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It's the 31st August which means "Austen August", my first ever hosted read-a-long is officially over! With the final chapter summaries all posted on the goodreads group, and all four intended books surrounding Austen read, I'm pretty happy with my personal progress- what about you guys!?
I may do another Austen August next year, depending on how busy I am, which will be around Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, if anyone will be interested in that. I will be leaving the goodreads group for the Pride and Prejudice read-a-long up and active so that anyone who is a fan of the book can go back to the boards at any time and fangirl over the book with others, or re-read the chapter summaries. So if you are a little behind on the read-a-long and haven't finished yet- don't worry, the summaries and discussion boards aren't going anywhere!
My personal page total for Austen August stands at exactly 1424 pages- I was pretty busy this week so I didn't get too much read. However, I did publish two reviews which are Austen August related- the links are as follows if you are interested!
1. Longbourn – Jo Baker, a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice through the eyes of the Longbourn Servants
2. Midnight in Austenland– Shannon Hale, the sequel of "Austenland"
3. The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen– Lindsay Ashford
4. Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen (Review to Come)
Here is an the final list of the links to the chapter summaries posted so far on the group (which is public and available for all to post to!)
Volume 1:-
Chapter 1//Chapter 2//Chapter 3//Chapter 4//Chapter 5//Chapter 6//Chapter 7//Chapter 8
Chapter 9//Chapter 10//Chapter 11//Chapter 12//Chapter 13//Chapter 14//Chapter 15//Chapter 16
Chapter 17//Chapter 18//Chapter 19// Chapter 20// Chapter 21// Chapter 22//Chapter 23
Volume 2:-
Chapter 1//Chapter 2//Chapter 3//Chapter 4//Chapter 5//Chapter 6//Chapter 7//Chapter 8
Chapter 9//Chapter 10//Chapter 11//Chapter 12//Chapter 13// Chapter 14//Chapter 15
Chapter 16// Chapter 17// Chapter 18// Chapter 19
Volume 3:-
Chapter 1// Chapter 2// Chapter 3// Chapter 4// Chapter 5// Chapter 6// Chapter 7// Chapter 8
Chapter 9// Chapter 10// Chapter 11// Chapter 12// Chapter 13// Chapter 14// Chapter 15
Chapter 16// Chapter 17// Chapter 18// Chapter 19


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Red Wall Garden Hotel
About the Hotel
Why We Love This Hotel
- Perfect location, only three kilometers from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City
- Relaxing rooms, some with courtyard views, upgraded rooms have balconies
- Bike or car-hire available
Make yourself at home in one of the 40 individually decorated guestrooms, featuring minibars and LCD televisions. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming provides entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature rainfall showerheads and designer toiletries. Conveniences include phones, as well as safes and desks.
Treat yourself with massages and body treatments. This hotel also features complimentary wireless Internet access, a fireplace in the lobby, and tour/ticket assistance.
Satisfy your appetite at the hotel's restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or stay in and take advantage of room service (during limited hours). Quench your thirst with your favourite drink at a bar/lounge.
Business and other amenities
Featured amenities include complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, express check-in, and express check-out. Planning an event in Beijing? This hotel has 1292 square feet (120 square meters) of space consisting of a conference centre and a meeting room.

subset: commoncrawl


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I came away from a recent product briefing at Fitbit's San Francisco headquarters thinking its new Charge 2 and Flex 2 have the potential to be genuine blockbusters — blockbusters on the scale of its recent Blaze and Alta wearables, which accounted for 54 percent of the company's second quarter 2016 revenue. Both Charge 2 and Flex 2 add welcome new features, refinements, and design choices to Fitbit's mid-range product line.
However, the new trackers aren't exactly unique. Fitbit's competitors already offer, or soon will, some of the new Fitbits' features. I'm also disappointed in one specific functionality.
Here are the four features I'm most looking forward to in the forthcoming Charge 2 ($150 to $180) and Flex 2 ($100), which will are expected to be released in September and October, respectively.
1. Charge 2 'Cardio Fitness Level'
Charge 2's new "Cardio Fitness Level" feature has two components: a cardio fitness score, and a cardio fitness level. The score is your "VO2 max" estimate (a number, such as l55), and the level (ranging from poor to excellent) indicates how you compare to other people of the same age and gender. And Fitbit's mobile app sends suggestions on how to improve your cardio fitness level.
I don't know if the new feature will motivate the general public, but hard core athletes in particular — people who, unlike me, already knew what VO2 max means — might appreciate it. I exercise nearly every day for cardio, so I am looking forward to testing the feature.
2. Charge 2 'Relax' feature
A second new feature, "Relax," will also be exclusive to the Charge 2 tracker. When you activate Relax on the device, you're guided via visual cues through a deep breathing session that lasts for either two or five minutes. Each session is personalized based on your heart rate at the time you begin. The goal is to help reduce anxiety and stress before bed, during a hectic day or any other time you could use a chill pill.
Relax is not unlike "Breathe," a forthcoming new Apple app for Apple Watch, which aims to calm your nerves. Other wearables with stress relief features are also already available, along with dedicated stress devices such as Spire ($130).
The new feature is Fitbit's way of starting to address stress management, an important aspect of health. I'm always chasing one deadline or another, so I really hope Relax helps me gain more balance during the workday.
3. A water-friendly Fitbit for swimmers
Fitbit's Flex 2 is water resistant up to 50 meters and is the company's first device that tracks swim workouts.
Flex 2 automatically detects when you're swimming and starts to to track your workouts. The thin, slim wristband records the workout's lengths, duration, calories burned and active minutes.
The support for swimming rounds out Fitbit's SmartTrack portfolio of workouts, or activities that it tracks automatically, which includes walking, running, outdoor biking, elliptical, and aerobic workouts. In my tests, SmartTrack works well, and it always differentiates my elliptical workouts from my runs and walks.
Many swimmers will likely be jazzed about the ability to track their water workouts, but Flex 2 does not convert swim strokes into steps. Of course, swimming isn't the same as walking. Fitbit's Senior Product Marketing Manager Michael Polin says the company believes its users want to track multiple activities, not just steps. And with Flex 2, you no longer have to remove your Fitbit to shower or take a dip in the pool.
Other wearables on the market, such as Misfit's Shine 2 Swimmer's Edition ($120), also track water workouts, so Fitbit isn't diving into unexplored waters. Polin says the company waited to release a swim-proof tracker until it could develop one with an industrial design that met its high standards for water resistance.
4. A Fitbit for folks who also wear a watch
I've been known to wear as many three activity trackers and smartwatches on a single wrist — at least for the benefit of a video camera.
That's obviously overkill, but I'm noticing more people wearing both smartwatches, such as Apple Watch, and wristband activity trackers, either on opposing wrists or the same arm. Flex 2's ultra-thin, super-slim profile makes it an ideal tracker if you want to wear it on the same wrist as a watch.
More noteworthy Fitbit Charge 2, Flex 2 features
I'm also excited about a number of additional new features in the Charge 2 and Flex 2, including the ability to view two health stats on one Charge 2 clock face. "Fitbit Adventures", a new personal challenge feature in the mobile app, looks compelling as well. The new trackers give users plenty of style options, with interchangeable bands. And both include Fitbit's "Reminders to Move." (The feature debuted on Alta, and it will be available soon on Blaze, via a software update.)
Future of Fitbit
So, can Fitbit keep up with the strong current in today's wearable waters? Or will it be swept away by a rip tide? Nearly every day, I see doom-and-gloom headlines about the company, such as this one from TheStreet.com: "Here is why fitness device maker Fitbit is destined to face-plant."
Fitbit faces stiff competition from Apple, which will beef up Apple Watch's fitness and health features this fall, as well as from other wearable makers such as Garmin, company that's cranking out quality wearables. The company has also faced its fair share of other troubles, including a class-action lawsuit that called its heart-rate monitoring inaccurate.
I won't discount those challenges. They're real, and they're big.
However, I've tested many wearables from Garmin, Misfit, Jawbone and others, and I wear my Apple Watch nearly every day. Fitbit continues to do the best job (by far) of making activity tracking easy for consumers. It provides the best social community and leaderboard experience. And Fitbit offers a wide range of affordable, and increasingly attractive, devices. For these reasons, along with the previously mentioned new fitness features, Charge 2 and Flex 2 should help Fitbit remain competitive.
Next read this:
- 15 IT resolutions for 2019
- The 9 new rules of IT leadership
- 20 ways to kill your IT career (without knowing it)
- IT manager's survival guide: 11 ways to thrive in the years ahead
- 7 key IT investments for 2019 (and 3 going cold)
- 10 signs top talent may soon leave
- 11 red flags to watch for when hiring
- 7 things IT should be automating
- 8 digital transformation mistakes (and how to fix them)
- 8 IT cost cutting mistakes you need to avoid
- Why IT-business alignment still fails
- CIO resumes: 6 best practices and 4 strong examples
- 4 KPIs IT should ditch (and what to measure instead)
- 6 practices of influential IT leaders


