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In this post, you'll learn of 30 companies hiring home workers on a regular basis.
In fact, I can almost guarantee they always have job openings.
It gets better:
All these companies are reputable, have real work from home jobs, most have a nice variety for you to choose from and they are all LEGITIMATE.
In addition to showing you the companies that hire home workers, I'll go over some of the jobs they have available and – where appropriate – touch on how much the jobs pay.
So, if you're ready to see some great companies that hire work from home employees, let's get to them.
Companies Hiring Online Workers
#1 ABC Financial
This is a customer care service provider specializing in helping the fitness industry. Located in Sherwood, Arkansas, this reputable company has been around since 1981 and is well known for having remote jobs.
What work from home jobs are available ?
The main position they hire for is Customer Care Representative. You'll be working in a call center environment helping fitness club members and staff regarding recurring payment issues and agreement questions.
There are two stipulations you must meet for this work at home job:
- You need to reside in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas or Virginia
- Must be flexible to work an assigned work schedule anytime between the hours of 7am and 9pm Central
But don't let these things turn you off – they often change their location and schedule requirements. To view the Customer Care job, go to the ABC Financial's careers page and scroll down to the LOCATIONS category. Click the REMOTE option and voila !
How much can you make ?
The pay is not readily available on their website, but I have learned from actual employees that you can earn between $10.00 and $11.00 per hour, up to $13.00 if you are bilingual.
#2 Aetna
This well-known health insurance company frequently has multiple job openings that include professional careers and internships. And if working from home online in the medical field is your thing, Aetna is a great option.
What work from home jobs are available ?
Aetna has openings in claims, telephonic nursing, behavioral health, sales, IT, and case management, This is awesome; there are many options for anyone wanting to work remotely with this company.
To see what home-based jobs are available, go to the Aetna site and enter work from home in SEARCH JOBS (keyword) area, like this:
How much can you make ?
How much you earn depends on the remote job you apply for. Keep in mind, the remote jobs they offer tend to be on the professional side.
As an example, today Aetna has an opening for a remote Quality Management Nurse. The job description does not state the salary but Payscale tells us the average salary is $87,000.00
#3 Amazon
I'm sure you know Amazon. Great for shopping but when it comes to work from home jobs, Amazon shouldn't be ignored because they have a ton of virtual jobs.
What work from home jobs are available ?
There are a lot of work from home jobs at Amazon, which make up their "virtual locations" division. The majority of openings they have on a regular basis are in the Human Resources, Sales, Operations, IT, Engineering and Solutions areas.
And…they frequently have major hirings for Virtual Call Center Reps.
You can filter the jobs by type, country, city. You can even select a part time job (which is a great option for stay at home moms 🙂 ). All you have to do is go to their jobs page and click the options you want. Specifically, for remote jobs, scroll down to the bottom and click on WORK FROM HOME.
#4 American Express
Better known as Amex, this is a huge financial services conglomerate based in Manhattan's Three World Financial Center.
What work from home jobs are available ?
They have many virtual career opportunities that span the areas of client management and sales, travel, technology, and customer care. However, the most common remote job with Amex is a Customer Care Professional.
To see the online jobs, type the words work from home in the SEARCH FOR JOBS field.
How much can you make ?
It depends on the job, but I will say the pay for the Customer Care Professional is typically over $15.00 per hour.
#5 Apple
Not only does Apple have great technology, they have great work from home employment opportunities.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Go to jobs.apple.com and just start typing the works WORK FROM HOME in the search bar to see some available openings auto-populate. For example, these jobs came up today: Customer Relations Advisor, Software Engineer, and Product Marketer (just to name a few).
A few times a year, Apple At Home Advisor and Chat Agent jobs are available for people living throughout the USA. You do have to know about Apple products for these technical support jobs, though virtual training is provided.
#6 Articulate
Articulate is a developer of e-learning software and tools, and they're always looking for smart, interesting, funny and nice people to add to their staff (as they put it). All their employees work from home, or wherever, and they reap the rewards of great benefits, too.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Currently, they have openings for a Customer Care Advicate, E-Mail Marketing Specialist, Talent Development Manager, and Software Engineer.
#7 Automattic
Automattic is one of the first work from home companies hiring ALL their employees on a 100% virtual basis. It is also a leading company for anyone wishing to work with WordPress (blogging platform).
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Most of the jobs they have are more technical in nature, which include Javascript Engineer, Data Wrangler, Theme Wrangler,Director of Payments BUT there is one job they seem to have open all the time:and Happiness Engineer (customer service). There is a 2-6 week trial period to see if you're a good fit with the company but once you pass that, you're in with a great company with great benefits.
#8 Belay
Helping companies with their social media sharing via their app, all of Belay employees work wherever they want. What's interesting about the jobs with this company is the fact you may be hired for one role but you expand into other areas of the company.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Encompassing a variety of duties in the areas of Virtual Assistants, Virtual Bookkeepers, and Website Specialists, Belay always seems to have part and full time jobs that let you work from anywhere.
To apply for a job with Belay, go to their JOBS page (here's the link) and click the APPLY NOW button.
Then, you'll have to go through the "process" which, according to Belay, is like this:
Conducted over email and video conference calls, our application process consists of two interviews along with a skills assessment. Be on the lookout for an '@belaysolutions.com' email address once your application is submitted. Most candidates move from initial interview to final interview within a week or two.
How Much Can You Make ?
According to the anonymous job review website Glassdoor, Virtual Assistant jobs at Belay pay an average of $17.00 an hour. Not too shabby !
#9 Clevertech
Clevertech is a company that custom designs web and mobile applications and they probably have a job for you.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
While mostly hiring in the design and development arena, they occasionally hire Customer Service Representatives to provide top-notch service.
#10 DataStax
A computer software company based out of Santa Clara, California, DataStax is always looking for people who want to thrive and grow with a company.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
The bulk of their remote jobs are in the engineering and product management areas, so if this is your thing this company is worth checking out.
Go to the DataStax job page and scroll down to the LOCATIONS category. You can click the box next to Anywhere-United States, or Remote… to see which home-based jobs they have. But, to really see all their remote job openings, click MORE to see even more jobs.
#11 Enterprise Holdings
Probably one of the most well-known companies that hire work from home employees, Enterprise is a family-owned portfolio of brands: Enterprise, National and Alamo.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
They frequently hire home workers to be their Rental Reservation Representatives and Customer Service Representatives throughout the US. To view the jobs, go to the jobs and careers page at Enterprise and scroll down about halfway down the page. Then, click the Work From Home button. Yep, Enterprise has simplified the job search for you.
How much can you make ?
I've read people say they make between $12.00 and $12.45 an hour doing the Customer Service jobs. I've also found the average salary for these jobs to be over $33,000.00 a year, which comes to over $14.00 an hour.
#12 GMR Transcription
When it comes to transcription jobs, GMR Transcription stands out among the thousands of companies in this field. Based in the USA, and only taking resumes from applicants located in the USA, GMR is a reputable company that hires beginner transcriptionists.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
In addition to transcription (medical and general), GMR has openings in translation, interpretation, proofreading, editing and closed captioning.
How much can you make ?
Well, this is what they tell us:
We do not disclose pay rates until you are hired. The pay rates are based on the turnaround time, number of speakers, and quality of audio.
And this:
Our transcriptionists/translators typically earn between $1,000 to $3,000 per month, depending on their skills and the kind of work they take. For example, a transcriptionist will earn more if they are willing to take more difficult assignments or files with expedited turnaround times. As our transcriptionists become more experienced, they start earning more income for the same amount of time they put in.
So, if you want to be one of the higher earners, read my post on how to learn the 3 steps to make more money doing online transcription.
#13 Hilton Worldwide
Hilton is one of our favorite companies hiring home workers. A leading hospitality company since 1919, they always seem to have plenty of openings.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Reservation Sales Specialists and Hhonors Specialists are frequently available jobs. I say frequently because these jobs go fast so if there isn't an opening today, there probably will be a virtual job opening next week.
To see which jobs are available, go to the Hilton Careers page and simply hover over the Areas Of Talent option in the menu. Then, click Work From Home in the drop-down menu.
How much can you make ?
Hilton doesn't disclose the pay but all my research tells me the pay range to be between $11.00 and $14.00 an hour.
HSN, a multi-billion dollar online and television retailer, is a well known company that hires plenty of home workers in sales and customer care. Part time and full time jobs always seem to be available but I have noticed that you do have to live in the area specified in the job posting.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
HSN's most common virtual job is in Customer Service but you do have to live in certain counties in the state of Florida (Volusia, Pasco, Orange, Hernando…). The jobs only require a High School diploma or GED and there are opportunities for bi-lingual candidates.
To see their remote job openings, go to their Jobs page and scroll down a little bit.
Then, when you see the big pink Search Jobs area, click the Category pull-down and then click the Work At Home option.
How much can you make ?
Another company that doesn't tell us the pay rate but my research indicates the pay for both a Sales Rep. and Customer Care Rep. to be around $12.00 an hour.
#15 Hubstaff
Hubstaff is a company that created a very popular time-tracking and employee productivity software. If you're looking for a reason to work for Hubstaff, this is what they say:
