text:
One well-received and much commented-on blog post I wrote many years ago covered the "stages of living in Japan". These are the five stages I have witnessed, again and again, in myself and in others and though your mileage may of course vary, they seem pretty spot on. I daresay they could be applied to living in any country.
Green stage, "The Tourist" Wide-eyed amazement, the big screens in Shibuya, the toys, the people, the clean and punctual trains.
LeafGreen, "The Honeymoon" You've just moved here, life is good and exciting. You're learning new things every day.
Orange, "The Hangonaminute" Culture shock creeps in. "What do you mean I can't order extra mayonnaise?" "How many times do I have to fill out the same form??"
Red, "Mr Angry" Aggression. The trains are too crowded. Salarymen stink. People are not friendly at all, just very annoying and unaware of others. No one speaks English one tiny bit after six years of mandatory study at school. Some things are way too expensive. Tokyo is dirty. Mental isolation. Pure hatred! Rampant racism and xeno-ignorance.
Grey, "The Realist" Acceptance. Hey, Japan is a country pretty much like every other country in the world. It has good points, bad points, nice people and arseholes. Live with it.
The progression through these stages may go faster or slower depending on how much you want to buy into Japan's cultural myths, or how much you expect to be able to integrate. If people leave the country to go back home while in the Orange stage they will continue to think of Japan as a crazy, obtuse and weird country. People who leave during the Red stage, when temptation to throw in the towel is the most severe, will end up bitter and twisted, ranting with hatred to anyone nearby.
Once you reach the Grey stage you may occasionally find yourself slipping back into earlier stages for a while. During a nice holiday in the countryside, for example, you may be reminded of Japan's friendliness and general helpfulness, or during a bad period at work or a packed commute you may slip into hatred again.
(Photo: Kechi.Syonen/Shutterstock
The thing to remember is that no matter how special you thought Japan was, like everywhere else, it has good points and bad points and your enjoyment of life here entirely depends on how you deal with either and if the balance for you personally is in favour of the good.
Common Misconceptions
"The Japanese are so polite." The Japanese certainly like to think they own the patent on communal respect, empathy and "wa", the social glue that keeps everything flowing harmoniously. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be a gene that makes people polite that is in every Japanese person's make up. Japan, like every other country in the world is filled with both wonderful people and utter idiots.
Though there is certainly an element of trying not to make too many waves, not trying to be too difficult if it can be avoided, this often manifests itself in a disregard for your immediate surroundings. People pretend to be sleeping in the train's priority seats when a pregnant or old woman has to stand, they read broadsheet newspapers when there is no space, they talk loud in quiet streets in the middle of the night. In short: Japan is like every country in the world.
Just because there are fairly rigid rules of conduct in strong social hierarchies doesn't mean the Japanese are automatically more polite or respectful of others. It just sometimes may seem that way.
"Japan is safe." Japan is safer than what you're used to maybe. I have little qualms walking around with wads of cash, leaving my bag on a seat while I go get some coffee and get drunk in pubs without it ending in physical violence. However, crime does happen, it just isn't reported as much.
(Photo: PKOM/Shutterstock
Sometimes in the seedier areas you may encounter pickpockets, fall victim to a roofie, have your credit card abused, be tricked into extortionate "table seating" fees. You still need to stay alert. Generally, though, you can relax a bit compared to back home, just don't think it's a "leave the door unlocked at night" kind of country.
"Japanese food is healthy." Some Japanese food is healthy, just as some English food is healthy and some Western food is healthy. Japan has its fair share of junk foods, fatty cheap fare that, when overindulged in, can cause the same kind of spare-tire blubber as, say, Western fast foods and such.
It is true that Japanese cuisine has a lot of excellent and healthy dishes that are both tasty and awesome! If you stick to a (healthy) Japanese diet you may see all manner of life-prolonging health changes. Live a life of convenience store onigiri and bentos, though, like a true game developer and don't be surprised to be sweating grease like a fat hog before too long. Together with Japan's embrace of alcohol you might even find yourself gaining weight when you first move to Japan!
"The Japanese love Western stuff and people!" They sort of do, but it's not a hard and fast rule. A lot of Western culture makes its way to Japan, but is passed through some filter, coming out the other side slightly odd and different. Pizzas with wasabi and mayonnaise, sandwiches with whipped cream and strawberries and mayonnaise, cocktails with sake and mayonnaise, everything gets a slight adjustment to make it appeal more to the Japanese, who really do seem to like their mayonnaise.
Similarly people; some Westerners are A-OK, especially the Caucasian English-speaking types from recognisable major cities. Other races from different locales aren't as openly adored. Even then, there will be plenty of people who will detest you for being "cooler" or being considered "cooler" or getting an easy ride — and despite our problems, most Westerners do get an easy ride.
Social Life In Japan
Social isolation might become a real issue, even for the most extroverted ex-pats.
Though plenty of Japanese will be friendly with you, colleagues or strangers in bars and you'll be asked out many times you will find the connections you make will fall short of true friendships most of the time. In Japan, like almost everywhere, your true friendships are forged during your formative and uni years and by the time you burst onto the scene in your colleagues' social lives they will already be settled in their own circle of friends.
Some will come to regard you as their "foreign friend". You might get invited to wedding parties and drinking engagements and be presented as a friend of the organiser, merely so his or her friends can be impressed they have foreign friends. It is not a bad situation to be in, just don't mistake it for true friendship.
The Japanese are notorious drinkers and will often get drunk beyond decency at any occasion. These can be fun times and often stuffy colleagues let their guard down. You may be surprised, though, that the very next day things will be back to normal at the office and the drunken conversations about deeply personal issues had the night before will now be ignored, as they were previously, and old hierarchies are back in place. A Japanese colleague and that colleague when drunk are two entirely separate entities.
Image: Hannamariah/Shutterstock
Eventually you will become tired of the same old questions about where you're from, whether you can use chopsticks, if it's true what they say about foreigners' packages, etc. It is no surprise so many expatriates end up in a bubble of other foreign friendships. The need to communicate in a language you are comfortable with on a cultural level you're used to is an important one. Instead of shunning the other foreigners for bursting your idyllic "only foreigner in an exotic place" delusion you'll end up banding together for solace, comfort and friendship.
That isn't to say it is impossible to forge meaningful relationships with Japanese people; you will likely make a few good Japanese friends too! Just don't underestimate the social isolation being in a different culture can impose and how other expatriates can help you cope.
This excerpt is from Kay's e-book Japanmanship: The Ultimate Guide to Working in Video Game Development in Japan.
With credits on games like Harvest Moon and Tokyo eXtreme Racer, James Kay is currently the CEO of Tokyo-base game developer Score Studios.
Top image: SeanPavonePhoto/Shutterstock


text:
Police say that a substitute teacher in a Pittsburgh-area high school passed out in class after allegedly being high on heroin.
Bellevue Police Sgt. Mike Hudson says 26-year-old Christopher Chiappetta of Pittsburgh was arrested Wednesday after he passed out in front of 11 students, TV station KDKA reports.
Authorities say they found four baggies of heroin in Chiapetta's pocket and marijuana in his car, and that he confessed to using heroin around 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Chiapetta faces several drug charges as well as endangering the welfare of children.
He's being held at the Allegheny County jail, unable to post $10,000 bond. No attorney was listed on court papers.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 24.
More News:
- High School Riot Leaves Teacher Hurt
- Youth Football Coach Clocks Other Coach: Police
- States Enact Laws to Stock Epinephrine at Schools