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Deep Album Cuts Vol. 9: Robin Thicke
For most of his career, Robin Thicke has been successful but easily underestimated, embraced by R&B audiences but never one of its biggest stars, and held at arm's length by pop culture and the Top 40 world as kind of a funny curio, the scion of a sitcom star turned blue-eyed soul singer. And I kinda figured that's how it always would be, until a little song called "Blurred Lines" came along as a chart-topping megahit earlier this year, with the release of an album of the same name coming out in a few weeks. So I thought it'd be a good time to look at his vastly underrated back catalog, which I think has become pretty impressive over time, better than I've seen anyone give credit for.
When he started out over a decade ago, he was just plain 'Thicke,' and while he'd already displayed some songwriting talent, most notably on Jordan Knight's "Give It To You," I think he still had a long way to go at that point. His first album, A Beautiful World, is hampered by incredibly weak vocals -- he was 25 when it was released, but sounds much younger, singing in a higher register than he often does now, without the confident falsetto he'd soon master. Other than the single "When I Get You Alone," there are only a couple songs off the album that I could stomach enough to include here.
Resurfacing as Robin Thicke a couple years later, he was embraced by big stars like Lil Wayne and Pharrell Williams, who signed him to Star Trak. But in the 7 years between his first Neptunes-produced single for Star Trak, "Wanna Love You Girl," and now "Blurred Lines," Thicke was largely left to his own devices to write and produce nearly all of his own records with frequent collaborator Pro J. And he got pretty good -- expanded vocal range, and a stylistic range that included '70s soul, piano ballads, and lush bossa nova like his urban radio breakthough, "Lost Without U." His voice still sounded thin at time, his lyrics occasionally bordered on ridiculous, and he wasn't exactly reinventing the wheel, but his talent was undeniable, and I think he's just gotten better over the course of his career. So until Blurred Lines arrives, here's a look at the best of the first five albums, as a Spotify playlist:
Deep Album Cuts Vol. 9: Robin Thicke
1. I Need Love
2. Sidestep
3. Never Give Up
4. Ask Myself
5. What Would I Be?
6. Something Else
7. Jus Right
8. Flowers In Bloom
9. Hard On My Love
10. Make U Love Me
11. Would That Make U Love Me
12. Teach U A Lesson
13. I Don't Know How It Feels To Be U
14. Shadow of Doubt
15. Brand New Luv
16. Compass Or Map
17. Loverman
18. I'm 'A Be Alright
19. An Angel On Each Arm
20. Complicated
21. Cry No More
Tracks 8 and 18 from A Beautiful World (2003)
Tracks 1, 4, 11, 12 and 20 from The Evolution of Robin Thicke (2006)
Tracks 2, 6, 9, 14, 17 and 21 and from Something Else (2008)
Tracks 7, 10 and 15 from Sex Therapy: The Experience (2009)
Tracks 3, 5, 13, 16 and 19 from Love After War (2011)
Clearly, my favorite of the bunch is Something Else, which was on my list of favorite albums of the 2000s. It's a concise, self-contained 12-track album (even Lil Wayne's "Tie My Hands," tacked onto the end a few months after it appeared on Tha Carter III, functions well as a closing track), with a little more uptempo funk and disco and rock in the mix than on his other albums. But Love After War and The Evolution, though much longer and with more missteps, are also pretty great.
In my mind, the only major misstep of his Star Trak catalog is Sex Therapy, which before Blurred Lines was his only album full of big name outside producers (although the buzz on the new one is very positive, so I remain optimistic). Aside from the chart-topping title track produced by Polow Da Don, most of the album is just kind of a mess, with guest rappers like Kid Cudi and Game and Nicki Minaj clashing badly with Thicke's sound. The album came in two editions -- Sex Therapy: The Session is the shorter one comprised almost entirely of tracks with guests, and Sex Therapy: The Experience is the longer deluxe edition that adds a few Thicke/Pro J productions. Two of the three tracks I picked from that album are only on the latter version.
Previous playlists in the Deep Album Cuts series:
Vol. 1: Brandy
Vol. 2: Whitney Houston
Vol. 3: Madonna
Vol. 4: My Chemical Romance
Vol. 5: Brad Paisley
Vol. 6: George Jones
Vol. 7: The Doors
Vol. 8: Jay-Z


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No one liked Pinterest when it first launched.
The founder, Ben Sildermann, struggled to find investors who were on board with his vision when he approached them at the outset; no one thought his project would amount to much.
And while Ben may have been frustrated then, I have a feeling he's laughing now.
Because that little project no one was interested in investing in? It's gone from 5,000 users to a whopping 180 million users in just 5 years.
Pinterest has become an inspiration resource, a search engine, and a fantastic outlet for businesses to market their offerings. It's filled with gorgeous, high-quality photos of everything under the sun. It's a visual feast.
While the statistics of Pinterest's growth are shocking and inspiring, they're even more telling of just how powerful visuals are today and will continue to be in the future. They're indicative of the direction things are moving when it comes to marketing your business and getting noticed by potential customers.
There are many different visuals you can use to promote your products and services - from infographics to animated videos and everything in between - but photos are one of the most effective.
And while we know that subconsciously, we don't always take the time to consider why.
So now's a great time to take a few simple minutes to consider these 3 big reasons you should be making every effort to capture high-quality photos to promote your offerings.
1 | Photos help people visualize what it would be like to use your product/service
We all do it, and probably without realizing.
We'll scroll through high-quality images of delectable desserts, gorgeous homes, and stylish outfits on Pinterest or Instagram and consider what it would be like to eat that blueberry crostata with vanilla bean ice cream, snuggle up on that comfy couch with the colorful pillows, or wear that plaid button-down with black skinny jeans.
We subconsciously place ourselves in the photo.
That's so important to understand as a marketer. And yes, if you're a business owner (especially if you're a solopreneur), you have no choice - you're also a marketer. So you might as well learn all you can and be a darn good one.
By using photos, you're helping people visualize what it would be like to use your product. You have the opportunity to make that fictitious experience seem excellent with your photography if you approach it the right way.
So take that into account when you're taking photos of your products.
Consider your lighting, the objects that are in the background, the props you use. Take an objective look at your images and ask yourself whether they're portraying the right kind of experience for your audience.
2 | Photos provide visual proof
Last week in my post on creating a winning marketing concept, I mentioned that providing proof encourages belief; it helps build trust with your potential customers. And in order for people to buy things from you, they have to be able to trust you.
To help you build that trust, you have to give people reasons to believe (RTBs) - proof that they'll actually obtain the benefit you're promising them.
Photos provide visual proof. You can use them to demonstrate your product in action, show up close details and features, and display the outcomes of using your product.
Would you buy a new pair of shoes online if you weren't able to see detailed photos of them? Probably not. You want to know exactly what you're getting, especially if you're buying them online and can't see the shoes in person.
Photos build trust with your prospective customers by helping them see exactly what they'll receive once they buy from you.
The same is true for any other product or service; you want to understand exactly what you're going to get before you click the big red buy button.
Make it easier to win over prospective customers by helping them get a great idea of what they'll receive once they buy from you. Use high-quality images to demonstrate your offering in action and provide visual proof.
3 | Photos convey messages quickly
I'll give you a second to let this image sink in.
What were your first thoughts when you saw it? Surprise? Disgust?
That's exactly what the marketers behind this campaign for smoke-free dining wanted you to feel, and they were able to convey their message within a second or two because of this clever photo.
When you're trying to marketing your offerings - especially among busy people with short attention spans - you only have a short window of time to get your point across.
You can't sit down with each person you come into contact with and explain the ins and outs of your product for a half hour. You have to convey your message within a second or two.
Photos give you the ability to share a story quickly.
The marketing campaign above wouldn't have been quite as effective if they had tried to paint the picture in your head of a woman eating a hamburger full of cigarettes over the radio or in text, would it? It also would have taken much, much longer.
But because they used a photo, they were able to catch your attention and convey a message quickly and develop an emotional response from their audience. That's great marketing.
Before you take the time to capture images for your products and services, consider the message you're trying to portray to your audience. Go back to that clever concept you created and brainstorm creative ways that you can carry that concept out in your photos.
And if you enjoyed this post and want to learn more about how you can use visuals to increase engagement and sales for your business, be sure to take a look at our newest Elle & Company course!
How big of a role do photos play in your marketing efforts? What are your biggest struggles when it comes to taking high-quality images for your business?


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|Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside (Right)receiving handover notes from the former Ag. Director General, Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro at the HQ of the Agency in Lagos.
Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has reiterated the Agency's commitment to ensuring that Nigeria becomes the hub of maritime activities in Africa.
Peterside stated this when he officially took over from the former Acting Director General, Mr Haruna Baba Jauro at the headquarters of the agency in Lagos.
He said NIMASA would harness the vast potentials available to it, for Nigeria to attain the maritime hub in the West and Central Africa sub-region.
He said it would involve implementing all international laws and conventions, increased enforcement of NIMASA's mandate and building the necessary capacity for indigenous operators leveraging on the Cabotage Act.
Peterside observed that the agency has competent personnel to drive its mandate, even as he called on Baba Jauro to always avail the agency of his experience and expertise whenever the need arises.
In his comments, Baba Jauro expressed gratitude to God and the Federal Government for giving him the opportunity to serve the nation in the last three and half years .
He pledged readiness to work for the success of the present Management anytime his services were required.
He advised the new director general to allow the NIMASA Act to be his guiding compass, while also noting that the Cabotage Act be reviewed with a view to protecting the interest of indigenous operators.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari recently appointed Dr. Dakuku Peterside as the Director General/CEO of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).


