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Fermentation occurs in cells when there is a lack of oxygen. Oxygen is used in the process of making energy required for cellular function. The two types of fermentation are lactic acid fermentation and alcohol fermentation.
Animals and certain types of bacteria may use lactic acid fermentation to produce energy. Muscle cells use lactic acid fermentation during exercise when there is not enough oxygen present to provide the increased energy needed for muscle contractions. A waste product of this process is lactic acid. Lactic acid must be removed from the body by the liver. Alcohol fermentation also occurs without the use of oxygen. In addition to energy, alcohol fermentation results in a waste product called ethanol.


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Now and then a friend expresses sadness that the world is not accepting of transgender girls. I'm writing this blog entry after just having spent the weekend in San Francisco, where the politics are especially positive about transgender girls (and guys too).
In case my insights can give hope to good people whose standard for success is universal acceptance …
Specific to transgender issues in general, and me in particular, I'm winning over people in my circle of friends and acquaintances, one at a time. I explain and educate. I speak at movie screenings (I recommend the TRANS movie made by SexSmartFilms) and I am nowadays invited to speak at events such as the Trans Day of Remembrance, or to students at the University of Nevada, Reno. I provide mentoring services for transgender girls of any age (free) and consulting services for parents of transgender girls of any age (not free). I also write a blog intended to help transgender girls.
There is steady progress, but … the victories are measured: one person at a time.
Celebrating the victories is just as important a understanding the failures. I have a friend (likely to be downgraded to "acquaintance" soon) who is a Conservative Midwest Christian in his 60s. Even though I've sent him quite a few fact-based explanations, he basically has a problem with admitting that the concept of being transgender exists as anything but a mental disorder. I could, as far as this individual is concerned, proceed on the premise that I'm the Tooth Fairy, with equally little validity. Until today, I've been puzzled as to his unusual resistance since he seems to have no problem with accepting wildly improbable claims on other subjects, including those that allegedly happened thousands of years ago and thousands of miles away.
Today, I learned more as to why his belief system is a key to the puzzle. He's a fan of "Focus on the Family." As I understand his dedication, before he even watches a movie, he'll see if it's on their approved list. This particular organization also has an appointed individual who, with condescension presented as compassion, will pathologize (consider to be sick) both homosexuality and transgenderism, in ways that don't reconcile with, or even conflict with, a science-based approach. Until this particular organization, and others like it, back off from this sort of official line, most people in their sub-culture won't do so either. Hoping that they'll ever come around is overly optimistic.
These organizations exist because this sort of mind-set exists, and the roots for that are deep and unpleasant. It might take many generations for this sort of mindset to wane, and to the extent that Christian or Islamic fundamentalism gains ground, this mind-set is likely to do so as well.
As an example of how bad things can get: in Uganda, there's a lot of popular support for a law that simply sentences people to death for being gay and not hiding it well enough. It's highly likely to pass.
I don't agree with every liberal idea, but in so many ways, the City of San Francisco is the center of the universe for better ways of thinking about the world — but with a few notable and wonderful exceptions, the farther one travels away from it, the worse it gets. San Francisco and what it stands for is a powerful but tiny beacon in a vast darkness.
There many people with irrational ideas. Winning them over is a slow process at best — but if we expect universal acceptance, we'll always be disappointed.
What we can achieve instead is to create a large enough safe zone, right here, around each of us — and expand from there.

subset: commoncrawl


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Each adventure you embark on with your dog has the potential to be fantastic. Idyllic. Instagram-worthy. Like strolling through the Shire on a warm, sunny day.
But in order to promote this harmonious, peaceful picture, here are a few things to keep in mind before you begin:
1. Adventures with dogs are often messy. And wet. And muddy.
Going in with this understanding and expectation will greatly reduce your dirt-induced stress and increase your dog's enjoyment of the experience. To mitigate this aspect of dogs on adventures, I recommend proper, mud-durable apparel for you, and appropriate drying equipment (like towels) or containment tools (like crates) for back at the car. Unless, of course, you have a super-cool and awesome dog-mobile and don't care if your dog finger-paints with mud on the back seat, in which case I think we'd be good friends ;).
2. Dogs often have a different idea of "fun" than we do. To many dogs, finding every unique smell on the trail or running helter-skelter through the brush is intoxicating; to us, stopping to allow our dog to sniff at every little stick or leaf or running hither and thither after who knows what isn't exactly what we had in mind when we left the safety of the backyard. The important thing with these competing motivations is to find a middle ground where both ends of the leash can be satisfied. Ideally, this is an understanding between you and your dog that permits them to run around unleashed to their heart's content (leash-laws permitting), but when you say "Rover, come!" they are back at your side in a split second. Leading up to this point is a lot of dedicated recall work - stay tuned for a future blog post on that! If your dog isn't able to run unleashed, teaching a consistent "check-in" behavior on-leash is a good next step.
3. Work up to it. The first time you take your dog out on an adventure, whether as a puppy or as an adult dog, don't be surprised if all of the cues your dog knows so well at home suddenly seem to be forgotten. Dogs are not great generalizers anyways, but the added distractions and allurements of the new environment complicate things even further. As you increase the level of distraction in the environment around you and your dog, you should be ready to reduce your criteria somewhat (i.e. don't expect a perfect 3 minute down-stay beside a busy trailhead when you have only been practicing in your backyard) to set your dog up for success. Increasing your quality of reinforcement is also a good idea as you start working in new places. Just because your dog works for kibble at home doesn't mean that will be reinforcing to him when there are squirrels all around! Eventually, the goal in training is to be able to reduce the frequency and the value of the reinforcers, but at first, we make sure that the reward is appropriate to the behavior we ask for.
4. Remember, adventures are about having fun for you and your dog. If either of you are struggling, take a break, take a breath, and try to find the good things your dog is doing (even if they seem very, very small) and start from there.
Stay tuned for future posts about specific skills that are useful for every canine adventurer to know to promote a safe, fun experience for everyone on the trail!


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Event Hire
Our van Audrey fits in at any occasion
Our beautiful vintage van Audrey is available to hire for weddings, parties and corporate events. A curvy 1967 Morris Ambulance she makes a stunning centre piece for any occasion. We will delight your guests with our multi-award winning handmade ice cream, served in pots or delicious waffle cones. If you would like to find out more do get in touch, let us know the date, location and approximate number of guests and we can check if Audrey is available that day, and let you know the price.
And if like us you love the authentic retro feel, you can read Audrey's history here.
How to book
Please fill out our booking form and we will contact you with date allocation, prices and details along with how to confirm your booking.
- £100 deposit to be paid to reserve the date.
- Deposit is refundable, minus £25 administration fee, up to 3 months before the date of the event.
- After 3 months deposit becomes non-refundable.
- We will contact you for full payment and final numbers / flavour choices 6 weeks before the date of the event.
If you would prefer to initially chat on the phone:
Please call Stephany on 01449 721220


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The Name Project seeks to understand how our names shape our character and the role it plays in our identity.
Some reflect our cultural backgrounds.
Others are indicative of our parents' values, interest and ideologies.
This week's Name Project features owner of Nomad Yard, Desiree Venn Frederic. Desiree is a careful antiquarian, whose store indeed reflects her nomadic spirit, carrying goods from all corners of the world. Through this purposefully curated space inhabited by vintage goods is also a place that documents history. Here, black memorabilia and artifacts from Africa, Asia and South America reconnect us not only to American history but world history. Nomad Yard is far more than a place to shop but a microcosm of essentially the universe and is situated in a part of DC that seems both forgotten yet newly "discovered" thanks to the irony that is gentrification. The spirit of ancestors are there yet so is that heavily sought after vintage Chanel coat.
Desiree was named by her mother, who while living in Senegal feel in love with the verb 'je desire' which means I desire. She held it in her heart and after wanting her first child to be a girl named her Desiree...fulfilling her desire. While 'desire' has played an interesting role in Desiree's life, she is clear that she is an active participant in the reality she is creating for herself.
We all have a name, that subsequently has a story. Here is Desiree's name story.
IG: xodvf
Directed and shot by Antoinette Brock. Post production/editing by http://fromforeign.co


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Alcatel OneTouch introduced their premium smartphone offering locally at an event in Sandton last night.
Obviously very late to the market, the Idol Alpha doesn't have specs you'd expect on a premium handset like the Xperia Z2, Galaxy S5 or LG G3. So I'd say they are going for a different market.
The handset on first impressions is that its quite slim and sits nicely in the hand. I quite like that it's a 4.7-inch smartphone and not massive like most other handsets releasing lately. It's 7.5mm thing, and also elongated so it makes navigated and typing with one hand easier than some phones.
The phone has translucent panels at the top and bottom of it, which lights up when you get notifications. There are no buttons on the front, just the power and volume buttons to the right hand side. To the right sits the SIM slot. There isn't a slot for memory expansion.
The basic specs are a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage – not expandable, which should have been, especially in the very competitive Android space. The main shooter is 13-megapixels and has autofocus and various modes (HDR, panorama, burst mode), while the front-facing camera is 1.3-megapixels. The main camera shoots video in 1080p and the front in 720p.
What's really fantastic about the handset is that once you unbox it, they've preloaded it with all the apps you'd need to get going, and more. The Google suite is pretty standard, and others include Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Evernote, Youtube and Currency Converter. Was pleasantly surprised to see Deezer included, a really good music streaming service.
The handset is priced at R5999 on prepaid. I think it may be a little too much, when compared to the Huawei Ascend P7, with much better specs and only priced at R6699.


