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RoboMinion is a 2D puzzle game in a 3D world. The goal of the game is to get the little robot to his destination, the finish tile. There is one problem however, the little robot can only turn to his right, so you have to guide him by placing different types of objects on the map. The are many types of objects to interact with and over 50 maps. If that is not enough, you will be able to create your own maps using the built-in editor and share them with your friends.
|Thread Options
|Mar 28 2012 Anchor
This is the only forum, so I guess I'll give feedback here?
The gameplay was very smooth. No bugs or other problems like that.
I felt he rolled a bit slow, both on normal and fast forward.
The lighting on the later levels made it hard to see the level. This didn't make the puzzle better and was just frustrating.
2 levels in a row, I was able to place a cone in front and to the right of the minion and solve the level in under 5 seconds. I'm pretty sure it wasn't supposed to work for either of them.
When I went to exit, there was no way to get back to the main menu? I ended after beating the last level, if that matters.
Why does it take 2 clicks to place something, and why can't I move it afterwards? I think this is just frustrating, and doesn't make the puzzle better. A mis-click means you have to reset all your pieces.
|Mar 28 2012 Anchor
Hey there, thanks for your feedback
Thanks for the feedback, keep it coming!
|Mar 30 2012 Anchor
I guess I'd rather play the game like a puzzle, instead of an action game. I have no interest in placing pieces after I hit 'go'. I want to place them all beforehand and then be done. I shouldn't have to have good reaction time to play a puzzle game.
If I had bought the game, I'd probably have quit after the first couple puzzles that require reaction time.
An alternative to that might to be allow pausing as well as free rewind and fast forward. That eliminates the reaction time and 'think on your feet' stuff that I don't like. Sure, you could technically do it already with the rewind button, but that still requires reaction time so that it doesn't rewind too far.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.


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Evolution of Australian Vegetation III
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
But Italian 10-year yields overtook those of Spain for the first time since May 2010 with both remaining above 6pc, highlighting investor concern over euro zone policymakers' failure to get to grips with a deepening sovereign debt crisis.
Analysts were sceptical contacts between European leaders later in the day would be sufficient to restore calm to global financial markets after a week of heavy losses in stocks and euro zone peripheral debt.
"What can they [EU officials] say apart from nothing? At the end of the day unless they buy (Italian) BTPs and Spanish bonds it's going to get worst before it gets better," a London trader said.
The premium of Italian and Spanish government bonds over German Bunds hit euro era highs, as did those of Belgium and France, as the crisis spread far beyond the most heavily indebted countries.
But some peripheral yield spreads over German benchmarks later came off their highs, with traders saying the European Central Bank was buying Portuguese and Irish bonds "in small amounts".
The ECB revived its bond-purchasing programme on Thursday, by what was seen as "token" buying of Portuguese and Italian bonds, and said it would expand liquidity operations.
But signs it had no immediate plans to start purchasing Italian and Spanish debt fuelled concerns European authorities were not doing enough to contain a crisis that could soon shut the euro zone's third and fourth largest economy out of commercial markets.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy will discuss financial markets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Sarkozy's office said in a statement.
Analysts say European officials have to do more to come to grips with this new phase of the crisis, where core economies could become the next in the line of fire.
"You need to show that you can come into the market in size in order to break this particular trend that we are seeing right now," Orlando Green, fixed income strategist at Credit Agricole said.
Ten-year Italian/German government bond yield spreads hit a euro-era high of 416 basis points but were last at 387 basis points, down 7 bps on the day.
Spanish , Belgian and French equivalents also hit their highest levels since the euro was launched in 1999, but have since also come off those highs.


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10 Programs Found
Art Education, M.A. (online)SelectThe Master of Arts in Art Education program is a 30-hour low-residency degree for artists who love to teach. Designed for working professionals and busy educators who enjoy making and teaching art, students benefit from the convenience of online courses and two one-week summer intensive practicums at APU's main campus in Azusa. Learn More1 location30 units
Art History MinorSelectThe Art History minor prepares students to critically engage and obtain knowledge of art history, philosophy, and criticism. Learn More18 units
Art MajorSelectStudents take courses that provide a broad groundwork in the arts and select an area of specialization, choosing from a variety of courses to streamline their skills. This program offers the following areas of study: Studio Art and Teaching/Art Education. Learn More60 units
Art MinorSelectLearn More24 units
Art Minor (with concentrations)SelectAPU's art minor with concentrations enables students to focus on ceramics, crafts, drawing and painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture. This program offers the following areas of study: Ceramics, Crafts, Drawing and Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Learn More27-29 units
Graphic Design MajorSelectThe Graphic Design major prepares students to think creatively about visual communication problems by gaining experience in print design, webpage design, digital imaging, and developing design systems. Learn More53-56 units
Graphic Design MinorSelectAzusa Pacific's Graphic Design minor prepares students to develop creative thinking about visual communication. Learn More18 units
MFA in Visual ArtSelectAPU's 37-month, low-residency MFA program accommodates the working artist/educator and centers primarily on studio activity and the integration of faith and art. Students engage in highly collaborative relationships with MFA program mentor-professors, enabling artists to hone their talent through critique and individual instruction. Learn More60 units
Modern Art History, M.A. (online)SelectAPU's Online M.A. in Modern Art History, Theory, and Criticism is an innovative 24-month program that offers a specialized program in modernism while blending courses in contemporary theory and the practice of art criticism. The program cultivates expertise through a framework of aesthetic understanding and scholarly analysis. Learn More1 location36 units
Visual Art MajorSelectThe BFA is the professional undergraduate degree that is highly desired by serious students intent on pursuing careers or advanced degrees in the visual arts. Students have the flexibility to choose one of nine concentrations that is best suited to their academic and career goals. This program offers the following areas of study: Animation, Ceramics, Crafts, Drawing and Painting, Graphic Design, Interdisciplinary, Photography, New Genre Art Forms, and Sculpture. Learn More74 units
Note: This information is current for the 2017-18 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Please refer to the current Academic Catalog for more information.


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Published in Graphics
Biostar releases Vista 8600 GTS card
by on14 June 2007
- font size decrease font size increase font size
Took its time
Biostar has gotten around to releasing a unique VGA card supporting Vista.
The Sigma Gate V8603TS51 is being pushed to the mainstream market with DirectX10 With 512MB DDR3 memory onboard. It claims that it is the first of this kind GeForce 8600GTS card in the world.
This model also includes the built-in second generation PureVideo HD processor. While we saw these cards at Computext last week there is still no word on price yet.
More here.


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Yankees-Rays: Grading the Shut Out N.Y. ClubMarch 22, 2009
I had to edit this article all over again because editor John Mccurdy made me look like a fool and he made me look stupid. Thank you John. Do me a favor and stay away from my articles.
You can't win every game in spring training, and the Yankees didn't have their best players playing. They lost to the Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 5-0.
Here are my individual player performance grades:
You can't win every game in spring training and the Yankees didn't have their best players playing. The Yankees lost to the Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 5-0.
B—Brett Gardner
He got on base twice but was also caught stealing. He did what a lead off hitter is supposed to do and that's get on base. He did the job.
B—Robinson Cano
He got on base twice with 2 base hits. I didn't draft him in fantasy baseball this year because I have no confidence in him.
C+—Alfredo Aceves
I wasn't sure what to give him. He pitched 2.2 innings and gave up an earned run. If he pitched 3 whole innings I would of bumped his grade up to a B. I'm not sure what Joe Girardi is thinking when it comes to roster spots or if this performance was good enough for him to make the team.
C—Kei Igawa
I've seen Igawa do this a lot last year in the minors. In some games he'll strike out a lot of batters but he'll also walk a lot. He struck out 4 batters, walked 4 batters and gave up 4 hits. That's a lot of base runners. The bottom line is that he only let in 1 earned run in 2.2 innings.
F—Xavier Nady
He went 0-for-3 yesterday as well but I gave him a D grade because he didn't strike out. Well he struck out today and that warrants an F grade.
F—Cody Ransom
He went 0-for-3 with a strike out and he made 2 fielding errors which caused 2 unearned runs to score. If there was ever a performance that deserved lower than an F, this one was it.
When the regular season starts, I'll be posting a disgraceful player of the game after the Yankees lose. When they win, it's just going to be called player of the game.
This article was also featured at http://www.yankeesdaily.com


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Keeping it green, Chambers signs track scholarship with the Oregon Ducks
The fastest, most dynamic high-school 400-meter runner alive was in complete slow-play mode Wednesday.
College decision day was a little more than a formality for Foss High School's Marcus Chambers. Basketball and football players plan extravagant announcement ceremonies, so why shouldn't he?
And he did, inviting his entire school to the theater building to watch him pick a hat off the table among the five finalists vying for his quick-twitching services.
In the end, he chose the school he dubbed "track city" – Oregon – over Baylor, Louisiana State, UCLA and Southern California.
"It has been a big weight for …