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David Holland, Executive and Legal Director
Empire State NORML
Addressed to:
Katherine Ceroalo, Bureau of House Counsel, Regulatory Affairs Unit
New York State Department of Health
By email: regsqna[at]health[dot]ny[dot]gov
Medical Use of Marijuana, Chronic Pain; I.D. No. HLT-51-16-00006-P
Empire State NORML, the State affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Cannabis Laws (NORML), submits the following letter in support of the proposed amendment of sections 1004.1 and 1004.2 of Title 10, the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (NYCRR), as related to the medical use of cannabis for chronic pain.
Our organization supports amendment of sections 1004.1 and 1004.2 of Title 10 NYCRR, to add any debilitating or life-threatening condition causing severe or chronic pain as a qualifying condition for recommendation of cannabis to patients. We also support a wider amendment, allowing recommendation of cannabis in the first instance, and without a patient having had to suffer for at least three months.
The currently proposed regulatory amendment only authorizes a practitioner to recommend cannabis after one or more therapeutic options had failed, and where the patient has experienced severe debilitating pain for at least three months:
Today, twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical cannabis use. Chronic pain is a qualifying condition in eighteen (62%) of these jurisdictions[1]. In nearly all of these states, cannabis can be recommended in the first instance, and there are no added requirements of patients suffering contraindications, intolerable side effects or failure of other therapeutic options, causing a significant diminution in their quality of life for at least three months. Just last month, in January 2017, the National Academies of Sciences issued a detailed report, The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research, concluding that "there is substantial evidence that cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic pain in adults."[2]
We respectfully submit that it is not fair to require that patients must suffer severe pain for months, and experience contraindications, intolerable side effects, or failure on opioid or other therapy, before a practitioner can recommend cannabis. Patients should be allowed access to cannabis before they are given opioids, not after, and practitioners should be allowed to recommend cannabis based upon the individual patient.
Cannabis-based pain treatment provides a safer, less addictive, alternative to narcotic pain relief prescription. This is of particular importance given the opioid addiction, diversion and overdose crisis that is currently afflicting New York.[3] The proposed amendment would have the effect of relieving long-term, debilitating pain and suffering of individuals with serious medical conditions while also reasonably protecting public health and safety. It would provide access to medical cannabis by patients who suffer from severe, debilitating, and life threatening conditions, as set forth in Section 3360(7) of the Public Health Law.
We believe that the likely impact of the proposed change would be to stimulate a significant number of severe pain patients to participate in the state medical cannabis use program, oftentimes in lieu of opioid-based pain therapy. This would result in an increased amount of taxes and fees collected by the State, a reduction in the harm caused by opioid addiction and diversion, and an increase in medical cannabis-related jobs and employment opportunities for New York residents. Given the likely positive effects of the proposed inclusion of chronic, debilitating pain as a qualifying condition under the New York Compassionate Care Act, we endorse it, subject to the proposed amendment.
Please feel free to contact Empire State NORML, should you have any further questions.
Respectfully submitted,
David C. Holland, Esq.
Executive and Legal Director
Empire State NORML
Comments prepared by: Joseph B., Douglas G. & David H.
[1]For details regarding every state's medical cannabis laws, see, http://norml.org/legal/medical-marijuana-2.
[2]See, http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/reports/2017/health-effects-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids-aspx, at P. 86, Conclusion 4-1.
[3]See, e.g., https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/aids/general/opioid_overdose_prevention/docs/annual_report2015.pdf; https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/alcohol-and-drug-use-data.page.


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(I'm aware I'm a daily early; tomorrow will be busy).
I am not a father, but I do have one. For my entire life – to this day (and undoubtedly beyond) my father has been a blessing to me. Though not perfect, my father has been a positive role model in my life. He has taught me a strong work ethic and the importance of responsibility and integrity. He has been an example that I'd want to emulate and has done everything within his power to set me up for success.
My wife also has a father, and without a doubt her father is in-part responsible for the life that she's led, and the amazing woman that she has become. I have also been accepted into her family. So, I am doubly-thankful to my "second dad".
It doesn't take much (for most people) to have a child, but it certainly takes an enormous and constant decision of the will, to be a good parent.
Dedicated fathering should always be celebrated and honoured.


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very school has its own unique orientation traditions, and colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) are no exception. Many COMs have university commitments to support their local communities and host service events throughout the school year. A large number of students are drawn to osteopathic medicine for its tendency to produce doctors that practice within the local communities where they began medical school.
To kick-start the school year for the 2016-17 entering DO student class, a number of COMs across the country paired orientation with community service, including:
The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) concluded its orientation week with a backpack drive for students of local elementary schools. The backpacks inspired both learning and fun as ACOM students filled them with crayons, scissors, stethoscopes, and quotes by Dr. Seuss.
Over 250 students from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) assembled during orientation week to help the local community of Greenbrier after a devastating flood. Students were split into small groups to perform needs assessments, clean-up, and osteopathic manipulative treatment. The experience taught students how to work as a team and helped them start the year with a positive mindset.
Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM)'s class of 2020 packed over 35,000 meals for a service project with Food Aid International during orientation, where students gained a sense of CUSOM pride and family–even the upperclassmen joined in to give back.
The 204 incoming students of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) completed a variety of community service activities around the Chicago area including packaging at food banks, sorting school supplies, assisting elderly residents, and cleaning park trails. This year, CCOM was again recognized with the prestigious President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, which highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement. The annual award recognizes institutions that achieve meaningful, measurable outcomes in the communities they serve.
This year, students left their orientations feeling accomplished and connected to their new communities. Providing support to underserved and rural areas is included in each of the colleges' mission statements, a common tenet of all U.S. COMs. Through this service-oriented approach to orientation, first-year DO students felt the fulfillment of giving back to the local community--the first of many they will experience as they enter the OME community.
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This week we are going to look at preparing your home for diet change. Its time to get organized. The state of your kitchen can influence how your follow your diet or lifestyle chosen plan. If these rooms are messy and disorganized, it can make you feel out of control and less confident.
So spend a little time organizing your food space. If you have food items in your cupboard or fridge that aren't on your current eating plan - just throw them out. You may hear a voice in your head saying
I don't want to throw away food. It's a waste of money.
But the money is already gone so don't add to the waste by wasting calories on bad food. If the food isn't in your current eating plan, eating it means you waste the food in your body. Your body doesn't need that food and the likelihood is that it doesn't contain good nutrients for healing and health. So in my reckoning, I'd prefer to see it as a waste of money and thrown in the trash instead of a waste in my body. Let the garbage have the waste instead of my body. I want to focus on putting food in my body that is healing and nourishing. Not waste.
See if you can spend sometime in your kitchen and reorganize. Throw out those foods that aren't nourishing for our bodies. Get rid of that processed food. You can do it and then you'll feel more empowered to stick to your plan.
If you look at something and aren't sure if you want to keep it or throw it - remember
When in doubt, throw it outYou want to put good nourishing foods in your body, not waste.


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League's BU ban injustice
When Boston University women's lacrosse player Kim Elsworth heard her school was leaving the America East conference after this school year, she told her mother, "Now we really have to win the league."
Well, she and the Terriers can't.
The America East won't let it happen.
Because the school – bound for the Patriot League – is a lame-duck America East member, the league is banning Boston University teams from its conference tournaments.
That means even if Elsworth, a Shenendehowa High grad and senior goalkeeper, and her teammates go undefeated in the regular season, they won't have a chance to earn the league's automatic NCAA tournament berth.
Ditto for the men's and women's basketball programs, as well as the rest of the school's America East teams.
If you think that sounds a tad unfair, you're hardly alone. Boston University appealed. Students started a petition. Even ESPN's Andy Katz gave a sympathetic nod.
But the league stood firm, which means the only way most BU teams can reach the NCAA Tournament is through at-large bids, an unlikely possibility.
Still, I hope they all get one.
Can the America East really get away with this?
The law says it can.
This all started in 2004, when Northeastern declared that it was leaving for the Colonial Athletic Association. There was no tournament ban at the time, and during the 2004-05 school year, the Northeastern men's basketball program reached the America East championship game.
The remaining America East presidents didn't like the idea that an outgoing team could have represented the conference nationally, at the NCAA Tournament. They also figured a ban would be a deterrent for future defections – a penalty, you might say.
Hence, the current bylaw.
"It's a tough situation," America East commissioner Amy Huchthausen said. "You don't want to penalize the student-athletes. They're the ones this impacts most directly. Everyone acknowledges that. But at the end of the day, maybe this gives institutions pause."
Huchthausen, interestingly, declined to give her personal take on the bylaw. It's worth pointing out she only took over the league in 2011. She didn't pass the law, and she can't change the rule, either. That's up to the presidents.
Huchthausen did, however, say if the bylaw exists, it should be enforced – even against a school that was one of the league's founding members. And that's why Boston University's appeal was denied.
"I support enforcing whatever rules are on the book," she said. "I think that's the proper way to run an organization."
She's right.
The league also is right to point out BU knew about the bylaw before it decided to leave.
But the school shouldn't make big, institutional decisions like changing leagues based on a one-year ban from conference tournaments. After all, in many cases changing leagues has more to do with admissions and marketing and managing a school's geographic footprint than it does sports, anyway.
So what should have happened was this: Boston University's appeal should have triggered a reevaluation of the rule. The league's presidents should have realized the bylaw unfairly penalizes the athletes. Then bylaw should have been repealed.
It's worth noting the America East isn't the only conference banning schools from the league tournament. The Colonial delivered the same ban to schools leaving its league.
But there also are conferences taking a higher road. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, which loses Loyola to the Patriot League after this year, is going to give the Greyhounds men's basketball team a chance to defend its title.
"I always put myself in the position of a parent," MAAC commissioner Rich Ensor said. "What would I think of a group that said a senior who's competed for three years and finally gets in a position that they're competitive for (an NCAA Tournament) bid, and it's taken away from them. My view is, we shouldn't impact the athletes that way."
At least one parent agrees.
Elsworth, the BU women's lacrosse player, didn't speak with me for this story, because the school wouldn't let her. Through a school spokesperson, the athletic director declined to be interviewed, too.
But Elsworth's mother, Katie, said after hearing BU wouldn't be participating in the league tournament, she thought, "How can you do this? These athletes worked for three years to get to this point. How is this fair?"
Now, her anger — as well as her daughter's — have subsided. The focus has turned to the season and the school year and the big picture.
"All these things are good lessons," she said. "That's why athletics can be an important part of a student's life. Sometimes, you don't get the dream job. Sometimes, you don't win the trophy. We want to give everyone a ribbon, but you know what? Not everyone always gets a ribbon.
"You have to rise up and overcome it. Their experience at Boston University is about more than tournament championships. These are lessons they'll take with them all their lives – lessons about values, principles and leadership."
Those would be good lessons for the America East, too, and they just might resonate if a bunch of Boston University teams stick it to their conference by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
If you're rooting for justice in college sports this school year, root for the Terriers.
firstname.lastname@example.com • 518-454-5425 • @peteiorizzo


