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Welcome back to our Thought Leader Podcast series! In this podcast, we speak with industry leaders about their perspective on doing business in the technology industry. Episodes feature interviews with inspiring speakers David Meerman Scott, Jo Burston, Dux Raymond Sy and Mario Carvajal, Carol Roth, Tim Hurson, Kris Plachy, and Mike Harvath and Reed Warren, covering topics from marketing to management to the future of the Intelligent Cloud.
In today's episode, we hear from thought leaders Mike Harvath and Reed Warren on the subject of partner specialization. Mike and Reed are the Founders of Revenue Rocket, a consulting firm focused on growth strategy and acquisition. Together, they have an in-depth understanding of how Microsoft partners grow and manage their businesses. Over the years of working directly with businesses on accelerating profit, Mike and Reed have learned that the main success factor for partners is the ability to specialize in an overserved market. In this interview they share their thoughts on the potential of merging technology with vertical market specialization.
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[VOICEOVER]: Welcome to the Microsoft Partner Network Thought Leader Podcast Series. In this edition, we're talking with Mike Harvath and Reed Warren of Revenue Rocket. Mike is the company's president and CEO, and Reed is its vice president. Revenue Rocket is a management consulting company that helps IT services firms with merger and acquisition initiatives and growth strategies. Today, they discuss how partner specialization is key to success, why accelerating profit from the start is critical, and how to approach the different ways to grow your and your customer's business.
MIKE: Hi. I'm Mike Harvath. I'm President and CEO of Revenue Rocket.
REED: And this is Reed Warren, Vice President and Partner at Revenue Rocket.
INTERVIEWER: Outstanding. Thanks for joining us today. So can you tell us first a little bit about your company?
MIKE: Sure thing. Revenue Rocket is a growth strategy and M&A advisory firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We work with Microsoft partners worldwide. And our focus is to help firms profitably grow and successfully do both buy side and sell side M&A transactions.
INTERVIEWER: Outstanding. So far as the typical partner to partner engagement that you have, partnering for success is a huge thing. Can you talk a little bit about what a typical engagement would be?
MIKE: For us, typically our clients come to us, and when we work with them, we work with them on a service level agreement basis. So [stopped xxxx] it's a retainer. And we have a very specific program on the strategy side of our business called Revenue Realization. And in many ways, it's about profit realization and becoming a top quartile performer.
So the whole story's not told with Revenue Realization as a name, but that's what we happen to call it. And that engagement's about nine months. And we transition 140 or so clients that are Microsoft partners through that process to top quartile performance.
So if you're a partner and you're struggling with sort of getting — you're seeing pressure on growth and profit, we certainly can help you with that.
And then on the M&A side — I don't know, Reed, if you want to talk a little bit about that.
REED: Yeah, I just want to touch base on the top quartile. Typically we define top quartile as twelve to fifteen percent (Inaudible 3:33) as a percentage of revenue with typically about 30 percent year over year growth. And so Mike — and I don't want to steal thunder from Mike — has created the rule of 45, which really looks at those two components coming together. And if you're operating between 40 and 45 — so you take your — you (Inaudible 3:50) as a percentage of revenue plus year over year growth. Add those together. If you're running in that 40 to 45 percent, you really have optimized the efficiency of the organization for both profit and growth.
INTERVIEWER: You talk about optimization. I think that's one of the values that a lot of partner organizations are looking for. Can you talk a little bit about how a partner organization can arrive at that valuation? What are the things that partners can proactively do to increase their value of their firm?
MIKE: Yeah, sure thing. I want to talk first a little bit about how someone engages with us on the M&A side because I think it's important to cover that off and answer the rest of your last question, XXXXX.
But we engage both on a retainer and success fee basis in helping companies buy and sell. So about 91 to 92 percent of the time someone engages us, we successfully get a transaction done. That's much higher than the market. The market's at about 50 percent for advisors. And frankly, without an advisor, about one percent.
So there's a business case to have an advisor help you.
As far as adding value and optimizing sort of the value to the market, when we begin any work with a client, we do a review, if you will, or an assessment of your business. It helps us chart the course for improvement if it's a strategy engagement. It also helps us look at are you really ready to do a transaction. Whether that be buy side or sell side transaction.
And oftentimes, we find when someone comes to us and says, "Hey, I really want to sell my business", or, "hey, I might want to buy a business", they're not ready. And so we move more into a build value/build optimization, get more health and vibrancy into the business. And we do that through our revenue realization engagement.
INTERVIEWER: Can you share some examples of the types of things companies are doing to increase their value? In other words, if someone were going to retain your services, what are the prerequisites that you like to see?
MIKE: Well, you know, maybe the question of sort of what are some of the success factors is probably the question. And obviously, you know, they don't need to have all of these when they engage with us. But we see the most successful partner really focus on a market or specialize. And that's really an intersection of technology and vertical market specialization.
Whether you're an ISV or what we define as a systems integrator or pure play IT services or platform company, the companies that are focused typically on a market and have begun to develop IP around that market, whether that's process, or cloud offerings, or really even just process, are ones that are most successful. And the reason for that is that we have to chart a course to be number one or number two in the market you choose to serve. And without that, you're not relevant. And so with relevancy, you have an opportunity to frankly get your unfair share of the customer base in your market.
So we see a lot of success built around those areas of focus. And then I think just having very disciplined approach around the financial side of the business. And we work with all of our clients, really, in helping them determine how to best market, how to best sell, how to manage the business in an effective way, and how to codify those offerings to that specialized market to really be successful.
INTERVIEWER: Outstanding. So kind of taking the flipside of that coin, is there a partner type that is not a good fit for mergers and acquisition. Do you see that there's ever a time when a partner organization is either too small or has constraints? What are some of those challenges?
MIKE: Well, there's a lot of things that have to come together in a partner organization as it relates to either buying or selling your business, right. So I think the short answer is probably no. However, I would say that it has a lot to do with expectations. And we're in an industry where very few partners start their business with the idea that they're going to run it as a multigenerational family business, right. It just doesn't occur. It's usually because someone starts a business, has a passion about technology in many ways — in many cases, or are passionate about helping customers if they're sort of a sales and marketing type background person. And they have successfully grown the business to a certain size.
For our clients, we typically see a scenario where people will help them with strategy, and then they may do some acquisitions to help accelerate the growth. And then we see them eventually exit. And they typically work with us on that full continuum. And so depending where they are in that lifecycle is kind of where we enter.
But the short answer to your question is not really. The market right now is consolidating. It is our opinion that in general, it's oversupplied, not undersupplied. So we're a bit of a contrarian there.
And we think it also drives the case for why specialization becomes important. And as a result, we're going to see sort of a (Inaudible 8:56) of companies that service niches that drive most of their business, even as a small company globally, through inbound marketing.
And so the paradigm of sort of the outbound sales scenario geography has changed dramatically in the last two years. The way CFOs — or CTOs, I'm sorry — or CIOs buy has also changed dramatically. And as a result, it's completely changed the way that partners need to go to market to be successful.
INTERVIEWER: Great. As far as — you alluded to that disruption that's going on in the marketplace. Based on what you're seeing from Microsoft, what are the trends that you would predict are going to be the foundational components of a good partner going forward? What are the emerging technologies or the emerging partnerships that you think are really going to hold the most value?
MIKE: Well, you didn't really pay me to say this, but I'm going to tell you it's all about cloud, right. I mean, we know that cloud aligned partners, clearly those that also have created subscription-based revenue streams of their own, that are sort of long tail on really all the cloud offerings. Whether that's more infrastructure, or platform, or Azure-based. I mean, it doesn't really matter. And it needs to be sticky with the client.
But I think what's interesting is that there's a greater opportunity than ever for partners now to be able to capitalize on sort of the long tail subscription professional and managed services that exist. And a lot of people when they hear "managed services" think we're talking about infrastructure managed services only. And we're really not. We're talking about application managed services, maintenance and support of custom development environments. Really, everything that's involved with keeping those systems, and applications and platforms running.
That opportunity has exploded the market for partners. And it's created an environment where with what Microsoft has built in the cloud, it's the best time I think ever that I can remember in my 30 year career to be a Microsoft partner.
INTERVIEWER: I would agree. It's definitely an exciting time for partners to get involved and to double down on their Microsoft engagement. Do you find that — you had said earlier that if a partner is going at it on their own that they have a much lower success rate. What are those hurdles? What do you think is the magic behind Revenue Rocket? And why is that so successful compared to partners that just simply aren't engaging in or trying to do it on their own?
MIKE: Well, we talked about that in the context of M&A. But I think in many ways, you know, I would say in more broad terms, there's probably more success available to you by leveraging some of the other advisors that are in the market. Revenue Rocket clearly is one of those companies. And for those of you that are in the audience that would love to learn more, you can learn more about us at revenuerocket.com. And we'd love to talk to you about how we might be able to help.
But beyond that, I would say that it takes a village really to grow your business. As a small business owner, there's lots of challenges you have. And it's a bit of a — you've heard all these analogies. It's lonely at the top, or it's tough going it alone and all that. I believe that, you know, there's folks out there like Revenue Rocket that enjoy the luxury of perspective. We have a perspective of working with 400 companies over our 15 year tenure. We can bring that perspective to your business, share what we've learned, help you optimize your business, both for organic growth and for acquisitive growth.
INTERVIEWER: Great. I would just, you know, Reed, if you could just chime in on that one as well, I would love to get your perspective.
REED: Would love to. Would love to. I think one of the things that people fail to recognize is there's a real difference between knowing the path and walking the path. It's one thing to know that I need to lose weight, and if I just ate right and exercised right, I could do that. It's really different to actually go through the process of doing it. And I think that's really one of the key components that an advisor brings to the table is they'll not only be able to show you the path, they'll walk it with you and help make sure you really actually execute around it.
Because there's this natural swirl of the business that's always going to derail you from what you need to be working on as it get pulled into urgent situations. So an advisor either on the growth strategy side or the M&A side is really going to be able to keep you focused on what are the most important things to be working on in that moment as it pertains to those goals and really help you execute.
INTERVIEWER: Outstanding. Great. Any more to add to that?
MIKE: No. I would just say that our clients over the years have told us that this balance between working in and on the business is very challenging for them. They know as business owners that they need to spend time working on the business. I think their greatest value long-term is spent in working on the business.
But the business reality states, particularly when you're small, that you need to spend a significant amount of your time working in the business. And I think that's where an outside advisor can really help you. Whether you're contemplating just accelerating your profit, so that you can have more options in the business. We're firm believers that the more profit your business generates in real dollars and has a percentage of revenue, the more options you have to invest in additional sales people, to invest in marketing, to invest in taking more share organically.
But it also gives you options to acquire other businesses. And ultimately, because you build value into the balance sheet of that business, it gives you exit — many more exit choices when the time is right.
INTERVIEWER: So really what you're describing is a service that's — you know, goes beyond the M&A and really becomes a component of the overall business strategy. You don't necessarily have to be looking for an M&A type engagement in order to bring your company in and gain value from it.
MIKE: Absolutely not. And we prefer to have long relationships with our clients. I often joke around with our clients that we're a company for life kind of company. Now, the meter's not running for life, but we're always working with you, always thinking about you. We're always available to you.
And I think if you were to talk to any one of those 400-plus clients of ours, they would tell you that. There's people we worked with fifteen years ago that we are still very close to, that we talk to regularly, that we've been able to provide value to time and time again over that fifteen years.
INTERVIEWER: That's outstanding. So just to follow up on that, can you give us an example or two of companies that you've worked with?
MIKE: Certainly. We have a great example of a managed service provider when we talk about sort of a smaller company. They were a couple million dollars when we started working with them. And they were focused on a geography. We helped them verticalize their business, focus on adding more cloud solutions and IP to that business. And if you fast forward a couple years, they moved from single digit EBITA profit at two million to six million in revenue and 28 points of EBITA. We think that's a pretty good success story for 24 months. And we ultimately helped them do an acquisition — what we call an adjacency acquisition — very recently.
I would also — you know, to give you an example of a larger company that's more focused on custom development. We helped a company that was again, a horizontal custom development company that was about $20 million in revenue when we started working with them.
We helped them align their business again, to a vertical market, put some processes in place, and scaled their business to $30 million over a fairly short period of time, about 36 months. And now, in their vertical, they've just signed a 5 year, $30 million development contract that will be parked on Azure, and are contemplating a second one.
And that's a company that we know at some point will exit. It's part of our lifecycle with them. We know that the ownership at some point in the future will decide to do that. Right now they're having a real good time running the business profitably and scaling it. But you know, we want to be there for them when that time comes, too.
INTERVIEWER: Outstanding. Go ahead, Reed.
REED: One of the — the path that we typically see with most of our customers is they come in and really help them identify and grow effectively, become a top quartile performer. And once you get that growth strategy dialed in nicely and you have that scalable growth, the next piece to it is really a bi-side engagement to help accelerate that growth. It really is about getting to a million dollars of EBITA, bottom line. And so you want to be able to buy your way, also leveraging your organic growth to get there.
And then really at that point, you start to look at when's the right time to exit. And it could be one year, it could be many years. But really, you're trying — you're looking at this strategy of going from growth, to buy side, to eventually exit while you're still in that growth trajectory.
INTERVIEWER: So it sounds like it's more of a marathon than a sprint.
REED: Absolutely.
INTERVIEWER: Mike Harvath, Reed Warren, thanks for joining us today.
MIKE: Thanks, Bill.
REED: Thank you.
[VOICEOVER]: Check out the other podcast episodes in this series to learn more from Microsoft Partner Network thought leaders. Keep in touch with us via LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube by searching for the Microsoft Partner Network, and be sure to follow us on Twitter @mspartner. And if you like the podcast, don't forget to rate and review it.


