text:
Go Back
Go To Articles Directory Home Page
To get the current article, - See Below (at the bottom of the page) -.
For top news titles, see below.
Web sites and videos listed in this page are frequently updated.
If you find that this page is useful (quality of web sites, images and videos, ...), you can add it to your favorites.
Bookmark Page !
Diaper Cake Pattern
Deciding what to get a mom-to-be for her baby shower can be an enormously taxing ordeal, particularly for those who have not attended a baby shower and have not had children themselves. One small piece of advice for those who are uncertain about what to get--the more useful it is, the more appreciated it will be. As any veteran parent knows, the first few weeks after a baby is born are incredibly taxing, not only on the body and mind, but also on the finances. Therefore, the gift of diapers is not only very appropriate, but also incredibly appreciated.
About the Author: For more information concerning baby showers, please visit: The Baby Shower Zone a website that specializes in baby showers and great baby shower cake ideas


text:
Kenny Nguyen, MD
Kenny Nguyen, MD is board certified in Pediatrics and has been practicing at Bond Clinic since 2007. His department offers Walk-in Care and includes four Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.
Office Hours:
- Monday-Friday 8am-8pm
- Saturday: 8am-5pm
- Sunday: 8am-2pm
Walk-ins are welcome. *We are closed from 12-1pm for lunch. Holiday Hours may vary.
Residency in Pediatrics
Metro Health Medical Center
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio
Internship in Pediatrics
Metro Health Medical Center
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio
Medical Degree
Ross University of Medicine
Portsmouth, Dominica, West Indies
Dr. Nguyen's clinical interests include, but are not limited to:
• Childhood Obesity
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Duchene Muscular Dystrophy
Dr. Nguyen and the Pediatrics Department at Bond Clinic offer the following services to patients from infancy through adolescence:
• Asthma Therapy
• Fluoride Varnish to promote healthy teeth
• Immunizations
• Incision and drainage of abscesses
• Ingrown toe nail – surgical treatment
• IV fluid re-hydration and infusion
• Laceration repair
• On-site X-ray
• Physicals
• Splinting
• STD testing and treatment
Related Articles:
Bond Clinic Pediatrics Offers Many Services
Meeting the Need: Nurse Practitioners Help Ease the Strain in Health Systems

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ethereum Classic (ETC): Yesterday, it emerged that Coinbase had got the approval to proceed with acquisitions that will make it a broker-dealer. According to Bloomberg, Coinbase can now go ahead and acquire Keystone Capital and two other companies, as part of its strategy to list security tokens. Once this purchase and integration is complete, Coinbase will now be in a position to list tokens that come to the market through ICOs.
This move by Coinbase give a strategic edge to two cryptos that are listed on Coinbase, and that's Ethereum (ETH) and Ethereum Classic (ETC). These two cryptos are primarily used as platforms for the development and launch of ICOs. The reason why Ethereum (ETH) shot up in 2017 was because of an explosion of ICOs. Things only slowed down after the U.S, China and other countries started cracking down on ICOs. With this approval, it means that there will be a resurgence of Ethereum and Ethereum Classic-based security type tokens coming on to the market through Coinbase and other regulated broker dealers.
Ethereum (ETH) has leg up on this since it is the dominant player in the ICO space. But with a listing on Coinbase, Ethereum Classic (ETC) will also see an increase in Ethereum Classic based ICOs. That's because those looking to launch ICOs with a target of the U.S market, will most likely do so through any of these two platforms. In 2018, the value of ICOs is about $12 billion, in spite of all the hiccups that the market is facing with regards to regulations. Therefore, with the blessings of regulators, this market could easily double in the course of the year. This will reflect on the value of the two Coinbase listed ICO platforms, Ethereum and Ethereum Classic (ETC).
So what's the future? At its peak in 2017 Ethereum was trading at over $1000. Now with the coming of security tokens on Coinbase and other exchanges that are seeking similar licenses, ICOs will attract more institutional investors and drive up their numbers. More retail investors who have kept off ICOs will most likely also jump into them, now that the space is more regulated. This places Ethereum (ETH) at a unique position, one that could see it hit a valuation of over $3000 in the next Bull Run. That's also backed by the fact that Coinbase now has custodial services for institutional investors, which will further add to the overall momentum of Ethereum (ETH) in the near future.
Ethereum Classic (ETC) will be supported by the same factors as Ethereum. But it has something even better, and that's it's roadmap for late 2018/19. Part of the Ethereum Classic (ETC) roadmap is to implement Sharding in 2019. This will make it one of the most scalable blockchains, capable of handling over 1000 transactions per second. This will definitely add to its value.
Therefore, at their current valuations, these cryptos have good room for growth, now that positive sentiment is slowly taking over the market. They stand a good chance of outperforming the market this year, and make for great investments.


text:
A chant sung by Arsenal fans about Mesut Ozil.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee're (a pause whilst singing we're but getting louder as it progresses) then very loudly --- off to see the Mesut, the wonderful Mesut of Oz (Il) --- we here he is a wizard a wiz a wonderful wizard of Oz (Il) (or Arsenal).
easy, no fuss and everyone will know in no time.
Comments: From a dream last night.
To the tune of: Wizard of Oz
Votes: 37
Submitted by: Dan Kisnorbo on Saturday 6 August 2016 at 16:24
Show only this chant Embed this chant in your page/ blog
Embed this chant in your page/ blog using the html below:


text:
At the January Council Meeting a misjudged attempt to bounce Ards and North Down Borough Council into funding the Donaghadee Big Weekend to the tune of £30,000 fell as the proposer and seconder failed to secure even the support of their own party colleagues.
If Councillors had only worked together to present a more creative approach to the issue instead of trying to get one over on each other, we might well have saved the day and created a successful way to add the Big Weekend to the annual event schedule for our town.
I proposed that the item be referred to the Regeneration & Economic Development Committee rather than ask Councillors to agree to the £30,000 spend without due consideration. I also proposed that Officers provide a costed line-by-line budget for the event and investigate securing corporate sponsorship to underwrite the cost.
While The Big Weekend was delivered by Council officers over the past two years, it was funded by DfC as part of the post-Public Realm dividend. It was never supposed to be added to the Council's event schedule – and certainly not at the unbudgeted for amount of £30,000! I'm not even sure where that figure came from. After all, the Donaghadee Festival runs on a grant of less than £15,000 – and that lasts for two weeks!
Events similar to the Big Weekend were funded by DfC for each of the five towns that had undergone the Public Realm work. So when the proposal was made to allocate £30,000 to repeating the event in Donaghadee this year, it was destined to fail.
Not only would it have been financially irresponsible to support this preposterous request, but also – if agreed – similar events would have to be provided for in each of the towns at rate-payers expense.
The Council has already budgeted for an ambitious events schedule for 2018. So what I suggested was that Councillors consider The Big Weekend as a test case to see if it was possible to provide an additional event at little or no cost to ratepayers.
According to Council records, The Big Weekend has attracted over 15,000 visitors in the past two years and that makes it an attractive proposition for potential sponsors. That's why I believe it might be possible to develop an event marketed primarily using the Council's already successful social media platforms and supported with corporate sponsorship.
Unfortunately, many of our Councillors would not support this experiment which – if successful – might have been used to develop additional events in towns and villages across our Borough.
We already ask our community groups, residents and even our Officers to be creative and entrepreneurial in their thinking, but unfortunately many of our Councillors do not feel the need to do so, preferring instead to continue asking ratepayers to cover the cost of everything.
While I am disappointed at this outcome, I am determined to continue challenging Councillors to be creative in their approach to service delivery. They need to understand that we have a duty to investigate every opportunity to find new ways to provide services without needing to raid ratepayers pockets every time.


