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Nigeria: Bomb blast at hotel owned by ex-deputy Governor of Bayelsa, President Jonathan's home state
USAfrica Newsroom, April 5, 2011
The former deputy Peremobowei Ebebi, of Bayelsa State, according to USAfrica sources, was not at the hotel at the time of the explosion.
He is also a senatorial candidate of the small, opposition Labour Party in this coming Saturday's elections in Nigeria.
Special to USAfricaonline.com, CLASSmagazine, USAfrica e-group and Nigeria360@yahoogroups e-group
Africa's most populated country is facing another embarrassing twist in its checkered efforts to hold free, fair and timely elections with Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan's electoral commission's chief appointee Prof. Attahiru Jega postponing today's
parliamentary elections a few hours ago.
USAfrica reporters across Nigeria say that the Jega-led INEC (since July 2010) which has the biggest funds ever in the history of Nigeria's elections management is facing the anger of what seems a majority of Nigerians and voters over this remarkable failure. But his boss
President Jonathan is supporting the decision arguing that the new date of April 4 is better for INEC to "prepare for better results" and elections.
But Isa Mohammed who said he's a member of the President's ruling PDP party at Wuse in Abuja disagrees, countering: "They should all be ashamed and be apologizing to all Nigerians regardless of party. What type of country is this? Haba! All the money they gave to Jega and INEC and they cannot hold elections?" queried .
Adeleke Omotunde, an economics student in Lagos told USAfricaonline.com that he "expects more from the leaders of Nigeria especially the President. Until today, I was a supporter of President Jonathan but this has messed up things. He is either leading or not."
A more prominent Lagosian, leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu told reporters that Jega "has done what is right in the circumstance. I only hope the President will take control from there by declaring a national holiday on Monday."
Uchenna Emenike, an APGA party loyalist in the commercial but traumatized city of Aba (in Abia State) was no less concerned, saying to USAfrica that "Prof. Jega of INEC and the man who appointed him President Jonathan promised Nigerians a proper election today which they have been planning and spending tons of money, only to cancel it! No, I'm terribly disappointed."
An international elections monitor who will be texting (his observations to USAfricaonline.com) was equally blunt in telling us that "It's a big shame to Nigeria and its leadership. I see very deeply disappointed Nigerians at the various polling stations we have been to today."
Pat Utomi's power of ideas into Nigeria's 2011 presidential elections. By ChidoNwangwu.https://usafricaonline.com/2011/01/16/pat-utomi-power-of-ideas-into-nigerias-2011-presidential-elections-by-chido-nwangwu
Why Chinua Achebe, the Eagle on the Iroko, is Africa's writer of the century. By Chido Nwangwu, Publisher of USAfrica, and first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the internet USAfricaonline.comhttps://usafricaonline.com/chido.achebebest.html
USAfrica, and first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the internet USAfricaonline.com; The Black Business Journal, CLASSmagazine, PhotoWorks.TV, AchebeBooks.com, Nigeria360, USAfricaTV and several blogs, assessed by The New York TImes as the largest and arguably most influential multimedia networks for Africans and Americans. firstname.lastname@example.com. wireless: 1-832-45-CHIDO (24436). Office: 713-270-5500.


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We hope all of you are enjoying the Spring Premium Box, "The Sunday Morning Edition" and are finding great use of the items during your relaxing Sunday mornings and beyond! We are so excited for this box because we felt it brought all of our members such a unique set of items to inspire self-care. Following the theme of this season's box, we bring you a blog focused on all the wonderful activities you can do on Sunday mornings!
We hope we have inspired you to make the most of your Sundays!
Read a book
Jump into your silk Robe-N-Hood robe, put on your Northern Sole Socks, and cozy up to a good book! Not only does reading relax you, but it also stimulates the brain. See book recommendations from the Gentleman's Box Team below:
- If the Buddha Dated: A Handbook for Finding Love on a Spiritual Path by Charlotte Kasl
- Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
- Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
- Living With A Seal by Jesse Itzler
Journaling is a great way to gather your thoughts and feelings, as well as reflect. Jot down whatever comes to mind whether it be your last week worth of activities, what you are thankful for, or goals and dreams. Any kind of reflection without distraction is healthy for the soul. If you received the Fall 2018 Premium Box, pull out your Woodchuck journal set.
One of the best ways you can relax, is to clear your mind and be in the present moment. There are wonderful videos to help guide you into the meditation practice. Try searching "guided meditation" on YouTube and explore all the sessions out there, finding one that fits your needs the best.
Pamper yourself
After you wake, give your face a deep wash with the Nina Marie Skincare Daily Face Cleanser included in your Premium Box. Follow this with a toner, moisturizer and beard oil. If you really want to step it up, try a face mask and get glowing skin!
Breakfast in bed
This is another task you can do in your new silk robe and socks. The comfier the better when eating breakfast in bed! Check out some easy and healthy options for breakfast in bed below:
- Vanilla Greek yogurt with blueberries, granola and a drizzle of honey
- Oatmeal with almond milk and topped with brown sugar, berries, and almonds
- Toast with avocado spread on it, topped with sliced cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper and arugula
- Toast with peanut butter, sliced bananas and a drizzle of honey
- Scrambled eggs with cut up vegetables added, topped with feta cheese and sliced avocado
Sundays are a wonderful day to spend quality time with family and friends. Mid-day seems to work best for most, so gathering for a "brunch" meal is always a good option. Not to mention, the food options are the best! Before heading out, don't forget a few sprays of your new English Laundry London Cologne.

subset: commoncrawl


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Meet the Staff of 44 Auto Mart - Elizabethtown
Steve Lanz - General Manager
270-765-2886 - email@example.com
From the Hardin County area, you won't find many people with as much Knowledge and Experience in the Automotive industy as Steve. Steve has been involved in Auto Sales and Management for over 30 years! Come meet Steve TODAY, and let his experience go to work for you, and make your car buying experience one to remember.
Chase Lanz - Sales Manager
270-765-2886 - firstname.lastname@example.com
Chase was born and raised in Elizabethtown KY. Chase graduated form Elizabethtown High School in 2008. He cannot wait to help all of his friends and family with any of their Car Truck Van or SUV buying needs!
Brian Pierce - Business Manager
270-765-2886 - firstname.lastname@example.com
Brian has a vast array of experience from the Medical field, to Corrections, to Retail and Sales. Brian Graduated form Grayson County High School in 1999. Come visit Brian at 44 Automart in Elizabethtown and let him be the key to unlock your dream Car Truck or SUV TODAY!!!
Cal Dowdell - Sales Professional
502-631-5493 - email@example.com
Cal is an Elizabethtown Native, Graduating from Elizabethtown High School in 2003. Cal attended The University of Kentucky and University of Louisville, where he received his Bachelors in Communication. Cal looks forward to making your car buying experience an AMAZING adventure!!


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- January 13, 2020
8:30 am - 2:30 pm
Target Audience: Teachers who have participated fully in Assessment Year 1 or an ACE summer institute
Participants will develop three-part formative assessments (self-navigation tool). These assessments are designed to provide formative information for both the students and the teacher while empowering students to answer the following questions:
- Where they are headed in their learning?
- Where they are now in relation to those expectations?
- How can they close the gap between the two?
Venue: Canyon Creek School
3139 Duck Creek Rd, Billings, Montana, 59101, United States


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Are you engaged in a Search Engine Optimization program and wondering how to get more out of it?
Look no further, I'm going to share with you 5 Pitfalls to Avoid as part of an SEO program.
Having worked with many, many clients I've seen just about everything.
However, there are 5 pitfalls that consistently pop up and limit the return of the program for the client or at the very least create more hurdles than were necessary.
So, here are 5 SEO Pitfalls to Avoid:
1. Designing Sites in a Vacuum
Many a client will search far and wide for the perfect web design vendor without as much as consulting their existing SEO partner. This is a mistake because, while I love web designers, they are not all trained in the world of SEO.


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Wasp Nest Removal Ollerton
At Buzzoff Wasp Control we aim to give our customers in Ollerton and surrounding towns an unrivalled wasp catching service. All our clients in Ollerton have come to expect excellent customer service at a competitive price. In Ollerton we provide a wasp removal service throughout the wasp season – removing wasp nests from gardens, lofts, outhouses, sheds and attics etc.
Buzzoff Wasp Control guarantee results for our wasp catching services in Ollerton. With our expert experience and sprays only available to professionals we are so confident that if we don't destroy the wasp nest at the first attempt we will come back and finish the job off at no extra charge.
Buzzoff Wasp Control use several methods to deal with wasps in Ollerton depending on which is the most effective way to remove a wasp problem. We operate out of Ollerton for both the domestic and commercial customer and can offer contract work for our larger customers.
Buzzoff Wasp Control in Ollerton is fully insured and can remove wasps for schools, golf courses, sports fields, council and local authority, beer gardens and anywhere with a wasp problem.
For an emergency wasp catcher in Ollerton call Buzzoff Wasp Control immediately. Or if you just need friendly advice from a skilled wasp controller just give us a call.
Wasp Nests Ollerton
Please note that nests are not generally removed after treatment. For best results it is best to leave the treatment for several hours to take full effect and wasps will NEVER use an old nest.
Buzzoff Wasp Control is a member of the National Pest Technicians Association. This ensures that you are using a professionally recognised pest technician service.