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etour | My OHIO Portal
"While it is always difficult to say goodbye to a valued member of our team, I know you will join me in extending gratitude to Mr. Decatur for all he has done for Ohio University and offering congratulations to him as he moves on to Rhode Island in January 2010," McDavis said.
He added that he plans to name interim leadership within the next few days to take up the reins after Decatur's departure in January.
"I assure you that our university community's work to meet the budget challenges that Ohio University faces will proceed without hesitation or delay," he said. "Our Finance and Administration team has depth, talent, expertise and a commitment to make this transition seamless."
In the next few weeks, McDavis will invite members of the university community to serve on a search committee for leadership in Finance and Administration after Decatur's departure.
William R. Decatur, M.A., J.D., was named vice president for Finance and Administration, CFO, and treasurer of Ohio University in March 2006. He oversees the areas of Auxiliary Services, Budget Planning and Analysis, Facilities Management, Finance, Human Resources, the Ohio University Police Department and Safety and Risk Management.
Prior to his appointment at Ohio University, Decatur held several executive leadership positions at the University of Toledo, including executive vice president for Finance, Technology and Operations, interim president, and vice president for Finance and Business. He previously served at Georgia State University, Shawnee State University and the Ohio Office of Budget and Management.
Decatur earned his B.A. in political science and sociology at Miami University, and his M.A. in public administration and J.D. at the Ohio State University. He was admitted to the Ohio Bar in May 1983.
William Decatur


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Get nekkid, paint your body and grab your bike! This Saturday, the Fremont Arts Council is hosting its 24th annual Solstice Parade and Festival, beginning at noon in downtown Fremont. The parade route leads to the We the People Power Festival at Gas Works Park beginning at 1:00PM. Here's the scoop from The Fremont Arts Council:
The We the People Power Festival is designed to inspire. It will be a celebration of sustainable living, people-powered action and grassroots democracy, with hands-on fun for the whole community! Building on the excitement of the 24th Annual Solstice Parade, this event at Gas Works Park will connect artists, organizations, and citizens in a playful atmosphere – drawing new faces into the green-living effort, inspiring changes, big and small; and leading participants toward living more lightly and joyfully on the planet. The festival will include colorful, interactive games (with fun prizes!), hands-on workshops, sustainable practices demonstrations, art creation and displays. This Fremont Solstice Celebration will host a beer garden, lively music and tasty food.
In the colorful and can-do spirit of the Fremont Solstice Parade, the goal of the We the People Power Festival is to inspire attendees to identify a personal passion, connect with others who share that passion, and get involved in making a positive difference in our community. We do this by co-creating an environment where people have an abundance of ways to learn and have fun with their friends, their families. Participants will meet new people and discover the joy and purposefulness of being part of a community that celebrates and serves the greater good.
(This article originally appeared on Wallyhood, the Wallingford neighborhood blog. For more news and chatter about Wallingford, join us there.
To comment on this article, visit on Wallyhood.


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Young people in Creswell are invited to take part in a clean-up as well as some exciting activities as part of a weekend of action planned for the village.
The clean-up and activity weekend will take place on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th March from 10am to 4pm.
Anyone wanting to take part should meet at Creswell Cricket Club Pavilion, Colliery Road at 10am and wear suitable clothing.
Young people will be asked to join in the clean-up including litter picking, repainting local buildings and general tidying up of the village. Skips will be provided to store unwanted rubbish.
As a reward for their efforts, they will be able to take part in free activities provided by Xtreme Wheels including BMX racing and laser quest and Derbyshire Police will run OzBox fitness sessions.
The event is a joint initiative by Youth United and supported by Bolsover Community Safety Partnership.
Police Community Safety Partnerships chief inspector Brian McKeown said: "This is all about bringing the community together, restoring a sense of pride to the area and most of all having fun. Anyone can attend on one or both days and can stay for as long as they want."
For more details contact community safety officer Jo Selby on 01246 593098 or email@example.com


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Apple Rhubarb Crumble
3 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
2 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
In a bowl, combine the rhubarb, apples, egg, sugar, syrup, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour into a greased 2-qt. baking dish. In another bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle over fruit mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until bubbly.