text:
A common adage in the business community is that the best companies are founded to solve a certain problem. For one Northwest ISD student, the problem was right in her own family: How to help her blind aunt know what color clothing she's picking out each morning.
At the Academy of Business Management and Entrepreneurship, housed at Eaton High School, students are able to create their own companies with the guidance of academy staff and the Junior Achievement organization. Jakayla Dixon, a junior at the academy, started Feel the Color because she knew current offerings of clothing tags for those with visual impairments aren't well-liked.
Jakayla got the idea after talking with her aunt, who loves fashion but lost her eyesight 20 years ago after a surgery.
"Her story is what really inspired this company," Jakayla said. "She had to use metal tags in her clothing to know exactly what she was putting on, but it was uncomfortable – I don't know many people who would want metal in their clothing. My aunt loves fashion, and once she lost her eyesight, she said she felt like there was nothing for her. I really wanted her to have the opportunity to go to the store and lead her best lifestyle."
After months of research, Jakayla settled on a solution: making the tags out of fabric, and ensuring there are multiple ways for people to read them with their hands.
At first, Jakayla says, she only incorporated braille in her own company's tags. Then her aunt explained that she doesn't know braille very well herself, and Jakayla's research led to realization that the majority of people with visual impairments don't know how to read braille.
Now her company's tags use braille, raised lettering and symbols to provide its wearers with more ways to read what they're wearing – or, as the company's name indicates, feel the color.
"My aunt gave me a lot of input on the tags, and I also get to work with the staff at Lighthouse for the Blind, the majority of whom are visually impaired themselves," Jakayla explained. "After I researched it, I learned that most metal tags only incorporate braille, yet only 8 percent of those who are visually impaired can read braille. That presented an opening where I could create a product that could really help someone's qualify of life."
Now Jakayla spends many of her days balancing school and her company – or, to put it as the entrepreneur pointed out, "Most businesses are open when I'm in school." To help with all the necessary tasks, Jakayla recruited classmates to be part of her business, and Junior Achievement has provided a lawyer to work with her to obtain a patent.
Currently, Feel the Color's clothing tags can be sewn or ironed on, but Jakayla is hoping to enter into partnership with clothing companies so they are already on clothing at stores.
Estie Cuellar, Jakayla's academy advisor, said that when parents of future academy students hear about businesses being operated out of the high school, they often doubt they are real companies. Once they see the process in action, Mrs. Cuellar added, they understand the one-of-a-kind experiences students earn by empowering themselves and starting their own companies.
Feel the Color is perhaps the best example because of the effort Jakayla has put into the business, Mrs. Cuellar said.
"She's at the point where she's scheduling all these meetings on her own and reaching out to partners and clients that she's almost to where she doesn't need me anymore," she said. "We do things differently here – our focus is to take business education and make it experiential. We have so many things that we teach in the academy, and then our students take the extra step of treating what they learn here as an extracurricular endeavor as well. They get to take what they learn in the classroom and put it in practice."
Mrs. Cuellar emphasized that students are making real money, finding real investors, keeping up with a payroll and understand the financial metrics necessary to run a business. Every aspect of what they learn in class becomes a real-world experience through the company program.
Not every student who enters the academy will pursue running a company, but Mrs. Cuellar said the experience the academy provides gives valuable lessons, regardless of the career path of a student.
For Jakayla, an added benefit of the program has been meeting mentors and people with career experience who can provide advice for her goals. While she plans to continue with Feel the Color as a business, her ultimate career goal is to become a lawyer – and thanks to the company program, she's met with a patent attorney who has provided advice on that goal.
"The patent lawyer has been very influential, because I get to see a law firm and how that operates," she explained. "The first time I met him, I started picking his brain and asking for advice. My goal is to go to college and study international relations and minor in business, then earn my J.D. and focus on international law. I think business and law go hand in hand, so I know this has been a great experience for me."
This story originally appeared in the Winter 2017-18 issue of Northwest Navigator magazine.
Physical Address:2001 Texan Drive, Justin, Texas 76247
Mailing Address:
PO Box 77070 Fort Worth TX 76177
Northwest ISD empowers learners and leaders to positively impact the world.


text:
Summer 2001. 19 years old.
That was the summer I started to embrace my braininess in new ways. That was the summer I began to fall in love with Pompano Beach. I decided to drop out of University of Miami for reasons that were romantic and fantastic. 2001 seems like such a far off place now—but it's also the time I read VALIS for the first time.
I'm not sure if 2001 is something that I would ever want to do over again. I don't think I could do it better the second time around, either. I'm too rich and spoiled to ever want to do it over again. My 21 year old self had a heart and tenacity that I can't even ponder at this moment.
I'll never be that young again.
My 19 year old self was also obsessed with writing a novel. The novel was called "A Strange and Distant Land". The main character is a working class sort based partly on myself who meets a British author by accident while he is vacationing in South Florida. I would obsess with the details of the story without asking myself the important questions, like "What happens?"
I read through my journal and wonder if I ever will be able to meet this 19 year old, whether he is real or just a figment of my imagination.
The more I read, the more I realize other things about myself. At 19, I was still attached to Las Cruces, New Mexico. My mom was still there, my friends were still there. And maybe, just maybe, I was under the illusion that I could return someday. All the badness would have washed away, and only the things I loved about the place would remain. More than anything, I was still under the illusion that I could perpetually be a teenager.
"When did you realize that you couldn't be a teenager?" my younger self asks me. I run my hands through my receding hair.
"Difficult to say. Though I think it had to do sometime around the point…" I stop myself. I was about to tell my younger self something he shouldn't know. Doc Brown was right. It's never a good idea for someone to know too much about their own future.
"Maybe it was when I went back to Las Cruces. Right after turning 28. It was kind of hard to deny it by then…Las Cruces had changed. People had moved away. The town was noticeably bigger. Worst of all, it had gotten larger in a way that made it similar to every other place in the US."
There are so many thing I didn't want to tell him—my 19 year old self.
Sure, I could tell him about writing—how the very thing that had saved him when was in high school would turn him into an introverted and boring adult. I could tell him about falling in and out of love. I could tell him about a magical place called Nagasaki.
I could tell him all these things, but that would be besides the point.
Eventually, he asks the obvious question. "Why are you here?"
"Isn't it obvious? You're the coolest person I've ever known. And though I could spend a lifetime trying to be you, I could never do it. Originally, I thought I came here to ask your advice, but now I realize I came just to hang out. I'll let you be the way you are and if you end up being me, despite my imperfections, well then so be it"
"You don't seem so bad," he says.
That made everything seem alright for a moment.
Who was this person? Someone whose tenacity to start big impossible projects (like novels) and to think about big questions was endless.


text:
Archive for "diablo iii reaper of souls" Tag
A complete guide for Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls.
"We will have to make adjustments to take advantage of the console architecture versus the PC."
Everything you need to know about Diablo III: Reaper of Souls.
On the right track.
Will be playable at BlizzCon.
Expansion for last year's controversial game announced.
Contact Us About Us Staff Advertise With Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Reviews Policy Hooked Gamers Community Policy


text:
Monday, October 27, 2014
What Light...
A 25-minute pose from 10/26/2014. Black and white charcoal pencil on gray Strathmore paper. I like the way the light was placed high and over her shoulder, so that it only illuminated a small portion of her figure.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
The Door
Posted by -Keller at 7:25 AM No comments:
Friday, October 10, 2014
Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise - Day Seven - This is a Man's World
A bittersweet moment. This is the last song from the last performance by Trampled Under Foot on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise #23. So glad I got to see them before the end, but there was open hostility between the siblings during this show, with Danielle refusing to introduce Nick's solos songs and storming off the stage. I think she wanted them to do only TUF songs and not have Nick repeat his solo work for the fourth time during the cruise. I have to agree with Danielle, this performance should have been about TUF and not Nick. Still, what a voice on this woman. My god!
Posted by -Keller at 7:17 PM No comments:
Thursday, October 09, 2014
Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise - Fredericks Brown
Fredericks Brown opened for Taj Mahal on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, the Fredericks half of the duo being Deva (Mahal) Fredericks, Taj's daughter. This is a really great song by them.
Posted by -Keller at 7:32 AM No comments:
Tuesday, October 07, 2014
Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise - The Lowrider Band
One of the highlights of the cruise has been the Lowrider Band, or as we all remember them, War. There were seven original members of War. Two have died. Of the five still with us, one of them is touring as War, the other four (Harold Brown, Lee Oskar, B.B. Dickerson and Howard Scott) are in the Lowrider Band and they sound just as great today as they did in the 1970s..
Posted by -Keller at 6:41 AM No comments:
Sunday, October 05, 2014
Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise - Day Two - We Get Leied
Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise - Day Two - Ronnie Baker Brooks
A long snippet of Ronnie Baker Brooks from the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise #23 that I took out on the Pool Deck of the Norwegian Sun. We became Ronnie fans on this cruise.
Posted by -Keller at 6:30 PM No comments:
Legendary Rythm and Blues Cruise - Day One - The Lowrider Band
This was the end of our first day on the cruise an the beginning of our second. Loved the Lowrider Band (AKA War)
Posted by -Keller at 7:29 AM No comments:
Saturday, October 04, 2014
Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise -- First Night
Posted by -Keller at 10:58 PM No comments:
Friday, October 03, 2014
Too Many Fish In the Sea
Thursday, October 02, 2014
Wine and Cheese
Who Farted? -- The Slacker
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
About the Library of Rejected Beauty
and how you can submit your beautiful, but unloved, works
Permission. What a bitch. Jonathan Stride, Mr Stride to you, or maybe even Sir to be on the safe side, glanced down at the thick sheaf of paper on his desk. The final deeds for Lot 2574, West Acorn Street had been his for over a year, but wrangling an agreement for its development had taken all his patience and guile, as well as a few less noble qualities. Still, the residents' petition had been finally silenced, the local Council placated, Government regulations for affordable housing circumvented, and now all that stood between him and a dozen luxury apartments was this guff from the Historic England Society. Whoever the fuck they thought they were. With the agreement that all fixtures, Read More
For Redeye the weekends were reserved for video games. His consul of choice was the obscure Nintendo Virtual Boy, an early red on black monochromatic experiment in 3D gaming, which looked like a red turn of the century peepshow box. Redeye was one of the few dedicated players. Today he planned on doing nothing but playing. It was a gray and dizzily day outside so he wouldn't feel too bad for having "wasted" his time. For nourishment he had a large glass of tomato juice with everything you could imagine inside it: limes, beer, vodka, cheese, olives, tabasco, a dash of extra virgin olive oil, ice, etc. The straw was cut at a 30 degree angle leaving a sharp point Read More
"Thanks for this interview. Our readers are very interested in all things organic." Janet glanced down the gleaming-white corridor. She knew that the word 'organic' conjured up a very different picture in the minds of the subscribers to Renewable World. "Our methods are impeccable – we recycle the majority of our water, our solar panels actually feed excess energy into the national grid, and in the past we used natural biological controls on pests." Dr Bryan smiled. "Ladybirds. Ideal for removing aphids. But since we really locked down on physical interfaces, very little has been getting in or out. We aim for only two organisms in this entire complex. Humans and tomatoes." "Physical interfaces?" "Where the outside world meets Read More
In the night's heat a sudden breeze stirs the jungle's fabric. Fronds sway uneasily and leaves dance; a shaft of moonlight creates deeper shadows amongst the shadows and is gone, leaving darkness in its wake. A dark that has nothing to do with velvet, but crushes and cloys, a steamy weight on your chest. Thunder growls in the distance: a summer storm – or is it the breathy grumble of some wild beast, stalking through the dense under-canopy of vines and shrubs? There are eyes amongst the fronds now, and the dark stripe of stem on stem could almost be… a tiger, on the prowl. The breeze stirs again and you can almost hear the rustle as it moves, Read More
Marie watched herself in the mirror, running the fine-toothed comb down through her long black hair. Keeping her movements slight and to a minimum, she watched her hands, one with its light grip on the comb and the other open flat and hovering behind each tuft the comb ran through, move in a way that reminded her of the stiff, statuesque movements of a doll's unarticulated limbs. With her head tilted to the side, her hair cascading down over her left shoulder, she admired her bared neck, her right sternocleidomastoid muscle taut. Her reflection in the mirror became her self in front of others, and she thought about how beautiful her neck would look in that soft light that Read More
The building, noted for its long, low roof and floor-to-ceiling windows, lay at the far end of the school grounds on the north side of town. There was nothing extraordinary about it once you walked inside. It was just a large empty space. There was none of the fancy paraphernalia that you see in gyms today. We went to it once a week between French and Maths. The instructor was an ex-Army Sergeant Major, the sort whose talk was all shout; whose face showed no emotion. We were fresh out of the packet, green as grass; boys without names trained to obey his loud commands without any hint of complaint. Our world was circumscribed, purposeful, exact. We were exercising Read More
The steps to the house were worn down with the years of trampling feet but still grand like the smooth white pillars in front of the conservatory. I was juvenile and an aspiring author so pounced on any new adventure as a catalyst to the beginning of something. That was all I owned; a lot of openings which lay around for a while then became crumpled balls before disappearing under the detritus of my everyday life. This unexpected excursion was a break from my daily routine which revolved around looking for two elusive things simultaneously: work and long term accommodation. It was beginning to seem that neither of them would ever be available to me which left me in a Read More
They walk into the darkness, shadows on the concrete. I see shapes melt into the pavement. They appear and disappear, gray figures cast on a grayer world. They have no bodies. Forgotten, they walk amidst deserted cities, and only those who still have eyes to look and observe assist to these invisible interactions of bodiless shapes. They don't see me, when I see them. I linger at the edge of the road, terrified that the ground is going to melt and drag me in the word of lost shadows. It happens at time, there's so few of us left at the edges of the crumbling reality. The borderland we call it, the borderland of those who haven't disappeared yet. It's Read More
My journey began in Chennai 2015. What is a young lad from Glasgow doing in Chennai, India? You might well ask! It started on that night in November 2013 strange dream of me drowning or nearly drowning holding on to someone or something very precious to me. That was strange. I am a very good swimmer, a 'wee fish in water' as my grandma used to say. I had read late into the night tossing and turning. I was so excited about my success in getting a placement in an Indian music college! The Royal Conservatoire course had a three month placement for our class in the final year of my music course. I wanted to experience a completely new Read More
Gad's Hill, Christmas Eve, 1869 It is mid-afternoon and the light, meagre at best, is fading fast from the day. Charles is restless at his desk. The writing is progressing slowly, much more slowly than he should like. He cannot settle – the dreadful pain that has tormented him for months on end will not allow it. To remedy this he drinks a brandy, makes excuses to his family, much occupied with the decorating of the Christmas tree, and strolls down the hill towards the town. He strides as best he can – his left foot dragging slightly – across the Rochester Bridge, flourishing his cane before him and greeting the occasional well-wisher with a nod and smile. Read More
and how you can submit your beautiful, but unloved, works


