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Being a Coding and Billing expert is undoubtedly a great responsibility. You are supposed to manage a lot of stuff including evolving laws, regulation and medical codes. These changes make it difficult to be compliant even for the keenest practices. Being slightly lax can lead you into unbearable consequences. Here are 3 crucial reasons of why it is important to be accurate and compliant in billing and coding all the time.
- To protect your business financially
While you are dealing with medical coding and billing, you are naturally dealing with money matters. Inaccuracy in any form or at any stage can have a serious impact on the financial condition of your business. There may be cases when you do not receive the full amount which is entitled to the patient from insurance company. You may ignore such issues at times when the amount is low but what if the amount costs you the earning of an entire month or year? Therefore it is important to maintain an accurate billing and coding protocol for which you can use Billing Softwares. Keep a check on your revenue if you want to know your work is accurate and compliant. In addition, there can be delay or denial due to inaccuracy thus; keeps close check on your denial management strategy and protocol.
- To Protect your Patient
Medical coding is utilized to pinpoint and document exactly what diagnoses and treatments were performed during a patient's time at your practice. This documentation remains a part of the patient's medical record, so it is important for the protection of your patient that it is absolutely accurate. From lab results, to x-rays, to medications prescribed, the patient and designated patient's family may at any time need access to this information. Inaccurate information can harm the patient and can harm the quality and accuracy of future care. It is irresponsible to put patient health at risk because of something like inaccurate coding.
- To Forecast the Future
When you are confident about your work you somehow can predict the future. Therefore the compliance of your medical coding protocol will itself ensure a good result. You will be able to analyze accurate data related to revenue, cost, write offs etc which will make your decisions making related to staffing, patient outreach and adding service line better as well as reliable.
For all the three purposes you need a mate to guide you, well here comes CodingMaterials; get the right medical coding books, ebooks and other resources to help you be Accurate and Compliant in Medical Billing and Coding.


text: GE's merger machine 10 October 2003 By Rob Cox Follow @rob1cox Email Share With the Amersham deal, the US conglomerate is on track to book its most active year of M&A ever. The reason for the binge is obvious GE is buying growth and diversifying away from financial services. But the deals are not coming cheap. This content is for Subscribers only To access full Breakingviews.com content you must be a subscriber. Please use the following link to request a trial. Existing Users Log In Reset Password? or Close Reset Password? If you need assistance please email email@example.com Cancel

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Adm. Sci. 2017, 7(4), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci7040035
Strategy in the Public and Private Sectors: Similarities, Differences and Changes
The Australia and New Zealand School of Government PO Box 230 Carlton South VIC 3053, Australia
Department of Organization, Copenhagen Business School, Frederiksberg DK-2000, Denmark
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 21 July 2017 / Revised: 30 August 2017 / Accepted: 19 September 2017 / Published: 26 September 2017
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Can We Apply Business Strategy Analysis Concepts to the Public Sector?)
AbstractStrategic concepts and practices first evolved in the private sector, so they evoked much controversy when they migrated to the public sector from the late 1970s onwards. Partly this was about their (in)applicability to the distinctive features of government organizations, in particular their focus on public as well as private value, their situation in a political rather than a market environment, their almost exclusive capacity to use legal authority to achieve purposes, and the extent to which they often need to share power over personnel and resources with other public sector agencies. These and other factors complicated efforts to apply New Public Management and similar frameworks in strategy concepts in a governmental context. Partly also the traditional private-sector focus on single organizations did not resonate with the growth of network governance from the 1990s. The authors argue for an alternative model based primarily on the public value framework as a means of incorporating and going beyond traditional strategy thinking. View Full-Text
Keywords: strategy; public sector strategy; public value; authorizing environment; network governance; comparing public and private sectors►▼ Figures
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Step up your shoe game with the Nike KD Trey 5 III. These basketball shoes are composed of a grey mesh upper for a lightweight and breathable fit. Equipped with midfoot strap for a lock-down fit. Accented with royal blue on toe box, tongue, and in Nike Swoosh. Nike Zoom is installed in the midsole to assist in impact protection to the foot. The flex grooves on the outsole to enhance natural foot movement. Run on the court in the Nike Kids KD Trey 5 III.
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What are the requirements if I want to add camera control with the remote control RMB 170 or RCP 1500, genlock, tally, and control operation such as skin detail, colour balancing, iris, master black, gamma, etc…?
Can the Meridian Portable system be used for a Teleprompter signal?
The Portable system can be used for Teleprompter but the receiver must be mounted at the bottom of the steadicam.
What mounting solution would you recommend for the following camera models: SONY HXR-NX5, SONY HVR-Z5/Z7, SONY PMW-EX3, SONY PMW-EX1R?
For the models cited above we would recommend using a shoulder bracket that offers a V-lok or Anton Bauer battery plate connection.
How do you mount your wireless transmitter onto the camcorder?
We would recommend using our battery plate transmitter available in Anton Bauer or V-lok.
Can Meridian accommodate a 1080/25p signal? If yes, does this include 30/50p?
The Meridian supports 1080 up to 30p and all formats 1080 up to 60i.
It doesn't support 50 and 60p which is also known as a 3G HDSDI signal.
However, our Zenith system can do.
For more information please contact email@example.com
Can the Meridian system be used with the Red and Alexa cameras?
The Meridian can be used with both the Alexa and Red cameras. We have solutions to address past power issues and mounting the transmitter onto the Alexa.
Please contact email@example.com for further information.
Can Boxx offer systems in frequency bands other than 5GHz?
Boxx only offers systems in the 5GHz frequency band; all Boxx products are designed to be used without the need to apply for a license.
Our clients have never had an issue with finding available spectrum in the 5GHz frequency band.
What is the range of the Meridian system?
In our experience from a roaming camera (i.e. not a fixed point transmission) the range is around 150 metres with the Broadcast Receiver or Rack Mount Receiver. We have clients reporting up to 250 metres with these receivers but it depends on the setup and environment. A Portable Receiver should get up to 50 metres range.
The videos below show the Meridian used in different environments. For further ideas of set ups and range tests, take a look at our technical section.
How many Meridian systems can be used in the same environment?
Up to 6 systems can be used in the same environment, but a wi-spy system will be needed in order to determine which channels are being used. Without a wi-spy system up to 4 systems can be safely used within one space.
Can I order directly from Boxx?
Boxx TV has distributors worldwide. Please see our contacts page.
I cannot find a reseller in my region, who shall I contact?
If there appears to be no reseller in your region please contact firstname.lastname@example.com or complete the customer contact form and we shall provide details of the nearest reseller.
Do you have on-site support?
What do I do if I have a system that needs repairing?
Please contact the distributor you purchased the system from to arrange for the repair.
Each repair will require an RMA prior to being sent. If repairs are received without an RMA, this may result in delays.
What sort of lead time can I expect when ordering from Boxx?
Boxx typically dispatches an order within 2 weeks from the time we receive full payment for an order. Sometimes there may be longer lead times due to unforeseen manufacturing delays. If this is the case the customer will be notified.
How do I become a reseller of Boxx TV?
Boxx TV is always interested in expanding our global reach.
Please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com for a reseller application form.
What is the weight and power consumption of the Zenith system?
The Zenith Transmitter has TNC antenna connectors and is approx 0.8kg. The power consumption is 15 Watts.
The transmitter can be rebuilt into a lightweight casing which brings the weight down to approx 0.4kg
You may find the following video of interest for the lightweight transmitter:
Zenith Lightweight Transmitter & Multicopter
The Broadcast Receiver has N Type connectors and is approx 2.5kg
You may find the following video of interest:
Is there any difference between Zenith and Meridian?
Meridian operates at 1.4G 1080 60i max. (not 3G, Zenith)
Zenith has 80 milliseconds delay whereas Meridian has
You can find a full comparison chart of these two products on our products page here.
Does Zenith need to work within "line of sight"?
Zenith does not need to work "line of sight" but the range can be increased by pointing the antenna towards each other.
For further information contact our technical team at firstname.lastname@example.com
As Zenith is a H.264 compression system, do we need any other device to de-compress the video signal from Zenith?
Please contact the distributor you purchased the system from to arrange for the repair.
Each repair will require an RMA prior to being sent. If repairs are received without an RMA, this may result in delays.
Can Zenith support either 3G-SDI (HD, 1080P/50Hz) or SD?
The Zenith system can support both 3G-SDI (HD, 1080P/50Hz) and SD.
For full specs please download the spec sheet here.
For further information, please contact our technical team at firstname.lastname@example.com


