text:
Today marks week #12 over at Just Us Girls!! Hard to believe we are finishing up our third month already. Seems like just yesterday we decided to branch off on our own and start this new challenge blog. We are so THRILLED that you all seem to enjoy our variety of challenges and on the flip side, we LOVE seeing your gorgeous creations each week!! Soooo, why not keep up the eye candy and play along with our awesome color challenge this week?! Tracey is our host and selected this STUNNING palette:
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Just Us Girls Challenge #12...and more My Time Made Easy
Today marks week #12 over at Just Us Girls!! Hard to believe we are finishing up our third month already. Seems like just yesterday we decided to branch off on our own and start this new challenge blog. We are so THRILLED that you all seem to enjoy our variety of challenges and on the flip side, we LOVE seeing your gorgeous creations each week!! Soooo, why not keep up the eye candy and play along with our awesome color challenge this week?! Tracey is our host and selected this STUNNING palette:
25 comments:
- Laura.K said...
Wow. That's just gorgeous. So many delicate details. I love it.
- December 19, 2009 at 4:29 AM
- LeAnne said...
You should be proud of EVERYTHING on this awesome creation--the wreath alone is stunning! VERY cool "hardware" you created....just genius! I am hoping today to check out Lauren's stuff since it was so busy yesterday! Congrats & good luck!
- December 19, 2009 at 6:52 AM
- Our Little Inspirations said...
I just LOVE this ribbon wreath!! It's awesome!! The handle is very creative, and the whole project is amazing! I should have plenty of time to play along with you today, because the snow you're getting is heading to PA where it's already snowing sideways here:)
- December 19, 2009 at 7:30 AM
- Lauren (mytime) said...
THUD!!!!!!! That is beyond amazing. Im in awe. It is the perfect size and look so real! LOVE it. I can't get over that handle! WOW-speechless
- December 19, 2009 at 9:16 AM
- Lisa Kind said...
OMGosh! Only you could take a sled and turn it into a gate! This is fabulous and so out-of-the-box creative! Love it, Kristin!
- December 19, 2009 at 9:32 AM
- Dana Gustafson said...
Ummm, helloooooo GORGEOUS! Will you just LOOK at that sled gone gate?!!? Kristin you are on serious fire right now and I am so enjoying everything you have made. I also can't wait to get my hands on some of that gorgeous snowflake paper you made for Lauren. So glad for you!
- December 19, 2009 at 1:11 PM
- Stampin' Pam said...
WOWWWWWWW this is stunning and SO creative Kristin - the sled/gate is fantastic and the handle - well you SHOULD be proud - it's very well put together. You are amazing GF as usual.
- December 19, 2009 at 2:37 PM
- Katie Cotton said...
adorable! I love it!!!!
- December 19, 2009 at 3:13 PM
- MarieL said...
Absolutely sweet. Great job altering the sled.
- December 19, 2009 at 3:55 PM
- Silke Ledlow said...
AWWWW - Kristin - this is BEAUTIFUL AND SOOOO CUTE!!! I love it!!!
Happy Holidays!!! Hugs ~S~
- December 19, 2009 at 7:19 PM
- Mona L. Pendleton said...
Kristin, you are so amazingly creative! I am just blown away with your take on the MTME Sled template! The ribbon wreath is gorgeous! You did such an awesome job with this week's color challenge-I am sure Tracey will be proud!
- December 19, 2009 at 7:31 PM
- Teresa Kline aka va.sunshine said...
oh my, I did not know you where in VA, how cool...I always follow VA blogs and bookmark them in my favorites...so you are now in.
I am 30 miles west of Charlottesville...I have met another gal that lives within 2 hours...I want to plan a retreat or play date with VA stampers.....would you be willing to help me, I have never done that before?
Under my profile on my blog, there is a place you can PM me from SCS, I will give you my email if you do that.....I hope to chat soon.
have a great snowy weekend, be safe and stay warm!
enjoy *~*
- December 19, 2009 at 9:18 PM
- Tammy Hershberger said...
Kristin, this is very, VERY adorable!!! What a sweet idea, and that little wreath is fabulous!
- December 19, 2009 at 9:59 PM
- Alicia said...
Kristin, this is so cute! Love how you made the ribbon wreath! This sled is too cute!
- December 20, 2009 at 12:19 AM
- Sue Lelli said...
OMG! That gate is just so creative! And your hinge is AMAZING! You should be so proud of it! I LOVE that you made something out of the norm. Just FAB!
- December 20, 2009 at 1:36 PM
- Mary J said...
Really great project Kristin! I love everything about it!!!!
- December 20, 2009 at 2:39 PM
- Catherine Doucette said...
WOWZA! This is just stunning...now I may have to go and try this template :0)
- December 20, 2009 at 4:50 PM
- Courtney Baker said...
Very cute! Love this!
- December 21, 2009 at 9:40 AM
- Kathryn B said...
I love your sleigh Kristen! It's stunning! I must have it myself! Congrats on your new venture!
- December 21, 2009 at 2:52 PM
- Maria Levine said...
Fabulous job with the challenge and the template!!!
- December 21, 2009 at 8:22 PM
- Karen said...
Love that you turned Lauren's sled into a door! The hinges and handle are perfect and that ribbon wreath is just delightful!! Hope you weren't totally snowed in....looks like you'll be having a white Christmas! :>
- December 21, 2009 at 10:47 PM
- Davi said...
Wow I think that this is pretty fabulous Kristin!! So creative... the handle etc. and that wreath is just tooo fun!!!
- December 21, 2009 at 11:36 PM
- dpkennedy said...
I would be proud of this too! This is awesome! Your attention to detail and creativity is amazing! Oh, I think I need to try and make one of these! How cute to hang these (and some sleds) from gift packages and then use as ornaments?! Kristin, this has just totally blown me away! I LOVE IT!!!
- December 22, 2009 at 12:57 PM
- Laurel said...
Wow. This is awesome. How creative. I love how you distressed the edge and made bolts and handle out of black cardstock. Who would have thought??? Don't look at the one I made. It is awful in comparison to this masterpiece! :)
- December 23, 2009 at 8:31 PM
- ashwini said...
Good post….thanks for sharing.. very useful for me i will bookmark this for my future needed. thanks for a great source
seo company
- February 2, 2010 at 1:08 AM
Post a Comment
Thank you for leaving a comment! It really does mean a lot to me. I will visit your blog if you have one...that's where I find most of my inspiration :O)
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.


text:
FCC Wants Ebay, Amazon To Crack Down On Kodi-Based Pirate TV Boxes
from the control,-not-copyright dept
For years now, tinkerers everywhere have built custom-made PCs that use the open-source Kodi platform. Highly flexible and customizable, this hardware can often work notably better than the locked-down TV hardware (especially traditional cable boxes) that are the norm. But the hardware can also be used to streamline access to copyright content. And in more recent years, outfits like Dragonbox or SetTV have taken things further by selling users tailor-made hardware that provides easy access to live copyrighted content.
Not too surprisingly, video producers and broadcasters haven't much liked this. And in recent months, Amazon and Netflix have joined forces with Hollywood to try and sue many of these operations out of existence. Last week they got a little help from FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly, who fired off a letter to both Amazon and Ebay demanding they do more to combat the listing of these devices on their respective websites. O'Rielly was quick to acknowledge that the FCC's authority over copyright is negligible, so he focused instead on these companies' unauthorized use of the FCC logo:
"Disturbingly, some rogue set‐top box manufacturers and distributors are exploiting the FCC's trusted logo by fraudulently placing it on devices that have not been approved via the Commission's equipment authorization process. Specifically, nine set-top box distributors were referred to the FCC in October for enabling the unlawful streaming of copyrighted material, seven of which displayed the FCC logo, although there was no record of such compliance. Many of these sellers are attempting to distribute their non-compliant products through online marketplaces such as yours. Although outside the jurisdiction of the Commission, it is equally troubling that many of these devices are being used to illegally stream copyrighted content, exacerbating the theft of billions of dollars in American innovation and creativity.
And that's all well and good. Companies like DragonBox are dressing up piracy as a legitimate service while illegally using the FCC logo. Both Amazon and Ebay responded to O'Rielly noting they already have numerous systems in place to prohibit the sale of such devices, and were open to working with the FCC to police future sales.
That said, O'Rielly fails to mention that he's historically supported policies at the FCC that make this whole problem worse than it needs to be.
Again, Kodi itself is perfectly legal. And even in the case of more ethically-dubious services, users are flocking to them because they find traditional video services and hardware to be locked down, inflexible, and expensive. Much of that has to do with obnoxious DRM that more often than not makes the viewing experience annoying as hell. And a lot of it has to do with the cable industry's monopoly control over the cable box, which prevents the entire ecosystem from being as open and competitive as it should be.
And O'Rielly himself played a pretty major role in that.
Last year, O'Rielly helped the cable & broadcast industry crush a plan to bring much-needed openness and competition to the cable box. That plan, developed under the Wheeler FCC, would have let consumers access all cable TV content entirely via app, eliminating the traditional cable box and opening up competition on the streaming hardware front. But thanks to an absolutely massive disinformation effort by the cable industry, the plan was killed. Among other things, the cable sector tried to claim that added TV hardware competition would have stifled innovation, encouraged piracy, and even harmed minorities.
None of it was true, but it was repeated ad nauseum in countless editorials nationwide that failed to disclose the authors' ties to the cable sector. The industry even managed to get the Copyright Office to join the fun by claiming that this added competition would somehow violate copyright.
It was another perfect example of how the definition of copyright is routinely abused, and these issues often have to do more with control than copyright. And while it's great that O'Rielly decided to lend a hand here, it might be cool if he realized how his own anti-innovation policies at Trump's FCC have helped make this problem of his immeasurably worse. If traditional video markets were cheaper, more open, customizable and flexible, these kinds of alternatives wouldn't be nearly as popular in the first place because consumers would already be getting what they're looking for.
Filed Under: competition, copyright, fcc, kodi boxes, mike o'rielly, set top boxes
Companies: amazon, dragonbox, ebay, netflix

subset: commoncrawl


text:
How to transfer money using Gmail Android App
This article will show you how you can use the Google Wallet to transfer money to your near & dear ones. Read the article to the end to know the whole process. Use Google Wallet card via Gmail Android App Now Gmail Android App can access Google wallet also. The app canRead More


text: Ian and the crew are hanging in Gnaraloo today after another successful leg of the SoldierOn mission from Perth to NW Cape. Some extraordinarily generous donors have kicked in some big dollars to the campaign, which has now exceeded its campaign goal of $10,000 by a few thousand. But don't let that slow down the donations. Any amount that you can afford to help out our Australian soldiers who've suffered as a result of service to their country is welcome.