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text: How to Become a Savings Master in the New Year posted 12/30/2013 in General There's nothing worse than checking your savings account balance and seeing you don't have as much in your account as you thought. "I need to do better at saving money," you tell yourself, but you know you'll experience the same situation again. So, how can you become better about saving money? Lincoln Savings Bank wants to share a few strategies that can help you train yourself to save money so it becomes automatic:Do the math- by adding up your expenses and comparing that to your income, you can see what you have available to stash away every month.Recognize that it doesn't take much- saving, whether for retirement or something else, takes time. If you start early enough you don't have to save a huge chunk of your income every month.Set up automatic savings- this is one of the beauties of online banking, just set it up and forget it. If it's set up automatically that's one less thing to remember.Cut costs and save them- instead of relying on excess income, find somewhere in your budget you can cut costs.Make more than minimum payments- paying the minimum means you pay more in interest over time. Contribute more to a 401(k)- especially if you have an employer match. If you have money automatically deducted from your paycheck pre-tax, you'll never miss it AND you'll be funding your retirement.Prioritize Saving Money- money issues are emotional, so be passionate about saving. You can't just mean well, you have to act on it.We hope these tips help you to increase your savings and make better financial decisions. If you have questions or would like to talk to an LSB staff member about how Lincoln Savings Bank can help with your money goals, just call or come by any LSB location. Until next time, happy savings!Lincoln Savings Bank Want the latest and greatest from our blog straight to your inbox? Follow Subscribe to our blog Categories Banking Business CEO Messages Community Cybersecurity General Homeowners Insurance Investments Lincoln Love Mortgage Personal Finance Press Releases Seasonal Trust Wealth Management Recent Articles How to Keep Yourself Safe While Working Remote LSB Foundation Awards 25 Grants to Iowa Non-Profits Impacting our Communities One Step at a Time Archive 2020 2019 2018