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Personal Finance
Efforts to improve the efficiency of natural gas furnaces have chilled
Natural gas furnaces, by far the most popular way to warm U.S. homes, should be a juicy target for new energy efficiency standards to lower heating bills.
But a 10-year federal effort to raise the minimum standard for gas furnaces, which hasn't changed in decades, has so far missed its target.
What went wrong? It turns out plenty.
Missteps, disagreements and a lawsuit have derailed the effort. It now looks as if it will take several more years to implement a new standard.
"It's a shame," said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, which supports the tougher standard. "This is going to end up taking 20 years, and that is ridiculous."
Energy efficiency is determined by how much energy stored in a fuel is used. Under the current standard for natural gas furnaces, the appliances must turn into heat at least 78 percent of the energy in each unit of natural gas.
The proposed standard would raise that to 90 percent for new furnaces installed in northern states, including Missouri and Kansas. The standard for southern states would remain essentially unchanged at 80 percent.
In an average residence, a furnace that is 90 percent or more efficient costs, with installation, an extra $600 to $800. But it can save $50 to $100 or more a year in fuel costs. And there are sizable environmental benefits because carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming would be cut.
But critics of the proposed standard, while acknowledging the benefits, say it is deeply flawed. The more efficient furnaces need different venting from older gas furnaces, and in some installations the cost could outweigh the economic benefit.
Critics, which include some gas utilities and furnace installers or distributors, say another problem is the different efficiency standards for warmer and cooler climates, which would be difficult to enforce.
The U.S. Department of Energy earlier this year ditched the proposed standard, saying it would start from scratch and do more studies. Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed by an opponent of the standard is still in the courts.
Things became even more muddled when an association of air conditioning distributors intervened in the lawsuit, trying to stop some new efficiency standards for air conditioners slated to go into effect in 2015.
The federal agency has declined to comment because of the lawsuit.
The messy dispute is a setback for the federal government, which under President Barack Obama has made energy efficiency a priority.
Efficiency standards have already been increased for a range of appliances, from refrigerators to dishwashers. The minimum efficiency standards for central air conditioners and heat pumps have jumped about 30 percent over the last several years and are supposed to go up some more.
In July, the Department of Energy boasted of new requirements for microwave ovens that slash the amount of energy they use in standby mode by 75 percent.
Gas furnaces were a tempting target because, according to the Energy Information Administration, about 40 percent of the energy delivered to a residence over a year is for heating, and more than half of that is used in gas furnaces.
Their minimum efficiency was last raised by the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act in 1987, which set it at 78 percent.
Most furnaces sold now are at least 80 percent efficient. Ninety percent to 98 percent efficient models are available and accounted for a third of all gas furnaces sold nationally in 2012.
Efforts to boost the minimum began in 2002. Five years later the Department of Energy proposed raising the minimum to 80 percent, but energy efficiency groups sued the agency, saying the new standard was such a slight improvement it would have little effect.
Then in 2009 an advisory group to the Department of Energy that included furnace manufacturers and energy efficiency groups drew up another standard: New furnaces in the northern part of the U.S. would be at least 90 percent efficient, while in the rest of the country they could be 80 percent efficient.
The idea behind the regional standards was that the 90 percent furnaces would more than recover their costs in colder areas because they would save more energy.
The Department of Energy endorsed the agreement and issued the proposed standard in 2011, to go into effect this year. But it quickly ran into trouble.
Questions and complaints ricocheted. The opposition included two major associations representing gas utilities, which said the cost could cause some consumers to go to electric heat. Energy efficiency experts said that was unlikely.
Jim Hearing, director of sales and customer accounts for Missouri Gas Energy, said the utility's profits don't depend on customers using more gas. Its rates, which cover overhead expenses and profits, are based on a fixed monthly charge, while the wholesale price it pays for gas is passed along to the customer.
The utility offers rebates to customers who buy more efficient furnaces, and about half of furnaces sold in the region are 90 percent or more efficient.
But the decision to buy a more efficient furnace should remain voluntary, Hearing said.
"When it's economically feasible for them, they're going to pull the trigger," he said. "You just can't force people to do it."
More efficient furnaces use more of the fuel's energy, but that creates a problem when it comes to getting rid of what's left. In a more efficient furnace, the exhaust is cooler and contains more moisture. That damages traditional vertical venting through the roof of a house.
A more efficient furnace avoids that by sending the exhaust through a plastic pipe out the side of the house.
The American Gas Association and American Public Gas Association, which represent investor- and city-owned gas utilities, said the extra work could be an unreasonable financial burden for some consumers.
The venting for the more efficient furnace would add a few hundred dollars to the cost. But the American Public Gas Association said that in some older homes and other installations the venting could cost $1,500 to $2,200, although it's not clear exactly how often that would occur.
Talks among the parties ensued to find a compromise. A change was made so when the cost of installation rose too high, a consumer could get a waiver and not have to buy one of the more efficient furnaces.
Steve Burbridge, president of Anthony Plumbing, Heating & Cooling in Lenexa, said he has encountered homes where installing a more efficient furnace was too costly. But a waiver was a solution.
"I'm a big fan of energy efficiency," he said.
There were signs that the American Gas Association, whose members are divided on raising the minimum efficiency, was softening its opposition. It had a choice of filing a lawsuit to stop the rule or working to try to make some changes in the final rule that was adopted.
"We chose the latter," said Andrew Soto, vice president of regulatory affairs for the trade group.
But the American Public Gas Association did file a lawsuit. The group said the waiver was unworkable in part because of the training that would be required for furnace installers. The lawsuit was the last straw for the Department of Energy, which in a settlement earlier this year announced it would drop the proposed standard and start over.
The court where the lawsuit was filed still has to rule on accepting the settlement. American Public Gas Association officials say any new rule will have to be different. Perhaps it could just require the more efficient furnaces in new homes, where installation wouldn't be a problem.
"We're already preparing for the next round," said David Schryver, an executive vice president for the trade group, which represents city-owned gas utilities.


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It was all in a days work for Australia as they defeated a lack lustre Malaysia 3-1.
The win gives the Aussie top spot in the pool with six points from two consecutive wins.
As for Malaysia they only have themselves to blame as they accorded too much respect for the Aussie's.
And by the time the home team decided to play stacking Hockey, it was too late as the Aussies had raced to a 3-0 lead.
Australia stamped their mark from the first whistle and deservingly went ahead when Corey Weyer converted their first penalty corner in the 10th minute.
A fatal mistake by Najmi Farizal Jazlan just 45 seconds before the end of the second quarter saw Australia score their second goal through Dylan Wotherspoon.
Malaysia were denied a penalty corner goal in the third quarter when Razie Rahim scored but the ball was adjudged not to have left the semi circle open Video referral.
Australia then got their third goal in the 43rd minute though Aron Kleinschmidt.
Marhan Jalil reduced the deficit in the 53rd minute but they ran out of time to trouble the Aussies.


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Ever wondered about mind-body spirituality? Do you feel that physical movement in Jewish life begins and ends with the hora? Do you wish you could find the gratification in prayer that you do in a good workout?Then join us for Shira Yoga, blending the practices of Yoga, Jewish prayer and Hebrew
chant. Shira Yoga integrates movement, Jewish texts, and intricate global Jewish music. Drawing inspiration from the beautiful, sustained culture of Jews from North Africa, the Middle East, India, and beyond this class will provide a flexible space for yogis of all levels to explore the richness of Jewish creativity and spirituality through the body. Taught by Cantor Hollis Schachner, Holly Friedman Glick LICSW, RYT and Eva Heinstein.