Why work at Hubstaff? Two words: no cubicles. As part of the international Hubstaff team, you work when and where you're most productive. Home office, co-working space, beach, train, plane, you name it. We're a team of driven, talented individuals who are always looking to work smarter and accomplish more.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Developer, Customer Support, UX Front-End Engineer, just to name a few of their current openings. And what's cool about Hubstaff and their job openings, you can submit General Application if you think you have some awesome skills to offer the company.
So, even if they don't have a job for you right now, they might create one for you.
#16 Humana
Another big healthcare and health insurance company, Humana is no stranger to hiring virtual employees.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
The openings consist of Nurse Liaison, RN or Disease Case Managers, Community Health Educator, Computer Operations Specialist, Proposal Analyst and Provider Contracting Representative.
To see the jobs, from their careers page, click the green SEARCH CAREERS box.
After that, scroll down to the WORK STYLE category and click Work at Home. Tadaaa !
#17 Mayo Clinic
This is a company who needs no introduction, is always hiring teleworkers to join their staff.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Although Coders are their main home-based career option, they do hire Regional Service Reps. and Clinical Specialty Reps. And, to top it off, their benefits package include professional growth opportunities and an emphasis on work/life balance.
To see their jobs, go to their careers page, scroll down a bit till you see this:
Then click on TELEWORK. As of today, there are 27 remote job openings at Mayo Clinic.
#18 Modsquad
Always hiring home workers, ModSquad hires people to help their customers protect and grow their online communities and social channels with top-notch moderation and customer support jobs. Some positions are for those whose native language is something other than English.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Their #1 and constant remote job is a Mod. According to ModSquad, here's what a Mod is"
Mods are pros in digital engagement: moderating forums, chatting with customers, managing communities, and buzzing in social media. As a Mod in our network, you can work from any private location with secure high-speed internet access. You'll select your projects based on YOUR passions – and schedule when YOU want to deliver.
To apply for the job, click the GET STARTED button and fill in the bozes about yourself. Don;t forget to include your resume/CV.
How much can you make ?
ModSquad doesn't come right out and tell us how much can be made; they claim it depends on how much you work, your experience and skill level, and how well you perform. But, I do know from people who actually work as a Mod that the pay starts out at $9.00 an hour.
#19 Rev Transcription
Rev is a great company to consider if you want to get into transcription but don't have much experience. They are an online-only company, providing virtual training with a constant flow of transcription and translation work.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Entry level transcriptionist and – after some transcription experience is gained – Captioner. I should mention the jobs are freelance, meaning no benefits (with the exception of working from home), but they do hire worldwide.
How much can you make ?
Rev pays by the audio minute you transcribe, which they claim averages to $245.00 a month. This may seem low (because it is) but as far as jobs for beginners, this is one of the best paying transcription companies out there.
#20 Sutherland Remote Engagement
This company is a leading provider of matching skills and talents to job opportunities with their base of clients. In other words, a business outsourcing company that pays you to do business related tasks. Hiring in several countries, Sutherland strives to maximize their client's customer satisfaction by hiring representatives who are knowledgeable in the financial, gaming, insurance, mortgage, retail, and travel industries.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
There's a large variety of jobs, including Human Resources, Customer Service, Mortgage Processor, Mortgage Closer, Insurance Agent, Payment Solutions Specialist, and Loan Servicing Specialist.
To get started, first go to Sutherland's job openings page and click the country you live in.
Then just look through the opportunities and click the ones that interest you to read more about them.
How much can you make ?
It depends on the job, how much you work, the client but you can expect to earn from $9.00 to $17.00 an hour.
#21 Taxjar
This is a company who helps ecommerce merchants manage their sales taxes so they can spend less time doing the hard work and more time growing the business they love.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Taxjar is a full distributed company, meaning ALL their employees work remotely from wherever they feel they work best.
And speaking of working your best, there are a bunch of benefits besides just working from anywhere, like these:
- competitive salary,
- a welcome gift
- 2 annual company retreats
- full health, dental and vision coverage
And, as of today, these are some of their job openings:
- QA Automation Engineer
- Software Engineer
- DevOps Engineer
- Customer Service / Service Desk Analyst
- AutoFile Enrollment Specialist
- Marketing Operations Lead
#22 Toptal
Toptal hires the best professionals to serve the needs of other companies seeking the best talent for their work. You are a freelancer with Toptal, with a ton of benefits including health insurance, working fully remotely, and the ability to travel.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Toptal hires people with expertise in Business Operations, Communications, Design, Engineering, Marketing and Growth, Sales, Developers, Designers, Finance, Public Relations, and Content Creation. There is a huge selection of jobs – you're sure to find a fit.
#23 UScreen
This is the place to sell videos online. Why ? because according to them:
In 2015 we set off on a journey to become the best video monetization platform in existence. Since then, we celebrated success with over 5000 video creators to date. We're not just a company that provides amazing software, we're a community of industry experts set to help you become and stay successful.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Besides creating and selling your own videos, which is pretty easy, by the way, Uscreen has remote jobs in Engineering, Content Marketing, Technical Support, Inside Sales, and Customer Success.
As a remote first company, Uscreen wants to be sure they hire the best, so be sure to complete all the required steps as instructed during the application process. Only complete applications will be considered.
How Much Can You Make ?
Similar to so many reputable companies, Uscreen does not disclose the salary for their open jobs. I suppose because this is something you'll negotiate during the job offer.
But I will say this about how much you might earn:
The remote jobs in the engineering area tend to pay extremely well, near $100,000.00 as an annual median salary.
And if you don't have engineering experience, Content Marketing jobs pay an average of $41,000.00 and the US Bureau Of Labor Stats. tells us that the salary of Customer Support Specialists and Technical Support jobs typically pay over $16.00 an hour.
#24 Uhaul
Have you heard of Uhaul ? Then you know they're one of the biggest and most well-known moving and storage companies out there.
But did you know they have home-based jobs, too ? That's right. Uhaul is one of the leading companies who let you work from home.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Uhaul has a lot of work from home jobs in their call center division, making this company an extremely popular choice for home workers because openings are always available.
Part-time and flexible work schedules are the norm with this company, with jobs including Road Side Assistant Agents, Inbound Center Support Agents, Sales and Reservations Agents, Customer Service Agent, and U-Box (storage unit) Agents.
For all these positions, you need to have these basic skills:
- basic keyboard skills,
- be organized
- you can speak clearly
- you have a general knowledge of US geography
AND NO COLLEGE DEGREE IS REQUIRED for most of the remote call center jobs !
To get started, just go to their jobs page, scroll down to the FEATURED JOBS section and click the View Call Center Jobs link under the Call Center section. Then, look at the jobs and see which one interests you.
When you get the job, you'll more than likely have hands-on education while working with your manager from day one.
- You will spend 2 hours within the first 3 days at a U-Haul Center for training purposes.
- Expect to be on the phones taking live calls by day 2 of training with your manager.
#25 UnitedHealth Group
A leader in hiring virtual workers in the managed care industry, UnitedHealth Group hires Provider Data Strategists, Tricare Prior Authorization Nurses, Field Service Coordinators, Field Care Advocates, and Relationship Management Leaders. Every once in a while they have jobs in claims processing, which are primarily data entry. Jobs with UnitedHealth Group are location specific but with the number of remote opportunities given you're bound to find a position in your area.
#26 Verbal Ink
If you're a linguist who wants to work from home online AND have some flexibility in your schedule, Verbal Ink might be the answer.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
Transcribers and Translators are the two main remote job openings but they do look for editors. To be part of the Verbal Ink team of contractors, you must have a strong command of the English language and have a knack for finishing work ahead of schedule. This is a company who is always looking for good people to join their team and receive a fair pay for their work.
Speaking of which…
How Much Can You Make ?
Verbal Ink is quiet when it comes to talking about potential earnings but, according to the research done by Wealth Inflator, you might be able to make .85 cents per transcribed audio minute. That means you can make up to $51.00 for each audio hour. BUT…it would realistically take 3 to 4 hours to do an audio file and therefore the actual pay would be $12.00 to $17.00 an hour.
Still, one of the better transcription payers out there.
#27 Vortala
Vortaka is a web design, development, and management company specializing in helping healthcare professionals with their websites. A completely virtual company, they always seem to have a need for Website Managers, SEO Specialists, Client Support Specialists, Content Marketing Specialists, and Copywriters.
#28 Way With Words
According to Way With Words, they are always looking for transcribers with an excellent understanding of language and communications. As a contractor with Way With Words, your experience level can be from beginner to advanced and the work is ongoing.
#29 Boldly
They call themselves a "premium subscription " company but I like to call it a company that has some cool remote job opportunities. Don't worry – you won't pay a subscription to work. Boldly's clients pay to have their work done.
What Work From Home Jobs Are Available ?
These jobs are available:
How much can you make ?
How does $20.00 an hour for starters sound ?
#30 Xerox
Xerox is a strong supporter of military workers as well as those wanting to work from home. Known as their virtual workforce program, Xerox has jobs in many areas including data entry, customer support and human resources. This is a company that always seems to have plenty of options. Some of the job titles include Graphic Designer, Production Sales Specialist, Service Desk Representative, Business Analysis, and Client Services Specialist.
Next Steps:
Armed with a bunch of companies who hire home workers on a regular basis, you're on your way to getting a remote job. Take these steps to get closer to working from home.
- Which companies interest you?
- Go to their site and check out their openings. Chances are they have even more than what I have listed above.
- Follow the company's directions – to a "T" – they will not consider you unless you follow their application specifications.
- Review your resume and spruce it up if need be. You can read my tips here
- Are you ready for your interview?