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The WTA Future Stars event is held yearly in conjunction with the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. As part of the program, top U14 and U16 female tennis players from Asia-Pacific are provided valuable experiences and exclusive insight into the world of professional women's tennis.
As the Junior Race to Singapore drew to a close, Ly Minh Anh and Nguyen Phan Yen-Tich emerged as champions of the U14 and U16 qualifying events. They will be coming to Singapore to represent Vietnam at the WTA Future Stars event in October.
Ly, the U14 Singles and Doubles champion of Vietnam's National Junior Tour, as well as the current Vietnam U14. No.1, moves around the court and plays with a flair as if she has played tennis for her whole life. A little-known fact is that she was originally trained in the sport of badminton, but her current tennis coach saw that she had an aptitude for tennis and encouraged her to make the switch.
Since then, Ly has had no regrets making the switch, and she has big aspirations. Her short-term goal is to become Vietnam's No.1 player in the U18 category, and her long-term goal is to become Vietnam's top women's tennis player. She cites Venus Williams as her favourite tennis player and inspiration.
"Venus is a great player, on and off the court. She has incredible fitness, strength and plays amazing tennis. She's also an esteemed business woman," Ly told the WTA Finals team.
"It will be a great experience to take part in an international event such as the WTA Future Stars. I hope to bring honour to my family and hometown – Bac Giang City. I will continue to work hard and focus all my efforts on trying to get the best possible results for this event," the 14 year-old replied when asked about how she felt after qualifying for the event in Singapore.
Nguyen is no stranger to winning, in fact, every win fuels her passion for tennis. When she won her match and qualified for the WTA Future Stars event in Singapore, she told the WTA Finals team that, "One of the things that I love most about tennis is the feeling of happiness when you win a match!"
Similar to Ly, Nguyen is also the U16 Singles and Doubles champion of Vietnam's National Junior Tour 2018 and the No.1 player in Vietnam for her age group.
When asked about which part of the event she was looking forward to the most in Singapore, Nguyen admitted that it had to be the lure of the Top 8 players.
"I'm looking forward to watching the Top 8 players play live, as well as listening to them while they share more about their invaluable experiences as a professional tennis player in the women's circuit," says Nguyen.
The WTA Finals Team would like to congratulate Ly and Nguyen for qualifying for the WTA Future Stars event this October and wish them both the very best of luck in their training in the coming months.
The WTA Future Stars event is held in conjunction with the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Catch the WTA Future Stars U14 and U16 Finals on 21 October before the opening ceremony of WTA Finals for free.
Get on the Porsche Race to Singapore to see who are amongst the top 8 in the Leaderboard update and get your tickets to the WTA Finals here !


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Tagged: design
grazing + finding creative inspiration
A consumer packaged goods expert recently divulged to me that she never, ever looks at her competition. That really took me by surprise, because I always over-research everything. (My local branch librarians know all about me and my extensive interlibrary loan requests.)
Instead of looking at the competition, she told me, she examines parallels. What else do people in the target market desire? [Related: this customer profile worksheet from my book.] How can she make the product remind them of those other things, or draw on the best qualities to incorporate into her own design? For a high-end chocolate product, for example, she might look at Sephora's prestige cosmetics packaging for inspiration. She pays no mind to Hershey and Nestle.
She confirmed what I've been thinking lately, that the best ideas come when you're looking where no one else is. I love trolling through old books and magazines. You might love hiking in the woods or beachcombing or looking at art or gardening or visiting factories. All of these places are rife with things that could inspire you to make something you've never made before. Chris Glass refers to this as grazing. Cows do nothing but chew on grass all day. It doesn't seem like they're doing much of anything. But if they didn't graze all day, they couldn't produce milk. It might not feel like you're working when you graze, but without taking that time to browse and nibble and ruminate and digest, you can't make anything of value. This video of Chris Glass's talk from Creative Mornings Cincinnati (which includes his bit about grazing) is 43 minutes of awesome:
I know a lot of writers, artists and designers who straight up don't read blogs about their industries. When you spend a lot of time "keeping up" it can start to feel like an echo chamber. There's a difference between keeping up on the news and falling into a state of obsessed self-flagellation. This is even applicable to journalists. Sure, there are lots of interesting blogs about the journalism business, and it's important to follow your competitors to make sure your coverage is on point. But staying inside your bubble of contemporaries isn't going to help you find great story ideas. Lisa Congdon recently illustrated this quote from Jack London: "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."
Hunting down your inspiration should also help with avoiding committing plagiarism and following trends. Craft trends bug the hell out of me. It's not that I hate mustaches (except that I totally do) — my problem is more with the idea that some crafters feel like they have to jump on a bandwagon to be successful. It's much better to be a trendsetter than a trend follower, and to do that, you have to look outside your field. If you're a crafter, stop scrolling endlessly through Pinterest. When you're trying to develop a new product or design, look at anything other than other crafters: grocery store displays, florists, flea markets, old magazines, architecture books — whatever gets you going.
I also kind of hate pre-packaged "inspiration" for crafters, designers and artists. The idea that someone can hand you a pile of stuff to be inspired by seems counterproductive. It just keeps the same aesthetics and motifs circulating. (I also really really have no patience for step-by-step craft books. Partly because I hate following directions, but also because I don't see the point in making something to look exactly like something someone else made. You feel me?)
We recently had an Etsy #craftparty here in Cincinnati, and as people were arriving, I made examples of what people could do with the materials we had. But I wasn't making things for people to imitate or really following the provided instructions at all. I let myself go with the flow and make whatever felt right at the time. Being truly inspired is allowing yourself to be in the moment and do what you feel. And all of what you've seen and read and digested before helps you find your way.
never network alone
Q. Do you have any tips for networking? I've debated asking a fellow freelancer about getting work, but I'm afraid of stepping on her toes.
A. When I started freelancing, I thought that meeting other freelancers was the best way to get gigs. They get gigs, and I want gigs, so they can give me some of their gigs, right? But I quickly realized that other freelancers aren't the people I should be hitting up for work. (Those are the people who control the budgets — editors, project managers, publishers.)
Networking with other freelancers is a great idea, but you should just approach them human to human. We all have people who we would like to be when we grow up — and the dream networking situation with them would involve porting all their knowledge and connections straight into our brainmeats. But play it cool. If you're desperate for work and approach everybody as a conduit to finding work, yes, it can be awkward. (Grilling strangers for work leads is never a good look.) Networking, when you're doing it right, feels like making a new friend — or at least pleasantly interacting with a coworker you like. And when you've shown them that you're cool (even if you're freaking on the inside), they'll be much more likely down the road to potentially share leads or introduce you to other people.
The best way to avoid feeling like you're encroaching on someone's territory is to realize that we're all in this together. You're a freelancer, I'm a freelancer: Let's get together and dish. An email to a fellow freelancer might look something like this:
Hey, [awesomely successful person]!
I'm a freelancer also living in [your city], working on [whatever you do]. I really loved that project you did about [an awesome thing]. Could I buy you a coffee some time? It'd be great to meet up and share war stories!
Recently I set myself a goal of meeting one new person a week, whether it's by going to a networking event or reaching out to a specific person. My trick is that I don't only aim to meet people who I might get work from. Sure, I love to meet editors and publishers, but I've also met other writers, marketing people, tech entrepreneurs and nonprofit folks. I love going to networking events where editorial freelancers are in the minority, because meeting people from other fields is really interesting. And as a bonus, I'm likely also a curious specimen to them.
[Tangent: Don't be that guy who gives his business card to literally every single person at a networking event, even people he didn't talk to. One deep connection is worth more than 100 shallow ones.]
An acquaintance here in Cincinnati seems to know everybody and frequently offers to help me like it's no big deal. At first I was like, what's your game, friend? Who offers to help without expecting something in return? But then I read "Never Eat Alone" and totally got it. Networking is about focusing on what you can give other people. She's a connector of the highest order. She helps people by meeting everybody and learning what they're working on, and then she connects the dots by introducing the right people to each other at the right times. As one of the recipients of her professional matchmaking, I can tell you that I have frequently introduced other people to her. The song never ends. (Related: Ann Friedman's Shine Theory)
By saying that networking is all about giving, I don't mean to imply that good networking involves divulging all your proprietary info and personal contacts to anyone who asks for them. (I protect my best editorial contacts with all the power of Xenu.) When you connect successfully with a fellow freelancer, what you walk away with might not be a job but a rec of a must-read blog or a referral to another person you should meet or just a new lunch buddy. And when you meet a freelancer in need, you share alike. You've been there.
lottery logo design: winners & losers
Designing a great lottery logo isn't easy. You've got to convey the idea that the average person could win a crap ton of cash — and that you're not completely throwing your money away by entering. I collected all the U.S. state lottery logos I could find (plus an international one), both new and old. Some states have definitely left their lotteries in the 1980s, but a few states stand out with bold design solutions.
Here are some of my favorites — Washington State's simple lottery logo reminds me of an embossed seal:
Colorado's bold lottery logo reminds me of a beer label, and it plays up the mountainous landscape of the state. Idaho's lottery logo is a close second in the mountain category:
Washington, DC's lottery identity has a gorgeous palette, and the stylized cherry blossom evokes the outline of the District:
Conveying the idea of luck is hugely important — that's why I like Oregon's simple logo of crossed fingers:
I believe the United Kingdom's National Lottery logo used to be exactly the same, but I couldn't find a photo. Here's the current UK lottery logo, and the Virginia lottery's crossed fingers also make a nice V:
I present the rest of the lottery logos without comment. Which are your favorites, and which are just incredibad?
last-minute gift ideas for crafters and makers
Still trying to wrap up your Christmas shopping? I'm nearly done, but I know it can be hard to buy for the makers, designers and crafters in your life. After all, what could you give them that they couldn't just make themselves? My guide has 7 places to get gifts sure to please any crafty person (including me).
I just discovered this shop this week, and it's a regular valhalla for makers. Can't decide whether your crafty friends would prefer powerless illuminating tubing or a giant hunk of aluminum foam? Get 'em an Inventables gift certificate for any amount you want, and let them choose for themselves.
Moo prints cards and stickers on demand from your own images — you can make all 100 of your business cards look the same, or you can go for Printfinity and put a different picture on every single one of them. Crazy, right? Give a friend a gift card (available in denominations of $10, $20, $30, $50, $70 and $100), and print away!
Temporary tattoos have never looked so good. Big-name designers lend their visions to these just-add-water wonders. Tattly's got a few curated $25 gift boxes that look real sweet. You can also give a gift card in any amount you like, or give a Tattly subscription and keep your friends in temporary tattoos for six months.
American Science & Surplus
This is a well-kept crafty secret, like a Big Lots for nerds. (And I love that along with every product photo they also have a hand-drawn version of the item.) American Science & Surplus is all amazing deals on things you didn't know you ever wanted: glass test tubes, fallout shelter signs, donut magnets and "robot partz." SciPlus doesn't do gift cards, but you've got about a week left to place orders to arrive before Christmas.
If you're sweating a gift for a shutterbug friend, stop right here. Photojojo sells amazing smartphone accessories and camera accoutrements, like recycled film roll magnets and Holga iPhone lenses. Gift cards come in denominations of $10, $25, $50, $100 or $200, and if you pick an amount of $25 or over, you can get it mailed with a free tiny camera keychain.
I actually had to unsubscribe myself from Fab's email newsletters because there were just too many things I wanted to buy! It's just ludicrous how many well-designed things can live in one online shop. Fab just started offering gift cards — you can get them in denominations of $25 and up.
Field Notes
Oh, I love these Futura-heavy notebooks so much — I have two in my bag at this very moment. Grab a bunch of the original kraft-covered Field Notes, or select one of the limited edition color packs. You can also get a subscription for $97 that'll keep you in notebooks all year. And by "you" I mean whoever you're getting a gift for. (You.)
The biggest handmade marketplace just started offering gift cards this year, in denominations of $25, $50, $100 or $250. They can be used in any U.S. Etsy shop that accepts direct checkout payments, and you can have the gift cards emailed or print them out at home. I'd be happy to get an Etsy gift card, but as a seller, I'm also really excited for everybody else to get Etsy gift cards so I have a strong sales month in January! :)
Edited to add: I just received a subscription to Whimseybox, which is a great addition to this list! It's like Birchbox for crafters, or Pinterest in your mailbox. Every month you'll get a reusable box with a DIY project, instructions and an art print. You can send a friend (or yourself) a gift subscription for 3 months ($45), 6 months ($90) or a year ($165).
new year, new projects!
I'll be the first to admit it: I overextended myself last year. In addition to making Crafty Supermarket a legit LLC and putting on two wildly successful shows in Cincinnati, I traveled to sell my wares at shows in Pittsburgh, Bloomington, Columbus, Indianapolis and Columbus again. I spoke at the Midwest Craft Caucus in Columbus in June and the Conference for Creative Entrepreneurs in San Francisco in August. And then I headed back to San Francisco in November to be a host at the HOW Interactive Design Conference as part of my new job. Oh, didn't I mention? I switched jobs in August and now am the executive editor for HOW Interactive and the community manager for HOW and Print magazines! Oh, and then my publisher decided they wanted to do an updated and revised version of Crafty Superstar, which I'm wrapping up in the next few weeks.
So my major resolution in 2012 is to breathe. And to focus on projects that I really love and that are worth my time and attention. I'll likely be traveling for fewer craft shows, but I'm really looking forward to the next Crafty Supermarket (May 5!) and I'll probably apply for just a handful of favorite shows in the fall. (Pittsburgh and Columbus, it's on!) And once the bigger and better Crafty Superstar comes out, I'll likely do a mini-book tour around the midwest. :)
My new job with HOW means lots more travel: I'll be hosting and working at the HOW Interactive Design Conferences in the fall in Washington DC and San Francisco (two of my favorite places ever!), and I'll get to be at the big HOW Design Conference in Boston in June for the first time! I'm also going to SXSW Interactive for the first time in March, and I just can't wait. (I may be helping the fabulous Willo with some craft programming for it, even!)
But amid all that craziness, I'm trying to maintain a level of peace. A few non-goal goals for this year include to keep going to the gym three times a week (on it); read the New York Times weekend editions that I just started subscribing to in their entirety (on it); and volunteer at an animal shelter every week (on it). One thing I've found that really helps me stay focused is to not go online in the mornings before work. And I've also totally made peace with the idea that I will pretty much always want to be in bed by 11.