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The center of Tropical Storm Isaac moved west into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico Sunday night after lashing South Florida and the Keys with wind and rain, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Gov. Rick Scott said he was concerned about heavy rains, winds, the storm surge and the risk of tornadoes around the state. As Isaac began tracking west, Scott said flooding in the Panhandle and high winds in Tampa were major issues for the state.
By late Sunday afternoon it looked like Isaac would eventually make landfall in Mississippi, but the Panhandle was still anticipating up to 18 inches of rain from the storm, Scott said. The area is still saturated from Tropical Storm Debby earlier this year.
"The Panhandle is already saturated, so 18 inches of rain is a significant problem," he said.
After leaving the Keys, Isaac was expected to turn northwest and strike as a Category 2 hurricane somewhere between the New Orleans and the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb told NBC 6 Sunday afternoon that it would no longer make much of a difference for South Florida how far west Isaac begins to track.
"Not a huge difference, in any event, we're going to be on the southeast of the whole circulation," Knabb said. "What it does impact is the west coast neighbors because if it tracks more east, it would bring tropical storm conditions, if it tracks farther west, the impact on the west coast would be less."
He said Isaac's disorganization and impact on land in the Caribbean had kept it from intensifying.
The governors of Mississippi and Louisiana, Phil Bryant and Bobby Jindal, both declared a state of emergency for their state Sunday.
In Louisiana, Jindal suggested that people begin leaving low-lying parts of the state. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu declared a state of emergency and asked the city's citizens to begin to prepare.
"I sense there is a high level of anxiety, the timing of this storm coming on – as fate would have it, the anniversary of Katrina – has everybody in a state and sense of alertness and that is a good thing," Landrieu said. "It's important to stay on high alert and stay prepared."
He said Isaac is expected inland late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning but said the storm's track still remained uncertain.
In South Florida, three people were killed in two separate crashes due to wet roads, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The first crash involved a head-on collision, which killed both drivers, and in the second, the car plunged into a canal and the driver drowned, officials said.
There were no reports of injuries in the Keys, but a tree fell onto the stairs of an unoccupied home, causing some damage, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said.
The hurricane warning for the Florida Keys was downgraded to a tropical storm warning as of 5 p.m. The warning was also in effect for the Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay.
In addition the tornado watch that was in effect for Miami-Dade, Broward and mainland Monroe counties was discontinued. Strong squalls began passing throughout the Keys and South Florida Sunday morning and were expected to last intermittently into the night.
In Key West, Emalyn Mercer rode her bike while decked out with a snorkel and mask, inflatable arm bands and a paddle, just for a laugh. She rode with Kelly Friend, who wore a wet suit, dive cap and lobster gloves.
"We're just going for a drink," Mercer said.
"With the ones that are brave enough like us," Friend added.
Along famed Duval Street, many stores, bars and restaurants closed, the cigar rollers and palm readers packed up, and just a handful of drinking holes remained open.
But people posed for pictures at the Southernmost Point, while at a marina Dave Harris and Robyn Roth took her dachshund for a walk and checked out boats rocking along the waterfront.
"Just a summer day in Key West," Harris said.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office advised the public to stay off the roads and officials said they won't have full field damage reports until Monday. Florida Keys Electric Cooperative and Key Energy reported sporadic outages.
As forecast, the storm strengthened somewhat as it moved out into the Gulf. As of 5 a.m. Monday, Isaac had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph as it moved west-northwest at 14 mph about 180 miles southwest of Ft. Myers and 405 miles southeast of the mouth of the MIssissippi River.
Isaac was expected to strengthen over the next 48 hours and forecasters expect the storm to become a hurricane in the next day or so.
What's Open, What's Closed Ahead of Isaac
The center of Isaac is expected to move over the eastern Gulf on Monday, and approach the northern Gulf Coast on Tuesday.
Isaac's tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles from the center, mainly to the northeast of the center.
The hurricane watch for Miami-Dade was dropped Sunday morning. The National Hurricane Center cancelled the hurricane watch for the Florida east coast from Golden Beach southward to Ocean Reef.
Shelters Open in Monroe County
As for the Republican National Convention which was scheduled to begin Monday in Tampa, officials announced Saturday that the bulk of the convention would be delayed until Tuesday due to Isaac. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said the convention will convene briefly Monday and recess until Tuesday afternoon.
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said Sunday afternoon that the convention will resume Tuesday with a compressed but very active schedule. It will begin in earnest Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Buckhorn said convention tents that are less stable will probably be taken down, then erected again Tuesday morning.
Scott said he cancelled his activities with the convention through Tuesday.
"The convention was a big opportunity for our state to show what a great place this is to live, work and play," Scott said. "What they're going to find out this week is we know how to deal with hurricanes, we're prepared. This is a state that knows how to deal with these things."
On Saturday, Scott declared a state of emergency for the state of Florida and urged South Floridians to monitor the progress of Isaac throughout the weekend.
Some of the strongest wind reports came in early Sunday afternoon and tropical storm force winds were forecast to end early Monday morning.
No School in Miami-Dade, Broward Monday
In addition to wind, Isaac brought the region plenty of rain. Homestead received 6.54 inches of rain, Fort Lauderdale got 5.34 inches, Sawgrass Mills 5.46 inches, Doral 3.46 inches, and Miami International Airport 3.29 inches.
On Sunday, wind gust reports out of Key West were the highest in South Florida at 70 mph, and coastal parts of Miami-Dade and Broward had gusts up to 66 mph on Virginia Key and 64 mph at Port Everglades.
A total of 555 flights in and out of Miami International Airport were cancelled Sunday. Click here for an update on Miami-Dade flights.
South Beach Near Silent as Isaac Nears
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez issued an evacuation order for residents living in mobile parks and low-lying areas prone to flooding Saturday afternoon, but no general evacuation order was given.
In Broward, officials encouraged residents to brace for tropical storm conditions.
According to Florida Power & Light, as of 4 a.m. 33,320 people in Miami-Dade and 30,050 people in Broward had no power. More than 7,000 crew members were working to restore power to residents, FPL said.
Dangerous surf and rip current conditions will affect the Florida peninsula and Florida Keys during the next couple days.
Isaac has claimed the lives of at least four people, according to the Associated Press.
Monroe County Emergency Management Director Irene Toner said every storm, whether big or small, "poses some sort of a danger."
"So to think, 'Oh, it's only Cat 1,' or 'It's only a tropical storm' is really not the way to look at it, because Mother Nature is unpredictable – as the storm turned out to be unpredictable," she said.
Hurricane Season: Special Coverage


text:
|No such thing as a small change
Re: RFC: debugger_trainerby lwicks (Pilgrim)
|on Dec 28, 2012 at 11:03 UTC ( #1010685=note: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
I really like the idea if a script that guides you through using the perl debugger. Like some of the other monks I tend to fall back on print statements and Data::Dumper; which I know is daft but I am really lacking in skills in the debugger. I like the idea of a script that basically tells me to try various things and explains why. So when you try and run it direct it tells me to run it with -d. Then there are perhaps comments/prints that tell me what to do. That describe perhaps a problem and a command that helps me identify the problem etc. Happy to act as a guinea pig on this. :-)
Kia Kaha, Kia Toa, Kia Manawanui!
In Section Meditations


text:
ROCKFORD — A $51,628 Economic Development District Planning grant was awarded Friday for Blackhawk Hills Resource Conservation and Development through the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration.
"Blackhawk Hills is excited to receive these federal Economic Development Administration planning funds again," Theresa Wittenauer, executive director of Blackhawk Hills Regional Council, said in a news release. "These dollars are matched by all six of our counties and used to assist our region in working toward our economic development goals. Being able to leverage these federal funds in our region allows us the opportunity to continue focusing on our mission of economic recovery, creating jobs, and bringing back manufacturing to our area."
This EDA planning investment supports the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy in the region served by Blackhawk Hills Resource Conservation and Development, which is comprised of the counties of Carroll, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, and Whiteside. The CEDS process is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
For information: eda.gov.


text:
Product Description
Channeling inspiration from the Roland SYSTEM-100m's 150 and 165 modules, the SYS-555 is a five-in-one powerhouse that brings core utility functions to your modular setup, but with some new and interesting twists. The SYS-555 contains both traditional and non-traditional modulation sources applicable to any imaginable configuration or setup. With ring modulation, versatile sample and hold with seven waveforms and internal LPF, pink and white noise modes, LFO with internal ENV and VCA, and two CV controlled portamento circuits, your tonal shaping and modulation options are near infinite.
The includes a 1 Year return to base warranty. This warranty applies to all equipment which has developed a manufacturer defect during application. Please contact us to confirm the availability and lowest price for any product. For quotes and price matching requests, contact us and include the competing website address.
|Sealed / New
|Insured Value
|Delivered Price
|Shown at checkout
Look no further than AudioDubai when buying gear online in the United Arab Emirates , always at the lowest price with free shipping to all locations serviced by FEDEX UAE. Please contact us for stock availability , price quotes , expedited shipping quotes or to arrange a return of your (for the full purchase price of ). You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. AudioDubai are very proud to carry a large selection of gear. You demand quality, reliability, and innovative design from your gear, and we're here to help you find exactly what you need. We're glad to answer any questions you have and you can always depend on AudioDubai to give you the best possible value on musical instruments and accessories with responsive customer service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my order be shipped and delivered safely and securely?
Yes. All orders are shipped with FEDEX and are marked as "fragile" to ensure that your ordered items are securely and safely shipped and delivered. All orders are packaged with protective casing and/or bubble wrap prior to FEDEX dispatch. All orders require signature upon delivery to ensure that your order is delivered to the correct recipient. If you are unavailable at your delivery address at the time of delivery attempt your order will be held at your local FEDEX depot and a calling card left at your delivery address to organise re-delivery or pickup.
How do I check for stock levels?
Email "firstname.lastname@example.com" to enquire about current stock levels for the . We aim to stock popular items at all times and are able to quickly order in products if they are currently not in stock. In the event of product backorder or product discontinuation your order will be cancelled and a payment request (Paypal) will not be processed.
Do we ship products internationally?
Yes. AudioBuy ship the majority of products to all international locations serviced by FEDEX. You will be notified during checkout if your order is unable to be delivered to your region due to manufacturer restrictions and/or other shipping restrictions. All listed prices are inclusive of FEDEX shipping costs.
What is the process after I checkout?
Following checkout your order number will be generated and stock availability confirmed before a Paypal invoice is emailed to your registered email address. If your order is not in stock and cannot be shipped within 10 business days then your order will be cancelled. If your order is in stock or can be ordered from the manufacturer for FEDEX dispatch within 10 business days then we will email a Paypal invoice to complete payment.
When do I pay?
You do not pay at checkout. If your order is in stock or readily available from the manufacturer then a Paypal payment request (invoice) will be emailed to you 2-24 hours following checkout. This is to ensure that we do not collect payment for orders which cannot be promptly dispatched and delivered.
When will my Paypal invoice arrive?
Following checkout your Paypal invoice will be emailed to you within 24 hours if your entire is in stock or readily available with the manufacturer.
When will my order be delivered?
Following Paypal payment your order will be FEDEX dispatched within 1-2 business days if your order is in stock. If your order is only in stock with the manufacturer then we will require up to 10 business days to FEDEX dispatch your order. After your order has been shipped we will email your FEDEX tracking number to the email address you provided during checkout / account sign-up. The average FEDEX transit time is 3-5 business days to most international locations.
Can you price match with another retailer?
Yes. Contact "firstname.lastname@example.com" with the product name and the competing website's URL. Our total price including FEDEX delivery is currently . When comparing prices with other retailers be aware that their prices may not include international FEDEX shipping costs.
Do we sell used or second hand products?
No. AudioBuy only sell brand new and sealed products which are sourced from the respective and legitimate manufacturer ( ).
Do I need to have a Paypal account to complete payment?
No. Paypal provide the option of completing payment with your Paypal account if you are already a member , if you do not have a Paypal account you will be prompted to complete payment using a debit or credit card. All Paypal payments are subject to approval and will be promptly refunded if AudioBuy or Paypal review the transaction to be unauthorised.