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Jailbreak iOS 12.1.1 for iPhone 7…
If you've iPhone, you were thinking about jailbreak 12.1.1 which is near to release before iOS 12.1.1 by Apple. And most probably everybody who has upgraded to iOS 12.1.1 are eager to download next update which is compatible for jailbreak 12.1.1 PanGu.
I said and would repeat that it won't be easy to bring untethered jailbreak with Cydia iOS 12.1.1 for iPhone 7 because device itself protected with highly advanced operating system developed by Apple and it's iOS 12.1.1.
Apple is ready to do anything that they can to prevent jailbreaking and these are the initial steps. They actually take these activities too seriously because they don't wanna loss the trust from the buys for their security proof iPhone device.
iOS 12.1.1 would be another firmware update for iPhone which is gonna super rock and may be PanGu won't find any exploit to install Cydia on this firmware update too.
We're getting news that PanGu and Luca Todesco are developing such jailbreak tool which can be released for iOS 12.1.1, but in reality there isn't any tool out there on whole web, then why these websites publishing such news and why not they let the PanGu work alone!
Actually, if they'd stop publishing the developments which are performed in the background by PanGu and Cydia creators, you'd loss hope and interest for the upcoming jailbreak, thus the different websites and blogs are active to boost your confidence and faith in Cydia tweaks and PanGu for iOS 12.1.1 firmware too.
Now what to expect for the jailbreak for iOS 12.1.1? Is it possible to perform any untethered jbreak and install Cydia apps on our iPhone?
Look, if you've iPhone 7 or older Apple device, you will surely jailbreak iOS 12.1.1 and future updates using PanGu or any other untethered tool because these Chinese security researchers and developers are working to discover exploits for developing jailbreak apps and Cydia hacks in order to do something new for you. Their intension is not related to hacking, but they wanna create something new that can be inspiration for Apple too for creating new features.
Luca has demonstrated iOS 12.1.1 jailbreak, it means there is a huge possibility that PanGu or TaiG or even OverSky team would develop jailbreak iOS 12.1.1 in near future.
We just need to keep our hope continue for the Cydia 12.1.1 because if we'd stop responding for such news, we'd loss the continued interest from authors.
Now, I've too decided to publish each and every update about Jailbreak 12.1.1 which may be fall any time soon. I'd request to post at least one comment and respond to my thoughts.

