text:
Everyone wants to save a buck these days. People want to pay less for things by using coupons and sales. You can save time and money by purchasing via the Internet, but you must first know how to navigate online shopping. Keep reading if you'd like to learn how to save money by shopping online.
If you are a repeat online shopper, your spyware software must be kept up-to-date. Major shopping retailers are often targets of hackers who steal your information. Pay attention to the warnings that are provided by your security software; if you see any suspicious activity, report them to your website's webmaster.
Read a store's policies before you make a purchase for the first time. See what information is collected, if it's protected, and how it is used. If you are unsure of anything, contact them with questions before making a purchase. If you don't like their policies, don't do business with them.
Take time to compare products. Unless you have your mind set on a specific brand, you should take the time to compare different products. Select one with all the features you need and compare prices, too. Check in with the shopping websites you trust frequently; you'll often run into new products or special savings offers.
Feel Comfortable
If you are buying from someone for a first time ever, take some time to read customer reviews about service. Reviewing past customer feedback gives you a good idea what you can expect yourself. Avoid vendors with a significant amount of low ratings.
When you shop online, you need to get the best price. The Internet makes it easy to locate the best price on any product. Shop around, but only consider the prices displayed from sites you would feel comfortable making a purchase from. It doesn't matter if they offer great prices if you don't feel comfortable giving them your personal information!
Wednesday is a great day to find deals online. A lot of physical store have sales on the weekend so online stores have to have their sales earlier than that to compete. Just do a little research, and you're likely to find some great midweek sales.
Coupon codes are available on a variety of online retailers. Such codes can be found easily just by entering "coupon code" plus the store name. You might get free shipping or a certain percentage discount, just because you took a few seconds to search for a code.
Register for newsletters from your favorite stores to get the very best coupons. You should get a welcome message with a great coupon included. And they'll continue to provide great deals to those that have shown big interest in the brand, so the signup can lead to some phenomenal savings.
You should think about signing up for Amazon Prime if you are a frequent Amazon shopper. The cost of this membership is $79 per year, but you do get value for money. Every item that is already in stock will be shipped to you in 2 days, or if you need an item faster you can get a reduced rate for shipping. Additionally, there's a big streaming movie library to access for no additional cost. That means even more money saved.
Search online discount retailers and auction sites before making a purchase at a large retailer. Places like Amazon and eBay often offer better prices than traditional retailers do. That can be major savings, and there are little to no downsides. However, you should check out the return policies. Each retailer will have a different one.
Sizing Charts
Many websites have tons of information available about their products to ensure there isn't buyer's remorse. These reviews will give you a strong basis for your decision.
Be sure to consult clothing sizing charts when purchasing clothes. Shopping for clothes "sight unseen" can leave you with pieces that might not fit you right. By using the sizing charts, you can rest assured that you order the correct size. As you can imagine, this is very useful.
Live Help and Live Chat are very desirable customer service options for any online retailer. These live options can usually help you get questions and issues answered and solved much faster than email and phone calls. They may even offer you steeper discounts and faster shipping. Some are definitely glad to offer you these perks because you're placing an order.
Go over the product page of the item you are interested in very carefully. Make sure your purchase comes with the requirements you need by checking the size, specifications, and other details. Sometimes the picture featured is not the exact model being sold.
Keep your non-urgent purchases for the holiday season. In this way, you can take advantage of sale prices that are usually offered for President's day, July 4th and so on. Some sites not only discount but provide free shipping too.
There are certain times that bring bigger savings on Internet sites, so learn those times and put off purchases until then, if you can. Certain holidays, such as the Fourth of July and President's day, bring big time sales in stores; this holds true for the Internet as well. Sometimes you will get big deals and free shipping, too!
Prior to shopping online, search sites offering coupons, such as coupons.com. They have coupons for brands or online retailers, all of which will provide huge discounts. Just be sure you don't forget to look them up prior to shopping.
Be sure to look for the little padlock icon in the address bar of your favorite online shopping site. This lock indicates that the retailer is taking all possible precautions to fully protect your personal information. While nothing is guaranteed, such measures are quite effective.
Search for coupons before purchasing anything. Some sites, such as retailmenot.com have coupons for many sites. If the site you really want isn't there, try just doing for a web search for coupons for it. Search the site name and "coupon codes" all in one. You may be surprised what available discounts are available.
If you happen to be an online auction novice, make certain you research the way disputes will be handled prior to making any purchase. Many websites act as an intermediary to resolve disputes. Other times, they simply host the auction and refuse to get involved in any disputes.
A bookmark file can be kept of the sites you shop on the most. These would be the ones you shop at most often. You can also bookmark websites that offer promo codes and sales dates. When you do this, it's a simple matter to find the best deals from trusted retailers.
Personal Information
Some online retailers use cookies to track your shopping behaviors. These cookies have information inside them that garner personal information and surfing activities. Carefully examine the company's privacy policy so you're aware of exactly how they'll use your personal information. If you are skeptical of a site, head for one you like better.
It is not uncommon for online shops to use cookies, which are small files downloaded to your computer, to monitor their customer's online behavior. Within these cookies will be information regarding surfing habits or they may have personal information. Check out a retailer's privacy policy prior to purchasing any products so you can find out if the retailer will sell your personal information to a third party. Find another site if you can't trust the one you are using.
Try to buy only from online merchants based in your home country. Purchasing from these sites means state and federal laws protect you. You don't get the same protection on international sites.
When making a purchase, check the manufacturer's website for any coupons or promo codes. Many retailers also offer discounts, so check their deals pages before you buy anything. Even discounted shipping codes are great, particularly if you are making a large order.
Sign up to receive newsletters from your preferred online retailers. Newsletters provide you information which isn't made public. You can buy the latest addition, get a coupon or know when the next sale is due.
Do not use a master password for every shopping site. You need to mix up things and use different, difficult passwords to better security. You should always have your passwords securely stored; and, this helps you know which to use, as well.
Shopping at the end of a season is a great way to find amazing deals online. Like in any other store, online stores are looking to move seasonal merchandise to get the next batch in. So, the prices will be much less.
Take care of your credit card details. Find websites that are secure to maximize your protection. Search for a tiny padlock icon to ensure the site you are on is secure. It's normally found on the URL bar of the browser, normally around the top right area.
It is not pleasant knowing you have to finish a busy day of work by going to a crowded, noisy mall to shop. When you shop online, you can shop comfortably and peacefully from home. There is the key to serenity.
Before purchasing from a company you should know their return policy. You don't want to get stuck with something you hate but can't send back.
Use a separate email address and not your business or personal email address for all your online shopping. Usually, you will receive tons of spam in these accounts. Create an email address just for shopping online and use your settings to have only the relevant emails (like purchase confirmations) sent to your actual email address. This stops you from being overrun with spam while allowing you to stay updated about your purchases.
When you shop online, understand your tax liability. Most merchants located in your state automatically calculate your sales tax. If they are located in your state then they are obligated to collect sales taxes on sales. You may not notice the extra charge until you are checking out or reading the invoice.
Hunting up promotional codes is a great way to save even more money when you're shopping online. You may need to sign up for an email list or newsletter to get one, but the trade off is often worth it. Taking your time to conduct some research ahead of time can result in huge money-savings.
When shopping, never give out your SSN. If any site wants you to input this extremely personal information, you should be extremely skeptical. Your SS number is never a requirement to buy online. If you give them the number, there is a chance you may become an identity theft victim.
Identify theft is a real concern, and may people avoid Internet shopping because of it. However, technology has come a long way, and your information is secure most of the time. If you are still worried about security, stick with shopping with popular companies that have built a good reputation.
When you are shopping online, look to see if any promotional codes or coupons are available. For example, at a lot of shopping sites, simply joining the company's email list will entitle you to discounts, reduced shipping charges, and access to exclusive bargains. Spend a little time doing research and save some money.
Before you buy, especially something big, research and look at online product reviews on what you plan to order. There are quite a few places you can go online to do research on companies. Just look for the various review sites out there and go over them so you're able to be confident about what you buy.
If you shop online and don't wish to use your personal email get filled with promotional items and information you don't want, try getting an alternate email. Your email address may be sold to third-party websites that send you offers depending on their privacy policy. Use a free email from a popular provider to use when shopping online.
If a shop is offering something of extreme value for free, remember the saying that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. These kinds of scams are everywhere. If a store emails you about this special offer, you should be extremely cautious about it. Only proceed if you are completely sure the store is reliable and trustworthy.
With all of these great strategies in hand, you are ready to begin shopping online. You'll soon know how to personally save money on both online prices and shipping. A large selection, spending less money and convenience are all benefits.
Check the expiry date on your digital coupons. Coupons usually have a short time frame they can be used in. Keep an eye on the expiration dates to make sure you use your coupons in time.


