text:
A recent report from Equifax Canada in October 2018 concluded that consumer debt is still on the rise in Canada.
"Consumers will have tighter cash flows as interest rates climb further, which can lead to people not paying off their credit cards in full each month.
After a period of sustained economic growth, we're moving back to a slow and steady pace. And finally, new mortgage volume has been negative over the last three quarters.
Add these together and we should begin to see upward movement in delinquencies."
It's unfortunate that the government has been focusing on controlling mortgage borrowing and home ownership in Canada while neglecting the impact of high interest credit card debt and the affect it is having on the financial health of Canadians.
Statistically, the amount owing is less on credit card debt than mortgage debt but the overall cost of borrowing is so much higher.
Making these large monthly payments restricts your cash flow while reducing opportunities for retirement planning and saving for the future.
Let's take a quick look. If you aren't paying off your credit card balance monthly, how much do you think you really paid for the big screen TV that you bought on sale after Christmas?
If you carry on only making the minimum monthly payment on the credit card after purchase, here's what it could cost you.
If you paid $2,000 for that TV with an interest rate of 19.5 per cent on your credit card and you are just make the minimum monthly payments, it will take you more than 14 years to pay for your TV.
Yes! Fourteen years!
And it will cost you over $4,000!. (It could actually take longer and cost you more depending on the minimum payment requested by your credit card company and the interest rate being charged).
Buying this TV on credit is not a bargain.
There are dangers to borrowing to the max on your credit cards as it can leave you with very little wiggle room.
What happens if interest rates start to rise? All indications are that interest rates are on the rise moving forward into 2019.
The answer is that your minimum payment will just get bigger and bigger. And what happens if you lose your job?
How can you possibly keep making those minimum monthly payments?
If you are a homeowner, there are great possibilities for real savings by using the equity in your home as a debt consolidation tool.
The most attractive reason for consolidating debt into a mortgage is that there will definitely be savings simply by lowering the interest rate you are paying on your debt.
Another reason would be to lower your monthly payments.
This could free up cash flow to start investing and saving for retirement.
There could be some costs involved if you must break your current mortgage and there are many variables at play here:
- interest rates
- amortization
- fees
- penalties for your specific situation.
You may find the overall cost of borrowing to be higher or lower than your current situation. Always run through the math with a mortgage broker.
The benefits really depend on how the math works out and whether you are committed to changing your lifestyle to prevent charging up the balances on those credit cards again.
You will need to master a budget.
If you would like a no obligation review of your current situation, please give me a call.


text:
in EVENT PART, GRAVIES on Friday, November 9, 2012
Hope you all had a great Diwali celebrations and back to Blogging..:))
This recipe I had in my friend's house...we liked it very much,a healthy and tasty dish, which is very easy to make also..
Hereby I am sending this recipe to wonderful and useful event conducted by our dear blogging friend easy crafts from Simple indian food ...
The event is Power less cooking event by Easy crafts
- Whole green gram dal -- 1 cup
- Onions -- 2 medium
- Tomato -- 2 big
- Ginger garlic paste(ready-made) --1 tsp
- Turmeric powder -- 1/4 tsp
- Red chillie powder -- 1/2 tsp
- Garam masala powder -- 1/2 tsp
- Mustard -- 1/2 tsp
- Jeera -- 3/4 tsp
- Ghee/oil -- 2 tsp
- Salt as needed
- Soak dal to approx 4-6 hours and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.
- Chop onions and tomatoes finely.
- Heat a heavy bottomed vessel with ghee/oil and Add mustard and jeera.
- After spluttering,add onions and fry for to min till translucent and add ginger garlic paste and fry till that raw smell disappears.
- Add chopped tomatoes along with salt,other spice powders mentioned and fry till tomatoes turns mushy.
- Add 2 cups water and bring to boil.
- Then add cooked dal and stir well and cook in low flame for 5-8 minutes,till it becomes a thick gravy.
- If you want the gravy thick try to mash a little dhal with your ladle itself.
- Top with butter or fresh cream and serve with any pulavs or Plain rice or rotis/chappatis....:))
- Hope this dish will be valid for the event!!
This entry was posted on Friday, November 9, 2012 at 11:12 PM and is filed under EVENT PART, GRAVIES. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.
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text:
Back to School Safety Tips
Slow Down: Back to School Means Sharing the Road School days bring congestion: School buses are picking up their passengers, kids on bikes are hurrying to get to school before…
These guys are the best. From all the times we called for my grandma when she was alive to now with my two trips for myself for anaphylaxis and most recently a trip for my son. Definitely puts me at ease knowing we've got such a great fire department.
We had a serious emergency situation at home in October of 2017. Called 911 and they were at our house within minutes. They worked efficiently, professionally, were very kind and caring and knowledgeable. We commend them for the ``volunteer`` work they do in serious and often life-threatening situations. We are fortunate to have them here in Greentown. God bless them all.
They were amazing during my dryer fire. Professional, friendly, and empathetic! We are so lucky to have such a great department that serves us! I can't say thank you enough! I pray god blesses you all and keeps everyone of you safe. Thank you.
Great people working there! We were visiting from out of town for a shower at the station and they gave my boys a great tour of the station and trucks. They also have an excellent room rental space!


text:
The behind-the-scenes missionaries in GFA's administrative offices function as a key connection between ministry supporters in the West and on-the-ground national missionaries in Asia.
Your gift to the Behind-the-Scenes Missionaries Fund equips GFA personnel to continue their vital support of the field. Together, you will enable countless lives in Asia to be touched by the truth and kindness of God's grace!
We value your donation as a sacred trust and are committed to good stewardship of the funds entrusted to us by our friends and donors. All gift options represent GFA's actual ministry efforts to meet the diverse needs of individuals and communities. Regardless of particular designations, monies are raised for ministry purposes, and GFA retains discretion to use donated funds in any manner that serves GFA's charitable objectives.


text:
A couple weeks ago I received a phone call from an excited relative. He'd just spotted a 7-inch Android tablet for $90 and wanted to know if there was any reason he shouldn't snap it up.
Sorry as I was to burst his cheapskate bubble, I gave him a strict warning: avoid these cheap tablets like the plague. They're terrible.
In the past year or so, I've seen dozens of no-brand tablets--mostly 7-inch models, but also some 8- and 10-inchers--selling for mighty tempting prices. Anyone who perused Black Friday circulars a couple weeks ago probably knows what I mean.
And the online "deals" continue. For example, Ben's Outlet has the Google Android Panimage 7-inch color touch-screen tablet for just $59.99. And an outfit called ebestshop4u sells the MID 806 Google Android 8-inch tablet for a mere $99.95. Crazy-good buys, right?
No. Crazy-awful. For starters, most of these dirt-cheap tablets have very slow processors, meaning they run like molasses. You tap an icon, and nothing happens for several seconds. And scrolling a Web page is an unresponsive exercise in frustration. The usability here pales in comparison to what you get from a more mainstream tablet.
Also, bargain tablets tend to employ resistive touch screens, which require physical pressure. That's in contrast to the capacitive screens used in iPads and other mainstream tablets, which respond to the slightest brush of your fingertip. With a resistive screen, you have to push--and that ruins the entire experience. Plus, with those slow processors, it's very difficult to tell if the tablet has registered your input, so you end up push-tapping again--often with unwanted results. Aargh.
Another big issue: these models typically lack Android Market, meaning you're severely limited in the apps you can add. They might have knockoff app stores, but with none of the apps you'll want. Kindle? Forget it. Angry Birds? Try angry buyer (that's you).
I'm not saying that all inexpensive tablets are bad. For months now I've been talking up the Barnes & Noble Nook Color, an e-reader that does a mighty fine tablet impression. Just a couple weeks ago it was down to $119 (now sold out, alas).
However, if you're eyeballing an Android tablet that sounds too good to be true, that's made by a brand you've never heard of, that has a processor slower than 800MHz, that runs Android 2.2 or earlier, and that has a TFT or resistive touch screen, steer clear. I guarantee you'll hate the thing, and it'll sour you on tablets overall--which is shame, because a good tablet can be really great.
Have you had any experience with cheapie tablets--good or bad? If so, tell me about it in the comments!


text: When my baby daughter was 6 weeks old, somebody wearing a white coat told me she was blind. She wasn't blind. I knew that. But I also knew there was something wrong with her eyes. It turned out to be nystagmus. I'd never heard of it before. From that day on, our nystagmus journey began. Nystagmus is characterized by uncontrolled eye movements, which make focusing very difficult. It is a lifelong condition and cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Most people with this condition have impaired depth and…Read More