subset: commoncrawl


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Home > Unix/Linux > Powerful Linux/Unix Command dd, right?
Powerful Linux/Unix Command dd, right?
May 12, 2011 Leave a comment Go to comments
dd has been around for so many years( since 1970). It comes to help for quite a lot of things. I am impressed every time I have to use it, it is the right tool in the right time. It is very powerful and can rely on it if you know how to use it.
Here are some examples of dd use:
1. Convert EBCDIC to ASCII or vice versa
dd if=file.in of=file.out conv=ebcdic
2. Make bootable iso from DVD in case you need to backup the CD/DVD into image
dd if=/dev/hda of=dvd.iso
3. Drop ASM diskgroup
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=1048576 count=50
dd will put zeroes in the header of /dev/sdb disk, erasing the information. In this way the asm disk is seen as CANDIDATE and you are ready to re-use it. Check out Metalink [ID 563048.1].
Categories: Unix/Linux


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Just wondering if anyone that's done this mission could shed some light on how this can be done.
I'm in the area but the spawn is quite small - more time is spent waiting rather than shooting. I'm wondering if it's possible to run around the area outside the mission triggering zone to bring the surrounding mobs into the area to kill. Will they still count? Or is this all based on killing from this specific small mob spawner?
I don't want to waste extra ammo killing ones that bare no weight on the mission. Also I'm wondering how the spawn happens? Is it right after a certain kill or randomly as new ones spawn in. Hate to hit that 10k to have one spawn after I log out of something.
I'd like to post this on the cyrene forum too but I still haven't gotten the email to verify my account.
I have now completed the mission I needed to do 11,027 kills. I supposed there were a few that didn't count as I was in the wrong spot.
So yeah...
1. You can gather the ones on the mountain and bring them to the area to kill them. They count.
2. You have to actually hit a finite number it's not tracked where you can see. Once you hit that number a text overlay happens saying the beast has spawned and a waypoint is added to your radar. There's no missing that it spawned.
3. Looks like anyone can kill it at that point - not sure if it counts if someone else kills it but apparently you can go elsewhere as some other mobs count for the kill.


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USC Upstate doubles up Barber-Scotia 105-43
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — Michael Buchanan scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and USC Upstate beat Barber-Scotia 105-43 on Monday for its fourth largest margin of victory in school history.
Upstate beat Bob Jones 107-41 earlier this season.
Daniel Bridges scored 18 points for USC Upstate (6-2) and Tristan Thomas had 17. Jacob Schulte had 12 points with 10 rebounds and Josh Cuthbertson added 11.
Buchanan made 10 of his 12 field goals as Upstate made 53.2 percent of its shots, including 14 of 36 from 3-point range. Thomas was 5 of 11 from distance and Bridges made four of his nine 3-pointers.
Barber-Scotia (1-9), a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association, was led by Walter Jackson with 15 points and ShaQuille Wilson's 11. The Mighty Sabers made just 14 of 65 shots (21.5 percent) and were out-rebounded 65-26.


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- Showtec filter frame for a Par 30 black
Showtec filter frame for a Par 30 black
Online stock status:
Available in 5 business days.
£6.45 (incl. 20% VAT)
Showtec filter frame for a Par 30 black Product no.: HI-30336 Warranty period: This product comes with a 3-year warranty.
If you want to fasten a colour filter to a Par 30, you will need a filter frame. This filter frame can easily be placed in the standard filter holders that are provided on nearly any par and thanks to the metal exterior, the filter holder will last you a long time. Just add a little extra something to the light that is emitting from your par 30!
Weight and dimensions including packaging
- Weight (incl. packaging) 70 gr
- Dimensions (incl. packaging) 13.0 x 13.0 x 0.5 cm
Product specifications
- black filter frame
- designed for par 30 armatures
- easily replace filters
- dimensions frame: 12.7 x 12.7 cm
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Vor the Maelstrom is another great game that I've had a great time playing. Unfortunately the game died before it's time due to the closure of it's parent company FASA. Because of this there were lots of units that were not supported by models. This poses some great conversion possibilities.
One of which was the Loki-class Gunship. This was a vehicle in use by the North American Union, a new superpower formed in the late 21st century by a merger of The United States, Canada and Mexico to counter the threat of the Neo-Soviet Union and it's rampant spread of communism around the world. This occurred just before the Earth was engulfed into the pocket universe known as Vor the Maelstrom.
The fluff described the Loki as being built from old AH-64 Apache gunships being fitted from anti-grav technology in which Union scientists were finally able to reverse engineer from alien technology kept at Area 51. The gunship was obviously upgunned with much more powerful weapons to take on the horrific mutants of the Neo-Soviet Empire. These weapons became very useful when going up against the alien threats encountered within the Maelstrom, like Growlers.
Monogram 1/48th scale AH-64 model kit (which 1/48 is perfect for the slightly larger 28mm figures of Vor). Next I removed engines from the fuselage and dug up something that would look totally alien, and change the appearance from a conventional helicopter. I found the engines from a Star Wars Micro Machines Fleet Action Sebulba's Pod Racer to work perfectly for this. The majority of the other parts I used were components from RoboGear, these are some modular snap together toys that are used for 28mm gaming from a Russian toy company. I took the original front landing struts and moved them outboard within the new engines. The hole left in the fuselage for the rotors was replaced with a GW Tau Drone to work as a radar dish. The counter-rotation rotor housing molded into the tail now mounts a rear facing camera and countermeasures package. The original FLIR turret is now upgraded with new sensors, made from I think a 1/25th scale power steering pump from a model car kit.
For the maingun, I replaced it with a much bigger autocannon from Robogear. I just couldn't think of this thing hunting down Growler bulls with original 30mm chaingun. Removing the sight and ammo magazines I found this gun fit perfectly within a RoboGear frame that is similar to the original turret frame.
The project has been sort of stalled for some time. The next step I wanted to do was to make some special decals for this to represent markings of the NAU. Based on the cover art of the Union Forcebook, I was able to recreate the Union's flag. From this I can make insignia for the model and print them off for decals. I'm sure when I get caught up on my other projects I'll get back to getting this guy finished.