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We removed the decorations from our tree and put it out on the curb so that it could be picked up by the beast of a truck that has been rambling about fetching all the lonely curb-side trees these last few weeks. It was dry and dropping needles like mad, but I was still sort of sad to see it go. Wah-wah.
Felix keeps mentioning how he is hopeful the holidays hurry up and come back SOON. Little does he know he's in for an epic wait. I mean, we're talking about the same kid who thinks it takes fooooorever for the days to pass from monday to friday so he may enjoy his beloved movie night. Years pass so slow when you're three. But that certainly changes. Oh, how that changes...
My mantle is in sad shape right now. It has two animal masks, a dvd case, a plant and a couple of candles sitting on it. It is a poor excuse for a mantle. Since taking down all the holiday decorations I have been terribly lazy when it comes to doing any kind of decorating...or cleaning...or cooking. Go figure. Mostly, I scoot around in my spiffy new slippers and ignore the whole situation. Am I experiencing post-holiday denial? Probably. I suppose my current state of being also says a lot about how I feel about the month of January. I'm not much of a fan. It's my blah month. I'm also pretty sure I'm not alone in feeling this way, which I suppose is good. Misery loves company, right?
This year should be an exciting one for us. There are lots of unknowns right now. Aren't there always? As I mentioned in my post the other day I'm trying to remain open to what comes. I am also trying to sit with my fear and not run from it. I have a tendency to try to outrun fear even though I have never succeeded. EVER. So, yeah, my current plan is to sit with my fear and announce, to myself and/or my people, that I'm feeling scared. I suppose I'm going to announce this here to you too.
Here I go...
One of the biggest things causing me fear right now is that in 2014 I am planning to return to work (outside the home). Gah, just typing that makes my stomach hurt. It also makes all the little monkeys in my head go wild. Part of me doesn't want to have any part of this whatsoever. But, if I am honest with myself, I also find the prospect of returning to work really exciting. In the past I have certainly enjoyed doing clinical work and learning from and helping people. I suppose my main fear around all of this is that I have so many things I need to do to make going back to work happen. Things that I can push aside easily because I also have many, many other things to do. Things like...laundry...and playing spacemen...and all the other fun things that go into raising children and running a home.
Also, I do not enjoy not knowing what's going to happen next. I don't like change very much either. And most of all, I don't like feeling unsure of myself and the road ahead. Right now I'm feeling very unsure about both. And I'm scared.
There, I said it.
And even if I don't like it (and I really don't), I'm going to keep admitting it.
Stay warm, friends,


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The Rolling Stones - Angie
"Angie" is a song by the rock band The Rolling Stones, featured on their 1973 album Goats Head Soup.
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and recorded in November and December 1972, "Angie" is an acoustic-guitar-driven ballad which tells of the end of a romance. The song's distinctive piano accompaniment was played by Nicky Hopkins, a Rolling Stones recording-session regular.
Released as a single in August 1973, "Angie" went straight to the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 5 on the UK singles chart. The song was also a No. 1 hit in both Canada and Australia for five weeks each and topped the charts in many countries throughout Europe and the rest of the world.
Because of the song's length, some radio stations made edits to shorten it to 3 minutes, omitting the longer coda and the second instrumental section of the song.
There was a speculation that the song was about David Bowie's first wife Angela, or the actress Angie Dickinson, or Keith Richards' newborn daughter, Dandelion Angela.[4] Richards, who wrote almost all the music and lyrics for the song, claimed in his autobiography that the name Angie was a pseudonym for heroin, and that the song was about his attempt to quit using it while detoxing in Switzerland.
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Real Name: Richa Gangopadhyay
Genres: Film actress, model
Birthday: 20 March, 1986
Birthcity: New Delhi, India
Created: 03.06.2014
Height: 1.70 m
First film: Leader
Last movie:
In 2005 and 2006, Richa began participating in beauty pageants and finished in the top ten in the Miss India USA competitions, winning a smaller prize for Miss Congeniality. In August 2007, Richa won the Miss Michigan pageant and in December, she was crowned Miss India USA 2007 at the 26th annual pageant held at Royal Albert's Palace in New Jersey. During the competition, she also secured the title of Miss Photogenic and qualified to represent USA in the 17th Annual Miss India Worldwide Pageant held in Johannesburg.
Richa left the USA in 2008 to Mumbai, India to embark on a career in films. She subsequently graduated with a diploma in acting from Anupam Kher's acting school, Actor Prepares, and completed her portfolio, earning offers for work in fashion shows and for modelling. In early 2009, Richa featured in a commercial for Vatika Almond Hair Oil alongside Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, while she also worked as a model for Peter England, Malabar Gold and Kalaniketan in the period.
Product of VGB IT Solution, made with ❤ in India


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People are asking anyhow to get Google Adsense approval trick for their blogs. This is because Google Adsense is the primary way to make money from your blog/YouTube channel but the problem is the approval process.
I suppose I should have made this post an e-book and sell it for a token but am not going to do that because I want to see all my fans and readers benefit from this great blog, Review Net.
My Facebook friends have always asked me how they could get approved by Adsense with their blog otherwise call approval trick but wait, on this guide we are going to be using tips in place of trick. I hope you understand? 😂
It's more difficult this days to get Adsense approval than making money with Adsense.
I have always visited different blogs that talk about Adsense approval but I have never seen the result that works out for me. Recently, I published a post on highest paying Google Adsense keywords Now which turns great for my readers. And now again we are going to see how we can get Adsense Approval.
I was told some time ago about owning a self-hosted blog on WordPress before I will get approved. I quickly rushed to buy a cheap hosting plan and direct my domain to work on WordPress, yet they were no quick result but it's an added advantage though to get Adsense approved. This shows you are serious about blogging.
Therefore, to be on the safe side, it's advised to buy yourself a self-hosting plan. I recommend using Namecheap, See Namecheap hosting review for clearification or Hostgator. See complete review on cheap web hosting comparison
It better I share this information as soon as possible to save someone trying to apply for the next Google Adsense to get approved.
Before applying for Google Adsense the below conditions must be met first irrespective of the tips we are going to apply here.
Table of contents
Things to do before applying for Google Adsense
1. Privacy Policy Page: this page will be use to inform your visitors for their privacy and how you are getting their information, how you use them and if you promote any product for money or anything. You can draft a privacy policy page using an automatic online privacy policy generator but endeavour to edit it not to pass plagiarism to Google. This is because many people uses this same service without editing. E.g free online privacy policy generator.
2. About Us Page: This is a page that talks about your brand and it can be drafted using your self desired knowledge.
3. Terms and conditions page: This page inform your visitors of your terms of using your website products or services. Affiliate terms and other Adsense stuff. This can also be generated automatically on by using a free online terms and conditions generator.
4. Contact Us Page: This will show how caring you are to your visitors by providing a way for them to easily contact you free. This page may either contain your brand official phone number, email address, social media handles, or a contact form.
Having got all these, is time to proceed with our tips for getting Adsense approval within few hours.
How to get any country Adsense Approved in few steps
Getting your own country approved in your country.
1. Go to google.com/adsense
2. Fill your website URL and select English as language.
3. Fill the necessary information as appropriate.
4 wait and continue in step….6
Getting another country's Adsense approved
It's all the same process with the above continue in step five
5. Change country to your desired country. I used UK for instance.
This is the along waiting part that works. Am going to ask you for just a little kindness by taping on any of the below button to show your love. Share this part to your friends by either giving this article Facebook like, Twitter share or give us +1 on Google+ to unluck.
6. In the place of phone number, change to your own country and enter your own number to get code.
Fill the rest of the information appropriately.
7. Click submit application
8. Wait for like 5-10 minutes to receive confirmation of of applications
9. Go to YouTube.com
10. Sign in with the same email that you used to apply for Adsense recently
11. Create a youtube Channel
This is the little complicated part but don't worry we are going to do it together.
Right here you are going to learn how to create a YouTube channel free. Continue down with step 12.[/sociallocker]
Read Also: Highest Paying Affiliate Program Now
How to create a YouTube Channel for Free
- Go to YouTube.com
- Sign in with your Google account
- Click on your age at the right hand corner of the page
- Click on creator studio
- Click on create a new channel for your brand
- Enter brand name and click on create
Having created your YouTube channel, I will like to take you to where you will get the Adsense approved. Note that you will need to leave your testimony on this blog and share on your social media sites.
Read Also: Adnow Review: Easiest way to make money with adnow
Now on your channel, associate your unapproved Adsense with your YouTube channel by following these simple steps.
How to associate Google Adsense with YouTube Channel
Repeat the wholes processes with desktop
Step 1: After siging in to your YouTube Channel click on you right hand side human head as seen on the below picture.
Step 2: From the picture above, click on Creator Studio to view your channel.
The rest step will be discuss down
Step 3: At the left hand side of the page; click on my channel to see the features thast you are eligible to.
Let me hear your opinion in comment section
On monetization features, click and follow the rest steps to associate your Google Adsense Account to your YouTube Channel for fast adsense approval.
Disclaimer: This post is for information purposes and do not guarantee %100. This may not be as accurate as you may think. We reserve the right to put down the post at anytime.


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Sheridan College announced Tuesday that the school's construction technology department recently received a grant of $1,200 and that the funds have already been put to good use. The extra funding for the department came through an opportunity grant from the Sheridan College Foundation.
Josh Michelena, a construction technology instructor at Sheridan College, says in a media release the grant allowed the department to purchase specialized tooling equipment for students to use to get hands-on experience using the latest technology.
The construction tech program purchased a computer numeric controlled router for the Brooks Street construction lab with the grant funding. Michelena says the real opportunity lies within the resulting interdisciplinary coordination, as he says acquiring more high-tech tooling allows students in machining, computer aided drafting and construction programs to more effectively use the equipment to prepare for future careers.
Students first develop projects in their CAD and machine tool technology classes and come together to troubleshoot and solve problems that they will face in industry after their final projects have been completed.