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Science Fiction
This half term we will read, watch, listen to and write lots of different stories in the literacy genre (type) science fiction.
The introduction below explains a little about science fiction and things you need to know to understand, enjoy and create this type of story.
Structure of science fiction stories.
They can use any of the varied structures typical of narrative. The setting is often a time in the future so may use structures that play with the time sequence, such as flashbacks and time travel.
Science fiction typically includes detail about the way that people might live in the future, predicting in a creative and imaginative way how technology might advance.
Language features
The plot usually includes adventure so action is fast-moving.
Where futuristic characters are created, dialogue may use unusual forms and vocabulary, or even alternative languages.
Description is important to convey imagined settings, technology, processes and characters.
Knowledge for the writer
Even if the story is set in the future, you still need to create a setting, characters and plot that readers can believe possible.
Make sure you have main characters the reader will care about (e.g. a likeable hero) even if the characters are non-human.
Use description carefully when you want your reader to imagine something they have never seen.
The links below will help you develop your experience of science fiction. The best experience is, of course, to start reading!
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When I wrote about my Portuguese teacher from high school, I forgot to mention something for which I was thankful and that I actually talked about in my letter to her: Fernando Pessoa and my first contact with Portuguese poetry.
When you learn a new language, you do not necessarily think of poetry as convenient literature, and you want to reserve it for when you are much more confident with your language abilities. Yet our professor introduced us to some of Fernando Pessoa's poems. Pessoa is a central, important, and talented European writer, yet he was never mentioned in any of my high school classes. Two of his works really made an impression on me: Mar Português, and O Tejo, written under one of his pseudonyms (Alberto Caeiro).
Mar Portugês is actually what made me think of writing to my Portuguese teacher. When I first arrived in Lisbon for my new job, I saw this poem on top of a taxi cab and it just brought back a whole lot of feelings and memories in mind, from when I was a teenager dreaming of some day living in this historical country, that once dominated the sea. Some dreams do come true. Photo by Louids
Here is an English translation of the original text by João Manuel Mimoso, though I'm not sure it really does justice to the original version:
Portuguese Sea
Oh salty sea, so much of your salt
Is tears of Portugal!
Because we crossed you, so many mothers wept,
So many sons prayed in vain!
So many brides remained unmarried
That you might be ours, oh sea!
Was it worthwhile? All is worthwhile
When the spirit is not small.
He who wants to go beyond the Cape
Has to go beyond pain.
God to the sea peril and abyss has given
But it was in it that He mirrored heaven.
"Because we don't know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. Yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very small number really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that is so deeply part of your being that you, that you can't even conceive of your life without it. Perhaps four or five times more, perhaps not even that. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps 20. And yet it all seems limitless". – Paul Bowles
Magsx left a comment on a post from last week saying that it would be hard to beat my (still current) ride to work, and I have to thank her a lot for reminding me of that. I still agree that riding a boat is pretty awesome but I've gotten used to this "routine" and often forget to look out of the window to simply enjoy the scenery.
So last Friday, in the spirit of this quote from Paul Bowles, I took the time to take a few photos to share with you. I hope you enjoy these!
Sunrise from the lake
Birds sleeping together in the morning
Snow capped mountains in the distance
The other side of the lake, after sunset
To be honest, I am falling a little behind on my goal of writing letters, which is why I'm delaying the posts on letters for a little while 😉
"Can you believe someone climbed a tree in Morocco, picked a date off it, put it in a truck, drove it all the way to the dock, and then sailed it all the way across the Atlantic ocean, and then put it in another truck, and drove that all the way to a tiny grocery store just outside our house so that they can sell it to us for 25 cents?"
You may recognize this quote from Neil Pasricha's talk at TEDX that I already talked about earlier this month. It just illustrates perfectly what I want to talk about today.
Last Christmas at home we had a white Christmas. It snowed almost nonstop on the 24th and 25th of December. During our Christmas dinner, my cousin's boyfriend, who is a firefighter, had to leave for an emergency. And as we were driving to church the night of the 24th, we crossed the snowplow on the road. And I realized something: so many people had actually been working while I was enjoying my holidays. Doctors, surgeons, firefighters, policemen, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, and so many others were not spending Christmas with their families because they were allowing many of us to have a safe and pleasant time. They all would have deserved a thank-you note.
Someone I do not know cleaned this road
so people like us could use it!
And not only them, but every day, you interact with people who help to make your day a little better. The cashier at your grocery store who indicates you where you can find the lemon juice (why is it in the hard liquors' aisle anyway?), the person on the street who helps you when you're lost, your doctor who gives you the right medicine, the security agent who watches over your car in the parking lot… You're most certainly one of these awesome people too, for someone.
Even people whom you have no interactions with do things that make your days better, like that person Neil talks about (he was actually quoting his dad FYI). Someone wrote the cooking book you're using. Someone cleaned up the street in front of your house this morning. A teacher is educating your children, etc. The list is infinite!
So today, why not take some time to be thankful for these strangers' help? Even if it's just a quick thought, it helps to feel better, you'll notice it!
You may know from the letter to my employer that I just resigned last week. We agreed with my employer that I would stay until the report I'm working on is finished, and after I'll be free to go. This means that I'm having a little more work nowadays as I am trying to finish this report for the beginning of next week, and I'm allowing myself a lot fewer WordPress breaks, even out of the office.
All this to say that I might take a little more time responding to comments and interacting in blogs I like to read. I have however some articles that are scheduled to be automatically published in the next few days, so feel free to come check up on what's new here!
Also, I am not making a lot of progress in the letters, and as it takes me a little more time to write portraits of people than regular articles, and I do not want to rush either the letters or the blog posts, so I'm going to delay letters 11 12 and 13 just a little bit.
And to leave you, here's what made me smile today:
As I was walking back to the office after picking up a sandwich for lunch, I passed by a very young girl and her brother. When they saw me coming, they stood up and the little girl said: "Good afternoon sir, would you like some flowers or some grass that smells good?"
Three things here:
- It's winter here in Switzerland, so she might have stolen those flowers from her parents' house, which only makes the situation even cuter.
- If it is not option 1 then we might be facing some blatant display of child labour, but I'll discard that as she was not selling the flowers.
- Children are awesome. They can approach each other and strangers without wondering if what they say will not sound awkward; and that's something I would just love to be able to do but somehow un-learned. (At her age, I was giving earthworms to cars that stopped by, a little less cute and a little more boy-ish). Don't you ever wish sometimes that human interactions were a little less complex?
Here's part of my ride to work by the way:
As promised in the first post, I'll briefly talk about responses I get to the letters I send once in a while. So here it is:
Letter 1: Nonnie. No response yet. I am not worried though, Nonnie is the one who wrote to me in the first place to tell me she loved me.
Letter 2: Sarah. There's already a post about it. We keep in touch.
Letter 3: My brother. When I came home for Christmas I asked him if he had received the letter and he said "Oh yes. It was such a nice letter, really". Great!
Letter 4: Lucette. My parents actually told me that she found the post card beautiful and that she was very touched. When I went to her house she also added that it was a very pretty card and the first one she had from Portugal.
Letter 5: To the post office employees. I haven't had the courage to post it. Next Christmas I'll write a better one and actually post that one.
Letter 6: Erin and David. I received a nice message on facebook from Erin. They really appreciated the letter and pictures and send lots of love from South Africa. What's nice is that I was afraid that sending them a letter might scare them considering that we'd not known each other for that long, but it didn't and was just a nice gesture.
Letter 7: My Portuguese teacher from high school. We have an exchange student from Texas who goes to the same high school I used to. So I left her the letter. She gave it to her Portuguese teacher on a Monday and received the reply on Tuesday. It is a very nice Christmas card, with two pages. My teacher says she remembers me well, wishes me to take advantage of travelling to Portugal, and says she was very surprised and appreciated it a lot. Great.
Maybe I'll have a full mailbox someday…
Photo by Louids
That's about it for the responses. I really find it nice that people respond positively and that some took the time to write back. It is not as scary now as it first was, especially considering that nobody got scared by what I was doing and thought I was a psychopath in the making.
On a more personal level it feels really good to send the letters. It also gives me a sense of accomplishment (it doesn't take much I know). I tend to be more appreciative of the people in my life and more grateful for the little acts of kindness I notice every day. I'm also learning to show people I appreciate their company (but there's a learning curve to that, I still have a long way to go), which seems to improve my relationships in general. Finally I'm also learning to see myself in a more positive light: I can do good things!
Thanks for reading 🙂
I'm having a hard time giving letter 10 to the person it is addressed to, and since I only want to write the blog post after I've done it, I'm going to publish a short story today instead.
Sometimes you know or meet someone whose story gives you hope in the ability of men to do good things even in adverse circumstances. Ennio's story is just that, which is why I wanted to share it with you.
Ennio is my brother's best friend (so much so that his girlfriend says that if he leaves her it will be to marry Ennio), so I've known him long enough to tell his story. His life started out pretty normally, in a small village of the French Alps with his brother and parents. Then his mother left them and they've never heard of her since. We all have different relationships with our parents but you've got to admit it's pretty rough for a kid to be abandoned by his mom.
Ennio and my brother, "Ain't no mountain high enough"
With his mom gone, Ennio's trials started. His father was either working or out drinking, so Ennio and his brother went through primary school mostly without support. Then his father remarried and went away for months at a time, leaving the two brothers alone through crucial periods of middle school. At this age I could only make yogurt cake so cooking must have taken a bit of motivation from them.
I know this starts to look like a Charles Dickens story even more because Ennio also had to work since he was 11. But working is actually what really helped him. His boss, Boileau, was not always easy on him but that's how he made his apprenticeship and learned a job. That's also how he paid for school, because at 16 he had to move out of his father's house. Now he and his former boss are really good friends and he is forever grateful that he helped him when times were rough.
There are several very humbling aspects in Ennio's story. First, as Randy Pausch said: "You cannot change the hands you are dealt, just how you play the hands". I have seen many cases of children growing up in unfavorable environments and who became either violent or depressed. Ennio instead is one of the cases of such a kid showing resilience and hanging on to the right people to help him (teachers, Boileau, etc.), because the people you spend the most time with influence you a lot. It also shows that this kid is really good at heart, never complaining about his situation or chaotic way to adulthood, but instead enjoying his situation as it is and making the best effort to create himself a better future.
The view from the top of a mountain is even better
when you've suffered to get there
Another nice element of this story is that even though he could have just dropped out of school and got a job, Ennio still worked part time to pay for school with his own money, because he saw education as a way to improve his condition. I have complained many times about a class being too hard and homework being unpleasant, perhaps I should have looked to people like him, who know education is a privilege we're getting.
Finally, Ennio could have been in my letters too. A couple of summers ago Ennio and my brother wanted to go on vacation in Southern France. I was the only one with a driver's licence, so they invited both my girlfriend and me to spend the holidays with them. I didn't think that they were both paying for the apartment we occupied. They never mentioned once that they had just treated us to a free vacation, I found that because our mom told me. I felt a bit bad for never thanking them properly, while they were very thankful for me driving them. So the next time I see Ennio, I'll definitely do something nice for him.
How about you, do you have people like that in your life, who overcame several hardships and now seem to do fine? Please share those stories, they can only inspire us!


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Yesterday I finished listening to The Wright Brothers by David McCullough on Audible and I couldn't help make the connection between the two brothers from Dayton, Ohio who pulled off the first powered and controlled flights of an airplane and filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods who wrote the original drafts A Quiet Place screenplays.
On one level not Hollywood hit movie can compete with the efforts of performing a feat that had never been done before—and that many thought never could be done. But the portrayal of the Wright brothers by McCullough is one of two hard-working Midwestern men who ran a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio and worked diligently on designing and testing the first powered and controlled aircraft until they found wild success in their 30s.
Scott and Bryan made films for 20 years without breakout success until A Quiet Place when the film received critical and financial success in April. (To date it's made over $300 million worldwide and two month's after its release it's still playing in 1,000 theater in the U.S.)
They haven't started building a wing at the Smithsonian for Scott and Bryan quite yet, but I'm sure they're hometown heroes back in Davenport, Iowa where the two met in sixth grade and began making their first films.
McCullough wrote that the Wright brothers remained unchanged by the international fame they received for their rock star status (long before there were rock stars). In the spirit of the Midwest, they rolled up their sleeves and kept working and making longer and longer flights.
And that appears essentially what Scott and Bryan are doing. They are already in post-production on Haunt they the co-wrote and co-directed. And to show just how level-headed they appear to be, read these words they wrote just days before A Quiet Place hit theaters:
"But very soon, as the Hollywood fairydust settles, we will go back into the silence of writing the next project, an idea we're dying to make that may be perceived as too weird, too silly, or too adventurous. Perhaps we'll have to return to Iowa to make the movie for a fraction of the catering budget on 'A Quiet Place.' But for now, we'll appreciate our moment with Michael Bay, and encourage everyone to follow their strange cinematic ideas, never knowing just where they might lead."
Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
IndieWire, April 2, 2018
'A Quiet Place: How Two Indie Filmmakers Accidently Wrote a Studio Film for Emily Blunt and John Krasinski
P.S. When I started writing this blog in Cedar Falls, Iowa I had this famous picture of the Wright brothers on my office wall.
Related posts:
Art is Work—Milton Glaser
Screenwriter's Work Ethic
What could be made on a farm in Iowa for $50K? (That would be a movie people want to see.)—'A Quiet Place'


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The United Nations Security Council declared this week a no-fly zone above Libya in a bid to prevent Gadaffi from using his air force against protesters and rebels demanding an end to the Libyan leader's 41-year rule. Gadaffi's brutal crackdown on the protests has earned him international condemnation. Ivory Coast is wracked by violence sparked by the refusal of the country's incumbent president to step down after having lost an election to his political opponent.
Al Ittihad and Jeunesse Club Abidjan were due to face each other this weekend but must now agree on a neutral venue for a one-off match to be played between April 1 and 3, CAF said in a statement.
CAF is likely to also decide that an African Nations Cup qualifier between Ivory Coast and Benin scheduled for next weekend in Abidjan should be played on neutral territory. CAF has already delayed Libya's qualifier against the Comoros Islands that was supposed to be played in Libya next weekend.
Earlier, CAF moved the eight-nation African Youth Championships that was supposed to kick off in Libya on Friday to South Africa. The tournament, which will decide which four African countries go to the under-20 World Cup in Colombia this year, was rescheduled for April 16.