text:
With Rusev and Ziggler fighting for her attention, it's become a regular occurrence for WWE audience to chant "We Want Lana!" -- and it's not hard to see why.
Take a look at 23 of Lana's sexiest social media shots that'll be sure to have you cheering along for the smokin' Soviet!
CommentsClick To View
Hot Video

subset: commoncrawl


text:
There is no item in the cart
What is Social Media?
Many small business owners find social media to be like a strange new world. Even though it is an extremely popular world it does not fit in their marketing strategy or business model. Many companies believe that there is no need for brand or any kind of interaction on this type of forum. However once people understand social media better they understand its importance and quickly improve their marketing strategy by hiring a social media company in Boca Raton to including it.
Social media (facebook, twitter, linkedin, youtube) is the center of most people lives. They live on site like Facebook and Twitter. This ever-evolving social network has gone way beyond individuals socially interacting with others and now is an important part of business marketing campaigns. A small business can use social media to help build relationships, use content to influence your target market, and it can help businesses understand the demands of their target market.
To get a better understanding of how social media can help your business, you must first understand what social media is. Many people have their own definitions of social media, this is the most apt:
"A type of media for social interaction, using highly accessible communication techniques. Social media is the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogue."
When the term "social media" is uttered, people see images of Twitter and Facebook feeds in their head. However Social media is so much more than that. It's history goes back much farther than what most think.
The first know social media platform was invented in 1978. It was knon as the BBS, or computerized Bulletin Board System, which was created by Ward Christensen and Randy Seuss as a way to arrange eventer and share information with their friends. From that innovation, sites such as Blogger and GeoCities was invented in the early 1990s.
AOL enabled its instant messaging service in 1997, which allowed users to socialize in an online setting. Friendster than became popular in 2000 acquiring 3 million users in the first 3 months of launching. Soon after that Google bought Blogger, Myspace was born pushing Friendster to the side, and Facebook was being created in a dorm room of Harvard.
Fast forwarding about 10 years, and there are over 550 million Facebookers, 65 million tweets daily, YouTube sees 2 billion new video views daily, and Tumblr gets 1 billion page views. These number will continue to increase as the generation starts seeing these platforms as a way of life and not some new fad.
Another market that has evolved pretty quickly is mobile devices that can access the internet. Smart phones and tablet sales are sky-rocketing and their popularity exploded in only a matter of years.
Every day 38 million people are using their mobile devices to access social media, according to ComScore. This technology has gotten the public demanding instant gratification. Now that the power to interact with the world instantly is in the palms of millions, so is the ability for businesses to interact with their customers world-wide. This technology has enabled the public to praise or complain about your brand or product instantly, allows people to tell the world where they are and allow people to comment on it, and allow someone to make an event and invite their entire social group in seconds. A successful business man should understand that his business needs to be in the conversations and spoken up positively.
So is social media a big deal?
Well, back in the day the only link between businesses and clients was through a sales person. Now that people are used to instant gratification, instead of leaving their house to shop around the look to the web and social networks.
So what is Social Media Exactly?
Social media is very complex. Social platforms have 5 primary characteristics.
Participation – Without participation, the platform would not be very social
Accessibility – Because the desire for participation is so high on these social platforms, there are not many requirements that govern whether someone is allow to respond to a post. Making social media accessible to everyone.
Two-Way Dialogue – Social media relies on communication. Before advertisements where a one way street, now these types of advertisements rely on interaction over solicitation.
Common Interests – common interests are why communities form on social media platforms. People meet like-minded people over conversations about hobbies, activities, religion, politics, and other common interests.
Connectivity – if an individual can access the internet, this person can connect to social media platforms regardless of where they are or what they are doing.
The Many Forms of Social Media
To get a general overview of what social media is you should become familiar with the 5 characteristics above. To truly grasp its power, you need to know how people are using the different social platforms.
There are many different ways people like to socialize and interact with others. Because of this, there are many different social platforms online that people can use. Here are the most common types of social media platforms.
Blogs – we use blogs as a shortened version of the word "weblog" . These kinds of social platforms are a place where you can express your thoughts, opinions, or views about any topic including your business. The casual tone and freestyle approach to sharing your opinion promotes conversation and comments from the blogs readers.
Microblogs – these are blogs that limit the amount of characters you are able to use when speaking your mind. A good example of this would be Twitter, which is used frequently for updates to ones status, to post quick thoughts, or share links to more info to drive the reader to that page.
Networks – These are the big boys. Networks allow the masses to come together online to form communities. Facebook and linkedin are the more popular networks.
Wikis – These are websites that allow readers to actually engage in the content. These sites encourage the community to pool together and come up with the most accurate and up to date information about any subject by collaborating on one website or document.
Content Specific Communities – This type only allows certain types of content to be shared. Examples would be through photos or videos as on the sites Pinterest, Flickr, or YouTube. They encourage interaction through a specific form of content.
Podcasts – Apple's iTunes is a good example of podcasts. Usually video or audio clips that can be enjoyed through a subscription of some kind.
Forums – These were the earliest types for social media platforms that are still widely used today. On forums people all over the world can come together as a community and discuss any topic.
Understanding what social media is can really help you figure out how you can fit it into your marketing strategy. To further help you, lets list the benefits:
1) Low start up costs – this really benefits small businesses running on a shoe string budget. You can reach out to the world like the larger corporations without the high cost that has prevented small business from this type of marketing in the past.
2) Small Businesses Increase their Exposure – A 2012 Social Media Examiner's survey or small businesses says 85% of marketers said social media increased their brand exposure, and 69% said that their website received more traffic by participating in social media efforts. By blogging, podcasting, and through the various other types of social media, they gained exposure to higher quality prospects which in turn can have a positive effect on your business grown.
3) Social Media can Deliver Market Intelligence - This same survey showed that business were also using social media to learn more about their costumers demands, and not only to attract costumers. Blogs, networks and forums give small businesses honest opinions directly from their target clients giving them a better idea of how to service them. It is a unique way to listen to the costumers needs and expand their offerings to accommodate these new demands.
4) Small Businesses can generate new leads and increase customer loyalty – By being in the same community as your customer and engaging them on a daily basis you are establishing loyalty with that customer. The customer in turn speaks about its liking to your brand or product to his like-minded community generating you a better lead. By using social media marketing
So you are familiar with the benefits of social media, but you are still uncertain if you will have the time to devote to your social media campaign to make it effective? Well a huge plus to using social media is that you can use it as often as you want to, or have time to. Of course the more you use it the greater impact social media will have for your business.
Companies are using social media to their advantage in these ways:
BE CONVERSATIONAL – the more you engage in conversation and less time trying to sell everyone you come in contact with, the more you will get out of it. Constantly soliciting people will quickly leave you standing there talking to yourself.
PROVIDE SOMETHING OF VALUE – To really get a costumer to engage in any conversation, it is good to have something that is attractive to them. Having a discount to something you know they like, having good quality content on a subject that they like, and all this should be related to your product in some way.
USE CALLS TO ACTION – There as aspects of marketing that will never change. You should always throw in little reminders to go to your website, call, or leave there info for more information. However you can make these calls to action a little less "in your face" like a glowing button on a website. Make it a hyperlink in your content, a picture, or image.
KEEP IT A TWO WAY STREET – These new prospects that you are reaching out to do not want to be talked at the whole time. Engage them in conversation just like you would a friend, make it a 2-way street, and get to know your new client better.
As the awareness of the ability for instant gratification grows through smart phones and social media increases, so will the amount of potential clients using their smart phones to link up to these social media sites. The number of different social platforms will also increase. Many experts believe that there are many new social platforms in the making that will only increase the need for quality images, videos, and content.
The future of social media is hard to predict, however one thing is certain, social media is not some fad that will fade away and disappear from existence. Instead, it is a new cutting-edge inexpensive marketing tool that small businesses need to embrace whole-heartedly.