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I introduce to you: Our little tweedles!
Two embabies are nested all snuggly inside me
and I couldn't be more happy!!
We got the call this AM telling us we should be there at 10:30. Overall, it was super quick and simple. Undress from the waist down, climb onto the table, legs in stirrups, ultrasound on belly, speculum, catheter, babies in pipette... that's where it got really interesting! We were in awe as we watched Dr. Ahlering find the *perfect* spot in my endometrial lining (which he said looked great) and then a little "woosh!" on the ultrasound screen as he released each one into their new home. It was AMAZING!!
There was a bit of discomfort when he was digging into my lining so that he could burry them nice and deep, but It wasn't any more than a mild period cramp. Perfectly managable and worth it! What was probably the toughest was fighting off the tears as we watched everything unfold. I could feel them welling up, but I refused to get all worked up and not be able to see each and every move he was making on the screen. When we were finished, they moved me to a cot and wheeled me back into the recovery room to lie for 30 minutes, wheeled me out the car and that was that. Transfer was here and gone before we could blink an eye.
The SIRM ladies were so sweet today. Penny, the woman who called us yesterday with our news, called today regarding the transfer and asked how I was doing. You could honestly tell she felt concerned about the whole thing. Then, the woman who wheeled me out the the car gave me a big hug as she told me they were all sending us good thoughts going into next week. I have always felt so good about dealing with that office and, even though during the fertilization process I wish they would have been more forthcoming with info prior to it being requested, they have always been very sensitive, timely and respectful. I'm so happy we decided to go with them and am extremely thankful we have made it this far. Feeling very positive going into our beta countdown!
The final details on the blasts they transfered is that they were both grade 2 blasts - one was fully expanded and the other way in the pre-expansion stage. Of course, in my mind they are perfect in every way - see the top-most pic! Our little "tweedles" as Jay has us referring to them. I just think that's so cute! I've modified the previous names a little though. One is tweedle and the other tweedle dee. I just can't have my kids being referred to as "dum".
I just found some info on our little tweedles (ok ok, embryos) that I thought was very neat. According to this site, "Keeping the embryos in the laboratory for almost a week, allows us to observe them growing through the morula and blastocyst stages. The cells compact together to form a morula, and then begin to pump fluid to the center of the morula forming a cyst. As the cyst inflates with fluid, the cells of the embryo organize themselves into 2 distinct groups. The inner cells are the first cells of the fetus, and the outer cells will become the placenta. (neato!) The size of the embryo increases as more and more fluid is pumped into the cyst, and the blastocyst bursts out of its shell. (Our are expanding and will be getting ready to hatch out of their shell soon!) Once out of the shell, it is ready to implant in the uterus."
The other is a pic of them both nestled tightly in my uterus. This one is just too cool to me! The embies are the little white blobs (as indicated by the arrows) and the dotted line represents my endometrial lining. The lining one is a bit harder for me to wrap my head around, but as Jay said, it's the perspective that's throwing me off. Anyway, if the doc knows what he's seeing, then I belive it!
We are still waiting to hear about the fate of our other embryos. As of this AM, Dr. Ahlering spoke with the embryologist who said that our grade 1 blast did arrest and is no longer with us, exactly what they were thinking might happen because it was compacted, and the others (not sure how many at this point) are still growing . They want to watch them the rest of the day to see how much more they mature. Only then will we know how many, if any, we have to freeze. I am trying not to get my hopes to high, but of course it would be wonderful if we had at least two to freeze. Don't get me wrong though, I am thrilled about today's blasts. To make it to transfer is something I will never take for granted. So many things had to line up perfectly in order to even get to this point! As so many of you have pointed out (thank you so, so much by the way!), the grade of our blasts aren't a very good indicator of the possbilities. It's a human's guesstimation and that's about it. As far as we are concerned, I am pregnant until proven otherwise. That should be more than enough to get me at least half way to my beta ;)
Our first beta (HCG blood draw) is next Tuesday, 8/18; our second which will confirm pregnancy is Thursday, 8/20. At SIRM-St. Louis their practice is to not notify patients of the outcome of the first beta. The thought is that it's not really a perfect, or totally accurate, indicator of a BFP. However, the second is. It should, ideally, double from the first number. The paperwork said that we could inquire about the first number if we wanted to know, but I think we'll probably just wait.
We'll also wait on the HPT tests. I don't want to get my body all tied up in a knot if I can help it. And, really, the second beta is just one week from today. That's really not that long at all. Afterall, we've waited SOOO long to get to this point. In retrospect, this is a piece of cake!
As for me, it's total bedrest. I'm laid up on the couch, laptop and tv close by until mid-day tomorrow. Dr. A said that the minimal discomfort I'm feeling down low still from the ER is normal. My ovary still looks fairly enlarged, but there is no extra cause for OHSS alarm, especially since I'm not really having any other symptoms. It could get a bit worse if we get a BFP, but all is on track for now. I was very happy to hear that.
Now, let the dreams and big plans begin! Trying not to get too excited, of course, but how can you not let yourself be just a *little* bit happy!!


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Austin Reese & Clay Smith, Corsair Distillery
As a reader, I first learned of Corsair Distillery in Nashville, Tenn. from The Local Palate months before I came on staff. Of course, Corsair has received press from Food & Wine, Saveur, and Imbibe, but it was in those specific pages that I was captured by the story of starting in a garage and growing into making seriously high-end artisan spirits. This distillery makes a wide range of spirits that have racked up the awards -- from Quinoa Whiskey to Oatmeal Stout Whiskey to the gin we discuss in this interview, Corsair's portfolio is one-of-a-kind. Brand ambassador Austin Reese and head distiller Clay Smith were kind hosts on the rainy day I visited in Nashville, and we peeked in the barrel room, got up close and personal with some white rye in production, and interviewed in the upstairs office (where you can hear an ink jet printer at one point). All in all, the only thing missing was whiskey, but then again it was 11 a.m.


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WHO: Tusks Family Press
FIND MORE AT: www.emilyaldenfoster.com/zines
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT THE ZINES YOU CREATE AND/OR WHY YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO TABLING AT L.A. ZINE FEST 2016?: I make lots of different zines – about olden movies, road trips, crossword puzzles, sodas, feminism, and other important things. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone else's zines! Hooray!
Get to Know Your Zinester features collages of the 2016 Fest exhibitors.
Clockwise from left; the zinesters, their work, more work, and a source of inspiration!