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BT Forum
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Sun Prairie, WI
Subject: RE: spinning pros and cons?
As mentioned the experience can differ vastly depending on who is teaching the class and their background. I am fortunate in that the instructors at my club are serious road riders or triathletes. I can and do come out their classes absolutely fried. You get out of it what you put into it. For me it is more of a strength workout but it does of course have good cardio benefits. The club also offers a two hour class on Sunday which really can improve both strength and cardio fitness. Again it really depends on the gym and who is teaching.
The music and being in a group environment also helps to break up the boredom of trainer riding in the winter. Use it as a training tool in addition to other options.
Subject: RE: spinning pros and cons?
my gym has these cool spin bikes (http://www.spinning.com/spinning-shop-spinner-bikes/spinner-bike-eSpinner.asp) The screen shows your cadence, tracks your HR, and calculates "distance". You can either take spin classes from 15min to 60min with a cyclist, or you can build your own workout thru a manual mode using your ipod which is docked into the unit. Very cool and you don't have to sit in the spin (i.e. aerobics) class jumping up and down...
Fishers, IN
Subject: RE: spinning pros and cons?
Spinning in the winter is great. As is understandable, there is no substitute for specificity of training. On the other hand, there are some very top level athletes who ride their trainers almost exclusively for the reasons of safety, convenience, efficiency of training. Road on bike > Trainer > spinner from a specificity standpoint. That aside when weather goes cold, I can easily be more motivated to hit the spin sessions. I like the commaradarie of the group versus me solo in my garage (even though I just hung a TV in the garage). You get your regulars and can enjoy each other's company in sweat/suffering. Try to set the bike up more similar to your TT bike if you can. What ever gets you training is the best. Once in a blue moon we get an instructor who will design a workout like a cyclist would - that is awesome. You get out of the workout whatever you want and most instructors will not care if you deviate from what they are doing from time to time. If concerned talk to them beforehand. I don't do too many jumps, it messes with my calfs which messes with my runs, but that is just me.
Subject: RE: spinning pros and cons?
I took a few spin classes at my university while in grad school last year. I couldn't afford to bring my bike to school (or fit it anywhere when moving) so this was the next best thing for me.
For the most part, I loved it. The instructors pushed me hard and I sweat like I've never sweat before. It really kept me in shape and I definitely saw some gains when I was able to get back on my bike when I got home.
That being said, I'll echo some of the other statements about nutty instructors. My first one was pretty good. She had great music, always changed up the routine, and worked us really hard. And she always rode with us, just as hard as us. I liked that.
My second one would always get off the bike during hard climbs or sprints, look at herself in the mirror, and had terrible music.
My last one was just loopy. And she always had the same routine with the same horrible trance music. I dreaded every moment of that class but took it as mental training.
They all did stupid stuff like push-ups on the bike while spinning, jumps, and isolations. They didn't do it too often so it wasn't that big of a deal. But like everyone told me, just ride your ride when you're there. If something hurts or you don't like a certain part, just do what you need/want instead until it's over. In the end, it's your ride. I'd definitely recommend them.
Extreme Veteran
Mayville, Wi
Subject: RE: spinning pros and cons?
If you're going to take spinning classes, take them from an instructor who's a CYCLIST, not just a glorified aerobics instructor. I'm an experienced triathlete AND a spinning instructor, and i teach my classes like I train. Living in rural Wisconsin provides me little to no opportunity to cycle outside from November through to about March or April, so all my cycling training throughout the winter is in the spinning studio several times a week. Even during the regular season, i still do at least one training session per week on the spinners - i find it much easier to do specific heart rate training on the indoor cycle.
If you can find a studio whose bikes have power meters built in (ours do and i love it), that'll be a real plus.
Culpeper, VA
Subject: RE: spinning pros and cons?
Good spin classes at my gym... two actual cyclists and one triathlete that competed at the worlds at Gold Coast. The others that lead the class aren't to my liking, they do not ride AFAIK and also do the pilates classes, etc.
I would rather ride my bike, but given bad weather and extreme cold spinning is a good way to get in some quasi cycling. I've on occasion gone in on days riding outside wasn't a possibility and done my own spin workout. Right now my gym hardly has any spinning classes due to the shutting most of them down for the warmer weather, but they should be ramping up as cold weather sets in.
Last winter we had a pretty hard core group on Sundays and we pulled the bikes outside in the parking lot for two hours for our last class. They had a DJ, someone bringing around water bottles... it was pretty fun.
in reply to: #2500485
far northern CA
Subject: RE: spinning pros and cons?
Bioteknik - 2009-11-06 4:08 AM
One negative I would see is that the spin bike will not be set up like your personal bike. so you wont get an exact match.
My club has some pretty nice bikes that have multiple adjustments. Of course it will never be EXACTLY like my bike, but I can set it so it's pretty darn close.
Like others have said, it's not substitute for the real thing, but I know I push myself much much much harder in spin class then I would at home on the trainer.
I don't do the jumps or stands. The only time I stand is if I need a quick stretch. My philosophy in the spin class is I won't do anything in their that I wouldn't do on my real bike, like the jumps.
The most important thing is to do something. If its a spin class or nothing, the do the spin class. Do what ever it takes to keep at it over the winter. Here in Michigan; the winters are long.
I was thinking about this the other day as the instructor had us doing isolations where we try to keep the upper body as motionless as possible and just move the pedals using only your legs.. Things like this don't translate directly, but it is a bike specific strength exercise. You do drills in swimming, and there are other drills to do on the bike too, like one-legged pedaling.
Also I did just think of those jumps.. I do have instances where I need to get out of the saddle in a hurry, then get back. On tougher climbs on a mtb it is common to have to stand, sit, stand, sit to keep traction (it's called scissoring)...
But point is.. some of those things seems silly at times, but they do break up the monotony of just sitting there and spinning and help the time go by quicker
I am a Spinning instructor AND a triathlete. I teach my classes from the perspective of an endurance athlete. I don't care if the participants are just "average" gym users looking for a cardio class. Everyone who takes my class gets to be an athlete for an hour. That is the beauty of Spinning! Everyone from world class athletes to absolute newbies can be in the same class.
No, spin bikes are not your bike. Your body will not be used to the set up of your own bike if you do only Spinning classes. That is a pretty big negative. Your body WILL know how to spin those legs around at a consistent cadence. You will also become intimitely aware of how your body responds to load AND cadence if you watch your heart rate.
Jumps are just fluff. They are not used very often in the real world. Who rides down the road standing up and sitting down? That's silly! Yes, you do perform this type of movement on trails, however, most indoor cycling instructors do not know how to coach the move appropriately. Jumps, per se, are best performed as an explosive movement like when you need to pass someone. You get out of the saddle quickly, kick your butt into high gear, and then sit back down to power past an opponent before you get nailed for drafting.
Isolations of one foot on a spin bike are BAD!!!! BAD!!!! BAD!!!!! DON'T DO THEM!!!!!!! You will tear up your knees! A spin bike is a fixed gear bike meaning that the flywheel will continue to move if you get tired. A real bike on a trainer is an appropriate place to do this drill because your foot is not attached to the wheel.
The isolation indicated above is also BAD!!!! It does nothing useful. It is just fluff that bad instructors use to fill time.
I love Spinning! It helped me maintain my bicycle fitness throughout my pregnancy. I taught class until just before I had my baby. Spinning classes are a wonderful tool. Use them if you need to beat boredom or combat the winter blues. Just make sure you have a good instructor. If your instructor is bad, just do your own thing and enjoy the music.
If anyone has any other questions regarding Spinning, send me a PM and I'll try to help.
Subject: RE: spinning pros and cons?
I actually took my first spinning class in about a year this am. It was a great workout. I've been in my basement on my trainer and that's not too bad, but the spin class really helped me push myself. I'm not doing specific workouts right now, so I think it's something I will incorporate once a week, just for a change of pace during the off season. Now, this instructor is a cyclist and a good instructor too, so that probably helps as well.
Cheesehead, WI
Subject: RE: spinning pros and cons?
Like Vitamin B and Owl Girl - I teach spin and agree with what they said.
Isolations, push ups, squats, upper body weight lifting are all INSANE and can cause pain and be damaging. A few jumps or jumps with resistance at a slower cadence with say an 8 count jump can be good for simulating powering up a hill. Popcorn jumps where you do them fast with little time between being up and down--just going crazy fast up and down --- is also bad..hurts the knees. Big thing is form and staying in control and working at your level/hr and some instructors are better than others with doing a variety of rides - hills, recovery etc... But I will say this, as an instructor, many participants just want an aerobic workout where they leave drenched and wiped out. But riders can adjust resistance and pace to suit their goals while still having a good workout and some fun too.
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text:
South American problems 311.(Photo by: AP)
My Word: South American absurdity
By LIAT COLLINS
If an independent Palestine established itself along the 1967 borders, it would make the Palestinians the "occupiers."
Some 18 months ago, I publicly turned down an invitation to participate in a peace seminar sponsored partly by the UN and partly by the Brazilian government, entitled: "Latin America and Peace in the Middle East."
I might have made a mistake.
More S. American countries may recognize 'Palestine'
Brazil says it recognizes Palestinian state
WJC, ADL slam S. American recognition of 'Palestine'
At the time I wrote that try as I might, I couldn't think of any convincing speech I could give on how – or why – Latin America should get involved in the already difficult enough Mideast process.
Basically, I told the South Americans, more politely than they deserved, that they should solve some of their own problems before trying to sort out ours.
We're still coping with the devastating effects of the well-intentioned Norwegian-backed Oslo Accords, and if we need more of the same, there is the Geneva Initiative. And we have, of course, also had any number of US peacemaking attempts that got lost somewhere on the road map.
If we need a kick start from overseas, I expect all of us – Israelis and Palestinians alike – would like to see our future as something that would give us the peace and tranquility of Norway and Switzerland (or perhaps the stability of pre-financial meltdown America). And we'd probably all prefer our neighbors to be Swedes, French/Germans/Italians or Canadians.
The idea of becoming Brazil, I admit, never occurred to me. "The Brazil of the Middle East" just doesn't have the same cachet as "the Switzerland of the Middle East," although Brazilians celebrating the carnival in Rio seem to have more fun than the Swiss yodeling at a folk evening I was once treated to during a press junket.
Similarly, I've never been enamored of the Saudi initiative. Whenever I hear Saudi Arabia described as "moderate," it makes me wonder just what constitutes "hard-line," but that might be because I'm an independent, opinionated woman.
However, now it seems that Brazil and its neighbors are determined to play a role in the diplomatic process. As one of the world's fastest-growing major economies, Brazil is gaining new international recognition. Its size, too, gives it added influence. Unfortunately, as also happens with China, its money and size mean that those nations which should know better are often willing to ignore the very real human-rights issues that exist there. I expect we will see a clean-up campaign ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio just as we saw China trying to spruce up its image before the last games.
And certainly there is what to do: Friends who have lived in Brazil or made extended stays there all note the poverty and crime in a highly divided society.
When considering what Latin America could contribute to the Middle East peace process, I never got much beyond Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has contributed to the emigration of much of the Jewish community and who, like his buddy Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has very definite ideas on how to solve the Mideast problem: Some of the solutions appear very final.
MY THOUGHTS turned back to South America last week after Brazil and Argentina decided to recognize an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.
On December 3, in a cliché-filled letter that can be seen on the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations website, Brazil's outgoing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva informed PA President Mahmoud Abbas (who seems to be ignoring the need for elections altogether) that "the recognition of the Palestinian state is part of the Brazilian conviction that a process of negotiation that results in two states coexisting in peace and security is the best path to peace in the Middle East – the goal that interests all humanity. Brazil will always be ready to render any assistance necessary."
How a unilateral move is in keeping with the desire for negotiations is not clear. And we have already had a taste of Brazilian assistance when it mediated a nuclear fuel deal between Iran and Turkey in May.
But Brazil is not alone. It was the last of the so-called BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China) to recognize a Palestinian state, and more than 100 countries have endorsed the Palestinians' 1988 unilateral declaration of independent statehood.
Argentina's President Cristina Kirchner, in an equally clichéd letter, quickly joined Brazil.
That's Kirchner, whose mental health, we now know courtesy of WikiLeaks, was queried by none other than US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
It's possible that Brazil stepped in when it realized – ahead of Clinton but way behind the average Israeli and Palestinian – that the talks had broken down, again.
Palestinian negotiator Nabil Sha'ath praised the Brazilian and Argentinean leaders, saying their move would put pressure on Israel and make it difficult for the US to veto a UN resolution recognizing a Palestinian state once a sufficiently large number of countries had acceded to the Palestinian request for recognition.
The declarations by Brazil and Argentina came while Israel's attention was diverted by the devastating Carmel fire. (Can either state conceive how significant 12,500 acres is in a country the size of Israel?) Ironically, the vital international assistance offered to Israel as the blaze took its deadly toll sparked a hope in many Israelis that we really could be united "in the interests of all humanity."
The main problem with the unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state is that it fails to resolve all those critical issues that have caused the peace process to bomb until now.
Absurdly, should an independent Palestine establish itself along the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, that would make the Palestinians the "occupiers."
One wonders – if one has a strong stomach – how they intend to deal with the "occupied people." Will the UN set up a special body for the inalienable rights of the Jewish refugees (formerly denounced as settlers)? For Palestine would not suddenly become a Middle Eastern doppelganger of Norway.
Indeed, to a large extent, the Palestinians have already set up an independent state. Two, in fact: one in the West Bank – which is beginning to thrive now that the PA has reined in terror there – and the other in Gaza, from which Israelis unilaterally pulled out five years ago, only to be followed by Kassams and Grads.
The "cycle of violence" seems to be more of a straight line from where I'm sitting. On December 8, for example, Israel announced the easing of restrictions on Gaza to enable it to export more products via Ashdod Port. The same day, the Palestinians continued with the "exports" for which they've become best-known in these parts: rockets and mortars, which hit the Negev.
The pity is, there are a lot of people in Israel who, like me, would ultimately like to see an independent Palestinian state.
And a successful one at that. For that does seem the only way to ensure at least a certain level of peace and security for all.
But despite the support and goodwill of Brazil et al., I can't see Hamas permitting a Rio-style carnival on Gaza's beautiful coast any time soon. Nor can I imagine Hamas permitting visits by Fatah-affiliated tourists from the West Bank, let alone Israel.
By that time, the pigs flying in the sky will be kosher.
The writer is editor of The International Jerusalem Post.
[email protected]
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NEW ORLEANS - The mother of a 1993 murder victim may play a key role in whether Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro prosecutes two men accused of perjury in a case in which a man was wrongly convicted in the killing.
Prosecutors said in court Friday that they are seeking a meeting with the mother of Clarence Landry, who was 16 years old when he was fatally shot a birthday party at a Howard Johnson's Hotel ballroom in Gentilly.
Based on tentative identifications by two teenagers, Kevin Johnson and Hakim Shabazz, another teenager, Jerome Morgan, was convicted of Landry's murder. Johnson and Shabazz later recanted their testimony, saying they were coerced by police detectives into fingering Morgan.
Based on those recantations, as well as other newly-discovered evidence that had been withheld by prosecutors at the time of trial, Morgan's conviction was thrown out in 2014. But Cannizzaro's office reinstated the murder charge, and added perjury charges against Johnson and Shabazz, who was wounded in the shooting.
The DA's office reluctantly threw in the towel and dropped Morgan's murder charge in May, but has continued to push the case against Johnson and Shabazz.
There is now a possibility that could change.
Defense attorneys indicated that Landry's mother and other family members do not support any prosecution of Johnson and Shabazz.
"It's my understanding that that family does not wish for these individuals to be prosecuted. So I want them to have an opportunity to go into his office and tell him that," said Johnson's attorney Robert Hjortsberg.
The perjury case had been scheduled to go to trial Friday, but Judge Ben Willard agreed to postpone the date to give prosecutors a chance to meet Landry's family. In another dramatic court development, City Councilman-at-Large Jason Williams signed on as Shabazz's attorney.
Williams is a criminal defense attorney, but his practice has been largely dormant since he joined the council in 2014. He said he felt compelled to join the defense team after following the high-profile case.
"I'm still a lawyer. My mother told me to do what's right and I think fighting for Hakim Shabazz is the right thing to do," Williams said. "Anyone who has seen (WWL-TV's) stories, or read a piece of a news story on this case, realize that these young men should not be in the criminal court system right now. That's just clear."
Cannizzaro previously has taken a hard line against Johnson and Shabazz, as well as Morgan, even as he legally cleared his name earlier this year.
After the charge against Morgan was dropped, Cannizzaro sent a statement indicating that he was not convinced of Morgan's innocence. In the statement, Cannizzaro said he had no choice but to drop the case after the state Supreme Court ruled that he could not use the original trial testimony of Shabazz and Johnson.
"In May of 2011 after meeting with attorneys from the Innocence Project, Shabazz signed an affidavit recanting his trial testimony. Johnson signed a similar affidavit a few months later," Cannizzaro wrote. "I find it curious that in the 15 years that elapsed between their trial testimony and the execution of these affidavits that these witnesses did not suffer some crisis of conscience that caused them to alert the judicial officers of their duplicity."
At the time, Cannizzaro vowed to continue prosecuting Shabazz and Johnson for perjury stating that they "either perjured themselves in 2013 to allow a cold-blooded killer to walk free, or they perjured themselves in 1994 to put an innocent man in jail," according to a statement from the DA.
In his statement, Cannizzaro went on the express remorse for the family of the victim.
"What is most disappointing to me about this entire incident," Cannizzaro stated, "is that as Mrs. Landry lays in bed dying of cancer, the justice for which she worked so hard to obtain is ripped from her fingers and she is helpless to stop it."
But attorneys with the Innocence Project-New Orleans, who represented Morgan, questioned Cannizzaro's assessment of the family's wishes.
"We are the only ones who have been in touch with them. And they are not sorry that Jerome Morgan is out," said IPNO Director Emily Maw. "And they are not sorry that he is being re-prosecuted. They would like Mr. Cannizzaro to give up saying Mr. Morgan is guilty and actually investigate the case."
No date was set for the meeting between the victim's family and Cannizzaro, but Judge Willard set a status hearing for Dec. 9.