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Free Electronic Filing
Free Federal and State Electronic Filing is available with every tax return we prepare. E-Filing is the fast, accurate, paperless and safe way to file your returns AND you get your refund in half the usual time - even faster with Direct Deposit. Even if you have a balance due, e-filing assures fast and accurate filing and you still have until April 15th to pay.


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The other dental advertising firms have a FREE report of SECRET MARKETING STRATEGIES that you to sign up for and then have to wait for the email. Then it turns into some kind of bait and switch and you realize there was no secret except the fact the secret was - there was no secret.
The difference with my dentist coaching and dental consulting services is that I give you the report upfront and all I ask is that after reading it you send me $1,000 or $10,000, whichever fits your budget.
I would prefer $10,000 since I just got the FREE REPORT on the SECRETS of LIVING TO 100 and after getting them, was persuaded to purchase their products that cost $9,000, which included healing magnets, super-sized supplements, ancient Chinese herbs and feng shui (fung shway) dung infused organic soil for my garden.
Then a few days later I talked to my doctor who did not have a free report - which made me wonder if he actually knew what he was doing (or how successful marketing worked). He says to me, "You can also live well by eating in moderation, drinking in moderation, exercising at least moderately, avoid sucking down a pint of nicotine with a shot of carcinogen each day, and brushing and flossing."
I thought - you tricky one - you logically and scientifically trained health professionals. What is this? I knew that already. Yes, I want a well trained engineer building my bridge and someone that actually knows materials science to build my iPod, but for my health, I want something that sounds like it came from the UFO that lands in my yard every night.
Health can't be something I know how to do - then I might be the problem. That means I need to actually do something. It should be something totally fascinating out of my control and nearly magical to be effective.
Sadly, Niche Dental is based on something different than fantasy. My bait is mostly about throwing the switch on of reality.
As humans, we want to believe there is something easier and simpler - because we need easier and simpler so we can do more of what we would rather be doing. Like your dental patients. They want their visits and treatment to be painless, costless, done in a minute or in no time, no further obligations, and last until they want it to.
The answer to this complex dilemma is simple: just COMMUNICATE in some new way that you are not doing now.
Should you do your dental marketing in a certain quality, complete, targeted, consistent way? Yes. Of course.
But what if there were TEN people who needed dentistry of -- any kind. And you got 7 of them to brush and floss regularly and get to a dental visit once every three years instead of -- never. Rather than losing all of their teeth by the time they hit 60 years of age - they make it to 67.5721 years or almost 67 years and 6 months? Would that have been better than only 60 years with teeth? Of course.
Therefore, you simply need to COMMUNICATE MORE! This will change the dynamic in some way for a few patients...
There you go. The SECRET of Dental Marketing Revealed RIGHT HERE!!! No obligation of any kind. No need for me to get your email and send you a lot of stuff that is so super secret that only the magician behind the Web curtain can make it appear. And for that, just send me $1,000 - I mean $10,000 and we are even... No questions. No lawyers. No harassing calls. 10 Large and I am good...
Now, about communicating/marketing in a quality, complete, targeted and consistent way. Obviously that level of communication commitment is better - you are able to get beyond the basics like the other 3 of the 10 patients above that we have not dealt with yet.
One of these three remaining patients in my example gets a dental implant supported denture, which that patient uses to build an empire - "I liked the dental implant gadget so much I bought the company!" You put that in a press release about your amazing dental expertise and become the talk of the town. Use this headline - no charge (after I get my 10 large). One dentist. One implant supported denture. One Mega Success. America - ya gotta love it!
The 2nd patient of the remaining three (or now remaining two - sorry this is confusing) gets ongoing periodontal treatment and avoids a heart attack (or a stroke) which the patient in this example would have had without you MARKETING TO THEM - because they did not know about the link between gum disease and DEATH!!!!
The last patient (or the third of the three or last of the one... No we will call her Patient Ten - because of HIPAA I can't say that the patient is Sally my neighbor - so don't ask...) also gets whitening, veneers, and other amazing dental treatments for the smile makeover you now can present to all your other patients and the public to show them what is possible today with advanced restorative and cosmetic dentistry.
But Dick what exactly do I do? Dental postcards? A practice brochure with my smile makeovers in it? A dental website for my office? Yes. Yes? But Dick I need more. Then I will add some weight to my list.
So you want to know why we gain weight? No, Dick I want to know about marketing and what to do.
Calories in - calories out. It is that simple. No Secret Dental Advertising Reports. No bait and switch - just the reality that you need to say more, say it in the best way you can - right now and then keep augmenting, enhancing and moving forward.
Stop sitting around in the living room sofas of indecision and consuming all the dental marketing mumbo jumbo calories. Work with my strategic partners (see below) and sign up for my coaching. Call or email one of us.
Dentist marketing coaching provides the right information at the right time as well as ongoing encouragement to make things happen in a shorter time span. If you want more proactive integration, ask about my dental communication consulting services.
If you want other options - I have heard of this Google thing, and this Yahoo is another, and there are many more. Search for the marketing partner you want to work with. But make a decision.
As you wait, teeth fall out, bleeding gums persist and strokes and heart attacks are removing qualified candidates from your potential patient list.
No dental patient wants to be "sold" something they don't need - but if they are missing what they need to know and don't know what is possible now to make it better - the bill of goods they end up with could be much worse.
DO NO HARM - dental marketing is very healthy for your patients and the viability of your dental practice.
Dental Marketing Commentary by
Dental Websites, Logos, Brochures, SEO, PPC advertising
Direct Mail, Postcards for Family, Cosmetic Dentists and Orthodontists, Keep In Touch Marketing