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Your Address becomes Tower One Barangaroo, Sydney - to use on your website and business collateral
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Barangaroo South is Australia's premier commercial hub for the Asia Pacific region, offering scale and quality on par with the world's best office precincts and located on our world famous Sydney Harbour.
The building boasts of spectacular views of Sydney Harbour all the way through to the city CBD skyline.
Setting new standards in sustainability, Barangaroo South is home to international banks, financial and professional service companies. This premium grade energy efficient office space is close to residential apartments, hotels, shops, cafes, restaurants, and cultural facilities. There are direct public transport connections, including a major pedestrian connection through to Wynyard station and the city.
The work environment is ideal for future-focused businesses who value flexible and sustainable workplaces to enhance productivity and innovation.
15 - 20 minutes by taxi from the Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport.
5 minute walk via the Wynyard Walk from Wynyard train station. Minutes from Town Hall and Martin Place stations.
2 minute walk to Barangaroo South or a 10 minute walk to Circular Quay.
1 minute walk to the bus stop. 3 minute walk via the Wynyard Walk to the Wynyard bus interchange.
Tower One is situated within Barangaroo, one of the world's most stunning waterfront precincts in Sydney's CBD.
Ask if they have unique-password, rocket-fast WiFi – For your security.
Ask to be connected to the internet – How long does it take?
Ask if the provider is Tier-1.
Ask to be allowed to check download speeds.
Ask to speak to IT support: Are they in-house or a third party? Are they even in the country?
Ask to be given a phone number so you can try the service before you buy.
Ask for a phone rate card.
Ask to meet your dedicated receptionist. The receptionist is the front line of your business.
Ask about disaster transfer.
Ask if your phone extension can roam at no cost to other locations.
Ask if the wireless internet is secure.
Ask what kind of firewall can be set up for your network.
Ask to see the transparency code of the provider.
Ask if incoming callers can dial '1' for voicemail to mobile.
Ask if you can get free calls equal to your connection amount.
Ask if your phone bill is 20% lower than telco rate.


text:
Welcome! Are you interested in tortoises? If so, we invite you to join our community! Our community is the #1 place for tortoise keepers to talk online. Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your tortoise and enclosure, and discuss any tortoise topic with other tortoise keepers. Get started today!
My tortoise ... hates, loves, unhappy, lonely... some part of it's life.
Discussion in 'Advanced Tortoise Topics' started by Kapidolo Farms, Nov 3, 2016.
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The French general elections June 2017: Part 2 - the presidentialization of parliamentary elections
Since 2002, when the new five-year presidential term came into effect, the election of a new president in April/May has been followed by general elections in June. Initially, this was an accident of what the French call the calendrier électoral.
Jacques Chirac had been elected to the Elysée in 1995 for seven years, but because there was already an overwhelming right/centre-right majority in the National Assembly (elected in 1993), he opted against dissolution. Politicians hate elections and it would have caused an unnecessary faff.
However, spooked by the left's success in opinion polls and to prevent them becoming strong enough to win the législatives due in 1998, he called a snap general election (une élection anticipée) in March 1997… and lost. This set up a five-year period of political cohabitation between the right-wing Chirac and the plural left majority in the National Assembly, led by Lionel Jospin, who became prime minister.
During this 'long cohabitation', both men tried to claim the role of 'moderniser' of French political life, and the presidential term became one of the issues (gender parity was another). The proposal to reduce the presidency to five years was put to a referendum in September 2000 and massively endorsed (73% for), though with only 3 voters in 10 bothering to turn out. Either no-one much cared, or everyone thought it was a thoroughly sensible idea.
At the time, there were arguments about whether, come 2002, the presidential or the legislative elections should take place first.. You can imagine how much power the parties would gain from parliamentary elections taking precedence. The logic of the Fifth Republic is presidential, however, not parliamentary, and thus it was decided that the election of the head of state would precede that of the lower house.
The entirely foreseeable impact of this change was to relegate the election of a new National Assembly, to 'presidentialize' the process by setting up not a competition between parties, but one designed to provide the freshly elected head of state with a workable majority. This was very clearly the case in 2002, when supporters of the victorious Chirac (in particualr Jean-Pierre Raffarin and Alain Juppé) used his re-election to fuse three different right-wing parties into one, initially known as the Union pour une Majorité Présidentielle, which later became the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (both UMP), the forerunner of Les Républicains.
Both left and right colluded in the process of presidentialization. Neither had much enjoyed the experience of cohabitation (there had been three: 1986-8; 1993-5; 1997-2002), although it was clearly what the electorate wanted. And in 2002, 2007 and 2012 the new process did what it was meant to do. Chirac, Sarkozy and Hollande all got their majorities, albeit by diminishing margins. (In 2007, Sarkozy was furious that PM François Fillon failed to engineer a bigger UMP majority in the Assembly than Raffarin and Juppé had managed for Chirac in 2002. I'll discuss this another time.)
As well as the diminishing majorities, presidentialization has also seen a reduction in public engagement with legislative election, using turnout as our measurement. In fact, we had already seen this before 2002. Under the constitution, the president of the Republic has the power to dissolve the National Assembly, and François Mitterrand did just that after his election to the Elysée Palace in 1981 and again in 1988. In 1981, the turnout for the législatives (first versus second round) was 71/75%, compared to 83/85% in 1978, when there was no preceding presidential election. In 1988, after his re-election, the rate dropped to 66/70%.
Compare these figures, however to 64/60% in 2002, 60/60% in 2007, and 57/55% in 2012, against a rule of thumb of an 80% turnout in the presidential elections. Political scientists and psephologists generally ascribe this gap to electors who did not support the victorious presidential candidate staying at home on polling day. The matter of voter mobilisation is, then, a major cause for concern for legislative elections, especially for the non-presidential parties.
One other aspect of the changes to the system is the question of the programme or manifesto. A president is elected on the basis of his or her programme, so one would imagine that the party or parties supporting the successful candidate will campaign on a manifesto close to that. But what happens to the defeated parties? Do they carry on camapigining on a beaten manifesto? Do they take that as a baseline and work up a new programme? Or do they simply campaign simply on not being the other lot?
A suivre


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Hello, I am Miss Young. I received the following email. It is a socalled
"Advance Fee Fraud" letter, where I am promised millions for
my assistance. These stories are all lies, and if I respond, sooner
or later I will be asked to pay a fee. If I pay, another fee will quickly
come up, and it will continue that way until I give up or run out of
money. I will never see the millions, because they never existed.
If you received a similar email, you should go to the homepage to read more about 419 fraud.
Advocates At Law, Acting Solicitors, Notary Public, General Legal Practitioner, conveyances,Commercial Law, Admiralty, Trust, Civil Litigation, Personal Injuries, Wills, Property Transaction.Regional Office: Suite1197, Samlam Center, Senturium Kent Avenue, Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Phone No: +27-839-851-302 / Fax No:
Our Ref:
........... Your Ref:
I am Barrister Maxwell Richard Khumalo of the above firm and a legal adviser to Engineer Philippe Dominique, a national of
France who used to be a contractor with ANGLO GOLD MINES Mafikeng. A Gold Mining/Exploration Corporation in South Africa hereafter shall be referred to as my client. On February 21, 2004 my client, his wife and two kids were involved in a car accident. All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives on the incident. Since then I have made several personal inquiries from the Embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has proved unsuccessful.
After several unsuccessful attempts, I now decided to inform you. I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local
bank here, but can only be approved to any foreign account because the money is in US Dollars and the deceased owner of the account Engineer Philippe Dominique was a foreigner thus the need to involve a foreign account. I need your full corporation to make this work out a success because the Standard Bank of South Africa precisely is ready to approve this payment valued at US$ 18.5 (EIGHTEEN MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) to whoever that has correct information to this account. Every relevant information to this trace is on my desk. The bank has issued me notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated and declared unserviceable.
Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relative for over a period of time, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased irrespective of nationality so that the proceeds of this account valued as US$18,500,000.00 (EIGHTEEN
MILLION , FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) shall be transferred to your designated account and I shall proceed down to your country on confirmation of the fund in your account to discuss with you on how to invest the money ,meanwhile you will be required here (south Africa) to endorse your signature on some of the documents as the next of kin to the deceased once the fund has been approved by the bank.
I shall revalidate and notorise all the relevant legal documents that can be used to back up any claim that the bank may need. This is a riskfree transaction because the banker who is in charge of the account section is involved. I will let you know the benefiting conditions of your help in my next message when I receive your positive response. I guarantee you this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect from any breach of the law. Kindly call me on my phone number before sending me any fax messages
for security reasons, alternatively you may send to my private email id : firstname.lastname@example.com <email@example.com> . I need your strong assurance and confidentiality.
If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it.
If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the
criminals behind this fraud. Read more....
Copyright © 2004-2015 419.bittenus.com. All rights reserved. Updated


text:
$34 million Municipal Building Tender
Source: Centralamerica Data
Panama Government
Purchase 2017-5-75-0-15-LV-002552:
"The new facilities will consist of 3 levels of parking lots. Above these parking lots two towers will be developed: Tower A, with 4 floors, will house the offices of the Municipal Palace and Tower B, with 10 floors, is where all public institutions in the province will be installed.
Both towers will be united by a square in which they will be able to carry out public activities.
Towards the Las Americas Avenue, a two-level shopping plaza with a total of 60 stores is planned. This square shares parking lots with office towers and at the last level an extension of the public square is being developed, adding a total of 6,500 square meters of space in which free fairs, folkloric activities, public exhibitions, etc can take place."
Reference value: $34.308.000
The deadline for receipt of bids is November 16, 2017.