text: September 23, 2010 Gamebird Restoration By Ryan Hamre The Surrogator, a patented process, is a self-contained field unit that will establish a huntable population of gamebirds on your property. This is NOT an adult bird release system. The Surrogator functions as a "surrogate parent" by providing food, water, warmth and protection for the first five weeks of the bird's life. By placing the Surrogator in a location where you would like to establish a huntable population of pheasant or quail, chicks raised in the unit become imprinted to that location. The birds' natural homing instinct motivates them to live and reproduce where they were raised and released. The Surrogator will hold 125 day-old quail chicks or 65 day-old pheasant chicks until they reach five weeks of age. The greatest mortality on the life of gamebirds happens in the nest and before three weeks of age. Chicks raised in the Surrogator are protected from predators and the elements at a time when they are most vulnerable. Research proves that gamebirds develop their natural survival instincts by five weeks of age. Chicks raised in the Surrogator have limited human contact, further enhancing the natural survivability of the birds. Contact: Wildlife Management Technologies, Dept. GD, 2525 N. Loch Lomond Ct., Wichita, KS 67228; (316) 200-0134. GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing. Sign Me Up


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The way we live is essentially connected to our health and prosperity, and here's the place our propensities come to play. While planning your new year's goals and post-Christmas diet, help yourself to remember some of the least difficult and most common things you can do to be a little healthier. Remember that getting into great day by day propensities presently will be reflected positively on your well being later on. So here are 21 reviving tips you could use.
According to considers, the smell radiated by orange strip or orange basic oil may help improve states of mind, support readiness, and diminish feelings of anxiety. You may apply the essential oil to the wrist and the sanctuaries for the equivalent effect. Whether you have inconvenience resting or not, the fragrance of lavender can fill in as aromatherapy, helping you rest further and more peacefully.
Eating well is about what you eat, and also how you eat it. Rather than pigging out on food before a PC or television screen, discover some an opportunity to make lunch time more serene and less surged. Concentrating on what you are eating may help tame the dreadful propensity for overeating.
Flossing your teeth will enhance the strength of your gums, the freshness of your breath, and the general cleanliness of your mouth. I wager you've heard it a hundred times before, however in case regardless you're disregarding it, presently's presumably the best time to consider the guidance. Furthermore, did you realize it has likewise been found to help prevent heart disease?
We spend a great arrangement of our days taking a gander at screens. This may cause a strain on our eyes, especially if this is improved the situation quite a while. This standard says that we ought to take a 20 second break at regular intervals by turning away from the screen into a distance of 20 ft (6 meters).
The Hustle and Clamor Of Our Days
Can here and there deplete our vitality and abandon us with no time for ourselves. In any case, when you begin to discover time for contemplation, and really appreciating the occasion, you won't have any desire to return. This just requests 10 minutes of your day or less, however it will have an immense effect in numerous ways.
Having a sedentary way of life is undesirable for your bones and muscles, regardless of how old you might be – so an intermittent stretch all over is relatively vital. And don't you stress – you don't need to be an accomplished yogi to be capable to stretch your appendages and discover time for it.
If your office is excessively far away to arrive by walking, you can in any case make a reason to use your legs somewhat more than expected. By getting off the transport or train one or two stops early, you will have the capacity to appreciate some crisp morning air and procure the physical and mental advantages that strolling offers.
Herbal teas can be gainful for a few wellbeing related issues, including vitality, sleep, and processing. Pick the ones you require the most and start of sipping on them rather than your morning coffee. If you've spent an entire day taking a gander at a computer screen at work, help your body out and detach for some time, especially before you sleep.
Lack of sleep is one of the reasons for pressure related manifestations. Abstain from stressing your body by giving it enough rest. What's more, on the off chance that you think you'll escape doing one of your late night errands, set an alert to help you to remember your much needed bed time.
Pamper yourself with a shedding characteristic clean made of just 2 fixings – sea salt (or sugar) and olive oil. Figure out how to make it here. Are you aware of the manner in which you are sitting at your work area at work? Ensure your computer is situated the correct separation far from your eyes and your table is of the perfect stature. Investigate this ergonomic manual for abstain from creating posture problems in the future.
Why take the lift when taking the stairs can fill in as some speedy physical activity? Prioritize the strength of your body and dissemination by settling on a little climb, particularly if working at an office. If you've found some an opportunity to cook a sound feast, why not twofold the segment and leave some for the coming days? Pre-getting ready sound sustenance from days before has been said to urge you to eat more beneficial, as it spares you from having to prepare it each day.
Make the most out of the day's daylight and the outside air by taking your lunch break outside, rather than remaining in a similar working for quite a long time. Aside from giving your eyes and nose a break, you'll likewise be boosting your temperament and increasing your productivity.
If you know you will have a boozy end of the week, state no to that additional glass of wine during your weekday supper – thusly you'll be arranging your week in a decently balanced way. This is where you should begin from in case you're hoping to decrease your sugar admission. Put a minimal less sugar or sugar each time you have tea or espresso and keep reducing it till you cut it off completely.
Veggies are just as essential as organic product seem to be, and despite the fact that we probably won't devour them in the same way, this smoothie gives a simple method to do as such. Guarantee your veggie intake by setting up some handled greens, including spinach, cucumber, chard, and kale – and abandon some for tomorrow!


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In recent years, "save the bees" has become a throwaway phrase, reduced to Instagram hashtags and t-shirt slogans. Amid the trendy nature of this particular strand of activism, it is easy to forget that bee pollination is the cornerstone of our ecosystem. Saving the bees is essential to managing our natural landscape, agricultural produce and economy. Around 79 per cent of wild plants and almost a third of agricultural produce require insect pollination, which is carried out almost entirely by bees and hoverflies. In 2017, the All Ireland Bumblebee Monitoring Scheme noted a record low for the bee population, with approximately a third of wild bee species threatened with extinction.
Halting this decline demands extensive research on species and their population numbers, as well as the specific challenges Irish bees are facing, including habitat loss, starvation, poisoning and climate change. Irish universities have emerged as leaders in this area, utilising a mixture of research and conservation projects to fulfil their aims. Speaking to The University Times, Jane Stout, a professor in Trinity's School of Botany, explained the necessity of this interlinked approach: "Without research we don't know how to do the conservation, but if we step back without doing the research, we don't know that conservation is needed in the first place."
In 2015, Stout set up the All Ireland Pollinator Plan (AIPP) alongside Trinity's Dr Una Fitzpatrick. The AIPP was established following years of university research, and is a national plan of action dedicated to helping Irish communities create a pollinator-friendly landscape.
That was sort of our baseline. 30 per cent of Irish bees are threatened with extinction. This is a bit worrying, and we need to do something about it
This research dates back to a red listing project carried out in Trinity in 2006. "That red listing process enabled us to say which insect species are threatened with extinction and how much threat they are under," says Stout. "That was sort of our baseline. 30 per cent of Irish bees are threatened with extinction. This is a bit worrying, and we need to do something about it."
University research continues to drive the AIPP as it adjusts recommendations based on new scientific evidence and feedback from community groups. But the efforts to promote bee conservation are not confined to Trinity. The University of Limerick is home to the National Apiculture Programme, which is researching bee health and, in particular, the control of Varroa, a mite that has caused many honeybee colonies to disappear.
Dr Dara Stanley, an ecologist at NUI Galway, is researching the relationships between bees and ecology and the contribution of different species to the pollination of particular Irish crops. Meanwhile, Dr Jim Carolan, molecular biologist at NUI Maynooth, is investigating the impact of stressors on bees at a cellular molecular level, such as agricultural chemicals and pesticides.
Stout, Carolan, Stanley and Dr Blanaid White, analytical chemists at Dublin City University (DCU), established the Irish Pollinator Research Network in 2016 that brings together researchers from different fields. "We acknowledge the importance of taking a cross-disciplinary approach to research and, regardless of our differences, we are united by the same goal: to save our bees", says Dr Carolan.
Alongside the research efforts, several campuses now have their own pollinator plans modelled on the community sector of the AIPP: the Trinity Campus Pollinator Plan (TCPP), established in 2015, is one such example. Beyond academia, the TCPP brings together staff and students from all over College. One aim of the Plan is to make campus more pollinator-friendly, a goal involving extensive collaboration with Estates and Facilities. Trinity's honeybee hives, situated on the roof of the Parson's building, are maintained by Susan Bioletti, Head of Preservation and Conservation at the Library, and Marcus Phelan, a senior technician at Trinity's Hazardous Waste Facility. Larger campuses such as Maynooth University and University College Dublin (UCD) have even wider scope for creating pollinator-friendly environments.
Universities can use bees to bring different disciplines together. That's when you get new ideas, sparking new approaches
The mission to save the bees is building connections between academia and local communities, in a time where science outreach is becoming increasingly important. Stout reiterated this point, saying that: "Universities can promote this cross disciplinarity, and stop people from just being in their own subject, and use bees to bring different disciplines together. That's when you get new ideas, sparking new approaches. Give students enough scope to be able to do things outside of their courses. Allow students to have breadth instead of depth."
Other programmes are encouraging universities to forge the gap between academia and local communities in the hope of preventing further decline in the bee population. Campus Engage is a national network, comprising the seven Irish universities and Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), that aims to promote civic and community engagement. The DIT Campus Engage network, Students Learning With Communities (SLWC), has been working with Project LIFELINE for almost a decade.
LIFELINE is the mission of non-profit Bí Urban to create an urban greenway connecting the Botanic Gardens and the Liffey in Dublin 7, providing a haven for pollinators and public access to Irish ecology. It will also function as a living laboratory for DIT students, many of whom have engaged with the LIFELINE project over the past ten years. The Bí Urban studio makes and sells "Bí Therapy" – homemade skincare products that use honeybee ingredients and are developed by DIT students in chemistry, nutraceuticals, and nutrition.
Bees are certainly a hot topic, and through research, education and community engagement, university communities are a big part of this momentum. As Maeve McCann, a Genetics student who spent her summer researching the DNA of bumblebees put it: "Bees are in vogue… And lucky for them, just in time!"