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6-1-15; IL WC Reform May Not Be Happening But The Sky Isn't Falling--Yet; Joint Employer Immunity Upheld by Matt Gorski; Important Petrillo Decision and more/
Synopsis: As Of Now, The IL WC Legislative Reforms May Not Be Happening But For the IL WC Industry, The Sky Isn't Falling Just Yet.
Editor's comment: There is lots going on in Springfield and we have seen the IL House shoot down WC reforms and the IL Senate balk, then modify them and then shoot them down in committee. Both sides of the legislature are fighting with new Governor Rauner and he is fighting back in the media and with attack ads. As you read this, the IL General Assembly was supposed to have adjourned by now but they might be moving into extended session. The General Assembly plan appears to be to finish their business without consensus on a 2016 budget approved by Democrats that is more than $3 billion out of whack. Everyone assumes our leaders are going to borrow billions or raise taxes. There is no indication they might do what we want--enact ABBC—Across-the-Board-Budget-Cuts. Try to imagine Illinois legislators and administrators reaching the simple understanding we don't have the money for 10% of what they are spending/wasting and having them
Ø Consolidate 88 IL state agencies into 44?
Ø Cut comically bloated and unquestionably redundant state agency budgets and staff?
Ø Get rid of satellite offices that do virtually nothing of value to taxpayers?
Ø Fully automate the tollways and stop spending $100M a year to have humans collect IL highway tolls?
Ø Start using staffing employees for lots of administrative jobs so taxpayers don't have to "double-pay" state workers with a salary while they are working for the state and a fake pension when they leave state employ so future taxpayers have to keep paying them more than half their retirement income for life?
Ø Bring injured state workers back to light work and stop paying TTD for years/decades (or even their lifetimes) to workers that can and should be working?
Gov. Rauner says he won't sign any budget plan until Democrats pass some of his priorities to include WC reform. We will continue to watch and see where it ends. We hope our Governor and the legislature continue to work on real government pension reform which remains the mega-issue for our state.
Please Note the Proposed WC Reforms Aren't Present in Indiana WC
We don't feel "the sky is falling" if WC reforms aren't enacted. IL WC legislative disappointments shouldn't be too depressing for IL business. In our view, the four legislative amendments weren't carefully considered or brought to the mainstream for everyone's thoughts and input. The article we published from Dr. David Fletcher last week and this new article he just published Rauner's workers' comp plan is bad medicine for workers emphasize how "clunky" and uncertain these rapidly-created-and-presented WC reforms are.
Everyone keeps looking to the east at Indiana and their WC system appears to be nirvana for some because their system is sometimes so painfully low and limited in WC benefit levels. If IL WC is supposed to be "Like-Indiana" we caution Indiana worker's comp has none of the facets of the proposed and currently failed IL WC legislative reforms. For example, they don't have a "causation" or accident standard in their IN WC Act—they use common sense. The Indiana WC Board and their law doesn't define "traveling employee" in their IN Act—Indiana hearing members (who are the equivalent of our Arbitrators) use prudence, rationality and sound judgment when they interpret their law in claims administration, hearings and appeals. How about letting our newly appointed IWCC do the same thing?
The Defense Team at KCB&A Wants Our IL WC Commission to Get the Chance to Demonstrate Common Sense in WC Claims
We have said this before and we will keep saying it. The current IL WC is in the process of "reforming itself" with better hearing officers and commissioners who are going to use common sense in reaching decisions. We assure our readers our team is closely watching every ruling from the IWCC and through those published rulings, the Arbitrators who are having their decisions appealed. We pray someone talk to the IL Appellate Court, WC Division and try to get them on board with reasonable cost-cutting.
We want to emphasize the defense team at KCB&A is going to closely watch, report and applaud when we see solid progress in stricter implementation of legal standards for accidents and lower PPD awards for folks smart enough to present claims properly to our hearing officers. If we see loose causation/accident decisions and goofy traveling employee awards, we will also let everyone in the industry know about it. And if you aren't happy with your IL WC defense, hire us—we have one client who proudly advised us we helped him save $2M in IL WC costs last year with strong advice on his litigated and non-litigated claims. If you want to call him, send a reply.
As one example, we are advised some IL Arbitrators, particularly in downstate or "outstate" Illinois may be taking the Will County Forest Preserve District v. IWCC ruling as a basis to effectively "double" all shoulder permanency awards by changing traditional loss of use of the arm awards into loss of use of the body as a whole for the same permanency values. We didn't read the decision to justify doubling permanency for shoulder injuries across the board. If that is happening, it is going to inflame the IL business community. Claimant Smothers in Will County Forest Preserve District only received 25% BAW for a truly messed up arm, oops we mean shoulder and a dramatic life change. Very few injured workers with operated shoulders undergo a dramatic life change—lots of men and woman recover unremarkably and have unremarkable permanency/impairment. If you are seeing this phenomenon, we want our readership to know it is out there, as it affects reserves, settlements and trial outcomes along with possible reform legislation. If you see it, please drop us a line with the case name/number.
In the same vein, the overall goal for IL WC is to get our benefits back to the middle of the United States and help our local economies compete with IN, WI, MI, IA and everywhere else in our country. The State of Oregon WC Premium Rankings come out in October 2016 or in sixteen months or so. The best place to track IWCC progress in making solid decisions on what is an accidental injury, what is related to such injuries and what injured workers should be receiving for permanency or impairment is right here. At least once a month, we are going to summarize what we see coming from our hearing officers. If you see outliers or odd rulings, please, please send them along.
We appreciate your thoughts and comments. Please post them on our award-winning blog.
Synopsis: New Ruling on When a Joint Employer is Protected From Civil Suit by the WC Exclusive Remedy Clause. Thoughts and Analysis by Matthew G. Gorski.
Editor's comment: On April 23, 2015, a recent decision in the IL Second District Appellate Court was filed regarding the issues of joint employers and the WC exclusive remedy clause in Section 5 of the IL WC Act. In Kay v. Centegra Health System, our Appellate Court affirmed the trial court's decision to deny Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment and granted Defendant Centegra Health System's motion for summary judgment.
Kay involved an employee of Northern Illinois Medical Center (NIMC) who tripped over a cable while working in a lab at NIMC. She sustained injuries and pursued a workers' compensation claim against her employer, NIMC. Following trial and appeal to the IWCC, she successfully received substantial workers' compensation benefits of 60% BAW under coverage from NIMC.
Plaintiff then pursued a personal injury action against Centegra for negligence revolving around this same occurrence. Centegra was a corporate affiliate and sole member of NIMC. Before the trial court, Centegra successfully won on summary judgment arguing they were a joint employer with NIMC because they helped pay for and were listed as "Employer" with NIMC on the workers' compensation policy that issued benefits to Plaintiff/Petitioner Kay. Therefore, Centegra was immune from civil suit under the exclusive remedy clause.
The Appellate Court did not find Plaintiff's argument compelling that Centegra was not listed as a party respondent or took any active part of any of the workers' compensation proceedings. The Appellate Court found it more compelling Centegra helped pay for the WC benefits that were issued to Plaintiff in her WC claim.
For all those companies and their insurance brokers out there who are listed on a joint WC policy with another company, be aware you are helping pay for the WC benefits of employees of the joint company. This ruling is a must-read to insure you are protected in similar settings. This concept may provide immunity to you in a personal injury action by the same worker under Section 5 of the IL WC Act, as you technically have paid or contributed to benefits to the injured worker who sought and received IL WC benefits from a joint employer.
This article was researched and written by Matthew G. Gorski, JD. Matt can be reached 24/7/365 for questions about WC at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Synopsis: Petrillo Expands in the Cook County Circuit Court—We Await Appeal to the Supreme Court.
Editor's comment: All defense attorneys and adjusters/risk managers should beware of an unexpected ruling by Cook County Circuit Judge Kathy Flanagan, which appears to expand the rule in Petrillo v. Syntex Laboratories, Inc. and may create significant risk for defense counsels and their clients. If it isn't changed on appeal, this ruling might impact WC law and practice at some point. In writing this article, we want to confirm we respectfully disagree with her thinking but we hold Judge Flanagan in the highest academic, scholarly and legal regard.
In Thompson v. University of Chicago Medical Center, Judge Flanagan ruled a defense attorney violated Petrillo by forwarding a copy of Plaintiff's complaint to the attorney retained by a treating physician prior to the treaters deposition. Judge Flanagan entered substantial sanctions against Defendant. She further ruled defense counsel could not ask opinion questions of the witness, either at the deposition or at trial, and acted to strike many of the questions and answers from the witness' deposition.
In Petrillo, the IL Appellate Court ruled defense counsel could not engage in ex parte communications with Plaintiff's treating physician. The Appellate Court ruled "discussions between defense counsel and a plaintiff's treating physicians should be pursuant to the rules of discovery only." This unexpected decision caused numerous challenges about the scope of the new limitation and attacks by the defense bar on the rationale of the decision. The ostensible rationale of the Petrillo decision was a physician has a fiduciary and protected connection with their patient. Therefore, ex parte discussions or communications between the physician and defense counsel are felt to unfairly interfere with the patient's rights and civil claims. We have often characterized this court-created protection as seeking to block the defense attorney from turning the treater into a "ventriloquist's dummy" so they are somehow "tainted" by knowledge and supposedly say only what the defense wants them to say. We don't feel doctors are so gullible and accepting they can't talk to a defense attorney and still not be swayed or unduly influenced from their medical and scientific opinions.
Despite the Petrillo prohibition, the courts have also recognized a treating physician has the right to retain and consult with their own attorney, even though the physician may not be a party to the pending suit or before suit is filed. Thus, a physician has the right to seek the representation of counsel at any time they are to be deposed or testify, even if the physician is not a party. Presumably, the right to counsel includes the right for the physician's personal counsel to be fully informed about Plaintiff's claims, so their personal counsel can adequately "represent" the physician.
According to Judge Flanagan in Thompson this concept is not as clear. In Thompson, Plaintiff filed suit against the University of Chicago Medical Center ("UCMC") and others alleging medical malpractice stemming from surgery performed by one of its surgeons. After written discovery of the parties was complete, the parties began depositions of treating physicians. Defense counsel for UCMC wanted to depose Dr. John Grayhack as he performed surgery on the minor Plaintiff similar to surgery performed at UCMC a year earlier. As he was concerned about being sued, Dr. Grayhack retained a personal attorney to represent him during the deposition. UCMC's defense counsel obtained permission from Plaintiff's attorney to send medical records to be used at the deposition to Dr. Grayhack's attorney. When UCMC's counsel sent the medical records, he also included health professionals' reports attached to Plaintiff's second amended complaint. Plaintiff's counsel was copied on the correspondence to Dr. Grayhack. In our view, this means nothing was hidden.
When Plaintiff's attorney learned defense counsel for UCMC forwarded the reviewing professionals' reports to Dr. Grayhack's attorney, he brought a motion to bar testimony at deposition. Judge Flanagan ruled any communication with the personal attorney for the physician which had not been specifically authorized by Plaintiff's attorney was a violation of Petrillo, and barred defense counsel from asking Dr. Grayhack any opinion questions, and further "deputized" Plaintiff's counsel in advance of the deposition to instruct Dr. Grayhack not to answer any such questions if they were asked. During his deposition, Dr. Grayhack testified he had never seen the copy of Plaintiff's complaint or the attached health professional reports.
Following the deposition, the court barred large parts of Dr. Grayhack's testimony from being used at trial. UCMC filed a petition for a supervisory order to reverse Judge Flanagan's ruling before the Illinois Supreme Court, and the IL legal community awaits a ruling on its petition.
We consider Judge Flanagan's ruling to go far beyond the scope of Petrillo. We note UCMC's defense counsel did not communicate directly with Dr. Grayhack. Next, the communication UCMC's counsel had with the counsel for Dr. Grayhack was limited to forwarding medical records, as agreed by Plaintiff's counsel and a copy of Plaintiff's complaint and reviewing health professional reports. UCMC's counsel was not sneaky about doing this--he copied counsel for Plaintiff on the correspondence. For that reason, we have no idea how it can be an "ex parte" communication—it is what we call an in parte communication. Further, Plaintiff's complaint was a matter of public record, so Dr. Grayhack's counsel could easily gone to the courthouse and obtained a copy of the complaint and reviewing healthcare practitioners' reports. Finally, competent counsel representing a witness in a lawsuit such as this would attempt to analyze Plaintiff's complaint and healthcare practitioners reports so they would be able to prepare their client for testimony.
We feel all Illinois trial defense counsels should be aware of this unusual ruling. We will continue to track progress on the final determination. We appreciate your thoughts and comments. Please post them on our award-winning blog.