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Sarah Bauerle Danzman
Replication Materials
Please see my C.V.
Refereed Journal Articles
Forthcoming. "All Crises are Global: Capital Cycles in an Imbalanced International Political Economy," (With Thomas Oatley and W. Kindred Winecoff)
International Studies Quarterly
Replication Materials available under "Replication Materials" tab
2016. "Contracting with Whom? The Differential Effects of BITs on Mitigating Sources of Investment Risk"
International Interactions
. 42(3): 452-478.
2013. "The Political Economy of Global Finance: A Network Model"
(with Thomas Oatley, William Kindred Winecoff, and Andrew Pennock)
Perspectives on Politics
11(1): 131 – 151.
Book Chapters
Forthcoming, "The Political Economy of Bilateral Investment Treaties: The Conditional Effects of BITs on FDI Flows and Domestic Politics." in
Research Handbook on Foreign Direct Investment
, edited by Markus Krajewski. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
White Papers and Policy Reports
2017. "Leveraging WAIPA to Facilitate Private Sector Linkages."
World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies Research Note
2016. "
Incentivizing an Increasingly Automated Manufacturing Sector: A Descriptive Analysis of U.S. States' Manufacturing Investment Promotion Programs
(Lead author, with students Jacqueline Bauman, Michael Holmberg, Jonathan Hreha, Karis Neufeld, Anna Piskunova, Alec Resch, Jamie Spitz, Jocelyn Wallace, and Anna Williams)
Smart Incentives Policy Report
2017. "Robots aren't killing the American Dream. Neither is trade. This is the problem" (with Jeff Colgan).
The Monkey Cage
(March 10).
Radio Appearance: Foreign Policy and the Next President Panel WFIU, September 27, 2016
Radio Appearance:
How Brexit will Impact American Politics and Economy
, Wisconsin Public Radio, June 24, 2016
"What Black Monday does and doesn't tell us about the world economy."
William Kindred Winecoff)
Monkey Cage
(August 27).
"Why U.S. financial hegemony will endure."
William Kindred Winecoff)
. (October).
"The strange politics of U.S. – E.U. free trade."
William Kindred Winecoff)
The National Interest
. (February 14).
Current Projects
Local Firms, Financial Constraints, and Foreign Capital: How Domestic Business Influences Policies toward Foreign Investment
. Book=length manuscript in preparation.
This book considers the conditions under which local capital may benefit from, and consequently advocate for, investment policy liberalization. In doing so, it articulates an alternative mechanism through which societies can undergo substantial economic policy reforms – one in which incumbent economic elites initiate and manage structural reforms rather than become victims of disrupted economic and political structures of power. In particular, firm preferences over openness to foreign equity investors depend on domestic financing conditions, which in turn are a function of both global forces and local politics. Because MNE entry comes with substantial risks such as higher labor costs and increased productivity pressures, well-connected domestic firms will prefer to limit access to local markets when the costs of debt financing are relatively low. However, when local environments make debt financing increasingly expensive – for example, when gov- ernments end practices of directing subsidized credit to key industries and businesses – firms will be more willing to dismantle restrictive investment policies so that they may overcome liquidity constraints with equity financing from abroad.
"Liberalizing for Liquidity: Local Firms, Financing Constraints, and Equity Restrictions on Foreigners."
Under Review
The past three decades have witnessed a spectacular evolution in polices toward foreign direct investment (FDI) as most governments have substantially liberalized domestic rules regarding rights of establishment and have promulgated a dense network of international treaties with foreign investor protections. Whose interests do these policy innovations reflect? While existing theory suggests popular pressure drives openness, investment reforms have often been pursued in non-democratic contexts and in close consultation with domestic industry. Why would indigenous firms support liberalization, especially in capital-poor countries where standard models suggest industry has the most to lose from openness? I argue local economic elites' policy preferences toward FDI policy are conditioned on the financing environment. When large domestic firms no longer have access to cheap credit through political connections, the need to obtain finance outweighs firms' preferences to exclude foreign firms. Under such conditions, economic elites will pressure governments to pursue liberal FDI policy environments. Using a combination of country-level and firm level data, I find banking sector reforms are robustly associated with considerable decreases in foreign equity restrictions and that local firms face less financing constraints in jurisdictions with liberal policies toward foreign entry.
"When Investment is `Winner Take All'" (with Xander Slaski)
Under Review
An enduring question in the field of international political economy is the extent to which governments retain the capacity to tax and regulate globally mobile firms. Putatively, multinational firms have increasingly credible exit options, which strengthen their bargaining leverage vis-a-vis governments that wish to attract and keep investment. We investigate the factors that may alter the bargaining strength of firms and governments and thus the extent to which states must offer generous incentives packages to attract foreign investors. Using deal-level financial incentive data, we explore the systematic covariates of state- and firm-level attributes that explain variations in incentives. We first run an initial test comparing incentives across countries in Latin America. We then compare subnational differences in deals in Brazil. In contrast to the most prominent explanation of incentives, compensation for an otherwise less attractive investment locations, we find that incentives are primarily driven by competition between states and regions for investment. However, our findings suggest that investor mobility and employment generation potential have little or mixed predictive power over investment incentive deals. This leads the conclusion that incentives reinforce inequality between investment locations, rather than allowing disadvantaged locations to catch up.
"Privatization and Public Opinion of FDI in Latin America." (with Alissandra T. Stoyan)
Policies over privatization have the potential to powerfully influence citizens' opinions over foreign investment. Rather than viewing policies toward FDI as distinct from other components of neoliberal reform, individuals form opinions of foreign investment in part through initial experiences with multinational firms. When reform includes large-scale privatization of infrastructure, citizens are more likely to discount benefits of foreign investment. Using data from the World Bank and Latinobarómetro in 17 Latin American countries, we test the effect of country-level experiences with privatization on opinion of FDI, controlling for individual-level factors, as well as privatization's mediating effect on the relationship between education and support for FDI. Citizens are less likely to hold intensely favorable opinions and more likely to hold intensely negative opinions of foreign investment in countries with high levels of infrastructure privatization. While highly educated people are more likely to view FDI favorably, water and energy privations attenuate this relationship.
"Local Firms and Foreign Investors: How Domestic Industry Influences Investment Treaty Formation."
The past three decades have witnessed a spectacular evolution in polices toward foreign direct investment (FDI) as most governments have substantially liberalized domestic rules regarding rights of establishment and have promulgated a dense network of international treaties with foreign investor protections. Whose interests do these policy innovations reflect? Workhorse political economy models of preference formation suggest liberalization of investment rules, especially in developing countries, is driven by popular pressure made more powerful through democratization. However, investment reforms have often been pursued in non-democratic contexts and in close consultation with domestic industry. Why would indigenous firms support liberalization, especially in capital-poor countries where standard models suggest industry has the most to lose from openness? I argue local economic elites' policy preferences toward FDI policy are conditioned on the financing environment. Local firms support restrictive FDI policies when financial repression and loose global credit markets provide powerful industrial elites with access to ample credit on subsidized terms. When the domestic banking sector undergoes substantial reforms, local economic elites no longer have access to cheap credit through political connections. The need to obtain finance outweighs firms' preferences to exclude foreign firms. Under such conditions, economic elites will pressure governments to pursue liberal FDI policy environments. I test this theory using data on bilateral investment treaty (BIT) formation. While European BITs have no right of establishment provision, US BITs do. I exploit this variation in BIT provisions to show that features of the domestic banking sector and global financing conditions influence signage of US BITs, but not of European BITs. These results suggest governments' willingness to liberalize rights of establishment is a function of local firms financing constraints.
"Investment Incentives as Socialized Risk."
The growth of multinational firms and a growing competition to attract them has led to incentive wars among countries and subnational units trying to benefit from large investment deals. Recent research has considered the microfoundations of local political actors' incentives to offer such deals to firms. Critics worry that these incentive packages are distortionary at best and little more than corporate handouts that erode labor's share of income and reduce the bargaining power of labor more generally. Boosters argue tax incentives are good fiscal bets as their cost is foregone tax receipts rather than real outlays, and that initial investments increase aggregate demand and generate increased government revenue through income taxes. I consider the ways in which tax incentives shift investment risk from firms to taxpayers, and the ways in which such schemes may have multiplier effects as incentive instability and sequential outbidding can lead to swift changes in local industrial base and employment prospects. These shifts place extra burdens on local governments to smooth consumption and provide social assistance precisely at times of quickly eroding tax bases. Thus, investment incentive competition can shift multiple classes of risk (investment, location, systemic, employment) to local governments who must manage local budget priorities in the context of higher revenue risk. Using rich data on incentives at the local level in the United States, I test whether local government debt burdens and other measures of economic fragilities are systematically related to the size of investment incentive programs.
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Replication Materials


text: Earlier in the week I headed in to Leeds to photograph Sunken Studio and also shoot some portraits of founder and owner, Rebecca. The studio is beautiful, I have major envy and not only is Rebecca great at ceramics but also quite the dab hand at woodwork too with her cupboard and table making skills. Her four legged furry assistant, Martha, was on hand all morning to over see the pictures. Sunken Studio offer ceramics tasters and you can find more info on the website of upcoming dates.