text:
After punching his mother a 20-year-old man barricaded himself in a bedroom before police arrived, Craigavon Magistrates Court heard last Wednesday.
Martin Doran, Rosmoyle, Craigavon, admitted common assault on March 14 this year.
He was sentenced to three months in custody but this was suspended for three years.
As well he was fined £150 and ordered to pay a £15 offender's levy.
The court heard that at 2.38am police received a report of a domestic incident at an address in Lurgan.
They spoke to the injured party who said her son had come home and seemed under the influence of drugs.
She tried to calm him down but he punched her to the face.
Doran had barricaded himself in a front bedroom and when police spoke to him he told them to 'f—k off'. He continued to be abusive to police and had to be restrained.
Mr Conor Downey, representing the defendant, said that what he had heard from family members was that after the court matters had been settled the relationship between Doran and his mother would be on a much better footing.
He added that there had been messages of reconciliation but no direct contact between the parties.
Mr Downey added that Doran would like the matter dealt without the benefit of a pre-sentence report.
He explained that there had been a family meeting and they wanted the matter put to bed as quickly as possible.
District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said Doran did not have a bad record but unfortunately his behaviour was made more serious by the fact the victim was female, older and a relative.


text: "We have been using Renaissance for some key leadership hires at Matchesfashion.com. Tony and the team at Renaissance really spend the time to understand our personality in order to maximise the success of each search. Some of these key roles report to me directly and because Tony really understands my management style we were able to secure some great hires!"


text:
FA Cup – The two Robertos offer up a study in perception.
On Saturday, two Robertos – one Italian, one Spanish – contest the final of a cup competition that has become a cultural cornerstone in England.
Roberto Mancini, The FA Cup, Roberto Martinez.
One Roberto is admired by the press and fans. Despite dangerous flirtations with relegation, the latest of which may yet be consummated, he finds himself linked with every job going outside of the top four, almost by default. A move to Everton is now reportedly on the agenda.
The other Roberto, though, is strangely unloved. Despite a lengthy record of achievement in the game – a win at Wembley on Saturday would be his sixth cup triumph across spells with four different clubs – the only speculation that surrounds him is the now regular debate over who may replace him in the summer. On Saturday morning it is even suggested that a deal has been struck to bring in Manuel Pellegrini.
The fact that one manages a provincial club who use a ramshackle Portakabin as a training base, while the other presides over a global superpower constructing a sprawling, futuristic Etihad Campus which has been sponsored to the tune of £400 million explains why different levels of scrutiny are afforded to the two men. That is the nature of football. But is the widely-held perception of the two Robertos fair?
Roberto Martinez, entirely unsurprisingly, has already been made second favourite to replace David Moyes at Everton. The Spaniard was courted by Liverpool as a replacement for Kenny Dalglish and famously turned down the chance to talk to Aston Villa in the summer of 2011. He is a bright, engaging manager who places a strong emphasis on personal education and advocates attractive football. A club PR department's dream.
Part inspired by his father, who was a manager in Spain, his is also a philosophy made in the image of Johan Cruyff. Martinez, born in Catalunya, was an impressionable 18-year-old when Cruyff's Dream Team won the 1992 European Cup final at Wembley, and in an interview with our site in November 2011 he described the great Dutchman as "one of my biggest influences … in the way he controlled the games, introduced possession football to Barcelona … in the way that he changed the philosophy of the football club."
Martinez has achieved a similar feat on a rather smaller scale, but not at Wigan. Rather, his more appreciable impact came at Swansea where he helped transform the club into an admirably progressive entity. Now, under his successors in South Wales, he has seen this process accelerate to the point where his former side have reached a level above Wigan's, and are managed by one of the chief on-pitch architects of Cruyff's Dream Team in Michael Laudrup. Wigan, meanwhile, remain stuck in perpetual relegation battles.
Martinez: At our best we can beat anyone
Roberto Martinez says Wigan will have to be at their best to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final this weekend.
As ever in football, financial reality underpins aspiration, and Wigan, by Premier League standards, are almost destitute: in 2011-12 they had the smallest turnover of any club in the top flight. Yet while the correlation between money and achievement is convincing, it is not always decisive. Sam Allardyce showed what can be done on a budget at Bolton, for example.
Earlier this season, Martinez spoke of his belief that Wigan could break their financially-determined cycle of struggle. In October he said: "This is a squad that is ready to achieve something better than just avoiding relegation." Yet instead, Wigan find themselves in a more difficult predicament than ever. Martinez has done very well to keep the club in the top flight since his appointment in June 2009, and he has done so in no little style, yet there is no disguising the fact that his two main predecessors at Wigan did superior jobs in the Premier League.
Where Martinez is a survivor, his opposite number Roberto Mancini is a winner. Or at least that is how the Italian likes to characterise himself. In an interview with the Guardian in February, he recounted the story of playing his cousin at table tennis, aged nine. "He'd beaten me," Mancini said. "So I threw my bat at him and it hit him on the head. I've always been the same. I've had the same mentality ever since I was playing with my friends at school. I want to win. I only want to win. I don't like to participate at anything and not finish first."
This character trait is borne out in his CV. At his first club, Fiorentina, he won the Coppa Italia in 2001. Another cup win followed at Lazio in 2004 before three successive league titles and a further two Coppa Italias with Inter. With City, he ended the club's 35-year wait for a trophy when winning the FA Cup in 2011 and followed it up last season with the Premier League. Yet to many, these achievements come with asterisks next to them. Coppa Italias? Not regarded as proper trophies. Inter's league success? Founded on the ruins of Calciopoli. City's Premier League title? They almost threw that away before two injury-time goals on the final day.
There are legitimate concerns over Mancini's European record, which at Inter was unimpressive and at City has been dismal, even if his overall body of work is fairly compelling in terms of the weight of trophies alone. However, stats reveal this season has seen a significant dip in performance – a trend Mancini attributes to a ruinous summer's work in the transfer market, with only Matija Nastasic making a lasting impression of the six players recruited for a total of £37.5 million.
Mancini's desire to win is also reflected in his abrasive man-management style which has seen him fall out with a number of players. From his commendably robust handling of Carlos Tevez, which drew compliments for his "strong management" from none other than Sir Alex Ferguson, to his public attacks on Samir Nasri and ostensibly private scuffle with Mario Balotelli, Mancini is not a manager who seeks harmony in the workplace. As he told the Guardian: "I like being a manager. I like being angry every day."
Where Martinez relies on bonhomie, Mancini thrives on conflict. Perhaps this distinction, allied to the more intense glare trained on the Italian, helps to explain why perceptions of the two are so different. One is easier to lionise than the other as he is simpler to understand; he is friendly, open and accessible where the other is a more complex soul.
But in truth, Mancini probably isn't as flawed as many make out; nor is Martinez quite as impressive.
Saturday's FA Cup final has the potential to shape perceptions of either man to a significant degree. For Mancini it can provide redemption in an otherwise difficult season, giving him a more compelling body of evidence as he attempts to hold onto his job – even if, judging by reports from Spain, that battle has already been fought and lost.
Martinez, meanwhile, could back up the hype with tangible achievement – making him an even more desirable commodity in the managerial market.


text:
Questions? Call Mod Experts at 714-582-3330 Mon-Fri: 8am - 6pm / Sat: 8am - 5pm
Shopping cart (0): $0.00
This page is a directory of Golf V brakes. These Golf V brakes are race tested. Volkswagen Golf V cars come equipped from the factory with great Golf V brakes, and these Golf V brake products on this page for your Volkswagen Golf V are even better. All of the necessary components for your Golf V brakes are found on this page. Golf V brake rotors, Golf V brake pads, Golf V brake lines, Golf V brake fluid, Golf V brake kits, and anything else Golf V brakes we have here.
It is very important to maintain your Golf V brakes. Purchasing your replacement Golf V brakes for your Volkswagen is a good idea. On your Volkswagen Golf V, you do not want your Golf V brakes to wear down. Procrastinating on your Golf V brakes could lead to extra costs to repair your Golf V brakes. Be the best - Golf V brakes.
If you have questions about your Golf V brakes for your Volkswagen Golf V, please call us at 714-582-3330. We will be happy to help you with your purchase of Golf V brakes. Or e-mail us at [email protected] for Golf V brakes for your Volkswagen Golf V.


text:
©Angelo J. Sandoval
Part I
Nestled in a reconcito,
I have seen you in the corner
of my eye as I have
driven by your
humble exterior.
I didn't pay much attention
to your presence,
but the few times I did catch
a glimpse of you,
I wondered if you were
offering sacred prayer space,
yet didn't bother to find out.
I heard from news sources
you had been violated.
Your sacred space,
treated with disrespect.
Your heart was taken from you.
Ancient relics that carried
prayers of antepasados
stolen from the sacredness
Part II
My heart broke into pieces
as I read the news of your torment
You, the heart of a community
the refuge of the lonely
Violated by one of your
sons or
The heart that is You,
was taken,
taken to unknown places
Lost to the cycle of addiction
that plagues your community
The same community that cares
for you,
that made every effort to protect you.