text:
Metallic eyebrows are the latest Instagram trend to take the internet by storm!
This newest Instagram trend should definitely not be tried without professional assistance.
The latest Instagram trend to take up the internet is the "Metallic Eyebrow" trend and while fierce eyebrows usually mean highlighted eyebrow arches, the metallic eyebrow is quite different.
The Metallic Eyebrow features metal hardware so you literally look as hard as nails.
Milan Bauranov decided to share the metallic look on his Instagram and it is something which definitely does not look like something that an be rigged at home.
Many of his fans and followers were quick to comment and leave their opinions on the newest trend and called the style cool and creative.
The makeup artist has used all sorts of metal such as nails, wires, and even staples in a couple of his creations.
The detail of the eyebrow seems to be glued on it to ensure that nothing falls off and changes place. The material has been glued on in the shape of the eyebrow itself so it literally looks like a "Metallic Eyebrow."
People have seen extreme forms of piercing such as eyebrow piercings and Milan took that to a whole new level by fixing up to 11 rings/ metal hoops around one model's eyebrow.
If you are fascinated by this new trend and would like to try it at home, it is strongly suggested that you consult a professional instead of poking yourself and getting hurt.
Here are some more pictures of the questionable new trend:
If you have any views or stories that you would like to share with us, drop us an email at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Daily Archives: August 28, 2018
Ways to Choose the Preferred Specialized Employer to help Make up Your enterprise
Startups to help choice proportions agencies possess a well-known issue in regards to appointing with regard to specialized postures; the purchase price is usually too big to help make a case for having skilled specialized interviewers with staff members, nevertheless usual require with regard to specialized postures suggests needed entry to computer sales pitching abilities. Computer interviewers supply a completely unique blend of abilities designed for identifying that selection that can offer the most effective know-how bottom part together with ethnic fit in for any available job. A preliminary understanding in the needed experience, entry to active communities with people and then a powerful identity comprise a few in the successful elements to get a flourishing computer employer. Within a sector referred to with regard to underhand together with excessive prizes, a wide array of most people positively telephone independently computer interviewers. Just how can an organisation wanting to employ the most effective people choose the best specialized sales pitching corporation to help make up these? Allow me to share a few vital elements to run a test with regard to as soon as constructing some sort of connection using computer interviewers.
Area to help vital specialized marketplaces can be a ought to for almost any substantial computer interviewers. Within a environment the place telecommuting is not really intriguing, real bodily area is not really essential. Nevertheless, any sort of do it yourself announced specialized employer ought to invest a leading percentage of time employed in marketplaces that will make up that breads together with butter in the specialized environment. If your primary sales pitching corporation goes most their own occupation look ups in the Silicon Area vicinity in that case you will find there's excessive chance quite possibly working together with together with challenging with preferred. Constantly ask around certain sector encounter in advance of working together with some sort of computer employer. Encounter inside your organization's certain physical vicinity is in addition an advantage.
Employed in the superior marketplaces fails to really mean financial success. Constantly try to look for skilled agencies. Any sort of take flight just by day corporation may well are in existence inside sales pitching sector with regard to a short time of your energy. Sales pitching agencies using across a long time with encounter is a better can guess. Interviewers using more time tenures construction business get probable experienced both good and the bad with appointing inside current current economic climate. A lot of these agencies are generally invested in giving you quality product for a longer time frame and probable get longer position shoppers which happen to have allow retain their own permanence over time. Encounter can be a serious element with regard to financial success inside computer sales pitching sector. Try to look for skilled specialized interviewers with a protracted good reputation for doing work construction business.
Much like just about all gross sales linked connections converse is usually low-cost. If your primary corporation is usually wanting to employ the most effective, then you definately are generally against the chances. Quite possibly within a off current economic climate, prime specialized postures are generally desired. A lot of these people are generally positively hired using their own up-to-date postures. Several interviewers are generally get in touch with these constantly. To use the most effective, you have got to help the most effective computer interviewers. Find a successful background. Inquire precisely what agencies they also have previously worked with regard to in earlier times. Inquire the length of time their bond held up. Require certain recommendations that will establish the products their own succeed. Buying employer using certain encounter inside your sector is usually an additional serious and. Some sort of computer employer which has learned that basics to your sector are going to be far better loaded to learn that specialized prerequisites for any job. A lot of these interviewers will likewise possess a far better set in the stretch of land and also positively get using agencies using corresponding skill level packages.
In a technological know-how based mostly corporation, people funds is a vital to help financial success. Without the need of skilled most people together with advancement, some sort of specialized corporation is usually bound with regard to fail. Tend not to take M stage people. Take a little time available to cooperate with just the most effective specialized interviewers along with the end result might make a case for that attempts. Don't forget, you may do not ever inquire many doubts. Any sort of sound computer employer will need to have a good all round benchmark issue and then a instant option.


text:
Sinochem is delighted to introduce its new range of ag-chem products; KELPIE®.
KELPIE® products are made to high quality standards delivering reliable, and consistent product performance into the Australian agricultural market. Focussing on products that are integral to all key Australian cropping systems, the KELPIE® range includes products pivotal to Australian agricultural retailers and growers.
Follow us at
450 g/L glyphosate
Learn more
540 g/L glyphosate
900 g/kg atrazine
900 g/kg simazine
240 g/L clethodim
750 g/kg isoxaflutole
300 g/L paraquat
625 g/L 2,4-D
960 g/L S-Metolachlor
250 g/L bromoxynil, 25 g/L diflufenican
200 g/L glufosinate-ammonium
400 g/kg tralkoxydim
900 g/kg diuron
125 g/L epoxiconazole
250 g/L azoxystrobin


text:
dodge durango lease deals miami – Jeep Dodge Ram Chrysler Service Schedule Appointment
Founded because the major automotive company a slah on this planet, the title dodge is capable of providing Just about every number of its items into your ranks of world class cars. This is certainly attested through the known extent in the productiveness during the show by the organization was introducing into the midst of the general public quality and excellence that may be owned by any variety and kind of vehicle from the merchandise and it has been within the spread to a variety of market on the globe nowadays including the industry alone.
The design and magnificence of the modif in serve organization without a doubt commensurate with what on earth is on provide with the selling value, and of course a number of automotive engineering progress perform in produce your individual by dodge's possess unique color is able to staying on earth otomoitf particularly. As Unique associate in devices advertising and marketing and revenue of products for instance automotive motor vehicle lamborghini automobile cost with its have design and construction worth of this enterprise.
To even more establish the innovation specifically for the region on the archipelago, then dodge has launched a variety of Formal agents who happen to be unfold to many major metropolitan areas during the region, it is actually unquestionably pretty attainable for the public to get more effortlessly get Unique provides from this corporation, at the same time generating the name dodge the greater greatly regarded by the public, then despite It is then a number of series and the sort of vehicle dodge ready be sure for the consumer.
Dodge Viper, Dodge Journey, Dodge Durango, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Dart, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger can be a collection of the greatest automobiles in its individual critical restrictions stretcher by the company which is now his existence already while in the make certain the distribute to a number of vacation spot international locations on earth, however the promoting selling price for the issue was integrated about the group of the car class, although not the least purchaser tertatik with what exactly is in the tawarkannya, could even say large electrical power fascination in both of those for the cost of a fresh vehicle or mark Trustworthiness requirements and characteristics contained on this sort of car is undoubtedly quite really worth the price estimate car dodge itself, to ensure that In combination with get an excellent exciting and sophisticated.


text:
PaperPlay the challenge is to create your own DP.
For my card I used Clarity Silk Art board and a selection of Ranger Alcohol Inks.
I then stamped the butterfly from Chocolate Baroque Butterfly Flourish and embossed with copper EP.
I blended some DI Antique Linen to take away some of the whiteness of the cardstock and finished with some seam binding ribbon which had also been coloured with the DI,
Thanks for looking


text:
Speaker upgradeSubmitted by Alex on Wed, 2007-11-21 17:54. computer | music
I finally got completely fed up with my computer speakers. So, I went out to the nearest place and picked up the cheapest set of 2.1 I could find.
Nardo Polo, Where Are You?Submitted by Alex on Fri, 2006-12-01 16:45. music
Back in 1990, there was an offbeat hit making the rounds on all the Top 40 stations by a band called '2NU'. The song was 'This is Ponderous'. A lovely little spoken-word number about some whacked-out dream. I thought it was wonderful.
I wanted more. But, the only thing I could find in the music store at the time was the single, with a sci-fi-sounding number called 'She' on the flipside.
Years go by, and things get forgotten. Until, sometime in the late 90s, I'm looking through the offerings at mp3.com and, lo! I find not only this wonderous song from back in my youth, but more off the original album! Count Em Up Queek, DDS Blues, Spaz Attack... I'm in heaven!


text:
When I woke up this morning and fired up my Chrome browser, this quote (unattributed) appeared on my motivational Momentum dashboard, and I thought it was coincidentally apropos to this post I was planning on writing today. One of the key components of the Learn-Verified program is its student community. Through Slack chat, peer and instructor support tied into the curriculum to assist other students with issues as they work on lessons and labs, and most recently with the ability to easily create study groups on a given topic, Learn is continuing to place emphasis on collaboration.
But one of the more significant ways of collaborating with other students in the program is through learning to Pair Program as a development methodology. At the end of each significant curriculum module, we are to pair with another individual to complete a final project. While generally pair programmers would be working at the same terminal, taking turns driving and providing feedback, Learn puts a spin on this as everyone is essentially "remote" and you could pair with someone on the other side of the world. Thankfully, with screen sharing tools like Screenhero (as I mention in a previous post), two individuals can be sharing the same screen and communicating verbally with keyboard and mouse input into the presenter's screen while working on an assignment.
A few examples of how Pair Programming can be performed include:
- Pair – Pair the entire time working linearly together
- Pass – 1 person does 1 requirement and then the next person does the next one
- Parallel – work on different parts at the same time by agreeing on interfaces and stubs and meeting in the middle
Recently, I worked with one of my peers in a hybrid of "Parallel" and "Pair" programming, to create a Sinatra MVC application that replicated the basic functionality of twitter. The app allowed users being able to create/edit/delete/view (CRUD) their own posts, view other user posts, and ensure a user had the proper rights to perform these operations (i.e. a user needed to be logged in to view any post and could not edit or delete another user's post). Both of us came in with ideas of what we wanted to implement with this project. We decided that we would initially work in parallel, where one person would work on a controller and model for one component, while the other individual would work on the views for a second component, following Sinatra and ActiveRecord conventions. Then we would share our work, and in reverse, one of us would complete the views for the other model/controller and another would complete the model/controller for the other views. At this point, we would also reconcile each other's code to make sure a given MVC worked as expected. We went back and forth on this for a few days and until we agreed we were satisfied with fulfilling the basic requirements for the project. Subsequently, we virtually paired using Screenhero to implement a gem that would allow us to add flash messages to display error or success messages back to the end user (a capability native to Rails but not Sinatra) and also added a little design and color to the site using the popular Bootstrap framework. Our final project is available on github below.
One of the tenets of Ruby (in comparison with other programming languages) is that it allows a developer to implement the same functionality, yet the methods used can be completely different. While there are pros and cons to this, pair programming allowed me the opportunity to see additional ways adding a feature could be implemented based on how another person's thought process works. There's also the saying that "two heads are better than one" and by pairing together, we were jointly able to create a product that we could also individually be proud of.