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AG Thikk Wash Shampoo 10 oz
$ 19.95
By Ag Hair
Product Overview
Thikk Wash's weightless formulation effectively boosts volume in fine to medium hair by using an abundance of body building panthenol, keratin and silk proteins. Full, healthy hair, with a refreshing satsumi fragrance.
pH 4.5-5.5
- Panthenol – thickens the hair shaft
- Herbal extracts – soothe the scalp and add shine to hair
- Coconut-derived surfactants – gentle for all hair types; colour safe
- Silk and keratin protein – adds moisture, strength, elasticity and shine
- Aloe barbadensisextract – derived from the aloe vera plant; provides therapeutic, moisturizing and healing properties
- Benzophenone-4, – PABA-free sunscreen protects hair from UV rays
- Salt-free – most shampoos use salt as a thickener, which dries out your hair. AG's shampoos have no salt, leaving your hair healthy, shiny and hydrated.
How To Use
Massage into wet hair. Rinse and repeat if needed.


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Playing a Round
To start a round, tap Play from the home screen or from a course's detail screen. Select your course and select or add players, then tap Play.
Keeping score is simple; just enter your score and swipe to advance to the next hole. You can always jump to a specific hole, view the full scorecard, or submit your round early from the lower right portion of the scorecard.
When you finish your round, hit the green check mark. Be sure to write a brief message about the round to share on social media, then submit.


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North Surrey Homes For Sale Between $500,000-$600,000
View all MLS listings for homes, houes and real estate for sale between $500,000-$600,000 in the North Surrey area. You can search through other areas by clicking the menu to the right. Please call me to view these listings 604-780-4708.
Listing DetailsReturn to Search Result
Property Details
Strictly land value. Old unlivable rancher on the property. Excellent and very quiet location within Bridgeview. Close to everything. price negotiable
Listing Provided By
Macdonald Realty (Surrey/152)
Copyright and Disclaimer
The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the MLS Reciprocity program of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLSR logo and detailed information about the listing includes the name of the listing agent. This representation is based in whole or part on data generated by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. The materials contained on this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Copyright 2019 by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board, BC Northern Real Estate Board, and Kootenay Real Estate Board. All Rights Reserved.
Send us your questions about this property and we'll get back to you right away.
- Julie Fairhurst
- 604-538-2125
- 604-780-4708
- 604-538-2125
- firstname.lastname@example.com
- Royal LePage Northstar
- 15272 Croydon Drive
- Surrey, BC


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How The EU Might Keep Internet Access Open To The Public
from the net-neutrality-redux deptEarlier this summer, the Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications (BEREC) took in around a half million public comments on its draft guidelines for member states on implementing end user protections for fixed and mobile Internet connections. The largest telecoms in Europe are lobbying hard for weakened interpretations of the so-called "net neutrality" Regulation passed late last year, which also covers data roaming and the EU Digital Single Market.
A few weeks ago, the largest telecom ISPs issued a 5G Manifesto in which they threatened not to invest in 5G wireless networks unless BEREC waters down its guidelines for enforcement of open Internet access.
Fortunately for American consumers, startup entrepreneurs and small businesses, the FCC was not swayed by similar ISP threats about how common carrier law would kill network investment here. And so even with U.S. open Internet law now firmly in place after a recent court decision, Verizon has announced significant continued investment in 5G networks and field testing in multiple locations.
But carriers in Europe, that don't face competition from cable broadband providers like American phone company ISPs do, enjoy even stronger market dominance that allows them to intimidate regulators attempting to defend end user rights. The current generation of online startups needs to be able to count on the same open Internet connectivity that the most popular global platforms enjoyed in their infancy a decade or two ago. Only now it's a battle against corporate lobbyists to get it.
In recognition of this opposition, over one hundred founders of European tech companies and startups along with their international investors and trade groups signed an open letter to underscore the critical importance of BEREC's upcoming action to innovation and job-creating growth in the digital economy. They made it clear that if telecom ISPs are able to manipulate and subsidize data plan costs for users of established big name platforms, they will put up new barriers to online market entry. Earlier up front capital will be required in a "pay to play" environment, and those entrepreneurs who can't pay up will find it much harder to be discovered online, scale up and compete for business. No such price of admission ever held back American tech startups, although many of their investors had grown very uneasy prior to the FCC's decisive action in early 2015.
While BEREC has displayed a comprehensive understanding of real new threats to open Internet access, several loopholes in the draft guidelines must be closed if Europeans expect effective safeguards to protect their Internet access service from commercial interference. Specifically ISPs should not be allowed to use the "specialized services" exception to circumvent the ban on charging online content and application providers for priority transmission on the public Internet.
Secondly, given provisions in the Regulation prohibiting discriminatory commercial practices, BEREC should ban zero rating schemes that favor certain online platforms by exempting them from data caps. Zero rating is as harmful to startups and other competing platforms as technical network discrimination. Zero rating of an ISP's own content is particularly anticompetitive. Finally network traffic management should be application-agnostic whenever possible. ISPs should not favor some classes of traffic and delay others, such as encrypted content, except under unusual circumstances.
Open Internet access law supports a digital innovation economy in which all online content is equally accessible regardless of the identity of one's ISP or its business deals with online platforms. In the US, all zero rating is not banned, but the FCC is actively investigating sponsored data and zero rating plans for compliance with its open Internet order. In response to the EU Regulation, the Netherlands already has banned zero rating.
All ISPs have a natural economic incentive to partner with or acquire popular content providers in order to maximize monetization of their network facilities. As a practical matter, only the big ones like Comcast (NBC, Netflix) and Verizon (Aol, Yahoo!) can pull it off, but they can really change the game for others.
Sweden uniquely is less concerned about commercial interference with Internet access because the Swedish government itself built and owns the enviable universal fiber optic Internet access network there. Use of that infrastructure is licensed to dozens of competing IT providers, and Stockholm is beginning to resemble a Scandinavian Silicon Valley.
Elsewhere in Europe though, ISPs are in business to provide sufficient capacity to transmit the data traffic of all their customers without "fast lanes" for some and interruptions and buffering for everybody else. Startups in Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, Bratislava, Cyprus, Dublin, Lisbon, Ljubljana, Paris, Riga and Vienna are among their customers. So far the Dutch are in the lead in terms of proactively implementing the Regulation's open Internet access provisions, which took effect this past spring.
While BEREC properly focuses on shielding consumers from the downsides of ISP commercial discrimination, it should also tailor its guidelines for the sake of Europe's tech startups looking to attract investment funding and access global markets online. Other policymakers around the world will be watching whatever the EU decides at the end of August about enforcement of Internet access rights.
Cathy Sloan is a telecom and Internet industry lawyer and consultant
Filed Under: broadband, eu, europe, internet, net neutrality, open, open internet, telcos


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Most of the anti-
gun-rights crowd insists we need MORE and BETTER background checks. Because, after all, the background checks currently foisted upon us by the BATFE (aka NICS checks) are so accurate and efficient!
We will admit background checks are a joke. Mass shooters Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech), James Holmes (Aurora), Jared Loughner (Tucson), Aaron Alexis (Navy Yard), Paul Ciancia (LAX airport) and Stephen Phillip Kazmierczak (Northern Illinois University) sailed through them. (National Gun Victims Action Council)
Hey we can agree with that! Background checks are a joke. Not only do these high profile killers sail right through them, but most of the NICS denials are false positives. (Weer'd World)
So, if we pass just one more law…
Haven't they said that for 90 years, now? Just one more…
Yeah, THAT'S the ticket!
And personally, I
dislike HATE having my rights filtered! With the very small exceptions of libel, slander, and yelling fire in a crowded theater (or "Hi Jack!" in an airport) people can say pretty much anything they want. And aren't Mein Kampf and Das Kapital hate speech? Where are the controls on the First Amendment? OH, that's right! The Left LOVES the First Amendment.
Unless it violates political correctness.