text:
Insights from Transaero Airlines
There is still plenty of interesting material from the MAKS air show that will eventually make its way to these pages, but, in the meantime, and given that we are now reporting from Russia, we would like to switch the attention to what is going on in the airline industry of the largest country on Earth...
And this is basically growth (+16.3% on the first seven months of the year compared with same period last year), but also some interesting strategic moves that might have an effect on the industry's competitive landscape in years to come.
Some hot issues at the moment are: the likely emergence of a domestic low cost airline industry in Russia (most likely led by incumbent traditional carriers, such as Aeroflot), Moscow's long-term airport development plans and strategic agreements between major Russian airlines.
And where best to go look for some insights on all these matters than at one of the key players in the Russian airline industry, Transaero Airlines (Трансаэро ).
What follows is the interview we conducted with Dmitry Stolyarov, First Deputy General Director of Transaero Airlines:
Q: What is Transaero's position regarding expansion at different Moscow airports? Is Vnukovo going to become the main Moscow base for Transaero after UTair's agreement? What is going to be the role of each Moscow airport (Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo) in Transaero's future plans?
A: Transaero Airlines is gradually continuing to develop at each of the three airports of the Moscow Aviation Hub. This development strategy meets both the market requirements and passengers' needs as clients have a choice of the most convenient airport for them. The airline regards all three airports as its hub - providing transfer opportunities with its own flights and with flights of partner-airlines.
Q: What are the main motivations for moving traffic to Vnukovo? Congestion at Domodedovo or the recent partnership agreement with Vnukovo-based UTair?
A: Transaero launched its flights from Vnukovo airport in April 2012 (the Memorandum on strategic partnership with the airport was signed in February 2012). One of the reasons why the airline started to perform flights from Vnukovo, inter alia, was the fact that Domodevodo airport has congestion problems. At the same time, a new spacious high-tech Terminal A provides the most convenient conditions for departures and arrivals as well as providing passengers with comfortable facilities when waiting for connecting flights and transfers.
Starting from the beginning of 2013 Transaero has concentrated its efforts on establishing the large transit centre at Terminal A of Vnukovo Airport. Given this priority, Transaero has adjusted its flight schedule to provide convenient flight connections to destinations in Russia, the CIS and other countries.
The Agreement with UTAir Aviaton is the latest step in the airline's development of the air services from Vnukovo airport.
Q: Does UTair agreement apply only to Vnukovo operations or to all other Russian airports where any of the two airlines (Transaero or UTair) operates? Are we going to see UTAir acting more as a domestic feeder to Transaero's international operations?
For example, would a passenger flying from London to Tyumen be able to book and travel using a single ticket (and get some frequent flier miles) while transfering at Moscow from Transaero to UTair as if he was traveling on the same airline?
The Agreement on Strategic Partnership with UTAir Aviation applies to operations from Vnukovo airport as well as from other Russian airports. UTAir Aviaion is not considered as a feeder to Transaero's operations. The route networks of the two airlines successfully complement each other, both domestically and internationally.
According to the agreement, a passenger will be able to get a single ticket for his/her entire route for travel, with a connection at a certain airport. The airlines will aim to unify their frequent flyer loyalty programs, allowing passengers to earn points for his/her entire journey.
Q: What is Transaero's position on the rumored opening of a UTAir low cost base at Yermolino airport, about one hour outside Moscow? Has Transaero any plans to enter the low cost market directly?
We cannot comment on the actions or intentions of our partners.
As for Transaero, the airline has no plans to launch low-cost operations. After careful consideration we have made the conclusion that at the current stage the Russian laws regarding airlines are insufficient to provide for low cost operations.
There is no legal basis that could ensure the efficient implementation of a low-cost service model. In particular:
- The law states that airlines must provide key services (meals, luggage allowance)
- In Russia, airlines have no right to sell non-refundable tickets. Transaero Airlines is proactively lobbying for the introduction of changes in the law with a view to lifting these restrictions.
- The existing airport infrastructure does not allow for the level of handling services necessary for low-cost carriers;
- A contributing factor is the substandard travel infrastructure in Russian regions – specifically a lack of cheap and affordable hotels and hostels.
Q: A few days ago a plan was presented that called for more airport capacity to be built in the Moscow region. Does Transaero have any position on the need for new airport capacity in Moscow or adapting some smaller airports such as Yermolino in the Kaluga region?
The capacity of the three key Moscow airports – Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Sheremetyevo - is far below the limits.
The existing capacity of the airports is sufficient to meet the airlines' needs for many years to come under the condition of proper management of the existing infrastructure (including roads, railways, airport ground infrastructure (runways and taxiways), as well as the introduction of changes in air traffic management).
As a comparison, look at London Heathrow airport - its annual passenger traffic exceeds the overall passenger traffic of the three airports in the Moscow aviation hub.


text:
If you are experiencing a strange behavior in your Zenput app, a good first step to try and resolve the issue is to do a force quit of the Zenput application.
- View your open apps. Double-click the Home button to see your most recently used apps.
- Find the app you want to close by swiping right or left.
- Swipe up on the app's preview to close the app.
- Open the 'Settings' app.
- Choose Apps.
- Touch the 'Running' tab to view only active or running apps.
- Choose the app that's causing issues.
- Touch the Stop or Force Stop button.


text:
Tablet Sports
Baylor skid hits five games with last-second loss to West Virginia
Baylor's latest opportunity to turn around a season headed in the wrong direction disappeared Tuesday with a 66-64 loss to West Virginia in the Ferrell Center.
Mountaineers guard Juwan Staten hit a reverse layup with 3.1 seconds remaining, and a 3-point shot by Baylor's Kenny Chery on the ensuing possession caromed off the backboard and through the net. But Chery did not release the ball before time expired.
No points. No glory. No end to the Bears' losing streak, which now stands at five consecutive games.
Even more daunting: Baylor (13-7, 1-6 Big 12), ranked No. 7 nationally just three weeks ago, faces the unenviable task of trying to get its season back on track in consecutive games against two top 10 opponents: Saturday at No. 8 Oklahoma State and Feb. 4 at home against No. 6 Kansas.
That is why Tuesday's loss in front of an announced crowd of 5,529 in a half-filled arena casts significant doubt about the postseason possibilities for a team that has regressed since posting a 12-1 mark in nonconference play.
"The frustration is definitely there," said Baylor forward Rico Gathers, who finished with eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds. "But the main thing after a game like this is to look at our fight to try to win. … I really can't complain about my team's effort."
Baylor can point to a huge turnover disparity, however. The Bears committed 17, which West Virginia converted into 18 points. Baylor, meanwhile, failed to turn any of West Virginia's six turnovers into points. The 18-0 disparity caused Baylor to play from behind throughout.
Despite the close finish, West Virginia (12-9, 4-4) never trailed after taking a 10-9 lead with 14:34 left in the first half. Baylor coach Scott Drew praised his team's effort but said the Bears must get more scoring punch from their inside tandem of Cory Jefferson and Isaiah Austin, two players who bypassed early entry in the 2013 NBA Draft to try to help this team get back to the NCAA Tournament. Both players finished with six points and five rebounds Tuesday.
"I'm disappointed that we haven't had some of the vets step up and play better because I know they're capable of it and want to play better," Drew said. "But that's hasn't happened. … You'd like to get double-doubles from the front line."
Instead, it was West Virginia who got double-figure scoring nights from Staten, who finished with a game-high 15 points, and three of his teammates. The Mountaineers won despite being outrebounded 37-27 because of the turnovers forced by their trapping defense and their mental toughness whenever Baylor made runs in the final 34 minutes.
After losing a 9-8 lead in the first half, Baylor rallied to tie the score on four occasions but never took the lead. The last time came when Gathers made one of two free throws with 36.5 seconds remaining.
Staten responded with his driving layup on the next possession to beat the shot clock and the Bears. Baylor guard Brady Heslip said the team must keep a positive attitude despite its slump and crank up the work ethic.
"We're going to work harder than we've been working because, as hard as we're working now, it's not working for us." Heslip said. "It's really frustrating. So we've got to crank it up a notch."
Drew vowed to "keep plugging away" until the Bears get things turned around. But after dropping their third consecutive home game to a Big 12 foe, the upcoming schedule (three consecutive ranked opponents) suggests Baylor could be 1-9 in league play before facing TCU (9-10, 0-7) on Feb. 12 in Fort Worth.
"They always say it's a lot worse to be rich and then poor than never rich," Drew said. "Starting out the way we did and then falling off, it's been tough. But that's life and it's a great lesson. We won't quit and we'll make sure the guys stay positive."