text:
forklift rental are in essence raise trucks equipped with weighty load carriage body to elevate goods in a very vertical direction specially designed for industrial uses. These industrial trucks are driven possibly by electric motors, diesel or LPG (Liquefied petroleum gas) fuels. Generally they've got an inside combustion motor. These major devices especially built for electrical power lifting sound like exhausting a superb sum of gases that is certainly damaging to ecosystem and human overall health also.
Emission of carbon monoxide
Forklift vans, when making use of in an enclosed space or inside a developing place may possibly develop a large amount of carbon monoxide that is unsafe in all elements. LPG driven forklift vehicles normally emit substantially considerably less total of carbon monoxide than when compared with other people. LPG forklifts which happen to be actually propane run characterize much more than 60% of this sort of trucks. However, LPG forklift trucks do emit too much carbon monoxide gas when they are not taken care of thoroughly or when they're employed in areas which have insufficient air flow. When inhaled, this colorless and odorless gasoline triggers severe wellbeing dilemma. It obstructs blood's ability to perform oxygen. It even mixes with hemoglobin within the red blood cells and sorts carboxyhemoglobin which consequently brings about hypoxic worry. This again may additional damage cardiovascular functionality inside a human health that already has heart problems.
Undesired emissions
Each time a person's carboxyhemoglobin boosts to 50%, he may possibly free his consciousness which may possibly even further end result in loss of life of your individual. So, whoever is expounded to such equipment with these types of emissions is usually a potential a single to severe health problems. But can these trucks be averted as a result of the undesired emissions when they are so valuable in industrial use? Definitely, not! So why not work over the emission regulate degrees? It truly is better to examine the emission amounts of these trucks time for you to time so that they meet the typical emission concentrations in lieu of to disuse them.
Battery operated forklift trucks
The battery operated forklift vans do away with this severe difficulty. But because they are very highly-priced to obtain keep in addition to their perform overall performance is really sluggish in comparison to other gas run trucks they may be sometime a lot less desired. Furthermore their engines have confined horsepower and hardly can fulfill eight hours duty span at a anxiety. When compared with gasoline and propane operated forklift vans, diesel powered trucks emit drastically a lot less quantity of carbon monoxide. Even so the diesel types create some unsafe constituents. Out of them, a few are suspicious to result in most cancers.
You can find just one good remedy to reduce emission norms of such electrical power vans. Setting up a catalytic converter is bound to lower carbon monoxide concentrations nearly 90%. Fuel emission controllers might be installed within the engines that deliver a defined gasoline combination. This will further minimize carbon monoxide stage and also increases gasoline intake.
Propane additives can be thought of to boost carburetor general performance along with motor capabilities. Propane additives can also be valuable to scale back CO emissions around 60%. Periodic motor tune ups will have to be executed in every one of the forklift trucks. By executing so, 0.5% to 1% carbon monoxide may be discharged through the engine. Forklift trucks' emission command ranges should be met the expectations. Motorists of these vehicles also ought to choose duty to make certain that their driving methods are appropriate and according to certified tips. They need to decrease warm up time for these types of potent engines, steer clear of cold commences, decrease idling time, and steer clear of unreasonable accelerating and braking, and also unnecessarily racing the engine.


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View all your favorite media in large screen format up to 120" by connecting the PicoPix pocket projector to your devices. Enjoy the convenience of cable free connection with WiFi and DLNA functionality.
You'll be able to set up your own WiFi hotspot to connect your devices when there's no WiFi available. It's ideal for connecting DLNA compatible devices so you can share content on a large screen.
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text:
For those of you who have followed Dr. Drew and his show Celebrity Rehab, know Mindy McCready was on Season 03 back in 2010. Sadly, she had committed suicide on February 17th 2013 of a self inflicted gunshot wound to her head. She had also shot and killed her dog. A month prior, her husband David Wilson, had also committed suicide on the very same porch.
Oddly enough, on February 6th 2013, McCready was ordered by a judge to enter rehab because of concerns from her father. There were some reports that she fell into a deep depression, using alcohol and was unfit to care for her 10th month old baby and older son. Just two days after being ordered to rehab, she was released from her ordered rehab as doctors felt she didn't suffer from a mental illness . This is where things turned bad and all interventions at this point seemed to have failed. Her children were placed into foster care after being sent into rehab, even though she was released just days later. She has just received custody of her older son in December 2012 after years of custody battles with her mother.
Mindy is one of 5 celebrities to have died since completing Dr. Drew – Celebrity Rehab. Season 3 alumni Mike Starr from Alice in Chains and "Real World" alum Joey Kovar both overdosed and died, in 2011 and 2012. From the second season, both "Grease" actor Jeff Conaway and Rodney G. King, , died in 2011 and 2012. Dr. Drew has gone on the defensive with his reality show "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" and what some believe, is stepping over the line for a reality show.
So we have to raise the question… Is filming a reality show based on celebrities addictions and demons proper for treatment and recovery? I personally dont agree with filming their recovery process. The reason i feel this way is because they are known people, which removes damn near all privacy and places them in the lime light. I don't feel its anyone's business to be knee deep in their personal lives, especially when we are talking about severe addiction problems. This should be done in a closed environment.
I also feel Dr. Drew's approach to treatment and recovery does not work well with celebrities. When you have had 5 people die over a 5 season period, many of which, were from the same season, it indicates the process isn't working correctly. These are not normal people by far, so being in the media spotlight constantly and pretty much given a negative stigma doesn't promote a healthy recovery.
In Dr. Drew's earlier career, helping people was his top priority. Over the last 15 years, Drew has made it a million dollar business. I find it wrong to take advantage of these people with their addictions, just to blast them all over TV and ruin whatever career they had left. What kind of doctor would even consider all privacy removed from the treatment process to begin with? Oh that's right, doctors who are there for money and ratings, that's who. Look at his tweeter feed as proof…
I think its time Dr. Drew takes his "help" off the TV and focuses on real patient treatment because his track record is in the trashcan. If he wants to remain on TV, i think its time for him to remove himself from the treatment process all together because these processes of his just aren't working as they should.
Mindy was set to release a video on suicide prevention following David's suicide just last month. In the video, Mindy goes on to talk about how suicide is preventable… Hmm, interesting now isn't it?
Sadly, People Magazine is reporting that Mindy was given various stories to the sheriffs department in regards to David's death, which made the dept question her story. Her publicist goes out to say she wasn't making any sense with her variations with the story lines she had given investigators and Mindy herself felt as if investigators were not done interrogating here yet. However, in other new outlets, the sheriffs have come forward and said she was never considered a suspect in Davids death or was ever considered suspicious.
Mindy had made 3 attempts at suicide since 2005 as she has been battling Alcoholism and Drug Addiction.
Unfortunately for Mindy, i believe the loss of her children to foster care is what sent her over the edge this past weekend. Family is everything during treatment and recovery. States have a huge reputation for never returning children in drug and alcohol abuse related cases once the kids are placed in foster care.
Oh and let's not forget the hot debate over increased gun control spurting out of the mouth of the media. Now the use of guns used during suicides are "bringing concerns" and liberals are calling for increased gun legislation because of it. You know, if a person wants to commit suicide, they will do it by any means possible… not just guns people.
RIP Mindy


text: I had breakfast yesterday with the chieftains of the creative industries – the heads of Channels 4, Hearst and Penguin, and Sir Peter Bazalgette on his home turf. It was in advance of the launch on Monday of a Creative Industries Federation to draw attention to the role that the creative industries play in British life, having broadly replaced manufacturing as a source of prosperity. The issues were:- the interconnectedness of public and private, as argued by David Abraham in his MacTaggart lecture; the benefits of a £3 billion subsidy of creative programme-making; the role of education in encouraging creativity (but, of course, the current government has been trying to do the opposite); and the importance of copyright to publishing. But I wasn't convinced that anyone answered James Purnell's question as to what the creative industries are seeking from government.


