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trainers - Adidas, trousers - Miss Guided, turtle neck - H&M, bag - L.K. Bennett, waist coat - Zara
I forever struggle transitioning from Winter to Spring. I love Spring but in England the weather is so temperamental that it is almost impossible to dress appropriately. It seems that whenever I wear a skirt or a short sleeve top, it is drizzling and whenever I am head to toe covered, the sun is more often than not, shining. It's a nightmare. It also doesn't help that my favourite colour is black and I wear it all year round so people are often saying to me - "why don't you wear a bright colour, you know... for Spring?" ... well, frankly, because I don't want to.
This day was really sunny, the first of any sun that we had here in the UK, but the wind was still pretty bad so I opted for some loose wide legs and a turtle neck. This meant that I didn't have anything that would stick to me if it did get too hot but I was warm enough if it got too cold. I chose to not wear a coat and instead chose this longline blazer which gave a bit of 'colour' to the outfit. I love the length of it and I think it works perfectly with my minimal slouchy look.
For now, it looks like the sun is here to stay (wow... unusual in England) so there will be more outfits for warm weather up sharpish!
Gee x


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If you didn't know, I'm a huge baseball fan, and I got it in my head that I'm going to collect a ball cap for every Major League Baseball team. This is the Washington Nationals. $2.20
This is a super skinny tie from H&M. $1.07
Kinda skinny tie. The tag says Logistik Unicorp which means nothing to me. $1.99

subset: commoncrawl


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A little book begins its travels
It has been about a month since "Just look up..." has been printed. In this one month, it has travelled to a few places, and there have been three reviews--two from Bangalore and one from Hyderabad.
Lakshmi Sharath's is here.
Deepa Mohan's is here.
Anand Vishwanatha's is here
And now an interview by Lavanya Srinivasan of mybangalore.com, which you can read here.
I have been sending copies to whoever asked for them. I first kept 10 copies in Vijayaram's Emerald Sweets next to Indira Park, and they were sold in about 3 weeks. Encouraged, I kept 10 more and when I checked last week, five more were sold. Of the 15 copies I placed in Satpaparni, 7 have been sold...I need to find out whether they sold any more. Goethe Zentrum sold 5 copies, and I was very happy leaving two copies at Evening Hour, a small library/book shop run by Priyanka Gontla.
I sent 10 copies to Chennai and 10 copies to Pune to friends of my friend Rekha Abel. She and Giridhar have been showing the book around. Yes, and I sent three copies to a friend in Michigan, whose mother came and picked them up. About 10 are with people in Warangal, and a friend of my father's said to me, "You have tried to fathom the unfathomable, and have done a good job of it".
People have been reading the reviews and have been writing in for copies, and so, yours truly has been making trips to the post office to send them by SpeedPost! I did try to put up the book on the net, but it didn't work out. Yes, I am also looking for a distributor and have written to Flipkart.
The struggles of self-publishing! I know I will find my way...it may take some time, but I will.
Other exciting things are requests for a tree walk in a tree-filled college campus (would love to, and will do it when the rains come), a request to train teachers to conduct gardening classes (which I very much would like to), and a request to conduct gardening classes (which I can't, considering the time it will take).
I am planning a book launch to enable the book to travel some more. Anything formal makes me nervous, but it has to be done, and am in the process of planning the logistics.
All in all, a good feeling that I have brought out a book on the right topic at the right time, when people are alarmed at the felling of trees, and feel they should do something about it.
I guess a book like this slips into the role of a harbinger of hope....


text:
at Atlanta 3
Ottawa 2
Todd White's power-play goal 47 seconds into the third period broke a tie and helped the Thrashers snap the Senators' winning streak at six.
Pittsburgh 5
at Boston 4
Sidney Crosby punched his way to his first NHL "Gordie Howe hat trick." Crosby scored a goal, assisted on two others and dropped the gloves for the first time in the NHL to spur the Penguins.
Montreal 5
at Washington 2
Guillaume Latendresse scored two goals in his return from a benching to lead the Canadiens past the Capitals.
at Tampa Bay 2
Toronto 1
Vincent Lecavalier took a pass from Martin St. Louis and scored from the lower right circle with 41.6 seconds left to lift the Lightning.
at Minnesota 6
N.Y. Rangers 3
Marian Gaborik posted the NHL's first five-goal game in a decade, including two of three Wild goals in the second period, to lead Minnesota past the Rangers.
at St. Louis 3
Detroit 2
Keith Tkachuk and Lee Stempniak scored off power plays in the third period to rally the Blues past the Red Wings.
Dallas at Vancouver
Phoenix at San Jose


text:
James Wadsworth
Forgive me. It's been a good few months since I've written a blog so my rhetoric may be a smidge rusty and my prose a little ponderous, but I'll give it a go.
I thought I'd share some reflections and fusions on three pieces of work that have been rattling around in the dark recesses of my mind recently and endeavour to give them a little context to assist in our LAT. The three relate to the concept of creativity; not necessarily in an educational setting but all in general agreement that its possession is virtuous and desirable.
A hasty review of each piece…..
The first, an experimental piece by Kelsey Medeiros and colleagues, challenged empirically, the commonly held view that creativity is all about boundless freedom or a blank canvas the size of a house side to find and express your inner answers. This study took a bunch of students and set them a marketing task but limited a differing number of task objectives factors, such as a budget. A natural reaction here maybe to think that if constraints are applied creativity decreases, surely. Well, yes and no according to this study. Medeiros et al.'s findings suggested that when multiple constraints were applied, then yes, the creative problem solving displayed by the students decreased but when a single or small number of constraints were enforced, creative problem solving actually increased. Hmmm, who'd have thought?
The second article, theoretical in its approach, was penned by the wonderful Dean Keith Simonton in 2009 and appears to propose that creativity is domain regressive in its nature. Erm, in English that means…? Boiling the theory down, Simonton essentially suggested that generally the physical sciences are innately less creative than the social sciences, which in turn are less creative than the arts. He further suggested that, for example, if a physical scientist wanted or needed to be creative for some reason, they should regress into the social science space to find inspiration and be creative. Following on social scientists should regress into the arts space and artists should, as the most creative domain by default, should have sufficient space anyway (or in some unfortunate cases, regress into potential mental ill health to find creative space).
Finally, I had the great pleasure of attending a conference last year which included a memorial lecture (to the late Anna Craft) from Professor Guy Claxton on the subject of visceral creativity.
(I know there are only 25 hours in each of the 8 days in the FE week, but if you can spare 57 minutes, all at once, or in nibble sized morsels, or even just the last 5 minutes, it will be time well spent watching this clever, profound, thought provoking and witty lecture. https://youtu.be/2wFGVVFMmyI )
So, what can be taken from the lecture? In reality, a huge array of insight but a couple of highlights….
Firstly, the fascinating comparative made between western and eastern thinking about the creative process (and the Winnie the Pooh analogy J) which illustrated that we, the west, tend to go looking for creativity rather than, in the eastern cultures, the mind is prepared to receive it. We tend to view it as almost a commodity to be sought rather, in the east, than a gift to be absorbed.
The second is the use of non-intellectual decision making; the lecture talks at length about visceral creativity, that is, using the whole body to be creative and feel creativity not just your brain. The best bit of the whole lecture, in my opinion, is when Prof Claxton describes that feeling when a creative thought or idea is not just quite right as the "neeeerrr" moment (and conversely when it does feel right as "aahh") – that feeling inside that is just telling to do it or not, despite the sharp focus on the numbers perhaps telling you differently.
So, what can be gleaned from these pieces in terms of our LAT practice?
Developing creativity is for us as much as it is for our learners. We should conceive creativity as symbiosis between the tutor and the learner; a tutor needs to be creative in their thinking when preparing and delivering sessions to ensure that a learner exposed to creative opportunities and hence develop their creative thinking. The creativity then shown by the learners could spark further ideas for the tutor which then leads them to think more creatively again…and so on.
It's easy to say to yourself, a colleague or a learner (usually with a gleefully clichéd set of jazz hands) "let's be creative today folks!", shove all the desks back to the wall and adorn the walls with flip chart paper and hope that the Nobel winning alternative to the internet will shortly be created. Hope is not a strategy. What is a strategy, however, is to manage a physical and temporal space to be creative; get people (including yourself) to realise that creativity can be absorbed from the world around you and from domains not in the slightest bit related to your own; get people to appreciate creative space but put some limiters on it to give focus (or even get people to devise their own limiters) and get people to listen to how they feel about an idea, not at the expense of intellectual consideration, but certainly letting intuition be the greater influence.
Finally, creativity and being creative is daunting, scary and, realistically, time consuming. I'm sure you've heard the words "I haven't got a creative bone in my body" or "what if I create something that goes wrong or isn't right" or "I've got no time to get through even the basics of this subject"….and as I sit here, I can't disagree with them (well, the "bone in the body" bit isn't a growth mind set so I would challenge that one). But what I would say is that not making space for it at all is doing a disservice to our learners, as to be happy and successful, however you may define it, needs an element of creativity as a personal attribute to deal with the ever changing world around us. It's also doing a disservice to ourselves, if we are indeed to be enabled and liberated in our lives.
Just in case you want to hear more of my ramblings on this topic, have a look at my project blog https://jamesw76.wordpress.com/
Claxton, G. (2016) Anna Craft memorial lecture 2016. Visceral creativity: embodiment, ethics and the creative process. [Video]: Available from https://youtu.be/2wFGVVFMmyI [Accessed on 13th March 2017].
Medeiros, K.E., Partlow, P.J. and Mumford, M.D. (2014) Not too much, not too little: The influence of constraints on creative problem solving. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 8(2) 198-210.
Simonton, D. K. (2009). Varieties of (Scientific) Creativity A Hierarchical Model of Domain-Specific Disposition, Development, and Achievement. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4 (5) 441-452.