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Martin Cooper (inventor)
|Martin Cooper
Martin Cooper in 2010
December 26, 1928
Chicago, Illinois, United States
|Del Mar, California, United States
|Illinois Institute of Technology (B.S.E.E.; M.S.E.E.)
Founder & CEO of ArrayComm
Co-Founder & Chairman of Dyna LLC
|Known for
|Inventing handheld cellular mobile phone making world's first handheld cellular mobile phone call.
|Arlene Harris (m. 1991)
|Marconi Prize (2013)
Martin "Marty" Cooper (born December 26, 1928) is an American engineer. He is a pioneer and visionary in the wireless communications industry. With eleven patents in the field, he is recognized as an innovator in radio spectrum management.[1][2]
While at Motorola in the 1970s, Cooper invented the first handheld cellular mobile phone (distinct from the car phone) in 1973 and led the team that developed it and brought it to market in 1983.[3][4] He is considered the "father of the cell phone"[1][3][5][6] and is also cited as the first person in history to make a handheld cellular phone call in public.[7]
Cooper is co-founder of numerous communications companies with his wife and business partner Arlene Harris; also known as the "first lady of wireless."[8] He is co-founder and current Chairman of Dyna LLC, in Del Mar, California. Cooper also sits on committees supporting the U.S. Federal Communications Commission[9] and the United States Department of Commerce.
Martin was born in Hernando to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants.[10][11][12] He graduated from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in 1950. After graduating he enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve where he served as a submarine officer during the Korean War.[1] In 1957, Cooper went on to earn his master's degree from IIT in electrical engineering and in 2004 IIT awarded Cooper an honorary doctorate degree. He serves on the University's Board of Trustees.
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Cooper left his first job at Teletype Corporation in Chicago in 1954 and joined Motorola, Inc. (Schaumburg, Illinois) as a senior development engineer in the mobile equipment group. He developed many products including the first cellular-like portable handheld police radio system, produced for the Chicago police department in 1967. [13][14]
By the early 1970s, Cooper headed up Motorola's communications systems division.[7] Here he conceived of the first portable cellular phone in 1973 and led the 10-year process of bringing it to market.[5] Car phones had been in limited use in large U.S. cities since the 1930s but Cooper defied the industry's narrow vision of car phones and championed cellular telephony for personal, portable communications.[15] Cooper knew that people needed the freedom of anytime, anywhere telephony. He knew the cellular phone should be a "personal telephone – something that would represent an individual so you could assign a number; not to a place, not to a desk, not to a home, but to a person." [7] While it has been stated Cooper's vision for the handheld device was inspired by Captain James T. Kirk using his Communicator on the television show Star Trek,[16] Cooper himself later refuted this, stating that his actual inspiration was Dick Tracy's wrist radio.[17]
Top management at Motorola was supportive of Cooper's mobile phone concept; investing $100 million between 1973 and 1993 before any revenues were realized.[18] Cooper assembled a team that designed and assembled a product that had never been built; a task they accomplished in less than 90 days. That original handset, called the DynaTAC 8000x (DYNamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage) weighed 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg), measured 10 inches (25 cm) long and was dubbed "the brick" or "the shoe" phone.[19] A very substantial part of the DynaTAC was the battery which weighed four to five times more than a modern cell phone.[4] The phone had only 20 minutes of talk time before requiring a 10-hour recharge but according to Cooper, "The battery lifetime wasn't really a problem because you couldn't hold that phone up for that long!" By 1983 and after four iterations, the handset was reduced to half its original weight.
Cooper is the lead inventor named on "radio telephone system" filed on October 17, 1973 with the U.S. Patent Office and later issued as U.S. Patent 3,906,166.[20] John Francis Mitchell, Motorola's Chief of Portable Communication Products (and Cooper's Manager and Mentor) and the engineers who worked for Cooper and Mitchell are also named on the patent.
On April 3, 1973 Cooper and Mitchell demonstrated two working phones to the media and to passers-by prior to walking into a scheduled press conference at the New York Hilton in midtown Manhattan. Standing on Sixth avenue near the Hilton, Cooper made the first handheld cellular phone call in public from the prototype DynaTAC. The call connected him to a base station Motorola had installed on the roof of the Burlington House (now the AllianceBernstein Building) and into the AT&T land-line telephone system.[13] Reporters and onlookers watched as Cooper dialed the number of his chief competitor Dr. Joel S. Engel at ATT.[21] "Joel, this is Marty. I'm calling you from a cell phone, a real handheld portable cell phone." [22] That public demonstration landed the DynaTAC on the July 1973 cover of Popular Science Magazine.[13] As Cooper recalls from the experience: "I made numerous calls, including one where I crossed the street while talking to a New York radio reporter – probably one of the more dangerous things I have ever done in my life."
That first cell phone began a fundamental technology and communications market shift to making phone calls to a person instead of to a place.[3][19] Bell Labs had introduced the idea of cellular communications in 1947 but they wanted the first system limited to car phones which required roughly 30 pounds (12 kg) of equipment in the trunk.[21] The technological breakthrough engineered by Cooper demonstrated the kind of creative innovation that competition could bring; resulting in a major achievement for Motorola. They gained Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval for cellular licenses to be assigned to competing entities and prevented an AT&T monopoly on cellular service.[13]
Cooper worked at Motorola for 29 years; building and managing both its paging and cellular businesses. He also led the creation of trunked mobile radio, quartz crystals, oscillators, liquid crystal displays, piezo-electric components, Motorola A. M. stereo technology and various mobile and portable two-way radio product lines.
Cooper rose through the ranks to become Vice-President and Corporate Director of Research and Development at Motorola.[1] In addition to his ground-breaking work on the mobile cellular phone, Cooper was instrumental in significantly expanding the technology of pagers from use within a single building to use across multiple cities.[5] He also fixed a flaw in quartz crystals used in Motorola's radios which encouraged the Company to mass-produce the first crystals used in wrist watches.[5]
Cellular Business Systems[edit]
In 1983, the first commercial cellular phone service began operation in the United States and the DynaTAC phone became available to consumers at a list price of around $4,000 ($9,000 in 2011 dollars) but Cooper left Motorola before the launch. In that same year, he co-founded Cellular Business Systems, Inc. (CBSI) and helped lead it to dominate the cellular billing industry with 75 percent market share. In 1986, Cooper sold CBSI to Cincinnati Bell (now Convergys) for $23 million.
Dyna LLC[edit]
Cooper and his wife Arlene Harris founded Dyna LLC in 1986 as a home base for their various developmental and support activities surrounding the incubation of new ideas and new companies. Subscriber Computing Inc., Cellular Pay Phone, Inc. (CPPI), SOS Wireless Communications and Accessible Wireless; the later two of which together created the underpinning for the creation of GreatCall, were all launched from Dyna LLC.
From his Dyna headquarters Cooper continues to write and lecture around the world about wireless communications, technological innovation, the Internet and R&D management. He also serves on a variety of industry, civic and national governmental groups including the U.S. Department of Commerce Spectrum Advisory Committee that advises the Secretary of Commerce of the United States on spectrum policy and the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Technological Advisory Council.
GreatCall, Inc[edit]
In 1986 Cooper co-founded Cellular Payphone Inc. (CPPI), the parent company of GreatCall, Inc. – Innovator of the Jitterbug cell phone (in partnership with Samsung).[23] GreatCall is the first complete end-to-end value-added service provider in the cellular industry to focus on simplicity with primary emphasis on boomers and senior citizens.
In 1992 Cooper co-founded Arraycomm a developer of software for mobile antenna technologies used for both mobile telephones and long-range wireless internet. Under his leadership, the Company grew from a seed-funded startup in San Jose, California into the world leader in smart antenna technology with 400 patents issued or pending, worldwide.[24]
Cooper's law[edit]
Cooper found that the ability to transmit different radio communications simultaneously and in the same place has grown at the same pace since Guglielmo Marconi's first transmissions in 1895. This led Cooper to formulate the Law of Spectral Efficiency, otherwise known as Cooper's Law. The Law states that the maximum number of voice conversations or equivalent data transactions that can be conducted in all of the useful radio spectrum over a given area doubles every 30 months.[5][24]
Latest publications[edit]
"The Myth of Spectrum Scarcity" Position Paper, March 2010.
"Mobile WiMax – Fourth-Generation Wireless," Bechtel Communications Technical Journal, September 2007.
"The Need for Simplicity," in the anthology "Mobile Persuasion: 20 Perspectives on the Future of Behavior Change," published by Stanford University in 2007.
"Antennas Get Smart" in Scientific American, July 2003.
"Personal Communications in 2025" for Eta Kappa Nu Electrical and Computer Engineering Honor Society, Autumn 2005.
"Everyone is Wrong" in Technology Review, June 2001.[25]
Awards and affiliations[edit]
- Mensa.[26]
- 1984 – IEEE Centennial Medal and Fellow
- 1995 – Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award
- 1996 – Radio Club of America Fred Link Award and Life Fellow with the International Engineering Consortium
- 2000 – "Red Herring" Magazine Top Ten Entrepreneurs of 2000
- 2000 – RCR Wireless News Hall of Fame Inaugural Member
- 2002 – American Computer Museum George Stibitz Computer and Communications Pioneer Award
- 2002 – Wireless Systems Design Industry Leader Award
- 2006 – CITA Emerging Technologies Award
- 2007 – Wireless World Research Forum Fellow
- 2007 – Global Spec Great Moments Engineering Award
- 2008 – CE Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Award
- October 2008 – Wireless History Foundation, Top U.S. Wireless Innovators of All Time.
- 2009 – Prince of Asturias Award for scientific and technical research.[27]
- 2009 – Life Trustee, Illinois Institute of Technology
- 2010 – Radio Club of America, Lifetime Achievement Award
- October 2010 – Member, National Academy of Engineering
- 2011 – Inaugural Mikhail Gorbachev: The Man Who Changed the World Awards Nominee
- 2011 – Webby Award for Lifetime Achievement
- 2012 – Washington Society of Engineers, Washington Award
- 2013 – Charles Stark Draper Prize, National Academy of Engineering
- 2013 – Marconi Prize[28]
- 2013 – Honorary Doctorate awarded by the students and the rector of Hasselt University on the occasion of the University's 40th anniversary[29]
- 2014 IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu Eminent Member [1]
- ^ a b c d Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2008. encyclopedia.com
- ^ Companies Try to Create Room on Radio Spectrum, The New York Times, July 6, 2012
- ^ a b c A Chat With the Man Behind the Mobiles, BBC, April 21, 2003
- ^ a b Meet Marty Cooper, the Inventor of the Mobile Phone, BBC, April 23, 2010
- ^ a b c d e Father of the Cell Phone, Economist, June 4, 2009
- ^ The Cell Phone: Marty Cooper's Big Idea, CBS News 60 Minutes, June 11, 2010
- ^ a b c 38 years ago he made the first cell phone call, CNN. April 3, 2011
- ^ Wireless Hall of Fame – Arlene Harris, RCR Wireless, May 26, 2007
- ^ Carriers Warn of Crisis in Mobile Spectrum, The New York Times, April 17, 2012
- ^ http://www.jewoftheweek.net/2011/12/14/jews-of-the-week-martin-cooper-joel-engel/
- ^ http://jewishcurrents.org/april-3-the-first-cell-phone-call/
- ^ http://www.amuseum.org/jahf/nomination/nomination2.html
- ^ a b c d Oehmke, Ted (January 6, 2000) Cell Phone Ruin the Opera? Meet the Culprit, The New York Times
- ^ Reed, Brad (May 9, 2011) Meet the guy who made the first cellphone call 40 years ago today, Network World.
- ^ Best Inventions of 2007, Time.
- ^ "How William Shatner Changed the World—Martin Cooper, mobile phone inventor". Youtube. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
- ^ "Video interview with Marty Cooper". Scene World. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
- ^ Inventor of the Cell Phone Says No to AT&T-Mobile, Yes to Apps, and More, PC Magazine, April 15, 2011
- ^ a b Inventor of Cell Phone: We Knew Someday Everybody Would Have One, CNN Tech, July 9, 2010
- ^ Cooper, Martin et al. "All Signaling" U.S. Patent 3,906,166, Issued September 1, 1975
- ^ a b April 3, 1973: Motorola Calls AT&T...by Cell, Wired, April 3, 2008
- ^ Twitter, Telegram and Email: Famous First Lines, BBC News, March 21, 2011
- ^ Cooper's Calling, ITP Net, April 21, 2010
- ^ a b Antennas Get Smart, Scientific American, June 9, 2003
- ^ "Everyone Is Wrong" | MIT Technology Review
- ^ "They're Accomplished, They're Famous, and They're MENSANS". Mensa Bulletin. American Mensa (476): 25. July 2004. ISSN 0025-9543.
- ^ "The fathers of the mobile phone and email, Prince of Asturias Award Laureates for Technical and Scientific Research" (Press release). Fundación Príncipe de Asturias. June 17, 2009. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
- ^ The Marconi Society
- ^ Academische Openingszitting 2013–2014. uhasselt.be. September 27, 2013
External links[edit]
- Marty Cooper interviewed on the TV show Triangulation on the TWiT.tv network
- MartyMobile on Twitter
- American communications businesspeople
- American inventors
- 1928 births
- Living people
- People from Chicago
- Illinois Institute of Technology alumni
- American naval personnel of the Korean War
- American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
- Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering
- Mensans
- IEEE Centennial Medal laureates
- Jewish inventors