text:
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HomeServe, a leading provider of home emergency repair service plans, today announced that it, in association with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his team at Giuliani Partners, will be launching a campaign directed at Michigan homeowners to educate them on their water service line responsibilities and ways they can protect themselves from the cost and inconvenience of a water service line emergency.
"Many people are not aware that if their water line breaks, the repair bill may come out of their pockets. In most cases, homeowners are responsible for the water line that runs from the water company's connection to their home, and also in most cases, the cost of repairs is not covered by their basic homeowners insurance or by their local utility," said Rudy Giuliani.
Tom Rusin, CEO of HomeServe said, "Replacing a broken water service line can often cost thousands of dollars that homeowners may not be able to afford. It's critical that homeowners understand the potential financial ramifications of a broken water or sewer line and that they are adequately prepared." Rusin continued, "With Rudy Giuliani's help, we hope we can give homeowners the information they need to understand and manage the risk of a home emergency."
"Water Service Line Coverage from HomeServe not only takes care of the cost of covered repairs, the coverage also takes care of the repair itself, relieving homeowners of the inconvenience and burden a water service line emergency can create," said Rusin. "So while homeowners may not be able to prevent a water service line emergency, now they have a way to be prepared."
According to HomeServe repair records and information from the U.S. Census Bureau, there will be an estimated 1,000,000 water service line emergencies in the United States this year, at an average replacement cost in the thousands of dollars. An Ipsos Public Affairs Poll in 2012 found that 61% of homeowners surveyed are not aware they are responsible for repairs to their water service line.
About HomeServe
HomeServe USA Repair Management Corp. ("HomeServe") is an independent provider of home emergency repair service plans. For over a decade, the company has protected homeowners against the expense and inconvenience of water, sewer, electrical, HVAC and other home emergencies by providing affordable coverage and quality service. HomeServe serves 1.3 million homeowners in the US and Canada and dedicates itself to being a customer-focused company providing best-in-class emergency repair plans through utility partners and directly to customers. For more information about HomeServe, please go to www.homeserveusa.com, follow us on www.twitter.com/homeserveusa and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/homeserveusa.


text:
"We are really pleased with the quality of your products and service. We would have no hesitation in recommending your company in the future".
"Thank you all at Philip Whear for our beautiful conservatory which we get so much pleasure from."
"Attention to detail and excellent customer service. Everyone has commented on the quality of the finish, it is outstanding."
We have received your email and will be in contact with you shortly to discuss your requirements in more detail.
In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01209 215 759
Please click here to return to our homepage


text:
Are you sure you want to leave this community? Leaving the community will revoke any permissions you have been granted in this community.
Cite this ( MMPC-University of California Davis , RRID:SCR_015357)
URL: http://mmpc.ucdavis.edu/index.php
Resource Type: Resource, disease-related portal, topical portal, resource, service resource, portal, access service resource, data or information resourceCenter that provides the scientific community with metabolic and physiologic phenotyping tests, services, and procedures for mouse models of diabetes, diabetic complications, obesity and related disorders in order to advance medical and biological research.
Welcome to the RRID Resources search. From here you can search through a compilation of resources used by RRID and see how data is organized within our community.
You are currently on the Community Resources tab looking through categories and sources that RRID has compiled. You can navigate through those categories from here or change to a different tab to execute your search through. Each tab gives a different perspective on data.
If you have an account on RRID then you can log in from here to get additional features in RRID such as Collections, Saved Searches, and managing Resources.
Here is the search term that is being executed, you can type in anything you want to search for. Some tips to help searching:
You can save any searches you perform for quick access to later from here.
We recognized your search term and included synonyms and inferred terms along side your term to help get the data you are looking for.
If you are logged into RRID you can add data records to your collections to create custom spreadsheets across multiple sources of data.
Here are the sources that were queried against in your search that you can investigate further.
Here are the categories present within RRID that you can filter your data on
Here are the subcategories present within this category that you can filter your data on
If you have any further questions please check out our FAQs Page to ask questions and see our tutorials. Click this button to view this tutorial again.


text:
Shipping to: Ireland
The bronzer, which creates an even-looking complexion, is enriched with vitamin E and argan oil that contain nourishing and protective properties.
The ultra-fine texture brushes on easily. The colour is revealed instantly and adheres well to the skin, making it possible to naturally and evenly contour your face. It's pleasantly silky to the touch.
The bronzer comes in a modern compact with a gunmetal finish and the KK logo engraved on the cover. The case has a magnetic closure and an internal mirror.
Dermatologically tested.
A luminous and even finish. Sculpted face make-up for accentuating your femininity. Your complexion will have an even look and a seemingly natural tan all day.
Collect the bronzer with a powder brush, such as the Fusion 01 Powder Brush. Gently blend the product onto the face and neck.
The cost varies depending on the delivery service and the destination country of the order. For more details see the "Delivery information and costs" page.
More information
Shipping times may vary depending on the service chosen. In the countries served by Swiss Post (Asendia) only, delivery takes an average of 6-7 working days (up to a maximum of 10) from the order being dispatched. In countries where the Skynet service is also available, the shipping time is 2-4 days after being dispatched by courier. More information
Purchases made on KIKO are secure and guaranteed. All information relating to payments, including personal information and credit card information, is protected through an advanced encrypted data transmission system. Under no circumstances will KIKO file your credit card number, nor will it use or keep the information you provided on its own systems.
You have 14 business days from the date you receive the items in which to exercise your right to return the goods. Please let Customer Service know about any problems relating to the goods received.
To use a promotional code, select "Have you got a promotional code?" on the shopping cart page and insert the characters indicated in the appropriate field. If your code is inserted correctly, the amount and/or content of the Shopping Cart will be recalculated based on the promotion applied.
Face cream that promotes hydration and whips the skin into shape at all ages
Rapid hydration face cream
Moisturizing intensive mask
Brightening and perfecting face base that revitalizes the complexion with a fine sheen
Muy bueno
Au top
Semplicemente perfetto
Buona durata
Me gusta
Mi piace


text:
Markéta Bidlasová, David Drábek
Stage director: David Drábek
Sets: Jakub Kopecký
Costumes: Simona Rybáková
Music: Darek Král
Choreography: Martin Pacek
Motion cooperation: Henrieta Hornáčková
Projections: Šimon Koudela, Jakub Kopecký
Light design: Daniel Tesař
Photographer: Martin Šandera
Assistant choreographer: Zuzana Hrzalová, Pavel Knolle
Assistant stage director: Kristian Mejstřík
Recommended for audience 9+
Project created for Laterna magika by the dramatist and director David Drábek is inspired by Jules Verne's famous novels, The Mysterious Island in particular. It is a reminiscence of scientific discoveries of the 19th century and of geographical, geological, physical and astronomical knowledge spread at that time. The story itself is, however, set in the first decades of the 20th century, in the era of the pioneers of the film industry.
In one of the first studios of this brand-new and innovative media, a couple of filmmakers try to transfer the novel to the screen, even meeting with the great writer himself. This production thus connects several periods of technological development and scientific knowledge. The setting is inspired by a real film studio built by Thomas Alva Edison at the beginning of the century. In this environment, the fantastic images and intrepid heroes of Verne's books come alive, but we follow the path of originality, not drawing upon the aesthetics of the period illustrations. The sets and animation were designed by Jakub Kopecký, who previously collaborated with Laterna magika on Human Locomotion. The costumes were created by Simona Rybáková, the music composed by Darek Král. The production, naturally, also features the signature Laterna magika dance-movement elements. The Extraordinary Voyages of Jules Verne is a colourful and engrossing show applying 21st- century theatre and film media and making use of various projection surfaces, animations, fantastic costumes and props. The production works with multimedia, movement and drama theatre, and is intended for a wide age spectrum. We are convinced that our foreign visitors will enjoy it just as much as the local audience.
Approximate running time, including intermission: 1 hour, 45 minutes, one 20-minute intermission.


text:
Elementary Magazine Subscriptions
Highlights magazine is perfect for beginning readers. Geared towards children ages 6-12, the magazine is filled with puzzles, comics, advice columns, riddles, stories, crafts, and jokes. Operating under the motto "Fun with a purpose," Highlights is dedicated to helping kids become the best version of themselves. Each magazine strives to unlock creativity and imagination through interactive stories and articles. Your child will look forward to receiving Highlights in the mail each month!
Ranger Rick is another great option for young readers. Geared toward kids who love the outdoors, Ranger Rick helps children cultivate a love of nature. Created for kids 7-12, the magazine is filled with interesting facts about animals, articles about outdoor adventures, and colorful photography. The magazine also catalogs the fictional tale of a raccoon named Ranger Rick and his friends Scarlett Fox and Boomer Badger. As the animals seek to protect the environment, they encourage children to do the same.
If you have elementary-age children, they will enjoy a subscription to Highlights or Ranger Rick. Peruse our website to find the latest deals and discounts on children's magazines, and choose one that your kids will love. They're sure to look forward to receiving it in the mail each month!


text:
Aquaria, taxidermy, cabin, tourism information highlight exhibits this year
PRATT — The 2011 Kansas State Fair — Sept. 9-18 — offers a wide variety of sights, sounds, food, music, and other entertainment, but the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) brings a different kind of wild outdoor and travel experience to the fair. The KDWPT exhibit, located in the Eisenhower Building (north of the administration building and train station), gives fairgoers a chance to see replicas of state record fish and deer mounts, an aquatic nuisance species (ANS) display, aquaria teeming with dozens of fish species, and live snakes. Natural resource officers and staff from KDWPT education centers will be on hand to answer questions.
KDWPT's mobile aquarium will set up next to Gate 9, on the southeast corner of the fairgrounds. The 40-foot long aquarium holds 3,200 gallons and displays many Kansas sportfish and nongame fish, including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, white bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass (wiper), bluegill, green sunfish, longear sunfish, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, buffalo, common carp, walleye, sauger, saugeye, redear sunfish, black crappie, white crappie, longnose gar, spotted gar, and freshwater drum.
Viewers have a special chance to see native live fish up close, and fisheries biologists are on hand to answer questions and demonstrate fishing techniques from the aquarium's casting platform.
KDWPT also has a cabin on the fairgrounds, near Lake Talbot. This cabin is much like those available for rent at Kansas state parks and wildlife areas, and visitors may enter a drawing for free cabin weekends. Governor Sam Brownback will be on hand to draw the lucky winners for free weekend cabin stays on Thursday morning, Sept. 15. More than 90 cabins are now available at 20 state parks and five wildlife areas, offering visitors comfortable, convenient accommodations.
Kansas Tourism and KANSAS! magazine will share a booth in the Pride of Kansas Building (located west of the administration building). Visitors to the booth will have the chance to pick up a free copy of the 2011-12 Official Kansas Visitors Guide, sign up to win a basket of Kansas goodies, subscribe to KANSAS! and more. Most days a representative from a "Spotlight Community" will be present in the booth with information on what there is to see and do in their Kansas community. Fair attendees can learn more about products, places and things covered in KANSAS! from special guests who will be featured in the booth.
For more information on the KDWPT State Fair exhibit, phone 620-672-5911. For information about the Kansas Tourism exhibit, phone 785-296-2281.