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Change to Diet
Notice from the Casa de Dom Inacio in Abadiania, Brazil for those of you who are taking herbs recommended by John of God
On Thursday, May 23, 2002, the entity known as Joseph stated that we are "liberated from the dietary restriction of NO gassed bananas and NO fertilized eggs while taking the herbs from the Casa".
The following is information on the new and less restrictive diet.
Capsules - three capsules are to be taken daily, spaced evenly through the day: one in the morning, one at midday and one in the evening. Begin with any container and when that one is finished begin the second one, and so forth. Children under the age of 12 are usually given one bottle of the herbs and asked to take only one capsule a day. These are the most common instructions, however another may be recommended for you that you are to follow. Note: If swallowing capsules is a problem, open the capsule and mix it in water, juice or with your food.
The herbs may be taken with food or on an empty stomach, with meals or between meals. To receive the full benefit, take your herbs consciously and observe the simple rules. Do not allow anyone else to handle your herbs unless you are incapacitated.
When taken as directed the herbs have a powerful immune building and healing quality. John of God directs Divine energy into each bottle specifically for the recipient according to what he observes in the person standing before him or in the photograph presented to him. Although each person receives the same type of herbs (Passiflora: ground up passion flower leaves), no two regimens are alike. Your herbs are energized specifically for you alone.
In addition, while you are taking the herbs, do not ingest:
1. Alcohol of any kind or amount (except the tiny amount contained in tinctures).
2. Spicy food containing chilies, hot peppers, black or white pepper, cayenne, hot sauces, paprika, etc.
3. Pig meat or anything containing pork, ham, bacon, lard, etc. (some foods such as pea soup and baked beans contain pork).
For optimum recovery, avoid sugar, junk food, black coffee, colas and smoking, especially in the first week following surgery. You are trying to maximize your body's ability to repair cell tissue.
Should you decide for some reason not to take or to discontinue taking the herbs, please bless them and return them to the earth by dissolving them with water. The containers may be recycled.
When you are nearly complete with your herbs, send another photo or return to the Casa until John of God tells you "You are complete".


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Here's a recipe that's easy to remember because it uses one unit of each item, deriving part of its protein from beans. The protein levels vary from 22.2% (beef heart) to 23.2% (main version) to 28.5% (turkey and oats). The Calcium:Phosphorus ratio is consistently excellent throughout the many variations. If you want to boost the protein level by about 1%, you may add one (what else?) egg or one Tablespoon of nutritional yeast.
The key to convenience in this recipe is to cook large quantities of beans in advance. Follow the directions on the package. Freeze extra quantities in 1 cup multiples and thaw as needed. The main version uses rice because it coordinates well with many people's own needs, but the other grain choices are higher protein, and for the most part, faster cooking.
1 cup (1/2 lb) lean hamburger (or turkey, chicken, lean heart, lean chuck)
1 cup uncooked brown rice (2 1/2 cups, cooked)
1 cup cooked kidney beans (or 7 1/2 oz can)
1 Tablespoon Healthy Powder
1 Tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon bone meal (or 1600 mg Calcium or 1 scant teaspoon eggshell powder)
1 5000 i.u. Vitamin A & D capsule (or part of a larger one)
(optional) 1 teaspoon soy sauce or dash of iodized salt
(optional) 1 small clove garlic, crushed or minced
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil for every cup of uncooked rice. Add the rice and simmer 35-45 minutes. Mix in the other ingredients and serve.
Yield: 1600 kilo-calories, about 2 days' worth for a 25-lb dog, or a day's worth for a 65-lb dog. Triple the recipe to feed a very large dog for a couple of days.
Grain Substitutes: The following grains all have a higher protein yield than the rice, and are in order of increasing protein value: 2 cups rolled oats (+2 cups water = 2 cups cooked); 1 cup bulgur (+2 cups water = 2 1/2 cups cooked); 1 cup millet (+3 cups water = 3 cups cooked); 1 1/2 cups corn meal (+6 cups water = 6 cups cooked); or 1 cup barley (+2-3 cups water = 2 1/2 – 3 cups cooked).


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Twitter is not trying to be the next Facebook. Twitter users adopt the platform to make constant updates about what is going on throughout the course of their day. Facebook users are more concerned with staying in touch with people they are close to, chatting with them, and posting pictures about the events in their lives. These two sites have totally different aims.
Twitter is targeting a totally different used than Facebook. There goal is reach the user who can fully express they message in 140 characters or less. In many cases Tweets are used to connect followers to different a web site or other Internet destination. Twitter is already very much a mobile app while Facebook is still trying to define its mobile appearance.
No, I do not believe that twitter is trying to be the next Facebook. Twitter has a different way of communication. Twitter is more of an instant message type communication. Both have ways things can be commented on but I think that they have two very different avenues of approach in social media.
With the ever expanding profiles on twitter, people are beginning to equate twitter to facebook. The only way I would accept that is in the form of profile expansion and the recent addition of photos in messages. Even those photos stick to the script of short and sweet messages. Facebook allows for lengthy conversations and posts. The information stored and distributed through Facebook is much more comprehensive. Twitter is made for the ADHD society that wants a quick message that gets to the quick and dirty of the situation. Facebook requires a bit more focus.
Twitter and Facebook can both coexist in the same Internet space. Both have marketing prowess and both have hundreds of millions of users. Twitter has much different operating parameters from Facebook. Both keep people connected in simple ways. Both rely on quick communications. Both are able to post pictures and messages from cell phones. Yet Twitter is not trying to be like Facebook. If it does, that will be the end of Twitter as we know it.


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February 11, 2015
Francis and Lisa Chan's new book on marriage is available as a free download for the next several days from Christian Audio.
Paul Tripp helpfully delineates 23 things that love is. I need to spend some time with this list.
David Murray weighs in on why Christians are hated so much. The problem, as you might guess, is Jesus.
I appreciated Al Mohler's reflection "The President at the Payer Breakfast." Does our esteemed president really not understand the treat from Islam?
I enjoyed Your dog is not a human being. Stop treating her like one. But she's so cute!
January 12, 2015
If you are at all tempted by sloth, you might want to read this article. I appreciated what this person had to say.
Often it can be difficult to determine which promises in the Bible apply to believers personally. This piece helps one navigate the question.
Here are Barna's top ten findings for 2014. As is usually the case, the news is mixed. My dad sent this link to me.
Gospel Formed is free today for Kindle. It looks like a good read.
Also, one of the best devotionals is Spurgeon's Morning and Evening. It is this month's free audio book from Christian Audio.
Free Christmas Devotionals
December 2, 2014
Nancy Guthrie's Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room: Daily Family Devotions for Advent is free for Kindle. Nancy is a wonderful expositor. I don't think you will be disappointed with this book.
This month's free audio book is John Piper's Christmas devotional The Dawning of Indestructible Joy.
October 14, 2014
There are some books worth nabbing. First, Elise Fitzpatrick's Found in Him: The Joy of the Incarnation and Our Union with Christ is $0.99 for Nook and Kindle. Union with Christ is one of the most important but least understood doctrines there is. When Your Husband Is Addicted to Pornography: Healing Your Wounded Heart is free for Nook and Kindle. Who Am I: Identity In Christ is a free audio book. This book is written by Jerry Bridges and read by Alistair Begg.
One Thing I Want My Kids to Remember About Me is a good reminder for all parents.
In case you were wondering, pot really is bad for you.
Nancy Guthrie writes about The Best Things About the Boring Parts of the Bible.
Let Your Dim, Sin-Stained Light Shine Before The World. 'Nuff said.
Paul Tripp's words are directed toward pastors, but what he says is good for all of us. If nothing else, you will gain insight into the mind of the pastor.
September 3, 2014
Welcome to a Reformed Church: A Guide for Pilgrims is free for Nook and Kindle.
Christian Audio's free book is Francis Schaeffer's book How Should We Then Live. This is too good to pass up.
Should we tithe in this age of grace? Don Carson tackles this thorny question.
How does church conflict develop? We've all probably observed it at some point. My view is that it takes decades for a church to recover from serious conflict. Here is the typical path to tragic conflict. I pray Bowman continues to be spared from this disaster.
In this brief post, Ray Ortlund, using the book of Jonah, reminds his readers of the many resources God has to confront us. Thankfully, God does this.
Here is Tim Challies list of the greatest hymns. You probably won't completely agree but your list might be very similar to his.
On a more serious note, here is one more evaluation of Victoria Osteen's comment that have been flying around the internet of late. Here is a blurb:
Yes, the 37-second clip is a rambling mess born from almost incomprehensible Biblical ignorance. Yes, I hope these comments cause Osteen disciples to seriously reconsider their devotion to the most mega of America's megachurches. But if these words succeed in toppling the Osteen empire, isn't it a bit anticlimactic when the Osteens have said a thousand things that are even more theologically indefensible during their time at Lakewood Church?
August 19, 2014
Last week we were up at our family's cabin above Butte Meadows. There are a couple of phone lines but no TV and very slow internet. This to say we hadn't heard a thing about Ferguson until we returned. I'm not qualified to comment in any way about the event. Thabiti Anyabwile is moving back to the States. I do think what he writes is worth thinking about. Ray Ortlund appreciates his honest post.
John Piper articulates what happens to us at conversion. This a helpful primer about our salvation.
This month's free audio book from Christian Audio is Anna and the King. "This poignant story of Anna Leonowens and the King of Siam has captured the fancy of millions worldwide through not only the book, but the play The King and I. Wonderfully narrated by Anne Flosnik and nominated for a prestigious Audie Award in 2013, it is certainly one of the most entertaining audiobooks we have given away."
Often when reading the Bible we interpret too literalistically. Don't throw rocks yet. When something is symbolical we can easily miss the point of what is being said. I'm "all thumbs." What do you picture when I say that? Yeah, you don't imagine that I have five thumbs on each hand. Clumsy, yes, but not five thumbs. Too often when trying to interpret prophecy we default to a literal interpretation. So when the Bible says that there is no sea in heaven does it mean that there will be no long walks on the beach? R. C. Sproul unpacks the meaning of this enigmatic line.
July 3, 2014
There are several free ebooks worth grabbing right now. Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God is free for Nook and Kindle. This seems like it might be a handy resource for anyone who has to speak to children from time to time. Jesus the Evangelist: Learning to Share the Gospel from the Book of John is free for Kindle and Nook. Lion of Babylon, this month's free audio offering from Christian Audio, is probably worth listening to.
David Murray writes about 10 Reasons God Stops Us in Our Tracks.
I think about church growth from time to time. Here is an interesting article about the issue.
I Want a Patriotic Church. Don't hate me for this.
You might have heard that Louis Zamperini has died. We will hear a lot about him this year with Angelina Jolie's film Unbroken being released on Christmas Day. Here is his testimony at a 1958 Billy Graham Crusade.