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Liquor Law Violation
10/10 – Thurston Hall – 1:10 a.m. – case closed
Front desk officers called for more backup and EMeRG. when a male student was carried through the front door. A student informed University Police that the male had consumed alcohol for the first time and was having difficulty speaking and standing. As EMeRG. evaluated his condition, the male became disorderly. UPD handcuffed and transported him to the GW Hospital Emergency Room, and on the ride over the subject continued to act aggressively. Upon arrival, the subject was verbally aggressive to hospital staff and was placed in a holding room. The subject finally became complacent when doctors arrived.
Referred to Student Judicial Services
10/9 – Ivory Tower – 11:05 p.m. – case closed
CLLC staff observed two females through an open door consuming alcoholic beverages. The staff members contacted UPD, who made the residents dispose of the open containers and turn over the remaining unopened bottles.
Referred to SJS
10/8 – Hall on Virginia Avenue 5:45 p.m. – case closed
Front desk UPD officers caught an underage female student carrying alcohol in a suitcase and cooler.
Referred to SJS.
Unlawful Entry
10/9 – 605 22nd Street (Alpha Epsilon Pi house) – 2:07 a.m. open house
A male who is no longer a student tried to gain entry into the house of his former fraternity. A member at the door tried to block the entrance, but the subject entered, whereupon another member tried to tackle him. The unwelcomed guest escaped the tackle and ran out. The subject left GW in spring 2004.
10/7 – Off Campus – open case
A female student told UPD that she was receiving e-mails in a foreign language and receiving strange phone calls.
Disorderly Conduct
10/10 – Thurston Hall – 2:35 a.m. – case closed
UPD responded to a report of five students throwing punches on the ninth floor. A bystander's tip led UPD to find the subjects on the eighth floor. The subjects said the altercation was a continuation of the previous night's fight; some admitted to consuming alcohol. Two of the people involved were not GW students and were barred from campus.
Referred to SJS
10/8 – 22nd and H streets – 1 a.m. – case closed
Three males became irritated when a shuttle bus driver refused to take them to M Street. The men, who are thought to be students, unsuccessfully attempted to open the vehicle's door and ripped a paper from the shuttle's window.
No suspects
Drug Law Violation
10/8 – Somers Hall – 1 p.m. case closed
A Community Living and Learning Center search revealed a bowie knife and several pocketknives in a student room. Also during the search, CLLC found an unmarked prescription medication bottle without a printed
prescription identification. The resident claimed to have a prescription but has not yet produced it. An anonymous complainant gave CLLC the tip.
Referred to SJS
10/10 – Pubic Property – 3:35 a.m. – case closed
A uniformed U.S. Secret Service officer stopped a male student who was carrying a "Keep Left" street sign. The student told UPD that he got he sign from a trashcan on Columbia Road.
Referred to SJS
-compiled by Nathan Brill
This article appeared in the October 14, 2004 issue of the Hatchet.


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- This event has passed.
Saturday Service Project: Hunger and Homelessness
November 17, 2018 @ 7:30 am - 11:30 am MST
Join the Bennion Center with helping our community fight hunger and homelessness. We'll be volunteering at the following locations: The Inn Between, Road Home, Palmer Court, Crossroads Urban Center and Earth Community Gardens. Two on-campus projects include Bags to Beds and the Feed U Food Pantry. Register at bennioncenter.org.


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Every year, Wright State resident assistants attend the Central Atlantic Affiliate for College and University Residence Halls Regional Leadership Conference. This year, they don't have to travel far. That's because Wright State will host the conference, which will run from Nov. 9 to Nov. 11.
More than 320 residential student leaders from universities as far away as Maryland are coming to Wright State.
Conference programs fall into three areas: Wellness, which is used to educate residents about living a healthy, safe and balanced lifestyle; Scholarship, which is an opportunity to educate students on strategies and different tools to help residents become successful inside and outside the classroom; and Unity, which encourages diversity and individual development.
Tyler Burnett and Markaya Clayton, two resident assistants at Wright State, are co-chairs for the event. They are assisted by several other resident assistants who are in charge of other aspects of the conference, such as housing and facilities, finance, technology, philanthropy and spirit and communication.
Burnett said he was thankful for the team that helped put the event together and he was looking forward to the weekend.
"We have been working so hard. Our conference team, our advisors and various faculty and staff members of Wright State have helped us out tremendously. Without everyone involved, this would not have been possible," he said. "The excitement, amazing cheers and pride this conference brings is exactly what our university needs."
Delegates can register from noon until 6 p.m. An opening ceremony will begin at 7 p.m., followed by social events for National Residence Hall Honorary members, Residence Hall Association members and National Communications Coordinator members, among others.
On Saturday, Nov. 10, attendees can attend several program sessions on topics related to wellness, scholarship and unity.
Burnett said he was particularly excited that Wright State President Cheryl B. Schrader is the keynote speaker for the conference. "She will address all things motivational about being the best leader that we can be," Burnett said.
Along with the programs, there will be several social events for those attending the conference. In addition, students can work on cutting blankets for Project Linus.


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BARBERTON A protest against police brutality by a Barberton High School student and basketball player continued Tuesday night as three other Magics joined him and sat during the national anthem.
But the protest, which flared up on social media and local news, wasn't a popular topic of conversation with Magics fans as game time approached at the high school.
About 30 people who were asked for their thoughts on the controversy declined to talk. Several others expressed a desire to speak without being named.
The protest has not been clearly identified by media reports or school officials. But several fans at the game said they understood the protest to involve a shooting last year in Akron by police. That could not be independently confirmed.
A Channel 19 News report on Monday showed student D'Lawrence Scott citing police brutality for his protest.
A mother of one student who participated in the sit-down said her son joined to show support for his teammate.
The district released a statement on Saturday straddling the fence, recognizing both the student's right to sit and public concern with the protest.
"The Barberton City School District supports every student's right to free speech, as protected by the United States Constitution and supported by Ohio Revised Code (state law)," the statement reads.
But social media users weren't satisfied. As of 8:45 p.m Tuesday, 836 comments had been made to the Barberton City School District Facebook post, many of them not fit for a PG film.
The parents of another Barberton player said the protest had split the community. While they understood the student's right to sit during the anthem, they saw it as disrespectful to veterans who fought and died in wars and conflicts, suggesting other means of protest were more appropriate and effective.
Barberton resident Greg Mulkey declined to offer his thoughts during Tuesday's game. But in a long text, Mulkey said that schools have to do a better job of teaching citizenship and respect for others.
"Freedom is not the right to do what you want," Mulkey wrote. "Freedom is the right to do what you ought."
Joe Kazy, who criticized the district and the sit-down in social media posts, said before Tuesday's game that school policy shouldn't permit such protests by students under 18.
"If I was a coach and one of my players did that even if they were the best player on the team they'd be on the bench," said Kazy, a former Norton City Council member.
But Kazy acknowledged that the Constitution guarantees the right to protest.
"They have the right to do that — that's fine," Kazy said. "Personally, I think it's disrespectful."
Alan Ashworth can be reached at 330-996-3859 or emailed at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.