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October is Here!!
It is finally October, I love this time of year! I am such a fall fanatic. I love the colours of the trees as they change from spring green to reds and oranges and browns. I really should break out the camera again and go for a walk in the neighbourhood before all the leaves fall and it starts to rain continously. I love the rain and the cold weather. Call me crazy but bundling up in a warm blanket and reading a good book on the couch or just sitting and watching the rain fall with a cup of warm tea or apple cider is one of my favourite things to do. I love that I can finally start wearing cozy sweaters and long sleeve shirts and jackets and hoodies and scarfs and hats without people thinking that I'm crazy. Fall is wonderful!
But my most favourite thing about fall is the food. I love all the fresh apples and pumpkins and butternut squashes. It means that I can make fresh apple pie, pumpking pie (a specialty of mine I'm told), apple-cranberry cider, chai tea, beef stew with biscuits, oatmeal with raisins and apples, gingerbread cake, pumpkin loaf, chili, chicken and mushroom casserole, mushroom soup, butternut squash soup, all the yummy "stick to your ribs and warm you from the inside" foods. I think my project for this weekend is going to be to make slow-cooker beef stew and a soup of some kind (bring on the ReBar cookbook!) It is so nice to be able to heat up a bowl of soup when you're tired and cold and hungry. I'm also going to have to make something yummy to bring to work for treats on Monday. Hmmm, baking weekend, can't wait to find recipes and share!
1 Comment
Jennifer said,
I also LOVE fall!! It's one of my favorite seasons. Second to winter. I agree with you, I got home from school today changed into sweats, under a blanket and going to do some reading while listening to the rain. Bring on Fall!


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Introduction: This is a story about 3 Girls, of different interests and of different class. They try to figure out a family secret, and they all become best friends along the way. Join Marie (Played by Felicity) Quinn (Played by Sammy) and McKenzie (Played by Kirsten). As they face the everyday ups and downs, and the not so ordinary days, that form The American Girl Story! ♥
Marie Merriam —- Felicity Merriman
Quinn Parson —- Samantha Parkington
McKenzie Parson — Kirsten Larson
Marie's Mom: Played by Kirsten
Quinn and McKenzie's Mom: You won't see her, but she does have lines! 🙂
Extras: are played by various other dolls as needed, if I have a charterer added I will say so!


text: My eye doctor says I need glasses. Mostly for long distance things such as driving and sports (but obviously you can't play sports with glasses on). What kind of glasses do you buy- shape wise. I don't think I would look very good with glasses. All my friends are going to laugh if I EVER where glasses. Do you have to get glasses or can you get contacts right away? Here a pic of me. I'm going to look really wierd with them. Yea thats my really bad yearbook picture.


text:
Your Local Car Body Repair Specialist
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- Mobile: 07798 712 778
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Website: http://chipsaway.co.uk/scott-trutch/
Call 0800 1455118Menu Get Estimate
Scott Trutch
I have just used your service for the first time today and I have to say it has been a pleasure to do business with a company that actually do what they say they are going to do for a change. No hassle no dramas just excellent workmanship. I have not had a quicker response from an enquiry ever. Without exaggeration, Scott Trutch was at my door exactly 7 minutes after doing the online enquiry. Admittedly he was in the area but even so that is excellent customer service. After giving me a very reasonable quote on the repair to my wheel and arranging a time to carry out the repair (within 2 days) he turned up on time with no problems. (A rare thing these days I find.) As for the repair itself, excellent. You can't even tell there was any damage. So overall an excellent job done by a very professional and well presented man. A credit to the Chips Away name.Shane
Just a note to say that Scott Trutch from the Leeds area came to my home today to repair a scuffed bumper on my car. This is (unfortunately!!) the third time he has repaired our cars recently and yet again he has an absolutely superb job. You just can't tell that the car has been damaged and then repaired, such is the quality of his work. Technical skills aside, he is thoroughly nice man to meet and a pleasure to have working on our cars. He always calls when he says he will and is always early for appointments, absolutely fantastic and keep it up! Please pass on my sincere thanks and regards to Scott and here's hoping I won't be seeing him for some time!!!!Andrew
Scott Trutch from ChipsAway Leeds Ltd who resides in Wetherby has repaired my car twice now within the last six months following minor paint damage caused from the dreaded supermarket trolley!!. On both occasions his work has been first class and it is impossible to tell that the area has been repaired or repainted. I have no hesitation in recommending ChipsAway to my family and friends...a fantastic service and great value for money. Very best wishes.Stuart
I used Scott a few years ago and more recently for my current car. I cannot recommend him highly enough. He has done an absolutely, amazingly brilliant jobAnn
I have used Chips Away for the first time today re damage to one of the alloy wheels on my car. Scott Trutch of Chips Away (Leeds) dealt with my initial enquiry through to the repair itself and was very efficient at every stage. I was given a quote very promptly and the repair was undertaken within days at our home and at the agreed time. I have been very impressed with the service provided and the quality of the repair and would definitely recommend Chips Away and Scott.Graham
I have used ChipsAway twice in recent months to repair minor scuffs to the bodywotk of my car. On both occasions Scott Trutch provided an excellent service. Upon completion of the work I found it impossible to tell where the damage had been repaired and repainted. Scott provides a very efficient service and at a price which is affordable. I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending ChipsAway to anyone who has picked up an annoying scuff to the bodywork of their car. Scott performs an amazing job.Eric
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Stephen Archer is a mindfulness educator and trainer. He is passionate about creating contexts where people can explore mindfulness and discover how it can assist them to access sustainable wellbeing and generate new and transformative perspectives.
Stephen has been involved with mindfulness for over 30 years and began practicing mindfulness meditation while he was completing an honours degree in Eastern religions. He then trained for 13 years as an ordained Buddhist monk in the Thai forest tradition.
His background includes working as a consultant and trainer advising on strategic approaches to workplace wellness, Health and Safety and HR initiatives, and facilitating healthy work and mindful leadership programmes.
He is Director of Mindfulness Training www.mindfulness-training.co.nz and an associate of Mindfulness Works Training
Website: www.mindfulness-training.co.nz
The Power of Mindfulness in the Workplace - 90 Minute Workshop
Mindfulness is our natural ability to be fully present. It's the quality of engagement necessary if we want to bring all of our capabilities to the moment. To practice mindfulness means to orientate ourselves through attention and feeling to what is current in our experience. Often our attention follows restrictive and repetitive patterns, which cause us to focus more on the past or future than what is happening right now. Mindfulness practice enable us to recognise and overcome the many ways that we tend to get caught in rumination, distractions and resistance. It make use of the inherent ability of our mind and body to rebalance and sustain well-being, and discover positive new perspectives, solutions and responses.
Mindfulness is developed through simple focussing-type practices which involve calming and clearing the restless mind. It utilises powerful and practical methods to deepen awareness and bring attention more fully and positively into the present moment. Mindfulness has been shown in clinical research to increase mental fitness, reduce stress, negative thinking, anxiety, and depression..
Learning objectives
Engage with the theory and practice of mindfulness in order to:
- Learn a practical tool to boost self-awareness, mental fitness, health and wellbeing
- Improve overall efficiency by increasing focus, learning agility and listening skills
- Manage attention and energy more effectively throughout the day
- Understand the hindrances to quality thinking
- Access the benefits of the relaxation response to deal with stressful situations
Main contents
- Definition of mindfulness and how it works
- Understanding of how our state of mind impacts our performance
- Practicing attention restoration: utilizing the power of present-moment awareness
- A technique to focus and quieten the mind
- The balance of being and doing
- Intention, perception and choice – how we see things influences how we respond
- Moving from a habit-driven perspective to one of clarity and responsiveness
- Tips for staying mindful


text: The Serbian Arts and Culture Society in Africa will be hosting the 4th annual Serbian Film Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa. The festival is going to be opened by acclaimed Serbian actor, director, and producer Mr. Lazar Ristovski. Distinct from previous events, the 4th annual Serbian Film Festival will be dedicated to the work of Mr Lazar Ristovsk. Line-up Friday 10th February 2017 - 19:00 Opening ceremony: Hosted by Mr Lazar Ristovski - 21:00 Movie Screening: DNEVNIK MAŠINOVOĐE – "The Train Driver's Diary" Serbian candidate for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award - OSCAR Saturday 11th February 2017 - 19:00 Movie screening: BELO ODELO – "White Suite" - 21:00 Movie screening: BELI LAVOVI – "White Lions" Sunday 12th February 2017 - 18:00 Book Promotion – "ULICNA AKADEMIJA" written by Lazar Ristovski - 19:00 Movie Screening: SUTRA UJUTRO – "Tomorrow morning" All the movies shown will have English subtitles. Ticket price: R 100 Tickets are available at the door one hour before show time. Drinks and snacks will be provided during the opening ceremony. Come early, seats are limited.