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Can you believe this week wraps-up Juice January? Congratulations for cleaning-up your routine and getting a great start on 2019! You did it!
Over the years, I've gone from a strict juice regime to incorporating healthier meals. I hope you've enjoyed all of the recipes this month and that you've found a few favorites to add to your repertoire. This savory mushroom soup might be another great recipe to add!
It's a fantastic recipe for chilly winter nights. You will love it. It's hearty and homey. I like to add a dollop of plain yogurt and chopped chives to top off this rich luscious soup.
Savory Mushroom Soup
serves 4-6
You will need:
– 3 tablespoons olive oil
– 1 teaspoon of sea salt
– 1 shallot chopped fine
– 3 stalks of celery chopped
– 2 large carrots cut into coins
– 3 small zucchinis cut into bite sized pieces
– 2 pints mixed mushrooms, like shitake, and portabellas, enoki
– 2 bulbs of garlic roasted whole
– 1 1/2 cups brown lentils
– 1 quart chicken broth or vegetable broth
– 1/3 cup chopped parsley
– 1/4 cup of plain yogurt
– chopped chives
– roasted garlic*
To prepare:
Chop vegetables, shallot, celery, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms. Place in a large cast iron stock pot. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and saute over medium heat until transparent and wilted. Add the roasted garlic by squeezing the roasted garlic cloves into the pot and stir to combine all the ingredients. Add parsley, lentils and broth. Simmer over low heat for 2-3 hours. Serve.
I like to add a dollop of plain yogurt and chopped chives to top off this rich luscious soup.
*To prepare roasted garlic: place whole bulbs of garlic wrapped in aluminum foil in the oven on 325 for 1 hour until garlic is soft and fragrant.
Photo by me21 day cleanse All cooking Fall Food fall menus january cleanse juice january Juicing juicing january Recipes vegatarian food vegetarian soup : Tags: annette joseph, entertaining, fall, Juice, juice january, mushroom soup, mushrooms, recipe, recipes, soup, soup recipe, soup recipes


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- 25 updates
Horse trainer to appeal ban
The trainer at the centre of one of racing's biggest scandals has lodged an appeal against the severity of his eight-year suspension. Mahmood Al Zarooni was found guilty of administering anabolic steroids to 15 horses in his care.
Live updates
Godolphin trainer could lose his licence over doping
Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni could lose his training licence when he faces a disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority tomorrow.
Yesterday, he admitted making "a catastrophic mistake" after 11 of his horses were found to have contained traces of anabolic steroids.
The 37-year-old has officially been charged with rule breaches related to prohibited substances, duty to keep medication records, and conduct prejudicial to racing.
The hearing will be held at 2.30pm at BHA headquarters in London.
Godolphin trainer to face doping inquiry on Thursday
Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni will stand before a disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority on Thursday afternoon after samples taken from 11 of his horses were found to have contained traces of anabolic steroids.
- ITV Report
'Dark day' for Godolphin and horse racing
Horse racing giant Godolphin rocked by doping scandal
Dubai-owned horse racing giant Godolphin, one of the wealthiest and most powerful operations in the sport, has been rocked to its foundations by allegations of doping.
Bookmakers have refunded hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of bets after it emerged 11 horses at the Godolphin stables at Newmarket had tested positive for steroids.
ITV News' Correspondent Richard Pallot reports.
£200k worth of bets returned over horse doping claims
Bookmakers Ladbrokes said it has taken the decision to return £200,000 worth of bets after horses trained by Godolphin's Mahmood Al Zarooni tested positive for steroids. Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said:
Ladbrokes to refund bets for all Al Zarooni's horses
Bookmakers Ladbrokes has said it will be refunding money on certain bets after it was revealed that 11 horses tested positive for steroids in the care of Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni.
Training Federation: Horse doping claim 'isolated' case
The National Trainers Federation has said it is "shocked" by the news of positive tests on horses trained by Godolphin's Mahmood Al Zarooni.
In a statement, the NTF chief executive Rupert Arnold said: "Like everyone else in the sport of horseracing, the NTF is shocked at the news of these positive tests at the stable of Mahmood Al Zarooni.
"News reports so far suggest this case is an aberration and is not indicative of wider use of anabolic steroids in British horseracing.
"Without wanting to diminish the seriousness of this case, in some ways it is a positive message that the presence of these substances was detected so the sport is kept clean."
'Bad day' for horseracing over doping claims
A prestigious horseracing series has said the British Horseracing Authority's (BHA) decision to suspend Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni shows that the substance testing programme "works".
Qipco British Championships wrote on their website, after 11 horses including unbeaten filly, Certify tested positive for steroids, and subsequently will not be racing on Saturday.
They said: "It is a bad day for racing, but on the plus side it shows that the BHA testing programme works and that trainers cannot expect to get away with the use of performance-enhancing substances".
Horse racing commentator 'stunned' by doping news
Horse racing commentator Derek Thompson says he was stunned when he heard the news that 11 horses at the Godolphin stables in Newmarket were tied up in a doping scandal.
He said: "This news is stunning. Eleven horses tested positive, not one or two who might have been ill. That is not good news."
Click on the video below.
Horseracing body to make decision on suspension time
Horses that tested positive for anabolic steroids have been suspended with "immediate effect and for an extended period of time", the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said today.
Samples taken from 11 horses in Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni's care were found to contain traces of the substance. Adam Brickell, Director of Integrity, Legal and Risk for the BHA, said:
Latest ITV News reports
'Dark day' for Godolphin and horse racing
The sport of kings is reeling from devastating doping allegations against one of its most powerful operations, the Dubai-financed Godolphin.


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By: Jacob Fain
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the mighty New York Rangers in Game 7…on the road.
Bishop allowed 15 goals in Tampa, but on the road in New York allowed four goals, not over a span of one game, but in a four-game stretch. He clearly dominated.
So now, can he handle the Ducks or the Blackhawks? He shut down the beast team in the league for the most part, so the Ducks won't be such a huge problem, but the Hawks are a horse of a different color. The Hawks are fast where the Ducks and Rangers are stronger and more physical, which could be a pretty big pain for the Bolts.
Then again, Game 7 in the West hasn't been decided yet, and either team could win. I have the Mighty Ducks winning. A Lightning/Ducks final would really be the best thing for the sport; two teams who have not been to the final game in a while would be huge.