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Political Environment And Social Environment Marketing Essay
5419 words (22 pages) Essay
1st Jan 1970 Marketing Reference this
Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a university student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Essay Writing Service. You can view samples of our professional work here.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com.
We have chosen Nestle as the company that we would analyse in this assignment because Nestle is a big and well known company in todays era of globalization and very much people-oriented, and committed to understanding its consumers' needs throughout the world in order to provide the best products for people's lives which would make it easier for us to obtain and analyse the information about their marketing segmentation, market environment, marketing mix and background of Nestle. Furthermore, all our members, Chia Poh Ling, Lee Yue Xhing, Leow Jo Yee and Yvonne Tay are more familiar with this company, which would help to make analysing and discussions go more smoothly.
Nestlé S.A. is the largest food company in the world. It is a Swiss multinational nutritional, snack food, and health-related consumer goods company headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. The world's leading food manufacturer and the market leader in both coffee and mineral water, produces a wind range of products.
As the leading Food, Nutrition, Health and wellness Company, Nestlé is the provider of the best food for whatever time of day and for whatever time of your life. Nestlé's products include baby food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, coffee, confectionery, dairy products, ice-cream, pet foods and snacks. The main shareholders of world's largest cosmetics company, L'Oréal is Nestlé.
The objectives of the Nestlé S.A. are to be recognized as the world leader in Nutrition, Health and Wellness, trusted by all its stakeholders, and to be the reference for financial performance in its industry. [1]
Nestlé S.A is the world's leading nutrition, health and wellness company with an unmatched portfolio of more than 2,000 global and local brands. It has 468 factories spread over 86 countries, and employs around 330,000 people. Its products are sold in every country in the world. [2] Its agricultural services provide assistance to improve the quality and yield of the raw materials it uses.
In 1867, the infant began to take the milk food supplement Henri Nestlé had developed, and a life was saved. The product, called Farine Lactée Nestlé, was soon marketed throughout much of Europe, and a new brand name began to take on life.
Henri Nestlé adopted his own coat of arms as a trademark in 1867. Translated from German, Nestlé is universally understood to represent nurturing and caring, security, nourishment and family bonding which is little nest and the now-famous symbol. The company Henri Nestlé founded as it fulfills its commitment to 'Good Food, Good Life.'
In 1905, the Nestlé Company merged with the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company, the first condensed milk factory which opened in Switzerland in 1866. Nestlé entered into the milk chocolate business in 1904 when Peter & Kohler Swiss General Chocolate Company produced milk chocolate under the Nestlé trademark. The chocolate company later joined the Nestlé Group in 1929.
While the original business was based on milk and dietetic foods for children, the new Nestlé grew and diversified its range of products, through acquisitions and mergers with the better known brands of the time. [3]
Nestlé began in Malaysia in 1912 as the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company in Penang and later, growth and expansion made a move to Kuala Lumpur necessary in1939. Since 1962, with its first factory in Petaling Jaya, Nestlé Malaysia now manufactures its products in 7 factories and operates from its head office in Mutiara Damansara. The Company was publicly listed on the KLSE now known as Bursa Malaysia Berhad on 13 December, 1989. Today, the Company employs more than 5000 people and manufactures as well as markets more than 300 Halal products in Malaysia. Its brand name such has MILO, NESCAFE, MAGGI, NESPRAY and KIT KAT have become trusted household names and enjoyed for generations. [4]
Market Segmentation, targeting and positioning
Market segmentation involves aggregating of prospective buyers into groups, or segments that have common needs and will respond similarly to a marketing action. [5] Nestle provide a wide range of nutritious food and beverages for everyone to practice a balanced and healthy diet and lifestyle. There are four types of major segmentation variables for consumer markets which include geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioral. Segment marketing has given the company a clearer picture of their customers and competitors so that the company can come up with a more fine-tuned products and services that satisfied customers needs. Through market segmentation, targeting and positioning, Nestle can reach out to their customers more easily and serve their customers more effectively and efficiently.
We found out that Nestle classify their market by using geographic, demographic and psychographic segmentation based on consumer characteristics. In geographic segmentation, Nestle has divided their market into urban areas (cities) and rural areas (villages). Besides that, Nestle also uses demographic factor to segment its market, it consists on income level and educational level. The income level and educational level can be categorized as low, middle and high level consumers. Apart from that, Nestle uses psychographic factor to differentiate the market. The segmentation variables that Nestle uses are personality, social class and lifestyle. Nestle can groups individuals according to their personalities such as extrovert, self-disciplined or energetic. Nestle divides their customers into low social class, medium social class and high social class.
A target market is a potential market that a company has decides to concentrate its marketing efforts and resources to enter those markets. Nestle segments its market by regions, income level, educational level, personalities, social class and lifestyle. By applying the information and observations that we get, we can simply identify the target market of Nestle.
In this case, we found out Nestle focuses on urban areas rather than rural areas. The consumption of Nestle products is often in cities as compared to villages. This may be due to income and educational level. The people in rural area mostly could not afford the products of Nestle as it is considered as luxuries. They do not have strong sense of health consciousness due to educational background. This makes them the less attractive buyers.
For segmentation by income level, Nestle has been targeting on those consumer who earn middle income and high income. People will purchase healthy and nutritious food and beverages when they have enough monetary resources to back up them. Those consumers with higher income tend to be the potential buyers for Nestle because they bring most profit into the company.
Furthermore, for educational level Nestle tends to pay more attention to those consumers who has an education background. They will be more concern of their health and they will do more to maintain it. Through education, we can improve our knowledge and develop life skills which can contribute to individual and community health. Those people with an education background are more likely to practice and maintain a healthy and balanced diet as they know health is more important than wealth.
For personality segmentation, Nestle is targeting consumers who are more outgoing and outdoorsy. It is because they require more energy and nutrition that they have lost during their activities. By adapting nutritional input to physical needs, they can get the most from their body. [6] These people wish to maintain their energy level and quick recovery after a hectic day by adapting a balanced diet that provides them with essential nutrients and energy.
In addition, from the social class and lifestyle segments, Nestle is targeting consumers who are belong to the higher social classes. They have high purchasing power so that they can afford more luxuries such as Nestle's products. These people are the target market of Nestle because they tend to be more health conscious. Nestle's products often emphasize on nutritional value and health benefits that can improve one's lifestyle and health issues.
As conclusion, Nestle is able to reach out to their customers that it can serve best and most profitably. Through segmentation and targeting market, Nestle can enhance the profits for their company and increase effectiveness in their marketing campaigns.
Product positioning refers to the place an offering occupies in consumer's minds on important attributes relatives to competitive products. Nestle positioned itself as the world leader in Nutrition, Health and Wellness, trusted by all its stakeholders, and to be the reference for financial performance in its industry. [7] Nestle uses the slogan "Good Food Good Life" to enhance lives, throughout life, with good food and beverages. [8] Nutrition content in their products is the main focus to strengthen their leadership in nutrition industry. To remain their position in that industry, they must identify their competitive advantages against their competitors. Nestle has listed out four competitive advantages of their company that may help their company to compete with their competitors, that are unmatched product and brand portfolio, unmatched research and development (R&D) capability, unmatched geographic presence and lastly people, culture, values and attitude [9] .
For unmatched product and brand portfolio, Nestle provide the largest range of food and beverages among all the food company. Their products range from global icons to local favourites that can adapt to consumer needs, tastes and preferences, making Nestle as a global brand that relevant to everyone and everywhere. Besides that, it is supported by unmatched R&D capability that improves the products through innovation and renovation so that it can meet consumer needs and enhances consumer benefits. Nestle spent over billions of dollar on its R&D just to ensure its consumer gets the essential nutrition that their body needed.
Nestle has an unmatched geographic presence competitive advantage due to the number of countries where they presence. They have been in most countries for over decades and successfully created a strong relationship between their brands and their consumers. [10] This also means that they have has plenty of time to study about the local preferences and behaviors to improve their products taste to match the local's preferences. The most important competitive advantage for Nestle is their people, culture, values and attitude. The Nestle culture created a strong bond between their people with a shared set of behaviors and values into a single way of doing business. Their people are determined to deliver their goals as while as creating value to the public. [11]
Marketing environment
Marketing environment consists of microenvironment (internal environment) and macroenvironment (external environment). It embraces all the marketing team inside a firm and includes all the outside factors of marketing that affect the team's ability to develop and maintain successful customer relationships with their targeted customer group. [12] Nestle is using it to improve customer relationship management and adapt new strategies when it comes to challenges and opportunities.
Suppliers are the one who delivered the resources needed by the company to produce the products or services to the consumers. Any problems that incurred in supplier can greatly affect the company sales and damage customer relationship. We can divide the suppliers of Nestle into two groups that are labour suppliers and material suppliers. [13] Labour suppliers are in charge of the supply of labour required by the company to optimize their production level. Labour strikes and labour relations are the most important factor to maintain labour satisfaction for company to improve their efficiency. For material suppliers, they deal with the materials needed by the company to place the finished goods on rack. The quality of the material is everything that the company focuses on as Nestle is in the food and beverages industry. By maintaining the quality and quantity of these two supplies, Nestle is able to produce high quantity product to uphold their sales volume and customer satisfaction in the long run.
Marketing intermediaries
It helps the company to promote, sell and distribute its product to the final buyers. [14] The physical distribution firms design the delivery chain for the company products to reach their final destination. The firms also in charge with the products' safety without getting any damage while storing them temporarily. Marketing service agencies of the company helps to target and promote its products to the right market. [15] It acts as a communication channel between the customers and the company by explaining the features of the product and providing feedback with the help of survey for the company to improve the quality of the product. [16] Banks and insurance companies are financial intermediaries that help to provide monetary resources and protection to the product and company against risk that may be occurred during the operation of the company. Nestle works together with all marketing intermediaries to ensure their valuable customers have a clear image of their products features.
Nestle sells its goods to reseller markets that provide the goods to final user at a reasonable profit. Nestle also deals with customer markets which consists of individuals and households that buy a wide range of its products. Nestle works hard on making the product available whenever the customer needs them to maintain customer satisfaction.
Political environment and Social Environment
Nestle adhere to the laws and regulations that involve in its activities and the environment. The government may set quotas on the quantity of the products that it can supply and set the amount of taxes that the company must pays in order to conduct the business. To achieve a balance between them, Nestle participates in legislative and regulatory discussions between international organizations, government representatives, industry, scientific community and consumer associations. [17] In 2000, Nestlé and other chocolate companies created the World Cocoa Foundation. The WCF takes control of the issues that cocoa farmers facing, which is ineffective farming techniques and poor environmental management. The WCF aims to increase farmer income, promote sustainable farming techniques, and launch environmental and social programmes. [18]
Economic environment
Customer purchasing power is majorly affected by a range of economic factors such as income levels, inflation, taxes, unemployment, exchange rates and mortgage rates [19] . The disposable income and living standard of a country may bring big business opportunities for Nestle or the other way round.
Cultural environment
Before Nestle start its operation in any country, it mainly focus on studying the society's cultural value, preferences and behaviors. This is because Nestle hopes its products can be accepted by the local with warm welcome and be competitive among other companies that operating at the same level. [20]
Technological environment
Technologies are the vital part of Nestle R&D. Investment in technology will definitely help the company to reduce production cost and improve product quality. For example, Nestle have developed technologies that allow them to use natural vegetable oils instead of partially hydrogenated fats in Maggi bouillon cubes and seasonings. [21] With the help of technology improvement, Nestle can create healthier products across their product range and thus improve health and quality of life in a country.
We choose Nestlé® since it is a brilliant and well known example of where as the superior quality, patented technology and basically selling directly to consumers and this whole business is growing rapidly. [22] The certified Halal status for all Nestlé Malaysia products provides assurance and pledge that Nestlé products are manufactured, imported and distributed under the strictest and tightest hygienic and sanitary condition in accordance, match to the Islamic faith. [23]
The beverages offered by Nestlé® is Milo, a jam packed with the natural goodness of malt, skimmed milk and cocoa for that great chocolatey taste loved by Malaysians from all walks of life as a Tonic Food Drink. MILO 3in1 offers the great taste of MILO in a more convenient format that easily prepare for your breakfast. Have a delicious goodness of a can of Milo whenever you go to keep energized. There are original, Mocha and Hi-Cal flavors of Milo Can. Bring home the cold delicious taste of the MILO Sejuk, just add cold water, it's that easy. Milo UHT, MILO with the same energy-packed, rich & chocolatety taste also comes in handy ready to drink packs escpecially during festival.
Nestlé has employed a wide-area strategy for Asia that involves producing different products in each country to supply the region with a given product from one country such as Nestlé produces soy milk in Indonesia, coffee creamers in Thailand, soybean flour in Singapore, candy in Malaysia, and cereal in the Philippines, all for regional distribution.
Product Features
Why do you like Milo? This is because Milo contain varying features and benefits, such as:
Natural Goodness~ of malt, skimmed milk, and cocoa.
ACTIGEN-E~ a combination of 8 vitamins and 4 minerals which helps in theoptimal release of energy.
PROTOMALT~ a malt extract with a mixture of different Carbohydrates thatprovides energy and nutrients the body needs [24]
Product Branding
It is very important and vital because a brand is a term, name, sign, symbol, or design, or combination of these, that identifies the products or services of one seller or group of sellers and distinguishes them from those of competitors. [25] Branding helps the seller to segment markets, helps buyers and consumers identify products that might benefits them. For example, rather than just offering one general product to all customers, Nestlé® can offer the different Koko Krunch, Honey Star, Nestle Bliss, Nescafé, Maggi, Nestle La Cremeria, Tropicana, and Kit Kat. In line with the Nestlé position as "a trusted food, nutrition and wellness company", Nestlé® also focused on nourishing Malaysians to achieve overall wellness and deliver their promise to bring "Good Food, Good Life" to the people from all walks of life. [26]
In today's era of globalization, for consumers, refreshing, ready-to-enjoy drinks are part of an dynamic and energetic lifestyle – whether at play, home or work. Going beyond healthy refreshment, convenience, and quality, Nestlé works hard to ensure that all packaging – including drinks packaging – respects the environment. In 2009, Nestlé was able to save 58995 tonnes of packaging material (paper, board, plastic, glass, metal) through its efforts to prevent food waste, guarantee their high quality.
The approach includes many steps such as:
decrease the volume and weight of packaging materials
using recycled making material in packaging content wherever realistic
supporting local packaging recycling and energy recovery activities
helping customer to understand and take action to recycle more packaging [27]
Label, is a part of packaging to perform several functions like identifies the product or brand, describe several things about the product – who made it, where it was made, when it was made, its contents, how it is to be used, and how to use it safely, and lastly is to promote the brand, support its positioning, and connect with customers. [28] Nutritionists and scientists has corporate responsibility through food labeling, like Nestle has provided the details of the nutrients that the average person needs to consume each day, so that consumers could easily understand. The symbols on the Appendix were designed to show the amount of nutrition contains of Milo.
Product Support Service
Customer service is another element of product strategy, which can be a minor part or a major part of customer service. [29] Nestle, one of the world's largest food and nutrition company, has been a popular food brand in India for nearly a century, which include head office, manufacturing plants and branch offices spread all over India. Nestle offers excellent customer support for their products and if you need any assistance from their customer support team, following information through browsing internet will help you to get in touch with Nestle customer care division easily and more quickly.
Approach Nestle customer-care via online
Visit http://www.nestle.in/ and you can find information about many brands and products like Milk products and baby food, prepared products, beverages, chocolate and confectionaries, yogurts, drinks etc.
If you have any request, query, interest, concern or complaint, submit the form at http://www.nestle.in/contact_us.aspx.
You can submit Maggi related information at http://www.maggi.in/contact_us.aspx.
You can visit http://www.starthealthystayhealthy.in/, which is a site special to mothers and new born babies.
Place, also known as distribution and it involves company activities that make the product available to target consumers. It must be as conveniently available as possible that the customers want the product and service. Choosing the right product channel of distribution is key to the success of an organization because it will affect the sales volume of a company. This shown that selecting a place is very important and challenging for every company.
Distribution Channel
Nestle are subject intensive distribution where a firm tries to place their products into outlets as many as possible to meet the needs of consumers whenever. Nestle has developed distribution channels which to make sure the provision of products that the consumers able to purchase it whenever and wherever. [30] Hence, Nestle attempts to provide as many outlets as possible and expand it. Nestle uses two types of channel intermediaries that are wholesaler and retailer and it is convenient for Nestle because both channels have a lot of advantages in high number of ordering, short period of time to shipment, and have a large number of customers. [31]
Retailer and wholesaler as their intermediaries between a producer and consumer where the products from the producer to the consumer through the retailer or wholesaler. [32] Nestle as the producer and distribute their products to wholesaler or directly to retailer then retailer sells the goods and products to consumer.
Convenience Stores
A small store which is located near a residential area or along the roadside and it usually open 24 hours such as 7-eleven, petrol stations, rest stops, and so on. Consumers can buy Nestle products at the convenience stores because Nestle tries to ensure the availability of products so that the consumers able to purchase it whenever and wherever. Consumers are more convenience and easily to buy Nestle products.
A large, low-cost, low-margin, high-volume, self-service operation designed to serve the consumer's total needs for grocery and household products such as Jusco, Tesco, Carrefour, and so forth. Supermarkets have a huge selection of products available for consumers at low prices. So, consumers can choose Nestle products which based on their needs then purchase it at low prices because supermarkets offer many choices for Nestle products compare with other small stores.
A store much larger than a regular supermarket that offers a large assortment of routinely purchased food products, nonfood items, and services such as Walmart. Superstores stock huge stocks Nestle products purchasing them in large lots. So, the prices of products are cheaper. Consumers can take advantage of these price savings with buy a lot of various kinds of Nestle products such as Milo, Nescafe, Nestea, and so on. Consumers are saving greatly on time, effort, and money.
A product price influences wages, rent, interests, and profits, of course some prospective customers are interested in low prices, where as another segment is more concerned with other factors, such as service, quality, value, and brand image.
Nestlé estimated and predicted the cost by doing accumulated production as if they produced mass production so it reduced their labored cost and other cost for production process it's a big advantages and benefits of the Nestlé company who produce large quantity of units. With the help accumulated and estimated the production Nestlé Company has a low cost of production and high profit margin and Nestlé Company selecting a price method of going rate price because their pricing near the competitor pricing. A good example is Nestle juices have a market leader in beverage industry and lastly Nestlé set the final pricing related to their market competitors so Nestlé price do not have impact on the company policy, and other marketing activities. [33]
Flexible and elastic prices are the key factors of victory of Nestlé in global market, for example Milkpak being the largest selling brand is being sold out at the same price as that of other lower quality products while maintaining its quality. Their marketing strategy includes a wide range of pricing strategy, and by doing this they can retain and keep their product rates at a sustainable position. Prices are affordable and have enough money to buy to almost all types of consumers as they have wide range of single product as in the case of beverages, fruit juices are affordable to low economy class and expensive tin packed beverages are also doing business in the market. Bulk purchase discount is also provided at the whole sale markets as well as at the market stores and besides seasonal price variations are also seen, especially in the case of chocolate products, either by upsizing at the same price or reducing the sale price. [34]
Price Strategy
Price strategy is a basic, long-term pricing structure, which creates the initial price for a product and the intended direction for price movements over the product life cycle. There are three type of pricing strategy which is Market-Skimming Pricing, Market-Penetration pricing. Nestle Malaysia at present practicing penetration pricing to market Milo which is away where Nestle charges a relatively low price for a product (Milo) at the beginning as a way to reach the mass market.
Establishing Price Goal
Marketers have two choices whether to use profit towards profit maximization or satisfactory pricing. The marketer need to have an understanding of trends and changes in the market place to set a goal, mission and vision. If Nestle Milo has decided to go for profit maximization objective, they must be able to afford large amount of investment. It is not difficult to follow competitors pricing but they may not have the best to think about cost, demand and changes in Product Life Cycle. So they have to require a careful and thoroughgoing analysis before setting the price. [35]
Price Tactic Diagram
Product Bundle Pricing
In United States and Canada, Häagen-Dazs products are produced by Nestlé and come in several traditional flavors. The example of price bundling is Haagen-dazs, a company which is famous as
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Snoring can be a real nuisance for everyone in a shared household. Even more importantly, when someone snores, this is usually a sign of a more serious health problem. The following paragraphs will impart the insights and ideas you need, to understand both the causes, and potential treatments of snoring.
You must ascertain the cause of your snoring if you want to end it. It is true some medical problems contribute to snoring, so seek treatment that will eliminate this as a cause. In fact, it could even get worse.
To help eliminate snoring, exercise your face and throat muscles by making "fish faces". These exercises build your muscles in your throat and face. To perform the exercise, keep your mouth closed as you suck in, causing your cheeks to contract inward. Move your lips around like a fish would. You should practice this technique a few times every day.
You can reduce your snoring significantly by quitting smoking. If you find it difficult to give up smoking, you can enjoy some benefits by avoiding tobacco for the few hours before bed. Smoking irritates your throat, which can cause your airways to narrow. Narrow air passages mean you will snore more. So, not smoking before bed will mean that your airways stay more open.
Speak with your pharmacist about medications that can be taken to reduce your snoring. There are also some prescriptions that you can get from your doctor, though if an over-the-counter medication works, you will probably save money going that route. These medicines fight swelling, and other things that narrow air passages.
You've probably never thought about singing being a cure for snoring, but it may be. This technique is supported for the relief of snoring. It builds the muscles within the palate and throat as well. Strengthening these muscles keeps them from constricting the airway while you sleep, which in turn reduces your propensity to snore.
Losing weight is a great way to reduce how much you snore. Excess neck fat puts pressure on the airways. This means that you have a higher chance of your airways collapsing slightly while you are sleeping. As well as being good for your overall health, dropping the excess pounds can really help to reduce your snoring.
To curb snoring, examine the things you normally consume before bedtime. Many different substances can relax your throat muscles. The result is that the muscles sag inwardly, blocking air and leading to snoring. If you are thirsty before you go to bed, just have a glass of water.
Even if you are not lactose intolerant, dairy products may be a common transgressor of snoring. This occurs because dairy products promote increased phlegm production. The excess phlegm obstructs the airways in both your throat and nose. Instead of drinking warm milk at night, try warm tea and see whether that helps to reduce snoring.
Simply changing your sleeping position could eliminate your snoring. Snoring is quite common among the back sleepers. This is due to throat muscles relaxing and collapsing. This can be prevented by lying on your side to sleep. Doing so provides peaceful, uninterrupted and more restful sleep.
You should now have a fuller understanding as to why there is snoring going on in your bedroom. This article provides good advice for taking care of common culprits of snoring, but if you are concerned that the snoring is due to a serious health issue, the best thing to do is always to see a physician.