text:
Pulaski Senior High School Principal Jay Altobello recently announced Emma van der Heide as Valedictorian and Jacqueline Novak and Annamarie Forestiere as Co-Salutatorians for the class of 2014.
Pulaski High School names Valedictorian and Co-Salutatorians for class of 2014
Valedictorian van der Heide, is the daughter of Jill Eccleston and Jan van der Heide. She earned a cumulative grade point average of 99.67 and will attend Harvard University in the fall with an as yet undecided major. She has expressed an interest in biology or linguistics. Her favorite class in school was English, due in part, to her favorite teacher, Mr. Alan Woods. When asked why, she explained, "Mr. Woods encourages discussion and encourages us to look at the human condition rather than focusing on plot lines."
When asked what she will miss most, she said "a lot of things, mostly my friends." Her advice to others? "Remember that nobody's perfect, so do the best you can, and be forgiving." She has been involved a number of activities at the school including the boys varsity swim team and track team for four years, marching band, jazz band, chorus, drama productions, Envirothon, National Honor Society, and outside of school she has played piano for more than nine years.
Co-salutatorian Novak is the daughter of Ronald and Katherine Novak and earned a 99.328 GPA. She will attend Clarkson University in the fall to study environmental engineering. Her favorite classes at Pulaski High School were English and Science and her favorite teacher was Mr. Woods. "He uses literature to teach us about real life and morals. He encourages us to be ourselves." She will miss the relationships she has developed with her teachers, her fellow students and the overall sense of community in the school. Her advice to others? "Make the most of every opportunity you are given – Carpe Diem!"
Novak has made the most of her time at the school with involvement in many extra-curricular activities including: student government, Earth Day, prom, pep fest, marching band, and Envirothon to name just a few.
Co-salutatorian Forestiere is the daughter of Paul and Patricia Forestiere and earned a 99.36 GPA. She will attend the University of Rochester in the fall and study Business Administration and Music which she hopes "will lead to my owning my own business or running someone else's, and if that could be music-related that would be perfect," she said. Her favorite classes were music theory and economics and Mrs. McCullough was her favorite teacher. "She is a teacher and a friend at the same time," said Forestiere, adding, "and everything she teaches us is what we can use in real life."
She has been involved in music, drama and musical productions, marching band, all-county band and chorus, cabaret and java jam to name a few of the music-focused activities. She has also been involved in many civic and community service projects at the school as well.


text:
List of all Bollywood Movies with starcast, confirmed release date, reviews, genre, duration and other details.
Genre: Comedy
Release date: 14th January 2011
Nainas history as she grapples with heartbreak, and a disaster in her advertising career in the face of her 30th birthday. And as she battles her anxiety and doubts about being 30 years of age, Naina realises theres plenty of rising around be done. Emerge the center of metropolitan Mumbai, Turning 30!!! is a funny and ...
Director: Alankrita Shrivastava
Genre: Drama
Release date: 28th January 2011
"Dil Toh Baccha Hai" is really a cut of life picture of three men... Naren Ahuja, Nikhil and Abhay Suri and their activities with enjoy! Naren, who operates in a multinational bank as a supervisor, meets an impulsive, vivacious lady named July, to whom hes attracted and changes his search more »totally! Nikhil opera...
Director: Madhur Bhandarkar
Genre: Drama
Release date: 25th March 2011
Marriages are made in paradise! Although the street to paradise might be considered a small "tedha' .Match 'Manu', a seedha saadha Medical practitioner from London. Smart, temperate and from a respectable household, The perfect groom which every parent needs due to their daughter. 'H...
Director: Anand Rai
Genre: Comedy
Release date: 8th April 2011
The film is about three husbands having affairs outside their marriage. One of their wives hires a detective named Kishen and finds out that their husbands are cheating. Their wives find out when Kishen scares them by blind folding them and when they tell their girlfriends list, Sanjana gets hurt and leaves and tries t...
Director: Anees Bazmee
Genre: Comedy
Release date: 15th April 2011
Bhatinda-based middle-classed Harpreet Gill is unable to get his three rather plain-looking and overweight daughters married and must live with constant criticism from his wife; his brother, Chiksi, is a fake dentist who incurs wrath of his patients; while his second brother, Fancy, is an out-of-work Punjabi movies act...
Director: Mrighdeep Singh Lamba
Genre: Foreign
Release date: 28th April 2011
Director: Krishna D.K.
Genre: Romance
Release date: 6th May 2011
Rhea is the quintessential girl next door, in love with Luv Nanda, the richest, most popular boy in college. On the eve of her 18th birthday, they plan to take their relationship to the next level. When accidentally she finds out Luv is not as nice as she thought he was, she decides to get mad, but to go even and bring...
Director: Bumpy
115 minutes
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller, Comedy
Release date: 1st July 2011
After a series of bomb blasts in Mumbai, ACP Karan Malhotra announces that he will bring in the culprits responsible within a very short period of time as well attempts to convince his college sweetheart, Tanya P. Nath, to marry him. He then sets about interrogating several suspects so much so that an underworld gangst...
Director: Puri Jagannath
Genre: Drama
Release date: 2nd December 2011
The love story between an actress and a director. Inspired by the life of the late south Indian actress Silk Smitha....
Director: Milan Luthria
Product of VGB IT Solution, made with ❤ in India


text:
Register now to secure the lowest possible personal registration number. Class allocations are made in order of registration number, so the lower the number, the more chance you have of getting the classes you want. As a registrant, you will receive newsletters and the registration book, which provide details of all the classes, events and exhibition information.
We accept the following methods of payment when you register on line:
Or you can print the registration form, attach a cheque and send to us at the address on the form - your registration will be activated once your cheque has been banked and cleared.


text:
"Committed to the reunification and living enhancement of the Lost Boys of Sudan who have made Nashville their home"
The Lost Boys Foundation of Nashville was created in the fall of 2004 by photographer Jack Spencer and a small group of volunteers, after witnessing first hand the tragic circumstances many of the young men still face in the Nashville community.
Our goal for The Lost Boys Foundation are ambitious – they have to be. These young men have endured more in their short lives than most of us can ever imagine. They have the desire and the heart to persevere and prosper. They are ready to reclaim their lives and move forward.
Our Story
Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam.
the lost boys gallery
Latest From Our Blog
GABRIEL KUR – January 1, 1980 – March 26, 2016
The Lost Boys Foundation is sad to inform you of the passing of one of our Nashville Lost Boys of Sudan. Gabriel went to be with the Lord on March 26, 2016. Gabriel was born on January 1, 1980, in Bor, South Sudan. He came to the U.S. as one of the Lost Boys in August...
CBS News 60 Minutes – Our amazing 12-year journey with the Lost Boys
60 Minutes Overtime – Catching up on the 12 year journey with The Lost Boys
The Lost Boys Pt. 2 – CBS News 60 Minute
The Lost Boys Pt. 2 – CBS News 60 Minute


text:
Name: Paul R. Bauer
Rank: Commander
Star No.: 29
Unit: 018th District
EOW: 13 Feb 2018
Incident Details:
On February 13, 2018, a 1st District tactical team observed a suspicious subject, Shomari Legghette, at State Street and Lower Wacker Drive. In response to a shooting at 35 East Lower Wacker Drive the week prior, officers were saturating the area to combat drug sales, which sparked the shooting. The officers attempted to make contact with Legghette for a field interview when he fled on foot. A foot pursuit followed and a description of Legghette was broadcast over Zone 4 radio. The pursuing officers lost sight of Legghette at Lake and State Streets and relayed the message over the radio. One of the pursuing officers cautioned responding units to not get hurt, the offender was only wanted for a field interview.
Commander Bauer had just attended a training session within the vicinity of the Thompson Center and minutes before he was due to head to a meeting at City Hall he monitored the radio call. The Commander spotted a man matching the description of the suspect at 161 North Clark Street and gave chase across Clark Street into the Thompson Center Plaza located at 100 West Randolph Street. Commander Bauer confronted Legghette in the plaza near the top of the Food Court's East emergency exit stairs. A struggle ensued and Legghette pulled the Commander down the stairs. Shortly after the fall Legghette produced a semi-automatic handgun with a thirty round magazine. Legghette stood over the Commander and fired seven rounds. The Commander was struck six times in the head, neck, torso, back and wrist. Legghette then attempted to make good his escape, but was arrested at the top of the staircase by responding officers. Due to the commotion, it wasn't immediately known that the Commander was shot. An officer inspecting the staircase found him a few minutes later. His body was lying just out of sight from the top of the staircase, his weapon still holstered, and his radio and handcuffs lying next to his body. An ambulance was summoned and Commander Bauer was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Shortly after the arrest of Legghette he was found to have been wearing a bullet proof vest and was transported to Area Central Headquarters for further investigation. Legghette was charged with First Degree Murder, Possession of Less Than 15 Grams Heroin and Possession of a Firearm by Felon.
Commander Bauer was waked at Nativity of Our Lord Church located at 653 West 37th Street, his funeral mass was also held at Nativity of Our Lord Church and he was laid to rest on February 17, 2018 in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Commander Bauer had served with the Chicago Police Department for 32 years and served as commander of the 018th District. He is survived by his wife, Erin, and daughter, Grace.