text:
One and one equals two, six less four equals two, four by three equals twelve - can you do the maths ?
"To think that two and two are four, and neither five nor three, the heart of man hath long been sore, and long tis like to be" - A.E. Housman
Critics of Irish wind energy have got their sums wrong - Irish Times
The reason is not wind but rather the cost of importing gas.
The problem is that more than half of Ireland's electricity is generated from gas – the fourth highest share in the EU – leaving us more exposed than other countries to gas price increases. When gas prices increase, electricity prices here increase more, and Ireland's competitiveness declines.
Wind replaces more expensive generation options, reducing their operational and fuel costs. The final net impact on consumer bills is minimal.
The Academy of Engineering point out the fuel price differentials in their July 2014 report :
SEAI's recently published analysis of the" Benefits of RenewableElectricity in 2012" indicates that in the Republic of Ireland the 4.09 TWh of wind generation is estimated to have saved €177 million in fossil fuel imports i.e. €43.2 per MWh and reduced CO2 emissions by 0.37 tonnes per MWh - indicating that wind almost exclusively displaced highly efficient gas-fired CCGT generation. Wind generators received in excess of €80 per MWh for wind output in 2012. This means that wind generation added almost €40 per MWh to the electricity sector cost base in 2013 i.e. €165 million. This does not include the impact of wind-related transmission cost increases or system operation cost increases.
Cost of gas --- € 43 per MWh
Cost of wind --- € 80 per MWh
Difference --- € 37 per MWh --- which is the additional amount we must pay when wind displaces gas
The reason is not wind but rather the cost of importing gas. Between the summers of 2009 and 2013 wholesale gas prices almost doubled across the EU. Analysis by the International Gas Union shows that between 2007 and 2013 prices increased consistently in all regions except North America.
2009 was the last time a crash occurred in oil and gas prices. So obviously prices increased after that.
So gas (and oil) prices hit a peak in 2008. There then was a dip in 2009 and a slight rise after that. This is reflected in the Annual Energy Payments (The market price per MW sold per half hour) below provided by SEMO :
As you can see Energy Payments, which are a direct reflection of wholesale prices, hit a peak in 2008 of € 2.7 billion and have not come anywhere close since. So our electricity bills should have come down since then by Mr Curtin's logic. But instead our bills have gone back up again and now exceed 2008 prices :
Lets look at the electricity bills in 2014. Have they come down yet ? Do you know how numeracy works - € 24.05 (2014) is greater than € 20.33 (2008) i.e. electricity was more expensive in 2014 than 2008 , but Energy Payments were higher in 2008 (€2.7bn) compared to 2014 (€ 2bn) (click on each table to zoom in) so the bills should have come down by Mr Curtin's calculations.
|From SEAI
|From SEAI
Well, the answer is we are in the middle of an energy bubble that is really indefensible :
All this additional capacity must be financed through electricity bills, whether that capacity is used or not. Excess capacity is financed through capacity payments and the PSO Levy. Most of this excess capacity is due to the € 4 billion investment in wind generation - it's not an anti-wind position to state this, it's simply a statement of fact.
Another factor is Ireland's lower population density. We need about 70 per cent more metres of cables per person than the average, which feeds into higher prices.
This was always the case in Ireland. As can be seen from the below graph, it didn't prevent Ireland from having a very competitive electricity price during the 90s before they started this renewable gig :
In 2015 electricity prices will decline further, driven again by lower forward gas prices. The correlation is as clear as day.Has anyone seen these lower electricity prices ? Last time I checked my bill the PSO Levy was going up once again. Can anyone find one of these bills with lower prices ? Please do let me know.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that Ireland must import its gas from the UK through interconnectors, and Irish consumers bear this additional cost.Funny then that we once had lower electricity prices that the UK during the 90s when we still were reliant on UK fuel imports :
Others have identified "hidden" network costs they argue are necessary to facilitate wind. It is true that Ireland is currently modernising an electricity network that for many years suffered from chronic underinvestment. Current investments also support traditional generation, increased demand in the regions, and indeed a more responsive, intelligent and modern grid generally.It is now accepted by almost everyone that Grid 25 is required to facilitate renewables, including Eirgrid :
The implementation of GRID25 is essential if Ireland is going to meet its targets for generating electricity from renewable sources (link).
Next we are told:
Current investments also support increased demand in the regions
Current investments also support traditional generation
Current investments in the grid have nothing whatsoever got to do with traditional generation. This shows a very poor misunderstanding of how power generation and grid infrastructure works. Traditionally, power stations were placed close to towns and areas of large population. The grid infrastructure was larger at the power stations and towns and then progressively smaller as it reached remote regions. With the advent of wind generation, grid infrastructure now has to be built inversely i.e. larger cables in remote locations are required to bring the energy to the towns and cities.
There are also other hidden costs which are directly attributable to wind such as constraints payments for conventional plant which I have written about here :
You can see that they have risen every year since 2010 as wind penetrations got higher and the smooth running of plant got ever more interrupted. The Energy Regulator accepts that "More and more wind on the system adds extra costs."
Total investment in wind will reach €3.5 billion by 2020. This is a frightening number, leading several commentators to make the simplistic assumption that consumers will have to foot this bill.
4,094MW onshore @ € 2 million per MW = € 8.1 billion
555MW offshore @ € 3 million per MW = € 1.6 billion
Total investment = € 9.7 billion not € 3.5 billion
External Sources for these figures can be found on this blog
and this one
Since we are engaging in simplistic argument, it is not the Irish consumer but the king of Norway who will pay. We import the largest proportion of our gas from Norway, and investment in wind will reduce coal and gas imports by nearly €300 million per annum by 2020. Consumers will benefit by not having to pay for these imports.
That's right, using modern CCGT in an efficient way saves fuel - thats the rationale behind using fuel efficient generators whether its the engine in your car or the generator in a power plant. The King of Norway in no way feels threatened by 13th century technology. In fact, wind power is very reliant on gas for its own house load needs.
The deployment of wind creates economic growth in Ireland and investing in Irish wind instead of Norwegian gas boosts activity in the local economy. Analysis suggests that GDP would be boosted by €500 million per annum by 2020, creating thousands of jobs in the process.


text:
Shannon Gandara
Permant Full Time
I am looking for a rewarding and permanant career opportunity in order to provide for my horses and farm.
Professional Experiences
Secretary/Personal Assistant
Pangaea Exploration
Since February 2009
Edmond - United States
I am currently employed in a part-time possition. I am searching for job opportunities with permanant full time employment.
Educational Background
High School
Edmond Memorial
July 1987
Edmond - United States
I have 1 1/2 years college experience.
Personal Interests
Hunting, Fishing, Horseback riding
I have a small 11 acre farm and love to be outdoors with my horses.
Created with NetCV


text:
New Construction
Phase 3: The construction of the
remaining 11 residences.
Scheduled to begin in November with completion
expected by January 31.
Progress Report
December 12-18, 2004 // CONSTRUCTION LOG #10
This week's story is about advancement on the front fence
and streetscape as well as the renovation of Units 105 and
Front Fence and Streetscape
The sidewalks and street curb are now poured. The east gate
is installed and painted but the electrics have yet to be
installed. The refinements and adjustments to the west gate
are now done and it operates as it should. The balance of
the columns have been formed and poured and all but three
of the spaces have been filled in with the chain link fence.
We've started the stucco process and had added moldings to
the top of the columns. The original design, when installed,
look like a giant phallic symbol -all we needed to do was
paint it pink and we could have had a very different statement
at the street. Needless to say, I changed the design. We are
still building the garbage areas. Stucco work has started;
we are using the same color as our neighbor to provide some
consistency to the streetscape. We will start the landscaping
on Monday. Landscaping will consist of palm trees in
the green space between the curb and sidewalk and some lower
plants. In addition, on the inside, fast growing vines with
blue and others with pink flowers will be planted in the planter
boxes. The bamboo will be replanted the inside. We hope it
comes back if we pour enough water on it.
Comment: the pedestrian and vehicle gates now seem
to be operating as they should and I am gaining confidence
in their performance. It's taken some adjustments, some user
education, and some patience amidst the frustration but I
think we are making progress.
Unit 105
it is now ready for painting and we have both the sealer
and finish paint on site. The kitchen and other millwork is
ready for installation as soon as we get it painted. We bought
the tile for the new area; we couldn't match the old tile
but found a pattern and color which complimented it so it
should be fine. The copula which acts as an architectural
feature as well as a ventilation shaft - is now framed. Window
frames are installed. All flashings and gutters are also installed.
We have the roof tile on site and will begin installation
next week. I decided to emphasize the entrance way by adding
some stone work for texture and contrast. When this and the
moldings I brought from Canada are added, it should make this
a very distinctive and attractive unit. Certainly, it's "presence"
is much more dramatic than before. This next week should see
the culmination of the previous 3 1/2 weeks work. I'm hoping
that it will be substantially completed by quitting time on
Dec. 24.
We had substantial difficulty sourcing the light weight tile
for the roof. After several false starts we finally have enough
on site for the roof. We expect to get more in January
when the factor open again for Unit 103.
Unit 103
The rough-framing, electrical, and plumbing -work is nearing
completion. The roof has been substantially restructured and
replaced. Instead of a cupola, we opted for 4 dormers to provide
the ventilation we need. We started drywall framing-there
isn't a lot to do. As per Unit 103, we have opted to put in
an all new kitchen made by the same cabinet maker who made
the other kitchens for the all new units. I'm expecting a
very dramatic product. The older cabinetry will be reworked
as closet built-ins.
Application for permits
Completed but now we wait as the various government agencies
are closed for the holidays.
Our Lives
We hosed a bar-b-q with friends on Sunday as well
as an impromptu dinner for 8 on Monday. We took Tuesday
to recuperate, and went to our favorite fish restaurant on
Wednesday. Pool on Thursday. My pool partner
crushed the fingers of his wife in the car door so she wouldn't
be as good; it worked, she wasn't. He's beginning to take
this game seriously although he better watch his marriage.
(Actually it was a terrible accident but not a lot of damage
Our friend Terry hosted a Christmas dinner party on Saturday.
He's a great cook and even though others contributed, his
food was it's normal fabulous self. Not only that but since
he only lives across the street, I could slither home without
fear of driving.
The Parrot: I've substituted the phone cord, which
she bit last week with an extension cord. So far, she hasn't
bitten into it. Darn!
Hugo: he's had a quiet week. No mice, no tragedies.
Lita: we tried to have her karaoke microphone fixed.
It didn't work; She's continued to recruit other help but
it is still not functioning.
She decided to help the laborers shovel gravel on Wednesday.
At first there were two others on the rock pile. Soon there
were about five. They were all having a wonderful time. Later
that night Lita realized they were probably looking at her
breasts and that was the reason for the great time!!!!!! Anyway,
it was a good laugh when she realized what was probably going
The construction workers are planning on a pig roast Friday
afternoon. It ought to be fun. They will do all the work.
I expect it will be cooked on an open fire with the unusable
form wood. I expect Lita will get involved in some way -rice
or something- and I'll contribute a couple cases of beer and
perhaps the inevitable black beans.
I've been wanting to get a VOIP (voice over internet protocol)
telephone system working here. With the high speed internet
cable we have, I'm told it should work. It will allow me,
and others, to make and receive long distance phone calls
to Canada and to the U.S. in a seamless manner and be billed
as a local call. It uses a regular telephone which is hooked
into a router. In addition, I will use my Toronto phone number
as a virtual number such that any calls to that number are
routed to me and billed as a local phone call. This is very
new technology although the capability has been around a few
years. The local phone provider here acting like any good
monopoly who is hopelessly incompetent and technologically
outdated would like to outlaw it -but it's going to be very
difficult. The former owner of the property ventured into
the satellite TV business -one of our TV systems was purchased
thru him -has a a VOIP system he'll be hooking it up this
next week for us to test out.
Brian Timmons
^ Top
us at any time to purchase a new house and still be able to
select your finishings.