text:
The coaching staffs for the inaugural PRO Rugby season are for the most part set after the league announced today that Rob Hoadley has been named an assistant in San Diego. He joins head coach Ray Egan and assistant Matt Hawkins. Born and raised in England, Hoadley was most recently the backs coach for the Eagles during the Americas Rugby Championship. He also has coached at Stanford and Wasps.
Here is the announcement from PRO Rugby:
PRO Rugby is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Hoadley as Assistant Coach for the San Diego team in PRO Rugby's 2016 inaugural season. Hoadley was born in London and had an extensive playing career at center with both London Irish and Wasps, where he later became defense coach under the famous defensive guru Shaun Edwards. Hoadley has most recently coached at Stanford University, and is the current backs coach for the USA Men's Eagles.


text:
I am a solo practicing in Kentucky and I am very interested in LPO. I work between 60 and 70 hrs per week to keep up with my very busy general practice and I fear that my professional success is coming at the personal cost of my family. Long story short, I need to maintain and/or increase productivity while at the same time cutting back my hours by at least 20 per week.
Earlier Post
Susan Cartier of the blog Build A Solo Practice inspired me to write a guest post on how Legal Process Outsourcing can benefit solo attorneys or small firms. The following is the original post, that Susan may edit and post on her blog. Any queries are welcome at my email id.
So you've decided to go solo? Congratulations, the life with dreams of a mahogany furnished office, graying hair and firm politics wasn't for you. Good riddance!
Now that the time has come to begin the journey towards proving yourself to yourself (and perhaps others), lets get going. You may have heard about India. Yes, contrary to the notions you have, India is no longer the land of snake charmers and there are other modes of transport than elephants! As it was known-to-be in the last millennium and early this millennium, India is an economy powered by knowledge. Even though there are many reasons for India not being great in the sports requiring physical agility, there are enough Indian minds that are agile enough. If you have been around for some part of the past century, you would have heard of some Indian scientist or the other. Yes, Indians are good beyond the Patel Motel dhandho and Pooja and Priya Grocery Stores and Video Parlors!
As you may have read over the past few years, India has become the destination for knowledge driven industries and call-centers. IT outsourcing was the first to pick up and there now exist behemoth Indian companies in that space. There is a grand range of activities getting outsourced, from call centers to animations, from payroll to architecture design. Somewhere in that spectrum lies the outsourcing of legal work. As has been repeated ad nauseam, two of the critical reasons that enable the Indians to serve low to medium complexity western legal work are the common law background of the country's own legal system and that most Indians study in what are known as "English-medium" schools i.e. schools where the medium of instruction is English. And given the fact that the great Indian middle class lays an almost inordinate amount of stress on the importance of education, there are enough kids who are good. Add to it the fact that it is a country with a billion plus people, you have many very competent people. A joke about the competitiveness ingrained in Indians goes like, "In India, even if you are so gifted to be one in a million, there are more than a thousand people like you!" So all of these factors combine to make the phenomenon of legal outsourcing a reasonable success at the moment and outstanding success-to-be in the times to come.
And you can be a part of this success. Go offshore! No, I didn't mean that you move to India yourself but rather that you think about having some people work for you and build your practice, helping you become increasingly competitive and profitable at the same time. If using offshore resources also enables you to scale up your own operations, why not?
That said it isn't straightforward to embrace legal offshoring, at least not just yet. I keep a tab on the industry development and growth and my own research says there are more than 140 "LPOs", all shapes and sizes, including some fly-by-night operators. Nascence and lack of regulation has led to presence of some players and companies that no serious and mature industry will let survive. However, help is close to find! Read on…
First, remember that trusting the vendor you ultimately choose is very important. If there is cynicism in your mind, the relationship will not succeed.
Choosing the vendor: For solos like you it is not always advisable to go after the big names. You won't be the largest client for them and therefore not always high on their priority list. One big client and your work will be de-prioritized. Choose a mid-sized vendor, who has certain advantages that work in his favor, may be a non-metro location or may be attractive stock options for employees or whatever, such that he is able to provide you with quality resources and commitment to service. Make sure you meet the vendor before you start regular work with them. This may mean sitting in a coach seat for a trip half way round the world, but if the relation works out and grows, it will be worth the backache and the bad food!
Confidentiality: It is just natural to be worried about the confidentiality of the documents you send offshore. India and Indians are no better or worse when it comes to protecting the confidentiality of data, so take the same amount of caution as you would in your country. There are vendors who might be able to do the work cheap for you but let's face it, there is no way for you to know or control a situation where your work is floating around to sub-contractors of the vendor who couldn't care less for confidentiality. So don't take this lightly and take utmost care to build confidentiality into the contract that you sign with the vendor with heavy penalties in the event of a violation.
Conduct pilots: Good looking websites, impressive management profiles, ISO standards for data security are great first level of filters in your due-diligence process. However, you must ensure that the vendor has people who can deliver according to, or close to, what you need. It may be a long call to expect training to help parrots to analyze for you! Conduct pilot projects with the vendor, paid pilots if you have to. Usually some research or draft that has already undergone your scrutiny and efforts can make for a good pilot.
Train your people: No one knows more about your style and nuances better than yourself, so the best teacher for people who work for you is you. Train the team who works for you on law, research and analysis, drafting, etc. Having said that, make sure your vendor respects the fact that you spent effort in training their people and that your intellectual property is not used beyond what you permit. Also, make sure you work with the vendor to help him retain the people you train.
Try and increase the skill of the people: Just as your coaching job does not stop at the initial training when you hire in your own country, having a resource offshore is no different. Conduct constant feedback sessions for the people who work for you. Such sessions don't have to be elaborate: inline comments, regular teleconferences and occasional video-conferences, if both your vendor and you have access to, are enough. Start with low complexity work for your offshore resources and over time (few months or as applicable) increase the complexity of the work that you send offshore. For example, if you are a patent prosecution lawyer, start by asking the vendor to conduct searches, gradually moving the writing the more descriptive sections and over a longer period of time moving to claims drafting. Work with your vendor to draft a guidebook for your style. Conduct periodic tests for the people who work for you. They will value it.
Meet them: Agreed, physically seeing your vendor or his resources may not be often possible. But do it when it is possible, combine an Asian vacation with a day's visit to your vendor's premises. Speak to your team often. Form a relation; it matters a lot to Indian people if you ask about their family, interests and aspirations.
Form a group: You must realize that you will not be the largest client for your vendor, so you cannot always have very pressing deadlines and too much iteration beyond the original scope of work agreed. The simple lesson there is that, scope your work carefully and don't leave it to the first draft to realize what all should have or should not have been done. Like it or not, in this world, might is right. Therefore, do form a loose association or a group of people in your profession who can pool together to have enough regular work for a couple of vendor's people (or more, depending on your specific case), if you can. Having a predictable inflow of work is also good for your vendor and thus you (or your group) will always be an important client for him.
Legal Body Shopping: This isn't a common form of practice in the LPO space and I am not aware of a prior use of this phrase, but do work with your client to see if it is possible to form an arrangement where the people who work for you can be trained at your location for sometime and then sent back to the vendor's location but dedicated for your work for a committed period of time. This notion worked very well for IT companies and their western clients in the 90s. Move to Full-Time Employee (FTE) model when possible for you, it boosts productivity, reduces costs and helps increase the complexity of work that you can get done offshore.
Billing rates: You are in it for long and for value. As with any other relation, getting it to work to your benefit will take time and effort, so don't nickel and dime about the rate too much. As the saying goes, if you pay only peanuts, you get only monkeys!
Be nice: Give references to the vendor, if you like them. Doing so will make the vendor always respect you, your work and your demands. Seeing friends benefit from LPO, a notion that you introduced to them, will only make you popular and respected! After you have become confident of the quality of the work product, share it with your clients and pass on the benefits to your clients. You are sure to gather a lot of goodwill doing so. However, make sure your vendor does not poach your clients, make the relation work to your benefit.
Do remember, persistence pays, so don't give up because an experiment or two failed. Buy the CD, or call me and I will sing this for you:
I'll never rest until I can make my own way
Make offshoring work for you. Welcome to India!