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A Pointed note on Martin Luther King, Jr Day
Three years ago I was out for a walk in Haiti when I met this boy who asked me to photograph him pointing to God. Aggrieved by the president's recent disrespectful comments about Haiti, I am posting this as a reminder of what even the youngest of Haitian children know: There is a power higher than that of any president.
Becky Jaffe: Resources to #Resist
This is a guest post by Becky Jaffe.
Per your request, I drafted a quick list of progressive organizations that we will want to support now more than ever. This list of national organizations is by no means comprehensive, just a good place to start if you want to get plugged in to community organizations that build power for the most marginalized sectors of our society. Each of these is a clickable link that will take you directly to the organization's website so you can learn more about their mission. Please add to this list and circulate widely. I will be creating a Bay Area-specific list soon for people who want to support local community organizations and I encourage you to make a similar list for your region.
Let's get busy supporting each other, people! We have our work cut out for us and much joyful organizing ahead.
Immigrant/Refugee rights:
- National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
- National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers' Guild
- National Immigration Law Center
- Catholic Charities
- the New American Leaders Project
- Presente
- Define American
Civil Rights, social justice and legal defense organizations:
- CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations
- SURJ, Showing Up for Racial Justice
- NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
- Black Lives Matter
- the Anti-Defamation League
- Race Forward
- Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education
- Bend the Arc: a Jewish partnership for Justice
- Center for Constitutional Rights
- Human Rights Watch:United States
- ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union
- NLG, the National Lawyer's Guild
- Legal Aid Society
- SPLC the Southern Poverty Law Center
- The Innocence Project
- Schools Not Prisons
- Anti-Eviction Mapping Project
- SEIU, Service Employees International Union
- Planned Parenthood
- National Organization for Women
LGBTQ rights:
- GLAAD: Gay And Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
- National Center for Lesbian Rights
- Human Rights Campaign
- Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
- Transgender Law Center
Disability rights:
Building democracy:
- Women's March on Washington: 10 Actions for the first 100 Days
- the Equal Justice Society
- The Highlander Research and Education Center
Fight for the Future
- Indivisible: Former congressional staffers reveal best practices for making Congress listen
- Common Cause
- FAIR: Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
- Center for Digital Democracy
- Brennan Center for Justice
- Public Citizen
- Inequality Media
Environmental organizations:
Is tourism in Haiti inherently exploitative?
I recently returned from Haiti, where I was a tourist traveling around the country for 6 days with my friends Jamie and Becky. As I spent time there, I felt increasingly aware of the difficult if not miserable spot that the country as a whole finds itself in, even though there are of course wonderful and incredibly beautiful and creative things happening too: art is everywhere.
Everyone knows about the 2010 earthquake which devastated the capital Port Au Prince – which was indeed terrible and its ramifications are still being felt – that natural disaster is really only one more thing for the Haitians to deal with, on top of a long and excruciating history of manmade, political and human disasters.
I read the book Mountains Beyond Mountains while I was traveling, upon the recommendation of a bunch of my friends. It's putatively the story of a white doctor from Boston, Paul Farmer, who is trying his best to enlist a growing group of doctors and philanthropists to help the deeply impoverished town of Cange in Haiti achieve state-of-the-art healthcare. It's an impressive book, and beautifully written, and doesn't shy away from frank discussions of how the United States has meddled with and manipulated the politics of Haiti to its own advantage. You should all read it.
One of the most memorable scenes from the book, at least for me, is when the writer discusses the juxtaposition of spending one day in Cange in Haiti and then flying directly to New York, or maybe Paris, but in any case a glamorous, rich, first-world city, and how it seems like two bizarrely separate worlds. Farmer says that no, in fact, it's exactly what you'd expect – that there's a direct line between the poverty of Haiti and the richness of New York. New York is rich in part because Haiti is poor, and we New Yorkers depend, even if invisibly, on exploitation of places like Haiti to stay rich. When you concentrate wealth in one place, you are concentrating poverty as well.
That brings me to my question today. Is it inherently exploitative to be a tourist in Haiti?
Reasons it is:
- First and foremost, as Americans we can choose to visit Haiti, and then return after 6 days. Haitians cannot choose to visit us for 6 days, even if they had the money to do it. And again, that discrepancy is directly due to U.S. foreign policy.
- American tourists like myself are impossibly rich and powerful compared to the people we interact with in Haiti. That creates a weird and deep distance between people. It means that everyone on the street is aware of me and nobody fucks with me because the consequences for them would be dire. That's what power looks like. As a result, t may be impossible to actually have a normal human relationship with a native Haitian.
- As a white person, you pay something like 10 times the normal costs of anything, which is both strange and totally understandable, but in any case it means that you are seen as a piggy bank by anyone with a service or a good to sell, which is pretty much almost anyone you meet.
- There aren't very many tourists in Haiti. All the white people we met there were there on religious or charitable missions, or worked for the UN, or were trying to set up businesses along the lines of Etsy for Haitian folk art, or are themselves art collectors. That adds to the uncomfortable sense of dependency you feel as a tourist.
- When you are at a hotel, you are being served by Haitians. It's impossible not to see the historical racial symbolism of this, given that Haitians were brought from West Africa as slaves to the French, and not to mention the more recent history which has made American influence so undermining.
- There's a reverse sex tourism industry in Haiti, which is to say that middle-aged white women are known to go to Haiti as well as the Dominican Republic to pay for sex with young men. That fact further clouds the possibility, at least for me, of even having a single conversation in which the goal is non-transactional. How do you know if your joke is actually funny? Or if the cultural exchange you are happily engaged in is truly reciprocal? How could it be?
- Conclusion: it is in fact inherently exploitative to be a tourist in Haiti, and it's not something you can choose not to participate in.
On the other hand, here are a few reasons I'd argue against my own conclusion:
- First and foremost, you are what you are as an American, even if you're not in Haiti. You are just more aware of what that means to Haitians when you are in Haiti. In other words, if the decadence of ample food, and wifi, and excellent health care is in part due to the impoverished state of Haiti, maybe it's good you are made aware of that.
- Haitians desperately need money, and tourists have money. If lots of tourists went to Haiti, it might be better for Haiti than a bunch of money coming in the form of aid.
- My friend Becky came with us to Haiti, and she stayed a few extra days and connected with a Haitian biologist and nerded out completely in a national park (she's a huge biology nerd and nature photographer). It seems to me that, if it is possible to cross the human divide, and get out of a transactional conversation and into another place, it might happen in the context of a scientific discussion.
- I'm not a biology nerd, but I love music. I felt like the closest I came to normal human interaction was through discussing and enjoying live music.
- It's really fun to travel, even if you learn sad things. You become more aware and more grateful, and you bring that back to your community and your family. There's something to be said for simple cultural awareness. Plus, now I really care about Haiti, which maybe is irrelevant, but may someday become relevant, who knows.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Update. A comment from Jamie:
Fundamentally, I do and always have agreed to your point of exploitation. I knew we would be weird voyeurs going in to the trip, and as we discussed on the last day, Cathy, we were both acutely aware of how it would look if we started taking pictures of Haitians and the streets from inside of our fancy 4-by-4. It's a complicated dynamic. And I think you're right that it is nearly impossible to have a normal, balanced relationship there; I felt similarly while traveling around West Africa. It's like we have a bank account and a green card attached to our foreheads, and it can be difficult to trust that someone is seeing us beyond that. Even if they have no ulterior motives other than being our friend, that trust is hard to grasp and hang on to.All of that said, however, I do believe that it is incredibly important to spend time in countries and cultures that are different from our own. And I believe even more fervently that we should visit those countries with a mind to experience and enjoy rather than "save" it through mission-based organizations. That's not to say that all aid is bad aid (on the contrary, many aid orgs and NGOs are very, very important!), but I do push back against the notion that one should always attach a mission to a visit. I've found that going somewhere as a volunteer or aid worker puts an even bigger wall between cultures ("I am here to help you because I have the means to help you and it is clear you can't help yourself"). I strongly believe that just sitting, listening, and learning without the motive to "save" is one of the only ways of conducting a fair and balanced cultural exchange. I want to listen first, not fix first. Once I listen, and begin to understand (as if I ever could…), only then do I feel comfortable enough to think about working in/for a country.Additionally, on the notion of choosing to vacation in a non-traditional spot that is so clearly economically and politically struggling, is it better to only travel to first world, highly developed countries and ignore that others exist? Should we blindly trust the media (and all of our friends, relatives, etc) that constantly tells us that a country is "bad" and avoid them? How will we change the discourse surrounding cultural and economic imbalances without having any first-hand experience? Are we perpetuating a notion that we are "too good" to visit a country that is struggling to stand on solid ground?It's all a complicated notion. And on a specific note, I'd love to open the floor a little on your #5 exploitative point ("When you are at a hotel, you are being served by Haitians. It's impossible not to see the historical racial symbolism of this, given that Haitians were brought from West Africa as slaves to the French, and not to mention the more recent history which has made American influence so undermining."). True. I think it's important that we are aware of that dynamic. On the other hand, what would it look like if we were being served by ex-pats? Would we not be rebelling that we are not supporting Haitians and the native economy? That the ex-pats are just making a place for other ex-pats to work and remove all Haitians from the operation? Tricky. I'm interested in hearing both of your thoughts on that.
Nerd catcalling
This is a guest post by Becky Jaffe.
It has come to my attention that I am a nerd. I take this on good authority from my students, my friends, and, as of this morning, strangers in a coffee shop. I was called a nerd three times today before 10:30 am, while I was standing in line for coffee – which is to say, before I was caffeinated, and therefore utterly defenseless. I asked my accusers for suggestions on how to be less nerdy. Here was their helpful advice:
Guy in coffee shop: "Wear makeup and high heels."
Another helpful interlocutor: "Use smaller words."
My student, later in the day: "Care less about ideas."
A friend: "Think less like NPR and more like C-SPAN."
What I wish someone had said: "Is that a dictionary in your pocket or are you happy to see me?"
What I learned today is that if I want to avoid being called a nerd, I should be more like Barbie. And I don't mean the Professor Barbie version, which – get this – does not exist. When I googled "Professor Barbie," I got "Fashion Professor Barbie."
So many lessons in gender conformity for one day! This nerd is taking notes.
Going to Haiti next week
I'm off to Haiti next week, for a week, with my buddie and bandmate Jamie Kingston. I was trying to figure out what to do with the blog while I was gone, and so I asked sometimes-guest blogger Becky Jaffe to cover for me (some of you may remember her Hip Hop's Cambrian Explosion series which to this day gets traffic) but by the time I'd explained my trip, she'd decided to come along too! Which is awesome. We're staying at the Hotel Oloffson in Port au Prince:
So two things. First, if you know of fun stuff to do in the Port au Prince area, please tell me. I tend to like talking to people, and music and crafts, and Becky and Jamie are more into nature and insects.
Second, if you have a lovely or inspiring suggestion for what should happen to mathbabe next week while we're away, please tell me!
A visit to Fair Foods in winter
It's been a few days since I last posted. The reason was my trip to WPI for my talk (slides from my talk available here), and then on to Boston, where I stayed with my good friends over at Fair Foods in Dorchester, near Fields Corner.
I mentioned Fair Foods before, for example in this post from two and a half years ago. I worked with the director Nancy in high school back in 1988 and 1989, when me and my sometimes guest blogger Becky would go work a couple of days a week. Here's a picture I stole from the site with Becky in overalls:
We'd drive at 6am with Nancy and her beat up old box truck to the Chelsea Produce Market and ask for donations of pallets of vegetables that were too old to be sold to supermarkets but still fresh enough to be eaten that same day. We'd also grab similarly oldish bread from an Arnold's Bread bakery in Cambridge and then we'd distribute the food at "dollar bag" sites, raking in less than the amount of money we'd spent on gas and insurance for the truck.
The program is still going, scraping by with sometime grants and contributions, many from ex-volunteers like me (feel free to send a contribution yourself – a check made out to "Fair Foods" and mailed to PO Box 220168, Dorchester, MA 02122 would be very welcome). And the hard working people there have my undying love and admiration for their incredible commitment and work ethic. To give you some idea, they live in an old drafty Victorian and heat their house with woodstoves. All I can say about this past weekend is thank god for union suits and wool socks.
But here's the thing, you get a pretty ground-level view of hardship and poverty working in a program like that, especially when you've done it for more than 25 years, and especially when you see increasingly long lines of people willing to wait for vegetables and bread in bitterly cold weather. Business is booming this winter.
Many of the customers of Fair Foods are old friends by now, they've been coming weekly to various sites for many years to feed their children and their grandchildren. Many of them are immigrants with very little money, and the $2 it now costs for a big bag of vegetables and fruit is a great deal.
I guess my point is this. I worked for Fair Foods back in the crack epidemic of the late 1980's and the early 1990's, which was a hellish time for Dorchester and of course other parts of the country. But nowadays, when the crime rate is so much lower, we're seeing another kind of hell. It's a lot quieter.
It's incredibly sad to see how much more demand there is for salvaged food now than there was 25 years ago, and how many of those old beautiful Victorian family houses are abandoned or at risk of foreclosure, and how few cars there are on the street compared to then. And most especially, how many of the kids I used to play with on the street are now in prison.
Before I left Saturday I made a delicious soup out of the vegetables that Jason and Liz had collected from the Chelsea Market, and I made banana bread that the banana guy had given them. A little boy from the neighborhood who came to talk to Nancy about his report card ate about half of that banana bread in one sitting. A small attempt to try to feed the people who work so hard to feed other people.
It makes me wonder what kind of country we've created where people are so hungry, we're reducing food stamps, and Jamie Dimon is getting an extra big bonus. Where is the justice in that?
"Here and Now" is shilling for the College Board
Did you think public radio doesn't have advertising? Think again.
Last week Here and Now's host Jeremy Hobson set up College Board's James Montoya for a perfect advertisement regarding a story on SAT scores going down. The transcript and recording are here (hat tip Becky Jaffe).
To set it up, they talk about how GPA's are going up on average over the country but how, at the same time, the average SAT score went down last year.
Somehow the interpretation of this is that there's grade inflation and that kids must be in need of more test prep because they're dumber.
What is the College Board?
You might think, especially if you listen to this interview, that the college board is a thoughtful non-profit dedicated to getting kids prepared for college.
Make no mistake about it: the College Board is a big business, and much of their money comes from selling test prep stuff on top of administering tests. Here are a couple of things you might want to know about College Board through its wikipedia page:
Consumer rights organization Americans for Educational Testing Reform (AETR) has criticized College Board for violating its non-profit status through excessive profits and exorbitant executive compensation; nineteen of its executives make more than $300,000 per year, with CEO Gaston Caperton earning $1.3 million in 2009 (including deferred compensation).[10][11] AETR also claims that College Board is acting unethically by selling test preparation materials, directly lobbying legislators and government officials, and refusing to acknowledge test-taker rights.[12]
Anyhoo, let's just say it this way: College Board has the ability to create an "emergency" about SAT scores, by say changing the test or making it harder, and then the only "reasonable response" is to pay for yet more test prep. And somehow Here and Now's host Jeremy Hobson didn't see this coming at all.
The interview
Here's an excerpt:
HOBSON: It also suggests, when you look at the year-over-year scores, the averages, that things are getting worse, not better, because if I look at, for example, in critical reading in 2006, the average being 503, and now it's 496. Same deal in math and writing. They've gone down.
MONTOYA: Well, at the same time that we have seen the scores go down, what's very interesting is that we have seen the average GPAs reported going up. So, for example, when we look at SAT test takers this year, 48 percent reported having a GPA in the A range compared to 45 percent last year, compared to 44 percent in 2011, I think, suggesting that there simply have to be more rigor in core courses.
HOBSON: Well, and maybe that there's grade inflation going on.
MONTOYA: Well, clearly, that there is grade inflation. There is no question about that. And it's one of the reasons why standardized test scores are so important in the admission office. I know that, as a former dean of admission, test scores help gauge the meaning of a GPA, particularly given the fact that nearly half of all SAT takers are reporting a GPA in the A range.
Just to be super clear about the shilling, here's Hobson a bit later in the interview:
HOBSON: Well – and we should say that your report noted – since you mentioned practice – that as is the case with the ACT, the students who take the rigorous prep courses do better on the SAT.
What does it really mean when SAT scores go down?
Here's the thing. SAT scores are fucked with ALL THE TIME. Traditionally, they had to make SAT's harder since people were getting better at them. As test-makers, they want a good bell curve, so they need to adjust the test as the population changes and as their habits of test prep change.
The result is that SAT tests are different every year, so just saying that the scores went down from year to year is meaningless. Even if the same group of kids took those two different tests in the same year, they'd have different scores.
Also, according to my friend Becky who works with kids preparing for the SAT, they really did make substantial changes recently in the math section, changing the function notation, which makes it much harder for kids to parse the questions. In other words, they switched something around to give kids reason to pay for more test prep.
Important: this has nothing to do with their knowledge, it has to do with their training for this specific test.
If you want to understand the issues outside of math, take for example the essay. According to this critique, the number one criterion for essay grade is length. Length trumps clarity of expression, relevance of the supporting arguments to the thesis, mechanics, and all other elements of quality writing. As my friend Becky says:
I have coached high school students on the SAT for years and have found time and again, much to my chagrin, that students receive top scores for long essays even if they are desultory, tangent-filled and riddled with sentence fragments, run-ons, and spelling errors.
Similarly, I have consistently seen students receive low scores for shorter essays that are thoughtful and sophisticated, logical and coherent, stylish and articulate.
As long as the number one criterion for receiving a high score on the SAT essay is length, students will be confused as to what constitutes successful college writing and scoring well on the written portion of the exam will remain essentially meaningless. High-scoring students will have to unlearn the strategies that led to success on the SAT essay and relearn the fundamentals of written expression in a college writing class.
If the College Board (the makers of the SAT) is so concerned about the dumbing down of American children, they should examine their own role in lowering and distorting the standards for written expression.
Two things. First, shame on College Board and James Montoya for acting like SAT scores are somehow beacons of truth without acknowledging the fiddling that goes on time and time again by his company. And second, shame on Here and Now and Jemery Hobson for being utterly naive and buying in entirely to this scare tactic.