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Adam J. Cohen practices in the area of complex commercial litigation including creditor's rights, defamation, business evictions, consumer credit, and lien foreclosures. He also has considerable experience representing municipal and private communities throughout Connecticut. Adam organizes neighborhood districts, drafts ordinances and bylaws, enforces assessments and modernizes organic documents for municipalities, condominiums and residential associations across the state. He serves as general counsel for the Connecticut Tax Collectors' Association and chairs the firm's Municipal Law and Community Associations section. Adam often lectures officers and managers of towns, tax districts and condominiums on revenue collection strategies and other issues of interest to these communities. Adam is also the legal editor of Common Interest, the official magazine of the Connecticut chapter of the Community Associations Institute.
Adam's published works include "Condo Law Revolution," Common Interest Magazine; "How to Prepare a Powerful Memo," (ABA) Student Lawyer Magazine; "Tax (Not Just Another) Collection: Special Considerations for Recovering Unpaid Municipal Taxes," Connecticut Lawyer; "Do-It-Yourself Government: Creating and Understanding Special Taxing Districts," Connecticut Lawyer and Common Interest Magazine; "Keeping the Promise: Proposed Legislation to Establish Nontransferable Elections Systems in Jurisdictions Covered by Section Four of the Voting Rights Act," St. Mary's Law Journal; "Disregarding the Quarrel Heard," Connecticut Lawyer; "The Open Door: Will the Right to Die Survive Washington v. Glucksberg and Vacco v. Quill?," In the Public Interest; and numerous articles in bar journals, newsletters, and magazines.
He serves as co-chair of the firm's Recruiting Committee, director of its Summer Associate Program and coordinator of its pro bono outreach programs.
Representative Experience
- Drafts and revises charters, ordinances, rules, and policies for towns, tax districts, municipal boards and governmental authorities
- Prepares and updates declarations, bylaws, rules, and forms for condominiums, community organizations and residential associations
- Counsels municipal departments and officials on compliance with the Freedom of Information Act, taxation mechanisms and other statutory mandates
- Has collected millions of dollars in unpaid taxes and assessments for municipalities and community associations across Connecticut
- Assists contractors, building material suppliers and subcontractors with mechanic's lien foreclosures and other collections
- Defends businesses against consumers claims under the Truth in Lending, Fair Credit Billing, FACT, Fair Credit Reporting and Unfair Trade Practice Acts
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association - Litigation Section
- Connecticut Bar Association - Litigation Section
- Greater Bridgeport Bar Association
- State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Library Advisory Committee
Community Involvement
- CBA Pro Bono Committee
- Appointed by the mayor of Hamden to serve as a founding member of the Hamden Commission on Human Rights and Relations from 2001 to 2003, which monitors and reports on race, gender and similar issues
- Graduate of Class 16 of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council's Leadership Greater Bridgeport program
Honors & Awards
- Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
- Connecticut Tax Collectors' Association President's Award, March 2013
- Named to the Super Lawyers "Connecticut Rising Stars" list in the area of Government/Cities/Municipalities in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013
- "40 Under 40" Business Leaders Award from the Fairfield County Business Journal, June 2009
- New Leaders of the Law Award for Advocacy from the Connecticut Law Tribune, November 2003


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Flying will be extremely costly, particularly considering how the value of gas has gone up. Maybe you may't think about the worth of a plane ticket, and usually are not even considering a trip. When you go surfing to these journey web sites, by punching in the names of your desired locations, you will get a whole range of provides, discounts and deals to choose from. You never know who may need the most cost effective airfare and there are some airlines that don't promote their tickets on the larger sites like Expedia and Priceline. Along with all this, low cost airfare is just a bonus that drives all worries away out of your thoughts.
You can fly standby, which could be very low-cost, however you must be versatile so as to take action. You may also avoid direct flights so as to save money and be sure you are flying to and from the precise airports by checking all of them within the space that you are flying to. You can also combine your resort, automobile rental, and airline tickets collectively so as to save much more cash.
Purchasing during the Prime Booking Window" can give you a transparent edge and maximize your chances of scoring a kind of elusive best airfares" everyone is eager to scoop up. If we have piqued your curiosity, you'll be able to check out our newfangled, first-of-its-kind Best Time to Buy Flights software to go looking in your particular destination and get custom recommendation from our airfare intelligence information.
If these restrictions do not hassle you, it's possible you'll end up getting some great cash saving airfare deals. Once I had my locations deliberate, I spent a few days researching airfare deals. So let your fingers do the walking before you pay for airline airfare up entrance on the system. Sometimes external parties are good at offering cheaper airline airfare charges than the airline's approved agent.
Things like 75{8b9ae2b328b5a70000e6a48f4efd7209e8d448da333d5ee878426cdf00dd92b5} off on all airline airfare , a hundred{8b9ae2b328b5a70000e6a48f4efd7209e8d448da333d5ee878426cdf00dd92b5} off on the second air ticket and 50{8b9ae2b328b5a70000e6a48f4efd7209e8d448da333d5ee878426cdf00dd92b5} on all air tickets are false claims. So the bottom line is that, anybody who desires to journey round with a price range must watch out for extreme airline airfare deals that rise as high as mountains. Of course you can't just sit down in entrance of your computer to look at and monitor airfare charges all day. Very typically the most cost effective deals will contain quite a lot of stops or change of aircraft or both. So you could even surpass the ticketing agents and book your own tickets straight from the airline itself.


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Indoor air quality is something quite a few smart home devices measure and some even try to improve as people wise up to the pollutants in homes and offices. Finnish startup Naava, though, gets to the root of the problem - so to speak.
Its smart green wall - a vertical wall of connected, living plants - acts as an indoor air purifier and humidifier. And it doesn't hurt that it looks awesome too.
Each Naava unit is designed to 'naturalise' or purify around 60 square metres of air, reducing harmful chemicals thanks to the plants' microbes and then releasing air back into the space via fans.
Read this: Nature Inside and six more winter interior design trends to try
As well as air quality sensors and on board AI controlling and tracking the whole process, there's a built-in water tank, a lamp to provide light and the green wall can either be mounted or used as a room divider.
The living wall has been the subject of one study in October 2017 which backs up Naava's claims. The study in the journal Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health found that the wall is efficient at removing volatile organic compound (VOC) pollutants from the air.
Also worth a look are devices like Netatmo's air quality monitoring Healthy Home Coach and the Blueair Sense+ which has two particle and activated carbon filters. Both quite gadgety in the face of a smart, vertical garden though no doubt much more practical for the home.
Naava has installed 1,000 green walls for clients including Hilton hotels, Samsung, FinnAir and GE Healthcare. The Naava smart green wall is subscription only, costing $249 a month for its Naas (Nature as a service) package which includes servicing every month to six weeks.


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Mr. George Klein
January 6, 1855 - December 26, 1932
The outstanding record of Mr. George Klein, former Elder and choir member, cannot be erased from the memories of our congregation. When God called him to a higher service on December 26, 1932, at the age of 77 years, Mr. Klein left an imprint on the life of the church he loved which is still plainly visible...
The son of Martin and Catherine Herold Klein, George was born at Eubingheim, Baden, Germany on January 6, 1855, and came to the United States in 1872. He soon became identified with the German Reformed Church of Lima, and as a young man joined the choir and was elected to the consistory. He was a member of the Building Committee for the 1887 church edifice. For almost 60-years he was a faithful member of the choir...and served as Elder of the consistory for about 40-years. Klein's devotion to his duties was unparalleled and he would give much attention to the sick. Often serving as a delegate to the Synod, he was also active in the Men's Bible Class of the Sunday School.
In a resolution adopted by the consistory on January 9, 1933, after his departure, it is recited:
"The congregation will be lonesome without him. He gave to his church the best labor of his heart. In expressing our sympathy in the church's loss, we pray that the youth of the congregation may imitate his steadfastness, his faithfulness, and his loyalty to the cause of Christianity..."
(Information from the First E&R 100th Anniversary booklet)


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EVENT DATE: Feb 26, 2012
Mileage Tracker: 29
21% of kids (5-14yrs) are involved in child labor activities here in Tanzania. This month I am running 21km on Feb. 26th at the Kilimanjaro Half Marathon on behalf of those kids as I raise money to contribute to putting those children in schools and improving the quality of the schools here. I am asking my friends and family to sponsor each of the 21km at $50 USD a km. I will then be able to think of and thank each and everyone of you who are getting me up and down the mountain. While you all might not be with me in Tanzania your support will get me through this!
Thank you for considering to donate towards my efforts to run. The statistics here in Tanzania are staggering. I know it might seem that I am always running but in fact the issue is large and I will continue to fight towards improving the access to education and improving the quality of it. Geography shouldn't dictate how far an individual goes in their life or the quality of education they recieve. I am running to support The Foundation For Tomorrow (TFFT), a non-profit that provides scholarships to orphananed and abandoned children while also improving the quality of education here in East Africa.
To learn more about the Marathon check out www.kilimanjaromarathon.com/. To learn more about the staggering statistics that are challenging us please see http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/tanzania_statistics.html.
Thank you all for your support and belief in our work!
Please know donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts. Should you want to bypass the credit card route please feel free to send checks to our P.O. Box 470836. Charlotte, NC. 28247. To learn more about TFFT please visit www.thefoundationfortomorrow.org.
Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!
The Team: $3,300 TOTAL RAISED SO FAR
Donor Comments
Dickson...Future Hip Hop Mogul
In honor of my little man Dickson...New Prefect of the class..el Presidente Keep it up little man...see you in a few weeks 8 years ago
I miss my Nerd Ropes. Dad wins. But good luck. 8 years ago
Sari Lampert
Wish I was running along side you again this year. Kick ass girl! You always do :) Much love to you and the kiddos. 8 years ago