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Okay, okay. Before you start. I know it's not the first Tuesday of the month. I'm late. There, I said it before you did.
I can hear all the
sheeshing justified moaning now.
Sooorrrreeeee. 'K? 😉 I've been uber-silly busy and then, to top it all off, went and slipped on some ice and put my back out, so I HAVE an excuse. Shoot me now. (not literally, you understand).
Right, that's enough apologising from me, let's crack on.
Time to 'Tell it like it is'!
I uhmed and ahed about doing this blog today for various reasons. One, because of the subject matter and two, because of the age of the two girls involved, but then I thought, nah, go for it. This blog, afterall is primarily about writing and creativity and I thought that this was just too good not to show to the world.
You may be aware that recently, we (as in, Mark and I, my partner-in-literary-right-and-wrong-doings') published a Young Adult novel, co-written with two teenage authors. In true no-crap style, I won't go into detail here, head on over to my other blog for that HERE.
Anyway, the relevance to today's blog is two-fold: One: we are hopefully spawning a generation of new writers and personally, I don't think they get taken seriously enough. And two: retribution.
We are very good at dismissing the scribblings of those not old enough to drive or vote yet and other than them posting their work on sites like Wattpad and fanfic sites, they don't always get the billing that they deserve.
So, when I asked around for some sassy youngster to contribute to this blog, I didn't hold out much hope. That was, until a friend of mine contacted me and asked if I would like to see a poem that her daughter and her friend had written.
Of course, I jumped at the chance.
I must admit, I was a tad fearful of having to offend her and politely dismiss it as unsuitable. Until I read it.
Like any good piece of writing, it needs no explanation or introduction. All I will tell you is, is that the two young scribes concerned are still only 12 and 13 years old respectively and were probably MUCH younger when they wrote this. They were also pretty perceptive. See what you think:
On the 11th of September 2001,
Osama Bin laden had a job to be done.
A job to destroy and hurt a nation,
To cause chaos, despair and devastation.
Four planes were hijacked, made to be crashed,
Flying into the target they smashed.
One plane landed in the middle of nowhere,
The next three hit buildings without a care.
Smoke filled the air and dust clouds grew
The sky forevermore grey, no longer blue.
The workers inside were screaming,
The queues to the fire escape were heaving,
The fire spread and spread and spread,
Leaving many people unfortunately dead.
Bin laden's job was almost done,
But the biggest disaster was still to come.
One by one the floors broke down,
Their burnt souls now left to be found.
As people jumped and hit the ground,
The screams and shouts were really loud.
Jumping to die quick and pain free,
Scenes got too sad for people to see.
Cameras then flashed with the pictures they took,
As the ground trembled and shook.
The dust grew bigger, witnesses had to abort
And do all they could, to help find support.
Firemen were quickly on the site,
With people hoping with all their might.
Down came the second tower,
With such strength and such power,
Floors by floors they slowly broke down,
Now this heart-breaking disaster is the talk of the town.
Now Bin laden's job is done,
His cold dark days are soon to come,
All the people he killed that day,
Are no longer here to have their say.
A nasty idea it was indeed,
He now has no-one to follow his lead.
This happened at such an unexpected time,
Now he must pay for this terrible crime.
By Megan Shelton & Lauren McGahan
This is Megan and Lauren:
I think maybe we have two budding, talented writers on our hands. I also think that they might have finally got their wish.


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Thank you for your interest in The Annapolis Arts Alliance.
Annapolis Arts Alliance
801 Chase Street, Annapolis, Maryland 21401
(443) 333-8906
Download a Membership Brochure (Side 1 / Side 2)
Thank you in advance for contacting the AAA. This site is managed by a group of volunteers. A response can generally be expected within one business day. To contact a specific member of The Annapolis Arts Alliance or Board of Directors, please visit the Member Directory for contact information.


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Priced at approximately $70 in the U.S. (as of January 2007), Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens is the cheapest lens in Canon's current lineup. The lens first first released in December 1990, replacing the first generation Canon EF 50mm f/1.8. Don't expect a technological or optical marvel at that price level - the lens looks and feels cheap. The lens barrel is made of inexpensive plastic and even mount rings are plastic. On a positive side, the lens weighs only 130g (4.6oz) and is very compact - only 68.2x41mm (2.7"x1.6"). EF designation means that the lens is compatible with Canon's all modern digital and film SLR camera mounts.
The lens construction consists on 6 elements in 5 groups, has a minimum aperture of 22 and a maximum magnification of 0.15x. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II features a micro motor, which is quite fast but somewhat noisy. Manual focus ring is located in the front of the lens and is very thin, making it somewhat inconvenient. On APS-C digital SLR cameras such as EOS 400D used in testing, the lens' field of view resembles that of a traditional 80mm medium telephoto lens, making it an interesting choice for portrait photography. Because the lens is quite fast, it is also suitable for low-light photography. The front element of the lens does not rotate, which allows attaching a filter to the mounting thread on the front of the lens. The filter size is 52mm and has a minimal focusing distance of 45cm (1.5ft). The lens accepts Canon's EF-62 lens hood which has to be attached to the hood adapter screwed to the front of the lens.
The factory box includes Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens, front and read lens caps and informational booklet.
|Lens Composition
|6 elements in 5 groups
|Angular Field
|46 degrees
|Minimum Focus
|Focusing Action
|AF/MF, Micro-Motor
|f-stop Scale
|f/1.8-f/22, camera-controlled
|Filter Size
|Lens Hood
|ES-62 (optional)
|Lens Case
|LP1014 (optional)
Field Tests
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II was full of surprises. And most of them are positive. The lens produced outstanding results across all aperture levels, with best overall performance at f/5.6. As expected from a fixed focal lens, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 does not produce any noticeable distortions. The only weak aspect of the lens (besides its build quality) is the AF mechanism. While AF is fast and accurate (most of the time at least), it occasionally hunts in low light. Releasing the shutter button and then pressing it again typically solves the problem.
Bokeh handling was sort of on an average side - both near and far OOF objects were nicely blurred, leaving a pretty narrow focused focal place, however, OOF highlights were not quite uniformly lit and carried distinct bright edges. OOF contrast transitions were pretty smooth and there were no noticeable double edging around background objects.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II produced pretty decent quality bokeh. OOF highlight areas were round and more or less uniform in shape, with some minor double-edging. Images carried pretty smooth blurring transitions from near to far distance OOF objects, which resulted in a quite pleasant effect.
The lens produced negligible amount of vignetting on a full frame Canon 5D at f/1.8, which becomes non-existent once stopped down to f/2. On an APS-C camera vignetting was non-existent to start with.
Lab Tests
Please note that MTF50 results for APS-C and Full-Frame cameras are not cross-comparable despite the same normalized [0:1] range used to report results for both types of cameras.
Canon APS-C: For a $70 piece of plastic, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II performed really well. Image remained sharp pretty much across all focal lengths and at its peak (from f/4 through f/8) would produce excellent 19in and decent 24in prints. The only weakness is at f/1.8 where performance in the center is average, but border quality suffers. Conclusion? This lens continues to surprise me as I have yet to see one priced as aggressively and producing as good results.
Normalized raw MTF50 @ 50mm
Chromatic aberration remained well under control in controlled shooting environment. At f/1.8 chromatic aberration did not exceed ~1 pixel both around corners as well as in the center. CA completely disappears once stopped down to f/4.
Canon FF: The lens showed very solid performance on a full frame camera. Performance in the center is pretty decent at the widest aperture level, progressively getting better as you stop down aperture and peaking at f/4. Border quality suffers at f/1.8, but also gets better with stopped down aperture. Conclusion? While performance at the widest apertire settings is nothing to drool about, overall image quality is pretty good for a prime lens and especially for one priced so low.
CA remains under control on the full-frame Canon 5D, averaging ~0.2px in the center and ~0.5px around borders with wide open aperture. Once stopped down to f/2.8, CA becomes pretty much non-existent.
Image borders @ 50mm (100% crop): f/1.8 vs f/8
There are simply no alternatives to Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II that fall in the same price range and have same image quality! Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM (review) is slightly faster and has better build quality but is also significantly more expensive. So is Sigma's 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro (review), which is also a slower lens.
With the exception of its build quality, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is a fantastic value for your money. But even with sub-standard built quality, it is a highly recommended choice for anyone considering expanding their lens collection beyond kit lenses or interested in acquiring a fixed focal lens for portrait photography.


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For those who may be interested I've posted some pics of the museum's highlights, including some great warship models, at my VSF blog here:
|The French ironclad Trident
|The French ironclad Trident
I had a look earlier. The models are amazing. Trust you totally enjoying the trip.ReplyDelete
Been there already, amazing pics.ReplyDelete
Very cool museum - the ship models alone are worth the trip.
How did the family like Paris? Lucky for me, my wife isn't that big a fan of the "City of Lights" 'cause it can be a bit expensive!
Hi Paul,
Now that is the scale to naval wargame in!
It looked brilliant and that is another reason for me to go to Paris!
All the best,
I'd like to visit there, perhaps next summer, this time without the Mrs!! Is that you in the pic??ReplyDelete
that ship looks bad ass.ReplyDelete
This is a nice museum. I remember visiting when I was 15... 16 years ago. The great thing is that it's not a famous museum, so there won't be too many visitors.ReplyDelete
yes thats me Ray!ReplyDelete


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1 found shot, killed in driveway
MIRAMAR, Fla. – Miramar police responded to reports of shots fired and found a body in the driveway at 8400 Long Acre Drive in Miramar about 1:45 a.m. Friday.
Police later identified the man as 18-year-old Travante Simms.
One other person suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Anyone with information in the shooting is asked to call Miramar police at 954-602-4000.
Copyright 2013 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Donors are the pillars on which a NGO like Akshaya Patra relies on to keep working on its cause. Such is their role that building trust and good relationships is critical to the existence of the organisation. We need to achieve our goal and fulfil our mission and they are there to support us. This is a constant need that is likely be met by a number of donors over time.
Our relationship with donors builds a connection that result with potential funding. The stronger that trust and connection, the more likely donor will support Akshaya Patra. But it doesn't mean that a donor who once supported us will keep extending the favour. So, it is essential to earn their loyalty and trust again and again.
How do you earn this? We have to comply with the rules and regulations and communicate.
When communicating with donors, we have to address the key elements that shape a donor's perceptions and willingness to continue supporting the mid-day meal programme. Donors want to know:
- If The Akshaya Patra Foundation is using its funds effectively and efficiently for the intended purpose
- Are we effecting positive change on the lives of children we serve every day
- Do we have a good image and reputation
Akshaya Patra has to communicate effectively. It has to be as clear, direct and honest in the communication both verbally and in writing. Follow up on donors regularly. Akshaya Patra needs to send written summaries of key issues and actions. It needs to be responsive to donor requests. Questions need to be asked to understand what is being requested and when it is due. There should be honest interactions.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation has to be realistic and deliver on the promises made. It has to be careful not to compromise the quality of the programme. It has to use donor funds as expected. The financial transparency it observed stringently is also a key factor that allows donors to trust the organisation.
Building a strong relationship with donors through open, two-way communication is the key to making Akshaya Patra successful. The confidence of people in the organization develops the willingness to support.
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Jesse Wente, Broadcaster, Advocate & Pop Culture Philosopher
Jesse has appeared on CBC Radio's Metro Morning as film and pop culture critic for 20 years. He previously served as Director of Film Programmes, at TIFF Bell Lightbox, where he oversaw theatrical, Cinematheque and Film Circuit programming. A self-described 'Ojibwe dude' with a national and international lens, he encourages audiences to consider diversity and inclusion into the future view of their organization, industry and country.
Ian Campeau, DJ, Co-Founder of A Tribe Called Red & Indigenous Advocate
Ian, also known as DJ NDN, is the co-founder & former member of the music group A Tribe Called Red (ATCR). Through a powerful combination of art and activism, he uses his notoriety to draw attention to issues of racism, gender-based violence, stigmas of mental health, and other forms of oppression. He is Ojibwe, Anishinaabe from the Nipissing First Nation.
Keynote Session: Indigenous Intersections: Forging Empathy and Allyship