text:
Baldwin honored as Montana Teacher of the Year
Karen Peterson photo
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
Subscribe now to stay in the know!
ARLEE – This time recognition for a job well done goes to the teacher. High school English teacher Anna Baldwin's dedication to teaching, high expectations and cultural awareness got her noticed by the Montana Professional Teaching Foundation.
Baldwin was presented with the Teacher of the Year award by State Superintendent Denise Juneau last Thursday at a ceremony in Bozeman.
"It's the highest award a Montana teacher can get," said Eric Seaver, president of the MEA-MFT and chairperson of the Montana Professional Teaching Foundation. "It's a tough decision and they can only select one. In a century, there are only 100 teachers of the year for Montana. It's a big deal."
Baldwin now represents Montana as the spokesperson for public education. She will attend events including a trip to meet President Barack Obama. She hopes to use the position to spread a positive message about education.
"I want people to look at all of the great things teachers do every day. Teachers ought to be change agents by committing to spreading great news, seeking ways to improve and celebrating what's going right in our schools," Baldwin said.
"I think one of the biggest challenges teachers face is the negative rhetoric surrounding education issues from politicians, local communities and the media, and the worst part is students hear it and internalize it. I'm not saying there are not any problems but we need to address them positively."
Current Arlee students agree that she is a model teacher.
"She is always available," Bailey Rice said. "If you text her at 10 o'clock at night she'll answer. I've sent her a text asking if I could change the topic of a paper. She responded instantly."
Courtney Perry appreciates Baldwin's ability to help develop her voice.
"She works with you and she makes you think. She has taught me how to vocalize what I'm thinking and how to express myself with words," Perry said.
Baldwin's interest in teaching sparked when she was in high school.
"I was in 11th grade in an Algebra class and a kid sat behind me who never understood it. I was able to explain it. I think that was my first teaching experience. It was one of those moments. I realized this could be the thing for me," Baldwin said.
She went on to get a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature from Georgetown University. Tutoring and teaching English as a Second Language students in places like Nicaragua fully ignited her interests in teaching and inspired her to earn a Master of Teaching degree and a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Montana.
"I got my doctorate because fundamentally I believe in education. I wanted to do more for my students and I knew a program like that would make me a better teacher," she said.
She spent the first four years of her teaching career at Two Eagle River in Pablo. Ten years ago she moved to Arlee to take a position as the English teacher.
Education, she says, "is the great equalizer".
"It's provided to every child in this country. In my small way I can do my part to hold high expectations and pull the struggling ones up to create a level playing field."
And her goal as a teacher: "I want my students to know how important it is to think. Every student who learns to write better, to read more effectively, to speak clearly and confidently is an accomplishment for me as a teacher. I lay the responsibility for these successes squarely on two features of my teaching: high expectations and cultural responsiveness.
Baldwin said she is known as tough but encouraging, and when those students leave her class, "they have something to take with them."
Her goal, she says, is easier to achieve in a small school.
"I know the parents. I know the community. We can work together to figure out what a child needs. Our school does a good job of providing for everyone academically. We have college credit classes and a safety net for struggling students."
Baldwin often centers her lessons on cultural diversity, including trips to Fort Missoula where students took pictures and answered research questions about the Japanese internment camps. Other projects include learning about Tribal history through literature and research.
"We learn about ourselves by learning about others," she said.
Receiving the Montana Teacher of the Year award has inspired Baldwin to reflect on another project.
"I'm thinking of starting a website that celebrates what's going well in education for parents, teachers and the community. Teachers could post some of the great things they are doing each day. I'm feeling out the idea for this but I think it could help turn the negative rhetoric around."