text:
Aides to Raila Odinga, who lost the last disputed polls in 2007, told The Daily Telegraph yesterday that government officials were campaigning against their team.
Mr Odinga, 68, the day before claimed his supporters would lose out because of electoral commission technical shortcomings that limited his supporters' ability to vote.
He said those included incomplete registration of voters in his strongholds which he did not know "whether that is by design or omission".
Any warnings over possible rigging are incendiary in Kenya, where 1,100 people died after Mr Odinga's camp refused to accept results of the last election, which were widely believed to have been manipulated against him.
"We have documentary evidence that senior members of the civil service have been campaigning for our opponents," Eliud Owalo, Mr Odinga's campaign manager, said yesterday.
"These are efforts to disenfranchise our support base, through intimidation. Our lawyers are studying the appropriate action to take."
Mr Odinga is neck-and-neck in pre-election polls with Uhuru Kenyatta, although neither man is predicted to win today's election outright. If neither reaches a majority, a run-off will be held in April.
The International Criminal Court has indicted Mr Kenyatta, 51, son of independent Kenya's first president, with crimes against humanity including murder over his alleged involvement in the violence that followed the last polls.
British policy dictates that there can be "essential contact only" between the Government and individuals facing ICC trials.
This means that Britain would have no open communication with the leader of its closest ally in Africa if Mr Kenyatta becomes president.
He denies the charges and has pledged to cooperate with the court to avoid Kenya becoming a pariah state like Sudan, where President Omar al-Bashir triggered sanctions when he refused to attend his trial at The Hague.
At risk is more than GBP1 billion in trade between Kenya and Britain, and Nairobi's position as the hub for British counter-terrorism activities across the Horn of Africa including in Somalia.
Each year, the Army sends more than 10,000 soldiers to Kenya for final pre-deployment training, and 200,000 British holidaymakers visit. British investment funds more than half of the Nairobi's Stock Exchange.
"This is going to be extremely dicey for Britain," said Andrews Atta-Asamoah, senior Horn of Africa adviser for the Institute of Security Studies in South Africa.
"Kenya is very important in terms of regional security policy, its soldiers are in Somalia fighting al-Qaeda and how can Britain influence that to its advantage if it cannot talk to the commander-in-chief of Kenya's armed forces?"
Aly-Khan Satchu, a leading financial analyst in Nairobi, said that trade between Kenya and both India and China had overtaken business with Britain.
"Kenya is well-placed to deal with new partners as much as old ones," he said, adding however that Britain's economic involvement with Kenya was "too deep" to be cut off.
Mr Kenyatta is facing pressure from some of his supporters to remove Kenya from the ICC's jurisdiction if he becomes president, even though that would likely automatically trigger international actions.
"We know that the court has the wrong men," said Edwin Kiptoo, a businessman from Eldoret, a town in western Kenya.
"We will vote for them to show the world that they are not guilty, international sanctions be damned."
Sam Ongeri, Kenya's foreign minister, last month summoned the British High Commissioner and other Western envoys to express "utmost displeasure" at statements clarifying the policy of "essential contact only".
Mr Ongeri said the international community's words "are clearly inflammatory and could have the effect of polarising the country".
Many Kenyans interpreted the West's views as veiled threats of sanctions against the country should Mr Kenyatta win the presidency.
Ministerial-level business would continue with Mr Kenyatta's government if he becomes president, even if there could be no direct contact with him, one Western diplomat said. Britain's £128 million a year aid programme in Kenya would not be affected.
Under Mwai Kibaki, the outgoing president, minister-to-minister connections have been stronger than those with the head of state, because he has been a very "hands off" leader.
Mr Kenyatta, by contrast, is expected to be a far more vigorous president. He has repeatedly told rallies that under his watch, Kenya can "stand alone" without its traditional partners like Britain.


text:
Long time no see! This is a special episode resulting from an experiment, in which I built a radio transmitter. With the help of the Tin Can Studio in Vancouver, we arranged for 3 full days of radio mayhem, driving around in an Airstream trailer and broadcasting to whoever lay within a 5-block radius. The sounds below are the live raw files from our broadcast. Beware – it's a different style of radio than my normal podcasts, as we threw the fancy production out the window in favour of spontaneous live energy.
The first link is the archive from host Matty Harris, featuring live noise performances, and interviews on the topic of "How Radio Changed My Life." Matty is one of my favorite campus/community radio hosts.
The second link is from the day I hosted, featuring interviews about Media Democracy, live music performances, discussions about Headbanding, and the city coming by to shut us down, and then leaving, at which point we started again.


text:
An application to develop a floating wind farm off the coast of Stonehaven has been approved by Scottish Government ministers.
The green light has been given to Kincardine Offshore to build the world's largest floating wind array, consisting of up to eight 6MW semi-submersible turbines, which will operate 15km off the coast of Kincardineshire.
The first turbine of the 50MW array is expected to be on site in the second quarter of 2018.
Director of the project, Carlos Barat, said: "This is a significant development not just for Kincardine Offshore, but for the offshore renewables sector in Scotland, the wider UK and across Europe.
"Through the Kincardine project we will open up new opportunities for other offshore floating wind developments. This will herald a new era allowing turbines to be installed in deeper waters further offshore."
The development will support the creation of around 110 jobs during assembly, installation and through ongoing operations and maintenance activities. It will also prevent CO2 emissions of more than 94,500 tonnes per year.
Lord Nicol Stephen, a director of Kincardine Offshore, said: "Receiving consent is an important milestone for this project and will maintain Scotland's position as a leading innovator in offshore renewables.
"We very much appreciate the strong support we have received throughout the development process from Scottish Enterprise and also The Crown Estate in Scotland."
John Robertson, Senior Manager at The Crown Estate in Scotland, said: "As an active seabed manager which awards and manages rights for projects such as this, The Crown Estate works with partners to support offshore renewables.
"Our team has worked closely with Kincardine Offshore developers as they secured an Agreement for Lease with us and we are very excited to see this important project receive consent."
Construction activities will start in the summer. Power will be brought ashore to an Aberdeen operations centre and will connect to the grid at Redmoss sub-station in summer 2018.
Responding to news that an eight-turbine 6MW floating offshore wind farm near Aberdeen has been granted consent by the Scottish Government, and could create 110 jobs;
Lindsay Roberts, Senior Policy Manager at Scottish Renewables, said: "Scotland is home to approximately 25% of Europe's offshore wind resource and we are now starting to build out projects which will harness this potential.
"We're also at the forefront of innovation in this exciting sector and projects like this one are part of a new chapter for our renewable energy industry.
"The Scottish Government has shown its ambition to generate the equivalent of half of all energy consumed from renewable sources by 2030 and offshore wind can play a key role in meeting that ambition."
North East Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald welcomed the decision.
The floating development by Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Limited will create 110 new jobs and will have a generating capacity of up to 50 MW – enough to power over 50,000 homes.
Lewis Macdonald MSP said today:
"This is great news for the North East, and the creation of new jobs in offshore energy will be welcome at what is a difficult time for the whole region.
"Following the approval last year of a floating wind farm off the coast of Peterhead, and the planned Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm, Aberdeen and the North East have the potential to become the offshore renewable energy capital of the North Sea region, as well as the oil capital of Europe.
"It is important that industry and government continue to support such enterprises, both on and offshore, so that the area can benefit economically and environmentally in the decades to come."