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Business Courses
As part of the Neighborhood 360 grant, we will provide business courses and workshops in Inwood to help merchants operate and grow their business – at no cost.
- Hospitality for Restaurants, Bars and Lounges
- Finance and Accounting for Your Business
- Customer Service for Retail Establishments
- How to Obtain a Liquor License
Merchant Organizing
As part of a new initiative from the Department of Small Business Services of New York City, the Washington Heights BID is creating a merchant association in Inwood. This association will be a coalition of the various business owners and merchants of Inwood, particularly focusing on the commercial corridors on Dyckman Avenue, Broadway and 207th Street. The main goal of the merchant association will be to advocate for the business community by providing public support for causes and policies that benefit the merchants in Inwood. Because business-to-business relations are essential in any economically thriving and developing area, the association will organize networking events where merchants will have the opportunity to establish partnerships and leverage opportunities.
The merchant association will be formalized as a nonprofit, with a leadership team in the form of a steering committee which will be represented by local businesses. This steering committee will participate in public forums and meet regularly with Inwood business and other local stakeholders to evaluate merchant needs, issues and concerns. We are in the process of selecting the steering committee members for the Inwood Merchant Association.
As a member of the Inwood business community, we would like to invite you to join the association. If you are interested in participating, please reach out to Isidro Medina at [email protected] or 212-928-3400.
Current Members


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Posts Tagged 'weird news'
Attleboro neighbors agog as bear hangs out in backyard tree
Published June 21, 2011 in The Boston Globe, page B2
A young black bear was spotted several times in Attleboro last weekend, causing a scene when it clung to a tree in a residential area Sunday evening for about two hours.
The bear was in a tree behind a home on Lamb Street, onlookers said, where several police officers and a Capron Park Zoo official tried to control the animal as neighbors gathered to watch.
"There were easily over 100 people on the street, maybe 50 to 75 feet away from the bear," said Bill Jones, who owns the house next door. "That in itself was very scary to me and my wife because" there were very young children in the crowd.
Around 9:30 p.m., Massachusetts Environmental Police were called to the area, spokesman Reginald Zimmerman said yesterday. The environmental police officers ordered the crowd to back away and had local police turn off their lights – and the bear left soon after through Jones's yard.
"No more than five minutes after that happened, we could hear branches cracking and we could see the shadow of the bear coming down the tree," Jones said. The bear then climbed over Jones's fence and ran across the street into a wooded area.
The bear had been spotted several times over the weekend, Zimmerman said, but did not cause any problems. The appearance follows a string of black bear sightings over the past month in areas including Wayland, Framingham, and Weston, but this is not unusual, he said.
"Basically, what happens is around this time [of year] moms kick [the cubs] out of the dens, and they go out in search for food and wander until they can find their own territory," Zimmerman said.
Mass. 7th-grader competes in National Geographic Bee
Published May 25, 2011 in The Boston Globe MetroDesk Blog
Plainville seventh-grader Karthik Karnik competed in the final round of the National Geographic Bee today against nine other geography whizzes from across the country.
While he didn't finish in the top three, Karnik, 13, was among the seven other finalists who won $500 in the contest, which was held in Washington, D.C., and moderated by "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek.
The top three won college scholarships of $25,000, $15,000, and $10,000. The top finisher was Tine Valencic, 13, of Texas, who will also get a lifetime subscription to National Geographic magazine and a trip to the Galapagos Islands.
Karnik had won the title of 2011 Massachusetts National Geographic Bee Champion earlier this year.
The contest is scheduled to air over four nights beginning June 13 at 6:30 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel, the company said in a statement.
Haverhill candlepin bowler ties world record
Published on May 19, 2011 in The Boston Globe, page B3
Chris Sargent has been a professional candlepin bowler for 20 years, and his average score hovers around 125 points.
But on one string Friday night, the Haverhill resident nearly doubled his average score, and his 245 tied the world record for a single-string score.
"If you hit over 200 in candlepin, that's really big," said Sargent, a Groveland police officer,who was playing at Metro Bowl in Peabody.
Said teammate Joe Tavernese: "That string Friday night was unbelievable. I was just in awe. To watch something like that was unbelievable."
Candlepin, a New England tradition, uses smaller pins and smaller balls than traditional bowling, making the game lower-scoring and more difficult. Further complicating the game, once pins are knocked down they are not cleared away.
Sargent is part of the Friday Night Pro League. When he tied the record, it was the second-to-last week of the season. His team is in first place, but the second-place team was only a few points behind for the entire season, so it was a big night.
His high-scoring string came when his team was down 52 points after two games, said Tavernese. Sargent started the round with a spare and went on to throw six consecutive strikes.
"He throws strikes together like no one I've never known," said Tavernese, who has been the manager of Metro Bowl for 42 years.
People began to gather around the lane as his score kept growing, Tavernese said, and at the end of the game everyone was in awe.
His score ties that of Ralph Semb, president of the International Candlepin Bowling Association.
It is the second candlepin bowling world record set by Sargent, who holds the highest score for three strings in a five-game match, 530 points.
5 students on whale watch boat hurt by wave
Published on May 17, 2011 in The Boston Globe, page B2
Five Barnstable High students sustained minor injuries when a rogue wave struck their whale watch tour boat yesterday, officials said.
At 10:23 a.m., about an hour into the students' tour, the Coast Guard received a notification from the Barnstable-based vessel Whale Watcher that a wave between 5 and 7 feet had hit the boat, according to Petty Officer Connie Terrell, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.
The injured students were taken to Cape Cod Hospital, Terrell said. Patrick Clark, the Barnstable High School principal, said two of the students were released from the hospital yesterday afternoon, and that the rest were expected to go home some time yesterday.
The episode began when the boat was about 5 miles away from Race Point in Provincetown, and the captain noticed a wave much larger than the rest heading toward the vessel, said Jack Hill, managing partner of Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises.
The captain told the 47 students on board to hang on or go inside, but 15 to 20 were still on the bow when the wave hit, Hill said.
"This wave was a surprise, and caught everybody by surprise, but those hanging on were fine," he said.
The five injured students sustained minor injuries, with one student injuring her knee and another requiring stitches on her chin or lip, Clark said.
"All things being equal, I think we're kind of counting our blessings that these injuries, while difficult for the kids and their families, aren't anything life threatening," he said.
The tour was part of the students' marine biology and ecology class.
Provincetown authorities were alerted at 10:36 a.m. and met the 106-foot boat when it arrived at MacMillan Pier, taking the injured students to the hospital. Coast Guard officials boarded the boat, where they interviewed the captain and crew, and traveled back with the remaining students to Barnstable.
Since Whale Watcher began about 30 years ago, Hill said this was the most severe accident that has occurred on a boat.
"I knock on wood when I say this, but this is the first time we've had more than one person hurt at one particular time," he said. "In the past, there has been an elderly person that might fall or something like that, but the incidents are isolated, and there haven't been that many either. We try to be vigilant and keep our passengers safe."
The Coast Guard reported the seas at about 6 feet, and winds ranged from 31 to 35 miles per hour. Several other whale watch companies canceled some or all of their tours yesterday.
911 call from an unoccupied Marblehead home leads police to pipe leak, flooding
Published on April 30, 2011 in The Boston Globe, Page B2
The Brave Little Toaster. The Little Engine That Could. Now you may be able to add to that list The House That Called Police.
Emergency officials in Marblehead say they received a call from an empty house and responded to find that a pipe had flooded the cellar.
Police Chief Robert Picariello said department officials are unsure how the call from 31 Rockaway Ave. was placed at 7:58 a.m. Wednesday. The house appeared to have been empty since the leak began.
The call lasted about two seconds, he estimated, enough to obtain the address. When the department called back, there was only static.
The Salem News reported the 911 call went to police from the house after water short-circuited the phone system and apparently sparked the emergency call.
Officers who arrived on the scene saw water in the home and summoned the fire department.
Firefighters gained entry and found a pipe leaking on the second floor and the cellar flooded.
"It was pretty bad; black mold was everywhere," said Fire Captain Mike Porter.
Firefighters called a company to pump out the water, and all utilities were shut down, he said.
The town health director and building commissioner will continue looking into the home's safety, but Porter said he did not think it was safe for people to enter because of the extensive mold growth.
Records show the homeowner is James Cowin, but his listed number for the address is no longer in service.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hingham police searching for robber who brandished syringe
Published April 25, 2011 in The Boston Globe MetroDesk Blog
Hingham police are still searching today for a man who robbed a Dunkin Donuts on Sunday, while brandishing a syringe, officials said.
A white male in his 20s entered the store at 187 Whiting St., showed a syringe, and demanded money from the cash register, police said in a statement.
He obtained an undetermined amount of cash and fled on foot to an older, "beat up" white sedan and drove away on Gardner Street, police said.
At the time of the incident, the 5-foot-5 suspect was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, white T-shirt, and white sneakers.
Examination determines that bones found on riverbank were human
Published on April 13, 2011 in The Boston Globe MetroDesk Blog
The state medical examiner has determined that bones found in a shoe on the bank of the Merrimack River on Tuesday were human, Essex County prosecutors said today.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the find, Essex district attorney's spokesman Steve O'Connell said.
The remains were found in a woman's brown shoe on the riverbanks off of River Road in West Newbury, where workers were removing sewage treatment disks that had floated into the area from a New Hampshire treatment plant.