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This has been something of a mantra of mine since a wise woman told me a very simple philosophy in life. Some background: I was having some CBT for panic attacks on our 3rd or 4th session my sweet, very slight doctor asked me how I was, 'no change', asked me what I was doing, 'not much' asked me what I had planned, 'erm, nothing really', then flipped and shouted at me a bit.
She took in my attire (grey ugg boots, black jeans, grey top), severely under styled hair, minimal makeup, and said 'well, what do you expect? You're wearing slippers to work for gods sake. Put some bright clothes and lipstick on and start saying yes to some things.'
Simple idea, yes, massive difference, absolutely.
Now if I have to go out on a Friday night and can't be bothered, red lipstick (always Rouge Dior in Red Premier) makes me bother. Or new shoes. Or anything new -funny how that happens, hey?
These days things aren't quite so simple, but there are some definite pick me ups that definitely make me feel better, which makes me feel I look better, and then we're right back where we want to be!
Dior Lippy aside, here's some others:
I'm actively looking forward to work next week so I can pick a previously boring outfit that will never look boring with red hair
The happiest shopping experience from my bed/sofa. Retail therapy should be on the NHS. If it looks bad when you get it, who cares- the anticipation of something new (I've even started imaginary holiday shopping) is enough to pep me up till the mail man comes, and the 'new in' button never fails to delight
YUM, I can cook these, they're healthy, and they taste DELICIOUS. Which shouldn't ever go together in my lover-of-food world, but tis true. Recipe link imminent...
Oh how I miss my wardrobe. It was bordering on dangerously overflowing but I loved everything in it. Work was a daily excuse to wear something fabulous (the pros of working in a magazine office), and now I fit just six opportunistic days of serious outfit planning (to make up for the lost ones) into three whole weeks worth. Can't tell you how fun it is to pick those babies out though, even short of breath, bit on the woozy side, girl at work with swine flu, NOTHING will come between me and my first work pick of the part time week. Well, except maybe the swine flu girl.
In which case...
SPECIAL PJ's
When I was diagnosed I got the mother of all PJ' gifts sent to me from my lovely work girls.
i) Full on cashmere tracksuit from M&S. Heavenly bliss that makes me want to scrap that 'get dressed' point altogether.
ii) Gorgeous Cath Kidston flannel set that is too beautiful to sleep in but perfect for impressing visitors/postmen/district nurses. It's the PJ equivalent of matching undies, in a mood way, not a rude way.
A TREAT. I know we've covered ASOS and banana pancakes (don't forget maple syrup), but if you really need a pep, treat yourself to something with a bit of meaning. I had my eye on a gorgeous YSL ring on net a porter. I knew it was silly with my current situation (mainly cost:wearability ratio) but eventually I succumbed, and now it is my special diagnosis ring that makes me feel good whenever I wear it. I should obviously have a half way through chemo ring (oh! Just reached that milestone), a changing medication ring (well, yes that's the next session), a final op ring, a radiotherapy ring, a beat the bastard ring and so on. But maybe I shouldn't get them all myself... Are you listening DadJokes?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad