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Hadrian's Wall Peace Labyrinth
A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering and purposeful path.
The idea of creating a living labyrinth began in 2007 and after liasing with Northumberland National Park the ideal location was found at Walltown, near Greenhead. Negotiations and feasibility studies took place and planning permission granted. Next came scale drawings and research for different coloured willow plants. Gradually the concept became a reality in 2011.
Hadrian's Wall Labyrinth is based on the pattern of the seven path Cretan Labyrinth.
The labyrinth offers an opportunity to take a journey into its centre where it provides a place of tranquility and contemplation. Labyrinths can also be a delightful way to celebrate special occasions as, through its winding paths, it reflects the twists and turns of life's journey.
Find out more about the Labyrinth here northumberlandpeacelabyrinth.wordpress.com
Hadrian's Wall Labyrinth Facebook Page


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The transforming paradigm of digital healthcare in India|January 8, 2018 0
Vinod Kumar Reddy
Despite being the second most populous country in the world, access to healthcare continues to be a major roadblock in India. 75 percent of the dispensaries and 80 percent of the doctors in India are accumulated in urban cities, however, more than 48 percent of the country's population which lives in the rural pockets undergo several hardships before they reach a critical care setting.
But this is likely to change in the days to come, as accessibility and affordability have become the buzzwords, transforming the world of healthcare today. Digitization of healthcare is revealing the vast potential of the industry and is bringing patients closer to the service providers and with digital India taking wings, people in rural corners of the country can also avail their basic right to healthcare.
While digitization is one of the major driving forces triggering the growth of healthcare, other factors also play an important role like aging population, a rise in GDP, increasing access to healthcare and growing awareness of one's health.
In recent times, there has been a perceptible shift from a prescriptive to a preventive approach as well. Consequently, more number of people resort to novel methods to take health in their hands. The digital landscape is only empowering them further by bringing together multiple healthcare services in a single platform, thereby enabling them to take informed and independent decisions.
Trending Digital Elements in Healthcare
Telemedicine and e-consultation
Geographical impediments used to limit the access to quality care in India. With the rise of telemedicine and e-consultation, people are no longer compromising with the care they need by contacting specialists located in any remote location.
EMR/EHR and e-Prescriptions
These medical techniques have facilitated seamless sharing of data, paperless documentation with high accuracy, instant retrieval of crucial patient information, and enhanced efficiency in medical practices. Encrypting patient health records via the digital media and saving it on the cloud is coming as the new wave in EMR and EHR services which is adding further precision in the clinical decisions offering better outcomes of the treatment plans.
Practice Management Software or PMS
PMS allows practice management and enhanced patient-doctor communication. It has led to hassle-free clinical maintenance with improved output by allowing a better management of appointment schedules, beforehand access to their basic information and timely update about reschedules or cancellations. At the same time, it also keeps the patients updated about a clinic's or a doctor's availability, change in their schedules, or latest appointment status.
Digital Healthcare Portals
With these digital platforms, customers can choose from the best doctors available next door, hospitals, diagnostic centers, book the services with a few clicks, get access to all their medical reports right from their smartphones and in every way, can keep a control over their health decisions. From online counseling to care at home, the services can be booked online without much ado. These portals leverage cutting-edge technology to simplify healthcare for everyone.
Healthcare Apps and Wearables
Personalized healthcare approach is set to make the next big wave paving way for the emergence of the 'empowered patient'. The new age healthcare apps have grown to be the personalized fitness buddies of millennials. Tracking one's own health through smart devices to avoid emergencies and severity of health conditions, the innovative models in wearables are redefining the digital healthcare in India.
Digital knowledge portals and discussion forums
The tech-savvy people of India try to find solutions online. There has been a significant rise in the number of users who discuss health related issues with doctors online and seek the help of online support groups, forums, and communities. The knowledge portals also serve as digital fitness guru by providing fitness advices, customized weight loss guidance, natural remedies, diet tips, and more of what we tend to know related to our wellbeing.
With these advancements, the patients no more need to feel that they are entirely dependent on the healthcare provider to know what is happening within themselves. Now, they can feel real empowerment by being equipped with easy access to care and multiple options in their hands.
India's healthcare market has always been a fertile ground for innovations and developments, as a result of which the industry is touted to be worth USD 280bn by 2020. However, the market is still scattered and unorganized. With the number of users increasing for such services, there is rampant competition in the space. However, the need of the day is a digital healthcare ecosystem which will bring the entire spectrum of healthcare services under one roof, thereby ensuring 'care continuum'.
The author is CEO, Zoylo