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The basis of the ride is self-sufficiency. You must be able to support yourself when it comes to food and water, navigation and possibly basic bike repairs. Some parts of the route are some distance from population centres (if you can call Tarras, population approximately 230, a population centre that is).
The terrain (mountainous and barren) and the weather (alpine at times) also factor into the challenges of the ride. Although you are riding at the height of the New Zealand summer and will experience temperatures in the high 20's and low 30's, there is always the possibility of a severe weather change (especially at altitude). Snow is not unusual in the region at this time of year and although temporary, it can be harsh.
|400 metres above sea level in January 2012
Please be sensible and if the weather changes for the worse seek good shelter and wait it out. Do not continue riding. The small delay to your ride is better than risking your life. You may think the temperature and conditions can't get worse but they can be extreme in Central Otago and particularly above 1000 metres.
River Crossings
The big one is being avoided (the Godley) but there may be other minor ones you have to cross. After rain (or snow) even the small crossings can be difficult with a bicycle.
|The Manuherikia at ankle deep
Other obstacles
Are too many to list.... fences, gates, stock! potholes, fallen trees, campervans! swing bridges......
Hopefully these will mostly form part of the scenery and be part of the experience (if you don't get too close).
Road rules
To re-iterate Rule 10 - Obey the road rules at all times. Even the most remote track can have farm workers or recreational 4WD vehicles on it so approach blind corners with caution. You might only see a walker on the Rock Peak Track on the Criffel Range but a 4WD is not uncommon on Thomsons Gorge Track.
You are supposed to be self-sufficient but there are other riders out there which may be able to help. Your SPOT Tracker is also a safety device in that it can summons help. Please use it wisely!
If you have run out of plunger coffee at Top Hut in the Oteake Conservation Park then it is not the time to hit Help/Assist on your SPOT. However if it has all turned to custard and it is life threatening then hit SOS.
Remember SOS will bring the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre (and the New Zealand Police) to bear. The Help/Assist will bring friends or nearby riders to assist. You need to be able to judge the situation accordingly.
And don't forget to enjoy the ride!


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The Future of Shopping – Can small guys win?
Is the future of online shopping going to be dominated by a handful of monolithic global online giants? Is price the only differentiator? What future is there for the businesses that are not 'the cheapest'?
If you want PayPal's views on the future of shopping, then this report from PayPal will be interesting for you. Elena Wise, Director of Merchant Services for PayPal Australia made this comment in the report summary:
"As Australians continue to show a preference to buy from local retailers, with domestic retail accounting for the majority (70 percent) of online spending in Australia, we expect to see big things from Australian retailers this year as they begin to fully embrace online commerce. In many cases, retailers in Australia are at the early stages of their online journey, presenting a huge opportunity to learn from international counterparts by amalgamating best practices."
Yep, Elena is right. Many retailers in Australia are at the early stages of their journey, but with 70% of online spending happening domestically, some retailers are doing it well. Australian businesses like the online shoe shop StyleTread are basing their online operations on US best practices from current market leader and Amazon subsidiary, Zappos.
We can learn a lot from the successes of others, but usually not from blindly copying them. Just copying what you see a successful business doing today will put you behind them unless your roadmap for the future is smarter than theirs.
I've written before how less than 16% of Australian SME businesses have a digital strategy. This is a big part of the problem, but from my own experience, many businesses who think they do have digital strategies are operating with fundamental and probably fatal flaws that fight or ignore the big picture trends.
It's not enough for a retailer to 'go online' and set up a website for their business. Unless the website is a part of business strategies that make sense for that business, chances are the website by itself will not work so well to make or restore the fortunes of its owners. Worse, it may be a flop. And flops are very expensive.
Some Aussie businesses have tried selling online but have largely wasted their time and money by sticking their toe in the water and deciding it is all too hard. Some have simply got bad advice from technical people who are more interested in selling websites than real business solutions. Others have suffered from the 'arrogance of success' and have thought they did not need to evolve past their bricks and mortar. Some have been caught up in the legacy traps of their existing retail operations and found themselves unable to change quickly. And others have ignored online for the past 15 years, hoping it will go away. It didn't go away – and it won't go away.
Elena Wise also makes the point that these same retailers now have a huge opportunity to learn best practices of others. Understanding what works and what doesn't work for others is important, but having your own smart roadmap for your business is critical if you want to actively create the future you want for your business and your customers.
You have different resources and capabilities to other businesses, and commercial reality normally says you have to develop your own opportunities within the constraints of your own situation.
Niches & Communities
Implementing the best practices of others can be a huge challenge. According to the report, Amazon spent US$1.7bn on Technology & content costs for the year ending 31 December 2010. Global scale has helped Amazon develop some great global business practices, but in my view, their Achilles Heel is their very size coupled with their lack of focus.
Amazon's niche is really unclear these days.
Trying to be everything to everybody is hardly a replicatable recipe for success. Amazon may be the world's largest online supermarket, but how does a small business compete?
Start by picking out your niche and really understanding the wants and needs of the customers in your niche. (It's so basic that most people miss it.) You can advertise to these potential customers, in a variety of ways, but it's often smarter to find where these people go online.
Find the online communities they belong to – and go join these communities yourself. Understand the issues facing these people and provide solutions to them. Answer questions and be encouraging and helpful with your advice.
Don't promote your business overtly but contribute to the discussions. Become trusted. In time, you can become the trusted advisor to this community, and you will find the community will become your marketplace.
Smaller businesses can compete with Amazon. For smaller businesses, the rewards will go to those who understand their niche and become locally famous and perhaps world famous in servicing that niche.
The Importance of Scale
Even a small business online will find that growing bigger has benefits from increased economies and efficiencies of scale. Obviously growth can also bring growing pains and expenses, so finding the right size for your operations can be a challenge.
The PayPal report includes a paper from JP Morgan called "Retail Sector, Online Retailing – Momentum Built in 2011, Issues to Consider for 2012″. It highlights Competitive Threats posed by Technology and the Web.
- Threat #1: Increased price transparency
- Threat #2: Retailers not innovating online will lose market share
- Threat #3: Vertical integration
- Threat #4: Foreign competition
It also includes this productivity loop diagram.
As the JP Morgan paper authors Shaun Cousins and Shen Li explain, 'an online retailer with scale has the capacity to invest in technological innovation to drive sales. As sales increase, fixed costs are fractionalised and per unit innovation costs decrease. As operating leverage increase, prices charged to customers decrease, which drives sales and therefore more scale. This provides the company with a greater ability to innovate online which drives sales further.' And this continues driving the productivity loop.
Shaun Cousins and Shen Li also make the point that retailers who do not focus on building scale within their online businesses will be at a disadvantage. Clearly this will be true for most, however scale comes in different forms for different levels of retail operators.
Great Customer Service is One to One
Getting scale in purchasing, technology, ordering systems and in fulfillment and logistics is important, but in my view the real winners will be those that provide great customer service and support – not just when everything goes smoothly but to fix things that go wrong.
And that's where small business can win. The provision of great personalized customer service does not scale as well as many other parts of the business.
Sure, there are online chat systems, video FAQs, global call centers and other tools. These can help, but for the moment at least, providing great customer service requires a one to one person-to-person interaction, and it's pretty hard to to automate. It is easy enough to train customer service people and give them the great systems to work with – and empower them to make the best decisions in the interests of the customer as well as the business itself.
- Scale in providing great customer service can come from the sales and support systems used to make sure most transactions are consistently great.
- Scale in providing great customer service will NOT come from automating the critical interactions with customers when something has gone wrong.
There are lots of evolutionary and revolutionary stages to unfold in the future for digital age shopping, but here's something to keep in mind… The discount-focused race-to-the-bottom by many of the price-reducing online retailers will not allow much margin for great customer service.
How can a small business compete? By becoming remarkable for being one of the most trusted suppliers in a growing niche and delivering value-for-money products and services, keeping its promises and providing great customer service experiences in every 'moment of truth' interaction with customers.
That's the future of shopping. At least I hope so.
You can read the PDF report Secure Insight: The Future of Shopping report from PayPal here. (And thanks to Henriette Martel, CEO of Prime Coffee for sending it through to me.)


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November 17, 2017
Heidi Parton, Niece of Dolly Parton, grew up in the music industry. She began singing from a very young age and at 4 years old, she debuted at her father's Gas Light Theatre in Dollywood Theme Park. Shortly after that, she performed in her Aunt Dolly Parton's Christmas show. She never looked back and continued to pursue her passion for music.
Heidi now performs in the DreamSong Theatre in Dollywood.
Pictured is her custom Christmas ornaments we created for her. Be sure you don't miss her show next time you visit the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN area. If you're not planning a trip anytime soon, be sure to check out her music here.