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American Express EveryDay vs EveryDay Preferred/
The American Express EveryDay cards earn Membership Reward points. There are two versions, the no annual fee EveryDay and the $95 annual fee EveryDay Preferred. Which one is best for you?
You can view credit card offers by going to the "Credit Card Offers" tab. Find offers for the respective cards in "Point Rewards Credit Cards." You don't have to use our links, but we're grateful when you do. Thank you for supporting AskSebby!
For this video, we're not going to consider the signup bonus because we're looking for long-term value.
Amex EveryDay
- Annual fee: $0
- 2x MR points at supermarkets (on up to $6,000 of spend)
- 1x MR everywhere else
- 20+ transactions (less any returns) per billing cycle = 20% bonus
- Earns: Membership Rewards (MR) points
The Amex EveryDay card earns MR points, not cash back like the Amex Blue Cash card. The benefit of MR points is that they are worth more than cash back, depending on how you use them.
Amex EveryDay Preferred
- Annual fee: $95
- 3x MR points at supermarkets (on up to $6,000 of spend)
- 2x MR at gas stations
- 1x MR everywhere else
- 30+ transactions (less any returns) per billing cycle = 50% bonus
- Earns: Membership Rewards (MR) points
Amex Everyday vs Amex Everyday Preferred
To determine which version of the card is best for your lifestyle, we created a spreadsheet to help you crunch the numbers.
1. File -> Make a Copy or Save As
2. Modify YELLOW cells
Access the spreadsheet here: http://bit.ly/2ym7VRm
In the top half of the spreadsheet, enter how much you spend a year on groceries, gas, and everything else. One important factor is how much cash back your other credit cards earn. For example, if you have the Citi Double Cash card, you would use it for everything else.
Spend Multipliers
Supermarkets, Gas Stations, and Other
Enter how much you spend per year on groceries, gas, and other expenses you plan on putting on the card.
I spend about $100/month on groceries, which comes out to $1,200/year. I don't own a car, and I have cash back cards that earn more than 1% on all other transactions.
Transaction Bonus
Let's assume we hit the transaction bonus for each card. At first glance, the Preferred seems like it's the better card, but this is without considering the annual fee.
Point Valuation
Type in "Yes" for the one way you intend to use the Membership Rewards points.
In our example, we chose transfer partners to get 2 cents per point.
Annual Fee
In our example, once you consider the $95 fee for the Everyday Preferred, we can see that the Everyday card comes out ahead.
The expected value for everyone will be different, so be sure you're getting positive expected value for whichever card you choose.


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Confession time. Marketers love metrics. We just love them. They're the outer space ooze that gives us our superpowers. They're the tarot cards to our Miss Cleo. You get the idea.
But, we understand that not everybody gets as into number crunchy data analytics as we do. Shares, conversions, engagement rates – to some people, it can seem like just a bunch of meaningless numbers. It can be hard to see the connections, and how something like email click-through translates to dollars and cents. And if you're in the position of trying to convince a client or boss that these numbers matter, well, that can be an uphill battle.
So, here are a few marketing metrics your boss will actually care about. These are the ones that translate to dollars and cents, and should hopefully be easy for anyone to wrap their heads around.
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
CAC is just what it sounds like – the amount of money your company is spending, on average, to acquire new customers. You can calculate this for any time period you want (month, quarter, year, etc). Just add up everything being spent on sales and marketing (advertising, salaries, overhead, bonuses – everything), and divide that by the number of new customers from that same period of time. You generally want this number to be low. After all, even if you start spending more, the idea is for that increase in spending to result in additional customers, so the ratio shouldn't change that much. An increase in efficiency might even see it go down.
Time to Payback CAC
Once you know your CAC, there's all kinds of interesting things you can figure out with that number. One of the handiest is the amount of time it takes for each customer to essentially pay for themselves. Just take the amount of money your customers pay on average each month, divide by the CAC, and that will let you know when the cost of acquiring customers starts turning into profit.
Marketing Originated Customer %
This is where you get to take some of your other metrics and apply them. In a given period, figure out what percentage of new customers came from a lead generated by your marketing efforts. Divide that number by the total number of new customers in the same period, and you'll be able to show what percentage of new customers came directly as a result of marketing efforts.
For more marketing metrics your boss will actually appreciate, and how to calculate them, download our ebook here.


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Click here to complete the required form to access the complete RFP packet.
In accordance with M.G.L. c30B and Article 16 of the Annual Town
Meeting of 1997 and Articles 5 and 7 of the Special Town Meeting of
1994 (Appendix A), the Town of North Andover ("Town") is soliciting
proposals from qualified entities, with statements of qualification, to
expand, enhance and manage the events and conference center facilities
at the Stevens Estate at Osgood Hill property located at 723 Osgood
Street, North Andover for the stated purposes and in accordance with
design objectives and restrictions specified herein (the "Project").
For the purposes of this RFP, the terms "Estate" will refer to the
entire, original 153-acre estate, while "Facility" will refer only to
said portion of the Estate that includes all existing structures and is
the object of this RFP and further defined below.
The RFP is available from the North Andover Town Manager's Office, 120
Main Street, 2nd Floor, North Andover, MA 01845 on or after March 20,
2019, Monday (8:00 AM – 4:30 PM); Tuesday (8:00 AM-6:00 PM); Wednesday
(8:00 AM-4:30 PM); Thursday (8:00 AM-4:30 PM); Friday (8:00 AM-12:00
PM). Interested firms must be able to demonstrate that they meet all
requirements as outlined in the project's Scope of Work.
Notice of this RFP is published in the Central Register (which is a
weekly publication of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth),
the Eagle-Tribune (a newspaper of general circulation) and posted on
the Town website (www.northandoverma.gov) under "Bids, Quotes and Proposals"
The Town will accept proposals delivered in person or by mail. All
proposals must be received by 11:00AM on May 1, 2019 to be considered.
Proposals submitted by fax or by electronic mail will not be
considered. All proposals must be submitted to:
Town Manager's Office
North Andover Town Hall
120 Main Street, 2nd Floor
North Andover, MA 01845
The Town may cancel this RFP or reject in whole or in part any and all
proposals, if they determine that cancellation or rejection serves the
best interest of the Town.