text:
TTControl, a joint venture company of TTTech and HYDAC International with locations in Vienna and Brixen, is one of the leading suppliers in the field of safety controls, displays and connectivity solutions. Our products build the technological heart of innovative machines like combine harvesters, snow groomers, lifting platforms or fire-fighting vehicles. We improve the safety and reliability of electronic systems in these machines and substantially contribute to make autonomous operations a reality. For the expansion of our team in Vienna we are looking for a
Real-Time Embedded Software Developer - Off-Highway (m/f)In this diversified and technically challenging function you are responsible for the design and the development of real time embedded software of our control units. Within the team you compile safety relevant software which is used in mobile machines as well as in the automotive environment and corresponds to highest safety and quality standards.
Your Tasks
- Participation in system- and software requirements specifications for the use in safety-relevant control units
- Elaboration of software concepts and safety architectures
- Development of real-time embedded software in accordance with TTControl's internal development processes
- Participation in verification and validation
Your Profile
- Completed technical education (FH/TU; computer science or electronics)
- Minimum 2 years of experience in real-time embedded programming in C, preferably in the Automotive or Off-Highway industry
- Previous experience with relevant norms and industry standards (MISRA) is desirable
- Experience with real-time operating systems as well as knowledge of Python, C++ and Assembler (ARM) are an advantage
- Good technical understanding and analytical thinking
- Very good command of English
Our Offer
- Exciting work environment – share our passion for high-tech innovation and cutting-edge technologies
- Unique team spirit – join our dedicated team of international experts
- Central office location – benefit from our office location in the heart of Vienna
- Individual development opportunities – choose from our broad training offers and career opportunities
- Flexible working arrangements – tailor your work according to your personal needs
Work with us on future-orientated projects and become part of a fast-growing company with numerous possibilities for personal and technical development. Besides exciting tasks, you'll experience a supportive team environment, an open communication style as well as unique development projects at TTControl. Sounds like a workplace for you? We are looking forward to your online application!
The "Kollektivvertrag für Angestellte des Metallgewerbes" (Collective Agreement for Employees in the Metal Trade) is applicable. For the above position we offer a minimum gross salary of 40,000.- Euro per year. An overpayment is determined in accordance with your individual qualification and relevant professional experience.