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Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Recession across the world's biggest economies is the main concern of chief executive officers gathering today in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.
The threat of a decline ranked first among the concerns of business leaders surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as executives including News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Merrill Lynch & Co.'s John Thain attend the World Economic Forum's annual meeting. It was the first time that the risk of a slump topped the survey, which the accounting and consulting firm has conducted for 11 years.
``The big concern on the minds of CEOs is an economic recession,'' said Samuel DiPiazza, chief executive of PricewaterhouseCoopers, in an interview in Davos.
The assembly of business leaders, investors, policy makers and academics takes place after stock markets from Hong Kong to London tumbled on speculation the world economy will be hobbled as a U.S. slowdown spreads. While the Federal Reserve yesterday lowered its benchmark interest rate in the first emergency shift since 2001, U.S. stocks still fell for a fifth day.
``There's panic in the markets and the effect of the Fed's rate move is already fizzling out,'' said Axel Heitmann, a delegate and chief executive officer of Lanxess AG, a German maker of chemicals used by the leather and automotive industries.
Europe, U.S. Gloomiest
Just half the 1,150 executives surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers said they were ``very confident'' about revenue growth this year, down from 52 percent last year. The drop was the first since 2003 and most pronounced in the U.S. and Europe.
The prospect of shrinking economies beat out over- regulation, terrorism and a dozen other challenges listed in the PricewaterhouseCoopers survey. The mood is in contrast to the buoyancy of last year's meeting, where guests celebrated a bumper year of profits and bonuses, and the strongest global economy in three decades on the ski slopes and party circuit.
Last year ``it was go-go-go, we're all going to win,'' said DiPiazza. ``The CEOs of the developed world know we're in for a bumpy ride.''
In the U.S., 36 percent of executives said they were ``very confident,'' compared with 54 percent last year, while 44 percent of Europeans expressed the same sentiment, down from 52 percent. Japanese executives were the most skittish, with just 31 percent calling themselves very optimistic.
``We have this very serious financial crisis with global repercussions,'' Kenneth Rogoff, a Harvard University economist said in Luxembourg yesterday as he headed to Davos. ``The U.S. is very lucky if the economy grows out slowly.''
Subprime Collapse
What's changed in the past year is the spreading fallout from the U.S. housing recession, which triggered a collapse in the market for subprime mortgages and investments tied to them. That has forced lenders to retrench, threatening consumer spending and business investment by pushing up credit costs around the world.
Economists at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Merrill Lynch are already predicting the world's biggest economy will fall this year into its first recession in seven years. The Fed yesterday said it cut rates ``in view of a weakening of the economic outlook and increasing downside risks to growth.''
The reduction in the target overnight lending rate to 3.5 percent from 4.25 percent was the biggest single cut since the Fed began using the rate as the principal tool of monetary policy around 1990.
Dollar, Oil
A falling dollar and near-record oil costs are providing more sources of discomfort for Davos executives.
``We are confronting a crisis, in many ways,'' Klaus Schwab, the forum's founder and chairman, said in an interview. ``The mood is concerned.''
One source of comfort was increased optimism among executives in emerging markets, reflecting the recent economic rise of countries such as China and India. In both China and Russia, 73 percent said they were ``very confident'' about revenue expansion in the year ahead, while 90 percent of those in India reported the same level of optimism. The level of optimism in Russia was more than double that of a year ago.
``Markets in China, India and Russia are growing much better and to a certain extent will provide compensation for the world economy for whatever losses the U.S. has,'' said Andrei Kostin, chief executive officer of VTB Group, Russia's second- biggest bank, in an interview.
Executives reported less appetite for international mergers and acquisitions, with just 38 percent of those surveyed saying they had completed or planned to conclude such a transaction, down from 47 percent last year.
The PricewaterhouseCoopers survey was conducted between September and November. About 40 percent of respondents were from companies with annual revenue of more than $1 billion.
Recession Concern Plagues Executives Meeting in Davos
Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Recession across the world's biggest economies is the main concern of chief executive officers gathering today in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.


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Good-quality picture books help to engage children's natural curiosity in exciting scientific enquiry. This tried and tested selection links with many science national curriculum requirements.
Humans and animals: Titch by Pat Hutchins (Red Fox pound;4.99) and Once There Were Giants by Martin Waddell (Walker Books pound;4.99) show slow human growth. Try Chameleons are Cool by Martin Jenkins (Walker Books pound;4.99) for a terrific response to these strange and curious creatures. The Hare and the Tortoise by Helen Ward (Templar pound;4.99, out of print) is a special favourite of mine: a beautifully crafted book which was available as a big book.
Another favourite is Martin Jenkins' The Emperor's Egg, illustrated by Jane Chapman (Walker pound;4.99, big book pound;12.99) a TES Junior Information Book Award winner and a stunning factual treatment of emperor penguins. See also the Penguin Pete series by Marcus Pfister (North-South pound;4.99 each) and Cuddly Dudley by Jez Alborough (Walker pound;4.99).
Penguins by Claire Robinson, in the splendid Really Wild series (Heinemann First Library pound;5.50), lends further non-fiction information. The highly dramatic Antarctica by Helen Cowcher, with striking artwork, introduces conservation issues (dual language editions, Milet pound;9.99).
Plants: Jasper's Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth (Hodder pound;4.99) teaches that patience is required to grow plants. Flora's Flowers by Debi Gliori (Orchard, pound;10.99) is a little treasure in which Flora plants a brick. Link with The Last Noo-Noo by Jill Murphy (Walker pound;4.99) so that children can delight in the growing Noo-Noo tree.
Environmental issues: One World (by Michael Foreman, out of print, but available in libraries); Oi! Get off our Train by John Burningham (Red Fox pound;5.99) and Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker (Walker pound;4.99 each) all seriously explore conservation issues. Where the Forest Meets the Sea, a previous Earthworm award winner, has stunning collage illustrations (pound;12.99).
Materials: When experimenting with water, read Mr Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham (Red Fox pound;5.99) and Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen (Puffin pound;4.99) to support floating and sinking, and Mr Archimedes'
Bath, also by Pamela Allen (Puffin pound;4.99), to support displacement. A reading of The Jumblies by Edward Lear (illustrated by Ian Beck, Corgi pound;5.99) is ideal for discussion and prediction. Snow creatures and their various needs feature in A Perfect Day for It by Jan Fearnley (Egmont pound;4.99). Martin Waddell's book Snow Bears illustrated by Sarah Fox-Davies (Walker pound;10.99) demonstrates change (melting) as does Raymond Briggs's classic, The Snowman (Puffin pound;5.99).
Physical processes: Bet You Can't by Penny Dale (Walker pound;4.99) features balance and stability. Read Mrs Armitage on Wheels by Quentin Blake (Red Fox pound;4.99) and Fat Puss on Wheels by Harriet Castor (Puffin pound;3.99) to introduce vehicles, and Duck in the Truck by Jez Alborough (Collins Children's Books pound;4.99) to explore push and pull (forces). When exploring sound, read and perform the delightful The Happy Hedgehog Band by Martin Waddell (Walker pound;4.99).
Gwynneth Bailey is English co-ordinator and teaches Year 2 at Aldborough Primary School, Norfolk


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Bicameralism and Its Consequences for the Internal Organization of Legislatures
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- repec:cup:apsrev:v:89:y:1995:i:02:p:344-355_09 is not listed on IDEAS
- Gilligan, Thomas W & Krehbiel, Keith, 1987. "Collective Decisionmaking and Standing Committees: An Informational Rationale for Restrictive Amendment Procedures," Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(2), pages 287-335, Fall.
- repec:cup:apsrev:v:90:y:1996:i:02:p:303-315_20 is not listed on IDEAS
- repec:cup:apsrev:v:86:y:1992:i:04:p:951-965_09 is not listed on IDEAS
- Richard D. Mckelvey & Raymond Riezman, 2013.
"Seniority in Legislature,"
World Scientific Book Chapters,in: International Trade Agreements and Political Economy, chapter 12, pages 185-199
World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
- McKelvey, Richard D. & Riezman, Raymond, 1992. "Seniority in Legislatures," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 86(04), pages 951-965, December.
- McKelvey, Richard D. & Riezman, Raymond., 1990. "Seniority in Legislatures," Working Papers 725, California Institute of Technology, Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences.
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- D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
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In The News
Andrew L. Sandler Profiled in Banking Exchange, "Fair Lending From a Veteran's Perspective"
Andrew L. Sandler was profiled in Banking Exchange: "Fair Lending From a Veteran's Perspective," on July 28, 2016.
For about a quarter century now, marked first by the settlement in the 1992 Decatur Federal Savings case and as recently as June's BancorpSouth Bank consent decree, fair-lending law has been a prime item on the banking industry's radar. Through all that time attorney Andrew Sandler has been in the thick of it, working with banks under investigation or embroiled in cases where some variation of fair-lending violation has been alleged.
Fair-lending investigation and litigation has been an evolving legal area, dominated for most of that quarter century by the Justice Department and its developing ways of evaluating banks' performance.
Justice's techniques of choice have changed over the years. Along the way, one of the most significant, and most controversial wrinkles was adoption of the disparate impact approach to fair-lending enforcement. This expanded from the traditional evaluation of disparate treatment—outright discrimination in lending—to encompass unintentional discriminatory effect on minorities or other protected groups. This legal theory does not require the Justice Department nor private plaintiffs to prove intent to discriminate, only the apparent resulting discriminatory result.
Sandler and his current firm, Buckley Sandler LLP, wrote an analysis attacking this theory on behalf of the American Bankers Association in 2012. Yet, the theory has survived attempts to unseat it, culminating in the Supreme Court decision to uphold disparate impact in the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc.
Originally published in Banking Exchange; reprinted with permission.