text:
It?s unlikely Chad Pennington will be willing to return to New York knowing that he is not the Jets' quarterback of the future. Instead, Pennington will want to position himself with a team where he has a chance to start ?- just like Kurt Warner did first with the New York Giants, then the Arizona Cardinals. Pennington is expected to surface on a team that is grooming a young quarterback not yet ready to play. There are two logical possibilities. The most intriguing is the Kansas City Chiefs, where Pennington would be reunited with his former Jets head coach, Herm Edwards. The others would be the Minnesota Vikings, a team that already has added former Jets quarterback Brooks Bollinger, and the Carolina Panthers, who recently brought in another former Jets quarterback, Vinny Testaverde.
Pennington Could End Up In Kansas City?


text:
Winstion Salem, NC (PRWEB) February 07, 2013
LabRoots ® (http://www.labroots.com) and the Veterinary Bioscience Institute (http://www.vetbiotech.com) are pleased to announce the second annual international BioConference Live (http://www.bioconferencelive.com) event on February 13th and 14th, 2013.
The Laboratory Animal Science (LAS) BioConference Live is a free, two-day, international, online-only conference focused on laboratory animal medicine. Speakers and attendees from around the globe will gather in a virtual environment to discuss the topics of this year's meeting: Animal Well being and Welfare Science. This conference will have three tracks; housing, enrichment and pain/distress/pleasure. This is a coveted opportunity to meet and learn from experts and peers from around the globe without leaving the comfort of attendee's home or office. There is even a virtual exhibit hall, where attendees can meet and talk with their favorite vendors, or learn about new products that some didn't know existed. Virtual lounges are available to utilize for discussions between attendees, or between attendees and speakers.
"In this economy, LAS BioConference Live is the perfect solution to meet continuing education needs while not placing undue stress on already tight budgets", explains Dr. Szczepan Baran, President of the Veterinary Bioscience Institute. "It is unfortunate that when funding decreases in a bad economy, it is typically things like training and professional growth whose budgets get slashed. It is not good for morale and cutting training is certainly not good for research!" Dr. Baran states.
LAS BioConference Live will bring together scientists, veterinary technicians, veterinarians, technical support staff, IACUC administrators and support staff, as well as training and compliance personnel from around the world to learn about recent advances in the field of laboratory animal medicine.
"LabRoots is the premiere provider of online virtual conferences," states Greg Cruikshank, CEO of LabRoots® and BioConference Live. "It was a natural decision to work with the Veterinary Bioscience Institute for a Laboratory Animal Sciences conference. Last year's inaugural LAS BioConference Live event was very successful, and 2013 is shaping up to be even more so."
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/2/prweb10398307.htm.
|Source: PRWeb
Copyright©2012 Vocus, Inc.
All rights reserved


text:
Finesse is a responsive business and portfolio Drupal theme carefully handcrafted using HTML5 and CSS3 . It features a clean design, as well as extended functionality that will come in very handy. It includes plenty of style options that will allow for a very easy and flexible customization.
Main Features
- Compatible with Drupal 7++ (tested with drupal 7.34)
- Responsive HTML5 and CSS3 design
- Touch enabled (swipe gestures)
- Wide and boxed layouts
- Unlimited Colors (8 colors schema made ready, and easy to custom more…)
- Lots of background patterns
- Responsive Filterable portfolio
- Supports all major browsers
- Google Web Fonts
- Easy to customize
- SEO ready!
- Documentation included
- Layered PSDs for customization
- And much more …
The photos used in this template are made available for commercial use under the Creative Commons license.


text:
The numbers in the Tuesday multi-state Mega Millions draw were 16, 22, 23, 26, 35 and the Mega number was 31.
The estimated jackpot was $91 million. If no tickets were sold with all six numbers, the jackpot for the next drawing, scheduled for Friday, would rise to $110 million, a California Lottery official said.
The drawing was the eighth since the last time a ticket with all six numbers was sold.
The odds of matching all five numbers and the Mega number is 1 in 175,711,536, according to the Mega Millions website.
The Mega Millions game is played in 41 states and the District of Columbia.


text:
I'll Have Another scratched from Belmont
NEW YORK (AP) -- I'll Have Another's bid for a Triple Crown ended Friday morning with the shocking news that the chestnut colt was out of the Belmont Stakes because of a swollen left front tendon.
According to Dennis O'Neill, brother of trainer Doug O'Neill, the heavy 4-5 betting favorite galloped early and after a veterinary scan, his tendon seemed "kind of tender."
"The horse is sound and happy, but it's not worth it," O'Neill told The Associated Press.
It was the first time since 1936 that the Derby and Preakness winner didn't run in the Belmont. That year, it was Bold Venture and in 1932, Burgoo King skipped the race.
"It's not tragic, but it's a huge disappointment," Doug O'Neill said on "The Dan Patrick Show."
Asked if I'll Have Another has raced his last race, O'Neill said: "If I had to wager, I would say yes."
I'll Have Another came out of a losing effort in the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga last September with shin problems and took the rest of the year off.
He returned to racing in February, and won the Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita, putting the colt firmly on the Triple Crown trail.
Doug O'Neill and owner J. Paul Reddam immediately gave I'll Have Another two months off leading up to the Santa Anita Derby, which he won by a nose on April 12.
He followed with victories in the Kentucky Derby on May 5 and the Preakness two weeks later to set up a highly anticipated bid to become racing's first Triple Crown winner in 34 years.
But the Belmont Stakes isn't called the "Test of the Champion" for nothing, and its 1 1-2-mile distance has stopped 11 previous horses' attempts at winning the Triple Crown. Given the slightest hint of a problem, the colt's connections withdrew him rather than risk further injury for a shot at making history.
"It's devastating. I thought this was going to be one of the greatest races in history, and I wanted the opportunity to be part of it," said Dale Romans, trainer of second favorite Dullahan. "But this is bigger than that. This is terrible news."
Actually, from the day after I'll Have Another's thrilling win in the Preakness, not much has gone right for Team O'Neill.
On his van ride to New York, the trip was delayed several hours because of traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike. A few days later, O'Neill was suspended 45 days and fined $15,000 by the California Horse Racing Board for a medication violation. His suspension is to begin after the Belmont.
Then, racing stewards said that for the Belmont, I'll Have Another could have to go without the nasal strip he wore in races this year, and exercise rider Jonny Garcia had visas problems and had to be replaced for several days.
Perhaps the worst thing before Friday -- a near collision with a loose horse on the track last week, prompted racing officials to establish a special window of time for Belmont Stakes horses to be on the track.
Also, the New York State Racing and Wagering Board ordered a detention barn to be set up for all the Belmont horses to beef up security, a decision that angered trainers, who said moving their horses might have an effect on their performance.
"With a horse like I'll Have Another, you're under a really strong microscope," O'Neill said earlier. "It's all just trying to show the public we care for the horses and that when you put your hard-earned money on one of the horses you can know they're all clean and pure and ready to go."
The story of I'll Have Another began at Brookdale Farm, 500 acres of Bluegrass in Versailles, Ky. That's where the stallion Flower Alley was bred to Harvey Clarke's mare Arch's Gal Edith.
Flower Alley won the 2005 Travers Stakes and finished second in the Breeders' Cup Classic. His father was Distorted Humor, who produced 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide. On I'll Have Another's mother's side, there is a long line of horses with speed and stamina, an asset when it comes to the 1 1/2-mile Belmont. Not regal bloodlines, but there was potential.
Upon arrival at the 2010 Keeneland November Yearling Sale, Victor Davila -- who works for Eiasman Equine training center in Williston, Fla. -- gave himself a $10,000 budget, but overspent by $1,000 on the colt. He liked the way the chestnut yearling moved, and after having turned profits on several previous purchases, figured the investment was worth it.
He saddled and broke the horse at his house, and then brought it to the Eiasman's training center.
"I don't think anyone at that time in life recognized he would be vying for a Triple Crown," said Barry Eiasman, who runs the center with his wife, Shari. "His basic skills were good. He was like a good junior high school player. But he also had that one special aspect -- a gusto for the sport -- and he really was a nice runner."


text:
Dear Teacher,
Please correct the following sentences if they are wrong:
1) Thank you very much for your enquiry of today morning.
(can we write like the above if we are sending letter at 12:30 pm)
What is the difference between these sentences and which one is correct?
1a) I did not get my vacation salary yet.
1b) I have not yet got my vacation salary.
2a) Ankit had kept his clock on his study table.
2b) Ankit kept his clock on his study table.
1 this morning
1a/b The first is mkore common in British English and the second in American, so both are correct, though the second sounds wrong to many British speakers.
2a/b Without more context, the first doesn't work, because the past perfect is related to another past action or time.