text:
[Short story love "Flight of Fantasy" is selected for Love'2012 Story Writing Competition]
It was her maiden air flight. In the small town where she had lived as a child, she and her friends had often heard the roar of airplanes above their heads. She would leave everything on hearing this sound and rush outside to see the birdlike objects flying in the air. She often wondered if it was true what Ramu used to tell her – that this tiny object in the sky was like the town bus carrying lots of people – only bigger. She often waved frantically to those people in the skies, hoping one of them would notice the little girl and wave back.
And today she was going to be one of those people sitting above and looking down on the tiny speck of people on earth. She had come a long way – from her small town in Rajasthan to the big City, where she was now going to live along with her husband. Her husband was a prized catch, according to her gossiping neighbors and relatives. He was a software engineer in one of those big IT companies, with huge offices and teeming with well dressed, educated people. He had often traveled to foreign countries and promised her a very comfortable life in the city. What more could a girl ask for?
When the proposal of marriage first came, she was frightened and confused. Even though she was educated and had been the topper of her college during the BA course, she was scared of the urban city life. She much rather preferred staying for the rest of her life in the town, teaching in the primary school, rather than go shopping in those huge malls like her city cousins. She had heard of the cutthroat competition and race for survival that existed there, and she was unwilling to join the race and spoil her life. Everyone at home had laughed at her when she had confessed her fears to them, and her brother was amazed at her lack of excitement at the opportunities that her new life presented her.
But like all dutiful daughters, she saw no point in rebelling and going against her parents' wishes on the all important subject of marriage. Her would-be husband seemed to be a nice man, quiet and respectful of her and her family. The boys' family had also not been very demanding at the time of marriage, which came as a huge relief to her father, who had to marry two other daughters. Thus, the wedding happened and she began her new life.
And today, they were going on their honeymoon to Kerala, and she was reliving her childhood fantasy of traveling in an airplane.
Ranjita's reverie was broken as the taxi halted near the Delhi airport. It was still a little dark outside, but the sun was slowly beginning to appear in the Sky. As her husband, Aryan, stepped out to pay the taxi driver and take out their luggage, Ranjita ventured a quick peep in the mirror of the taxi to check her appearance. She had dressed with a lot of care, even though it meant waking up at an insane hour at the crack of dawn, since they were going to catch a morning flight. She had hardly been able to sleep with the excitement, wondering how it would feel like to be in the midst of clouds, so high in the air! After a final adjustment to her crisp, new sari, Ranjita disembarked from the taxi to join her husband. Together they made their way inside the airport, bustling with people even at an early hour.
From what she had heard from others and what her own commonsense told her, Ranjita knew that the airport would be full of well dressed and well mannered people, with ample money and maybe very busy, since they did not have the time to travel by train or bus. So, she had made it a point to look as presentable as possible, for she did not want her husband to be embarrassed by his new wife. Her attire consisted of a bright pink sari, brought by her parents from the town's best sari maker. She had adorned the traditional Chuda on her arms and had even tried to do a little makeup from the makeup set her sister had gifted her. When they had left for the airport this morning, Ranjita was pleased with her look, and looked just like – well, a newly wedded bride.
As the couple made their way inside the airport, Ranjita cast a look around the people at the airport. They were, of course, very smartly dressed – the men with their well ironed business suits and briefcases; and most women casually dressed in western formals or well fitted chudidars. Ranjita's inexperienced eyes got the first glance of the urban life and its people. Mini skirts, short sleeveless tops, coloured and permed hair, flawless faces with make up – Ranjita's keen eyes were quick to take in everything. She felt like an old fashioned 'country mouse' beside this sophisticated crowd and felt out of place, like a shining butterfly! 'Why, even the kids are more smartly and appropriately dressed than me,' she felt. She saw two girls, in their denim shorts and spaghetti tops, probably foreigners, looking at her and whispering. Shamefaced and near tears, Ranjita looked down and started walking quickly.
As they made their way to collect the boarding pass, Aryan stopped suddenly and turning to her said in a quiet voice – "By the way, this color, it really suits you." Ranjita looked up in surprise, and the appreciative look in his eyes confirmed the fact that he liked the way she had dressed. She smiled and blushed coyly on hearing the unexpected praise, and somewhat regained her excitement that had been dampened in the last few minutes.
At the counter to collect their boarding pass, they were met by a smiling lady, who politely booked their luggage and issued their boarding pass. She asked for a seat preference, and Ranjita immediately wanted to shout – I want a window!! But she was too afraid to speak. Aryan, however, said politely to the airline lady – "A window seat please for Ma'am," and smiled at Ranjita affectionately. Pleased and overjoyed, Ranjita gave him a warm look too.
It was time now to board the aircraft. Ranjita's excitement was now coupled with a little nervousness and fear, as they climbed the steps of the aircraft. Another smiling lady, with make up plastered on her face, greeted them at the door. Ranjita smiled to her gratefully, wondering why most of the people simply ignored her polite greeting and gave no response. To Ranjita, who was accustomed to irritated, shouting shopkeepers in town, she seemed like a very nice lady indeed.
They settled in their seats, with Ranjita taking the window seat of course. The plane had not started yet, so there was nothing to see except the runway. Ranjita noticed a large family, occupying the seats, with the children yelling in excitement and refusing to settle despite repeated appeals by the airhostess, who now looked quite harassed. The family was taking photographs inside the plane, and Ranjita was disappointed that she did not think of this idea before. It would have been nice to take a few photos too and show it to her family back home, since most of them had not been inside an aircraft before.
Hearing her sigh, Aryan turned to her and asked "What happened, tired already?" "No, I wish we had not kept the camera in the other bag; we could have taken a photo or two like those people…," Ranjita replied hesitantly, not sure whether Aryan would laugh at her or take her seriously. "Why not? I can take some from my cell phone," Aryan replied immediately. "Smile." He clicked three four photos of her and then asked a fellow passenger to take a photo of them together. Seeing the enthusiasm of the young couple, the passenger gladly obliged.
The plane was now ready to take off. Ranjita checked her seat belt again to make sure it was secured. She heard the safety instructions given by the crew carefully, wondering nervously if the emergency procedures such as jumping out of the aircraft would ever be required. Aryan, seeing her fidgeting, said, "Don't worry. These are just precautionary measures. Such things never happen." Ranjita relaxed somewhat and began to look out of the window as the aircraft gathered speed on the runway, with the engines blaring.
And then, they were finally off, soaring at breathtaking speed into the sky. Ranjita marveled at Man's intelligence to create a vehicle which had literally given him wings. She tried to recollect the names of the inventors from her science class, but could not recall. She felt like a bird, walking and playing in the clouds. She wanted to take out her hand and feel the white and blue clouds, and see if they were round, just the way she used to draw them in childhood.
Around thirty minutes had passed since the flight took off and passengers were free to move about. Ranjita also relaxed, and her excitement was beginning to wear off a little. Food was now going to be served, the announcement came and Ranjita suddenly realized that she was quite hungry. In fact, in the morning she had actually woken up and prepared a simple meal of parathas and pickle for both of them and packed in her bag. Her mother had insisted she take it along, just the way they would pack and carry food with them on overnight train journeys. But this, certainly, did not look the place where you could open your lunch and start eating. Nobody, Ranjita noticed, opened their bags and distributed delicious smelling home cooked food inside a plane like they did in trains. So Ranjita decided to keep quiet, not mentioning the unopened parathas to her husband, thinking she would dispose them of later.
Aryan yawned and stretched in his seat. He was obviously used to a lot of flying and none of the procedures were new to him, unlike Ranjita. "Aren't you hungry by now?" he asked his wife, and said "I'm famished?" Ranjita nodded, not daring to mention the unopened parcel of food in her bag.
"Weren't you in the kitchen, early this morning doing something?" he asked.
"I have … I mean, I made parathas for us, they are in the other bag …," Ranjita replied falteringly.
"That's great, why didn't you say so before?" Aryan asked her, amazed.
"But here, are we allowed to eat them? I mean, no one here…," Ranjita enquired.
"Of course, we are. Who wants to have the airline's tasteless and overpriced food? In fact the mention of your parathas has made me even hungrier!! Let's enjoy them fast." Aryan said enthusiastically as Ranjita smiled and started taking out the food for both of them.
After their meal, Aryan settled to take a quick nap, where as Ranjita began reading the in flight magazine. Suddenly, the aircraft shook a little and an announcement came – "Ladies and gentlemen, we are encountering bad weather. You are requested to return back to your seats and fasten your seat belts." Ranjita looked a little frightened and began praying as the aircraft took another steep dip in the clouds. She noticed the other passengers too getting anxious and the crew returning to their seats.
As the turbulence continued, Ranjita's heart started beating a little faster and she nervously began praying silently to all the Gods she could remember. Aryan, meanwhile, had also woken up and without saying anything slid his hand through hers, to give her the much needed support and comfort. Ranjita immediately relaxed and felt stronger; and as she looked into his eyes gratefully, her fear and nervousness gradually began to fade away.
The rough patch had passed and the aircraft began to fly smoothly again. However, Aryan continued to hold her hand lightly, and she made no attempt to move her own away. She was enjoying the warmth and comfort of his hands on hers and was amazed at the familiarity with which their hands met each other. She looked around quickly to make sure no one was noticing. But, the man on the side seat had dozed off again, while the Aunty on the opposite side was fussing over her dress getting spoilt due to the orange juice she had spilled during the turbulence. With a happy sigh, Ranjita closed her eyes and gently put her head on Aryans' shoulder. That moment, she knew, she had made the right choice.
A few minutes later, the aircraft began its descent into Kerala – "God's Own Country." As Ranjita looked at the sea and the green coconut trees that beckoned her, she felt she had reached her own heaven. Her maiden flight had transported her into a wonderful land of love, happiness and dreams.
Note : The story has previously appeared in Muse India


text:
AS YOU all know we're pretty optimistic about the future when it comes the economy and the outlook for financial markets. But there continue to be group of naysayers preaching doom and gloom and a coming financial apocalypse.
Their concerns are numerous and, on the surface, are pretty serious.
CASH STASH: The best way to save emergency money
The most common concerns are;
. The crash in the Australian housing market which they say is an investment bubble compared with how other property markets are valued overseas.
. The impending serious trade war between the US and the rest of the world, but particularly with China, and the dire consequences for global economic growth which, history tells us, comes from protectionism.
. The bull run in global equities which is pushing share prices to levels which aren't being justified by their earnings.
Look, all these arguments carry some element of legitimacy. As we often say, every market follows a cycle with it's inevitable peaks and troughs. The key is identifying when the cycle turns and, importantly, the severity of the turn. And that's where we differ from the naysayers … the severity of the downturn.
Yes, the big housing markets of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane boomed to an unsustainable level and we've been warning of that for the last 18 months. The Sydney market has turned down and looks headed for a 10-20 per cent drop from it's peak in this cycle. But after a 50 per cent gain over the last 5 years the pull back appears sensible rather than catastrophic.
Yes, a trade war between the world's biggest economy and its suppliers is unhealthy for everyone but the global economy is in pretty good shape to handle it. Just last week the International Monetary Fund forecast the best global economic growth in 7 years.
As for share prices not being justified, we're just starting the profit reporting season in Australia and US so we'll know pretty soon whether earnings are being produced to support share values. Early signs are that corporate Australia is in pretty good shape.
Having said all that, you need to weigh up the threats to your financial well being and assess them based on your risk profile.
If you're more concerned and conservative than we are then maybe heading for the bunker would ease those concerns. You would simply be trading off potentially higher returns for wealth preservation. That's not a bad outcome in itself.
So what are some "bunker strategies" to follow?
Reduce Exposure to Equities
The local share market is full of companies exposed to international trouble … banks and miners in particular. They will feel the heat from any global trade war quicker than most so winding down any exposure to these sectors must be a priority.
But it's more than a prudent financial decision. Logging into a share account, be it super or personal trading, to a screen of red can be a real downer so consider your tolerance to face potential losses and the effect it has on your demeanour. If it impacts those around you then it could be time to unwind now.
If you haven't already, talk to your financial planner or stockbroker about reducing exposure to risky assets.
Reduce Variable Rate Debt and Sure Up Credit
International banks could stop lending to each other as speculation starts up about who might be holding all the bad debts of defaulting companies and countries because of the effect of a trade war.
This would cause another credit crunch like we saw in 2009 because someone will be sitting on big losses from defaulting bonds and the dominoes will inevitably start to fall.
That means upward pressure on interest rates, regardless of RBA moves, and a very tough lending environment. If things look like they're heading in this direction, weigh up a fixed-rate loan and take steps to reduce variable rate debt.
Similarly, sure up any credit lines you need for personal or business finances as these will be increasingly hard to secure once lenders start tightening up. If possible try to build up your own 'credit line' of emergency savings.
Reduce Offshore Exposure
If things hit the fan the Euro will dive and a tremendous amount of money will flow into safe haven US Dollar, Swiss Franc and Japanese Yen denominated assets. The Aussie dollar will slide against an appreciating Greenback, but we're increasingly being seen as a safe haven as well.
Assess the financial implications of big currency swings for your portfolio and maybe hedge if you have offshore investments or business interests.
ALL ALONE: Bank of mum and dad to close doors
Sell the house and rent
If you live in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane and you think the housing crunch will be bigger than expected, sell your house and bank the capital gains you've made. Rent until the market starts to turn up and then maybe buy into the bottom.
Otherwise make sure the home loan is under control and be prepared to ride out this downturn in the cycle. A property crunch only really hurts those that have to sell into it. Make sure you're not in a position of a forced sale because the bank is nervous about your debt levels.
Shift your superannuation investments option
Your superannuation nest egg is invested according to the option you've chosen. You do have the ability to change that option to a more conservative investment strategy at anytime.
So check the investment option you're in now and talk to your adviser if you want a change.
Originally published asHow to bunker down in a finance crash