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Geraldine Hovers Curtis, 86, of Powder Springs, died April 2, 2016.
A service will be held, 2 pm, Tuesday, April 5th, at Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home and Crematory, Macland Chapel, in Powder Springs, with Rev. Ben Tanner officiating. Interment will be in Powder Springs Cemetery.
She was born in Cartersville, GA on March 9th, 1930. She lived most of her life in Powder Springs and was a member of Pine Grove Baptist Church where she was a Charter Member.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Clyde Curtis; and her parents, Noah and Maude Hovers.
She is survived by her daughter, Angela Tessereau, of Powder Springs; her sister, Imogene Abernathy of Powder Springs; two grandchildren, Scott Tessereau and Troy Tessereau; three great-grandchildren, Cole Tessereau, Lauren Tessereau, and Courtney Tessereau, as well as several nieces.
Contributions may be made to Pine Grove Baptist Church, 2800 Pine Grove Dr., Powder Springs, GA 30127 (770)943-2068.
The family will receive friends, 5 to 8 pm, Monday, April 4th, at Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home and Crematory Macland Chapel in Powder Springs. (770)943-1511 www.mayeswarddobbins.com


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deworde wrote:I'd imagine, like all good espionage, it sometimes happens and you don't notice.
ker wrote:I think when espionage is successful you automatically receive a message telling you all about it. I think that's what it says in the manual anyway. Can't be bothered to check right now though... meh.
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Help the Aged, care for the carers, and won't somebody think of the children?
Our round-up of the health headlines on Thursday 12 May.
By Ellie Broughton
Our round-up of the health headlines on Thursday 12 May.
There are few days when the UK's elderly, disabled and carer populations make the headlines, but today's an exception. With disabled campaigners marching on London today in protest against service cuts, so it's a good day for the papers to focus on the underrepresented.
Saga and Age UK have banded together to back the NHS reforms, the Daily Telegraph writes. The pensioners' groups say the NHS and social care services will collapse unless the coalition Government's health reforms are enacted because of the UK's changing demographic.
Their calls come a day after a group of 42 senior GPs wrote in this paper that the Health and Social Care Bill would lead to 'enormous benefits' for 'the most elderly, infirm and vulnerable in society'.
The story coincides with a report, mentioned in the Guardian, that carers save the country £119 billion a year.
Imelda Redmond, chief executive of the charity Carers UK, says the ageing population is making caring a fact of life for every family. But many carers are struggling with little or no help, or are facing cuts in the services and benefits they rely on.
'Unless we urgently rethink how our society supports carers, we will see increasing numbers pushed to breaking point – forced out of work and into poverty, ill-health and isolation.'
Elsewhere, televised drug-taking has put the wind up the Times [link behind paywall] and the Daily Mail. Volunteers on a Channel Four will be shown experimenting with substances as part of a show called, 'Drugs Live'. So?, replied DM readers, that's nothing. You ought to bring the cameras down to my town centre on a Friday night…
Spotted a story we've missed? Let us know, and we'll update the digest throughout the day...Daily digest


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Comedy on the Canal, Friends of the Delaware Canal
Come out and join the Friends for a night of comedy. Our host for the evening will be Eddie Gallagher from Philadelphia. Joining Eddie will be Mike Elias from Easton and Bucks County's own Ray Garrett. They all have performed throughout the Philadelphia and New York areas and now will be right here in Bucks County to entertain you. Beer, wine, pizza, salad, dessert and lots of laughs included.
Tickets – $60 per person. Please use the form below to purchase your tickets
Click here for more information


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Haven't passed a few months since the birth of her child and Penelope Cruz appeared to have no problem being photographed to advertise luxury accessories company. The 39-year old Spanish actress appears in a photo wearing a coat and covering her body with a bag. The shooting took place in Madrid in September, just two months after the birth of her second child, but now they published the promotional pictures.
Loewe Spring Summer 2014 Campaign Teaser


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Price: $59.96
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Discover why project-based writing is so effective in engaging students and enriching their writing. Follow a practical approach to choosing topics, conducting online research, organizing and presenting ideas, and assessing results. The wealth of ideas and guides makes it easy to implement differentiated instruction and meet Common Core Standards.
This set includes:


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Lemon Tree Hotels Limited acquires Berggruen Hotels and the brand 'Keys Hotels'
The acquisition of 18 Keys hotels across 16 destinations brings Lemon Tree Hotels Limited to a total of 77 hotels across 45 destinations
Acquiring Berggruen Hotels made Lemon Tree Hotels Limited India's largest hotel chain in the mid-priced hotel sector with 7800 rooms. Keys Hotels are present in 16 cities including Aurangabad, Bengaluru, Calicut, Chennai, Goa, Gurugram, Kochi, Kolhapur, Ludhiana, Mahabaleshwar, Manali, Mumbai, Pune, Port Blair, Trivandrum and Vishakapatnam. Of these, Lemon Tree already has a presence in 7 destinations and these Keys Hotels add to the depth of coverage in those cities.
Commenting on this acquisition, Patanjali Keswani, Chairman and Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd. said, "We are pleased about this acquisition and the geographic spread that the Keys Hotels portfolio brings with it. We will now instantly enter 9 new destinations and simultaneously consolidate inventory in 7 of our current destinations. Going forward, we will add value to the top line of these hotels both in terms of higher yield and greater occupancies. As a pan India mid-market player, Lemon Tree Hotels are now available across 45 cities and can offer its customers multiple options in key cities. This will help us build loyalty with our guests as well as allow us to offer a wider range of brand options to hotel owners in our managed hotels portfolio, in future."
The Keys portfolio of brands includes:
Keys Prima | Upper midscale: This premium brand, offers stylish features and excellent service. These hotels feature a spa, salon, swimming pool and an array of cuisines.
Keys Select | Midscale: This popular brand offers comfort and convenience, for both business and leisure travelers. The promise includes a warm welcome, efficient service, impeccable hygiene, delectable food and a good night's sleep.
Keys Lite | Economy: This budget brand is targeted at smart consumers who look for affordable and stress free accommodation when they travel. These hotels offer hygienic rooms, multiple amenities, a selection of delicious food, safety and security for the price conscious traveler.