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We are the largest HR-dedicated professional network in the New York Metropolitan area.
Author: Craig Haas
Case for Change
A $1B company was not meeting expectations for growth and had extremely high turnover in their salesforce. The CHRO and SVP of Sales created a vision for transforming their salesforce and sales operations model. The Sale Managers played a critical role as ambassadors of the change initiative. The SVP of Sales presented the business case and the vision to the Sales Managers for improving key metrics such as retention, market share, sales and profits. The vision for the future included a three pronged strategy:
Engagement – Enrolling Stakeholders in Defining the Future
To build commitment, the Sales Managers and their Sellers all had an active part in defining the future state of the ideal Seller. The Sales Managers and some high potential Sellers participated in qualitative interviews and completed job analysis questionnaires to provide advice on what would define the Sellers of the future.
This job analysis participation moved them into the role of change agents. The SVP of Sales communicated that all current Sellers would be invited to complete a sales behaviors questionnaire (sales personality and motivational questionnaire) to help define which sales characteristics and competencies would drive sales performance in the new sales model. Sales Managers also completed short sales competency rating forms (derived from the job analyses results) for each of their Sellers.
Using Measurement to Communicate and Drive Change
The SVP of Sales sent a formal email to all current Sellers explaining the vision for the future and inviting all 300 to complete an online sales questionnaire to help identify what sales characteristics would predict sales success in the new sales model.
Existing sales metrics were collected on each Seller. The sales dimensions predictive of Sellers' performance (sales metrics and supervisors' ratings) were used to build a sales profile. The SVP of Sales, HR team, and Sales Managers presented the Sales Profile to show the ROI of selecting Sellers based on the new sales profile.
Communication – Roll Out
Once the Sales Managers were bought into the value of the Sales Profile, the aligned competency model and sales assessment was implemented. A new selection process with competency-based interview guides was developed and used to recruit Sellers. Lastly, the new sales training tailored to teach the newly defined sales competency model was rolled out.
Demonstrating the Impact of the Sales Transformation
A follow up study four months later demonstrated the greater than projected improvement in sales, profits and tenure of Sellers hired since the launch. The tenure of those who fit the new Sales Profile was twice as long as others and they were most likely to achieve their sales targets.
A key take-away is that measurement in the form of questionnaires, competency assessments, and interviews was an effective tool for communicating desired changes. Moreover, metrics for sales behaviors and sales performance, clearly aligned with the tools, helped drive overall company sales and profit results. Vision achieved.
This post was contributed by Craig Haas, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Professional Services for Cut-e Group. He provides talent management consulting and high volume assessment solutions for talent acquisition and development. More information about Craig and Cut-e can be found at www.cut-e.com.
Author: Dennis E. Gilbert — Rudeness, we might label it as disrespect, blame it on
Authors: Christine Hudson and Ronica Roth — Are you halfway to a high performing team?
Author: Fabiola Eyholzer — Lean | Agile has evolved as the predominant, most effective way
Author: Fabiola Eyholzer — Traditional Performance Management systems are in deep crises. Their industrial era
Author: Fabiola Eyholzer — Companies excel at calculating ratings. They judge, force rank, provide infrequent


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I really like making musical instruments, so I decided to make a canjo, out of an old tin biscuit box.
First of all I removed all the paint from the tin, using paint remover. Paint remover is really toxic and I used rubber gloves to handle it. One should always read the instructions, before using something like that. I applied the remover with a brush, let it act for 30 minutes and then wet sanded the paint to remove it. I repeated this process a few times.
After that I cut two spruce pieces on my table saw. I glued the pieces using wood glue and clamps.
I used a plane to flatten the sides of my pieces. I used a coping saw to round over the two edges.
Using a hand saw I made a rip cut. And then I used my v carving chisel to make a rounded cut. This way I shaped the wood to fit inside the tin box.
I then used my jigsaw, to shape the wood in the way I wanted it.
I secured the piece on my vise, and used a spokeshave to round over the back of my neck.
I made a mark using the neck, in order to make a hole on the tin for it. I used my rotary tool to make the hole.
I also marked the position of the pickup and cut out the hole to receive it. I made the hole in a way, that I can fold the edges of the tin, so they won't be sharp anymore.
I marked the position of the pickup on the wood. To make a notch, I made several cross cuts with a saw, and then removed the material using a sharp chisel.
I sanded the piece using a sanding block.
I marked the position of the nut. I cut out a notch for it, using a saw, a miter box, sandpaper and a file.
My canjo's scale is 60cm from nut to bridge. I went on an online fret calculator, to find the positions of the frets. I marked the positions of the frets using a sharp pencil. I cut the fret slots using my coping saw and a miter box.
To make fret position finders, I drilled holes on my drill press to receive dowels. I glued the dowels in, and when the glue dried, I cut them flush using my flush trim saw. I then gave a sanding to the fretboard using a sanding block.
I cut the fret wire roughly to size. I placed it over the fret slot and using a piece of wood and a clamp, I pressed the fret in position.
Using my rotary tool and a cutting disc, I cut most of the excess fret wire. To even out all the frets, I sanded them flush with a sanding block.
To secure the frets in place, I added a drop of super glue to their sides.
To wire all the electric parts, I used a wiring diagram from Seymour Duncan's web site. I used a digram for 1 hum bucker, 1 volume pot and an output jack. I soldered all the components together.
The neck is screwed on the tin box. I added the pickup and then the guitar's neck. I then I added the pickup's springs. I also drilled holes for the jack and the potentiometer. For the jack I used a step drill bit.
I added the keys. I used rivets to protect the wood from the string tension.
I prepared the bone for the nut and bridge on belt sander.
I cut a piece of hardwood for the guitar's bridge and shaped it on my belt sander. Using a hand saw I made a slot on the bridge for the bone to sit in.
To make all the slots for the strings face each other. I secured the bones of the nut and the bridge, on a vise and cut the slots using a saw. I opened up the slots using a v shaped file.
I used two part epoxy to glue the bone on the bridge.
Using my rotary tool, I predrilled a few pilot holes on the neck and screwed in a few metal circles to hold the strings from falling over the keys,
I used my wood burner to add fret position markers on the side of the neck.
I added a piece of hardwood on my DIY drill lathe. I rounded it over using my scraping chisel and then used the skew chisel to shape a knob for the pot. I sanded the piece and drilled a hole on my drill press. I added the knob on the guitar.
My guitar was now ready. I added the strings. I used 10 gauge electric guitar strings. I tuned the guitar in EBGD from high to low. Just like the 4 higher strings of a regular guitar.
I hope you like my canjo!