text:
Following settlement of South Australia in 1836, stone fruit orchards were initially planted in close proximity to developing population centres. Initial production districts were the Adelaide Plains (Marion and western suburbs of Adelaide), Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley, Wirrabara, (serving northern country districts and Broken Hill) and Barossa Valley. Adelaide, the main fresh fruit market, was initially supplied from western districts (now suburbs) and Adelaide Hills orchards.
Development of irrigation at Renmark by the Chaffey Brothers from 1878 initiated stone fruit production in the Riverland (referred to as the Upper Murray until the 1950s). Irrigation expanded rapidly between 1900 and WW1, and post WW2 as new irrigation districts were developed.
Post WW1 saw rapid expansion of dried fruit production and exports (over 170,000 boxes of dried fruit in 1921–22). The development of Soldier Settlement orchards in the Riverland fostered expansion of fruit and vine plantings. The Berri Experimental Orchard played a key role in providing training programs for returning WW1 servicemen.
A young apricot orchard near Renmark – 1893. Source: State Library of SA, file no. B 53444
A load of peach trees heading for new orchard plantings 1922. Rapid expansion of orchards post WW1 contributed to oversupply of fruit in the 1920s. Source: State Library of SA, file PRG 280/1/31/47
Expansion of South Australia's railway network enabled movement of fresh stone fruit from regional centres to Adelaide, and provided access to Melbourne and Sydney markets. Railways were also vital for transporting fruit from the Riverland to Adelaide based canneries and jam manufacturers in the 1920s and 1930s. The introduction of refrigerated cool storage enabled expansion of the traditional summer fresh fruit marketing season. Access to Sydney and Melbourne markets was further enhanced by the advent of faster refrigerated road transport in the 1970s.
The Barossa Valley was a major apricot production district until the late 1960s, mainly for dried apricots. However being dependent on natural rainfall, the Barossa district declined as growers had increasing difficulty competing with higher and more reliable yields delivered by irrigated orchards in the Riverland districts.
The Clare Valley was connected by rail to the main mining town of Broken Hill, thus offering a major market for these fresh fruit growers. Development of refrigerated road transport systems hastened decline of stone fruit production in the Clare Valley and Wirrabara districts.
Suitable climate, development of irrigation networks, and investment in packing and processing infrastructure have resulted in approximately 90% of South Australia's production of apricot, peach, nectarine, and plum production now being located in Riverland districts.
Cherries prefer a cooler climate, so the Adelaide Hills has remained the main cherry production district in South Australia with more than 90% of plantings. Some early and late season cherry production has been located in the Riverland and South East.


text:
I recently got an email from Mr. Karan Bajaj (BIT Mesra, Mechanical Engienering, 1996-2000) and was thrilled to know that he is about to launch his first book – Keep off the grass. The book contains glimpses and memories drawn form his time at BIT Mesra as well. Karan went on to complete his MBA at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM B) and is presently working as a Management Consultant with Boston Consulting Group in Washington D.C.
A brief Synopsis of the book is as follows:
Keep off the Grass is a new-age hippie story about young American investment banker on Wall Street whose life is all set to follow a defined, predictable trajectory-a Harvard MBA, marriage, kids, luxurious European vacations, the works; instead he gets sucked into an India of drugs, prisons, surreal encounters, and crazy (but believable) characters. His unlikely Indian experiences-a consuming drug addiction, meditating in the Himalayas, meeting an Aghoree onthe Ghaats of Benares, spending time in a prison cell etc.-are particularly interesting given the contrast with his protected and staid life before.
The Official Website – www.karanbajaj.com – is very well done-up and contains a synopsis of the book, details of the book launch and information about the author. Seems to be a nice read.. PLUS, it's by an alum, so I should be picking this one up soon! 🙂
The book is releasing tommorow (May 30th, 2008.) – Here's wishing him all the luck & support!
P.S. The 'already'-eager souls (thanks to some terrific advance reviews), can pre-order the book here.


text: Hi: www.rugged.com Just recently published it. The basic graphics and layout were designed by an outside contractor. I inserted all the information. Got several problems: 1. Get a debugging error message on specific pages - how do i solve that and how can i debug (built it with dreamweaver 4) 2. If you go to http://www.rugged.com/products/defense/defensemain.html there is a list of products on the left side.... The CEO wanted all the products that belong to that category to be displayed on every html page, including the product's full name. I was not allowed to use frames, so i built a template for these products. Each product has 3 html pages. Updating the template is easy, but every time there is a minor change, i have to publish about 150 pages (all the pages that are attached to the template). Is there a solution to that? 3. Also, there is another problem... If the user set up his browser's text configuration to larger fonts, then everything gets messed up, especially the titles. Got any idea/suggestion? Criticism, good or bad is highly appreciated and so are suggestions. However, I was put a lot of restrictions as to what I could do with this site. I had put interactive menus to avoid long lists of products and scrolling down but it was rejected. Thank you so much for your help and support Sylvia


text:
It cannot be much longer before the penny finally drops regarding the terms being proposed by the EU for the UK's 21-month "transitional arrangement."
Businessmen like John Mills and John Longworth, both of whom met Michel Barnier in Brussels last week, are distinctly unimpressed with what we are likely to be offered, but it is surprising that there haven't already been even louder cries of outrage from the Conservative back benches. Last November, at a meeting organised by Conservative MEP David Campbell Bannerman, Rt Hon David Jones MP was quite unequivocal that any further involvement of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in the legal affairs of the UK after Brexit would be an "absolute red line" for himself and a number of his colleagues, who would rather leave with no deal.
As more details emerge, it is becoming clear that it's not just a role for the ECJ in our affairs which the EU wishes to incorporate into the transitional deal. According to an article in The Times, the EU will insist on the free movement of people throughout the period and the inclusion of people moving to the UK before 31st December 2020 in any post-Brexit agreement on citizens' rights.. This again is a slap in the face for leave voters. It's not just that many of us voted leave because we want to see a drastic cut in immigration; more to the point, we voted leave because we wanted our institutions to be sovereign – and this means that the EU must have no say in determining who can or cannot come into the UK or how long they can stay.
This tougher stance is contained in a new document dated 15th January. It is not the final word on the EU's position, which will not be published until the end of the month, but it certainly gives us an idea of the general direction of travel. The guidelines produced last year by the European Parliament, although essentially a consultative document, were bad enough. We would be, in effect, a colony of the EU, unable to sign any trade agreements with other countries and still subject to the Common Fisheries and Common Agricultural policies. This document was bad enough, but according to Bloomberg, the latest document also states that we would need to seek the EU's permission even to start negotiations on trade deals with third parties. We would be unable to strike out on our own path. The net "divorce bill" may also be increased.
Perhaps ironically, the Council President Donald Tusk told the European Parliament that "our hearts are still open "that the UK might "have a change of heart" and stay within the EU. This suggests a warmth towards us which just is not reflected in the negotiating guidelines which seem designed to squeeze and humiliate us as much as possible. Chancellor Philip Hammond claimed recently that the EU is "paranoid" that other countries will follow us out of the door. It has also been claimed that the EU is pressurising Switzerland not to make a bilateral deal with the UK The EU's tough stance may well all be technically justifiable from the treaties, but it clearly wishes to interpret them in the toughest way possible as far as Brexit is concerned. No one with any sense of self-respect should give in to this bullying.
The transitional deal must therefore be kicked into the long grass as soon as possible, especially as there is no guarantee that a new trade deal will be ready to replace it after 21 months. The EU's ambassadors have signalled a willingness for the transitional period to be extended, but this would only prolong an unsatisfactory situation which is not Brexit in any real sense of the term.
A further complication is looming on the horizon. The Norwegians have indicated that they would seek to renegotiate their trading arrangements with the EU if we were given favourable access to the EU's single market while not being a member of it. This, of course, refers to any long-term deal and therefore is not an issue for Mrs May at the moment as the EU has insisted that negotiations on a long-term trading arrangement cannot start yet. Let's face it, she has enough on her plate as her team prepares to negotiate the transitional arrangements. We must hope that there is already a storm brewing up on the Conservative back benches which will rapidly knock these unacceptable proposals on the head and force the government to take a different approach.
If not, the storm is likely to strike with far greater ferocity in four years' time. A botched Brexit where we leave in name only is not what we voted for and not what Mrs May promised us when she became leader. Brexit must mean Brexit or our Prime Minister will not only find herself consigned to a "rogues gallery", excoriated by posterity alongside the likes of Lord North, Neville Chamberlain, Heath, Blair and Brown, but she may well take her party down with her.


text:
Welcome to Tacoma World!You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.
As a registered member, you'll be able to:
- Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
- Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
- Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
- Access all special features of the site
What do I need to lift my truck?
Discussion in 'Suspension' started by TreeFiddy5, Aug 18, 2014.