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Editor's note: This post was originally published on August 20th and modified on August 24th for clarity.
I am a traitor to my race. If the relative power and status of the white race were to slowly diminish in influence over time, such that whiteness eventually lost its advantaged position and vanished into meaninglessness, to be replaced with concepts and sources of identity that would facilitate better stewardship of the earth and more respect for the rights of all humans, then I would welcome this. To clarify, I am referring to the concept of the white race, not to individuals who now or at any time in the future identify themselves as "white." In other words, I would welcome a world in which "whiteness" doesn't matter, only humanity does.
If the survival of the notion of whiteness is based on the continual exploitation of others (any others, whether they be so-called nonwhite, or of any group different from one that I belong to), on oppression of its own (or subsets therein), on the increasing destruction of the environment, on the total demolition of value (e.g., truth, integrity, honesty, defense of the common good, commonsense, love broadly construed, recognition of the inherent humanity of others, and so on), then "whiteness" should be allowed to dissolve into oblivion, erode into nothingness, (d)evolve into nonexistence. I would be okay with the eventual loss of power and privilege associated with being white. Race itself could lose its social, political, and economic significance.
At a personal level, I don't know all of what it means to be white or male or a US citizen. I need Others to tell me. Introspection is self-limiting.
I am blinded by my whiteness and am unable to see myself for who I am (not). As Mead and others have argued, I am defined by other people (even if I am invisible to Them). However, for them, too, I am but a construct, a form, a "not" that is unique in my categorical sameness. Nevertheless, as Sartre has said, my freedom makes me responsible for who I am.
I do not know the extent to which I have been advantaged, but it is clear that I have. This "extentness" cannot be unpacked because there is no separating what I have earned from what I have been given. Privilege is yet another question which must remain unanswered (yet not unacknowledged).
White has no intrinsic meaning, no import, no value. Whiteness has no nation, no culture, no essence. My whiteness is an accident of history and ought to be trivial. Yet it reverberates through the fabric of my being and my consciousness, seemingly without limit.
Whiteness needs to go a-way.
Desiring to be other than "white" is not an authentic wish. This me cannot be any other. Categorically speaking, such a desire is tantamount to wishing I were a god or dead—a self-undermining proposition, at best. Meaningless, to be sure. Similarly, it is impossible for the master to rue not being a slave (notwithstanding superficial claims to the contrary). A queen cannot feel remorse over not being a factory worker. We cannot meaningfully wish to be who we are not. The fact that I can entertain such questions is itself partially derivative from my privilege. A wealthy person is unable to wish to be poor, as it is already too late (there is no undoing). There are no other options. That train was missed, even before its conception.
Of course, the notion that "race" exists at all is easily undermined. There is no "white" race; I hope the concept of race itself eventually loses its meaning. Since one cannot betray an absence, perhaps I am not a traitor at all.


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I'm a little shocked at my reaction to last night's State of the Union address. I wished the speech could have been better. I expected it to be worse. But it wasn't that it was middling, it was that it was such a nonevent. There was little poetry, but it did not make me ill. My top adjective for it would be "unremarkable."
(I'm reminded of a wonderful old editor of mine from Strib days who, when I was desperate for some positive feedback to something I had just written, would say: "It doesn't make me want to throw up.")
I didn't hear anyone else saying that about President Trump's speech, at least in the immediate aftermath. It's just my own reaction based on the low expectations I brought to the evening.
Almost nothing new or surprising
I heard almost nothing new or surprising and little that was even interesting. But the grammar scanned, more or less. Of course, he exaggerated how great everything has gone during his first year, and acknowledged no errors or regrets, but that's well within the "unremarkable" category given what we've come to expect from Trump.
And he didn't say anything weird about the Robert Mueller investigation, because he didn't mention it at all.
I'm sure the fact-checkers will have some work to do. For example, he overstated how much his one big legislative accomplishment, the tax bill, will help ordinary Americans and ignored what a boon it was to the wealthy.
But compared to Trump Normal, and leaving aside the usual Trumpian assumption that everything good that happened in the past year is a result of his efforts (again, "unremarkable"), I thought he was on best behavior.
Here (via USA Today) is the full text, as prepared for delivery, but it's probably close to what he delivered because he seemed to stick to the teleprompters, and read from them better than he often does. He's not eloquent, but he was relatively well-behaved and seemed neither angry nor crazy.
Examples of sentiments' ordinariness
Some examples of what I mean by the ordinariness of the sentiments expressed:
Over the last year, we have made incredible progress and achieved extraordinary success. We have faced challenges we expected, and others we could never have imagined. We have shared in the heights of victory and the pains of hardship. We endured floods and fires and storms. But through it all, we have seen the beauty of America's soul, and the steel in America's spine. …
To everyone still recovering in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, California, and everywhere else — we are with you, we love you, and we will pull through together. (Critic's note: He got Puerto Rico in there.) …
Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people we were elected to serve.
Can't get much more platitudinous than that, but neither does rhetoric get much safer than that.
In another example of classing up his rhetorical act, instead of just chanting "America First," a fraught and xenophobic sounding phrase in some contexts, he (or his speechwriters) came up with this unarguable translation/explication of that phrase:
The United States is a compassionate nation. We are proud that we do more than any other country to help the needy, the struggling, and the underprivileged all over the world. But as president of the United States, my highest loyalty, my greatest compassion, and my constant concern is for America's children, America's struggling workers, and America's forgotten communities. I want our youth to grow up to achieve great things. I want our poor to have their chance to rise.
'Americans are dreamers too'
I suspect he will take some grief from advocates for DACA, for one line: "Americans are dreamers too."
You get it. I won't explain it. But it was clever from a Trumpian perspective, and a little smack back at the clever marketer (I don't know who it was) who succeeded in attaching the term "Dreamers" to young undocumented immigrants who benefited from President Obama's DACA program.
On a related subject, Trump laid out what he calls the "four pillars" of the deal he wants to make with Democrats regarding the dreamers and the wall. I don't believe there's much new in it. But if you didn't watch the speech and want to get a sense of what I've been saying about his clinging to the teleprompters and his general unTrumpy delivery, this is a six-minute excerpt from the speech describing the "four pillars" and will also help you see how closely he was sticking to the script.
Dem response: out of the park
The assignment of responding to a State of the Union Address on behalf of the opposition party has often been a curse for rising stars who weren't ready for prime time. But last night was an exception.
Did you know there was a member of the next generation of the Kennedy family in Congress? U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass., a grandson of Bobby Kennedy, got the response-to-the-president assignment and hit it out of the park.
It was populist as all get out, delivered with passionate intensity (actually a stark contrast with Trump's droning delivery last night), and it included a special message to the Dreamers in fluent Spanish.
"We see an economy that makes stocks soar, investor portfolios bulge and corporate profits climb but fails to give workers their fair share of the reward," said Kennedy, 37, speaking to an audience of mostly students in a vo-tech school in the old manufacturing town of Fall River, Mass.
"We choose an economy strong enough to boast record stock prices AND brave enough to admit that top CEOs making 300 times the average worker is not right," he added.
A one-minute video clip of Kennedy's big bilingual ending is in this CNN piece.
And here's a fact check of the Trump speech from the New York Times.