text:
Happy Birthday Quotes for Clients
Serious Birthday Sayings for Clients
Do you have a particular client whose patronage you greatly enjoy? This is the kind of person who just seems to go above and beyond to make the times that you supply them with goods or services a a truly rewarding and pleasant experience. Wouldn't you like to be able to have an opportunity to do something special in return to let this wonderful client know how thankful you are for their loyalty and kindness? Why not consider writing this one-of-a-kind client a heartfelt, personalized birthday message on their next birthday? Your client will likely be so appreciative of your thoughtfulness that they will be even more enthusiastic about working with you again in the future. Who knows? This one simple, kind gesture on your part may even lead to your client recommending your services to other quality patrons!
The thought of writing your own personalized birthday greetings may seem a bit daunting at first if you are not accustomed to doing so. But don't let yourself be intimidated. It's really easier than you think! If you follow these simple steps you can write a beautiful, personalized birthday message that comes from your heart quickly and easily. Your client will be deeply moved and impressed by your efforts.
First, write down some of the amazing character qualities that endear this particular client to you. Is he especially thoughtful and generous? Does she always have a thankful and positive attitude toward you? Is he reasonable and fair in his expectations? Next, apply these positive characteristics to your personal interactions with you client. Has he always given you generous tips for your services? Has she remembered to treat you with kindness and appreciation for a job well done? Has he been patient any time there was a delay or complication related to the services that you provided him? Then, share any special memories that you may have of the times you have spent with this client. Has she made you laugh while you were working on her projects? Has he given you great advice and support when you were going through a difficult time in your personal life? Any memories that you can share of happy, positive experiences you have had with your client will be sure to let them know how important they are to you personally. Finally, spend time crafting your won words of genuine appreciation for them as a client, and end with wishes for a wonderful birthday.
Finding loyal clients who are a joy to work with is no easy task these days. You want to make sure that your faithful client knows that you appreciate their business and their positive character qualities. What better time to do so then on their birthday? Your client may not even realize what an important difference they have made in your life. So rather then looking for a boring, generic card at the store, this year write your client a personalized, original birthday message that they will cherish for a lifetime!
Hip, hip, hooray
Today is your birthday
May it bring lots of presents
From all your descendants
More than that, we want you to know
Because of your wisdom, we've been able to grow
You're loving and caring
And especially good at sharing
Enjoy the laughs and fun
Before the day is done
For my love of many years
One who's shared lots of tears
We know each other's fears
In my life, you're the one who steers
But on this special day, we celebrate many cheers
Today is your birthday
It's time to party
We're celebrating you
For all that you do
With hugs and kisses
Only today, we'll do the dishes
Where did you come from
You're a different kind of fun
I always anticipate what's to come
With you, I know the fun is never done
Seeing you when I rise, you're as brilliant as the sun
Happy Birthday to the love of my life, the only one
Your fiftieth birthday, it's finally here
Everyone's excited to let out a big cheer
There's cake, music and dancing
"Happy Birthday" we'll soon sing
There are plenty more birthdays ahead
Getting older is nothing to dread
We'll celebrate each and every one
Until all the cake in the world is done!
Like a lion in a cage
Your life is a stage
You roar with energy
So young, wild and free
Now that you're a teen
There's much to be seen
Let's explore life together
Any storm that comes, we can weather
At fifty, you're stronger than ever
Not to mention, all the more clever
With you're strength and your might
You shine like the brightest light
Lessons from you are always welcome
I hope that they never become seldom
You still have so much to teach
And I have a lot to reach
I'd be nowhere without you
Despite getting older, your smile is always brand new
You're the the cure to my pain
The blood to my vein
You're the peanut to my jelly
The food to my belly
I guess what I'm trying to say
Is that I wish you a very happy birthday!
Another day older
Another day bolder
Another hair turned grey
Another wise adage to say
Another wrinkle earned
Another lesson learned
Another great birthday
Another reason to cheer "Hooray!"
It only happens once a year
When I get the chance to cheer
To you being in my life
And relieving all of my strife
I love you to the moon and back
With you in my life, there's never a lack
You glisten and sparkle wherever you go
Whenever I need answers to questions, you always know
Your bright smile lights up any day
Let's celebrate, because today is your birthday!
You are always jovial and gay
Never a lack of something to say
This birthday marks another year together
May your spirit always be as light as a feather
May you always glow bright
With tons of joy and delight
You're smart and you're funny
You're always as sweet as honey
This birthday marks a special date
Here's to the good times you always create
If you're not ready for another year
I'm here to tell you not to fear
You're wiser and stronger
And meant to live much longer
Happy ninetieth birthday Grandma
I sure do love ya!
Dancing, singing and laughing
Are the joys in life you bring
From when we were small until now
We can't help but say, "wow"
You're the best mom in the galaxy
Here's to turning fifty!
With warmest regards
For all that you do,
We send our good wishes—
Happy Birthday to you!
Time and again you impress with your grace,
With your wit and your brains, you're always first place.
So here's to you on the day of your birth,
From all of us who know your true worth.
You add something special to all that you do,
In every last way, your intentions are true.
In honor of you, and all that you've done,
Here's to another year circling the sun!
For the one who surpasses
Our highest expectations,
We all raise our glasses
In birthday celebration!
A remarkable person, through and through,
A leader in business and friendship, too,
We send our regards and appreciation,
And wish you a joyful birthday celebration.
I never knew someone so kind and so smart,
With not only brains but also such heart,
There isn't a card in the birthday section
To fully explain you in all your perfection!
Maybe we haven't said it enough,
But someone so special deserves admiration,
For someone who's made of all the best stuff,
Here's a round of applause and a standing ovation!
Blow out the candles and have some cake,
Enjoy your day and take a break—
You deserve it, for all that you do,
With a Happy Birthday from us to you.
Wishing you joy on today of all days,
With a helping of warmth and a heaping of praise,
May your birthday be filled with jubilation,
You are certainly worthy of celebration!
A birthday comes just once a year,
So make the most and have some cheer.
Pour a glass and put up your feet,
And have yourself a birthday treat!
You have always inspired, always been admired,
On account of your sweetness, in all its completeness,
You're always a treasure, and now it's my pleasure,
Without further adieu, to say Happy Birthday to you!
Happiest Birthday to a wonderful friend,
From the day's beginning right up to its end,
With warmest of wishes and brightest of cheer,
Have a fantastic birthday and a marvelous year!
For someone who always does the right thing,
I wish all the joy that a year could bring,
For someone who's special in every way,
I wish a marvelous, Happy Birthday!
A wish on your birthday for a wonderful year,
For joy in your home, success in your career,
You deserve only the best,
And I hope that you will be so blessed!
Here's hoping your birthday meets expectations,
That it's filled with parties and celebrations,
For you deserve all that and more,
And I can't wait to see what next year has in store!
Birthdays are special, especially for you,
You've done so much, and been so true,
You inspire us all with your dedication,
You deserve a spectacular celebration!


text:
4 hours ago
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The art in a Keepsake toy .
Sorry for the blog overload today but there has been a few discoveries that I have been wanting to share . I recently heard about an exhibition called Doudou Forever at children's shop Un Zèbre au Grenier in Paris. It featured a series of portraits by French photographer Bénédicte Lassalle called 'Mine Forever', capturing people's soft toys – or as the French refer to them as 'doudous'. I think she captures the essence of a well loved toy. Every adult I speak to has a story about a child and their well loved toy . I hope that our La de dah softies and toys will also have beautiful stories to tell as they enter peoples home and become well loved toys for many years to come . There has been much debate whether a soft toy will become a thing of the past with technology fast advancing ? Do you think a little persons soft toy will ever be replaced ? Do you think that there is an item that can replace the soft toy ? In our house with a recent bout of sickness our little people not only play and interact with there soft toys but find comfort and warmth in the days they are sick . There is always a place for a soft toy in our house for both play and comfort.
Posted by La De Dah at 11:06 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
La De Dah Kids All rights reserved © Blog Milk Powered by Blogger