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The success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was built on the foundation of its beloved heroes. All the way from Iron Man to Avengers: Infinity War, the MCU grounded its heroes with compelling performances that make the characters feel relatable and human.
The same cannot always be said for the villains. For many years, the MCU was plagued with a villain problem. Many of the villains had thinly designed backstories and motivations and as a result became utterly forgettable. Few villains other than Loki were able to rise above this problem until recently.
The likes of Vulture, Killmonger, and Thanos are all steps in the right direction, as they have clear motivations rooted in their unique backstories. Their motivations are all understandable, and in some cases, even relatable on a certain level, yet the way they go about achieving their goals is where the true villainy arises.
Now that they finally have momentum in the villain department, Marvel needs to make sure they continue in the right direction. A rich history-- and present-- of source material provide ample choices for villains to bring to the big screen following Infinity War.
The deal with FOX opens up even more opportunities as it allows the MCU to bring in villains from the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises.
Many of the villains are already confirmed for the next few MCU movies, but there's vast potential for new antagonists beyond those movies, though they must be careful in their choices lest the villain problem become rampant once again.
It's time to take a look at the 10 Villains Marvel Needs To Use After Infinity War (And 10 They Should Absolutely Avoid).
20 Needs To Use: Magneto
While it won't be any time soon, the FOX deal will eventually bring the X-Men into the MCU. The only way to do the X-Men right is with Magneto.
Not only is Magneto the quintessential X-Men villain, but he also provides an entry point into the MCU.
In the comics-- and in the movie X-Men: Apocalypse-- Magneto is the father of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Only ever referred to as Pietro Maximoff and Wanda Maximoff in the MCU, both played integral roles when they came onto the scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Pietro's demise in the movie is one of the few passings of a heroic character that's managed to stay permanent in the MCU.
Wanda, meanwhile, may have perished along with half the beings in the universe when Thanos snapped his fingers in Infinity War, but for many reasons it is likely that many of those demises, including Wanda's, will be undone in Avengers 4.
As such, it would be perfect to introduce Magneto into the MCU as the father who Wanda never knew, only to turn what should be a joyful reunion into the relevation that Magneto is a villain.
That is a highly personal story and an entry point for the X-Men into the MCU. Other iconic characters like Charles Xavier, Mystique, and Jean Grey will have a way into the universe via Magneto.
19 Absolutely Avoid: Hydra Captain America
Fans were outraged when, in 2017, Captain America was revealed to have been an agent of Hydra all along in Marvel's Captain America: Steve Rogers comics.
Acting as a beacon of hope in both the comics and through Chris Evans' portrayal of the character in the MCU, the reveal felt like a slap in the face to fans everywhere, negating countless years of Cap's inspiring heroism.
The twist also felt problematic to many, given that Captain America was created by two Jewish men-- Jack Kirby and Joe Simon-- as a superhero fighting for American values in a time when the threat of Nazism was on the rise.
Unveiling Cap as an agent for the fascistic Hydra organization feels like we were meant to believe that he was a Nazi all along. It practically feels like spitting in the face of the purpose behind the character in the first place.
Also, it's even harder to reconcile in contrast with the noble and likable Captain America that Chris Evans has brought to an MCU film every year since 2011.
Replacing Captain America with an actor other than Chris Evans is already going to be a enormous challenge for the MCU. They don't need to make it even worse for themselves by turning the character into a problematic villain.
18 Needs to Use: Masters of Evil
At this point, the Avengers have faced many formidable villains. They've taken on and defeated Loki and the army of Chitauri, Ultron and his army of Sentries, the Black Order, and the army of Outriders.
While they still need to deal with Thanos, the Avengers have overall proved themselves adept at handling one super-villain and their army. What they haven't faced yet is a team of powerful super-villains.
The Masters of Evil have had many iterations throughout the history of Marvel Comics. Which iteration would act as the best fit in the MCU is another article in itself.
Without a doubt, though, the Masters of Evil would be a unique threat and in many ways the toughest one the Avengers have ever faced.
The Avengers have often triumphed because they are a team that ultimately finds a way to cast aside their differences and unite their incredible powers and abilities to defeat their foes. How the Avengers will hold up against a team of super-villains doing the same thing and with potentially more potent powers and abilities will be a challenge unlike anything the heroes have had to overcome.
The post-credits scene in Justice League with Lex Luthor and Deathstroke already shows that the DCEU is building to their own super-villain team.
If Marvel pulls off the Masters of Evil right and in time, this could be yet another way in which the MCU proves superior to the DCEU.
17 Absolutely Avoid: Norman Osborne
Part of what made Spider-Man: Homecoming such a successful reboot of the web-slinger into the MCU was using the Vulture as the movie's primary antagonist. Michael Keaton's brilliant performance along with strong character writing made Vulture one of the MCU's best villains ever.
He had a backstory rooted in established events in the MCU, as well as clear and understandable motivations that brought him down a villainous road. It was a smart choice instead of rehashing the story of villains from the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield Spider-Man movies.
All of these elements, but particularly the last one, explain why the MCU should steer clear of Norman Osborne. He's already served as a key figure in the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield Spider-Man movies.
Not only has he been used twice, but he was done so perfectly by Willem Dafoe in the original Spider-Man that there's nothing that the MCU can do to top that.
Of course, Osborne has done a lot more in the comics than act as a primary antagonist for Spider-Man. One of the most memorable storylines came when he tried to oust S.H.I.E.L.D and take control of the organization himself.
The problem is that plot can't be adapted to the MCU, as it essentially already happened with Hydra in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
At the end of the day, Norman Osborne is a villain best left untouched by the MCU.
16 Needs to Use: Scorpion
The sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming should learn from the success of its predecessor, continuing to use villains whose stories haven't already been told in the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield Spider-Man films.
Scorpion is a natural choice as Spider-Man's next big villain, since he was already teased in Homecoming.
Earlier in the movie during a weapons deal, he was injured and later sent to prison as a result of Spider-Man's intervention. In one of the movie's post-credits scenes, Scorpion crosses paths with Vulture in prison, wanting to know the true identity of Spider-Man.
Vulture doesn't spill the beans, but it's unlikely that Scorpion is going to let it go. The MCU tends to follow through on the teases in their post-credits scenes and it is unlikely this will be an exception, especially since they already have an established actor Michael Mando playing the character.
In addition to acting as an enemy of Spider-Man, the Scorpion has also served as a foe for Iron Fist in the comics.
With many fans wanting to see more crossover between the MCU movies and Marvel's Netflix shows, Scorpion could potentially grant that wish as a villain for Spider-Man and also as a villain in Iron Fist.
15 15. Absolutely Avoid: Kang the Conqueror
One of the MCU's constant challenges is introducing characters that both longtime, avid comics readers and casual fans alike can enjoy. Overall, they've done a remarkable job of tackling the challenge, contributing greatly to the MCU's continuing popularity and success.
They've been smart about choosing characters that hardcore fans will get excited about, while also making them accessible for the average audience member.
Kang the Conqueror is a villain that flies in the face of this strategy. His backstory and motivations are far too convoluted and will likely confuse practically anyone who hasn't read the comics.
He's a character who can't be made accessible in ways that allowed villains like Loki and Killmonger to work so well on the big screen.
Another essential component of Kang the Conqueror is time travel. Without time travel, his character and his story don't work at all.
The Time Stone is definitely in play in the MCU. Rumors leading into Infinity War and the ending fans have now seen indicates that time travel could absolutely play a pivotal role in Avengers 4.
The MCU is smart enough not to use time travel excessively, though, and thus they should know not to introduce such a convoluted villain like Kang the Conqueror.
14 Needs to Use: Mephisto
Other than the Thor movies and Dr. Strange, the MCU feels very rooted in advanced science and technology. Opening up the multiverse via Dr. Strange and the fantastical feel of the Thor movies paves the way for different kinds of villains than the MCU has traditionally featured in the past.
Mephisto is exactly the kind of villain who could appear because of what has been done in those movies.
Inspired by the demon Mephistopheles from the Faust legend, Mephisto is unlike any character that we've seen in the MCU before.
His unique look is both fantastical and terrifying, and could potentially be the most visually stunning of any MCU villain. He's faced so many heroes in the comics that there are endless stories that can be adapted.
After the likes of Loki, Ultron, and Thanos, it will be difficult to find a villain worthy to face the Avengers.
Mephisto is both powerful and unique enough that he could act as the next primary antagonist, and one they'll only be able to defeat when uniting all their powers and abilities. He was also speculated at one point to be the main villain in The Defenders, meaning he could still be introduced in the future of one of Marvel's Netflix shows.
Whether it's in an Avengers movie or one of Marvel's Netflix shows, as the MCU explores more mystical avenues, Mephisto seems like the ideal villain to incorporate.
13 Absolutely Avoid: M'Baku
M'Baku has often acted as a villain against Black Panther in the comics. The MCU's Black Panther movie took a completely different approach with M'Baku, as he saved T'Challa's life after he was dethroned by Killmonger, paying the debt owed by T'Challa sparing M'Baku's life earlier in the movie.
M'Baku even goes a step further by showing up with his tribe to help T'Challa and the Dora Milaje defeat Killmonger and preventing vibranium from being sent all around the world.
This trajectory for M'Baku continued into Infinity War, where he and his tribe fought in the massive effort to prevent Thanos and the Black Order from seizing the Mind Stone.
Suddenly making M'Baku a villain would contradict everything about his arc in Black Panther and Infinity War.
Also, as a villain in the comics, he was known as Man-Ape and even wore the skin of a gorilla. Without a doubt, an African man called Man-Ape wearing the skin of a gorilla is nothing short of problematic.
The MCU definitely wants to steer clear of those problematic associations, which is likely why they took M'Baku in such a redemptive, heroic direction in the first place.
As one of the survivors at the end of Infinity War, M'Baku seems positioned to take on an even greater role with the trajectory established in Black Panther, especially since T'Challa himself is one of those who perished along with half the universe.
12 Needs to Use: Black Widow (Ultimate Marvel)
Scarlett Johansson has excelled at playing Black Widow, which made her a beloved staple of the MCU. As such, it might seem like turning Black Widow into a villain is just as bad an idea as Hydra Captain America.
If Black Widow's story from the Ultimate Marvel Universe comics is adapted, however, the twist could actually work quite well.
In that story, the villainous Black Widow works with the likes of Hawkeye and Tony Stark, but only as a cover in her attempts to bring down the United States in her alliance with fellow anti-American terrorists.
This twist could work in the MCU if she's presented as an agent created by the Red Room that looks, talks and acts like the Black Widow we know, but in fact is a different person.
She was only made to be like Black Widow in order to gain the trust of the Avengers.
This would allow Scarlett Johansson's heroic Black Widow to remain the characters fans know and love. The evil version of Black Widow created by the Red Room would also provide the perfect transition into the Black Widow solo film that fans are still clamoring for.
It would raise many fascinating questions and mysteries in regards to the Red Room and Black Widow's past, which have largely been ignored since Avengers: Age of Ultron.
11 Absolutely Avoid: Malice (Nakia-version)
There have been many versions of Malice in the comics, one of which was Nakia. Her love for T'Challa became poisoned with extreme jealousy and vengeance, leading her down several dark paths and team-ups with various villains including Killmonger and Man-Ape.