text:
If you want the proven and easy way to make all the money you want, you don't need to look any further. Seriously.
"Financial Mentor"—Referral Agent Opportunity.
We have the most life changing product ever developed.
What is the one thing virtually everyone on the planet wants?
They want access to more money.
Having access to money solves virtually 99% of your problems.
It can help eliminate health issues.
It can eliminate stress.
It can improve your quality of life.
It frees up your time to do other things.
It can give you and your loved ones a better education.
The simple fact is that having access to more money gives you options.
The best product is a financial product that improves the quality of life for you, your loved ones, and those you come in contact with.
The financial education process Millionaire Mentor University follows is to help people get access to the largest amounts of money, in the quickest amount of time, with the least amount of effort. We do this through our "Funding Funnel" where we get the average person large sums of Other People's Money through LENDERS and Investors who have lots of money to loan.
Once someone has these large sums of CASHFLOW, they can invest and take advantage of opportunities and investments not normally accessible to the average person. They can invest where the RICH invest.
It's that simple. Give people access to large sums of money, then give them the tools and financial education necessary to invest in the right income producing investments that generate instant income.
Now here is how you can make $5,000 or more every single day having coffee, lunch, or dinner. There is no guarantee you will make this amount of money. No ethical person would tell you this. We only tell you the opportunity exists depending on your ambition, attitude, and desires.
When you add the math up, you will come to the same conclusion. You can really make all the money you want!
*We know we have the very best product imaginable.
*We have a product virtually everyone wants--More Money.
*We know that money can create Financial Freedom for virtually anyone.
*We know money can create the Ultimate Leisurely Lifestyle for virtually anyone.
This is our simple 3-step formula for making all the money you want:
We can obtain clients UNLIMITED funding for investments, projects, and any other money making or income opportunity. If someone dosen't have a plan yet, we can help.
This funding and credit enhancement process can take from as little as 14 days to as much as 12 weeks depending on the situation. That's a very short time to wait for Financial Freedom!
You make from 3% to 4% of the funding we get clients. If we get a client ONE Million Dollars your referral commission is $30,000-$40,000. You decide how much you want to make. One client a week you help break free to financial freedom can make you up to $160,000 a month.
Millionaire Mentor University is the most comprehensive resource on the planet if you want to achieve FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE AND the OPTIMUM LEISURELY LIFESTYLE!
We have spent THOUSANDS of hours Investigating, researching, evaluating, studying, monitoring, creating, and testing FUNDING OPTIONS options and PASSIVE income producing investments for our members.
If you are looking for:
1. UNLIMITED Personal or Business Funding Quickly: we have the best options from our Thousands of hours of investigation and strategic connections.
2. UNLIMITED FINANCIAL EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND TRAINING MATERIALS that ordinary people are using to create Financial Freedom in the Fastest amount of time with the least amount of time and effort.
3. UNLIMITED PASSIVE Income Producing Ideas, investments, Business and Franchise opportunities, 1000's of Money Methods, ACCESS to highly successful products that ordinary people are using to create Millions of dollars in the Fastest amount of time.
4. UNLIMITED support from Mentors in the form of Video and Audio courses, private webinars, consulting services and our CRASH COURSE Training sessions held at various times of the year.
Our philosophy is simple…
A. Include resources that can give any ambitious and motivated individual regardless of age, gender, location, skill set, or education the tools needed to obtain the OPTIMUM LEISURELY LIFESTYLE. In other words being able to spend every hour HOW they want to spend it!
B. To help members obtain ULTIMATE FINANCIAL FREEDOM. In other words, let you money make enough money so you can enjoy a PASSIVE lifestyle so you can STOP working and the Money continues to make ENOUGH Money to live the lifestyle you want to live. That may be different for each person. You don't want the biggest business, but the one that bothers you the least!
This can be obtained quickly if you follow the WEALTH CREATION Rules of the Very Rich….
1. Surround yourself with Successful Mentors, they give you shortcuts
2. Create STRATEGIC CONNECTIONS. One can be worth MILLIONS.
3. Become FINANCIALLY INTELLIGENT. Know what you don't know.
4. COPY SUCCESS. Simply do what other successful people are doing
5. OBTAIN Cash Flows. The easy way is using Other People's Money!
6. INVEST in PASSIVE Income Producing Investments that make money immediately! Acquiring money is not free and you will need to make this money work for you quickly! You must understand in order to achieve wealth you will have to go into debt. Understand GOOD DEBT.
You must also incorporate TWO revenue types…
First, you must make LARGE CHUNKS of money. A little here and a little there won't do it!
Second, you must acquire MULTIPLE STREAMS of RESIDUAL REVENUE. Never depend on one source of money for your survival.
The resources offered you here are no secret. You must follow proven advice and rules the rich use.
We continue to investigate, research, evaluate, study, monitor, and test income methods weekly in order to give our members the choices they need to create their ideal lifestyle and financial goals.
We encourage you to start today. A year from now you will still be a year older. Contact us and let's see how we can make it YOUR best year ever...
Running your own brokerage:
One of the toughest things for most young work from home or virtual office people to realize is that you are still running a business and beyond the obvious advantages are still the stark realities. Requirements like a business licence, suitable office space to work in, office supplies, printer/scanner, phone (business line), computer or laptop, etc.
Organization, preparation are essentials to running a solid, successful enterprise. Getting motivated and staying true to the course re: workload that needs to be handled and completed can also arise as daunting challenges to the newly independent work-from-home entrepreneur.
Minimize distractions including the little toddlers and infants as much as we love them. Nothing worse than whining babies in the background of a business call especially when trying to close a large deal. People understand but business people will have little tolerance for that understandably.
Last but not least as casual as we can be in our home environment and not having to wear a suit is very enticing-but the standards where we should never let our guard down- is cleanliness and organization. Uphold these at all cost and it will pay good dividends.
2) D.M.O. (Daily Method of Operation) for success!
D.M.O., first time I ever heard this reference was from a superior back in the 90's when we ran some of the best boiler rooms in the country. I recall thinking, "What the heck is that?"
This targets TWO key areas: discipline and consistency.
When one works from home the sloth like traits of laziness, procrastination and general apathy are always lapping at our heels. Kids, TV, DVD collection, internet, wives. Girlfriends, local watering hole, friends and family dropping in…I could go on ad nauseam unfortunately. These do not occur nearly as prevalent in the office building where you worked for the man but now that you are a home based broker you are dealing with a whole different animal.
In my many years of working from home--all told about 22 years now, I have learned the following tenets when it comes to working from home.
Get up same time each day-workout-walk the dog-dress, etc.
Whatever your work regimen is keep it consistent. Calls, interviews, A/R, etc. Work each facet same time and same hours each day.
Email is the perennial time killer! Book 2 slots a day of 10-15 min. each to open and address emails. Stick to it.
Clean and organize desktop -PC and physical-at end of day or when required. This will help your productive mindset.
The peak performers in any field always load their deck for success and usually get out of the gate in swift fashion.
4) How to submit forms and documents
Use short, concise and clear titles.
If you require addendums or additional info, create a template that accommodates your requirement and makes it simple and easy for the clients to fill out and therefore easy on the eyes of the person to whom you are submitting said docs.
Make your instructions clear for the client so they have no excuse to not get it to you in the fashion you expect. Ask them to title all scanned docs similarly to make it easy for you to download and attach/submit on their behalf.
Highlight, bold, enlarge or specially color any items that require emphasis.
Create a folder for each client and organize and title all docs appropriately before you submit on their behalf.
Open and inspect client documents before you submit so you do not get ambushed or embarrassed later due to incomplete, excessively sloppy or erroneous submittals.
BCC: client so they are in the loop.
Marketing and Advertising:
2) Effective Marketing and Proven Sales Processes
Whatever business you think you're in, you're in the marketing business. It's marketing that keeps the bills paid. Without marketing you have no productive activity, just a lonely website, a dead phone, and an empty building gathering dust somewhere.
Marketing is where you make your money. Your business is not cars, toys, clothes, or carpet cleaning. You're in the business of marketing. These are only the methods you use to make your money.
If you want to know the secret to success it's hidden in your marketing plan. If you don't have a plan, then plan to fail. If you're not spending at least 25% of your time on marketing, you're missing the boat. You will always be second to your competition. Without effective marketing, when you ship comes in you'll be at the railroad station.
Effective sales copy is the most effective skill you can acquire. It's not necessary for you to have it, only that you can acquire it.
You're only one good sales copy from having all the money you want. At any given moment in a product's history there is one best way to present your offer to your prospects, your job is to find it. The difference between a great copy and an average copy is 500 to 5000 percent in sales.
Death is a real problem everything else is just an obstacle.
Effective sales copy is like having an army of salespeople on paper, continuing to deliver the perfect sales presentation. Here's the best part, they never call in sick, get tired, go home, complain, or miss their mark.
The only sales copy you should ever use is a direct response ad. A direct response ad is still the most powerful and effective way to generate profits. The best part about a direct response and is that you can track results in 30 seconds instead of waiting for months to see if your ad works.
Always be marketing. And remember, 95% of all advertising is wasted, the other 5% can make you rich. Good sales copy is like a printing press that prints out cash 24/7. It's like a machine on steroids.
3) Psychology of a Buyer
A. Buyers won't pay more for potential.
I regularly speak to business owners who believe they have a potential gold mine and expect to command a high selling price based on perceived potential alone. This isn't how it works. If a business is simply a concept without a proven revenue stream then there isn't any value in the eyes of the vast majority of potential buyers.
If they were interested in developing their own business from the ground up there are numerous resources to help them get started and they would not be looking to buy something already established in the first place. Buyers want to acquire something that is already successful, not an unproven concept.
B. Buyers are interested in profits, not revenue.
Another common misconception is that buyers are impressed with revenue figures. Sure, they can sound good, but when it comes down to it the only number that matters is the profit a business turns. Take a look at these two scenarios:
Business A: $30,000 monthly revenue, $25,000 monthly expenses, $5,000 monthly profit and $60,000 annual profit.
Business B: $10,000 monthly revenue, $1,000 monthly expenses, $9,000 monthly profit and $108,000 annual profit.
The monthly revenue for the first site is three times more than the second business, but the actual profit is almost half. Experienced business buyers want to see profit numbers, not revenue.
C. Buyers expect verifiable financial claims.
If you are going to claim revenue from a specific source, you need to have verifiable proof. For example, if you are selling advertising space directly, be prepared to show invoices as well as bank statements that show matching deposits. If you are generating revenue through affiliate offers or third-party ad networks with an online business, be prepared to show deposit records and even access to your accounts online so both parties can see the accounts live. I advise clients to use TeamViewer or Skype as a practical way to verify financial claims on smaller business sales where using an accountant is not always practical or cost-effective.
D. Don't live in the past.
The previous success of a business is largely irrelevant at the time of sale, especially if it has been struggling lately. Buyers are interested in recent performance (usually the last 12 months) and future sustainability and viability, especially if you operate in a dynamic space (such as with websites). I commonly hear sellers talk about how successful their business was in the past after a recent drop and "all it needs is a little work to get back on track".
Unfortunately, buyers don't see it this way. They aren't interested in fixing and recovering your business, especially if you are expecting them to pay a premium. However, don't be afraid to show previous years if the business has been growing steadily. Buyers love to see growing revenue and profit figures, especially if you have already made future plans for the business that seem realistic based on past performance.
E. Honesty is the best policy.
The truth is going to always surface, so be upfront about everything from the beginning. Experienced investors understand that every business is going to have positives and negatives. There is no such thing as a perfect business.
If you are honest and transparent from the start there is less risk of a deal going sour because the buyer uncovered something during due diligence that wasn't accurate or an instance where the truth was stretched. Honesty is the best policy in all business transactions and selling any business is no different.
F. Expect to answer a lot of questions.
Businesses -- especially those run 100 percent online -- are forever becoming more popular, with so many people looking to become independent and quit their nine-to-five jobs. Consequently, it has led to a lot of inexperienced buyers inquiring about businesses for sale, which can be a significant time drain, unless you use a broker whose job is to handle questions and vet buyers for you. Selling yourself will lead to a lot of questions -- and you need to be prepared to answer them all, regardless of how simple they may sound.
Never judge a buyer. You never know whom you are dealing with or the buying power they possess. Someone asking what appears to be a simple question could potentially be a buyer that is new to the specific industry and have deep pockets for investing. Experienced buyers will often hammer the seller with questions in an attempt to turn up inconsistencies and red flags.
4) Ten Best Ways to Find Like-Minded People
Use Craigslist automated software to run ads. (We have a file of successful ads you can use.)
Attend local networking events. Breakfast meetings, luncheons, happy hours, and evening events from Real Estate groups, Business Leads, Social Networking Events, Singles Events, etc. (We can show you where to get them).
Facebook ads. One ad can generate 1000's of clients.