text:
Browsing Working papers by Author "Andersen, Torben J."
Now showing items 1-2 of 2
The Sensing of Frontline Employees Against Executive ExpectationsHallin, Carina Antonia; Andersen, Torben J.; Tveterås, Sigbjørn (Frederiksberg, 2012)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The literature suggests that important strategic initiatives can derive from employees within the organization as they respond to needs and opportunities observed in daily operations. This seems to indicate that employees have a good sense of the firm's operational capabilities observed through direct interactions with colleagues, customers and partners. Executives make their own judgments about the corporate capabilities from discussions with various managers, other executives and industry specialists. But, the information gathered by executives may be qualitatively different from the conditions sensed by the employees. So, we arranged a contest between operational capabilities assessed by employees and executives and the relationship to subsequent firm performance. Based on more than 400 individual data points collected from two medium-sized organizations over a period of eighteen months, advanced distributed lag time-series analyses show that the sensing of front-line employees (surprisingly) is a better medium-term predictor of organizational performance than executive judgments. These results have implications for the way organizations set up their management information and communication structure. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8471
Files in this item: 1
Strategic Orientations of Internationalizing Firms: A Comparative Analysis of Firms Operating in Technology Intensive and Common Goods IndustriesAndersen, Torben J.; Joshi, Mahesh P. (København, 2008)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The strategic orientations of global integration and local responsiveness (the I-R framework) continue to dominate analyses of internationalization strategies and identify the basic strategy typologies of multinational enterprise. Much effort has been devoted to verify the generic strategies established within the original I-R framework but few studies have investigated their implied performance effects. In conformity with the foundations of the I-R framework we characterize the strategic orientations by their implied corporate decision structures and strategy processes and analyze their performance associations in two distinct industrial environments. The evidence from this analysis contradicts predictions in the conventional I-R framework. We explain this conundrum from a resource-based perspective as firms operating in technology intensive environments outperform when they have access to diverse multinational resources whereas firms in common goods businesses gain economies from global product standards. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7428
Files in this item: 1smg wp 2008-11.pdf (370.4Kb)
Now showing items 1-2 of 2


text:
Do they exist any more ?
Have travelled the length and breadth of the country! Have looked in cork, Donegal, Westport and Dublin.
I'm not looking for a yoke for rings, I just want a nice tidy car that's been well minded
Top money will be paid for an enthusiast-owned car.
Let me know guys


text:
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Availability: In stock
Email to a Friend
* Required Fields
BATHROBENatural linen bathrobes
ITEM CODE: BR16-04Fabric article: A-09 CL50% linen, 50% cotton
Shipping price depends on country.
100% money back guarantee.
100% pure Lithuanian linen.
Check items to add to the cart or select all
Address: Vairo str. 8
LT-78140 Siauliai, Lithuania
Phone:+370 699 55 393


text:
The sandstone grave marker near the back of St. John's Episcopal Cemetery is showing signs of age, but it is still easy to read. It stands at the grave of Samuel T. Conkey (b. 1797, d. 1840).
There are no symbolic carvings, but what it lacks in artistry, it makes up for in information. The gravestone lists his birth date as well as his death date, and it lists his place of birth. Bonus!
who was born in Salem
Washington County
N.Y. August 5. 1797.
departed this life
Sept 2. 1840.
This langueshing head is at rest
Its thinking and aching are o're
This quiet immoveable breast
Is heaved by affliction no more.
Here is the complete version of the Charles Wesley (b. 1707, d. 1788) hymn from which the epitaph is taken:
Ah! lovely appearance of death,
No sight upon earth is so fair;
Not all the gay pageants that breathe,
Can with a dead body compare.
With solemn delight I survey
The corpse, when the spirit is fled,
In love with the beautiful clay,
And longing to lie in his stead.
How blest is our brother, bereft
Of all that could burden his mind?
How easy the soul, that hath left
This wearisome body behind!
Of evil incapable thou,
Whose relics with envy I see;
No longer in misery now,
No longer a sinner like me.
This earth is affected no more,
With sickness, or shaken with pain;
The war in the members is o'er,
And never shall vex him again.
No anger henceforward, or shame,
Shall redden this innocent clay;
Extinct is the animal flame,
And passion is vanished away.
This languishing head is at rest,
Its thinking and aching are o'er;
This quiet immovable breast
Is heaved by affliction no more.
This heart is no longer the seat
Of trouble and torturing pain;
It ceases to flutter and beat,
I never shall flutter again.
The lids he so seldom could close,
By sorrow forbidden to sleep,
Sealed up in eternal repose,
Have strangely forgotten to weep.
The fountains can yield no supplies,
These hollows from waters are free!
The tears are all wiped from these eyes,
And evil they never shall see.
To mourn and to suffer is mine,
While bound in a prison I breathe;
And still for deliverance pine,
And press to the issues of death.
What now with my tears I bedew,
O might I this moment become,
My spirit created anew,
My flesh be consigned to the tomb.
St. John's Episcopal Cemetery, Franklin County, Ohio


text:
630 Hespeler Road, Cambridge, ON N1R 6J8
+ taxes & licensing
Certified Pre-Owned 2016 Nissan Murano AWD .No Accidents/Clean Car Fax, Equipped with Navigation, Moon Roof, Leather Interior, Heated Steering Wheel, Blind Spot Detection, Alloy Wheels, Heated Seats, Keyless Entry, and Much More! 107,524 Kms. YOU DON'T NEED PERFECT CREDIT TO GET A VEHICLE AT WRIGHT AUTO SALES - WE FINANCE EVERYONE!! - Good Credit, Bad Credit, No Credit or New to Country! We WILL get you financed at Excellent Rates ,as LOW AS **4.99% O.A.C. Special Financing and NO Payments for 6 Months. Flexible Terms and Rates tailored to your specific situation. Apply now with our Easy Online Application @wrightautosales.ca. All Credit Applications Welcome! Apply Now for Instant Approval! We have over 400 Used Cars, Trucks, SUV's and Vans In-Stock. Call 1(888) 557-9487.A+ Better Business Bureau Rating. On Approved Credit Only and Minimum Loan of $12,500. Accrued interest must be paid on a 6 month payment deferral. Cost of borrowing a $20,000 48 Month Term at 4.99% is $2,377.28.This vehicle will be Certified and Serviced with our 167 Point Inspection upon purchase.No Haggle, Low Price, Why Pay More! Wright car, Wright Price.Wright Auto Sales Proudly Serves all of Ontario with Quality Pre-Owned Vehicles in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge,Guelph, Listowel, Fergus, Burlington, Hamilton, Brantford, Stratford and Surrounding.
Please contact the seller to confirm pricing, features, odometer, and availability of this vehicle.
See the Carpages.ca Terms & Conditions for more details.
630 Hespeler Road, Cambridge, ON N1R 6J8


text:
Holistic Kneads is independently and locally owned & operated, allowing us to customize each treatment to fit your needs, your time, your energy. This helps to insure each treatment is a success.
We pride ourselves on having a "neighborhood" feel, providing quality over quantity of services. We are also active members in our community and enjoy spreading our Wellness knowledge to all.
We hope to meet you soon!


text:
Graveyard of the Pacific at Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum
Saturday, January 26 , 2019|
Winter weather brings winter storms and the winter storms of the past brought many ships to ground along the coast of the Long Beach Peninsula. The Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum presents a special exhibition Graveyard of the Pacific: Dangerous Currents-Shifting Sands. The show coincides with the ship wreck season.
Historic artifacts, photographs, and first-person accounts from wrecks such as the Admiral Benson, the Alice, the Potrimpos, the Glenmorag, and over 20 more ships will be featured in the exhibition. In addition, The U.S. Life Saving Service, U.S. Coast Guard and volunteer rescue units who have risked and sometimes given their lives to saving victims of maritime accidents will be highlighted.
Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum
115 SE Lake
Ilwaco, WA 98624
Ilwaco, WA 98624
Event ContactAmanda King
Phone: 3606423446
Website: Click to Visit


text:
News Anchor Does Broadcast Holding Ream of Paper He Mistook for an iPad
When BBC News viewers tuned in to watch this morning's broadcast they were dumbfounded as to why veteran newsman Simon McCoy was introducing a story about privately run drunk tanks while holding what appeared to be a heavy ream of photocopier paper.
Was he perhaps a bit tipsy himself?
A BBC statement to the Press Association later clarified the bizarre scene. Well, kinda:
This morning as Simon McCoy was preparing to introduce this story, instead of picking up his tablet to hold as he went to air, he mistakenly picked up a ream of paper that was sitting next to it.
In the rush of live news, he didn't have an opportunity to swap the items, so simply went with it.
Poking fun at his own Anchorman-ish flub McCoy signed off with this perfect tweet:
Stay classy, United Kingdom.— Simon McCoy (@simonmccoy) September 18, 2013