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A Dog Owner's Guide to Keeping the House Clean on a Budget
Dogs can be a handful, and we wouldn't have it any other way. However, it is inevitable that, as a dog owner, you will sometimes find yourself despairing at the state in which your furry friend leaves the house. Even the best-behaved dogs will unintentionally leave behind a trail of fur, dander, saliva, and, sometimes, other bodily fluids, all of which contribute to that classic "dog smell," as well as being unhygienic.
Many pet owners are more than willing to put up with the hair, the smell, and the other little inconveniences that come with having a pet. In fact, over time, many dog owners don't even notice it anymore. But what if you're selling your home? You can bet that prospective buyers will see -- and smell -- your pup's presence as soon as they walk through the door for an open house or private showing. Any real estate agent will tell you, that's not the first impression you want to make.
There are a lot of expensive products on the market, from room deodorizers to shampoos and special chemicals, which promise to help solve this problem. However, these are unnecessary for a clean and fresh home. That said, some savvy shopping and the right budget-friendly products can do everything you need them to.
Cleaning Supplies
The reason for your dog's distinctive smell is the perspiration they produce from their paws and hair follicles, as well as the oil that keeps their hair and skin healthy. For this reason, the best way to avoid smells is simply to clean the house regularly to get rid of these secretions.
When it comes to cleaning supplies, you don't have to reach for the pricey stuff. More often than not, regular home cleaning supplies work just as well as anything marketed to dog owners. Stock up on your favorite budget-friendly brands by finding daily deals and savings from Amazon, weekly sales and coupons from Walmart, and special offers and deals from Target.
Pet Hair Removal
If you have a dog breed that sheds easily and frequently, you will know the pain of trying to keep all that pet hair under control. It's easy to feel like nothing gets rid of it, especially on soft furnishings like couches and beds. While not letting your dog on the furnishings is an option, it's one many owners do not wish to consider and which can also be very confusing for the dog if he's previously been allowed to sit with the humans.
Instead, invest in a cheap pet hair removal glove, roller, or broom. A lot of these products are under $20 and do the job perfectly. If you have carpets, you may want to also buy a vacuum cleaner that can handle pet hair -- check out this list of the best ones on Wirecutter. You can save on this purchase by holding out for a sale or looking online for discounts and special offers.
Dog Hygiene
If you want to keep your house clean, keep your dog clean. Many people take this literally and proceed to overwash their dogs. However, regular washing is unnecessary for dogs and can irritate their skin, causing it to flake and leading to more dander around the house. That said, a bath every three months or so is in order, both for basic hygiene and the dog's health. Clean their paws about once a month, and make sure their bed and toys are also regularly washed.
As with cleaning products, dog grooming products can often be very pricey. You can achieve the same gentle washing effect with cheaper DIY options, such as these simple shampoo recipes that use basic home ingredients. Also, sign up for sites such as Honey to help you find cost-cutting offers that can keep you from spending a fortune.
Keeping a house in order with a dog can feel overly complicated, especially if you're trying to sell your home while you still live in it. The reality is that you simply need to clean thoroughly and often. You don't need specialist products or expensive grooming -- just the time and cleaning supplies to keep your surfaces free of dander, hair, and other traces. If this level of regular in-depth cleaning feels overwhelming to you, make sure the rest of the family are helping; after all, you all get to enjoy her presence and play with her, so you should all do your part to clean after her.
*Please Note: This is a guest post and they have not received any compensation from me to write this post. I also do not receive any compensation for links off this post. The content and links have been reviewed and are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute my endorsement of any products, websites or other sources. Use of this information and products is at the sole discretion of the reader with no liability to me or anyone associated with my organization.


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iPad mini prize draw – just complete the survey
On behalf of
Taylor Patterson Financial Planning Ltd | Lanson House | Winckley Gardens | Mount Street | Preston | PR1 8RY | Tel: 01772 555073 | Fax: 01772 203688 | Web: www.taypat.co.uk
Taylor Patterson is keen to understand how Auto Enrolment will affect businesses and are you truly ready, willing and waiting? To help gauge the regional impact we are asking people to take part in a brief survey by clicking here.
All survey respondents will have the opportunity to be entered into a free prize draw for an iPad Mini, to be drawn on 24th March 2014.
For each survey completed Taylor Patterson will also donate £1 to local charity
East Lancs Hospice.
For your chance to win an iPad Mini and help raise money for charity please complete our short Auto Enrolment survey Auto Enrolment survey


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Society for Library Professionals (SLP) & National Law University Delhi with UN Information Centre for India & Bhutan & Special Library Association (USA), Asian Chapter are jointly organising a National Conference on Transforming Dimensions of IPR: Challenges for the New Age Libraries on Friday-Saturday, 23-24 January 2015 at National Law University, Delhi (NLU, Delhi), Sector 14, Dwarka, New Delhi, India.
The Society for Library Professionals (SLP) was established on 3rd January 2008 under the Societies Registrar Act 1860. The role of this Society is to achieve a high standard of Librarianship in India.
This will be achieved by the development of strong linkages among libraries and information centers across the globe; promotion of the library and information science profession in India by fostering collaboration with national and international agencies; and for intellectual development and education exchange of its members.
Themes: See here.
Important Dates:
Submission of Full Paper : 15th December 2014
Notification of Acceptance : 31st December 2014
Early Bird Registration Begin : 10th November 2014
Early Bird Registration Closes : 31st December 2014
Website: www.lips-nlu.webs.com
Complete Registration form is available online here.
For more information, contact: [email protected]


text: 2015 has been a crazy journey in terms of photography. i got to meet wonderful people, travel through Europe and pick up some great challenges on the way. 2016 is going to to be a a big year for me and i am really looking forward to shooting more of everything may that be bikes, wedding of portraits. I love it all.


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Marquardt District 15 is governed by a locally elected, seven-member Board of Education. Members serve without compensation and are elected to four-year terms in April of odd-numbered years.
Agendas for Board of Education meetings are available the Friday prior to the meeting. Agendas may be viewed by clicking on Enter Public Site and the date of the meeting. Minutes from previous meetings may be found under Minutes, and Board of Education policies are listed under Policies.
Citizens are invited to attend Board of Education meetings and to express their views on subjects related to the operation of the school system during the Reports Sessions, Outside Reports portion of every meeting. Public schools have historically been guided and maintained through local control. In keeping with this tradition, the School Board actively seeks the advice and counsel of citizens.
One of the most important responsibilities of the Board of Education is to hire and evaluate the superintendent of schools. The Board of Education also sets educational goals and policies for the school based upon state laws and community values.
Other responsibilities include:
- Authorizing the employment of staff members and setting their salaries.
- Determining educational standards and goals and monitoring District performance.
- Securing money for school operational needs and building programs.
- Adopting and monitoring a budget sufficient to carry out the District's goals.
- The Board of Education members are honored to serve the families of District 15.


text: As our love for Instagram proves, fashion insiders tend to gravitate toward photo-centric platforms. Pinterest is another playground for users seeking outfit ideas. It's full of boards with street style photos from across the globe, curated by an array of stylish users. And the fashion industry is taking note. Pinterest reports that the total number of street style pins increased a whopping 157 percent since February of last year. Follow the top street style boards on Pinterest in the slideshow above and get lost in a world of endless outfit inspiration.


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As the debate about blogs changing the face of journalism rages on, many media courses have already started including the topic in their curriculum
When the University of California
The who's who of the cyber world expressed their opinion - from the ever-popular Slashdot and Metafilter, to Wired and Weblogg-ed.
But the Berkeley faculty and policy-makers were undeterred, and its flagship project was created - the Berkeley Intellectual Property weblog, where not just journalism students, but even the law, computer science and information management and systems students participate.
This popular Web technology had also caught the eye of several Indians. Kiruba Shankar, a blogger, regularly lectures on emerging Web technologies (a non-tested subject) for the MSc in Electronic Media course at Anna University, Chennai. When he mentioned blogging, it caught the students' interest, and soon it was included as a part of the curriculum.
Says Shankar, "For starters, I believe that the media people are best suited to the concept of blogging. It's a great tool for them to air their thoughts clearly, as well as exercise their writing skills. Besides, it can act as a portfolio that will help them showcase their skills and help in the job market."
Shankar discusses a variety of issues and aspects about blogging in his class - blogs as a personal brand image builder, a knowledge management tool, and its use in education. He also discusses lessons learnt from the veteran bloggers.
Some students were initially hesitant about the concept. "They thought it was a complicated thing and involved complex programming with databases. When they learnt how easily it worked, they began to like the easy push button publishing," relates Shankar.
Anand, a student of the course, admits, "I did not know about blogging before. I have had a free page at Geocities for quite a while. Now, I've set up a blog under my own domain name."
With the increasing popularity of blogging, Shankar and his students organised a national-level seminar, 'Blog 2003: National Panel Discussion on Blogging', in association with RediffBlogs, on March 29. Several panellists and bloggers discussed topics including blogs as a personal image builder, what makes a great blog, their practical use, and whether blogs are changing the face of journalism.
As if on cue, the media from all over the world has begun to express their opinions on weblogging as a new form of journalism. Journalists covering the Iraq war, including Kevin Sites (who shut down his blog at CNN's request) as well as soldiers like Captain Eric Ruthman blogged about their experiences in the war zone and were as popular, if not more, as mainstream media sites.
Cyberjournalist.net maintains a list of journalist bloggers. While Indian journalists are still few and far in between, many have started to capitalise on the power of the medium. Joshua Newton, a freelance journalist reporting from the Indian sub-continent, updates his blog thrice a week.
Except for Anna University, however, blogging has not seen much prominence in journalism courses yet. Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, when contacted, was not aware about blogging. Aruna Srinivasan, a journalist, who recently wrote about this phenomenon says, "Blogging is a way of organising your thought process. And journalism, or for that matter, writing, is essentially an art of organising your thoughts and putting them across in reader-friendly way. The exercise also helps to cultivate an individual style." Srinivasan, has meanwhile, joined the blogging bandwagon.
Amrita Kriplani, an engineering student, who has been blogging since 2002, says: "Blogging is an excellent way of showcasing your talents to the world. It is the closest you can get to having your own paper," she says.
There are others who see things differently. In response to an article on Cyberjournalist.net, Rebecca Blood, a veteran blogger, who wrote The Weblog Handbook, comments, "Weblogs are not a new form of journalism, and shouldn't aspire to be so -- I think we're stronger (and more important and more interesting) as something different, and trying to fit us into a pre-existing mold, to my mind, misses the point."
The teaching methodology for this subject is unlike any other, and there is much speculation on the best way of teaching. While Shankar believes in interactive teaching, Srinivasan feels the best way is to expose oneself to a wide variety of blogs. Adds Kriplani, "Blogging doesn't require any methodology, it comes down to the students to blog as a means to develop their skills."
But there is unanimous agreement on one aspect - the need for students to maintain a personal blog. Shankar says, "Students are given the liberty to choose the subject for their blogs. In addition, they are encouraged to create collaborative blogs."
Srinivasan adds, "There should be no fixed deadline - but the students should be asked to stick to a pattern or schedule - preferably daily." Kriplani points out that there should be interaction between the blogger and the readers. "The response elicited in the form of comments gives the writer an alternative perspective."
Anand started his personal blog after the topic was introduced in the course. "I have found blogging to be extremely useful not just as a personal publishing tool, but in building a well-networked community of people. In fact, after sensing the possibilities in blogging, I wonder how did I not know about it before," he says.