text:
Fire Goddess has a hand and some sparklies…
Lots and lots of metallics going on now… I seem to have misplaced one of my spools of Kreinik… sigh…
May 11, 2011 at 7:38 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: fire goddess, Joan Elliot Designs
May 11, 2011 at 9:07 am
Wow – she is looking really great! I love these colors :o)
…by the way, glad you are back and "into it" again.
May 11, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Beautiful, simply beautiful. I love the colors on this one.
May 11, 2011 at 4:33 pm
She is looking fiery and amazing, smoking needles!


text:
Good day Austin:
I've thought for a while that if the Donald Trump presidential campaign were an HBO series it could be modeled on the Sopranos, with the famously imperious star secretly revealing his insecurities to his female shrink, though maybe instead of Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Melfi it would be Kim Kardashian as Dr. Selfi.
Apparently, Ted Cruz has had much the same thought, and, yesterday, on Glenn Beck's show, he put Trump – that's Mr. Trump to you – on the couch and psychoanalyzed him as an emotional infant, a narcissist, a misogynist, a bully and altogether the psychological and political – and maybe even actual – equivalent of a mobster.
Here are some excerpts:
Look this is very simple. Donald is a very sore loser. He doesn't handle losing well and he throws a fit. He is crying and screaming and yelling. And he insults people and he curses at people and he attacks people and he behaves, as Anderson Cooper pointed out, like a five-year-old.
And the simple reality is that in the last three weeks there have been eleven elections in four states across the country, and we have beaten Donald in all eleven elections. Donald is panicking. He is scared. You know he loves to call people a loser. Donald wakes up at night in cold sweats that people will call him Losing Donald.
There's your 2016 unity ticket – Losing Donald and Lyin' Ted.
He can't handle it. He's scared. His response is just to whine and cry and complain.
Or Whining Donald and Lyin' Ted.
He's willing to say things that he knows are false and he's willing to say things regardless of he consequences.
Or Lyin' Donald and Lyin' Ted. That's the ticket that could work seamlessly with a Senate majority leader who Cruz has characterized as Lyin' Mitch McConnell. Has anyone referred to the House Speaker as Lyin' Paul Ryan? I don't know, but it sounds great.
Back to Cruz on Beck.
I can't imagine Donald listening to anybody. I've yet to see him listen to anybody in any context ever. Donald is about Donald and, unfortunately, what he's wiling to say and what he's willing to do does real damage to the country.
Beck wondered, as I have, whether Trump got into the race without seriously thinking that he would be a contender, and that helps explain the lack of campaign infrastructure or serious forethought about the nitty gritty logistics of securing the actual delegates who will be filling the delegate slots – including Trump delegate slots – in Cleveland.
I think there's a real chance this was a lark – `Let's get publicity, let's have some fun,' and he's as surprised as anybody."
The last few weeks, in North Dakota, Colorado and elsewhere, the Cruz crew has been picking the Trump campaign's pockets, cleaning their clock, out-smarting and out-organizing them, taking advantage of party rules as written.
It has left me worrying that Trump could arrive in Cleveland looking like Time Square's Naked Cowboy.
Moving further onto Soprano's terrain. here's Cruz on Trump and mob violence.
You know Glenn, I'm very troubled by this. Donald Trump now has a consistent pattern of inciting violence, of Donald and his henchman pushing for violence.
You know, go back to his rallies when a protester shows up and Donald tells his supporters, `Punch the protester in the face.'
Look I have protesters. When protesters show up at my events, I'll actually engage them. If they are disruptive, they are removed. But no politician has a right to threaten violence against American citizens, even lefty numbskulls are American citizens, and you don't threaten violence against them.
You look at Roger Stone, one of Trump's key henchmen. Roger Stone is threatening in Cleveland to put out the hotel rooms of any delegates that dare cross Donald Trump. That is the tactic of union thugs. That is violence. It is oppressive. The idea that Donald is threatening delegates we're seeing this pattern over and over again.
And the example you just gave may be the most troubling. We just had an election in Colorado. We actually had eight elections – seven in each congressional district and then a statewide election – 65,000 people voted and yet, Donald Trump's campaign put out publicly, to his supporters, the phone number of the chairman. He's received over 3,000 calls and death threats.
Donald needs to stop threatening the voters. He needs to stop threatening the delegates. He is not a mobster.
Donald needs to understand he's not Michael Corleone. I understand Donald has had some very shady business deals with people who are currently in prison… but the presidency should not be La Cosa Nostra
That's a little bit sneaky, suggesting, merely as an aside, that Trump may not just be an emotional mobster, but the real deal, or, at any rate, mobbed up.
And why describe this as the "tactic of union thugs."
What do unions have to do with this? Why that imagery?
Beck's The Blaze liked it.
This is how they headlined Cruz's appearance yesterday.
It seems to me it's all part of the Cruz attack on New York (and New Jersey) values – union contracts, raising the minimum wage, union rules, no-bid contracts, no-show jobs, Vito Spadafore, Jimmy Hoffa buried at Giants Stadium, Chris Christie, bridge closings, corrupt New York politicians, Elliot Spitzer, Anthony Weiner, lewd tweets, sexist retweets, Trump Tower, Atlantic City, Fat Tony Salerno, Tony Soprano. La Cosa Nostra. Roger Stone. Roger Stone. Roger Stone.
If Donald Trump is Tony Soprano, Roger Stone is Sil, Christopher and Hesh all rolled into one.
Here is the Roger Stone interview with Stefan Molyneux – "founder and host of Freedomain Radio, the largest and most popular philosophical show in the world" – from which the threat against delegates in Cleveland emanated.
Stone says the remarks have been taken out of context and were not intended to incite violence, no matter how menacing the look on his face.
"Trump" delegates should sign a loyalty pledge to respect will of voters https://t.co/tOIVdhqEqI#Out#TrojanHorses
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) April 13, 2016
From the Stone Zone this morning.
When I called for Trump supporters to button-hole so-called Trojan Horse Trump delegates http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/03/20/donald-trump-must-beware-of-the-trojan-horse-delagates/ in their convention hotels and engage in a dialog with them last week, all hell broke loose.
CNN and Megyn Kelly both took my comments out of context to imply I was calling for violence in Cleveland. As a veteran of the 1968 Nixon campaign I remember vividly how violence destroyed the campaign of Hubert Humphrey. The Soros backed professional agitators expected to descend on Cleveland will be trying to incite violence must be ignored by Trump supporters at all costs . Violence would be counter productive to Trump's general election drive.
If either CNN or Ms. Kelly had played my entire interview rather than selectively editing it, or any one of the interviews I did they day, they would know I specifically renounced violence while urging an intense "dialog "to press those delegates who were elected as Trump delegates but were inserted as quislings by the party bosses not to betray Trump on a second ballot
These "Trump" delegates give the anti-Trump forces a majority on questions of rules , credentials and platform all of which must be ratified or rejected by the full convention before the First ballot for President . This is where the big steal will take place.
The big steal happens even if Donald Trump hits the magic 1237 ! In the meantime the Cruz forces seek to chisel delegates from Trump in states Trump won in primaries, which we see happening in Louisiana, Arkansas, Colorado and elsewhere.
The fix is in. The same insiders who have nearly destroyed the Republican Party are at it again, plotting in a back room deal to block Donald Trump's nomination as the GOP candidate for president. Donald Trump has played by the rules and he's winning big, fair and square. This lobbyist-led plot was concocted by the donor class and others who have bought and paid for the allegiance of the dishonest brokers of the Republican Party.
The Bushs, Mitt Romney, Paul Singer, the Ricketts and Zuckerberg are driving the train for the Lobbyist/Insider Class committed to stopping Trump, led by my old partner Charlie Black , as shrewd and skilled a political operative as exists today .
Donald has wisely turned his delegate operation and drive for the nomination to another ex-partner of mine at Black, Manafort and Stone, Paul J. Manafort, Jr. He is a convention strategist in the league of Republican legends F. Clifton White, Bill Timmons and David R. Jones.
We at Stop the Steal , http://stopthesteal.org/ , the grassroots uprising and March on Cleveland , will ask every Trump delegate to the Republican convention to sign a pledge that "they will remain committed to vote for the winner of the primary or caucus as chosen by the voters . (Donald J. Trump )" through the entire balloting process . In other words respect the will of the voters.
This will be a voluntary pledge. The Voters will know whom they can trust – and who will play along with the insiders' attempt to steal the nomination from Donald Trump.The media will know too. Then these "Trojan Horses" explain why our votes don't matter.
Beck asked Cruz whether he thought delegates would be intimidated by Trump and Stone.
I think the people who run for delegate are patriots. They are people who love this country. They are people who are scared for their kids and grandkids and the important thing to understand is that Donald is not strong.
Donald is weak. Bullies by their nature are weak. Donald loves attacking women because I guess it makes him feel strong to attack women.
When he began attacking my wife. I think it made hims feel strong. The good thing is Heidi is not bothered. She's been in the business world a long time and this bellowing bully, Heidi just laughs him off and he doesn't know what to do.
He was born into great wealth and privilege. His father was a real estate baron.
At every stage, Donald, he told a joke, every one in the room laughed, whether it was funny, you had to laugh.
And then there's New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who endorsed Trump after bowing out of the race, to assume a role that I likened to Ed McMahon to Trump's Johnny Carson – timely guffaws and how cold was its?
Look at the humiliation he inflicts on people like Chris Christie. Chris Christie is a good man. I like Chris Christie. Christie right now is trapped in his own private hell. When Chris was standing behind Donald holding his jacket the look in his eyes, you could see the screaming.
You know what actually gets me is the servility of Chris forced to call Donald 'Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump, Mr. Trump.' You notice everyone once they get sucked into that orbit they have to call him 'Mr. Trump.'
Chris Christie is the governor of New York (sic). Chris Christie called him Donald until the day Donald commanded, `You may no longer call me Donald. Nobody calls me Donald.'
Cruz, on where things go from here:
The odds are now very high that we go to a contested convention. It is almost impossible for Donald to get to 1237 delegates. You know, the fact that he has now lost 11 elections in a row in the last three weeks, these three weeks have determined that Donald can't get to 1237.
When we get to a contested convention, here's what's going to happen: I'm going to have a ton of delegates. Donald is going to have a ton of delegates. And it's going to be a battle then to see who can earn a majority.
I believe we will have an enormous advantage. One of the ways to understand is the simple question: Where do the Rubio and Kasich delegates go? I think they naturally come to us. They're not going to go to Donald, particularly when he's threatening violence and abusing the system. And the amazing thing, you know, there's a lot of focus on our ground game, and I'm proud of the job our team has done organizing, but it's important to understand, our staffers couldn't do this if there was not a grassroots tsunami.
Donald's whole pitch is he's a great businessman and yet his campaign right now, it appears he can't run a lemonade stand.
You ever watch his T.V. show, 'The Apprentice? I watched it a few times, it was kind of fun. He would bring in apprentices they would get a job and if they did it badly he was withering.
I'll tell you this, if Donald was an apprentice on his show looking at their inability to even show up and win elections, Donald would say to himself, 'you're fired.'
As for Roger Stone – a long-time Trump confidante who parted company with the presidential campaign (Trump says he fired him; Stone says he left) last summer – he looms very large in Cruz's view of Trump and every nefarious maneuver by his rival.
Cruz blamed Stone for planting a negative story – which landed with a thud – in the National Enquirer, and for Matt Drudge's heavy-handed, pro-Trump, anti-Cruz leanings.
From World Tribune:
GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz said in a radio interview on April 11 that the Drudge Report has "become the attack site for the Donald Trump campaign."
In an interview on The Mike Slater Show on KFMB 760 AM in California, host Mike Slater asked Cruz: "What do you think of Drudge Report lately? Not even about Trump, but their anti-Christian headlines?"
Cruz responded:
"Look, Drudge Report over the years has done a good job highlighting the excesses of the left and the excesses of liberalism, and about the past month the Drudge Report has basically become the attack site for the Donald Trump campaign.
"And so every day they have the latest Trump attack. They're directed at me. It — by all appearances, Roger Stone now decides what's on Drudge, and most days they have a six-month-old article that is some attack on me, and it's — whatever the Trump campaign is pushing that day will be the banner headline on Drudge.
"By the way, they no longer cover news. Remember they used to have things like election results? They don't put those on Drudge anymore. When we win a state, suddenly the state doesn't matter. You know Colorado — there was no red siren on Drudge when we won all 34 delegates in Colorado. That wasn't news, because — I mean listen, that's fine. If people want to get on the Trump train, they can. I actually think we need real and meaningful solutions to the problems in this country, and as president my focus is going to be on three things: jobs, freedom and security."
In their heads? @TedCruz and @GlennBeck go on a @RogerJStoneJr rant because I expose their shit. @StoneColdTruth#StoneZone#Trump2016
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) April 12, 2016
With his ability to get into other people's heads, I don't think it's lost on Cruz that seeing Roger Stone's hand in every attack on him is not going to hurt Stone's feelings.
Only thing worse than being talked about…is NOT being talked about.@tedcruz and @GlennBeck obsess about moi ….https://t.co/JNXCFghIRi
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) April 12, 2016
Meanwhile, Trump had a very good night on CNN last night because of a Town Hall that featured his family, mostly because, for most of the show he entirely surrendered the spotlight to them as they described a remarkably mentally healthy father and husband.
But the Town Hall opened up with an Anderson Cooper one-on-one with Trump, in which, in explaining the outcome in Colorado, Trump did toss off a typical insult of Cruz.
I think the Republican Party in Colorado wanted Cruz, or maybe they wanted somebody other than Trump. I don't think anybody really wants Cruz. Why would they want him. There's no reason to want him.
Cruz and family are on tonight.