text:
Jean Enock Joseph is a born storyteller. Seated behind a desk at his office in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, he energetically waves his hands as he explains his work. Mr. Joseph clearly has endless enthusiasm for his subject – powered by the raw energy of a reformer.
"With sheer willpower and hardly any means, we've built our projects on efficiency and vision," he says, his singsong French rising and falling with each sentence. "We've focused on inclusion, fairness, excellence, and making a difference. Those are our values – and we've produced results."
Pastor Enock (as he's better known) is an evangelical preacher, which goes some way to explaining his rousing speaking style. But he's also a passionate advocate of lay issues, such as access to education and housing, needs that continue to bypass large swaths of the population here.
RELATED: Top 5 Millennium Development Goal success stories
His day-to-day social work focuses on helping some of Haiti's most needy, in a country that remains the poorest in the Western Hemisphere.
Joseph was born and raised in Cité Soleil – the most notorious shantytown in Port-au-Prince – where many of his social projects are still focused. The area is renowned for gangs with various political allegiances and drug-related violence.
A bloody upturn in violence a decade ago was enough to convince the pastor that enough was enough.
"Our initiative was launched 10 years ago to respond to a problem that was ravaging Cité Soleil," Joseph explains. "There was a murderous struggle between residents of [the] Boston and Soleil Neuf [neighborhoods], which, over the course of around 30 days, saw women raped, houses destroyed, and people killed. The population was powerless to stop the thugs from doing what they wanted.
"We realized that there were plenty of good, honest people able to do something about this situation," he continues, "which is why we launched CONOCS – the Collective of Noteworthy People in Cité Soleil. Our goal at the time was to struggle for peace, nonviolence, and sustainable development in the area."
While Joseph concedes that Cité Soleil has a special place in his heart, his focus over the years has shifted to helping Haiti as a whole. His work now takes him to places such as Bon Repos and Croix-des-Bouquets, cities northeast of Port-au-Prince.
Putting Haitians in charge of recovery
CONOCS has also evolved into a large umbrella organization called MPE (Ministère Pasteur Enock) overseen by the pastor. To date it has helped set up five primary schools, two hospitals, one vocational college, one music school, two youth orchestras, and three Internet cafes.
In a country where the slow pace of reconstruction work since the January 2010 earthquake has received intense criticism – and plenty of questions about the efficacy of aid distribution – Joseph's projects show a transparent, intelligent use of limited resources. The hordes of international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that operate in the country – with far greater means at their disposal – could do far worse than follow his lead.
In an ideal world, of course, MPE would be independent of international charities. But with the Haitian government unable to raise funds, Joseph is reliant on donations from overseas. The big difference between his organization and others, he argues, is that with his group, the foreign involvement ends with the donations: Haitians are the ones conceiving the ideas for their own communities and then staying the course to oversee their implementation.
"There's a big debate in the international press at the moment about the effectiveness of NGOs," Joseph says. "We can say that there are real doubts when several billion dollars are invested in a country, and you can't see the results with the naked eye. You need a giant telescope to see them.
"But the projects from Food For The Poor and the Fondation Saint-Luc [which we work with] are visible."
'Pastor Enock is a fabulous individual'
For Delane Bailey-Herd, Haiti project manager at Food For The Poor, a Christian international relief and development organization based in Coconut Creek, Fla., Joseph is the ideal person to have on the ground in Port-au-Prince.
"Pastor Enock is a fabulous individual," she says. "He understands the needs and the difficulties of Cité Soleil – the people, the gangs, where they're at. Both he and his group have such great ideas for change. We've come alongside him to empower him in these transformative steps. But he understands the area best."
A recent visitor to MPE's Cité Soleil Non-Violence Vocational Center, set up in 2006, watched apprentices beavering away furiously. Outside in the courtyard, a group of young men wearing protective dark glasses forged strips of metal. Inside, women tore bits of paper and cardboard into small strips.
When Joseph temporarily halted work to make a motivational speech, the members of his flock craned their necks to listen.
Both the metal forging and the paper project are designed to generate funds. The latter is a clever way of turning scraps of rubbish into compressed fuel briquettes. The idea not only helps tidy the streets by recycling unwanted refuse but provides an alternative to wood-based charcoal in a country that already suffers from severe deforestation.
The job of the apprentices is to sell these ideas to domestic and industrial consumers. The hope is that the money they generate can be plowed back into other initiatives.
"We'd like the government to take charge of the population and provide a subsidy equal to the one we receive from abroad – that's our hope," Joseph says. "But we're also looking to put in place production workshops and other structures so that MPE can guarantee its own funds to finance projects. That's our ultimate goal."
Other microprojects that Joseph says can help bankroll MPE include a cabinetmaking workshop and a garden center.
Perhaps most important, the MPE workshops and training projects offer Haitians an "alternative path" in life, as Joseph puts it. Learning a skill or profession gives them a viable alternative to the lure of drug money and a gang culture that often affect young people living in the slums.
Yet despite MPE's strong desire to help those in need, its ethos firmly focuses on helping Haitians control their own destinies.
"Many people we've helped have been waiting for a messiah or some important person to give them food and things like that," Joseph explains. "But it's no good for an individual to be like that. You have the responsibility to look after your own life, and you can't wait for someone else to help you live."
Despite the negative headlines that dominate coverage of Haiti, MPE's progress reaffirms the idea that all is not lost for the impoverished Caribbean nation. And Joseph is keen to point out that the work his organization is doing is by no means the only positive story here: Haitians really can do it for themselves.
"Joseph has a vision, and we saw that," Ms. Bailey-Herd says. "He wants to see big transformations in the next 20 years."
A hands-on force for change in a country that has often been torn apart by racial, political, and social divisions, Joseph sees MPE as proof that another Haiti is possible.
"We see the human being," he says. "Not his faith, his color, his outlook, or his level of education.
"Any man or woman is worthy of our help."
• To find out more about the work of Jean Enock Joseph and his Ministère Pasteur Enock, visit www.mpehaiti.org.
• Sign up to receive a weekly selection of practical and inspiring Change Agent articles by clicking here.
Learn more / get involved
UniversalGiving (www.universalgiving.org) helps people give to and volunteer with top-performing charitable organizations all over the world. The projects are vetted by UniversalGiving, and 100 percent of each donation goes directly to the cause.
To help Haiti, UniversalGiving recommends the following:
• The Lambi Fund of Haiti. Project: Reforest Haiti with a Gift of Trees.
• International Action works to provide clean water and education to children. Project: Support education in Haiti with Books for Schools.
• Operation USA helps communities recover from disaster and poverty. Project: Adopt a classroom in Haiti.
• God's Children Ministries. Project: Volunteer to help orphans and disadvantaged children in Haiti.


text:
Product Description
Oval shaped green and brown semi precious gemstone Morrisonite Jasper designer cabochon 42 mm long by 22 mm wide and 5 mm thick.
Morrisonite Jasper comes from the famous Morrisonite Ranch area, above the Owhyee Mountains of southeastern Oregon near the Idaho border.
Morrisonite Jasper is a semi precious gemstone material named after James Morrison, an old timer who lived in and explored the area for 50 years.
Cabochons are stones cut for jewelry and are measured in mm. One inch is equal to about 25 mm.
Shipping terms: Cabochons are shipped First Class within the U.S. for FREE. You can upgrade to Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box for $5.00.
We offer First Class International shipping for $5.00. First Class usually takes from 2 weeks up to 8 weeks internationally and it is NOT tracked. You can choose to upgrade to Priority Mail for $20.00 to Canada or $22.00 anywhere else.


text:
- - Spyro's Render Thread and Projects - -
This is my thread :cheese:
I love everything Art and Design! My area is mainly 3D Modeling/Art, Digital Painting, Concept Design and Creative Writing. I've mostly focused on 3D for the last 3 years, and primarily work with Daz Studio and Photoshop. Character creation and texturing, is among my highest interests. I'm working on building up my gallery on DA with intent to focus on Fantasy and SciFi genre.
Thanks for visiting! And feel free to comment, makes it all the more worthwhile :)
I have since moved on to Deviant art, it's been a very long time since I was here and so much has changed in this time. I have come back to clear out a few things and replace some old old renders that contained signatures no longer appropriate.
You can find my Deviant Art here
...Post edited by SpyroRue on
Couple of Digital Paintings... One is a Character/Costume concept artwork (Digital Painting/Sketch) Using a Genesis character for reference. The other was a Digital painting for fun, which I used as my FB banner lol) Again, using a Gn character in Daz for reference.
And an early Rotation concept of the costume for the digital painting (Photoshop, Cell shading)Spyro_Early_Concept_S.jpg1800 x 1458 - 671KSpyro_Costume_01_MS_SCALEDDaz.jpg1455 x 2000 - 512KPost edited by SpyroRue on
Some recent renders ;-PGirl1PortEntSIZE.jpg616 x 800 - 253KBoy1n2PortEntSCALE.jpg800 x 705 - 210KRainHeadEntSIZE.jpg800 x 620 - 109KEntKy_por1_SCALE.jpg621 x 800 - 154KAvatarV2Spyro-Ent_Sized.jpg600 x 586 - 125K
A 3ds Max render I did... Re-creating the Resident evil Laser hall set. Took about 3hrs+ to render!!
EDIT: Added the earlier RE Laser hall set I made from RE1 It was notably wider, had stainless steel walls and a much blue-er atmosphere. On high quality (6hr + render time) the stainless steel wall panels lost its reflection to a washed out appearance and didnt look right, so I re-made it to the other one. But here is the low res version with the reflections.t3.jpg800 x 400 - 295KRE_E_HQ.jpg800 x 400 - 245KPost edited by SpyroRue on
very nice work
A digital painting. WIP. Costume Design. I actually upgraded the Daz 3d character, I used as reference for this work... So i'll be re-designing this one lolKyra_Trial_SOTS_Update1_Closeup.jpg1690 x 1422 - 407KKyra_Trial2_CroppedDaz.jpg1289 x 2000 - 526KKyra_Light_SOTS_BkdropDaz.jpg1424 x 2000 - 479K
nice outfit
Jaderail Posts: 0
Truly fab stuff. Your now on my must watch list. More please.
Tribal Warrior!CayEntry2-SR V2.png1741 x 1893 - 2MPost edited by SpyroRue on
Chohole Posts: 30,825
Ooh, that's a big weapon he is brandishing.
very cool
Thanks Bigh!
Michael G Posts: 0
I like the laser hall, only 3hrs in 3ds max, what kind of hardware do you have?
LOL, I cut down the rendertime by turning the walls behind the glass from stainless steel to plaster boards, I also cut it down by setting the glow of the lights to created by the render instead of actual lights and of course altering the polygons... It was trial and error over months of work let me assure you! lol
Thanks for the kind words :cheese: It was one of my more obsessive renders haha!
My upgraded Avatar!Marcusfinnigon-AvatarV3A.jpg1000 x 1000 - 387KPost edited by SpyroRue on
'Moment before the kiss' - A sentimental render :-PSentimental-SR.jpg1000 x 1000 - 420KPost edited by SpyroRue on
Work in progress.
WIP Upgrade renders for my 'Tribal Boy'
(The level of postwork still remaining on this render is insulting) None the less, It is a fun render to do!WIP_Revised_Tribal_Boy3.png1000 x 1000 - 527KPost edited by SpyroRue on
Trying out SickleYield's loincloth on tribal boy. It requires a little less post rendering work, but doesnt drape as well as i'd like though the center line :( like the other M4 one does. Sadly I cant get the M4 dynamic loincloth to work on this genesis guy at all, it goes all screwey.Post edited by SpyroRue on
Okay, polished off that particular WIP.
Here is the finished imageTribal BoyV2a-SRWORKING.jpg1543 x 1869 - 908KPost edited by SpyroRue on
nice job with the post work
Thanks bigh! I spend a lot of time in Photoshop lol :cheese:
marcusfinnigon said:Thanks bigh! I spend a lot of time in Photoshop lol :cheese:
thats not good - warp your brain :roll:
revenger681 Posts: 155Spyro said:Some recent renders ;-P
Wow I LOVE that pony tail may I ask where you got it? I've been looking everywhere for a none-fantasy style that's just a simple, but detailed one like that! Great renders btw!