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A heaping serving of Nooze today! First, a few stories on technology and innovation.
Lauren Sommer with KQED Quest radio in Northern California, brings us a story about that state's consideration of the new reality in cars:
California Considers Giving Self-Driving Cars Green Light
It's every commuter's dream – you're stuck in an epic traffic jam and with the press of a button, your car does the driving for you. Now, thanks to companies like Google, robotic car technology isn't far off. This week, the state legislature is considering a bill that would set up rules for putting self-driving cars on the road.
The technology has evolved rapidly. Just five years ago, I was in an empty parking lot in Mountain View, taking a ride in what was once an extremely rare vehicle.
"We're seeing a 3-D rendering of Junior's understanding of the world. So you see the car, but around the car you see the sensor data," said Mike Montemerlo, pointing to a laptop screen. At the time, he was an engineer at Stanford University working on Junior, the robotic car. I was tagging along on one of Junior's test drives... Read and hear more.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdgQpa1pUUE&w=560&h=315]
Beth Casper writing for the Salem, Oregon Statesman Journal discovers that there is, in fact, a better way to take out the trash:
Solar compactor trash cans saving Salem money, time
Emptying trash cans in Salem's parks is toilsome, never-ending work. Especially in the summer, there always are cans needing to be emptied, many of them overflowing with garbage.
But the addition of 33 Big Belly solar compactor trash cans is reducing the workload so much that the city of Salem is saving money.
Big Belly trash compactors hold four times as much trash as one garbage can. That means parks staff doesn't need to empty them as often.
In the past year, the Salem parks department crew has gone to parks to empty trash cans 312 fewer times. They've driven 2,362 fewer miles and saved 276 gallons of gas, said Jude Geist, parks operations supervisor... Read more.
Jeff Alexander, writing for the Bridge in Michigan, reports on the algal invasion at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore:
Green gunk visits Michigan's 'most beautiful place'
Ron Long recently visited one of his favorite beaches at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, only to find it marred by dark green algae that clouded the water and piled up on the sand.
"This is the worst I've ever seen this beach — and I've been coming here for 50 years. It's really sad," said Long, a Milford resident who was visiting the popular Esch Road beach near Empire.
Foreign mussels that hitchhiked to the Great Lakes in the ballast water tanks of international freighters have turned Sleeping Bear Dunes — "The Most Beautiful Place in America," according to "Good Morning America" — into a poster child for one of the most vexing environmental problems facing the Great Lakes.... Read more.
Whitney Pipkin, writing for Grist, talks with ecologically minded farmers about how this year's farm bill might make their jobs harder:
The Chesapeake Bay: Another possible casualty of this year's farm bill
Standing on the edge of a streamside habitat he helped restore, Virginia farmer Buff Showalter interrupts himself mid-sentence to point out a pair of hummingbirds overhead, barely visible as they sketch busy circles against a blue-sky backdrop. By late August, he says, there will be hundreds of them flitting around their favorite jewelweed wildflowers in this forage-covered patch of wetlands.
The patch used to be a favorite drinking hole for Showalter's cattle as well, before he realized that having cows near and in the waterways could contribute to pollution in the nearby Chesapeake Bay. A decade later, the stream is fenced off and teaming with wild-looking shrubs and trees that help soak up pollutants before they reach the water... Read more.
And finally, Larry Pynn with The Vancouver Sun covers some discouraging news from Canada:
Feds walk away from environmental assessments on almost 500 projects in B.C.
Stephen Harper's Conservative government has washed its hands of environmental assessments of nearly 500 projects in B.C. as a result of a revised Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.
The 492 wide-ranging projects include gravel extraction on the lower Fraser River, run-of-river hydro projects and wind farms, bridge construction as well as demolition of the old Port Mann Bridge, shellfish aquaculture operations, hazardous-waste facilities and liquid-waste disposal.
Ottawa is also walking away from conducting assessments on various agricultural and municipal drainage works, log-handling facilities, small-craft harbour and marina development and expansion, the sinking of ex-warships as artificial reefs, the disposal of dredged material, and a 73-hectare mixed-use development on Tsawwassen First Nation lands... Read more.


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Grapefruit, Thyme & Elderflower Cocktail
Grapefruit is by far one of my favourite kinds of citrus, and usually my first mixer of choice when it comes to alcoholic drinks. There's something about its bittersweet, punchy flavour that I adore in cocktails, and of course you can't drink grapefruit juice unless it's fresh-squeezed!
These simple Grapefruit, Thyme & Elderflower Cocktails are delicious and as healthy as a cocktail is going to get! With fresh-squeezed juice, elderflower syrup, fresh thyme and sparkling water, these cocktails are low on refined sugars and processed ingredients, but certainly don't compromise on flavour. Who says you can't enjoy a little mid-week treat!?
It's no secret that I also adore fresh herbs in my cocktails, and surprisingly thyme is an under-used herb in my cooking repertoire in general – I don't really cook with it, but that doesn't mean that I don't love the flavour! The herb lends the perfect peppery pop of flavour to the tangy grapefruit without overpowering the drink, and it also works to complement the elderflower syrup.
You'll want to choose a ruby red grapefruit for this recipe – they are in season right around now and have a deeper, sweeter flavour than their white counterparts. Plus, just look at that colour! I was going to publish these cocktails just in time for Valentine's Day because there is something so romantic and dainty about the styling of these drinks. I mean, you can definitely still whip them up for date night. Don't they just look gorgeous? They're the perfect romantically pink drink for two!?
There's not much to these Grapefruit, Thyme & Elderflower Cocktails, but I say simple is the best when it comes to mixology.?I don't mean to keep harping on the positive health effects of this drink, but using fresh citrus juice and sparkling water can truly be a healthier alternative compared to using juice and pop as mixers.
I always found that when I drank alcoholic pop-filled drinks, I would more often than not get a stomach ache. Now that I've made more of an effort to use fresh fruit as flavourings, I'm more able to savour the moment of enjoying a nice cold beverage after a long day or for the greater celebrations in life. Healthy and delicious? That's a win-win in my book.?
Will you be trying my Grapefruit, Thyme & Elderflower Cocktail recipe? I want to see how you celebrate Hump Day on Instagram and Twitter!?
Grapefruit, Thyme & Elderflower Cocktail
- 3 oz vodka divided (gin works too)
- 2 ruby red grapefruits
- 2 tsp elderflower cordial divided, syrup
- Ice cubes
- Sparkling water
- 1 small bunch thyme
- Using two stemless wine glasses, pour 1.5 oz of vodka into each.
- Using a glass juicer (there's a link to my favourite one on my Shop page!), or using your hands, squeeze juice from each grapefruit then pour evenly into each glass.
- Add 1 tsp of elderflower cordial into each glass, along with a handful of ice cubes.
- Top with sparkling water and garnish with a sprig of thyme.