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Search results
COVID-19 Resources for Farmers
https://vet.osu.edu/sites/vet.osu.edu/files/documents/extension/COVID-19%20Handout_SPANISH.pdf University of Minnesota Swine Disease Eradication Center Practical biosecurity recommendations ... https://vetmed.umn.edu/sites/vetmed.umn.edu/files/covid19_and_barn_recommendations_-_spanish.pdf University of Nebraska Medical Center Infographic: COVID-19 and Health on the Feedlot https ... https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/stop-the-spread-of-germs-sp.pdf If you are sick-- Symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19) ...
Field Estimations of Alfalfa Fiber Content
https://forages.osu.edu/sites/forages/files/imce/Estimate%20Alfalfa%20NDF.pdf Here is a short video describing the method: PEAQ was developed for clean pure alfalfa stands. ... exact date to determine harvest of our first alfalfa crop. Research has shown % Neutral Detergent Fiber ... harvest decisions based on calendar date is unreliable. Many producers also base harvest decisions ...
Dial Gauge Pressure Canner Testing- In Morrow County!
tested. Pressure Canner Testing in Morrow County Schedule: ** Date: Friday, June 12, 2020- By Appointment ... Only Time: 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM ** Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2020- By Appointment Only Time: 3:00 to ... should be tested for accuracy each year. Get your pressure canner ready! 35 testing dates ...
Cressleaf Groundsel in Hay
weeds go to https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/7/3461/files/2014/04/Cressleaf ... _groundsel_article_-_p-zna9t9.pdf Forages; Weeds ...
Revised-Information just updated last week regarding vacation carryovers
vacation over the established maximum carryover amounts as stated in Paid Leave Policy 6.27PDF file has ... been extended to include every employee whose service anniversary date is between March 22, 2020 ...
conference video and maybe shown some to your students but TED-Ed offers already created interactive videos ...
Ohio State announces plans for an autumn semester return to campuses
distance methods. The autumn commencement date and format will be announced at a later date. Under this ... eliminated, and classes will be in session on those dates. Veterans Day (Nov. 11) and Labor Day (Sept. 7) will ... Schumaker Complex. Final plans for all sports will be subject to decisions made by the Big Ten Conference ...
Recommendations for Soybeans Planted in June
rate. Higher seeding rates are recommended for June planting dates. The final (harvest) population for ... soybean planted in June should be 130,000 to 150,000 plants/acre. (For May planting dates, a final stand ... shown in the table below. Planting Date Suitable Relative Maturity Northern Ohio June 1-15 3.2-3.8 ...
Use the Field Guide to find answers for your crop problems
Soybean, Wheat, and Forages Field Guide. We have two versions – the bound copy, which I love, and a pdf ... https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/corn-soybean-wheat-and-forages-field-guide/. The price is $15.75 And the pdf copy, ... https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/corn-soybean-wheat-and-forages-field-guide-pdf/. The price is $7.75. agronomy ...
Side-dressing Manure into Newly Planted and Emerged Corn
hose to apply swine finishing manure to emerged corn fields with several farmers during the 2014-2019 ... UAN 2019 195 168 2018 264 246 2017 165 145 2016 222 216 2015 154 121 2014 204 204 Average yield: ... State Extension Environmental and Manure Management. OSU Extension's Nutrient Stewardship YouTube site ...


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Marketplace Notice Deadline Looming – Who Can Send it?
September 9, 2013
Authored by: benefitsbclp
As most group health plan administrators are well aware, the Marketplace Notice (i.e., notice of coverage options) is required to be distributed to existing employees by no later than October 1, 2013.
As discussed in our previous Client Alert and blog entry, the DOL issued model notices and guidance regarding which employers must comply with this requirement, which employees must receive the notice and the notice's required content. Links to the models are available on benefitsbclp.com. A more thorough discussion of employer's notice obligation is provided in our Client Alert which can be accessed here. Until last week, one open question was whether an employer could satisfy its obligations to provide the Marketplace Notice by engaging another entity (such as an insurer, multiemployer plan, or third-party administrator) to send the Marketplace Notice on its behalf.
In its Sixteenth set of PPACA-related FAQs issued on September 4th, the DOL confirmed that the answer is "yes". Specifically, the DOL opined that an employer will have satisfied its obligation to provide the notice if another party provides a timely and complete notice. This is welcomed news for employers that contract with another party to generally send participant communications and/or annual open enrollment materials. (Stay tuned for our annual "Check it Out and Check it Off" client alert detailing annual notice requirement that employers should continue during open enrollment).
Note, however, that the FAQ contains a cautionary reminder that all employees must receive the notice, regardless of whether they are enrolled in the employer's group health plan and, further, that an employer is not relieved of its obligation to provide notice if another entity sends the notice to only participants enrolled in the plan. To that end, an employer relying on another part to send its notice should inquire whether that party will provide notice only to a subset of employees (e.g., employees enrolled in the plan).
Finally, employers should not forget that COBRA election notices need to be updated to reflect the DOL's earlier guidance that those electing continuation coverage may want to consider and compare health coverage alternatives to COBRA that are available through the Marketplace.


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Electrical Engineer
Springfield, MA
Job Description
Engineering Professional, are you ready to take your career to another level with an organization that will have your interest in mind first? Since 1976, CPS has matched top talent in multiple fields of engineering with progressive companies in all industries. Whether you are fresh out of school or an experienced professional with decades of experience, CPS can help you find the right fit for your next career move. For over 40 years CPS has been working with the employers nationwide, from family owned businesses to Fortune 500 corporations, to help them meet their engineering needs.
Here at CPS, Inc., we only work with our clients to directly place quality talent for permanent and full-time positions. Our experienced recruiters spend time getting to know you, what type of work and company culture you like, and what your career goals are moving forward. We use our experience and knowledge of our client companies to find the right match for you. If you are looking to build your career, ready to take on new challenges, and gain the experiences you have always wanted, we want to work with you!
Electrical Engineer Job Summary
An excellent opportunity for an Electrical Engineer has become available in Springfield, MA. Our client is a leading chemical manufacturer with locations around the world. Our client offers great benefits and is looking for someone that wants to grow within the organization.
As the Electrical Engineer, you will be responsible for:
- Supporting control systems including PLC and Delta V DCS
- Designing, installing and troubleshooting industrial electrical, power distribution and instrumentation control systems for projects
- Offering electrical, instrumentation and technical support to plant operations and maintenance
- Directing Electrical and Instrumentation calibration procedures on critical equipment
- Root Cause Failure Analysis on equipment failures and recommending action plans to minimize failures
Job Requirements
We are looking for an Electrical Engineer with experience working in a chemical, refinery or heavy industry environment.
Specific requirements for the Electrical Engineer include:
- Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering
- At least 2 years of experience in chemical or heavy industry environment
- Understanding of designing power distribution, feeders, variable speed drives,
- PLC and DCS, Delta V experience
- Experience in Preventive and Predictive Maintenance tools
- Strong organizational and time management skills
- Excellent communication, presentation skills, and interpersonal skills


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Are you looking for a Bandung hotel with a great price that can give you quality rooms where you can enjoy? Then you have come to the right place! Start by browsing the menu to check out everything available in our Hotel.
Welcome to Zodiak @ Kebon Kawung, a proud presentation of KAGUM Hotels where simplicity meets quality. Featuring not only a blend of minimalistic and modern style designs that will please your sense, we also present to you a quality selection of facilities and guest rooms so that you can always be sure to enjoy a great value experience in your every stay with us.
Zodiak @Kebonkawung Bandung is located in the highly accessible and easily reachable location of Bandung, and we feature a collection of 95 guest rooms comprised of two Hotel room types: Superior and Family, as well as a host of complementary facilities such as a convenient dining restaurant where guests can enjoy a variety of quality dining at their own convenience. Our hotel rooms are stylish, comfortable, and all offered in a great price, making Zodiak @Kebonkawung Bandung a choice you would not want to miss.


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Humanity is divided into two camps. Either, you're the type who's jostling for the karaoke mic or the one hiding under the table when the barman starts passing the songlist around.
Sing Bot wants to turn everyone into fearless frontmen and women. This digital voice coach's theory runs thus: if you can speak, you can learn to sing.
First, identify your voice on the scale between piping soprano and sonorous tenor. Then you'll be provided with your own package of lessons to suit your voice. Tutorials start with the basics – literally, learning how to hold a tune.
You'll be instructed to sing higher or lower in order to hit the right key. As you progress, you'll be taught how to time your breathing and tune your musical ear. Feedback from your virtual singing coach fine tunes your pitch.
And you will find yourself getting better and better. Sing Bot likens its process to working out in a gym: you get more muscular the more you hit the weights room. And with Sing Bot, the more you use the app, the better your singing voice becomes.
Plus, the gamified features will incentivise you to get your practice in each day: build up a daily streak and you'll unlock new levels. Before you know it, you'll be hollering your scales with expert aplomb.