text:
I know there is concern that since our community is tiny compared to others that not enough will buy the dlc and then we'll have trouble getting into public matches but what if Treyarch did something proactive like ask the nintendo community to donate a certain number and if that number is ever met.....everyone on the wiiu who owns bo2 gets the FULL dlc.
Treyarch needs to do something creative here and it doesnt have to be my idea above but it has to do something because if people aren't getting the full experience or something close to it then they will not be purchasing any future games. By giving a little...it will pay off in the future for both Treyarch and this community.
I gave my idea....what about you guys? What is a creative way for all to get dlc....
09-01-2013 01:28 AMReply
I'm not going to buy any DLC until some serious issues are fixed first Treyarch can kiss my left nut.
what do u mean by a serious issue
Give them $$$ is all we need to do.
We're not getting DLC. We haven't even gotten the UAV/SMG/Remington patch, and that's supposed to be free and for everyone.
I posted today that we are working on the next patch, which should include any updates/fixes made to the other platforms up to this point.
Can you confirm there is a Map/DLC pack coming for the Wii U?
Wow, you're back. It's bittersweet though; how you leave us to speculate for nearly a month. Please, could you give us the update thread? I really want to change my attitude towards your support, but you're simply making it too hard.
Edit: Don't get me wrong, I'm not being ungrateful. It's just that we learned to be paranoid from... past days. Also, it's good to know you were on the holiday break and if I were you I would've taken a break too.
All in all, I've now noticed the sticky on the main page, and am truly grateful that you cleared things up. Just make sure to not leave us hanging for too long, alright?
A_Trey_U wrote:
I posted today that we are working on the next patch, which should include any updates/fixes made to the other platforms up to this point.
Cant wait for the new patch, A_Trey_U. And thanks for replying. I hope at some future time you will be able to discuss with the community dlc and Nuketown.
Is there any chance we'll recieve longer support this game? I'm not trying to sound rude, but it kind of sucked missing out on all the stuff the other consoles got via updates on BO1/MW3....
© 2019 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, MODERN WARFARE, CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE, CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS, CALL OF DUTY GHOSTS, CALL OF DUTY ADVANCED WARFARE, CALL OF DUTY INFINITE WARFARE, and the CALL OF DUTY WORLD LEAGUE Logo are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are property of their respective owners.


text:
I have been agonizing and really frustrated by the lack of information on Olive Bowser Stephens and her parents Jacob and Mary Bowser of Armstrong County PA.
Today out of the blue, I was looking in my Bowser folder actually, it suddenly struck me……..Olive's second marriage. She was married in 1914 and in Pittsburgh. At that point in time the parents names were required on the marriage license applications. Why did I not realize this a year and a half ago. Why did it take looking at her second husband, Oswald Rauhut's immigration papers to finally figure out to look at their marriage application.
I will go to Pittsburgh and look it up as soon as the Batman filming is ended and all of those filmmakers and actors have gone.
Has anyone else done something incredibly off the wall like that, missed something so obvious in their research? I feel like a complete idiot over this basic record.


text:
Google's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group has announced its first developer event for Project Ara, an initiative that is aiming to create a modular smartphone.
A total of three Project Ara developer conferences will be held this year, with the first, outlined on the Project Ara homepage, taking place at Silicon Valley's Computer History Museum on 15-16 April.
Project Ara aims to create a free, open hardware platform that will enable users to replace components on their smartphone over time, instead of replacing the entire handset. The modular building framework should therefore make it easier for people to customise their smartphones according to their needs.
Motorola first unveiled the Project Ara initiative in October 2013 and Google is keen to push ahead with the project, despite selling off Motorola to Lenovo last month. This is possible because Google decided to keep the ATAP group under its Android umbrella when it sold Motorola.
"We want to do for hardware what the Android platform has done for software," said Paul Eremenko of the Motorola Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group when the idea was first unveiled.
"Our goal is to drive a more thoughtful, expressive, and open relationship between users, developers, and their phones. To give you the power to decide what your phone does, how it looks, where and what it's made of, how much it costs and how long you'll keep it."
Eremenko told Time magazine that ATAP is finishing up work on a functioning prototype, which will be ready within weeks, with a version ready for commercial release in the first quarter of 2015.
The design for Project Ara is based on the concept of Phonebloks, created by Dutch designer Dave Hakkens. It consists of a structural frame called an "endoskeleton" that holds various modules in place. The modules can be anything ranging from a new display, keyboard, an extra battery or something not yet thought of.
The Project Ara platform supports three sizes of phone: mini (rather basic), medium (mainstream) and jumbo (an oversized, phablet-style variant). The endoskeletons include an aluminum frame, networking circuitry and a back-up battery, in addition to a set number of module connectors. For example, the medium frame will have room for 10 connectors.
Google has teamed up with NK Labs to do the electrical, mechanical, and software engineering and with 3D Systems to make a high-speed 3D printer to mass produce the endoskeletons.
Google is aiming to get the cost of the endoskeleton down to as low as $50. Eremenko said he envisages that the device will be sold at convenience stores and will come pre-loaded with an app that enables buyers to begin the process of customising the phone with additional modules and aesthetic modifications.


text:
Sound Media Concepts Provides HARMAN's Soundcraft Si Compact 32 Digital Console and JBL Professional PRX Portable PA Loudspeakers at Calvary Apostolic Church
HAMPDEN, Maine - In order to accommodate the new sound requirements at Calvary Apostolic Church's temporary facility in Hampden, Maine, Sound Media Concepts has deployed HARMAN's Soundcraft Si Compact 32 and JBL Professional PRX portable PA loudspeakers for weekly Sunday services and Wednesday's Bible study sessions.
The Calvary Apostolic Church, which was completely destroyed in a fire in 2011, wanted to upgrade its facility and bring it back to life. Currently, the church is in a semi-temporary building, however, "The Si Compact will give the church plenty of flexibility when it is time to move to the permanent building," said Jason Mathews, Owner of Sound Media Concepts.
"We needed something that was compact enough to be portable and also extremely easy to use, but could be integrated into the new facility once it's complete," Mathews stated. "Ever since I demoed the Si3 when it was introduced, I fell in love with Soundcraft and the Si series. It is extremely user-friendly and the fact that Soundcraft now has an affordable compact digital console of this quality allows smaller congregations the opportunity to take advantage of the latest technology with the breathing room expand in the future."
The ease of use of the Si Compact is another advantage for this small but growing church, as most of the time the operators are volunteers, Mathews explained.
"The sound is amazing!" Mathews added. "The Lexicon processors sound great, you really get a lot of quality software in the console for such a great price. The pre-amps and processing are smooth and don't fight against you at all."
The ability of the Si Compact to save the settings after each use has made life easier as different volunteers use the board each week. "The console allows for flexibility and to re-patch everything internally," Mathews said. "It's great that there is no need to mess around with other gear and all we need is the console, an analog snake and speakers and we're good to go." This allows the church to change the console layout if needed without having to worry about connection or cable issues.
"One of the great aspects of the system is that we coupled Soundcraft with JBL," Mathews added. For audio reinforcement, the Church uses a pair of JBL PRX635 powered loudspeakers along with a pair of PRX618S-XLF subwoofers. For monitors, three PRX612M loudspeakers are being used as well.
The PRX635's provide amazing quality, according to Mathews. "They have just blown me away. The mid and high's are so smooth and I'm surprised at the low distortion. Outside of their great sound, I was attracted to the PRX line because they are designed to be portable but also have rigging points and can be permanently installed in the new facility. I'd put them up against anything else on the market."
Mathews mentioned how sometimes some instruments can get lost get lost in heavy mix, however, with the Si Compact and JBL loudspeakers, it all sounds clean and he's never had an issue. "It's as if the Si Compact and JBL loudspeakers were designed for Calvary Apostolic Church's modern worship style."
For more information on Sound Media Concepts, please email Jason Mathews at: firstname.lastname@example.com
HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets - supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG(r), Harman Kardon(r), Infinity(r), JBL(r), Lexicon(r) and Mark Levinson(r). The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.3 billion for the twelve months ended March 31, 2012.


text:
Beginner swing lesson with Tom and Debra 8-9pm, dance 9pm-12midnight, $20
C'mon all you hep cats! See for yourself why everyone calls the Tom Cunningham Orchestra "the swingin'est band around!" Lindy Hop Legend Frankie Manning said it best when he said, "I haven't heard it played that good since Basie!" There could be no higher compliment!


text:
Skip to Main Content
About Us
News & Info
How Do I … ?
Health A-Z
Health & Human Services
Health Dept
Environmental Health
Well & Septic
Environmental Health Regulations
Environmental Health Regulations
Complaint Form (PDF)
Site Survey Application (PDF)
Well and Septic Permit Application (PDF)
Well and Septic Status Form (PDF)
ATS Policy and Procedure Manual (PDF)
Environmental Health Regulations (PDF)
PMS Policy and Procedure Manual (PDF)
Tenants and Landlords - A Practical Guide (PDF)
: You must right-click the link for a portable document format (PDF) file and save the file to your hard-disk drive. If you attempt to link directly to large PDF files, your system may freeze.
To save PDF files (files with an extension of .pdf) to your hard-disk drive, right-click the document title, click Save Target As in Microsoft Internet Explorer or Save Link As in Netscape Navigator, and specify a location on your hard-disk drive.
PDF files require Adobe™ Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded from the Adobe Website.
Environmental Health Regulations
Fee Schedule
Arrow Left
Arrow Right
Slideshow Left Arrow
Slideshow Right Arrow


text:
Experience the thrill of a lifetime and learn how to surf with us today!
We teach private surf lessons every day, year round. Our team has experience coaching people of all ages and abilities. AQUA SURF School also conducts weekly summer surf camps for children and teens interested in learning how to surf.
Additionally, our company specializes in facilitating corporate events and team building activities.
Whether you're a complete beginner learning the basics, or a seasoned surfer who wants to improve, our expert pro-surf instructors can help you learn, progress and excel.
If it is your first time, this will be an adventure you will never forget!
SUMMER surf CAMPS
AQUA SURF School creates fun, safe and educational surfing programs on the beach for children and teens that inspire lifelong skills, incredible lasting memories and treasured friendships.
Your kids and teens can expect fun filled days at the beach learning how to surf.