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Alyssa Bird, founder of Regenerous Designs shares the behind of scenes of becoming a sustainable fashion entrepreneur.
I had the pleasure to meet Alyssa through Factory45. Some of us were at the idea stage when we started, some already had flourishing businesses and Alyssa was one of them. I have always thought of accessories as a great way to enhance your wardrobe and look stylish, and she makes some of the nicest and most versatile accessories I have ever come across. She kindly agreed to spend some time chatting about how she got started and about some of the challenges of growing Regenerous Designs.
Thanks for chatting with us Alyssa! Let's start with your background: how did you decide to become a designer?
Everyone that knew me in high school thought I would go to straight to design school after graduation because I used to make my own formal dresses, dance costumes, and many other things. However, I was a really shy kid and didn't have the confidence to follow that path right away. I went to community college and got an associates degree while trying other options, but everything kept calling me back to design. By the time I decided to fully pursue it, I was an older student and more driven. I knew that's what I was meant to do and I was on a mission. In 2010, I graduated with a degree in Fashion Design from FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) and went on to a couple jobs in the industry before starting my own business.
How did you get the idea for your business?
When I was working at one of my previous jobs, I was the person that went to the contractors to get our samples made. That's where I got to see all the fabric wasted during the clothing development/production process. It's ridiculous!! At certain places, the fabric remnants would be piled up at the side of the building until they had enough to fill up a dumpster for the city to take away. Seeing that gave me the idea to do something useful instead of it just becoming waste. To me, they were perfectly good small pieces of fabric. That company didn't have a good use for it and didn't really care, but I did!
At what point did you decide to move to the next level and actually start working on your own idea?
When I was let go from my second job I was in a limbo: I wondered "Should I go work at a company that supports practices that I really don't agree with but gives me a stable job in the industry, or should I try to do something else"? I was looking to volunteer overseas but wanted to use the skills I had. Nothing ever came about that worked out for me at that time. I then got connected to the lady who inspired me to do what I am doing now. She was trying to help me find something overseas, but when I told her about my idea she encouraged me to pursue it instead of traveling. I was a little nervous because I felt like I wanted to have more business experience before jumping in. It was like throwing me in the water and learning how to swim along the way.
Well, I think your idea is genius…What do you think now after being a few years in business?
It has been fun. From the creative standpoint, I would have never expected the challenge that comes from the fact that I never know what kind of fabric I will get. The first time I went to collect the fabric I wasn't even sure how to frame my request, so I just went and told them my idea. They were so nice and willing to work with me because I had a previous work relationship with them. So I just put the seats down of my hatchback and loaded it up with whatever could fit. Then I drove back to Arizona, moved in with my mom and started the business. I had no idea what was I going to make. I just knew that once I had the fabric I could figure it out from there.
It sounds kind of weird, but I felt that the fabric pieces guided me towards what they wanted to be made into. Certain fabrics can only do certain things. After trial and error – I have a whole bag of failed attempts – I came about to what I am doing now. It's fun working with these different pieces because they're in weird shapes. If I had bought fabric yardage I would never have cut them into those shapes. The challenge was to figure out how to work with what I was given. Because of that, the scarves come out as individual unique pieces – it's like a puzzle trying to fit them together. The headbands are a lot easier because they're basically rectangles. I smooth the edges and use the cutoff parts for the smaller headbands, The Button Bands. Also, since I'm using scraps to start with and my whole idea was about minimizing waste, I try to use every piece I can, to minimize my own waste.
Your idea is a perfect win-win solution to an industry problem of too much waste.
I am actually doing a favor to the companies who supply me the fabric because otherwise, they would need to pay someone to take all their trash away. I try to make it very clear to my customers that I am not dump-diving or anything like that. I am just making the tiniest little dent in this issue, but I am hoping that this kind of practice will grow to become something bigger.
Do you know of any other companies that are doing the same thing?
I found a couple of other companies on Instagram, some of them are overseas. In Europe, they seem to have a better grasp than we do in the US. I came across a company that is aiming for zero waste: Tonle Designs. They use deadstock to start with but they try to use everything. They wove the fabric scraps into new fabric. Other than that, I don't really know of any other companies that are using straight cutoffs like I am.
What is the difference between using deadstock and the fabric remnants?
What I use are the fabric pieces that remain after a pattern is cut out during clothing production. Deadstock is from the fabric suppliers. It's the leftover yardage they couldn't sell or if a company ordered too much yardage and didn't end up using it all. That leftover fabric would be considered deadstock because it's just sitting around with no use anymore. When I was working at my previous jobs, sometimes I'd have to go find deadstock fabric to make our samples. The business I went to had piles and piles of fabric rolls. It's possible to find good stuff there, but you have to dig and it's smaller amounts, that's why they only used them for samples.
And with those cutoffs, you are able to create truly unique products. I find your design for the headband amazing because the finished products are so comfortable and versatile.
I knew just using recycled material wasn't going to be enough of a difference for me to stand out in the crowd, and sadly many people don't care about the sustainability part of the business anyway. So, when I was thinking up ideas, I knew I needed to have a design that stood out on its own first. Then the eco-conscious side would just be a bonus. I think some of the design inspiration came from when I was a child and I used to braid friendship bracelets, now I do these braids on a larger scale.
The design is definitely unique and I get several compliments when wearing them. There are all sorts of headbands on the market, but yours stand out as being nice along with great quality.
Thank you!! That means a lot. It probably comes from me being a perfectionist and from the jobs I had in LA before starting my business. At my previous job, they were very particular about the quality. To the point that my boss would make me take things back to the contractor if, for example, a top stitch wasn't completely straight. It seemed a little too harsh at the time, but I eventually understood. These higher end brands were being sold at department stores with very high-quality standards. So our standards had to be extremely high too. Going into production the manufacturing company would copy everything, so if something was off, they would just do it the same way. I learned from those experiences and wanted my brand to be at that level of quality too.
When my mom was growing up she made her own clothes and when I was around 12 she started teaching me how to sew. I learned through her that garments were valuable pieces. How did learning about the environmental consequences of fast fashion impact you?
Going to design school "ruined" shopping for me, in a good way. After that, I was a lot pickier when I went shopping because I knew how much work was involved in making one garment and how much they actually cost to make. I didn't shop the same way I used to. As a teenager, I'd spend my money at cheap stores because that's all I could afford. I probably bought a lot of things I didn't need or didn't even wear more than a couple times. So learning about fast fashion was definitely a wake-up call for me to only want to spend my money on quality pieces that are going to last.
"...there have definitely been times when I needed other people's help to keep me going. I couldn't have done it without the support of my amazing friends and family."
- Alyssa Bird of Regenerous Designs
Do you have a store, or do you have your inventory at home?
I share an office/warehouse workspace with my fiancé. This is where I make and store all my products. Before we were able to expand, all the boxes upon boxes of fabric were taking over the house. It's such a relief now to have space outside of our home, especially since I have an intern and an assistant working with me. It just feels more professional. This process has taken 3-4 years, and the majority of that was long-distance between Arizona and Arkansas, but we're finally getting there now that we're settled in Arkansas.
What are some of the challenges that you encounter?
Growing my audience is a challenge sometimes, and it is definitely something I need to work on. Even large social media audiences don't necessarily translate into more sales. Sometimes it seems like you need to have a following in the tens of thousands for it to help you grow your business.
Are you able to sustain yourself with your business or do you have a side job?
Since I started Regenerous Designs I haven't had an official side job. I promised myself it was ALL or nothing. I wasn't going to tempt myself with another job and lose focus. I do however teach sewing lessons on occasion and have done other odd jobs to get by with some side income. Pretty much everything that I make goes right back into the business. It's been really rough at times, but every time I thought about getting another job, I knew it just wouldn't work for me. I was the person doing EVERYTHING for the business from the branding to making each product to managing the marketing, finding crafts shows to participate in, arranging photo shoots, editing photos, keeping up with customer relations and so on... My little brain could only handle so much. Plus I was learning how to do most of this along the way, so things would take longer than they should've. I would like to say that it has sustained me the whole time and that everything is great, but there have definitely been times when I needed other people's help to keep me going. I couldn't have done it without the support of my amazing friends and family.
What product were you selling for your first Kickstarter campaign?
I was selling The Button Bow bow ties, which I still have on my website. They are such a unique item that I learned I had to put all my efforts into promoting them and showing people how to use them if I wanted them to sell. The headbands are an easier sell because people already get how a headband works, these are just a step up from regular headbands. Right now I'm just saving the bows on the back burner in case I have more time down the road to dedicate to them.
What are your growth plans?
I would like to do another Kickstarter campaign in the near future. I did one about two years ago that was a success, but it would've been better to have all the knowledge I gained from the Factory 45 program. I like Kickstarter because it's such a good way to launch a new product, get the word out and get a good amount of money for production, all at once. That way you don't need to have a lot of inventory sitting to around to deliver immediately to the customer. I have a few ideas but haven't narrowed down the one that would be the best fit going forward.
Contact Alyssa at firstname.lastname@example.com and check out her versatile accessories at RegenerousDesigns.com.