text: I was there somewhere last year with Hanaa to buy brooches for a good friend in Malaysia. It was about RM2K plus spent for these as she wanted to sell all of them.I was drooling at the brooches haha.berpinar mato den hehe.. Sorry I did not take the pictures of other things in Namdaemun. Busy with this blink-blink.haha. Hanaa was good enough as she was sleeping throughout my precious time there!


text:
The Washington Post and New York Times lead with news that American soldiers opened fire on a car as it approached a military checkpoint outside Baghdad yesterday, mistakenly wounding a prominent Italian journalist shortly after she was released by insurgents who had been holding her captive. An Italian intelligence agent was killed in the incident, which shocked Italy and embarrassed Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a supporter of the war in Iraq. The Los Angeles Times fronts the shooting but leads with the Bush administration's call for Syria's "full and immediate" withdrawal of its troops from Lebanon.
Giuliana Sgrena, a leftist journalist whose reporting was highly critical of the United States' role in Iraq, was kidnapped on Feb. 4. A group called "Mujaheddin Without Borders" subsequently released a videotape of Sgrena in which she tearfully begged for her life, and tens of thousands marched in Rome to demand her release. The Italian government got her back yesterday under circumstances the NYT describes as "murky." (A ransom may have been involved.) Shortly after dark, a car carrying Sgrena and at least two Italian intelligence agents approached a checkpoint along the road leading to Baghdad's airport. According to the military, the car was speeding and failed to stop despite warning signals from soldiers. All the papers mention that the road is notoriously dangerous; the NYT implies that the some soldiers may be trigger-happy, mentioning several similar incidents.
The WP, which datelines its story from Rome, has the best detail on the reaction in Italy. Srgena's editor called the incident "a tragic demonstration that everything that's happening in Iraq is completely senseless and mad." Berlusconi said he was "petrified and dumbfounded," and called the American ambassador in for a dressing-down. But analysts say it's unlikely that the incident will seriously damage relations between the allies.
President Bush now has Saudi Arabia, Russia, and France backing his tough line on Syria, "a rare occurrence," the LAT writes. "When the United States and France and others say, 'withdraw,' we mean complete withdrawal, no half-hearted measures," Bush said. The WP, which fronts its story beneath a huge photograph of Lebanese protesters waving flags and anti-Syrian signs, chooses to emphasize Syrian President Bashar Assad's countermove: He will address his country's parliament today to announce that some of Syria's estimated 15,000 troops will be retreating to a the eastern Bekaa Valley, near the border between the two countries. This, the paper notes, will merely fulfill its obligations under a treaty signed in 1989. The NYT, which is the only paper with a Beirut dateline on its story, stuffs it anyway. It says many Lebanese are skeptical of any Assad pledge and notes that on Thursday, "Syrian troops were seen digging trenches," which may not be a good sign.
Both the WP and the LAT front long pieces on the massive identity-theft case involving ChoicePoint, a clearinghouse for financial data on millions of Americans. Conmen posing as legitimate businessmen managed to obtain Social Security numbers and other personal information for as many as 145,000 consumers. The WP tick-tock traces the investigation from suspicious calls to ChoicePoint last September to the arrest of a Nigerian man, who had in his possession "credit card applications, financial statements and other mail that had been redirected from homes around the nation."
The LAT's piece emphasizes a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into possible insider trading by ChoicePoint CEO Derek Smith and President Douglas Curling. They allegedly began selling company stock on Nov. 9, the same day the company was served with a search warrant in the identity-theft case. Smith says it's just a coincidence, and that he was unaware of the investigation until recently. "There is no way that a CEO can know everything that is going on," he said.
The NYT off-leads a feature on the burgeoning drug traffic between Canada and the United States. Call it "Vancouver Vice": Encouraged by Canada's relatively tolerant attitudes toward marijuana use, growers are flocking to British Columbia, where they raise "B.C. bud," a potent strain of weed that enjoys "an almost mythic reputation on the street." The province produces an estimated 3.7 million pounds of the stuff every year. A single pound sells for as much as $3,500 wholesale, more than three times the price of old-fashioned Mexican swag. All is not bliss, however: On Thursday, four Mounties were killed in Alberta as they attempted to search a pot farm. The killings "stunned a country that has apparently not lost that many officers at once since the mid-19th century." Some drug enforcement officials see the violence as a harbinger of things to come. One America tells that paper that Seattle today is like "Miami before the drug wars."
The NYT and WP front word that President Bush nominated Stephen L. Johnson to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Bush's pick was … stop the presses … applauded by environmental groups. The question is whether Johnson, a scientist and career EPA administrator, will have any power. "The real story is that on major issues, the decisions are going to be made directly by the White House," said one environmental advocate.
Everyone stuffs the latest bizarre development in Ukraine's Jacobean political drama. Yuri Kravchenko, the former interior minister, reportedly committed suicide by shooting himself twice (!) in the head. Many Ukrainians don't believe the shots were self-inflicted. Kravchenko was to testify in an inquiry into the 2000 murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze. Many believed he would have implicated his then-boss, former president Leonid Kuchma. "Before God, before the people, I have a clear conscience," Kuchma said.
Yosemite Sam … If Bashar Assad thinks Bush is talking tough, he definitely doesn't want to tussle with Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas. A wire story inside the WP, citing Roll Call, says Johnson recently raised the issue of Syria with the president. Apparently channeling the ghost of Slim Pickens, he offered the following plan of action: "You know, I can fly an F-15, put two nukes on 'em and I'll make one pass. We won't have to worry about Syria anymore."