Other than the fact that she loves T'Challa, this comics iteration of Nakia contradicts everything about her character in the MCU.
In fact, in the MCU, she seems to ground T'Challa more than anyone else with her wisdom and compassion. Turning her into a villain would completely destroy everything about Lupita Nyong'o's performance in Black Panther.
Between Nakia, Shuri, and Okoye, Black Panther has the best women characters in the MCU. There's no reason to take that away from them just by turning Nakia into a villain motivated by romantic jealousy.
Her motivations in the comics are intertwined with romantic jealousy, which seem like the kind of lackluster motivations that led to the MCU's villain problem in the first place.
Even if Marvel decides to go that disappointing route, it would require a scenario where T'Challa no longer loves Nakia, which would be inconsistent with everything established about their relationship in Black Panther.
Nakia is destined for a much more intriguing and empowering future in the MCU.
10 Needs to Use: Galactus
Many would argue that the best part of the FOX deal is not the heroes the MCU receives with it, but rather the villains.
One of these villains is Galactus, who is one of the most powerful and memorable adversaries in Marvel Comics. Galactus doesn't just have to enter the MCU as an enemy of the rebooted Fantastic Four. The powers and motivations of Galactus require a cosmic story.
It's already been confirmed that the Guardians of the Galaxy films and Infinity War are only the tip of the iceberg for what looks to be a long, prosperous cosmic future for the MCU.
Galactus is formidable enough to be a primary antagonist for the Avengers, but he could also work in a solo movie with the Fantastic Four, the Guardians, or even a new group of heroes in space.
Introducing him via the Fantastic Four may be the best option, though. Many elements didn't work well with the past Fantastic Four movies, including the use of Dr. Doom.
Instead, it would be smarter to go with a foe like Galactus. Defeating him would prove that the Fantastic Four have what it takes to work as a team and take on the most fearsome villains, making them natural allies to fight alongside the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy.
9 Absolutely Avoid: Morlun
Like Kang the Conqueror, Morlun's story is quite convoluted. It relies heavily on the concept of totemic forces and Spider-Man acting as a totem between man and beast with both his human traits, as well as the abilities inherited via the spider bite. Morlun seeks to destroy totems such as Spider-Man.
There's no reason for the MCU to waste its time incorporating villains with convoluted stories like this when they have so many options at their disposal.
Morlun is also more of an endgame villain for Spider-Man. While Spider-Man contributed nicely to the airport battle in Captain America: Civil War, took down the Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and ended up being one of the most helpful members of the team in Infinity War, he is not yet powerful and experienced enough to handle Morlun.
The web-slinger is still a relative newcomer to the MCU and despite the ending of Infinity War, it's clear that his story won't be ending for good any time soon.
Much further down the line when Spider-Man is one of the most seasoned and powerful figures in the MCU, Morlun may be a viable villain option.
For now, though, the MCU has plenty of villains that would be smarter choices.
8 Needs to Use: Mordo
Mordo already has an advantage that few villains ever have. He has an entire movie's worth of backstory that explain his motivations and overall character before ever becoming a major villain.
Other than Stephen Strange himself, arguably no character received more of the spotlight in Dr. Strange than Mordo.
He's the farthest thing from a villain when audiences meet him, a man who is loyal and lives by a strict moral code.
That's what make his arc so fascinating-- it is that loyalty and strict moral code that drives him to walk away at the end of the movie, and then to even commit murder in one of the post-credits scenes.
He's already more developed than most villains in the MCU because fans got to see how he became a villain in the first place.
The post-credits scene already shows him on his mission to cure the problem of "too many sorcerers." He was there alongside Strange the whole time he trained, intimately aware of his former friend's greatest strengths and weaknesses.
Mordo knows and understands Dr. Strange better than any new adversary could.
Also, just as Dr. Strange's powers have only amplified from his first film to his appearances in Thor: Ragnarok and Infinity War, Mordo's powers are likely growing as well.
He's the perfectly developed and highly personal villain for the Dr. Strange sequel.
7 Absolutely Avoid: Amora the Enchantress
Using Amora the Enchantress relies heavily on her use of mind control. The problem is that mind control has already been used several times in the MCU.
It was a central piece of Loki's schemes in The Avengers, and a significant piece of Wanda Maximoff's powers, especially in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Using it again in such a prominent way feels repetitive of what's already been done with Loki and Wanda.
New villains should bring with them new powers to keep things exciting and fresh.
Another problem with Amora the Enchantress is that her story requires Thor to be the leader of Asgard and its surviving people.
Infinity War left it ambiguous as to what happened to all the Asgardians on the ship at the end of Thor: Ragnarok. At the beginning of Infinity War, it's stated by Ebony Maw that Thanos and the Black Order only destroyed half of the Asgardians on board, but the audience is left with no answers of what happened to that other half and where they are now, including Valkyrie, Korg, and Miek.
If there are no survivors and Thor is all that's left, adapting the story of Amora the Enchantress will never work.
6 Needs to Use: The Real Mandarin
Many fans were left aghast at the reveal that Ben Kingsley wasn't playing the real Mandarin in Iron Man 3, but was instead the washed-up actor Trevor Slattery using the persona as a cover for Aldrich Killian's experiments.
Some fans likened the twist to the Joker being hyped up as the major villain of a Batman movie, only to unveil that it wasn't the Joker at all.
Partly as a reaction to this criticism, Marvel made a short movie called All Hail The King, in which Slattery is interviewed for a documentary about the Ten Rings organization and the Mandarin situation from Iron Man 3.
It turns out the documentary filmmaker is an actual member of the Ten Rings and is there to break Slattery out of prison so he can meet the real Mandarin in retribution for Slattery posing as the Mandarin in Iron Man 3.
The tease of the real Mandarin is too good to pass up.
Regardless of one's feelings towards the twist in Iron Man 3, the fact remains that the Mandarin is the definitive Iron Man villain in the comics.
Whether it's against Tony Stark or a successor of his, it seems only right that the real Mandarin will eventually be revealed and become one of the MCU's best villains yet.
5 Absolutely Avoid: Mr. Sinister
One of the issues with using Mr. Sinister is quite simply his name. It's difficult to imagine the MCU heroes taking a villain named Mr. Sinister seriously.
It would probably end up being like the running joke about Taserface in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, where everyone from Rocket to the Sovereign can't take him seriously as a villain because of his name.
Imagine the scene in Infinity War where Tony Stark is told about Thanos and says, "Tell me his name again" only it's Mr. Sinister.
Another issue is the character's aesthetic. The MCU has done wonders with their character designs, including how they made the giant purple Thanos look and feel authentic.
Yet, it's difficult to imagine how they can pull off the Mr. Sinister look, particularly the red diamond on his forehead, without it looking ridiculous.
Once the MCU has complete access to the X-Men, there are plenty of other villains to choose from. Mr. Sinister worked well for the aesthetic and tone of the comics, but in a cinematic adaptation, he would not be the right fit.
There were heavy rumors leading up to Logan that Mr. Sinister was going to be the movie's main antagonist.
The director James Mangold even explained that Mr. Sinister is exactly the kind of "operatic villainy" they were trying to avoid. It would probably be best for the MCU to avoid the character as well for this reason.
4 Needs to Use: MODOK
Many fans are divided on whether Ultron was an effective villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Where Ultron struggled as an artificial intelligence villain, MODOK may do better.
It was heavily rumored that Peter Dinklage's mysterious character in Infinity War was MODOK, but of course he ended up playing Eitri on the planet Nidavellir.
Nevertheless, there are still ample opportunities for MODOK to appear in the MCU.
Standing for "Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing," MODOK is arguably the best artificial intelligence villain Marvel has ever created.
Experimenting on their technician George Tarleton, A.I.M-- Advanced Idea Mechanics-- bio-engineered MODOK, essentially a hyper-intelligent living computer. The only difference is that when A.I.M created him, he was called MODOC with the C standing for "Computing." MODOK changed it to K later on.
MODOK has the ability to calculate at a superhuman level, meaning he can run through countless scenarios before they occur, thereby allowing him to make the best choices possible.
He can control the minds of others, but unlike many others villains, that's just one piece of his many powers. He can also focus his mind's power into a destructive energy beam.
All of these abilities and more make MODOK arguably the most formidable mental adversary.
While many villains rely on their physical strength, MODOK can provide more of a mental threat.
For all these reasons, he could potentially end up being a more compelling artificial intelligence villain than Ultron.
3 Absolutely Avoid: Beyonder
While the MCU wants to feature powerful villains who truly challenge the heroes, they also don't want to feature villains that are overpowered.
As the sum total of an entire multiverse, the Beyonder is a classic example of a villain who is way too powerful. Even though he takes on the form of human beings in order to better understand humanity, he lacks any elements that would ground his character.
In fact, he has been stated to have powers millions of times more powerful than all of the entire multiverse.
A villain that overpowered can't possibly have motivations that are relatable to audiences on any level. If audiences can't find any way to relate to the villain, it's much more difficult to care about them.
The Beyonder might seem like a tempting choice with the multiverse opened up via Dr. Strange and the countless cosmic opportunities opened by the Guardians of the Galaxy moviess and Infinity War.
Ultimately, though, it would be a mistake to bring him into the MCU.
Instead of continuing the momentum left by Vulture, Killmonger and Thanos, the Beyonder would regress back to many of the issues that created Marvel's villain problem in the first place.
2 Needs to Use: Red Skull
The appearance of Red Skull was one of Infinity War's best twists. The character's end in Captain America: The First Avenger and Hugo Weaving's complete disinterest in reprising the role made his return seem incredibly unlikely.
Rumors of the Red Skull's return still persisted, but it eventually seemed like nothing more than the wish of desperate fans.
That all changed when Thanos arrived with an unwilling Gamora on the planet Vormir in Infinity War, where it was revealed Red Skulll had become the keeper of the Soul Stone there since his defeat in The First Avenger.
The Walking Dead's Ross Marquand replaced Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, but it's difficult to tell given Marquand's impressive voice performance.
Now that Thanos has the Soul Stone, it's reasonable to assume that Red Skull no longer has to stay on Vormir, as he's no longer the keeper of the stone.
Once crazed for power and even admitting that, like Thanos, he once sought all the Infinity Stones, Red Skull appeared much humbler and wiser in Infinity War.
With newfound freedom and a different attitude, there's no telling what he might do next.
Facing Captain America again-- nearly a century later with both of them drastically changed individuals-- would make for a fascinating, and full-circled story within the MCU.
1 Absolutely Avoid: Doctor Doom
This is an unpopular choice given Doctor Doom's iconic status as a Fantastic Four villain and as an antagonist in general for Marvel Comics. The problem is that Doom has already been overused in the previous Fantastic Four movies and he hasn't been done well.
When the MCU reboots the Fantastic Four, it needs to be done without repeating the same mistakes of the past. Using Doom yet again would be a mistake.
Doctor Doom has also taken up the mantle of Iron Man in the comics, leading some to speculate that he will be Tony Stark's successor in the MCU.
If Stark does have a successor, it needs to be someone that he trusts, who will uphold Stark's values and who has been part of Iron Man's story for a while now.
None of that works with Doom, but even if it did, it would be as a hero and not as a villain. It would be a poor decision to introduce Doom as a hero. It only makes sense to at least start him out as a villain.
Once the Fantastic Four are finally done right and are a well-developed, consistent piece of the MCU, bringing Doom in could work. But until that point, the MCU should steer clear of Doctor Doom.
Which villains do you think the MCU needs to use and which ones should they avoid? Let us know in the comments!