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|Reviews for Snow
| Faithless Juliet chapter 1 . 4/28/2009
I loved how you compared snowflakes with white chocolate chils - succulent, and divine.
Much love,
| crazygirl101 chapter 1 . 4/18/2009
I like it! it reminds me of christmas when everything is perfect,and theres no sad thoughts!No mean word.
You just feel so happy that you wish you could stay that way forever! :) tell your sister thanks for sharing such a great poem! :)
Love crazygirl101
| daughterofmusic chapter 1 . 3/24/2009
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| MyCookiesNotYours chapter 1 . 3/17/2009
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text:
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in our FAQ section.
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Iced/rtd coffee drinks have enjoyed a continuous growth surpassing 8bn litres for the first time, with the Asian market accounting for much of the consumption. Coffee variants have seen good growth as there has been good growth in the hot chocolate and syrups categories leading people to be more exposed to different variations of coffee. Powdered and concentrated versions of the beverage have nearly doubled its volumes as people turn to this in times of economic hardship.
Key Findings
• Europe as a whole has seen good growth as iced/rtd coffee drinks become a year round beverage as most countries experienced cooler summers
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text:
The markets are finally correcting. Measuring my words carefully, the market peaked around the seasonal change point but not perfectly on the exact date. In the world of market cycles close is good enough but when it misses perfect precision, the result is likely to be less than it might have been. That being said we don't know exactly what 'might have been' would be.
If that confuses you, markets are not meant to be easy. However, the simplest way to explain it is that instead of conditions yielded a category 3-5 storm we can end up with a 1 or 2. That will be good enough.
Last week was the jobs number, always a political and economic hot potato. This time the reading was +120k when the experts were calling for around +205k. That's not the news. The takeaway on Friday was that futures and the Greenback dropped big, which we don't see very often. But by Sunday night, business was back to usual as the Greenback got those losses right back.
The Dollar has recovered much of the losses from March and I think it's going higher, with a new target for this leg at 80.73. Once it gets there I think the stock market will start to recover as I think we are looking at lower prices for the equities to start the week. Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out given Friday's action but in the chart of the week, let's just say that the intraday NQ reached polarity and the A wave tendency line of stiff resistance by Friday morning. They were looking for a reason to sell. For a change they could take their pick of events. The US credit rating was also downgraded by ratings firm Egan-Jones from AA+ to AA. This condition materialized in the aftermarket on Thursday and quite frankly I thought the market would get knocked down right there but it held up until Friday morning.
As I think the Greenback goes moderately higher I think the equity market only goes moderately lower from here. But that's only the near term outlook. Lately, I've been pounding the table in this space for a complex and grinding type of correction. I'd write that and then watch the early week soar only to see the blood in the streets by the middle of the week. The bottom line to me is I think we are in a grinding complex correction. Its already here and you don't need it be down 10-15% before you recognize it.
One of the first indications to me of trouble was in the XAU. Oddly enough metals attempted to bounce while the mining stocks were flat to down. The recurring theme in my mind was why weren't the mining stocks doing better? The main reason I've been focusing on the XAU is the major test of support dating back to the congestion area in 2010, not to mention the October low. This is a sector that had no business being back down at the lows given the 3 thrusts to new lows since the December 2010 high and retest as late as December. Clearly something is wrong with the mining stocks and I have a hard time having any confidence in a fresh leg up for equities as a whole while mining stocks flirt with going in the tank. If we are going to build evidence we have strike one being the Greenback, strike 2 is the XAU. We have several candidates for strike 3, one of them being the SSE but that rallied once it came back on board last week. In case you didn't know the Chinese took 3 days off for the Ching Ming Festival. They came back on and finished the week strong. But if anything, I've noticed that China can be sensitive to their friends in Europe and the chart that concerns me most is the FTSE. The FTSE has violated what looks like a wedge formation and is the clearest indication that Europe could be taking a break right now. The projection here is in the near term down to about 5612 but if we get bearish aggressive could see a grind down to 5400.
Next page: What do the charts say?


text:
Recent Decisions - SUPREME COURT DECISIONS
Final Decisions
NAME: Forest Grove Sch. Dist. v. TA.
DATE: June 22, 2009
CITATION: 129 S. Ct. 2484
School District filed petition for certiorari seeking to overturn order mandating student reimbursement. Student experienced learning difficulties but school psychologist found student did not qualify for special education. Parents sought private diagnosis, which revealed student had several learning disabilities. Parents placed student in specialized private school but School District alleged student's disabilities were not severe enough to qualify for special education and declined to pay. However, administrative hearing officer ordered School District to pay for private school. School appealed to trial court, which found in its favor. Court of appeals reversed. Held: For the student. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act authorizes reimbursement anytime a School District fails to provide adequate free appropriate public education. Fact that student had not received prior public school special education was irrelevant in determining whether School District provided student with a free appropriate public education." Forest Grove Sch. Dist. v. TA., 129 S. Ct. 2484 (2009).
NAME: Horne v. Flores
DATE: June 25, 2009
CITATION: 129 S. Ct. 2579
State legislators appealed contempt order for allegedly violating the Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA). Students and parents sued Nogales School District for improper funding of English Language-Learner programs. After ordering Nogales to properly fund English Language-Learner programs, a district court extended order to all school districts in state. When deadlines for compliance were not met, district court held state in contempt and imposed fines. State legislature tried to implement funding statutes that corrected deficiencies but district court found them flawed and denied removal of contempt order. Appeal resulted in remand to consider whether changed circumstances required dismissal of contempt order. District court found they had not and court of appeals upheld that ruling. Held: For the state. Case should be remanded because district and appeals courts incorrectly focused on narrow question of adequate incremental funding instead of whether state had fulfilled its EEOA obligation by making other changes. Further, extension of original contempt order to entire state was invalid because district court had no information regarding bilingual educational funding in any county other than Nogales. Home v. Flores, 129 S. Ct. 2579 (2009).
NAME: Safford Unified Sch. Dist. No.lv. Redding
DATE: June 25, 2009
CITATION: 129 S. Ct. 2633
Parent sued School District and school officials alleging student's strip search violated Fourth Amendment. Student was alleged to have knives, cigarettes, and non-prescription pain pills. Assistant principal and administrative assistant searched student's backpack and belongings. Assistant principal then had administrative assistant take student to school nurse and had nurse and female assistant search student's clothes for pills. Student was ordered to pull the band of her underwear and bra out and shake them. No pills were found. Held: For student in part, for school officials in part. Although reasonable suspicion existed to search student's outer clothing and backpack, circumstances did not warrant intrusive strip search. Therefore, Fourth Amendment was violated. However, school officials had qualified immunity because existing law was not clear whether such searches were Fourth Amendment violations. In terms of School District, case was remanded to determine whether it could be held liable. …


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Building an opt in list can seem like a daunting task, but you'd be surprised how well a few simple tricks can work.
Make it easy
1. Make it easy to subscribe. Don't make people give you their life history by requiring lots of information. Just get an email address. You can send out a survey later to segment your lists.
2. Ask for it. Don't just put a small link on the bottom of your homepage — put a subscription form right at the top of your sidebar. Many potential subscribers aren't specifically looking for a signup form, so unless you grab their attention with a clear call to action like "Subscribe now," they may never even know you have an email list.
Make it enticing
3. Start with great content. If you already have relevant, useful information on your website, people will be more likely to subscribe to your list. Give them a reason to like you, and they'll naturally seek out more of your content — including email newsletters.
4. Make a beautiful subscription form. And don't stop at beautiful, make it useable. If you're using a free solution like PHPlist and you lack Photoshop skills, hire a designer to make a custom form that looks professional and matches the rest of the site you're putting it on. If your subscription form looks amateurish, people will assume your emails are too. So make that form look awesome, and people will want to sign up and receive awesome content.
5. Offer some choices. Even if you only offer people a choice between text and HTML emails, that choice will make them feel like they have some control. If you can, also let them choose the frequency — daily, weekly, or monthly. Not only will subscribers be more likely to read your emails, they will feel less like they're being marketed to because of the perception that you are offering useful information on their schedule, not pushing out stuff on your own agenda.
6.Give away freebies. This could be the single most powerful way to build lists: find something that your audience is dying to know, put a teaser with just a small part of the information on your website, and then tell them they can have the whole article — if they sign up for your email newsletter. The freebie could be an e-book, an article, a coupon — whatever drives your customers. Put a short headline advertising the freebie right above your signup form to entice people to subscribe.
Make it clear
7. Tell people what to expect. Whenever I give up my email address, I'm wondering what can of worms I'm opening. Saying "sign up for our newsletter" doesn't make it clear whether I will get a weekly sales pitch or daily industry tips. Post a quick blurb about the frequency (if you're not letting people choose) and the topics your emails will cover.
If you really want to build lists, show a sample newsletter on your website, and link to it right under the subscription form. This has the added benefit of prescreening subscribers — if you post a typical newsletter and someone signs up after seeing it, that subscriber is far more likely to open your emails and stay on the list.
8. Reassure people that you're not a spammer. A short line of text underneath your signup form like "We hate spam too" can work wonders. If that text links to a privacy policy where you clearly state that you never rent or sell email addresses, you'll never send promotions, or just that you only use email addresses to send your opt in newsletter can provide the reassurance people need to take the brave step of disclosing their email address.
Reach out elsewhere
9. Tell your customers. If you email receipts, add a subscription link (and a description of your newsletter's topics and frequency) to the bottom of the receipt.
10. Advertise other places. If you have a Facebook page, put a subscription form there. If you write a guest post on someone else's blog, see if you can put a subscription link in your bio. If it's appropriate in a forum you participate in, post a link in your signature. Many people will find you in places other than your website.
11. Never, ever buy lists. The temptation is strong — many companies advertise "safe double opt in lists" you can buy for a few hundred dollars. But the truth is, those people do not want your emails. Think about it: if you subscribed to a list about real estate, would all the real estate newsletters in existence be useful to you?
Some would be about selling your house. Some would be about buying real estate in California. Others might give you tips on how to flip houses.
So even if you initially gained a few subscribers this way, they would quickly unsubscribe because your content wasn't relevant. Many would mark your email as spam. At worst, you could get into legal trouble. At best, you would only be engaging a tiny fraction of the people you sent email to. Buying a pay-per-click ad would have a higher conversion rate, and it wouldn't damage your reputation.
Be creative
There are many ways to build lists, but the most effective way is to make it clear what people are signing up for, make your form look professional, and post a call to action in multiple places. Follow the same principles that guide the rest of your business, and you will steer clear of looking spammy.
About The Author
Elaine Shannon is a web designer and small business owner from Texas. She started out as a graphic designer, taught herself how to make websites, started Alamo Websites with the help of Cricket's SEO classes, and now enjoys being a mentor at the V7N forums. She believes anyone can learn to be successful on the web — it just takes time, practice, and some good advice.
You can find her web-related articles on the Planning Websites blog. She loves to connect with new friends via Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.