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So, you've decided it's time to start investing.
Good choice. After all, one of the best ways to build wealth over time is to invest.
The good news is that investing for beginners doesn't have to be hard. In fact, you can get started almost immediately. Here's what you need to know about how to start investing.
1. Figure out how much you can invest each month
The first step is to decide how much you can invest each month. There are plenty of online brokers that allow you to get started with a small amount of money. In many cases, you can even open an account with $0.
Of course, eventually, you need to invest more if you want your wealth to grow.
Look at your monthly income and expenses and figure out how much you can put into an investment account each month. If you're willing to set up an automatic account, you can usually set aside as little as $100 each month.
Over time, you should make it a goal to increase the amount you set aside. But if you're just starting out, it's fine to put in a small amount. If you're sure you don't have any money to invest, take a closer look at your budget. Double-check your spending and look for waste. Trim some of the fat from your budget and use the savings to invest in your future.
It doesn't have to be an entire 10 percent of your income, but if you can start by investing $50 a month, that's much better than nothing.
The earlier you start, the better
Even if you aren't investing very much, the power of compound returns can benefit you in the long run.
Let's say you're 25 now and you want to retire at 55. If you invest $200 a month, you could end up with more than $300,000, assuming an annualized return of 8 percent.
Using Student Loan Hero's investment calculator, you can see what happens if you wait until you're 35 to start investing:
That's a pretty big difference.
Of course, you don't want to just stick with the same level of investment the whole time. Ideally, you would increase what you set aside as you income grows. Otherwise, you won't be able to set aside enough to live comfortably during retirement.
How much do you need to retire?
Don't forget to perform a needs assessment to figure out what you need to retire. If you think you need to save up $1 million for a comfortable retirement, you will need to make bigger contributions the longer you wait to start investing.
If you start saving at 25 and decide to work until you are 65, you only need to set aside $300 a month with an 8 percent return to reach your goal.
But what happens if you wait 10 years? Now, instead of 40 years to save, you only have 30 years. You would have to set aside $700 each month to accomplish the same thing.
Performing a needs assessment now and being realistic about how much you need to work up to saving each month can help you reach your goal without the need to set aside as much money each month. The earlier you start investing, the more time you have to do more with less.
2. Open and fund a brokerage account
Now that you know how much you can and should set aside each month, it's time to open a brokerage account. There are plenty of brokers that specialize in investing for beginners.
Figure out which broker makes the most sense for you, based on what you have to invest. If you can't invest at least $100 a month, you can sign up for Acorns, which allows you to invest pocket change.
If you do have $100 a month to invest, companies like Betterment and Charles Schwab can help you set up automatic investing plans to help you put your investing on autopilot.
In order to open a brokerage account, you need the following information:
- Name
- Birthdate
- Social Security number
- Address
- Bank account information (for funding)
Once you have the account open, provide the information needed to fund the account. Your best bet is to use some sort of automatic investing plan to help you stay on track.
3. Decide what to invest in
Your next step is to decide what to invest in. You need to decide which assets you should put your money into.
Investing for beginners shouldn't get too in-depth. It's a good idea to keep it simple at first and stick to an asset allocation that involves stocks and bonds.
Stocks represent ownership in a company. You buy shares which represent an amount of ownership.
When we talk about "trading" stocks on the market, it means buying them from someone who already owns shares. You pay a certain price per share with the hopes that you will see gains as the price rises. You can sell the stock later or hold onto it and hope for income through dividends.
However, there is always the risk that something will go wrong and a company will tank — leaving you holding worthless stock.
To counter some of the risks of stocks, many investors also purchase bonds. Bonds represent debt the company owes you. When you buy bonds, you essentially lend money to a company so it can perform its operations. You expect to be paid interest over time and when the bond's term is up, you get your principal back.
Bonds are considered less risky because they are a debt the company owes you and pays back, rather than relying on the whims of the market. Plus, if a company does go down, bondholders are usually compensated before stockholders.
However, the returns on bonds are generally lower than the potential returns on stocks.
When deciding where to invest money, you don't want to get caught up in individual stocks or bonds. Beginning investors are usually better off with funds.
Funds are collections of stocks and/or bonds. In many cases, assets in a fund share specific characteristics. Instead of buying one stock or bond individually, you buy a group of them all at once.
When you start investing, it can make sense to start with funds, particularly index funds. Indexing allows you to benefit from a large part of the market. You get instant diversity in your portfolio and it's easier to build your portfolio without a lot of money.
For the beginning investor, it makes a lot of sense to start with an index fund. You get some money in the market and your wealth starts growing. You can learn more about other investing strategies and change things up later.
An index fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) that follows a large index can be one of the best ways to invest money. There are index funds and ETFs that follow the S&P 500, as well as all-market funds that track everything that's publicly traded in the U.S.
There are also index funds and ETFs that follow bond indexes. You can set up an asset allocation that uses stocks and bonds with nothing but funds.
When you choose a fund that follows a large swath of the market, you are more likely to see growth over time since you just have to keep up with the market to be successful.
Other assets
Since you're just learning how to invest, there's no reason to make things complicated. After you've learned more about investing, you can experiment a little with other types of assets like real estate and gold.
4. Decide where to put the money
Once you know what you want to invest in, you need to figure out where to keep your assets. Yes, you have a brokerage account. But if you're looking for tax advantages, you don't want to just put it in a "regular" account.
A tax-advantaged retirement account can make a big difference in the efficiency of the way you build your wealth. When you open your own account, you will most likely need to go with an IRA.
Your IRA can be Traditional or Roth. With a Traditional account, you receive a tax deduction today for putting money in the account. This lowers your taxable income and your tax bill right now. However, you do pay taxes on the money later when you withdraw during retirement.
If you don't mind paying taxes now, you can choose a Roth. You won't get a tax deduction right now, but all your money grows tax-free. When you withdraw during retirement, you don't have to worry about taxes.
If you need more cash flow today and you think your taxes will be lower in the future, it makes sense to get a Traditional account. On the other hand, if you think taxes will be higher in the future, you might want to use the Roth. Take advantage of lower taxes today and don't worry about it in the future.
Capital gains
The downside to using a tax-advantaged account is that you can't access the money until you reach age 59 1/2 without a penalty fee. If you want to use your investments for other goals and access the money sooner, you need to keep it in a taxable investment account.
Be prepared to pay capital gains taxes when you sell at a higher price. You can get a better tax rate if you hold onto your investments for at least a year and a day. If you sell an investment that you've held for a year or less, you pay taxes at your regular rate.
What if you lose money instead of gain? Your losses are tax-deductible under certain circumstances.
5. Make it automatic
Now that you know how to start investing and where to invest money, it's time to make sure that it's happening like clockwork. Sign up for an automatic investment plan with your broker.
These plans take money from your bank account each month and transfer it to the brokerage. The money is then invested in the assets of your choice.
When first starting out, you have limited funds. It makes sense to choose one broad-based index fund and put the entire amount into it each month. If you try to slice and dice your small monthly contribution too much, it becomes less effective. Investing for beginners is all about simplicity.
With a more traditional online discount brokerage, you need to pay attention to your portfolio and manage it on your own. You can set up an automatic plan, but you still need to stay on top of things.
If you prefer to be more hands-off about your investments, a robo-advisor can help. If you put your money into a robo-advisor such as Betterment or Wealthfront, all of the heavy lifting is done for you. An asset allocation is determined based on your risk profile. Plus, a robo-advisor automatically rebalances your portfolio for you.
Don't forget your workplace retirement plan
Perhaps the best way to invest money automatically is through your workplace retirement plan.
If you're contributing to your employer's retirement plan, you already invest. If you haven't started contributing to an employer's plan, it's time to begin.
Find out if your company offers a retirement plan that matches your contributions. If your employer offers to match a portion of your contributions, that's free money for your retirement. If possible, sign up to make the contribution that gets you the maximum match.
Automatically investing out of your paycheck — before you even see that money — is an amazing way to build up your retirement account and prepare for the future.
6. Don't panic when the market tanks
One of the crucial lessons to learn about investing is that you shouldn't freak out when the market tanks. This is especially true if you have solid investments or if you invest in index funds.
A good example is the S&P 500. It's had a couple of major market events in the last 20 years.
However, these events are followed by recoveries.
Don't lose your cool when everything seems to be falling apart. It's natural for markets to have ups and downs. In the short-term, there's a lot of volatility. In the long-term, though, the trend line smooths out and you see more consistent returns.
7. Keep learning about investing
Now that you're off to a good start, you need to keep learning about investing. You might find new ways to invest your money to see better returns, or you might decide to shake things up a little bit with your portfolio.
Seeing your returns can be addicting. Once you see how compounding returns can help you reach your goals, it's easier to find ways to set even more money aside.
Want to get started investing?Here are the top investing options for 2019!
|Account Minimum
|0.15% – 0.35%
|0.49% – 0.89%


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The Best Lawn Maintenance Services
It is very appealing when a house has been built in a beautiful place. A home that is surrounded by some green vegetation is healthy for your family. It will be stunning to have some good ideas on how the place will be modified in the best ways possible. You need a suitable plan on how the modification ill be done. There are different companies that offer these services and getting the will be a great deal for you. Most services on the lawn can be completed by an expert but having an expert on the process will be a great thing.
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What I Can Teach You About Experts


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Bike 2002: In pictures
Very few bikes-on-sticks at Bike 2002 (more than in previous years, mind) but those companies that chose to display products that weren't actually for sale seemed to be doing just as well as the bargain basement stands. Here, two bike mad lads were oggling the kit on the Extra stand (which had some Felt BMXes on sticks, as well as plenty of sexy P&A).
MIDDLE TWO PIX: The BSX rounds sent pulses racing...hmm, and so did the lasses wearing black t-shirts and little else.
BASE: Public bike shows have got to get visitors enthused about cycling. The BMX ramps and the BMX flatland course, and the BSX dirt humps, were there to show off the skills of the experts, the Test Track was there to let punters ride the bikes the experts ride. Here, a Haro is being put through its paces by a lad who went round and round the test track humps, having to be forced to hand the thing back...
TOMORROW: the views of the new organisers and more new products from the show...
OTHER WEBSITES: For lots more show pix, and news on the various BSX-induced injuries, click over to http://www.singletrackworld.com


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This is a very common thing to happen for Linux users using full blown keyboards (not a laptop). And it's caused mainly by a Linux accessibility feature, which allows you to use the arrows on your number pad as a mouse.
To revert back you have two simple options:
1- Hit "Ctrl+Shift+NumLock" on your keyboard
2- Disable the Mouse Keys feature on you keyboad configuration utility


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CURLS Whipped Cream Heavy Curl Cream
Thick and ultra-rich whipped curl cream
Available in 8 oz / 227 g
Product Description
Whipped Cream is the best curl cream for natural styles (twist outs, straw sets, roller sets, locks, afros & more) for thick, kinky, curly 3c-4c hair! This thick, and ultra rich whipped cream has a warm vanilla cream fragrance that makes you want to eat it! It provides SUPERB curl definition, moisture and sheen. Enriched with natural oils, exotic butters and nourishing extracts and botanicals. Also works great as gel substitute to smooth edges, slick hair, and to hold twists and locks in place. For best results, emulsify in your hands & apply to soaking wet hair. Moisturize first with Cashmere Curls Moisturizer for best results.
There are no reviews yet.