text:
February 11, 2011
A Sunny Morning In First Grade
3 comments:
Hooray! Thanks for an encouraging and heart warming story. I was invited to a third grade class to read from a book of my choice. I read excerpts from "The Bad Advice of Grandma Hasenfuss" and again, the children laughed at all the right places, and all of us had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Yes, children do love books.
P.S. I love that book ("The Bad Advice of Grandma Hasenfuss") and highly recommend it.
- February 11, 2011 at 4:04 PM
- Anne E.G. Nydam said...
Thanks again, Pax! It's lovely to have a loyal fan!
- February 12, 2011 at 8:58 AM
Amen! I like your desire to keep kids engaged and in love with books and the arts. I would stress that that interest should carry all through life. Two days ago I went to a talk on campus about World War II and sitting next to me was a student from the Institute of Music. He asked me, "Where are all the students?" Most of the audience were adults from the community and faculty. So we got to talking about searching out opportunities in a cultural center (music, arts, intellectual stimulation) and doing them. Why come to a university if all you are going to do is go to class and study? I think I found a rare fellow traveler on the road to stimulation from the neck up. Thanks for being one of those who is starting them down that wonderful road.
The Aging Wordsmith
- February 12, 2011 at 12:57 PM


text:
Stories about Nigeria from July, 2010
29 July 2010
22 July 2010
21 July 2010
18 July 2010
12 July 2010
9 July 2010
Nigeria: Who changed the President's mind— Facebook or FIFA?
After receiving hundreds of comments on his Facebook page, Nigeria's President reversed a controversial suspension of the country's national football team. But was the President's change of heart really a...
8 July 2010
Nigeria: The Facebook Page of Nigeria's President
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan is now on Facebook. He opened his page to communicate with Nigerians at home and abroad on 28 June. He sends regular messages spelling out his...


text:
Wow, what a wonderful weekend it has been. I hope you have enjoyed yours as much as we have.
One of my favorite Seasons and Holidays, love the colors, food and family time that goes along with Thanksgiving!
With the start of the newest challenge at the Doodle Pantry Challenge and Release Blog there is even more fun ahead! It starts at Noon today and runs until the 24th.
When you enter the challenge you will be sent this new set Goose Me by email for FREE!
Laurie has put up the newest releases early at Doodle Pantry so that you can take advantage of them also in the weekend sale now going on where you can save 40% on all purchases excluding bundled sets. Plus, as always with every $12 dollars spent you can choose one free product valued up to $3.00. Be sure to check out the Specials and Rewards pages at Doodle Pantry .
The card that I made today features the new SVG cut file released this month Card Cut Mustache along with the new sentiment set Encouraging Words .
So guys, enjoy the rest of your weekend, I hope you have time to check out the new things now going on at Doodle Pantry and if you would like to see what else I have for December's release, see my first post Here !
Happy Day......


text:
The days fly by and time passes in the blink of an eye. I try to remind myself to make the most of each day as it happens but they seem to woosh by in such a hurry. I am in no hurry. The excitement of each day is here and now and I feel as if I am in the thick of it. I have moved out of my home, my possessions are in a container parked somewhere, my new home will be mine at the end of the week. In the mean time, I've been camping, I wrote a final exam for an electrocardiography course I was taking, I've taken my little Peanut to Children's Hospital for some rather severe allergies to milk and eggs (he now has an epi-pen for those just in case times), and now I'm living in a hotel – it's a temporary arrangement. The whole thing is a bit surreal…..
I drove with my two small children for miles and miles and miles and miles on my own. We stopped a lot. In no particular order - here are a few things I've learned about travelling alone with very young children.
* Before setting out on a long car trip with children, many parents pack freshly cut carrots and celery. These would come in handy if a hungry deer wanders up to your car at a stop sign - carseats are places where goldfish crackers go to die - when driving long distances nutrition goes out the window – if gold fish crackers keep them happy – provide endless supplies of goldfish crackers .. Lollies that take time to chew and have the ability to fuse the jaw together are also particularly useful.
* public toilets are scary places – and for toddlers they are positively terrifying.
* be thankful for Velcro - As well as saving valuable time, now I can hear the sound of my son taking off his shoes which gives me three extra seconds to activate the safety locks on the back seat windows right before he hurls them out of the car and onto the freeway.
* every community has a playground…. I am slowly getting intimately acquainted with ALL of them.
* a personal listening device with a set of ear buds or headphones so your child can keep his music to himself can easily save you a fortune in therapy later.
* if the baby falls asleep, inevitably the toddler wakes him up with an enthusiastic rendition of "Dingle Dingle Wittow Star" which he can't be reprimanded for because he's cute and he didn't mean to wake his brother. Just breathe.
* take breaks where there is a toilet but away from any venue that has too many desirable items available to purchase. Like alcohol.
* estimate the travel time, then double it.
* it all ends with the game "everyone look out the window and be quiet" while Mum tries to remain calm and delete swear words from her internal dialogue.
But we've made it so far, and there are really only 2 or 3 more days to driving to go. Then I can look forward to a year of single parenting, a small one bedroom apartment, and the printing of my book!!! Oh yeah!
I got the first proof (digital copy only) back from the designer that is putting the text into the artwork. This is really so exciting. I'm requesting a few edits, but I'm pretty happy with it. Extremely excited to be at this stage in the process!!!