Article Marketing.
Social Media Marketing.
Banner Ads. (Use ours.)
Cost-Per-Impression Links and Ads on niche websites.
Friends, Relatives, and Neighbors.
YouTube Videos and Google Search SEO.
Contact Credit Repair Companies. They have dozens of instant clients.
5) Banner Ads
6) Craigslist Premium Image Ads
8) Ad Input and Sources
Your GOALS should be the following:
1. Educate yourself about good debt vs. bad debt (MMU site offers tons of valuable research material.)
2. Attain optimum leisurely lifestyle (work and play can co-exist).
3. Realize ultimate financial freedom (Rich Dad, Poor Dad--Make money work for you.)
1. The 6-step formula to financial freedom:
a. Cash flow using OPM (Other People's Money)
b. Financial Intelligence/Education
c. Strategic Connections
d. Successful Mentors
e. Immediate Income Producing Investments
f. Copy Success
2. Back end success fees: of 20% and what is included with these fees (access to our $55,000 in crash courses, access to millionaire mentors, private webinars, access to our 100% investment/project funding experts ($25,000 value), and much more.
3. Commission structure:
a. CPN funding 3% commissions on backend. Upfront CPN funding commission is 5% or $125.
b. Regular Membership ($1500), $75 upfront commission, 3% on backend. VIP Membership ($599), $100 upfront commission, 3% on backend.
c. Big corporate $1.2m funding program: 3% back end, and business corporate funding.
4. Financial Freedom Club Agent requirements:
a. You are recruiting clients for FSC. Clients have access to all FFC/FSC products and services. You cannot "HIDE" these clients from us, because you are afraid they will go direct to us. You are expected to make sure the clients get their docs signed and completed, and follow-up on funding when the time comes.
b. Payouts to agents are 48-hours (two business days) after we receive the FFC client's payment to us.
c. You must maintain at least 2 clients a month to maintain agent status.
d. You must be educated in representing a specific program. If you only wish to rep one specific product, that Is fine, however it will limit your income.
e. On any larger funding programs we require 6 months of funding be put into an escrow account to make the first 6 payments to the lender. This protects our lender and you. After 6 on-time payments a lender will usually increase a credit line, or allow you to get a larger loan if desired.
f. A client info doc must be signed to proceed to any program.
g. Get approval before using our marketing materials or developing your own. Do not use marketing without our approval.
h. Our referral agreement must be signed.
5. The following marketing ideas are being used:
a. Networking events. Meetup.com and many other local meetings and groups take place many times a week. Real Estate investors, business leads groups, singles events, and dozens more.
b. Facebook and other social sites are highly effective.
c. Google AdWords are highly effective for a few dimes!
d. Classified ad sites are free and generate all the money you want to make.
e. Cost Per Impression ads, as with banner ads you pay per click, cost per impression ads are an even better bargain, $10 per 1000 leads!
f. Lists. The money is in the lists. You can buy email addresses for business opportunity seekers, or credit repair people, etc. Go Leads, Info USA, Exact Data etc. are good starts.
g. Find other people with strong connections. Bartenders, etc., people who are "connectors".
9) What You Have Here
a. A Million Dollar a year income and training opportunity without a penny out of your pocket.
b. All the work is done and tested for you.
c. All the strategic partnerships have been developed
d. The trust and credibility factors have been eliminated from the website.
e. You have an literally an unlimited income opportunity with very little work.
f. You can make up to $60,000 on every single client with our systems.
g. You can work from anywhere in the world
h. You only need to spend an average of less than 1 hour with a client.
i. You can help people break free from financial slavery.
j. You can help people become financially educated with our materials. Hundreds of courses, videos, training, and support materials.
k. Thousands of dollars worth of legal and financial documents for your clients.
l. Boatloads of marketing and support staff for lead generation.
m. A incredibly fun and exciting business that can be put on auto pilot, we do all the work for you.
n. You do not have to spend TENS of thousands of dollars on franchises or business, or real estate.
o. You are minutes to cashflow and income.
p. You can work as much or as little as you want. One good client a month makes you more then working 40-50 hours a week at a slave job, where the boss tells you when to take a potty break and when you can go home to see your kids.
q. You have the best product on the planet--money. Everyone wants it and people come to you.
r. You get a world class education (if you want) for pennies on the dollar.
s. Nobody else has these products.
t. We have new income ideas and opportunities every week for you.
u. You make money on other products and services as well. A never ending "sales funnel".
v. Huge competitive advantage. We have stuff nobody else has on the planet.
10) More Lead Sources
a. Find other finance professionals. This is the easiest way to make money without working. These finance mentors have many contacts themselves. Find the ones that have a big "list" of clients, members, associates, friends, employees, etc.
b. MLM lists. Join an MLM and get the list of all the clients and offer them a better, more lucrative money method.
c. Youtube videos. Go to fiverr.com and get experts to create videos for $5 bucks.
d. We are launching our Coffee Shop News soon. Deliver these to thousands of locations in town. They have been proven to generate dozens of leads a month.
e. Buy Google pay- per-click for keywords. You can get started for $25. Imagine being on top of the search engine results immediately for the phrase "personal loans".
f. We have someone who runs Craigslist and other classified sites with a software that can run in hundreds of cities. (Craigslist is where we got our start and several other funding companies far inferior to us use them very successfully.)
g. Check out Businessopportunity.com and resellers network. Get finanancial mentors here.
h. Put ads in local newspapers. Daily and weekly.
i. Run ads in magazines such as Business Opportunity, Home Business Opportunity, Small Business Magazine, USA Today, Wall St Journal, New York Times, INC, etc. A few hundred bucks can generate dozens of clients.
j. Start a website and do SEO. Get it up to page one on the search engine results page. These products are searched MILLIONS of times a month.
k. Networking events. There are dozens of meetings a week in any decent-sized market. Meetup.com has hundreds of groups alone. Business leads groups, Singles Groups, Real Estate Groups, Entrepreneur Groups, Wealth Groups, Networking groups.
l. Run weekly seminars for 1 hour. Amazingly effective.
m. Run online webinars. Reach thousands with proper marketing.
n. Buy lists from other people's lists, or get them to run your ads for a piece of the pie.
o. Join groups, like Yahoo, Hangouts, and others.
p. Run Facebook and other social media banner ads.
q. Write articles on article sites.
r. Use your imagination. Talk to people. Go to happy hours. Meet bartenders and customers.
s. Hand out business cards. WE have them for $100 per thousand: TWO-FOLD, GLOSSY BOTH SIDES.
t. Find underserved and underpaid employees and give them your business cards.
That's just for starters, people. Whatever business you think you're in, you're not. You are in the marketing business. Without marketing you have dust gathering. You are in the marketing business.
Building a Sales team: (remote or physical)
Whether you advertise via social media, USA Today, Craigslist, etc. there are certain foundational tenets to live by when building a sales team whether virtual or an in-office fleet.
1) Train-train-train…perfect practice makes perfect. You have heard both many times and for good reason. You do not want good leads being burned through by mediocre or worse sales personnel.
2) Lead by example. Be available, take calls and respond to emails in a swift and timely fashion to demonstrate that you are both their leader, a top performer and one whom provides a strong support base.
3) Be prepared. If you can listen in on sales calls so you have both a powerful training tool but can also help troubleshoot where they may have blown a deal that you can now turn around. Be prepared to close a deal for a flailing sales team member for those running an in-house sales team.
4) Be generous with commissions. Far too many Bossa Novas get real cheap here and often cost themselves their top diamond performers. I have seen it time and time again in my 30 + years in the sales industry. Know your bottom line, break even points and product profit margins-gross and net. Once you know your business like a bean counter than you truly know what you can afford to pay and often it is 30% and not 10-15%. These people are your bread and butter. LET THEM KNOW IT!
5) Be organized, meticulous and on top of your game. No one likes working for someone who can't set the pace, or shows weakness, or lacks impartiality, discipline and integrity.
6) Show that you are confident in your own skin! By that I mean do not be afraid to have open forums amongst your people, invite their ideas at certain junctures and you will see how 15 brains are far superior to one. On that note and one I learned the hard way. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO DELEGATE. There is a difference between being a lazy boss and one that empowers his or her staffers by delegating duties even when you think it may be just a notch beyond their purview.
Thinking Outside the Box:
1) Business Financing Reigns Paramount
All the rules of Wealth Creation are addressed with Unlimited Business Credit Financing.
Knowing the difference between bad debt and good debt is the difference between a struggle for mere existence or living the ultimate leisurely lifestyle.
What we want to do is teach people how to separate their personal credit from their business credit so they're not borrowing funds from themselves, from their family, from their retirement. We want to separate the personal credit from the business credit.
Many people have probably heard of the quote, "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer," and the reason why is the rich have access to working capital. They have access to funding. They have access to money. When the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself, which seems to come around every couple of weeks, they don't have to scramble to refinance their home. They don't have to run out and borrow money from friends and family. They have access to money. Whether it's their own money or other people's money, so what we want to do is make sure that every business owner out there has access to money for their business.
Even though it's possible to make money without money, it is a lot easier to make money if you have available funding. We've cracked the code to unlimited bank financing. Most people have probably the heard the statistics from the FDA. Over fifty percent of small businesses fail in the first year, and 95% within the first five years. The reason why is not because they had a bad business idea. It's not because they were unorganized or didn't know how to run a business properly.
2) Funding Funnel
Here are our current funding options. NO one else in the country has access to these programs and the amounts we can get for you!
There Are No Startup Costs To Go Through This Funding Program As A Member Of Financial Success Club!
Here is a brief synopsis of our "FUNDING FUNNEL". Depending on your priorities and goals there may be different avenues to travel to get to your credit and funding goals.
The first step is to get your BUSINESS CREDIT if you have 700+ FICO scores! Even if you don't have a company set up yet, we can get one ready for you. If you already have a company then you can get up to $150,000! –With access to our resources AGED CORPORATIONS you can get up to $250,000 in 2-3 weeks.
*We offer our members AGED CORPORATIONS through our resource with NO UPFRONT FEES! This will save you up to $5,000 or more upfront costs as aged corps cost about $1,000 for every year of age!
With this aged corporation as long as you have strong 700 FICO scores you can get up to $250,000 in business funding while acquiring a valuable corporation asset, that can be used to acquire other assets!
THE SECOND AGED CORPORATION OPTION if you don't have strong FICO scores IS...
WE have good FICO score guarantors who will help you acquire funding and an aged corporation for a fee! A CFO guarantor is someone you can hire with a high FICO score already! They get the funding for you with the help of a seasoned corporation! Up to $250,000 and you can go for TWO rounds of funding!
What this means also, is that if you don't have a 700+ FICO score you can hire someone with good credit and use THEIR FICO Scores to get HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! This program can be repeated with other seasoned corporations and CFO's! In other words –UNLIMITED FUNDING!
WITH GROSS RECEIPTS OF $10,000 OR MORE! OUR RESOURCE CAN GET YOU UP TO 150% OF YOUR MONTHLY GROSS! - If you generate 50k a month you can borrow up to $75,000!
This only takes a couple days to process and only requires 4 months bank statements and a simple one page information application!
You only need a 640 FICO score to get PERSONAL FUNDING! We can get up to $500,000 in personal funding depending on your FICO scores! Don't expect to get $500,000 with a 640 FICO score, but with a score in the high 700's we can generate high funding because of our processors and their underwriter contacts.
They are able to generate 6-10 TIMES more funding than any other company because of...
1. Their relationships with underwriters
2. Their use of sophisticated software which maximizes your funding
3. Their expertise in using specific lenders who pull only one bureau file
4. Their specific knowledge in new lender programs
5. The use of business and personal funding techniques and strategies
6. The use of NON-FICO funding options
OUR FIFTH FUNDING OPTION! 100% INVESTMENT FINANCING! - We have what we believe is the most amazing wealth creation funding option on the planet! We have bank contact who will finance any credible business or commercial real estate project with 100% financing!
NO INCOME is needed
NO FICO score is required
Minimum purchase is $500,000 up to 3 BILLION funding is available
Approvals are in less than 5 days and funding in about 3 weeks on average
Only a business plan and executive summary are needed
A 3.5% loan origination fee is required after pre-approval of funding
We have executive coaches who will help you at NO cost and PREP a business plan to make sure your project makes sense and can get funded!
This is the most amazing wealth vehicle in our funding funnel! Imagine being able to acquire a $500,000 asset that generates $200,000 in net profits for about $18,000 out of pocket (loan origination fees!). You can acquire MILLIONS in assets and net income this way.
OUR SIXTH FUNDING OPTION. We have NON FICO funding available with CPN funding with our strategic resource. Up to $100,000. This program takes about 45 days but legally creates a new credit file for you! See the NO FICO FUNDING link to see options with this amazing program!
If you have a FICO score under 640 + then you will have to go through Credit Repair and Credit Enhancement program! This program using our law firm can actually generate a CASH settlement for you depending on the types of defaults you have. They can remove ANY inaccuracy on your files.
Once you obtain the larger funding amounts you can participate in our "Be your own Bank" Funding program. Simply help others get CPN funding, buy an aged corp with a CFO, add trade lines so they can proceed to funding! Others are more than willing to pay a cost to borrow your money for a few weeks. This is the greatest way to wealth. When you want to acquire wealth your focus should be on what you can give not on what you can get! There are unlimited clients—140 Million to be exact—who want to break free from financial slavery!
This income opportunity which costs you nothing to start can generate from $1,000 up to $50,000 a month or more depending on how much you wish to invest!
E-1) Gift Cards Copy
E-2) Gift Cards $250
E-3) Reading Bonuses