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Ethiopian Airlines – The Skies The Limit
The Australian pilot sitting next to us was as excited as we were when ushered to the left entering the Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner. Although usually in the right hand cockpit seat, he was a passenger from Hong Kong and was ferrying from Bangkok to Addis Ababa.
"Thank goodness I have a flat-bed. I am exhausted," he said as he settled down in Business class 4C for the nine hour trip BKK to ADD.
Ethiopian Airlines is a secret waiting to unfold. It all started with a military DC-47 from Addis Ababa to Cairo in 1946 and eventually led to a series of firsts for the continent: providing the first jet service in the early 60's, flying the first B-767 in the early 80's and then taking delivery of the first B-787 Dreamliner in 2012 and the first Airbus A-350 in 2016. Throughout those challenging 70 years Ethiopian Airlines was able to transform itself into the biggest airline in Africa boasting the largest aviation academy training pilots and cabin crew, a state of the art maintenance facility servicing ET and other airlines, plus a new catering facility that can produce 30,000 meals per day.
The airline has 85 aircraft including seven B-787 Dreamliners and 11 Airbus A-350's with an average age of five years and 50 more aircraft are on order. ET flies to 90 international ports and 19 domestically. Management is in negotiation to fly to Australia but no date has been set. The airline has a target to plant one indigenous tree for every passenger, a mammoth goal of 7.6 million trees.
For Australians travelling to Ethiopia there are a number of cities available to join ET but the most convenient is through Bangkok. Our group of travel wholesalers and media had a two night stopover to break the journey. The Rembrandt hotel is convenient and at competitive prices. www.rembrandtbkk.com
ET is a very sophisticated airline. We flew one way business class (Cloud Nine) and returned in economy. Meals, drinks and service were excellent in both cabins and the food included the Ethiopian staple diet of Injera plus western style chicken and beef. Sheba Miles is the Frequent Flyer Club and the airline is a Star Alliance member. http://www.ethiopianairlines.com
Like the airline, Ethiopia is a destination yet to be discovered by the world's tourists. It is a sovereign state known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia located in the Horn of Africa sharing borders with Eritrea in the north, Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south and Sudan to the west. The most populated landlocked country in the world; it boasts nearly 100 million people occupying 1,100,000 square kilometres.
A varied selection of exciting destinations awaits tourists to Ethiopia. National parks include the scenic Simien and Bale Mountains with their wealth of endemic wildlife, while historical sites range from the atmospheric rock-hewn churches of Lalibela to the towering stelae of Aksum and castles in Gondar. Other highlights are the awe-inspiring Erta Ale Volcano, the cultural mosaic of Konso and South Omo, and bird-rich lakes strung along the Rift Valley floor.
For further information on touring Ethiopia: www.ethiopia.travel
African Wildlife Safaris – contact– Taleen Gaidzkar – email@example.com
Swagman Africa – contact Wayne Hamilton – firstname.lastname@example.com
Africa Ubuntu Safaris – contact Cuan McLaren – firstname.lastname@example.com
Peregrine / Intrepid Travel – Rowan Waters – email@example.com
For general enquiries and information – Africareps – email@example.com
Written by John Savage


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The Reserve Bank made the decision to continue to hold the cash rate at 1.5 per cent at its June meeting today, due to the inflation rate remaining within its target range of around 2 per cent and business conditions continuing to improve.
Overseas economic activity appears to be buoyant with demand for our commodities trending higher and forecasts positive for the rest of the year.
The RBA noted that an additional supply of apartments coming onto the market in the Eastern States is expected to provide downward pressure on price and rent growth.
The further tightening of controls on lending, designed to counter-act the dominance of housing debt over household incomes, appears to be having an effect on the market.
I see little movement in rates over the next few months but borrowers need to be aware of these tougher controls placed on lending, especially interest-only loans.
Now is a good time for borrowers to get a mid-year, health check on their loans to ensure they are well placed for the second half of the year.


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The main theme of John Donne's poem "Meditation 17" is about mortality. Another theme of the poem is the similarities between everyone's lives; we all face the same fate.
John Donne wrote this poem in 1624 in Europe, at a time when he was near death himself. As he writes about his own impending death, he shares the universality of his experience being prepared to die soon. He also underscores the interconnectedness of humanity through his statement that no individual is an island, since everyone was created by God. He argues that due to humanity's interconnectedness, the death of one affects all.


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From the WeVideo Admin tab, navigate to your relevant list of members. If you have domain sync running, your OUs already appear as discrete Groups in WeVideo. As such, it is preferable to work on removing users from the Admin>Groups tab, as this gives you smaller and neater lists of users to review.
Note: If you have many WeVideo members, the flat-list view you get in Admin>Members may be too unwieldy for granular user retrieval. However, this view can be useful if you want to save time and streamline the process by removing large batches of inactive users. To do this, we suggest the following steps:
- Decide on a cut-off criterion for deeming users eligible for removal (e.g. user has been inactive for 6 or more months);
- Sort your user list by Last Active date (placing the least current users on top);
- Hold Shift or Ctrl to multi-select the portion of users who fit your original cut-off criterion. (If you prefer, you can bypass Leads and Admins);
- Right-click to remove. (Here is a support article with more detailed instructions on user removal).
The steps above can be performed on the smaller OU-style lists you will find in Admin>Groups.
We recommend that you go through these steps periodically - monthly or bi-monthly - throughout the school year. This will keep your member list current and manageable at all times, thereby eliminating the need for extensive clean-up at the end of the school year.
If the list of users you want to remove can't be handled through the process suggested above, email a CSV file with a user list to email@example.com. The list should contain only the email addresses of the members you want removed.
Tip: Although our Domain Sync feature automatically cleans up your roster if you delete users from your domain, it doesn't react if you merely suspend said users. Domain-suspended users will remain as members in WeVideo.


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Brad Kane
AT-LARGE Representative
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and graduated from both UCLA and Hastings College of the Law. Professionally, I am a lawyer. My practice focuses on helping people, especially in the areas of employment law and landlord tenant disputes.
In 1999, I moved to South Carthay. In 2007, I was elected President of the South Carthay Neighborhood Association and continue in that role. I joined the PICO Neighborhood Council to help protect and preserve our beautiful neighborhood, and was elected President of the PICO NC in 2015. I love learning about our wonderful neighborhood and strive to empower our board members and stakeholders in their efforts to preserve and improve it.


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At Long Last: Second Edition Available Now!
The second edition of "At Long Last: A Story of Love + Hope" is NOW available!!!!!
I'm so excited for this new edition: it's a brand new cover design, new edits, and a few things updated.
Order yours here today! I hope you are encouraged and inspired!


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We are passionate about what we doAnd we love to talk about it
Brave members of Team Codify spent a sunny afternoon at Crathes
Castle this weekend swinging through the trees as part of the GoApe
forest adventure:
Most of the team took to it like a duck to water (or should that
be chimp to tree?) and prizes were awarded for 'Queen of the
Jungle' to Lisa for showing no sign of fear, 'King of the Jungle'
went to new team member Mishkat for his spectacular dive off the
final Tarzan swing platform and the final prize to Rebecca for the
'From Scaredy Cat to top Macaque' as by the end of the adventure
she was a real pro!
Once we had all returned to solid ground it was off to the
annual Codify BBQ to enjoy the warm weather and a well-deserved
For more photos please see our Facebook page.
Share on
We would love to hear from you. Get in touch by email or phone us on 01224 261600.
Migvie House, 23 North Silver Street, Aberdeen AB10 1RJ • Registered in Scotland No. SC205314 • VAT No. GB751247540
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I have just returned from a couple of weeks in Italy, where we usually holiday. I like food, and I like cooking, and I have to say that in 10 years travelling in Italy I have never had a bad meal. I've had a few things that I wouldn't particularly care to have again, but that's a matter of taste.
We usually travel in the North/Centre region, stretching from Lombardy, through Veneto, to Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany (although not recently), Le Marche especially, Umbria and occasionally northern Lazio, an interesting region from a culinary perspective as it combines sea and mountain in a diversity of cuisine that is hard to find elsewhere. We mostly stay in agritourismo lodgings, which are typically beautiful, and can be found all over the place. Take for instance the Antica Torre, near Salsomaggiore Terme, €45 per night bed and breakfast, wonderful pool in the most wonderful silence but only 3km from a bustling town, a great small restaurant on site if needed…paradise.
The thing that usually strikes me when eating out initially is the value. You can spend enormous amounts of money on Italian food and drink, Britain spend very little. But it's been my invariant experience that the quality/price reseal is such that all levels one gets enormous value for money. Part of this is probably just set them on holiday, part is due to the fact I'm sure that where possible we try to eat outside and everybody knows that food eaten outside (especially with a couple of glass of wine) always tend to taste nicer. Nonetheless when one finds for example that one can get a cup of coffee, and by this I mean a proper Italian espresso, and a croissant or brioche in the main railway station in Rome, Termini station, for €1.30 then you have to conclude that the value for money is going to be high.
This year as we have done for the last three years we returned to Gubbio. It's a wonderful Umbrian hill town, reasonably well visited during the day, but at night almost deserted by tourists. That's their loss, as are some fantastic restaurants in town. Again in terms of value for money, but also in terms of sheer quality of the food, Locanda del Cantiniere wins hands down.
It's no surprise that this restaurant is consistently rated by tripadvisor as being the number one restaurant in Gubbio. They offer, for €28, a five course gourmet tasting Menu which is one of the best eating experiences that I believe one can have. Two starters are provided, the first a mixture of local mountain cheese with wild honey served with side of salami from Norcia ( which in addition to being the birthplace of St Benedict is also generally believed to be the home of the best salami and dried sausages in Italy) , followed by scamorza affumicata , a smoked mozzarella style cheese which was served having been baked gently with some pancetta.
Of course, the courses were excellent, as one might expect, we ate there two nights, on one night I had their saffron and prawn risotto,
on the other night I had a wonderful flat pasta, similar to papardelle, served with beans and anchovies in a magnificent powerful aromatic pasta and sweet pepper sauce.
I had sweet wine for dessert one night, and Macedonia della fruita , or fruit cocktail as we would call it. What was most interesting was their beef – they were very proud of their beef, which they proudly told us was the best in the world, and despairing of my massacring the italian language , then came out bearing a booklet, and lo and behold it came from ….Ireland. So the agrifood export sector has one success at least!
Its when you consider the relative cost of the eating and general tourist experience in Ireland versus Italy that you realize how much more expensive we are. I know there are fantastic bargains to be had in Ireland but consider…
- From Vignola to Bologna by train, €6.40, a distance of 33km each way, versus say Sallins to Heuston, some €12 or so
- the most delicious pizza, with queues out the door, right behind the Piazza dei Priori in Perugia and in the height of the world famous Perigia Jazz festival for €6-7 versus €9-13 for similar sized at the excellent Ballymore Inn
- the most sublime café macchiato for €1 within sight of the duomo in Orvieto versus €2 or more
- a large plate of prosciutto outside Parma, where else, for €6 versus at least €10 for any sort of same and I think one will agree the chances of getting something like the below are slim, a single serving doing two hungry travellers.
- a (half liter) beer, small pizza, large cheese and porchetta sandwich, two coffees and a liter of chilled san Pellegrino for €11 versus a respondent to my text outlining same paying €11 for a soup and sandwich in cork the previous day…
I could go on and on, but I think you get the message. Oh, and no, its probably not the high wages we (don't) pay in the Irish tourism and hospitality sector…Eurostat data suggest that as of 2008 the hourly wage rate for Ireland and italy in the hospitality and restaurants sector was pretty much identical. While tourism is a major industry in this country and in Italy, we cannot compete with them on weather so must compete elsewhere. As of now, its not clear to me that costwise we are doing what we can.
(FWIW, I come from a family background in tourism, have family members involved in same breaking their a$$es trying to compete with NAMA zombie hotels, and have spent manys the happy shortbreak in Ennis, Galway and the west, so its not that we dont have the product…its the relative cost especially of eating out…)