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US Campgrounds
Washburn County
Red Barn Campground
Red Barn Campground, Wisconsin
Custom Search
Tent camping is available
RV hookups are available
Pets are allowed
Campfires are allowed
Game Room
Nearby attractions
WIFI is available
Electric power hookups are available
Activities: boating, fishing, hiking, pool table, ping pong table, swimming, horseshoes, volley ball, basket ball and golf
Take advantage of the golf amenities here, and continue to be athletic while you're here by playing volley ball. There's a fun playground, so the children can have a fine time, and if you like comfort, there are good cabins here. This
campground has a wonderful pool where you may go for a good bath, and power hookups are available here at Red Barn Campground. Playing ping pong is a good way to spend time, and don't forget your fishing pole as this place has some
magnificent fishing.
Go for a nice swim at Red Barn Campground, it's revitalizing; unwind with an excellent game of billiards at the pool table. Red Barn Campground is a good site for boating, and this is a great site for RV-ing. At the gameroom you can play some amusing games, and there are showers here at Red Barn Campground.
For folks who like to play horseshoes this is a wonderful place, and everybody ought to go hiking sometimes, and Red Barn Campground is a wonderful spot to do that. There are naturally restrooms at this campground, and playing basketball is great exercise at Red Barn Campground. Red Barn Campground is a campground where fires are welcome; Red Barn Campground is
a glorious scene for tent camping.
Don't desert that cat back at home, animals are welcome, and continue to be connected while you're here at Red Barn Campground with the wifi supplied.
Best Western Spooner Riverplace, Spooner
3 miles away
AmeriVu Inn And Suites, Shell Lake
3 miles away
Cumberland Inn And Suites, Cumberland
15 miles away
Holiday Inn Express & Suites RICE LAKE, Rice Lake
15 miles away
Other campgrounds near Red Barn Campground, Wisconsin:
Shell Lake Municipal Campground, Washburn County
, 3 miles away
Country House Motel and RV Park, Spooner
, 3 miles away
Whitetail Ridge Campground and RV Park, Sarona
, 5 miles away
Jack's Canoe Rental, Trego
, 8 miles away
Trego Town Park, Trego
, 9 miles away
Bay Park Resort and Campgrounds, Trego
, 9 miles away
Leesome Pine Campgrounds, Sarona
, 9 miles away
Dahle's Campground, Sarona
, 9 miles away
Rice Lake KOA Kampground, Rice Lake
, 9 miles away
Shady Rest, Rice Lake
, 9 miles away
Paddling Rivers Near Red Barn Campground, Wisconsin:
St. Croix River, Douglas/Burnett County
, 24 miles away
Class I-II - 15.8 miles long (Gordon Dam to St. Croix Tr.)
Totogatic River, Washburn County
, 29 miles away
Class II-III - 8.9 miles long (Totogatic Flowage to Colton Flowage)
Public Lands near Red Barn Campground, Wisconsin:
Saint Croix National Scenic River, Saint Croix Falls - WI
, 54 miles away
Brule River State Forest, Wisconsin
, 36 miles away
Golf Courses Near Red Barn Campground, Wisconsin:
Northern Golf & Outdoors, Spooner
, 4 miles away
Barronett Hills Golf Course, Barronett
, 6 miles away
Clam River Golf Club, Shell Lake
, 11 miles away
Butternut Hills Golf Course & Golf Learning Center, Sarona
, 13 miles away
Cumberland Golf Club, Cumberland
, 14 miles away
Lakes Near Red Barn Campground, Wisconsin:
Shell Lake, Washburn County
, 1 miles away
Long Lake, Washburn County
, 5 miles away
Lipsett Lake, Burnett County
, 13 miles away
Beaver Dam Lake, Barron County
, 14 miles away
Current weather conditions at Red Barn Campground, Wisconsin
Local climate location: CUMBERLAND 22 miles away
Outdoors Recreation Near Menomonie, Wisconsin
Outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Menomonie, Wisconsin, the metro area neareast to Red Barn Campground. Find info on campgrounds, marinas, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater, golf courses and more.
Wisconsin Campgrounds
Complete list of all campgrounds in Wisconsin
Washburn County Campgrounds
Complete list of all campgrounds in Washburn County
Books about campgrounds in Wisconsin
List of books available on Amazon.com about campgrounds in Wisconsin.
Copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc.


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When Mike Xavier was in the fourth grade, the now 33-year-old rapper and single father penned an essay about Christmas. Like any 9-year-old, he mentioned presents and cookies and family. Then he wrote: "Sometimes I think about the people who do not have a Christmas tree. I try to do what I can to help those who do not have [anything]."
His teacher would be proud. Twenty-some-odd years later, he's living up to that A+ essay.
On December 7, Xavier will host a concert and toy drive at the Arts Factory in Downtown Las Vegas. The lineup includes some of the city's most promising voices: Sonia Barcelona, Halsey Harkins, Zack Gray and more—including one of its youngest. Xavier's 9-year-old son, Jaylyn Thai, will recite a poem he wrote. Admission is a toy or gift card, with all items donated to HELP of Southern Nevada.
"I just want to help because I know what it's like," Xavier says.
When Xavier wrote that essay in the fourth grade, he was writing then, as he does now, from the perspective of someone who's experienced heartbreaking hardships. Shortly before that class assignment, Xavier was living in a car in Los Angeles with his mother and siblings, sleeping in relatives' garages with no place to call home. The holidays in particular cause him to reflect because he remembers having to go to a shelter to pick out toys himself.
Fast forward to 2015 and he's in the same bleak situation. Unemployed and priced out of the inflating L.A. housing market, he and his son packed what little they had into his 2008 Toyota Camry, again bouncing between relatives' homes and sleeping on floors—sometimes five to a room. The two were nomads for months before moving to Las Vegas for less pricey pastures. He finally found an apartment in October 2015 but didn't have anything to put in it. Their two-bedroom home in North Las Vegas was empty, save for a mattress for Jaylyn. Xavier couldn't give Jaylyn a proper Christmas, let alone a bed for himself. They didn't have a tree, decorations or toys. It was painful.
"When I can't buy my son something for Christmas, that's depressing," he says.
It remained that way through 2016. It wasn't until earlier this year that he saw a break in the clouds.
This holiday, things are brighter. By working 50-plus hours a week at his day job, performing weekends at Interlude inside The Cromwell and playing one-off gigs, Xavier's earned enough to furnish his home—including a towering tree in the living room for Jaylyn.
"He'll get a few toys this year," Xavier says proudly.
What Xavier is really giving his son is priceless. Though the toy drive will help others, the event is for Jaylyn.
"I want my son to be a good person," Xavier says. "I want him to see the whole process of putting it together and see the joy it brings to people."
Jaylyn has already taken after his father. He's just as thoughtful and compassionate, as if his father's heart and integrity were hereditary. The piece Jaylyn will perform at the toy drive, simply titled "Jaylyn's Christmas Poem," is a warm hug around the knees. In it, he writes:
It makes me sad to have to see so many people suffer
One thing I know is that the hurt will always make me tougher
Maybe next year things might get a little better
'Cause after all, the hard times don't last forever
It's a harsh reality for a 9-year-old to acknowledge, but it's one he's embraced. His father recently asked Jaylyn if he would rather have any item he wanted at Toys R Us or forfeit his gift so that 20 other kids could get anything they wanted. Unsurprisingly, he opted for the latter.
Jaylyn doesn't care that he doesn't have the flashiest new toys or gadgets. Like his father, he gets more joy from uplifting others than material possessions. And he's happy to be by his father's side. It was Jaylyn's idea to join him at shows, performing for the first time at an open mic when he was 6. Whenever possible, Jaylyn can be seen on stage, rapping alongside his father.
"He's a light switch," Xavier says, beaming at his son, who's dressed in Spider-Man pajamas and engrossed in playing Football Heroes on his phone. "He reminds me of me."
Keep Pushing
Mike Xavier is a testament to perseverance. He's been down more times than he's been up, but hasn't wavered from his mission.
When he first started rapping at 16, he didn't have any big aspirations and stopped recording music for several years. It wasn't until Jaylyn was born that he found new inspiration.
"When I had him, my writing style changed," he says.
He used to flip meaningless multi-syllable rhymes just to show off how good he was. Now every word has a purpose: to empower others.
Much of Xavier's music documents his family's struggles and victories. Songs like "Sunshine" won't get play in the club, but it hits you harder than a Metro Boomin' bass drop. And he does it without cursing or disparaging remarks, making it universal.
"The main thing is my son and my nieces, they all listen to my music," he says. "I can perform my music at an elementary school if I wanted."
It works to his advantage.
His music has taken him from open mics to to morning news shows. Some weekends he performs twice in one day. On a recent night, he performed at Brooklyn Bowl, then literally ran to his gig at The Cromwell.
It's not a bad problem to have.
"A year ago life wasn't so good, but it gets better if you keep going," he says.
Poetic Music Group Toy Drive
Dec. 7, all ages, 7:30 p.m., free with donation, Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., RSVP at xaviershows.com