text:
Greetings from Belgrade, Serbia!
I'm currently writing this blogpost quickly on my phone while waiting for my brunch at this restaurant just outside our apartment rental in a pretty hip street just outside of the Old Town.
I'm traveling around for the next 4 weeks to Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Israel (just me) with my 2 best friends from high school, Zan and MM. We all love to travel and try to meet once a year somewhere abroad.
Our last trip together was in Borneo for two weeks visiting Brunei and Kota Kinabalu mostly.
This would be our longest trip together yet! It's always great to travel with your friends who know you really well. I mean it could turn out to be a disaster to travel with friends as well but I've travelled with Zan and MM for a decade now so we pretty much know we click as a team!
In the last few years we've had many misadventures together in the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo and just recently in Switzerland with MM who is studying her Masters in Geneva.
It's also Zan's first time in Europe and we are so excited to show her around our favorite continent. She planned everything last minute actually. She collected all her documents, hotel reservation, flight reservation for visa application and applied for a Schengen visa a month before our trip. So very last minute. Typical of Zan!
Since we're going to the Balkans we call our trip #BaklaanSaBalkans.
We arrived in Belgrade yesterday and we sort of already love the city. Okay maybe not the city itself because it's pretty ghetto and not your usual pretty European city. It's kind of gray. The kind of gray that looks like the buildings have a layer of smoke on top of the old paint.
We love the city because of the people.
They are so nice and friendly here. This is so surprising for me because I expected them to be rude and unfriendly like people in Poland or other Eastern European countries.
Time and time again I am reminded to leave my damn expectations at the door.
Here are 3 instances that made me love the Serbians so far:
At the bank
We went to the bank so we could exchange some of our euros to Serbian dinar. I was looking at the exchange rate board when one of the staff talked to me and told me "Come here you can also see the exchange rate here," she said, pointing at a piece of paper.
We all came closer and looked. So 1 euro is around 114 dinars.
She then came closer and whispered "Go through the passage on the left. The exchange rate is better there."
We were a bit shocked to hear this from someone who works at the bank. Doesn't she want the bank which pays her salary to make more money?
We walked out and looked for the exchange rate company at the passage and found it.
The exchange rate was 1 euros to 120 Serbian dinar. Winning.
At the bookstore
Last night we were walking through the Old Town for the first time and saw more than half a dozen bookstores within half a kilometer. And you know I love my bookstores and buying books abroad. We went to a few of them and checked their selections.
At one of the bookstores, one of the staff started talking to us while we were hovering over the English fiction section. I was telling Marian to get a copy of Jonas Jonasson's The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared.
"That's a really good book," he said. "Really funny."
I agreed. But they only have the other book in stock, The Girl Who Saved The King Of Sweden.
"That's also really nice," he said. "But I heard it's not as good as the first one and the style is pretty much the same. Like watching Hangover and then Hangover 2," I said.
"No it's also good. It's the same style of course," he said.
Later on I approached him to ask for a Serbian author recommendation. He lead me in front of the store and showed me booked by Ivo Andrić.
"He is one of our best authors. He is a Nobel Prize winner," he said with a smile.
He just wasn't interacting with us because it's his job and he wants us to buy books. He was genuinely interested in talking to us.
At the Gyros take-away
We were so hungry by 9PM that we decided to grab some gyros at the Old Town. It was so cheap. It was around 2 euros.
There were 3 guys in the store. While we ordered one of the guys asked me where I'm from.
"I'm from the Philippines."
"Ah. From Manila?" he asked.
"Yep. How do you know all these things? Have you visited the Philippines?" I asked.
"No. I just know," he said smiling.
I went to our table outside with my gyros and told Zan and MM what just happened.
I was thirsty so I decided to buy a bottle of coke. I went back to the counter to order one.
"One coke, please," I said.
"Bakla? (Gay?)" he asked. He was smiling and pointing at his co-worker while taking my cash.
I didn't know how to react. Why does this guy know Filipino words?He repeated the questionagain.
"Bakla?" It wasn't a threatening, homophobic slur. It felt more like "hey you're one of us".
I looked at his co-worker and he nodded and smiled as if to say "Yes I'm bakla too."
I smiled back and nodded and took my change.
I went back to our table and told the girls "OMG they just asked me if I'm bakla. How did they know those words? Do you think they have a Filipino boyfriend?"
This truly is a #BaklaanSaBalkans trip. I just had to share these stories because it makes me happy.
Anyway my food is here. I'm gonna eat it while waiting for the 2 girls to finish their walking tour. I was asleep til noon. Shhhhh.


text:
Outdoor cinema at Sheffield Park and Garden
*THIS WEBPAGE REFERS TO SUMMER 2016. PLEASE SEE OUR EVENTS PAGE FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION* On Friday 12, and Saturday 13 August, join us for our first outdoor cinema experience as we screen a 1960s classic thriller and a modern box office hit on the historic cricket pitch.
Friday night has a nostalgic feel with a showing of the 1961 film 'The Innocents'. Prepare to be scared as you watch this thriller unfold against a backdrop of the house and lakes where some of the spookiest scenes took place.
On Saturday a buzz of excitement will be in the air as the action-packed Bond film 'Spectre' provides the entertainment, while a starlit sky and picnic blankets aplenty provide the atmosphere.
Gates will open at 6.30pm for picnics and the films will start as darkness falls. Please bring your own seating and weather appropriate clothing. Torches are also recommended. Catering facilities and toilets will be available on the cricket pitch.
About the films
The Innocents (12A)
Based on the Henry James story "The Turn of the Screw", this supernatural gothic horror film stars Deborah Kerr as a governess who begins to fear that the two children she watches over are possessed by spirits. Shot on location in the house and garden at Sheffield Park, this film is widely regarded as one of the best psychological thrillers of all time.
Spectre (12A)
Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in this twenty-fourth appearance of the famous secret service agent. Hugely successful at the box office, the film is jam-packed with action sequences as Bond is pitted against the global criminal organisation Spectre and attempts to thwart their plan to hijack a global surveillance network.


text:
Are you the sort of person that quivers in fear when they are forced to start dealing with technology? Do you struggle to grasp the first thing about websites and how to operate them? You've clicked on the right link! What if I told you that you didn't need any of that expert knowledge? What if I told you that ten minutes after reading this article, you could have a website that is live on the net? Don't believe me? Let's give it a go, then.
Before you start creating the website itself, you want to have an idea of how it will look. What are you hoping to achieve with this website? Is it going to be a blogging site like this, or maybe you're looking at e-commerce? Make sure you've got a plan before you dive in.
Step 2: Get A Domain
Your domain is the address you give out for people to access your website. You can pay for something like a .com domain if you're happy to spend a little money. Alternatively, there are free domains out there, but they won't be as recognizable to most people. Do a Google search, take your pick and sign up.
Step 3: Find A Website Builder
You might not know the first thing about website design, but that's OK! Instead; start searching Google for an easy website builder. Most of these builders come packaged with hosting services that allow your website to exist on the web. Connect your new domain to them, and you've got a website.
Step 4: Add Your Text/Images/Videos
When using a website builder, you'll normally be given detailed instructions as to how to incorporate designs. Adding your text, images and videos is as easy as pressing a couple of buttons. For now, get the basics right. You can come back to the rest later.
Step 5: That's It!
Congratulations! You've got yourself a website. See; it wasn't that hard, was it?
Future Considerations
This is just the tip of the iceberg for your site. There's a lot to think about from this point onward, and that's when things can get quite complicated. For example, SEO techniques can help your website to generate more viewers. One look at this duplicate content canonical url example might be enough to make you panic all over again! Don't worry, though; SEO is often handled by professionals. You can pay for experts to handle this side of things on your behalf if you want to.
Eventually, your website will probably need a more extensive hosting package. You can get this in the same way you bought your .com domain: paying for it. It's easy to move your website over to a new hosting package, so don't worry about this.
Finally, as great as website builders are, they don't offer much freedom. You might find that in the future, you feel limited by what they can do. In this case, you'll want to migrate to something like WordPress. This will provide you with many more options than what a simple website builder can offer.


text:
A shocking terrorist attack has led to scenes of unimaginable horror at a luxury hotel - just metres away from the Australian consulate.
PACK your elastic waist pants, you'll need them in South Africa. And if you have a problem with impulse buying or jealousy - they have a drink for that.
IT can feel a bit disorienting, unwinding at a busy rooftop bar hours after a sunrise game drive. But that's South Africa - memorable experiences for every taste.
DANGLING a scorpion teasingly above his tongue, I wonder if this bushman has a death wish. Yet as he lowers the creature into his mouth, it surrenders into a pancake-flat slumber.
SNUGGLING up with baby rhinos is just one of the perks for Laura Ellison, who gets up close and personal with the endangered species on a daily basis.
EAST Africa is the land of childhood imaginings, a wild realm of extraordinary landscapes, peoples and wildlife in one of earth's most beautiful corners.
KIM Saville gave up her job in television casting in Sydney to help poor children get an education in Tanzania
A TINY coral island off the southest coast of Mauritius is home to some of the oldest species native to this remote paradise and you can visit.
A CHARITY trip to Ethiopia to raise money for Hamlin Fistula Hospital was a life-changing experience for Rosie Langley
THIS country was home to numerous ancient civilisations, who built some incredible things. But very few people are visiting these amazing attractions.
AUSSIE Socceroos player Tim Cahill shares his favourite travel spots.
FROM the cramped confines of Mandela's former prison cell to stunning mountain-top vistas, South Africa offers huge variety mixed with real emotion, writes Brad Crouch
SIR Richard Branson's latest property play is the ultimate tent city where guests can enjoy views, spa treatments and unlimited champagne - but it'll cost them!
TWO German students have damaged ancient writing in the Great Pyramid in order to "prove" the structure is far older than generally accepted.
A RESORT that allows rich people to live like poor Africans in shanty towns while enjoying five-star comforts has been labelled "poverty porn."
AN ACROBATIC elephant has been photographed standing on its back legs to reach high-up leaves in a tree with its trunk.
NEW research finds tech-savvy travellers are embracing emerging destinations such as Tanzania - as well as "fly and flop" holidays.
THOUSANDS of Australian soccer fans are scrambling for tickets to next year's World Cup as a new ticketing sale kicks off.
A LIFE-and-death drama unfolds on the African Plains in the greatest wildlife show on Earth.