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27th Mar 2017
Where do I get my
inspiration from? You might be surprised to hear that my drive for great
customer service actually comes from my Grandma, who's had a massive influence
on how the claims department at Covéa Insurance looks today!
When I was given the opportunity to build a claims department from scratch, my initial thoughts were – "wow this is so exciting, something I can really put my stamp on ... but then the excitement turned to, wow this is huge, what if it doesn't work?" I had all these ideas on how it would look and they were different from the norm, but I was prepared to take a risk because I wanted us to stand out from the crowd. My main objective was to lead the market in providing a great service and genuinely be there to support our customers if the worst happens.
We've all been there, you want to speak to someone to get help, but you're just signposted to do everything online, or, you do manage to speak to an actual person and are promised a call back to resolve your problem and it never happens, or you end up on hold pressing through a myriad of options before you get to speak to a human being – it's so frustrating! My Grandma says it as it is, and when I was designing the process for our claims department, I took counsel from her at every stage where the customer would be involved - this worked out well (I still refer back to her now when we make any changes to our processes)
So what does a customer want? They want to feel like a person, not a number, put yourself in their shoes – how would you feel? They don't want to project manage their own claim (would you if you had no idea of how insurance works?) they trust us to take complete care of their claim, after all, we're the experts, they want one point of contact, someone they can talk to throughout and they want a call with a meaningful update on the progress of their claim, not someone asking them to give an update, we should know exactly what stage it's at and what happens next. Most of all they want us to keep our promises.
Customers need choice, it's not one size fits all and we must avoid sending them down a route that isn't suitable for their needs. The digital age brings with it some great opportunities, but we need to remember that we are dealing with people, not numbers and we shouldn't sacrifice our empathy for speed.
When we went through the initial recruitment for our Home Claims team, we wanted to bring people in who would be excited about the journey we were about to go on and want to go that extra mile to make us stand out as an insurer that really cares about their customers, we focused on the right people based on their qualities and attributes not merely the experience on their CV.
We've been able to create a real customer-centric culture, with the challenge now to maintain that.
We always need to be ready to go the extra mile and I've made sure that my team know that if they spot any way to make the customer's experience stand out, they can go for it. Recently one of my team handled a claim for an elderly lady who lost everything in a serious house fire. As our customer was vulnerable, her next door neighbour dealt with the claim for her. As time went on we soon realised that the neighbour was also going through a terrible time coping with a serious illness within her own family. Our employee managing the claim approached our CEO who agreed to donate a sum to help them to their fundraising target of 60k for brain tumour research.
For me, it shows how by asking our people to treat every claim as they would their own grandmother's, it translates into an empathetic team of customer-centric handlers, dedicated to providing the personal touch for customers. This is palpable in the letter of thanks received:
"I don't know what to say! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I didn't for one moment expect that. That is so incredibly kind and generous. I didn't send the link for that reason I promise. I just thought you might be interested as I have spoken to you over the past year and you have known some of my own ups and downs as well as A. To take him to over £60k is incredible I didn't think he would ever get to that magical figure.
Sometimes life connects you with people who you would normally never come into contact with. You have been wonderful and have kept me sane by allowing me to express my frustrations.
None of us know what is around the corner (thank goodness) and through all of this I have learned just how precious life and family is. There are some wonderful people in this world and I have met many since A has become ill.
You have all been amazing and B Is so lucky to be back into a house that is so much improved on what she had. Hopefully she will appreciate it one day.
Thank you for your kindness and help throughout all of this.
I really can't thank you enough for the donation and the care you have shown me as well as A. I think you a star!
Have a wonderful weekend and thanks to all involved."
When it comes to customer service, as my Grandma says; "People might forget what you said and did, but they will never forget how you made them feel."
- Kelly Morris, Claims Team Manager, Covéa Insurance


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Fragrance Oil - Orange Clove
Wonderful aroma of fresh orange and clove with hints of nutmeg & cinnamon.
Performance in CP Soap: No ricing, accelerated trace so be prepared and keep your temperatures cool and consider not discounting your water. Discolouration to a light orange colour. Suggested Usage rate in CP soap 3% (maximum IFRA Usage rate 4%)
Performance in Soy Wax: great scent throw
Bath Oils, Lotions, Bath Gels: Suggested usage rate 1% (maximum IFRA Usage rate 2%)
Perfume Oils: Maximum usage rate is only 2% so not worth using this fragrance for perfumes
Phthalate Free: Yes
Gel Wax Compatible: No
Flashpoint: 180F (82C)
Vanillin Content: 0%
Please note: The above information is provided as a guideline only and results may vary according to individual recipes.


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October through the end of December is alway my busiest season at the studio. I think because of that I am not always in the Christmas spirit very quickly, but this year I felt ready to switch out my pumpkins for Christmas decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving. That's a first I think!
One of our traditions each year is to set up the video camera and tape the whole tree process. I am not sure why we started this, but it's something we have done since our first Christmas together. This year, we let the girls use the video camera. They had fun with it, although I may regret that later!
I want my kids to have memories of time spent together as a family around fun traditions. Setting up the tree, having a baking day, and taking a short trip over Christmas break are some of our favorite things to do together. I have to remind myself to slow down and lower expectations because these things never go as planned!
I hope you are enjoying the start of this wonderful season with your families. Remember to take lots of pictures and enjoy this stage with your kiddos!


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What is a Consignor? Consignors are people that entrust another person/party to sell their items. Becoming a Consignor with Babies2Kidz is easy. First, you need to register through our website, enter/price/tag your items, and drop them off during the week of our sale. Babies2Kidz will handle the rest. We are responsible for promoting, staffing, and organizing the event. At the conclusion of he sale, you can either pick up your unsold items or donate to charity. Checks will be mailed within two weeks from the end of the sale.
Why consign with Babies2kidz? Selling as a consignor is easy! With the abundance of outgrown clothing, unwanted toys and other kid's stuff that you have at home, having a garage sale entails hours of preparation, not to mention physically selling your own items for hours! Selling your items at Babies2Kidz brings more people in under one roof, several sellers coming together and finding everything you need/want at one place. Did I mention paying rock bottom prices for your great finds It just makes more sense to consign with us!
Consigning with Babies2Kidz has several perks.
One of the greatest perks – Shop the sale before the general public and have first picks of the hottest deals!
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Our next event is happening July 9th at 1pm at the new CycleBar in Brier Creek. We are so excited about this fun and unique meetup. Come ready to have fun and sweat!!
THE Organization for Bloggers in Central North Carolina
Our next event is happening July 9th at 1pm at the new CycleBar in Brier Creek. We are so excited about this fun and unique meetup. Come ready to have fun and sweat!!
Join triFABB for our May Meetup at Vita Vite in Raleigh!
When: Thursday, May 26th, 2016
Time: 6-8pm
Where: Vita Vite | 313 W Hargett St, Raleigh, NC 27601
What: triFABB's May Meetup featuring The Flourish Market and Shoe Dazzle. There will also be food, drinks, and fun with your fellow bloggers!
RSVP: Please RSVP to firstname.lastname@example.com (All are welcome!)
See you there!
In honor of Human Trafficking Awareness month, we have teamed up with Kendra Scott and Transforming Hope Ministries again for an awesome meetup and fundraiser!
Thursday, January 21st,
Kendra Scott Southpoint
RSVP: firstname.lastname@example.com
Bring ANYONE! Anyone is welcome to this meetup. The more the merrier!
Who is planning on coming? Tag your friends!
Ladies! I'm so excited to announce October's TRIFABB event — we will be the VERY FIRST people to shop The Flourish Market, Raleigh's 'give-back' fashion truck that carries 32 brands that help create dignified jobs all over the globe! The meetup will be: Wednesday, October 14th from 6:30-8:30pm in downtown Raleigh
The Flourish Market's online boutique and fashion truck officially launches to the public on Thursday, October 15th and TRIFABB members will get exclusive advanced access to the truck shopping experience the evening before.
You can get a first glimpse at the products and the truck here:https://www.tilt.com/tilts/the-flourish-market-launch.
More details (and fun surprises) to come soon, but please go ahead and get this on your calendar: Wednesday, October 14th from 6:30-8:30pm in downtown Raleigh. We can't wait to see you there!
Join triFABB for our September Meet Up at Lilly Pulitzer – Southpoint Mall!
Where: Lilly Pulitzer, Southpoint Mall in Durham, NC (Across from Sephora, near JC Penny and Belk)
Date: Thursday, September 10th, 2015
Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Benefitting: Proceeds from all sales from 5pm-9pm will benefit Children with Hair Loss
There will be sips, sweets, mystery gifts, and so much more!
Please RSVP to firstname.lastname@example.com!
Join our community and other triFABB members and come rock the night at Motorco and fight for the freedom of those enslaved by human trafficking RIGHT HERE in our community.
Get your tickets at the link below. 100% of the proceeds benefit Transforming Hope.
Cost: $10 in advance/$12 at the door
Musical performances will be by local artists JKutchma, Todd Johnson and The Revolvers, plus a late-night DJ & Dancing.
Also, if you can, please email email@example.com and let us know you're attending!
Get your T-shirt for the event with 38% of proceeds going to Transforming Hope Ministries
All ticket sales benefit Transforming Hope a local non-profit aimed at educating the community on commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking, preventing it in our communities and restoring the lives of the exploited.
We are so excited to formally announce our June #triFABB meetup!
This month we will be meeting at Vineyard Vines at North Hills in Raleigh. The meetup is from 6-8pm and we will be benefitting the Special Olympics of the Triangle!!
PLEASE RSVP to firstname.lastname@example.com! We look forward to seeing you at our June meetup!! 🙂