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Photography is a subject that a lot of people are starting to become interested in, because of that many people are uncertain whether or not they can learn proper photography. If you want to take wonderful photos, you need to teach yourself as much information as you can concerning the photography world. If you follow the techniques shown in this article, you will be able to improve your photography skills.
Decide what is going to be in your picture. Imagine a window through which you see only a selected portion of the subject. Don't try to cram too much into a single photo. In fact, sometimes it's better altogether if you take multiple photos of a subject instead of struggling to get that one illusive shot of perfection. This works especially well when you're trying to capture the essence of something.
In order to produce professional results, a professional-quality camera is necessary. For example, buy a dSLR camera for quality shots. A digital SLR camera is what most professional photographers use, so if you want to take perfect photos like a professional, you will need to purchase one of these as well.
Field depth is a critical feature when shooting landscapes. Establish a sense of scale by placing an object within the foreground of your picture. You can get decent focus on both foreground and background objects by using a small aperture setting: Something under f/8 with a standard digital camera or f/16 when using a full-frame SLR.
Experiment with the white balance feature manually. Shooting indoors can give your pictures a yellowish tint due to the light bulbs. Rather than adjusting the lighting in the room, switch the camera's white balance to change the atmosphere. This should give a much more professional looking appearance to your photographs.
Many people think bright sun makes for great photographic conditions. But, direct sunlight actually ruins many would-be great shots. The sunlight often creates shadows and glare; also, the bright light causes many people immediately squint as they are photographed. Aim to take outdoor pictures during the two golden hours, dusk and dawn.
Always pack your photography equipment with great care. Bring as many lenses you think you'll need and never forget to have spare batteries and maintenance accessories. You should only take what you will use, and think about convenience.
Try to get close to your subject when shooting. It's frustrating for the viewer to not clearly see the details of the subject because the camera was too far away. Make it easy for your viewers and you to see the subject vividly and clearly.
Take photos of interesting people whose faces tell stories. It is always encouraged to gain the permission of anyone appearing in your photographs. When reviewing your travel pictures, these people will give you a lasting emotional connection to your travels, even if the faces do not seem very unusual at the time. It's a great idea to focus on the unique styles and expressions visible in each individual picture.
Even if you don't know your models, make sure they feel comfortable. Many people feel uneasy in front of a camera and see photographers as a threat. It's important to be friendly, talk to them lightheartedly, and always ask for their permission before you snap away. Turn people onto the idea that photography is a form of art, rather than a form of predation.
Many different digital cameras feature built-in flashes, which turn on when you are taking pictures in dim light. These are convenient for quick photos, but if you are hoping for something a little more professional, consider investing in an external flash unit for a broader range of lighting. You should go to the camera store and purchase a flash that fits and syncs properly with your camera.
Experience with the composition of your photographs to create unique shots, artistic photos and perfectly posed pictures. Composition is important in most art forms. Without a good composition, your pictures will look dull. Learn composition rules and apply what you've learned every time you take a photograph to improve your overall photography skills.
Find a good balance between aperture, shutter speed and ISO. These three features are what determine your photo's exposure. Unless you're trying for a particular effect, you probably want to avoid taking shots that are over- or under-exposed. See what kind of combinations you can come up with by switching up these three features.
One strategy to develop a creative eye is to use limitation. For example, set a goal for the day to only shoot images that represent a single concept, such as "sweet." Don't allow yourself to quit until you have shot one-hundred different pictures that are focusing on this same concept. Limitations can often times allow us to see beautiful, or unique things, that would have otherwise gone undetected.
Perfect Shot
It is not a good idea to wear white when having your pictures taken, if you want your photographs to look their best. The majority of cameras use auto-focus, which analyzes the different colors, shades and tones of the objects in the frame. White clothes will always look very bland.
One thing you will need to learn is to be absolutely still when you snap your photos. Even taking a breath can blur the photo. Even a hair's-breadth movement can destroy that perfect shot. Take that second to freeze before touching your shutter button, hold your breath, and snap the perfect shot.
When you're scheduled to photograph more than one person in a shot, give them advice beforehand that will help them choose clothing for the best staging. Not everyone likes matching colors, but complementary colors or patterns should be encouraged. If it's a natural environment, let them know to wear warm colors or a more neutral shade of clothing. If you are considering a more festive, brightly colored setting, advise the subjects to balance colored tops with black bottoms. This ensures that the various colors do not compete for the viewer's attention.
Understanding that less is often more is a great composition tip that you should implement in your photos. A photo does not need to be overly cluttered. The art of innocence is really wonderful, so try to keep the shots you take simple.
If you want to shoot good photos, make sure your subject is in focus at all times. If you need your photos to have good composure, keep your camera in focus at all times. When you are a beginning photographer, you should definitely focus on keeping your subject centered in the photo. Let the background take care of itself.
In most portrait photos, the subject's eyes look directly into the camera. A great and unique picture is to have the person you are photographing look off in the distance at something. You can also achieve a distinctive look by asking the subject to focus on a person or object within the frame.
Be careful to not miss a great shot because you are trying to get your settings correct. Do not pick a preset because you need to modify your settings. Experiment with your camera settings to determine what works best for various types of photographs.
Pay attention to natural lighting! Whenever you take photos outdoors, you should try and shoot either early in the morning or later in the evening. If the sun is high, you will see shadows that you may not want, and the person you are taking a picture of will probably end up squinting because of the strong sunlight. Make sunlight work for you by using it light your subject from the side.
Sometimes, the available lighting just won't cooperate when you are trying to get a landscape shot. It may seem that there is really no good natural light anywhere you'd like to photograph, and this can be discouraging. How can you compensate for this? Use photo editing software to improve the lighting elements of the photograph.
Do you want a wet or misty effect from rain for some photographs? You can make this effect yourself by taking a spray bottle and "misting" some rain on your subject prior to photographing.
It's a good idea to take landscape shots using a tripod. Your camera needs to stay steady during any shot, but stability is especially important during motion shots. A tripod ensures that all your pictures, from portraits to landscapes, are captured the way you intended.
Extensions made for your lenses are called filters. The filter screws onto the lens, and they have varied purposes. The UV filter is the most common one. The rays from sunlight can damage your lens if it does not have a filter on it. The filter can also minimize damage to the camera lens if you accidentally drop your camera.
Be aware of when it's appropriate to use, or not use, your camera's flash. Avoid leaving the flash on and forgetting to adjust your settings. In many cases, the light from the flash could ruin the overall effect. Conversely, use the flash when there may not be enough light to fully illuminate the subject.
You can take amazing pictures of ordinary things. by fiddling with the scene and camera settings. Experiment with all of these things before going out to take your pictures.
Keep photographs balanced. Keeping careful balance in a photo can make your image look art gallery quality. If something on the edge is distracting, cut it out. Make sure the horizon of the shot is level, and frame the main subject naturally.
Shutter Speed
Get super close to your subject. When framing your shot, zoom in or move closer to the subject of your shot. Your goal is to make your photo fill the entire frame. If your pictures seem busy and lacking a focus, it may be because people don't know where to look. Also, the closer your subject, the more subtle details are noticeable.
Use different speeds with your shutters for various effects. Many photographers, especially those using a camera's auto settings, use the fastest shutter speed for the available light to freeze all moving action in the picture, but slower speeds such a 1/30 can create interesting effects. See that cyclist speeding by? A slow shutter speed allows you to capture the object clearly while the background is horizontally streaked.
One crucial thing to remember is to shoot multiple pictures of your subject; take as many as possible. You can choose later which shots are best. This is important, because with the luxury of digital photography you are able to do this and ensure that you do not miss the moment you were hoping to capture.
Observe a nature scene carefully before you take a photo. Enjoy the beautiful scenery, but also make sure that you're cleaning up after yourself. Take pictures of that beautiful scene, but be sure you leave it just as beautiful for the next person.
Look at the ordinary for some inspiration. Try to use your abilities and photographic skills to turn ordinary items into extraordinary photos. Using everyday items, such as your cooking utensils or children's toys, could be experimented with artistically through form and composition. The end product is entirely in your hands. Take some risks for your photography.
Before you begin shooting, you should decide on a concept for your photos. Take a minute to plan out your shot by analyzing lighting, the background, your focal point, colors, the subject matter and the overall composition you want to see. Photography is an art, and things like perspective and creativity are apparent in great photos. If you follow these guidelines, you will begin to notice improvements in the quality of your work.
Try different shutter speeds to create unique effects. For instance, if your subjects are in motion choose a faster shutter speed. This will give you that split second timing that is necessary to capture your moving subject. For sporting events, this is a must. On the other hand, you can use a slow shutter speed to get motion blur. This blurred effect works well when photographing waterfalls or running streams.
You need to make sure you take time and pose your subject. If you think that your pictures are not as good as they could be, it might be because your photos are too candid. Doing so helps to give you a perfect picture.
In order to make pictures look better, crop them. Perhaps you snagged a great shot, but there is a stray sock hanging out in the frame. Maybe the subject is slightly unbalanced or off center. These are problems that can be easily altered by using the cropping feature, and cutting the unwanted item out of the picture.
The above information gives you a good starting point for improving your photography skills, so start implementing these tips, and see what you can accomplish. But only practice will develop your skills and bring you this success.
You can capture all sorts of emotions and feelings with photography. Real stories happen when true emotions are expressed in the photos. The most dramatic photos are sometimes those that capture negative feelings or events. Let emotions be real whether your photos are of an everyday moment or something that will change your life.


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Live for today, but makes sure you have fun and smile along the way. Look for the joy in everything, even if you have been there a thousand times.
Saturday, February 09, 2013
Unfortunately it looked like a bug had got at the plants and they didn't seem to developed into much at all. However we left them where they were and ignored them for a while.
Well both plants grew and grew and still no monarchs came anywhere near our garden.
Then this summer, whilst the swan plants are now both over 1.5m high (!) we suddenly have butterflies for Africa!
A few have successfully laid eggs and we have had a few caterpillars, unfortunately the wasps have been out in force and not many have survived to growing to full stage to be able to turn into butterflies.
Several however have for some reason took to hanging off the garage wall rather than the plant itself, so we have had full view of the chrysalis doing its thing.
2 of the butterflies appeared on the same day. 1 minute they were in chrysalis and the next we looked...all of 10 mins later, the butterfly had appeared and the chrysalis was empty.
The boys have enjoyed having something happening in the garden and we have had lots of monarchs fluttering around all summer.
However with the summer weather comes other bugs and sadly we have managed, without trying I may add, to grow a nice amount of pantry moth in funnily enough of all places ..... the pantry!! Yes we have weevils in all the rice, oats, seeds etc
I can tell you, not what I wanted to do on a weekend...empty the whole pantry, throw away all dried food that is riddled with bugs web etc and start again with dried food in the pantry.
Last night we had chicken curry for dinner, I didn't realise at the time that they had successfully invaded the rice bucket as well and when it was finally cooked I found 2 dead maggots in amongst the cooked rice. Let's just say I had chicken curry without rice last night as for some strange reason I had gone off rice last night!!
4 comments:
- Retired Knitter said...
Bugs in the pantry! What a bummer. Makes me want to go and empty my pantry. It desperately needs it.
- Alison said...
We. Get similar things here...though so far we have avoided them!
Alison xx
- Anne said...
Hello, my Dear! I've come to you from The "Grow Your Blog" party...it was over before I knew about it, but it was so nice of Vicki to leave the list up! Anyway, I always welcome new blogs to enjoy, and yours is delightful! I am now following you ~ please come and visit me if you get a chance!
So nice to "meet" you!
- Alexis AKA MOM said...
You know I've never watched a butterfly come out before that would be kind of cool on one hand but man bugs ... ugh.
UGH to the rice and dead maggots :(


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Apple Stops Airing The "Genius" Ads
7 August 2012Mashable:
Have you noticed that Apple's much-debated 'Genius' ads have disappeared from the Olympics?
Well, you're not imagining things. A rep for TBWA/Media/Arts Lab, Apple's ad agency, says the ads are not running anymore, but that was the plan all along. The ads were intended only for a 'first run' during the Olympics, which meant just the first weekend of the Games, the rep says.
I find it hilarious the blogosphere can start a conspiracy1 because Apple showed a set of ads for only two days …
Of course, Jobs would have never aired an ad only once.
1 They didn't just stop airing; they mysteriously "disappeared".