text:
My third card for this week's challenge for cards using a Monochromatic look, is this birthday card.
I started with Rich Razzleberry card stock, one of our new In Colors. I paired it up with Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper.
I stamped my main image, a cupcake from "Crazy For Cupcakes" stamp set, on Orchid Opulence and a striped paper from Cottage Wall DSP.
Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon was layered over a strip of the same color card stock which I punched with the Eyelet Border Punch.
My sentiment was punched out using our new Modern Label Punch and coordinating Mover's and Shaper's Die piece.
Lastly, I added Dazzling Diamonds to the "sprinkles" and candle, using small drops of Crystal Effects.


text:
The "warning lights are blinking red again," said the American government's top intelligence official on Friday.
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats warned of newly resurgent threats by Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China on critical U.S. infrastructure while speaking at the Hudson Institute think tank.
Coats happened to be speaking at the event just after the Department of Justice revealed an indictment against 12 Russian military agents for hacking the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.
from Boing Boing https://boingboing.net/2018/07/13/u-s-intel-chief-warns-of-gr.html


text:
The Baugh Family - Shaw's Cove Laguna Beach Family Session - Orange County Family Photographer
"May you always know little one, you were wished for, longed for, prayed for, and wanted."
I love connecting with families I meet and getting to know their story. This sweet little guy, Jordan, is just shy of 2 years old, waiting for his adoption to be complete. This family came all the way from Arkansas to visit Jordan as just in a few weeks they get to take him home forever . I couldn't feel more honored to capture this special time for them.


text:
Let Sky Hook Model 8550 do the work for you!
Designed to bolt easily to floors, Sky Hook Model 8550 is perfect for thoseapplications where you want a unit ready to do theheavy lifting sitting right next to your machine or equipment. This versatile unit works well in welding departments, assembly and production areas, repair stations, loading docks, marine docks, and boat or ship decks.
Using just one person, the Sky Hook Model 8550 has a 75" length of lift that makes lifting up to 500 lbs. possible—yet the Sky Hook itself weighs just 26 lbs. If you usually need two or more people to move or lift machine parts or heavy items, with Sky Hook Model 8550 just one person can safely lift and pivot the unit 360° for precision positioning. As an added benefit, Sky Hook Model 8550 functions well in tight working conditions and is less expensive than a forklift, overhead crane, or chain hoist.
If you or your employees are lifting 25 lbs. or more, you're at risk for back sprains, muscle pulls, wrist injuries, elbow injuries, spinal injuries, and other damage caused by lifting heavy objects. Skyhook
Model 8550 reduces those risks and does the heavy lifting for you.Constructed of high-strength steel, the Sky Hook Model 8550 comes with a limited manufacturer's warranty and meets all applicable O.S.H.A. requirements.
For specialty applications, custom units of Sky Hook Model 8550 are also available.
Contact Us Today and discover how a Sky Hook Model 8550 With Floor Mounted Base can help you prevent back injuries and save $$$!
Click here for an electronic catalog
Features and Benefits
ATTCO, Inc. DBA Syclone ATTCO Service
Sky Hook Accessories
Choker Collar
Model 8507
Vise Hook
Model 8515
Nylon Lifting
Chuck Hook
Model 8520


text:
I should like it to resemble some deep old desk, or capacious hold-all, in which one flings a mass of odds and ends without looking them through. (Virginia Woolf) We become ourselves through others, and the self is a porous thing, not a sealed container (Siri Hustvedt) En vez de mirarme en mi espejo quiero que mi espejo se mire en mí (Alejandra Pizarnik)
The artist's life nourishes itself on the particular, the concrete: that came to me last night as I despaired about writing poems on the concept of the seven deadly sins and told myself to get rid of the killing idea: this must be a great word of philosophy. Start with the mat-green fungus in the pine woods yesterday: words about it, describing it, and a poem will come. Daily, simply, and then it wont lour in the distance, an untouchable object. Write about the cow, Mrs. Spauldings heavy eyelids, the smell of vanilla flavouring in a brown bottle. That's where the magic mountains begin.


text:
*Clarifications are needed it seems*
I would have thought that the rather hysterical and (hopefully) uncharacteristic tone and form of argumentation that I used yesterday would have signalled to regular readers that I wasn't really being very serious about the views advocated.
Particular when it had Mr Fluffy remarking on the absurdity of what constitutes politics and politicking, something inherent in the "blog gag" as the BBC puts it.
But it seems that I have upset Ted, which definately wasn't my intention seeing as he is perhaps the only regular commenter on my blog.
Nevertheless, seeing as he points me to the yawningbread.org's commentary on this issue and I need some revision for public law, let's examine this issue a lot more seriously. Since it is fair comment the MDA shouldn't be coming after me =)
Do these laws violate the Constitution anyway?
One thing that we may be overlooking is that these laws may be in violation of the Constitution anyway.
The Constitution is supreme over our laws. If a law violates the Constitution, that law is null and void [3]. In that case, it's pointless for a minister to try to clarify how the law would be applied.
He's right in reminding us that the Constitution is the supreme law of our land, it being both heirachically and logically precedent to legislation passed by Parliament because it gives Parliament its powers to make law in the first place. Article 4 is the Constitutional Supremacy clause and it basically says that any laws that are inconsistent with the Constitution, is to the extend of its inconsistency, void.
Good stuff that. That basically draws a big (theoretical) distinction between the UK Westminster System and the Westminster system that is otherwise practiced by the rest of the Commonwealth. Under the British Westminster system, Parliament is supreme and their courts have acknowledged that Parliament could in theory because of their supremacy, effectively eradicate all forms of Human Rights. Of course, their parliamentary system and the basic decency of a mature democracy would never allow that, notwithstanding Blair's 700 new criminal laws and his attack on youths in general. It's also worth pointing out that the Human Rights Act of 1998 does not give the same powers to strike down laws as our courts do, it's just that there is a huge political price to be paid if the court should hold that a piece of legislation is inconsistent with the act.
But as I quoted yesterday from the Constituion, the right to free speech is the only fundamental liberty that from the beginning of its article is already qualified. Such that despite this being an ostensible fundamental liberty, I do wonder whether it bears more resemblence instead to the common law notion of residuary right i.e. you have that right only insofar as it does not contravene any properly enacted bit of legislation. So a proper articulation of the issue should be the extent to which the court have construed the article and the extent to which it is prepared to differ to the judgement of Parliament. But more on that below.
Clause 14 (1)(a) of Singapore's Constitution says, "every citizen of Singapore has the right to freedom of speech and expression."
A little further down, a few exceptions to the above guarantee are stated:
Parliament may by law impose... on the rights conferred by clause (1) (a), such restrictions as it considers necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of Singapore or any part thereof, friendly relations with other countries, public order or morality and restrictions designed to protect the privileges of Parliament or to provide against contempt of court, defamation or incitement to any offence;
It's worth noting that no exception is provided to the free speech provision on the grounds that certain speech is political. So, unless one really stretches the meaning of "security", "public order" or "morality", it's hard to see a constitutional basis for circumscribing speech just because it promotes any political or even party political point of view. And speech includes podcasting and videocasting.
Here the situation gets very very interesting. Let's deal with the Adminstrative Law issue first i.e. what empowers the minister to make the regulations that he makes.
Here is where we turn to statute and in particular, the Parliamentary Election Act (Cap. 218). Sections 78, 78A and 102 gives the power to the minister to make regulations as to election advertising (and in general). Pursuant to these powers, we have the Parliamentary Elections (Election Advertising) Regulations. Without delving into the intricacies of Administrative law and the grounds one uses to impugn subsidiary legislation (judicial and non-judicial controls), the conclusion is that the Minister is absolutely entitled to make the regulations he did.
On second thoughts, it looks like we're going to need to deal with it. I don't want to deal with non-judicial controls because it's not an issue here so I'll turn instead to judicial controls and the two main methods one uses to impugn a subsidiary legislation.
1. Procedural ultra-vires (outside of jurisdiction) i.e. breach of mandatory procedural requirements in parent statute and breach of rules of natural justice, see the Interpretation Act (Cap. 1), s. 19, 23 and 48. So if one looks at the parent statute (the Parliamentary Elections Act) and the relevent statutes listed above, it should be apparent that the minister was within his powers when he made those regulations
2. Substantive ultra vires e.g. unreasonableness, oppression, bad faith. Without delving too much into case law, the standard to impugn is really pretty high. You going to have to need to demonstrate something along the lines of targeting only specific parties (bad faith) or some form of improper purpose, or some form of unreasonableness so extreme that NO reasonable person would have come up with it.
While a case could be made on the last point, it seems that considering the object of the act and regulations (see below) and the restrictions imposed i.e. fair comment is allowed but not active electioning (well...um...nevermind), I don't think it would be impugned.
Which leaves us with the Constitutional issue. As can be seen from the Constitution, there are eight grounds by which Parliament may restraint speech. So the "threshold issue" is whether or not a court may review legislation which (potentially) contravenes art. 14(1)(a). There are basically 2 approaches that a court could take.
1. That the right to free speech is essentially subject to whatever laws Parliament may make and that the words "necessary and expedient" should be read subjectively to mean that it is beyond the court's capacity and competency to question the necessity or expediency of the legislation passed. This would indicate that regardless of how harsh and unreasonable the restriction may be, Parliament's law stands.
2. That despite what is said, the court will read into the Constitution some notion of "reasonable restriction" on the offending legislation.
I seriously doubt the second Indian approach will find much favour here seeing that the court has generally taken a very strict separation of power and literal interpretation of the Constitution and an aversion against judicial activism, prefering instead to avere to the democratic will of Parliament (which makes theoretical sense seeing as judges aren't elected). Furthermore, in cases like Colin Chan v PP (relgious freedom case), the court took a very precautionary stance in that things that like national security and social order, which were a "paramount mandate" would automatically trumpt any action that would have the tendancy to infringe upon them.
As such, given the likely subjective approach that is taken, I point you to the parliamentary debate on the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment No. 2) Bill which basically removed a 1997 ban on internet election advertising and put forward the blanket (it applied to all parties and forms of mass media) restriction on the types of advertising allowed.
What I hope to draw my readers attention to is Mr Lee Yock Suan's speech and the reasons for this particular amendment.
Parliamentary elections are of vital importance to Singapore and should be conducted in a fair and orderly manner, free from distractions and undue influence. Our electoral processes also need to be updated to take into account new developments such as the Internet. This Bill proposes amendments to the Parliamentary Elections Act to, firstly, regulate political campaigning on the Internet; secondly, prohibit the publication during the election period of the results of opinion surveys on how electors intend to vote; and, thirdly, disallow a person from contesting simultaneously in more than one constituency. I will cover each of these issues in turn.
Internet Political Campaigning
The General Election in 1997 took place under rules that predated the Internet and did not allow political parties to post election materials on their websites during the campaign. At the time, few people had access to the Internet.
In the five years since, the popularity of the Internet has grown tremendously. Singapore already has the highest Internet penetration rate in Asia at 48%. Broadband access, which currently stands at around 90,000 subscribers, will become even more widespread in a few years.
Mr Speaker, Sir, contrary to what the media have been speculating, the Government has decided to allow political campaigning on the Internet in the upcoming General Election. However, a free-for-all Internet campaigning environment without rules is not advisable. The Internet is a double-edged sword. Whilst it facilitates discussion and communication, the seriousness of political debates may be cluttered by noise, mischief or frivolities during the election period. Worse, the anonymity in the Internet opens a door for surreptitious elements to mislead, distract and confuse the public. On the Internet, once a false story or rumour is started, it is like water that has been spilt. It is almost impossible to remedy matters, especially in the limited period of an election campaign.
The Government has always maintained that politics should be based on factual and objective presentation of issues, and reasoned debate. Regulations are therefore necessary to protect the integrity of our electoral process, and guide responsible use of the Internet during the elections.
So I think that if push came to shove and some intripid citizen were to go to court to impugn the regulations or legislation, he is going to find it nigh impossible seeing that the legislation was properly passed by parliament, the subsidiary legislation properly made by the minister and there are reasonable as well as constitutional grounds for the restrictions that are present in the regulations and legislation made.
This is not really an exhaustive analysis as I did not want to delve into the individual cases and really explore what each case meant, means and might mean. Instead I hope to give a sense that a Realist viewpoint would look to parliament as the guardians of our fundamental liberties and that the current approach of our judiciary also prefers the notion of the democratic representatives of the electorate actually representing and protecting them.
Labels: civil liberties