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the weekend list no. 39/
Happy Saturday, everyone! It's been quite the week. Everything was good externally, but I went through a whole handful of weird ailments! It started late last week with a bad toothache. When that went away, I got the worst sunburn on Saturday which included swollen lips. When the sunburn faded, I started noticing these weird, huge bites all over my legs and neck which I think were from sea fleas (disgusting) from the beach. And NOW, I have a cold. This never happens to me, so it's almost comical at this point how many weird things have gone wrong in my body this week. Haha.
Anyway, I've got lots of links today because the internet has been pretty good lately. Here's what I found while wading through a million Nordstrom anniversary sale posts:
MindBodyGreen shared a good article about the three essential oils you should have to start a practice.
Loved this list of ideas for spending a night in or out with your friends.
Linda and Christene are both iconic, so I loved this interview.
I love Heloise's style and energy.
The Fitnessista posted a 30-20-10 workout that I've been enjoying lately.
Add these beaches to your Pinterest travel board.
How cute is this DIY macrame deck chair? I might try this one out.
This Man Repeller article was so well-done and interesting.
Rosie's wedding photos are stunning. What a dream.
Ruth quit her job in the city to open the most beautiful hotel in upstate New York.
How gorgeous is this sugaring salon in Calgary?


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Edmunds (2017 - Current)
Edmunds.com is one of the world's premier car research and buying websites. First created in 1966, Edmunds' main goal has been making the car buying process easier for the consumer. Based out of beautiful Santa Monica California, Edmunds has consistently been rated one of the best places to work in LA. It also has an amazing office which we are proud of.
At Edmunds I am a tech lead, which means that I lead a small team of 5. I am responsible for the mission critical leads system, which allows Edmunds to take customers interested in a vehicle and transmit this information to the dealeships to start the sales process. The leads system is a critical part of our Tier 3 portfolio, which directly connects Edmunds.com users with dealerships.
Currently we maintain a small suite of Java & Spring based web applications. Our primary goal is to reduce technical debt, and modernize the system with better techniques, tools, and architectures.
DRW Trading (2015 - 2017)
DRW trading is one of America's largest principle trading firms. DRW participates in a very wide range of market activities including market making, investment, crypto currency exchange, VC investment, and real estate.
At DRW I was a senior engineer on the Trading Infrastructure team. TI was responsible for maintaining two mission critical tools: the reference data store and the position store.
The reference data store contained all relevant details of every single instrument that DRW had ever traded, and then some. This work involved both understanding a wide range of financial products as well as being able to capture the commonalities of instruments offered by different exchanges. We also supported a large number of applications to provide instrument specific calculations, such as option expiration, bond accrued interest calculation, as well as batch jobs to regularly import and process exchange instrument data.
The trade and position data store involved tracking every single trade made in the organization, and keeping an up to the date record of every single trader's position. This involved verifying every trade, providing a way for errors to be easily corrected, as well as providing the ability for desks to search for and view their trades/positions in a real time format. This data had to be accumulated firm wide for regulatory reasons, as well as segregated out so that nominally competitive desks could not see each other's positions.
Pivotal Labs (2013 - 2015)
Pivotal Labs is a consultancy firm primarily based out of San Francisco, with satellite offices in a large number of major metropolitan hubs world wide. They offer consultancy services to established companies and startups alike, using techniques like pair programming, agile project management, and TDD to show firms how to work better.
At Pivotal I worked in a satellite office on their Pivotal Tracker product. Pivotal Tracker is an agile project management tool beloved for its opinionated simplicity. Tracker is used universally inside Pivotal and with Pivotal clients, as well as a large number of companies large and small in order to easily track their project's progress.
At Pivotal I basically fulfilled two roles: backend engineer and frontend engineer.
The backend of Pivotal Tracker was a heavily customized Ruby on Rails app providing both static management pages, APIs, a rich event log & caching infrastructure, and a heavily customized documentation system. I was involved in adding features, fixing bugs, and overhauling the search system for the backend.
The frontend of Pivotal Tracker was a Single Page Application (SPA) written in Backbone.js. Well, it is one now, back when I worked there were actually two: classic and next. Another engineer and I spearheaded the project to completely separate the then conjoined classic & next code, fix a large number of show stopping bugs, and eventually release the next codebase out into the wild.
While at Pivotal I also maintained our CI solutions in Jenkins & CircleCI, and also ran an experiment in using generative based testing to search for hard to reproduce bugs. The latter eventually produced a Clojure Conj talk in 2014.
Narrative Science (2012 - 2013)
Narrative Science is an AI & Natural Language processing startup based in Chicago Illinois. Their primary product is an algorithm that combines structured data and configuration to produce natural sounding text. There is a high probability that you have read some work from Narrative Science, especially if you are into baseball, stock markets, or sales reports.
Narrative Science was effectively divided into three sections: product, editorial, and data. Product worked on internal tools, editorial provided the configuration required to make the product work, and data provided the structured data required by editorial. I worked on the data team.
While on data, I was responsible for maintaining the ELTV processes for a number of external clients. This would involve downloading files from FTP, extracting any data, cleaning it up automatically, and storing it for future use. We also maintained the monitoring for all of these processes, including alerting when the client had not posted files within the expected time period.
Aside from data, I was involved in Narrative Science's one customer facing product: Quill for Google Analytics, which is now called QuillEngage. Quill was a tool that allowed any user to sign in with their Google account, authorize us to view their Google Analytics data, and produce a weekly report summarizing their current trends in natural language. Since Quill was our only user facing product, it had a completely unique front end web application, run using Python in the Google Compute Engine.
OnShore Development (2011 - 2012)
OnShore is a very small web shop that produces and maintains one product: WebCheckout. WebCheckout is designed to allow arts schools to easily loan out their equipment to their students, track the status of their inventory, and assess fees on students for late returns or damaged equipment.
WebCheckout is interesting in that it's written in Common Lisp. Large sections of the stack are either completely custom, or heavily customized from what is available in the Open Source community. This meant that when issues arose, often the only people capable of helping us were already debugging the problem. I assume that I must have been one of maybe 1,000 professional Common Lisp developers in the world when I worked at OnShore.
During my time there I was involved in three major projects. The first was to create an internationalization and localization library to prepare the product for sale in the international market. The second was a rewrite of the core scheduling algorithm, reducing some complicated scheduling requests down from an 18 minute average to a 30 second average. And the final was an attempt to rewrite the overly complicated web object based framework to something based on MVC.
Care For Real (2012 - 2014)
Loyola University Chicago has a large focus on social justice, and required that most students do volunteering of some sort. I ended up volunteering at a food pantry a quarter mile from campus called Care For Real.
Originally I was going to involved in moving heavy items and handing out food, two activities that ideally happen often at a food pantry. But once they found out I knew computers, plans quickly changed to me overhauling their records system.
Food pantries need to keep track of their clients and what they give out with a ton of paperwork. Making sure that every client is sufficiently fed, that resources are equitably used, and that the pantry is properly supplied by the city's food depository is a task that produces a ton of paperwork. Add on top of that regular interviews to check up on the client's health and to refer people to specialist services, all of which produced even more paperwork.
I was tasked with digitizing this system. First we created an Access 2007 system backed by ODBC and MySQL, since there already were volunteers in the system who knew how to use that. Once this system eventually hit its limit, I ended up creating a completely custom Ruby on Rails web application that could be hosted internally to help streamline the client check in process. We even integrated a receipt printer, so that we could hand clients a receipt for what items they should receive in the back. This helped a lot with clients who were not fluent in English.
While I think the system that we created was great, it is sadly no longer in use. The Greater Chicago Food Depository ended up forcing pantries to use their system in order to receive food from the depository. And while I think this is unfortunate, at least the clients of Care For Real are still getting the critical food & services they need.
Loyola University Chicago (2008 - 2012)
I graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science and a B.S. in Mathematics, magna cum laude.


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Get your sniffling employees back on track with these cold remedies and prevention.
Has everyone in your office caught a cold during cold and flu season? Anyone who has had to drag themselves into work with a stuffy head, running nose, and a blazing temperature will know that when someone in the office gets sick, everyone gets sick. From burning candles at both ends to more work with businesses booming in the winter months, colds can spread like wildfire.
Fortunately, with a little TLC and these five natural treatments, you can kick a cold and stop it in its tracks!
Practice good hygiene. Promote regular hand washing in the office and provide employees with their own box of tissues and waste basket to dispose of germ-filled tissues. Put a hand sanitizer dispenser on each worker's desk so that they can reduce the spread of viruses.
Encourage employees to work at home. To prevent the whole office from coming down with a nasty virus, encourage employees who are feeling a little under the weather to work from home until they feel 100 percent.
Promote proper nutrition. The best way to prevent cold and flu viruses is to improve the body's resistance to the virus. Eat plant-based foods and limit your intake of dairy to minimize congestion and speed up the healing process. Eat plenty of greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds to promote immunity.
Provide hot tea. Tea contains bacteria-fighting compounds while the warm liquid soothes a sore throat and alleviates congestion! Try green tea or hot water with lemon to stay hydrated while helping out with that stuffy nose.
Allow employees to speak up. Although shaking hands may be a common courtesy in the meeting room, announcing that you're suffering from a cold and simply saying hello rather than shaking hands won't be considered poor etiquette. Let your employees know that it's okay to let each other know that you're not feeling well so others can take proper precaution.
If you find your office sniffing, sneezing, and wheezing, be sure to use the tips above for a healthy recovery and prevention during cold season! So that you can focus on regaining your team's health, let the professionals at Smith Insurance handle your business insurance needs.