getting privileged in future.
About his mother insulted by mother-in-law about the dark color. ASking God about dominating whites, And she realize thro' God spirit that Have you not done the same thing? Have you not been glad that you are not colored than you are? Grateful that you are not black?. She thinks She was no better than her mother-in-law. Both guilty of the sin of self-regard, pride.
No Outlier say truthfulness "I did this, all by myself". They don't. They are products of history and community, of opportunity and legacy.