text:
Newton Duelle Ailing
Ailing, Newton Duelle, banker, of 233 Broadway, New York City, was born, Town of Stanford, Dutchess county, N.Y., March 31, 1869; son of J. Sackett and Ann Eliza (Bertine) Ailing;
Was largely instrumental in 1907, as member board of trustees. in bringing about reorganization of institute. Democrat (candidate for assembly in Brooklyn, 1894) ; Presbyterian. Member Dutchess County Society. Has written considerably on banking and allied subjects, including: Negotiable Instruments, Collection of Country Cheeks, Bank Reserves, Substitute for a Central Bank, Treasury Issue vs. Bank Issue. Recreations: Golf, farming, fishing, outdoor sports.
Source: Builders of Our Nation, Men of 1914 pub. Men of Nineteen-Fourteen, Chicago, Ill. 1915.
Copyright, 2005-2010 by Webified Development all rights reserved.


text:
|Lucius imbibing a forbidden aperitif while lounging in his smoking jacket and dreaming of La Belle Epoque.
|Lucius using his superior mental prowess to levitate in front of a mirror. We think the garb represents some sort of upper division mystic or magick graduation gown, but your guess is as good as ours, as he is not talking.
|See no evil? Hear no evil? Speak no evil? Well maybe just a little . . .
|A photo of Lucius posing in front of a pagoda presenting his no-nonsense, full of verve attitude.


text:
This roundup covers news summaries across six regions: Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America. Wherever possible I draw links to Singapore, but I think it is more important to understand geopolitical developments around the world, to draw attention to meaningful news stories, and to highlight both positive and negative events.
Around the world, I rely primarily on the email newsletters from "The Economist", "Foreign Policy", "Muck Rack", "The New York Times", "The Wall Street Journal", and "The World Post". In Singapore, the weekly digests from the European Union Centre and the Middle East Institute are handy. Do send me recommendations of news outlets or articles too, to jinyao.guan.yin.miao[a]gmail.com!
September 26 to October 1, 2016
The first presidential debate in the United States may have drawn 84 million viewers, and while many thought democratic nominee Hillary Clinton emerged the winner, policy questions – beyond the political platitudes and personal attacks – remain unanswered. A photograph posted by Senator Bernie Sanders on his Twitter page left many wondering what might have been, especially on an Earth with persistent problems: the repatriation of refugees in Kenya and the shutting down of the Calais migrant camp in France, likely military escalation between India and Pakistan, and the never-ending violence in Syria.
So a move to Mars, perhaps? SpaceX founder Elon Musk shared plans for a human mission to planet Mars, though he will need to explain how humans will travel through safe spaceflight, since a SpaceX heavy rocket exploded on the launch pad earlier this month. Or, you can take your pick: The European Space Agency just created "the largest and most accurate 3-D map of our galaxy".
Follow my Facebook page to keep track of news and developments, or subscribe to this blog (by entering your email address in the sidebar) to be notified when a post is published.
- Kenya is repatriating Somalis in the world's largest refugee camp, Dadaab – at a rate of 1,000 every day, with the help of the United Nations refugee agency, or UNHCR – even though returnees end up living in worse conditions in conflict-torn Somalia, remaining at the mercy of al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist terrorist group al-Shabaab.
- For demolishing historic Muslim shrines in Timbuktu, Mali, Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi – part of an al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group – was sentenced by the International Criminal Court to serve nine years in prison. This is "the court's first prosecution of the destruction of cultural heritage as a war crime", and also brings attention to the fate of cultural and religious monuments in other conflict areas.
- Human rights non-government organisation Amnesty International reported that Sudan's government "has carried out at least 30 likely chemical weapons attacks in the Jebel Marra area of Darfur since January". The war in Darfur started in 2003, as rebels accused the government of oppressing the non-Arab population, and has since resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands.
The Asia-Pacific
- A maritime border dispute between Australia and Timor Leste in the Timor Sea was taken up by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which is not part of the United Nations system. The PCA made headlines in July earlier this year when it ruled in favour of the Philippines, against China's claim over the South China Sea.
- Reporting from Hong Kong, the World Health Organisation said that 92 per cent of people around the world breathe "unhealthy air [air as having concentrations of fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, above 10 micrograms per cubic meter]". Major drivers include inefficient energy use, transportation, and dust storms.
- In response to an attack on an army base on September 18 – which has been blamed on Pakistan – India conducted surgical strikes on suspected militants. Earlier in the week Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the possibility of military escalation. A conflict over shared water resources under the Indus Waters Treaty, moreover, could escalate tensions between these two nuclear powers.
- President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte "likens himself to [Adolf] Hitler, wants to kill millions of drug users".
- President François Hollande said France will shut down the migrant camp in Calais – or "the Jungle" – where "as many as 10,000 migrants from war-torn countries such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan live in squalor [and who ultimately want to enter Britain]". These migrants will then be relocated, as the French president continues to draw criticisms for his actions.
- Two improvised bombs at a mosque and at an international conference centre – thought to be installed by xenophobes, ahead of the anniversary of German reunification – exploded in Dresden, Germany. No one was injured.
- Deutsche Bank, Germany's biggest bank and one of the world's largest lenders, is facing trouble with the volatility of its share price and a potential fine from the United States Justice Department. The market has reacted badly, and it appears that the German government will not provide bailouts. The European Union also has strict rules on such bailouts.
- A team of international prosecutors led by the Dutch said that "the powerful surface-to-air missile system used to shoot down [Malaysian Airlines plane, MH17] was trucked in from Russia at the request of Russian-backed separatists and returned to Russia the same night". A long diplomatic and legal struggle is likely to follow, depending on what the Netherlands does next.
The Middle East
- Three explosions – two suicide bombers and one roadside bomb – killed at least 17 people in Baghdad, Iraq. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attacks.
- Former prime minister and president of Israel, Shimon Peres, died on Wednesday. He was 92. "The New York Times" published a balanced, informative obituary, citing Mr. Peres's biggest breakthrough in 1993, with the Oslo Accords. "He worked out a plan with the Palestine Liberation Organisation for self-government in Gaza and in part of the West Bank, both of which were occupied by Israel".
- During an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, the United States accused Russia of sponsoring "barbarism" in Syria, while Russia said that a peaceful solution to the war would be "an almost impossible task". In the meantime, airstrikes continue and the death toll rises, with no end in sight for Syrians – especially those in opposition-held Aleppo – to this five-year conflict.
North America
- Most agreed that Hillary Clinton won the first presidential debate against Donald Trump, and "FiveThirtyEight" reckoned that the democratic nominee should therefore gain in the polls. Nearly 84 million American viewers tuned in.
- Congress overrode a veto by President Barack Obama for the first time, allowing families of those killed in the September 11 attacks – in which 15 of the 19 attackers were Saudi citizens – to sue the government of Saudi Arabia. This is also the first congressional override of a veto signed by the president. Some are concerned that this may open the United States government to litigation too.
- The crash of a commuter train into a train station in New York has left at least one dead and dozens injured.
Latin America
- After four years of negotiations and after five decades of war, a peace accord was signed between the Colombian government and former terror group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. Colombians will vote on ratification on October 2.
- "The Economist" urges Colombians to vote for the agreement. "The accord comes after four years of hard talking by an able team of government negotiators … The alternative to the deal is years of further bloodshed".