text:
Glorious day
Seal close to shore at Seamill beach
Like the title says it was a glorious day today cool crisp and clear.
Anne and I had an early(ish) walk down onto Seamill shore.
The tide was flowing and the seals were leaving the rocks to get on with catching lunch
A few of them came quite close to shore so got a few nice shots. If you look closely at them the seals eyes look a bit cloudy. I doubt this is normal and wonder if its something to do with poor sea water condition here abouts.
It certainly looks like they would benefit from a course of antibiotic eye drops.
Lots of other things to see along the beach but I found myself resenting the dogs and walkers. We were making our way slowly taking fotos whilst the dogs and walkers were passing by scaring off all the bird life....don't they know that's my job!
PM got out on the MTB up over my favourite hill and then into Kelburn for a downhill run on Fairlie Glen.
I've got another gripe here. I spent a lot of time clearing a trail of gorse, overhanging branches, and laying a stone ramp, now that its all nice and accessible its being used by folk out hacking on thier ponies ripping it into mud.....grrr! wish they'd go clear thier own trails and leave mine in peace.
In spite of all the grumpy old man rants I had a great day out and about.
View slideshow


text:
This slide show of the way books used to be marketed is certainly worth checking out, if only to see a young, cheeky-looking Cormac McCarthy's mug, to gander Edna O'Brien's "smokin" picture, or to decide which Tom Wolfe bestseller to read first.
Think about it: These days, how often do you see an author's face plastered across the mainstream newspapers? Not often. Maybe we've just gotten uglier, but I'd love to see my round head trimmed from my body like Cormac here, looking like I'm about ready to hurl a smart-assed insult at you.
(Hat tip: Keir Graff)
(Originally posted at the Contemporary Nomad)


text:
The loon just got up and readjusted the eggs.
It looks like both of the eggs are intact but it was hard to get a good or a full view.
Are we close? Let's hope and keep watching.
Twenty eight days will not be up for the first egg until Wednesday morning and the second egg on Friday night.
Is she sensing anything? Movement in the eggs? Sound from the chicks? Anything?
Oh, if only we could know what is going on inside each of the eggs. Night vision has been great. But what we need now to satisfy our curiosity is X-RAY VISION!!!
The suspense is almost too much to bear.


text:
Why Vintage Gatherings Have Changed/
Hebrews 10:19-25 "19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near."
Have you studied a passage lately, not unlike the said section from Hebrews 10, and the Lord so prompted by the power of His Word and the moving of His Spirit that you changed something? Maybe you adjusted something in your life, in the life of your family, or in this case, the life of the church? Jesus has given us new life and a new way of living that life through Him (vs. 20). We have the gift of salvation by His grace and a relationship offered to us by Christ which calls us to respond and confess sin (vs. 22-23). The author's challenge in verses 24-25 leads us to consider how we might stir up and engage within one another our affections for the Lord Jesus. In all these things, Jesus is glorified, His power and might is magnified, and through our continued meeting together in His Name and for His Fame, we are continually being sanctified.
Recently the pastoral team at Vintage Church was meeting and began to discuss these three areas that I've drawn out of the passage and paragraph above (engage, challenge, respond). We discussed the flow in worship gatherings, both big and small – gatherings on campuses and community groups in homes. Over the course of that time we reflected over the past few months, looked at where we are today, and dreamt about the future of Vintage Church. We asked is it enough just to come together? How can we prepare and plan in such a way that above and apart from everything else, it's all about Jesus – Jesus and nothing else? When the world is selling and telling of everything besides Jesus each and every day, as we gather how can we be driven in such a way that it all points to Christ? We found ourselves asking these questions of our team and of the Vintage family: why? what? who?…
- Why do we gather?
- What are we doing when we gather?
- What's the goal?
- Who and what is the theme?
As we discussed, prayed over, and looked to scripture in response to these questions we settled on a flow for Vintage gatherings. What I truly love about this plan is that it funnels us to worship Jesus and challenges us to go and be the church! We've also learned a lot from other pastors and churches. A great example is Andy Stanley & NCC in Atlanta, GA who uses a flow called 'Rules of Engagement.' As we've learned together, we're excited to present this new gathering format to Vintage Church.
Here is what you can expect at a weekend gathering.
- ENGAGE: connecting, reaching new people, welcoming first time guests, encouraging involvement
- opener
- welcome
- call to worship song
- CHALLENGE : preaching, centrality & divisiveness of the Word, conviction to the lost and equipping to the saints
- video testimony
- bumper (lead-in video)
- message
- RESPOND : salvation, confession, celebration, equipping, giving and sending
- invitation
- worship (prayer & singing)
- baptism
- closing, campus specific (campus pastor)
- giving (closing song)


text:
The UEFA video archive is the library for archive footage across all UEFA competitions. Whether you are looking to use classic material or footage from the most recent UEFA European Championship, the UEFA Video Archive is centrally positioned to help you find your way through over 50 years of European football history.
Driven by the objective to promote the game in all its beauty, the UEFA video archive management team aims to serve media professionals who want to deliver top-quality products to football fans worldwide. Following the one-stop shop philosophy, we manage the whole commercial process, from negotiating the licence agreement to obtaining final approval for the end product. Upon request we also assist in the sourcing of the required footage.
For more information, please contact us at: email@example.com.


text:
|The ZIMBABWE Situation
thoughts and prayers are with Zimbabwe
- may peace, truth and justice prevail.
Justice Michael Gillespie outlined reasons for his resignation in a review of a criminal case published in Harare on Saturday, weeks after he left the capital to live in England.
In his review of a light sentence handed down to two men convicted of extortion during a wave of so-called company invasions by militant supporters of President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, Mr Gillespie accused the government of intimidating the judiciary and putting its supporters above the law.
Growing lawlessness
The company invasions followed the widescale and often violent occupation of white-owned farms by Zanu-PF supporters in support of Mr Mugabe's land redistribution programme.
Mr Gillespie said the men had extorted money from a Harare company in the name of the Zanu-PF, a party which he said was "believed to be controlling similar acts of violence and intimidation throughout the country".
The two men, Mr Gillespie said, "are among those who have sought to take advantage of the increasing breakdown of the rule of law engineered by the executive".
"Your behaviour was a symptom of the breakdown to mob rule... which is the inevitable consequence when the government of the day, by its actions, no matter what words it uses, effectively renounces its commitment to the rule of law."
"I have also reached the conclusion that for as long as there prevails the conditions such as I have described in this judgment, I cannot continue to act as an effective and independent member of this bench," he said.
Statement 'disgusting'
The government dismissed Mr Gillespie's charges as "racist rubbish" and said his resignation was "good riddance to bad rubbish".
Zimbabwe Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said the statement was "disgusting".
"Any judge who makes such pertinently political and racist statements which have nothing to do with the case before him is not worth the honour and dignity of the office," he said.
Rungudzi Estate
P O Box 59
Cell : 091 239 410
26 September 2001
I am now feeling completely terrorised, desperate, helpless and tired beyond belief. My employees I am sure feel the same, compounded by insecurity of employment and pending starvation.
I attach statements and letters to further illustrate the plight of myself, and my employees. Even these are a tip of the iceberg of terror that we have been subjected to over the last 18 months. I feel most despondent now, as the Government does not appear to be taking any notice of the attempts by the international community to resolve the crisis of violence. The world community seems helpless to stop this terrorism being unleashed by the Government on the people of Zimbabwe. However, I believe that it is incumbent on the world community to ensure that all inhabitants of this planet are freed from oppression in whatever form. I have been particularly horrified at the stories of atrocities by the Taliban government against the Afghanistan people. The United Nations must have known some of this and has not come to the rescue of the Afghans. There is no excuse for this type of human suffering.
As an MDC activist, I am well aware of the intimidation of all Zimbabweans and particularly MDC supporters and their exclusion from employment and any Aid programmes of drought relief, poverty alleviation, etc.
ALAN McCORMICK


text:
Using PSADMIN
Using PSADMIN involves selecting the number of the menu item that reflects the action that you want to take, entering the correct number at the command line, and pressing Enter. However, in some cases, you may want to use the command-line options that PSADMIN offers.
See Using the PSADMIN Command-Line Interface.
Each PSADMIN menu has the same look and feel. To select a menu item, enter the corresponding number at the prompt and press Enter. To return to the previous menu enter q (quit) at the prompt.
Note: Because the numbers corresponding to the PSADMIN menu commands can change as minor releases and patches provide different features and capabilities to PSADMIN, this documentation generally refers to the names of the commands rather than their menu item numbers.