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Gabriel Nunez
From Free Running Wiki
Gabriel Enrique "Jaywalker" Nunez[1] (born July 21, 1983[2]) is a free runner from Los Angeles, California, and member of Team Tempest. Gabe is from El Paso, TX and went to Irvin high school.
[edit] Competitions
- First place in 2008 Barclaycard World Freerun Championships
- 7th place in 2009 Barclaycard World Freerun Championships
- Didn't reach the final of Red Bull Art of Motion 2009 (Sweden)
[edit] Notes
- ↑ "Gabe "Jaywalker" Nunez". Tempestfreerunning.com
- ↑ "MySpace - Stuntmandingo - 26 - Male - city of lost angels, California - myspace.com/19922768". Myspace.com


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So, we've seen various articles floating around about the cast of F.R.I.E.N.D.S having a bit of a get together… and we're not going to lie, this has got us VERY excited! Like most offices, there are a few F.R.I.E.N.D.S obsessed Benebabes here in Benetowers, who of course jumped up and down at the chance to share some of their fave quotes with us! So, come on, let us know if you can name who said them all:
- "Years ago, when I was back backing across Western Europe…"
- "You ate my sandwich, my sandwich, MYYYY SANDWICHHHH"
- "I'm not great at the advice, can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?"
- "Chandler entered a Vanilla Ice look-alike contest and WON!" "Ross came fourth and CRIED!"
- "Raspberries? Good. Ladyfingers? Good. Beef? GOOD!"
- "and just so you know… it's NOT that common, it DOESN'T happen to every guy, and it IS a big deal"
- "Paper… snow… a GHOST"
- "Ahhhhh, salmon skin roll."
- "He's her lobster!"
Love and lipstick,


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|Primary Accession
|Clone Names
|Peptide ID
|Gene ID
|Other Names
|CD97 antigen, Leukocyte antigen CD97, CD97, CD97 antigen subunit alpha, CD97 antigen subunit beta, CD97
|The synthetic peptide sequence used to generate the antibody AP13768b was selected from the C-term region of CD97. A 10 to 100 fold molar excess to antibody is recommended. Precise conditions should be optimized for a particular assay.
|Synthetic peptide was lyophilized with 100% acetonitrile and is supplied as a powder. Reconstitute with 0.1 ml DI water for a final concentration of 1 mg/ml.
|Maintain refrigerated at 2-8°C for up to 6 months. For long term storage store at -20°C.
|This product is for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
|Receptor potentially involved in both adhesion and signaling processes early after leukocyte activation. Plays an essential role in leukocyte migration (By similarity).
|Cellular Location
|Cell membrane; Multi-pass membrane protein.
|Tissue Location
|Broadly expressed, found on most hematopoietic cells, including activated lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, and granulocytes. Expressed also abundantly by smooth muscle cells. Expressed in thyroid, colorectal, gastric, esophageal and pancreatic carcinomas too. Expression are increased under inflammatory conditions in the CNS of multiple sclerosis and in synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis Increased expression of CD97 in the synovium is accompanied by detectable levels of soluble CD97 in the synovial fluid
Thousands of laboratories across the world have published research that depended on the performance of antibodies from Abgent to advance their research. Check out links to articles that cite our products in major peer-reviewed journals, organized by research category.
firstname.lastname@example.com, and receive a free "I Love Antibodies" mug.
Provided below are standard protocols that you may find useful for product applications.
This gene is a member of the EGF-TM7 family of class IIseven-span transmembrane (7-TM) molecules, likely encoded by a genecluster on the short arm of chromosome 19. The encoded product is aglycoprotein that is present on the surface of most activatedleukocytes and spans the membrane seven times, which is a definingfeature of G protein-coupled receptors. The protein has an extendedextracellular region with several N-terminal epidermal growthfactor (EGF)-like domains, which mediate binding to its cellularligand, decay accelerating factor (DAF, CD55), a regulatory proteinof the complement cascade. The presence of structural featurescharacteristic of extracellular matrix proteins and transmembraneproteins suggests that this protein is a receptor involved in bothcell adhesion and signaling processes early after leukocyteactivation. Alternative splicing has been observed for this geneand three variants have been found.
Bailey, S.D., et al. Diabetes Care 33(10):2250-2253(2010)Liu, D., et al. Int. J. Oncol. 36(6):1401-1408(2010)Han, S.L., et al. Int J Colorectal Dis 25(6):695-702(2010)van Eijk, M., et al. Immunol. Lett. 129(2):64-71(2010)Davila, S., et al. Genes Immun. 11(3):232-238(2010)
If you have used an Abgent product and would like to share how it has performed, please click on the "Submit Review" button and provide the requested information. Our staff will examine and post your review and contact you if needed.
If you have any additional inquiries please email technical services at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Request Quote Here


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Marie Catrib's is a great spot to hit in Grand Rapids any time of day. Sandwiches and Turkish coffee will do the trick, as will hearty breakfast plates like the Rock the Hash-Bah, or their wide selection of vegetarian, vegan, and earth-friendly fare.
- Detroit
Near Me
Discover Bars & Restaurants


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Clothes - sYs free gifts
**Pants on right are unisex & have slim option, too**
Shoes - >>LETHAL<< group gift (free)
Eyes - ROMISKIN free gift (fatpack of colors)
Skin - ROMISKIN lucky board prize (group required, free)
Hair - A&A "Janine" limited time free promo on Marketplace
Mouthie - Pelle group gift (free)
Poses & voodoo doll - Adorkable free gift
Tattoo - Little Pricks lucky board prize (group required, free)
Black tears - ..::AKA:.. free gift on Marketplace
Nails - .:Princess:. free gift (fatpack of colors) on Marketplace
**Nails are white but look darker in pic**
Shape - CS Shapes "Trinny" group gift (99L fee)
Female child shape "Poppy" available, too.


text:
Inset Shirt V-Neck Knit Top
О товаре
Brand from Taiwan: RingBear
Color: Black , Blue, Materials: Spendex Cotton, Size: Size M Shoulder: 15inch, Bust: 40inch Waist: 36inch, Sleeve Length: 7inch Total Length: 23inch, Bottom width: 20inch Size L Shoulder: 16inch, Bust: 43inch Waist: 40inch, Sleeve Length: 7
5inch Total Length: 24inch, Bottom width: 22inch Size XL Shoulder: 17inch, Bust: 46inch Waist: 44inch, Sleeve Length: 8inch Total Length: 25inch, Bottom width: 24inch, Care: Machine Wash with Laundry Bag, Dry Cleaning, Handwash, Inside out
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General Conference
Service of Holy Communion
Friday, May 20, 12:40 PM
Who Goes Where?
Bishop Michael Lowry, Presider
Entrance and Word
Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross
THE WORD IN OUR HEARING: Matthew 27:62-66
Matthew 28:1-8
You've Got to Move
Where do we go?
Do we go to nail things down,
to button things up,
to make sure nothing can happen
we don't expect
or want?
Or do we go
to stir things up,
to make things happen,
without any certainty of what
may happen next?
Do we go like soldiers to seal a tomb?
Or do we go into Galilee
to meet the One who has gone on ahead of us
and waits for us there?
Where have we gone
this General Conference?
Where have you gone?
Where will you go next?
Let us pray.
Where have we gone?
When we thought we were securing your way,
we were blocking you.
When we thought we were going astray,
you were leading us.
Confused and sinful are we,
bent on our own way,
and scared of yours.
Forgive us, Lord Jesus,
and call us again to go
where you have gone
We have gone the wrong way, a dead-end way,
and we have admitted it.
We have avoided the right way, the living way,
and we turn back to it now.
God forgives our waywardness
and honors our obedience,
even when it comes late.
Therefore, in the peace and power of Christ,
whose way we commit to follow,
go in the right way,
and keep on going.
[All share the peace of Christ.]
The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing
always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.
From before all time
to the consummation of time
you are Lord, living and true,
source of life and love
that rings throughout the universe.
Angels adore you,
seraphim laud you,
martyrs praise you,
creatures and people
of every ability, language and land
magnify your name,
and we join their song:
(singing) Alpha and Omega
We give all glory to you, Eternal God,
and to Christ, the Lamb that was slain,
seated at your right hand.
For in him, O God,
you have conquered death,
ravaged hell,
burst the tomb,
broken the chains of evil,
and freed all creation
from its captivity to corruption.
And through him you continue
to make all things new.
So renew in us
by the outpouring of your Spirit
upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine
that mind which was in Christ Jesus,
who, on the night he was betrayed
took on the form of a servant,
washed the feet of his disciples,
and offered them himself,
bread as his body,
wine as his blood,
and commanded them
to love one another
as he had loved them,
as they continued to break the bread
and drink the cup,
remembering their Lord
until he should come again in glory.
Even so, come, Holy Spirit.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Come, and make us one with you
in this feast, Eternal Triune God,
one in body, mind and spirit,
one with each other,
and one in the mission of Christ,
wherever he goes ahead of us
and bids us to come meet him
to conquer death,
break every chain,
and renew the whole creation.
All glory and honor and worship and praise,
and thanksgiving be to you,
Holy Triune God,
now and forever. Amen.
Breaking and Sharing
Thanksgiving after Communion
Almighty God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery
in which you have given yourself to us.
Send us now to give ourselves for others,
going where you have gone ahead of us
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Jesus Christ is in you.
The Spirit is poured out upon you.
The Creator's love reigns over you.
Therefore, go.
And as God's people, sing:
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen
Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross; words: Fanny J. Crosby; music: William H. Doane. Found at #4235 Africana Hymnal. Public Domain.
You've Got to Move; words and music: Traditional. Music transcribed by William S. Moon. Transcription © 2015 Abingdon Press, admin. by The Copyright Company. Found at #4077 Africana Hymnal.
Alpha and Omega; words: Erasmus Mutanbira; music: Trad. African, transcribed by William S. Moon. © 2011 Integrity's Praise! Music (BMI) Sound of the New Breed (BMI) (admin. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com). Found at #4029 Africana Hymnal.
Thanksgiving after Communion adapted by Taylor Burton-Edwards, © 1972, 1980, 1984, 1988 The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.
Inviting, Confessing, Great Thanksgiving, and Sending by Taylor Burton-Edwards, © 2015, The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. Used by permission.
Bishops Joaguina Nhanala (left) and Debie Wallace-Padgetts bless the elements of Holy Communion during a worship service sponsored by the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women during the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.