text: The degraded situation of the natural environment has made the Organisation enthusiastic since from its inception to undertake Natural Environmental promotional activities. The organization has very well realized the importance of protecting the Environment and ensuring further process to promote awareness and community action towards eco restoration through continuous efforts. And hence since then it has been pursuing community action with focus on Community Forestry, Agro Forestry, Village Forest Management, Livelihood supportive Natural Resource Management and Mangrove Conservation which has proved quite prudent and productive in articulated manner.


text:
Watch Highly launch on stage here.
This interview with Highly founders Andrew Courter (left) and Eric Wuebben was conducted by the team at Job Portraits during preparations for the LAUNCH Festival.
Let's start with your elevator pitch.
Andrew: Highly is a highlighter for the web.
Anytime you're reading online, you can highlight the stuff that matters to you and then send just those highlights to your friends. That way your friends gets 80 percent of the value of that whole article, in 10 or 20 percent of the time. At the end of the day, there's so much good stuff to read, you're not reading nine out of ten amazing things. You just have to guess which ten percent to read. And all the while, you're dodging clickbait.
Why this product and why are you the right people to build it?
Andrew: We came to this from different places, but we both had a pain point in our lives. I was working as a design lead at another startup and I would send links to my team, but no one would read them. And I couldn't get mad, because everybody was super busy. So I cobbled together other services, and created a kind of public page where I just had highlights from articles, which I could put in a Facebook group. Then people started to read them more, and we could have discussions about them.
Eric: And I was a product manager at a startup with about 200 people. We'd all consume a ton of content and, as the project manager, it was my job to turn that around and get our 125 sales people prepared for their meetings. But the great sales people were already reading the same content I'd read. It was a big pain point to realize, since we weren't reading together, we weren't saving each other any time. In fact, a majority of us were spending half of our work time reading.
In an ideal world, what does the month after you launch onstage look like?
Andrew: So, first, we have to shower because we're covered in champagne. No, but really, LAUNCH is a really cool opportunity to raise the profile of Highly. It's in private beta now and we're going to open up to another cohort at LAUNCH. We're stoked to learn more about how people will use the product. We're working hard to make sure we're ready for a public launch. Our promise for Highly is that, anytime you're reading, you should be able to highlight.
Want to hire great people faster? Job Portraits helps startups hire smarter through storytelling.


text:
Each year, the Liberal Democrat European Group (LDEG) organises an annual study trip for Liberal Democrat party members to a European capital. This year we are pleased to be working with Lib Dems in Europe on a visit to Berlin from Thursday 16 - Saturday 18 May 2019.
We are planning a visit to the Bundestag and meetings with our sister party, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), the German Foreign Ministry, our embasy, the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung and the German Business Federation (BDI). On the Saturday there will be an opportunity to campaign with the FDP and free time to tour Berlin.
If you are interested in participating, please write as soon as possible to firstname.lastname@example.com for further information. Places are limited and priority will be given to LDEG members.


text:
GoKite is an International Kiteboarding Organisation (IKO) affiliated teaching centre.
Inverloch Foreshore Reserve, The Esplanade
Location: Conveniently located at the Inverloch Angling Club car park.
Description: Gokite offers the highest standard of kiteboard tuition to meet your needs. Our mission is to get you riding fast in the safest environment while having maximum fun.
- Internationally qualified instructors
- A range of beginner and intermediate lessons
- Advanced lessons teaching directional changes, jumping and pro tricks
- Private lessons or weekend clinics
- Kite gear, safety equipment and wetsuits included in the cost
- Latest equipment from the worlds leading brands
Bookings and prices: Click here for details


text:
Project Number
Project Duration
January 2011 - March 2016
Importance of herbal medicines in TCM:
The control of quality of herbal products in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) such as ginseng, lingzhi, and cordyceps, is important for assuring consumer safety and efficacy. Natural high quality herbal medicines are expensive as demand exceeds supply in an affluent society where TCM is gaining popularity. Adulteration and fakes have been reported as the commercial products are sold in powdered form, capsules softgels, and tea mixture. Therefore, the traditional means of authentication using smell, taste or physical appearance are not expected to be reliable.
Limitations of current analytical methods:
Currently, herbal medicines have beeninvestigated with the use of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thin layer chromatography (TLC), and colorimeter. These methods are found to be expensive, time-consuming, labour-intensive, and requiring large quantity of organic solvents. Also, the results are inadequate for classification purposes because of the limited number of active chemical components that can be detected in what is a very complex system.
Advantages of using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic technique in TCM:
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic methods have many advantages for the classification of herbal medicines in terms of easy and direct usage of technique, non-destructiveness, small quantity of sample needed and short data acquisition time. Studies on herbal medicines using FTIR techniques are still in its infancy.
Advantages of using chemometric methods in the analysis of FTIR spectra of herbal medicines:
Furthermore, very importantly, FTIR spectra of herbal medicines consist of many overlaying absorption bands representing the different modes of vibration of a large number of molecular constituents in the compounds. These vibrational bands are sensitive to the physical and chemical stated of the compounds, and they can be detected at low levels. Therefore, suitable chemometric methods are required to analyse the FTIR spectra so as to discriminate and match the compositional differences and constituent interactions in the herbal samples. Studies on classification, discrimination, and identification of herbal medicines have used both supervised and unsupervised techniques for interpretation from multivariate data. These pattern recognition methods or chemometric techniques include the principal component analysis (LDA), clustering analysis (CA), and soft independent modeling of class analogies (SIMCA). Due to the complex composition of herbal medicine, other chemometric techniques based on nonlinear technology such as artificial neural networks (ANN), support vector machine (SVM) can also be explored for application to the classification of herbal medicines [3,6]. FTIR spectra are affected by both the chemical and physical properties of the herbal medicines, and the chemical composition much related to classification is considered to be cmall. To enhance te contribution of the chemical composition and to improve signal quality, different spectral pretreatment methods, such as multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), standard normal variates (SNV), Savitzky-Golay, first and second derivative, are to be compared for seeking the most suitable one. The spectral pretreatment method will work as an essential step before carrying on a successful classification.
Funding Source
Related Projects


text:
Special Labor Day Class
Bring a Friend for FREE!
A Special Yoga Class Event with Sada Simran
Monday, September 5th 9 – 11am
Bring a Friend for FREE!! This will be the only class of the day.
Always the first Monday in September, Labor Day was the idea of Peter J. Maguire (although recent research has shown that it might have been his brother Matthew's idea), a labor union leader who in 1882 proposed a celebration honoring the American worker. Join me for a special Labor Day Kundalini Yoga Celebration at 9am to calibrate, balance, and align our intuitive pulse with the Divine Presence within. As our summer wanes, let's renew and refresh ourselves to greet the world with radiant faces.
Watermelon will be served after class! This will be the only class of the day!
"Kundalini Yoga is uncoiling yourself to find your potential and your vitality and to reach for your virtues. There is nothing from outside. Try to understand that. All is in you. You are the storehouse of your totality." – Yogi Bhajan
This is the only class of the day. Bring a Friend for FREE!
$16 – Regular class prices – Class passes accepted