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Travel California
Dorothy Shain
On May 8th, I will be launching my Pacific Coast Collection at 9am EST. I cannot put into words how excited I am to see my piece(s) of California dreaming find their new homes. My art is often a visual manifestation of stories and experiences that have changed me.
This is the story of my love affair with Venice and Southern California.
In the fall of 2010, I was blessed with the incredible opportunity hop aboard the MV Explorer, a retired Carnival Cruise ship, and embark on a four-month journey around the world through a program called Semester at Sea. I started the journey knowing not a single person & left with a forever crew of what I like to call "soul friends." These special people, primarily from the West Coast, took this little southerner under their wings and helped ignite a love for their home. I heard them talk of the special burritos, the surfing, the culture, the weather. When we pulled into the port of San Diego, I was raring to go and ready to explore.
Seven years down the road, I still can't get enough. My travels to the west coast started as visits to see these wonderful people. Whether I was located in San Fransisco, San Diego, Mammoth, or Venice Beach, I started to realize that this place was speaking to my soul. I am drawn to the mindset, the creativity, the melting pot of people, the rich surf & skate culture ( inspiration in itself), even the plants. I love the endless possibilities, the connections to be made, and people to meet. L.A is so full of fellow dreamers, all hustling to meet larger than life goals. My kind of people.
This collection of work is deeply personal: it is inspired by little trips, larger than life experiences, and snippets of one of the greatest places I have had the opportunity to explore. The Pacific Coast means something to me, and I hope that you connect with sense of freedom and creativity, just as I have.
If the travel bug has just bitten you hard after reading this post (the Pacific Coast can do that to you), here are some of my favorite things to do & see in Southern California:
Best View of Pacific Coast Highway (Malibu): Neptunes Net
Hiking in Malibu : Charmlee Wilderness Park in the Santa Monica Mountains
Korea Town: Tatsu Ramen
Coffee + People Watching: Deus ex Machina
Surf Shop: Lone Wolfs
Lunch: Cafe Gratitude
Poke: Poke Poke
San Diego: Mitch's ( the best ceviche & fish tacos I have ever had in my life)
Serious inquiries contact firstname.lastname@example.com for presale information.


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Case Study: GameStop Answers the Call for Telecom Savings
Any business—large or small—would agree that growth is good.
GameStop, a software retailer founded in 1996 with 400 locations, grew to more than 6,600 stores in less than 15 years. They have experienced the challenges and opportunities of rapid expansion, particularly the toll it can take on human resources.
Simply keeping up with the demands of monitoring hundreds of telecom vendors and charges across the organization kept internal staff working late into the night, and as a result, paying the bills became the priority, with little time to analyze or manage these charges. Even with this shift in priorities, the mechanics and time needed to process this large volume of invoices was overtaxing, leading to late fees and service interruptions.
GameStop worked through a systematic plan to eliminate overspending and optimize services:
- Bill audits captured $600,000 in recovered billing errors
- Service validation has resulted in over $1.5 million in savings
- Improved sourcing efforts have resulted in over $1.6 million in annualized savings
Business & process efficiencies have improved, supporting $1 million in off-set labor costs.
The extraordinary growth of the company resulted in rising costs, demanding more proactive management. GameStop's internal Cost Control Group was assigned the task of driving unnecessary expenses out of the escalating telecom environment. Having partnered with ENGIE Insight for expense and data management in other areas of their business, GameStop had established trust in the data, reporting and expertise provided by ENGIE Insight and turned to them once again, this time in support of their telecom portfolio.
GameStop's Cost Control group was strong, but had limited telecom domain experience. The team knew it was important to develop and execute a proactive plan to tackle the myriad problems of a large national chain, rather than disjointed, "reactive" moves. The foundation for this plan was a comprehensive approach to telecom lifecycle management that would reduce costs and ensure the appropriate mix of technology to support the growing organizational demands.
Using an "invoice first" methodology, the team identified all telecom charges running through GameStop's financial systems, and used this data to develop a corresponding inventory. In less than six months, GameStop had gained full control over the processing of 25,000 accounts, and was armed with an accurate, detailed inventory of all contracts, including all voice and data service information across all locations.
Next, GameStop worked through a systematic plan to eliminate overspending and optimize services:
- Charge validation: All vendor charges were audited to ensure that invoice-to-inventory billing elements—as well as invoice-to-contract prices—were aligned, capturing $600,000 in recovered billing errors.
- Service validation: Unnecessary services were eliminated based on detailed traffic studies that helped shape the establishment of service standards. Excess lines, unnecessary features and duplicate services were eliminated with special care not to impact quality of service, resulting in over $1.5 million in savings.
- Strategic vendor assessment and contract negotiations: Existing contracts were tracked and reviewed for required improvements and a strategic sourcing plan was set in place. Cost efficiencies and aggressive price points were gained through vendor consolidation and national agreements. Improved sourcing efforts have resulted in over $1.6 million in annualized savings.
- Improve business & process efficiency: With ENGIE Insight now managing these activities, GameStop employees were freed up to focus on their "core vs. chore" business of managing the overall network, not just an invoice or an order. This shift translated to $1 million in off-set labor costs from processing and order management, freeing up resources to attend to higher level network management issues.
Today, GameStop's Cost Control Group has transitioned telecom from an undermanaged and outsize expense to a fully-implemented Telecom Lifecycle Management environment. The team learned that forward-thinking, holistic activities offered better outcomes, and they also learned to more successfully work with providers. Now GameStop tells their providers what they expect from the business relationship and only keeps those who work to earn their business.
GameStop's efforts to address telecom spend by embracing a fully-implemented Telecom Lifecycle Management environment has resulted in annualized savings well in excess of $4 million in just three years.
The team's proactive efforts will continue with additional strategic initiatives to improve vendor contracts and performance, and also to evaluate and deploy new technologies that can support its expansive business objectives.


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Looking for ways to expand? Have you thought about using that porch that's collecting lizards, spiders, fallen leaves, and dirt?
A screened in porch has so many practical functions besides just increasing your living space. We can screen in what you have, or even extend it about a bit.
In Florida, we have heat and rain and that doesn't differ much, but why not enjoy the weather all year avoiding the mosquitoes and actual rain.
The architecture of our construction makes a positive impact because instead of the low ceilings you usually see, we can also (like this one) give your screened porch a high roof.
The high roof creates much needed air flow for greater temperature control.
A screened in porch also saves you from cleaning all that falling debris and makes a nice safe environment for you to enjoy the outdoors with the whole family.
Contact us and let us see how we can help you enjoy the outside year round!