text:
Gave a slide show and presentation at the restaurant R2L atop Liberty Two in Philadelphia to clients of Devine and Partners. Jay Devine wrote me, "Our clients loved the presentation. It is such an inspiring story and thanks for sharing it."
Also presented to patients, staff, families and volunteers at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia. "The story and presentation was wonderful, and we appreciate having you with us," emailed Ron Suggs, the Vice President for Development.
I have a slide show and I share the story and photos of this incredible book, from before the accident, immediately after, and up to the present. I chronicle Matt's incredible comeback. It is a presentation sure to lift your spirits and inspire you to do better and be better. On occasion, I can get Matt to present with me, although he's busy in medical school doing rotations.
I have been speaking to groups for many years, with great results, and I would love to come and talk with you about my new book, The Road Back.
I will tell you about Matt Miller's inspiring, amazing journey. What happens to him, how he recovers, and what he is able to accomplish are astonishing. Matt Miller's story is not only a celebration of a life, and a riveting drama, but also an example of an America that shines. Just when you feel like you can't escape the rancor in our political life, or feel like the country is beginning to decline, this book is a tonic. America worked. Our emergency responders got there in time and saved him. The doctors and nurses rebuilt him and restored him and gave him care he likely wouldn't have gotten anywhere else in the world. His family supported and healed him, a model of how families should function, especially in crisis. His beautiful young girlfriend stood beside knowing he might never look the same or be the same. Most of all, Matt himself showed a determination and faith that have defined America since its inception. This is a book that will underscore your faith in people, and I will share this positive feeling in my visit with you.
I recently spoke to the South Jersey Athletic Club, a group of distance runners, and gave a slide show of photographs of Matt Miller before the accident, immediately after and as he progressed back to the Ironman and medical school. They loved it. Here is an email I received the next morning from Brandon Hamilton, the president: "What a great night last night. You really have a gift for writing and finding inspirational stories. Thanks for sharing your gift with us. I hope that was just the start of many successful events to come." He is at firstname.lastname@example.com.
My talks are always entertaining, and often motivational. What comes through is my passion, and audiences leave energized and satisfied.
I do other talks as well. I can speak with you about my life as a storyteller, my view of the role and importance of stories in our lives and in our culture, and I can share with you many of my favorites over 30 years as an award-winning journalist. These are stories of people who have overcome incredible obstacles, or achieved amazing things, or who simply have lived life to the fullest, following their dreams. If I do my job right, after my talk you will be revved up and ready to pursue your own dreams, large and small.
I still love to give talks about my earlier book, Rocky Stories: Tales of Love Hope and Happiness at America's Most Famous Steps. I recruited my friend and colleague, Tom Gralish, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer at the Inquirer, and we spent a year at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, steps made famous by Sylvester Stallone in the movie, Rocky. I share the incredible and inspirational stories and photos of people from all over the world who, 35 years after the original movie, still come and run the steps like Rocky. Stallone himself wrote the Foreword. I made a great discovery that year at the steps — the movie and the actor bring the masses there, but when they run, they are celebrating their own lives and achievements, loves and friendship. I also share my own stories and amusing anecdotes about the hurdles I had to overcome in writing the book — like getting to Stallone!
I will talk to conventions, companies, community groups and schools. I have presented to the American Library Association, the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers, The Equipment Leasing & Finance Association, and Royal Caribbean International in Miami, SunTrust Bank in Atlanta, universities, high schools and even middle schools.
"We had such a blast with you… The presentation was wonderful!! We've only heard great feedback from our members. In fact, a lot of our members thought we were crazy to schedule a running of the Rocky steps…until they met you and heard some of the stories. Your stories sparked quite a transformation. Suddenly, people were talking about what it would mean to them (personally) to run the steps. It was quite interesting."
— Angie McCormick, with the Georgia Association of Educators, at their convention in Philadelphia
"Thank you for the knockout presentation you made at our Annual Meeting in Philly. We always try to look for speakers with local appeal and we were fortunate to find you. The stories and photographs from Rocky Stories were entertaining and inspiring. Several attendees were seen running the steps themselves afterward. Thanks again for everything. We truly enjoyed it."
— Trish Land, Meeting Planner, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES)
tel: (864) 654-6824, ext. 205
email: email@example.com
"Michael Vitez's presentation on Running Philadelphia's Rocky Steps should be a must-have at your conference… Using his wonderful sense of humor, he showed our attendees how the Rocky Steps have motivated and inspired people around the world. By the end of his presentation, the majority of the attendees, including myself, were inspired to take our own journey up the Rocky Steps. Our conference was jam-packed with sessions addressing important high-level issues. His presentation provided a mental break for our conference attendees. I wholeheartedly recommend him as a guest speaker. He is an ambassador of Philadelphia!"
— Racquel Codling, Director, Business Development Conferences, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association.
tel: (202) 238-3414
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
"I first met Michael Vitez early one morning over breakfast in Center City Philadelphia. I immediately liked him and very quickly found myself captivated by his stories and his storytelling. As a result, we hired Michael to speak at our annual thinkAbout event in Philadelphia in 2009. He wowed our participants. What really amazed me was how Michael managed to create the same kind of restaurant-booth intimacy and rapport with a larger audience that he had established with me some months earlier one-on-one. He models the kind of memory-making skills that we encourage all experience-stagers to cultivate."
— Jim Gilmore, president of strategic horizons, www.strategichorizons.com.
"Thanks for providing the Wow…Your visits have been so powerful!
— Charly McDonald, Director, Guest Activities, Royal Caribbean International
"Dear Mike and Tom, Many, many thanks for a wonderful day today. Your presentation to our students was exactly the message they needed to hear. Success takes a lot of hard work and effort, and you just can't give up hope if you think you have a great idea. You both gave our students a lot to think about as they enter high school. The slides were great and the stories behind each one of them were so interesting. I hadn't realized that all of Tom's photographs were taken in real time with nothing posed or restaged — fantastic photos. I've heard nothing but great comments all day from everyone who attended your presentation. People were very impressed — and some of those people are not easy to please!"
— Judi Sheridan, middle school librarian, New Jersey
Additional reference:
Brian Niles, CEO, TargetX, 877-715-7474, email@example.com
And finally, I am happy to come to your business or non-profit organization as a consultant and help you understand the power and potential of your own story. I believe stories are our salvation. That has often been the title of talks I have given. I can help you identify your organization's story, and even help you tell it. In my experience, stories are not only the best way to convey your mission and passion and essence to your clients, but also can be useful in trying to bring about culture change within your own organization. Nothing unites us or inspires us as much as a great story.


text:
Even nannies like to party.
The Department of Health is planning to get down next month to celebrate its "successes" during the Bloomberg years — a controversial span that has seen the introduction of an unprecedented number of bans and restrictions.
"SAVE THE DATE: The Twelve Years of Bloomberg: A Holiday Special," proclaims a merry e-mail dispatched last Monday to DOH workers by Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.
"We have had many great public-health successes in the last 12 years. Please join me to celebrate them on Wednesday, Dec. 18, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.," reads the missive obtained by The Post.
The bash will be held at the Hermann Biggs Auditorium on the third floor at the agency's glimmering Long Island City headquarters.
"See you then!" Farley signed off.
Agency staffers will certainly have plenty to reminisce about during the festivities. During Bloomberg's three terms, the agency has launched campaigns against salt, indoor and outdoor smoking, soda, flab, trans fats and baby formula.
Rigid food guidelines at agency parties eliminate deep-fried grub, and mandate that drinks be less than 25 calories per 8 ounces. Cake is allowed, but not with cookies, which are forbidden when there's cake.
"I am not sure what the menu would be — but don't count on it to be too elaborate," grumbled one DOH employee. "Not sure I plan on attending."
Nanny-state critics were galled by the gala.
"It seems like the definition of insanity to have a celebration that's wasting taxpayer dollars," growled Lori Roman, the president of the Salt Institute, who blasted the city's campaign to limit salt, which she said runs contrary to recent evidence that shows that limiting sodium can be harmful.
Audrey Silk, founder of the Brooklyn-based Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment, sneered, "To hell with that! They live in their own alternate universe where they pat themselves on the back for things only they believe. It's like a cult."


text:
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Book Review: "Raising Kids with Love and Limits" by Julie Barnhill
It is true that there is nothing ground-breaking in this book. Barnhill lays out ten "non-negotiables" to be "One Tough Mother"--the type of mother that kids instinctively obey. I will give Barnhill points for organization and for writing style. She is a very witty and entertaining writer--you want to read her even when her writing is just a repeat of what we've all heard before.
I do have one very big complaint about this book. The 10th Non-Negotiable is, by far, the best chapter in the book. It is a beautifully written piece on grace and it should have been where the book ended. Instead, it is followed by an appendix about--and I kid you not--everything from moisturizers to the glories of plastic surgery. It doesn't fit with the book and its simple inclusion demeans everything that came before it.
All that said, I might recommend this book to another mom. It is, after all, a quick and entertaining read and, once you get through all the non-negotiables, you'll realize you are a good mom since you were already using everything the author had given you.
Just don't read the appendix.
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)