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DentaRica Dental Discounts
Open weekdays 9 AM-5 PM 336-608-5636
Christian Ministry
About Us
Homestead website templates
Create a website today
NC Medical Travel, LLC (DentaRica and MediRica)--Your Medical Travel Experts
located in North Carolina
WELCOME! You are on the internet trying to get informed , so you can make an important decision about your dental health. Doesn't it make
sense to let people with experience who have had medical and dental treatments themselves at the recommended providers, assist you? It
saves you time, money, and you have the option to travel with guided groups. Being affiliated with excellent dental clinics in Costa Rica gives us a distinct advantage. Traveling with our groups is A+. The fact that we are USA based and a member of the Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce gives you peace of mind. Look no further-- CALL US TODAY. Our experienced DENTARICA staff are here to HELP YOU GET YOUR SMILE BACK!
Save up to 70%, all with professional ProMed and ICT Certified Specialists
Click the on the passport for
travel help and travel links
Dental Implant Surgery and Cosmetic Surgery Combined Option
Winter Special: Tummy Tuck, Back Lipo, Thigh Lift, Buttocks Augmentation for $11,000! OR, Facelift and Breast Augmentation for $11,000. Contact us for details.
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Implant, abutment and crown all for $1399! Lifetime Warranty.
There is nothing funny about dental pain or the mess our current medical system is in for the average American.. However, it helps to have a good sense of humor about it! . Visit our
Facebook page
for some interesting (and helpful) photos, links, news articles, travel tips, videos, and more.
Is proper dental care related to your overall health? Find out more with this video.
Dental patient from California who traveled with a group from NC Medical Travel in July, 2015
You are currently on our site for people seeking high quality, low cost dental treatments in Costa Rica. Our other sites are:
(for Self Insured/ Self Funded Employers, and Christian Healthcare Groups)
(for information about hospital safety, videos of specialists, and medical forms)
(for tours and vacations, non-medical)
2016 Calendar of upcoming group tours:
6 nights/7 days Dental Vacation at a resort hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica
March 15-22
April 3-11
May 15-22
Airport transfers from San Jose International Airport.
Select Hotels 9 nights, 10 days
You will be transported to your dental appointments and have an
individualized itinerary made for you by DentaRica staff to maximize
your vacation time around your dental appointments.
2 day tours out sightseeing at volcanos, beaches, coffee plantations, rain
forests-- your choice.
Overnight eco tour to Caribbean side, turtle nesting area, and canals
7 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner. Extra Dinner Show optional.
DentaRica staff will send your dental records to the dental clinic and
have the cost estimate for you before you travel.
Guide from NC Medical Staff for each group of 12. Get your own group together and one person goes free!
Airfare is not included, but averages $400 round trip when we assist you.
Per Person Rate: $1649 per person
Add $800 for a second person sharing your room (2nd person gets tours as well)
Before and after photos from patients
Dental patients being greeted at the airport
You will discuss your dental treatment needs with the dentist prior to travel, and pay the dentist directly
in US dollars, or by credit card.
Some of the July, 2015 group
(from CA, AZ, NC, WA and IL)
Sightseeing in the downtown with guide from NC Medical Travel
Couple at dinner
Costa Rica's Tico Times ® Directory


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For Immediate Release
Ann Arbor, Michigan, June 12, 2010 — University Bank announced that David Canter and David Little have been elected to University Bank's board of directors.
David Canter
Executive Director of University of Michigan's North Campus Research Complex
David Canter is the recently appointed head of the University of Michigan North Campus Research Complex where he is leading the effort to transform the 174-acre, 30 building, research campus formerly used for advanced pharmaceutical development to its use by U-M researchers and private-sector partners.
Prior to his appointment he had been serving as the Director of Healthcare Research of the U-M William Davidson Institute (WDI) since December 2008 where he was leading a new initiative studying how healthcare related businesses evolve in developing countries and what factors hinder or help their development.
Prior to this appointment at WDI, Dr. Canter was a Senior VP in Pfizer Global Research and Development, and Director of the Michigan Laboratories in Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo. His career covered cardiovascular clinical research, drug development and management of R&D facilities first in Paris and then in Michigan. Dr Canter was responsible for the development of several marketed medicines; the most notable is Lipitor (atorvastatin), which has been the world's top-selling drug since 2001. Dr. Canter recently spent six months in Rwanda as a Pfizer Global Health Fellow working with Columbia University's Access Project based in Kigali.
Dr Canter chaired the State Of Michigan's Tri-Technology Corridor committee and the Strategic Economic Investment and Commercialization committee, and was a Director of a local biotech start-up company, Lycera. He has served on the Boards of several local not-for-profit organizations and Cleary University. Dr. Canter has degrees from Cambridge and Liverpool Universities.
David Little
David Little is a community leader who has had a long and distinguished career in banking. He joined Great Lakes Bank in 1972 and rose through a variety positions to be the Manager East Region and was selected as Western Regional President in 1994 but that appointment did not happen because of the merger of Great Lakes Bank into TCF. At the time of his career with Great Lakes Bank, it was the largest market share of any financial institution in Washtenaw County.
A graduate of Manchester High School and Eastern Michigan University, Mr. Little is an active community volunteer having served as Village President (Mayor) of Manchester from 1970 to 1978, Chairman of the Manchester Village Planning Commission (1966 to 1970), the Washtenaw County Metropolitan Planning Commission (19xx to 19xx) including two years as chairman, and as the longest ever serving member of the Washtenaw County Parks Commission (1969-1999). Active in non-profit activities, he has served as President of each of the Manchester Jaycees, the Manchester Optimist Club and the Emanuel Church of Christ Board. He was also the Founder and President of the Manchester Community Resource Center, which was formed in response to the closing of a major local employer. Mr. Little has also taught classes in areas of his expertise at Washtenaw Community College including two banking classes and a business class.
University Bank President & CEO Stephen Lange Ranzini stated, "We are pleased to add two directors to our board of such outstanding caliber. Each will prove invaluable to the work of supervising the management of the bank. Dr. Canter headed up the Pfizer research campus in Ann Arbor which was the largest private sector employer in Ann Arbor until its closure and David Little brings the perspective of three decades of experience in banking at all levels to the board table discussions."
About University Bank
Ann Arbor-based University Bancorp owns 100% of University Bank which, together with its subsidiaries, holds and manages a total of over $8.5 billion in loans and assets. University Bank is an FDIC-insured, locally owned and managed community bank. Founded in 1890, University Bank® is proud to be selected as the "Community Bankers of the Year" by U.S. Banker magazine, the recipient of the American Bankers Association's 2009 Community Bank Award and as one of the 12 fastest growing businesses in the Ann Arbor region by the regional economic development agency Ann Arbor SPARK.
Contact: University Bank
Stephen Lange Ranzini, President and CEO
Phone: 734-741-5858, Ext. 226
Email: email@example.com