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Canada has kicked off these Winter Olympics with a big medal haul, but there are plenty of opportunities for athletes wearing the Maple Leaf to turn in podium performances over the remaining days of the Games.
The Whistler-based halfpipe ski team will make its Olympic debut, Whistler ski cross racers Marielle Thompson and Dave Duncan will hope to follow their World Cup wins with success in Sochi, and the Canadian alpine team will keep trying to end its long-running Olympic medal drought as the Games wind down.
Here's a look at key events coming up in the back half of the Sochi schedule:
Thursday, Feb. 13Luge team relay; men's ski slopestyle; men's 20 km individual biathlon; women's 10 km classic cross-country
If you've picked up your paper hot off the press you might still catch the Canadian luge relay team trying for a medal in this new event. Alex Beaulieu-Marchand is the lone Canadian in the slopestyle field, but there will be no shortage of skiers well known to Whistler in the event, also a new Olympic discipline.
Friday, Feb. 14Men's super combined; women's skeleton; women's 15 km individual biathlon; men's 15 km classic cross-country
The final women's skeleton run brought heartbreak for Canada in 2010 when Mellisa Hollingsworth fell out of a medal position and down to fifth place. This Valentine's Day, she and Sarah Reid will look to make Canadian hearts swell when taking their third and fourth runs at the Sanki Sliding Center.
Whistler's Morgan Pridy will likely make his Olympic debut in the men's combined race, looking to build off his first-ever World Cup points in the discipline, earned last month at Kitzbühel, Austria. He's skied well in training runs for the event so far this week.
Saturday, Feb. 15Men's skeleton; women's super-G; women's 4 x 5 km cross-country relay
The men's skeleton gold looks like it's headed somewhere other than Canada this year for the first time since 2002, but a medal isn't impossible. Canadians Eric Neilson and John Fairbairn will push for the podium on Feb. 15, their last day of competition.
Two of Marie-Michele Gagnon's nine top-10 finishes on the World Cup alpine circuit this winter have come in super-G, but her best chances for a medal come later in the week, particularly as this will be her first race after getting hurt in the super combined this week.
Sunday, Feb. 16Men's super-G; women's snowboard cross; men's biathlon 15 km mass start; men's 4 x 10 km cross-country relay
Another big day for local athletes — Maëlle Ricker, currently nursing a broken wrist, will try to defend her Olympic gold from 2010 in snowboard cross while competing in her fourth Winter Games. She and Dominique Maltais provided a one-two Canadian finish at the world championships last winter.
Pridy joins Canadian Cowboys Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Erik Guay and Jan Hudec in the super-G, which is likely the best chance the men's team has left for a medal in Sochi. Don't forget: Guay has posted top-five super-G finishes at each of the last two Olympics. Is this the year he punches up into the top three?
Monday, Feb. 17Two-man bobsleigh; men's snowboard cross; men's aerials; women's biathlon 12.5 km mass start
Canada had three pilots ranked top-10 on the World Cup this year — Justin Kripps, Lyndon Rush and Chris Spring. All three of them drove their way onto the podium at least once this World Cup season.
Squamish's Rob Fagan and other Canadians Chris Robanske, Kevin Hill and Jake Holden will take to the snowboard cross course, hoping to recapture a medal after Mike Robertson's silver in 2010. Travis Gerrits, a world championship silver medallist and a World Cup winner this year, is Canada's lone aerials competitor.
Tuesday, Feb. 18Men's halfpipe ski; women's giant slalom
The Whistler-based halfpipe team will shoot for multiple medals, though they'll be up against tough French and American squads who are capable of doing the same. Mike Riddle, Justin Dorey, Matt Margetts and Noah Bowman all have the ability to lay down a gold-medal run in the pipe for Canada.
Marie-Michele Gagnon leads the women's alpine team into the Feb. 18 GS, but fellow Canadians Erin Mielzynski and Marie-Pier Prefontaine could turn in strong showings in this race as well.
Wednesday, Feb. 19Women's bobsleigh; men's giant slalom; men's and women's parallel giant slalom; biathlon mixed relay; cross-country team sprints
Can they find the Olympic magic together again? Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse will attempt to tame the Sochi track and reclaim the bobsleigh gold they captured as a duo in Whistler in 2010. Humphries has been the undisputed top pilot since the last Winter Games and claimed another World Cup title this season.
Jasey-Jay Anderson is back to defend his gold medal in the men's PGS, while fellow Canadian rider Caroline Calvé can challenge for a medal on the women's side.
Thursday, Feb. 20Men's ski cross; women's halfpipe ski
Whistler's Dave Duncan has been on fire this World Cup ski cross season and he'll look to roll the momentum over to Sochi alongside Canadians Brady Leman and former world champ Chris Del Bosco, who was fourth in 2010 and on the podium for the Olympic test event in Russia last winter. All three are serious medal contenders.
Roz Groenewoud showed that her knees are doing just fine when she reached the Winter X Games podium last month, just a few weeks removed from bilateral knee surgery.
Considered one of the favourites ever since halfpipe skiing was announced as a new Olympic event, a medal will be in sight for the Squamish resident. Alberta's Keltie Hansen could be a dark horse pick for a podium finish.
Friday, Feb. 21Women's ski cross; women's slalom
Marielle Thompson arrives in Sochi in the middle of a dominant season of ski cross racing. The Whistler product has two wins and four podium finishes this season, and also skied to a silver medal at last year's Olympic test run. Former world champ Kelsey Serwa and fellow B.C. skier Georgia Simmerling give Canada a very deep lineup for this event.
The Canadian alpine team will once again turn to Marie-Michele Gagnon in what's been her strongest discipline. She goes into Sochi ranked fourth on the World Cup tour in women's slalom thanks to three top-five results this winter.
Saturday, Feb. 22Men's slalom; men's and women's parallel slalom; women's biathlon relay; women's 30 km cross-country mass start
Whistler's Mike Janyk has a long wait for his race, but will be Canada's best hope for a strong slalom finish while making his third trip to the Olympics. Janyk has struggled for much of this season but has posted top-20 finishes in each of his other two appearances at the Winter Games.
Sunday, Feb. 23Four-man bobsleigh; men's 50 km cross-country mass start
Why, yes, there is more than just a men's gold medal hockey game on the day of the closing ceremonies. Lyndon Rush drove Canada 1 to bronze in four-man competition at the Whistler Sliding Centre in 2010. The crews piloted by Chris Spring and Justin Kripps can factor into the medal discussion as well.
Finally, the long-distance cross-country race that runs on the last day of every Winter Olympics is a tradition that you won't want to miss.


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Adele's James Bond theme available now
Following Adele's premiere of her latest recording 'Skyfall,' the official theme song to the upcoming 007 adventure of the same name, the track is now available to purchase as a download at iTunes (here). Today, October 5th, marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Dr. No, and thus the James Bond film franchise, and will be celebrated as Global James Bond Day.
Skyfall the movie will be released on October 26, 2012 in the UK and on November 9, 2012 in the U.S.


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Editor's Note: Pulling this beautiful real wedding from the archives today because it's too good not to share twice!
Jessica and Steven's classic Nantucket wedding began at the charming First Congregational Church followed by a reception at the Great Harbor Yacht Club. Don't miss the fantastic vintage car and the sparkly sequined linens. / Photos by Brea McDonald Photography.
Says Jessica, "I have been going to Nantucket with my family since I was 8 years old and we have a home there, so when Steven & I began dating, I naturally wanted to share my favorite place with him – he loved it as much as I do. We toyed with the idea of an NYC wedding and even searched for venues for a little while but nothing seemed as great as getting married on Nantucket and having all of our friends & family travel there for a weekend of festivities.
We were really happy that so many of our guests took a long weekend and took advantage of being on Nantucket – renting bikes, mopeds – going to different beaches & restaurants. My sister made up a guide of things to do/places to eat/shop that we welcomed guests with (& a bag of chocolate covered cranberries!) so they had an idea of how to get started exploring. We had a Thursday night get-together at Cisco Brewery, then a welcome cocktail party at the Boarding House on Friday night so by the time the wedding came around the guests knew each other and we had a lot of time to visit with everyone who made the trip for us.
The dress – I had spent 2 weekends searching for a dress with my mom & sisters – swearing up and down that I wanted a lace dress, but I wasn't in love with anything I was seeing – something about the Vera Wang bridal shop really pulled me in & I ended up going back to it for a second time. That same day they had just received 2013 gowns and this one dress had just been pulled out of the box – not lace, my mom begged me to just try it – I did and I was in love. The fact my mom & sister cried when I came out sealed the deal! I couldn't stop looking at photos of it from then until the wedding day.
I wore my Yiayia's (grandmother) diamond necklace & earrings, which were very special to me since she & all of our grandparents couldn't be at our wedding.
We had a pretty big wedding party – 7 friends for me & 8 for Steven. I have 2 sisters, both were my Maids of Honor & Steven had his brother for his Best Man. Then we really chose our closest friends from all different walks of life. I had childhood best friends, college best friends and NYC best friends, as did Steven plus my brother. Steven really wanted his groomsmen to wear tuxes so that was pretty easy and we had them all get their own black tuxes, so they could wear one they had if need be. For the bridesmaids, I wanted them to have something simple but classic, and if possible, something they wouldn't hate me for – so I found TwoBirds bridesmaids, which was very easy – one size fits all and they wrap a bunch of different ways so it was nice to see a little difference between each girl.
Jessica + Steven's Love Story
Steven and I met out at a bar in NYC with mutual friends & they introduced us mainly because they figured out we used to live in the same building in the city but had never met! We hit it off right away & talked the whole time. I was surprised at the end of the night when he didn't get my number but then he later asked one of our friends for it and we have been together since!
My favorite memory of the day & part we had been looking forward to the most was our first kiss as husband & wife. Also seeing Steven tearing up as I came down the aisle was a very close second favorite. I truly loved everything about our day & how much everyone that was there made us feel so special and loved.
We chose Great Harbor Yacht Club for its beautiful venue and scenery – so exciting to have cocktail hour on the lawn outside and we had a beautiful day for it.
Shortly after getting engaged, Steven & I took a trip to Paris and stayed at the George V – I was in love with all of the flower arrangements there & worked closely with Dawn to mimic them.
One of my favorite touches at our wedding was the escort table, which we had mirrors for and my sister hand-wrote all of the names/tables on the mirror (tricky! But she's that good!) and then had beautiful pink/white flowers surrounding the mirrors, perched on a table at the club. So many of our guests commented how much they loved the display. I also was in love with our flowers, when I saw the room that day I couldn't believe how amazing it came together.
Even though our wedding was on Nantucket (and at a yacht club) we wanted it to be more of a crisp, clean, energetic vibe than preppy or nautical.
That day and the whole weekend was truly the best of our lives!" Jessica leaves us with some parting advice, "One piece of advice that I heard a lot as a bride-to-be was to step back & soak in the moments & just take the time to look around at the wedding, the guests, the décor to really remember it. I really tried to do that & I think that helped my memories of the day be so clear – so I would pass that advice along."
Jessica and Steven headed to Bora Bora for their honeymoon for 10 days of beach, sun & relaxation! 🙂
Credits: Church: First Congregational Church / Reception: Great Harbor Yacht Club / Floral Design: Soirée Floral / Event Design: Dawn Kelly Designs / Photography: Brea McDonald Photography / Paper Products (3 companies): Parchment, Village Invites, Dauphine Press / Day of Coordination: Jimmy Jaksic / Gown: Vera Wang / Shoes: Valentino / Groom's Attire: Lord Willy's NYC / Bridesmaids: Two Birds