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ABIDJAN, May 25 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast will call upon donors as well as timber and cocoa companies to help finance a reforestation strategy it estimates will cost 616 billion CFA francs ($1 billion) over 10 years, the water and forests minister said on Friday.
The West African nation has lost an average of 400,000 hectares of tropical forest annually since 1990. It is seeking to extend forest cover to 20 percent of its national territory by 2030, from 11 percent currently.
($1 = 578.6400 CFA francs) (Reporting by Ange Aboa Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Susan Fenton)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Wednesday, February 16, 2011
{Cookbook Love}
After what has felt like a temporary rut in fresh, new meals in my weekly planner, I am newly inspired. Leave it to Food Network star, Ellie Krieger and her new book, So Easy, to leave me feeling completely recharged with healthy meal ideas!
Her food philosophy is right in line with my own and because she is a registered dietician, I can also rest assured that her recipes fit into my clean eating lifestyle.
Ellie's newest book is broken into four parts: breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. But she further breaks these catergories into "quick" and "leisurely". How brilliant is that?! So if I am looking for two new breakfast recipes for a busy week and one for a leisurely Saturday morning with my hubby, I know exactly where to look!
And with amazing sounding recipes like her Dutch Baby Pancakes with Peach Compote and Chipotle Orange Glazed Pork Chops, you can bet I'll be making the most of my new cookbook!
1 comment:
- Lael said...
Sounds like a good find! Elise just got me Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and even though I haven't made anything yet it sounds really promising...the authors also have one called Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day that would probably be worthwhile. Have you heard of these books? I wish we could do some cooking together, Kate!
- February 16, 2011 at 6:41 PM
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Test day: it's here. It's all too easy to lose your composure and get caught up on few tough questions during the test. The test-makers throw in all sorts of convoluted wording and unnecessary information to make you get confused, take up time, and throw you off.
Don't get caught in this trap! Heed the following GRE Commandments to stay focused during the exam.
Commandment #1: Thou shalt remember that every question is equal.
All questions are weighted equally. So you know that really tough question you've been staring at blankly for three minutes? Worth the same as the "2x=6" question. So, get your points on the easy stuff, and remember that every question is weighted the same. This above all else is your most important piece of instruction!
Commandment #2: Thou shalt use process of elimination.
Pssst! Guess what? You don't really have to know the correct answer on the GRE; all you have to do is select the right answer. Process of elimination is your friend; use it!
Usually only two attractive answer-choices are offered, out of five total. One correct; the other either intentionally misleading or only partially correct. The other three answer-choices are usually fluff. This makes educated guessing on the GRE very effective. If you can dismiss the three fluff choices, your probability of answering the question successfully will increase from 20% to 50%.
Commandment #3: Always trust thy instinct, and guess on the first pass.
When you're going through the test and find a particular question difficult, mark down the first answer that caught you, flag the question, and come back to it if you have time. You can change your answer later, duh!
Commandment #4: Honor thy clock.
Remember that you only have about 1.5 minutes on each question on the Verbal section, and 1 minute and 45 seconds on the Quantitative Section. So, if you're halfway through the Verbal (15 out of 30 questions completed) and you only have 13 minutes to complete the section, you're a little behind.
Practicing with online resources like Benchprep allows you to get acquainted with the feeling of having a ticking clock always on your screen …
Commandment #5: Know thy test!
The more you educate yourself about the GRE, the more review of the math, and vocab words studied, and timed tests taken, the more comfortable you'll feel come test day. You and the GRE should feel like old friends by test day, and hopefully you can never see that friend again afterwards
Okay, there you have it! The canonical (great GRE word!) list of GRE Commandments. Obey, and thou shall score well!
Good news! You can download BenchPrep's 2014 GRE Playbook and The 20 Most-Difficult GRE Questions ebooks for free.
By Tony Williams, Tutor and GRE Expert at BenchPrep.


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Benefits of Alternative Financing
The words "alternative financing" often come with negative feelings in the business world, especially after many alternative business loans were accused of predatory practices during the 2008 financial crises. In fact, according to Forbes, some in the alternative loan business charged businesses between 70 and 90 percent annual rates on such financing. However, with increased safeguards, the growth of invoice factoring options and lower interest rates in the alternative lending market, there are many benefits in alternative financing for businesses today.
Merchant Cash Advances
After the financial crisis in 2008, banks severely tightened lending requirements, and these restrictions led to fewer businesses qualifying for additional capital from traditional lending institutions. These lending restrictions remain despite evidence that there is a slow but steady improvement in the economy. This has led to many small businesses unable to fund startup or expansion projects, including restaurant equipment financing, leasing of equipment, or even to sustain operational growth. According to many merchant cash advance companies, small companies and startups are finding that banks will still not work with them when it comes to cash needs. This has led to many alternative business loans designed to help merchants on a short-term basis that help merchants purchase inventory, manage cash flow and to fund growth. In addition, agencies such as the National American Merchant Advance Association (NAMAA) provide education and standard practices to help keep the industry legitimate and trustworthy. For many businesses, the short-term capital and structure of trustworthy cash advance deals work perfectly to help them through slower periods or to finance other needs.
Factoring Loans
Although merchant cash advances remain the most well-known alternative business financing options, other forms of alternative financing are also gaining in popularity. Invoice factoring companies assume the duties of invoice and credit analysis, eliminating the need for employees to handle invoicing and bill collection while combining a customer's invoices into what amounts to a line of credit, allowing the client to withdraw up to 90 percent of those funds. The customer pays interest and fees on the amount withdrawn while the invoice is outstanding. Once the invoice is paid, the customer is credited with the ten percent balance less fees. For those in the service industry, such as transportation, this provides additional funding for expansion, commercial truck financing, inventory replenishment and many other needs without the strict requirements that banks need to approve business loans.
Take Precautions
Before entering into any type of alternative financing agreement, it is important to take a few precautions. Be sure that the lender understands your type of business. For example, commercial truck financing for a construction company may be different than for a delivery company. Know the management team at the lender and their knowledge of your industry, as well as where their capital is obtained. Read the entire funding agreement carefully and compare them with other alternatives. Understand clearly what the alternative financing will cost and how those costs will be offset by an increase in business. If possible, obtain a copy of the contract in advance and have it reviewed by an accountant or attorney.
Using alternative business financing is not as risky as it was in the past. Whether you need restaurant equipment financing, want to purchase new or updated inventory, or simply need startup capital to get a new business idea off the ground, alternative financing has fewer restrictions than traditional business financing, offers a variety of options to help you with funding, and has fewer risks than many people believe.


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The county of Devon offers rich diversity for visiting golf tourists, and some of the most spectacular natural landscapes anywhere in the south-west. There are striking contrasts everywhere you look, with a golfing option to satisfy every demand.
From verdant parkland destinations, traditional inland clubs and the challenging championship layout at Dartmouth.
Why not base yourself at The Dartmouth Hotel and play some of the best golf courses Devon has to offer? The Dartmouth Hotel has teamed up with Bigbury GC, Dainton Park GC, Churston GC, Thurlestone GC, Wrangaton GC, China Fleet GC and Dawlish GC to bring you one of the most comprehensive Golf Tours packages around. You can choose from any of these Courses for your trip to have varied and exciting stay in Devon.
Give our sales agents a call today to book your next golf trip to Devon.


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Bus operator jailed as £1m scam hits the skids – HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
A Luton businessman, who provided bus services for vulnerable people, has been sentenced for a £1 million tax fraud.
James Taylor, who had a long-standing transport contract with a local authority, deliberately wound-up nine companies, putting them into liquidation, to avoid paying vast sums of PAYE and VAT due to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
When Taylor shut a company down, he diverted money owed to HMRC into his personal bank accounts before starting up a new one. The local authority was totally unaware it had been dealing with more than one company, as he used the same trading name, Taylors Transport Services, throughout the scam.
Paul Barton, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said:
"Taylor believed he was being clever by pocketing the £1 million rather than paying it over to fund the UK's vital public services. But he couldn't have been more wrong.
"His scam gave him an unfair advantage over his honest competitors and he is paying the price with a prison sentence. We will now look to strip him of the proceeds of his criminal activity. So his affluent lifestyle of nice cars, houses and holidays, which he funded through this fraud, is well and truly over.
"Anyone with information of those committing tax fraud can contact our 24-hour hotline on 0800 59 5000."
The 68-year-old used the stolen money to help fund a holiday home in Devon, rent sports cars including a Bentley Continental GT and quickly paid off a big mortgage. However, it all unravelled in 2013 when HMRC investigators unearthed the full extent of his fraud.
Taylor pleaded guilty to the fraudulent evasion of VAT and Income Tax at an earlier hearing and was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment at Luton Crown Court on 5 August 2016.
Confiscation proceedings to recoup the proceeds of his crime will follow.


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While most chicken wings or drumettes are traditionally served with a spicy sauce, that's not always ideal when tailgating on warm weekends. Using Captain Rodney's Boucan Glaze - one of our best selling products from the Hot Springs Store - we created a wing recipe to beat the heat! Captain Rodney's has a spicy flavor, but not too much actual heat. It's a sweet tangy glaze and we found it worked beautifully in this baked drumette recipe. Make, share and enjoy!
Captain Rodney's Tangy Tailgate Drumettes
- 18 chicken wings (raw, thawed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Captain Rodney's Boucan Glaze
- Wash, dry, and season the wings with the salt, garlic, pepper, cayenne, and paprika. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Place the drumettes on a wire rack, on top of a baking sheet, in a single layer.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, depending on the size of the drumettes, turning once.
- When the drumettes are done baking, carefully dip them in the sauce using a pair of tongs, and place them back in the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling.
- Serve with celery, carrots and your choice of ranch or blue cheese.