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Articles tagged with: Coding Tips
Stored Process Outputs Data without a Report
You can do more with SAS Stored Processes than just create reports. These little suckers are packed full of power and the only limit is your imagination (and libraries where you have write access!) In this post, you will learn how to use a stored process to move a dataset to another library and not output a report at all.
Creating the Stored Process
The stored process …
Info Map: Use SAS Functions to get dates – oh yeah
In Information Map Studio, you can use the Expression Editor and some SAS functions to create new data items from existing data items. Here's how to create some common Date data items. SAS functions make it easy to perform actions and all you need is a variable and sometimes a parameter or two. [Last week I talked about using functions to create a new data item.]
The following …
What *is* a code review?
Our team planned to use a new set of data tables to increase our customer knowledge and overall improve our processes. Due to our workloads, our team lead had a person (Dev X) from another team write some code to access the tables and create some usable datasets for our process. After the code was written, Dev X was asked to arrange a meeting …
SAS MS Add-In: Why are there two variables with almost the same name?
Recently while setting up a report in SAS Add-In for Microsoft Excel, I was going to create a graph using an information map. When trying to assign the chart values, I realized I had several very confusing variable names. When the information map was created, I know I had everything neat looking due to my own OCD about variable names.
As shown in the following figure, …
Building Business Intelligence Using SAS Book
Building Business Intelligence Using SAS Book
SAS Business Intelligence (BI) package provides an interface for multiple audiences to dissect, discover, and decide on what the data means to their organization. This book shows you the SAS business intelligence capabilities, features, and contains the most sought after tips and tricks to bring a novice user up to speed quickly!
SAS BI Book Overview
Each chapter highlights a specific SAS business …


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Dealer Discount For Tile Mural Sales
Custom Tiles' Dealer Discount is an additional cost saving based on monthly sales volume for tile murals and tile designs. Our website prices are wholesale – direct from our production to you.
For every threshold of $950 billing charge per month, the subsequent cost per tile is reduced by 8%, resulting in substantial savings for the cost of larger projects and multiple orders. The maximum discount approaches 24% off of our wholesale price.
Another dealer discount may apply when identical images are repeated for the same size and tile type, since this reduces our imaging set-up work and production time. This discount will require previewing the artwork and quantity to estimate your dealer discount. We are pleased to pass these savings along to you.
Using Your Tiles
Your client may request our custom printing on tiles you supply. Use of tiles other than our stock items is possible. You may provide tiles for the project but we must test the tiles before accepting an order.
Due to the proprietary glazing requirements, the minimum order for nonstock tiles is 100 tiles. In addition, 1 dozen are required for preliminary testing to insure compatibility with our glazing and imaging process. Therefore, allow additional time for your project.


text: Seller: betagoaccessory (35,162) 99%, Location: Raleigh, North Carolina, Ships to: US, Item: 283160148167 Item Description These are Figure Five Nights At Freddy's Kids Toy Dolls.Not suitable for children below 3 years old! Size about:6inches Material:Environmental Protection Plastic Character:Freddy/Golden Freddy/Foxy/Chica/Bonnie There are built-in battery in the body,so their body an be light ,and their joints can be active. The product can be used as decoration,collections, Also good for Christmas, Birthday, Valentine's day gift. Quality may vary. If you have questions, please feel free to ask. Condition:New! Notice:Pls be noticed the color may vary from the picture. No Original Box,In OPP Box. Condition: New, Weight: Approx 315 Gram, Package Include: 5 PCS (Freddy/Golden Freddy/Foxy/Chica/Bonnie), Gender: Boys & Girls, Year: 2018, Character Family: Five Nights At Freddy's, Type: Figure, Brand: Unbranded/Generic, Material: Environmental protection plastic, Recommended Age Range: 7+, Size: 6"


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Best and Cool Custom Kitchen Islands Ideas for Your Home
Kitchen island always becomes one of the most important parts of a kitchen. For homeowners, a kitchen island can become an additional space for storage, the work space to prepare the meals, as well as favorite place of the family for gathering. Kitchen island can be made in different kinds of shape based on the needs and also the available space in the kitchen. To fit the space perfectly you can have custom kitchen islands. It can be made in the best design you like with perfect size that fits the space.
The kitchen island will be meaningful if the design and function is fulfilling the kitchen's needs. So you should make sure that the kitchen island is having the features and functions in order to increase and improve your work flow inside the kitchen. Furthermore, the kitchen will be more inviting and nice for every family member and everyone.
Custom Kitchen Island with Seating
Custom kitchen island with seating is commonly designed as the area for breakfast and family gathering in non-formal situation. For the higher height of kitchen island rather than common dining table, the seating is made higher too like bar stools. To house the seating, it is better to make the kitchen island with open area in its edges. About the size, you can make it based on the available space and don't forget to consider about the walkways.
Custom Kitchen Islands with Breakfast Bar
Custom kitchen islands with breakfast bar is another most common design. This kind of kitchen island isn't designed like a table but more likely to be a bar. It is another idea of non-formal dining table that is commonly used for enjoying breakfast. Feature the bar with bar stools with fit height to the counter-top for comfortable dining. About the materials, you can make it same with the other counter-tops so it looks matching and create the balance look.
Large Custom Kitchen Islands
You can make large custom kitchen islands in ranges of shape such as rectangular, square, L-shape or even another shape to fit the available space. To make a large kitchen island, you should make sure you have the space to apply it in the kitchen. Applying a large kitchen island is also an effective way to create large feeling in the kitchen so it feels more welcoming and cozier. Besides, you can have plenty space for preparing foods including having storage underneath the kitchen islands.
Overall, custom kitchen islands should be made in the proper size and shape so it makes the functions well to prepare some foods in your kitchen.


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Learn pull up tricks to build a 3D magic ball and combine pieces to build towers, houses, castles and much more! Inspire the creators of the future, today!
You can also get up to 40% off select Magformers toys here!


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Make the Impossible Possible in One Sentence
Remember Palm Springs Art Museum in Your Will or Living Trust
What if all you had to do to ensure that Palm Springs Art Museum can be successful for years to come is to write a simple sentence? Sound impossible?
Securing the future of those we serve really is as simple as one sentence. By including a gift to Palm Springs Art Museum in your will, you can support our mission tomorrow without giving away any of your assets today.
If you are ready to include a gift to Palm Springs Art Museum in your will, contact David Hodges at 760-322-4885 or email@example.com to get the suggested sentence to add to your will.
Including the museum in your will is a popular gift to give because it is:
- Affordable. The actual giving of your gift occurs after your lifetime, so your current income is not affected.
- Flexible. Until your will goes into effect, you are free to alter your plans or change your mind.
- Versatile. You can give a specific item, a set amount of money or a percentage of your estate. You can also make your gift contingent upon certain events.
How a Gift in Your Will Works
Your estate planning attorney can help you structure a gift so your loved ones will be taken care of first after you're gone. He or she will include this sentence in a new will or living trust, or add it to existing documents through an amendment called a codicil. A popular option is to leave a percentage of what is left of your estate after other beneficiaries have received their share. This way, your gift remains proportionate to the size of your estate, no matter how it fluctuates.
Is Including a Gift in Your Will Right for You?
If you answer "yes" to any of the statements below, you're ready to write Palm Springs Art Museum into your life's story through your will.
- You want the opportunity to guide decisions about the future ownership of your possessions and the legacy you leave behind.
- You want to make sure your support of our work is still available after your lifetime.
- You want to balance your generosity to us with an assurance that loved ones are taken care of first.
- You want the flexibility to change your mind about your gift at any time.
How You Can Make a Difference
Every gift begins with an important question: How can I make a difference? If you have any questions about leaving a gift in your will to Palm Springs Art Museum, please contact David Hodges at 760-322-4885 or email@example.com .
The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.
Palm Springs Art Museum:
Closed Monday
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Thursday / 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Annenberg box office open Wednesday – Friday
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
(760) 322-4800
Palm Desert:
Closed Monday
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday / 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday / 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday / 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
(760) 346-5600
Architecture and Design Center:
Closed Monday and Tuesday
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday / 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Thursday / 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.
(760) 423-5260