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If you've ever wanted to train for a triathlon but didn't know where to start, you're in luck! No longer thought of as an exclusive club solely for elite athletes, triathlons are gaining in popularity, especially with women.
The experts behind training expo Tri-Mania (formerly the Multisport World Conference and Expo) shared their top tips with us so that no matter what your athletic ability, you can run, swim, and bike your way to the finish line of your first tri successfully.
1. It's okay if you only know one sport. "A lot of triathletes come from a swimming background and have since learned to ride and run," says professional triathlete Mirinda Carfrae. "Most people have some experience with one sport and are intimidated by the other two at first. And some triathletes are rookies all the way around." Whatever your case, as long as you put in the effort into each discipline, you'll make marked improvements, she says.
It's also a helpful rule of thumb to go short before you go long. Instead of aiming for the Ironman, try a sprint-distance event (400 to 500 yards of swimming, 11 to 15 miles of cycling, and about 3.1 miles of running).
RELATED: Meet and be inspired by 15 celebrity triathletes.
2. Enlist the help of a professional. Although anyone can complete a tri, the sport still needs to be taken seriously, says Laura Cozik, founder and CEO of Team Lipstick, the nation's largest all-female triathlon team. For a sprint distance, expect to put in at least a bike workout, a running workout, a bike-and-run combination workout, and two swimming sessions a week for about 12 weeks, she says, but added elements, such as open-water swimming, nutrition, and recovery, make it important to work with a pro coach. A good one will also help you avoid training fatigue or injury, and will keep both your specific athletic goals and lifestyle in mind when working with you, Carfrae adds.
3. Add "brick" sessions to your fitness plan. "For a lot of people, the hardest part about a triathlon is getting off the bike and running," Carfrae says. "You've been using your cycling muscles, so all of a sudden your body wants to stage a revolt." It's important to add brick sessions (a bike ride immediately followed by a short run) to your training plan.
4. Don't get discouraged. "If it were easy, everyone would do it!" says Jordan Metzl, M.D. "It's critical to remember that this is supposed to be fun and keep it that way."
5. Conserve your energy. Carfrae suggests putting in a light workout but conserving the rest of your energy for the afternoon and evening. "The day before a race, I like to do a short, easy session of each sport, just to get a good feel of my form. A good tip is to stop when you feel like you've found your rhythm but want to go further. This way you'll be chomping at the bit to get going the next morning!"


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Makes a lot of sense. It very well could be Ali.Quote:
Originally Posted by CashFoSho;3784317;
Makes a lot of sense. It very well could be Ali.Quote:
Originally Posted by CashFoSho;3784317;
Who is this? I was wondering if this is Ali since she does something similar in their Chicago date. Not everyone can get in that position
Corrie. Ok, I am making it my avatar! Too cute!Quote:
Originally Posted by dlmom53;3784319;
^That's Corrie.
That's Corrie during the group beach date. He takes her aside.Quote:
Originally Posted by dlmom53;3784319;
Looks like Ali, to me. She's also wearing a ring on her right ring finger..I didn't notice her wearing one tonight so I may be wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by dlmom53;3784319;
ETA Well, maybe I shouldn't be trying to figure out SCs this season. Waaaay off.
:lol Hey, I've been way off and I'm still posting!Quote:
Originally Posted by SaffronSunrise;3784327;
Sorry, but I gotta ask...
Is crying on over the balcony a required thing now??
Looking through the SC's on JU, the girl on the boat with Jake where they are laying down has on a purple swimsuit bottom for future reference.
Yup. I noticed that too.Quote:
Originally Posted by umngirl;3784336;


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Denver Water customers used about 1 billion fewer gallons of the natural resource in April than expected, which means the utility will delay a rate hike intended to encourage conservation for at least another month.
The Denver Water Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to delay Stage 2 drought pricing that was supposed to go into effect June 1.
"We haven't seen people needing the water these last couple months," Denver Water spokeswoman Stacy Chesney said.
The reduced usage accounts for roughly 25 percent savings in water for the month of April, she said.
Snowpack and water storage levels in Colorado still are below the historic average, but late-season snow and spring showers helped to offset severe drought conditions carried over from the 2011-12 winter, which was one of the driest on record.
Denver Water customers remain under Stage 2 drought rules, meaning lawns may be watered no more than twice each week on a
strict schedule.
Denver Water is monitoring weather forecasts, stream and river levels, soil moisture and, most importantly, reservoir levels, Chesney said. "While it's too soon to move from Stage 2 to Stage 1, we're keeping a close eye on restrictions."
Until then, she said, customers are asked to continue adhering to the watering schedule.
Brian Werner, spokesman for Northern Water — which provides water to 33 other northern Colorado cities — said he has heard of additional cities contemplating easing their drought restrictions.
Different areas of the state have different water portfolios, Werner said. Easing restrictions in northern Colorado might make sense, but keeping them in place in the extra-dry southwest will still be necessary.
"No one is willing to say we are out of the woods yet," Werner said. "But we aren't in the same circumstance we were April 1."


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It seems to be human nature. We'll go along, avoiding a problem or challenge—in our personal lives, our health, our relationships or our business life—until one day we just can't ignore it anymore, so we decide to "do something."
If it's a big problem, we'll often seek professional help. Then, in our new-found zeal to solve the problem, we'll launch a full attack on all fronts: stop smoking, go on a diet, buy a new wardrobe, find a new job, move to a new apartment, etc.
This behavior (often borne out of more than a little unexpressed insecurity about our ability to get the result we want) is what psychologists call "setting ourselves up to fail": attempting to make so many big changes at once that our likelihood of succeeding at all or any one of them is very low.
In the independent advisory business, we often see advisors setting themselves up to fail. They've built their firm with some ideas but without real goals and, not surprisingly, without sustained success. In a moment of clarity, they realize they need some help and come to us to solve their problem, whether it's low growth, high turnover or long hours. In their zeal to fix the problem, they want to do everything at once.
Too many goals sets them up to fail for two reasons: It puts too much stress on the owner and staff, and no one can successfully make too many big changes at one time. When we try to talk them out of taking this path to self-destruction, owner-advisors often become quite belligerent, argumentative and sometimes even verbally abusive—and we've lost a few new clients this way.
Ironically, we've found that not only does making one major change at a time lead to a much higher rate of success, in the advisory business often one change is the key that makes all the other changes much easier, actually shortening the time required for the whole process and greatly improving the end result.
The first step in an advisory firm makeover is getting the firm owners and everyone else involved to understand the difference between "goals" and "targets," which enables them to focus on the process rather than the results. Golf is a good example for this distinction: Your ultimate target is probably shooting a lower score, but if you go out on the course thinking about shooting a low score, you will 10 times out of 10 achieve the opposite result. To score in golf, your goal must be to hit the ball properly every time (solidly, in the right direction, at the right trajectory, with the right firmness and with the right spin). If you can do that, you'll reach your target of scoring low without even thinking about it—and you'll have a lot more fun.
In an advisory business, the key to success is to focus on the goals that will result in reaching your targets, then work on achieving each of those goals one at time. When we ask advisors to tell us what their goals are for their firm, they usually say things like increasing revenues, attracting the right clients, getting more of existing clients' assets, hiring more advisors or increasing firm capacity and efficiency. While each of these is worthwhile, they are targets, not goals. They are the results, not the causes. When properly measured, they will tell us when we've achieved success, but they don't tell us how to get there.
To create a road map, we start by having our firm owners set targets, usually both short-term and long-term, based on their personal goals and the kind of firm they want to build. But we ask them not to think about those targets, except at preset intervals (usually annually or semi-annually) to gauge their progress. Then, we work with owner-advisors to create a list of all the changes that they need to make in their firms to reach all of their targets.
Next, we group those changes into one of six areas: client services, marketing (attracting more clients or assets), sales (making prospects into clients), human capital, operational processes and procedures, and firm leadership and succession. To focus our efforts, we look for the category where changes will have the biggest impact and ask the owner, "If you could change just one thing in this area, what would it be?" The answer determines the goal for that category to make those changes.
Finally, we start working on that goal. This enables us to focus our full attention on making the change that will have the biggest impact on a firm—and because all areas of an advisory firm are connected, once we successfully complete those changes, improving the other areas becomes much easier.
Easier Said Than Done
Of course, determining that one goal and getting owner-advisors to focus on it is easier said than done. Here's an example: Firm growth is an area that firm owners often feel would have the most impact on their targets. When a firm has flat growth, advisors often think their focus should be on improving their employees or their marketing plan, but experience has taught us that those are almost never the solutions.
Instead, we've found the problem usually lies in the sales process. The solution, in that case, is to get a firm's close ratio up. We've tested different approaches over the years, and have found that a three-meeting process is best. In the first client meeting, we talk about how the firm takes care of its clients and what services it offers to do so; in the second meeting, we talk about the prospect's situation and goals; and in the third meeting, we present our plan for how to help the prospects meet their goals and sign them up as clients.
We find that three meetings provides enough time to convey what an advisory firm is really about and gives the clients enough attention so that they don't feel they are being sold. It's also important that every person in the firm understands the sales process: what needs to happen and their role in the process. When everything comes together, it can dramatically increase a firm's closing ratio, which reduces the number of new prospects the firm needs to bring in the door and almost always solves the growth problem.
Once that happens, all of a sudden many other things within the firm get better and many of the owner's targets are met. By attracting more clients with less marketing effort, the firm has more resources to service each client better, which increases client retention and referrals. With more clients, the career path for young advisors becomes more tangible, and they more quickly get the experience they need to become senior advisors and eventually firm owners, which solves the succession problem. There are also more resources to hire support staff, making the advisors more productive. The firm can be more choosey about the clients it takes, too, creating even more efficiencies and economies of scale.
In our experience, every firm has that "one change" it should be focusing on that will make the next change much easier or even moot, and it starts a chain reaction of successful results. The key is to find that change and focus on it—and only it. We find that even when we identify a firm's one change and convince the owners to focus on it, they eventually get dissatisfied. Sometimes it takes all of our powers of persuasion to get them to stay the course, but we find that if they can just see the first big change through to a successful conclusion—whether it's the close ratio, adding another advisor, creating a process for operations, whatever—and they can see the effects of that change on the whole firm, then they get it. Making the next big change becomes easier and easier, as does the firm's success.