text:
Surface-mount directional detectors from M/A-COM Technology Solutions, Inc. (M/A-COM Tech) include models suitable for power-monitoring applications through 30 GHz in commercial radios and military radar systems. Based on GaAs process technology and supplied in miniature, surface-mount 1.5 x 1.2 mm lead-free plastic packages, the directional detectors can be mounted with standard pick-and-place automated assembly equipment. Requiring less than 0.5-mA bias current, the detector line includes models MACP-010561, MACP-010562, and MACP-010563. Model MACP-010561 exhibits 0.25-dB insertion loss from 2 to 6 GHz with 16-dB directivity, 23-dB input return loss, and 24-dB output return loss. It operates with 100-mV DC offset and 0.3-V bias voltages. Model MACP-010562 operates from 6 to 18 GHz with 0.30-dB insertion loss and 19-dB directivity. It achieves 18-dB input return loss and 20-dB output return loss with100-mV DC offset and 0.3-V bias voltages. Model MACP-010563 is designed for use from 10 to 30 GHz, and provides 0.50-dB insertion loss and 16-dB directivity. It boasts16-dB input return loss and 17.5-dB output return loss, with 100-mV DC offset and 0.3-V bias voltages.
M/A-COM Technology Solutions, Inc., 100 Chelmsford St., Lowell, MA 01851; (978) 656-2500, www.macomtech.com.


text:
Great VCs come from a range of backgrounds
The most successful venture-backed companies are those with great entrepreneurs, disrupting a market at just the right time. Clearly the capital and claimed expertise of VCs do not on their own create a winning company.
The entrepreneur and founding team are the most critical building blocks. After all, entrepreneurs can be successful without venture capitalists, but the reverse is obviously not possible. Venture capital amplifies the success of the best startup companies, and also in marginal cases, the capital and support of a good venture-capital firm can make the difference between a positive or negative outcome for all concerned.
Not a Dying Species
Over the past 10 years, there have been some fundamental trends which have had a big impact both on the venture-capital industry itself and the ability of venture capitalists to support entrepreneurs. Firstly, the capital required to launch and grow startups has dramatically fallen during this time, driven by the proliferation of open-source software and the emergence of cloud-computing platforms and new marketing channels like Google GOOG +1.60% FacebookFB +1.44% and the Apple and Android ecosystems. Now startups often can launch and begin to scale their businesses with a fraction of the capital that might have been needed in the past. A more recent trend is the widely discussed phenomenon of angel investing and the arrival of crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and AngelList.
Many commentators have therefore declared that venture capital will become redundant. The argument goes: "Why would you raise lots of venture capital when so little is needed to test an idea and this quantum can be readily sourced from angel investors or Kickstarter?"
While this is a good narrative supported by valid arguments, it ignores a key point. While the costs of launching a startup may not require venture-capital funding, this rule also applies to all a company's current and future competitors. Very few startups can rely on a unique technological advantage to protect their position. The key competitive defenses that startups must erect are the network effects generated by reaching a certain scale and building a great brand that resonates with customers.
To achieve both of these before your competitors do, rapid scaling is required. This is the true role of venture capital in the modern startup ecosystem. The venture-capital industry no longer dictates which ideas and businesses get backed at startup stage, but it does and will continue to play a pivotal role in growing great technology-based businesses.
Diverse Backgrounds
Considering the changing nature of the investing landscape, what credentials, experiences and skills must a venture capitalist now possess to succeed? Should all venture capitalists ideally be former entrepreneurs? Possessing insight and empathy for founders as they cope with the challenges of growing a startup can be a winning calling card for a venture capitalist.
Many entrepreneurs proactively seek out entrepreneurs-turned-VCs for precisely this reason, and many venture-capital partnerships rightly place great emphasis on their own entrepreneurial credentials. This is definitely part of the formula for what makes a good venture capitalist. Successful venture capitalists come from diverse backgrounds — journalism, banking, consulting, large tech companies, even politics.
Transparency, respect and similar goals are each crucial for an entrepreneur and a venture capitalist to build a constructive relationship. In some of the most productive relationships, the entrepreneur supplies a depth of knowledge of a given industry and the venture capitalist brings a breadth of insight obtained from having worked with many different companies. At our firm, we expect entrepreneurs to have excellent knowledge of the specific industry they operate in, either through past experience or copious amounts of research that they have undertaken. We therefore generally trust them to have the best ideas and understanding of how precisely to craft their product or service to attack a particular industry.
The venture capitalist, by contrast should bring a range of insights and connections from the different companies and industries to which they have been exposed. Also a broader set of experiences in international expansion, channel and reseller partnerships, M&A, IPO, compensation and HR expertise can be provided by an experienced venture capitalist.
The reality is that no individual venture capitalist will bring this whole spectrum of skills and knowledge. Venture capital is a team game, and the best venture-capital partnerships provide support and a range of services to their companies. A venture capital A-team would certainly comprise one or two successful entrepreneurs, but there should also be room in the van for people who bring skills and insights from outside the startup ecosystem.
* This article first appeared in The Wall Street Journal's Accelerators blog.


text:
ELON � It wasn�t as rowdy as a professional wrestling match or monster truck rally, but it came closer than you might guess.
Eight teams made up of high school students gathered Saturday at Elon University to face off in a robotics scrimmage to prepare for a statewide competition in February.
One team represented Western Alamance High School and another was made up of students from the local home-school community. The others were from Greensboro, Kernersville and Cary.
The robotics program is part of a multi-national initiative known as First Tech Challenge. Team members build the robots and program them to perform certain tasks.
The theme of this year�s competition is �Ring it Up.� The robots, if they perform well, take rings from the sides of an arena and place them on a rack in the center.
Robots are made from recyclable kits, said Jochen Fischer, a part-time Elon professor who coaches the Western Alamance team, �but they also can use off-the-shelf parts that come from Lowe�s or Home Depot.�
During the first part of each face-off, robots moved solely with the aid of software programming. During the second, competitors used joysticks to achieve the competition�s goal.
Lee Campbell, a home-schooled senior, described an atmosphere bystanders saw when robots at times repeatedly collided with each other.
�It�s kind of intense once you get out there,� he said.
Marion Kellogg, another home-schooled senior, won second place at last year�s state competition for her notebook documenting how the team�s robot was built and changed to make it as efficient as possible. Tanya Gold, one of the parents who helps the team, said it was part of the winning alliance at last year�s state championship, but did not advance because only the captain team in the alliance moves forward.
Besides the enthusiasm the competitions generate, Fischer said, preparing for them helps students hone skills they need for certain careers: �It�s to get them into the engineering, the programming that they may take on in college.� Of the three seniors on the Western team, he said, �they�re all going into some computer-science related program.�


text:
Lou Fusz Subaru: a St. Louis New 2019-2020 Subaru Dealer & Used Car Dealership serving Florissant, Hazelwood MO, and Maryland Heights
Whether it's driving to work, heading out for an afternoon of fun or dropping the kids off at school, there's no way around it: we spend a lot of time in the car. And that's why it's worth driving a vehicle you truly love so that you can enjoy the ride. Up-shift your commute with an exciting new Subaru or immaculate used car from Lou Fusz Subaru - St Louis.
No matter where the road leads you, you can be confident that a new 2019-2020 Subaru will get you there in even the most daunting conditions. Not to mention each model boasts handsome styling and fun-factor performance. We offer the full line-up of impressive new 2019 Subaru cars and SUVs including the Legacy, Forester, Impreza, WRX, BRZ, Crosstrek and Outback at our Saint Louis Subaru dealership. Browse our online inventory page for the new Subaru in St Louis that best suits your needs and lifestyle including the New 2020 Subaru Ascent SUV. Drivers from all over come to our dealership for our extensive lot of new 2019-2020 Subaru models.
Do you prefer the time-tested performance and value pre-owned cars offer? The used Subaru vehicles on our lot are an impressive testament to Subaru craftsmanship and quality; they've done it all, seen it all and still run with the same pep they had when they first left the lot. Each vehicle at our used car dealership in St. Louis has been meticulously inspected to ensure it meets our strict standards, so you can be confident that our used cars, trucks and SUVs are ready for many more adventures. Whether you are looking for a certified used Subaru, pre-owned Subaru or used car in St Louis, there's sure to be something for everyone on our pre-owned lot. Beyond just Subaru sales, we also offer many high-quality used vehicles by other popular makes.
Auto Financing & Subaru Service in St. Louis MO... Just Another Reason to choose Lou Fusz Subaru
Whether you choose to purchase new or used, if you're like the average American car buyer you will need some form of car financing. We know...most people cringe at the word. But, at Lou Fusz Subaru we strive to change that impression by providing a hassle-free, honest and personalized auto finance experience. Our auto loan and Subaru lease wizards work their magic to get you the best auto financing solution. That way, you can spend more time enjoying your new car and less time worrying about the ownership process.
At Lou Fusz Subaru we don't just strive to make the car buying experience stress-free and fun, we're also here to ensure you enjoy your vehicle for years to come long after you've driven off our lot. We offer on-site a state-of-the-art auto service facility staffed by certified technicians that are as passionate about your car as you are. Our technicians know the proper maintenance your Subaru needs to ensure longevity and performance. They are also highly experienced in Subaru repair for when the unexpected happens. The auto service department at Lou Fusz Subaru - St Louis provides drivers in Florissant, Hazelwood MO, Maryland Heights, and beyond with everything from battery replacement and oil changes to auto glass repairs and transmission or electrical system repairs. Or if you are mechanically inclined and prefer to do your own automotive work, we also have a well-stocked auto parts department chocked full of the genuine Subaru car parts you need to do it yourself.
Curious to learn more about the experience you'll have at Lou Fusz Subaru - St Louis? Contact us online, read our available reviews or, better yet, drop by our showroom at 900 N. Lindbergh Blvd, St Louis, Missouri 63141 and meet our professional staff.


text:
Nigerian writer Ziki Nelson on his upcoming comic book featuring 15 African artists
Jul 24, 2018 | By Sarah Housley
Aug 26, 2011
By Neil Elliott
Stylesight's Senior Graphics Editor brings you a selection of the most inspirational and directional visuals seen on the web this week. This weekly snapshot gives you a quick fix of illustrations, advertising posters, graphic design work, packaging and street art. (Mouse over or click on images for information on the artists).
Know what's next. Become a WGSN member today to benefit from our daily trend intelligence, retail analytics, consumer insights and bespoke consultancy services.