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For many people, college just wouldn't be complete without a study abroad experience. But as exciting as it is to live in a foreign country, a well-chosen program will offer much more than the thrill of traveling and learning a new language — it's an opportunity to develop skills that will translate well to your career and add real value to your degree.
When searching for the right program, your first stop should be the Study Abroad office at your school. The staff members are trained to guide you toward the programs that fit your college and career goals. In your discussions with the staff members, be flexible regarding location and length of program. Perhaps you had planned to spend a semester in France, but the best program for you is a summer in Eastern Europe. Studying abroad is about adventure, not vacation. Let yourself go where you need to go. (more…)
A tight job market may have some workers pondering their educational paths and heading back to the classroom. According to a new survey, 36 percent of workers with college degrees said they wish they had chosen a different major in college. More than one-in-four (26 percent) said the market for jobs in their chosen field worsened from the time they entered college and when they graduated. This survey was conducted among more than 2,000 workers with college degrees between August 17 and September 2, 2010.
While more than half (56 percent) of all workers with college degrees reported they found a job in their desired career path within one year of graduation, others' pursuits still haven't come to fruition. Nearly one-in-five (19 percent) of all workers with a college degree still have not found a job in their desired field.
More than one-in-four workers (27 percent) who graduated from college ten years ago or longer reported they still haven't found a job related to their college major. Twenty-one percent said it took them three years or longer to find an opportunity in their desired career path while one-in-ten (12 percent) said it took five years or longer.
"The job market has been challenging for all workers, regardless of degree level, and has prompted many to think about learning skills for high demand and emerging jobs," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "Many employers, particular in areas such as healthcare, engineering, IT and communications have open positions and can't find skilled candidates to fill them. College students and workers considering going back to school should take note of areas with growth opportunities and more abundant hiring."
Building new skill sets is a priority for more than one-in-ten (13 percent) workers who said they have plans to go back to school this year to make themselves more marketable.
Haefner offers the following tips for workers who want to pursue more education:
Top Internships for Students
Popular Jobs for Recent Grads
Jobs in Growing Industries


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Yacht Club Games Releases Teaser For New Publishing Title
Yacht Club Games has released the above teaser image for a new title that will be unveiled at PAX East 2019. Although unlike Shovel Knight, Yacht Club is only publishing the game rather than developing it.
The teaser image shows what looks to be an armored swordsman or ninja, looking over a ruined city. Since the image has a stylized 2D aesthetic, it is quite possible this game will be another retro throwback similar to their previous game Shovel Knight. Yacht Club's hit indie title has historically sold well on Nintendo, so we can likely expect their new game to release on Switch as well. We will keep an eye out for new information about Yacht Club's new title, and if a Switch version will be available at launch.
What do you think? Are you interested to see what Yacht Club has in store? Let us know in the comments below.


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Astronomical Optics
1st Edition
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Written by a recognized expert in the field, this clearly presented, well-illustrated book provides both advanced level students and professionals with an authoritative, thorough presentation of the characteristics, including advantages and limitations, of telescopes and spectrographic instruments used by astronomers of today.
Key Features
- Written by a recognized expert in the field
- Provides both advanced level students and professionals with an authoritative, thorough presentation of the characteristics, including advantages and limitations, of telescopes and spectrographic instruments used by astronomers of today
Observational astronomers and graduate students in astronomy; optical scientists and engineers involved with telescopes
Table of Contents
Introduction. Preliminaries: Definitions and Paraxial Optics. Fermat's Principle: An Introduction. Introduction to Aberrations. Fermat's Principle and Aberrations. Reflecting Telescopes. Schmidt Telescopes and Cameras. Catadioptric Telescopes and Cameras. Auxiliary Optics for Telescopes. Diffraction Theory and Aberrations. Transfer Functions; Hubble Space Telescope. Spectrometry: Definitions and Basic Principles. Dispersing Elements and Systems. Grating Aberrations; Concave Grating Spectrometers. Plane Grating Spectrometers. System Noise and Detection Limits. Multiple-Aperture Telescopes. Each chapter includes references. Index.
- No. of pages:
- 352
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- © Academic Press 1987
- Published:
- 2nd December 1987
- Imprint:
- Academic Press
- eBook ISBN:
- 9780323138567
About the Author
Daniel Schroeder
"Astronomical Optics is a comprehensive presentation of the fundamental principles of optical design and engineering for astronomical remote sensing instruments. I highly recommend this book for the personal library of scientists and engineers who have a serious interest in the optical system engineering of remote sensor systems." --ICARUS
"The book is clearly focused on its title subject, and the results are superb." --PHYSICS TODAY
"This book is excellent....I think that it will be recognized by everyone in astronomy, telescope design, and astronomical instrument design as an outstanding book." --D.E. Osterbrock, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ
"...clearly the most complete and rigorous treatment of this subject. It should become the basic reference for those considering design of astronomical instruments. A must for all instrumentalists, and observationalists should have nearby." --C.R. O'Dell, RICE UNIVERSITY
"This is a text which sets out the general design principles of astronomical optics in a palatable way." --NATURE
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Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Outdoor Christmas Decorations and other Christmas Decoration topics.
If you like the look of falling snow or how the big snowflakes look as they are falling from the sky, you may like the look of outdoor snowflakes for decorating the outside of your home. These hanging rope lights are 27 inches tall and come with a loop at the top for easy hanging. The three snowflakes are blue and clear in color and are made with rope lights in the shape of snowflakes. These snowflakes are so cool that they change colors from blue to clear and back to blue over and over again, or you can choose to keep one color by using the "steady" mode on the snowflake.
You can also purchase these outdoor snowflakes in a 24-inch size, 25-inch size and 36-inch size, all with the changing color option. If you would rather, you can also hang these snowflakes inside your home, but why do that? Why not hang them where other people can see them and enjoy them?
|Guru Spotlight
|Lynne Christen


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BOY OH BOY ANOTHER BOY Laura, Rick and big brother Brady are excited to introduce TYLER JOHN DONALD AWREY He arrived March 3rd, 2014 at 10:31 a.m. with a full head of black hair, weighing 9lb. 2oz., measuring 23" long He is welcomed and already on the "to spoil" list of Great Grandparents Donald & Esther McGugan and Grandparents Jim & Barb Crawford and Orville & Kathy Awrey. Aunts Liz, Sarah & Angela, Uncles Brian, Dallas & Shane as well as Cousins Raiden, Talon and Nixon have lots of hockey sticks, balls and fishing gear to share.12821953
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Friday morning, the day before a large wedding at The Fairmont in San Francisco, I walked into our design room ready to finish up the arranging the flowers. I felt pretty good about our progress on the event and I was really thrilled with the way the designs and flowers had come together.
As my designer Terri and I pulled buckets of flowers to be arranged from the cooler we chatted about family, life and the day's work ahead of us. Right as I noticed one of the buckets of greenery was looking a little droopy, Terri said "Shannon, there are ice cubes in the buckets of flowers." Dread and fear dropped into my stomach as I realized the worst had happened. One of our coolers was broken and had frozen ½ the finished designs and buckets of flowers for the next day's wedding.
The cooler's temperature gauge read 14 degrees Fahrenheit as we pulled the flowers out and assessed the damage. Vases held ice and all the flowers were destroyed. As I headed out to the flower market, Terri was already making a list of what was needed to remake all the ruined arrangements. As I drove I started calling local floral designer friends asking for help. By the time I arrived at the flower market I had secured three additional floral designers to come help out. I rushed into Flora Fresh and explained my situation to Teresa- she had people pulling flowers, miraculously they had everything I needed in stock, and I was back on the road within 15 minutes.In the end it was all fixed and the couple had no idea there was ever a problem. Which is always the goal!
There are several lessons to be learned from this story.
Bride and Grooms:
*Problems happen and issues arise. Make sure you hire someone who has the experience, back-up and professionalism to handle anything thrown their way.
*Appreciate the hard work that goes on behind the scenes on the behalf of your event. The wedding professionals I know care deeply about doing everything they can to make your day amazing and stress free.
Wedding Florists:
*It is so important to make friends! When the chips are down and you need help you will need those friends.
*Be there when someone needs your help. I always joke that I am like the Godfather:
Of course, that is a joke. I love helping whenever I can. I have helped flower friends when there was a death in the family, a son was in a car accident, when they were sick and hospitalized and many other times. I am there for my flower friends and they are there for me. That is gold and such a good feeling.
*Community over competition. We all need help sometimes. Having a community means you have the chance to vent to someone who really understands your struggles, knowing you can ask a mechanic or business question, or having someone to turn to when tragedy strikes.
So what happened to the cooler to make it freeze? Turns out relay in the temperature gauge went out. We have installed a redundant system and now have an alert that will call us on our phones if the temperature in the cooler is too cold or too hot.
Thanks to: Terri, Madeline and Christen who worked extra hard to fix the damage, the team at Flora Fresh for getting out of there lightening quick with the flowers I needed, Kori with Dawn Creek Farm for bringing over more plum branches and foxglove, Dawn with Natural Flair and Karen with Verbena for coming to the design rescue, Erin with Scarlett & Grace for offering the use of her cooler, Katie with Ambience Floral & Gifts who offered more design help.
You are my people!


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